No Tools Needed Mabon Ritual

Hi everyone! This weekend is Mabon so I thought I would leave you all with a ritual that you could do to celebrate the holiday. I got this ritual from https://exemplore.com. I hope you find it useful for your celebrations. It was created for someone who has no Wiccan tools so you can add your own little flare to it if you’d like to add your tools to the workings of the ritual.

Things you need

• 1 item to represent Water (a seashell, a picture of the sea, a river rock, etc.)
• 1 item to represent Air (a feather, a fan, a reed, etc.)
• 1 item to represent Earth (a rock, a flower, etc.)
• 1 item to represent Fire (a candle, a lava rock, a picture of a campfire, etc.)
• 1 bowl or basket full of offerings (this can be fruit, bread, pretty leaves, flowers, dried herbs, pine cones, acorns, twigs, and other things you pick up on nature walks)
• 1 black stone (painted if need be) Could also use a black candle 
• 1 white stone (painted if need be) Could also use a white candle
• 1 cup of juice or wine (or water if nothing else)
• 1 plate with a muffin (corn, apple, or if need be just a slice of bread or a few crackers)
• 4 small bowls or cups (if holding the rite indoors)
• Incense in a holder (completely optional—stick or cone is fine)
• Music (completely optional)

Starting the ritual

Cast your circle using your preferred methods. When you’ve done that you need to summon the elements. You can turn to each directions, starting in the west and say:

I call to the Powers of the West and the Element of Water; let your intuition flow as I celebrate the rites of the Second Harvest.

I call to the Powers of the North and the Element of Air; let me breathe in your wisdom as I celebrate the rites of the Second Harvest.

I call to the Powers of the East and the Element of Earth; let me be grounded in your strength as I celebrate the rites of the Second Harvest.

I call to the Powers of the South and the Element of Fire; let your spark energize me as I celebrate the rites of the Second Harvest.

Go back to the center of the circle and call your deities in any way you like.

The actual ritual

Take a moment to feel the presence of your deities. When you’re ready, pick up the black and white stones (or candles if you choose to use those instead), with one in each hand. Say:

Day and night hang in the balance; Today, in equal measure, they meet.

Tomorrow, the dark takes over the year, and the hours of light retreat.

The darkness ushers in the chill, with leaves that whirl and winds that howl,

The snows may fall, the rains may cease, with empty fields and barren bough.

Dearest God, in Your waning strength, You move towards Your deathly sleep,

Yet memories of Summer shall warm my soul, and the promise of Spring I keep.

Lovely Goddess, in Your womb is the secret of what lies in store;

Rebirth of our God, rebirth of our Light, and rebirth of our land evermore.

For the mystery that you’ve taught me of the cycles of season are not in vain:

The darkness does pass, the light does return, and that which falls rises again.

Place the stones (or candles) in the offering basket. Sit and meditate for a while, if you like.

Offering

When you’re ready, pick up the juice, hold it up and say:

Bless this juice, infused with your love that is poured on the Earth;

As you’ve freely given, I freely give in return;

Accept my thanks and love at this Harvest season for Your bounty.

Pour a libation (a small amount) into the basket of offerings.

Stand up and go to the Western quarter. Pour out a small splash of drink on the ground (or into the bowl if you’re doing this indoors), then move to the North, East, and South, in turn, saying:

May the delicate balance of nature’s energies every flow in harmony,

With the Goddess and God, with each other, and within me.

Take a sip of the drink and place the cup down back on your altar. Next, pick up the muffin or bread. Hold it up and say:

Bless this grain, infused with your love that springs forth from the Earth.

As you’ve freely given, I freely give in return;

Accept my thanks and love at this Harvest season for Your bounty.

Break off a piece and put it into the offering basket. Then walk around the circle, sprinkling some crumbs at each of the four quarters, starting in the West, as you say:

May the cycles of the seasons keep turning,

May the Power of the Wheel keeps burning,

So mote it be!

