Imbolc Blessings!

Happy Imbolc to everyone!

Yes, I know it was Thursday and it is now Saturday. But I had to work and the Goddess will always forgive.

I did do some stuff on Thursday. My broom, Endora, got some fresh ribbons and I used her to sweep the negativity right out my front door. I set out a bowl of cream for Brigid and a yellow candle. I also hung up a nice wind sock. I even made a little besom to hang by the door to welcome Brigid.

I left a white cloth out overnight so that Brigid could come by and bless it. I am saving it for a day I need Brigid’s help. I also made fresh, homemade butter.

Tonight we celebrated.

This morning I put out fresh buttermilk for Brigid, as well as some bread. (I made the buttermilk myself. It was left over from my butter making on Thursday.) I gave the house another good sweeping. I also put out some fresh spring flowers.

I made a variety of gifts to honor Brigid and for my friends and family to take home for this special day. I made bird seed bells to hang in the trees. I made a milk bath sachet to give to people and I made a Celtic Cream warming potion that was so good. I also made a potato cheese soup and bread pudding.

We lit white candles to honor Brigid. Once everyone’s candle had been lit by Brigid’s flame, we snuffed them and cooled them so they could be taken home to bless the homes of my friends and family.

And finally, one of our group was having a birthday and so we honored her with cake and gifts. You only turn 17 once. So happy birthday to you. We hope to see you and your mom at one of our services again soon.

All and all it was a pretty awesome Imbolc. Thank you Brigid for honoring us. I am already looking forward to this celebration next year. I have great ideas for crafts and new decorations I want to get.

Blessed be!

United We Stand

Yes, he was a Christian, but he was amazing. His spirit transcends religions. Today we honor him.

The Prayer Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A New Year's Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

My mom had a magnet on her refrigerator that said that when I was a teen. It’s a pretty popular prayer. And I think it holds up to views throughout religion in general. I ask the Gods and Goddess to grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I also ask for the courage to change what I can. But my theory is that people in general have forgotten the last line.

The wisdom to know the difference.

Just because you don’t see how right away doesn’t mean it is unable to be changed. Don’t just give up on it. These days people give up too easily.

Oh, well, nothing I can do. Moving on.

No.

In the words of Captain Jack Sparrow…

The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.

The Gods and Goddesses have given you a lot of power and trust. You can do more than you think.

Today is the first day of a new year. Happy New Year!

Today I pray for peace and happiness this coming year. May it be filled with blessings, positivity and love.

Don’t just say it. Don’t just think it. Don’t just post a silly meme about it. Go out and do it. Live it. Show it.

Blessed be.

Christmas Traditions

I was going to write a whole post about Christians and Christmas and Jesus. But we all know that story. It isn't new. It's American.

And besides, Santa came!

Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night!

Festival Of Lights

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight begins the first night in the 8 night celebration of the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah. And just what is Hanukkah?

Well, it is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. There was a revolt and when they took back the temple and purified it, there was only enough sacred oil to burn for one day. But a miracle occurred and the oil lasted 8 whole days.

And so Jewish families celebrate by lighting a menorah, which holds eight candles, one lit each night from right to left. And they eat food fried in oil.

And while we are not a Jewish family, obviously, we celebrate right along with them. So we will light our nightly candle and make potato pancakes and spin our dreidels.

(It sounds almost pagan… candles, food, prayers…. Just saying. Focus on the sames.)

Anyway, to me it isn’t Hanukkah until I hear this…



Okay, so not very religious but it always makes me laugh.

(On another side note… Santa comes tonight. Reminds me of a certain Holly King. This one looks like my tree topper.)

Blessed be!

On The Wild Hunt

Blessing Of The Holly King!

A happy yule to all of you. Today is the shortest day of the year and therefore the longest night. Tonight we celebrate the winter solstice, the first day of winter. This is also the last seasonal celebration of the year. Or the first if that is how you roll. Yule is right at the North point in the seasonal wheel.

Just a fun fact, did you know Stonehenge was built by ancient Pagan worshipers to align with the winter and summer Solstices?

Anyway, the Yule is a time for letting go, sacrifice and forgiveness. It is a time of peace, rest and reflection.

