Yule, Santa and a Peek at Our Tree

Before I shift gears and share a little bit of what's going on here for the holidays, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented on my last post, emailed, texted, called or drove to my house and lifted me up and shared their own stories. It's a lot less dark when you realize how not alone you really are. So, thank you all. I had my first therapy session last week and not only am I comfortable with the therapist (I dig her non fluff attitude) but she has given me hope that I will be feeling better sooner than I anticipated and that, if once we've overcome this hurdle I'd like to stay on and do some of the fucking deep healing - she's on board for that too. It just feels good to know that the very hard first step was worth it - I feel like I'm exactly where I need to be and am doing what I need to be doing. The work will be rough and I can't go as often as I'd like to due to budget constraints, but all in due time, right?

With that out of the way, I hope everyone had a magical Solstice and New Moon! How was THAT for a double whammy of releasing and inviting in new beginnings? We went to meet up with my sisters of the new moon to share a meal and sit around the fire for a bit before Acorn decided it was time to go home and to bed. I think we may have a sensitive old soul on our hands here - he likes new people, is calm when they hold him and takes in his surroundings with very serious intent but once his cup is full he is quick to let me know he wants to be alone, or sleep or go someplace quiet. And we oblige, because this time of baby hood is so very short. Once we got home and I had him settled, Joe built a fire and I worked a little bit of magic at the kitchen table with some Earth medicine and my oracle cards. It's funny, before I had Acorn all of my big work was done outside or at the altar in my bedroom. Now that he bunks in there, I'll make sacred space wherever I can carve it out, including on top of a ridiculous snowman tablecloth in the kitchen. Ah, lessons. After I was done, I left my pulled cards and the citrine stone that my Work was focused on in the grounded jaws of badger in my South facing window to absorb the magic of the newly rebirthed Sun. I need this immense fire energy right now, but it needs to be harnessed lest it burn me beyond the point of rebirth. I'm tempering the Phoenix medicine that's been appearing so frequently around me (oh, do I know there are big scary changes in store when Phoenix comes and shines her hot light in to my heart) with my belovedly stodgy Badger.

There's deep work, an inferno of release and a rebirth from the ashes ahead. I'm sort of terrified of burning up who I truly am with all of the refuse, but the deep rooted knowing of my soul says that my true self can never be consumed if I don't allow it to be. This winding path is scary sometimes, but I'm placing my faith in the bright light of hope.

We also made time to see the big man himself!

In more mundane magical happenings, we've finished decorating the house and getting our gifts together and are ready for Joe's parents to join us through the New Year. I'll be taking plenty of breaks with my kiddo in the quiet bedroom to nurse and get some introvert time in so I don't become overwhelmed. The holidays are always pretty taxing on me and with a house full for over a week, if I'm not careful I'll be ragged and edgy by Saturday. I'm ridiculously pleased with what I managed to pull together in the gift department without stressing myself out. Thank the Gods for nap times, the internet, thrift stores and a future sister in law who let me borrow her sewing machine at the last minute.

I'll be doing the "One Little Word" instead of a resolution again, as I have the past few years, but I'll have more on that as well as my usual photo whore wrap up of 2014 a bit closer to the New Year. I just wanted to check in amongst the holiday madness and let you all know I'm OK. I have a direction, I see Hope, I have helpers, support and so much love around me and I'm going to get better. And, I've been enjoying the holidays, even if quietly. While sipping eggnog on the couch watching my favorite Christmas movies with my favorite fella while our Yulemas tree twinkles.

Moonday Musings: Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I'd say probably the best one we've had in a few years. We stayed home and invited a few friends over. Joe woke up at 5am to start cooking the big things - ham and turkey- Acorn and I woke up a bit later and watched the parade on TV (well, I watched while I played with him) before I worked on my offerings of raspberry chocolate pound cake and fresh cranberry sauce. Our friends brought the rest of the sides as well as 4 (yes - 4) pies!

