September Meeting: Summary

by Tracy Cook on 9/28/2026

Alrighty, Folks! We had a great meeting this month, with lots of laughter and learning!

This month, we talked about things we can do to honor and celebrate the Full Moon. We talked about charging some water with the energies from the Full Moon. Fill a glass container - a cleaned-out jar is fine, or use something nicer if you’d prefer. Set it outside or on a windowsill for the night before, the night of, and the night after a Full Moon. You can then use the water for several tasks:

• Cleanse your tools
• Add it to a spray bottle and cleanse a room. This would be similar to smudging a room with sage. You can also clap your hands in the corners of the room.
• Add it to your bath water
• Use it for blessings. My younger son asked for Moon Water on his head the day he took tests.

We also talked about harvesting, and what this means for non-gardeners. What habits have you been growing? Celebrate this! Look back at where you started the journey, and see how far you’ve come!

We talked about gratitude journaling. My BFF has a daily practice which she shares on Facebook. She says sometimes these are grand moments, but some are small moments that would otherwise go unnoticed. You could also write these down and keep these more to yourself. The noticing is the point here.

One member shared her learning about reading tea leaves. She made a presentation sharing the history of reading tea leaves, which was fascinating! We looked at some examples of shapes, and learned that some people also did a similar reading with coffee grounds. Then she shared the style of cup she used, and did a reading of her own tea leaves. I tell you what, this experience made me decide to dig out my grandmother’s china tea cup (it might even be my great-grandmother’s?) and give this a try!

We were scheduled to talk about Samhain (pronounce Sah-wen) before the actual day, so I’m assigning homework for this one, ha! Look up how it’s celebrated, and bring any questions you may have. We will discuss the different forms this ritual may take, such as Dia de Los Muertos and Halloween, and the various traditions associated with them. We will share the resources I have, too. 

August Meeting: Summary

by Tracy Cook on 8/4/2026

Greetings to All!

We met on July 26 and discussed the various ways we use Tarot cards. That was a great conversation! We talked about whether we share our cards or not. Most people said they were not comfortable sharing. The energy from the other person can…glomm onto the cards, so to speak. Some people, myself included, shared that we are comfortable sharing. I stated that I have a regular practice of clearing or cleansing my cards before I use them. Are we comfortable giving readings for others? Most said no, because of the aforementioned reason. A few newbies said they would be, as a part of learning the deck. Which decks do we use? I was interested to see that many people use multiple decks! I enjoyed seeing the decks people used. The cards kind of matched the personalities of the people, ha!

There were not many of us who follow the waxing and waning of the Moon - I am one of the people who does track the Moon. For those who are interested: at the New Moon, pick something (a habit, a skill, a personal growth idea) that you wish to grow. I am growing (or rather, re-growing!) the habit of taking breaks between tasks. So every day as the Moon waxes towards full, I am building this particular habit. Only one! I am intentional about it, and try to actually take breaks. When I forget, I recommit. No flailing about, no moaning and groaning about how I failed. Just gentle acknowledgement. At the Full Moon, I picked something I wanted to release, something that was no longer working for me. And I did the same thing, no whining about how I just did the thing I said I wouldn’t do. Gentle correction and recommit. On August 12, I will return to re-growing the ‘take a break’ habit. That’s it!

I learned how to pronounce Lughnasadh! This holiday celebrates the god Lugh, who is a master of many skills. We can honor him by recognizing people who have a skill or a trade that they are very good at! I like that this is a celebration that could honor teachers, since it happens at the start of the school year. This is also the beginning of the harvest season. Fruits and veggies are in season - think of the State Fair competitions on growing the largest veggies, or baking the best pie. What are *you* growing that might be ready for harvest? It doesn’t have to be something to eat! Think of what you have been growing all year. Maybe you have been trying to recognize moments when you are grateful. Or maybe you have been trying to speak up more frequently.

Next Month:
Saturday, August 22 from 6:00-8:00 PM in person and on Zoom. We will discuss reading tea leaves, Mabon and similar celebrations, and take a look at the Wheel of the Year.

Our Inaugural Meeting

by Tracy Cook on 7/7/2026

Hello, Fellow Learners!

We had our official First Meeting a few weeks ago, and so I just wanted to kind of recap what all we discussed.

One topic we all said was of interest was Tarot. So I asked everyone to bring their sets of cards to our next meeting if you have one (July 25 at 6:00 PM for nibbles, and 6:30 PM to start the meeting) and we could explore how we use the Tarot. For example, I usually get ideas about layouts and questions from Pinterest. That’s my resource, ha! I choose to ask myself more open questions, and use the cards to kind of focus my thinking.

So, what is your go-to resource? What kinds of cards do you use? Is there a particular reason why you chose those cards over another? Where do you get inspiration? What questions are you asking? How do you use the information? Do you ever do readings for others?

Another topic of interest was following the Moon. This can look like adding or growing a habit as the Moon waxes, and letting go of a habit that is no longer useful to you as the Moon wanes. The next New Moon is on July 14, so that’s the time to swap from growing a habit to letting one go. You do not have to be done with the growing one! Just take a pause and pick it back up at the Full Moon.

On August 1, many pagans will celebrate Lughnasad, or Lammas. This is, in European traditions, the beginning of the harvest season. Fruits and veggies are ripening, and the grains in the fields are standing but not yet ready to be picked. Also at Lammas, people may honor those who are teachers or mentors or craftspeople. Basically, helpers of others - especially with knowledge or skills. So, look around! Who has helped you to learn something new? Maybe let them know…

Please contact me at pagan@uutapestry.org if you are interested in joining the next meeting! We meet in person, and also on Zoom.