Thursday This Is Your Spell – A Yule Candle Box to Make

A Yule Candle Box to Make
Unknown source

You will need:

• A wooden or paper box.
• sandpaper (if wooden)
• wood burning tool (if wanted)
• markers (not children’s washable markers)
• Paints and brushes acrylic spray
• Paper

Cover area with paper (newspaper, wax paper or whatever you want). Decide what you want to use your candle box for: Love, job, health, protection, or ?. Then pick a decorating plan that supplies the energy you want for the box. Example: if for love you might decorate it with hearts. If you are unsure of your art abilities; make simple patterns. Outline and use burning tool if you want or you can paint designs on the box. You can also decorate the box with markers but test the markers first to see if the spray will make them run (don’t use children’s washable markers). You may also use decoupage (Pictures can be glued to the box) to decorate the box. How you decorate the box is all up to you! Allow the box to dry and then seal the designs with a sealing spray – art and crafts stores have many different type of acrylic sealers. Follow directions carefully and use sealer in an open area Please! Allow the sealer to dry. Add candles to the box, picking out colors that symbolize the energy you want. This box works best when empowered and blessed with the full moon and makes an excellent gift for a Witchy friend.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Winter Solstice Celebrations a.k.a. Christmas, Saturnalia, Yule

Winter Solstice Celebrations a.k.a. Christmas, Saturnalia, Yule
by B.A. Robinson; Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance

Overview

Religious folk worldwide observe many seasonal days of celebration during the month of December. Most are religious holy days, and are linked in some way to the winter solstice. On that day, the daytime hours are at a minimum in the Northern hemisphere, and night time is at a maximum. (In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in December, when the night time is at a minimum and the daytime is at a maximum. We will assume that the reader lives in the Northern hemisphere for the rest of this essay.) People view other religions in various ways, and thus treat the celebrations of other faiths differently: Some people value the range of December celebrations, because it is evidence of diversity of belief within our common humanity. They respect both their own religious traditions and those of other faiths for their ability to inspire people to lead more ethical lives. Religious diversity is to them a positive influence. Others reject the importance of all celebrations other than the holy day recognized by their own religion. Some even reject their religion’s holy days which are seen to have Pagan origins (e.g. Easter and Christmas). Some view other religions as being inspired by Satan. Thus the solstice celebrations of other religions are rejected because they are seen to be Satanic in origin.

Origins of Solstice Celebration

The seasons of the year are caused by the 23.5º tilt of the earth’s axis. Because the earth is rotating like a top or gyroscope, it points in a fixed direction continuously – towards a point in space near the North Star. But the earth is also revolving around the sun. During half of the year, the southern hemisphere is more exposed to the sun than is the northern hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the reverse is true. At noontime in the Northern Hemisphere the sun appears high in the sky during summertime and low in the sky during winter. The time of the year when the sun reaches its maximum elevation occurs on the day with the greatest number of daylight hours. This is called the summer solstice, and is typically on JUNE 21 – the first day of summer. "Solstice" is derived from two words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. The lowest elevation occurs about DEC-21 and is the winter solstice – the first day of winter, when the night time hours are at a maximum.

In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time for Aboriginal people in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off of stored food and whatever animals they could catch. The people would be troubled as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared that it would eventually disappear and leave them in permanent darkness and extreme cold. After the winter solstice, they would have reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising and strengthening once more. Although many months of cold weather remained before spring, they took heart that the return of the warm season was inevitable. The concept of birth and or death/rebirth became associated with the winter solstice. The Aboriginal people had no elaborate instruments to detect the solstice. But they were able to notice a slight elevation of the sun’s path within a few days after the solstice – perhaps by DEC-25. Celebrations were often timed for about the 25th.

