Dreamer's Ball: St. Patrick's Day

Dreamer's Ball - a St. Patrick's Day Repost

a repost from Pagan Blog Project 2013 - Week Twelve- F #2 – Fairies

This is a continuation of my post Sweet Lady for week eleven of the Pagan Blog Project (2013)
 

Even though the lineage of my family isn’t the most formal (like, no one is passing down heirlooms or great heroic stories or anything like that) my mom was great about fostering new traditions with me and my sisters. She kind of hates holidays, but she always went all out for us kids. That always meant a lot, especially now that I’m an adult and I feel similar now to how she has always felt about holidays. I can look back and see how hard it must have been for her. But, I’d like to think that St. Patrick’s Day is one holiday that she actually enjoyed.

From very early on she encouraged a sense of magic for this holiday. I remember being in kindergarten and she made a point to make me wear green to bed or the leprechauns would get me. I tried to argue with her, of course, insisting that I was going to wake up that night and get them and their gold. She laughed, tucked me in, and let’s just say that night I had a dream that, to this day, I still remember quite vividly. In all honesty, it shaped my world view concerning magic, St. Patrick’s Day, leprechauns, and fairies.

So, a tradition was born and I went to bed every March 17 wearing as much green as I could. And when my sisters came along, sharing this blooming family mythos with them was quite easy. When they were old enough I started telling them leprechaun and fairy stories, too.

One of my favorite things to do with my kid sisters was to take them on leprechaun hunts. They’d be different every time, continuously evolving and changing, each year more exciting and detailed than the last. I’d take them through creek beds, following scavenger hunts, cryptic letters, chalk drawings, maps made from notebook paper stained with coffee and teabags, making traps out of glitter and shoe boxes, following clues and trails left by my friends. It didn’t matter, because it was something magical we could share together. 

And after taking them on a chase around town or in the desert, the trail would always lead to home, because maybe even then I was trying to teach them that true magic was in the most mundane of places, even if that place was in low income housing or a trailer park or in the poor part of town.

Darling Niece and Spoiled Sister, 2013

One of the best moments of my life was when I was away at college and my mom called me up to tell me that my sisters were taking my step-siblings on a leprechaun hunt. My heart could never be any bigger than it was at that moment, knowing that our fairy tradition was being passed down to a new generation. And now that my sisters have started reproducing, I hope that my nieces and nephews get to go on leprechaun hunts, too, that the fairy magic of my family is passed down to them. 

And of course, my sisters and I now have a healthy respect and fear of fairies. Like the year that they heard the banshee wailing at the high school bleachers, or the time that the banshee caught my friend Patty behind the house, or the time that my little sister swore to me that she saw a leprechaun in her bedroom and to this day I can’t tell if she’s trying to pull my leg or she’s telling the truth. (both are equally likely)

So this is my experience with fairy magic. It’s family traditions and fun. It’s a healthy experience of blurring fantasy with reality. It’s about finding something to laugh and shriek about, of reclaiming a time and tradition for you and your loved ones. It’s making magic in the mundane, which is as real and genuine as this stuff can get, anyway. 

Éirinn go Brách!

Pagan Blog Project - week 6 - C#1 - Crowns and Circlets

not my favorite style, but don't you just love the stars?

Pagan Blog Project - week 6 - C#2 - Crowns and Circlet

Because of my recent studies of the Queen of Heaven/Earth/The Universe/MOTHER OF US ALL, I've been a little obsessed with the idea of crowns, headdresses, tiaras, and circlets. Why don't we all wear one of these things all the time? They're so great!

They're beautiful! They're elegant! They're classy! They're historical! Why did crowns ever go out of style?

not a crown, but still lovely!

Many goddesses of antiquity are crowned, often with stars, moons, flowers, or horns. Inanna is given a crown to show her sovereignty over civilization. Sometimes it is made from stars, flower petals, horns, moons, or all of the above. Cybele wears something similar, as does Isis and even the Blessed Virgin Mary. Artemis is often depicted with a crescent moon, and Hera wears a queenly tiara.

