Yule Decorating

I have decided that this year my children shall make there own Decorations for the house and one small tree in the kitchen as the larger tree my husband says must be decorated with "normal decor"  darn non  pagans anyways.
So we have started with a craft a day for the month of December leading up to Yule.
First we made Luminaries out of cans, paint, a nail, and a hammer.
Next we made spell stars which proved much harder then the you tube video showed.
Then came popcorn garland for the tree, I was going to hang it outside but that didn't work out.
yesterday was Pomanders which are oranges and cloves rolled in cinnamon.
Today we will be making our own window frosting to decorate the windows.
Then Bird feeders from pine cones peanut butter and bird feed.
Next some bells from aluminum foil for the tree
Then Paper embroidered decor for the tree
After that we will roll some candles in gold glitter to light the night before yule
Then we will make Solstice cakes just for fun
Tue's the 11th we will make sun ornaments either from the same recipe as the stars or from salt dough
Wed. wheel of the year ornaments
Snowflakes and moon cookies on Thurs the 13th
Next will be Yule sachets
Then we will make Pine cone ornaments with pine or holly and ribbon all tied to pine cones
Sun. the 16th we will make bay ball ornaments for the tree
on the 17th we will go on a field trip to gather fun stuff for the yule log
next we will make marshmallow snow man for the tree
on the 19th we will make the yule log by putting all the decorations on it
on the 20 we will make sun cookies
the 21st is yule the winter solstice when we will burn the log eat the sun cookies and sing carols while also having a feast,
every week we will learn a new pagan friendly carol and at some point in there we will make cookies for our family and neighbors.
Hmm sounds busy when you list it like that. But is should be a memorial month for the kids.
Blessed Be Every one. 

Who is Santa Claus by lady springwolf

Who is Santa Claus:

By Lady SpringWolf

 

As we pagans already know, many of today's Christmas celebrations are rooted in pagan practices. And Santa isn't an exception.

 

The winter solstice is a time to celebrate the return of the sun following the shortest day in the year. It's no wonder the church adopted these holidays as the birth date of their Savior. But from ancient Celtic and Norse mythology we also enjoy such holiday traditions as holly and mistletoe (sacred to the druids), the yule log, and even Santa Claus in his aspects of Father Time, or Father Winter, or the Holly King as part of our Yule History. 

 

The Pagan Origins:

We have to go back a bit find the pagan legend and myth associated with Santa. One of the first places to start is with the Germanic people and the Norse God Odin. The 13th Century Poetic Edda is a complication of stories and poems from Scandinavian history, some as early 985AD. In this work and from Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda we learn about Odin riding an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, that can leap great distances. At Yule, Odin leads a great hunting party through the sky in celebration. This story gives rise to comparisons of Santa and his 8 reindeer flying through the sky. 

 

In some traditions of Odin's Yule time ride, children could place their boots near the chimney filled with treats for Sleipnir and Odin would reward them for their kindness with food, candy or gifts. The tradition still continues Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In other Germanic countries the practice has been replaced with hanging stockings. 

 

On the Celtic side, the origins of the Holly King are little dubious, but there are links to the Great Kings of Ireland and the legend of the Holly King. With going too far into the history of Ireland, Between 8000-7500 BCE the Ice bridge between Scotland and Ireland collapses. Tribes of around 50,000 to 60,000 hunter gatherers are now "trapped" in Ireland. The population dwindles to about 10,000 as animals and food run out sustaining themselves in a variety of methods, including the consumption of mildly poisonous Holly berries. Around 6500-5500 BCE the Cuilleain ("Holly" (holy) men step onto the scene. Also known as the "Shining Ones" of Wicklow Hills, these men save the dwindling population from barbarity and are the first priest kings to preach self-wisdom, organized religion for humanity and salvation. Through their efforts to save their people, some of these early Priest Kings sacrifice their lives in battle. From these early priest kings, the concept of the Holly King who saved his people from the depths of the winter ice is born. 

 

Through these early mythical legends, The Holly King begins his battle with his twin brother the Oak King at the Summer Solstice. As the year is wanning the Holly King prevails and begins preparations to save and maintain his people through the cold winter. In order to accomplish his mission, he travels the land to hunt, fish and harvest. Transporting these life saving items in a wagon or sled pulled by eight deer. These 'gifts' of life are provided to all his people, and in exchange they provide care and comfort to his team of deer.  

