Beltane activities 2013

I’m loving this beautiful spring weather. Taking my dog on regular walks along the river offers ample opportunity to be around nature and enjoy the scent, sights, and sounds of Life.

The meetup group gathers at my house tomorrow (or rather tonight being its so late with typing this up), and we’re celebrating Beltane. Technically, the date is May 1st, but some members couldn’t join at that time. I’m pretty flexible, and I think its more important to accommodate a group than to recognize a specific date.

Beltane, which means Brilliant Fire, celebrates when the herds are moved to their summer pastures. It also marks the season of fertility where sex is prominent, when the god and goddess form a union to bring Life into the world.

Some prominent activities include dancing a May Pole (which represents the phallus), and jumping over or between fires to make wishes and be purified/protected.

I like this idea from cyberwitch.com;

Cakes played a major role in many Beltane customs. A popular one was called the ‘knobby cake’. A cake was baked with nine lumps or ‘knobs’ on it, each one dedicated to a Deity, or Supernatural Being, or to an animal which threatened livestock. Each participant broke off a knob and threw it over the left shoulder, into the fire, saying, for example: "This is for you, gnomes, don’t steal my milk," or "This is for you, fox, spare thou my lambs."

This is fun to do even now. Since we (most of us) don’t live in an agrarian society, we might say something like: "This is for you, (name of employer), spare me my job!" Just remember, when you re-create an old custom, it should have valid meaning today.

Other activities to consider;

Feasting- I love potlucks with friends. Its fun to be surprised with meal choices, and eating food with others provokes its own kind of magick. Mead, sparkling cider or juices, fruit, dairy foods and Irish dishes (being Beltane is an Irish holiday), and anything that makes the day special.

Crafts- Popular crafts for Beltane include May baskets, floral head wreaths, masks, build fairy houses, ribbon wands, dance ribbons, make an altar sized maypole (video), and other May activities (video.

Frolicking- This is a whimsical, magical holiday. Dance in the woods, be playful, join in games, a hike, a picnic, but most important- have fun.

What fun traditions do you enjoy at Beltane? Post in comments

Technorati Tags: beltane,activities,ritual,spells,wicca,witch,wheel of the year,pagan,beal fire,sabbat

Some recipes for pagan cookies

Ok, so maybe they’re not specifically pagan cookies, but I use them for esbat rites, and everyone really enjoyed them.

I also learned yesterday that the word ‘esbat’ comes from an Old French word, s’esbattre or ébat, meaning ‘frolic’.

Moon Cookies by Patti Wigington of About.com pagan page. I cut the recipe in half and still had cookie batter left over. They are very rich, great for adding icing, but just wonderful all by itself. We also found that adding Nutella was also very good.

Two Ingredient Vegan Banana Oat cookies- I didn’t have quick oats on hand, but I did have a few packages of Raisin and Spice oatmeal, so I used that. It was a hit.

WordPress Tags: esbat, cookiesm, cakes and ale, full moon, recipes, wicca, witch, pagan

 

Vlog on my book of shadows

I share some my tips for a Book of Shadows;

• Book of shadows are personal and should reflect your spiritual path.
• They are a journal, resource, spells, and recipe book all mixed into a single book.
• Three ring binders make the best Book of Shadows.
• Cut off the end of a envelope and use a pockets in your book. You can use index cards to include prayers, recipe cards, etc.

If folks want more videos that are more in depth about this type of thing, just leave a comment.

WordPress Tags: book of shadows, bos, spell book, vlog, pagan, wicca

Adding youtube videos…

One of the things I’ve set for myself as a goal was a 30day vlog challenge for the month of April. today’s video included some answer to five basic questions about Wicca, paganism, and witches.

Basically, I’m doing this to challenge myself, to set a goal and do it, and to see how things work out by vlogging for a month.

Want to see?

I’m still trying to get the hang of things. Doing vlogging takes more time than I anticipated, but organizing my thoughts proves even more challenging. Hopefully, I’ll get better over time.

Post in comments suggestions for questions or ideas for videos.

WordPress Tags: video, youtube, vlog, witch, pagan

Some Easter/Ostara Basket Ideas

  Someone once asked me which holiday I celebrate; Easter or Ostara? My answer? Both. Why choose? Being pagan doesn’t mean we can’t recognize, celebrate, and even respect another spiritual path, and if there’s fun activities, I’m all for it!

Here are some of my tips for Easter basket traditions;

- You don’t necessarily need a basket. I’ve used a sand bucket and even a big dump truck to put stuff in. My son loved it. Girls might appreciate something like a pretty box, purse, or even tote. Personally, I don’t discriminate gender and would’ve loved a dump truck filled with stuff.

- I prefer the paper grass rather than the plastic. I had a cat that liked to eat the stuff, so I gave up buying the plastic. Now I make my own grass out of shredded paper.  You can also buy paper Easter grass , or find even Edible Easter Grass.

