The Magic and Mischief of the Darktide

Thank you again for such a wonderfully joyful month of celebrating the darkest weeks of the year! The last books of our giveaway are going out to:

BrigidsBlest - A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk

Margarita - Weaving Fate

mtngirl - By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn

Eveline - Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ice crept in two nights ago, growing over every surface and crushing the last struggling plants in the garden between its frigid fingers. It left a blanket of sparkling crystals, and froze the water in the birdbath into a sculpture that was unappreciated by its intended patrons. On the days the sun finds us, it is still warm enough to melt the layer of frost. But that celestial body is wandering off, rising so far in the south now that we get only mere hours of its direct light. In the shadowy places of the yard the ice is already settling in to rule until spring. Snow will follow in waves. But frost is the true lord of winter.

Autumn is said to be the season of the witch, and it's easy to see why. The golden days and cozy nights are naturally dripping with enchantment. But when we look at the power of winter, the cultures who formulated practices to keep themselves safe and fed in uncertain times, who told tales around the fire to weather the long nights and teach their children to have a healthy dose of fear and wonder, we can't help but notice that there is a deep vein of magic that runs through the season of frost and snow. Our practices instinctively turn inward. Our homes become our circle of power, our kitchens the alchemical laboratory, and our hearth/fire/stove the place where we conjure health, familial ties, and celebration.

Of course, winter looks and feels different for everyone. If you aren't in the northern hemisphere at present, you might be dipping your toes in the first days of summer. And even if you are beginning to experience a chill (or have already been digging yourself out of your driveway for a month) you may choose not to observe any winter festivities, or feel especially celebratory this year. You don't need to be a fan of St. Nicholas or the Yule Lads to get your winter witchery on. In my deepest despair one winter, I still managed to cuddle up with cats and blankets and a stack of books, bake too much shortbread while talking to my dead grandmother, and learned to read the Lenormand - and while I didn't feel like taking part in any festivities, those things felt very magical to me. 

This last giveaway of our celebration of the darktide is meant to offer you some ideas on making your own magic (and perhaps some mischief) through the winter months. I have three outstanding books for you if you'd like to gather some inspiration for enchanting your life, protecting your home and energy, and taking charge of your fate.

The first book I have for you is very special. Six years ago I contacted the late Peter Paddon and arranged to buy some autographed books from him for my festivities that year. His work was to be featured in the last giveaway that October, but late in the month he passed away suddenly. It didn't feel right to continue with the giveaway only a week after he left us, so I gently packed the books away for another time. One of the books eventually went to live with a friend of his, and now it feels right to hand out the remaining tome. A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk is the account of Peter's Crooked Path of witchcraft, and also looks at some comparisons and lore from other magical systems. It contains excellent practices that the author used himself (some he created), including his take on ancestral work. Peter's 'voice' really shines through in this book, and you can see why he has been missed. The book has been lovingly kept in good condition (and never read - I have my own copies of his work) and contains a short blessing and autograph from Peter.

Our second book is a bewitching look at protection magic from the fabulous and feral Althaea Sebastiani. By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn: The Theory & Practice of Effective Home Warding has arrived in beautiful print form just in time for all your winter warding needs. It's chock full of guidance on why you would want to make use of this practice (and why you might ease up on it), and various ways of implementing it, including instruction for tools (and what to do if you have no tools available) and techniques. Concise and no-nonsense, this is the book you want to have to keep the wailing winter spirits at bay. (You can get your hygge on after your wards are up.)

Our last book of magical wisdom comes from a familiar friend. Aidan Wachter has entranced us with his talisman making and insightful articles for years, and is now two publications into his master work on sorcery (which we hope never ends). If you'd like to alter the winds of fate, or have a better-than-average chance at molding your own life, then Aidan's books are definitely for you. Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past & Telling True Lies is a companion to his first publication, Six Ways, but it's also a spectacular standalone workbook that takes you through approaches for implementing change for yourself, and having a hand in influencing the world around you. I cannot recommend Aidan's books enough, and I know you'll love having Weaving Fate to delve into during the dark months ahead.

Our final giveaway of the season is a bit of magic and mischief all rolled into one. Because Tales & Treats for the Darktide was meant to conclude on December 5th, I couldn't let the festivities fade without giving a nod to the creature who will be out roaming that night. December 6th is St. Nicholas' Day, and the 5th is the Eve of St. Nicholas when all good children place a shoe out to be filled with nuts, fruit, candy, or little toys. But...if you haven't been so good this year, a different sort of fellow might be paying you a visit...