 

There is also suggestion that the 8 reindeer plays pagan significance. Just follow along here, it comes together in the end. Even in those ancient times the number 9 was an important spiritual number. 9 witches often made up a coven. 9 feet was the diameter of a perfect circle. And maybe that's why "the whole 9 yards"; which refers to the 9 yards of material for a Great Kilt worn by many Celtic highlanders is so important. When we think of Santa we think of Santa and his 8 tiny reindeer. And most people focus on the 8 reindeer. Well now add Santa. 9 souls traveling through the winter sky to bring presents for the rebirth of the year. It's a stretch, but there are those who believe this is where the 8 reindeer got their start.

 

The Holly King lived way up North, where he could survive in the cold during the reign of his brother in the spring and summer. The Oak King who needed the warmth to survive, lived in the warm forests in the south and falls into sleep while his brother of the cold reigns over the world during the fall and winter months. 

 

Ancient pagan deities such as Befana (a gift-giving Roman goddess); the Holly King (a Celtic Winter god); and Thor and Tomte (Norse gods who, respectively, rode across the sky in a chariots drawn by goats and gave presents to children at the end of the year) have all fed into the Santa legend. 

 

In many of these early pagan legends, presents are given to children or young families to represent abundance and fertility. After all this is the time of the rebirth of the Sun. Presents were exchanged to honor that rebirth and to give wishes or hopes to the person receiving the gift for abundance and fertility in the coming year. Now don't assume that 'fertility' means giving birth to a child. Remember these people had to live off the earth and the crops they grew. They didn't have grocery stores on the corner to trot down to and buy food for their families. So in most cases the fertility was for the coming growing season.

 

Santa didn't become a Christian figure until the 3rd century with Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra. He lived on what is now the coast of Turkey. Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD which became a festive day to honor this Bishop and his life. It's still a day recognized in many European countries as St. Nicholas Day. His parents died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. Many stories are told of his generosity, and caring. Especially his protection and care of children. Because of his life work, he became synonymous with Santa Claus. Though many of the stories retold today cannot be verified and are likely just oral stories that were created to entertain children and to further incorporate pagan legends with Christian figures.

 

It's impossible to point to the one real 'first' Santa, because Santa is a culmination of mythological legends and stories. But from many of the earliest pagan stories and legends we can find pieces of the Santa legend in our Celtic and Scandinavian  mythologies

 

The Evolution Of Santa: 

Santa gets his name from Dutch legend in the form of Sinter Klaas or "Sinterklaas". Historical documents suggest that Sinter was brought by settlers to New York in the 17th century. As early as 1773 the name appeared in the American press as "St. A Claus," but it was the popular author Washington Irving who gave Americans their first detailed information about the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas. In his History of New York, published in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, Irving described the arrival of the saint on horseback (unaccompanied by Black Peter) each Eve of Saint Nicholas.

 

This Dutch-American Saint Nick achieved his fully Americanized form in 1823 in the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas by writer Clement Clarke Moore. Moore included such details as the names of the reindeer; Santa Claus's laughs, winks, and nods; and the method by which Saint Nicholas, referred to as an elf, returns up the chimney. (Moore's phrase "lays his finger aside of his nose" was drawn directly from Irving's 1809 description.)

 

There are many Celtic scholars who point Santa's beginnings to the Celtic Holly King, who has been depicted with a Holly wreath as a crown. Or as the Druid Holly King who wore holly in his hat. In both cases, the Holly King traditionally wore green garments with red accents. What else would a "holly" king wear. 

 

His clothing seems to have changed color in the late 1800s when Santa started wearing the modern red. The Dutch "Sinterklaas" is an elderly, serious man with white hair and a long, full beard. He wears a long red cape over a traditional white bishop's alb. Some point to the influence of the Catholic church and it's attire for the different levels of the Priest Hierarchy for this color combination.

 

In the 1840s, an elf in Nordic folklore called "Tomte" or "Nisse" started to deliver the Christmas presents in Denmark. The Tomte was portrayed as a short, bearded man dressed in gray clothes and a red hat. As migrations of people traveled through Scandinavia their traditional influences also began to merge. By the end of the 19th Century, Norway and Sweden had also began integrating these images into their winter cultural celebrations. Most notably replacing the Yule Goat, who brought presents with the Dutch influenced Sinterklaas. 

