I have internets!

So, after owning my home for over a month, I finally have internet, cable and phone! I can finally begin blogging again. I am so sorry that I've neglected my readers and I plan on getting back on track. Things have finally settled down at the new house and we're almost "done" setting up our things. I know we'll never truly be "done" but at least it finally feels like our home and looks like people actually live here. I have to take some more recent pictures to show all of you as there are many changes since I posted pictures last.

Since I've been gone from blogging almost three months, I honestly have no idea where I should focus my posts! So I ask you, my followers, what do you want me to blog about?

I can share one new photo. My nothiddeninacabnetbecauseiliveatmyparent'shouse altar!

Thoughts

I think I'm too critical.  I sit around the English Office table listening to my co-workers' conversations and I have nothing to say.  It's because I'm too busy thinking how self absorbed these people are.  Maybe it's because they don't want to bring their opinions on social matters into the workplace, but these people have nothing better to talk about than shopping, shitty television shows and the "oh, so wonderful nonsense their kids did."  I don't get it.

Then, if a social/political topic comes up, they have the most asinine opinions of it.  For instance, someone brought up "going green" the other day.  I was elated.  Finally, something I could actually talk about rather than sit and eat my lunch in silence and have them look at me as if I were a mongloid.  I mentioned that Sean and I will be growing our own garden and using our own compost for it.  They looked at me as if I had 9,000 heads.  Compost?  Ew.  That's nasty.  They were also dismissive of organic products, especially organic cleaning.  I brought up the effects of things like bleach on the environment and people and they still thought I was a loon.

It's people like this that are killing our planet and keep me up at night.  I'm the looney tooney hippie of the English Department.  Sue me for wanted to not harm the planet I live on by growing my veggies, create less waste by having a compost pile (in a compost container so it doesn't stick too!), and making my own cleaning products.  Wow.  I must be a moron.

Blessed Yule to One and All

Blessed Yule to all of my readers and their families. May the light of the full moon shine upon you and bring you the forgiveness and love of the season. 

I shared my family's two Yule trees with you at the end of November but I have not shared my favorite decoration in the house.  My Yule altar.  

Yes, it's a fireplace.  The mantel, however, acts as my altar.  As I do currently live with my parents, I have to tolerate their gas fireplace.  My new house has a wood-burning fireplace.  I won't be able to perform my ritual until my parents fall asleep.  Despite being "out of the broom closet" with my mother, my father isn't too keen on my partaking in the craft.  It will be brief and quiet and will most likely end outside under the light of the full moon.  I hope to get some great pictures to post on the blog either tonight or tomorrow.

I've always felt that the winter months brought a time of deep reflection and forgiveness, especially since most of our time is spent indoors, sheltered from the cold.  The fireplace/altar in my parent's home is a place where my family gathers together.  It is a place where we can sit and read or watch television together.  We may not utter a word to one another, but our physical being of sitting together brings us closer.  It's especially a place that I can feel some closeness with my father as he and I, although both very alike, constantly butt heads.  We're both very stubborn individuals and we are both strong in our beliefs.  Neither of us can agree to disagree.  However, in front of the fire, we can be at peace. 

 I hope wherever your place of comfort is in your home, you can find some peace, forgiveness, and relaxation.   Enjoy the light of the full moon and embrace this rare occasion.  Use her light to wash yourself of the negative energy in your life.  I know I need to.

Blessed Yule.  Blessed Solstice.  Blessed be.

Meowy Yule

He looks so pleased with his Mommy for doing this to him.  Say, "Merry Yule," Frankie! MEOW! (help me!)

Yule is almost here . . .

So, I've been a slacker with the blog.  Again.  Who knew buying a house would take away all my time?  I've been trying to put together so ideas before Yule on Tuesday.  I've been ripping apart the house for my favorite Winter desert: Red Velvet cake.  Guess what?  I own 20+ cookbooks and not one of them has a recipe for Red Velvet Cake in it!  The one I used to use was from a Southern Living December issue a couple of years ago (my mother keeps them all).  Now, it's missing in action.  I think the fae took it.  They always do this!

The picture is from another issue of Southern Living, but it isn't the same recipe.  This one is much too dense.  If only I could find it!

