Trees, Trails, and Chickadees

The hills have been calling me for two weeks now, but the days have been frigid and icy and the wind wicked - not the kind of weather suitable for much except blankets and books. This week, a warm front moved in and melted the small amount of snow on the valley floor, leaving puddles for happy ducks and revealing green grass, and late autumn seeds for the profusion of quail picking through the yard. I gathered my wildcrafting friends, wise women who know the land and its stories, who hear it speak to them, just as I do, and we went up into the trees and the great rock bluffs to wander for a while.

The snow fell in tiny wisps of almost-flakes while we spread out and followed the trails that called to us. I became enthralled with a grove infested with what seemed like hundreds of chickadees. Their calls, excited peeps, and pecks and scratches on the tall pine and fir were a symphony, and their jumping and flittering from tree to tree, a ballet. You may have your Nutcracker, but I'll keep the wild chickadee troops, who eat massive amounts of food each winter's day and then induce hypothermia each night in order to stay alive through the long, cold months ahead.

There were other paths to follow. High mountain juniper called out to me, and I now have some infusing in oil for an after bath treat for my cold-weary skin. I stopped for a while and listened to the wind as it whispered through the old, sky-high pines. I traced deer tracks for a time, winding back and forth through the trees. I wanted so much to follow the coyote too, to see where it had gone roving, but my friends called out to me from a gorgeous bluff over the hill, and I left that trail of paws for another day.

We found several small trees that someone had cut and left where they fell. Why such waste, there's no way of knowing, but we allowed ourselves to scavenge the boughs of the fir and pine lying there to bedeck our own homes for the season. The drive home, in a vehicle stuffed to the roof with evergreens, was divine.

There was soup to be had at the end of our exploration, hearty warmth handmade by someone who knows her way around bones and herbs. As the cold faded from our own bones, we spoke of transformation, discovering the depths of ourselves, and finding where we belong - even if that is in more than one place and even if that knowing makes us ache.

There is a wolf in me . . . fangs pointed for tearing gashes . . . a red tongue for raw meat . . . and the hot lapping of blood—I keep this wolf because the wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go. 

There is a fox in me . . . a silver-gray fox . . . I sniff and guess . . . I pick things out of the wind and air . . . I nose in the dark night and take sleepers and eat them and hide the feathers . . . I circle and loop and double-cross.

Excerpt from "Wilderness" ~ Carl Sandburg

Last night, after crushing a bit of juniper in my hands and bringing it to my cold nose, again and again, I finally drifted off to sleep and went back to that path of paw prints in the snow. I don't know if I ever found the canid that left them, but I woke feeling like I had been wandering all night in the cold.

Tonight there are candles lit, and extra blankets at the ready (as there will be for all the long nights to come) and I can't help but think about the chickadees gathering in their hollowed trees and any other shelter they can find, intentionally dropping their body temperature, transforming their food stores from the day into fuel to keep their body shivering until the dawn.

I don't know that I will mind if my dreams lead me back to the wintry forest. I might follow the trail of paws again, or perhaps I might learn something from those tenacious birds who embrace the cold, and find a way to evolve to suit it. Maybe they can teach me about going deeper, to the very edge of life, only to wake in the morning and begin the adventure again.




Assorted wintry bits:

~ The stars are falling again - the Geminids will put on a show for you on December 13-14th if you feel like looking to the sky. Great info here.

~ My delightful, if grumpy about the winter holidays, friend Hob from The Orphans's Almanac is now into his Nights of Krampus giveaways. You only have 24 hours to get in on each night's fun, so make sure you stop by his blog daily over the coming week to check out the wonderful and wicked goings on!

~ If you want to know much, much more about animals and working with them in a meaningful way as a spiritual practice, then do check out Sara Magnuson's class Animalia. Sara is wise, and passionate about her work with animals/animal spirits and this looks to be a fantastic course.

A Few of My Favourite Things 2014 Edition

We have come upon the final "guaranteed delivery by Christmas" days of the miracle that is online shopping.  I myself, will be pummeling my little post office with an armload of packages that have come to be known as "The Massive Holiday Chocolate Migration," and so I thought I'd share a few of the things that have made my heart soar this year, in case you would like to get those awesome folks on your gift list something special.  There is still time to snap up most of these items - as always, check with the shop proprietors to ensure holiday delivery.  Or just order something for yourself as a "holiday survival" reward!

If you'd like to see what I recommended last year, go here.

Assorted Awesomeness

I love snail mail in a huge way.  There is nothing that makes me happier than finding a hand-written note in my mail box.  I've been a huge fan of Vanessa's postcards for years, and if you've ever won a book from my October giveaways, you will have received one of her cards with your prize.