- Add breakfast food. I added one of those small cereal boxes or fresh baked muffins for my son to eat for Easter breakfast. Sometimes fruit like oranges or grapes also balanced the junk food.

- Add the special candy. The thing that’s best about any holiday, in my humble opinion, is the special flavors and candy that comes out then. I love Peeps, Reese peanut butter eggs, and the Cadbury Crème eggs. You might also want to find a candy bulk section in a store to find weird flavors or unique candy. Last Christmas, I found this nut and raisin candy coated stuff that had a weird Nutmeg and Cinnamon flavor. It was awesome.

- Add toys!  My son generally got action figures, Hot Wheel cars and some sort of art or craft item. I would also add some books for him (since we read every single night). I would also get him a new stuffed toy. Remember, it doesn’t need to be rabbit-related.

- Add blessings. This could be a fun idea for kids to do the night before; have them write out all the blessings they appreciate in life, to leave for the Easter bunny, and they get the stuff in their baskets in return.

What basket ideas do you traditionally do for the holiday? Post in comments.

WordPress Tags: easter, ostara, basket, eggs, bunny, toys, holiday, wicca, witch, pagan, wheel of the year

Living with Chaos

From Chaos springs the unexpected such as laughter, humor, and even fun. Such god/desses include Bacchus, Greek god of wine (and debauchery), Baubo, the Greek goddess appears to Demeter after Persephone’s kidnapping and makes her laugh again. Chaos gods include Set (Egyptian) and Eris, Greek goddess of Chaos and Strife. I think these led to the belief that Chaos=discord. I’m convinced that somewhere along the line, I’ve received the attention of Chaos in my life.  If anything, it leaves certain uncertainty or rather a certainty that if I do things, inevitably things will go wrong.

So here are a few tips I find helps me cope when things go awry, or just won’t work out to what I want;

- Let go of expectations. This is tough, but as Charlotte Bronte once said “Life is so constructed, that the event does not, cannot, and will not, match the expectation”. This leads to disappointment. It helps to live more in the moment, and be flexible to any expectations you may hold.

I don’t bother with putting too much intention of my plans. They are simply ‘guidelines’ to my life. Things tend to go off course and I need to let go of expectations of the end product, but focus on the journey.

Intro to Buddhism. This covers some of the philosophy of ‘expectation is what leads to suffering’.

- Be flexible and able to shift. As our expectations are often changed when things go wrong, recognize that often time the change doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Sometimes, the unexpected events offer more opportunity for growth and learning, and being adaptable enables you to take advantage of every situation- not just the ones you planned.

I’m profoundly aware that my plans of homeschooling my son should be able to shift as the need arises. For instance, if I plan lessons in chemistry, and he wants to know more about astronomy, its best to shift to teaching astronomy because his brain will absorb and remember more on that topic.

- Meditation and practice mindfulness. Chaos can produce stress. Meditation offers to release and calm that stress in a healthy way. By clearing your  mind, letting go of worries and negative emotion, you give your body and mind a vacation from worry.

- Harness creativity. From Chaos springs forth creativity. Its those moments of rule breaking where I find the best inspiration for writing, art/project ideas, or touch upon that part of the brain that doesn’t like control and order.

Developing Creativity: Embrace Chaos

Sumopaint- an online free service that lets you paint, draw, and create

Jamstudio- an online free service that lets you mix beats and play with sound and rhythm.

-Play! I highly recommend play. Don’t worry if others thing you’re immature or its silly. Embrace the silly! The act of play, of provoking fun and laughter, is one of the healthy habits we need to incorporate in our lives.

Play produces natural endorphins and dopamine in the brain. Play also improve innovation, creativity, ideas, and improves thought and brain activity. Even Einstein said “Play is the highest form of research”, meaning the importance of seeing what happens, exploring, trying new things can lead to fun and education.

Science at Play- Tedtalks

National Institute of Play

What do I do to play? That’s easy- I love video games. I play Elderscrolls: Skyrim, Sims 3, Dishonored, and Halo. I also goof around with my son, often injecting play in every day life such as bubble fights while washing dishes, or zapping my family with socks along the rug.  Once I got into a pool noodle fight with my son in a local store, much to the chagrin of my husband.

But its that chaos of play that makes it so damn fun.

What do you do to deal with chaos? Do you play? Use crafts/art as an outlet? Post in comments.

WordPress Tags: chaos, playful pagan, fun, games, bad luck, wicca, pagan, discord

Pagans = environmentalists

Most pagans honor Nature in some form or another, so I think its crucial to our spirituality to also take action as a form of that honor.

Here are some suggestions/ideas:

Change.org is an online platform for petitions. Add your voice to many issues that arise, often alerts via email, or you can sign up via the site.

Votesmart.org is a wonderful site that enables visitors to look up laws that are in the law-making process, and to find out who votes on what. This empowers you to write to your representative (you can email via the site) to make your voice heard.

Politifact.com offers fact-checking on many issues.

Care.com is a huge online community that covers many activities for someone interested in the environment, social issues, and more. They have a click-to-donate page, message boards, and tons more.

