Greek Mythology: Leto and the Birth of the Twin Gods

Leto was the Titan Goddess of Motherhood. When she had an affair with Zeus and got pregnant, Hera was furious. Hera went to her grandmother Gaia (the Earth) and asked her not to let Leto give birth on the mainland, any island at sea, or any place underneath the sun. So Leto was forced from land to land not allowed to rest and give birth. Until she wandered to the floating island of Delos which was mainland or a real island. Leto asked the island to allow her to give birth and in exchange her children would bring wealth to the barren island. The island agreed and Leto gave birth to Artemis right away however, she would be in labor 9 days and 9 nights to give birth to Artemis' twin Apollo. Artemis assisted in the labor which is why she is a Goddess of Childbirth. Later in keeping to her word Delos became very prosperous. Many came to worship on the island where the Twin Gods were born and the island became sacred to Apollo. 

Pagan Parenting: Children's Prayer

 Pagan Parenting/ Pregnant Pagan Series can't decide which one to choose...

Moon and stars in the sky
Watch over me as the sun say bye
Protect me while I lie my head
and close my eyes and go to bed
Bless me now day is done
and tomorrow we will have some fun


...lol

I made it up while I was getting into bed...

Pregnant Pagan: Herbs

So recently getting pregnant has become a new kind of mindset... you have to worry about a lot making sure you get enough calories and water eating right etc. but also being pagan I started to have a whole other number of worries... 1 of which being the herbs that I come into contact with and that I burn and so on... so after doing a lot of research on the internet I found there was a lack of a list of herbs to avoid while pregnant.
SO I went through the entire Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham and made my own list... and I want to share it with all of you... maybe if you get pregnant yourself or are making someone something and want to be careful

Note: This is a list of Poisonous herbs and also ones that Pregnant (P) or Nursing (N) women should not be consuming (x) or using now I must say that other factors go into what maybe bad for the individual this does not take into account many amounts because some herbs though not poisonous should be taken in light amounts and not for long periods of time... Again if you have other factors you need to look up the herb(s) in question... but this should narrow it down a bit... there are some comments about children and toddlers this is not all encompassing for everything they shouldn't have it would have been just an extra comment that was in the book. G is Good also if you are looking at herbs be careful about folk names...

