A Blessed Imbolc...

altered royalty free photo

Still lie the sheltering snows, undimmed and white;

And reigns the winter's pregnant silence still;

No sign of spring, save that the catkins fill,

And willow stems grow daily red and bright.

These are days when ancients held a rite

Of expiation for the old year's ill,

And prayer to purify the new year's will.

~an excerpt of A Calendar of Sonnets: February by Helen Hunt Jackson

I hope that you all have a lovely Imbolc, Feast of Brigid, and Merry Lughnasadh & Lammas to you folks in the Southern half!

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

a wee feast

This is a rather tardy post about a feast that I created for my Ancestors, in response to Ms Dirty's Holy Supper Challenge, which I also participated last year. 

While during Christmas dinner food and drink were set aside for our Ancestors, I decided to set aside some more time and make something nice just for them. To make a rather simple feast complicated, my camera has decided to "eat" many of the photos taken. I took some pictures of everything that was made, but have somehow disappeared from my camera {along with photos of some pretties I took for the Etsy shop :*(}. Anyhow, the photos in this post are the best of the slim pickings. 

Over the last month or so I have been going rather ape shit in the candle-making department, so it was only proper that I made some more Ancestor candles in time for their feast. These ones aren't for spellwork or anything fancy, just to be lit while I am giving offerings and the like. 

I have become quite fond of doing hand-dipped beeswax candles, although as I am sure you can see, it is not a skill that I have quite mastered yet. Hehe. 

A few days before preparing everything, I found this awesome shortbread dish in a local thrift store. It is handmade by someone named Mabel and it cost me a whole 75 cents. 

This little treasure put shortbread on the menu list. I used a recipe for coconut and almond shortbread, which turned out quite nice, although it was bitchy to get out of the dish. The designs held up pretty good once I got the pieces out. 

Also on the menu was mincemeat tarts, barmbrack, honey barley biscuits, red wine and vegetable shepherd's pie. 

Below is a recipe by my dear friend Rebecca Mullins, who published it in the Winter 2012/2013 issue of Alive+Fit. She has given me permission to share it here, and you can see previous articles of hers that I have shared on this blog {Teas for Hay Fever and Immune System Boosters}. Becca is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist here in North Bay and can be reached at rebeccamullinsrhn(at)live(dot)ca. 

Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

{Serves four}

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup butter or Earth Balance
• 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into flowerettes
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place sweet potatoes and salt in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over low-medium heat, melt half of the butter. Add the onion and saute for 10 minutes. Add the parsnips, celery, fennel, broccoli, parsley, and pepper and toss. Add the broth, increase heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the spinach last and stir until wilted. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a large casserole dish.

Drain the potatoes and return to pot. Add the remaining butter and mash until smooth. Spread the mashed potatoes over the vegetables.

Set broiler on high. Broil until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

*********

Sláinte!

Laurel

an imbolc giveaway...

The Unfettered Wood Imbolc giveaway is now open {until Monday January 21st, 2013 at 3pm EST}.

 This is what is in the giveaway:

• One $20.00 Cyber Gift Certificate
• Brigid's Cross
• 1/2 Ounce of Dried Juniper Tips
• 1/2 Ounce of Three Sacred Fires Incense
• Pair of Beeswax Home Blessing Candles
• Square of Hand-Dyed Linen
• Rowan Wood & Red Thread {to make a Rowan Cross}

To enter and find out more details, head on over to the Unfettered Wood Imbolc giveaway blog post.

Sláinte!

Laurel

spiritual land stewardship

Restoule, Ontario

For those of us magical practitioners and Pagans that work closely with the land and nature allies, we are likely to also be passionate about conversation and environmental issues. We may be members of environmental groups, grow some of our own food, buy local and organic, and take other steps to tread lightly as possible; others may feel that they are obliged to protect certain ecologically sensitive and sacred areas through more spiritual means.

Over the last little while I have been happy to note that there are others in my region who act as spiritual land stewards or are interested in doing so. With that in mind, I thought that I would share some resources that I have found very helpful, as well as a few posts that I have done in the past that might give folks some ideas.

Some of these resources are specific to my region, while some are for any region. I also think that any of the resources of a spiritual nature could be adaptable to just about any faith or magical practice.

