Last week, seven years ago, I came to Vegas to surprise my friend Shawna for her birthday. Her husband set me up at his brothers place for the night so we could keep my arrival a surprise until the party - and that's where I met him. An incredible, beautiful soul - laid back and confident, and absolutely adoring. We hit it off immediately - like we had known each other our entire lives; and when it was time to head out for the party, I hated to leave him behind.
A month or so later, on a whim, another friend and I decided to drop everything and fly to Vegas to see John Mayer in concert. I couldn't stop thinking about him, so when Shawna mentioned that we should go out to eat at Memphis Championship BBQ (where he just so happened to be working at the time), I couldn't wait to get there!
That was that. He came out with us that night, came up to Portland to visit me a few weeks later and from then on, I was ruined on other men - he was it for me. We dated long distance for just under a year before we decided we were ready to make life together. We moved in together in February/March of 2005, and with my two children at our sides, we were married on Yule, in a private ceremony - just us and my spirit-sister as witness. Holder was born exactly 5 days later (the day after Christmas), and our lives would never be the same.
Today, we have added a Georgi, two cats and a big beast of a pooch to our family, but it's still us. Circumstances have been rough and we haven't been on a date away from the kids in well over a year, but our bond is still strong and we are making things happen. I love him more today than ever before, and I am looking forward to a lifetime of tomorrows by his side.
I can only hope that all of you are as blessed as I am to have such an incredible partner to call your Valentine, and with that said,
and to all of my readers on this special day,
Loves and Blessings,
Luhnna
Monday, February 14, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Defining My Craeft
Including my children and husband in my craeft is proving to be an incredible learning experience for me. In exploring my thoughts on Imbolc and deciding how best to include my family, I have learned a lot about myself and my own beliefs.
One reality I have faced about myself recently is that no matter how hard I try, the truth is – I am just not a very “deity-oriented” witch. My craeft is far less focused on worship and ritual than I have observed is the case for many of my pagan counterparts. My tradition seems to be more centered about Earth “honoring” as opposed to worship and more focused on communion with the Elementals rather than with specific deities. I’m not saying that I don’t include any ritualistic practice or worship in my craeft; nor am I saying that I do not believe in or worship the Lord and Lady. I am not even saying that either of these approaches are wrong, even for me – they just don’t come natural for me.
Ritual Practice
The fact is I have to work very, very hard to make a ritual happen. I am a great planner – I am just not a great doer. By the time I finally get around to it, the spirit and intention behind the works have worn away rendering them, well, not very affective. In general, my most spontaneous works tend to be my most powerful, which is why I include so little ritual in my craeft.
Worship
Similarly, I struggle with the concept of worship - probably with much thanks to my early Christian background, worship in its most obvious form, has proven very uncomfortable for me. I believe worship should be celebratory practice and come from a place of peace and love – but for me, the whole process is so uncomfortable that I can’t be at peace – and generally my mood is far from celebratory; so again, I have found ways to “worship” without traditional “worship.” I focus my energy on honoring the deities through honoring the earth and all her inhabitants with love, patience, and seva (selfless work).
Defining Deity
Finally, I have always had a hard time with attaching myself to specific ideas of deity. I don’t have an existing pantheon to which I am culturally bound or even most drawn to; and while I have always found the traditional stories about specific deities and the histories, rituals and particular strengths attributed to them, interesting –I just haven’t found one that feels relevant to my practice. I can’t help feeling that by giving the divine a specific name, I am somehow limiting my understanding of the limitless.
If you think about it, naming is a very human obsession – we name people and things to define them in terms that we can understand. Naming something defines not only what it is, but what it isn’t. When is the last time you looked at something without naming it? Can you look at a rock without knowing it as a rock and see it for the infinite possibility of what it could be? Naming it defines it and in a sense, limits its possibility. It’s the same for the divine – no name I could give the Lord or Lady could come anywhere close to defining the All and Nothing that they really are. No idea is grand enough.
Am I the only one?
I’ve done a lot of reading and listening online and it really seems that this is not an issue for most pagans out there. Most witches I know are very comfortable with ritual, worship is a part of everyday life, and nearly all seem to have a specific pantheon of Gods and Goddesses with whom they can identify themselves with. Am I the only one?
How do you all feel about ritual? Is your practice planned and routine or do you take a more spontaneous path?
Do you formally worship the Lord and Lady? If you do – how? What works for you?
And finally – what Gods and Goddesses are you drawn to? Do you include the Elementals in your craeft?
I’m really hoping to hear from you.
Blessings and Namaste,
Luhnna
Friday, January 28, 2011
It's All Starting to Feel Real!
There are exactly 23 days until the official launch of my Papercraft Blog and the official re-launch of a more structured Magick Mirror. I am getting things done - slowly but surely, and as of today I looked at my blogs and at my list of things yet "to do," and discovered to my surprise, that I'm almost there!!! My dream concept is about to become reality; and I can't wait to share!
