The 13 Nights of Yule

Here on the East Coast of the United States, December marks a time of great excitement in our home, and homes everywhere around us. The children get excited as they count down the days until we celebrate the Solstice, especially because Solstice Eve marks the start of our Yule celebration. In honor of the way the Solstice was celebrated a long time ago with the Yule fires burning for 13 nights, our family celebrates in a similar manner.

Now it isn’t quite feasible for us to keep a fire going over 13 nights, but candles are lit every night beginning on Solstice Eve. On the morning of the Solstice, we are up to watch the Sun’s return to the sky, bringing with it longer days. In the evenings, we gather in the room of our house that my children have dubbed “The Witch Room,” it is the room where the altar is set and our Yule tree is set. There we sit and tell Yule stories (a different one for each night), sing songs, light the candles on the altar and the candles on the Yule log (also on our altar), open gifts, and really cherish the time we have as a family. This is a time of togetherness with a lot of happiness and laughter. Like many other celebrations this time of year, we acknowledge and celebrate the light. We also take the time to recognize those other celebrations and talk about how they are similar to Yule, and how they differ. Imbuing a sense of understanding of other religions celebrations helps our children appreciate the interconnectedness of us all.

I mentioned gifts before. Yes, we do gifts and they sit under the tree. (Amazingly, we are ahead this year as the gifts are already wrapped!) Each night, the children receive a different gift. We spread this out for a few reasons; appreciation for what they receive, the ability to remember what they opened so they can thank the person that gave them the gift, and it cuts down on the chaos. This also gives us the ability to keep things simple. Too often, commercialism and materialism rule this time of year and children get so caught up in the shuffle of rush, rush, rush from house to house opening gifts and unable to remember what they received or where. It causes so much stress and the true meaning of this season is lost. So, when we say “a gift each night” there are different gifts. As a standard, the first night is a magickal gift (for example, a crystal), and then we go from there. We usually try to do a night of homemade items, a night where we give the gift of reading (a new book or each), something they need, something they want, sibling exchange night, etc. These nights also include a trip to visit grandma & grandpa. Some nights aren’t even gifts we open, but rather the “gift” of extra time together to play and do things we don’t typically get to do together as schedules are always hectic.

Since the 13 nights take us through New Year’s Day, we get to end our celebrations with as much fervor and excitement as we started them. The children are as excited to count down the hours to the New Year as they are to count the days until the Solstice. We spend a lot of time feasting, celebrating and baking. This year is especially exciting for our family, as the children know I saved the trunk of the Yule tree from last year to cut and make the Yule log for this year. This is the first year that we were able to do this, so the Yule log has an extra-special magickal meaning for our household.

While this is just a bit of insight into how our family celebrates, we know everyone has a different way of celebrating. So let the festivities begin and may the wonder and magick of the season be upon us! Have a very Blessed Solstice, Happy Yule, and Happy New Year!

BOOK REVIEW - The Organic Family Cookbook

Anni Daulter has done it again with her third book, "The Organic Family Cookbook!" Filled to the brim with 176 pages of yummy goodness, personal stories, inspiration and awesome ways to bring the family together. This book is truly unique.

Not only does Anni offer up incredible recipes, but she also discusses doing things like "greening" together ~ wherein you are basically teaching your children about being more eco-conscious and how to be more gentle on the earth. This is a very fresh and refreshing view on life which can bring you and your children to a heightened awareness and higher consciousness.

Once again Ms. Daulter brings forth the wonderful magic of organics and how much better locally grown, organically grown, and even self-grown are better for you. What better reward to your own cooking than getting to enjoy what you've cooked knowing that you have either grown it yourself or supported someone locally whose has ethically grown the food? I will admit that I do not always buy organic due to the sheer size of my large family, but I do find ways to bring in organics as we are able to do so. Working with the recipes inside this, and Ms. Daulter's other two books, "Ice Pop Joy" and "Organically Raised," I've been able to find ways to replace certain food items with an organic version or change up other dishes to make them more healthy.

There is quite more of an intimateness to this book than the previous two in that it truly is a "family" cookbook and brings in the experiences of the Daulter household. My own personal copy of this book has been flagged and tagged by my own children with recipes that they love, want to make, and want to eat again. I have found my own personal favorites. For nearly a week I found myself making and eating nothing but "Austin and Cameron's Pastrami Bleu Cheese Melt" for lunch. I think my husband thought I had rather lost my mind. But then again his favorites come in things like french onion soup and anything with pumpkin (these can be found in the book too!).

