Happy And Blessed Samhain 2013

Hello my loves and welcome the blessed new year!!!! I hope your Samhain was amazing and made you happy, reflective and determined that the new Year bring much better news, or even carry on the news you have been listening to.

Mine was great filled with lots of laughter, and love from siblings and bonding moments, especially over Scandal which totally slayed last night, but I digress.  There are many new plans in the works, wonderful ideas to share and a new determination to not only explore my faith, but the walk the talk even more in the coming year and share it with y'all as much as I can. It's going to be EPIC!!!

Are y'all ready?? Well come on then, let's get started.

Welcome in the New Year
With Brightest Blessings and much Love and Light

Happy Imbolc

There are three candles that illumine every darkness: truth, nature, & knowledge ~~ ancient irish triad.

How do these three candles illuminate your own darkness??

Goddess of the Day: Prosperpina(Persephone): Divination, Protection & Purification
Symbols: Candles, Corn, Pomegranate

In many traditions, people light candles in the Yule Log today, giving strength to the sun & chasing away some of the figurative dark clouds that winter left behind.  If you can't do candles, turn on all the lights in the house for a few minutes for a similar effect.  Another good tradiditon of Candlemas is weather divination, since today is also Groundhog Day, many different cultures do this differently. In Scotland they look for a snake to come out of it's burrow; if it stays out then  winter we will be over soon, if it went back in immeditately then the winter would last longer.  In America, we look for a Groundhog's shadow. If snow falls today foretells twelve more snowfalls before April 22 (St George's Eve)

Information taken from 365 Goddess by Patricia Telesco, & The Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews

Happy Imbolc & Candlemas my loves

2012 Edition of 21 Days of Yule.: Day 1

Welcome to another fun year of Yule Countdown. Truthfully I have been anticipating Yule since September, I have humming music, looking at my decorations, planning and scheming I can't wait for Yule, this year is going to be awesome.  I looked around and didn't see any Yule themed parties this year, so I wanted to see if y'all want to join me in sharing your ideas, recipes, favorite music, decorations and projects for the season.  I will link up the last few year's worth of posts for you to see. If you wish to participate, simply copy the photo's link and add to your blog, leave a comment on the blog post saying your participating and I will have up a page for all out participants,.

This year I'm coming from a crafting place with my decorations and my blog posts. I'll also be sharing my worship ideas from my favorite books for the season.

Today being the first day in the countdown to Yule, I thought I would share the first and the second days worship ideas and then what crafts I am working on.

December 1st:
Today's theme is "Integrity in Work"

 For this day's theme, create a short realistic code of practice for your occupation as well as in your personal life.  

Many different profession have these, many different faiths also have a set of codes that they operate by, we know that doctors have the Hippocratic Oath, nurses have the Nightingale Pledge, heck even cops take a vow.  The act of making a commitment and then sticking to it, breeds a certain kind of karma, it gives order to the chaos and gives us something to stand for and it gives us a line, a line in which we know we won't or shouldn't cross.  Having integrity, being a person of our word, is something we should all strive for, because in the end when all things have passed being a person of our word is what others will remember, our actions of being where we said we would be, doing what we said we would do, gives our loved ones a sense that they matter to us. It let's our employers and employees/coworkers know that we are someone they can rely on. Because nothing travels faster than the gossip about a dishonest "fill in the blank here".  The greatest way to honor the Gods is to make our actions, nay even our words be a reflection of them.  Seek them for aide in saying what you mean and meaning what you say, while making your words not carry darts meant to harm, but darts that share truth.

"Any code of practice must first apply  to the sacred source of spiritual inspiration to keep it's actions pure, to operate from the highest motives, to irrigate all work from the wellspring of integrity. " ~~ Caitlin Matthews, *

The Goddess of the Day is: Unchi-ahchi. Her theme is "spirituality, meditation, & universal law".  Today's Goddess deals with ritual, in Japan to worship devotees go to the temple and have a tea ritual which is very deliberate and formal in it's moves; as each movement is considered a symbol of sacred truths learnt during ritual.  To worship or show appreciation for this Goddess you can make tea & have a spiritual discussion with friends. To make it more ritualistic, choose a tea that coincides with the discussion you will be having with your friends or family. To aide in love and friendship it's suggested to use lemon; for divination use orange, for alternative health use mint.


