Witches For a New Year

"Come here, my bird! I will give you the dangerous black night to stretch your wings in, and poisonous berries to feed on, and a nest made of bones and thorns, perched high up in danger where no one can climb to it." 

That's why we become witches: to show our scorn of pretending life's a safe business, to satisfy our passion for adventure. It's not malice, or wickedness - well perhaps it is wickedness, for most women love that - but certainly not malice, not wanting to plague cattle and make horrid children spout up pins and - what is it? - "blight the genial bed." Of course, given the power, one may go in for that sort of thing, either in self-defence, or just out of playfulness. But it's a poor twopenny housewifely kind of witchcraft, black magic is, and white magic is no better. One doesn't become a witch to run round being harmful, or to run round being helpful either, a district visitor on a broomstick. It's to escape all that - to have a life of one's own, not an existence doled out to you by others...  

Excerpt from Lolly Willowes, by Syliva Townsend Warner

I think a great deal about my existence at the end of each calendar year. Whether my presence has helped or hindered others. How I might have added to the joy of the world, or where I might have washed entire universes away with my tears. I used to be very hard on myself. As the last days of December slipped away I would replay a list of my faults and failures. All the things I could have done better. The ways I should have been wealthier, healthier, wiser, or more loving. Though the unkind voice might still slither in at times, I'm done with tearing myself apart. It serves no good purpose. I'd rather take a look at what I've done well, and how I might slip into the current of those successes and swim toward the things that bring me more satisfaction and a sweeter life.

There were times this year, in moments of pain or fear, I spoke curses and blights that made me ashamed and I did my best to take them back as soon as possible. Curses can be useful but carry a weight with them that can bear down even the lightest spirit if used haphazardly, and I've learned that my own agony is not lessened by inviting pain on others.

I've come to a uneasy truce with a brain that is changing as it ages. No more multitasking, or trying to balance several spinning dishes in the air at once. I work better these days when I focus on one task at a time. I have discovered that jumping and wiggling makes my body really happy. Not running, or swimming, or biking. Jumping. I have learned that there is, sadly, such a thing as too much coffee. I know now that sunrises and sunsets - as many as I can glimpse - are an absolute necessity and not something I'm willing to go too long without seeing. We get too used to living indoors, I think. The woods miss us.

I have discovered that I'm not willing to be still. To be obedient or nice. I have very little interest in what others want for me or from me (though for those I love, there is little I wouldn't do). There are places I want to go, places I've waited to see, and I'm not content to wait for the right time to go, or the right person to go with me anymore. I've had my heart torn apart a hundred times and it always grows back in some funny sort of way, so there no longer seems to be much to lose. I am planning adventures that I will actually take this coming year, one way or another.

Life is not a safe business. And it's not long lasting. Even my beloved grandfather would have happily kicked around many years more than the 99.9 he was allotted if he'd had the lungs to let him keep going. I imagine my year ahead and it is all about how I will create a life of my own - one I can be proud of, blush at, and cackle loudly while recalling my journeys. I will satisfy my passions and my thirst for adventure. I will make magic and grow wicked things and revel in the roses as well as their thorns.

I'm wishing you a fierce 2019. Wild in all the ways you want it to be. Kind and soft as you like. Brilliant, love-filled, and so full of laughter that you have sore cheeks most days. May it be magic.

Happy New Year

photos courtesy of unsplash.com

The Great October Book Giveaway - Haunting Herbals

**The following folks are taking home books:

Melody - Alchemy of Herbs
Jessica - The Witching Herbs
Aidan - Under the Witching Tree


The time has come again, good friends, to gather up your cup of cocoa (spiked or not, 'tis your choice) and join me by the fire for some autumn cheer. Seven years ago this month, I passed along two books to kind folks who had been stopping by this blog to read my words and now, after eight years of blogging, I am sitting here staring at a glorious stack of tomes and other treats to hand out as October blossoms and then deepens into the ambrosial (and devilish) days we love so well.

This yearly event is my way of offering to those who have come by my blog, a warm hug (or a remarkably good cup of coffee if you aren't a hug-person) and a thank you for keeping me company on this delightfully strange blogging adventure. Whether we bump into each other here, somewhere on social media, or out in the physical world, I think the world is infinitely cooler with you in it, and my little corner of it wouldn't be the same without you.

