Catch Up

Hi all,
I know, I haven't been around and missed a few big things like the May Supermoon, Beltane and Bast`s holy day but in my defense I was hand fasted on the May Supermoon and I`ve been busy with that. :)

So the May Full Moon (moon in Scorpio) was a supermoon meaning it looked much larger and closer than usual. Magically it means it was a more potent moon and it had a stronger effect on people, and magic done on this full moon was especially potent. Now add to that the moon was in Scorpio and you have a recipe for much emotional turmoil and drama. You were not alone if you found that you and your significant other fought a lot in the days approaching the full moon. The Scorpio full moon is an intense moon on it`s own (like us Scorpios lol). It acts almost like a dark moon by creating deep healing by bringing your shadows to light. Truths were forced up to the surface, we were forced to face our shadows, and things that we were suppressing came bubbling up.    I was effected as well. But after the emotional roller coaster I found that I felt free and strong and more at peace with myself than I have in years and my relationship was so much stronger than it had ever been. My spouse and I cumilated this growth and deeper connection by handfasting after our full moon ritual.

The ritual (which can be done at another time) was to build a small Bel fire in our front yard (as it was also Beltane) and after drawing down the goddess, writing down all our negative, confusing emotions that we wanted to be rid of and burning it in the Bel fire. Then we acknowledged something positive in our lives that symbolized the union of the Goddess and God, then jumped the fire. My spouse and I acknowledged each other and jumped the fire together signifying a new stage of our relationship. Later in front of our Household Goddess` shrine we committed to each other.

For Beltane we camped out in the woods and held a Beltane festival for three days. We did ritual, Women`s and Men`s Mysteries, Chose our May King and Queen that presides for a year, and danced and drummed around the fire into the wee hours of the morning.
I was quite happy that my spouse really took part this year, battling the king and even running naked through the forest, into the women`s camp and back to the men`s camp as a show of manly bravery. The look on my face was probably priceless.
As it was Beltane and a lot of mead was involved some of it is a bit fuzzy as the night wore on  but we had a great time connecting with the primal, tribal forces associated with the holiday.

Now that I am back home the next order of business is a Bast ritual before the week is out as she is our household goddess. Her holy day is on the 11th and it is a week long celebration. We celebrated Bast at my handfasting but I want to do a ritual solely for Her. Once I do I will post the ritual.

So happy belated Beltane and Full Moon. I will have more time to commit to keeping up the blog and I have lots of great things in store.

Hail Bast and Blessed Be!

Our Ostara Fairy Altar

I just wanted to share a quick pic of our Ostara Fairy Altar because it is just so sweet. The kids and adults at the Ostara I hosted at my house left offerings for the fairies.
There are flowers, milk, honey, shiny stones, crystals, coloured feathers, spell eggs, decorated eggs, coins and incense. This will definitely be a tradition in our household.

Ostara

Hello again! It is soon time again for Ostara / The Spring Equinox! I am holding a Family Ostara festival today and I got up extra early this morning to prepare so I decided to take a few minutes to post about what we are doing for Ostara.


1st off Ostara is the the spring equinox, the 1st day of Spring. This year the equinox is on Tuesday, March 20th. The equinox, for those that do not know, is the time of year that there is equal daylight and dark as the sun crosses the celestial equator. It happens twice a year, once in Spring and once in autumn. 


The Spring Equinox is scared to the Goddess Eoster, a Saxon great Goddess of fertility and rebirth. Her symbols include rabbits, eggs and birds. This explains the presence of them in the Christian holiday of Easter as the Church combined the holidays when they were trying to convert the European pagans. The themes of rebirth and spring fit quite nicely with the theme of Christ's resurrection. 
Less known and celebrated, the Spring Equinox is also sacred to Blodeuwedd, the fairy queen giver of life. The equinoxes are a time when the veil between the worlds are thin and are a time when the fairies come out to play. Its a great time to honour the fair folk.


To celebrate this year we are having a potluck festival where everyone brings a dish made of the  traditional foods of the year such as: eggs (obviously), greens, lamb and dairy. My spouse and I will be making a lamb Stew. Here is a traditional Lamb Stew recipe (makes 4 servings):

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 3 large onions, quartered

• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced chives

• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

• 
  

• Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, brown meat in 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add onions, carrots and remaining oil to pan. cook for 5 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. add potatoes, broth, salt, pepper and lamb. bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.

1. With a slotted spoon, remove meat and vegetables to a large bowl; keep warm. Pour pan juices into another bowl; set aside. In the Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the parsley, chives, thyme, and meat and vegetables; heat through.

Every year I dedicate the festival to the children in the community as they are the living symbols of new life. So last year I had a children's festival where I had Ostara themed crafts like egg decorating, egg hunts, games like egg toss and storytelling. This year I am continuing that tradition. 


