Serenity Sunday

Spring


A sense of warmth is tapping at the door;
And hope, a feeling out from distant lore
– Or so it seems – clears the deep refrain!


Emerging youth: a dormant lea awakes.
The raging colour, singing loud, partakes
In annual birth – spring is born again!


A zest anew for nascent life
Begins in floral train:
Carriage one: a snowdropp thrill;
Carriage two: the crocus;
Number three, a daffodil – dancing,
Drawing focus – as she would,
Attention seeker!


How I love our spring:
The bold and sleeker feel I get,
An inner glow, a ring!
I’ve paid the winter’s chilly debt, so
Now upon the wing!


Mark Slaughter


My List


1.) My kids


2.) My pets


3.) Budding plants


4.) Warmer days


5.) Sunshine


6.) More daylight time


7.) Tarot


8.) Great friends


9.) Rainbows


10.) Pink Floyd

Hopping Into Spring

Things are hopping here in my little world as Spring approaches, so in order to save myself a little stress, I'm going to cut my blog postings down to three or four a week. I will still be writing, just not as much...I hope that everyone understands and Bright Blessings to you dear readers!

Plant Of The Week

Columbine (Aquilegia) flowers are an excellent choice for any decorative garden as they come in a variety of bright colors. Additionally, the columbine flower is

Serenity Sunday

Lemon Thyme

A sweetly scented, evergreen herb and a cultivated form of wild thyme. It is a popular culinary herb due to its mild citrus flavor and is often used in stuffings, with chicken dishes or added to fruit salads and jellies.


Lemon thyme has therapeutic effects as well and is popular as an alternative to standard Western allopathic medicine for a variety of problems, including anti-ageing properties, relieving muscle spasms as well as easing a tight chest and promoting relaxation.


I have a couple varieties of Thyme in my herb garden and highly advocate adding the Lemon variety to yours, it's creeping and mounding nature adds a wonderful, scented addition around water features such as a pond or just as a terrific contrast along with other herbs.




My List:


1.) My kids


2.) Great friends


3.) LOTS of laughter

4.) Frogs serenading me from our pond at night.


5.) Weeding the flower beds


6.) The scent of Hyacinths 


7.) Roses bursting with foliage


8.) My readers..you guy's are the BEST!


9.) Mowing the lawn


10.) Smudging the house in honor of Spring

Serenity Sunday

I had ordered some Irish shamrock seeds this last week and hoped to plant them in my garden to usher in Ostara but it seems that they will be delayed and I won't receive them until tomorrow. I'm not that worried though, I'll get them planted and each year as they emerge from the ground with their unique green, tri-lobal leaves and tiny white flowers, it will remind me that Spring has arrived!

My List:

1.) My kids

2.) Bulbs bursting forth from the soil

3.) Warmer, sunnier days

4.) Roses beginning to put out shoots

5.) Longer evenings

6.) Terrific friends

7.) Coffee on the sunny deck

8.) New beginnings

9.) Meeting new people

10.) Sharing my love of Tarot

Imbolc

Imbolc is the festival of the lactating sheep. It is derived from the Gaelic word "oimelc" which means "ewes milk". Herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year or their wombs are swollen and the milk of life is flowing into their teats and udders. It is the time of Blessing of the seeds and consecration of agricultural tools. It marks the center point of the dark half of the year. It is the festival of the Maiden, for from this day to March 21, it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Brighid's snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather, (the origin of Groundhog Day), and in many places the first Crocus flowers began to spring forth from the frozen earth.

The Maiden is honored as the Bride on this Sabbat. Straw corn dollies are created from oat or wheat straw and placed in baskets with white flower bedding. Young girls then carry them door to door, and gifts are bestowed upon the image from each household. Afterwards at the traditional feast, the older women make special acorn wands for the dollies to hold, and in the morning, the ashes in the hearth are examined to see if the magic wands left marks as a good omen. Brighid's Crosses are fashioned from wheat stalks and exchanged as symbols of protection and prosperity in the coming year. Home hearth fires are put out and re-lit, and a besom is place by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming the new. Candles are lit and placed in each room of the house to honor the re-birth of the Sun.