Adam and Eve Root ...Poison
Agaric... Poison
Aloe ... dried P N, Fresh (x)
Angelica... P
Anisa... P
Apple seeds in large amounts is poisonous
Alkanet... X
Almond, Bitter... X
Anemone...X
Apricot seeds... X
Asafoetide... P and do not give to children
Avens... X
Avocado seeds ... X
Barley spouted seeds... X
Basil ...PN X  do not give to children or toddlers
Beech nuts... in large amounts X
Beets large amounts of the leaves X
Belladonna... Poisonous
Wild Bergamot... P
American Bittersweet ...Poisonous
Bladderwrack... PN
Bleeding Heart... X
Bloodroot...P, Poison
Blue Flag... P, Poison
Boneset... X
Borage... Herb: X, seed oil G
Bracken... X
Brazil Nut... processed only
Briony... Poison
Broom... Poison
Buchu... P
Buckthorn... PN
Cactus... some are poisonous
Calamus... Poison
Camphor... X
Carrot seeds... P
Cascara Sagrada... PN
Castor... Poison
Catnip...P
Ceder... leaf and berries P
Celandine... Poison
Celery... P
Chamomile, Roman... P
Cherry... Seed and wilted leaf X
China Berry... Poison
Chrysanthemum... Poison
Cinnamon...above food amount : P
Cloth-of-Gold... X
Club Moss... X
Cohosh, Black... PN
Clotsfoot... PNX
Columbine... Poison
Comfrey...X
Cotton... Root and Bark P
Crocus... X
Cyclamen... X in large doses
Cypress... P
Daffodil... Poison
Daisy... Poison
Deerstongue... X
Dodder... P
Dogbane... X
Dutchman's Breeches... X
Elder, American... Ripe fruit G all other parts X
Elecampane... PN
Euphorbia... Poison
Fenugreek... Seeds: P
Fern... Some are Poisonous look up specific
Feverfew... P
Fleabane... X
Foxglove... Poison
Garlic... N
Ginger... Dried root above food quantity: P, fresh G
Golden Rod... P
Golden Seal... P
Gourd... Some poisonous
Groundsel... X
Heliotrope... Poison
Hellebore, Black... Poison
Hemlock...Poison
Henbane...Poison
Henna... X
High John the Conqueror... Poison
Horehound... P
Horse Chestnut... Poison
HorseRadish... above food quantity: X
Horsetail... P
Hyacinth... X
Hydrangea... X
Hyssop... P
Job's Tears... P
Joe-Pye weed... NX
Juniper... P
Kava-Kava... PN
Larch... large amounts X
Larkspur... X
Lemongrass... P
Licorice... P
Lily... some poisonous
Lily of the Valley... Poison
Lobelia... Poison, P
Mace... X
Mahogany, Mountain... seeds and leaves Poison
Maidenhair... P
Male Fern... Poison
Mandrake... Poison
May Apple... Poison
Mimosa... P
Mint (look up specific)
Mistletoe... Poison
Morning Glory... Poison
Mugwort... P
Mulberry... Unripe berries, bark, twig, and leaf X
Myrrh... P
Nutmeg...X
Oregon Grape... P
Parsley...P
Peach... Seeds leaf bark X
Pear... Seeds X
Pennyroyal...P, oil is Poisonous
Periwinkle... Poison
Plum and Wild Plum... Seeds and wilted leaf X
Plumeria... Poison
Poke... Poison
Pomegranate... Root and stem X
Poppy, illegal... X
Potato... Greens X
Prickly Ash... Bark P
Purslane... P
Quassia... P
Ragweed... X
Ragwort... X
Rattlesnake Root... P
Rhubarb... PN
Rice... dont eat raw
Rose... Greens X
Rosemary... P
Rowan... X
Rue... P
Saffron... P
Sage... P
Sagebrush... P
St. John's Wort... Poison
Senna... PN
Sloe... Fresh flowers and seeds X
Snakeroot... X
Snapdragon... X
Solomon's Seal... Berry X for children
Southernwood... P
Spikenard... P
Squill... Poison
Stillengia... N
Sweet pea... X
Tansy... P
Thistle... older plants X
Thistle, Holy... P
Toad Flax... X
Toadstool.... Poison
Tobacco... Poison
Tomato... Greens X
Tonka... Poison
Trillium... P
Uva Ursa... Poison, P
Vervain.... P
Vetch, Giant... X
Vetivert... P
 Wahoo... Poison
Wolf's Bane... Poison
Wood Rose... X
Wormwood... Poison, PN
Yarrow... P
Yew... Poison
Yohimbe... Poison

That's all folks... for now lol...

Finding Your Niche

For the longest time I was a very in the broom closet solitary pagan and witch. I learned most from books and as time progressed youtube videos. However, besides book knowledge I really didn't explore the crafty side of paganism which I now love so much.

What I am trying to say that we all have a niche. In divination, herbalism, history, kitchen witchery, folk magick, and many others... I started down this path and with no guidance and I could not understand why but I never could get the hang of tarot... I can use them but it wasn't until I found Runes that I really started getting the handle on a divination tool. I also had always loved history and mythology... even before I knew about paganism. However, I am one of those witches that loves to sit at a crafting table for hours making oils and bath salts, corn dollies, and cauldron splashes.

Imbolc Offering Stones

Plain Offering Stones recipe from Krazyboytx http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7LL3wMUmgw

2 cups organic flour, 2 cups warm spring water, 1 cup sea salt, 2 tbsp organic oil, 1 tbsp cream of tartar.

You can add:

pastel food coloring- colors: White, Red, Pink, Yellow, Green and Brown.

glitter

herbs you can use:

Basil

Peppermint

Sage

Rosemary

Ginger

Cypress

Clove

Bay Laurel 

Heather

Violets

White and Yellow flowers

Cinnamon

Stone chips:

Amethyst

Bloodstone

Garnet

Ruby

Onyx

Turquoise 
and you never can go wrong with Citrine and Rose Quartz

Celebrating Sabbats

I know its random and it might get off track but...