So here's where I'm at - the Papercraft Blog is coming along. The skeletal structure is in place, I'm figuring out wordpress as I go, and I have officially begun working on content. Yay Luhnna!!!
As for Magick Mirror - I wanted to get more structured. I felt like I was in danger of spreading myself too thin and didn't want to find myself in a position of neglecting this blog to meet deadlines for other projects. So, I have a plan. I am officially committing myself to 3 posts a week - that's a lot for a busy work-at-home Mom, so after much sulking, I've decided to be good with that.
Mondays and Fridays I will post real articles on Magick Mirror - the reflective, contemplative articles you have come to love and expect from me. On Wednesdays, I've decided to mix it up a bit. I LOVE the idea of Wordless Wednesdays, so I'm going to include it here on Magick Mirror - with a twist of course. All of the imagery I include here will be related to my understanding of the craeft, and although my posts will be wordless I am hoping you all will have much to say.
Finally, you will still be able to find my bi-weekly, Wednesday, articles on The Pagan Household and I will continue to keep some time open for occasional guest posts. What do you think? Any thoughts?
Namaste and Blessed Be,
Luhnna
So here's where I'm at - the Papercraft Blog is coming along. The skeletal structure is in place, I'm figuring out wordpress as I go, and I have officially begun working on content. Yay Luhnna!!!
As for Magick Mirror - I wanted to get more structured. I felt like I was in danger of spreading myself too thin and didn't want to find myself in a position of neglecting this blog to meet deadlines for other projects. So, I have a plan. I am officially committing myself to 3 posts a week - that's a lot for a busy work-at-home Mom, so after much sulking, I've decided to be good with that.
Mondays and Fridays I will post real articles on Magick Mirror - the reflective, contemplative articles you have come to love and expect from me. On Wednesdays, I've decided to mix it up a bit. I LOVE the idea of Wordless Wednesdays, so I'm going to include it here on Magick Mirror - with a twist of course. All of the imagery I include here will be related to my understanding of the craeft, and although my posts will be wordless I am hoping you all will have much to say.
Finally, you will still be able to find my bi-weekly, Wednesday, articles on The Pagan Household and I will continue to keep some time open for occasional guest posts. What do you think? Any thoughts?
Namaste and Blessed Be,
Luhnna
Inspired by Life
I am so excited for Stacy Evans, author of Inspired by Life Blog and Hearth and Home Columnist on The Pagan Household. Her followers count hit 25 this week and today she is at 27, so she's decided to reward her followers with her very first giveaway! Yup - 4 great gifts: a pentacle tote bag, a Celtic charm key chain, a beautiful Josephine Wall journal, and a $20 e-gift certificate for Dragon Moon Gifts. I actually have the very same journal and use it as a Dream Journal. It's good size, high quality and absolutely beautiful. I love mine.
If you are not familiar with Stacy, she's a young pagan Mommy, writes for the blogs I mentioned above and even has her own etsy store - impressive for someone with such a little munchkin at home. I'm impressed with all she is taking on and I hope y'all will take a look at her sites, read her posts and be sure to enter her giveaway. You can also find her on facebook and twitter.
Personally, I find her success inspiring. I have only been online for a few months and have met so many great people. Stacy stands out as one of those great, helpful, encouraging souls - she puts herself out there and is always available for others in need. Most admirable is that she really seems to be doing what she does for herself, for her family and for others, not for money, not for acknowledgment, but because its just who she is and what she loves to do. It's good to see someone so deserving actually achieving her dreams; and I hope that I will be able to do the same with the same, selfless, loving motives.
Namaste,
Luhnna
If you are not familiar with Stacy, she's a young pagan Mommy, writes for the blogs I mentioned above and even has her own etsy store - impressive for someone with such a little munchkin at home. I'm impressed with all she is taking on and I hope y'all will take a look at her sites, read her posts and be sure to enter her giveaway. You can also find her on facebook and twitter.
Personally, I find her success inspiring. I have only been online for a few months and have met so many great people. Stacy stands out as one of those great, helpful, encouraging souls - she puts herself out there and is always available for others in need. Most admirable is that she really seems to be doing what she does for herself, for her family and for others, not for money, not for acknowledgment, but because its just who she is and what she loves to do. It's good to see someone so deserving actually achieving her dreams; and I hope that I will be able to do the same with the same, selfless, loving motives.
Namaste,
Luhnna
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I have a Button!!!
OK - so, just a little bit of randomness... I have been working on my craft blog attempting to create a button - and attempting is the key word here. Yup - if you haven't guessed it by now, you might as well know that I am seriously inept at everything internet related. Hours have been spent painfully hashing out the dos and don'ts of botton crafting. I'm not kidding - HOURS; and, I still don't have one for my craft blog! Darned wordpress. But - I am happy to report, that Magick Mirror officially has a button!!! You can find it to the right under the "About Me," section.
