Day after Holidays

Well both Yule and Christmas have passed and I still feel sick. I hate having colds but well.. who doesn't. Yule sadly passed without an event. I spent most of the day baking with my mother which was nice. Since we're living with my parents and I have to keep my spiritual practice under wraps I don't really get to celebrate. I watched some videos on YouTube about yule and thought about the lengthening of days for a little bit, but that was about it.

Christmas was a much bigger deal, I'm okay with that though. I usually see Yule as the spiritual celebration of the turn of the wheel and "Christmas" as the secular, partying, gifting, family get-together celebration (kind of like Saturnalia). I got a new Jewelry Box (which I wanted), some candy, a reed diffuser (cinnamon and nutmeg, yum!), a ceramic travel mug with a quote from Mother Teresa on it, "Peace Begins With A Smile" so very true, a travel nail kit (always useful) and an angel key chain. I'm not really into angels, but it's pretty and it's the thought that counts. We had a fabulous brunch and spent the day relaxing. All in all it was a pretty good day. I ended up falling asleep for a two hour nap, but mostly because I'm sick.

So how about everyone else. Who celebrates just Yule, just Christmas, or both? What did you do to celebrate?

On a small side note January 13th is getting closer! Has everyone checked out the Witchy Reading Challenge Tab? If you haven't check it out, and check out Pagan Culture for a button.

Snow

Loreena Mckennitt - Snow

For some reason we still don't have snow here, so if you're like me and wondering where the white stuff is maybe this song will be a nice little retreat to the Winter wonderland you've been waiting for.

Off of her Winter Garden Album this song is perfect for listening to early on a Yule morning before everyone else is up. Perhaps while sipping a mug of cinnamon hot chocolate and watching the return of the Oak King in the sunrise.

Blessed Be the longest night and Blessed be the return of the Sun!

Beauty Magick

My amazing husband just allowed me to frivolously spend $25 on cosmetics from E.L.F because until midnight they offer free shipping. For those of us on a budget they have an essentials line with most of the items being $1.

There's something I've kind of mentally been toying with for the past few weeks and I figured now was the perfect time to talk about it. As Witch's we try to find the divine and magickal in the mundane, well for us ladies what about our cosmetics?

Isn't it funny how a mascara
applicator is called a wand.

 Make-up comes in a variety of shades and scents (you can chime in on the magickal correspondences at any time). For those worried about it being too far removed from nature they even come in a wide array of organic and natural varieties.

Using make-up as a magickal tool can open us up to amazing opportunities. As I considered this concept I thought of the way that make-up may fade throughout the day, perhaps that could symbolize releasing our intentions into the universe. We could use it to attract anything from a mate to a better financial situation. We could use it in various self-respect/love/confidence rituals. The possibilities are endless.

You can even make your own cosmetics at home! How exciting is that, and just think of the possibilities for adding intentions and tailoring the ingredients for your magickal purposes! Here are some sites to get you started.
How to make your own makeup at home
How to make makeup
Do it yourself cosmetics
MakingCosmetics.com

If you have an idea for a way make-up could be used for a magickal tool, or have already done this yourself leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Noon of the Solstice

Damh the Bard- Noon of the Solstice

With Yule being only 4 days away here's another song to get us all in the holiday spirit!

I absolutely adore Damh the Bard and am actually a little disappointed in myself that it took me this long to share one of his songs.

This was the first song of his I heard and since then I've been hooked on his music.

This song would actually be perfect for either the Winter or Summer Solstice but the first time I heard it was Winter time so that's always what I've associated it with.

Enjoy!

Angry Energy

Have you ever had one of those days where it seems like everything makes you angry. Every little noise grates on your nerves and everything everyone does rubs you the wrong way. You feel the fire in your brain and nothing you do will cool it down.

Today has been one of those days for me. I woke up with this feeling of just... frustration. All I want is to be left alone in a quiet room with my thoughts. Something that's not really possible when your at home ALL day long with a three year old, by yourself.

Don't get me wrong I love my son. He means the world to me, and I'm proud to be a stay at home mom. There are just some days where I NEED to be alone. Taking that time would be easy if I could control when I needed it. If I could just pencil in like any other appointment, ah yes I think the 3rd will be a perfect day for one of my bleak moods. Russel has the day off and I can spend an hour or so by myself.

I don't necessarily dislike being in a bad mood. For me it's actually therapeutic. I feel like we get so caught up in positive energy that it gets stale. Every once in a while it's nice to just release the dams and allow the flow of negativity to wash over me. It's like a biting wind, or a crashing wave. It's startling, and abrasive and leaves you feeling out of breath and frightened, but when it's all over you feel cleansed. All of the proverbial cobwebs have been knocked down and you're ready to accept new positive energy.