It may sound odd, but a stack of beautiful postcards might be the best gift ever (if you are shopping for me). There is something perfect and simple about a postcard - just enough room for a fond thought and a good wish.  She has a wonderful selection of art prints and fun labels at A Fanciful Twist too.


Cat Fish Creek Candles is an Etsy shop that was pointed out to me by the lovely Dana, and I'm completely smitten.  A few hundred different beeswax candle designs, ensures that you will find something that catches your eye. Designs range from animals and holiday themes, to food and spiritual symbolism.  As for me - I really need this happy little sheep in my life!

Mischief and Magic

Magic-maker Jacquelyn Tierney created these mugwort sticks from her own beautiful plants and offers them up in two perfect sizes.  I can't think of a better stocking stuffer for a gardener or a witch.


"Fifty-Four Devils: The Art and Folklore of Fortune-telling with Playing Cards" was featured last year, but I'm going to list it here again because the author, Cory Hutcheson, is donating the proceeds of his book until the end of the year to the Peter Paddon Memorial Fund. It is a fantastic book and a great gift for anyone who enjoys cartomancy, and you get the added benefit of donating to a good cause.


Carolina Gonzalez is the proprietress of Camino De Yara, an enchanting shop of charms, magical herbs, and ritual services.  Carolina's products are superb and her selection of herbs is impressive (including rare plants only found in the Canary Islands where she lives).  Because of the distance, shipping from the Canary Islands may not get to you by Christmas, but do bookmark this fantastic shop for your future magical needs.


The Wildwood Tarot is a deck I picked up earlier this year, and I'm lost in it.  I've been using it mostly as a meditation aid, but I imagine at some point I'll get around to doing full readings with it. We are still in our courting phase, I think.

Bath and Botanicals

Adirondack Aromatherapy creates some of the most stunning soaps I've ever seen.  I'm currently scrubbing down with her "Theives" variety, but I'd like to try them all!


King's Road Apothecary is a delightful shop full of incredible goodies created by the talented Rebecca (whose blog Cauldrons and Crockpots is top f*cking notch). Aside from wanting to be her when I grow up, I also really dig the products I've purchased from her.  My current favourite is not even something I buy for me - her "Busted Joint Ointment" helps my mother with the arthritis pain in her hands, and for that I'm a customer for life!



As a last gift,  I'm going to mention my friend Hob's new blog "The Orphan's Almanac" - not just because he is a wonderful writer, but because right now (and for the next 8 days) he is having a "12 Nights of Krampus" celebration, and you can win something awesome each day. Make sure you get your entries in before midnight when Krampus comes and the gift is gone!



*photos are copyright to, and property of, the shops listed below them and are linked back.

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.

Snow, Solstice and Silence

Hello dear ones!  I'm still under the electronic thumb of a power-surging laptop and waiting for my second power cord to arrive (it's been three weeks since I ordered the new cord - thank you holiday postal service.)  I've been keeping up as much as possible via Twitter and Facebook, but blogging via my cute little vintage iPhone 3GS is not practical.  I'm going through withdrawals and rather blue about missing all the holiday happenings here in Blogland.

I do hope everyone had a wonderful Solstice and a gorgeous (and not too stressful) holiday season.  I know it is not over yet - new year's eve is just a few days away.  My secular new year celebration is usually pretty calm.  Some kind of observance or ritual is usually done at home and often I simply get together for snacks and movies with friends.  This year, I purchased Leonie Dawon's super-cool 2013 workbook, so I'll be getting a start on that little gem too.

The snow is falling daily here in The Valley.  It then melts, freezes, melts again, and then snows again.  It is beautiful and cold and wet and dangerous and then just slush.  I feel the same.  Moving, changing, shedding things I don't need, melting and solidifying.  This time of year is often difficult for me, but for now I'm feeling very excited about 2013 and what is to come.

I've got a bit more fix-up to do here at the blog.  I seem to have erased some old photos by mistake, and am taking this as a hint to go back through the years and clean up pics that are not linked or properly accredited.   I'm looking forward to spending some time here digging around and mending posts.  It's interesting to see where three plus years of blogging have brought me.

I am praying to the postal gods for a delivery before the new year, but if I don't get back here in good time I'd like to wish you all a very happy new year.  I hope 2013 brings you every good thing!  Thank you all for stopping by my little blog.  Your presence, comments and your own blogs make this little corner of the interwebs a wonderful place to be!  Cheers!

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!

"Back to Basics" Giveaway!