No loves, I am sorry, but I couldn't figure out how to get rid of the ugly white canvas background, but like I said before - completely inept at this internet stuff! I'm just thrilled I got an image this time. Hahaha.
So, tell me what you think? Any thoughts?
Loves and Namaste,
Luhnna
No loves, I am sorry, but I couldn't figure out how to get rid of the ugly white canvas background, but like I said before - completely inept at this internet stuff! I'm just thrilled I got an image this time. Hahaha.
So, tell me what you think? Any thoughts?
Loves and Namaste,
Luhnna
Sunday, January 23, 2011
I don't usually do this, and I know I've been away...
...but I'm sure many of you have read my new bi-weekly column, Green Family Magick on The Pagan Household, and my recent guest post on The Balanced Witch. I am still here, I'm just really swamped - so my posts may be few and far between for a while!
Aside from working on The Pagan Household - which by the way, if you haven't read already, you should absolutely do soon; I have been very busy preparing for the launch of my new crafts blog, Luhnna's Papercraft Corner, and Etsy Shop, Familiar Moon. I am extremely slow when it comes to technology, so you can only imagine how much "fun" I've been having - LOL. I hope to have both of these sites fully launched by February 20th. In addition to all of that, please understand, we are still knee deep in preparation for the impending move, Imbolc is right around the corner and our family is just getting over our second bout of illness since Yule. It's crazy here!!!
Still - crazy as it is, I wanted to spread the word for two up and coming pagan favorites of mine (and I'll admit, for purely selfish reasons). Author Laura DeLuca's new book Destiny is soon to be released and she has partnered with one of my favorite Etsy shops, The Whimsical Pixie for a complete Destiny Inspired Altar Set that I just LOVE. I want this for my daughter - it's exactly her style, so I have entered my way into this drawing in as many ways I can see possible. <3 It helps that I already liked her blog to begin with and The Whimsical Pixie is the reason I got started with Etsy in the first place, so I don't mind sharing with you all. If you have the opportunity, please check them both out and share with your friends. The more we support fellow pagans in their endeavors, the more we will find ourselves accepted and embraced by mainstream society. Witches of the World Unite!!! Hahahaha.
I hope to be back on here regularly, soon after Imbolc. However, realistically, I'm going to commit to being back for good once my business projects have launched - just shy of a month. I appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you regularly again. I hope you visit me on The Pagan Household in the meantime.
Loves and Blessings,
Luhnna
Aside from working on The Pagan Household - which by the way, if you haven't read already, you should absolutely do soon; I have been very busy preparing for the launch of my new crafts blog, Luhnna's Papercraft Corner, and Etsy Shop, Familiar Moon. I am extremely slow when it comes to technology, so you can only imagine how much "fun" I've been having - LOL. I hope to have both of these sites fully launched by February 20th. In addition to all of that, please understand, we are still knee deep in preparation for the impending move, Imbolc is right around the corner and our family is just getting over our second bout of illness since Yule. It's crazy here!!!
Still - crazy as it is, I wanted to spread the word for two up and coming pagan favorites of mine (and I'll admit, for purely selfish reasons). Author Laura DeLuca's new book Destiny is soon to be released and she has partnered with one of my favorite Etsy shops, The Whimsical Pixie for a complete Destiny Inspired Altar Set that I just LOVE. I want this for my daughter - it's exactly her style, so I have entered my way into this drawing in as many ways I can see possible. <3 It helps that I already liked her blog to begin with and The Whimsical Pixie is the reason I got started with Etsy in the first place, so I don't mind sharing with you all. If you have the opportunity, please check them both out and share with your friends. The more we support fellow pagans in their endeavors, the more we will find ourselves accepted and embraced by mainstream society. Witches of the World Unite!!! Hahahaha.
I hope to be back on here regularly, soon after Imbolc. However, realistically, I'm going to commit to being back for good once my business projects have launched - just shy of a month. I appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you regularly again. I hope you visit me on The Pagan Household in the meantime.
Loves and Blessings,
Luhnna
Monday, December 20, 2010
Four days later...
Well loves... here I am, four days later, and no closer to getting things done than I was a week ago! I've actually gone backwards. I am so not ready for Yule.
I told you before that my youngest, Georgi, became very ill with a severe case of croup on Wednesday. She spent all night in the ER on Thursday and we were both miserable all day Friday after having no sleep the night before. I am still trying to recover.
Her fever finally broke early Saturday morning and I was able to get some catch up work done around the house during the day, despite my exhaustion. Early this a.m. however, I woke up to her barking cough (a reminder that she still has a ways to go to be over this thing), and my son Holder crying that his tummy and his eyes hurt. Great. And yes - by early-afternoon, his mild tummy ache and burning eyes had developed into a full-fledged fever, complete with red eyes and lethargy. Thankfully, no sign of a barking cough from this one yet - but his fever has been stubborn and he has been whiny and needy all day.