I've found that the same thing is true in my marriage. If things are too pleasant for too long it begins to feel less genuine. We build up these layers of sweetness and light until we find ourselves in these artificial cocoons of generic happiness. Finally one of us loses their temper and we argue about something for hours. We fight, we cry, we yell, and then at the end we realize how silly the whole thing was. Somebody will crack a bad joke, and we'll both laugh, then we'll snuggle up next to each other, kiss, apologize, and have fantastic sex.

I don't know if this is how everyone feels or if it's just me. I'm a creature of duality and I need balance in my life. Balance to me means accepting both the good and the bad, dark and the light. Luckily I've found someone that accepts me for me and benefits as much from my quirks as I do.

I feel sorry for Adrian as he's had to put up with my less than warm and fuzzy self alone. How do I make these days more manageable? Are there any other stay at home parents with some good ideas for coping with these feelings? Whether they be mystical solutions or otherwise any and all advice is welcome.

Hooray for PBS

I have always loved Jim Henson from the time I was very young. All entertainment associated with the Henson family (in my eyes at least) has succeeded at being both fun and educational in a way that not only kids but parents can enjoy. They have always been ahead of the times in the case of diversity, equality, and keeping up with current events.

If any of you have young children who watch PBS you may have seen an adorable little show called Dinosaur Train. It's about a young T-Rex named Buddy who's adopted into the Pteranodon family. Him and his family travel the world on the Dinosaur Train to learn about different species of dinosaurs and even travel back and forth in time. It teaches children about the beauty of being different (all dinosaurs have different features) it helps you to learn about natural history and even some silly yet important issues such as everybody poops. Lets not forget that at the end of every episode Dr. Scott appears to tell everyone the facts and to help dispel any of the pretend information that was shown in the show for extra entertainment.

Today I have yet another reason to love this show and Jim Henson. The Pteranodons celebrate the Solstice! Now obviously Dinosaurs did not celebrate the holidays but it shows that the Solstice was around before man and gives children a taste for another reason for the season. Thank you Dinosaur Train and PBS.

Success!

This will possibly be my last update in the case of Ms Stephanie Turner and her son. For those of you who weren't aware young Christopher was singled out not only by his teacher but by his bus driver. He was told his faith wasn't a religion and was told not write about it during a class project that discussed the origins of Christmas. His bus driver who overheard a conversation between Christopher and his other Hispanic friends gave Christopher in school suspension and was told to no longer speak in a language that he (the driver) couldn't understand. The other children however were not spoken too. After many attempts to contact the school it would seem that she was being ignored.

Thankfully due to the enormous support from the Pagan community a task force swooped in and positioned themselves as mediators and representatives of the family. Recently a statement was released to update everyone on the progress of the situation.

Statement from Bowdon Elementary School, Carroll County School District, and members of the Turner Family Support Task Force as represented by Lady Liberty League, North Georgia Solitaries, Covenant of the Goddess, Dogwood Local Council, and Circle Sanctuary:

The Turner Family, Task Force, and School District want Bowdon School to be a positive, supportive environment which fosters the emotional ...and educational growth of all students.

With education, cooperation, and open dialogue, all things are possible.

At times, a lack of life experience and/or other circumstances can make it difficult to perceive how words and actions might cause offense or upset. The parties involved acknowledge that words and deeds can be hurtful even without the intent of making them so.

In an effort to reach a positive and collaborative resolution to recent events, an alliance of the parties involved has come to pass which will set the stage for future education for school staff, students, and parents on the topic of equality and respect for all students and families in the Carroll County School System.

First, a sincere apology for recent events and misunderstandings has been given by School Administration and accepted by the family.

Second, the Bowdon Elementary School guidance Counselor will educate staff and students about honoring and accepting the differences that make us individuals.

Third, procedures have been put in place to ensure classroom activities don't alienate students. As part of this, the administration and teachers will have yearly training about the District's Code of Ethics and the responsibilities of each staff member to preserve the integrity of every students' rights.

We appreciate the hard work and open dialogue of all the parties involved to create this positive resolution. The Turner children will return to school. The Carroll County School District will continue to strive to be a place that fosters the emotional and educational growth of all students regardless of religion, race, national origin, gender or disability.

Stephanie Turner appeared in the first part of Pagan Warrior Radio's Tuesday night show hosted by Selena Fox and Pamela Kelly. The show is available on i-Tunes for free download.