Shall we get up to some mischief now?

The first grouping of books tells of my mad love for plants. Being a gardener, a witch, a backyard herbalist, and a wild-woods-wandering soul, I can't get enough of beautiful herbals and informative field guides. These three books will give you information on growing and working with magical plants, employing herbs for health and well-being, and delving into the enchanting world of trees and their deep magic.

Rosalee De La Forêt, a wonderful herbalist and a prolific writer on the Herb Mentor site, has put together a gorgeously curated tome of useful and accessible herbs and spices that would be a beautiful addition to every kitchen or apothecary. Chock full of recipes, information on medicinal properties and the energetics of herbs, not to mention some outstanding photography, Alchemy of Herbs has been been a close companion for me this year and a book I highly recommend.

Harold Roth, gardener, artist, and magician behind the venerable Alchemy Works, has put together a devil's dozen of charmed plants that he feels are indispensable to the witch. (I'm rather partial to the chapters on rue and hyssop, myself.) His book, "The Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden," offers growing tips, recipes, the history and folklore surrounding each plant, and how you might want to employ the plants magically. A truly fascinating look at an armful of charming plants, which would be just as at home on your garden bench as your magical bookshelf. I love Harold's take on these plants and know you'll enjoy this book immensely.

To round out this bewitching trio, I have a copy of Corinne Boyer's "Under the Witching Tree" to pass along to a very fortunate person. Corinne is a folk herbalist, wild-crafter, teacher, writer, researcher, and medicine maker, whose life of working with plants has offered her a unique voice in the realm of herb-lore and historical research. This wonderful book speaks to the traditionally used medicinal applications of trees, as well as the magical benefits they offer. A captivating read for any time of year, but even more so as the trees around us blush with autumn delight.

I have one copy of each of these three books to give out. *Edited to add* You are free to let me know which book tickles your fancy. I can't guarantee you'll get your wish, but I try to match book with folks as much as possible. This first giveaway will be drawn on October 6th, no later than 8 pm Pacific

The important-but-tedious bits:

We are running simple game again this year - your comment counts as your entry. However, if you feel moved to share this around  (either a particular giveaway or if you just send folks my way) you can leave another comment letting me know you shared some October love, and I'll toss your name in the hat a second time.

On the evening of the draw, the winners will be notified via email and their names placed at the top of this post and the next handful of goodies will go up for grabs. Please, please, leave an email for me in your comment if your name does not directly link to you/your website. I can't tell you how many names I've drawn only to find that I couldn't contact the winners. I simply draw again, but it is rather heartbreaking to see the first name get tossed.

There are occasionally some goblins that stop by in October, just for kicks. I am taking down the comment moderation security and we will hope that we skate under the spam radar again this year. Also, Blogger doesn't always play nice with every app, so there are times when you may have to come to the giveaway page directly (not via the FB app, for example) and leave a comment that way.

As always, if your privacy is of concern (it's totally cool if you don't want to admit in public that you enjoy the same reads as I do) or if you simply cannot get your comment in on the current giveaway post for some reason, you can send an entry in using the "Make Contact" button on the top of the blog.

All mail will go out within three business days of receiving the winner's address and will be sent via the most reasonable shipping rate. Please note that your parcel could take anywhere from 5 business days to reach you (in most of North America) to five weeks (if you are in the EU).

Legal Bits:

* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America,  who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law.  Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.

*  Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada).  The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself.  I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone.  This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone other than Rue and Hyssop

New Green Hope

I have just returned from a walk by the river - something I haven't done in months. The flattening of the wild flora on the path and the laying of a good half-foot of rock to "improve" the road made for a depressing scene, so I left that place I love for a time.  Over the winter, the snow and ice seems to have settled the earth again, and in most places an easy walk is possible. There are even areas where grass is working valiantly to come up through the rock.

I shall shake every seed-pod I find. There will be wild things again.

I spotted the gloriously prickled pods of burdock - one of the few plants that survived the earth-movers last Fall.  Along the outermost edge of the riverbank some staghorn sumac, a few mullein stalks, and a handful of wild rose canes have lingered on, along with a sampling of other assorted plants clinging between rocks and water. These will spread this year, populating whatever spot they can, and I am already looking forward to the summer months when the barren path will have life on it again.