To add insult to injury, Georgi has decided that she is not ready to share the spot light - so I have had TWO whiny munchkins all day, I am getting sick and absolutely nothing is getting done around my house. We have boxes everywhere (we are preparing to move in a few months), no room for the tree we were supposed to get today, no family altar, no candles, no baking done, no decorations up - we are SO far behind, and Yule's Eve is tomorrow (well - today depending on what time you are finally reading this).
I don't want to be stressed out all day tomorrow - Yule should be relaxing and enjoyable - and I don't want to be exhausted. So, I have reluctantly decided that it is time to let go. I am not going to get the articles I wanted to post up and on my blog for Yule this year - some of them will happen, but as Yule proceeds... others will have to wait until next year when we are settled into our Nashville home with less on our plates.
I am also having to let go of some of our plans - we may not get to make as many Yule crafts or Yule treats as we would like to do, we may have to scale it back to make room for more packing and purging. Our solstice ritual may have to be more of an observance due to sick family members; and this year, Yule just may have to be more for us about cleansing out the old to make room for the new to begin - just as the winter cold prepares the earth for the fertility of spring. Hmmm? I'm too tired to decide exactly how that's going to work just now.
The thing is, any of you who know me also know that I'm a bit obsessive compulsive (an understatement I'm sure). I do not let go easily. I am also a serious perfectionist which makes "scaling back" even more difficult to do. This is going to be much harder on me than it may seem like it should be. Still, I am trying to get behind this and start fresh. I will have to get some sleep and reevaluate in the a.m.. In fact, a little positive energy sent my way would be much appreciated. I can use all the support I can get; and any of you adept to healing, please send some healing energies out to my littlest ones? I really do appreciate the thoughts - thanks.
Please tell me I'm not alone... is anyone else out there having a Solstice season like mine?
Namaste,
Luhnna
I told you before that my youngest, Georgi, became very ill with a severe case of croup on Wednesday. She spent all night in the ER on Thursday and we were both miserable all day Friday after having no sleep the night before. I am still trying to recover.
Her fever finally broke early Saturday morning and I was able to get some catch up work done around the house during the day, despite my exhaustion. Early this a.m. however, I woke up to her barking cough (a reminder that she still has a ways to go to be over this thing), and my son Holder crying that his tummy and his eyes hurt. Great. And yes - by early-afternoon, his mild tummy ache and burning eyes had developed into a full-fledged fever, complete with red eyes and lethargy. Thankfully, no sign of a barking cough from this one yet - but his fever has been stubborn and he has been whiny and needy all day.
To add insult to injury, Georgi has decided that she is not ready to share the spot light - so I have had TWO whiny munchkins all day, I am getting sick and absolutely nothing is getting done around my house. We have boxes everywhere (we are preparing to move in a few months), no room for the tree we were supposed to get today, no family altar, no candles, no baking done, no decorations up - we are SO far behind, and Yule's Eve is tomorrow (well - today depending on what time you are finally reading this).
I don't want to be stressed out all day tomorrow - Yule should be relaxing and enjoyable - and I don't want to be exhausted. So, I have reluctantly decided that it is time to let go. I am not going to get the articles I wanted to post up and on my blog for Yule this year - some of them will happen, but as Yule proceeds... others will have to wait until next year when we are settled into our Nashville home with less on our plates.
I am also having to let go of some of our plans - we may not get to make as many Yule crafts or Yule treats as we would like to do, we may have to scale it back to make room for more packing and purging. Our solstice ritual may have to be more of an observance due to sick family members; and this year, Yule just may have to be more for us about cleansing out the old to make room for the new to begin - just as the winter cold prepares the earth for the fertility of spring. Hmmm? I'm too tired to decide exactly how that's going to work just now.
The thing is, any of you who know me also know that I'm a bit obsessive compulsive (an understatement I'm sure). I do not let go easily. I am also a serious perfectionist which makes "scaling back" even more difficult to do. This is going to be much harder on me than it may seem like it should be. Still, I am trying to get behind this and start fresh. I will have to get some sleep and reevaluate in the a.m.. In fact, a little positive energy sent my way would be much appreciated. I can use all the support I can get; and any of you adept to healing, please send some healing energies out to my littlest ones? I really do appreciate the thoughts - thanks.
Please tell me I'm not alone... is anyone else out there having a Solstice season like mine?
Namaste,
Luhnna
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Shoulda - Woulda - but not today...
So, I am supposed to be posting an article today on the lighting of ritual candles for the 13 days of Yule. Yesterday, I was supposed to create tutorial videos to upload for tonight's post with Yule's Eve craft recipes. Instead, about this time yesterday, my youngest decided that her job (at least for the next few days), is to remind me that I am first and foremost, a Mom.