Another traditional symbol of Imbolc is the plough. In some areas, this is the first day of ploughing in preparation of the first planting of crops. A decorated plough is dragged from door to door, with costumed children following asking for food, drinks, or money. Should they be refused, the household is paid back by having its front garden ploughed up. In other areas, the plough is decorated and then Whiskey, the "water of life" is poured over it. Pieces of cheese and bread are left by the plough and in the newly turned furrows as offerings to the nature spirits. It is considered taboo to cut or pick plants during this time.


Imbolc is also known as Candlemas, Imbolg, Brigit's Day, Feast of Brighid, Lupercus, The Festival of Lights, and the Feast of the Virgin.

The Month Of April

April was the second month in an early Roman calendar, but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month. The Romans called the month Aprilis. It may come from a word meaning 'to open', or it may come from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love.

Small animals that hibernate are usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward or they settle down to have their families. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.

In some parts of the world, it's planting time. In other parts, it's the harvest season. Professional baseball begins in April. Then the amateur athletes begin to go outside in the warm weather. Spring cleaning starts and people start mowing their yards again.

Special days celebrated in April begin with the first day of April, when children and grown-ups play jokes on one another. Arbor Day is a day for planting trees, and it is observed on various April days as well as Earth day (on my calender it's the 22nd. of this month) and the full moon this month, on the 9th, is called the Wind Moon.

*Daisy and the sweet pea are the flowers of the month.

*Diamond is the birthstone for April

*The Revolutionary War in America began on April 19, 1775, when British soldiers and American revolutionaries clashed in Massachusetts.

*William Shakespeare, the playwright, was born on April 23, 1564. He also died in Massachusetts in 1616.

*Feast day of the Patron Saint of England is April 23.

*The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, when South Vietnam surrendered.

April Fool's Day

Unlike most of the other non foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.

However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.

April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!

Sunshine

Sunshine...brightly upon the glass,

reflections dancing across the cool water;

testing nature, will each moment pass.

Growing acquainted to the creation,

new birth sprouting from the womb;

changing rules by the nation.

Sunshine glimmering across the sea,

fishes skimming top and bottom;

birds are flying high and free.

People testing it's ultimate power,

forgetting who holds it in his hand;

fearing the coming of the midnight hour.

Showers purify the damage that is done,

from trees the world cut down;

as some battles are never won.

Sunshine still shining rays producing,

changes brought on by modern man;

new ideas they are always introducing.

Sunshine fading, as the ocean rises,

effecting tides, waves, and seasons;

the earth has many surprises.



Marilyn Wilke Ramone

Put The Spring Into Your Step

Spring will soon be arriving and March has roared in like a lion and if we're really lucky, it will roll out like a lamb. Meanwhile, on the 20th of this month, we have Ostara to celebrate. It's the time of the vernal equinox of you live in the Northern Hemisphere, and it's a true marker that spring has come. There are many different ways you can celebrate this sabbat, depending on your tradition.This sabbat is a time to celebrate the arrival of spring, when light and darkness are in balance but the light is growing stronger.

The forces of masculine energy and feminine energy are also in balance and this day paves the way for the coming lushness of summer. Ostara is a time for the celebration of fertility and balance, a time when all elements within and without us are brought into harmony. A time of new life and rebirth, as well as the end of winter.I thought that I would add my favorite chutney recipe and a really fun creative project Ostara Oil, which I use to anoint my candles with.

Ostara Mint Chutney

Ingredients:

3 C. fresh mint leaves, off stems

1/2 C. fresh cilantro

1/2 C. fresh parsley

1/2 C. green pepper, chopped

1/2 C. red pepper, chopped1 small onion, chopped

1/2 Tsp. sea salt

A dash of lemon juice water

Preparation:

Throw everything in your food processor or blender and chop until it forms a paste. Add water gradually to thin it out, and continue blending until the water and paste have formed a smooth sauce. Refrigerate if you're not going to serve it right away.