Books

Animal Tracks of Ontario by Ian Sheldon
Art of Conversation With the Genius Loci by Barry Patterson {I don't agree with all of this book, but I think that it is still worth a read}
At Home in Nature: Modern Homesteading and Spiritual Practice in America by Rebecca Kneale Gould
Birds by Roger Tory Peterson 
Discovering Rock Art in Ontario's Provincial Parks by Thor Conway 
Mammals of Ontario by Tamara Eder
Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada by George Barron
Native Trees of Canada
Old Man's Garden by Annora Brown
Ontario Weeds: Descriptions, Illustrations and Keys to Their Identification
Ontario Wildflowers: 101 Wayside Flowers by Linda Kershaw
The Book of Swamp and Bog by John Eastman
The Forest Trees of Ontario by J.H. White
The Woodland Way: A Permaculture Approach to Woodland Management

Articles

A Well-Intentioned Celt’s Guide to Non-Celtic Bioregions by Raven nic Rhóisín and Kathryn Price NicDhàna
Caring for the Land by John Scull
Cornerstones of Wisdom: Poetry, Permanence and Wildness in Gaelic Polytheism by Treasa Ní Chonchobhair
Green Witchcraft and the Virid Road by Angelina
Grow-It-Yourself by Yan Roberts
 How to Create a Genius Loci Profile by Sarah Lawless
Land Guardianship by Sarah Lawless
 

 Websites

Ancient Forest Exploration and Research
Andy's Northern Ontario Wildflowers
Bealtaine Permaculture Cottage
Bioregional Animism
Greater Nipissing Stewardship Council
Greening Nipissing
Native Plant Database
Nipissing Environmental Watch
Nipissing Naturalists Club
North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority 
Northern Ontario Plant Database
Old Farmer's Almanac
Ontario Ferns
Ontario Grasses
Ontario Trees and Shrubs
Ontario Wildflowers
Ontario's Species at Risk
Ontario Visible Heritage Project
Plants for a Future
Primitive Ways
The Plant Encyclopedia
Transition Towns North Bay

Previous Posts

A Wee Funeral
Gifts for Birds

No Man's Land: Keeping a Piece Wild
Some Thoughts on Offerings
Wildcrafting Etiquette

If you know of any resources that are not on here, please feel free to share them in the comment section. :)

Sláinte!

Laurel

Yuletide

my little Norfolk Island pine decorated last year

I figured that I would get this up before I start the whirlwind of cleaning, decorating and baking that needs to be done. This post is just to share some Yuletide recipes, ideas, going-ons and reading. Please feel free to share you own in the comment section!

 

For the last few years Midwinter and Christmas are mostlu secular celebrations for me, but I still do enjoy the season. The one real exception to this is a newly adopted tradition of making a Midwinter feast for Ancestors who are no longer here to sit at the table with us. Last year I was inspired by Ms Graveyard Dirt, who put out a Holy Supper Challenge and she is doing so again this year, which I recommend folks to join in!

 

This year for the Winter Solstice I will make offerings to a new deity that I am getting to know {a post about that still to come!} and start some heather seeds that I got from a lovely friend in Cornwall, on a recommendation found on the Alchemy Works website. I will also be keeping an eye on the illuminations of both New Grange and Maeshowe, which can be viewed on webcasts. And perhaps pining a wee bit that I will be missing the celebrations at the Kensington Market Festival of Lights.

 

I still haven't done any decorating, so one of the things that I have to do is deck my little Norfolk Island pine. Last year I cut out a bunch of woodland critters to put on it, which you can see more about here and perhaps gets some ideas. If you are looking for more Christmas tree ideas, you should go read Carolina Gonzalez's article A Very Magical Christmas Tree, her tree is fantastic!

 

There is plenty of cooking and baking to be done here yet, too. Here are a few recipes that I have enjoyed:

 

Maple Eggnog from Seasonal Ontario Food

Bourbon and Whiskey Balls from Poor Richard's Almanac

Medieval Gingerbread from Gode Cookery

Wassail from Gode Cookery

Christmas Cranberry Scones from Farmgirl Fare

Irish Cream Shortbread

Cider Loaf

Geimhread Gre {Winter Tea} from The Bare Footed Pavee

Yule Log from Epicurean

Pistachio Cardamom Shortbread from Dear Love Blog

 

Should you find some time for reading, here are links to posts and articles that you might find interesting:

 

Yuletide Traditions: Magic, Divination and Superstitions

Yuletide Traditions: Greenery and Decorations

Merry Celtmas from Three Shouts on a Hilltop

Yule & Hogmanay Part 1 and Part 2 from Tairis

 

And should you have even more spare time, here is a great movie called Mummers, Masks and Mischief about mummering and guising in Ireland.