Yup, my prissy little princess is sick - very sick. She purrs when she breathes, has a nasty bark of a cough, and a very high fever. She has been clingy, lethargic or otherwise whiny. I spent most of my day yesterday tending to her (and her messes - she has peed her pants at least 5 times since the fever came on); and I have spent the rest of my time attempting to console her jealous brother, manage the household necessities and tend to the needs of my school age monkeys. It was a very long day.
I did finally get her to sleep last night around midnight, but she woke up in a complete panic, unable to catch her breath, at about 2:30 this morning and I have been up with her since. In fact, I am writing this now with her pathetically limp little body pressed against my arm. So sad.
Anyway - I am exhausted! Hubby has finals this week - Anatomy & Physiology and Russian Sports Massage. He aced his Russian exam last night, but A & P is tonight (a cumulative exam over material covered in three consecutive terms) - so needless to say, he is extremely busy cramming for exams and unavailable to help much with a sick munchkin. Thankfully, however, he is hoping to break soon to allow me at least an hour nap to rest and reboot a little before he has to leave for class. Luckily, tonight is his last final so he'll be available all day tomorrow to help me get back on track.
I do have an outline of what I want to say prepared, so technically, I could post an article now. I could, and for another topic maybe, I would; but my method of writing is fairly organic - I like to write as it comes to me and post it right then and there. The problem with that, is that I don't like to write about spiritual matters when ill or just not in the right frame of mind. Being empathic, I am immediately aware of and affected by the energies of other writers when I read their works - when I write from such a space, I can feel the negative energy pouring into the text as I type and I am not okay with knowingly passing on that negativity to others. So - the candle lighting article and craft tutorials will have to wait (at least until after I've napped), potentially until tomorrow evening when I've had a chance to recover from all this madness. My princess does come first after all, and I have a feeling tonight may be equally as "eventful" as it was last night.
Wish me luck? And thanks again for reading - I hope to see you back here tomorrow...
Namaste,
Luhnna
Yup, my prissy little princess is sick - very sick. She purrs when she breathes, has a nasty bark of a cough, and a very high fever. She has been clingy, lethargic or otherwise whiny. I spent most of my day yesterday tending to her (and her messes - she has peed her pants at least 5 times since the fever came on); and I have spent the rest of my time attempting to console her jealous brother, manage the household necessities and tend to the needs of my school age monkeys. It was a very long day.
I did finally get her to sleep last night around midnight, but she woke up in a complete panic, unable to catch her breath, at about 2:30 this morning and I have been up with her since. In fact, I am writing this now with her pathetically limp little body pressed against my arm. So sad.
Anyway - I am exhausted! Hubby has finals this week - Anatomy & Physiology and Russian Sports Massage. He aced his Russian exam last night, but A & P is tonight (a cumulative exam over material covered in three consecutive terms) - so needless to say, he is extremely busy cramming for exams and unavailable to help much with a sick munchkin. Thankfully, however, he is hoping to break soon to allow me at least an hour nap to rest and reboot a little before he has to leave for class. Luckily, tonight is his last final so he'll be available all day tomorrow to help me get back on track.
I do have an outline of what I want to say prepared, so technically, I could post an article now. I could, and for another topic maybe, I would; but my method of writing is fairly organic - I like to write as it comes to me and post it right then and there. The problem with that, is that I don't like to write about spiritual matters when ill or just not in the right frame of mind. Being empathic, I am immediately aware of and affected by the energies of other writers when I read their works - when I write from such a space, I can feel the negative energy pouring into the text as I type and I am not okay with knowingly passing on that negativity to others. So - the candle lighting article and craft tutorials will have to wait (at least until after I've napped), potentially until tomorrow evening when I've had a chance to recover from all this madness. My princess does come first after all, and I have a feeling tonight may be equally as "eventful" as it was last night.
Wish me luck? And thanks again for reading - I hope to see you back here tomorrow...
Namaste,
Luhnna
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Green Family Yuletide Traditions - Pt. 3: Yule's Eve
Today I want to talk about Yule’s Eve – after all, Yule’s Eve is when the real fun of the season begins. I have personally celebrated Yule, privately, for the past 7 years, and during that time, we have incorporated some Yule traditions in with our family Christmases – but as I have mentioned before, this year will be our family’s first official Yule, and we are all REALLY excited! Here’s the plan:
Kicking it all off – The Gifts :
In honor of Yule’s Eve, I think it is most appropriate that the first gift of the season be spiritual in nature and come from someone who is themselves Pagan. It is the gift that will set the tone for not only the evening to come, but also for the 12 days to follow. As I am the only true pagan in my children’s lives, this year, I will be doing the gifting.
At the request of my littlest elves, we will kick of our 13 days of Yule with a gift exchange set to Alvin and the Chipmunks holiday music (my littlest ones are 4 after all). We will each open one gift and make a handmade thank you note for the gifter (in this case, me), who will promptly place each of the thank you notes in a special scrapbook set-up just for the occasion.