Now is the time we celebrate the Holly King, Odin, and the return of the Sun. In Asatru traditions it kicks off a 12 day celebration.

For me, tonight I celebrated the return of longer days and shorter nights. The promise of warm weather again. I made a feast with a delicious ham. Lots of rolls for my husband. We made an alter for the Holly King, complete with a holly and ever green wreath and candles, frankincense and myrrh incense, and an offering of delicious treats made by my aunt. We started a yule fire at dusk and burned it until midnight. We had a nice peaceful evening of reflection.

You know I sat here for a long time thinking about what to write on this Yule. What I could write about the meanings and how I could go on and on about all the “Christmas Traditions” are really Pagan traditions, but you know what…

Why not share the spirit? If Christians want to burn the Yule log to honor Jesus, go for it.

There is going to be times ahead where differences are going be used against us to divide us.

To that I say no.

To that I say a Merry Yuletide To All.

AND I MEAN ALL!

Blessed be.

The Witches Witch

On November 30 we celebrate the festival of Hecate Trivia.

Not trivia like the game, but trivia like the place where three roads meet.

Hecate is a Thracian, pre-Olympian Greek goddess. She began her goddess reign as a goddess similar to Brigid or Diana. A goddess of fertility, childbirth, menstruation and puberty. She was born during the darkest of the moon.

In the story of Persephone, Hecate is the keeper of the key to the Underworld. She kept Persephone company during her time there.

However over the years she moved on. She changed from a goddess of women to the goddess of change, witchcraft, magic, life, death, crossroads, and psychic abilities. She is a dark witch. She is connected to the spirit world, ghosts and the dark of the moon.

She is the triple goddess.

Birth Life Death
Full New Dark Moons
Past Present Future
Earth Heaven Underworld
Earth Air Fire
She is the goddess of the witches. The goddess of magic. Celebrate. You have come to the crossroads. Give a nod to Hecate. She will always be there to help you on the right path.

Blessed be.

Happy Thanksgiving

Every year at this time we pause to reflect on the things for which we are most thankful. Given the demands of our daily lives, it is easy to get caught up in the tasks of work and home and not take time to appreciate our good fortunes. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to each and every one of my family, the men, women, and children that make up our everyday lives. Every day of the year, including holidays, both religious and secular, collectively we work to ensure there is food on the tables and love in our hearts.

I am thankful for the privilege to write this for you. It’s an honor to make a positive difference in the lives of others, which is what I hope to do with this and everything I do each day. I thank you for everything you do as well: your commitment, hard work and pursuit of excellence in your own lives each day. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving.

Blessed be.

Veteran's Day

Take a moment now to reflect on the achievements and sacrifices of the many brave Americans who have served in our military, both past and present and during both peace and war. Each year we observe Veterans Day in order to honor all the men and women who have served our country in uniform.

In quiet tributes and grand parades, at community centers and war memorials, Americans of all backgrounds come together on this day to celebrate the men and women who have fought to keep our country strong and free. Their efforts laid the foundation for the peace and prosperity that our nation now enjoys. From the oldest veterans, to the men and women currently serving, all Americans who have served in uniform deserve our appreciation and respect on this uniquely special American day.

On this Veteran's Day, let us pause to honor the sacrifice of those who have serviced their country. While we all strive for peace, our Armed Forces help defend against the reality of those who seek to do our country harm. I thank you for your service, and I pray God's blessings to be upon you, your family, and your sacrifice.

Blessed be.

xoxo

Hail To The Princess

Are you the parent of a small person? Say maybe ages 2 to 8? Okay.

So then you have heard of Princess Elena of Avalor...

For those of you who are not hip on this...

Princess Elena is a Hispanic princess from a cartoon on Disney channel. She is awesome. She even has an abuela who makes tamales.

And I have a 4 year old daughter.

So I am all about Princesses.

So why an I telling you this?

I have a point, I promise.

Today is Dia de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead.

It is a Mexican custom going back to Aztec festivals honoring the dead. It can also be linked to the Catholic observance of All Saints Day. People build alters, sometimes elaborate, to honor their deceased family members. There are all kinds of interesting traditions that go with it, including the decorating of sugar skulls and baking of pan dulce. (A sweet bread or cake) Here in California those things are easy to find as we have a large Hispanic community.