As I said this book is chock full of amazing yummy goodness. There are recipes that you may have never heard of with ingredients you hadn't thought to combine and there are super healthy twists on old favorites. Late last night, after a long day spent at the children's hospital with our youngest son, as much as I knew I should be sleeping, I couldn't help but make the banana bread recipe. It had been on my mind all day. The recipe was simple, quick and seriously yummy.

I highly recommend "The Organic Family Cookbook" to anyone and everyone who wants to break free of the mundane style of cooking and discover just how much fun you can have in the kitchen.

"One Nation, Under God..." Wait! Whose God is It Anyways?!

There are people out there whom would like to have us believe that the United States was founded as a Christian Nation. It wasn't. John Adams was quoted as saying, "The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." In 1813, Thomas Jefferson said, "History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. There are other notable quotables, but I find no reason to make this blog entry nothing short of a bunch of quotes.

There are people out there knocking on doors of all faiths, trying to spread "the word" and asking others to see things as they see them. For some, the idea may be tantalizing; for others, not so much. Every few weeks there are Jehova's Witnesses that stand on my doorstep asking for me by name. Every few weeks, I stand out there and talk to them. Why, you ask? Because my mother raised me better than to slam the door in someone's face because their faith is different from my own. Make no mistake, they know well my stance on religion. They don't cross that line, but we have a pleasant conversation for a few minutes and they ask me what I think about certain passages. They get an honest opinion. There are no terse words or lashing out with verbal swords; only good general conversation.

There are some real extremists out there who seem to think that Christianity is the only way and while they are going to their own "heaven," those of us of different faith should come out of the dark and into the light to receive Jesus Christ into our hearts. These are the same people that are out there trying to push an initiative called DC-40. They would want everyone to be just like them, a Christian nation. Unfortunately for them, there has been, and, in my opinion, will always be, a war among the Christian faiths. All Christian faiths verbally bash each other. One religion berates another to give the appearance of being the better and "correct" Christian faith. There are so many different versions of the Bible out there that it's dizzying. The Catholic Bible has seven extra books in it, called the Apocrypha. Apparently, the other Christian religions didn't necessarily care for them, so their versions of the Bible don't include them. And, what about the King James version. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Well, King James had that phrase added due to a personal fear. Umm, hello? Really? Yes, really. In the news recently, you may have read about the evangelical pastor, Rev. Jeffress, who is urging people to vote for Christians, not Mormons. Last time I checked, Mormons were Christian. And so the bashing, and lashing out, continues.

Of course, one would think that all of the bickering among the Christians to claim the "top spot" in the Kingdom of Heaven as the "almighty religion" would cause people to ignore them, right? WRONG! Like I said, there is a movement out there, an initiative, called the DC-40. They would have everyone pray ONE WAY, believe ONE WAY, and be ONE WAY. Are they aware of the 1st Amendment right that guarantees Americans the FREEDOM of Religion? Sure. They're aware. But hey, for them, you can be whichever faith you like, so long as it's Christian. These people won't go away. They are everywhere. They vote. They go out and talk to other people garnering support. They lobby for support. And just because you close you're eyes, they're not disappearing. This isn't a kid's game where you can close your eyes and believe that if you can't see it, it doesn't exist.

So, what does one do? A few months ago, a project was started by Pagans, called Hail Columbia, to remind America that our country was built on religious freedom. Their mission is to distribute information and coordinate events throughout the US to re-affirm our First Amendment rights for ALL PEOPLE. This isn't about looking out for Pagans, it's about looking out for the rights of all faiths, and doing what's right. I joined as a co-ordinator for the State of Delaware. I am happy to be a part of this group. While the project may be young, I see great things happening and greater awareness forming. On October 30, from noon until 5pm, there will be a ritual in Lafayette Square Park, Washington, D.C. to Celebrate the Divine Feminine and Religious Freedom as a protest to the DC-40 movement. While there are those of us who may not be able to attend, we can still join them through Spirit. Although I will not be in attendance, you can bet I will be invoking the Goddess during that time to assist in the efforts.

So, "One Nation, Under God..." Whose God? Whichever God, Goddess, or Divine Spirit makes the most sense for YOU, regardless of anyone else. The way I look at it, the use of the word "God" in this sense is like being pregnant going for an ultra-sound (or whatever else). The tech generally uses the word "he" just because.

A New Home for Cauldron FM

Time stands still for no man. Change is inevitable. This stands true in all things. For any of my followers who have children that listen to me on Raven's Circle, or tune in themselves to any of our broadcasts, on Cauldron FM, we are transitioning over to a new home. Cauldron FM, a division of Moonshadow Media, can now be found on Veetle! This is exciting news as we are now streaming 24/7. You can expect that our future shows will be found on this new site. Be looking for our other station Cauldron TV to move over from our youtube channel as well. This means you will be able to find our radio and tv broadcast in one convenient location! I am really excited and incredibly grateful to be a part of the Moonshadow Media family and look forward to our new home on Veetle help us reach so many more people around the globe.