I have also set up a fairy altar under the biggest tree in our yard (I am lucky enough to have a big enough property to hold the festival on). Blodeuwedd is a Flower Woman and so the altar is decorated with lots of flowers. The children (and anyone else that would like to) will leave offerings on the altar to the fairies. Suggested offerings to the fairies are: honey, milk, candy, shiny baubles, crystals, flowers and artwork. 


For the adults attending (though the kids can take part) we are doing a seed blessing for seeds that people are planning to plant in their gardens. Think of a project that you want to start or something you would like to bring into your life over the long term. Enchant your seeds so that as they grow the thing you are trying to achieve grows as well. The spell we are using is:

"Creatures of Earth Bring Strength and Mirth! 

          As you grow so shall ____

As you flourish, so shall ____

As you mature, so shall _____

As I harvest your bounty, so shall I harvest the rewards of _____

Eostre, Lady of Spring, bless these seeds and all they bring. 

So mote it be."

I recommend using a plant you plan  to harvest such as veggies and herbs instead of ornamental flowers. Also a note of caution. Make sure you take very good care of these plants and they are now sacred and if you let them whither and die, so may your wish/project. 


And other thing we shall be doing is anyone who wishes can make enchanted eggs. You take an egg (fresh or hard boiled) and decorate it with symbols and runes of things you want in your life. Eggs are a potent symbol of fertility so they are great for bringing you what you want. When you finish decorating them put the eggs on your altar or in your garden (they are also great fertilizer). 


I hope these ideas inspire you in your own celebrations. And here are some other correspondences to help you as well:

Colours: All pastels are appropriate, especially greens, yellows and pinks.
Incense: Flowery incenses are best such as violet, honeysuckle and narcissus, also lemon.
Flowers: All flowers are great. Especially daffodils, jonquils, tulips, violets, narcissus and crocus. 

I wish you all a very joyful Ostara! 

The Storm Moon - March 2012

So it is time for the Full Moon again!
If you are a stickler for exact times the moon is officially full tomorrow morning (March 8th) at 4:39 am. But some caution at this time as we will discuss later.


March is the month when Spring finally arrives. It is called the Storm Moon because march is the month of the spring rains and storms that clear away the winter snow and welcomes the new growth of spring. The old adage "In like a lion, out like a lamb" is often applied to this month.


So lets look at some correspondences:

Other names: Seed Moon, Plow Moon, Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Worm Moon, Lenting Moon.
Nature Spirits: mer-people, air and water beings who are connected with spring rains and storms.
Herbs: broom, High John root, yellow dock, wood betony irish moss
Colours : pale green
Scents: honeysuckle, apple blossom
Flowers: jonquil, daffodil, violet
Stones: aquamarine, bloodstone
Trees: adler, dogwood
Animals: cougar, hedgehog, boar
Birds: sea crow, sea birds
Deities: Black Isis, The Morrigan, Hecate, Cybele, Astarte, Athene, Minerva, Artemis, Luna
Power flow- energy breaks into the open, growing, prospering, exploring. New beginnings, balance of light and dark. Breaking illusions, seeing truth in your life however much it may hurt.

To narrow down themes other astrological correspondences of the day are:


Thursday: Honor, riches, clothing, desires, expansion, money, prosperity, generosity. It is ruled by Jupiter who rules over good luck, wealth, healing, male fertility, legal matters.


The full moon start in Virgo: The Virgin favors abstract thought and keen and critical intellect. Pay attention to details and all matters concerning health and healing, nutrition, herbs, crafts, ethics, service to others, volunteering, and community needs. Use this Moon for coven matters, or crafting altar tools or ritual accouterments. Clean the house! (This may account for my random urge to scrub every corner of my house yesterday lol. Its all sparkly clean!)


If you are doing your full moon ritual after 11:50 pm then the correspondences change as the moon enters Libra at 11:50. Correspondences for the moon in Libra are: Increases self-awareness, favors self-examination and interaction with others, but discourages spontaneous initiative. A good time for partnership matters and legal affairs. Use this Moon for balance and harmony, especially romance.


Now for my note of CAUTION: the moon is void of course at 4:39 am (when the moon officially turns full) do not start new new projects or activities during the day as activities begun when the moon is void of course rarely come into fruition, or they turn out very differently than planned. It is my recommendation that you plan to do your full moon rituals at or after 11:50pm when the moon enters Libra (or as late in day as possible).


I recommend prosperity and anti-poverty workings! Also, if you are planning on gardening, this is a great time to bless your seeds if you haven't already in preparation for planting. If you want to combine the two I'd say imbue your seeds with prosperity drawing magic so as your plant grows so does your wealth.
I hope that helps with your full moon plans! Blessed Be!

Winner of the Rune Set

Now to announce the winner of my Blue Tribal Rune Set!
The lucky winner is......(Drum roll Please!)

