We have everything from good books to connecting with ancestors to some great tips for blogging and you'll finally get to discover why chocolate is bad for your pets!
La'Trice has a delectable treat, Karen and I are covering the weekly standards, and I'm shamelessly plugging a fantastic author...
Appetite whetted? Great! Let's go dig in !
Reminder: Don't forget that The Samhain's Sirens October Extravaganza is still going on! A month of blogs, recipes, music, crafts and giveaways all for you! The Sirens take Sundays off, but they'll be back tomorrow morning with some fantastic goodies. Make sure you check them out at Samhain's Sirens!
Want more Halloween Fun? Check out Magaly Guerrero's All Hallow's Grim Party this week, October 13-21 at Pagan Culture blog!
Happy Birthday this week to Gwydion Ap'Morrygan, Johanna Lawson, Margaret Alexa, David Drew, Diane Bailey Beger, Susan Marie Bolden, Mike Nichols, Kathryn Engemann, Sean Marvin, Gavin Watson, Annelise Bauer, Tonya L. Spicer, May this be your best birthday EVER, and may your next year of life be filled with all the very best of goodness in abundance!
Song of the Week with Kallan Kennedy
The Boxer- by Paul Simon (today is his birthday!)
First performed by Simon and Garfunkel in 1968, The Boxer is a first person lament of someone struggling in poverty and loneliness. In the last verse, it switches to a 3rd person description of the boxer who is under attack and wants to run away, but in the end, his fighting spirit wins out and he perseveres. Paul Simon was interviewed in 1984 about the lyrics, and he said the song was autobiographical. He was being unfairly (in Simon's view) attacked by critics at the time, and he felt like just telling them all, "if you don't stop, I'm going to leave". Yet, he couldn't stop being who he was, and singing. It is a part of him. It is his "geis" or "wyrd" to be a singer/songwriter.
And, that's the message of this song. You may feel a lot like our boxer friend at times. I know I have... and recently. Constant criticism, holier-than-thou remarks, the feeling you're being looked down upon, judged, etc... wears on a person. It begins to feel like nothing you do is going to appease people. Nothing you say is going to be taken in its best light. The work you put forth is never going to be good enough. And, it is disheartening. But, like the boxer, you are a unique, special and amazing creature who has his/her own story to write and live. You have a birthright to fulfill, and no one can take that from you. You may think, "I am leaving, I am leaving", but the fighter still remains. So, fight to persevere. Be you. Those who truly matter will value that. If you're in the wrong company of folks who want to beat you down, then leave those and find the ones with whom you can soar. You're worth it.
In the News
Seattle’s source for paganism and the occult, step into Capitol Hill’s magickal Edge of the CircleFlying Witches and Africans
Witches, Tourists curse federal shutdown in Salem
Woman treated by witchdoctor died of natural causes
Pagan community shows its pride
Priest blames paganism for Povetkin's defeat
Pagan Fertility Cult Kept Alive by North East Craftswoman
Pagan Lore with Karen Szabo
Here is this week's Pagan Lore:
Sunday, October 13
On this date in the year 1917, the Goddess in the guise of the Virgin Mary made her final visit (as promised earlier that year) to three children in the Portuguese town of Fatima. She revealed many predictions to the children, and a crowd of over 70,000 pilgrims who gathered for the miraculous event witnessed a strange object--resembling a huge silver disk blazing with colored flames--fly through the sky.
Monday, October 14
Each year on this date, the planets of the Milky Way galaxy are honored and celebrated by an event known as Interplanetary Confederation Day. In Bangladesh, an annual festival called Durga Puja is celebrated on this day to commemorate the great Mother-Goddess Durga and her triumph over the forces of evil.
Tuesday, October 15
On this date in ancient Rome, a sacred harvest festival dedicated to the god Mars was celebrated with a chariot race, followed by the sacrifice of the slowest horse. (Before becoming a god of battle, Mars was originally a deity associated with fertility and agriculture).
Wednesday, October 16
Each year on this date, the Festival of the Goddess of Fortune (Lakshmi Puji) is celebrated in Nepal. The goddess Lakshmi is honored with prayers, sacred chants, and offerings of flower petals and fragrant incense.