Everything was delicious and we all had very full bellies. After we ate, we spent the remained of the afternoon, evening and early part of the night talking and playing games. Acorn slept soundly despite our loud laughter. Everyone went home around 11 pm, and Joe and I went to bed tired but happy. It's been a long time since we had a house full of people having fun and to be honest, it's been a bit lonely. While I'm a bit of a loner, I'm also someone who lives entertaining people. As ever, I'm an anomaly.

We spent my least favorite day of the year, Black Friday aka The ShitShow of Greed and Commercialism, snuggled in bed until late. Then getting up to eat breakfast, pack away the Autumn decor and start lugging the Christmas stuff out of the attic. We also spent a good amount of time trying to get Acorn to nap, as he's entered the dreaded 4 month sleep regression and seems to have gone back to his newborn days of fighting naps to the point of exhaustion. Having tried every trick in my arsenal to get him to sleep on his own, I threw in the towel and strapped him to my chest in the Babyhawk while we decorated the front yard. As Joe hung up the lights on the house and I decorated the tree out front, Acorn drifted off to sleep. Success!

We did venture out in the early evening, once all the traffic and madness had died back, to visit our favorite local brewery for their "Black Stout Friday" event. 9 delicious stouts on tap and a string band on a chilly night cannot be beat!

Saturday and Sunday found us out and about. We browsed tool stores, picked up a few items we needed from the store and looked for our annual Yulemas tree. We visited the lot we've gone to each Christmas since we bought the house, a little family run affair that brings their trees in from their family farm in North Carolina. Acorn got to touch his very first fir trees as we looked around and Joe and I had small heart attacks over how much the price of trees has increased since last year. With only one income this year, a $70 tree that was already cut and not in a pot to be replanted was not in our budget. We snapped some photos while we were there, as I do every year, but we ended up buying a much more budget friendly tree elsewhere.

Today the nap fighting continues, Acorn's longest snooze being about 35 minutes. I managed to get in the shower and am writing this up on my phone as he dozes off beside me in the bed; he seems to sleep longer with me beside him right now and I'm willing to do whatever it takes at the moment to help him get the rest he very much needs. I hate typing on my phone, but I forgot to grab a book or my journal and when I go to roll away his eyes pop open. Ah well.

Plans for the afternoon include a stroll around the block since it's fairly warm, repainting an old window frame to use in my holiday mantle display, dusting the altar and swapping Autumn things for Winter ones and, if I'm really lucky, organizing the freezers.

The excitement never ceases!

Christmas Wrap-Up

We had a great time on our trip to NJ to visit with our families for Christmas. We haven't gone up in a few years, because it's a long trip to make for a short stay, so when we do make it up, it's always a lot of fun. We went from house to house, visiting our relatives and saw our closest friends as well. But the real highlight, was getting to spend Christmas morning with my 2 year old niece, Khloe. While Christmas morning is always a lot of fun, it's way better with a little kid around; nothing matches the look on their face when they see that Santa arrived. And Santa brought quite the haul to my mom's house, for the 7 of us who were there Christmas morning!

We headed out the day after Christmas to come back and enjoy our last three days off quietly at home. Because while it's always nice to visit and see people, it's even better to come back home. ;) We hit a snag though, about 45 minutes into our trip when a bit of snow caused a massive pileup, entirely shutting down a huge part of the highway. We were more or less parked for 6 hours. We would creep forward every so often, but it took us 6 hours to go a total of 4 miles. So creep may even be a bit generous of a word. Eventually though, we made it through and Joe (because he is stubborn and doesn't like stopping if he isn't tired) got us home around midnight; after a whopping 16.5 hours in the car.

When I got up Friday, we had our gift exchange and late Yulemas together. Joe surprised me with scratch made pancakes for breakfast and a warm fire in the hearth. And we exchanged gifts, which I didn't take many pictures of this year, but we both were super thrilled with the reactions from each other as well as what we received. My highlights this year are a broom he made for me with a large handle from one of our fallen pine branches and bristles made from fallen twigs from various trees in our yard (I don't have a photo yet because, I've been slacking) and the original soundtrack to the movie Legend performed by Tangerine Dream on vinyl. It's been like my unicorn for years; I've only ever found 1 copy of it on CD when I was 14 and haven't seen it since. I've always regretted not picking it up but Joe, through diligent internet searching, found me a vinyl copy in great condition! And since our turntable has a usb output, we're going to put it on my ipod for in car listening. ;)

Tonight we'll farewell the old year and welcome in the new with friends and I'll post my welcomes and farewells here as well. I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and stays happy and safe tonight!