Where the road meets the hillside, the red willow is the showiest plant to grace the trail. Until it is covered with leaves, the red bark stands out as an emblem of February cheer.  It is ripe for cutting now - almost a bit too ripe, as the weather has perked up and with the warming, the buds are growing rapidly.  I snipped a few stems and will find some time today to carefully skin the two layers of bark off in little spiral strips to dry for a local incense mix.

At home in the garden there are little signs of life.  The chives have popped up, lime green shoots cheerfully working their way through the soil.  I planted cold weather lettuces and green onions* yesterday. It is the earliest I have ever put seeds in the earth, but with the warm weather we are having and the raised beds I garden in, these cold-loving crops will be just fine.

The rest of the yard is still a deep Winter brown. There are perennials to trim, raspberry canes to cut back and train, new flags to raise, and so much planning. But the seaons is very early yet. Imbolc marked a turning point toward warmth for us here in the West, but I'm afraid the groundhog was not so kind to those East of the Rockies.

Be warm and safe. Be well and of good cheer. Winter can not hold out forever. Sending you sunshine to warm your coldest days, and plenty of new, green hope.

Assorted ways to get a little celebratory in February:

~ Starting today, V-day chocolate is half-off!

~ Some seasonal advice from Farmer's Almanac.

~ If you are down South, Mardi Gras is about to kick off! Here's is what is happening in NOLA.

~ If you aren't going to make it to Mardi Gras, you can still have pancakes!

~ And if pancakes are not your style, a King Cake is on the menu too.
~ Chinese New Year begins February 19th - the year of the Sheep/Goat!

* I planted green onion seeds, not onion sets. Seeds will survive the few frosts we have left to come - onion sets would be too far along to survive several frosts and would likely rot in the earth. If you would rather plant onion sets - wait until most of the frost danger has passed.

I Love Your Spark

2014 was...interesting.  There were some stellar moments, and some uncomfortable lessons. There was adventure, and wildness and love, and some rather spectacular crashing.  I feel as though I have walked the Major Arcana from Fool to the Tower to Judgement, and today the World card turned over, and the cycle is both complete, and beginning again at midnight.

Today the sun shone brightly on the snow-covered hills, the cattle in the meadows of the next valley were breathing out dancing mist-creatures into the air as I drove by, and the moon has shown herself handsomely and so very near in the cold sky.  Today was rather stunning.  It was a good way to end this year - with the heart-aching beauty of the Valley I love so much.

It is also a good time to say Thank you.

I didn't speak much about the icky bits this year.  I was on my own alchemical journey, churning things up and out, and refining, refining (hello Temperance).  I suppose I didn't share because I thought it was meant to be a lone journey (and there's the Hermit), but these things never are. Because each time you visited Rue and Hyssop, and commented on a post, or read something here via a social media link, or chatted with me on Facebook or Twitter, or bumped into me somewhere out there in the 'verse, you left a little spark for me.

And the sparks - they added up.  And on my darkest days this year, there were sparks like fireflies that lit up my small world. I showed up here six years ago hoping for a little connection, but what I received was so much more.

Thank you, to those who have been stopping by for years, and to those who I've just met. Thank you to the ones who inspire, and the ones who encourage. Thank you to those who do the work, and remind me that the work is where I find the best parts of myself.  Thank you to the ones that bring the magic, and those that share the love, and all of you who leave your little sparks.  You have made my 2014 brighter.

I'm wishing you fireworks, and every beautiful thing that makes your soul sing. For every momentary thought, every good wish, every spark you've gifted me, may it come back to you one hundred times more.

Aside from you, these are a few things that made my heart sing in 2014:

Leaving November Where It Lies

How swiftly November came upon us, and not even a proper courting before the land froze solid, thawed, and then chilled again.  I was walking in the tamarack a brief month ago, and now I can't even drive up the hill without encountering a few feet of snow.  Autumn seemed so rushed to leave - such a fleeting lover.  My lips were barely kissed with warm rain before the winds came and tore every leaf from its job, waving at passers by.  So short-lived were the oranges and the flaming reds. The Summer held on so long this year, that Fall only had time to give a sly wink and then moved on.