In European folklore, Krampus is St. Nicholas' horned helper who takes the lead on dealing out gifts for the naughty children. And by 'gifts' I mean a switching with his bundle of sticks, or a one-way ride in his basket away from your family and warm bed. Fun, right? The night of Krampus, or Krampusnacht, has become a world-wide phenomenon (and a sub-par Christmas horror movie) in which people can embrace the darker aspects of winter and face their fears. Al Ridenour is an author, podcaster, artist, and journalist who traveled to Europe to research the legend of this winter monster. He has collected these stories and experiences in his book The Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil, which would be excellent to curl up with as the twinkle lights get tucked away and the January winds begin to howl at the window. 

These last four gifts will be up for grabs until the minutes fade away on Krampusnacht (December 5th). On the morning of St. Nicholas' day, after I collect my chocolate and oranges from my shoe (because I'm always a good girl, even when I'm not), I'll draw the names from the hat and send out these books to four lucky folks.

We are wrapping up with the same game as always - your comment counts as your entry. Please be sure I can get in touch with you if your name is drawn. You can let me know which book you'd prefer in your comment and I'll do my best to match wishes with names whenever possible. If you'd like a second entry, simply share this giveaway on social media and swing back to let me know you've done so, and I'll add your name to the hat again.

Thank you so, so much to everyone who has dropped by this last month to play along with me! This has been a trying year (at best) and I knew it would be a quieter celebration, but I've been truly uplifted by your messages and comments, and I'm really happy you wanted to join me again this year!

PS - This should go without saying, but because someone inquired about it I do want to emphasize that all the items that I give away are brand new. All books are unread and are sent out in the exact form they were bought/received in. All card decks are unopened and untouched, and again, are sent out in the state they are received in. Shipping can be rough on items but I don't ever send out anything damaged and I always wrap the item and use padded envelopes to keep things in good order. Any small imperfections in the item were there when they arrived to me or were purchased in person by me. Thank you!

Legal Bits:

* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (excluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America,  who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohibited 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 affiliated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, 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.

An Evergreen Winter: The Comfort and Protection of Conifers

The snow is falling in such ghostly flakes that I almost need to squint to see it. Each icy star is so tiny that it doesn't so much fall as dance through the air, whirling around me, kissing my nose and cheeks, melting even as it arrives at the very edge of my skin. It's the same sort of teasing weather that our small party of wildcrafters enjoyed in the woods last month at year's end. We made our way across the snowy landscape, seeking out evergreens to keep our homes jolly and stocked with conifer medicine for winter tide.

We were kept company by chickadees, and stalked the foot trails of deer and coyote, and something with larger paws...lynx, perhaps. We set off together, then wandered slightly off course from one another to find our own trees to whisper to. I lingered at a Douglas fir whose large boughs reached toward the place my dog was buried over a decade ago. Her bones are there still, and though I've been reunited with her in dreams over the years I was surprised at the fierce longing I felt while I was standing beside her resting place. I gathered a few small clippings and kept them tucked aside. Some of those fir tips were for tea, and it gave my heart mild comfort to think that I might be rejoining us in the smallest way by ingesting an infusion from a tree that was fed with her body.

I spent some time with Ponderosa pine, happily gathering up sprays of needles and brushing my hand lightly down the bark to collect any loose resin that had dripped the length of the trees. One pine had been scored heavily by a bear, and another next to it had fallen, its standing remains worn smooth by animals using it as a rubbing post.

There was juniper to be had as well, along with merry green wolf lichen, and a few bright red rosehips left on a stand of wild roses. Once our arms were full of our bounty, we found our way back to my friend's cozy kitchen where a pot of soup was warmed. Rum and eggnog was the seasonal aperitif and a delightful assortment of home-fermented foods accompanied the meal. We spoke of herbal medicines and the hard-won victories of our own peace and well being, while we nibbled on roasted apples topped with maple orange whipped cream.



Conifer medicine is good medicine year round, but there is something especially comforting about bringing evergreens inside in the winter months. The traditional scent of the holidays aside, trees in the pine family (Pinaceae) and some of their cypress brethren (Cupressaceae) are chock full of vitamin C and can offer aid in dealing with respiratory issues/infections, making these trees a perfect cold tonic. Anti-inflammatory and diuretic, the needles can also be infused in oil for a pain-easing massage blend for muscle and joints. Taken as tea, in nutrient-rich vinegar, or transformed into a soothing chest rub, pine, fir, and juniper can assist in keeping your body humming along through the coldest season.

