*note....this was written a few years ago.  I left it on the site to give perspective on where I've gone since this time.

Envision this. I found myself sitting on a wooden bench, in front of a lake. The lake and the land surrounding it have been in my family for the past 100 years. Eighty acres of woods, fields and lake, with one lone farmhouse on the edge of the land.

This place has always been magical to me and my family. My mother was raised here, with her brothers and sisters. (all 13 of them) Another reason for it's importance to me, is that I've long believed my maternal grandmother was a guardian angel of mine.

Ok, enough background. I had been doubting my path and myself, as to whether or not I was really doing what was right for me, and if I had really been called to follow this path. I decided since I was alone, it was now or never to find out. At this point I hadn't learned much about creating a ritual, or working magick. All I knew about casting a circle or creating sacred space I had learned from my now-family on IRC. Those of you I'm talking about...you know who you are, and I love you dearly...

So, I cast my circle, calling on the Elements of each quarter to protect and guard me, while I tried to find my place in the world. I tried to stretch the circle to encompass the area I was in....including the farmhouse and yard. Then I called out to the Lady and Lord to be with me, in my time of questioning. I could feel the acceptance around me, as I asked for guidance. I asked that I be given a sign that I was indeed following the path laid for me, but I also stated that even if a sign wasn't given to me, I would still have faith, and keep searching.

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw across the lake was a deer staring at me, while it chewed on a leaf. It was so beautiful and wild, I thought..."this must be my sign!" I stood, and decided to walk the circle, releasing the quarters. When I reached north, I looked down, and saw that a flowerbed originally planted by my Grandmother many years before, was once again blooming. I gathered petals from a fallen bloom, and continued my walk.

As I reached west, I looked down and saw a stone that looked different from all the rest. It had the colors of a sunset in it, and it somehow called to me. Then I turned and visited the last quarter (south). I looked down again, and found a perfectly formed tiny wild strawberry. (to understand why this was so momentous, you have to realize...I was born when my mother was picking wild strawberries....I happen to have a HUGE love of them)

Now, any of these by themselves, wouldn't seem out of the ordinary, but combining them in the same 3 minutes, was to me a completion, or a "full circle". I felt as if I finally knew who it was that was calling to me. I was being called by Gaia, Mother of the Earth, my Goddess.

All any of us have to do is look inside, take a moment and fully relax. Meditate on your self and your beliefs, your reasons and your fears. Then open your eyes to that which is around you. It doesn't have to be out in the wild, or in a temple.  So, take a deep breath and begin.