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.