Moon Days: Moon Gardening

Happy Moon Day, loves!

A big dream of mine is to have a pretty home garden. I am very hesitant though, because I tend to kill the plants I try to grow (I feel so bad :( about it too), so before I do any planting this time I am really researching and planning.

Image found here

What I would eventually want to have is a Moon Garden! This means the flowers bloom and are fragrant at night! It would be so magical and divine... sigh :) The flowers tend to be light and silvery, and look as if they glow in the moon's light.

Some flowers to consider are:

Night Phlox

Moonflower

Evening Primrose

Evening Stock

Angel's Trumpets

Other plants with Lunar connections are:

Jasmine

Moonwort

Sandalwood

Lamb's Ear

Camphor

Eucalyptus

Gardenia

Plumeria

Add these herbs and flowers as beautiful additions

to your Moon Garden

)O(

I don't know when I will be able to have a Moon Garden, but I will eventually. For now, I will probably start with succulents and simple container gardening.

What is in your gardens, lovely readers? Do you have any gardening tips for a newbie like me?

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Guest Post: The True Domestic Goddess by Dominee

Hello sweet Loves,

Today a wonderful friend of mine has come over here to teach us about the Goddess Hestia, of the home and hearth. My motto at the moment is "Messy bed, messy head," and I have definitely been feeling this way. My home is so off balanced and I feel so unmotivated to do anything about it, so I asked Dominee to help me out! I hope you all enjoy!

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Hestia Greek Goddess of Hearth by Dion Hamill

I have always been fascinated by the Greek Goddess, Hestia, Goddess of the hearth and home. I think she first appealed to me as a teenager because I identified with her introverted nature. She was mysterious, she was known for her kindness and charity amongst the Gods, and unlike the other Goddesses there wasn't anything scandalous or even overly interesting about her. She was kind of like me, yet she was still a Goddess. I thought that was pretty great.

Hestia is also known for giving up her seat on Mount Olympus for the God Dionysus so that she could devote all of her time tending the sacred fires. Which speaks to her giving nature and her dedication to her duties.

It was tradition when moving into a new home to evoke Hestia and ask for her blessing. Often times, the Greeks would take the hearth fire flame from their old home and bring it to the new as a representation of Hestia's protection.

I first began to form a bond with Hestia in the midst of a very severe period of depression. I wasn't taking care of myself and all aspects of my life suffered. I lived by myself and as a result of my depression, I lost all will to tidy up or care about my surroundings. After a few months I finally found the will to clean.

And it felt good. It felt magical.

It was just a small spot in my living room but that spot of cleanliness and organization made me feel good. I realized that taking care of my surroundings was in essence allowing me to take better care of myself. I began to research ways to bring more of that magic into my home.

                                                                           Source: brianasophia.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

There are a few different ways to invite Hestia into your home:

• Don't just clean, make it a sacred experience. Add things to your housekeeping routine that make you feel good and make it fun for you, listen to music or dance while you clean. Add essential oils to your cleaning supplies or put crystals around your home for protection or to create a happy atmosphere. 
• Cleanse your surroundings of negative energies. Energies build up in our homes and can easily affect our moods. You can cleanse your space with sound, with incense, with prayer, and guided visualization. One of the most popular ways, and my favorite, is to use a bundle of sage and other herbs. Sage is easily found at any metaphysical shop and is wonderful at making your space vibrate with positive energy. 
• You can also create a small altar to Hestia on top of your fireplace or in your kitchen. This represents the Hearth aspect. Light a candle there and ask Hestia to bless your home and to watch over your family. 
• If you are having trouble finding the motivation to do chores try asking Hestia for assistance, she will give you just the push that you need to get housework done. Any activities that involve the home, such as cleaning, cooking, redecorating, can all benefit from a touch of Hestia Magic. 

Invite the warm, loving, constant, flame of her love into your life.

Happy home-making!