December Celebrations By Various Faiths – Ancient And Modern

• Ancient Egypt: The god-man/savior Osiris died and was entombed on DEC-21. "At midnight, the priests emerged from an inner shrine crying ‘The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing" and showing the image of a baby to the worshipers."
• Ancient Greece: The winter solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a goat. The women’s role had changed to that of funeral mourners and observers of the birth.
• Ancient Rome: Saturnalia began as a feast day for Saturn on DEC-17 and of Ops (DEC-19). About 50 BCE, both were later converted into two day celebrations. During the Empire, the festivals were combined to cover a full week: DEC-17 to 23. By the third century CE, there were many religions and spiritual mysteries being followed within the Roman Empire. Many, if not most, celebrated the birth of their god-man near the time of the solstice. Emperor Aurelian (270 to 275 CE) blended a number of Pagan solstice celebrations of the nativity of such god-men/saviors as Appolo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus into a single festival called the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun" on DEC-25. At the time, Mithraism and Christianity were fierce competitors. Aurelian had even declared Mithraism the official religion of the Roman Empire in 274 CE. Christianity won out by becoming the new official religion in the 4th century CE.
• Buddhism: On DEC-8, or on the Sunday immediately preceding, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu). It recalls the day in 596 BCE, when the Buddha achieved enlightenment. He had left his family and possessions behind at the age of 29, and sought the meaning of life – particularly the reasons for its hardships. He studied under many spiritual teachers without success. Finally, he sat under a pipal tree and vowed that he would stay there until he found what he was seeking. On the morning of the eighth day, he realized that everyone suffers due to ignorance. But ignorance can be overcome through the Eightfold Path that he advocated. This day is generally regarded as the birth day of Buddhism. Being an Eastern tradition, Bodhi Day has none of the associations with the solstice and the themes of death and birth that are seen in other religions
• Christianity: Any record of the date of birth of Yeshua Ben Nazareth (later known as Jesus Christ) has been lost. There is sufficient evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Yeshua was born in the fall, but this seems to have been unknown to early Christians. By the beginning of the 4th century CE, there was intense interest in choosing a day to celebrate Yeshua’s birthday. The western church leaders selected Dec-25 because this was already the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of various Pagan gods. Since there was no central Christian authority at the time, it took centuries before the tradition was universally accepted: Eastern churches began to celebrate Christmas after 375 CE. The church in Jerusalem started in the 7th century. Ireland started in the 5th century Austria, England and Switzerland in the 8th Slavic lands in the 9th and 10th centuries. Many symbols and practices associated with Christmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, etc. Polydor Virgil, an early British Christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Christmas disorders now in use with Christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them." In Massachusetts, Puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Christmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Christmas in 1647. Some contemporary Christian faith groups do not celebrate Christmas. Included among these was the Worldwide Church of God (before its recent conversion to Evangelical Christianity) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
• Islam: During the period 1997 to 1999, the first day of the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan occurred in December. The nominal dates were 1997-Dec-31, 1998-Dec-20 and 1999-Dec-9. The actual date for the start of Ramadan depends upon the sighting of the crescent moon, and thus can be delayed by a few days from the nominal date. This is the holiest period in the Islamic year. It honors the lunar month in which the Qura’n was revealed by God to humanity. "It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It is a time of worship and contemplation. A time to strengthen family and community ties." Because Ramadan is part of a lunar-based calendar, it starts about 11 days earlier each year. In the year 2000, the nominal date will be Nov-27. Ramadan is thus not associated with the winter solstice as are other religious celebrations. It is just by coincidence that it has occurred during December in recent years.
• Judaism: Jews celebrate an 8 day festival of Hanukkah, (a.k.a. Feast of Lights, Festival of lights, Feast of Dedication, Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hanukah). It recalls the war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom. Antiochus, the king of Syria, conquered Judea in the 2nd century BCE. He terminated worship in the Temple and stole the sacred lamp, the menorah, from before the altar. At the time of the solstice, they rededicated the Temple to a Pagan deity. Judah the Maccabee lead a band of rebels, and succeeding in retaking Jerusalem. They restored the temple and lit the menorah. It was exactly three years after the flame had been extinguished – at the time of the Pagan rite. Although they had found only sufficient consecrated oil to last for 24 hours, the flames burned steadily for eight days. "Today’s menorahs have nine branches; the ninth branch is for the shamash, or servant light, which is used to light the other eight candles. People eat potato latkes, exchange gifts, and play dreidel games. And as they gaze at the light of the menorah, they give thanks for the miracle in the Temple long ago." Modern-day Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting one candle for each of the eight days of the festival. Once a minor festival, it has been growing in importance in recent years, perhaps because of the pressure of Christmas.
• Native American Spirituality:The Pueblo tribe observe both the summer and winter solstices. Although the specific details of the rituals differ from pueblo to pueblo, "the rites are built around the sun, the coming new year and the rebirth of vegetation in the spring….Winter solstice rites include prayerstick making, retreats, altars, emesis and prayers for increase." The Hopi tribe "is dedicated to giving aid and direction to the sun which is ready to ‘return’ and give strength to budding life." Their ceremony is called "Soyal." It lasts for 20 days and includes "prayerstick making, purification, rituals and a concluding rabbit hunt, feast and blessing…" There are countless stone structures created by Natives in the past to detect the solstices and equinoxes. One was called Calendar One by its modern-day finder. It is in a natural amphitheatre of about 20 acres in size in Vermont. From a stone enclosure in the center of the bowl, one can see a number of vertical rocks and natural features in the horizon which formed the edge of the bowl. At the solstices and equinoxes, the sun rises and sets at notches or peaks in the ridge which surrounded the calendar.
• Neopaganism: This is a group of religions which are attempted re-creations of ancient Pagan religions. Of these, Wicca is the most common; it is loosely based on ancient Celtic beliefs and practices. Wiccans recognize eight seasonal days of celebration. Four are minor sabbats and occur at the two solstices and the two equinoxes. The other are major sabbats which happen approximately halfway between an equinox and solstice. The winter solstice sabbat is often called Yule. It is a time for introspection, and planning for the future. Wiccans may celebrate the Sabbat on the evening before, at sunrise on the morning of the solstice, or at the exact time of the astronomical event. Monotheistic religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, tend to view time as linear. It started with creation; the world as we know it will end at some time in the future. Aboriginal and Neopagan religions see time as circular and repetitive, with lunar (monthly) and solar (yearly) cycles. Their "…rituals guarantee the continuity of nature’s cycles, which traditional human societies depend on for their sustenance." Prehistoric Europe: Many remains of ancient stone structures can be found in Europe. Some date back many millennia BCE. Some appear to have religious/astronomical purposes; others are burial tombs. These structures were built before writing was developed. One can only speculate on the significance of the winter solstice to the builders. Two examples are: In Maeshowe, (Orkneys, Scotland) there is a chambered cairn built on a leveled area with a surrounding bank and ditch. It has been carbon dated at 2750 BCE. Inside the cairn is a stone structure with a long entry tunnel. The structure is aligned so that sunlight can shine along the entry passage into the interior of the megalith, and illuminate the back of the structure. This happens at sunrise at the winter solstice. Starting in the late 1990’s, live video and still images have been broadcast to the world via the Internet. One of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Europe is at Newgrange, in Brugh-na-Boyne, County Meath, in eastern Ireland. It covers an area of one acre, and has an entrance passage that is almost 60 feet (18 m) long. Above the entrance way is a stone box that allows the light from the sun to penetrate to the back of the cairn at sunrise on the winter solstice. Live video and stills from this site are also available on the Internet. It has been dated at about 3,300 BCE; it is one of the oldest structures in the world.

