Thankful Thursdays………
Merry Meet friends. What a week I have had…and one that I am most thankful for. First I want to express my sorrow for all the victims of the tornados that have ripped through Joplin, MO, Oklahoma, and various other towns. So many lives lost and homes and businesses destroyed. Truly a very sad time. I pray for everyone affected by the devastation and loss of loved ones. Blessed Be…….
One of the things I am thankful for this week is that my family and friends here in our area are all ok after we had some bad storms come through both on Monday evening and again on Wednesday evening. There were tornado touchdowns in more then one place, huge hail that caused a lot of damage, high winds and heavy rain. We escaped basically unscathed and for that I am most grateful. I have a healthy respect for what our Mother Earth can do..she is all powerful and her storms were mighty. Again, I am just most grateful that at least in my area, everyone is all right.
The thing I am most grateful for this week..is during those tornados and storms on Monday evening..my grandson, Charlie Matthew was being born! He came in crying to the world at 9 lbs 1 oz..21 inches long…and gorgeous! A big beautiful boy! He has dark hair and dark eyes right now but not sure that it’ll remain that way. He looks sooo much like his big sister Lily that is it uncanny. My daughter was amazing all day as well. She was so calm and happy and handled it all like a mother goddess. I was so proud of her. Our whole family is thrilled with our new little guy and I am most grateful that both him and my daughter are healthy and that all went perfectly. I am one happy Nana! Oh, and he has barely cried since. He is so calm, quiet, peaceful and adorable! Such a good baby. 🙂 We have been most blessed by him and I am so lucky to be able to watch him grow, to help guide him as a grandparent, to love him….just as I did my own girls and my darling granddaughter who came just 2 years before him. I really love being a Nana..it brings me great joy!
“What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.” ~Rudolph Giuliani
I am thankful for our friends including all of our facebook family who were so supportive and excited right along with us. You all made our journey even more fun and more meaningful….you all showed much love and it’s something my daughters and I especially are very grateful for. We felt your love, your prayers, your positive energy you sent to Kate and baby (and myself) along the way. It was wonderful! Thank you so much!
I am thankful for:
-Being with my daughter as she gave birth
-For the staff at the hospital who were so great.
-For family and friends who brought in good food for all of us at the hospital
-For my sister and hubby and our home care nurses who took care of Sara and our house while I was busy helping Kate and Matt.
-For diet root beer which I missed for 3 days LOL
-For coffee in the morning
-For the weather being cool enough to open windows today
-For a nice holiday weekend coming up..weather looks great
-For finding some new summer shirts that I like
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow!” –Melanie Beattie
Finding things to be grateful for is again, part of my path as a pagan and a witch. I feel that finding things everyday to be thankful for makes my life more complete, happier and makes me feel content with what I have…and not worried about what I don’t have. Right now…I have a most wonderful life and no complaints. I hope that you all can say that you have that too. Don’t get me wrong..there are some problems too..even big ones. But I always feel the good outweighs the bad…the glass is half full so to speak. I am most blessed in many ways. What is blessing your life today?
Love and Light, Autumn
Filed under Daughters, Family, Granddaughter, Grandson, Mother Earth, Photography, Quote, Thank You!, Thankful Thursdays
Litha Recipes……
Merry Meet friends! I hope you are all having a wonderful Spring so far. Our Spring has been on of the rainiest ones I can remember in a long time. Cool weather and rain and gloom much more then sunshine this year. But the last 3 days have been sunny, summer-like and wonderful! I have soaked it up as best I can. Its the kind of weather you want to sit on the porch, work in your garden, take a walk, go get ice cream, read a book under a shady tree, watch the sun rise with a cup of coffee, and watch it set with a glass of wine. I love this weather. Tonight though, the storms came back and the next few days it’s going to rain again.
I don’t really mind the rain as I’m going to be very busy. My grandson, Charlie Matthew, is going to be born sometime tomorrow! My daughter will be induced early in the morning..doc says it’s time and so does Kate. I can not wait to hold the little guy in my arms, see what he looks like, pray that he is healthy, and welcome him into our family. We feel so blessed and we all can’t wait for Lily to meet her new little brother. I pray to the Goddess for an easy delivery and a healthy, bouncing baby boy. We are all so excited!