December 2nd:

Today's theme: 
"Defending the Country"
" Commune with the Spirit of the Country you live. Ask it what are the freedoms & privileges it guards. Ask how these freedoms are to be defended & what are the greatest threats to those freedoms at this time"

At first when I saw this theme I wondered how I a non military personnel could possibly do in defending our country. I came up with two things: 1) defending the country goes beyond military service, it means making sure what our military are fighting for is still here when they get back, it means holding our leaders to their duties, it means making sure the laws of the land are being followed *at least by those in your family and personal sphere .  It means being aware of the issues and doing what YOU can do to get things fixed, changed or make sure it's being carried thru. Don't have funds?? How about donating blood?!! Giving away food and clothes you may not be using or can't wear anymore?? Recently I saw two homeless men doing some yard work to earn money, I was walking past and decided to buy them a meal from the local restaurant, as it wasn't near my home i couldn't give them anything else, they were more than grateful. Simple things make a huge difference to those who need it.   Look at how everyone is talking about the picture of the cop helping the homeless man with some shoes, he certainly didn't do it knowing he would end up being on the news, little things count.

"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame

With conquering lims astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-brigded harbor that twin cities frame,

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pom!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddle masses yearning to breath free,

The wrechted refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Lady Liberty's vow, on the Statue Liberty in NYC

the poem referenced above to me stands for what the spirit of this country is about. This is what America's Spirit is for me, it's a place where many come for hope and a chance for something better than they had in their homeland.  We need to preserve that, make sure our country is always a country of opportunity and a place for others to come to, and right now?? It's not, the current atmosphere isn't a good one, I'm not talking about the economy, that right now isn't what I'm worried about, I'm talking the us vs them attitude, we are a country built by foreigners, we can't allow the 'they are the reason things are going bad" excuse to continue.  That's one of the ways to defend out country, make sure her ideals are being upheld and not being high jacked by idiots.  

The 2) way that I have decided to defend our country is to support our armed forces. There are many different organizations out there that are set up to give aid where they can. During the winter there are groups that collect cards and distribute them to wounded soldiers, you can donate phone cards so that those who are in war zones can call home for the holidays, you can make or donate items to be sent to the military on foreign soil. Make sure the organization is a reputable one, check out  Patti's blog post about this.

So there that's my idea; oh an also remember each dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want, how you spend it and where you spend it make a difference in demand for certain products or services. Those are my ways of defending the country, how do you do it???

Happy World AIDS day. Do you know your status??? Get checked out!!!

Happy December 1st

*Information for Goddess from 365 Goddess by Patricia Telesco & Daily Intention from Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews.

31 Days of Samhain: Day 31: Happy Samhain:

As we make passage on the River Styx

I know not what lies ahead,

less of what I’ve left behind,

but I will go to complete

my preterdained journey to the otherworld

as the Ferryman leaves me off

and guides his boat

back to earthly shores.

Kaaren Whitney, The Ferryman

Oh my loves we have made the journey, learned new crafts, watched some awesome movies, created our Samhain oils & incense, released our old goals and made our Celtic New Year's goals.  It's the end of the Celtic Year and the morrow brings a new one, a new dawning and a new beginning. Today at the thinnest point of the veil, we honor out ancestors, those that have come and gone. Light a candle for those who's family lines have died out, those ancestors you may never know and welcome the beloved ones who have passed.

Today is a day to reflect, predict the future & reconnect to Spirit. Wishing you the best and warmest of Samhain blessings. May only those you have loved and miss visit you tonight, and let the lanterns do their best and scare away those spirits that have no lessons to share.

Remember to stay safe, have fun and as always, 

Walk in Light and Love

Happy Lammas

May you have many blessings

And whatever your path may wind

May everyday that's coming

be a bright and happy kind

~~ Irish blessing

Have and Happy and Blessed Lammas my friends. May the Moons light guide your path these lovely nights!!!

Love & Light always

Be Blessed

Imbolc Blessings

May the Goddess Bless You on this day. 

May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell. 

 Bless every fireside, every wall and door.

 Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof. 

Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy. 

Bless every foot that walks its portals through. 

May Brigid bless the house that shelters you.