Celebrating the Holidays, My Way

Yulemas, as I like to call it, is a hodgepodge of traditions and holidays in our home. I was raised non-denominational celebrating secular Christmas and now celebrate Yule as a Pagan, and the hubster was raised Christian celebrating religious Christmas.

So, when you come to our home during the holidays, you'll find deer all over, lot of candles, a manger scene made by Joe's youngest sister, Santas and of course, the popular in both circles symbol of the season; the tree. Which, we don't just have one of.

Because we figure if we've got space for two, let's put up two! One is the fake tree we bought when we got our first apartment together – it gets displayed in our bar/lounge area and has a woodland theme with browns, golds and greens. Our other, is the carefully chosen sacrificial tree – the real tree, and is displayed proudly in the living room where it is adorned with all sorts of lights and a crazy mix of ornaments that we pilfered from our parents (our childhood favorites), bought each year or picked up as tokens from our travels.

Our Souvenir from Jamaica.

If I had the space, I'd have a tree in every room of the house. But alas, my house and my furniture just don't seem to want to cooperate with my plans.

As for the actual celebrating, we celebrate both Yule and Christmas (hence Yulemas season). We celebrate Yule in a low key manner, with dinner, fire, love and maybe a small gift. I celebrate at the altar or, weather, permitting, outside – bearing witness to the changing of the seasons and the returning of the light on the longest night. Christmas is a more glittery and glamorous affair, filled with all kinds of presents, food and sometimes, when we travel, extended family. This is the holiday we celebrate with our families, since they all celebrate Christmas.

Sometimes, being the lone Pagan in the family can be lonely business, but it is what it is and getting to celebrate multiple holidays isn't exactly a bummer. Plus, throughout all of my man ordeals and feelings regarding this season as I've grown up, I've always loved Santa. And so, I celebrate that jolly spirit on Christmas and the earthy woodland spirit and the warm fire on Yule.

Yuletide Blessings

The wheel spins round, in it's endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth and soon the slumbering Earth will reawaken, under the warm of the Sun and the watchful eye of the Oak King.

The Holly King has fallen; the king is Dead. The Oak King has Risen; Long Live the King!

On this longest night, may you be surrounded by warmth and love. Whether you be alone or gathered with friends and family, may your night be jolly and blessed. The Darkness has fallen, but the light is returning, ready to soon drive it back.

Merry Yule, fellow pagans, witches, heathens and you muggles too. May the Light shine brightly tomorrow and always, on you and yours.

Wordless Wednesday: Santa!

Bits and Bobs

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving here in the States and that those of you elsewhere had a nice weekend! Joe and I spent that day puttering around the house, watching the Macy's Parade in the morning (a tradition I've kept since I was a little girl) and then heading to my best friend's for dinner with him and his family who was visiting from New Jersey. We all ate far too much dinner and had a lot of laughs at the table and while digesting on the couch before going back for delicious deserts. Once we were stuffed to the gills and ready to take a nice long nap, Joe and I helped clean up and headed back to our home where we spent the evening on the couch with the the fur babies. Joe played the newest Assassin's Creed game while I read The Wind in the Willows. I dozed off several times before he shooed me and Luna Petunia to bed at 1am.

Mommy, get your ass in bed!

This was the first time in my 15 years of employment that I've had the day after Thanksgiving off and I took full advantage of it by... sleeping late. Of course I didn't go out shopping, don't be silly! Between working in retail for over a decade and for banks the rest of the time, I've had more than a lifetime's fill of that nonsense. In the early afternoon we ventured to the hardware store for a can of paint for my newly finished nightstand and then stopped at the little Christmas Tree place we've gone to every year since we bought the house. It's a small family run place and it's been fun to go every year and see their kids grow up and their business grow a little bigger.