I was thinking about Summer and decided to go ahead and post my recipes for Litha tonight for you. Remember in my Countdown to Litha post..I talked about the correspondences for food for the Solstice. Fresh fruits…especially citrus and in-season fruits, all vegetables, summer squash, honey, fresh herbs like thyme and lavender, pumpernickel bread, ale and mead were all on the list of yummy foods that represent Litha. I found and have some wonderful recipes ..hope you like them!
Stawberry Lemonade
*1 pint small strawberries, hulled and halved
*A few sprigs fresh mint
*1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
*6 cups water
*12 lemons, juiced
Directions
Add the berries and mint to a glass pitcher and smoosh (LOL yes that is a term ) with a wooden spoon.
In a saucepan add the sugar, to taste, and 2/3 cup of water. Cook over medium
heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the strawberries.
Stir in the lemon juice and fill the pitcher with the remaining water. Chill or pour over ice and serve.
Mushroom Appetizers
*1 jar mushroom slices
*½ cup Hellmans mayo
*1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
*Small can French fried onions
*Cocktail sized pumpernickel bread
*Dash of salt
Mix ingredients well except for bread. Spread mix on bread slices.
Bake at 350* until Mixture is brown and bubbly….
Orange-Spinach Salad
*1 tablespoon orange marmalade
*1 lemon
*1/4 extra-virgin olive oil
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper
*2 to 3 cups fresh spinach
*2 to 3 cups arugula
*1 orange, peeled and thinly sliced into discs
*1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
*1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
Directions
In the bottom of a shallow salad bowl, combine the marmalade with the juice of 1 lemon then whisk in extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss greens with
oranges and onions and season with salt and pepper. Top with hazelnuts.
Autumn’s Greek Pasta Salad
*1 lb bag tri-colored pasta or pasta of choice, cooked, drained and cold
*1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
*1 -2 tomatoes..cut into small cube
*1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
*1/2 – 1 cup crumbled or cubed feta cheese
*1/2 cup sliced black olives
*salt and pepper to taste
*a bottle of italian or greek dressing or homemade if you have it.
Mix all ingredients well. You may have to add more dressing after it has chilled as pasta will absorb it.
*this is a light and delicous salad..a favorite at our house!
Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing
*2 cups plain yogurt
*2 tablespoons good honey
*1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean, optional
*1/2 orange, juiced
*1 banana, sliced
*1/2 pint fresh blueberries
*1/2 pint fresh raspberries
*1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
*1 bunch seedless green grapes, halved
Directions
Combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and set aside
Combine the orange juice and banana slices in a separate large bowl. Add the berries and grapes and gently mix the fruit mixture together.
Spoon the fruit into serving bowls and top with the yogurt.
Glazed Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas
*2 pounds carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
*1 pound sugar snap peas, ends trimmed and cut into three strips lengthwise
*2 tablespoons butter
*3 tablespoons honey
*2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
*salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook carrots 1 minute, add peas and cook another minute. Drain under cold running water to stop cooking. In a large skillet heat butter with honey over medium high heat until honey is melted and runny. Stir in1 tablespoon lemon zest and lemon juice. Add carrots and peas and cook until they appear glazed about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with remaining lemon
zest.
Balsamic Glazed Butternut Squash
*1 (20-ounce) package peeled cubed butternut squash
*2 tablespoons honey
*1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
*1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
*3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix to coat the squash.
Place squash on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until
the squash is tender and brown about 30 to 35 minutes making sure to turn the squash after 15 minutes.
Grilled Balsamic Chicken Breasts
*1 pound chicken breasts
Marinade:
*1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
*1/4 cup olive oil
*2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
*1 teaspoon dried thyme
*5 cloves roasted garlic
*1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Wash the chicken and pat dry; cut diagonal slits across the chicken breast (about 1/4-inch thick), this allows the marinade to penetrate the meat; place into a resealable plastic bag.
Combine all marinade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour the marinade into the plastic bag with the chicken and seal, removing as much air as possible. Let sit in the fridge 1 hour.
Preheat the grill to the medium setting; spray the grill grates with cooking spray (while standing back!). Put the chicken on the grill; cook for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once; chicken is done when juices run clear.
Honey-Lavender Biscotti Recipe
*2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*2/3 cup granulated sugar
*3 large eggs
*3 tablespoons honey
*1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*2 tablespoons orange zest
*1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Lightly grease
three baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs to a light lemon color; stir in honey, vanilla extract, orange zest, and lavender blossoms. Sprinkle dry ingredients over the egg mixture; fold in until the dough is just combined.
