Candle @ MindSay 
Let me be honest to all you mindsayers..........I put a nice little smile on my face and play the oh joy, what rapture, what wonderful delight.......it's Winter Solistice, Christmas, Kwansa, Hanaka (however you spell it), the Festival of Lights........the list can go on for the various holidays.
Don't get me wrong I love to give gifts and yes get a small something from those I love. But I don't get into the season like a lot of folks do.
Unlike how a lot of Pagans and Christians get at this time of year the meaning of the holidays to me is to be with Family. To celebrate the fact that Winter is half way over with. Sorry folks in old times, that is exactly what the solistices marked........half way through the season of summer or winter.......NOT the beginning. That the Sun is starting to stay longer. The Warriors of the clan would start making preperations to leave at spring time or to start training again at spring time......if they weren't already out campaigning. The fishermen would be doing the same. Preparing to go out in the spring. So on and so forth.
Giving gifts as someone who follows a Celt Spirituality in the Modern days, many of us don't go overboard on how much we spend on someone.........it literally is more of........the thought and the meaning behind the gifts. Now that doesn't mean we don't enjoy ourselves. We all do on some level or another:D I decorate. I put a Christmas Tree up because *gasp* the trees are an orginal Pagan tradation:D Since I am not following a Norse or Tetunic path I don't do the Yule log. There is nothing wrong with it but I feel insulted for my Norse and German Pagan brothers and sisters when I see so many Wiccans and Christians and other Pagans not of their path using one of their sacred tradations and not fully understanding the meaning behind the Yule log. Those that do their research I am not to upset over because they at least take the time to find out the meaning behind it. I put a tad bit of garlen up. Hubby is in charge of lights not the tree other wise it would fall over!:D And I have a string on my kitchen railing and in my hallway. And the stockings..........I have no clue where that tradation came from........don't really care at the moment.
I also buy a new Winter Solistice Candle Every Year. It is a Festival of Fire after all:D
Anyway I am getting off track with this post:D You all be use to it anyway.:P
My mother has a hard time understanding my feelings of decorating at this holiday. Or any holiday for that matter. My whole line of thinking is the same as making my bed: Why the hell bother making the dayum thing when your just going to mess it up sleeping, having sex, or other activites you happen to do in it?
Same goes with the decorations: Why bother putting the dayum shit up when you just take it down sooner then later?
It makes no sense to me. Never really has. Sure I helped my mom put the decorations up when I was younger but yay it wasn't because I really outright liked it after a certain age when it became more of we are doing this now and you will help stage:D
So my mother, after almost 12 years out on my own, has released her youngest daughter is a semi Scrouge. It it got worse when my daughter was born a week before Winter Solsitce/Christmas. I not only have to buy a holiday presents for my kids, I have to buy birthday presents for my daughter. Then my idiot brother just had to marry a skank that has a son whos birthday is a few days before my daugther's! Can we say one expensive month?!?
I don't buy my kids a lot of things any other part of the year. Little things here or there. Sporting equipment that is just assinine to buy at holiday time when it is plainly a spring/summer gift! They get a set amount of money each year for gifts. Just like my parents did. And when money is tight, we set a limit on the money and go for nice gifts vs the amount of gifts. And we do NOT go outragouse on the money amount by anymeans. Even when we do have the money to go buck wild! *Gasp* Half of the gifts are usually much needed clothes! You know the typical middle class folks way of getting your kids those much needed clothes that they have outgrown and you couldn't get to that thrift store or have anyone to pass on clothes to you?
This year is going to be harder then normal becaues our income is so much lower and the bills are still backed up. So we went with the limit of gift amount vs money amount. And currently what is under my tree is:
4 Birthday presents for my girl from us her parents--All for a total of under $50.00--We are giving her an idog, Sorry the Board Game, and 2 sets of badly needed jam jams
1 Birthday present from her brother-under 10 dollars:D--A Kid's Jam Jock CD of Music (which can be burned for our son also:D)
2 Winter Solistice Presents--1 for each kid from us their parents--daughter an air gun and son an idog
2 Christmas Presents--for my son from my parents (they are sending my girls next week) an outfit and a walkman
I have a few stocking stuffers for under 10 dollars for each kid. That is under 10 for the both of them.