We poked and touched and I may have hugged a few trees, until we found the perfect Yulemas tree; a little smaller than our previous ones but much, much fuller! Joe carried him over to the pay station while I paid. The man who works there asked Joe if he had carried the tree over himself and he pointed to the man's 6 year old son and said "Nope! Muscles here did it, all on his own." The boy just grinned and grinned. When they put it through the bagger, the man had forgotten his scissors and had to run to find some. Joe tried to stop him, but he didn't hear him, so he cut the netting with his pocket knife (have I ever mentioned that my husband is an Eagle Scout?) and winked at the boy and told him to tell his dad he'd chewed through the ropes. When dad got back and Joe and the boy were laughing, Joe told him his son had cut the net with his teeth and dad said "That's my little wolverine!" Gotta love a family with a good sense of humor. :) That's why we keep going back!

Poor Joe, I had us facing the sun so we'd have some light. Doesn't he look thrilled?

Unfortunately, our beautiful tree sat undecorated for a bit as I woke up Saturday morning with a Gods awful cold! Joe, Luna and the kitties have been taking very good care of me; the furs by laying on me to make sure I'm (too) warm and Joe's been keeping me full of hot tea and honey and set up my side of the bedroom with my nightstand and vaporizer so I can sleep better. I'm happy to report that I'm on the mend, still a little snuffly and now with the cough of the scratchy-healing throat, but I feel human again. Mostly.

I managed to feel well enough to go out and celebrate a friend's birthday at a low key party at a mutual friend's house, complete with cake and the trimming of their tree:

and I also felt well enough to supervise Luna and Joe putting the lights on our tree from my spot on the couch:

Luna is very particular, so I really didn't have to do very much. ;)

Once I'm fully free of germs, I have a list of Christmas gifts to get on making; fleece hats and wallet/pouches for our gazillion nieces (Ok, there are 8 of them but it feels like a million), jam to can and tuck in to gift baskets with ornaments and another special something or other for our parents, fudge to make and box up for our coworkers, collaborative projects between Joe and I for a few of the families we're friends with (we like the idea of a big thoughtful gift for the house that will be enjoyed as a family than a few puny things), paintings and a few people I haven't even thought of things to make for yet. So I've got my work cut out for me.

Oh! And cards. I need to get on those too. ;)

Busy, busy. Just the way I like it!

Don't Be a Dick on Thanksgiving

Every year Christmas creeps in to the marketplace earlier and earlier. Now, I enjoy the holidays and am especially captivated by the glitter and glistening of shiny baubles and sparkly trees and I don't even so much mind the stuff coming out after Hallowe'en. Yes, I know it cuts in to Autumn, but if Autumn stuff comes out in August then I see no reason why Christmas decor can't come out in November.

I take issue with it coming out in July though, which is when it started to hit most of the store in my area. Yes, you read that right. July. I try to avoid entire parts of stores so that I'm not burned out on Christmas before October.

Also, I'm not sure how others feel about this, but for me Santa Claus arrives on Thanksgiving... usually at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. To me, that's the real Kris Kringle and to me, his arrival heralds in the whole jolly season. So, seeing kids lined up to meet Santa at the mall these past two weekends has made me curmudgeonly and grumpy. If Santa "comes to town" at the end of whichever parade you enjoy watching, whether it be national or local, then why's he been at the mall for a month? I'd have totally asked that as a kid and it would have put a serious dent in the magical belief for me.

But, I'm just one traditionalist standing in the way of a consumerist culture that will trample me underfoot without so much as a thought. That said, I refuse to give up though. I refuse to have a materialist, monetary holiday season and will continue to stick to the things that make me feel good about the season, no matter what those around me may think or say.