Take a bite of the remaining bread. Sit and enjoy your simple feast.

Ending the ritual

Now is a good time in your ritual to do any divination or magickal workings that pertain to the holiday. When you’ve done all it is that you want to do you can close the ritual. Simply turn to each quarter in turn (starting in the West again), thanking each Elemental energy and bidding it go in peace. Bid farewell to your gods as well, with these or similar words:

In life there is death; in death there is life. And the circle ever goes on.

My thanks and praise go with you this season, in celebration of this Mabon.

For the season does turn you toward slumber as we move toward the icy realm of the North;

But Your presence remains in my mind and my heart, and I carry you with me henceforth.

All that’s left to do is clean up and head home for a quiet, peaceful evening.

I hope you all enjoy and that you have a very blessed Mabon. Let me know what you’re going to do for the sabbat down below along with any other thoughts or questions you have. Make sure you check out my instagram to get updates and see into my everyday life. Also make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post and upload videos to youtube. Until next time, Blessed Be!

 

Colour Correspondences

Hi everyone! Today we are going to talk about colours and how you can incorporate them into your craft. Colours can be used in lots of different ways. You can wear different colours to help give off certain vibes, to help make you feel a certain way, or to celebrate something. You can also use colours in ritual. You could use a specifically altar cloth or decorate your altar in a certain colour for a particular ritual. If you are casting a spell you can also incorporate different colours to effect your spell in a certain way. Colours are a very easy way to instill change with very minimal effort.

Red

So red is best for anything that has to do with sex, passion, warding, and vigor. It is exceptionally good for sex magick. It is associated with Tuesday, the herb chili, the planet mars, the element fire, and the root chakra. If you’re a taurus, gemini, leo, sagittarius, or capricorn you may want to make this one of your power colours. If you’re decorating your altar for Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Lammas, or Mabon red is your colour

Orange

Orange is great for anything that has to do with justice and leadership. It is best for any magick that has to do with Justice. So maybe you want to do a spell to help your local police force find a criminal, etc. It is associated with the herb oregano, the planet mars, and the sacral chakra. Orange is also a great colour to decorate your altar with around Samhain.

Yellow

Yellow is a great colour for anything to do with friendship or exams. Friendship magick is what it is best for though. So if you’re having a conflict with a friend and you want to find a solution than yellow is your best help. It is associated with the herb citronella, the element air, the planet mercury and the sun, and the solar plexus/navel chakra. If you’re a taurus yellow is one of your power colours. If you’re decorating your altar for Lammas or Mabon Yellow is your colour.

Green

Green is great for anything to do with changing attitudes, weather, prosperity, and is best for fertility magick. It is associated with thursday, the herbs irish moss and feverfew, the planet uranus, and the heart chakra. If you’re a cancer, leo, aquarius, or pisces then green is one of your power colours. If you’re decorating your altar for Yule, Ostara, Litha, or Lammas then you’ll want to make sure you include the colour green.

Blue

Blue is great for anything to do with your health, home, confidence, and wisdom. It is best for health and confidence magick. It is associated with Thursday, the herbs rosemary and thistle, the element water, the planet jupiter, and the throat chakra. If you’re a gemini, libra, or aquarius then blue is one of your power colours.

Purple

Purple is best for occult knowledge, power, psychic awareness, and blessings. It is associated with Wednesday, the herbs chives and lavender, the planets jupiter and neptune, and the third eye chakra.

Pink

Pink is great for anything to do with love or harmony but it best known for love magick (make sure your love magick is not manipulating anyone’s will though). It is associated with Friday, the herb red clover, and the planet venus. If you’re an aries then pink is one of your power colours.

White

White is great for peace and purification. It is best known for protection magick. It is associated with the herb chamomile, the moon, and the crown chakra. If you’re an aries or pisces then white is one of your power colours. If you’re decorating your altar for imbolc or ostara you’ll want to use white.