Thursday, October 17
Once a year on this date, the Japanese Shinto ceremony of Kan-name-Sai (God Tasting Event) takes place. The ancient goddess of the Sun and other imperial ancestors are honored with an offering of rice from the season's first crop.
Friday, October 18
In England, the Great Horned Fair takes place annually on this day to celebrate the wondrous powers of nature and fertility. Many Pagans and Wiccans (especially of the Gardnerian tradition) perform a special ceremony on this day in honor of Cernunnos, the Horned God of hunting, fertility, and wild animals. He is also the consort of the Goddess, and a symbol of the male principle. At this time, many priests of Wiccan covens perform a sacred ritual called Drawing Down the Sun.
Saturday, October 19
On this day, an annual fair called Bettara-Ichi ("Sticky-Sticky Fair") is held in Tokyo, Japan near the sacred shrine of the god Ebisu. Children carry sticky pickled radishes tied to straw ropes through the streets in order to chase away evil spirits and to receive blessings from the seven Shinto gods of good luck.
And there you have it, another serving of the Lore to keep you going another week! See you next time!
Karen
Oh, The Humanity! by Loren Morris
This week I thought I would just do a fun little blog about some good books to read with your kids during this time of year. I used to homeschool my son and we enjoyed several books, and I would like to share them with you.
I am also a collector of children's books. I also like fantasy books. I have quite an extensive collection of children's books, so for those of you with young children or grandchildren, I hope that you find this list appealing for this time of year. While most aren't pagan, they are wonderful and most of them do have some wonderful lessons.
The first one is one of my most favorite.
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Oh, how I love this short story. Pipkin and his friends have a wonderful night of trick-or-treating planned but Pipkin becomes sick. What follows is a great adventure that takes the children through Egypt, Druid Rites, Mexico, and Notre Dame! You are really missing out if you haven't read this one. They've even made a cartoon of it (and Leonard Nimoy is a voice), which is also a really good watch.
Read the rest of this story at Saga's Cottage Blog
Loren's Facebook Art Page: https://www.facebook.com/SagasCottage
Loren's Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SagasCottage
Mid-Air Moxie with Adelina Soto Thomas
Many Pagans are blessed to be able to spend Samhain with a loving circle of friends, family, and other like-minded folks. They will conduct group rituals, raise cones of power, chant and sing songs, drum in the midst of their circles, and enjoy the celebratory feast afterward. Some children (and adults!) are lucky enough to take part in Harvest celebrations, play games, create masks, wear costumes, decorate sugar skulls, and then enjoy the spoils from hours of ringing doorbells and shouting ‘Trick-or-Treat!!’. But what about the rest of us? What is there for those of us to do to celebrate and honor Samhain if we do not have children/ grandchildren to accommodate or a group to celebrate with?
At Samhain we seek to face the fears of our own mortality. We want to connect with those who have gone before us in life and in so doing, ease our fears of what lies beyond this life of ours. We do so by connecting with our ancestors, both the Living and Departed. We can easily do a ritual and recite words written in a book or on a piece of paper, but there is no substitution for the intimacy of connection. To honor those who have come before us is to acknowledge all they have done (good, bad, and indifferent) which may have shaped the world we live in and also, ourselves. Samhain is not about connecting with acquaintances, but with our Ancestors. They may not be familiar to us but they ARE part of us. To know ourselves we must know them. Samhain is not about playacting…it is about establishing a relationship with the Ancestors who will help guide us on our paths.
“Man is physically as well as metaphysically a thing of shreds and patches, borrowed unequally from good and bad ancestors, and a misfit from the start.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
To read the rest of this article, please visit Lina over at Mid-Stride Moxie
Tiffany's Jumbo with Tiffany Newson
Many of you may or may not know I have a blog. I haven't blogged in about a year and have be recently called out of maternity leave.
So, here is my reintroduction back. I have recently, well a year ago, given birth to a little mischievous boy named Amir. His name means Prince or Leader, something the African-American community greatly needs. He its born a Leo and in the year of the dragoon so both should give him plenty of boosting to go far. Nefertiti is cheering for the second year and is really loving it. I know allot of people have asked if I'm going to be raising her in The Craft. I've decided that I would let her decide but I would still have her be a part of all my rituals and practices. I'm mostly a kitchen witch so this will be easy.