Dominee at BlessingManifesting.com is a self-love advocate, encouraging women to love themselves, their bodies, and each other. She is a Life Coach, Blogger, Aroma- and Crystal therapist and she uses her unique outlook on life to help others embrace wholeness and wellness as well as learn how to love themselves.

You can find Dominee in the following places:
Website: http://www.blessingmanifesting.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BlessingManifesting 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SpiritBlessing

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Thank you so much Dominee!! I really needed to hear this post, and I am going to try all of your suggestions!

May Hestia bless all our hearths and homes!

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

An Amazing Post and Giveaway brought to you by Rain!

the sacred life: wild gypsy soul :: (+ roots and feathers giveaway!...

Click the link above to go to this beautiful post!

This post is so soul stirring and was such a needed reminder for my own soul, so I just had to share it here on my blog with everyone.

Not to mention, you can win these babies from Roots and Feathers!

Go check out Rain's blog IMMEDIATELY...so beautiful.

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Etsy Love: Wander

Find these beauties here:

>>One.<<>>Two.<<>>Three.<<>>Four.<<>>Five.<<

These items just capture my soul right now. 

I recently  bought an amazing print that I will be sharing with you, along with a little DIY frame idea (if it turns out well, I am not big on DIY's, so we shall see)

Have a soulful Tuesday, loves!

Love and Blessings, 

Marissa Moondaughter

Moon Days: Artemis

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Welcome back to Moon Day. I am going to share with you a little info about the Moon Goddess Artemis. Artemis has always been near and dear to my heart, so you might hear me talk about Her a lot!

Artemis is a maiden Goddess of the Moon. Her phases are typically the new and waxing moon. She is the Greek Goddess of the hunt, wild things, protectress of women, and a completely independent spirit. I was so drawn to Her in my early college years because in that chapter of my life I was transitioning into an independent young woman and finding my own voice. If you are drawn to Her it may be because you are going through something similar.


Ways to connect with Artemis are (and what I have done before):

• Take a nature walk. Ask Artemis to bless your walk and help you connect with nature and see what happens! Journal about your experience.
• Stay in the moment. Whenever I felt I was worrying too much and not being present, I would  focus on my breath and notice what was going on with me physically. Where I was holding tension or what was in pain. I would ask Artemis to guide me and I just felt more connected to me in the present and it felt so much better.
• Stay active. Honoring your body and staying healthy is a huge deal with Artemis. She put Herself and needs first and was known for Her physical prowess. This is so hard for me! I am so not in touch with myself physically, and my root chakra is super under-active, so Artemis really helps to motivate and empower me! Before I do any physical exercise, I ask Artemis to bless my workout! The Warrior poses in yoga is a great way to connect with Her!

These are just a few ways to connect with Her. Remember, I like S.I.M.P.L.E and down-to-earth ways to connect with the Sacred. If you have any questions feel free to comment!

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Healing Prayers

Today, my heart is so heavy and saddened by the tragic events that have taken place in Colorado. My heart, love, and prayers go out to the victims and families. When I get home, I am lighting a candle and praying for healing and peace for everywhere where there is tragedy and heartbreak.

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Cup of Tea: Being Present

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future."

<<<Thich Nhat Hanh>>>

I hope you all have a lovely weekend :)

Namaste,

Marissa Moondaughter

Catch Me...

...Over at Laura's blog today! Thank you so much Laura! Learn some simple ways to connect with the New Moon energy!

Also, I just have to share my favorite necklace EVER. It is made by Laura, and she even named it after me! You can find Moondaughter and others like it here.

Happy New Moon, lovely readers!

What is the one thing you need to rebirth in your soul this new moon?

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Moon Days: An Offer of Gratitude

Happy Moon Day everyone! This week is the New Moon (July 19th to be exact), and it also means it will be one lunar month since I have launched Moondaughter! It has been such a blessing, and I want to thank everyone for all the love and support.

As a way of saying thank you, I created a Moon Phase poster for your own personal use! You can find it on the Offerings page. I hope you enjoy it!

I am also working on more goodies for you! If you have any questions or suggestions, email me at marissa(dot)moondaughter @ gmail(dot)com!