Image here

Honored and revered by the Christians of Ireland as "Mary of the Gael" here is a link about her and her traditonal prayers. The Poem above is taken from the comment section of the blog linked. 

Merry Yule

Merriest Yule and Goddess Blessings to you and your family,  A Solstice Poem to help you on this night:

The Yule Log by Robert Herrick

Come, bring with a noise,
My merry, merry boys,

The Christmas log to the firing;
While my good dame, she
Bids ye all be free,

And drink to your heart's desiring.
With the last year's brand
Light the new block, and

For good success in his spending,
On your Psaltries play,
That sweet luck may

Come while the log is tending.

Have a Blessed Yule Night 

Have fun with your Yule Log

Double Double Toil and Trouble!!! It's Samhain

A Tale for Samhain night curtesy of the Scottish Bard: Robert burns "Halloween"

Upon that night, when fairies light
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the rout is ta’en,
Beneath the moon’s pale beams;
There, up the Cove,to stray an’ rove,
Amang the rocks and streams
To sport that night;

Amang the bonie winding banks,
Where Doon rins, wimplin, clear;
Where Bruc ance rul’d the martial ranks,
An’ shook his Carrick spear;
Some merry, friendly, countra-folks
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, an’ pou their stocks,
An’ haud their Halloween
Fu’ bly the that night.

The lasses feat, an’ cleanly neat,
Mair braw than when they’re fine;
Their faces blythe, fu’ sweetly kythe,
Hearts leal, an’ warm, an’ kin’:
The lads sae trig, wi’ wooer-babs
Weel-knotted on their garten;
Some unco blate, an’ some wi’ gabs

Gar lasses’ hearts gang startin
Whiles fast at night.

Then, first an’ foremost, thro’ the kail,
Their stocks maun a’ be sought ance;
They steek their een, and grape an’ wale
For muckle anes, an’ straught anes.
Poor hav’rel Will fell aff the drift,

An’ wandered thro’ the bow-kail,
An’ pou’t for want o’ better shift
A runt was like a sow-tail
Sae bow’t that night.

Then, straught or crooked, yird or nane,
They roar an’ cry a’ throu’ther;
The vera wee-things, toddlin, rin,
Wi’ stocks out owre their shouther:
An’ gif the custock’s sweet or sou
Wi’ joctelegs they taste them;

Syne coziely, aboon the door,

Wi’ cannie care, they’ve plac’d them

To lie that night.

The lassies staw frae ’mang them a’,
To pou their stalks o’ corn;
But Rab slips out, an’ jinks about,
Behint the muckle thorn:
He grippit Nelly hard and fast:
Loud skirl’d a’ the lasses;
But her tap-pickle maist was lost,
Whan kiutlin in the fause-house
Wi’ him that night.

The auld guid-wife’s weel-hoordit nits
Are round an’ round dividend,
An’ mony lads an’ lasses’ fates
Are there that night decided:
Some kindle couthie side by side,
And burn thegither trimly;
Some start awa wi’ saucy pride,
An’ jump out owre the chimlie
Fu’ high that night.
Jean slips in twa, wi’ tentie e’e;
Wha ’twas, she wadna tell;
But this is Jock, an’ this is me,

She says in to hersel’:

He bleez’d owre her, an’ she owre him,
As they wad never mair part:
Till fuff! he started up the lum,
An’ Jean had e’en a sair heart
To see’t that night.
Poor Willie, wi’ his bow-kail runt,
Was brunt wi’ primsie Mallie;
An’ Mary, nae doubt, took the drunt,

To be compar’d to Willie:
Mall’s nit lap out, wi’ pridefu’ fling,
An’ her ain fit, it brunt it;
While Willie lap, and swore by jing,

’Twas just the way he wanted
To be that night.
Nell had the fause-house in her min’,
She pits hersel an’ Rob in;
In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
Till white in ase they’re sobbin:

Nell’s heart was dancin at the view;

She whisper’d Rob to leuk for’t:

Rob, stownlins, prie’d her bonie mou’,

Fu’ cozie in the neuk for’t,

Unseen that night.

But Merran sat behint their backs,
Her thoughts on Andrew Bell:
She lea’es them gashin at their cracks,
An’ slips out-by hersel’;
She thro’ the yard the nearest taks,

An’ for the kiln she goes then,

An’ darklins grapit for the bauks,

And in the blue-clue throws then,

Right fear’t that night.

