Let there be Peace♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Let it begin with me♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Let there be Peace ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Let it begin with me ♥ ♥ ♥ Let there be Peace ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Let it Begin with me♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪...Let there be Peace♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪...

PEACE!

My Friend Tam wants:

to advise you of Mercury going into Retrograde...Dec. 26th - Jan. 15th.

It's not a good time to sign contracts, make important business decisions and things of that nature.

You may also experience issues with your car, unusual amount of traffic, accidents, cell phone drama, email and computer issues...you have been warned.

That is all...carry on.

Yule

Yule Lore (December 21st)

Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider.

Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun, the boughs were symbolic of immortality, the wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly, mistletoe, and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes. It was to extend invitation to Nature Sprites to come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to pay visit to the residents.The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze be a piece of last years log, (held onto for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.

A different type of Yule log, and perhaps one more suitable for modern practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three candles. Find a smaller branch of oak or pine, and flatten one side so it sets upright. Drill three holes in the top side to hold red, green, and white (season), green, gold, and black (the Sun God), or white, red, and black (the Great Goddess). Continue to decorate with greenery, red and gold bows, rosebuds, cloves, and dust with flour.

Deities of Yule are all Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses. The best known would be the Dagda, and Brighid, the daughter of the Dagda. Brighid taught the smiths the arts of fire tending and the secrets of metal work. Brighid's flame, like the flame of the new light, pierces the darkness of the spirit and mind, while the Dagda's cauldron assures that Nature will always provide for all the children.

Symbolism of Yule:
Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future.

Symbols of Yule:
Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus.

Herbs of Yule:
Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.

Foods of Yule:
Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).

Incense of Yule:
Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.

Colors of Yule:
Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.

Stones of Yule:
Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.

Activities of Yule:
Caroling, wassailing the trees, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule

Spellworkings of Yule:
Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.

Deities of Yule:
Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green
Man, The Divine Child, Mabon

Coming up roses

They say that nothing is perfect, but the more I learn about roses (Rosa spp.), the more I suspect that they may be wrong. Most parts of the shrub are edible, the fruits are a source of nutritious wild food . . . and colour throughout the winter, their beauty is appreciated the world over, they are teeming with therapeutic properties, and the romantic appeal of the cultivated long-stem variety is marketed to the tune of billions of dollars annually (the human rights and environmental violations associated with parts of this industry are far from perfect of-course, but then, are hardly the fault of the flower itself, and the potential for positive development does exist!).

There are hundreds of species of rose in the world; common ones in this area include baldhip (R. gymnocarpa) and Nootka (R.nutkana) rose. Both are prickly shrubs with compound leaves, pink flowers that grow at the branch tips, and reddish coloured fruits (hips). Baldhip rose is smaller (up to 1.5 m tall, with flowers 1-2 cm across and hips up to 1 cm across). It has soft, straight prickles and grows in a variety of habitats (open to wooded, dry to moist, low to mid-elevation). Nootka rose is larger (up to 3 m tall, with flowers 4-8 cm across and hips 1-2 cm across). It has a pair of large prickles at the base of each leaf, and generally grows in open habitats such as streamsides, clearings, and roadsides.

Rosehips are well known for their high vitamin C content (3 hips contain as much as an orange!) as well as high concentrations of many other vitamins (like A, B, E, and K), minerals and antioxidants, and have been produced into nutritional supplements. They are popular as tea, and in many food products such as jellies, syrups, and baked goods. Rose petals are used for their fragrance and flavour in wines, preserves, and baked goods (and a quick internet search can provide you with a wealth of odd and mouthwatering recipes: rose petal ice cream, rose petal pesto, rose petal flan, rose petal mango sauce…). Rose water, produced from the distillation of rose petals is in many Middle Eastern sweets, cosmetics, and ceremonial purposes. The buds, young shoots, and leaves are also edible raw or cooked.

Volumes could be written about the medicinal values of roses (and of-course, many have). Some highlights include the traditional use of stem or root bark tea for stomach and digestive concerns, and to reduce labour pains. A wash made from the bark of Nootka rose was used for sore eyes, and rose petals were mixed with wine to make a tonic for earaches, toothaches, and uterine cramps. Its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties have been researched, and recent studies confirm the anti-viral properties of Nootka rose. These, along with their relatives the Saskatoon berry are being developed as a treatment for SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

As if all this weren’t already more than enough, rose sprigs were said to keep ghosts away from babies; a wash made from rose branches was used to hide the human scent of hunters; and theplant's inner bark was sometimes smoked like tobacco. Their fragrance of the flowers and hips has contributed to potpourri and to body powder, and roses have aroma-therapeutic value! They are said to replace depression, irritability or sadness with a sense of well-being and optimism (and act as an aphrodisiac to boot).