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

jack-o'-lanterns

A few Jacks on our doorstep, waiting for the trick-or-treaters that the rain kept away. They are nothing fancy, but it was a wee bit easier carving the turnip this year {the secret: a spoon with a very sturdy handle!}. The top Jack is a turnip, the other two are pumpkins.

blessings to you all this samhain

royalty free photo

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft star-shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

~Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
 

May your loved ones, both ancestor and alive be with you to celebrate this sacred time! Warm hearts & hearths to all of you dear readers!

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

raising kids with religion

There is a post over at the Gaelic Folkway blog that inspired me to write a wee bit on this topic. The post is entitled Should Your Raise Your Kids in Your Religion? and is authored by Éireann. I have some pretty strong opinions on this {there is a theme here, eh?}, but I am probably not the most qualified to talk about this as I do not have any children myself. Although the better half and I did discuss this at great length when we were trying to have kids and I was raised for a time in a household of rigid religious dogma that was damaging. 

I suppose it would be fair to say that the way I view raising kids with religion would match what Éireann would describe as "liberal"; I do think that children should be given the freedom to decide for themselves what they believe, and this is probably best achieved by exposure to different belief systems and open dialogue. I also think that they should be able to decide if they wish to participate in any religious or spiritual activities and traditions. Probably the most important thing is that children should definitely be taught to respect other faiths and exposed to science and secularism. This would of course include respecting the rights of those who decide to be atheist and base their worldviews strictly on science.

The point of their post was to critique this liberal approach to the subject, and while there are quite a few things that I fundamentally disagree with, I do think that the critiques were thoughtfully delivered. And perhaps because we do share a similar faith, there are many things I also agree with.

No doubt parents/guardians will influence the children under their care, so certainly they have a responsibility to not only their kids, but to society in general. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more parents & guardians were instilling critical thinking, respect, and acceptance in the people who will be running things in the near future? Unfortunately I don't see that to be the case for many people who are raising kids in many of the more popular religions, and I certainly can relate to this from when I was growing up.

We owe it to kids to have a healthy view of themselves and their fellow humans, as well as the environment and all the other creatures who dwell on this planet.

Anyhow, please do feel free to add your own two cents if you like and if interested, you should give not only the post by Éireann a read, but the whole blog as well. Some great stuff over there!

Sláinte!

Laurel

Edit: Éireann has expanded on her position in regards to this topic which I wanted to add part of it here {it can be seen in full in the comment section} so there are no misconceptions on her position. 

"I noticed you wrote that you feel that kids should be free to choose what they believe. I wanted to clarify that I in no way feel anyone can -dictate- to another -what to believe-; -belief- is internal and personal and cannot be put upon another; it is impossible. So I want to be clear that I am not advocating for that." 

luverly of the week: a murder of crows d.i.y garland from jack-in-the-green

A Murder of Crows D.I.Y Garland from Jack-in-the-Green

This is an adorable find from Jack-in-the-Green {hello Hallowe'en decorating!} :D 

McFlying Ointment

It has been a while since I have done a ranty post… 

My Dear Fellow Pagans & Magical Practitioners,

I don’t know if it is just me, but I have been noticing a big increase in people selling products containing entheogens that are being marketed towards witchy folks. This bothers me and it scares the shit out of me at the same time.

Before I go into why, let me preface by saying this: I am not someone who “walks the poisoners’ path”. While a good part of my practice involves working with plants {and it might be even fair to say that it is “in my blood”}, my experience working with psychoactive plants is limited. I was lucky enough to shadow someone for a short time who has a rich knowledge and experience working with these types of plants, but I learned quite quickly that it was not for me. Any concoctions I made {such as flying ointment} has been for my own personal use. 

Many poison plants have found a place in my garden and in my apothecary; my relationship with them is just different from proper hedge witches or other practitioners who work with entheogenic plants for altered states. 

Anyways, I am not bothered that people work with these plants in this way or that they are selling products containing them. There are a small handful of people who I have been a customer of and a “fan” of their work who sell them. To me it is quite clear that they have experience and that they have an idea of what they are doing. 

My issue lays with inexperienced people who are making these products and selling them to others. Noobies trying to be “badass witches” by selling this stuff is not just annoying, it is fucked up and reckless. 