I've taken much of November as catch-up.  I work two jobs in October every year, and with putting the gardens to bed, running wild with the book giveaways all month long, and of course the usual cat, niece, and parent herding, I was a bit ragged by Halloween.

Like a good granddaughter does, I visited my grandparents' graves on All Souls Day, and washed the stones and left flowers and a treat for my grandfather. He usually gets my homemade cookies, but this year I found some Eccles cakes in a shop and knew that it was the perfect offering.  His mother used to make them, and we all keep the recipe sacred in our family.  I'll make some at Christmas and be sure to take him another treat.

I had a lovely chat with my friend's 92 year old mother about her celebrations of All Souls in Bangladesh.  When they lived in the area, there had been a large Catholic contingent, and the celebration on that day stretched through the town.  People would come singing out of the little hill settlements, and down along the roadways, and everyone would meet at the cemetery to clean the graves and lay flowers and candles.  Afterward there were prayers at the Catholic church and feasts later at homes that hosted hundreds of people passing through.  My friend's birthday is on November 2nd and she says that those birthdays growing up in Bangladesh were the happiest of her life.  She felt honoured to have a birthday on All Souls Day.

The souls themselves have lingered as Autumn moved on. The 'thin-time' seems to be always, but it is perhaps a more pronounced feeling as Winter approaches.  The sounds of the vitality of Summer and the buzzing of the earth have been quieted in sleep.  This slipping in to hibernation tends to offer up the space for the softer voices to be heard, leaving no buffer against the silence, save the growing bustle of the holiday season.  And what else are the holidays for, really, but keeping the fires lit and the spirits lifted to weather the long, cold months ahead.  Even as we celebrate we keep an eye to door, lest the wolf, Krampas, or Marley's ghost find their way in.

"There is an old tale that Herne the Hunter,

Sometimes a keeper in Windsor Forest,

Doth all the wintertime, at still midnight,

Walk around about an oak with great ragged horns;

And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle,

And makes milch-kine* yield blood, and shakes a chain

In a most hideous and dreadful manner:"

* milk cows

The winds are battering The Valley this week.  The ice has come early, and settled in.  The Wild Hunt is riding and the Old Woman of Winter is sending the deer into the lowlands looking for food. The meagre offerings left in my front flower garden will not sustain them for long, but they are wise and know of the silly woman who talks to deer and leaves seeds and nuts out for birds, and extra helpings hidden under the trees just for them.

And so, as Autumn gives up its last breath and is defeated before the rash advance of ice and snow, I will leave November where it lies, with a quick kiss on its hastily turned cheek.  It gave me but a moment's rest before the excitement begins anew in December, and for that I am thankful.

I hope November leaves you safe, well-fed, and warm, with the good cheer and stamina to enjoy a December as restful or raucous as you like.






My late November-December reading choices: 

"Phantom Armies of the Night: The Wild Hunt and the Ghostly Processions of the Undead" by Claude Leconteux
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens
"Acadian Christmas Traditions" by Georges Arsenault

*quoted text from Shakespear's Merry Wives of Windsor

The Depth of Summer

We are easing into the deepest expanse of summer here in The Valley.  At the farmers market, there are still signs of earlier crops - an occasional grower that has found a way to shelter his lettuce through the fiercest heat of July and the reappearance of strawberries from ever bearing plants - but the full bounty of the sun-drenched season is now on display, nearly toppling over the market tables.

That means onions and carrots share space with peaches, apricots, and nectarines.  Early plums and apples have appeared.  Pickling cucumbers and all manner of summer squash fill baskets in dizzying numbers. Heirloom tomatoes in wild colors and designs are proudly displayed and the poor hot-house growers (who were so valued in the cooler months) are passed by for field grown treasures.  The harvest is staggering.

July was a whirlwind of constant garden care, due to the surprisingly lengthy heat wave. We are used to hitting or hovering close to the 100 degree mark for a week or so in July, but this year we've had a three week heatwave that has only just today allowed a storm system to creep in and drop a minuscule amount of rain.  The cloud cover has blessedly encouraged a brief drop in temperature, and while the evenings of the last several weeks refused to let the heat go as dusk settled in, we are finally experiencing some cooler nights.