What caused this rant? I know people who are going "Black Friday Shopping" on Thanksgiving Day. Stores are opening anywhere between noon and 10pm on Thanksgiving Day to sell cheap garbage to people who have forgotten that the holidays are supposed to mean something more than what plastic bullshit is tucked under the tree. The people I know say things like "I don't think they should be open, but the stuff is cheap so I should go" or "They're getting paid, so I don't see the big deal."

The big deal, folks, is that everyone regardless of their job description, deserves a peaceful holiday to spend with their families. The big box companies would rather take that away in favor of the almighty dollar since most don't see their employees as individual people anyway and by shopping these ridiculous sales, you're telling them you agree with their stance. It doesn't matter how you rationalize it to yourself; your dollars spent on Thanksgiving Day or at the ass-crack of dawn on Black Friday morning are telling the Powers That Be that you think their employees spending time with their families is less important than that $4 DVD Player. Which will be on sale for the same price, in a week or two, by the way.

I remember what it was like working retail when I had to be at work at 3am to let the crazy assholes who camped out over Thanksgiving day in to the store as early as possible. No, I'm not nice to those people because they ruined my Thanksgivings for nearly a decade and still ruin the holidays of retail workers across the country every single year. If you're one of those people who camps out to get cheap material garbage I need to tell you a secret...most of it is junk that didn't sell. For a reason. And you making me or any other employee need to go to bed by 6pm on Thanksgiving, or worse, go in to work before dinner has even finished cooking, is a dick move. Super dick.

And if there's one time of year that you should maybe consider not being selfish, it's during the holidays.

So do me a favor guys. Stay home on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Tell the Powers That Be that you think their employees deserve time with their families. Tell them the cheap, mass produced junk isn't worth missing time with your own families or getting in to fist fights over. Tell them by spending time with your own friends and family, by making your own gifts, or by shopping small businesses and handmade vendors.

Don't be a dick this Thanksgiving.

From Our Home to Yours

“It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season - like all the other seasons - is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them.”
- Lemony Snicket

Brightest Christmas Blessings to you and yours. May your day be jolly and bright, we hope that fat old man was good to you all and that no one ended up on the naughty list. Much as I love Krampus, I'd hate to hear any of your were carried off by him. ;-)

Yuletide Musings

A whirl of activity; cleansing my home and myself, purging the shit and the clutter from my closets and my spirit. Yule morning and afternoon was a labor of love and a time to honor the feelings and energies that I needed to release. To prepare to burn away that darkness that has been looming heavy and overbearing, to let the light back in.

Dancing and singing while I worked to prepare a feast for the husband, the best friend and I to share after sunset. The house filled with the scent of chocolate cake, rosemary, vinegars and sweet incense.

The main altar was tidied and flipped in honor of the seasonal shift, to farewell the Holly King and welcome the King of Oak. The corn goddess was offered up to the land and fresh holly brought in from the bushes outside to adorn the space. Candles for the dueling brothers, the fledgling sun and hope set out to be lit as darkness descended.

When the sun said goodbye and the longest night began, candles were lit throughout the house, the fire in the hearth lit and the boys and I sat down to a table set with colorful linens and a Christmas cracker on each plate. Popping the crackers open, we laughed as we donned our lofty paper crowns and dug into the food; marinated steaks, slow roasted herb potatoes, honeyed carrots and champagne. We told jokes and made merry until our bellies were full and our plates empty.

Having eaten our fill, we moved to the warm comfort of the living room for more champagne, Christmas movies and our annual gift exchange. More laughter and stories as we greedily ripped through paper to get to the wonders inside; paintings, mosaics, sculpture, sketchpads and games, many lovingly handmade.

We made wishes on the Yule log before adding it to the fire, the sparks whisking our desires up to the heavens. My ritual was short, personal and filled with fire. The King is dead, long live the king! After a much needed night of mirth, warmth and joy I retired to bed before all of the candles had burned out.

This morning I rose unaided to greet the renewed sun, unusual for me as I am in no way a morning person. As I stood in the frosty grass, wind whipped my hair, gazing adoringly at the baby sun growing brighter behind the trees, I felt lighter and more free than I have in so long I've lost count. The tingling of rebirth and change danced in my heart and I couldn't help but smile.

