More New Year Resolutions Comments
31 Yulmonath
Hogmanay
Color: Brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a brown cloth set symbols of all the projects around the house that need to be finished, as well as a bottle of wine or beer and cups.
Offerings: Cleaning and finishing projects.
Daily Meal: Leftovers.
Hogmanay Invocation
We stand at the turning of the year,
In the place predicted by the Fates.
We are here because this time, this place
Is where we were destined to be,
Though we never knew before this moment,
We could not have seen this time and place.
Yet here we are, standing together with each other,
Hand to hand, soul to soul, with open eyes.
Yet well we know that nothing lasts forever,
And things well begun should not be left half done.
So it is that we shall take up the tools
And finish those things left undone,
Tying up the strings of our existence
Before the turning of the New Year
And the coming of the Fates yet again.
Hail to the Fates! We await your day,
And the next year, to see what it may bring.
(Each goes forth and takes up the symbol of some thing that is yet undone around the House, and declares that they will do it, and what it will mean for them to complete that task. Then the wine is shared around, a toast is made to the new year, and the rest is poured out as a libation.)
To ensure a good measure of prosperity for the New Year, take some play money or a few Hell notes (purchased in any New Age Shop). Write your financial wish for the New Year on it. Hold it in front of an altar set with a green tablecloth and cauldron and visualize your wish coming true. When you are satisfied with your image, say the following words:
“Let my spell be spread on air.
Nothing may my wish impair.
Bring success and wealth to me.
As this I burn, So Mote It Be!”
Burn the paper in your cauldron. When the ashes are cooled, release them to the wind.
This graphic pretty well sums up what I wanted to say this morning!
Good Saturday morning, dear family! How’s it going today? Me, I’m LOVING it! I ran everyone off for the New Year. YEAH! Just little old me for the next four days. Can you stand it, lol? No seriously, I believe these individuals that I have around me are probably the hardest working people on the net. They do a super job every day. No matter what, they do their best every day to get out this publication, care for the critters, this time of year keep all the dead branches (and trees, lol!) picked up and around here there is something always. The minute you think you are caught up, you get hit with something else. But that’s life, isn’t it?
I was thinking this morning while I was drinking me coffee (I have the Irish coming out in me today, no kidding!). Wouldn’t it be lovely, no miraculous, if we could get up in the mornings, turn on the TV and there be nothing but good news. No school shootings, no little girl or boy’s body found, no nuclear testing, no threats of war, just peace. Plain old Peace! I truly wonder if we would know how to live in peace. Would living in peace turn our lives upside down? Just stop for a minute and think about it. Peace, harmony, love, those are the good things we would have to look forward to. No more sorrow, no more loss of innocent lives, no more threats of terrorist attacks, those would even be better things to look forward too.
The Mayans predicted that this next season of life would be a time for change. As this New Year approaches, let us stop and think what we are. We are all Witches. We have the power within us to make change occur. Now is our time, the world needs us and so does mankind. This next year will be our YEAR! We will unite and become the force of change. That is why we are given our Powers to help mankind. Mankind needs more help now than ever before. It is time for all the evil in this world to cease. It time we took a stand and become the force of change. This is our Year! Let us unite and make this world a better place for our kids and their kids.
More New Year Quotes Comments
In the late 1800s, when decorating a tree for the holidays became popular, evergreens were bedecked with such Earth-friendly decorations as strings of popcorn, gilded nuts and luminous candles. Today, millions of people carry on this tradition by bringing Christmas trees into their homes, adding an element of splendor and festivity to their own celebrations — but also an element of waste.
After the parties are over and the season has passed, the once-splendid tree transforms into a browning living-room behemoth, and the job of disrobing it of its trimmings and tossing it carelessly outside becomes just one more household chore. Before you follow this unfortunate holiday tradition, take heed: There are several ways to recycle your Christmas tree, giving new life to both it and your New Year’s resolutions to live lighter on our planet.
1. Living Christmas trees that come with their roots intact can, of course, be planted and enjoyed for many years. Pack the earth ball containing the roots in a bucket with sawdust, potting soil or other mulch. Keep the soil continually moist. Plant outdoors as soon as possible after Christmas.