For those that have heard Raven's Circle, be sure to look for me in future broadcasts on Cauldron TV as well!

Blessings to all!

Turning the Other Cheek

Now, I don't typically get on my blog and gripe. It's not my style really, and most definitely not the type of energy I choose to put out there. There does, however, come a time when one should voice their opinion about events that just don't sit right with the individual.

If you have never read my blog, then you don't know that I have a radio show. If you are reading my blog, you know now at least. The radio show is geared towards Pagan youth; nothing more, nothing less. Once a month I use activities and music for some great learning. The music I have garnered by directly contacting artists for their permission. Because I don't want negative repercussions, I keep all of the emails from those musicians. In contacting various people, I happen to be friends on FB with a musician who is a cousin of one of my good friends. This musician knows me through his cousin, and my ex-husband. His music I really enjoy, so I contacted him. The response I received back was enough to make me stumble backwards for a moment and regather my thoughts. The long and the short of it was that he said "no." Fine, enough said. Unfortunately, he took it a step further. I appreciate that he doesn't support Paganism, but to tell someone that you "find the idea of a Pagan children's show disturbing in itself" is a bit of a stretch and a bit uncalled for, in my humble opinion. Instead of responding out of anger, I took the higher road and thanked him for expressing himself honestly, but also let him know that he may have a misunderstood view of Paganism to call a radio show that he hasn't even listened to disturbing. After that, I let it go, although I will say that since February I have found it quite difficult to listen to his music. Believe it or not, of all the times I have put my iTunes on shuffle, not once have one of his songs played.

So, that was February. I moved on. So, towards the end of August, I received a message from a young someone who comes to me for advice, etc. This person has a friend who has recently found a Pagan path and was hoping I could give them some advice. I told this young someone to have this friend contact me via email or private message on FB. I received a message from that other young someone. In essence, as much as this person had been reading, they felt it was probably best to learn some things from an actual person, or at least seek advice and counsel. What this person wanted was a basic starting point. I ignored (stupidly) the gut feeling of saying talk to your parent first and gave some very basic advice as well as providing said young person with some great links for young Pagans. I was thanked many times. Apparently this young person never had a conversation with their parents because earlier this week I received a call from this person's mother. At the time I was grappling with a certain 16-month old of mine while trying to get ready for open house at one of my other kid's schools, so there wasn't much of a conversation. I was told to never speak to her daughter regarding a Pagan path again (funny it wasn't much of a conversation at all), and that the mother personally didn't hold the beliefs. About the only thing I could get out was "That's fine, but you need to understand that your daughter contacted me, NOT the other way around." She did acknowledge that she knew that. Personally, I wish she wouldn't have caught me so off guard and at a bad time. I would have liked to talk with this mom a little further to see what it truly was that bothered her so much. Was it really the religion thing? Or was it the fact that her daughter went seeking advice from someone other than her parents or a priest regarding her own feelings towards faith and spirituality? Maybe it was even just the fact that it was upsetting to find that her daughter's belief system was different even from her own. No matter what the real reason was, I hope that at least this discovery upon looking at her daughter's FB account will lead to an open conversation between them.

Parents, talk to your kids! Stay involved. Kids, especially you teenagers out there, talk to your parents. Open dialogue is important. Also, don't be so close-minded to think your religion is the only way out there. Being so stringent like that MAKES a kid go to someone else.

Lessons learned. It isn't always easy to be open and out regarding one's religion, particularly in a society that doesn't view your religion as mainstream. Fear brings out the worst in people. This doesn't mean that I will never ask another musician for permission to use their music, as I have continued to do so. That one musician was the only one that said no to having their music put out there internationally. Nor does this mean I will never speak to a young person again, but I will go with my gut feeling of asking if they have approached the subject with their parents. I can only be me. If my being a witch, and openly so, bothers you, then go the other way. While at first what you say to me may offend, I will still turn the other cheek and continue you on my path. I don't go door-to-door advertising my religion or trying to convert anyone. I don't believe in it. Personally, cramming a religion down someone's throat is against every fiber of my being. I may not care for certain religions as a whole, but that doesn't mean I don't have friends who are a part of those religions. Everyone has a path and while they may be different, if you get passed the surface, you will realize how very similar they may be to each other.

Diatribe over. There is no going backwards. Time stands still for no man. There is only moving forward and that is the direction I must go.