Part of my commitment to myself in 2012 is "going back to basics."  I heard several bloggers and podcasters this year (in the Pagan community) talk about "doing the stuff."  Their goal for 2011 was to observe the wheel of the year, the esbats & sabbats and to commit to truly connecting to their practice.  Well, I've been doing the stuff!

This month marks the completion (when I get my homework handed in) of my second year of study with The Temple of Witchcraft.  I've truly enjoyed the experience, and the in-depth look into my own personal practice, my beliefs and my magick.  But I'm exhausted!  Esbats, sabbats, planetary associations and hours, potion and incense crafting, spells, rituals, solitary vs coven work, and on and on...  It has been endlessly fascinating and a wonderful experience and I highly recommend Christopher Penczak's "Temple" series of books and the courses if you are so inclined. 

For me, I'll be taking 2012 off from active study and re-connecting with the basics.  I've already had a head start, meeting with a small group every two weeks, and discussing beginner topics and basic energy work.  A few of us are going to a basic meditation class (middle Eastern style) and I plan to take some time to practice the Tarot more in-depth and continue to work on my herbal studies.  I'm hardly resting, but choosing to be drawn in deeper to those things that form the foundation of my beliefs.

As a treat to encourage your own exploration of the basics, I'm offering a "Back to Basics" giveaway, which includes a wonderful book on basic energy work by Maya Om:

And the classic beginner's Tarot deck, the Rider-Waite Tarot.

As always, all you have to do to win this great duo is leave a comment on this post, and be a friend of the blog in some capacity: be a follower by clicking "follow" in the sidebar, friend me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, subscribe via RSS feed or email.  Whatever works for you!

I'll draw for this set in one week, on Friday, December 23rd!  Good luck!

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!

A Wander to the Woods

I walk by the river as often as I can, because it's a beautiful path that I never get tired of.  There is always something to see, a new bird to spot (even though I'm not a birder and have no clue what I'm looking at,) or a wildflower or plant to try to identify.  But sometimes...I feel the need to get up higher than the Valley floor, so I took off for an hour on the weekend, and headed up into the hills.

We've been fortunate this year, so far.  We had a brief snow in early November, but it has mostly melted except at the higher elevations.  I didn't get too far up the hill before I was seeing pockets of snow, but there was none on the road to hinder my drive.  I can't tell you how lucky I feel to live in a place where I can drive 5 minutes up the road and be on my way into the woods!

While wandering I spotted this very Fey tree.  I'm not sure why this Fir decided to throw a curve in it's trunk, but it looks neat!  It was also offering up some lovely resin (just a few tears) which I collected and then left my own offering.  I think there will be a very small batch of woodsy incense in my future!

Speaking of incense, I wanted to share my Yule incense recipe.  I like it so much that I'm going to make a huge batch this weekend so that I have plenty to burn over the Winter.

Yule Incense:

2 parts Fir needles (you could use pine, but I like fir for my Yule tree.)
1 part clove

1 part frankincense

1 part myrrh

5 star anise seeds

½ part amber resin
 
I find that the frankincense, myrrh and amber help the incense to stick, but you could add a bit of honey as a binding ingredient if you wanted it more chunky - just make sure you give it time to dry completely.
 
Burn on a charcoal disk on a heat-safe bowl or plate and enjoy!
 
I hope you find time during this busy season to take a walk in your area, and enjoy what the Winter has to offer!
 
 
 
 

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.)

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Yule

We had a bit of snow today - just a skiff - and it was lovely. I had a rather productive day....or rather....I did very little work and yet still feel like I made some headway. Which is nice, considering that somedays I work like a dog, and feel as though I've done nothing.

I picked up a few more gifts for no one in particular. These are sometimes my favourite because I find really neat things that may go to someone for a present...but may just be left over on the gift shelf after Christmas - which means I get to keep it!

I've also been reading "Yule" by Dorothy Morrison. It's a sweet little book that runs through the gamut of how Yule is celebrated all over the world, a spot of history, fun facts and superstitions, charms and little spells, recipes, decorations and crafts.

Did you know that it was believed that animals could talk on Christmas eve? And to ensure good health, you should eat an apple at midnight.

And to bless a toy for your kittens:

"Goddess Bast of feline friends,

Your powers to this treat, please lend

I ask you now to bless this toy

And fill it full of kitty joy."

Giggle - I think I'll use this on whatever fun things I get for Daisy and Dex!

Also on the agenda today was working on my meditation exercise for lesson 2 in my online course with C.P. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well last night so there was a lot of head bobbing and not too much meditating!

I'm still wondering how I will get everything done in time for Yule and then Christmas, along with a move and working on a new business venture. I just need to work on one thing at a time...

I hope all your holiday plans are going smoothly and you are able to take some time to give yourself a break too!