All Hallows Night

If you have not yet performed your Samhain ritual, follow the link to a very cool one I found at wicca.com.  It basically involves invoking the Goddess and God and asking them to watch over you and your ancestors as the year dies and the new year is reborn.  It allows you to let go of the past and consider what you'd like to accomplish in the coming year as well as reflecting on your family and loved ones who have passed on.  Even if you can't gather all the items and prepare the altar, it's worth reading just for reflection and awareness.  (If you can do the candles, though, it's pretty cool to watch them almost go out and then flare back up again!)

 

Thanks to Cyndi for the eerily cool tree photo!

Happy Diwali!

Today is Diwali, the Festival of Lights celebrating the Hindu New Year.  It is a time to laugh, enjoy life, and be grateful for the abundance of the Earth.  Along with Ganesha, Lakshmi is honored today.  She is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity (both material and spiritual), light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. She is said to bring good luck, and is believed to protect her devotees from all kinds of misery and money-related sorrows.  May she shine on you!  It is the new moon today and also a time for divination and introspection.  As the days grow colder and darker use your down time to grow your inner garden - plant thoughts and dreams you would like to cultivate during the fall and winter months ahead.  Blessed be!

Countdown to Samhain

Just posted my first quilted project on Etsy.  It's a Hallowe'en themed candlemat and it was so fun to make!  I definitely want to do more quilting in the future.  I would love to make a quilted robe to wear for outdoor rituals, with appliques of various pagan symbols.  Have a happy day, my darlings, and here is a blessing I have found calming and inspirational.  I incorporate it into my daily ritual right after invoking the Goddess and God:
Bless me, my Lord and Lady, for I am your child.
Bless my mind that I may know your truth and wisdom.
Bless my voice that I may speak with kindness.
Bless my heart that I may know your love and let your light shine through.
Bless my womb that I may be aware of all life.
Bless my knees that kneel at your sacred altar.
Bless my feet that they may tread the path of rightness and reverence.
Bless my hands that they may be instruments of creation and healing.
Bless me, my Lord and Lady, for I am your child.

Music

Thanks to my son, Jarrod, for turning me on to Live365, free web radio.  My favorite station is Dryad radio.  They play a lot of Celtic music but they also have Wiccan specific music.  Two that I liked enough to download are both by Elaine Silver from Faerie Goddess: "By the Earth" is especially good to listen to for circle casting and "Burning Times" is just a moving song.

New Moon

Today is the new moon, a time for reflection, introspection and awareness of psychic energy.  Use today to rest, relax, regroup and regenerate. You may find your interest drawn to past lives, divination, magical study or meditation.  Whatever your focus, it's a great time to discover your own truth as your energy becomes more focused and turned inward.  Be kind to yourself and compassionate toward all.  Blessed be!

Sunday dinner

While looking up ideas for the leftover pumpkin from my harvest cake, I ran across this recipe for Curried Pumpkin Soup:

CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP

Printed from COOKS.COM

---

 

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,153185-253202,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
2 c. canned chicken broth
2 tsp. curry powder
Dash turmeric
Dash nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. sour cream and some for garnish
Seasoned croutons for garnish

 

1. Mix pumpkin and chicken broth in medium saucepan and stir over medium heat. 2. Add spices and sour cream. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
3. Garnish with dollops of sour cream and a few croutons per cup serving.

Since I had slightly less than half a can of pumpkin left over, I cut the recipe in half.  I also substituted milk for the sour cream.

And here are the herbs I cut ready to bring inside for fall - mint, rosemary and lemon thyme. 

I will be using the lemon thyme in this potato soup recipe, substituting it for regular thyme.

Potato, Artichoke and Leek Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups cleaned and chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 (13 3/4-ounce) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and quartered
• 2 1/2 cups peeled and cubed baking potatoes
• 2 small thyme sprigs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a medium saucepan; add onion and leeks and cook, covered, about 10 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and cook until leeks are very soft, about 5 minutes, adding garlic at last minute.

Add broth, artichokes, potatoes and thyme and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add milk and TABASCO^® Sauce and simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and discard thyme.

In a food processor or blender, purée soup until very smooth. Serve hot or cold, garnished with parsley.

From THE TABASCO® COOKBOOK 1993 by Paul McIlhenny with Barbara Hunter. Used with permission from Clarkson Potter/Publishers.

To work off all those calories, I've been getting into Kundalini yoga.  I enjoy the metaphysical aspect and it really puts you in a great place for meditation or spell work.  I found this dvd at the library but there are plenty of videos on youtube as well.

Namaste!