Ostara Oil

2 parts frankincense

1 part benzoin

1 part dragon's blood

½ part nutmeg part violet

½ part orange

½ part rose

Mix the ingredients well and use a funnel to fill any small decorative bottle that you choose.

The Four Fire Festivals

When speaking about the four seasons, I like to use my pagan view of them because it's my opinion (and only my opinion I remind you) that these were the original versions of spring, summer, fall and winter that we recognize today. What follows is the Celtic view of of these seasons or "fire festivals."

The four fire festivals marked the turning of the seasons. Two of the fire festivals, Samhain and Beltane, were considered to be male, and Imbolc and Lughnasadh were female. Each was celebrated for three days - before, during and after the official day of observance.

~Imbolc, which literally means "in milk", traditionally has marked the lactation period of ewes and cows. Ewes are unable to produce milk until after they bear their young, which occurs at this time. Since milk was very important to the basic survival of the tribes, this was a time of great joy. It meant that the end of a long winter was in sight, and green pastures were only a few months away. It's significance was placed upon the Light of fire and at Imbolc, Brighid was pregnant with the seed of the Sun. She was ripe with the promise of new life, as the seeds of the earth deep within its soil begin to awaken at this time, ripe with the promise of Spring, new life for the planet. Thus Imbolc was a time of awakening, promise and hope for the coming spring.


~Beltane, was a celebration of the return of life and fertility to the world, and was celebrated on or around April 30. It is sometimes referred to as Cetsamhain which means "opposite Samhain." Beltane was the last of the three spring fertility festivals, and the second major Celtic festival. Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, Winter and Summer. Beltane joyfully heralded the arrival of Summer in its full glory. It was believed that if you bathed in the dew of Beltane morn, your beauty would flourish throughout the year

~Lughnasadh marked the beginning of the harvest season, and the decline of Summer into Winter. Traditionally called Lammas from the Saxon word Hlaf-mass, the Feast of Bread, festivities and rituals typically centered around the assurance of a bountiful harvest season and the celebration of the harvest cycle. A bountiful harvest ensured the safe passage of the tribe through the upcoming winter months. The gathering of bilberries was an ancient practice that symbolized the success of the Lughnasadh rituals. If the bilberries were bountiful, it was believed that there would also be a plentiful harvest.

~Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendant of the ancient Celtic festival called "Samhain" meaning Summer's End. Samhain was the first day of winter, and the end of one pastoral year. It was the time when the night became longer than the day, the last apples were picked, and the year began again with its dark winter half. Also called Samhiunn or Hallowe'en, this festival is sometimes called Trinoux Samonia or "Three Nights of the End of Summer."

Imbolc Is Coming...

Imbolc ( pronounced im-bolk or sometimes em-bulk) is a fire festival that marks the start of Spring, halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. It roughly corresponds to Groundhog Day, when tradition has it that if a groundhog sees its shadow outside the burrow at dawn, there will be six more weeks of winter. My daughter Meaghan was born on February 2nd and this day is always just a little bit more special to my family. Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals, and the celebration signals the middle of the season of long nights and anticipates the upcoming season of light. Some people make corn maidens from corn and wheat and the maidens are dressed up and placed in a cradle known as a "Bride's Bed". A wand, usually tipped with an acorn or other large seed, is placed in the bed with the maiden which is generally kept year round as a symbol of fertility. Depending on your particular path or tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate Imbolc. Some people focus on the Celtic goddess Brighid, in her many aspects as a deity of fire and fertility, others focus their rituals more towards the cycles of the season, and agricultural events such as preparing the soil and planting times. I like to do my version of "spring cleaning" and give my house a blessing as well as a bit of scrubbing and involve my children in a few arts and crafts followed by a special dinner which is always a great time together as a family.