2. A whole Christmas tree makes an excellent bird feeder for your backyard. Stick the tree in the ground or leave it in its stand. A wide variety of birds will be attracted by suet, cranberry and popcorn strings, stale bread and dried, chopped fruit in mesh bags. If you grow sunflower seeds, simply hang the whole sunflower head on the tree. Your family will discover that chickadees, song sparrows, cardinals and a host of other birds come for the food and stay for the shelter.
3. Cut off all the branches and use the trunk to edge a garden. The trunk can also be strategically placed in your garden as a resting spot for birds, squirrels and other little critters.
4. Place whole evergreen boughs on perennial beds or nursery rows to protect them from winter freezes and spring thaws. The boughs provide the steady temperatures that most plants need. Or, just use the boughs as post-Christmas house decorations.
5. Many communities throughout the country have tree-recycling programs, in which trees are collected from residents and then chopped up and used as mulch for plants in community parks and gardens. To find out if such a program exists near you, call city hall. Or, have your tree chipped at a local garden center and use it yourself for ground cover or mulch. (Or promise the gardener in your life this belated gift!)
6. The trunk can be sawed into logs and burned in your fireplace. Note: Don’t burn the branches, since they can send off sparks.
7. Both trunk and branches can be used by woodworking hobbyists to make any number of items, such as Christmas reindeer, birdhouses, candlesticks or paperweights. Feeling boldly confident? Try whittling your family portrait!
8. Use the needles to make aromatic potpourris and sachets to enjoy year-round. After removing the decorations, strip branches of their needles, which will retain their pungency indefinitely in brown paper bags.
9. If you still have your Christmas tree out in the yard when warm weather appears, there’s still a use for it. If permitted in your community, burn the branches and spread the ashes in your garden. The branches contain valuable nutrients and minerals that can enrich the soil and help yield better flowers and vegetables.
10. Last but not least: You can have a tree for the holidays without spending money or needlessly destroying an evergreen if you make your own! (OK, so this isn’t exactly recycling.) You may have plenty of evergreens in your yard in need of pruning. Simply bundle a few large, pruned branches together and arrange, tree-like, in a watertight container.
Snow and sleet won’t bother me With my plastic Christmas tree Spreading season’s tidings to my friends. Christmas is so neat and clean, For it’s polyethylene and Folds compactly when the season ends.
Deck the halls with yards of rayon, And the snow and sleet is spray-on — Just protect it all from open flame. But from all the pretty misses I collect synthetic kisses. Isn’t plastic mistletoe real lame?
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Well, just in case you did……The WOTC would appreciate any gifts you would like to bestow on it this season. We pay our server bill every three months and it is now due. I know I hate to keep asking for donations. I will figure out one of these days how to make us some money. Sell spells, oops! that’s unethical, you didn’t hear me say that, lol! I just thought I would drop a little hint in case you had a penny or two you didn’t won’t…….
Happy Holidays!!!
More Christmas Tree Comments
More Christmas Tree Comments
Citrine, like bloodstone, is a powerful, uplifting healing stone. This stone helps with health in general, bringing the chakras into alignment. Specifically, it heals the muscles, heart, stomach and kidneys and will prevent blood problems. I have heard that this stone can heal gangrene as well. Besides health, this stone brings upliftment for the soul and battles depression, sorrow, grief, weakness, obesity, and guilt. Citrine will also purify any area in which it is placed. Keep a nice piece wherever you perform your rituals. Laying a strand of citrine along the spine or around the neck will help bring the chakras and the body back into balance.