Crazy Weekend

Well it has been a crazy weekend here. My mom had a heart attack. She is currently in the hospital. They do not need to do surgery (good thing) and will just give meds for the pain. 19 years ago she suffered a heart attack and had 6-way bipass surgery. 5 of the 6 are still open, one is blocked. The surgery will do more harm than good they feel, which is why she will only get meds for pain instead. She also has a lot of confusion, even off of medication so a CT scan was ordered. While they are still looking for some answers, they were able to tell us that she has the beginning stages of dementia. While none of this truly stresses me out, it really only confirms things that I had already known. She should be home from the hospital in a few days.

Meanwhile, I am steadily trying to keep up with the kids, get ready for their camping trip, attempt to clean/organize my house, get things ready for back-to-school, etc. I think at some point today I'll just turn life off and take a nap.

Blessings until I can get back to the keyboard!

Move Over Cupcakes! There's a yummier treat in town!

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to do a blog review of the book Ice Pop Joy by Anni Daulter. Being that the days have been so hot, and I am not always a huge fan of giving my kids sugary snacks or desserts, I said yes. Let me tell you how happy I was to do so!

Ice Pop Joy is filled with amazing (and amazingly easy), yummy recipes for creating healthy desserts in the form of popsicles. I love frozen fruit bars, but never thought I could love popsicles made with vegetables. I have many fond memories as a child making popsicles from Juicy Juicy. Now, I am sharing these experiences with my own children, and, with Anni's book Ice Pop Joy, I can take it a step further and make it nutritious as well.

Now, not only will you find the recipes simple to follow, Anni Daulter has really taken the book a step further. She offers tips on getting your kids to eat healthy, gives an explanation of the different, healthier option sweeteners that are listed throughout the recipes, as well as, discussing about buying local and fresh. You will also find a breakdown of the different pop molds that are available to purchase from stainless steel to getting creative with something like a loaf pan. Ms. Daulter explains the equipment needed and also explains why. At the bottom of each page that features a recipe, you will find shopping tips, seasonal tips, booster (as in immunity) tips, or health tips. The end of the book lists out resources and references for items that may be a little harder to come by at your local market.

Recipe after recipe is filled with yummy goodness that you aren't going to find in the freezer aisle of your local grocery store chain. There aren't just recipes with fruit, or vegetables. There are recipes that have both, recipes that include tofu, soy milk, and even herbal teas. There is a recipe to fit practically every palate out there.

My kids and I had such a wonderful time with this book and making some of the different pops. What really makes me happy is knowing that what they are eating is good and good for them. There's no guessing what they might be ingesting or trying to decode the ingredient label on a box. I know exactly what it is they are eating because it was made at home.

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Popsicles created, or even inspired, from Ice Pop Joy beat out the world's best cupcake on any given day of the week, hands down. Having tried out recipes from this book, I went to the library and borrowed a copy of Anni Daulter's first book, Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers. All I can say is YUM!

My Latest Creation

Sometimes I wonder WHAT I was thinking when my daughter and my sister both convinced me I should have a table at the Delmarva Pagan Pride Festival this year, but I am definitely committed to it.

Having kids, a radio show geared towards Pagan children and just generally getting involved in my community (online and in-person) I really began to realize that our children can use spiritual guidance. I don't believe they are ever "too young" to be exposed to our faith & spirituality. I involve my children and they have just this incredible understanding.

In my home, we have a "family altar." Anyone is able to help by adding things to what is there. I also think personal altars are nice. With kids of varying ages, it became obvious to me that something simple should be used with younger children. So, I developed a children's learning altar cloth, complete with elemental goddesses and "markers," per se, for where candles would be placed.

The great thing about this is that the elementals can be moved and placed however needed. For example (in case I've lost anyone), if the place where you lay this cloth faces west, the elementals can be arranged so West is at the top, and all the others placed accordingly. Each elemental can also be picked up and held. This creates the perfect learning opportunity for children. Children can learn about each element with their parents and place anything they feel represents that element with it. By designing this learning cloth as such, I have also left plenty of room for personalization.

My younger children haven't seen this yet, but my oldest loves it. Everything was sewn by hand, so there is plenty of positive magickal intent in there! Now to make the other 17!

Well, I am off to continue working on my latest broadcast of Raven's Circle before heading to bed.

Have an Awesome Day!!!!

My 14 Month Old Boy, the Vegetarian...Almost

Having 6 children of varying ages, taste preferences, etc. can be a bit challenging when it comes to family mealtime. One needs to make sure that all palates are satisfied, but not compromise on healthy. It's not impossible, but can be interesting.