To shape the dough into a log, lightly sprinkle flour on the work surface, on top of the dough, and on your hands. Use just enough flour to form the logs and to prevent sticking; you don’t want the logs to be covered with flour. Divide dough into six equal pieces. With your hands, pat and shape each piece into a loaf approximately 3 inches wide, 7 inches long, and 3/4-inch high. Place two rolls onto each prepared baking sheet with 3 to 4 inches of space between them.
Bake 25 minutes or until dough pops back up when lightly pressed with a finger.
(After dough has baked 10 minutes, reverse cookie sheets from front to back and
move from the top rack to the bottom one. Repeat this again after another 10
minutes). You can’t judge the cooking by the color. The biscotti shouldn’t
change color during the second baking, so poke them to tell if they’re done.
They should feel dry and offer some resistance. Remove from oven and cool 10
minutes on a wire rack.
Reduce oven to 275 degrees F. Using a long serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into
1/2-inch thick slices. Turn the slices over, onto their sides; return slices, on baking sheets, to oven. Bake another 15 minutes. NOTE: Do not crowd the biscotti slices on the baking sheet for their second baking as they need the hot air to circulate to enable them to crisp up evenly. Remember biscotti will continue to crisp up, as they cool, so do not be tempted to over bake. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks. Store biscotti in an airtight container. They will keep well for a few weeks.
Yields about 54 biscotti.
*These are not quite as complicated as they sound..and worth the effort 🙂 You’ll love them!
All these recipes are so summery, fresh, some are very healthy and full of good stuff from the garden and all the foods suggested for Litha. Now obviously you may not fix all of these THAT day but you will want to make all of them at different times over the Summer. The pasta salad is great with burgers and corn on the cob. The Summer squash great with the chicken. Have your girlfriends over for strawberry lemonade, mini tea sandwiches, fruit salad and honey-lavender biscotti. Add grilled chicken to the orange -spinach salad and you have a meal right there 🙂 Yummy!! Make your Summer Solstice extra special this year by serving up fresh, light food for your family! Bon Appetit!
“What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.” — Gertrude Jekyll
Blessings and Light, Autumn
*Sources..my kitchen and the internet. All pics from the internet.
Countdown to Litha……
Merry Meet my friends! This last couple of days here in Ohio have been really wonderful! Very warm, rains coming and going, everything is so green, flowers are blooming…. it’s starting to feel like Summer! I actually had to turn on the A/C..yep…it was that warm 🙂 My ferns are now hanging on the porch and I’m pulling out the summer cushions and pillows tomorrow for the porch as well. My hubby has our new shed mostly painted..it’s sooo cute….and we will finally be planting our flowers this next weekend. This week I’ll buy my new patio pots..big ones!….and will transplant my herbs that I grew from seed outside as well. We are spending more time outside now that the two full weeks of rain is gone and I’m looking forward to getting Summer started!
The Summer Solstice..or Litha is June 21st this year. I love the Summer Solstice..the longest day of the year!
“Nights are warm, and stars shimmer in the sky like a blacktop road in the noonday sun. Roses spill over garden gates, heavy with bees and perfume; field and forest are lush and teeming with life. Faerie-folk gather in the woodland glades, and frolic beside moss-banked streams; the fires of summer burn green and gold, and everywhere there is high magick afoot!”…………………..Michele Morgan “Simple Wicca”
Isn’t that the most delicious description of Summer…I couldn’t improve on it so I quoted it.
Summer Solstice, Litha or Midsummer’s Eve..whatever you call it…. means that the Sun God is at his strongest, the height of his reign, but now He begins his decline, as the days give way in the coming months to darkness. The Goddess is now pregnant with His child. The Earth’s bounty is in full swing…gardens are growing, everything is green and lush, trees and shrubs are fully bloomed. Animals are scurrying, enjoying the warmth and Sun but at the same time..collecting food for the winter. Litha is a fire festival! It is also when the realm of the Fae is most astir. Faerie magick is about! It’s a time to romp with the faeries! Put out gifts of food and libations for the faeries. Fresh milk or cream, butter, wine, cakes, and honey are all much desired sustenance in the realm of Faerie. Gifts of coins, ribbon, or colorful stones are also fancied. Leave your offerings in the garden, near a stream or pond, or beneath a tree in your woods or yard.