In folklore and magic, conifers seem to act as guardian spirits and are especially useful as helpers for healthy and safe home-keeping. Their stories and lore echo the practical application of these stalwart trees by the original inhabitants of the land. Lodgepole pine was employed in home-building for First Peoples, providing the poles for tepees and lodges, and fragrant fir boughs were gathered as bedding and as floor covering.

Juniper has a history of aiding purification work, assisting in the clearing of both real-world pests, such as insects or rodents, and those of a more spectral variety. The fragrant shrub was used as funerary wood in some forest tribes, the smoke offering protective company to the departing soul. Even in fairy tale, juniper is burial chamber and underworld where the dead can be reborn, as the The Juniper Tree story tells. Cedar, and in the west specifically Pacific red cedar (Thuja plicata) was the conifer of choice for coffins and sea-faring vessels and had so many daily uses that it was known as "Mother Cedar" to the Salish peoples.

The south has its own evergreens (the devastating decline of longleaf pine in particular, is worth reading up on) and here too, in southern rootwork and hoodoo traditions, we see pine added to incenses and floor washes for protection and cleansing/clearing work. Cedar is used in work where gentle persuasion is needed, and evergreens in general can be considered money-drawing just by their nature and name.

Hoarfrost on pine, British Columbia

In my own practice the fir, pine, and juniper I collect in the woods before the winter solstice are bound together with words of protection whispered or chanted over the bundle. I often add a sprig of prickly wild rose, the maroon skin of the branches and the deep red hips lending a pop of red to my green swag. Sometimes I'll even attach a cutting of Oregon Grape, which has a decidedly holly-like look to its spiny leaves. This grand bundle will guard my door and household from December through until late January. The neighbours might give a side-eye to my lingering branches, their own holiday decor long put away, but my evergreen guardian is meant for keeping unwanted spirits from stopping by on a winter's eve and the bitter season doesn't begin to loosen its grip around these parts until February dawns.

As I find myself in the last hours of January now, my sentinel swag is retired and the greenery sorted and re-purposed for incense and magic-making. It pleases me to consider that the aromatic smoke of pine and fir wafting from my censer was once the ward at my home's threshold. This previous-incarnation adds an extra note to any clearing or protection work I do with the incense or washes I create with these trees. (While I might add juniper and cedar to a clearing incense blend, they are more often utilized in my ancestor practices.) If your practice follows seasonal or wheel-type observations, the arrival of Imbolc or Candlemass marks the traditional burning of Yule greens. Generally, these greens would not remain in the household after this point as to keep them indoors would be to invite in poor luck. I burn a small selection of my conifer branches in my fire bowl as a tribute to the passing season, and put the rest up in glass jars for future use.

I truly hope you have weathered your winter beautifully. Perhaps you've found comfort in hygge, coziness and good company, or you've ventured out to ski runs or sledding hills. If you didn't save your holiday greens for Imbolc bonfires or incense, don't fret. Soon, bright green fir tips hinting of citrus will emerge with the coming of spring and you can find new ways to enjoy conifer medicine and magic!


*Please note that conifers can irritate the kidneys with continual use. Please research and know your pines/fir/junipers/cedars before imbibing them (a good field guide or local forestry website will be of great help). Junipers and some pines are not recommended while pregnant or breast-feeding.


Articles and Recipes for reveling in conifers:

Gathering and Processing Conifers, from Rebecca at Thorn & Wonder

Incense crafting, from Sarah Anne Lawless

Evergreen salt scrub, from Rosealee de la Foret at Learning Herbs

Juniper berry spiced cookies, from Danielle at Gather

Foraging for Pine needles, from Colleen at Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment

A Midwinter Herbaria, from Becky at Blood and Spicebush (Pine is mentioned)

I have another small batch of my conifer oil, bottled and listed in my shop, ready to take home.


Sources:

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (specifically the chapter "Old-Growth Children" in which she speaks of cedars)

Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada, Lone Pine
(Lone Pine produces beautiful field guides)

The Old Magic of Christmas, Linda Raedisch (chapter 12, specifically "Juniper")

The Untold History of Healing, Wolf D. Storl (chapter 2, specifically "Juniper")

USDA Ponderosa Pine guide

Not Even A Mouse - Animals Appearing at Christmas

When you think of animals associated with the holiday season, flying antlered deer most often come to mind. Although the legend of reindeer powering St. Nicholas' yearly excursion has been around since the 1800's, (pre-dated by St. Nicholas appearing on a white horse,) there are other beasts that are connected to Yule and Christmas.