Case in point: 

There is a person on Youtube who has an online store that has started to sell items containing these kinds of plants. In a video while bragging that she is going to be selling flying ointments, she was handling potentially fatal plants on camera with very little care. She was rubbing her face up against some of them like it was a fuzzy little kitten and pretending she was going to eat one of them. Fucking stupid. {A rather ironic side note is that she was going on a tangent about people who change spiritual paths like they do underwear, yet one day she is a new age crystal healer, the next she is a necromancer and traditional witch, the next she is a chakra specialist, and now she is a folk magician with tonnes of experience working with “dark plants” and hoodoo.}

I suppose all I can add is that there is nothing wrong with being new at something, just admit that you are, know your limits and keep on learning. Besides, these are probably good tenets to go by for any worthy practitioner, whether they be neophyte or have ages of experiences. So please folks, be careful who you buy these types of products from! 

Below are some sources that I personally think are reputable: 

Alchemy Works  

Stang & Cauldron 

 If you know of any other reputable sources, please feel free to share them! 

Sláinte!

Laurel

luverly of the weewoodland corn doll goddess by marla vander meer

{Woodland Corn Doll Goddess by Marla Vander Meer}

Marla Vander Meer has a whole bunch of lovely corn doll Goddesses over at her Etsy shop. Here are a few more that I am particularly fond of:

{Woodland Goddess with staff}

{Feather Crone}

{Wheat and Oak Leaf Harvest Goddess}

{Forest Fern Goddess}

*********

Sláinte!

Laurel

north bay pagan fellowship

There is a new group for younger Pagans in North Bay which is open to folks from any path. The North Bay Pagan Fellowship is welcoming new members, for more information you can contact them at their website.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Merry Midsummer!

{photo by Other Think}

A bird in the boughs sang “June,”
And “June” hummed a bee
In a Bacchic glee
As he tumbled over and over
Drunk with the honey-dew
~by Clinton Scollard

We hope that all of my readers have a lovely Midsummer and if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, a lovely Yule/Winter Solstice to you! :)

leave you with a great song for Midsummer, Belly of June by Horse Feathers.

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

Knowing Identities

I had a fancy post I had been working on for this week's Pagan Blog Project featuring the letter K. Since I have not had the time to do a quality post, I hope that this mini-rant will suffice.

Anyhow, I came across these pair of ladies calling themselves The HedgeWitch Cooks. While they have lovely recipes on their website and I look forward to viewing more cooking episodes of theirs in the future, I am slightly confused on the whole hedgewitch thing.

It looks to me that they are equating hedgewitchery with cottage, kitchen or green witchery, when they are very different things. We can probably thank Rae Beth for that. I have seen this a lot lately. Like, to the point where hedgewitch has become completely bastardized.

Seriously, flaunting around titles just because they sound nifty is bad enough, but once you start making money from it...well, to me that is the moral equivalent of lifting one's skirt, squatting and pissing on a grave. They are disrespecting a set of traditions.

To be clear, I am not a hedgewitch myself. It is not something that I have the stones for, and I probably never will. I am quite happy with my "simple" hearthcraft and green witchery. So, on that note, I will let those who practice that particular craft speak for themselves. Check out the following links for more info:

The Cottage of a Hedgewytch

What is a Hedgewitch?

Hedge Witchery

Sláinte!

Laurel

P.S. All this aside, honestly the cooking show and website are worth a look.

the beauty of bealtaine

Everything here is bustling with life, and if I don't stop to "smell the flowers", it seems like I will miss something. Things sure do move faster here in the warmer seasons.

When we first moved into the home that we are in now, I figured that we would probably get quite a bit of wildlife surrounding us, and I certainly have not been disappointed. The lane way behind our home is a beautiful wooded space, full of birds and other critters. It is a little oasis in the city.

A lot of work has been done in the garden, although there is still plenty more to do. The cooler weather crops have been planted in containers on our North-facing balcony and most of the beds have been completely dug up. I will be doing another batch of planting this Friday, and then the rest will be planted on the following Friday {posts about that to come}.

Happily all of the plants that we brought from our last place have come back and seem to be doing well.

I had been on the look out for a rowan tree that was small enough to keep in a container and to bury in the ground during the Winter. The plan was to have it like that for a while so we could take it with us whenever we finally purchase a place. However, all the trees at the local nurseries were six feet and over. While they were lovely, it would be a real challenge to keep them in a pot.

Instead I took a small live cutting from the tree I did this year's rowan wood harvest from and put it in some root hormone. It seems to be doing ok, although I think it takes up to a few months for the roots to establish themselves, so fingers and toes cross that it will do alright.

This month has been full of various rituals and sacred workings, from a clean up and blessing of the small village cemetery of my Ancestors and workings for others, to my own private ones. I don't know if it was because of the "super" moon, but I found that some of my Bealtaine festivities were especially potent this year.

