Hearthside Thoughts #2

I just realized it has been a while since I have posted, but things have been strange and busy all at the same time. Strange in the sense that since my last post I've been feeling a little out of sorts, it is hard to explain. I haven't been able to focus on rituals or even the more simple spiritual acts, like cleansing the home and honoring the spirits. It feels like a block of some sort but I'm not sure how or why it has happened. Something deep in my spirit has shifted which has changed me in ways I'm not even fully sure of yet or if there is a way to go back and blend the new and old within myself. I haven't even had the energy to cook much at all. Instead I've focused more on making my dolls which has kept me busy. It is strange how much joy I am finding in making them. Perhaps in a way, it is the light in the void to help get me through this funk. Until that day comes, I hope my dolls will bring light and joy into the lives of others as they have for me. I've included a link for Etsy so you can see what I currently have for sale. So far, one of my Cernunnos dolls has found a place of honor on an altar out west and she has been showing him off! She has also promised me a picture and when I have it I'll be adding it here.

Upcoming dolls:
Thor
Odin
Mannanan
Epona (with real horse hair for hair)
Pele
A few different types of fairies

Full Wolf Moon -- Jana's Moon Ritual

     There are a few times out of the year which I get giddy with anticipation. There are the usual great times like Beltaine, Samhain and Yule, planning out the gardens for the coming year, making the Yule gifts, but the two of which that hold a special place in my heart are the full moon in January and Imbolc. They are the times to pay homage to the Goddesses that have shaped my life.
     According to the Farmer's Almanac the meaning for the upcoming full moon this Saturday is thusly, "Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon." I think of it as the Mystery Moon or the Moon of Transition.
     The Sun is reborn as a small resting babe and the Crone of Samhain, who is the Mother at Yule is returning to her Maidenhood for Imbolc and Ostara. The magic of this transformation is a mystery but I see it as a time of year controlled by Jana and her husband/brother Janus.  They are the keepers of time and the heralds of the passages and doorways to important points in ones life. For them time goes forward and back with the many faces seen and unseen. Janus is known to have two faces, one that sees into the past and one that sees into the future. Some say Jana has the same while others say she has three faces so she is the keeper of endless possibilities, past and future (like Janus) with an extra hidden face beneath her hair that sees the Beyond.
Jana's moon is the light in the dark part of the year, to honor her, try your hand at scrying using the moon or a candle to reflect the light off of a bowl of water or a mirror. Keep a note pad, journal or book of shadows near to write down the images or thoughts to which this opened your mind. If like me, you find scrying overly difficult, pendulum work, runes or tarot is a reasonable alternative.

Items needed:
-one black and one white votive or a half and half candle
-a mirror, dish of water, or other form of divination
-music or incense that puts you into the right frame of mind
-paper and writing utencil

First turn out all the lights, if you have a window that gives you a great view of the moon, turn and face it. Light the white candle and sit alone in the dark, breathing in to quiet your being. Watch how the light of the candle plays off of the walls as well as the light of the sun reflects off the moon. Feel your connection with the moon, feel it pull at you like it does the tides. Allow the candle to burn itself down, if it is a half and half, when it gets to the black it is time to start your divination. If you are using votive candles, when the white is a near puddle, put out the white and light the black and follow the same next step. Also light your incense and play the music if it will help you.

To invoke her for your divination try this:

Sweet Jana, Goddess of Mysteries and Pathways,

With your moon shining bright

To honor thee on this night

I seek the wisdom of your sight!

The Moon of Transitions, what your divination has helped uncover and a blessing from Jana should help enact needed change in your life. Leaving a special offering for her under the moon with a whispered prayer is also a great way to gain her respect. It might sound strange but from my experience she has a bit of a sweet tooth. A recipe soon to follow, but in case you are crunched for time, she loves dark chocolate!

Hearthside Thoughts #1

I know it seems like much that I am posting pertains to food, but hey, what can I say? I love to eat! It is almost as sacred an act as greeting the sun or murmuring a soft prayer of thanks to the gods for the blessings in one's life. Above all else, your body is your temple and the life energy you consume from other living things like plants and animals fuels it so that you can go about your daily life as well as perform random acts of kindness. It is also important to know what to eat as well, pigging out on soda and fast food isn't going to keep your temple in great working order. The better you eat the more in tune you will be to the sacred around you. I have learned this lesson the hard way, I'm not a super model who eats a Twinkie and then starves herself for a week. As I've said I love to eat. A few years ago I kept to eating right, walking went ever possible and I felt the an intimate connection to the spirits. Times got rough, changed jobs, moved to an area were walking wasn't really an option to get around and let's say my "temple needs a lot of renovation" so time to make a few necessary improvements. In the time being, I'll be working on a few more recipes for the next full moon. Also I have already started planning for my garden in the spring and I'm making a few plans to make my kitchen more green witch friendly. Until then...

Spirits Bless!

Inciting A Riot: Project Pagan Enough



http://www.incitingariot.com/p/project-pagan-enough.html?spref=bl



Mushroom & Potato Pot Pie - A Yuletide Alternative

2 (9 inch) unbaked frozen pie crusts

6 small red potatoes, cubed

3 tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil

1 cup sliced onion

3 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 c Marsala wine

2 tbsp corn flour

1-2 c baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp dried sage

2 tsp Italian seasoning

Add grated Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. In a large skillet, combine the oil, onions and mushrooms until tender. Add potatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes. In another bowl combine the soy sauce, Marsala wine, corn flour and seasonings; whisk until the sauce thickens then add to the skillet. Pour ingredients into the pie shell, shake Parmesan cheese on top, cover with top pie crust and bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Set asside for 15 minutes to let sauce thicken and enjoy!