Freerice.com and Freeflour.com both offer online free games for people to earn rice/flour to help feed the hungry. (I use these in my homeschooling for my son)

TheHungerSite.com offers more than just feed the hungry. Includes veterans, literacy, environment, and more.

Goodsearch.com offers a search site powered by Yahoo to help fund charities whenever you do a search online.

Greatsunflower.org is an interesting project to help study the bee population. You get free sunflower seeds and then you keep track of the number of bees that visit your garden.

Also try;

-Switch to a vegetarian or vegan meals to eat lower on the food chain. More importantly, learn how your diet impacts the environment. TryVeg.com offers some tips and recipes.

-Read up on the issues and learn about activist activities. Earthhopenetwork.net offers some neat articles.

-Recycle. We’re fortunate in our area to have curb side recycling, and the guy who led this told me it seriously impacted the landfill to add another 20+ years to it. You can recycle by giving to the recycling center, giving old stuff to shelters such as women’s shelters, animal shelters, or even churches (who help folks who lost everything).

-Volunteer. Check with local churches or shelters to help out. Work in a soup kitchen, clean out kennels in a dog shelters, or help build houses for Habitat for Humanity.

10 best environmental sites and blogs

Do you already do anything to give back the world? Post in comments, or share ideas, links, etc. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

WordPress Tags: social action, environment, volunteer, pagan, wicca, coven, recycle, nature

Cell phones in ritual

 Electronic gadgets are presently a thing so common as watches and jewelry. So when we have ritual, I feel at odds with asking anyone to give up their phones out of respect for the group. Here are my thoughts for circle etiquette;

Phones need to be off. This doesn’t mean to turn them off completely, but they must be silent, not even buzzing during ritual. This is out of respect for those who speak, invoke/evoke, or silent meditation. Once ritual begins, be polite and make sure the phone won’t make a sound while in circle.

Do not check text/messages/calls at awkward moments. My group happens to be pretty laid back and easy-going, so I don’t mind if we’re chatting if someone ones to share a photo, look up information to give me, or even turn on music they want added to the ritual. But its just polite to ask first, and to judge each situation for the group and mood.

Do not take photos, video, or recordings without permission from leaders. Many people appreciate their privacy.

As a group organizer (leader), I don’t expect members to put them away. I’m a parent, and would never think of giving my phone to someone when my son might call in case of emergency. It’s a tool, like anything else. It’s the attitude of the owner that will make the difference of whether its obnoxious or a useful tool in the magical temple.

What your thoughts? Cell phone or not? Post in comments.

WordPress Tags: cell phone ettiquete, ritual, coven, circle, pagan, wicca, witch, tools

 

Pinteresting links for pagans

I find so much in the way of links, ideas, crafts, and more visiting Pinterest.com that I often find time slipping by, and realizing I’ve spent hours on the site. But I felt you might enjoy some of the ‘finds’ I pinned on my boards;

Source: tarotreadingpsychic.com via Sharon on Pinterest

Source: carolinaconjure.com via Sharon on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: carolinaconjure.com via Sharon on Pinterest

Source: labyrinthsociety.org via Sharon on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Leslie on Pinterest

 

WordPress Tags: pinterest.com, links, craft, magic, magick, spells, wicca, witch, ritual, estbat, moon

A step off the path

Once you realize you’re pagan, you tend to feel connected to all things; this will flag now and then. Some may find a sense of being lost or disconnected with the God/dess.

Like any direction we take, taking a step off a pre-determined path, often leads us to find some unexpected wonders we wouldn’t explored otherwise.

Here are a few tips to help you along the way;

- Take some time off of being pagan. Sometimes stepping away from your tradition/faith enables us to get to know ourselves in another light. Wicca and the pagan paths will wait for you. There are no punishments for stepping back now and then, and in the meantime you can try new things.

- Explore other faiths. Sometimes another spiritual path offers insight in meaning for an aspect you didn’t understand before. Buddhism, for instance, help me put many beliefs into perspective. Even re-learning an old faith provides insight and clarity for you.

- Explore the depths of your soul. Ask yourself ‘why’ in regards to feeling disjointed. Learn to meditate, take long walks, sit in stillness, or explore methods of divination to find out how you tick. Do you feel a general disconnect, perhaps you feel depressed, or maybe you feel a bit disillusioned with the path you’re on? Explore the causes of your feelings. This can help find a way back.

- Learn to play. Sometimes, religion becomes too orthodox and we lose that sense of free-form spirituality. Incorporate more ‘fun’ in ritual and daily activities to express your religion. this could take the form of dance, crafts, games, silliness, and ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking.

I think its natural that you find yourself feeling a bit lost or disconnected. Its like the honeymoon phase of a relationship doesn’t last, but instead, offers you a new stage of Life to explore.

What are your tips for those feeling a bit off their spiritual path? Post in comments.

WordPress Tags: wicca, pagan, goddess, religion, feeling disconnected, losing religion