Some Pagans will wear circles or headdresses in ritual, but I'm a little sad that none of my groups ever do this. (Or if they do it's very rarely.) Maybe it seems a bit archaic or inappropriate or too hierarchical or something?

In traditional covens the High Priestess would often wear a crown or circlet. Maybe modern Pagans are pulling away from this tradition and any associations with more structured coven/circle/etc structure, and because of this have pulled away from the idea of wearing headdresses during ritual? None of my Pagan friends and family are really "traditional" in any sense, so I could really see them rolling their eyes at the idea of wearing a circlet during ritual.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/91880337/star-crown?ref=favs_view_2

But I think a headdress can be a fun addition to a ritual. They really making the participants feel good and pretty and maybe even contribute to the specialness of the energy, further setting the ritual apart from mundane reality and the "time away from time, space away from space" aura of ritual in general.








 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/126560083/star-crown?ref=favs_view_5

On Beltane, though, I try to have at least some type of headdress for everyone involved. 

The Maiden gets a crown of flowers, because flowers, like our youth, are fleeting. The Queen gets a crown that is (in theory) passed down from queen to queen (the former maiden becomes the queen.) (To be honest, I've had to buy the Queen's crown a few times. We all have the best intentions, I suppose.) The Crone gets a witch's hat, because regardless of our age, our wisdom is something we carry with us. The Green Man gets a crown made of some type of wild greenery, because that's awesome.

I tried to make this own once. It was a disaster.

Gathering and making these items has really become a special task, and I think everyone really enjoys wearing something extravagant for an already extravagant ritual (isn't Beltane the best?)

Of course I can wear a crown or circlet in the privacy of my own solitary rituals. What's to stop me from being so awesome?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/155807677/bbbl-crystal-rhinestone-headbandbridal?ref=favs_view_3

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121563220/gold-star-headband-gold-star?ref=favs_view_4

I'm never as crafty as I pretend I am, though. The one time I tried to make a crown for myself out of wire I ended up with a jester's type hat. Now, that ended up being kind of appropriate for the ritual I was hosting, but I really had my heart set on being a majestic Queen, and not a holy Fool. But then again, these things have a way of working themselves out, I suppose...

something seasonal, and it looks good on men, too!

Lana Del Ray, snow queen

Go ahead and put on a crown. Do it for realsies. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125841681/glitter-star-crown-headband-dreamy?ref=favs_view_7

There, don't you feel special?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/172373219/quartz-crystal-hair-comb?ref=favs_view_4

https://www.etsy.com/listing/172392585/rainbow-fluorite-hair-comb?ref=favs_view_2

edit - two more of my favorites! (I bought one!)

Life's So Sweet

 Ever since my last visit to New Mexico in 2012, I’ve had really strong, nostalgic feelings for the desert. That trip was healing for me in a lot of ways, giving me the chance to reconnect with family and friends, to really feel and experience the energy and magic of the landscape, and to really appreciate the land, the culture, and the people in ways I hadn’t been able during my depressing teenage years. That trip home even inspired me to write a short little article for Witches & Pagans magazine for their Element of Fire issue, and I've even begun to honor the desert in my own personal practices.  

You can’t go home again, and I’m glad. I wouldn’t want to. But I do like having home come to me, in little things like Hatch chilies, Kokopelli all over my house, and most of all, with food. Food is so tied to culture and place, and it can be hard to get good southern New Mexican style food in this area. Luckily for me, though, since my sister has been here she has made green chili stew, sopapillas, and bizcochitos. Oh yes.

Bizcochitos are the state cookie of New Mexico, and these little guys date back to the Spanish colonists of the region, hundreds of years ago. They’re made of lard and wine and anise and are really just amazing, and can be very similar to ginger snaps. My sister made them for the 2013 holiday celebrations – Yule, Solstice, Saturnalia, Christmas, New Years, etc. They’re often eaten during the Christmas season, but also popular for baptisms, funerals, and weddings.