Since Yule is a time for reflection, I have decided that this Yule’s Eve, each of my older children and my husband will receive a handmade mirror book to journal about their upcoming year with the Craeft. It will also be easily arted to suit their individual needs (a project we intend to take on during our 13 days of Yule or on Twelfth Night after our Naming Ceremony).
For my young ones who do not yet write, I have decided to gift a sketch book style mirror book instead of a traditional journal. The idea is, that after each ritual, celebration or observance, they can draw a picture of what they liked or disliked the most. When the drawing is finished, they may dictate to me their story and I will write it on the page that follows. Since journaling is such a big part of most witches’ lives, I thought – why not start early.
If the mirror books go over as well as I think they will, I am hoping to repeat the tradition year-after-year.
About the Thank You’s:
The concept of HANDMADE thank you cards is one of the main reasons we decided to go with the 13 day gift exchange, so I will undoubtedly discuss this one again with you later; but as this particular tradition is so important to our Solstice season, I have decided to discuss it here as well.
I am trying to instill in my little witchlings that Yule is not about the gifts we are receiving, but about our families and friends reaching out to one another. It is about taking time to acknowledge our love and appreciation for those we share our lives with, and this is why we MAKE our thank you cards as opposed to filling in pre-purchased ones.
Making a thank you card takes time and requires us to tap into our creative energy. It is a way to really acknowledge the gift we have in our relationship with the gifter, as we have to really tap in to our understanding of who the gifter is and how we relate to them in order to produce a truly sincere card. Writing a few words on a store bought card (especially for young children), just doesn’t have the same impact.
I am considering posting a short series of tutorials for making handmade Holiday Cards and Thank You notes over the next few weeks, complete with pictures and possibly video (assuming I can figure out how to post video - lol), if people are interested. So please comment if this is something you would like to have me to do and I will make it a priority.
In the Circle:
OK, so not only will this be our family’s first official Yule celebration, this year will also mark our first family Sabbat ritual, in the circle, at the altar, on Yule – and even better, it will be my children's first Full Moon! During the ritual, we will share our version of the traditional Yule Story and discuss as a family what to expect over the next 12 days. We will light the first of our 13 solstice candles to symbolize the growing light with the return of the sun; and we will light 3 oil lamps to set outside our door where they will burn through the night and welcome the God home.
I am not going to go into the details of our intended ritual here as I just don’t think it is appropriate to do so… However, if you would like to see a general outline of how we plan to proceed, please let me know – I would be more than happy to share. (I will be posting an article specifically detailing our Candle Lighting ritual in the next 48 hours).
Grounding Out with Cakes and Ales
We will close our circle after homemade Crescent Cakes (my special recipe) and a special holiday drink that I have not yet decided on. I am entertaining the idea of homemade Apple Cider, Rich Hot Chocolate – possibly with Espresso, or even Soft Mead (courtesy of pagandad.com). If you have any suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them. We will be sampling recipes over the next few days, so look for our family favorites in my Holiday Recipes article later this week.
A Few Private Moments of Reflection:
Once the children and my husband have left the circle, I will take a few moments in private meditation before then turning the first card of my Sacred Days of Yule Tarot Spread (courtesy of a post by June Kaminsky on BellaOnline.com – http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art26918.asp) onto the Wheel of the Year, located at my private altar. I considered a family reading, but decided that, at least this year – I would like this to be for myself. My own time, if you will, divining with the Universal Current.
This will be my first time using this particular spread, if you have used it or decide to try it this year as will be doing – please share your feedback. I am excited to hear your thoughts.
The Celebration
Finally, we will stay up all night long, listening to holiday music and making homemade ornaments, pine cone fairies, and popcorn-cranberry garland to decorate our tree, while excitedly awaiting the rising sun. Thursday I will post recipes for each of these projects, and if at all possible I will try to include pictures and video. <3
When the sun arrives, we will all take a few moments outside to bask in its life-giving rays, feel the vitamin D as it soaks into our skin and radiates throughout our bodies, and meditate on the year to come.
I will be posting several articles relating to this series over the next few weeks, so please feel free to follow my blog if you don’t want to miss anything. Also, if you are interested in a brief overview of our 13 Days of Yule tradition – please be sure to check out my guest post on PaganDad.com: http://www.pagandad.com/2010/12/thirteen-days-of-yule.html.
Thank you so much for reading - and I hope you will come back tomorrow. As usual, I am just dying for your feedback and I look forward to hearing from you.
Namaste and Blessed Be,
Luhnna
Kicking it all off – The Gifts :
In honor of Yule’s Eve, I think it is most appropriate that the first gift of the season be spiritual in nature and come from someone who is themselves Pagan. It is the gift that will set the tone for not only the evening to come, but also for the 12 days to follow. As I am the only true pagan in my children’s lives, this year, I will be doing the gifting.