Enter Anthony, our now 14 month old son. He loves eating right alongside all of us. He loves fruits and veggies, although he is allergic to bananas; poor boy. We bbq quite a bit and so the kids love their hot dogs and hamburgers. Anthony used to eat hot dogs. He used to eat macaroni & cheese made from the box (when mom needs a quick fix for dinner sides). He used to eat chicken. Then, one day he stopped. He won't even touch them unless the chicken is a breaded chicken dinosaur and the mac n cheese needs to be made from scratch. The only beef he will eat is teriyaki beef jerky; long enough to chew the taste out of it, then he gives it to the dog. My son also hates cow's milk. Anytime I have attempted to give it to him, he takes a sip then looks at me like I've poisoned him.

Luckily, I am still breast-feeding him. However, nursing alone is no-where close to enough to sustain this boy. What does a mom do when her youngest decides he doesn't like meat or cow's milk? Oh, did I mention he doesn't really care for the taste of eggs either and I'm allergic to fish so I don't cook it? Enter the conundrum that is my household mealtime. I really started to think. What do I do? This kid HAS to eat. I give him all sorts of fruits and veggies; he loves to eat green beans straight from the garden, sometimes as I'm picking them. For a short bit, I panicked. Then, seeing this as a great thing, though seemingly hard in a family of meat eaters, I texted my best friend. She had me email her brother, while also providing me with sage advice. I love my best friend, she's awesome. I also messaged another friend and started researching.

After text messages, emails and Facebook messages, I finally felt better, almost. The advice and research helped greatly. The one thing I forgot was that I should trust my instincts, as well as my knowledge. Since he won't drink cow's milk, I bought a small container of vanilla soy to try out on him. Remembering that my daughter Sophia used to not be able to stomach cow's milk during the hot summer but always could drink soy milk came to mind. I also bought chocolate soy as there are kids in my house that love it. I used to use it as a special treat. Success!! He loves it! Next up, I bought tofu; extra firm to try frying up in the pan. My former mother-in-law used to cook up slices of it in soy sauce. I always loved it like that. I didn't break out the soy sauce, but, rather, bbq sauce. Pairing that with a side of peas and we have a yummy dish that he loved.

Prior to us realizing his absolute distaste for meat (mostly), I had picked up a couple of the Plum Tots squeeze pouches to have on hand for trips to the pool and such. Boy, did Anthony fall in love with them. The only thing I have to watch is the ingredient list. I didn't realize that the blueberry one with quinoa also had bananas. My poor baby's bum! Apart from that, I highly recommend them for on-the-go. I had one Peter Rabbit Organics pouch, but I knew it had bananas, so my oldest (she's 15 on Monday) and I ate that one. No wonder Anthony loves those squeeze pouches! Yummy!!!! I'm sure my kids will find at least the ones from Peter Rabbit popping up in their lunches every now and then.

So, here I am now, in a much better spot about my son's intolerance to meat. And you know what? I am so okay with it. Both my husband and I know that there isn't anything wrong with what he's eating, so we work meals around it. On nights when I know the main dish involves meat, I make a substitute for him. Otherwise, he eats what we have. Anthony is happy, I'm happy and so is everyone else. I did make sure my larger family all understand that he won't eat meat. My dad, whom I expected to maybe catch some flack from, was very supportive. He and my stepmom totally get it. My mother just said she didn't understand that, and it seemed strange to her. Ok, so my parents had the opposite reactions I thought. Live and learn.

For me, this is a great thing, a positive step to better health for the whole family, as we will all get to try out new foods that no one in our family may have ever thought to cook. And the best part? I have a new buddy to eat eggplant parmigiana with! Yay! Ok, ok, MAYBE I'll share with the rest of the family.

Summer's here already?!

Well, there goes half a year already! My how time flies. I truly can't believe how quickly the year has flown by. My oldest will be a sophmore in high school this fall and my youngest is 1 and walking EVERYWHERE!! I just can't believe how fast it's all happening.

So much has happened, and, yet, sometimes I feel as if nothing is happening.

I truly love being able to be at home each day with my children; watching them grow, helping them learn. It's an amazing thing to behold and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Most recently, the third installment of my radio show for Pagan youth, Raven's Circle, went up and is nearing 50 hits. I am very pleased with how people seem to have taken to the show. Having a "youth ministry" radio show is such a wonderful gift from the Goddess. I have been able to reach out and contact all sorts of people. I have met (virtually anyway) wonderful friends, and the path just keeps stretching further and further while I cartwheel right along.