References:

• Stephen M. Wylen, "Holidays mark victory of light over darkness," The Bergen Record, 1999-DEC-2.
• B.G. Walker, "The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets," Harper & Row, (1983), Page 166 to 167.
• Charles Panati, "Sacred origins of profound things: The stories behind the rites and rituals of the world’s religions," Penguin Arkana, (1996), Page 215 to 217.
• Ramadan on the Net, at: Holidays On The Net
• Janet & Stewart Farrar, "Eight Sabbats for Witches," Phoenix Publishing, (1981), P. 143 to 144.
• Mike Nichols, "Yule: Circa December 21," at: About.com
• Maeshowe images will be available at: http://www.velvia.demon.co.uk/maeshowe/
  http://www.geniet.demon.nl/
  http://www.velvia.demon.co.uk/maeshowe/
• Newgrange images will be at: http://www.paddynet.com/island/newgrange/
  http://www.artonview.com/gallery/ireland/newgrange/
• A. Hirschfelder & P. Molin, "The encyclopedia of Native American religions," Facts on File, (1992).
• J.W. Mavor & B.E. Dix, "Manitou: The sacred landscape of New England’s Native Civilization." Inner Traditions (1989).
• Selena Fox, "Winter solstice celebrations for families and households," Circle Sanctuary
• "Hanukkah: The festival of lights,"

 

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Tuesdat Try A New (old) Taste – Gingerbread

Gingerbread

• 2 ½ tbsp. of golden syrup
• ½ cup of butter
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• egg yolk
• 2 cups of plain flour
• 1 tsp. of baking powder
• 3 tsp. of ground ginger
• ½ tsp. cinnamon, optional
• extra flour for rolling pastry
• currants, peel, cherries and a little icing

Stand container of golden syrup in hot water to soften. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, then beat the egg yolk. Beat in the syrup. Slowly add flour, baking powder, ginger and an optional dash of cinnamon. With floury hands kneed into a dough. Wrap in plastic and place in fridge for 1 hour, making it easier to roll out. Brush flour on the rolling pin and under the dough. Roll to an even 1 cm thick and cut out shapes. Place on a greased tray about 2 cm apart and bake in a moderately slow oven (180 ° Celsius) for about 12 minutes. Leave for a few minutes and remove with a spatula.
Decorate with icing, peel, cherries etc.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Monday Make A-Wildlife Yule Tree

A Wildlife Yule Tree
by Barnaby Stewart

In the autumn, start to collect seeds, berries, nuts, hips and haws, in preparation for this midwinter feast for the birds and other wildlife. ‘Bird Cake’ can be made from seeds, nuts, bread and dried fruits set in fat in used yogurt pots: knot one end of a piece of string and thread the other end through the base of the yogurt pot to form a hanging bell. Mix the dry ingredients with melted fat and spoon into the pot; leave to set. Another treat for the birds is peanuts in their shells, threaded onto lengths of twine with a large, blunt needle.

Having collected the food stuffs, you need somewhere to hang them. Find a large branch from a tree and choose a place in the garden or outside a window, where it can be firmly anchored in the ground or fixed to a support. When the really cold weather comes, attach the bells of bird cake and the peanut strings to the branch. Also tie on stems of berries, wild fruits, hips and haws still attached to their twigs.

During the coldest part of winter, when the need for food will overcome some of the wilder birds’ fears, you will find all kinds feeding at this special branch. The seeds that fall to the ground will nourish other creatures. Please also find a way to put out shallow bowls of fresh, clean water where birds can not only drink but, even in very cold weather, can paddle and bathe. An old frying pan is good and any ice can easily be turned out to be replaced with fresh water. You may be amazed at what kinds of wildlife there are in the most suburban settings.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Friday Form A Circle – Family Yule Ritual

Family Yule Ritual
by Wind*Dancer;
Excerpts from: A Wiccan Primer: Rituals for Children.
Copyright 1996 by Wind*Dancer.