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Namaste: Downward Kitty

Hello lovely readers, I have been trying to get back into a yoga routine for quite sometime, but alas, I am so lax about it. I should honor my body better!

The other day, I tried to do some yoga from one of my fave yoga DVD's by the Yoga Goddess Shiva Rea. Yoga Shakti is such a great, all encompassing yoga workout to have. I feel Shiva does a wonderful job at blending the body and spirit aspects together. Plus she is just gorgeous to watch!

I also read a little excerpt from A Year of Living Yoga by Judith Hanson Lasater. There is a little devotional for each day, it's a great way to start your yoga session or day. Such a beautiful daily read. It gives you a quote, and a little exercise to do on the mat and in your daily life. July 13th's quote is:

"My words reflect my thoughts; my thoughts reflect my beliefs;and my beliefs run my life."

As I was yoga-ing, this little boy had to investigate and I was done for (especially trying to attack my hair in Downward Dog!). He is just too cute, so I had to take these pictures.

I am not giving up hope for a yoga routine! Life is a journey, so it will happen :) One of my dear dear friends will be posting up a yoga routine on here soon! So stay tuned, lovelies!

Have a great, relaxing, sweet summer weekend!

Namaste,

Marissa Moondaughter

Inspirations: Textiles

So I am needing inspiration for a new project coming to the forefront, dear readers. You see, my boyfriend, kitty, and I live in a rented room in a big house at the moment. It is spacious enough, cheap, and we can have our kitty, so I can't complain, BUT... there are no windows (no natural light pains me, and sucky for taking pictures : / ), and there is some very unappealing pastel-colored wallpaper above the fireplace. It reminds me of a dentist office. Yum.

Jimmy (the said boyfriend) planted the idea of using starch and fabric to cover it, and I think it is a great alternative - especially if you are renting like we are! We are fabric shopping at the moment (more so looking), hopefully sometime this summer (fingers-crossed!) I will be able to post up the finished results! 

For now, here are some fabric inspirations I have found on Pinterest. Hope you are having a great Wednesday!

As you can see, I am in love with bright colors, and I am really diggin' the vibe of Southwestern/tribal, boho print. Jimmy is warming up to it too; I am so grateful he is such a good sport! I do feel like my tastes are ever-evolving, like the Moon, but at least the fabric is easy to take off and reusable! Win-win to me!

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

P.s. Thank you SO M.U.C.H for all the love and support on my bloggy blog, and Facebook! I will be making you another goody very soon, as a gift of gratitude! So stay tuned ;) I have other gifts on my Offerings page too! Don't be modest, go grab them :)

 

Moon Days: Waning Moon

Hello Gorgeous souls! Today is Moon Day again, and now that the Full Moon has passed, She is in her Waning phase. Her light shines less and less in the 2 weeks after the Full Moon until She is resting in the shelter of her New Moon phase.

How does the waning energy affect you, dearest? Do you feel lethargic or irritable? That is okay if you do! Our energy ebbs and flows much like the Moon. However, everyone is different, so make note of your energy and emotions during each phase and see if a pattern emerges. I tend to feel crankier around this time, so I know what to expect and do what I can to neutralize it.

The Waning Moon is a great time to shed what is no longer serving you. This is an ideal time of the month to clean and donate any old items or clothing to start fresh for the new lunar month ahead. You can also concentrate on any old patterns of thought or behaviors you would like to get rid of.

A little releasing ceremony you can try is to write down a list of thoughts or patterns you would like to release. Put some time and though into this. After your list is completed, bury it (make sure it is eco-friendly, paper would be anyway, right?). After you have buried it, stand over the area (preferably with bare feet) and imagine those thoughts and patterns you are used to saying and doing. Really imagine them until you begin to feel them emotionally, notice if you tense up and where. Notice any images that come up for you. You can begin to silently chant:

"As the Moonlight wanes, I release these shadows that bind me."  