But again, why am I telling you this?

Because Princess Elena's family celebrated Dia de los Muertos.

Therefore, so did my 4 year old.

The idea must not have seemed too far off to her. Make an alter, light some candles, make a cake...

So I say, go ahead.

Behold... Dia de los Muertos alter by one very cute four year old.

The spirit is strong in this little witch.

Blessed be.

The Witching Hour

A Blessed Samhain to all my witches.

Did you just say that SAM HANE? Don’t do it! It is pronounced sah-win, or sow-in or sah-ween.

Hence…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope you all celebrated and had a great night. I know I did.

But before I regale you with tales of my night, let’s talk about, just what is Samhain?

Is it the night you finally get to ride that broomstick?

Nope.

Are zombies coming?

Only if you are playing Plants vs. Zombies. Then yes, Zombies, they are coming.

Samhain is a cross quarter festival on the Wheel of the Year celebrated by Wiccans and Celtic witches as well as some other neo-pagan groups. And super awesome witches like me. It falls approximately half way between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice and is the last harvest festival of the year. Some people call it “The Pagan New Year”. Not for me though. New Year’s Day is still January 1. But it does mark the beginning of winter.

So many of our current Halloween traditions come from these long ago pagan Samhain celebrations; from costumes and going door to door for treats to apple bobbing and carving pumpkins. All can be traced back to Samhain. There is so much I could write on the subject.

This is one of the “Spirit Days” when the veil between this world and the other realm is the thinnest; a time when spirits and fairies cross over and visit. This is a time of remembrance. People visit cemeteries and set up ancestral alters leaving favorite items or other offerings to those who have gone ahead. We share stories of them, maybe even set a place for them at dinner.

Most Samhain celebrations include communal bonfires. They serve to bring together the community. Ages ago, our ancestors would put out all the fires in the villages and relight them from the communal fire to bring unity.

This year we carved pumpkins. We set them on the porch to welcome our ancestors home. I made a nice beef stew and butternut squash ravioli. (I got the stew recipe from a pagan book titled “The Magical Year”.) We set up an alter with seasonal fruits and veggies. We added sage and incense and candles. Also added were items special to those we have lost.

One member of our group was the fire tender and started the fire at sunset and kept it going until the sun came back up. We burned sage and cleansed our souls. We wrote down out affirmations for the year and put them in the fire.

It was a great night.

Until we meet again…

Blessed be.

Passover

Today is the first day of Passover, a Jewish religious celebration of the book of Exodus. In the Hebrew book of Exodus, the Jewish were slaves to an Egyptian Pharaoh. Led by Moses, the Jewish attempted to gain freedom, with an assist from God. God unleashed 10 horrible plagues upon the Pharaoh, persuading him to let the Jewish people go.

First, God changed the water of the Nile to blood. So the Egyptians would have no water. But it didn’t bother the Jews.

Next, God sent frogs. That again, left the Jews alone.

Third, it was lice. But not on Jews.

Fourth, it was a swarm of flies or wild animals. But the Jewish farms remained untouched.

Next, God sent diseased livestock to the Egyptians only.

For the next bit of persuasion, God sent boils. Ow.

Then it was a thunder storm or hail and fire which somehow missed all the Jewish people.

For the eighth plague, God sent locusts.

And for the ninth, God made it night for three whole days.

Now, let me just say, these Egyptians were a stubborn bunch. I would have given up already. But the Egyptians, who worshiped a nature based pantheon of gods, were sure that their gods could kick the Jewish God’s butt. In Islam, The Qur’an, which tells a very similar story of Moses, says that despite all of these, the Egyptians “were seeped in arrogance, a people given to sin.” (The Holy Qur’an- Surah 7: Al A’raf Section 16, Verses 132 through 136.)

So for the 10th and final plague, God decided to kill all the first born sons. The Jewish were instructed to put the blood of a slaughtered lamb over their door so that God would know not to kill those first born.

And so we have Passover. As in, God passed over the Jewish homes when He was on a killing rampage.

The Pharaoh decided that killing people was too far and told Moses to take his people and go. Then he changed his mind later, but that is a different story.

And so the Jewish were freed.