My oldest, and my sister, have both encouraged me to open a booth at our local Pagan Pride Festival (http://www.bellbookandcandle.biz/Delmarva_Pagan_Pride.php), so I am steadily putting together my wares. Whew, what a lot of work I have ahead of me! I'm so totally excited.

Rites of Passage have been on my mind for some time now. A month ago, we celebrated our youngest son's Wiccaning. It was so wonderful. There probably aren't enough words to describe how awesome it was. Anthony was so quiet, taking in all of it. My other kids were well involved in the ritual. It was just ---- incredible. Below, is one of the pictures from that awesome, awesome day!

To make it even more wonderful, my family, whom are mostly Christian, were there and were able to see my religion first-hand for themselves. My father told me that he and my stepmother both kept remarking about just how wonderful the ceremony was. My father also told me that he could see just how peaceful and loving my religion is, and quite different and refreshing from the dogma of the religion I was raised under. Well, there went all the worry about needing to "hide" my true self, or a part of me. One of my nephews had asked his mother a question, to which he was directed, "why don't you ask your Aunt Bridget." The question was regarding my symbol of faith, what it was and what it represented. To have my family there, and being so open-minded even though unsure of what our ritual entailed, was quite a boost.

So, I think I've muttered on enough for now. If you haven't heard any of my radio shows, you can click on the links directly to the right.

Cheers!

Raven's Circle Episode 2

The second episode of Raven's Circle is up and available for listening here: Raven's Circle 2 220511. You can also access it via the link on my sidebar. I hope you and your children enjoy it!

Blessings!

The Everyday Goddess Project, Mother's Day & Shiori

Ok, so you may be wondering what do any of these things have in common. The answer, a lot. Celia Farran, a phenomenal musician whom I have had the wonderful opportunity to "meet" virtually wrote and recorded a song called The Everyday Goddess. She also recently announced a contest, by the same name and one of the ways to enter was to create a video submission set to the song of someone who is an everyday goddess. The winners will be picked and announced on Mother's Day, May 8, 2011.

For the last 11 years, May 8th has been celebrated by me as Shiori's (my eldest daughter) and my "Independence Day." This is a very important day for me as it was May 8, 1999 that I left Monterey, CA with a then 2 1/2 year old little girl. For those that knew me when I was younger, I have always been very full of spirit and happy. In 1993, while stationed in California, I met and, seemingly, fell in love with someone whom I thought felt the same about me. Unfortunately for me, this relationship was incredibly abusive both mentally and physically. As much as I knew I should leave, I was so beaten down that I couldn't.

Flash forward to July 18, 1996, my daughter Shiori was born. She was my world. That "spark" for life that I had always had was back again. During my pregnancy and even after she was born there had been no abuse. Shortly there after, it picked up right where it had left off. If it had only been me, and there was no Shiori (or any other child for that matter), I never would have left and wouldn't be alive to be sitting here typing this. I refused to raise my daughter in that type of environment. I had always been such a strong-willed person. Shiori re-ignited that flame inside of me that I had long ago let die. Like I said, I wouldn't raise her in that environment.

I won't get really in-depth with how I left, but the decision was made to leave on May 8, 1999. It was Mother's Day that year. That was 12 years ago. Because of the strength I found to walk away, the strength in me that my daughter helped me to re-discover, I am still here today. Shiori truly saved my life. Since that day we have struggled, triumphed, laughed, cried and lived. We have been able to share millions of smiles with friends and family and many amazing people.

While I might have many people to thank for helping us, the one I wish to honor this Mother's Day is my daughter. Thank you, Shiori, for being my light and helping me find the strength to persevere through "a living Hell" to be able to keep you safe. I love you very much and have loved watching you grow into the young woman you are becoming.

The video montage that I created is here: http://www.celiaonline.com/2011/04/30/everyday-goddess-video-–-shiori/ It will be up until at least Mother's Day.

Unfortunately, 3 minutes isn't quite enough time to put everything in that I could have, but I think it expresses it pretty well.

Being a victim of abuse is hard. Leaving is even harder. It takes much more strength and determination than staying and letting the cycle of abuse continue. I was lucky. I had a child that I refused to let grow up like that. She was my inspiration and saving grace.

May we all find the strength to carry on even when giving up and giving in is easier.

Ravens Circle Episode 1

Ravens Circle Episode 1 04/04/11

So, here it is, my new radio show on Cauldron FM! I am on my own working on a show for Pagan youth (and their parents). Since I am ordained, hubby calls this my youth ministry. I really enjoy this. Oddly enough, I really love the editing work too. I have never thought of myself as a radio type, but here I am doing radio. Since first starting out, first in a joint project, and now on my own, I have found so much joy and excitement in this. I'm also a totally unscripted type person, but even the writing for the show is exciting! My kids think it's cool that "mom's on the radio." My first broadcast of Raven's Circle went up on Monday, April 4, 2011. There have been many musicians I have contacted for permission to use their music, and, hopefully, many more to come. So, if you're a Pagan Parent out there looking for something for your kids, I hope you'll check out my show! Also, on the right-hand side of my blog you will see a listing of shows with links for Cauldron FM.