What’s great about these little cookies is that they bring with them the magic of place. I’m not in New Mexico, but I can bring New Mexico to me. I may not be the descendant of a Spanish conquistador, but I am New Mexican, and I can share this unique culture with my North Carolina friends and family.

Some people don’t care for anise, but it really is a wonderful herb. Anise is great for the cold holiday months. It brings the properties of youth, protection, and purification. It spreads greater awareness and happiness. These are perfect for the time of the birth/rebirth of the sun/son, for shelter and security during the uncertainty of winter, and for bringing in the New Year. Anise brings with it mindfulness of flavor, of place, of being, and it is tangy and unique and sweet and joyful.

As many know, cooking and baking can be magical acts. My sister was so excited to prepare bizcochitos, and she made them with love and nostalgia, remembering her own experiences back in the desert. She was adorably eager and nervous to share these regional cookies with my friends here in North Carolina, but we figured that even if people didn’t like them, that would just mean more for us.

So even here on the cold and wet east coast, we can enjoy the taste, flavor, and memory of the desert. I was honored that my sister wanted to share these cookies with me, and we were both happy to share them with others as well.

 

Bizcochitos

1 ½ cup lard

1 ½ cup sugar

3 eggs

3 teaspoons anise seed

6 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sweet white wine (plus ¼ extra if needed)

½ cup sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar

Plus plenty of cinnamon and sugar

Cream together lard and 1 ½ cup sugar. In separate bowl, beat the eggs and wine together. Add the lard and sugar and mix well. In separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry and wet mixture together. Your dough should be slightly sticky. Divide the dough into three large bowls and keep in the fridge overnight. Preheat your oven to 350. Roll the dough into little balls and roll these balls into a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Cook the little balls for 10-15 minutes in the oven. After they are done cooking, roll them again in cinnamon and sugar so you get a double coating. Enjoy!

(My sister doesn’t remember where she got this recipe. It’s written in her journal. But if you own this recipe, let me know and I’ll give you credit! Other recipes and variations can be found all over the internet, and they’re really super easy to make!)

Nearer

Last night with a sparkler in each hand, I drew huge banishing spirals into the air, thinking about the year that had just passed.

“Out with the old” I whispered, over and over again.

When the time felt right, I reversed my spirals, spinning inward, with the hopes to bring luck and love to me in 2014.

“In with the new!”

As the sparklers began to burn out out I went crazy with my magic, dancing and looping large streaks of burning color into the air.

“Out with the old, in with the new, out with the old, in with the new, out with the old, in with the new!”

When the light finally died, I released my intentions into the cosmos with a cheer. “Happy New Year!” My friends, enjoying their own magical moment of sparklers and nighttime joy, shouted with me. “Happy New Year!”

That was my last bit of magic for 2013, and my first bit of magic for 2014. Not bad for a year of intense ritual experiences and divine revelations… I’m not much of a resolution type person, but I really hope 2014 has just as much magic as 2013, if not more. 13 is a witch’s number, and I’d really say that 2013 was the Year of the Witch for me, but 4 is my number, and I’m really hoping that 2014 is The Year of The Space Witch.

Last night, home and slightly tipsy from champagne, I drew a card from my new deck, gifted to me from a dear witch friend. For this first reading of a brand new deck, Le Tarot des Femmes Erotiques, I drew the seven of pentacles. “Wait for the Moment” it tells me. Whereas 2013 Space Witch would have been annoyed and impatient, 2014 Space Witch is wise and understanding. I recognize the advice to wait wait wait as the current theme in my life.

Wait. The Cosmos have been telling me for months. For years. Wait. Now is not the time.

So I get my seeds and soil ready and I wait and do all the work I can for when the time is right, because I know when the time comes I need to be ready.

Wait.