I, said the cow, all white and red,

I gave Him my manger for His bed,

I gave Him hay to pillow His head;

I, said the cow, all white and red.

The nativity story wouldn't be quite what it is without the donkey that carried Mary or the co-habitants of the stable where her son would be born.  The song "The Friendly Beasts" or "The Gift of the Animals" allows the animals themselves to sing their praises, or more accurately, report of their gifts to the newborn king.

The idea of the animals acknowledging the Christ child is echoed in the later tale that tells of how animals might kneel down to pray at Christmas.

"My mother told us that at Christmas, at the hour when baby Jesus was born, that the ox and the donkey beside the manger began to speak.  She also said that if you went to the barn at that very moment you would hear the animals talking."

And a derivative of that story, with a less happy ending:

"An old woman told me about a man who didn't believe in anything. They say that at midnight, when the good Lord came into the world, the animals kneel down. 'I'll go and see for myself,' he said. When he went out to the barn, all the animals were on their knees.  He thought that was silly so he said to them: 'What are you doing?'  'God was born this night,' one of the oxen replied, 'and tomorrow we'll take our master to be buried.'  The man was so frightened that he dropped dead."

~ from Acadian Christmas Traditions, Georges Arsenault

In Sweden (and in a similar way in Norway, Finland, and Denmark,) small bearded men called tomte or nisse bring the holiday gifts, entrusting goats and sometimes pigs to help haul the goods.  In older times, the tomte (or tomtar) were more farm-hand type fellows who helped with daily chores and animal care.  Their identity as holiday visitors developed over the years and more modern tomte have begun to look like Santa Claus.

The Yule Goat, the figure that visited households before the tomte gained popularity, was the helpful spirit of the last harvest, who might bless (or at least keep an eye on) the progression of the Yule celebration.  This goat was symbolized by a straw or corn dolly and kept in the house, and now appears more often as a traditional tree ornament.

I can't seem to track down much about mice having a role in the holiday festivities, but in my family a pair of Christmas mice have always made an appearance and are still hung each year at my parents' home.  Aside from "not a creature was stirring..." and this charming mouse song from Norway, the only other mention I can find of a tradition is the sugar mice that are so common in the UK as a holiday treat.  

"There never was such a goose," says Dickens as he describes the Cratchit family's Christmas meal.  Although we gravitate to turkey these days, the goose was traditionally the more common and affordable meal option.  I went out searching for a goose last month for Thanksgiving.  The most reasonable one I could find was $60.00.  The 20lb turkey beside it was $11.00.  Times have changed.

As we sing the final praises of animals at Christmastide, don't forget that a full 23 of the items listed in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" are animals (all birds) and that's before taking into account what the "eight maids a milking" were working with.  It seems that the holidays would be considerably less cheerful (and tasty) if our celebrations excluded the animal kingdom.

Do you include any animals or animal stories in your holiday celebrations? I'd love to hear!

* all photos from creative commons and linked back

* sources include:

Ingebretsen's (Scandinavian folklore and culture)

Acadian Christmas Traditions by Georges Arsenault

Wikipedia "Tomte" 

A Few of My Favourite Things

I've been pretty stress-free about the entire gifting situation this year.  I'm not particulary worried about what to get whom, and my family has decided to cut back because we simply buy ourselves what we need and want throughout the year.  I do like to find something special for a friend, or have a few cool gifts on hand in case I've forgotten anyone, or someone unexpected comes for dinner (our family tends to invite everyone we know/see on the street.) I tend to do quite a bit of shopping online now, because I can find unique items and I'd rather support small businesses.

This week is pretty much your last chance to hit the online shops with any assurance that your holiday loot will arrive in time for the big day(s).  Although you'll want to check with the individual shop owners and read their policies, most places will be able to get you what you need if you order right away.

Here are some last minute ideas for those people you haven't quite gotten to on your list (or yourself - you deserve a treat too!)

The Pretties

"Hekate's Key" by Tveir Hrafnar

Although commercials will try to convince you that every girl wants a diamond, many of us lean far in the opposite direction when it comes to jewellry.  Forget boring pieces that you can buy in every mall in North America - we want those charms around our neck appearing in a much more clever form.  