I love the Sabbats! There plain and simple but obviously there is more to it... Sabbats are a celebration of the sun, the cycles of the Earth and the seasons themselves, and I find that is the be the best thing to celebrate that everyone can come together and appreciate. More then a particular deity every pagan can appreciate Winter Solstice or Beltane. I also feel though that anyone from any religion can celebrate the change of the season and what each one brings to us. My favorite seasons are Spring and Fall... when everythings changing and the weather is cool spring brings bright colors and pastel and the reds and oranges of fall just bring a joy to me even though it means the cold will soon be here.

I love that Imbolc is coming up so soon because for me I get to honor one of my patron God Eros!...

My favorite thing to do for Sabbats and I'm sure its obvious from my previous blogs is crafts... I is a crafty witch lol... I find new things to do every year and I have my traditions that I seem to do every year... and I seem to mix a lot of my Sabbat crafts together... for Yule I made a corn dollie next year I plain on dipping the husks in colors like green and red. I love hearing of other peoples crafts... (so anyone know of good crafts please send them my way)...

What's you favorite holiday and are their any particular crafts you do for it?

Surfing for Sabbats Activities: Ostara

One of my favorite Sabbats... I know its a little soon but I don't care... I might add more later as I find new ideas
http://www.youtube.com/user/CharmingPixieFlora#p/u/119/TQT96iSToFE
http://www.youtube.com/user/CharmingPixieFlora#p/u/120/CKML9xxempc
http://www.youtube.com/user/CharmingPixieFlora?blend=1&ob=0#p/u/99/PfdGQXd7QiA

So obviously for this holiday it is traditional to paint eggs that are boiled... neat idea that I did last year though was to hollow the eggs out before hand... but there are so many other ideas that you can do with your eggs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AKdU2oDLrw
you can also use a drumel to do a design in the egg...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://voices.yahoo.com/5-easy-ostara-crafts-pagan-kids-2880027.html

Mini Eggshell Planters
Another great craft for the ritual altar or to decorate a sunny windowsill, these little eggshell planters are perfect for the season.
You Will Need:
Carton of eggs
Growing medium
Cotton balls
Knife
Scissors
Plastic spoons
seeds
Egg Dye
Permanent Markers
Tap eggs on the top "pointed" end with the knife until they crack. Peel back a small section of shell and allow the egg to fall out. Try to keep the bottom 3/4 of the egg intact. Reserve the eggs for recipes.
Wash eggs carefully with hot water and rinse thoroughly. Set on a rack to dry. If you like, you can carefully trim around the edges of the egg with a craft scissors, or peel it back for a jagged look. Remember to keep about 3/4 of the egg intact.
If you like, at this point you can dye the egg shells carefully. Another cute option is to draw a face on the shell, so that the plants growing out look like hair. Just make sure your colors and decorations are dry before proceeding.
Place the egg shells back into their carton, open-side up. Put a cotton ball into each eggshell. Spoon some growing medium into the eggshells. This can be potting soil, soil-less potting mixture, or peat moss.
Sprinkle some grass or herb seeds onto the soil. Sprinkle with water to just moisten the soil, and dribble with a little water each day to keep it moist, but don't over-water. You can leave the eggs in their carton and set them right on a sunny windowsill.
Do this two to three weeks before Ostara if you would like to place the eggs on your altar. Transfer them to a basket with a grassy/cottony bedding and be careful not to tip them. Alternatively, place them into egg holders.
The plants will begin growing out of the top of the eggs. If you would like to transplant them into the garden or a bigger pot, just crack the egg first so the roots can push through. Then pop them right into the soil. The calcium in the egg shell will be good for them.