An’ ay she win’t, an’ ay she swat—

I wat she made nae jaukin;

Till something held within the pat,

Good L—d! but she was quaukin!

But whether ’twas the deil himsel,

Or whether ’twas a bauk-en’,

Or whether it was Andrew Bell,

She did na wait on talkin

To spier that night.

Wee Jenny to her graunie says,

“Will ye go wi’ me, graunie?

I’ll eat the apple at the glass,

I gat frae uncle Johnie”:

She fuff’t her pipe wi’ sic a lunt,

In wrath she was sae vap’rin,

She notic’t na an aizle brunt

Her braw, new, worset apron

Out thro’ that night.

“Ye little skelpie-limmer’s face!

I daur you try sic sportin,

As seek the foul thief ony place,

For him to spae your fortune:

Nae doubt but ye may get a sight!

Great cause ye hae to fear it;

For mony a ane has gotten a fright,

An’ liv’d an’ died deleerit,

On sic a night.

“Ae hairst afore the Sherra-moor,

I mind’t as weel’s yestreen—

I was a gilpey then, I’m sure

I was na past fyfteen:

The simmer had been cauld an’ wat,

An’ stuff was unco green;

An’ eye a rantin kirn we gat,

An’ just on Halloween

It fell that night.

“Our stibble-rig was Rab M’Graen,

A clever, sturdy fallow;

His sin gat Eppie Sim wi’ wean,

That lived in Achmacalla:

He gat hemp-seed, I mind it weel,

An’he made unco light o’t;

But mony a day was by himsel’,

He was sae sairly frighted
That vera night.”

Then up gat fechtin Jamie Fleck,
An’ he swoor by his conscience,
That he could saw hemp-seed a peck;
For it was a’ but nonsense:
The auld guidman raught down the pock,
An’ out a handfu’ gied him;
Syne bad him slip frae’ mang the folk,

Sometime when nae ane see’d him,
An’ try’t that night.
He marches thro’ amang the stacks,
Tho’ he was something sturtin;
The graip he for a harrow taks,
An’ haurls at his curpin:
And ev’ry now an’ then, he says,

“Hemp-seed I saw thee,
An’ her that is to be my lass

Come after me, an’ draw thee
As fast this night.”
He wistl’d up Lord Lennox’ March
To keep his courage cherry;

Altho’ his hair began to arch,
He was sae fley’d an’ eerie:
Till presently he hears a squeak,
An’ then a grane an’ gruntle;
He by his shouther gae a keek,
An’ tumbled wi’ a wintle
Out-owre that night.
He roar’d a horrid murder-shout,
In dreadfu’ desperation!
An’ young an’ auld come rinnin out,
An’ hear the sad narration:
He swoor ’twas hilchin Jean M’Craw,
Or crouchie Merran Humphie—
Till stop! she trotted thro’ them a’;
And wha was it but grumphie
Asteer that night!

Meg fain wad to the barn gaen,
To winn three wechts o’ naething
But for to meet the deil her lane,
She pat but little faith in:
She gies the herd a pickle nits,
An’ twa red cheekit apples,
To watch, while for the barn she sets,
In hopes to see Tam Kipples

That vera night.
She turns the key wi’ cannie thraw,
An’owre the threshold ventures;
But first on Sawnie gies a ca’,
Syne baudly in she enters:
A ratton rattl’d up the wa’,
An’ she cry’d Lord preserve her!
An’ ran thro’ midden-hole an’ a’
An’ pray’d wi’ zeal and fervour,
Fu’ fast that night.
They hoy’t out Will, wi’ sair advice;
They hecht him some fine braw ane;

It chanc’d the stack he faddom’t thrice
Was timmer-propt for thrawin:
He taks a swirlie auld moss-oak
For some black, grousome carlin;
An’ loot a winze, an’ drew a stroke,
Till skin in blypes cam haurlin
Aff’s nieves that night.
A wanton widow Leezie was,
As cantie as a kittlen;
But och! that night, amang the shaws,
She gat a fearfu’ settlin!
She thro’ the whins, an’ by the cairn,
An’ owre the hill gaed scrievin;
Whare three lairds’ lan’s met at a burn,
To dip her left sark-sleeve in,
Was bent that night.
Whiles owre a linn the burnie plays,
As thro’ the glen it wimpl’t;
Whiles round a rocky scar it strays,
Whiles in a wiel it dimpl’t;
Whiles glitter’d to the nightly rays,
Wi’ bickerin’, dancin’ dazzle;
Whiles cookit undeneath the braes,