Cheers!

Ritual Tool Up for Grabs

In going through my magickal cabinets and chests, doing some Spring cleaning before Spring had even begun to show any signs of being near, I came across aritual tool that was purchased but never used. The only thing that I had ever done with it was open the box, read the info sheet provided and cleanse & charge this item. It is utterly beautiful, but in the few years that I have owned it, I have not once used it. I thought I would offer it up for sale here and if anyone wants this, or knows of someone that would, they can send me an email and I will provide the Paypal information.

This is a 100% handcrafted wand from Goldentree Wands. It has been handcrafted of 2 different woods, Desert Ironwood & Tulipwood. The stone in the handle of the wand is snowflake obsidian and a clear quartz tip is on the end. The handle also boasts a carving of a wolf's head. This is truly a magnificent piece. It comes with a COA as well as a description sheet of the 2 woods and 2 stones. I can not remember the exact length off the top of my head, but it's at least 12" in length.

For those interested, the sale price is $95 USD. This includes shipping. I would love to see this go to someone that would be able to use this, rather than it sitting in one of my magickal boxes. Again if you're interested, click on the "About Me" link on the side bar. This will take you to my profile where you can find a link for my email.

Thank you, and many blessings.

HAPPY OSTARA!!!

I have been absent as of recently. Life has been quite busy for us here at home in a good way! My radio show that I co-host, Moon Beat, has launched 2 very successful (IMHO) shows and the third is getting ready to be posted. I had a guest post go up on The Pagan Household. I think it came out rather nicely as well.

I just want to simply wish a very Happy Ostara to all who celebrate. To those who do not, Happy 1st Day of Spring! May your day, know matter what you do, be blessed with wonderful magick!

Blessings to All!

Busy, Busy Bridget!

I have been so busy recently. It's actually pretty crazy; almost like a whirlwind. But, everything is working out wonderfully. I am reaching out to people and really feel like I am making a difference. It's quite the refreshing feeling!

First of all, Pagan Moonbeams is really doing wonderfully. I have really come a long way with them since picking up as an editor in Aug 2008. From there I began writing, but only for the special needs or, as I like to call it, the Special Pagans section. I expanded what I was taking on by then adding flash cards of ASL signs to be used within the e-zine. After taking a short break, I came back to continue with Special Pagans and began writing for the teen section. The short stories I have been using, my oldest daughter has convinced me to put into book form. Needless to say, it looks like I will be putting together a book with an expanded version of the stories I have been writing. I also started writing a section called Making the Connection and have also picked up the Parent Page with Raven's Note to Parents. The amount of readers we have and the dedicated writers, editors and artists is wonderful! We are totally volunteer, but I love what we do!

Next off, the founder of Pagan Moonbeams, TristA, and I have started a Pagan children's radio show on Cauldron FM entitled Moon Beat. Our radio show has been posted for only a week and in just a few days has received a great amount of hits/listens and the comments left so far have been fantastic! We are currently putting together our next show and I, personally, can't wait for it to air. I am looking forward to working with Cauldron FM and Moonshadow Media for a long time. If you haven't already checked out our radio show, feel free to pop on over to Cauldron FM's site and check us out. You can leave a comment to and let us know what you thought. We are also looking for music to be used on the show, so if you or someone you know is a musician that may have music we can use, shoot me an email at raven'at'paganmoonbeams'dot'com. I'd love to hear from you. I would like to thank those that have already given me permission to use their music. The addition of your music to our show is immeasurable. It means quite a lot to me and I thank you all.

Third, and remember that none of these are in any particular order, is a guest post that I just had go up on The Pagan Household blog. It is a collective group project, spearheaded by Pagandad, Patrick McCleary. I am greatly honored to be a part of this collective of people writing on this blog. The articles found here are sure to fit any number of Pagan Homes, those with and without children.

Last, but certainly not at all least, was an award I received from Delaware School for the Deaf last Tuesday evening. I, as well as other members of the Family School Association, was recognized at the district board meeting last week and received the "Salute to Excellence" Volunteer Award. It means a great deal to me to receive such an award. It is important to me to be able to be involved in my children's future and their schooling. While having 6 kids means choosing one school and sticking with it, I have found that DSD has been the most welcoming and they do the most phenomenal job at including the entire family in their activities. All of my children have enjoyed activities there on countless occasions and look forward to more.