Last night there was a small First Harvest celebration at my friend's farm, where we tasted the first corn of her crop (the very crop that was just thigh-high two weeks ago in the last post!)  The corn is tender and perfect, but not quite as sweet or full as my friend would like it, and so the first real picking for public consumption will happen later this coming week. It's miraculous what some water and sun will do to that field in just a few days.

Whether the corn was up to her standards or not, we had a grand time last night moaning over the kernels popping in our mouths, butter dripping off our lips.  There was talk of the harvests of our lives, and seasons passing, and of how many years we'd been gathering as friends to cheer each other on, or simply hold each other up.  

There will be another feast yet. When the corn is good and ready, we'll invite not just our closest friends, but throw the gates wide and welcome all who want to take part in the celebration of the culmination of another planting season.  There will be corn fritters, and corn chowder, and my friend's spicy tequila butter sauce for those who like their corn on the cob with a little kick.  I'll be sure to share the recipes!

In the between time, before we notice the sumac start to turn from deepest green to blazing red, while we still run to the lakes for respite and eat entire meals around a bbq (or right out of the garden,) I'm wishing you a grand First Harvest, Lughnasadh, Lammas, or whatever observance you might be enjoying at the moment.  

Even if it is simply the celebration of the perfect cob of corn!

Tickling My Fancy

I've been running amok in the spring weather that we have been gifted here in the west. I've spent the last few weeks planting cold-hardy veggies and watching the perennials wake from their winter sleep.  There is a good lot of magic happening in the gardens right now and I can barely stand to be inside.  There is still office work, and there has been much spring cleaning, but I get outside as often as I can to breathe in the scent of the earth stirring.

There are many tales to be told of spring and new life, but for now I'm just leaving a few notes on some things that are tickling my fancy this week.

~ We are on the verge of a full moon and a lunar eclipse.  Tomorrow night and early into Tuesday morning, I'll be out watching the moon turn red.  For those of you in the west running on Pacific time with me, that means we'll see the partial eclipse by about 11pm, the full eclipse around midnight on Monday, and the maximum eclipse hitting about 12:45am on Tuesday.  Adjust for your time zone, and happy eclipse viewing (if you decide to stay up to see it!)

~ As the sister of a cellar master at a local vineyard, I'm always intrigued by a well-run winery. The April issue of Chatelaine magazine mentioned Southbrook Vineyards in Ontario, which is not only organic, but employs biodynamics on their land.

...Bill is also fond of tea.  He even puts it on his vines in lieu of pesticide. "It sounds weird, but it works," he says. "And it's so safe that you can wear a bathing suit while spraying it."  Southbrook was the first organic, biodynamic winery in Canada; sheep graze in the vineyard to fertilize the vines, and the phases of the moon determine when it's time to plant and harvest.  (Chatelaine, April 2014 pg. 174)

~ Today I drove by a Sikh temple and noticed that they were having their celebration of Vaisakhi.  They replace the saffron-coloured fabric of the flagpole that holds their holy flag, the Nishan Sahib.  It's a gloriously happy and colourful celebration, and although there is obviously no connection between the two observations, it always reminds me that May Day is just around the corner.    

*cough*  Very large pole.  *cough*

~ The Easter candy has been out on the store shelves since February 15th and I've been avoiding it valiantly - until today, when I found "bunny money."  Think Hanukkah coins, but in pastel colors, with rabbits and carrots embossed on them.  I'm not sure how they taste, but I'm devising a few different ways to use them in prosperity work.  Coins...mulitplying bunnies...carrots (carats?)  At the very least, I'll get chocolate out of the deal.

~  I'm reading "Blackberry Cove Herbal - Traditional Appalachian Herbalism" by Linda Ours Rago, which I ordered after hearing the recording of the Appalachian Folk Traditions panel from the Sacred Space conference.  It's a beautiful book to hold and to read, and I'm savouring it like a letter from an old friend.

"Also regarding the foxglove plant (digitalis) - bury a foxglove flower in Moon-light, and the foxes will give you 'the second sight'. Bury one at noon, and they will send you gold."