Black

Black is great for protection and is best known for curse-breaking magick. It is associated with the planets saturn and pluto. If you’re a virgo, libra, or scorpio then black is one of your power colours. If you’re decorating your altar for Samhain you’ll definitely want to include black.

Brown

Brown is great for anything to do with work, animals, travel, and building. It is best for work magick. For example if you need to come up with a new project at work then you might want to try using brown. It is associated with the herbs mandrake and ginger, the element earth, and the planet pluto. If you’re a cancer, scorpio, or capricorn then brown is one of your power colours. If you are decorating your altar for Mabon then brown will be a great colour.

Silver

Silver is great for gambling and is best known for luck magick. It is associated with Monday, the herb eyebright, and the moon. If you’re decorating your altar for Ostara then you’ll want to use silver.

Gold

Gold is great for beauty and is best known for money magick. It is associated with Sunday, the herb pennyroyal, and the sun. If you’re a virgo or sagittarius then gold is one of your power colours.

Grey

Grey is great for patience and is best known for ancestor magick. So if you’re trying to get in contact with your ancestors grey is the colour for you. It is associated with Saturday, the herb sage, and the planet mercury.

Rainbow

Having rainbows around are great for anything to do with faeries (attracting, communicating, spells, rituals, etc). If you’re decorating your altar for beltane you may want to incorporate rainbows in your decor.

Thanks for checking out my post today. Do you agree with all these colour correspondences? let me know down below along with any other thoughts or questions you have. Make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post and upload videos to youtube. Only 2 more days until the end date for my giveaway so make sure you send me in your entries! Until next time, Blessed Be!

Pagan questions… Get to know me Part 1

Hi everyone, today I thought I would let you guys get to know me a bit better. I am going to be answering questions which are about my beliefs and about my path. I found this little pic and figured I would just answer them all! I will answer about half today and the other half another day. I’m going to try and give just yes or no answers (when possible) since there are a lot of questions but you can feel free to ask me to elaborate on anything in the comments. Also, keep in mind that one question is repeated a lot in the picture below, for some reason. I only answer it once and therefore the question numbers on the pic aren’t going to be the same as how I have them numbered below.

1. How did you find your path?

I had recently stopped being a Christian and was agnostic. I was researching different beliefs and came across Wicca.

2. Are you in or out of the closet?

Well I’m out to all friends, strangers, coworkers, my dad, and my siblings. I’m out to my mom about being pagan in general. However the rest of my family is still mostly under the assumption that I am Christian I think. I do have Wicca as my religion on fb but I didn’t share it to my feed so it’s just there for anyone to stumble upon.

3. Do you have an altar/shrine/sacred space?

Yes

4. Your take on the Wheel of the year?

Not quite sure what my take would be… I enjoy the wheel of the year… I wouldn’t change it… I try to celebrate when I can but I find it hard since work only gives me Christian holidays off.

5. What does this time of year mean to you?

Well the end of summer is slowly coming. In a month is the equinox I believe so I am super excited for that. Right now everything is about getting the earth, animals, bugs, etc, ready for the fall. I will admit that I am excited for summer to be over though as it is one of my least favourite seasons.

6. What are your cultural influences?

Well I am white so one can argue that I have no culture. However youtube effects me greatly. The things that I watch like wicca channels, mommy channels, and other stuff effects me a lot; what I aspire to and do.

7. How do you view sacred texts and mythology?

I don’t think I really view any sacred texts. But for viewing mythology I do a lot of research online. I also like to read Rick Riordan books. They are obviously just fiction but they are based on a lot of mythology facts which is a fun way for me to learn.

8. Do you have/how did you find a matron/patron

I do have a matron and patron. I did do a tarot spread to help determine it a bit but I also just felt in my gut who I was drawn to. Gaia and Pan fyi

9. Do you keep a diary/journal of your experiences?

Nope

10. What do the moon phases mean to you?

Well obviously they represent the phases of the goddess. It also affects energy levels in the air.