More Christmas Tree Comments
Are you in charge of the community coat drive, the local toy roundup, and getting your entire PTO’s fundraiser up and running? Step back! Be willing to say “No” when someone asks you to commit more time and energy than you have to give. We all want to help others at this time of year, but if you take on more than you really are capable of, you’ll become resentful and angry – and that’s no way to spend the Yule season. Learning to say “No” might be the best gift you can give yourself this year.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the eighteen boxes of Yule décor in your basement? Fine — put the kids to work. If you don’t have kids — or if yours are too young to decorate — put on a pot of wassail and invite a few friends over for a decorating party. It will take the stress out of the situation if you’re surrounded by people whose company you enjoy. Likewise, if you’re hosting a holiday dinner, ask others to show up early to set the table or to bring part of the meal as a side dish. I’ve learned that if I plan ahead, and just ask, I can usually get someone else to commit to taking care of cleanup afterwards!
One of the biggest holiday stress-outs is the knowledge that you’ll be paying off Yule until June. Don’t let this happen. Make a budget, and stick to it. For more on how to do this, read about How to Have a Budget Friendly Yule. Also remember, you don’t have to go crazy with the gifts. Do you want to teach your children about the value of the holiday season, or that whoever gets more stuff wins? In many families, parents have learned to limit the number of gifts each person gets — in mine, each kid gets one really big gift, and then three smaller gifts such as a DVD, a pair of cute winter pajamas, and a game to play or a book to read.
A lot of people stress out over family relationships during the holidays. If you’re one of those people, you need to decide ahead of time how you’re going to deal with family members who aggravate you. Got a non-Pagan family member who just won’t leave you alone? Brush up on coping strategies at Surivivng the Holidays with Your Non-Pagan Family.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed in the middle of the season, and you know you still have things that need to get done, take a break. Turn off the phone, shut the door, and go have some Me Time. Take a one-hour power nap, enjoy a bubble bath with some nice scented candles, invite a friend out for a quick coffee date. Set aside a few minutes each day to meditate and get yourself grounded. You’ll appreciate it in the long run.
A big problem many people seem to have is they just fail to realize they’re burning themselves out. Stress creeps up on us, and then we tend to justify it by saying, “Well, it’s the holidays.” Learn to recognize the signs of burnout, and react accordingly. Some signs include:
If you start seeing these behaviors in yourself, it’s time to take a step back and recognize that you’re stressing out. Now that you’ve discovered the problem, take time to fix it, so that you and the people around you can have a happy and healthy Yule season.
I hope everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving yesterday. I am sorry I should have told you that we were taking off for Thanksgiving. We might be Witches but we love to eat like hogs, hee, hee, hee! I have a lot to say today but it is running late. So I guess I will get my little rump to work and say…….
Have a very happy Friday
&
A Super Weekend!
P. S. Don’t get trampled by the mobs if you go shopping!
Luv & Hugs,
Lady A
Goddess Bless All Those Who Have Served Our Country. Bless Those Who Have Paid The Ultimate Sacrifice For Our Freedom and Our Great Country. Thank You To All Who Still Serve Our Nation.
Our Thank You Can Never Be Enough For You Have Sacrificed So Much To Give Us Our Freedom and The Great Nation We Live In.
Thank You and Goddess Bless All Our Veterans,
The WOTC
More Veterans Day Comments
In Her Cycle of Transformations day 315, November 11 is dedicated to:
EV Eve, Mother-of-All-Living.
Syria:Hebraic (English transliteration).
Creatrix of all manifested forms; Mother Womb; life-giving Goddess;
Instructress of humanity.
Good Morning, dear friends! I would have been here sooner but I have been looking for some graphics. In particular, fireworks graphics. I wanted to put up a huge firework display here. Why? Because this is the first morning I have woke up in true peace. And it was all due to the election results. I know some of you probably thought I had when off the deep end about the campaign and the candidates. But, I get these feelings and they are never wrong. Everyone tells me, the feelings are my witchy feelings coming through. For I don’t know how long, I had the feeling of dread and it was due to the campaign for President. I had the feelings and I would also get quick visions of things to come. I can guarantee you those quick visions weren’t pleasant at all. I know our Religion was at stake and also women’s rights. Now that feeling of dread has passed and I am once again at peace with myself. You don’t know what a wonderful feeling that is! It is fantastic!