See you under the moon!

Arise, February!

"When Candlemas came around, old Jack Poirier would go outside and look.  If the weather was fine he'd say 'clear sky, clear field.'  That meant there wouldn't be a good crop." 

- Alyre Landry (Notre-Dame, New Brunswick) *

I hope Groundhog Day, Imbolc, Candlemas or simply February's entrance, was wonderful for you.  We are still celebrating here.  There are a couple Imbolc celebrations happening in The Valley today, but I'm not feeling like making the drive north, so I'm hauling all my winter greens to my fire bowl in the back yard.  I'll be smelling like fir and pine smoke before the day is out, and hopefully some of that warmth will melt a bit of the snow still firmly holding its grip over the lawn and gardens.

"They used to say that if the skunk saw his shadow before 10 o'clock on that day, the weather would be bad for 40 days.  If he didn't see his shadow, they'd say 'winter's back is broken.' 

- Ronald Martin (Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick) *

On the topic of weather (and weather prediction,) both Punxsutawney Phil and Ontario's Wiarton Willie predicted an early spring this year.  While not all groundhogs agree, I'm going with Phil and Will.  I'm checking my stock of sweet and snap peas and watching the ground.  I'll have at least one raised garden bed sown by month end, if I have my way.

Candlemas Day, stick beans in the clay.  (old wives saying)

The celebrations of February have not finished yet.  The Year of the Snake begins on February 10th when the Chinese New Year hits.  And for those that take part in the massive pink and red love fest that is Valentine's Day, you have about ten more days to get your chocolate marshmallow hearts on.

For me, this month, the most happiness comes when the bulbs finally break through the earth.  Cory tossed out this song snippet today and now all I can think of is daffodils.

"Arise, my love! Arise, my love!

Apollo's lighting the skies, my love

The meadows shine with columbine
And daffodils blossom away"

("What Do The Simple Folk Do" by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe)

May the sunshine find you and the ground stir beneath your feet!

*Quotes via Georges Arsenault, Acadian Traditions on Candlemas Day.
Photos from Creative Commons and linked to sources.

Lighting Up December

Each year, on the last Friday night in November, a village in the Valley has a light up celebration in the center of town.  I've missed the light up the last four years, three of which I've been *blush* Black Friday shopping across the border in Washington State, and one year I was in Mexico. 

Foregoing the big, commercial aspect of the holidays this year, I'm staying local and participating in the smaller celebrations (and giving smaller, handmade gifts.)  This light up was a nice start to the season for me. 

I love this little town!  All the buildings in the main area of town are required to have an old English 'look' to them.  Not surprisingly, there's a very busy Fish & Chip place here!  Wandering around town were carolers and a town crier, who were all dressed in Victorian garb.  And then there was this guy...

I had seen him walk by a few times, and then finally had to stop him when we happened to be in the same shop.  It turns out that his daughter made this sweater for him.  She knitted it and added all the decorations.  He was a very proud dad!

One of the most important stops at any street fair or festival - the mini donut van!  These hot, sugary, cinnamon-y donuts were bliss!

The ATV club was also there and they were pulling a barrel train of happy kids.  They went whizzing by a few times, so all I could get was a blurry shot!

Also a bit blurry, but I couldn't resist, is a picture of a statue I saw while walking back to the car.  She seems to be a goddess of abundance.  I'm going to have to come back there in the daylight to get a better look!

This weekend there is much to do in my town.  A Santa Claus parade, a Yule meditation gathering and more.  I'm not sure how much I'll get in, but I'll see where the weekend takes me!

Last Minute October Fun

My niece and I took one last drive out the farm stands yesterday before they closed for the season.  The pumpkins and squash were pretty picked over, but we found some lovely specimens that will do nicely for tomorrow night's light-up.

Because I live in a suite with an entrance that faces the backyard, I'm not able to entertain trick-or-treaters, so I make my annual Halloween pilgrimage one town over to my parents home, where little ghouls run rampant through the streets.  There, I mass jack-o-lanterns on the porch and sit on the stairs with a good book waiting on the kids...and possibly snacking on a few treats myself.