11. What does the sun mean to you?

It represents the god and his strength

12. Do you use divination? What types?

Yes, tarot, oracle, and pendulums typically.

13. What does magick mean to you?

It is a more powerful use of the law of attraction in my opinion. It is an optional part of the path that I think a lot of people deem mandatory.

14. Do you perform spells on a regular basis?

Nope

15. What spiritual practice do you do most often?

Divination probably

16. What does the deity/god/divine mean to you?

Well I identify most with the divine. I believe in the universal energy source. I also have deities that I worship however. I do not believe deities are actual being but rather just personified pieces of the universal energy source.

17. How do you feel about group work/worship?

I really enjoyed it as a Christian but it has been so long that I have had the opportunity to worship within a group that I would awkward about it now.

18. What does initiation mean to you?

Initiation is not important to me at all (I’m assuming that this is separate from dedication).

19. Do you have a grimoire/book of shadows?

Yes

20. Do you create your own correspondences?

I don’t other than what’s on this site.

21. How important is your diet/magickal use of food?

I wish I prioritized it more. I have certain ethics and morals on food but too lazy and frugal to actually buy what I want to be eating. As for food and magick, I don’t typically mix those.

Thanks for checking out today’s post! Feel free to ask me about any specifics down below along with any other thoughts or questions. Make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post here and upload videos to youtube. Lastly, if you’d like to enter my giveaway, in thanks for 100 subscribers, all you have to do is send me a blog/video request. You can send it in the comments of a blog, video, or twitter, through my email, etc. Each request counts as one entry. The winner gets a free tarot reading or reiki session, their choice. The giveaway ends August 16th. Until next time, Blessed Be!

Weekly Tarot Reading: Let Your Soul Shine (Summer Solstice spread)

Hi everyone! I thought since Friday is going to be Litha we would do a little tarot spread that embodies the holiday. This spread is going to give you some insight on how you can be the best you you can be this summer.

The Tarot Spread

I actually enjoyed this spread so much that I was compelled to do it for my partner too. I have pulled the cards already but am writing this before I get the chance to really analyze the cards and get his message. I’m very excited.

These are the cards I pulled for myself

Card 1: You as you are now (knight of cups reversed)

This card essentially was telling me that I allow my emotions to control my life more than I should. That I am overly jealous, emotional, and/or moody. I also jump to conclusions too fast.

I can definitely say that all of the above is true and it is something I really am trying to work on but I am not sure how honestly.

Card 2: What’s keeping you from being your best? (Ace of wands reversed)

This card talks a lot about going through trials and tribulations. That I feel I have no direction which is causing a lack of inspiration and motivation. Essentially I am just in a slump. I don’t seem to be excited to reach my goals and I am feeling weighed down by current commitments and responsibilities.

As you all know my life has just been bonkers lately and it still hasn’t stopped being bonkers. More and more things keep coming up. So that part seems pretty true. My lack of inspiration and motivation is actually so extreme that is seems to cause problems in my relationship with my partner. Honestly it is a mental health issue that I know needs fixed but once again I don’t know how. As for feeling weighed down by commitments and responsibilities it is a double edged sword. I work all day, then I come home and I am either, editing videos, uploading videos, or writing blog posts. I do a lot and it is super exhausting. However I am so proud of myself and what I have accomplished with this blog and my channel in such a short amount of time and I really don’t what to stop. So I need to learn how to balance out my schedule better.

Card 3: How to overcome it (The lovers)

Essentially this card to me was telling me to let my partner take care of me more. Sure I tell him what is upsetting me and I talk to him about stuff. But I very rarely let him see me breakdown. And especially these last 2-3 months I’ve totally broken down a lot and he’s seen me do that maybe once or twice. I don’t like to let him see me a mess or anyone else for that matter. However this card serves as a reminder to me that he can handle the mess that is me. And by me not letting him fulling in to what I am experiencing emotionally I am hindering myself.