To read more...please go to The Life of An African American Wiccan.
Life. Laugh. Blog. Design. with Tara Smith
Pretty Blog posts, please.
Your blog post should be organized and presented well.
Here are some tips, that find very helpful.
1. Use jump breaks. The highlighted cut paper icon in your blog post editor allows the post to show a short summary on the main page, then when the reader clicks READ MORE, the full post is shown. It simplifies the main page, and allows for less space used by long blog posts.
2. Use window live writer. It’s a free program that can be used with any blog. Simply download it and log in using your password. This allows for editing your pictures and posts easier rather than using the blogger editor. http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=8621
3. Make your pictures as big as possible, especially if you are doing crafts or recipes. This visually attracts the reader even before they get to the text. Live writer makes this much easier in my opinion.
Read the rest of this post at PIP Designs
Pawtitively Witchcraft with Tiffanie Dovich
Today’s feature is all pet safety this Holiday season! Namely your pet and chocolate!
Luna in her witches hat pic
Or as I like to call it….
Why Chocolate = No Go for your pets!
Mmmm Chocolate, rich creamy delectable melt in your mouth goodness……(insert drool here)
Insert picture one here,
(Look I just might have had this chocolate extreme Ice cream cake in my freezer. Don’t judge me! )
Any who, Chocolate as lip smacking as it is for us humans, can cause all sorts of issues for our furry friends. Meet Chocolates villainous secret, Theobromine. This hyper little alkaloid hails from the same family of stimulants as caffeine. Which means that theobromine stimulates the cardiovascular system making your pups heart work over time! Now I know the next thing someone is going to say is that they had a pup go crazy over a bag of snickers or something but here’s the thing. Every person or dog processes theobromine at different rates, so a kit kat here or there might not hurt your pup but someone else’s pup who has a heart problem will have a serious and unhappy surprise. Couple this with the actual caffeine that is found in coca solids you get a double whammy of bad news for your furry crew. Sometimes it’s just better to be safe than sorry, Which brings me to white chocolate, I see a lot of novice pet treat makers use this and call it a pup safe alternative to regular chocolate, Heck I did when I first started! Sadly however white chocolate still has theobromine in it. In much smaller doages true, but even large dogs can have issues even with the smallest amount of exposure.
Don’t be sad there is a sweet treat your pup can enjoy! Let me introduce your pup’s new best friend.
Carob!
Pictures above is the wonder of carob in its two most common forms powdered and chips.
Imagine a more robust smokier minty taste vs chocolate. But the awesome thing about this yummy treat is there is not caffeine! So it’s super safe for your pups! Plus they love the taste too!
Looking for a delicious carob flavored treat for your pup? Check out Paws Out Pet Boutique & Bakery for winning combinations like these Banana, Peanut Butter and Carob Bones!
Tiffanie is the proprietor of Paws Out Pet Boutique and Bakery. Come visit her Facebook Page and website for all your pets' natural needs.
The Spice with La'Trice Lott
Here is another of my mom’s favorite recipes. It is from the Good Housekeeping Cookbook she received as a wedding gift back in 1963. To me, this recipe is the epitome of comfort food.
Old Fashion Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 small onion, chopped
•3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/8 teaspoon white pepper
•1 ½ cups milk, warmed
•2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Directions:
•Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 9-inch baking dish
•In heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat
•Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes
•Add flour and cook, stirring for about 1 minute
•With a wire whisk, slowly add milk cooking over medium heat and stirring constantly until mixture has thicken and boils.
•Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently for 1 minute
•Stir in salt and pepper
•Arrange half potatoes in a single layer in dish, pour half sauce over the top.
•Repeat with remaining layers and sauce
•Cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to bake until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 30 minute longer.
