Happy May Day!

Happy May Day!

Beltane is an important celebration around here! One of my covenmates has had a May Day celebration for years at their home. Lots of people come, and we dance a wonderful pole. It's often a little windy, and it certainly was yesterday. That didn't stop anyone.

 
We were asked to wear flower wreaths or greenman masks. I made ours from felt. I don't have many flowers in our yard, and we had nothing blooming at the right time to make a wreath from real flowers.



Of course we also leapt the bonfire... well the fire wasn't burning super high. No one needs to get burnt, especially the children. Kevin jumped a couple times!

Good food, good friends. Such a great time!

Passings

I found myself performing a memorial service for a pagan friend who passed away recently. This was my first, and I could certainly have gone my whole life having never needing to do one. But it was an honor being asked by her family, and I accepted the title priestess and the duties of clergy a very long time ago, and those duties may not always be happy ones like handfastings (which I did just a few weeks prior to this!).

The service was kept simple, everything was focused on what our friend loved in life.... her friends, her hobbies and interests. We focused on who she left behind, and each other.

Farewell Tigress. You are missed.

The Prodea Cookbook

Steven Posch is one of my covenmate's teachers, and she told us about the publishing of this book. I mainly wanted it for all the natural egg dying information that Prodea coven has worked out over the years. There are a lot of other wonderful recipes in the book however!

Steven Posch is an excellent scholar and storyteller. He and his co-author share lore and stories as well as recipes. Prodea really is one of the oldest covens out there... at least 40 years old now. This sets the book apart from many of the other books out there.

Check it out! The Prodea Cookbook

Blessed Imbolc!

Brid is come, Brid is welcome!

Blessed Yule

Favorites: Books and websites for Pagan Kids!

My son is being raised Pagan. We don't hide knowledge of other paths from him, and he's free to choose differently if he wishes, later. But for now, raising him pagan!

I just want others to know that if you like having resources, there are lots of them to be had, from books for parents to books for kids, instructional or story books and activity books.

The following list is by no means exhaustive, nor do I own all the books. When possible I linked the amazon link so you can check the book out there, just click on the title! Have fun!

*Edited to add:  turns out I have more of these books than I thought! So I've added an * to mark the ones I do have, for my own record keeping!

• *Circle Round: Raising Children in the Goddess Traditions - Starhawk, Diane Baker, Anne Hill, Sara Ceres Boore
• *Pagan Parenting: Spiritual, Magical & Emotional Development of the Child - by Kristin Madden
• *Pagan Homeschooling - by Kristin Madden
• *Magickal Crafts - by Kristin Madden and Liz Roberts
• *My First Little Workbook of Wicca - by Rev. Velvet Rieth
• *Growing Up Pagan: a Workbook of Wiccan Families by Raine Hill
• *Step into the Circle: a coloring book - illustrated by Alexandra Jones (based on the picture book)
• *Step into the Circle (picture book) - by Rowena Wishom
• Pagan Family Values: Childhood and the Religious Imagination in Contemporary American Paganism - by S. Zohreh Kermani
• The Pagan Family: Handing the Old Ways Down - by Ceisiwr Serith
• The Simple Sabbat: a Family Friendly Approach to the Eight Pagan Holidays - by M. Flora Peterson
• Lil' Witches Wheel of the Year Coloring Book - by Dody Bush-Retherford
• An Ordinary Girl-A Magical Child - by W. Lyon Martin
• *Aiden's First Full Moon Circle - by W. Lyon Martin
• The Earth Child's Handbook - Book 1: Crafts and Inspiration for the Spiritual Child- by Brigid Ashwood
• The Earth Child's Handbook - Book 2: Crafts and Inspiration for the Spiritual Child- by Brigid Ashwood
• The Last Wild Witch - by Starhawk
• Rupert's Tales: The Wheel of the Year Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon - by Kyrja and Tonia Bennington Osborn
• Rupert's Tales: The Wheel of the Year Samhain, Yule, Imbolc and Ostara - by Kyrja and Tonia Bennington Osborn
• Rupert's Tales: The Wheel of the Year Activity Book - by Kyrja and Tonia Bennington Osborn
• A Kid's Herb Book: For Children of all Ages - Lesley Tierra
• *A Witch's Primer: Grade One - by Lorin Manderly or the Kindle Version
• Paganism for Kiddos: A Kid's and Parent's Guide to Pagan and Wiccan Practice - by Jessica M. Hauptmann
• Let's Talk about Elements and the Pagan Wheel - by Siusaidh Ceanadach or Kindle Version
• Let's Talk about Pagan Festivals - by Siusaidh Ceanadach or Kindle Version
• Who is a Witch - Rowan Moss
• What is Magic - by Rowan Moss
• What are the Elements - by Rowan Moss
• Everyday Magick for Children of Earth-based Spiritual Families - by Rayne Storm
• Raising Witches: Teaching the Wiccan Faith to Children - by Ashleen O'Gaea or Kindle Version
• WiccaCraft for Families - by Margie McArther
• The Winter Solstice - by Ellen Jackson
• Mother Earth and Her Children - by Sibylle Von Olfers
• Story of the Root Children - by Sibylle Von Olfers
• Story of the Snow Children - by Sibylle Von Olfers
• Story of the Wind Children - by Sibylle Von Olfers
• Story of the Butterfly Children - by Sibylle Von Olfers
• *The Land of Long Ago - by Elsa Beskow
• Children of the Forest - by Elsa Beskow
• *The Sun Egg - by Elsa Beskow 
• Around the Year - by Elsa Beskow  
• *All I See is Part of Me - by Chara M. Curtis
• *A Lot of Otters - by Barbara Helen Berger