*  Aidan of  Tveir Hrafnar, creates striking silver charms that are as lovely as they are meaningful.  Choose one of his gorgeous designs or work with him to create something that suits you.  Because Aidan creates all his charms by hand, this is not likely something that will arrive by the holidays - but it's going to be completely worth the wait.  (I can't decide between the different keys or the stars, but I'll be adding one of these charms to my neck sometime in the future, for sure.)

*  For haunting jewellry that mimics your favourite totem (or body part,) Moon Raven Designs offers a host of earrings, necklaces or rings in life-like designs.  I have one of their silver pendants and it's a prized piece of my collection.

Bath and Body Bliss

*  The Haus of Gloi website is a fantastical ride through soaps, perfume oils and body butters in scents that sound intoxicating.  And they are - maddeningly divine - they leave you soft and smooth and smelling like every kind of wonderous thing.  You'll never be able to choose just one scent.

*  Crunchy Betty isn't just a super-fun blog with recipes for all kinds of ways to put food on your face (in lieu of chemicals and sketchy ingredients found in drugstore face creams and cleansers,) it's also a little shop where you can buy herbalicious scrubs, facial oils and even a natural deodorant that smells like a tropical drink!

"Lucky Dream" oil by Candlesmoke Chapel

Gorgeous Oils and Other Magical Goodies

*  Bri Saussey is a brilliant spitfire.  Sweet and sassy with a whole lotta love for helping people, Bri is the rootworker and intuitive behind Milagro Roots.  She not only offers courses and magical work, but she creates her own line of spiritual oils and baths.

With names like "Balm of Gilead" and "Promised Land," the deliciousness of these products is guaranteed.  I love Bri's baths (I can even use them in the shower because she includes a little muslin bag that hangs perfectly on my shower head.)  I also dab on her oils as perfume and their magical effectiveness is simply a bonus!

**Update December 2014** Milagro Roots is now BrianaSaussy.com and Miss Bri is no longer offering oils and baths in a catalogue format, but you can work with her to create a ritual to address your needs

*  The spirit-child of two truly wonderful folks and hella-smart spouses, Joseph and Sara Magnuson, Candlesmoke Chapel is the place to go for traditional condition oils made with great care.  Their products are not just high quality, but are truly the nicest looking oils I've seen. I'm a visual girl, and these oils make me happy before I've even opened the bottle.

Once you do open the bottle - you've got an exceptional oil that lends a good kick to whatever work you've set before yourself.  Their Psychic Boost oil is a favourite.  It really opens me up to getting more out of my card readings, meditations and any work requiring focus or insight.  They also sell herbs, and washes in some of the same wondrous blends as their oils.

Miscellaneous Awesomeness

* I know I've not shut up about this book since I got my hands on it, but Cory Hutcheson's "54 Devils" has completely changed how I feel about playing cards.  If you have anyone in your life who is a card reader, buy them this little treat of a book.

*  As far as tarot decks go, there are so many to choose from - but these animal themed decks from Art by Nakisha are mad cute.  The rat deck and the rabbit deck make me grin!

* My friend Danni at Heartroot Studio creates diminutive mushrooms (and pumpkins) encased in glass bottles that I love so much - I have three of her pendants!  You can get one of her designs or choose your own colour.

I hope your holiday gifting experience is easy and fun, and that you get spoiled in return.



*photographs are property of (and linked back to) Tveir Hrafnar and Candlesmoke Chapel respectively, and are used only to show the quality of the product listed.

Merry And Foggy (But Still Bright)

Like everyone else who celebrates any kind of winter festival or religious observance, I'm decking the halls and attending holiday parties and eating the shortbread when I should be saving it for company.  I'm also easing my way into the season in a relatively sane way.  I'm not getting worked up about gifts this year - they'll all fall into place, or I'll give folks an IOU on a sticky note attached to an airline bottle of rum.

While I decide if I'm going to keep working on gifts or even attempt to send out cards, I'm enjoying my December in other small ways.  When the temperature isn't -22 degrees like it is today, I still head out for a walk by the river and check out how the landbase is faring.

There are buds here, beneath the low fog, held tight in anticipation of warmer days.