So, I am feeling very blessed right now as the pieces have really been falling into place for me. The turning point for me was my husband, Jimmy. Reuniting with him a few years back has been wonderful for both of us. I love him so much and he really pushes, in a good way, me to keep going and keep striving to reach higher. He has really given me the wings to fly.

Well, I had better get going as there is still much to do.

Blessings to All!

Hello February!

Can anyone believe that it's February already? Yikes! Where did January go? Didn't we just start this year? Funny how fast a month can slip right through your fingers, especially when you're a busy person.

So, to begin : HELLO, FEBRUARY!!!!

We are halfway to Spring and the kids are home due to "deteriorating road conditions" aka ICE. So, while some people around me(not in our house) are probably going nuts at the kids being home again, we are going to make the best of it.

Tomorrow is a holiday for us Pagan folk, so today the kids and I will be making some candles to bless tomorrow. Being that I am working on getting everything ready for my son's Wiccaning, I will most likely be making a very special candle for that day as well. Then they will be set out for blessing tomorrow. My two younger girls and I will be making construction paper crowns with candles for them to wear. I think my older daughter and I will make (or attempt to make anyway) a "snow" candle since this year there seems to be plenty of that on the ground for us.

If I can swing a trip to the store (depends upon the roads) we will be making some butter. I will say that having a baby has definite perks since I have plenty of baby food jars that all the kids can try their hand at this. Of course, if I can swing a trip to the store, lamb stew will be back on the Imbolc menu for tomorrow evening. Yum yum! If not, I have a seasoned turkey breast for the slow cooker, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese and corn on the menu. Either way, it's going to be yummy.

I do so love this time of year as snow is on the ground, and while it seems so cold out, Spring is only just around the corner.

That's all this rambling witch has for today. Wishing everyone a most blessed day!

2011 - Off to a Great Start!!

Well, just a short post this morning. It is snowing here on the East Coast. Everything is beautiful as the Earth seems to sleep in quiet repose. So now that my coffee has kicked in, it has allowed me the opportunity to reflect on how wonderful this year is starting off.

I am continuing to write for Pagan Moonbeams, an online e-zine that I truly love. I am also starting a book based off of a short story (or a few of them really) that I wrote. My teenage daughter loved the first story and asked me to expand upon it. She's even offered to illustrate. Love that girl! I am hoping to have that done in 2011. I'll have to keep posted on the details.

I have been asked to help on 2 projects as well this year. Both projects are more faith-based (path-based) and quite uplifting. I really am so very excited about both. The first one, I will be guest blogging, for now, on The Pagan Household. This is a wonderful project started by PaganDad and he has invited some of us to assist. This blog just started and I think will be a wonderful asset to the Pagan community. I am truly thankful that he has invited me to join in with such other wonderful people. The second project is about to launch, but we are still in process with it. When we are closer to release, I will give more updates and greater detail. I will say that this will be, in my opinion, a great resource for Pagan children and I look forward to much success.

I also have some things in the works in a more business-minded way for this year as well. I expect things to be slow at first, but I am taking my time in bringing things forward. I love being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), but I do feel the "pull" to do other things as well, provided I am still able to take care of the most important people and things in my life. So as I am gathering things about and they come to fruition, I'll post the information here with links and pics.

I really am so very fortunate and blessed and can really feel a complete energy shift towards a more positive future. 2011 has started out wonderfully and I am excited to start this year out on such a great note!

Blessings!

Happy New Year!

Happy First Monday of 2011!

Looking over the last year, there has been much that has happened on such a positive note.

We moved into a wonderful home, just perfect for our family.

I became a legally ordained High Priestess.

I got married to someone I totally love and can be "me" around.

Our son was born, making him the 5th child I've given birth to and number 6 overall.

I was able to quit my job to be a full-time SAHM.

I returned to writing and helped bring back the newsletter I absolutely love.

I had an uneventful surgery leading me to no longer be in pain (always a plus!).

I survived the holidays. As stressful as things have been, neither myself nor my husband (and oddly enough my oldest child too) were in a super "holiday" type mood.

I attended an awesome open ritual for Yule, the Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse. The experiences I took away from there will never be forgotten and there was a profound effect on me for the better.

I have dropped weight that I haven't been able to drop for some time now. I've never been overweight, but I never cared for the numbers on the scale. I now weigh around what I weighed 15 years or so ago and wear the same size I wore back then too.

And most important of all, my family continues to be happy, healthy & loving life!

Here's to an even more bountiful 2011!