 

British and Dutch versions of the gift-giver merged even more as migrations from Europe came to the Americas. "Santa Claus" by name, was first used in the American press in 1773,  but he had lost his bishop’s apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat. The influence of  Scandinavian cultures continued as "A New-year's present, to the little ones from five to twelve" is published in New York in 1821. In this little seasonal book, an annonymos poem "Old Santeclaus" is described as an old man on a reindeer sleigh, bringing presents to children. Later in 1823, The Sentinel in Troy New York prints "A Vist From St. Nicholas", better known today as "The Night Before Christmas". In this poem and story Santa is still a small old elf and the original reindeer were named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem (Dunder and Blixem came from the old Dutch words for thunder and lightning, which were later changed to the more German sounding Donner and Blitzen).

 

One of the first modern images of Santa came in 1863 by American cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly. In 1869 a color collection of Nast's pictures were published in which Santa appears in a red suit. This collection included a poem by George Webster "Santa Claus and His Works", which places Santa's home near the North Pole in the ice and snow. Images of Santa in red became more popular in the large cities of the east and midwest, but it still hadn't caught on throughout the rural countryside or even around the world. 

 

By the 1900s additional images depicting Santa in a red suit sprang up each season furthering the image around the country. 

St Nicholas Magazine 1916

Saturday Evening Post 1925

 

Regional images however still held onto old cultural traditions. This was especially true throughout Europe. It wasn't until the Coca-Cola Company commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images using Santa Claus in 1930, that his image began it's world wide view as we know it today. Even though Sundblom didn't invent the image of Santa in a red coat, their advertising strongly helped emphasize this image into rural American and around the world. Like Nast before him, Sundblom made his version a human-sized version of Santa Claus, rather than the elf of Moore's poem. [Coke Lore & Santa History].  In modern versions of the Santa Claus legend, only his toy-shop workers are elves.  

 

Similarities:

Modern Christmas traditions have a lot more in common with Pagan legends and practices than some want to admit. Just knowing there might be an association between the two can cause some fundamentalists to discard centuries of celebration for fear of aligning their beliefs with Paganism. But the fact is, through our evolution, humanity began it's walk here on Earth through honoring and worshiping nature. They had to in order to survive. At some point everything and everyone in the world was some type of Pagan practitioner. So it's reasonable to think that as humans evolved, so did their beliefs. But that doesn't mean they totally discarded all of those early perceptions. We influence each other each and every day. And certainly our past influences our views and beliefs today. 

 

We are all much more a like than we are different. And there is enough room in the world for each of us to honor the Divine force in our life, without degrading or impeding the choices of others to honor and practice in their own way too. After all, on both sides of the fence, Christian, Pagan, or Jew isn't that what this time of the year is all about? Peace and compassion?

  

Odin compared to Santa

Odin and His Mighty Horse:

Among early Germanic tribes, one of the major deities was Odin, the ruler of Asgard. A number of similarities exist between some of Odin's escapades and those of the figure who would become Santa Claus. Odin was often depicted as leading a hunting party through the skies, during which he rode his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. In the 13th-century Poetic Edda, Sleipnir is described as being able to leap great distances, which some scholars have compared to the legends of Santa's reindeer. Odin was typically portrayed as an old man with a long, white beard -- much like St. Nicholas himself.

Treats for the Tots:

During the winter, children placed their boots near the chimney, filling them with carrots or straw as a gift for Sleipnir. When Odin flew by, he rewarded the little ones by leaving gifts in their boots. In several Germanic countries, this practice survived despite the adoption of Christianity. As a result, the gift-giving became associated with St. Nicholas -- only nowadays, we hang stockings rather than leaving boots by the chimney!

Setting up a yule altar

Yule is the time of year when Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the Winter Solstice. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, this will be on around December 21, but if you're below the Equator, your Yule celebration will fall in June. This Sabbat is considered the longest night of the year, and following Yule, the sun begins its long journey back to earth. Try some or even all of these ideas -- obviously, space may be a limiting factor for some, but use what calls to you most.