Except…

People of that area were celebrating a Spring Festival long before the Exodus, which would have been roughly 1300 BCE. Complete with lambs blood on the door to ward off evil spirits, as soon as the barley was ripe.

And who says the Jewish God was more powerful that the Egyptian pantheon? Perhaps the Pharaoh was being a jerk, which he clearly was, and Ra, the sun god, was not happy with the way this Pharaoh was treating people and let these things happen to teach him a lesson. Maybe they were working together.

We are all at the will of the Gods and Goddesses. Only by respecting them, shall they respect us. Lesson learned. Thank you, Moses. You have shown us that those who serve the Gods are helped by them. And thank you Pharaoh, for this lesson in how not to act. Be kind to all who walk the path of the Spirit. While their path may not be yours, it is also not your path to judge.

Happy Passover to all of my Jewish friends.

Blessed be.

For The Jesters

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Today is the official day of hoaxes, pranks, and jokes.

This is not really a holiday. Not really…

The first recorded mention of anything April Fool related was in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales from 1392. On April 1, the proud rooster is tricked by the sly fox however he escapes when the fox attempts to chide his pursuers and accidentally let go of the rooster.

Whatever it is, you go out and enjoy it. No reason for witches not to have a little fun.

Here are a few to get you started…

Sort Of, But Not Really

It’s Easter Sunday.

No, wait it isn’t really. We did that already.

However, for all of my Christian and Catholic friends, it is Resurrection Sunday.

And they still call it Easter. The Easter Bunny still comes. He leaves eggs at church.

A PAGAN SYMBOL IN A CHURCH! EGADS!

But there it is. What can you say? It’s a tradition.

So to all of you fabulous people celebrating Easter today, Happy Easter.

Truthfully, as it is an American Holiday, the Easter bunny came by here too. My little one put on her fancy new Easter dress and hunted for eggs in the yard. I made a ham. It was delicious.

When I was little, my grandpa used to take me to church on Easter. I got to wear a fancy dress and sing songs and get candy. It was awesome. I felt all grown up going to church with grandpa.

Anyway, to all of you out there celebrating, whatever you are celebrating, have a great day!

One Night With The King

Today my Jewish friends celebrate Purim. Of all the Jewish holidays, this is one of my favorite stories.

It all starts with Esther; a lovely young Jewish girl living in Persia with her dear cousin. She ends up taken in by the King Of Persia as part of his haram. And she is such a hottie he makes her the Queen. Of course, he does not know that she is Jewish.

The King has this right hand man called Haman. He is not a nice fellow. One day he meets Esther’s cousin and Ester’s cousin refuses to bow down to him. Maybe because Haman was such a jackass. Yeah, that was probably it.

Anyways…

Haman gets all in his feelings and decided to exterminate the Jews. Total Nazi. And he feeds the King a line so the King goes for it.

Well Esther, being a Jew, can’t have that. All her people don’t need to die. Not for that jerk Haman.

So she has a plan. She will go see the King and she will convince him to stop this. But you can’t just go see the King uninvited. That is a good way to lose your head, even if you are the Queen.

So she prays and fasts for three days. So did every other Jew. Then she went to see the king.

And the king is delighted to see her. From what I understand, she was probably made up like a little lady treat. And the king decided to indulge. And whatever happened after that must have been something because the King offered Esther anything her little heart desired. And what did Esther want? To save her people. And have Haman hanged from the very gallows he built to hang the Jews. And for good measure they hanged his kids too.

And so the Jewish celebrate their triumph over evil.

And to celebrate, they generally fast the day before Purim and the day of they are commanded to “eat, drink and be merry.” They have feasts and give food to others. They give to charity. They read the story of Esther aloud and boo and hiss when Haman is mentioned. They eat cookies called Hamantashen witch are triangular and fruit filled.

Sounds like a fun time.

(FYI… the story of Esther is in the bible as well, but I am pretty sure she keeps all her clothes on.)

And why should witches care?

Because those who are accepting of others will be accepted themselves. Karma. What you give, you get returned to you threefold. Remember that.

Blessed Be.

Spring Has Sprung!

Happy Spring!

Happy Ostara!