In ancient Norse countries, the people celebrated the battle between the Oak King (God of the waxing year) and the Holly King (God of the waning year). Of course, the Holly King wins, for it is he who will reign until Yule, when he gives way to the rebirth of the Child of Light, the baby Oak King.
Handfastings, or Pagan marriage ceremonies, are commonly held at Midsummer. Hum..I wonder if that’s where the June Brides come from? Spells of transformation and purpose are often done on this Sabbat. Other customs include lighting a ritual bonfire, sprinkling it with magickal herbs, and dancing round the flames, asking for the blessings of health and prosperity. Harvest your magickal herbs on Midsummer morning, and hang them to dry for use in spellwork in the coming months. Catch a jar of fireflies, whose green glow represents faerie fire deep in the heart of the forest. Make wishes upon the tiny creatures, and then release them to carry your wishes to the Goddess.
Litha Correspondences
*Element-Fire
*Threshold-Evening/Dawn
*Symbolism-Crowning of the Sun God, death of the Oak King, assumption of the Holly King
*Symbols/Tools/Decorations-The Sun, oak, birch & fir branches, sun flowers, lilies, fire, seashells, summer fruits and flowers, sun wheel, sun dials, circle of stones, bird feathers, Witches’ ladder, love amulets.
*Herbs-Anise, mugwort, chamomile, rose, oak blossoms, lily, cinquefoil, lavender, fennel elder, Mistletoe, hemp, thyme, nettle, wisteria, vervain, St. Johnswort, rue, fern, wormwood, Pine, heather, yarrow, oak & holly trees.
*Incense/Oils-Heliotrope, saffron, orange, frankincense, myrrh, wisteria, cinnamon, mint, rose, lemon, lavender, sandalwood, pine.
*Colors-Blue, green, gold, yellow, red.
*Crystals/Stones-Lapis lazuli, diamond, tiger’s eye, all green gemstones.
*Customs/Activities- Bonfires, all night vigil, singing, feasting, herb gathering, handfastings, rededication to the Lord and Lady, beginning of the harvest, honoring the Sun God and the pregnant Goddess.
*Foods-Honey, fresh vegetables, lemons, oranges, summer fruits, summer squash, ale, mead, Pumpernickel bread
*Gods-Father Sun/Sky, Oak King, Holly King, Arthur, God is at peak power and strength.
*Goddesses-Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Venus, Aphrodite, Yemaya, Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, All Goddesses of love, passion, beauty and the Sea, Green Forest Mother, Great One of the Stars
*Spellwork/Rituals-Nature spirit, fey communion, divination, love and protection, rededication of faith, rites of inspiration, nurturing, relationships, fire.
Every year, at Midsummer, I do two things. I re-dedicate myself to my faith. It is a ritual I look forward to and doing it outside, on the longest day of the year, when the night is warm, fireflies are about, faeries are flitting, the Moon is shining….it connects me to the Goddess in a most amazing way! The other thing I do is to make up a new witches protection bottle and my outdoor protection talismans, salt circle etc. I usually do this on the Full Moon in June. Again, it’s all about being outside and really connecting my magick to the Goddess. Of course a bonfire will be going at the same time and I’ll have something cool and fruity to drink 🙂 Then I will just sit under a tree, feel the warmth of the Earth beneath me, and just appreciate the humming of life going on all around me. It’s magick!
So it’s time to think about this wonderful Sabbat coming soon and really plan for a fun, outdoor celebration! Future posts will include recipes, my altar, ritual etc…just like I always do 🙂 If all you do is have a bonfire and have your family or friends over for a cook-out..you are celebrating! On the Solstice night, watch the Sun go down! Consider the re-dedication, I can’t tell you how great you’ll feel afterwards….it is so rewarding and emotional! Summer is coming and the Summer Solstice is a fabulous way to get the Summer fun started!
“Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me,
who could ask for more?”
– Bev Adams, Mountain Gardening
Blessings and Light, Autumn
*Sources….internet pics, Simple Wicca by Michele Morgan, and my BOS!
Filed under Correspondence, Faeries, God, Goddess, Litha/Summer Solstice, Quote, Summer
Happy Mother’s Day!………..
Merry Meet my friends! Just a quick post to wish all the Mom’s out there a very Happy Mom’s Day! Whether you are a mom, have a mom, have furbabies you nurture, nieces and nephews you adore…or you take care of others..you are a MOM! in every way 🙂 I hope you have had a day to do as you please and that you felt like a Queen for the day!