Rosehips are usually harvested in the fall after the first frost when they are a bright or dark colour and are somewhat soft. Use them fresh or air-dried to retain the maximum nutrient content. When drying rosehips it is suggested to spread them and allow to dry partially, split them to remove the seeds, then allow them to dry completely to ensure that they don’t rot. There are many warnings against eating the seeds, which one disregards at the risk of having an “itchy rectum” (though, it must be noted, that cooked seeds have been eaten to relieve sore muscles). Bearing this in mind, enjoy the following recipe:

Recipe: Rose hip crumble pie

• Pastry for single-crust 9-lnch (22 cm) pie
• 1 cup (240 mL) dried rose hips
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) milk
• 1-1/2 cups (360 mL) sifted flour
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) shortening
• 1-3/4 cups (420 mL) brown sugar
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 egg whites

Prepare pastry and line a pie pan while you soften the hips in milk. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream in shortening and brown sugar, mixing well. This makes a crumbly mixture - reserve 1 cup of it for topping. To the remainder add the egg yolks, milk and rose hips. Beat the egg whites until peaks hold form. Fold into the berry mixture. Spoon into pie pan and sprinkle with the crumbly topping (and feel free to throw in some pecan halves if you so desire). Bake at 350oF for 35 - 45 minutes.

Cautions: Eating too many rosehips or petals can cause diarrhea. Avoid consuming the seeds of the hip as they have hairs that can irritate the digestive tract. As with all members of the rose family, the seeds contain small amounts of cyanide that will be destroyed when cooked or dried.

Candle Colors and what they mean.

By: Mona

Candles in the craft are used to help to increase a spells
power, or to influence a particular power. I have provided
a list of colors, which I use. This is what my coven uses,
and is offered to help you in your journey into the craft.

White:

A balance of all colors; Spiritual enlightenment, cleansing,
clairvouance, healing, truth seeking; Rituals involving
lunar energy' May be substituted for any color candle.

Yellow:

Activity, Creativity, unity; brings power of concentration
and imagination to a ritual; use in rituals where you wish
to gain anothers confidence or persuade someone, or in
rituals that require solar energy.

Gold:

Fosters understanding and attracts the powers of cosmic
influences; beneficial in rituals intended to bring about
fast luck or money, or in rituals needing solar energy.

Pink:

Promotes romance, friendship; standard color for rituals to
draw effections; a color of femininity, honor, service,
brings friendly, lively conversation to the dinner table.

Red:

Health, passion, love, fertility, strength, courage, will
power; increases magnetism in rituals; draws Aries and
Scorpio energy.

Silver:

Removes negativity and encourages stability; helps develop
psychic abilities; attracts the influence of the Mother
Goddess.

Purple:

Power, success, idealism, psychic manifestations; ideals for
rituals to secure ambitions, independence, financial
rewards, or to make contact with the spiritual other world;
increases Neptune energy.

Magenta:

Combination of red and violet that occillates on a high
frequency; energizes rituals where immediate action and high
levels of power or spirtual healing are required.

Brown:

Earthly, balanced color; for rituals of meterial increase;
eleminates indecisiveness; improves powers of concentration,
study, telepathy; increases financial success; locates
objects that have been lost.

Indigo:

Color of inertia; stops situations or people; use in rituals
that require a deep meditational state; or in rituals that
demand Saturn energy.

Royal Blue:

Promotes laughter and joviality; color or loyalty; use to
attract Jupiter energy, or whenever an influence needs to be
increased.

Light Blue:

Spirtual color; helpful in devotional or inspirational
meditations; brings peace and tranquility to the home;
raditates Aquarius energy; employ where a situation must be
synthesized.

Blue:

Primary spiritual color; for rituals to obtain wisdom,
harmony, inner light, or peace; confers truth and guidance.

Emerald Green:

Important component in Venusian rituals; attracts love,
social delights, and fertility.

Dark Green:

Color of ambition, greed, and jealousy; counteracts these
influences in a ritual.

Green:

Promotes prosperity, fertility, success; stimulates rituals
for good luck, money, harmony, and rejuvenation.

Grey:

Neutral color useful when pondering complex issues during
meditation; in magic, this color often sparks confusion; it
also negates or neutralizes a negative influence.

Black:

Opens up the deeper levels of the unconscious; use in
rituals to induce a deep meditational state, or to banish
evil or negativity as in uncrossing rituals; attracts Saturn
energy.

Article Source: http://www.spells4free.com