Colors of the Season:

Winter is here, and even if the snow hasn't fallen yet, there's a definite chill in the air. Use cold colors to decorate your altar, such as blues and silvers and whites. Also find ways to include the reds, whites and greens of the season. Evergreen boughs never go out of style, so add some dark greens as well. Cover your altar with a cloth in a cool color, and then add candles in a variety of different wintery shades. Use candles in silvers and golds -- and sparkle is always good too!

Symbols of Winter:

Yule is a Sabbat that reflects the return of the sun, so add solar symbols to your altar. Gold discs, yellow candles, anything bright and shiny can represent the sun. Some people even get a large pillar candle, inscribe it with solar symbols, and designate it as their sun candle. You can also add evergreen boughs, sprigs of holly, pinecones, a Yule log, and even Santa Claus. Consider antlers or reindeer, along with other symbols of fertility.

Other Signs of the Season:

There's no limit to the number of things you can put on your Yule altar, as long as you've got the space. Consider some of these items as part of your Sabbat decor:

• Fruit and nuts
• Mistletoe
• Snowflakes, icicles, even a bowl of snow
• Candy canes
• Bells
• Sun Wheels

The Legend of Frau Holle

In some Scandinavian traditions, Frau Holle is known as the feminine spirit of the woods and plants, and was honored as the sacred embodiment of the earth and land itself. She is associated with many of the evergreen plants that appear during the Yule season, especially mistletoe and holly, and is sometimes seen as an aspect of Frigga, wife of Odin. In this theme, she is associated with fertility and rebirth. Typically, she is seen as a goddess of hearth and home, although in different areas she has clearly different purposes.

Interestingly, Frau Holle is mentioned in the story of Goldmary and Pitchmary, as compiled by the Grimm brothers. In this context -- that of a Germanic Cinderella-type tale -- she appears as an old woman who rewards an industrious girl with gold, and offers the girl's lazy sister an equally appropriate compensation. Legends in some parts of Germany portray her as a toothless hag who appears in the winter, much like the Cailleach of Scotland.

In the Norse Eddas, she is described as Hlodyn, and she gives gifts to women at the time of the Winter Solstice, or Jul. She is sometimes associated with winter snowfall as well -- it is said that when Frau Holle shakes out her mattresses, white feathers fall to the earth. A feast is held in her honor each winter by many people in the Germanic countries.

Peach cobbler

I love peach cobbler and it has been raining here today so  decided to make some warm gooey peach cobbler to warm up my family here is the recipe that I used:

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk

And crumb topping
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cup sugar
2Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish or large cast iron skillet and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with crumb mixture. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for40 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Loose that weight already

When you want to loose weight there really truly is only one way. Consume fewer calories then you are burning. there are so so many diets out there that promise to tell you the right stuff to eat and yes its easier if you don't eat only pizza and no veggies or water but the fact is that if you only consume 1500 calories of pizza that whole day and you burned 2200 calories you did burn off a little bit of weight. but this road is discouraging to most because it takes so very long to see any difference. If you add in a little bit more exercise you could bump up those burned calories to maybe 3000 a day keep in mind that most women burn 1500-1700 just sitting on there bums all day and for men its around 2000. so 3000 is a easily obtainable number. walk down the street to get your lunch instead of driving that burned a few more. If you really want to get those numbers correct get a exercise app like noom. it lets you break down your food to better figure out the calories and you can track your calories burned as well. having to log it is proven to help people not eat it. If you don't want to get technical about it just keep a food journal and write every EVERY thing that you eat. Make sure you drink lots of water you can't flush out and toxins or fat if there is not water to flush it.
Try to eat better you will develop a taste for veggies. eat stuff like cinnamon and cayenne there suppose to cause a thermogenic burn that heats up your body and burns more calories. I drink lots of black coffee but some say caffeine is worse for your weight loss I just know that it keeps me going and so I am burning more calories then sitting on my butt. try simple exercises at the work desk there are lots to do with your legs. that way your not just on your bum all day. every fifteen minutes get up and walk. use the stairs instead of the elevator or only use the elevator up to the floor below yours then walk. PORTION CONTROL. You do not need a pizza to yourself you only need one slice yes one slice you can also have a salad on the side with vinaigrette or salt and pepper NO RANCH. READ LABELS. Try to buy things with the least amount of ingredients and ones that you can pronounce. Adding one or more of these things into your everyday routine should help you see the scale start to go down in about a week. yea I know a whole week. Want to see it move faster? Burn those calories baby exercise every single chance you get every single day. eat carbs only in the morning and 15 min before a big exercise routine. eat protein at every meal even if it comes from beans for you vegetarians out there. don't eat less then 1200 calories in a day and don't eat more then 1500 for a women and 1900 for a man. tell your self you are skinny and get motivated. believe that the weight will come off. pray to who ever you believe in to give you the strength to resist that extra serving. FOOD IS FUEL It is not comfort, it is not luxury, it is not to taste yummy it is for your body to function properly and you should only put into it what is going to help it do that. 