Card 4: How you can work towards your goals (Ten of Pentacles)

I am very bad at making long term goals. I like immediate satisfaction and anything that doesn’t provide that I often drop. That is one reason why my partner is so surprised that I am still writing this blog. I have not become a superstar overnight and am still nowhere close to achieving that stardom. To go along with that most of my goals that I have for my blog and my channel are short term goals since I do enjoy that instant gratification. For instance I made a goal for the month of June to get 50 subscribers on my youtube channel. When I made this goal I already had 49 subscribers. I now have 53 subscribers which is obviously surpassed my very easy goals. I get nervous to make long term goals as I am afraid I will never accomplish them and in the end let myself (and possibly others) down. However this card is telling me I need to do just that. More of my goals will be met if I actually set those long term goals I fear.

Card 5: How you can care for yourself (Two of Swords reversed)

I have this tendency of getting into these stalemate like situations where I just need to make a choice but neither seem good so I just don’t chose. I like to think that if I pretend the issue doesn’t exist that it’ll go away. Newsflash! The situation doesn’t go away. Surprising right? This card is telling me to simply start making choices so my stress can go away.

Card 6: How you can care for others (Seven of wands reversed)

As I kinda said early when talking about my partner, I need to start letting my walls down. I tend to come across as aggressive when I am protecting myself and it damages my relationships with others. This card seems to be saying once I take care of myself, let myself be more vulnerable and learn to protect myself less aggressively, caring for others should fall into place naturally.

Card 7: How you can care for the world (Four of Pentacles)

This card is one I had a hard time interpreting today. From what I could gather it is reminding me not to become to materialistic. It also seems to be saying that in order to care for the world I need to take more risks.

 

This is all I have today! Let me know what you think of this spread, along with anything you think I missed, any other thoughts, or questions you have down below. Make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post and when I upload videos to youtube. Until next time, Blessed Be!

Beltane Ritual

Happy Beltane everyone! I hope everyone is excited that spring has finally truly started. I thought I would make a post about a ritual you can do during the sabbat if it calls upon you. I know this one is very woman based (although men can do it too as we all have both the feminine and masculine in us) so if this one isn’t your cup of tea check out this one instead. Anything in red were little adjustments I made. The original source is from https://www.learnreligions.com/honor-the-sacred-feminine-with-a-goddess-ritual-2561652 I hope you enjoy!

What you need

• A white candle
• An offering of something that is important to you
• A bowl of water
• A handful of small pebbles or stones

If your tradition calls for you to cast a circle, do so now.

Begin the Ritual

Begin by standing in the goddess position; this is a stance in which the feet are spread apart, about shoulder-width, and the arms raised up to the sky. Speak clearly, and say:

I am (your name), and I stand before you,
goddesses of the sky and earth and sea,
I honor you, for your blood runs through my veins,
one woman (or man), standing on the edge of the universe.
Tonight, I make an offering in Your names,
As my thanks for all you have given me.

Light the candle, and place your offering before it on the altar. The offering may be something tangible, such as bread or wine or flowers. It can also be something symbolic, such as a gift of your time or dedication. Whatever it is, it should be something from your heart. You may want to read up on Offerings to the Gods for some ideas.

Once you have made your offering, it is time to call upon the goddesses by name. Say:

I am (your name), and I stand before you,
Isis, Ishtar, Tiamat, Inanna, Shakti, Cybele (Or any other goddesses you worship instead).
Mothers of the ancient people,
guardians of those who walked the earth thousands of years ago,
I offer you this as a way of showing my gratitude.
Your strength has flowed within me,
your wisdom has given me knowledge,
your inspiration has given birth to harmony in my soul.