If you are a mom like me, you know how important of a job it is. I have realized, now that my daughters are grown, how it’s the small things that stay with them..not necessarily the big ones. It’s amazing to me how any small cross word said can stick in their mind into adulthood, or how a word of praise at the right time can do the same thing. How important the traditions of the family are for them. My married daughter Kate has started alot of her own traditions, but she also carries over the ones from her childhood..to pass it on to her own children. Those small things that as time goes on, you realize how important they were. My favorite thing to hear them say is “Remember how?” or “Remember when?”. It makes me feel great that they have good memories of their childhood. Now as a Nana I am doing my best to make those same wonderful memories for my grandchildren. I want them to remember me fondly when I am gone….the same way I remember my own grandmother.
We teach our children so much more then we realize..good and bad. The best we can hope for is that they turn into good, kind, loving adults who live a nice life doing what they love to do. But couldn’t we teach them just a bit more? How about we give them the ability to think for themselves, not do everything we want them to do. Teach them to value Mother Earth and her gifts and inhabitants, to let them find their own path spiritually, not just follow blindly in ours. Give them the thought they can do anything they want to do, be anything they want to be..to be a free spirit! Let them jump in mud puddles, dance in the rain, stop to smell the flowers or pick up a rock..even when you’re in a hurry. Help them to find their imagination, their creativity, to learn to care about people and animals before they care about material things. Help them to find beauty in the mundane, to treasure small moments…to Live! That is the best gift we can give our children. I was not given most of these gifts. I tried to give my children these gifts..I did ok but I could have done better. My own path was not what it is now..if it would have been…things would have been even better! My grandchildren..well they will have those lessons not only from me..but from their mom and dad. My daughter is much more enlightened then I was at her age. She gets it ..totally. My grandchildren will live a fabulous life!
We can only do our best..but we must do our best. This world is a beautiful place, but its not always kind and sometimes it feels like it is spiraling and changing quickly! Giving them pure love and joy ..at home…is what will give them security in a changing world. Given the right tools..our children will shine, find happiness, and better this world during their lifetime. How great is that?
I hope today you are surrounded in love from family and blessed by those who love you. Happy Mother’s Day!
“Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at de sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.” ………. Zora Neale Hurston
Love and Blessings, Autumn
Filed under Family, Happy Mother's Day, Quote
Thankful Thursday…….
Merry Meet everyone! Hope you all are enjoying your Spring so far and that you had a wonderful Beltane celebration. I know I did….Spring, so far has been mostly rainy! But today we had a gorgeous sunny day! I am feeling more energetic just seeing it.
I have seen many bloggers doing the thankful Thursday blogs…so today that is what I am doing. I do try very hard to live a grateful life…to be appreciative of the small things and the big things that happen in my life. I start out my day thanking the Goddess for the day..and end thankful for what the day gave me. It is thru gratefulness that we truly appreciate what is given..if we don’t notice something enough to be thankful for it..then we don’t notice it at all.
First off….I’m grateful for my cats Harley and Jasper. My cats are the sweetest souls and they calm me and make me very happy. My cat Harley had to have an emergency surgery last week….which ended up not being necessary. 😦 Due to a kidney problem, it was possible that she wouldnt’ have survived it..but she did and after hiding away for 4 days….the last two she seems more like herself again, moving better and is back on my lap purring and getting her love. Jasper was worried about her and it was so sweet seeing it…I love my cats!
I am also grateful for the gift of a Sunny day after so many rainy days. I am appreciative though of what the rain wrought. Everything is so green and lush and blooming. It smells wonderful out and seeing Mother Earth back in full swing is just awesome! After a long winter, I feel more energized and can’t wait to get my gardens planted and be outside more! My porch is calling me too 🙂
I am grateful for my morning routine of coffee and my facebook friends. I have THE BEST facebook friends! I have made some real friendships that I know will last…and you all know who you are 🙂 They make me laugh, cry, think, give of myself, and help me to become a better person. They also keep me excited and happy in my path. and they make me proud to be a witch! I love you guys!
I am grateful for the occasional drives I take with my daughter Kate and my granddaughter Lily. While Lily sleeps….Kate and I have time to be just the two of us. To really talk and connect and spend time together. I love that we have those precious hours.
Quick things I’m so thankful for….