It's Jynx the Jolly Elf-cat

Don't let the look on his face fool you, even though his expression says, "I am NOT amused..." he was purring the whole time!

The Holly King, Shona M MacDonald, SciFi Fantasy Art

The Holly King, Shona M MacDonald, SciFi Fantasy Art

Yuletide Solstice Chicken Pot Pie

1/2 c butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c chopped carrots
1 c chopped celery
1/2 c red potatoes
1/2 c mushrooms (marinated, fresh or canned)
1 c frozen peas (optional)
1/2 c vermouth
1 whole or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded or cubed
1 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 tbsp Italian spices (to taste)
3 c chicken stock
1/3 c flour
1 c heavy cream
3 frozen pie crusts (one for the top, the bottom and the decoration)


First, take the two chicken breasts (one whole breast) and boil them on a low flame for about 1/2 hour put a little garlic powder and onion powder with just a pinch of salt into the water with chicken. After 1/2 hour let chicken stand to cool down,  remove chicken from pot and shred with your fingers or a fork. If it doesn't cut into cubes -- it works fine that way too!


Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions until tender and then add the rest of the vegitables, cook for 5 more minutes. Add wine to skillet; bring to boil. Stir in chicken. Add salt and pepper, set asside in a large bowl.


Bring stock and the Italian seasonings to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until ready to use. Melt remaining butter in a skillet with a sprinkle of flour to make a rue, whisking until mixture is well blended, stirring well for about 2 minutes on low heat until it turns golden brown. Add one cup of stock, continuing to whisk the mixture until smooth. Whisk in remaining stock and heavy cream until it is smooth also. Stirring constantly bring to a boil until sauce thickens. Add both the chicken mixture and the stock mixture to the pie shell. Cover with the other pie shell and cut small slits in it to vent the steam.


Here comes the fun part, with the extra pie crust, cut out a shape of the sun, making it as detailed as you would like. Maybe add holly leaves or a pentacle instead do whatever you would like to make this a festive addition to your Yule celebration! Brush with a little butter and then bake for 20-30 minutes checking the crust to turn a golden brown. Cool for 15 mins, serve and enjoy!


What better way to bring in the year by something hot and savory? There aren't a lot of chicken recipes out there that I have found for Yule so I hope you enjoy this and share it with others. Also if you are short on time, the pot pie filling can be made a day ahead, then cover and refridgerate. Blessed be!

Moon Ritual (11/10/11) w/ Apple Crisp -- The Snow Moon

Synopsis: The Spirit of the Goddess and the Mysteries of the God reside in all things (and all places). This ritual is meant for the night of the full moon or the night before it. This ritual focuses on personal growth, connection through nature to the Divine (time of year note: this moon offers a time to take root and prepare for inner Transformation. Strengthen communication with the deities who seem closest to you. The leaves are almost gone and the trees pull into themselves to sleep and wait out the winter for the return of spring). For the purpose of this ritual, prep a cooking space where you can set up ritual bits or in the case of pagans incog-NEATO a few candles and incense to set the mood and some music to help focus.

Ritual items needed:

(ritual concept and recipe supplied by http://www.cucinaaurora.com/recipes.php?view=37)

Athame (if you have one) or Boline (or blessed knife) to cut the crisp and inscribing sigils on apples

Incense (juniper, spices, cedar, lemon, sage, etc.)

Candles

Offering plate and mug


Filling:

5 large apples (preferably Cortland Apples) peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup water
juice from 1/2 of a lemon (1-2 tsps)

Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats (uncooked)
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine apples with water and lemon juice in a deep medium size baking dish. Set aside. Combine flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts to form a crumb mixture. Distribute evenly over apples in baking dish. Bake, uncovered 45 min - 1 hour, until edges bubble and top is a deep golden brown. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.

Ritual Pre-prep:

Place the apples in the sacred space. You can do a circle if you wish or just sweep the kitchen clean clockwise, focusing on the glow of protective, purifying energy it creates. Meditate a few minutes if desired imagining you are the tree that gifted these apples. Thank the G&G for all the improvements that has happened this year, this past month and the days leading up to this moon. Reflect on how the tree has turned inward and on the bounty it is thinking about for the spring and how such Transformation might be possible in your own life. Even the apples themselves will be transformed by this ritual! Visualize the crone as this is her time of year (for me it is Baba Yaga and her connection with the elements as well as the Goddess Jana, who I honor for every full moon) ask the crone to help you “see” the symbols of the elements. Carve on the apples the elemental sigils. Ask Jana (or other preferred Goddess & God) to bless the water, spices, etc (light candles, incense, etc – if you already haven’t done so).

Cut apples and follow the recipe. When combining the topping, stir clockwise thinking of the blessings and changes you wish in your life to increase. Then stir counter clockwise for the things you would like to see diminish. Equal turns of both, if possible.

Cover apples, bake, cut the first slice for the G&G, thank them for coming, cut for the rest and enjoy!

Optional: Everything is better with honey! When it is fresh from the oven, drizzle a little honey on top. Go wild and draw a pentacle of honey or a life spiral or some other sigil of power. :)

Afterthought: While you are waiting on the crisp to finish baking, why not take the time to do a little divination, write some resolutions in your BOS that will help you to attain the changes in your life, or meditate a little more?