See I dont' go buck wild and I make sure that the kids get things they will actually play with and use! I will buy them two more toys and 1 set of clothes and then either each a Santa gift or the family a santa gift. Haven't decieded yet. Oh and yay Santa isn't a "Christian" thing! It is a Culture thing!:D
So as you see under our tree is both bday presents and holiday presents for two different holidays. And my siblings and I don't go wild with gift giving for our neices and nephews........we talk, deterimine a gift amount and then go from there. Our sister in law has a bit to learn......we don't give to the adults just to the kdis. Because this is a kid holiday in our eyes. And if you deciede to give to adults besides the parental units and grandparental units........do NOT expect anything in return. Because even if we have the money we decieded it is to hard to buy for adults! Kids are so much easier!
The key to successful kid buying is: ASK them what they want and go from there! Teenagers......just take them with you and have them pick and wrap the dayum things. Money is always good or gift cards to their favorite stores! Tis what my parents did to us:D We were a picky bunch! Note to new parents: NEVER EVER buy a toy, music cd, or any item for your feral two legged cub; just becuase you think it is cute or you wanted it. Ten to one tehy are going to think it is crap and it is going to collect dust in their rooms!
Here's hoping that the two legged animals and the furry four legged animals stay out from under your holiday tree this year!
Howdy Howdy all!
One of my Best friends will be here in November for a visit and I am very very excited to see Him again. He did a tour of duty in Afghanistan and then another in an undisclosed location in the Middle East. He is back in the states for a bit and is making a special trip to visit yours truly...aint that sweet! Just when I was thinking that I needed somebody to say something or do something nice to/for me. You know how sometimes you just need attention that you can't come out and ASK for.... and then--- BAM a blessing from the Goddess-to whom I give thanks.
I can't wait to see you Sarge!
Well the weekend is over and it is back to school on the morrow. Learning Latin is a lot easier than I thought. Anyway...I have just completed a purging ritual and whew do I feel a lot better. I have recently put some issues behind me Never to be visited again and I am more focused than ever on my myriad of goals. Sunday was a great day for this and here is how you might wanna do your own purging ritual in order to exorcise some demons as well as cleanse the body...Before the ritual right down some goals you want to achieve some feelings you want to work through...You will need a sage bundle and a source of fire to light it, a white candle and sage essential oil for annointing it (the candle).
Wake up naturally (No alarm clock)
See to your morning needs (face, teeth, shower )
Down a Large Glass of water with lemon (you should be able to taste the lemon well)
Light Sage bundle(some may light Patchouli if they like) set in fire proof dish (a mini cauldron works well)
Make a smudge on your candle with the oil and light the candle.
In solitude and silence sit quietly with your thoughts on those issues that plague you(you can read directly from your list).
Take deep breaths (inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 4).
Sit as long or short as you like and after you reach the natural end of your meditation burn the list (safely of course).
for the next three nights light the candle and meditate for a while on your list of issues to banish. Try to take a moment daily to think of ways that you can transcend the issues that plague your existence. Put one into effect each week and note any improvements in a weekly journal (I say weekly because daily is just too time consuming for many of us).
Well that is all for now. I would like to announce that I will return to my old format to a large degree. I will be concentrating on all things Pagan-herbal and once again vegetarian (including fish though) eating. Some notes on sustainable living and environmental issues and volunteer activities.
The reason for this is that I have been focusing on things that have not/will not be fruitful. It has come to my attention (I had a rather vivid dream actually) that I have been focusing on things so far outside of the way I want to live and so far away from my longterm goals that although I achieved one goal (Grad school) I have been stifled in others and that is unacceptable to me.
Don't worry, I will be Keeping my Retail Rants and the miscellaneous photo/video posts of me and my friends at the Richmond Arms but I am purging the negative and living in the present and future of Environgirl-ville, come on along and join me ya'll there is room for all manner of positive friends and lovers of our beloved MOTHER, Lady Nature!
How about some Poetry...here goes...(Doll...there is always, always, always room for you, of course)
Song
Love thou thy dream
All base love scorning,
Love thou the wind
And here take warning
That dreams alone can truly be,
For 'tis in dream I come to thee. --Ezra Pound
Goddess Bless
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