Now it is time to honor the many women may who have touched your life. For each one, place a pebble into the bowl of water. As you do so, say each woman’s name and how she has impacted you. You might say something like this:

I am (your name), and I stand before you,
to honor the sacred feminine that has touched my heart.
I honor Susan, who gave birth to me and raised me to be strong;
I honor Maggie, my grandmother, whose strength took her to the hospitals of war-torn France;
I honor Cathleen, my aunt, who lost her courageous battle with cancer;
I honor Jennifer, my sister, who has raised three children alone…

Continue until you have placed a pebble in the water for each of these women. Reserve one pebble for yourself. Finish by saying:

I am (your name), and I honor myself,
for my strength, my creativity, my knowledge, my inspiration,
and for all the other remarkable things that make me who I am.To wrap up this ritual think about all the things that make you love being a woman and if you’re a man think about all the things you admire about women. Meditate on the feminine energy of the universal energy source for a little while, do any divination, or magickal workings you wish to do, and then close out the circle.

That is it for today, I hope you enjoyed. What are you doing for Beltane? Let me know down below in the comments along with any other thoughts or questions you have. Also make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post and when I upload videos. Until next time, Blessed Be!

Imbolc Ritual

So we have officially one every sabbat over the course of the year! Yes, this blog has been going for a year now! So I figured this year I would post a ritual for the sabbats. I’ve been thinking about maybe creating some rituals for you guys but today I have one from the internet (that I will include any modifications I think are needed for the low-budget wiccan). If you’d be interested in some original rituals from me let me know in the comments.

What you need

• Seven candles, in red and white (tealights are perfect for this) Don’t worry about the colours if this is not what you have
• Something to light your candles with
• A large bowl or cauldron big enough to hold the candles
• Sand or salt to fill the bottom of the bowl/cauldron

Ritual directions

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now. Pour the sand or salt into the bowl or cauldron. Place the seven candles into the sand so they won’t slide around. Light the first candle. As you do so, say:

Although it is now dark, I come seeking light.
In the chill of winter, I come seeking life.

Light the second candle, saying:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.
I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.
I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Light the third candle. Say:

This light is a boundary, between positive and negative.
That which is outside, shall stay without.
That which is inside, shall stay within.

Light the fourth candle. Say:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.
I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.
I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Light the fifth candle, saying:

Like fire, light and love will always grow.
Like fire, wisdom and inspiration will always grow.

Light the sixth candle, and say:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.
I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.
I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Finally, light the last candle. As you do so, visualize the seven flames coming together as one. As the light builds, see the energy growing in a purifying glow.

Fire of the hearth, blaze of the sun,
cover me in your shining light.
I am awash in your glow, and tonight I am
made pure.

Take a few moments and meditate on the light of your candles. Think about this Sabbat, a time of healing and inspiration and purification. Do you have something damaged that needs to be healed? Are you feeling stagnant, for lack of inspiration? Is there some part of your life that feels toxic or tainted? Visualize the light as a warm, enveloping energy that wraps itself around you, healing your ailments, igniting the spark of creativity, and purifying that which is damaged.

When you are ready, end the ritual. You may choose to follow up with healing magic, or with a Cakes and Ale ceremony.

Here is the link to the original site if you’d like to see the history behind the ritual.

Thank you for checking out my blog! What do you do to celebrate Imbolc? Let me know in the comments along with any other thoughts or questions. Also, make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post and when I upload videos to youtube. Until next time, Blessed Be.

Wheel of the Year: Yule

Hi everyone! Today we are going to talk about Yule since it is coming on Friday! So Yule is on the winter solstice which is December 21st. Some people celebrate it over a few days (Dec.21-Dec.23). It is the most North point on the wheel of the year. It is the darkest day of the year and represents the brightening of the days to come. Today we are celebrating the goddess giving birth to the sun god again.

On this day there are lots of ways to celebrate. A lot of these celebrations are very similar to those of Christmas. If you want to know why I suggest you check out my blog post about the history of yule. So some things you can do is burn the yule log to increase the light of the season; put up mistletoe; have holly and evergreen decorations to symbolize the promise of the return of life and springtime; and put up a yule tree with silver and white decorations to represent the goddess and god, or red and gold to symbolize the sun god specifically. You can also do gift giving and other traditional holiday fun.