At the request of my littlest elves, we will kick of our 13 days of Yule with a gift exchange set to Alvin and the Chipmunks holiday music (my littlest ones are 4 after all). We will each open one gift and make a handmade thank you note for the gifter (in this case, me), who will promptly place each of the thank you notes in a special scrapbook set-up just for the occasion.
Since Yule is a time for reflection, I have decided that this Yule’s Eve, each of my older children and my husband will receive a handmade mirror book to journal about their upcoming year with the Craeft. It will also be easily arted to suit their individual needs (a project we intend to take on during our 13 days of Yule or on Twelfth Night after our Naming Ceremony).
For my young ones who do not yet write, I have decided to gift a sketch book style mirror book instead of a traditional journal. The idea is, that after each ritual, celebration or observance, they can draw a picture of what they liked or disliked the most. When the drawing is finished, they may dictate to me their story and I will write it on the page that follows. Since journaling is such a big part of most witches’ lives, I thought – why not start early.
If the mirror books go over as well as I think they will, I am hoping to repeat the tradition year-after-year.
About the Thank You’s:
The concept of HANDMADE thank you cards is one of the main reasons we decided to go with the 13 day gift exchange, so I will undoubtedly discuss this one again with you later; but as this particular tradition is so important to our Solstice season, I have decided to discuss it here as well.
I am trying to instill in my little witchlings that Yule is not about the gifts we are receiving, but about our families and friends reaching out to one another. It is about taking time to acknowledge our love and appreciation for those we share our lives with, and this is why we MAKE our thank you cards as opposed to filling in pre-purchased ones.
Making a thank you card takes time and requires us to tap into our creative energy. It is a way to really acknowledge the gift we have in our relationship with the gifter, as we have to really tap in to our understanding of who the gifter is and how we relate to them in order to produce a truly sincere card. Writing a few words on a store bought card (especially for young children), just doesn’t have the same impact.
I am considering posting a short series of tutorials for making handmade Holiday Cards and Thank You notes over the next few weeks, complete with pictures and possibly video (assuming I can figure out how to post video - lol), if people are interested. So please comment if this is something you would like to have me to do and I will make it a priority.
In the Circle:
OK, so not only will this be our family’s first official Yule celebration, this year will also mark our first family Sabbat ritual, in the circle, at the altar, on Yule – and even better, it will be my children's first Full Moon! During the ritual, we will share our version of the traditional Yule Story and discuss as a family what to expect over the next 12 days. We will light the first of our 13 solstice candles to symbolize the growing light with the return of the sun; and we will light 3 oil lamps to set outside our door where they will burn through the night and welcome the God home.
I am not going to go into the details of our intended ritual here as I just don’t think it is appropriate to do so… However, if you would like to see a general outline of how we plan to proceed, please let me know – I would be more than happy to share. (I will be posting an article specifically detailing our Candle Lighting ritual in the next 48 hours).
Grounding Out with Cakes and Ales
We will close our circle after homemade Crescent Cakes (my special recipe) and a special holiday drink that I have not yet decided on. I am entertaining the idea of homemade Apple Cider, Rich Hot Chocolate – possibly with Espresso, or even Soft Mead (courtesy of pagandad.com). If you have any suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them. We will be sampling recipes over the next few days, so look for our family favorites in my Holiday Recipes article later this week.
A Few Private Moments of Reflection:
Once the children and my husband have left the circle, I will take a few moments in private meditation before then turning the first card of my Sacred Days of Yule Tarot Spread (courtesy of a post by June Kaminsky on BellaOnline.com – http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art26918.asp) onto the Wheel of the Year, located at my private altar. I considered a family reading, but decided that, at least this year – I would like this to be for myself. My own time, if you will, divining with the Universal Current.
This will be my first time using this particular spread, if you have used it or decide to try it this year as will be doing – please share your feedback. I am excited to hear your thoughts.
The Celebration
Finally, we will stay up all night long, listening to holiday music and making homemade ornaments, pine cone fairies, and popcorn-cranberry garland to decorate our tree, while excitedly awaiting the rising sun. Thursday I will post recipes for each of these projects, and if at all possible I will try to include pictures and video. <3
When the sun arrives, we will all take a few moments outside to bask in its life-giving rays, feel the vitamin D as it soaks into our skin and radiates throughout our bodies, and meditate on the year to come.
* * *
I will be posting several articles relating to this series over the next few weeks, so please feel free to follow my blog if you don’t want to miss anything. Also, if you are interested in a brief overview of our 13 Days of Yule tradition – please be sure to check out my guest post on PaganDad.com: http://www.pagandad.com/2010/12/thirteen-days-of-yule.html.
Thank you so much for reading - and I hope you will come back tomorrow. As usual, I am just dying for your feedback and I look forward to hearing from you.