Below the spreading hazel
Unseen that night.
Amang the brachens, on the brae,
Between her an’ the moon,
The deil, or else an outler quey,
Gat up an’ ga’e a croon:
Poor Leezie’s heart maist lap the hool;
Near lav’rock-height she jumpit,
But mist a fit, an’ in the pool
Out-owre the lugs she plumpit,
Wi’ a plunge that night.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,
The luggies three are ranged;
An’ ev’ry time great care is ta’en
To see them duly changed:
Auld uncle John, wha wedlock’s joys
Sin’ Mar’s-year did desire,
Because he gat the toom dish thrice,
He heav’d them on the fire
In wrath that night.

Wi’ merry sangs, an’ friendly cracks,
I wat they did na weary;
And unco tales, an’ funnie jokes—
Their sports were cheap an’ cheery:
Till butter’d sowens, wi’ fragrant lunt,
Set a’ their gabs a-steerin;
Syne, wi’ a social glass o’ strunt,
They parted aff careerin
Fu’ blythe that night.

Here's two Scottish poets reading the poem on Youtube
Happy Blessed Samhain to all my pagan friends, and Happy New Year to my Druid friends, as today is the last day of the Celtic New Year, November 1st being the first of the Celtic New Year. Have a safe fun, bonfire night my loves!!

Happy Beltaine

Here are a couple of videos of how we celebrate May Day in Jamaica. Enjoy and have a Blessed Day

When I was younger we went to fairs at school and would dance with circles of flowers on our hair much like they are dancing now


We always had a May Queen and she oversaw the fair for the day, and had the most beautiful headdress of flowers, and a sceptor with a fully bloomed flower atop with small ribbons imitating the large maypole.

Have a Happy and Blessed May Day Celebration

Happy Eostre

            HAPPY EASTER

Bless this day the joy of life,

The revelation of the flesh,

The paradise of man and wife

Joined to share the gift of bliss.

Bless this day the pain of life,

The passion that redeems the flesh,

The love between a man and wife

Beyond all agony and bliss.

Bless this day the end of life,

The peace within the dying flesh,

The bond between a man and wife

That long outlasts their bit of bliss.

Bless this day the whole of life,

The grace of being more than flesh,

The voyage of a man and wife

Across the mystery of bliss.

poem by J.S Bach

Happy and Blessed Easter

Imbolc Ritual

Today in the Northeast has dawned bright and dreary with ice storms and sleet raining throughout the day.  As a ‘weather maven’ or follower of weather patterns this for me means that winter only has a few more weeks of a hold. I don’t need the Groundhog’s prediction to let me know that. I simply followed the rhyme:

If Candlemas be bright and fair

Winter will have another year

but if it be dark with clouds & rain

winter is gone & will not come again

Traditional Edwardian Saying

Today is a good day to pull out and bless all your candles for the year.

Last night, I placed a Bride’s Bed with the God’s wand which I made in front of the fire place, I also did a small releasing spell and a meditation. I started at midnight and ended close to one, (the Goddess loves to talk). The how of making these items and the little installation ritual came from the Llewellyn Sabbats book.

To make the Bride Bed you will need:

• blue and white cloth 
• blue and ribbon
• some yarn
• corn husks
• cotton balls
• a basket or shoe box top to make the bed
• white cloth to act as bedding
• beading for the goddess
• wand or branches for the wand

Follow Patti's directions here on how to make your doll. My corn husks were fresh because I just purchased corn to make soup. I started at 1130 making the doll and finished just in time to go to the fire place by midnight.

To Make the Bed:
I placed the white cloth in the bottom of the box lid, then placed extra fabric at the head to make a pillow. You can decorate it if you feel like with blue and white paint. 

