Imbolc 2012

In our tradition Imbolc lasts for three days February 1st to 3rd. Personally I think it is because we make our candles for the year at this time and that may take more than one day. In our world tho it has taken on more meaning...The 1st is Zeds birthday, what better way to celebrate the beginning of Spring and renewal than a BIRTHday! So the on the first we celebrate renewal with his birthday celebrations. On the 2nd we make candles and celebrate the lengthening light and fire. We usually spend the entire day candle making, melting, mixing and pouring. The whole family gets involved and usually a few coven members as well.

Poured spell candles

Hand rolled beeswax candles

Spell candle burning on the Imbolc alter

Then on the 3rd we do more crafting by making Brigid crosses for protection.

Willowtree making her cross. Color co-ordinated to match her hair :)

 The ones from the year before are burnt in offering to the Goddess Brigid. My cross goes above the front door and the minions go above their beds.

Finished cross

We also finished making our Pine Balm on this day and Blessed it in Brigids name for healing.

Finished Pine balm great for arthritic hands

Imbolc Alter 2012

We made offerings of cream and moon water to the Goddess and the fae. Then feasted with our family and friends.  Imbolc 2012 was as it always is a great three days of love, laughter, candles and magick. May the Goddess Bless you and ours!

Robbie Burns Night

I know, I know it is late but I always say better late than never. So over the next little while I will be playing catch up a bit and posting what I have late or not.....
My heritage is mostly Scottish and for as long as I can remember we have celebrated Robbie Burns night. My hometown has always put on a huge production with a big supper at the local Agriculture hall complete with pipers, poetry recitals, whiskey toasts and Highland dancers. We have not lived there nor close enough to go in over a decade now. The first year we were too far away it passed and I was sad to miss it but had no clue what to do that would even come close to the experience of Robbie Burns night back home. The next year I realized that I did not want my minions to miss out on this uniquely Scottish experience so I did a little research and our family Robbie Burns night was born. So for the last nine years on every January 25 we celebrate Robbie Burns and the pride we have in our Scottish heritage with history, poetry recital, music and awesome food. This year King Connaher recited A red, red rose for us and did a great job of a thick Scottish accent. We listened to some traditional pipes and feasted on Scones, Brosst and Shortbread.

Scones

Brosst: Barley and Mutton stew

Shortbread

Willowtree helped to cook all the food and Bug helped with the Shortbread. We talked about our Scottish heritage and our ancestors. I love how my minions are learning the recipes the same way I did by watching and listening to the generation before.

January in pictures...

Happy New Year 2012

First Footing was carried out by our nephew, this is a Scottish tradition that we have been doing for years

Zed came home for a visit

The Minions all got Yo-Balls for Yule. Zed shows us what he has learned so far.

Now it's Bugs turn, she is pretty good!

It was a short visit :( and now Zed is off on a backpacking adventure across beautiful British Columbia

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

We started making Pine Balm

Infusing the oils for the Pine Balm.

Shortbread we made to celebrate Robbie Burns night

King Connaher has always wanted a parrot. I told him we have way to many cats for a bird to be comfortable in our home. So he trained his kitten Meeka to be a shoulder cat LOL

Created by Bug on Little Big Planet 2

So that was our January in pics. I will be creating a few blog posts to elaborate on a couple of them. We have been a very busy family so far this 2012 and have some major changes coming for us this Spring. Stay tuned....and Goddess Bless