This stuff is a combination of information gleaned from many sources. The
candle ritual is from Ceisiwr Serith’s The Pagan Family: Handing the Old Ways Down but I’ve been heavily influenced by Margie MCArthur’s Wiccacraft for Families and Scott Cunningham’s Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner, too. (Just so you don’t think I came up with all this

stuff. )

The way we set up our Family Book of Shadows was to start each section with a picture that represents the Sabbat. For instance Yule could be a Christmas tree decorated with candles and fruits, a Yule log in a fireplace or kids out caroling. Since I have four kids and they’re still young we only have one common BOS. Those of you with only one or two children (especially older ones) might want to let them create their own books, with their own art work and stories etc.

Our actual book is a 9X7 three ring binder. It fits very easily at the dinner table and pages can be added and taken out as your ideas change and grow (I’ve rewritten our rituals many times over the years trying to find the way that works best). These little note books are inexpensive and come in many colors. The refill pages are easy to get, as well as those colored tabs which can be used to separate the book into sections like Sabbats, Esbat, Prayers, Stories etc. Some of you might be tempted to buy a fancy bound book to make it extra special for your child but from experience I’d try to steer you away from that. They’re expensive and once you make a mistake you either have to scratch it out or tear it out.

Something else you might want to consider is creating a "floppy disk of Shadows" as Scott Cunningham calls it. I type all our rituals on the computer (which I happen to think is one of the niftiest pieces of magic around!) so they can be printed out nice and neat and easy for young readers to read. Plus if you want to change anything (or share it with your friends ) you just copy and paste and voila! ("Daytimer" makes pre-punched plain sheets to fit this size book so you can print your rituals right from the computer)

So anyway our book starts with a picture on the first, left handed page, then the right handed page lists the Sabbat, some information about it and what you’re going to need for supplies. I have the different sections underlined or starred to make them very easy to follow, but that stuff, unfortunately, doesn’t carry over to e-mail. Just remember that this stuff is all going to be new to your kids and if you want them to like it it has to be easy to read, easy to follow, short and most importantly, fun.

Oh, one more thing. These rituals are written with different parts for mom and dad. That’s in no way written in stone, just the way we like to do it. You might have to do some reworking to make it right for your family.

Yule (About December 21st)-Special Notes: The Winter Solstice. Solstice means "sun stands still". On Yule the sun stops its decline and for a few days rises and sets in about the same place. This is the crucial time, the cusp between events. The sun stands still and everyone waits for the turning. It is a time of darkness. Yule is the longest night of the year, but it also marks the return of the sun.

Extra Supplies:

• Seasonal decorations
• a bell
• a large Sun candle (we use a 9-inch yellow pillar candle)
• a small votive candle for each person at the table (it’s nice if your child can have their favorite color)
• matches. (Actually I refer to matches but we use one of those Aim-n-Flame plastic automatic lighter things because, no matter how careful you are, matches are just too dangerous with kids).

Begin by turning off all the lights all over the house, to simulate the dark of the year. Start upstairs, make sure you leave a light on so they can find their way back down safely! And be sure to explain to younger kids why you’re doing, before you start, so they don’t get scared. The house should be in total darkness now, except for one small candle to read by. Dad says quietly:

For half the year, day by day
Slowly the world has gone dark.
For half the year, night by night,
Slowly the dark has grown longer.

Making sure the matches are right at hand, Dad blows out the last candle, plunging the room into darkness. Keep the little ones close to mom or dad so they don’t get scared because the house will be very dark and very quiet. Wait a minute for effect and then dad says:

But the darkness was never complete.
A spark was always waiting…

Light the match and let the drama of the moment have its effect. Then end with:

To return
And turn the dark to light once more.

Dad lights the Sun candle. Now Mom says:

Tonight the dark time ends.
It is Yule. The Solstice.
The Wheel has turned
Bringing our land back to the light.
And now the spark will grow
Greater and greater.
The light will come back,
The cold will go away
And soon we will celebrate Spring!

Dad lights his candle from the Sun candle and places it in the middle saying:

The wheel is turning
The light is returning!

Then each person at the table, starting with mom and proceeding to each child from the oldest, lights their candle from the sun candle and repeats:

The wheel is turning
The light is returning!

When everyone has had their turn, bask in the glow of the candle light. Now send the kids hurrying through the house turning on all the lights. Every light in every room (try to forget your electric bill ) should be turned on to drive away all the darkness and shadows. When everyone is back at the table mom says:

Winter is a time of darkness. We all have moments like that, When you feel lost or scared or unsure. The Earth understands us because it is alive, too. That is why the Earth teaches us that no matter how dark it gets the light always returns. The night will always end And a new day begin.

Now you can serve supper, leaving the candles burning. (We leave candles in the center of the table so little hands are tempted to play with them). While you eat, discuss the celebration of Solstice around the world. Midwinter is celebrated in remarkably similar ways in very different cultures. The most important part of the celebration is light. The Pagan Yule log, Christian Advent candles, Hebrew Menorah and African-American Kwanza candles all celebrate the light. (If you’re looking for a neat Christmas video pick up The Puzzle Place Christmas tape. It doesn’t actually say "pagan" but it handles the whole light thing very nicely) Its meaning varies from culture to culture, and even person to person. It can be magic to help the sun return, a sign of hope in the dark and cold, a symbol of the Unconquerable Sun to cheer us or an  xaggeration of the light needed in this dark time. But the common denominator is light.

