Imbolic

I'm going to gloss over the fact that I started and disappeared again on this Blog
Today I want to tell you a bit about Imbolc
pronounced eem olic
 Celebrated on Feb 2nd  a fire festival celebrating the rebirth of the land as winter gives way to spring.
In America they celebrate this as groundhog day where if a rodent comes out of his burrow we know spring weather is on its way but if he stays cozy we have more cold weather to come .
I celebrate as a solitary witch. Firstly I let all the stagnant air and energy out. Open all the windows and doors and let winter out and fresh spring air in ( and OH complains that it's cold  we do live in Scotland Afterall )
next its time for spring cleaning ( OH appreciates this more im not a natural housewife)   I use a floor wash made by adding
oil of coriander
camomile
spearmint into my bucket as I clean  to bring happiness
 I also add a few drops of this blend to  oil diffusers around the house
after these mundane rituals  on the evening of the 2nd I set up my alter in green and white
in south corner if it's warm enough to be outside ill set a bonfire in the south of my circle

light my working candle and my god and goddess candle  saying the blessing

 May the god and goddess the source of all come to me
 lady of the moon
lord of the sun
 power of all
 power of the stars above
 power of the earth below
 bless this place and this time
and all that I am
SMIB
i place my 4 unlit quarter candles
 calling north power of earth I welcome you
 place a stone soil or if I can find spring flowers beside the candle
 welcome the east winds  with a feather
 the south fire with lighting charcoal disk in my Coldren or lighting bonfire
 west water  ... a sea shell or if had snow or rain  a bowl of that


this imbolic i light candles and welcome the rebirth of the god
 i celebrate   the Goddess in her divine beauty
 i celebrate the God in his divine power
the earth celebrates and awakens from sleep
 walking with the working candle light each of the quarter candles .
 return to alter light an orange candle and visualise life blossoming new energy and strength
 sit as long as you feel comfortable

next fill goblet with offering wine
  Goddess of abundance  bless and infuse this wine with love
 offer a plate of bread or cakes
God of the harvest bless these cakes with your love
 sit quietly and enjoy the offerings
( keep left overs to dispose of in the garden as offering to feed birds or water plants

close circle by thanking  spirits of quarters  thanking God and Goddess
Snuff out candles if needed
 celebrate with a bonfire and light a candle in each room of your house to celebrate
coming of light .


https://www.facebook.com/betwitchinghealthandbeauty/?ref=bookmarks

life in all its glories

Every day things change move on move forward  i started writing this in 2010 n then disappeared. So here i am in 2015 life moves on sometimes for good sometimes not but that i suppose is the nature of life

I suppose i should reintroduce myself . I'm fast approaching 40 have an amazing daughter who i love more than oxygen . She now living her own life with her bf in the city . Except when she calls for money advice correct recipe for Nana's fruit loaf she totally independent .

Just after my last blog i got caught  after 15 years of being happily playing the romantic field i got in touch with a guy i knew from school who was now living in California ..
An Internet friendship and phone calls led to romance and him spending Xmas 2010 home with us and i knew id met mt soul mate
2011 was a year from hell for him financially screwed in a nasty divorce his health deteriorating some bad investments then his mum ( who lives in Scotland ) having a brush with death due to perforated bowel . I can only imagine how terrifying it must be to be called by a Doctor 7000 miles away and told your only relative is in surgery its touch and go to prepare for the worst
When we know she was on the mend a long talk as had his health meant his previous job wasnt viable his ex wives school loans were killing him and his mum needed him in the same time zone ..

Not to mention i was here so mrd packed up sold up and returned to sunny Scotland

So my life now is me my handsome lovely wonder annoying frustratingly oddly Americanised (how can i have so many culture clashes to someone who grew up in same town and went to sane school as me) soul mate our adorable furbaby

YULE LORE

from various sources sorry i cant credit it i haven't kept proper records on my BOS will post next week on my personal Celebration plans

Yule (December 21st)
Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) is when the dark half of the year ends and we ( start to ) return to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider. There was a good show on River cottage a couple of years ago showing Hugh doing this http://www.rivercottage.net/search/wassailing/

Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun, the boughs were symbolic of immortality, the wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly, mistletoe, and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes. It was to extend invitation to Nature Sprites to come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to pay visit to the residents.

The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze be a piece of last years log, (held onto for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.

A different type of Yule log, and perhaps one more suitable for modern practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three candles. Find a smaller branch of oak or pine, and flatten one side so it sets upright. Drill three holes in the top side to hold red, green, and white (season), green, gold, and black (the Sun God), or white, red, and black (the Great Goddess). Continue to decorate with greenery, red and gold bows, rosebuds, cloves, and dust with flour.