Meteor shower

On the 12th of August every year there is a meteor shower. This day also happens to be my wedding anniversary. so finally this year for the first time I got to lay out in the yard with my husband and watch the night sky. Our little boy snuggled into the covers with us and watched as well. I have to say it was probably the best anniversary i have had. There has always been a reason why we have never been able to watch the sky before, full moon, cloud covered, husband had to work that night, ect ect. But i am very happy that we got to this time. we did see alot of smaller and dimmer meteors but we also got to see one very bright very large very spectacular one as well. we only laid out for about a hour but that was enough. 

Allergy's

Allergy's are here and for the first year in my life I am also a sufferer of this. So today we will be looking at Natural Allergy relief. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, and with this treatment alone many allergic responses can be quelled in the body
Quercetin, a flavonoid found in apples, inhibits the body's release of histamines, Raw crude bee pollen produced within 10 miles of your home can be found at your local health-food store and sometimes from your local beekeeper. The easiest way to take bee pollen is to add it to a cup of tea. Start with a few granules and work up to 2 tsp. daily over a period of a few weeks. You may notice an increase in energy and clearer thinking as bee pollen contains natural B vitamins.
Swallow two teaspoons of locally produced honey each morning to boost your immune system. Many of the irritants that cause seasonal allergies can be found in the honey our insect friends produce. Take your time swallowing the locally made honey. You may even feel a tingling as it runs over your tonsils, which are highly concentrated with immune-related cells. Your body is reacting to the irritants in the honey that cause your seasonal allergies.

Clear your sinus with a Neti pot. Neti pots are basically small teapots made for your nose. The process is a bit unusual, but effective. With your face parallel to the sink, slightly rotate your head to the right. Insert the spout of the Neti pot into the right nostril and breath through your mouth. Repeat on the left side. Any excess debris and irritants will be flushed out with the soothing salt water rinse. Plus you will be able to breathe deeply through your nose immediately after this home treatment.

cover all bedding and pillows with allergy preventive covers.

try a butterbur treatment

I hope that you have gotten a few ideas from these listed here. Enjoy your warm summer allergy free days. 

Beltane

Today is the first of may which is Beltane a wonderfully fun festival that is marked with bone fires, and the classic maypole. flowers are a fun part of Beltane and so is the crowning of the may day queen. there are wonderful recipes that you can stat ahead of time for a fabulous celebration and so many beautiful decoration idea's that you can keep your hand busy for weeks preparing things. this is one of my favorite celebration that is only over shadowed by Samhain. circle bone fires for luck, jumping them is traditional but not really recommended. most of all have fun and don't worry about how you celebrate this festival just do it your way!!!

Blue bunny's and chicks form eggs.

I made these cute little animals for my sons preschool class snack they are so easy and cute the kids will gobble them right up. They are also yummy and healthy plus have just the right amount of calories needed for a quick snack in the afternoon for preschoolers. 

Hard boil your eggs and get them peeled, next dye them into yellow for the chicks and your desired color for the bunny's or leave the bunny's white. See my previous post to read how to dye the actual egg with natural food derived coloring.

If you are using a egg carton to hold your eggs that is made from the recycled cardboard like I have above make sure you line it with wax paper or the wet eggs will stick to it. 

Next gather your materials for decorating the eggs. you will need: a small knife, facial features, I made mine out of toasted seaweed punched with a decorative punch easily ordered online.

Beaks For the chicks mine are made from carrots 

Feet for the ducks mine are from Bologna and cut with a decorative punch set used for decorating bento box lunches. 

 You will also want grass to hid the animals in I shredded celery for mine.

   You will also need bunny ears mine are also made from bologna cut from a lips cookie cutter then cut in half.