Bring in the Pagan background of Yule by explaining that the Yule Log is an indoor bon- fire. All the same virtues were ascribed to it: fertility, purification, continuation of life, protection from evil and such. Much ritual and ceremony surrounded the bringing in of the Yule log. It was usually oak, ash or fruitwood, and it had to be cut from one’s own property, because purchasing it was considered bad luck. The Yule log was always kindled with a piece of last year’s Yule log, which was kept for just that purpose. Once lit, it was essential it burn steadily until it was time to extinguish it. Some customs say let it burn for 12 hours, others say for the full 12 days of Christmas. In any case The Yule Log was never allowed to burn completely away, that would forecast bad luck for the coming year. The leftover log was saved to kindle next year’s Yule fire.

The Christian celebration of Christmas mimics many of the Pagan traditions, oo. Explain how the new religion built their story of Jesus’ birth onto the Old Religion’s beliefs, to make it more acceptable to the Pagans. Gently point out the Sun/Son theme. (Be careful not to let any negative feelings you might have about Christianity creep into your words. Children are an open book and they’ll learn what you teach them, so be positive and loving.) You can tell them how Jesus was actually believed to have been born in the spring, when the sheep would have been out in the fields, like it says in all the songs. But the church decided to set his birth date to coincide with the ancient celebration of Winter Solstice, so the "birth" of the Son would match the ancient Pagan festival celebrating the rebirth of the Sun.

Talk about what other religions do at this time of year. Let them tell you what they know about Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanza. And if they don’t know the stories, fill them in! Remember, this is a time of great celebration. The Goddess has given us a sign that it is the beginning of the end of the long, cold winter. The change won’t come over night of course, but the Wheel has turned and spring is on the way. Remember, Yule might be the longest night of the year, but it marks the return of the Sun. So celebrate!

When dinner is over make a show of putting out the Yule candles. Mom goes first and says:

May the light of the Yule candles
Burn in our hearts
All throughout the coming year.
Blessing of the Season on you all.

As each person extinguishes their candle (we made a long-handled candle snuffer for safe extinguishing) they can say:

Blessings of the season on you all.

The candle ritual might seem short. It was actually longer but we had to cut it down because the kids need things short and sweet to keep their attention. (The TV generation) The best part about this ritual though, is that the kids have such fun doing it. Now when we talk about getting ready for Yule they automatically know what it is, "Oh, goody! We get to turn off all the lights!" And although it’s all a game for them, they’re actually remembering that Yule is The Winter Solstice and what that means. And it’s establishing a family tradition I hope they’ll carry on with their own kids.

I know this ritual is heavily Pagan and you might want a more Wiccan influence for your rituals, but again, I thought this might give you a good jumping off point. In passing I have rituals on disk for all 8 Sabbats as well as Esbats (Full Moon anyway, we don’t do New Moon yet). Our rituals all center around mealtime (which is the easiest time to get everybody together in one place) and we do a simple Circle Casting that involves calling the quarters but we don’t seal the Circle since 1) we’re not raising energy for spell work and 2) mom and dad have to keep coming and going from the table to serve.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Thursday This Is Your Spell-Magical Fruit Garland Spell

Magical Fruit Garland Spell
A Spell to Increase the Realm of Possibilities and Abundance
From To Light a Sacred Flame by Silver Ravenwolf

Days: Sunday or Thursday
Planetary Hours: Sun or Jupiter
Planetary Spirits: Sun or Jupiter
Moon Phase: Full or waxing
Element: Fire or Earth
Rune: Feoh (wealth)
Archetype: Rosemerta
Totem animal: Pelican
Magic Circle: Not needed
Quarter call: Not needed

Go shopping at the grocery section. Look for a selection of small fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, mini-bananas, cherry tomatoes, grapes, and so on. As you shop, keep in mind that you are browsing through the possibilities of life. At home, carefully wash the fruit in consecrated water. You may also wish to empower the water for the goal of abundance. Using heavy waxed thread, begin to make a garland, slowly threading the fruit together. Don’t jerk your hands, scream at the kids, or get up and down from your chair. Stay put and work through the spell slowly. As you thread the fruit, count down from fifty to one. Each time you thread a piece of fruit, say something like:

"As this garland grows,
so does abundance
and prosperity grow
within my life."

When you finish, ask the Goddess Rosemerta to send her blessings into the fruit and fill your life with prosperity and abundance. Tie the garland together so that it forms a circle. Set the garland on a large plate. Pour a small amount of sugar on the plate in the middle of the garland. With your finger, draw the rune Feoh in the sugar. Set in the refrigerator to chill. Serve to your family for supper. As each person partakes of the garland fruit, they bring abundance into their lives.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Wednesday Whatever-It’s Yule Time

…and now, on to my FAVORITE!!! Yule WOOHOO!!!!!!

 

It’s Yule Time
By Ahneke Greystone; published in
Cauldrons & Broomsticks, YULE issue 2000

When The Sun Comes Up Again!!!
It is the Great Mother
Who gives birth to Him,
It is the Lord of Life,
Who is born again!
Darkness and tears
Are set aside,
When the sun comes up again!