Deities of Yule are all Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses. The best known would be the Dagda, and Brighid, the daughter of the Dagda. Brighid taught the smiths the arts of fire tending and the secrets of metal work. Brighid's flame, like the flame of the new light, pierces the darkness of the spirit and mind, while the Dagda's cauldron assures that Nature will always provide for all the children.

Symbolism of Yule:
Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future.

Symbols of Yule:
Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus.

Herbs of Yule:
Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.

Foods of Yule:
Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).

Incense of Yule:
Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.

Colors of Yule:
Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.

Stones of Yule:
Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.

Activities of Yule:
Caroling, wassailing the trees, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule

Spellworkings of Yule:
Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.

Deities of Yule:
Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Mabon.

Brrr what a bitterly cold day . i haven't posted for ages been a really exiting time for me but Ive been bad and not posted !

Ive moved house hellish hectic horrible hate it but its done and we are settled for Xmas / Yule coming so that a bonus
my daughter is working hard to get ready for her exam time its mocks here at the moment so really stressful but we getting trough it
my excitement ive found a great business that i can fit round all the hassles of family life still have fun make money and most important for me a company with products i like and believe in

FM Group is a rapidly expanding international perfume company specialising in supplying high quality fragrances at very affordable prices. Started in 2004, FM Group now has 480,000+ Independent Distributors worldwide and offices in more than 50 countries, with more planned.

The UK office opened in 2006 and already supplies hundreds of men and women from all over the country with our FM products and the opportunity to earn money by showing FM catalogues and samples to their family, friends and colleagues, and by developing their own teams.

With over 160 fragrances to choose from there really is something for everyone, and at just £11.99 a bottle for 30ml Ladies’ Parfum and 50ml Men’s Eau de Parfum customers just keep coming back for more! It is worth noting that these are far stronger, and therefore last longer, than the weaker Eau de Toilette type which people may often purchase for higher prices elsewhere!

http://www.fragrances.fm/liliananderson/

lazy saterday afternoon

well folks I'm having a lovely afternoon with music playing and pottering on line.
been laid up this week with the most awful back pain . been niggling for days and then on Tuesday got progressively worse until i had to call the emergency Doc at 3 am ! thank heaven for the NHS is all i can say . i know its easy to moan about it but theres no way that i could cope much longer i was in tears couldn't stand sit move without the pain . It started on my back and ended up shooting down my hip and into my leg . the doctor diagnosed sciatica and gave me antiinflamitories and painkillers told to take it easy for 48-72 hours then resume normal GENTLE activities http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2026&page=1#1whatis


so on doctors orders Ive had a gentle lazy few days Bless my daughter shes been a wee god send On Tuesday when it got really bad id just prepped a whole roast chicken meal veggies stuffing whole 9 yards put it in the oven and couldn't bend to get it back out ! by the time it got to after school time i was struggling to get off the sofa so text her to hurry home i needed help

the plus point was the chicken was delish the baked tatties were a bit over done but thankfully the chicken n roast veggies survived the extra time in the oven !
today Ive had a mice day kinda spring like here apart from the (Early) April showers its been quite bright so in full house wife mode Ive got a load of washing done and on the line by 10 am !! had a mate down for coffee made delish flapjacks

these are so fab got them again from 1 of the girls on MSE ( daisy ? i need to write things down so can thank / credit them ) so quick and perfect for when folk call and say I'm on my way down to see you you in ARGH
Ingredients

· 4oz (100g) butter
· 1oz (25g) caster sugar
· 4 tablespoons golden syrup
· 7oz (200g) oats
· 5oz (150g) chocolate (or anything you want in the flapjacks, such as raisins, sultanas, cherries, fruit)
Method
I use a 1 pint Pyrex jug for this as it means there's only one item to wash up.

· Melt the butter and sugar together in the microwave (just keep microwaving and stirring it for 15 seconds or so at a time for a couple of minutes).
· Stir in the golden syrup
· Stir in the oats.
· Microwave the whole mix on high for about 3 minutes. During this time the whole lot will grow in volume in the microwave (a 1 pint jug will contain it all).
If you have any other ingredients you want to add to the flapjacks, then stir these into the mixture now. then pour into a Lightly grease a baking dish.and chill yummmm-o
my afternoon has been productive Ive sorted and listed a load of books on http://www.greenmetropolis.com/ and then did some comping I've actually hurt my tongue licking sealed down envelope's to try some comps trip to the cinema for free postcards me thinks got 10 to post on Monday so far this is the first time Ive tried the whole bulk comping thing so ill be asking the goddess to let me win even just a little thing to encourage me .

right folks time to go can i ask for advice ? what do you think would be a good way to progress with my blog ? as it has been a journal / brain dump ? or my traumas as a single parent and all that entails ? maybe my wicca path answering questions telling you about the wheel of the year the sabbats and ebats ? my cooking kitchen successes and failures lol ? my Reiki holistic beliefs ?or any other ideas ? open to suggestions .

feel free to follow me on twitter the link should be kinda on my head up there follow and leave comments etc etc
love and light

where have i been hiding ?