In my quest to try new things I went to a ceramics studio with my cousin and splashed half a dozen layers of paint on some egg cups.  Not particularly artistic, but I can't draw a straight line, so I do what I can.  The pic below shows streaky cups, but the paint isn't dry and it will fire up quite nicely in the kiln they tell me.  My "new things" can't always be exciting - next time I'll try fire spinning.

Instead of mourning the garden, I'm working on appreciating the beauty of death and decay. I've been watching many of my plants die back and purposely not cutting them down (I'll do the extra work in the spring.)  This way I get to witness the allure of each plant stripped down to its bare soul.  Right now I'm fawning over the morning glory skeleton and its twisty loveliness.

I've been decorating today, but I'm going for a more minimalist approach this year.  Less of the same old holiday tchotchkes.  More greens, nuts, pinecones, and more natural decorations.  So far the cats are behaving, but the tree is going up tonight so I'll see if it's still standing in the morning.

Here is my little viking, assisting with the greens.  (She takes after her auntie in the nutty hat department.)  We were fortunate and came across someone's cast-off yard prunings as we were driving up into the hills - perfect for instant holiday decorating!  

I hope your December is coming along festively.  Are you dashing through the snow yet, like many of us northerners, or is your holiday shaping up rather greenly?  Do tell.

Tis the Season to be Having Uncomfortable Family Gatherings and Awkward Conversation

The holidays can be a strange time.  Families who may not see each other much throughout the year often come together en masse, and that can be joyful and heartwarming, or terrifyingly uncomfortable. And that's even before the conversations and questions begin. The movies would have us believe that all the discomfort is temporary - just long enough to have some good laughs at the Griswolds, or those nutty folks who left their kid home alone - but holiday reality sometimes feels more like "The Shining."

For those whose homes are not turning into a holiday encampment for familial guests, fortunately "family" is an inclusive term.  We may have our own family unit - a partner, children - or we've developed a network of friends that are like family that we can celebrate with.  Should you find yourself completely alone during the holidays for some reason, and not wanting to remain so, many cities host dinner events or even full travel packages for people who have no other holiday plans.  And if you are wanting to lend a hand, of course there will be many places that would appreciate a volunteer at this time of year.

For the rest of us, who bite their tongue while pouring the wine, and who take the jabs while wearing the paper crown from the Christmas cracker, and who try to find a polite way to answer all the well-meaning-but-inappropriate questions, I want to share my little list of things I do to ensure I survive the holidays.

Holiday Helpers To Prevent You From Cowering in a Closet With a Bottle of Bailey's During Christmas Dinner or Drunkenly Serenading Yourself in a Bathtub (Alone) Like Bridget Jones.
(Working Title)

1.  Have a backup plan.  Always.  Find a friend who knows your situation and let them know that if they see you with your nose pressed up against their window like an old-timey English street urchin, they are to let you in and pass the turkey, and act like nothing happened.

1a. If you don't have friends or alternate family in the area, make like that millionaire show and have a phone-a-friend on standby.  Someone who will talk you down from taking a piece of your aunt's hair and creating a poppet with it and some turkey bones, and then burning it in the bathtub.

2.  Don't be too proud (or ashamed) to let someone in on your holiday concerns.  Tell a good friend (see #1) or a good therapist.  If you have a family member you trust, share with them.  You may end up with an ally across the dinner table.

3.  Do something nice for yourself immediately before and after the holidays.  This is a crucial step - and I recommend booking your appointment now, because I can guarantee that plenty of folks are doing this.  Get yourself a massage, take yourself out to a fancy dinner, buy yourself the holiday gift you want and are sure no one will buy you (with gift receipt, just in case) or whatever else will make you feel really special.  The "before" present is to remind you that you deserve to be treated well, and to give you a bit of holiday hope, and the "after" treat is the reward for not stabbing anyone with a candy cane.  Yay!

4.  Consider donating your time and/or money anyway.  Even if you aren't alone for the holidays and looking for some meaning, find a cause you can contribute to.  It is important all year long to be aware of who needs help in your community, but this time of year can be especially hard on folks who cannot afford to feed, house, or give gifts to their children, let alone provide them with any kind of holiday cheer.  Local food banks accept donations, food, and manual help.  Our little credit union has a "pajama tree" up, where you take one of the ornament cards with a child's gender and age listed on it, and return the card with a pair of appropriate pj's.  There are so many places that are accepting help - finding somewhere to volunteer this time of year shouldn't be a problem at all.