I didn't make it to the opening of our local farmer's market, instead this past long weekend we ended up going back to the wee village to spend time with family. I noticed at the cemetery that someone had recently put a faery statue on the grave of a child who passed away in the 1950's. It don't think it was there during the clean up a couple of weeks ago, but there sure is an aged looked to it with the spider's webs on it.

And the infamous Leaning House of Restoule looked like it had a pretty rough Winter!

Sláinte!

Laurel

A Blessed Bealtaine!

Awakening Spring by Luc-Oliver Merson

Now the bright morning-star, Day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire!
Woods and groves, are of thy dressing;
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
~Song on May Morning by John Milton

We wish you all a joyous Bealtaine & May Day for our readers in the North and a wonderful Samhain to those of you in the South! :)

We leave you with some music to enjoy:

Tiocfaidh An Samhradh/Summer Will Come {lyrics here}

Thugamar Féin an Samhradh Linn/We Have Brought Summer With Us {lyrics here}:

*********

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

Gifts for Birds

{cross posted at the Unfettered Wood blog}

A couple of days ago I erected a birdie altar for some of my allies and set aside a part of it to represent the other feathered folk who visit us in our yard. Food and a clean source of water are always available to them, but I do get a little more ceremonious about it every once and a while.
American Robins eat berries, which of course can be difficult for them to find this time of year. I save most choke and pin cherries in our freezer after harvesting them {as you can see they are still frosty in the photo}. I have heard of people putting out grapes and other soft fruit for Robins too. Leaving out a big bird bath and keeping your yard a good environment for the creepy crawlies they eat are also good ways to make a welcoming environment for them. You can go to this website to see a list to get more ideas: Journey North: American Robins
Both Crows and Ravens are omnivores, so they will eat just about anything. They seem to really enjoy peanuts still in the shell so that is what I will often leave out for them. You can go to Crows.net & The Raven's Aviary to find out more about how you can make your outdoor space inviting to them.
If you are lucky like us and get all sorts of birds visiting you yard, then leaving out multiple feeders and piles of different seeds is a good idea. Some birds like to eat from the ground while other seem to prefer the feeders. Over the last little while I have gathered scraps of thread to leave out for the birds for their nests. Theresa Loe blogged a great idea on how to place the thread outdoors.

Sláinte!

Laurel

heisting {& hate}

I have been naughty and haven't posted anything for the Pagan Blog Project in a while. While I have had all these ideas on topics I wanted to write about, I haven't really been motivated to be honest. So here is a just-winging-it post {letter H}.

Heisting. The online Pagan community seems to be rife with it when it comes to lifting the works of others. Two situations in particular that stick out in my mind are this one and this one.

These two situations were balls-out theft. Their articles and artworks were posted on other sites being masqueraded as the work of the people who stole them. More often what I notice are people who don't properly cite sources and/or creators of articles and creative works that they are sharing.

So please people. Don't steal. Properly cite. It's called good manners and it only takes a little bit of extra time.

Another situation that has been going on recently surrounds Z Budapest and a song that she apparently wrote 40 years ago. I don't know if she owns the rights to the song or not. On her Facebook page she had posted:

Singing "We all come from the Goddess" should NOT BE rewritten. It is my intellectual property. it is NOT a folk song, which by the way is the fate of many composers whose songs are stolen. You steal my song from now will have consequences. You put men into the song, like God,a hex will be activated. I have found that people actually sell their wares with my song in the Title

It certainly would suck to have someone else take your song, profit from it without your permission or giving you proper credit. There is however, something in the above quote that made me do a double take. The whole cursing over men and god wording. But wait! It gets better!

but i have experienced women making up new words,attaching it to my song that NEEDS NO attachments. Have you ever heard a man writing a song about the gods, and then put females in it?? Never. So stop you generosity attacks with my songs, write an original. Men who had Mozart and Schubert amongst them,surely will come up with their own songs .

Women like to give away and include but please do it with your own intellectual property. I wrote that song for the Goddess worshipping women..

Then in a later post she states that she only wants people to sing it in the original version. I don't know how she is going to control that in private environments, save sending out a whole bunch of curses to take care of those dastardly men and class-trader women. I guess that is not an option though, since has claimed that the threat of hexing was all snark and no bite. Not the swiftest move on her part, making threats if she had no intention of carrying them through if need be.

It seems to me that she wants to protect her song more out of hate {in this case misandry, she is already known for her disgusting transphobia} than out of love for her song and religious/spiritual devotion.

Sláinte!

Laurel