Wild Juniper !!!!

:D Congratulations!!!! The rune set is all yours!

Thank you everyone who entered! Don't worry I will do other giveaways, so stay tuned!!!

Givaway! - Rune Set

Hello my pretties! In honour of the blog reaching over 1000 page views NOT including my own, I am having a giveaway!
I wanted to show my appreciation to all the visitors and followers that support the blog. It's only been up for about two months and at the time of this writing I have over 1100 page views and 27 followers. I don't know about other bloggers but to me this is awesome and I'm so happy that people are finding the blog interesting and useful. The feedback has been great and I do want to continue getting them, good or bad.

So, on to the giveaway! I do some crafts such as herb crafts, stone work, glass work and wood work and I have just made my 1st rune set and I am giving it away to one lucky blog reader :).
The rune set was cut from recycled hardwood,  shaped, sanded, carved, painted and varnished by hand. It does include the blank piece (I know some rune casters don't like using it, but I wanted to put it in there in case the winner does).

To be entered to win you have to follow the blog (you can do that by  clicking the follow button on the right hand side bar) and by commenting on this post. Then I will randomly select a name by pulling the names out of a box. The draw will happen on February 17, 2012 in honour of the ancient Greek festival of Aphrodite and Eros (The pagans' "Valentine's Day").

Here's a pic of the rune set. It will come with a pouch.

Bonne Chance!

The Quickening Moon - February 2012

Well my lovelies, the February full moon is tomorrow (Feb 7th) so that will be today's topic.

I celebrate every full moon with my coven/group and if you only do one spiritual practice a month as a pagan, recognizing the full moon is a great (and popular) one to do.

Lets start with some Correspondences for the Quickening Moon:

Other Names: Storm Moon, Ice Moon, Hunger Moon, Cleansing Moon.
Herbs: Sage, Hyssop, Myrrh, Spikenard
Colours: Blue, Purple, Violet
Flowers: Primrose
Scents: Wisteria, Heliotrope
Stones: Amethyst, Jasper, Rock Crystal
Trees: Rowan, Laurel, Cedar
Animals: Otter, Unicorn
Birds: Eagle, Chickadee
Deities: Brigid, Juno, Kwan Yin, Diana, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite
Power Flow/Themes: Purification, Courage, Loving the self, Accepting responsibility for past errors, planning for the future.

In this moon, new life is beginning yet still dormant. This is the time when pregnant animals who are due to deliver in the Spring start to feel the quickening of their unborn young. This is also the time when gardeners and farmers start planning for the planting season. 

When I look at what to focus on in my full moon rituals I narrow down themes by also looking at the astrological timing of the full moon. This full moon's astrological correspondences are:

• Tuesday - dealing with conflict, surgery, lust, physical stregth, courage, politics, quickening moon
• 2nd quarter in Leo - finding of lost objects, finding truth in all matters, seeing what cannot be seen, short tempers, bad communication esp between family members, gossip.
• Colour: Grey
• Saturn in retrograde-  It's unwise to attempt sudden changes or to rush through things. Take practical steps and accept limitations while you take serious steps toward your long term goals. Saturn retrograde can cause you to become your own hardest taskmaster, limit your actions or leave you feeling blocked and pessimistic.
• 5th House - This is the house of self-expression through creativity.

My recommendations for this Quickening Moon is to do magic relating to stopping gossip, improving communication, boosting energy and clarity, or asking for inspiration. 

If you are celebrating in a group setting or would like an interesting alternative for cakes and wine, here is a recipe for a warm mulled herb wine that is great for warming us on a cold full moon night and a very yummy easy corn fritter recipe (I love the corn fritters!)

Mulled Herb Wine (serves 4)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1/8 teaspoon rosemary leaves, crushed

• 1/4 teaspoon mint flakes, crushed

• 4-5 whole cloves

• 1 cup grape juice

• 1 cup dry cocktail sherry

• 1 stick of cinnamon

Pour the boiling water over the rosemary and mint; steep for 15 mins. Add the cloves and continue to steep the mixture for another 15mins. Strain; mix this liquid wit the grape juice and sherry in a pan. Place over low heat until hot. Strain, add the cinnamon stick and serve hot.

Corn Fritters ( makes 6) 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup self-raising flour

• 310 g can of corn kernels, drained

• 1/3 cup of grated cheese

• 2 eggs, light;y beaten

• 1 tablespoon of butter

Sift flour into a bowl. Add corn and cheese and stir until well mixed. Make a hole in the center and pour eggs into hole until just mixed. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions (1 for each fritter). Melt half the butter in a frying pan and pour in the mixtures to make the fritters. Cook fritters over medium heat for three minutes or until underside is golden, then flip. Remove from  pan and drain on paper towel. Serve warm.

I wish  everyone a pleasant and blessed full moon! Blessed be!