Shifting Solstice

It's yet another Doomsday and this one's a doozy; the most talked about one I've encountered in my life short of the Day of Reckoning (which no one has a date for). We discussed it in history classes, in my art classes, in my Spanish classes - from Middle School through now we've discussed it. And I'll be honest, when I was younger it freaked me out! All the speculation and all the mystery surrounding the Maya didn't do anything to quell my concerns either.

But as it's gotten closer and closer and I've read up, spoken to my love who lived in Honduras for a few years and spoke to Mayan descendants about it (have I ever mentioned Joe's obsession with Mayan culture? No? Well, he loves it.) and listened to my gut, I've felt fine about the whole thing. That said there is definitely a feeling to this day, to this Yule, that is different than the ones I've recognized in the past.

The past few months have felt so heavy, the past few weeks have felt sort of dark; ominous almost. Not in a doom and gloom way, but in an energetically claustrophobic way. As if I were in a damp dark cave, with no light and only apathy for company. The past few days however, I've felt it shift and I know many others have experienced this feeling too.

It hasn't shifted to feel all jolly and festive like the holiday season typically does, but it's gotten lighter - both the weight and the darkness. It's as if there's a crack in the egg shell of my cave and the light has found a way in. There's a tingling of hopefulness, of fearlessness and of wonder that I've not felt before. I feel a deep urge to make changes, to really evolve and grow; to no longer be content to just be - but to really take the plunge to be more positive, more spiritual, more authentically me. To reach for the stars while keeping my feet firmly on the ground.

Others have reported these feeling too, the shucking off of a cocoon we didn't even realize we were nestled inside of. I've heard it amongst my pagan cohorts and witches as well as within my painting tribe. There is an oddity to it though and perhaps it's just my experience due to the nature of these circles; I've only heard it from women.

Do I believe the world is going to end tonight? No. But as I sit here today, I feel an anticipation of a sort, like something big is going to happen and when I awake tomorrow I won't be the same. Who knows how valid this gut feeling is, especially with all the talk of a 'new age' that could be affecting it. I do wonder however, with so many souls vocalizing similar thoughts and feelings if this isn't truly the end of *something*. There is definitely a shifting occurring, a transitioning. I don't claim to know what it is, or how many it is truly affecting, but I think it is for the better. I truly hope it is.

For now, I'm going to bask in the warmth of the returning light. I'm going to revel in the return of the Oak King and the Sun Serpent. May their light warm us all on this longest of nights.

Yuletide Night

We had a great midwinter here. There was beef stew, chocolate/banana trifle, fresh beer bread and wassail to feast upon and while it was relatively warm, we went ahead and lit the fire anyway. We exchanged a single simple gift and then I went off to sit by the candle light of my altar for a while.

I lit my white candle and welcomed back the reborn sun. I gave thanks to the darkness for holding me close and allowing me to see things unseen by the harsh bright light and asked that it continue to teach me, for it would always be welcome.

I lit the red candle and bid farewell to the fallen King of Holly and lit green to welcome the King of Oak. Then I sat in quiet contemplation of what I would like to see happen in the next 12 months; as Yule is a celebration of rebirth I like to think of the things I'd change in order to be 'reborn' myself. I lit the candles to seal my resolutions and shared some wine with the spirits and kings. I left the candles burning and went outside beneath the cloudy night to leave my offerings to the woods and the spirits.

Still being fairly early by Yule standards, we sat down to watch some of our favorite Christmas movies and I fell asleep on the couch, curled up with my love and the kitties.

Yule Blessings

On this longest of nights, may you find peace and solace in the dark.
May you share the joy and laughter of loved ones,
and find warmth even here, at Midwinter.

As the light is reborn take time to reflect
and leave that which is no longer needed,
Here. In the darkness.

The Holly king has fallen, the Oak king has risen. The king is dead. Long live the king!

Warm Wishes and blessings a plenty to you and yours this Solstice. May you have a very merry night!