(Traditional chant anon.)

A story is told about a baby born in a rustic setting. Shepherds gather round to witness the heralded birth and celebrate the  arrival of the Golden Child. The child becomes a man who inspires others and who has many followers. He performs miracles and loves and cares for humankind. He shares a last supper with the most loyal of his followers and rises to heaven. He is promised to return in full Glory at the end of time to welcome the risen dead into the next world. This is the tale of the Roman god Mithras, who himself has roots to the ancient Persian god, Mithra, and in Roman celebrations to Sol and to more ancient Son gods. His story, that of a reborn god who brings hope to the dark world as the longest night passes, is reflected in the stories of many other gods at this time of year: Adonis, Attis, Baal, Bacchus, Balder, Chrishna, Dionysus, Frey, Helios, Horus and Ra, to name a few. It is also an intimately familiar story to Westerners who know the story of Jesus so well.

As we settle into Winter, we share with all who have come before us an appreciation of the return of the Light. What better time of year to honor the gods who bring us the promise of delivery from the frightening darkness of the season? This is the turn of the Wheel when we are aware of the power of conception; that there is creation and life within the darkness which will be born into the realization of life. The stories of our gods reflect our human relationship to the Wheel of life. Darkness is always followed by light. As with our gods, we are reborn. The Winter Solstice is the moment when the shift begins. It is the time when we begin to look forward, rather than back. The Anglo-Saxons celebrated the end of the solar year and the beginning of the new one at the Solstice. While most modern pagans think of Samhain as the New Year, when we celebrate the Winter Solstice we are aware that this, too, is a time of beginning. We hold that emergence in our hearts, for it is not yet visible. Its tangible signs are yet to come.

The lesson is in the waiting. In trusting that the Great Mystery will, as the wheel turns, bring us back into the cycle of rebirth. The Solstice is about the return of the light from without and the light of inspiration from within. Both sources of illumination are agents of transformation. This is the time of Faith. Of listening to the ancient, instinctual voice within which speaks about rebirth and promises eternity. This is a special time when the focus is on community. On connection and celebration of humanity and the special bonds which cross all religion and culture. We note what we have in common with the worldwide celebrations of the season. We focus, not on differences, but on similarities and common ground. We cherish the best of what we are and see those qualities reflected in the people around us. We respect differences and honor connection. This is a moment which has been holy throughout all time. We know, perhaps more than at any other time of the year, that we are One.

Values at this time of year cross all culture and religion. The love of family and the celebration of ethnic heritage. The feeling of reflection on the year past and hope for the year forward. The shared feeling of anticipation of the days of feasting and celebration. When we place Grandmother’s angel or Father’s star on our holiday tree, it does not matter that they celebrated the birth of Christ and we do not. For the moment is an instance of holy communion with those who came before. We honor them and welcome their memory. Within our modern celebration of the Solstice we are aware of the myriad of pagan details which give life to the day. This is what makes us whole. Past and present together.

The Goddess

The Goddess at the Solstice is giving birth. She is celebrated as the life force, with her time of Mothering to be celebrated come February. She is a young woman becoming aware of herself, internalizing the wisdom of the Crone she has just been, and becoming Self-aware as the Divine Virgin, the Maiden

of our pagan trifold Goddess. She is the symbol of all that we each hold within; each spark of inspiration, each creative thought. She gives birth to the future. She is also the most ancient of gods, the Sun Goddesses, who are fiery and wise and hold much of the Crone within themselves. Goddesses of the Solstice are Maidens/Mothers and Goddesses of the Sun: Akewa, Amaterasu, Ament, Arinna, Baba Yaga, Befana, Belili, Betha, Brighid, Ceres, Cerridwen, Coatlique, Cybele, Demeter, Ereshkigal, Frigg, Fuji, Grianne, Hakea, Hathor, Igaehindvo, Isis, Kore, Lucia, Mari, Mehen, Nanshe, Neith, Nerthus, Oya, Pele, Perchta, Persephone, Rhiannon, Sarama, Seshat, Srinmo, Sun Woman, Sunne, Tonantzin, and Unelanuhi.

The God

The God is the Child of Hope. He reminds us of the frailty of newborn life, and the need for nurturing and delicate care of that which is so very precious. He is also the Stag; proud spirit of the evergreen world. And the elder Holly King, who has just lost his yearly battle to the Oak King of Springtime, reminding us, yet again, that all things must pass. Gods of the Winter Solstice are Sun gods, gods of Death and Rebirth and of Victory: Attis, Baal, Bacchus, Balder, Chrishna, Cernunnos, Dagda, Dionysus, Freyr, Helios, Herne, Horus, Jupiter, Osiris, Pan, Ra, Thor, and Woden.