-the smell of a Jasmine candle
-a new bar of deliciously scented soap
-a good glass of wine
-A Snickers ice cream bar
-Dogwoods Blooming
-new footie socks
-breakfast out
-my daughter Sara’s smile
-the smell of fresh cut grass
-Adele’s New CD (it’s awesome!)
-kitchin witchin using herbs and oils and great smelling stuff
-Lilacs!
-Frogs singing at night when the windows are open
Lastly for today, I am most grateful for being a Nana. I had nothing but pure joy being a mom and raising my daughters. Watching them grow into the beautiful young women they have become has been remarkable to me and I’m beyond proud of them and love them so much. Now I have the added joy of being a grandparent and it is so much fun! I think because I’m older and Nana, not mom, I can just sit back and watch my Lily grow and learn and develop her own personality. I find her remarkable, smart, silly and full of life and joy and adorable. In less then 3 weeks my joy will be doubled..when baby Charlie Matthew gets here..a grandson! Life as Nana is truly good 🙂 I am blessed.
Take time in your day to be thankful…I have kept a journal for about 15 years and I always try to write a few things I’m grateful for when I do. No matter how bad the day is…trust me..something good happened too…did you notice it? At the end of the day, it’s the small things in life that matter the most. What are you thankful for?
“As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world”. ~Terri Guillemets
Blessed Be, Autumn
Sources..Me! Some pics are mine and some are from the internet…..
Filed under Daughters, Family, Granddaughter, My cats, My Favorite Things, Photography, Quote, Spring, Thank You!, Thankful Thursdays
Blessed Beltane!……….
I just wanted to wish all of my friends and readers a Blessed Beltane! May your fires be roaring, your gardens growing, your table set with a feast, your lover be at your side, and your hearts be filled with joy and love….and May your night be magickal! Dance!
“Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But– we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth–
Good news for cattle and corn–
Now is the Sun coming up from the South,
With Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!”
~ Rudyard Kipling
Blessings, Love and Light, Autumn
Filed under Beltane
Happy Easter!
Just hopping by to wish you all a very Happy Easter …for those of you who celebrate it! Hoping you have a joyous day with your family, that the Sun shines on you, that your gardens are growing and the Goddess Blesses your celebration! Blessed Be………Autumn
Filed under Easter
Beltane altar and ritual……….
Merry Meet my friends! Hope you all had a good weekend and your week is going well so far. We had some amazing rainstorms come thru here last night and today…Nature releasing her energy in the form of thunder, lightning, heavy rains and even flooding in our area. I could not believe how hard it rained..and yes, I was out in it LOL….there were literally rivers across the roads and forming in yards in the low areas. Creekbeds flowing over the banks, grocery stores and basements filled with water. It was something else. Also, there is more coming tonight! So far at least, we have kept our power so that is a good thing.
A busy week here too..as my extended family is christian, we celebrate “bunny day” on Easter sunday with them. Today I shopped for goodies for my granddaughters basket and egg hunt and I’m planning the menu as everyone is coming to my house. Thursday is also my 53rd birthday….so I have plans with my family for that as well. So the last few days I got busy and got my altar maypole done and got my Beltane altar ready. Thought I’d post a few pics here for those of you who always ask to see my altars. Now keep in mind, this altar is set up indoors for pics and for a rainy day, but it will be moved outdoors..by a roaring fire on Beltane night! Can’t have Beltane inside and without a fire..thats just all there is to it!
This is the close-up of my maypole..which my dear husband was quite eager to help me with. I got a wooden base, dowel rod and candle cup I turned upside down for a top. The base was painted green and the dowel and cap red. Hubby also screwed the dowel rod to the base for me. Then I got out glue gun, silk flowers and ribbons and just started glueing! Easy Peasy! and I think its really cute.
Sorry about the fuzzy picture..I think the candles were throwing it off a bit. Left side has my Gaia statue, my goddess statue, crystals are bloodstone, red carnelian and red jasper, sunstones and rose quartz (for love). My large cherry quartz point….just cause its red and looked great! 🙂 Daisies are one of my favorite flowers so had to have them. Cauldron, always there. and the Maypole.
The left side has my working tools, a new stone heart my friend Mossie sent me (thank you Mossie) ..I thought the heart was more then appropriate for Beltane! One of my herb seeds in its pot..sprouting well…Sage..my plant ally. Bird feathers to represent Spring and the critters who are running all over the place now. Greenman, my chalice, and bell. The glass pentacle my daughter got me for Yule.