Websites:

Pooka's Pages - newsletter for kids comes out each sabbat; includes stories, recipes, crafts

W. Lyon Martin - author, artist. puts out coloring pages for kids

Little Pagan Acorns - Printables for Pagan Homeschoolers

Coloring & WorkbookPages - printables

Do a google search for pagan coloring pages!

Oh and tons of stuff on pinterest!

 

Our Handfasting

the ring shot

I mentioned in a previous post that we had a full Wiccan Handfasting. I thought I'd elaborate on that!

It was both elaborate and formal, but the feeling (I thought) was also very intimate.

At the time, I was a belly dance teacher and had a troupe. They are all friends, and I asked them to be my attendants. I planned a themed wedding, "historical" bellydance. I bought fabric for all of them and made their costumes, and a friend made poufy shirts for the guys.

the altar from one side

My coven and a few additional folks were the circle participants. The HPS cast the circle in advance, after they set up the altar, kept it on the down low, though it was not hidden. The only folks IN the circle were coven, close family and circle participants.

We had couples at the quarters, for blessings from the elements, we had cups and a unity cup, we had the cord, we had the broom but I also added a sword with the broom as my own little touch, perfectly suited to my hubby and I.

HP and HPS with us

Funny story:  We had brought our own video camera, and my husband set it up to record during the ceremony, and a friend was asked to hit the button at the right time.  My dad also brought his video camera and had it set up to record at a different angle. A friend of ours also brought his video camera and held it while recording.

Not a single camera managed to record the ceremony.

Our Attendants

Our camera somehow shut itself off... it has like 5 minutes of just the very beginning before anything actually happened. My dad's camera recorded 45 minutes of static.  My friend's camera had no picture, and the sound when in and out so you can't even really listen to what was said.  True story. We'd always joked in the coven that there was no point bringing electronics into a circle, and this ceremony proved exactly why!

Coven and Circle Participants, even the kids had a part.

Our wedding was a blast! Almost everyone, even those who hadn't a clue, said it was one of the most moving and beautiful weddings they'd been to. And of course we had the BEST reception!  My belly dance instructor gave me a good rate to hire her to dance at my wedding, and she was fabulous. :)  After the performance, my troupe and I danced, then everyone danced but it was mostly belly dancing, with friends just boogieing along for fun. :)  Best wedding ever! lol

mom's corsage, a cd case/egyptian sarcophogus gift, the garter, my dance teacher