After hitting the farm stands, I went with friends last night to a haunted corn maze.  It was fairly child-friendly, so no big scares for me.  Except tripping over corn in the dark.  Still, it was fun and will be on our list of things to do next year.  My friend wants to visit larger mazes next year, so I've been tracking down a few must-see mazes.

Check out this list of mazes in North America.

*photo found here*

Whatever you do for Halloween/Samhain, I hope your holiday is sweet and scary (if that's your thing!) 

PS - don't forget to get your name in the hat for the book "Spirit of the Witch" by Raven Grimassi.  I'll be drawing the winner's name tomorrow night.



The Threshold of the Year

I was listening to a podcast yesterday that spoke about "liminal spaces" - those places that we think of as being between the worlds.  The edge of a beach where the water meets the earth.  The top of a mountain, where earth meets sky.  And it occurred to me that the time between Yule/Christmas and the secular New Year has always seemed like a liminal space to me.

The days after the gift-giving, the eating, the visiting and celebrating seem to be a threshold of sorts.  I feel as though I've left some things behind and am now stepping toward something new.  As a Pagan, I celebrate the new year at the end of the harvest season (on October 31st-November 1st.)  But there is something about breaking open a fresh calendar that just says 'new beginnings' to me.

I don't make resolutions, but I do spend some time thinking about how I'd like to grow in the next year.  There is often some bittersweetness around the holidays for me.  I love the gathering of the family, but it does force you to look back on how you've grown (or not) when people start asking you about what you've done during the year over turkey and stuffing.

Luckily I have grown in two small-but-important ways.  I don't feel like I have to impress anyone anymore, and I've learned to take some small moments for myself throughout the holiday madness.  Because of this, the last week went surprisingly well for me. 

I hope the holidays went well for all of you too - and that you had some very happy celebrations!

Now I step onto that threshold and think about the things I would like to manifest for this year to come.

Do you make resolutions or to-do lists for the new year? 

What Is That Bright Thing In The Sky?

Woo hoo - it's the sun! Thank the gods and whoever else is responsible! After a week and a half of rain and dark grey clouds, we have SUN!!!

It was getting a bit hairy there for a while. Everyone in the Valley was wandering around with their heads hung low, and I contemplated the merits of tossing myself under a bus a few times. It was a really bleak week.

But things are looking up, and just in time for tomorrow's market. We froze last weekend, so I'm hoping with the nice weather, people will be out to shop. We just ordered some more books and decks for our business, as well as some crystals, smudge, and essential oils, so we should be well stocked this weekend.

I also want to wish all you amazing mothers out there, a very Happy Mother's Day! I hope you get spoiled by your children and feel very appreciated. I've not had the pleasure of being a mom, but being an Auntie is a gift (and sometimes exhausting!)

I hope you all get some some sunshine this weekend! Now...off to the yard - with all that rain, the grass is four-feet high!

Earth Day and Giveaway

Happy Earth Day to everyone!

I'm sure you are all out doing something fabulous on this great day. Planting a tree? In the garden? Feeding the birds?

I'm heading out for lunch with a friend on the patio, and then off to give some love and water and more seeds to my Mom's gardens (mine are still not built yet....) Her peas are up two inches and the radishes need thinning. Plenty to do and enjoy outside today.

Some other fun news to report: Nydia of Bringing up Salamanders name was drawn for the Skelli giveway! Congrats Nydia. Please email me at rueandhyssop (at) gmail (dot) com with your address, and I'll pop your goodies in the mail!

Bacchanalia

The Bacchanalia was a religious festival in honor of the wine god Dionysus or, as the Romans called him, Bacchus. The bacchanalia were originally held in secret and only attended by women. (Although it was later thought that some men were admitted to the festival early on.) The festivals occurred on March 16 and March 17. Later, admission to the rites was extended to men, and celebrations took place five times a month.

Dionysus is the ancient Greek god of wine, the inspirer of ritual madness and ecstacy, and a major figure of Greek mythology. He was also known as Bacchus, the name adopted by the Romans and the frenzy he induces. In addition to winemaking, he is the patron deity of agriculture and the theatre. He was also known as the Liberator, freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy or wine.