The full view. The green altar cloth, lots of red candles, elemental representatives..all there. Still to come will be strawberries, may wine, a dish of honey, and oatmeal cake. So there you go. What will be on your altar? I love seeing pics of altars..I find witches so creative when it comes to their altars.
Ok so on to a ritual. As I posted in my previous post Countdown to Beltane, I talked about the Beltane being about lust and fertility and the union of the Lord and Lady…..The Great Rite. I decided to post this lovely solitary ritual celebrating just that. I think its a beautiful ritual.
Solitary Beltane Ritual
Items Needed:
One tall Green candle (for God)
One tall White candle (for Goddess)
4 corner candles
Cauldron for Balefire (if performed outdoors, make a Bonfire)
Red candles (as many as you’d like)
Rose incense and sage to burn in cauldron
chalice of wine or juice
bread
Athame (for The Great Rite) and/or wand
Spring and Summer flowers to decorate altar
*Cast circle and call the corners then light the incense
INVOCATION OF THE GOD: (light tall Green candle)
“I now do call upon the eternal God in the ancient way, as Young Lord and Oak King – Horned One of the Forests. I bid Ye welcome and ask Thee to come forth and join Thy Lady Goddess in the Holy Rite of Sacred Union. As it is willed, so mote it be!”
INVOCATION OF THE GODDESS: (light tall White candle)
“I now do call upon the eternal Goddess in the ancient way, as Lovely Maiden, Mother and Crone – Three-fold Goddess be. I bid Ye welcome and ask Thee to come forth and join Thy Lord God in the Holy Rite of Sacred Union. As it is willed, so mote it be!”
“Blessed be this day of Beltane,
Wedding day of the Goddess and God;
Holy day of sacred marriage,
Holy night of sacred union.”
* Light the surrounding green rituals candles and say –
“Tonight I celebrate the union of our Mother Earth to Her consort, our Father God, the Green Man and Great Lord of the Forests, as nature rejoices in a blaze of color and life.”
* Go to the altar and pick up chalice, hold upwards and say –
“Blessed be the sacred union which manifests all creation!
Behold the womb of the Mother,
The entity from which all life flows,
Blessed be the Lady!”
*Put down the chalice and pick up the athame, hold upwards and say –
“Behold the phallus of the God,
Fruitful principle of the universe,
Blessed be the Lord!”
THE GREAT RITE (Symbolic) –
*Pick up the chalice
“Blessed be you, my Lady,
The Holy Bride of Heaven and Earth,
Come unite with Thy Lord in the ancient rite of sacred marriage!”
*Pick up athame and then say-
“Blessed be you, my Lord,
The Holy Groom of Heaven and Earth,
Come unite with Thy Lady Goddess in the ancient rite of sacred marriage!”
* While slowly dipping the athame into the chalice, repeat:
“Chalice to athame,
As Goddess is to God;
Father is to Mother,
As man is to woman,
Behold the sacred union of The One!”
* Replace the chalice and athame back on the altar and say:
“By this act of love, all life comes to be;
By this act of faith, I proclaim my place on the eternal cycle of life,
The Lord and Lady reign eternal!”
* Now toast to the Lord and Lady by drinking from the chalice and breaking off a piece of the bread – setting aside a portion to give back to the Earth later.
“I am a child of deity,
I am part of the creative life force which moves the universe;
I am part of all that is –
Though we are apart we are always together,
For we are one in the spirit of our Goddess and God;
Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again –
Blessed be!”
*Close ritual, thank the deities and remember to give back to the Earth.
I love this ritual..I find it to be very sacred, very beautiful and very meaningful. You may of course change the words, use different colored candles, burn a different incense.. whatever you wish..make it your own ceremony!
Now, I’m hoping you did this ritual outside, by a roaring fire. That you are drinking wine, and that you are thinking about celebrating more with YOUR loved one this night 🙂 After all, its not just our God and Goddess who can be joined together in love on this night. Make it special. Have a beautiful bath ready for the two of you. A simple fresh meal…some wine….rose petals in your bed..red candles lit all over your bedroom. Its a night for romance! If you find yourself solitary at this time…well you can do the same for yourself…the bath, the meal, the wine, the candles…make it a special night for yourself….you deserve it either way!!
Blessings and love, Autumn
*Sources….my altar, my photography. The ritual is from my own BOS but I don’t claim to have written it..but I have had it for a long time and no idea where I got it from..if you know, please tell me.
My Moonlit Path..... 
