My new blog is up and running! A bit light on content right now, and I'm still playing with WordPress, widgets and CSS. But here it is:

Tada! I hope you'll visit.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 5:18 PM
Category | My Writing

It's been so long since I've written with any regularity that I'm not sure if anyone is still reading. But to those of you who are, and to those of you who have over the past three or so years, thank you.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for participating and for being the audience for this blog that meant a lot to me as a creative outlet and as a source for spiritual exploration and pursuit of community.

It seems apparent that, on the subjects that I covered with Blogickal, I don't have much more to say. It's time to move on to something new, to find a new creative outlet. I'm stirring the ideas for a new site and will reappear in the blogosphere soon.

In the mean time, to all of my friends online and elsewhere, thank you for helping me to make Blogickal the fulfilling work that it was. I know from the comments over the years that it meant something to others as well as to myself and I'm glad and grateful that I was able to do that.

Blessings and cheers!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 4:58 PM
Category | Miscellanea

Trying to find time to write when you are working at the job of doom and sleep deprived and hug deprived is harder than I thought! My faeries got tired of waiting for me to notice them, so they've gone off somewhere else. But I'm working on something, I promise.

I hope that everyone had a blessed Imbolc yesterday. Today, I appeal to Brighid, the exalted one, woman of wisdom and goddess whom poets adore, to inspire me in my own writing.

A resume and a blog post please, if the Goddess will provide.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:44 AM
Category | Miscellanea

November 7, wow. I knew it had been a while, but that really is a long time to be away. Lots of reasons for no time to write - busy new job, holidays, yada yada yada. Lots of other things going on as well, and there is where I am finding the inspiration for my first posts in months, that are to come as I can get them down in pixels.

I'm trying to be back, in lots of different ways.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:42 PM | Comments (4)
Category | Miscellanea

And now we return to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

Luna at Stars for Eyes posted her results from this quiz a few days before the election. Interesting how it said that she needed a little blue in her life. Apparently, I need some more black:

You Need Some Black in Your Life

Black will make you feel powerful, in control, and not bound to what other people think of you. And with a little black, you will project a aura of mystery, rebellion, and dominance. If you want people to respect you, you've got to get a little black in your life! For extra punch: Combine black with orange or red The downside of black: People won't be able to "read" you - and may perceive you as more aggressive than you actually are. The consequences of more black in your life: You'll become a figure of intrigue and speculation You'll be better prepared for life's unknown path You'll rest better and free yourself of expectations

What Color Do You Need?

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:58 AM | Comments (3)
Category | It's Magickal

Thank you, America.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 6:50 AM | Comments (1)
Category | Community & Culture

I knew I should have stopped for coffee.

As I was walking down my street toward our neighborhood polling place and people were literally streamilng down the street like they were on their way to a sporting event. Except they were on their way to vote. And the line is wrapping around the block. People have brought their dogs - perhaps in solidarity with the greyhounds whose fate is being decided by Question 3 here in Massachusetts.

Funny comment #1: "Do you think they make caffeinated food for dogs?"

I don't know, but I could use some caffeine right about now!

UPDATE: Voting is fun. It's like a party here. Everyone is happy, the sun is shining, and some kids from the housing project we are wrapping around are hanging out the window and shouting, "Vote for Obama!" Our youth are witnessing democracy in action!

Funny comment #2: "Let's get a little ward on ward rivalry going on."

The two guys on line in front of me are very funny. Now they're talking about hot air balloons. I'm sure there is a politician joke in there somewhere.

More cute doggies!

UPDATE: Note to self - next election bring voting buddy who can fetch coffee.

Dog fight! (not really, just an energetic happy dog probably barking at Norman, our friendly neighborhood mastiff)

Kids coming to school now (I'm voting in the Cathedral High School gym) and they're all shouting "Obama!"

Baby behind me is getting fussy - maybe he wants to vote. Maybe he needs coffee too.

UPDATE: Still on line. Movement has slowed and I've been here for nearly and hour and a half. It's a bit quieter - I think we're getting tired of standing on line.

It's cool to see the spectrum of cultures represented in my neighborhood by seeing who has come out to vote. I just wish one of them would bring me coffee!

UPDATE: I'm finally in the door! My toes and fingers are frozen. I think they ran out of ballots for our precinct; a policeman just came in with a box labeled with my ward and precinct numbers.

More cute dogs!

I'm going to be late for work, definitely. But the voting booth is now in sight. I think I'll vote yes on legalizing marijuana - I'm gonna need some later!

FINAL UPDATE: I voted! Ok, America, the rest is up to you.

I didn't get an Obama sticker. Maybe I'll make some to hand out later.

I did get coffee!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:24 AM
Category | Community & Culture

On Tuesday, we had a New Moon in Scorpio (the Moon will be in Scorpio until 6:41 pm EDT today). With this New Moon, Mercury's retrograde energy subsides at last and, as with all New Moon cycles, we have the opportunity to grow. I like Waxing Moon energy - the period of time leading up to a Full Moon always feels the best for me, being the cockeyed optimist that I am.

Cafe Astrology had this to say about this New Moon cycle:

A time of new beginnings, this New Moon is a rather "challenged" one, as it forms hard aspects to Saturn and Uranus. This lunation emphasizes a new beginning in the fixed water sign of Scorpio. It's a time when we can focus on some of the constructive traits of the sign of the Scorpion--passionate, resourceful, focused, probing, deep, and perceptive--and consider how to positively incorporate these qualities into our lives. Scorpio New Moons are generally good for working on our self-mastery skills. We may want to pinpoint the things in our lives that make us feel out of control, such as addictions and debts, and work on freeing ourselves of these emotional burdens. This New Moon cycle is also an opportune one in which to explore what is missing in our lives that leads us to engage in these self-destructive behaviors.

One of Scorpio's "lessons" involve learning to dig deeper into the mysteries around us instead of always being content with status quo. Taking the time to understand others' motives can enrich our feelings of intimacy, forgiveness, and sense of meaning. Scorpio also teaches us that dedication to one meaningful relationship or undertaking can be significantly more satisfying than spreading ourselves around. Here, "quality over quantity" applies. We might want to use this cycle to work on focusing on and developing one special project or relationship in order to help add purposefulness and depth to our lives.

Some very good advice indeed! You can read more here: This Week in Astrology.

Perhaps it is because tomorrow is Samhain that I am feeling particularly introspective. The lessons of this New Moon resonate particularly powerfully right now and I want to immerse myself in the Scorpionic mystery and magick.

There is an energy of Samhain that is palpable and has caught my attention over the past few days. Enough to shake me out of my busy, new-job intensity so that I am noticing the magick all around me. The air has turned very cold here in Boston, it's dark when I wake up, the wind blows and leaves fly around like eerie little phantoms. It will be a good Samhain this year, I can feel it.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:39 AM | Comments (3)
Category | It's Magickal