5.  Try to find something to laugh about - or some kind of wonder or joy.  Make a snow angel.  Watch the sky for Santa.  Invent a new drink called "The Steaming Hot Mistletoe Kiss." You can think of something.

We're in for a wild month.  Hang in there. I know you can do it.

*picture via wiki commons

It's All Over But The Leftovers

Before and After.

I hope you've all had a wonderful holiday weekend, however you celebrated! 

Look - A Cat!

Okay, honestly?  I'm ten kinds of done with the holidays and just barely hanging on here.  Thank the gods I have comic relief of the furry kind, because otherwise you'd be hearing a report that a girl in Canada went crazy and tied the mall Santa to the hood of her car and drove South to find warmer weather with an entire squad of police cruisers trailing her.

Dexter gets into every possible thing and makes me forget my Santa-napping visions:

Daisy politely sits in any box she can find.

One perfect kitty paw is better than any present wrapped in too much tape.

Ahhh, that's better!  Insanity averted.  For now.

I hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly and you are finding ways to stop and enjoy the process.  I've not figured it out this year, but I still have a few days left.  If I can't find "the spirit" - you'll simply find me with a rum & eggnog in hand, hiding under the tree with the cats.

Cheers!

The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep

I took another trip back to the woods this past weekend (in the Valley - it's a short trip.)   We took our semi-yearly excursion to find a tree for my parents' home.  While there are plenty of arguments for and against using real trees (why kill a perfectly good tree/the fake trees clog landfills and cannot be recycled,) we feel that our location and local facilities are conducive to harvesting a live tree.

Our area is richly forested, and re-planted with seedlings each year by the local forestry workers.  We also have a community program run by the local fire department and community agriculture department.  The fire department accepts cut trees, with a donation that goes to procuring new equipment for the department, and the trees get chipped to provide mulch for city gardens and flowerbeds.

Please know, that I do understand that some people do not agree with cutting a live tree for ANY reason, regardless of the re-use of that tree later.  This is simply my own practice.

That being said, tree hunting is not an easy task.  Live trees do not look like the ones you buy in a store.  They look a lot more like Charlie Brown's famous tree. Tree hunting makes you feel a bit like Goldilocks too. 

Too small:

Too big:

The most important thing about tree hunting is the food!

My niece shows us how it's done:

Don't forget the marshmallows!

I feel very grateful to live in an area, where the woods are a short drive, the seasons are gorgeous (if not particularly cold this time of year,) and there is always something lovely to discover.



A Dickens of A Yule

"There were more dances, and there were forfeits, and more dances, and there was cake, and there was negus, and there was a great piece of cold roast, and there was a great piece of cold boiled, and there were mince-pies, and other good cheer."

For my part in The Witches Yuletide Ball blog party, I'm going to read you a story...  Well...bits of a story.  Because this is a tale you should read yourself.  Preferrably snuggled in under a blanket and sipping a hot cocoa.

If you've been following my blog for any length of time and happened by here at Yule, you'll no doubt have heard me sing the praises of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  Reading this story is a yearly ritual for me, ever since I happened upon this worn treasure at a flea market about a dozen years ago.

Oh sure, I had seen the movie adaptations.  The original is a classic and a must-see, although I'm rather partial to the Muppets version with Michael Cain as Scrooge.  But this story truly stole my heart when I read that old English prose with my nose in a tattered old school book.

The book bears a copyright of 1915 inside and has a handwritten note on the first page that says "Norman Latimer Grade 7."  I wonder if Norman enjoyed this story as much as I do.

One of my many favourite paragraphs is this one, when the second spirit takes Scrooge out into the town on Christmas day and he witnesses the abundance of the season:

"The poulterers' shops were still half open, and the fruiterers' were radiant in their glory.  There were great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence.  There were ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish friars, and winking from the shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe."

"Apoplectic" means "intense enough to threaten or cause apoplexy" (apoplexy is a stroke.)  There are pages in this story of such description, especially in respect to the second, rather robust, spirit's visit that are apoplectic themselves.  The text is dreamy and delicious and just reading it makes me hungry!

I decided that I should have my own little bit of apoplectic opulence in honour of the blog party.  I suppose chestnuts and Spanish onions would have been healthier than wine, jelly beans, caramel corn, chocolate and spiced pecans, but a girl's got to make do!

And here is a recipe, for the "Negus" that you see listed in the foods in the first quote at the top of the post.  Although Negus is a name for Egyptian royalty, in this case, it's a hot drink made with port and lemons.