Yule Tree and Memories

When we first put up the tree, I had every intention of decking it out in white lights, much the same as our artificial tree. What I hadn't taken into consideration however, was the fact that this tree is easily twice as round and full as our fake one. We made it about a 3rd of the way before we ran out and needed to go out for more lights. Despite our trying four or five stores, we couldn't find a single strand of white lights and so, we switched to colored. Not really a big deal, it's been years since I've had a tree with colored lights; both Joe and I grew up with trees decked out as such.

So he strung the lights and I broke out the boxes of ornaments, carefully unpacking the familiar baubles and trinkets. We put on some Christmas music, poured some wine and hung all of our ornaments. We had a great time of it, bobbing around the tree and past each other to find the perfect branch for each treasure. When we finished we sat back to admire our work and I burst into tears. Last year, I talked a bit about my issues with the holiday season in this post; apparently I still have a few unresolved feelings and issues that came to a head after what was otherwise a beautiful evening.

You see, it's not that the tree is ugly or offensive (although white lights tend to make photography a bit easier!), it's the fact that this tree reminded me so very, very much of all of the trees I had growing up. It stirred the pot of memories, both good and bad, and drudged up all sorts of feelings that I just let out. Luckily, this bought of Christmas blues was short lived and I felt worlds better in just an hour or so. Now, I can sit back and just enjoy the tree.

Here's a peek at some of our tree's treasures:

Festive Familiars

Since we were throwing a party Saturday night where tacky sweaters were the dress code AND I happened to find tiny festive bow ties while out and about, I had no choice but to dress the kitties up as well!

Chico took well to his dapper attire, posing like a regal cat.


Molly, on the other hand, was not amused and didn't mind letting me know how he felt!

Hope you all had an awesome weekend and enjoyed the last full moon of the year.

Welcome to Glitterville

Happy Yuletide ball, fellow witches and partiers! Have yourselves a cup of warm wassail and let's join the denizens of Glitterville as they prepare for the upcoming holidays.

Glitterville is a sleepy little hamlet that rests upon my mantle. Assembled from cereal boxes, scrapbook paper and bric-a-brac, the town takes its name from the ever present shimmer of snow upon the rooftops.



A couple, off to visit friends stops to say 'Hello!'



While over there, another pair gets ready to a'wassailing go!



A dapper gent tips his hat in amazement at a sight...



For Santa Claus has made a surprise trip to Glitterville tonight!

Here is the recipe I'll be using for my own Wassail, for those who care to try it.

Ingredients:
2 Qt Apple Cider
2 Qt Red Wine (optional)
2 Cups Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
13 Cloves
5 Cinnamon Sticks
A sprinkle or two each of nutmeg and ginger.
2 - 3 Oranges, sliced thin into rounds.

In a large pot, over low heat combine the cider, orange juice and lemon juice. Add spices in a cheesecloth bag (or not, but remember to strain before serving) along with orange slices. Let simmer 1 hour. Remove spices (strain) and add wine, allow to simmer for 1 hour more. Serve warm with cinnamon sticks or fresh orange slices as garnish.

Be sure to visit the other Yuletide Ball parties by visiting the party page here:

The War Over Winter

Let's face it, the holiday season can be rough. Stringing lights, making enough food to feed a small army, being stuck in traffic on the roads and in the shops and dealing with in-laws and distant relations is enough to make even the most sane person reach for a happy pill or some liquid courage. Regardless of your religious leanings, you too will be forced to deal with at least some of the holiday madness; unless you never leave your house.

Now add to this the anxiety that occurs over a simple exchange of what should be pleasantry. You say, "Happy Holidays" to someone, either because you don't know what they celebrate and don't want to make assumptions or you're putting whatever winter holiday they do (or do not) celebrate into a nice little bundle with New Year's. In return, you'll most likely receive a 'You too!' which can range from lake bottom frigid to Midsummer warm but you may run into a viper who can't help but say something along the lines of 'It's Christmas!' in an overly indignant manner. If you work in retail or with the public, you know what I'm talking about. If you've been in the shops at this time of year, you may have seen this snake strike out at a hapless clerk who was just trying to be nice.