Correspondences

• Flowers: Amaryllis, chrysanthemum, dahlia, poinsettia, red roses, sunflower and white lily.
• Colors: Black, brown, green, purple, red, tan and white.
• Trees: Alder, ash, birch, cypress, elder, fir, hazel, holly, oak, pine, spruce and yew.
• Creatures: Bat, bear, dog, eagle, falcon, goose, owl, raven, snake, sow, stag and wolf.
• Stones/Gems: Apache tear, blue topaz, garnet, obsidian, onyx, pearls and quartz.
• Herbs: Bay, chamomile, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, hops, hyssop, mugwort, nutmeg, star anise, and wormwood.
• Incense/Oil: Bayberry, carnation, cedar, cinnamon, clove, cypress, frankincense, juniper, orange, myrrh, patchouli, pine, rose, rosemary, sandalwood, and spruce.

Blessing

In this time of stillness, surrounded by the loving embrace of darkness, may we all be aware of the blessing of family, community and friends. May we appreciate our history and know that it is interconnected in so many ways to all the peoples of the world. May we be aware of the unique spark of life which we each represent, and may we sense, as the returning warmth of the Sun becomes ever more evident, that we are all part of one great and glorious Fire of Life.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Tuesday Try A New Taste-Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake

 

Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake
from www.sinfuldesserts.com/

Ingredients For crust:

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground chocolate wafers (about 26)
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients For filling:

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 12 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened),
  melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream, whipped into soft peaks

Ingredients for Garnish:

• bittersweet and milk chocolate curls

Preheat oven to 325F. and butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a bowl stir together wafer crumbs and butter. Press mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pan on a rack. When crust is cool, wrap pan in foil by putting in middle of an 18-inch square of heavy -duty foil and crimping foil around bottom and up side of pan to secure. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs with sugar until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Sift cornstarch into mixture and add 1 teaspoon vanilla and sour cream. Beat filling until smooth and transfer 2 cups to a small bowl. In a small cup stir together espresso powder and remaining tablespoon vanilla, stirring until espresso powder is dissolved. Stir espresso mixture into filling in small bowl. Add chocolate to filling in large bowl, stirring until combined well, and fold in whipped cream. Pour chocolate filling into crust. Spoon espresso filling evenly over chocolate filling and spread to form an even layer, being careful not to mix layers. Put springform pan in a larger shallow baking pan and pour enough hot water to reach halfway up side of springform pan. Bake cheesecake in middle of oven 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven and let cheesecake stand 15 minutes with oven door closed. Transfer cheesecake in pan to a rack and cool completely. Chill cheesecake, covered, at least 1 day and up to 2. Run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side. Garnish cheesecake with chocolate curls. To serve, cut cheesecake with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

Makes 1 cake.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Monday Make A- Garlands For Kids to Make

Garlands For Kids to Make
From by MamaWitch’s Pagan Parent site,

Construction Paper Garlands
Materials:

• Construction paper
• Glue or Stapler or Tape
• Tape or Thumbtacks

Select the colors of construction paper you want to use. Cut all the paper into strips between 1 and 2 inches wide. Make the first loop: Fasten the ends together so that the strip forms a circle. If you use glue, let the glue dry a little bit before continuing. All other loops: Pass one end of the construction paper through the previous loop. Fasten the ends into the new loop. Continue until the garland is the length you desire. Attach to walls, shelves, doorways with tape or thumbtacks.

Popcorn Garlands
Materials:

• Plain popped corn
• berries
• Dental floss (extra fine, unwaxed)
• Large needle (it should be sharp enough to pierce berries and nuts) all the things you will put on the garland

***(Swampy’s note: Stale popcorn works better to string than does fresh. Freshly popped corn will split in pieces easier. Stale popcorn gets sort of mooshy so that it doesn’t shatter when you stick a needle into it) I like to use dental floss, because it is really hard to break.

Measure out a length of dental floss. 4 to 6 feet (an arm’s length) is good; any longer and you have potential knot problems. If you want a really long garland, tie several together. Thread the needle. Tie a big knot at the far end. An alternative is to leave a couple of inches at the end and tie a loop around the first thing you string on the garland. Pass the needle through the popcorn. If you children are too young to handle sharp needles, they can move the popcorn down the length of the floss to the knot. Continue stringing until the garland is full. Hang the garland inside or outside. Remember that popcorn tends to "melt" in the rain. Also, if it’s an outside garland, the creatures will probably eat everything in a couple of days, so if you put it out early, it won’t last… If you are planning the bird-food garland, consider hanging suet (animal fat) from the garland. Birds really like that when it’s cold outside. These can be a lot of fun, but it’s important to make sure the popcorn goes on the garland and not in your mouth!

***A variation: Add berries, popcorn, and seeds for an outdoor garland for the birds and small animals that share your space. Remember it’s winter for them and they will appreciate the treat!

You can make garlands out of Construction paper, Popcorn, Live or artificial evergreen branches, Holly, or any other material that can be strung.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows

The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows
by Jack Santino, September 1982

Halloween had its beginnings in an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtic peoples, who were once found all over Europe, divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to November 1st on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of winter. Since they were pastoral people, it was a time when  cattle and sheep had to be moved to closer pastures and all livestock had to be secured for the winter months. Crops were harvested and stored. The date marked both an ending and a beginning in an eternal cycle. The festival observed at this time was called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween).

It was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all manner of beings were abroad: ghosts, fairies, and demons-all part of the dark and dread.