Installation Ritual:
Place the bed before the fireplace or on your altar. Light the two white candles and your incense. When I placed the Goddess in the bed I repeated the words found in the Sabbat book:

"Welcome the Bride turned from Mother to Maiden

to rest and prepare fot hte time fo the seed

Cleansed and refreshed from the labors behind her

with the promise of spring she lays before me"

Then place the wand beside the Bride and say:

"How soon comes the Lord 

how quickly he grows

the season will turn

before we know"

For my little releasing spell, I made the following:
incense:  equal parts: benzoin, sandalwood, and lavender powder
Scented parchment paper: each paper was scented with lavender essential oil and peppermint essential oil. 

On one paper I wrote all that I wanted to burn away in the fires of the forge, and the other I wrote all I wished to manifest this year. I burned the first list without reading it and told them goodbye. Then I summoned the Goddess as witness as I read what i wished to manifest then i added that to the fire, and let it burn.

In all my years I have never really worked with the Goddess Brigid for anything other than inspiration at this time of the year, but for the month of Feb I wish to work with her and get to know her a little better, since I haven’t gotten any visitations telling me to back off from her I'm guessing Morrigan is cool with her. 


Meditation
So I decided last night to do the regular meditation of visiting the forge, but this time the Goddess took over and man she wasn't what I expected. i sat infront of the Bride's bed, one of the candles seemed to dance more in the 'wind' than the other, and the incense smoke danced and wove it's way around the flame, as I gaze inside i found myself walking through my backyard in the snow, and before me was a bridge, below was a spring river with water so clear I could see the fishes as they swam, beside me were hooks and rope with netting, I knew this is were I placed all my wordly worries and fears. I placed them in the netting, hooked the netting to a line and lowered them into the water, where they would we washed away, and the heavy ones would be lightened for when i return. I turn to walk and noticed that this side of the bridge isn't a frozen tundra like the other-side behind me, there are green shoots, and small spring flowers, crocuses are pushing up from the soil, even with the small patches of snow. I can hear the birds within the deep forest and walk the path that seems to be laid out for me, it's a dirt path the goes deep within the thick woods, where massive trees guard the sides. 


Soon I can hear the clang of the metal being worked and when I walked into the forge the heat hit me, and i saw a tall person wearing the gear of a metal worker, they had long blond hair braided back into a ponytail, and wore the thick heavy gloves, apron and boots of a blacksmith. The body shape from the back was the only way to tell that the blacksmith was in fact a woman (that and her blue ribbons around the white leggings, like the bows on a ballerina's legs), we are alone in the forge, and I walk closer. She turns with a huge flaming piece of metal to the anvil and starts working it. After a while she acknowledges me, tells me to grab a hammer and work the metal with her, i follow the rhythm she has set, she plunges the metal back into the fire, then into the bucket of water, and then works it some more. She doesn't talk as she works and I follow her lead, after awhile I stop working as she is now doing something more intricate and doesn't need my help. I realize she is carving something into the metal, as I lean closer i realize it's my name. 


I stand up as she does the last letter, and puts aside her tools. She looks at me and I quickly tell her why I am there, she cuts me of and finishes with my hearts deepest desires what i wouldn't have said, not yet, when I stare, she laughs, a deep rich laugh, and I smile I can't help it. She talks and when I make a comment she interrupts and tells me " I'm not a child or a genie, I am a Goddess, I cannot be commanded or bent to your will"  ohh oh, I look into her eyes, and feel the weight of her age, she looks young but she is older than time itself, there is something alien there in those blue eyes, something that has never been human, and sees way deeper than I wanted her to.
it is then I notice the clangs of another blacksmith, and look up and see the God, his back is to me, but his forearms and shoulders flex with muscles, and a fissure of desire runs through me, she turns and smiles as she sees him, there is a fleeting expression across her face, I attempt to step closer to see what he is working on, she cuts me off. "You aren't ready to see what is there, yet". She then turns and leads the way out the forge, I walk beside her, her longer legs eat up the ground and she pulls ahead of me, as I walk I notice the changes around me, the green is brighter, the birds sing louder, the trees are beginning to breathe deep again and there is a warmer breeze. I realize She is bringing Spring as she walks, I run to catch up, knowing I have to keep up, somehow we are back at the bridge again " We have much work to do to complete your project, it may take a lifetime, but it will be done.." (she says more things I wish to keep close for now), but then commands me across the bridge, as I go to retrieve my line, she tells me to leave them there, as those worries are no longer relevant. I walk across the bridge and return to my backyard, enter my home, walk to where my body sits waiting and sink back in. 