In 186 BC the Senate decreed that the Bacchanalia were prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate. In spite of the severe punishment inflicted on those found in violation of this decree, the Bacchanalia survived in Southern Italy long past the repression.

Livy (the Roman historian) says that the rapid spread of the cult, which he claims indulged in all kinds of crimes and political conspiracies at its nocturnal meetings, led to the decree to prohibit the festivals. Some modern scholars who view the period with 21st century eyes doubt Livy's account and argue that the Senate acted against the Bacchants for one of the following reasons:

- Women occupied leadership positions in the cult (contrary to the patriarchical Roman values of the time).
- Slaves and the poor were the cult's members and were planning to overthrow the Roman government.

Although Bacchanalia doesn't get it's day or two on the calendar, I think it's a wonderful option to celebrate in lieu of St. Patrick's Day. I just can't drink green beer. But wine and revelry - absolutely. I'm not really up for the orgies and other debauchery that happenend in the 'good old days' but I think I can find enough to keep me suitably distracted!

Whatever you celebrate - Bacchanalia or St. Paddy's Day - do enjoy, and be safe!



(Information taken from www.wikipedia.com and www.about.com)

Happy Everything!

Happy Valentine's Day! Happy Chinese New Year!

Sending out much love and blessings to everyone on this celebratory day! I hope everyone has either spoiled themselves, has been gifted, or is going to go out and do something nice today.

Yesterday, to celebrate "New Year's Eve" I went out with my friend and my mother to a Chinese restaraunt for Dim Sum. It was amazing, and my first experience eating this way. The carts being wheeled around stacked with wonderful little plates of food, was fun! And the food - wow. All I can say is, I could get used to eating like this!

I stopped at the Chinese grocery too, and bought some red envelopes to put a bit of money in to give to my neices. To read up a bit about Chinese New Year, check out Wikipedia.

I'm also stopping to get some chocolate for myself (of course) and my best friend for a little Valentine's treat. Hopefully I'll find some daffodils too, because not only are they the perfect little Spring flower, but the Chinese regard them as being a symbol of prosperity - so that's always a good thing to have around!

I'm still busily setting up my house, and have been working on my Reiki area - I'll snap photos when I'm done. I found a great bamboo mat and some wall art. Divider screens have been spotted, and I'm going to go purchase them this week.

So much going on, plus I'm trying to find time to get caught up on my blog reading, and book reading. I've just unpacked my books finally, and it's rather frightening how many I have, and how many I have yet to read! I just need about a weeks vacation I think. That would be enough time to settle into a few good books and catch up here in blogland. Too bad that I don't see that kind of time coming available in my future... One thing at a time, I guess. It will all get done.

Hope your future is very fortunate for this Year of the Tiger! Health and Prosperity to you!

Nirvana Day

I noticed on my nifty calendar (that lists holidays and sabbats for all religions) that yesterday (Feb. 8th) was Nirvana Day.

The BBC "Religions" site says:

"This (Parinirvana Day or Nirvana Day) is a Mahayana Buddhist festival that marks the death of the Buddha.

Buddhists celebrate the death of the Buddha, because they believe that having attained Enlightenment he achieved freedom from physical existence and its sufferings. Buddhists celebrate Parinirvana Day by meditating or by going to Buddhist temples or monasteries.

In monasteries Parinirvana Day is treated as a social occasion. Food is prepared and some people bring presents such as money, household goods or clothes.

The day is used as an opportunity to reflect on the fact of one's own future death, and on friends or relations who have recently passed away. The idea that all things are transient is central to Buddhist teaching. Loss and impermanence are things to be accepted rather than causes of grief.
Meditations are carried out for the newly deceased to give them help and support wherever they might be now."

This somehow reminds me of the Mexican Day of the Dead - albeit less flashy. I do think there is a benefit to pondering our own mortality, and the celebration/wonderment of what is to come when our spirit/energy leaves this physical body of ours.

I think it's rather fitting that I got together with my girlfriends last night for drinks and appies and we chatted about who would be the last one left and what she was to do with all of our "ceremonial shot glasses." (Not as morbid as it might sound - it was actually a lot of laughs!)

Do you spend much time thinking about your own mortality or your ancestors, or do you save that meditation strictly for Samhain time (if you are Pagan?)