I am new to the blogisphere always been a journal keeper tho so i really need to get into the habit of blogging

What have i been up to since last i posted ?? well I've been trying to get myself sorted. my life is sliding out of control lately . my health is buggered up my eczema has fl aired up and I'm sore and stressed so this sets IBS symptoms off
my fly lady systems are all to pot so my house is a state and my finances are not funny

but before i get too depressing i am babystepping my ass out of it
been posting on a forum http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/ to try get my fiances sorted and been chatting to a group of gals on the dressed up or down fashion thread giving them a special mention s a lot of them are bloggers here all posting there gorgeous clothes bargains

Ive signed up to do a couple of surveys and mystery shopping thing and "plan to get sorted and ebay some of my HUGE wardrobe get rid of a load of stuff that doesn't fit and then get new things that do lol

and tomorrow is Ostara - Spring Equinox aka Ostara: Oestre, Easter, the Spring Equinox, Vernal (Spring) Equinox, Alban Eiler
with my witches hat firmly on I'm looking forward to celebrating


The Spring Equinox is the point of equilibrium - and it celebrates the arrival of Spring, when light and darkness are in balance but the light is growing stronger. Hopefully this means for me the end of my SAD and a bit more balance in my life

It is a time for throwing out the old and taking on the new. We rid ourselves of those things which are no longer necessary - old habits, thoughts and feelings - and take on new ideas and thoughts. This does not mean that you use this festival as a time for berating yourself about your 'bad' points, but rather that you should seek to find a balance through which you can accept yourself for what you are. so my mental financial and housekeeping spring clean is just at the right time



AN OESTARA RITUAL



The main points of this sabbath are those of balance and of spring.

This ritual is best performed outdoors. In advance you will need to collect a small handful of old leaves and write on each something that you would like to be rid of. Also take a small number of seeds or seedlings (if these seedlings come from the seeds you planted at Imbolg, so much the better), one for each new thing that you wish to attain.

Silently ask the elements, the Goddess and the God to be with you, then when you are ready, dig a hole large enough to give space to the seedlings you wish to grow and place the dead leaves into it. Say, 'Lord and Lady of this time of balance, these are the things I wish to be rid of. As these leaves wither and rot, may I let go of those things that might hold me back'.

Next place one or two seedlings on top of the leaves. Say, 'Lord and Lady, these are the things which I wish to attain in the coming season. Let them grow strong and true from the remains of the old'.

As before, thank the elements, the Goddess and the God.

Remember that for ritual to work, you should give more thought to your preparations than the time you actually spend performing the ritual. In this case, that preparation includes carefully choosing the things you wish to leave behind and the things you wish to take on. On a more practical level, it will also include selecting plants appropriate to your area and climate outside, as well as a suitable place to plant them. If you cannot perform your ritual outside, then you can either scale down everything and work with a single plant pot or you can dedicate your leaves and plant indoors and go out to plant them at a later date.

cant remember where i got this ritual from sorry that i cant give reference its not intentional its just that i have had it written un referenced in my BOS

My plans for the Weekend celebrations also include doing some egg painting and having a big roast chicken feast on Sunday anyway before this becomes an essay ill go

bright blessing all

Lxx









O

hello blog world

Hello world ! welcome to my first blog . let me tell you a bit about me ?
mmm well what to say . I'm a 33 year old single mum . i live in south west Scotland . have a FABULOUS daughter and lovely husky dog both of whom share my home and my heart .
i am a eclectic hedge witch - best way to describe my believes in a short sentence ! lol


right now its starting to come to spring here I'm sooo glad . i suffer from clinical depression and coupled with that SAD so this hard cold winter had really made me struggle . the last few days with bright sunny days , although its still cold , have really perked me up no end .

looking at the garden seeing the signs of spring is a daily excitement for m e . mother earth is trying her hardest to wake from the winters slumber . Next door has lovely snow drops popping there happy little heads up . daffodils in my garden are starting to sprout and i see the trees starting to bud .

there is still a chill in the air but bright and sunny always lifts my mood .