Dickens' Negus

1 bottle of port
1 lemon
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup boiled water
freshly grated nutmeg

Heat the port on the stove, but do not let it boil.  Peel the lemon carefully and add the peel (outer peel only, not the white pith) to the port.  Juice the lemon and add the juice.  Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.  Remove from heat and remove lemon peel (strain, if necessary.)  Add the cup of boiling water and stir well.  Serve with freshly grated nutmeg on top!

"He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure."

Just as Scrooge found pleasure in all the sights of the season, I hope you too, will find pleasure this Yule, Hanukkah or Christmas, or whatever celebration you participate in!

"His own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him."

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!

Winter Wishes

"It was a cold, bleak, biting weather, foggy withal, and he could hear the people in the court outside go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them."  ~ Charles Dickens

Yes - I'm reading "A Christmas Carol" again.  On cold, snowy days like today, it's a perfect companion.  Plus it distracts me from the teetering pile of unwrapped gifts in the corner, and the rolls of wrapping paper glaring at me with distain.

Like many of my fellow bloggers, I'm having a hard time keeping up with posting in the midst of holiday activities and the regular work and bustle of my daily life.  But I am still here.  I've planned a giveaway, but have run out of time - so it will be a New Year event.  I also meant to post some of the soup recipes I've been trying, but that too will show up in January when I've had more time to take some pictures and try a few more lovely soups.

I am looking forward to Yule and the lunar eclipse that is going to take place.  I'm hoping for clear skies Monday night!  This will be a busy week to come, so just in case I don't pop by - I want to wish you all the happiest Yule, and a safe and wonderful Christmas! 

May you have every good thing come to you!

Tree Trimming Essentials

Ornaments

Helpful cat

Candy Canes

Yet another helpful cat

Booze & Eggnog
(Hey - I drove home in a blizzard.  You're lucky I didn't just put a straw in the Bacardi.)


How is your tree trimming coming?

Decorating and Decluttering

Photo courtesy of http://www.shoeboxblog.com/

I've finally managed to get some decorating done around the house, and waded my way through some piles of items I've been meaning to sort.  It always amazes me how much stuff one person can amass.

The other project I'm working on is clearing my bookshelves of my Pagan/witchy books in time for my cousin's visit on Christmas day.  While my parents, brother and friends have been aware of my beliefs for a while now, my extended family has not been informed.  Primarily because my extened family consists of extremely enthusiastic Baptists.  And because I don't want to be the next contestant on "Inquisition" - sitting in front of a panel of my uncles (one pastor and two deacons) and Jesus.

I love my family.  Really.  And I do enjoy their company.  So making things awkward by loudly proclaiming that I don't celebrate the birth of Christ anymore while hoisting a pinecone above my head and giving a speech about how Christians claimed Yule as their own doesn't sit right with me.  Plus - my mother would kill me if I ruined Christmas.  So there's that.

The only issue is - what the hell do I put on my bookshelves once all the Pagan books are gone?  Some artful arragements of the hundred-ish angel figurines my cousin has been gifting me for 15 or so Christmases perhaps.

Is there anything you hide when family comes to visit?  (Aside from the naughty movies.)

Wrapping It Up

I've finally finished wrapping gifts...well...almost.

I've also had to slap myself a few times. I actually believe that I am "over" the commercialism of the Holidays, but the truth is, I felt guilty several times today that I didn't buy more for my neices/parents/sibling & wife/friends/garbage man. Sad, but true. Luckily, a few cuffs to my own head, and I seem to be snapping out of it.

My best friend and I are exchanging baking. She loves my Amish bread and Gingersnap cookies. I love her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and her Toffee Shortbread. This is the gift I'm most looking forward to. The real question is, why can't I do this with everyone? Exchange something homemade, or a service. Even my massage therapist offered to trade me today for some Reiki.

I would really like to do something about this for next year. Perhaps I'll send out cards just after Halloween, and let everyone know that I'm not buying gifts. That I would happily offer a Reiki session or cater a lunch, or bring baking.

Of course, next year I'll be the owner of a shop, and everyone will expect that I have no excuse not to buy presents. Well....at least I can buy them at cost!

Wishing you all a stress-free Christmas. I hope you have an abundance of good cheer!

PS - You may have noticed, I'm rather fond of these bunny comics. I do post the link on each one, just in case you want to check out Shoebox and their clever website.