I hope everyone who wanted to vote yesterday had the opportunity. I saw on the television were people were having to wait in line for 4 hours to vote. That is determination to make sure your voice is heard. I applaud those individuals. I know all of us left here early because our local TV station was telling everyone to get to the polls early. There was supposedly long line here, yeah, right! I came home and picked up hubby and Kiki and we went to the polls. There were a few there but no long lines, heck we live out in the boonies. I am surprised they don’t use carrier pigeons out here. Walk in, write a little note, attach it to the pigeon’s leg and throw the pigeon out the window. And your vote is off, lol! But I blew the girl at the registration desk mind. Hubby insisted I take Kiki in. So I did. I walked in. The first thing I asked the girl (being humorous, I thought) was “Can I vote twice?” The girl looked at me totally puzzled. I looked at Kiki and told her that she wanted to vote too. So could I vote for her? The girl looked at me very seriously and asked me if Kiki was registered. I said yes, just kidding. The girl started flipping the pages of the book looking for Kiki’s name. I told her I was just kidding and she looked at me like she didn’t understand me. I told her again, I was just kidding. She finally got it and laughed. Brother, never kid with the registration officials! Who knew you could have such fun at the voting polls! Only in the boonies!
I have one thing real quick I want to talk to you about or rather ask your opinion. I have been looking through other Pagan websites and I noticed all of them had put up Yule graphics. I know that is our next Sabbat. But I was wondering how you would feel if I put Thanksgiving on our front page? I know it isn’t a Pagan holiday, of course. But I believe it is a holiday we all enjoy whether we are Pagan or not. Who doesn’t love to pick the skin off the turkey and eat it. Not to mention the sweet potatoes and dressing. I was thinking since Thanksgiving is really a tradition that spread across all Paths and Religions, would you be offended if I put up a Thanksgiving page? I want to hear from you if I would. Seriously. You are not going to hurt my feelings at all. Remember this is your blog, we do this everyday for you and I surely don’t want to offend anyone. So let me know, Thanksgiving page, YES or NO! Hey we are having a Thanksgiving Election, lol! Damn and I thought all the campaigning was over, lol!
Have a super, fantastic day and let me know your opinion on the front page!
Goddess Bless You & Yours,
Lady A
More Autumn / Fall Comments
“Between the heavens and the earth
The way now opens to bring forth
The Hosts of those who went on before;
Hail! We see them now come through the Open Door.
Now the veils of worlds are thin;
To move out you must move in.
Let the Balefires now be made,
Mine the spark within them laid.
Move beyond the fiery screen,
Between the seen and the unseen;
Shed your anger and your fear,
Live anew in a new year!”
–
Let’s face it; Halloween is a major commercialized holiday. So how do you find something meaningful to pull out of all the mainstream commercialism for your Sabbat celebrations? What do you do when most of the people around your family don’t understand the ancient traditions they unconsciously uphold?
Take a close look at the history behind the holiday, then create new traditions for your family to enjoy year after year. You don’t have to reject the mainstream; just teach your children why modern practices exist.
Samhain (also known as the Festival of the Dead or All Hallows’ Eve) is a time for us to release the spirits of those who have died during the previous year and for us to honor our ancestors. It is customary to set an extra place at your supper table on Samhain Eve in honor of the departed. This is not a scary time, rather a time when the veil is thin and we can spend time with the spirits in warmth and love. Here are some activities to try out with your family:
One day…a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to the country so he could have his son see how poor country people were….. They stayed one day and one night in the farm house of a very humble farm.
At the end of the trip and back home, the father asked the son: What did you think of the trip?
The son replied: Very nice Dad
Father: Did you notice how poor they were?
Son: Yes
Father: What did you learn?
Son: I learned that we have one dog in the house…and they have four. I learned that we have a fountain in the garden and they have a stream that has no end. I learned that we have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars. I learned that our garden goes to the edge of our property, they have the entire horizon as their back yard.
At the end of the son’s reply the father was speechless. His son added: “Thank you dad for showing me how poor we really are.”
Isn’t it true that all depends on the crystal you use to see life?
~ Author Unknown ~
Witches Of The Craft® 
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