Don’t forget, along with all these seasonal activities you can still go for a nature walk to see what is happening in the world, do a ritual for the deities around yule and winter, do some divination, or do some magick.

Some gods you can celebrate on Yule are: Baldur (Norse), Dionysus (Greek), Hodr (Norse), Holly king (Celtic), Horus (Egyptian), Mithras (Roman), Odin (Norse), Saturn (Roman), and Apollo (Greek).

Some goddesses you can celebrate on Yule are: Alcyone (Greek), Ameratasu (Japanese), Bona Dea (Roman), Cailleach Bheur (Celtic), Demeter (Greek), Frau Holle (Norse), Frigga (Norse), La Betana (Italian), and Spider Woman (Hopi).

I hope you all have a very blessed Yule! What are your plans for the sabbat? Let me know in the comments along with any other thoughts or questions you have. Also, make sure to follow me here and on twitter to get notifications when I post and when I upload videos to youtube. Until next time, Blessed Be!

Real or Fake Yule tree?

So, today I thought it would be fun if we looked at a question I asked the Wiccan community last year and what answers I was given. Last year was my first yule really. We were in a pretty big place so we decided to get a real tree. Being the weird little witch that I am, I was laying underneath my tree, just hanging out and admiring how beautiful it was. While I was doing this I started thinking to myself, is having a real tree against Wiccan beliefs? Am I supporting the destruction of our forests? So I went to the internet and asked.

So firstly the majority of people said that having a real tree was not against our beliefs and rather could be more in line with our beliefs than fake trees. The reasons people gave for this varied. One person pointed out that the material fake trees are made from is actually detrimental to our earth. The material does not break down and therefore just adds more garbage to our landfills. Another person mentioned that most real trees are farmed so when you think of it that way you aren’t actually contributing to deforestation. Someone else (this is my favourite response) actually said that when you bring the yule tree inside you are actually bringing the sprites of nature inside to keep them warm throughout the cold winter. I personally think that is a beautiful thought process to have.

A few other responses were people actually giving me advice on how to make the most out of my yule tree. So a common comment was people suggesting to buy a tree that has it roots/root ball attached and keep it in your house in a pot. When the holidays are over you can bring it outside and plant it in your yard. This way no trees have to die at all. You can also take the pine needles from your tree and save them for spells, rituals, or anything else you’d use pine needles for. You can also cut up the tree and use it for a bonfire outside.

What I personally did last year with my tree was I cut a good chunk of the log off and this year I am going to take my yule log and make a candle stand out of it. You can also take this log and burn it for a ritual. I also left my tree outside all winter on my back deck as a place for any critters to relax.

At the end of the day though your beliefs are your beliefs and you must to whatever corresponds with them. Not only that but sometimes we aren’t always blessed to have the space for a real tree. This year I am living in a much smaller home and only have room for my little 4.5 foot fake tree. And that’s okay too.

Thanks for reading today’s post. Do you have a real or a fake yule tree this year? Let me know in the comments along with any other thought or questions you have. Make sure you follow me here and on twitter to get notifications on when I post here and upload videos to youtube. Until next time, Merry Meet and Blessed Be!

The History behind Yule

In about a week or so I am going to be making my usual post about the upcoming sabbat but I thought it might be fun if today we actually talk about the history of Yule.

So back in the day, before Christmas even existed, we had Yule and it’s variances (Saturnalia). It was quite festive. Lots of drinking and parties. A lot of the traditions we have today existed then. For example, the yule tree, bonfires, feasts, etc.  However, when Christianity started forming the Christians weren’t too fond of our Yule.

There were certain people within the ranks (if you will) of Christianity who had the job of converting pagans, and the like, to Christianity using whatever forces they deemed necessary. It got to the point that you had to either pick Christianity or death.