Samhain became the Halloween we are familiar with when Christian missionaries attempted to change the religious practices of the Celtic people. In the early centuries of the first millennium A.D., before missionaries such as St. Patrick and St. Columcille converted them to Christianity, the Celts practiced an elaborate religion through their priestly caste, the Druids, who were priests, poets, scientists and scholars all at once. As religious leaders, ritual specialists, and bearers of learning, the Druids were not unlike the very missionaries and monks who were to Christianize their people and brand them evil devil worshippers. As a result of their efforts to wipe out "pagan" holidays, such as Samhain, the Christians succeeded in effecting major transformations in it. In 601 A.D. Pope Gregory the First issued a now famous edict to his missionaries concerning the native beliefs and customs of the peoples he hoped to convert. Rather than try to obliterate native peoples’ customs and beliefs, the pope instructed his missionaries to use them: if a group of people worshipped a tree, rather than cut it down, he advised them to consecrate it to Christ and allow its continued worship.

In terms of spreading Christianity, this was a brilliant concept and it became a basic approach used in Catholic missionary work. Church holy days were purposely set to coincide with native holy days. Christmas, for instance, was assigned the arbitrary date of December 25th because it corresponded with the mid-winter celebration of many peoples. Likewise, St. John’s Day was set on the summer solstice.

Samhain, with its emphasis on the supernatural, was decidedly pagan. While missionaries identified their holy days with those observed by the Celts, they branded the earlier religion’s supernatural deities as evil, and associated them with the devil. As representatives of the rival religion, Druids were considered evil worshippers of devilish or demonic gods and spirits. The Celtic underworld inevitably became identified with the Christian Hell. The effects of this policy were to diminish but not totally eradicate the beliefs in the traditional gods. Celtic belief in supernatural creatures persisted, while the church made deliberate attempts to define them as being not merely dangerous, but malicious. Followers of the old religion went into hiding and were branded as witches. The Christian feast of All Saints was assigned to November 1st. The day honored every Christian saint, especially those that did not otherwise have a special day devoted to them. This feast day was meant to substitute for Samhain, to draw the devotion of the Celtic peoples, and, finally, to replace it forever. That did not happen, but the traditional Celtic deities diminished in status, becoming fairies or leprechauns of more recent traditions.

The old beliefs associated with Samhain never died out entirely. The powerful symbolism of the traveling dead was too strong, and perhaps too basic to the human psyche, to be satisfied with the new, more abstract Catholic feast honoring saints. Recognizing that something that would subsume the original energy of Samhain was necessary, the church tried again to supplant it with a Christian feast day in the 9th century. This time it established November 2nd as All Souls Day-a day when the living prayed for the souls of all the dead. But, once again, the practice of retaining traditional customs while attempting to redefine them had a sustaining effect: the traditional beliefs and customs lived on, in new guises.

All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallows (hallowed means sanctified or holy), continued the ancient Celtic traditions. The evening prior to the day was the time of the most intense activity, both human and supernatural. People continued to celebrate All Hallows Eve as a time of the wandering dead, but the supernatural beings were now thought to be evil. The folk continued to propitiate those spirits (and their masked impersonators) by setting out gifts of food and drink. Subsequently, All Hallows Eve became Hallow Evening, which became Hallowe’en-an ancient Celtic, pre-Christian New Year’s Day in contemporary dress.

Many supernatural creatures became associated with All Hallows. In Ireland fairies were numbered among the legendary creatures who roamed on Halloween. An old folk ballad called "Allison Gross" tells the story of how the fairy queen saved a man from a Witch’s spell on Halloween.

O Allison Gross, that lives in yon tower
the ugliest witch in the North Country…
She’s turned me into an ugly worm
and gard me toddle around a tree…
But as it fell out last Hallow even
When the seely [fairy] court was riding by,
the Queen lighted down on a gowany bank
Not far from the tree where I wont to lie…
She’s change me again to my own proper shape
And I no more toddle about the tree.

In old England cakes were made for the wandering souls, and people went "a’ soulin’" for these "soul cakes." Halloween, a time of magic, also became a day of divination, with a host of magical beliefs: for instance, if persons hold a mirror on Halloween and walk backwards down the stairs to the basement, the face that appears in the mirror will be their next lover.

Virtually all present Halloween traditions can be traced to the ancient Celtic day of the dead. Halloween is a holiday of many mysterious customs, but each one has a history, or at least a story behind it. The wearing of costumes, for instance, and roaming from door to door demanding treats can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved. To this day, witches, ghosts, and skeleton figures of the dead are among the favorite disguises. Halloween also retains some features that harken back to the original harvest holiday of Samhain, such as the customs of bobbing for apples and carving vegetables, as well as the fruits, nuts, and spices cider associated with the day.

Today Halloween is becoming once again and adult holiday or masquerade, like Mardi Gras. Men and women in every disguise imaginable are taking to the streets of big American cities and parading past grinningly carved, candlelit jack o’lanterns, re- enacting customs with a lengthy pedigree. Their masked antics challenge, mock, tease, and appease the dread forces of the night, of the soul, and of the otherworld that becomes our world on this night of reversible possibilities, inverted roles, and transcendency. In so doing, they are reaffirming death and its place as a part of life in an exhilarating celebration of a holy and magic evening.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.