So I started the day of 2014 with some more magic, making monkey bread and bacon and drinking champagne. (The Space Witch is a classy witch, for sure.) As I roll balls of dough I whisper into the food “Out with the old, in with the new, out with the old, in with the new, out with the old, in with the new!” I add a pinch of nutmeg for divine inspiration, cloves for a spicy kick, and cinnamon for an extra oomph. I can’t wait for this hot, goey, breakfast treat. So of course I take it out of the oven too quickly. The inside is still raw. “Wait!” the Cosmos remind me with my uncooked breakfast.

Oh yeah. Right. Maybe I still have some work to do on this whole patience thing, after all...

And later we get to enjoy pork loin, cabbage, and black eyed peas. I do live in the South, after all, and I can use all the luck I can get, and black eyed peas are lucky indeed. I’ll probably give some to the nature and land spirits later, or to the house wights.

But today isn’t just the New Year. No! It’s the new moon as well! How fortuitous! So I’m thinking about making some incense or oil later today, too. Maybe tonight with the darkness is deep and the night is cold.

The oil will be a mix of lavender, jasmine, sandalwood, cypress, and myrrh. The incense perhaps a bit complicated as I work out the perfect recipe. But I’m hopefully for the magic of this day to carry me through the next year, to capture it into a little jar of scent and energy.

2013 was rough for many people, and 2014 won’t be without its challenges. But aren’t you so excited?

In My Heart

It’s been a long time since I’ve had either the interest or energy to send holiday cards. When I managed the coffee shop I was just too busy and tired and crabby to even consider it. And of course being in school is also a valid excuse to be lazy, right? But this year I decided I’d try to put forth more of an effort to get into the holiday spirit, so I’m sending holiday cards.

I’m already ahead of the game (slightly) because at some point a few years ago my husband and I bought boxes and boxes of cards so we have a lot to use. That means I didn’t have to go shopping for cards, which is great because who has time for that?

I did have to go through my address list (still the same list that we used when we sent out wedding announcements in 2007). So I had to edit the list some, changing some last names because of divorces or marriages, adding some names and addresses as my friends and family continue to grow, and sadly deleting some addresses because I’ve lost touch with a few people or because of deaths over the years

Then I sat down this morning and turned on my “White Christmas” playlist on Pandora (told you I was putting forth extra effort) and I addressed each envelope and added our return address. (Which has prompted me to buy some address labels because this is ridiculous.) Of course I spent too much time matching the perfect cards with the perfect people, paying attention to flashiness, glitter, modesty, religious content, potential political messages, etc.

As I wrote a message in each and every card, I realized that this shouldn’t be a mechanical process. When I write “Hope you all have a magical holiday season and many blessings in the new year”, I really mean that. After all, I’m a minister and a priestess. When I write or wish “blessings”, it’s not just a random word I’m throwing around. I really do wish these people (and others!) blessings for the new year. 2013 was very hard on many people, and I hope 2014 is better. You all could use all the blessings you can get!

 

As a witch, wishing someone Christmas Magic might have the potential to be something special. I’m not really casting spells or charms on my Christmas cards in a traditional sense, but regardless of one’s background and current practices, this holiday season holds special meaning for many people. Even when I was conducting group therapy up at the state psyche hospital, one of the girls said rather dreamily “Christmas is just so magical.” And she is right, I think. It is magical.

Christmas Magic is a special type of magic, so when I write “I hope you have a magical Christmas” perhaps maybe I’m adding just a little bit of magic into the world. Some of my cards are going to family members I haven’t seen in years and years, and others are going to friends I see every day. But that doesn’t mean that they all can’t enjoy some extra magic this holiday season, or that they won’t benefit from some extra blessings in 2014.

So quiet unexpectedly, writing holiday cards became an act of magic and intention for me this morning. I turned on the lights on my tree. I lit some candles. I turned up the Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. I got comfortable with a cozy sweater and I wrote holiday cards, sending out a little bit of magic and a few little blessings to those I love and those I have loved.

Because regardless of one’s practices and beliefs, we could all use a little something something extra this season.