I used paper muffins liners to hold my animals

 Add some grass and the eggs

Next you will want to put little slits into the eggs where the bologna or other material will be inserted

Add faces made from toasted seaweed and held on by a dab of mayo or mustard and you have cute little critters for your Easter or Ostara. 

Natural Food Dye

Dying your Easter Or Ostara eggs does not have to be a chemical filled adventure. You can make very pretty food derived dyes at home that are safe to color your food with.
We are going to look at making:
Blue- from cabbage leaves
Purple- from cabbage leaves
orange- from paprika
yellow- from turmeric

The first one is Blue, to make a blue food dye chop up about a 1/4 of a large head of purple cabbage. boil it.

when the water level starts to drop you can add more or feel free to boil it down to a more concentrated blue the less water the darker the color you will get. when the leaves have started to fad all there color and you have the desired amount of water left strain into a glass or black ceramic bowl.

This blue liquid will stain most anything so wear a apron. That is all for the blue dye, add it by drop do rice or drop a boiled egg already peeled right into it to get a blue egg that is fun and safe to eat.

To make the purple dye will are going to use a glass measuring cup and scoop out some of the blue dye into a different glass bowl. then we will add one tsp. yes only 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. start stirring and watch the magic.

 you will now have a purple dye, you can add more or less vinegar to get the shade that you desire.
The purple dye is not as strong as the blue and so more will be needed to color food, or a egg will have to sit longer in it then the blue.

Next is orange, to make a orange dye we will use paprika. In a glass bowl add about two cups water and five tablespoons of paprika. put in the microwave for 5-8 minutes until it has boiled for a while and pulled some color out of the paprika. Next you will want to strain out the Paprika from the water.
you will be left with a red/orange dye. you can try less water and more paprika or boiling it longer to see if you can change the color.

Last but  not least is Yellow from Turmeric This dye will stain EVERY THING.
It is the same method as the Paprika, just add to water and boil in a glass bowl, unfortunately for me I was out of glass bowls at this point and a black one did not take good pictures so i used what was once a white plastic bowl and is now yellow. After boiling you will need to strain out the Turmeric.

The resulting yellow dye will dye fast and go a long ways

It will look orange because of the concentration but it will color things yellow.

All of these dyes can be kept in the fridge for about a week. but warm them back up before you use them because they work best that way.

To see a example of some of the colors check out my next post where I will be making cute little blue bunny's and yellow chicks out of eggs for my sons preschool class.

Ostara

Today is the spring equinox also known for witches as Ostara. Much of what people now associate with Easter originally started as reference to Ostara. The Easter bunny, Coloring eggs, baby farm animals, and even the buying of new clothes all have a place in the history of this spring celebration. Much of the original pagan traditions were carried over into the christian holidays when the roman catholic church was trying to convert Europe. Take some time to day to enjoy the warming weather, color some eggs and decorate a spring tree or use fun colored plastic eggs for the decorating, try to balance a egg on the wide end and have it stand up. Take some time to look up more information and this fun holiday and the traditions that come with it.

Dressed up for spring!

Intro

Welcome, first off I know that there is a lot of garbage out there and one thing that I do for my family is to only buy the best, I also garden organically, and I bottle much of what I grow so one of the things that I will probably refer to often is organic.  Get use to it you will be seeing a lot of it.


Next is that I am a practicing and working Witch. Yes I wrote it I AM A WITCH. It is a recognized religion so get use to it. 


I am also a stay at home mom, and in this I am very lucky that my husband and I were able to work it so that I could take care of the kids and not sacrifice anything by not going out and trying to bring in more money. I say trying because for many family's if the math was added up then one parent could actually stay home after you deducted fuel, lunches out, daycare ect. not to mention time away from your kids. But for many others it is not possible to live there current life style without both parents working. 


I am a very dedicated parent, If you are great, if you want to try harder great, if you are looking for advice great, but if you want to complain on my blogs, or don't think of your children as the most wonderful things in the world LEAVE NOW. 


Most of what I will be talking about has to do with taking care of home and family, other parts are about living the craft, take what you will and leave what you don't want, this blog is not geared towards only those who are witches, nor is it only geared towards stay at home moms. However in that area I can be a little preachy sorry in advance but that's what I am, Don't take it personally after all this is only a blog. 


I hope that you find good useful information in these posts that are yet to come and that they might be able to better your life.