As you repeat these words, see these these images, the thoughts and patterns, sinking down your body and out of your feet being soaked up by Mama Earth. The Earth is taking these off your shoulders so you may be freer and lighter. The next couple of days you could also carry some hematite around with you; it is a very grounding and stabilizing stone.

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

P.s. If you decide to do the releasing ceremony, I would love to her from you! Feel free to comment or email me at marissa(dot)moondaughter @ gmail(dot)com!

Creations: Butterfly Mobile

Most of my creative inspirations come to me either right before I go to bed, or in the astral time before I just wake up. Such convenient times, let me tell you! Well yesterday morning I dreamed of creating a mobile with pretty butterflies hanging down from it. I couldn't get it out of my head, so now I am creating it.

I had these paper butterflies that would have been perfect, but alas, my kitty Theo got to them first. Craft store shopping is always fun though :)

I am looking forward to stringing these babies on. The lace below is super sweet too. At the moment, the crochet motif is stiffening. I have never stiffened my crochet items before, so I am a little nervous for how it will turn out!

I am excited to see how this project will unfold! I will definitely show you the end result! If it turns out good, I think I will post it up in my shop... I definitely need to add more inventory ;)

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Inspirations: Catch a Dream

Ever so often I feel it is very necessary to post up some pictures that I find inspiring for my soul and imagination. 

I have a humble little shop on Etsy where I crochet. And I have been itching and dreaming of crocheting some dream catchers, and I think I need to make this a reality! As you can see from my hand drawn "moon catcher" on my header, I love dream catchers so here are some inspirations of mine:

The oh-so-lovely Laura over at Violet Bella makes thee most beautiful upcycled doily dream catchers over at her shop Roots and Feathers. This one is named Shae :) I love seeing her beautiful designs, and I will need to snag one for myself one day! I live over at her shop anyway!

I love the gem in the middle! Such a beautiful addition. You can find this dream catcher of many over at this Etsy shop.

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The three pictures below, I found on Weheartit, so I do not know the actual sources . If you do, let me know!

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Also, over at Laura's blog she wrote a lovely post about other inspiring artisans, go check it out :)

Love and Blessings,

Marissa Moondaughter

Moon Days: Hay Moon

Happy Moon Day!

Tomorrow is the Full Moon! The Full Moon is a time of celebration and reflection of your goals you set during the Waxing Moon phase. The Full Moon in July is also called Hay Moon, for the harvest season is about to begin! Harvest-ly speaking, as a society nowadays, we are not too in-tuned with the seasons in respects to our food. We do not farm as much or hunt or gather, but shop at a grocery store for our food needs. We haven't needed to follow the cycles of our fruits and veggies as closely (though some people still do), yet we depend on the harvest so much to feed our bodies. I feel it is grounding and nourishing to connect with our food in this way, and it brings us closer to the cycles of nature.

This Hay Moon, I would challenge you to think about your own harvest and where it is coming from. Some things that have been helping me:

• Buy organic: it is a little more expensive but worth it. No pesticides + healthier soil = healthier plants that you are putting into your body!
• Follow the seasons: eat what's in season and connect with Mama Earth (and it is cheaper). I am stocking up on mangoes for my yummy breakfast juice! Other fruits and veggies for summer are: melons, mango, peaches, nectarines, apricots, strawberries, sweet peppers, garden peas, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, there are plenty to choose from! 
• CSA: look into Community Supported Agriculture. You get to buy beautiful baskets of organic fruits and veggies that are in season from your local organic farms. You pick up your baskets every other week and it is just a great way to support your community!
• Farmers Markets: Check out the farmers markets in your area (each city or county, usually has one) and shop for local fruit and veggies there. When you buy local your fruits and veggies are more fresh!

I was pretty ill prepared going into my 10 day juice fast, so I am easing into it. I will definitely do a 10 juice fast in the near future. For now, I am striving for the above actions!

Now go celebrate your harvest, whatever it may be, with gratitude this Hay Moon!

Love and Blessings, 
Marissa Moondaughter