Namaste and Blessed Be,
Luhnna
Apologies
OK, so I’m a bit behind on that family altar article – please forgive me, that is because I am a bit behind in life! I have not yet begun setting up our family altar. I think I mentioned before that we are moving - our home is in a state of utter chaos. It is coming along though and I hope to have it up for you soon. Thank you for your patience. I will be posting a blog about Yule’s Eve today – very shortly.
Namaste,
Luhnna
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Green Family Yuletide Traditions - Pt. 2: Setting Up Shop & Hunting the Tree
In the weeks before Yule my family is busy preparing for the holidays. I’ve never been into the crowds and mass hysteria of Black Friday, so I skip it. Yes, I know the deals are great, but I am empathic and to me it is just not worth the stress – I don’t care how good the deals are. Instead, we kick off the season by making a day out of hunting down our Solstice Tree.
Before we moved to Las Vegas we went to a You-Cut Christmas Tree farm in the country just a few miles out of town. We would pick out our tree, ask it if it would like to come home with us, then cut it down and load it onto the car. We would spend a few hours in the lodge, drinking hot cocoa, marveling over the beautiful handmade ornaments and decorations in the Holiday shop and watching the kids play games and talk to Santa in his workshop.
Vegas has not been as family friendly in that respect, and we have learned the hard way that no tree brought into the home in November will last until Solstice, let alone New Years – so we have taken to putting off getting our tree until the weekend before Yule. We have also had to get ourselves OK with buying from a lot of precut trees on the side of the highway (can’t you just see the pouty face I have going on right now?). Yep, it has been a culture shock to say the least, but we are managing. Next year we will be in Nashville (where we hope to stay for a while) and we do intend to resume our tradition of tree hunting on black Friday. If all goes well, we are also hoping to find a good reindeer farm or holiday village to visit nearby.
Anyway – when we finally get home from our busy tree hunting adventure, we bust out the tree stand, set up the tree, and string the lights. If it’s not too late, we say a blessing as I put our 5-pointed star on the top and my husband hits the lights. This year we will also prepare and bless the tree with a protection charm meant to sustain its life until the end of our Yuletide celebrations. Look forward to a “how-to” article on tree protection charms sometime next week, as well as pictures of our Solstice Tree once we finally bring one home.
Other things we will be focusing on during the weeks before Yule are:
· Decorating the house on the inside – including the family altar and a memorial shrine.
· Stringing lights on the outside of the house and hanging edible decorations on the trees in our yard (an offering to local wildlife and to the fairies whom we wish to have bless our home).
· Making homemade holiday cards for our family and friends.
· Completing all holiday gift shopping – including preparing those for loved ones who we won’t be seeing this holiday season; and
· Writing letters to or visiting Santa.
Usually this time of year we would engage the use of an advent calendar to count down the days until Yule begins, but this year, we are getting ready to move and I have not been able to find the advent calendar I have packed away in the garage. Next year, I will be making one inspired by something I saw in a Pottery Barn catalog a few years ago. I like the idea of utilizing gifts of nature, like stones and pinecones, rather than candy and toys – although I’ll admit, I will always throw in a few pieces of gourmet dark chocolate as a special surprise, and at least one fairy wishing coin (these are a hit with my daughters). This year, everything is a little rushed and chaotic, so we are making the best of what we have available on our limited resources (time and money). Next year I will post photos and how-to information for the handcrafted Advent Calendar we will be using, a few months before Yule – that way if you want to make one yourself, you will have plenty of time to do so.
I hope you will check back in a few days for an article on setting up the family altar. As I mentioned before, this year will be our families first, so it should make for an exciting adventure – and if for nothing else, it should make for a good laugh (I’ll try to include pictures). In the meantime, you can find me on facebook or follow me on twitter.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Blessed Be - Luhnna
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Green Family Yuletide Traditions - Part 1
This year will be our first official family Yule celebration. In the years since I discovered the Craeft, we have integrated Yule stories and traditions into our family Christmas, while I have taken to specifically honoring the winter solstice on my own. This year however, we are making a complete family conversion. Instead of integrating Yule into our Christmas chaos, we will be integrating a few Christmas favorites into our 13 Days of Yuletide Celebration.
Yup – that’s right, 13 days. Well, 13 days this year, next year it will technically be 12 as Yule will fall on the 22nd. Realistically though, our Yule celebration (like most people’s Christmas celebrations), involves a fair amount of preparation and we start the day after Thanksgiving – so really it’s more like 36 days of Yule. But who’s counting, right?
I know what you’re thinking, but don’t count it out yet. It’s not nearly as overwhelming as it might sound and should you wish to join me, I’m here to walk you through it. Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting a series of articles explaining our Yuletide traditions, stories, recipes and crafts, including detailed information about our 13 Days of Yule. Look for the first of these articles TONIGHT! OK – maybe not tonight, maybe really early tomorrow morning.
Blessed Be - Luhnna
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