This Week in Astrology with Kallan Kennedy
All times Eastern Daylight Time
Sunday, October 13: All's Quiet in the Heavens
Saturn's Rx Shadow Ends
Monday, October 14: Moon Void of Course from 4:28pm-5:05pm then moves into Pisces
Tuesday, October 15: Waxing Gibbous Moon 5:28am
Mars in Virgo, 7:04am
Great Day for Business from 7:04am onWednesday, October 16: Moon Void of Course from 3:14am-9:17pm then moves into Aries
Thursday, October 17: All's Quiet in the Heavens
Friday, October 18: Full Moon in Aries, 7:37pm
Saturday, October 19: Moon Void of Course, 2:48am-3:26am then moves into Taurus
Great Day for Business from 3:26am on
Weekly Horoscopes from DarkStar Astrology
Weekly Tarot: Four of Cups with Kallan Kennedy
The 4 of Cups usually appears when you're feeling bored, or tired of the status quo. Things may seem stale or flat, and you just don't seem to want to do much of anything.
Or, you could be feeling overly defensive. closing yourself off to opportunities. Or perhaps an opportunity presented itself and you're holding off on making a decision until you've weighed all the options. Sometimes fear of making a wrong decision can cause a decision to be made not to act.
Sometimes, we just get stuck in an emotional rut. It happens frequently at this time of year when the call to introspection is so strong. There's nothing wrong with doing a little "hibernating" or self-analysis. Just be sure you're not creating an environment of lethargy in the process.
The Four of Cups is a reminder not to take life for granted. Be present in the moment and enjoy what you have. Don't let disappointments make you bitter or forget to be grateful. Four represents a good, solid foundation. The key to moving on is gratitude and enthusiasm. You have permission to enjoy :)
Kallan's Weekly Totem: Heron
Those who have Heron as a totem will spend a lot of time alone and be comfortable with it. If you have trouble being alone, Heron is a great totem to help you.
Heron people often must learn to make their living being ‘jacks of all trades’-picking up income from a variety of jobs, projects, part-time assignments-rather than a routine, full-time job with one employer. Ted Andrews says in his book, Animal Speak, "It is not a structured way, and does not have a stability or security to it. It is though, just a matter of perspective. There is security in heron medicine, for it gives the ability to do a variety of tasks. If one way doesn't work, then another will.”
Heron teaches self-reliance by listening to one's own inner voice of wisdom, dancing to the beat of our inner drummer, and not conforming to what societal pressures or what it deems "normal".
Heron can also teach you how to stand still while the world is racing around you.
Heron can teach you his aerial composure in the midst of trials. Come, join him in the dance.
The Shameless Plug:
This week's Shameless Plug is for author Samaire Provost's newest book in the Mad World Series, "Desperation".
About Samaire: Born in the Caribbean in the 60's, raised in a Marine Corps family and lived in multiple places from Quantico, Virginia to Monterey, California. Settled in San Diego in 1976. Moved to Central California in 2011. Began writing as a child and has been writing ever since. Mother to three fantastic children. Artist, Novelist, Dreamer.Like her Author Page on Facebook!
Book Description:“Forget what you thought you knew about this story, because everything is about to change. With Alyssa near death, Luke, Jacob and their companions make a desperate attempt to reach Boston with the final ingredient needed for the plague antidote. They must travel through the Canadian wilderness, some of the roughest country in North America. Along the way they are joined by new friends and old as they fight to reach their destination and save Alyssa. What they don’t know is that something is hunting them.
Something evil is lurking, waiting to strike when they least expect it.
After years of fighting courageously against the living plague, they’d thought they knew their enemy. They’d believed their wits, bravery and strength would be enough to win this fight against the threat that had overrun so much of the world they once knew. But they were wrong.
Now Luke, Risa, Jacob, DeAndre and Jonathan face their most dangerous trials yet as they battle the ever-present zombie threat, along with a new challenge they never saw coming. How many ways can this plague try to kill them? Find out, in the latest installment of the Mad World series.”
It's a great e-book, more than reasonably priced at $3.99! Go here to purchase!
That's it for this week's stew. Mull. Digest. Enjoy!
The Sunday Stew is a free, e-publication delivered every Sunday as a loving gift to the Pagan community. All submissions are the intellectual property of their authors, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the blog owner. All photos used are either copyrighted to their owners and are used with permission. Astrology, Tarot and Totem are for entertainment purposes.
We welcome your feedback! Please be sure to tell us how we're doing and give us suggestions for improvement. You can leave a comment here (remember, they are moderated so it may take some time for yours to appear), use the contact form at the top of the page, email Kallan, or comment on Kallan's Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!