To these people I say; get the fuck over it. The fact that Christmas comes at the end of the month (just a week before New Year's) has not escaped my notice in my 28 years on Earth. In fact, despite my being a pagan, I celebrate it with my friends and family. Who can't get behind the idea of swapping gifts beneath a glittery tree with friends, family and hot chocolate laced with peppermint shnapps? What's that you say? I forgot the 'Christ' part of Christmas? Of course I did, I worship other gods and honor other traditions just like all of those other folks who also celebrate other holidays. You know, the ones you cram your Christmas down the throats of.

Let me ask you something, Christmas Crazy, if I were to wish you a Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Eid (when it falls in December), Happy Festivus or A Happy Yule during those holiday's times of celebration this month, would you react with as much grace and dignity as the rest of us? I doubt it, because you're batshit crazy. On the other hand, if some pimply kid at the cash register smiles and wishes me a Merry Christmas, rather than pointing the finger and yelling 'USURPER OF YULE!' at him and ranting and raving about the return of the Sun and the Triumph of the Oak King I smile warmly and wish him one as well. And do you know why? Because that kindness means more than the words that were spoken; if someone sincerely wishes me well, that is what counts. Because those simple kindnesses are few and far between in our increasingly cold, greedy and self serving population. Just ask the people who were pepper sprayed and beaten up over towels at Walmart on Black Friday. Towels, folks.

In a time when people use methods of self defense in order to buy the cheapest quality shit they can lay hands on, we should be grateful for each and every act of kindness we receive; regardless of that person's spirituality, looks, etc. If someone is willing to make eye contact and be warm, you've hit the momentary jackpot. Because personally - as someone who works as a lowest level employee in one of those evil banks right now (because I enjoy things like electricity and eating) and has at least a handful of people a week accuse me of personally stealing their money (in the form of fees) when they overdraft for my personal million dollar a year bonus - I don't say a damn word of holiday cheer. I don't need anymore dirty looks or ugliness to be tossed in my general direction and so, in true Grinch fashion, I'll only wish you a nice day. Which is truly, a bit sad.

So this year, while you're strung out on Starbucks and running a million and one errands to get yourself through the season with not a tear to be shed by anyone (including yourself) take into account that not everyone celebrates the same holidays (or celebrates your holiday for the same reason) as you. If someone wishes you a Happy Holiday/Merry Christmas/Wonderful Winter, sincerely thank them and move on with your day. I celebrate Yule, which will never, ever be something that I am wished a 'very merry' by in a public forum and I'm cool with that. And if I (and numerous other pagans/heathens/witches/etc) can be, then so can you.

Also, some more food for thought. This season, why don't we all take that 'Good will toward man' thing seriously. Because regardless of your religious belief, it's just a damn fine rule for being human! Let's put away the pitchforks and torches. Quit the mud slinging. And no one should be saying "Christ" or get the fuck out, like this asshat who clearly needs to pick up a history book and learn about the why's of certain traditions, symbols and phrases added to our country's wording:

I could say so many things about this, but Kallan over at The Secret Life of an American Working Witch has already cited enough references and reasons that this person should take down their sign and be ashamed - even outside of it just plain being an ugly sentiment. So I'll leave you with this - quit associating holly leaves (which I hold dear at this season) with your ignorance and learn to practice what Christ taught. Because, I doubt he'd be proud of you right now.

Finding the Yule Tree

Strapped for time and in no mood to make the 1+ hour drive to North Carolina to cut my tree down myself, we visited a local family-owned tree stand to search for our first live Yule tree this past weekend. When we moved in together, I made up a silly rule that we couldn't have a real tree until we found Home. Now that we've done that, I was excited to go find our frasier fir!

Ignore the eye-bags of exhaustion, please.

Success! He's up and decorated, I just need to borrow a camera to snap some photos since the wee point and shoot won't focus on him. I think perhaps, we made him a bit too shiny. :)

At the end of the season, part of our tree will become our yule log for next year. And with that, the Yule preparations have begun at our house.