Sun/Moon Masks At the equinox, night and day are in perfect balance. These fun masks remind us of that. They can be hung on the wall, or worn during revelry.
You Will Need:
One round 12" balloon
Strips of newspaper
2 tbsps white craft glue
1/4 cup all purpose flour
½ cup of water
Tempra paints
Paint brush
Paper plate
Scissors
Page reinforcers
Glitter (optional)
Ribbon
Cheap plastic table cloth or drop cloth
Mix the flour and water in an old disposable container until it has a glue-like consistency. Add two tablespoons of craft glue, which helps the paper mache stiffen better.
Blow a balloon up to be approximately the size of the child's head. Then make it just a little bigger. Tie it off to secure it.
Dip the newspaper into the glue mixture and layer it onto one half of the balloon. Do three to four layers overlapping each other. Make the mask oval-shaped, about the size of the child's face. Allow the paper mache to dry thoroughly before continuing.
Pop the balloon and remove it from the mask. Trim the edges around the mask to make them neat if you like.
Place the mask against the child's face and estimate where the eyes will be and gently make a mark with pencil or crayon. Also make marks about ½ inch from the side edges of the mask, just higher than the ears, on each side. These will be where the tie will go to tie it around the child's head.
Remove the mask from the child's face and cut out eye-holes with the scissor. Punch holes with a paper puncher (or poke through with a scissor) to make the holes for the ties. Put stick-on page reinforcers over the holes to strengthen them.
One half of the face will be the sun, the other half will be the moon. Cut a paper plate into triangles and glue them to the "sun" half of the mask with plain craft glue. Allow it to dry. This will look like the rays of the sun.
Paint the mask. Paint the sun half with reds, yellows and orange flaming colors. Paint the moon half with a silver or white. Sprinkle glitter on it and draw symbols or features. Let the child decorate the mask however he would like. Allow the mask to dry.
Thread the ribbon through the holes and tie it around the child's head, letting the holes rest on the child's ears.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostaracrafts/Ostara_Crafts.htm


Ostara is a marker of the coming of spring. New life is all around us, showing in the green shoots on the trees, sprigs of grass appearing from the mud, and even -- if we're lucky -- a few flowers poking up. It's a time of chicks and eggs, newborn lambs and calves, and the days are getting a bit longer and a bit warmer. We can smell the freshness of the earth when we're outside. A fun project to do at Ostara is make and decorate a tree for the Sabbat. It doesn't have to be huge or fancy, but it's nice to have one sitting indoors to remind you of the changing seasons.
You'll need:

• Several lightweight branches
• Some florist's foam
• A flowerpot
• Acrylic paints
• Spanish moss
• Small spring decorations 

First, paint the pot with spring designs -- flowers, butterflies, ladybugs, eggs, etc. If you have kids, this is a lot of fun. If you don't mind them getting a bit messy, let them use thumbprints to make designs. Allow the paint to dry.
Cut a chunk of florist's foam to fit into the pot and then insert the branches into the foam so that it forms a tree shape. Hang the decorations -- eggs, ribbons, flowers, etc. -- on the branches. Use salt dough and cookie cutters to make ornaments to hang, if you like.

Use the Spanish moss to cover the florist's foam in the top of the pot. Place your tree on your altar during ritual, or use it as a tabletop decoration.
Note: Try to use branches that have already fallen on the ground, rather than taking them from a live tree. If you must cut from a living tree or bush, make sure you do so in a way that will allow for new growth on the plant. If you have forsythia bushes, they may be blooming right now - their branches are perfect for this project!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://kitchenwitchuk.blogspot.com/2011/03/ostara-crafts.html

Snake Wreath

St Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, at least according to legend, but what he really did was eliminate a lot of the old Pagan faiths by introducing Christianity. Many Pagans and Wiccans quietly protest St. Patrick by wearing a serpent pin or shirt on St. Patrick's Day. If you'd just like to do something a bit quirky and different, you can decorate your front door with a Spring Snake Wreath instead.

You'll need the following supplies:

• A grapevine hoop or other wreath form (available at craft stores)
• Spring greenery, such as ivy
• A bag of rubber snakes
• A hot glue gun
• Florist's wire
• Some ribbon

Start by decorating the grapevine wreath with your greenery. Don't use too much, because you'll want to leave room for the snakes. Next, arrange the snakes around the wreath, and hot glue them so they don't fall off. Depending on the size of your wreath -- and your snakes -- anywhere from six to a dozen should be fine. Just a word of caution here - don't touch the tip of your hot glue gun to the rubber snakes. Trust me, they don't like this.

As a finishing touch, tie a length of ribbon into a bow and fix it in place with the florist's wire. Use an additional loop of wire at the top to hang the wreath up.



thats all folks!!! lol for now...