Blessings upon you all as the sun begins to come out and warm us up again. Extra blessings to those of you who live in cold climates. Spring is here! Feel it!

Ostara is one of the eight main holidays on the Wheel of the Year. Some scholars believe it was a festival for an old German Goddess, Ostara or Eostre. She was the Goddess of the Dawn, the Daughter of the Heavens. Some also believe she was the goddess of fertility and birth. She was celebrated during her namesake month on the old Germanic calendar, which fell near what is now April. She is considered the namesake for the festival of Easter. Her name is the derivative for the word “estrogen”. Her symbols included eggs and rabbits or hares. Some even have said it was hares or rabbits that pulled the Goddess’ chariot as she brought the dawn, although there are no writings supporting that. There are a few suggesting animals and possibly cats. Both cats and rabbits have been common animal familiars.

It is also said that it could have started form a cult following the old Norse Goddess Austra. They had long died out before Christianity hit the area. But perhaps her legend remained.

Experts agree it probably derived from ancient Celtic or Saxon spring holidays that were woven into the Christian traditions of the same time. Christians who came to the area probably realized the value of Easter to the Pagans there and tolerated the name for one of their own grandest anniversaries in order to convert people to Christianity. A lot of the traditions are similar, to include the inclusions of rabbits, eggs, sweets, baked goods and bonfires. Other religions, such as Jewish (Purim and Passover), Hindu (Holi) and Sikh (Hola Mohalla) all have important celebrations during the spring.

Modern Pagans generally celebrate it on the vernal equinox, or the first of spring, as we are right now. It is a time of renewal and rebirth. The bunnies are out enjoying fresh green. Baby chicks are hatching. Flowers are blooming. The days are getting longer. It’s a good time to plant a garden or go on a nature walk or go hiking. Open the windows and let some spring air into your homes. Have a meal of fresh vegetables and fruits. Enjoy some artichokes or asparagus; so many delicious greens and sprouts. Spring onions. Strawberries. Cherries. I am getting hungry.

Another option... Try a springtime fast to cleanse your body of winter’s toxins.

Bring in some flowers from the garden. Roses are starting to bloom. The tulips and daffodils are coming out. Bring some in and let spring inside. It’s time to wear the colors of spring. Get your pink on, your lavender, your pastels.

It is a very powerful time for magic. Incense in floral aromas like lilac and rose can help. Or try a strawberry aroma.

For me, who had to work, I got outside as much as I could and filled my office with lavender incense. (I really love my job sometimes.)

For all the rest of you… Enjoy your day and enjoy your Spring! Spring is here!

Blessings!

I am Woman, Hear Me Roar!

Matronalia is upon us. And you know what that means?

Gifts! For me! YAY!

I got new candles and new incense. I got rosemary mint oil. I got a new set of tarot cards with fairies on them. I got candy. My husband planted new things in the garden for me; a lilac bush; some lavender, sage, and mint. In a little greenhouse we started sunflowers and arugula.

I am loved.

Matronalia is a celebration of women that has been celebrated since the early Romans. On March 1, the first of the year, they celebrated the goddess Juno. Juno is the roman goddess of childbirth and motherhood; basically women in general. (Greek equivalent would be Hera.) Women would be allowed to wear their hair down.(Apparently that was a no-no.) There would be no work that day. They would receive gifts from their husbands and children. Men prepared special prayers for their wives. Women prepared a feast for their slaves. It was basically an early version of Mother’s Day. On the day of, in 375 B.C., they dedicated a large temple in Rome to the goddess Juno to solidify it as her day.

Why would they celebrate women on the first day of the god Mars’ month you ask? Why not June 1?

Mars was born to Juno on the first of March. Born to Juno of her own accord; she didn’t need a man. And so Mars celebrates the day of his birth as homage to his mommy.

Or…

Mars fathered twins Romulus and Remus who went on to found Rome. However, there was a severe lack of ladies in the town. So they invited the neighboring women to a festival and kept them. Married them and had children. And so to honor Juno for the blessing (of kidnapped and raped women, but wives for the men none the less) they did it on the first of the year. And since it was Mars’ son who kidnapped the women, he gave up his birthday in honor of Juno.

So one of those. Believe what you will.

In the end, bring on the presents.