New Year's Eve!!

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!

I'm not going to really post anything today, I got a whole bunches of materials yesterday so I'm going to be busy making stuff for the coming of the Etsy store!

I probably won't post anything tomorrow for once, either.

If my fingers don't fall off from making so much stuff, I'll post something good on January 2nd.

Promise!

Goddess Bless,

Stacy

A Crazy Year: My Year in Review

Well. 2010 has quite possibly been one of the craziest years of my life. We bought our home this year, and lost an income (mine) when my maternity leave ran out. We lost Sean's car due to a bad transmission. We've found out we have a lot of health issues, and started living a lot healthier as the result. In the last couple of months, I've lost 20 lbs. Sean hasn't lost any weight, but he has lost fat. His pants fit a little bit better now.

 Brianna went from small and cute...

...To big and loud. 

Still cute, though. She has started to crawl this year, and is almost walking. She can say a few words, and gives the best baby kisses. She is showing an interest in reading, and can usually figure out the difference between a circle and a square. She pretends to eat soup out of her play kitchen pot. Much to my dismay, Sean was trying to teach her to sword-fight the other day. There are a lot of reasons I was really glad to have a girl...one of them was the lack of sword-fighting.

This year marks a decade that I've been practicing Wicca. Hard to believe it's been so long. I started the blog this year, and again want to say a Thank You to all my readers.

What does the new year hold?

Well, a giveaway on here for one thing. If we ever start getting mail again, it's been about a week and a half since we've gotten anything other than fliers. I'm waiting for packages!!! I'm also going to be opening up my Etsy store, and am currently making product for that. I'm going to re-do the colors on the blog, I've seriously had enough of this gray. I know, I've said this before.

All in all, I've had a great, if busy, year. Hopefully all of you have had the same!

Goddess Bless,

S.

New Year's around the World

Looks insane, doesn't it?

I can hear you thinking it. Another New Year's post? Don't worry, I'm going to run out of material one of these days. I remember when I was a teenager, staying up with my parents to watch the New Year's festivities on TV. Times Square dropping the ball, different concerts from around Canada. I remember one year, I must have been somewhere between 8 and 11. My cousins had come out from the city to celebrate New Years with us. My parents set the clocks so that we thought we were staying up late with the grown ups, but we really went to bed at 8pm. When I found out some years later I was a little ticked off, but now I plan on doing that with Brianna. I now fully realize what dealing with a grump child is like.

Traditions around the world can be incredibly different. Everyone knows about Chinese New Year, celebrated between January 21 and February 20. We've all seen on TV the colourful celebrations, meant to bring luck, health, wealth and happiness until next year. The firecrackers set off are meant to scare evil spirits away. When feasting, if the New Year is the year of any particular animal, they will not eat that meat during the feast.

Australian New Year is a day for outdoor activities, camping and picnics. During the countdown, bells are rung to “ring in” the New Year. In Korea, they celebrate the Lunar New Year, called Sol-nal. They wear new clothes, to symbolize a fresh start. Younger generations bow and wish health to older generations, and in return are given gifts or newly minted coins. In Scotland, the first person to get up New Year's morning had to bring spiced ale to those still in bed. Traditional gifts given are symbols of life: Bread, Salt, or Coal for stoves. I don't think we really need to delve into Celtic New Year, we all know about Samhain.

In Germany, it's common to leave a small amount of every food eaten on New Years on a plate in the pantry, to be sure it will be full in the coming year. An old Sicilian tradition states that those who eat Lasagna noodles on New Year's will be lucky, but to eat any other noodle brings bad luck. In Norway, rice pudding is served with a whole almond hidden in one bowl. The person who finds the almond is guaranteed good luck in the coming year.

Our family doesn't really have any traditions we follow. We just spend time together and eat lots of food! What does your household do?

Goddess Bless,

S.

New Year's Release

As we come up on the calendar New Years, we look back on the past year.  It's at this time of year that a lot of people get depressed, or feel down.  So many people can only look at the negative things, instead of the positive things.  Whether you celebrate New Years on January 1st or on October 31st, this is a transitioning point in the year.  No matter when you celebrate, chances are your business goes by the calendar year.  Most business do.  January 1st brings in the new for most of the western world.  Given that we get all worked up for it, why not do something to mark it?

A little too negative.

I've always felt that one should go into the new year with a being freed of negativity.  This year is going to be good for it because of the waning moon.

Release Negativity Spell


Items:  Regular altar and ritual supplies, a white candle, purifying incense of your choice, your cauldron or a metal bowl, a white tea light candle, paper or parchment and a pen or pencil.

After you cast your circle, sit in front of your white candle and light it.  Visualize all the negativity in your life in all it's forms.  It could be financial trouble, trouble with certain people in your life, with your job, even personal feelings toward yourself or others that aren't good for you, it could be anything.  Imagine the flame purifying your life and burning your troubles away.  Set the tea light candle in the bottom of your cauldron or bowl and light it.  Take your paper and pen and write a list of all the negative things you have in your life.  When you are done, place the paper in the bowl, lighting it on fire and say:

"As this list burns, so does the negative influences in my life.  As it is no more, so are the negative parts of my life.  I am free.  As I will, so mote it be." 

Light the incense and imagine your negative influences rising away from you with the smoke.  The spell is done when your psychic self feels as light as the smoke.



Hopefully this helps those us getting rid of the negativity in our lives.  It's actually a nice thing to do several times a year.  I'm sure everyone has noticed how the negativity we feel directly effects the things we try to do and experience in life.  This would be a great spell to do before setting out on a big endeavor, like going after a promotion, or a big business deal.  It is also helpful when you just want a little more peace in your life.

A great thing to do after this spell is some Yoga.  There is a great sitting pose that anyone can do, and it helps release negativity as well!   Here is the link.

Hope everyone has a great week leading up to the New Year!

Goddess Bless,

S.