I have much work to do. How has your Candlemas been so far?
Happy Imbolc!!!

Let me introduce a friend

CharmingPixieFlora is an awesome witch, and mentor for many, including myself, she is so genuine and real, ans shares so much of herself with us. From everything about the craft, to her family's journey and her own personal journey becoming a teacher, a Witch and her wonderful articles and ideas on Zsusana Budapest's website.


Flora is an inspiration and a model of what a witch should strive to be, always working on your craft, not just on high holidays, but everyday, from a simple sunrise to a walk in the park. I love how her 'high' holidays are always both magical and mundane mixing  both worlds well. Leading by example that even though you are a witch 24/365 you don't have to be in "witchy" mode all the time.

Here is one of her videos for Imbolc, go to her page and check out the others.



Enjoy her videos my loves and I will see you tomorrow

KWW: Imbolc Cake & Ale

this is a fire celebration which centers around the lambs being born, and the ewes coming into milk. So many of the recipes for Imbolc include milk, for the 'ale' part of the ceremony (if people in your coven  or if you are are vegan, you can use almond milk to create the smoothies)
Ingredients:
Coconut Banana Smoothie: serves 2
(from this year's Sabbat Almanac) 

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 med ripe banana
• 4 tbsp coconut milk
• 6 ice cubes
• shredded coconut and grenadine (for garnish)

Directions:

to serve cold: place everything in the blender except the garnish and serve in tall glasses

to serve hot: eliminate the ice, and blend everything then add to the stove and warm slowly once warmed, serve in mugs and garnish as before

Increase the amount needed to make enough for everyone in your circle.

One of the traditional desserts served on Imbolc is Syllabub, this menu item is a treat to have, it’s sweet, without being too strong, when my Grandfather would make it he was a little heavy handed with the sherry & brandy, but you can stick to the recipe and it will come out great.

image courtesy of Wikipedia

There are several recipes on Foodnetwork's webste, but her eis the one I have been using for a few years, it comes from the Celtic Folklore Cooking book (which I modified to taste somewhat like my Grandfather's own).

Ingredients:

• juice and zest of 3 lemons
• 3/4 cup sherry
• 2 tbsp Brandy (christian brothers taste best)
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 3 cups of heavy cream (the fresher the better)
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• twists of fresh lemon peel

Directions:

• stir the first four ingredients together (don't use metal container)
• Cover and store in a cool dark place for an hour 
• strain
• add cream, beat together with whisk until the cream becomes thick, and forms ribbons
• pour into individual glasses and refridgerate for 2 hours
• Before serving sprinkle with nutmeg and decorate with lemon peels.

Enjoy!!!

How to Dismiss winter greens

With Imbolc fast approaching if you haven't gotten rid of your winter greens now is a good time to burn them in the Imbolc fire, here's a little chant to say as you do so. I believe this is from llewellyn magazine, but I'm not sure here is the entire quote:

All trees or boughs that have been cut and kept for luck within this house must not be cast away and scorned but gravely burned to dust at last; chop them fine give them flame and say:

forgiving our fire faithful tree warm us now who have warmed thee.

Incense and Oils

Imbolc Incense Recipes:

Imbolc is a great time for coven work as well as initiations, here is a
 Initiation oil recipe:
Base oil, plus 3 drops frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood

Sabbat Oil
Base oil plus, 3 drops frankincense,  2 drops each: myrrh, sandalwood, & 1 dropeach: lemon and orange

Incense
 3 parts frankincense
2 parts dragons blood
1 part cinnamon
1/2 part red sandalwood
a few drops red wine

to make this incense more powerful, add to it the flower petals of the first flower to bloom in your area, during Imbolc (make sure to dry it first).  This i=one I have made and it burns really well, I have also used it on the Imbolc fire and it scents the whole place really well.


I also love the incense recipe given here, by Flora:

Brighid's Incense:

• 1 part birch bark, oak bark, willow bark, and crushed rowan berries
• 1/4 part blackberry leaves, flax flowers
• 1/2 part bistort root, and snowdrop flowers

I have to admit I haven't made this recipe by Anna Franklin, but it sounds pretty interesting, if you try it please leave a comment to let me know about it. 

I hope you enjoy making your recipes