One method the Christians used (other than murder) to convert the pagans is they took their yule traditions, made them a little less rowdy and called them Christmas traditions. Not only that, but they took their celebrations and gave them similar backgrounds (Christmas and Yule are both about the birth of god), and made the days relatively close to each other. For example, Yule starts on December 21st (the winter solstice) and they put Christmas on the 25th (even though that isn’t when Jesus was born).

So more and more pagans were either choosing Christianity, dying, or keeping their faith in secret. I feel this is why it is important to honour the pagans of the past during our sabbats because they did not have the freedom of religion we so luckily have today.

Sorry today’s post is a bit short but I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. What are some of your favourite Yule traditions? If you let me know in the comments maybe I can add them to the Yule sabbat post I make later this month. Also, make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications on when I post and upload youtube videos. Until next time, Merry Meet and Blessed Be!

Working for a Christian Family

Hello everyone! I thought today it would be interesting to give my take on what it is like working for a Christian family. Now I am lucky in saying that the family I have been working for are pretty open-minded, in the sense that they don’t care what I believe, even if they think what I believe is a load of crap. However, it has still presented me with some interesting situations.

I have been working for this family for about 4 months. I am a nanny for their elementary aged daughter. The first month and a half I spent with them we were actually travelling all over northern USA. It was actually a lot of fun. Even at the first week my lack of Christian faith brought up some challenges. At this time their daughter was very religious and was shocked that I did not share her belief in God. She kept asking me about church. I would always say that I think it is great that she enjoys going but that it wasn’t my cup of tea. One time when it was just me and her, God came up again. I proceeded to say that I wasn’t Christian but that I thought it was super cool she was and that everyone should be able to believe in what they want. She essentially told me I had to believe in God because if not I would go to hell. I know she wasn’t trying to be rude or anything. She simply didn’t want me to go to hell, but this conversation happened a number of times. It was very uncomfortable.

Later on the trip it was naturally brought up that I am Wiccan. The family was actually rather interested to hear what that meant. I explained it to them (however I did leave out the magick aspect of the religion). They thought that a lot of our beliefs were actually quite similar despite the different religions and then it wasn’t really brought up again.

After we got home I started watching this child about 2 times during the work week and then most weekends (plus or minus some days depending on the week). So I had a few holidays (Mabon and Samhain) that happened while watching her. Due to this I would celebrate the holidays with her. Mind you, I didn’t do any rituals or anything with her. I only went on sabbat walks or had big meals, stuff like that. I was trying to really make sure I didn’t overstep and make her family feel like I was trying to convert her. At one point I was bringing my tarot cards over to her house so when she was in bed I could do a reading for this blog. She asked me what they were and I answered her. She told her parents and was told she wasn’t allowed to use them. So ever since then I have been hesitant to bring them over, hence why the Sunday readings haven’t been happening.

As for the latest development in this story, this is where the majority of the issues have arisen. This child is very curious and she has lots of questions. She asks me a lot of questions about various things that I believe in. Some examples are: who we worship, what I think of angels, spirit guides, magick, fairies (and other creatures from other realms). This weekend she told me that she didn’t like Christianity and that she was really interested in exploring Wicca. Now if my child told me they wanted to explore other religions I would be totally fine with it. I think all people, regardless of age, should be able to decide for themselves what they believe. However, I know this family has quite a different mindset and would be very mad if they found out otherwise. Luckily, last weekend was my last time working for that family and I can only hope that for her sake (and mine as I am friends with this family) that she forgets about Wicca, at least for now, and continues her Christian faith until she is a bit older.

That’s it for this week. Thank you for reading! Has your religion every effected you professionally? Tell me about it in the comments along with any other thoughts or questions you have. Also, let me know if you’d like to see Sunday tarot readings come back, now that I am done working Sunday’s in a Christian environment. Make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post and upload videos to youtube. Until next time, Merry Meet and Blessed Be!