Second Yule Tree

This one is my favorite, mainly because of the 5-pointed star on top.  It will most likely follow me to my new house and I'll be purchasing a pre-lit one for my mom to replace this one.  The fake tree branches cut apart my mother's hands so a pre-lit one will help prevent some of the pain.  I'll probably come over and help her spread the branches so all she'll have to do is decorate it.

Normally we have three trees in my parent's house but this year we'll be sticking with two.  Basically no one wanted to go fish the third out of the storage container.  Oh well!

Yule is coming!  I can't wait!  Now if only it would snow . . .

The Yule Tree

Bringing Nature inside our homes during the winter months reminds us that although the outer world is bleary and sleeping, our Mother is still alive underneath.  There is no bigger representation of the rebirth of light during the Winter Solstice than the Yule Tree.  It is the time of year when we say good-bye to the Holly King and welcome the birth of the Oak King again. 

Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, my family drags the holiday decorations out of the attic and starts putting them up.  However, for the past few years, the task of putting up our three trees (Christmas trees to them, Yule Tree to me), has fallen on my shoulders.  I'm not sure why it's happened but it seems like I'm the only one that gets giddy with the merry feelings of the season.  I'd like to share with you some of items from my Grimore that I do during Yule besides putting up three trees.

Yule Ideas

• Keep a bowl of warm water with cranberries and orange zest on your hearth.  
• Keep Holly for the Goddess and Mistletoe for the God on your altar
• Meditate starting on the first of December, picturing the light coming back into our lives.  Using incense scented with bayberry, frankincense, myrrh or cinnamon always helps me focus.
• Share stories/myths about the Solstice with family and/or friends.
• Decorate your home with loved ones - don't be like me, doing it alone.

I'll post more Yule items throughout the month.  I was thinking of doing a monthly series on it.  What do you think?  

A Magical Birthday

I walked into a princess parade.  Everyone told me happy birthday (it helped that I was wearing a pin that read, "Happy Birthday!").  There were no lines on any rides.  But best of all, the park was lit up and decorated for Winter.  I stood on the bridge across from Cinderella's palace and cried tears of joy at the beautiful sight.  The only thing that could have made this birthday better is if my husband could have been there to share it with me.  But alas, with buying the new house, I could only afford to send myself to the NCTE conference and, thankfully, my school district will be paying for most of the bill (minus the park ticket, of course).



 

Photo: My view from the bridge, 11/18/10

Witchy Library

What books do you think should be in every witches' library?  I'm looking to expand mine but because I've just bought a house, spending money is out of the question.  So, I wanted to share my "Wish List" with all of you and see what you all felt was essential for every witch to have in their library.

Willow's Wish List
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You by Dorothy Bryant
The Witches' God by Janet and Stewart Farrar
The Witches' Goddess by Janet and Stewart Farrar
Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald Gardner
Real Magic by P.E.I. Bonewits
The Spiral Dance by Starhawk
Ancient Ways: Reclaiming Pagan Traditions by Pauline Campanelli
Aradia: The Gospel of Witches. by Charles Leland (Translation by Mario and Dina Pazzaglini)
An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present by Doreen Valiente
Cunningham's Encylopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Dictionary of Ancient Deities by Patricia Turner and Charles Russell Coulter
The Grandmother of Time by Z. Budapest
Wheel of the Year by Pauline Campanelli
The White Goddess by Robert Graves

I know there are a few books on here that I really should own by now.  I just haven't gotten around to buying them as I've been busy reading some of the more obscure authors out there as well as the blogs of my fellow readers.  This list comes from a book called Dedicant: A Witch's Circle of Fire by Thuri Calafia.  I'm a little beyond the material covered in the book but its interesting to look at a beginners book that takes a different persepective on the path.  I'm enjoying the read but I wanted to here from others out there.  So, what do you think of this list?  What should I already have/must have on my shelf?  Have you read any of these books?  What did you think of the ones you've read?

Thank you!

I wanted to thank everyone who sent their congratulations to us on the purchase of our first home. It meant a great deal to my husband and me. The retaining wall is in fact ours and we will be going by today to see how damaged it is. Hopefully it isn't too bad and the current owners will agree to drop the price a little bit for the repairs. Thank the Goddess and the God that my father was a landscape architect. Again, all my love and blessings to those who wished us well and had us in their thoughts. I do not think that getting this house would have been possible without you.