Thursday, March 31, 2022

Throwback Thursday: The Wheel of the Year Turns On and On


The Wheel of the Year consists of the eight Wiccan holy days which we call sabbats and it is the seasonal cycle of life. These Pagan celebrations are directly linked to the Goddess and God in all their aspects and they are divided into two separate groups – the Greater and Lesser sabbats.

The Greater Sabbats are:

Samhain literally means “summer’s end” and is pronounced “sow-in” or “sow-een.” It is the Wiccan New Year and the third harvest of the year. It is the sabbat from which Halloween was born. The Goddess is in her Crone aspect and the God will die and enter the Summerland only to be reborn again at Yule.

Imbolg means “in the belly" (of the Goddess) and is also known as Imbolc (“in milk”).
It is the sabbat which honors the on-coming of Spring. Candlemas (“candle night”) is the Christianized version of this celebration. The Goddess is in her Maiden aspect and the God in his youth. The Celtic goddess Brigid (pronounced “Breed”) is honored at this time.

Beltane is the sabbat which celebrates the sacred marriage of the Goddess & God. The name was taken from Irish-Gaelic meaning “Bel Fire” or “fire of Bel.” Bel was the God of Light and was also known as Beli or Belinus. It is only one of two times a year that the veil between the world of the living and the world of spirit is thin. Samhain is the other.

Lughnasadh literally means “the chase of Lugh” (Lugh was the Celtic Sun God) and it celebrates the first harvest of the year. This sabbat is also known as Lammas (Irish for “old style”) and is also a mid-evil Christian holiday meaning “loaf mass.” The Goddess is in her Mother aspect, but beginning to age. The God is also getting older.

The Lesser Sabbats are:

Yule is the Winter Solstice. The word Yule was taken from the Norse “Jul” which means “wheel.” This is the sabbat from which the Christian holiday of Christmas originates.  The Goddess is a “Triple Goddess” – Maiden, Mother & Crone and the God is born once again of the Goddess.

Ostara which is pronounced “o-stara” is the Spring Equinox and the sabbat from which the Christian holiday of Easter evolved. Much of the Easter lore i.e. rabbits, colored eggs, etc. stems from this Pagan holiday. The goddess Eostre, who was the Teutonic Lunar Goddess of Fertility, is honored at this time. Her sacred animal was the hare. Ostara also celebrates new life with the rebirth of the sun. The Goddess is in her Young Mother aspect and the God, the Young Father.

Mabonpronounced “may-bone” or “may-bon” is the Autumn Equinox and the second harvest of the year. The name was taken from the Irish “Mabon ap Modron” which means “son of the mother” (Earth). The Goddess and God continue to grow old.

Litha, also known as the Summer Solstice or Midsummer, celebrates the long days and warm weather. Litha is Anglo-Saxon for “before summer” (Aerra Litha). “The Fae” (faeries) are honored at this time and animal blessings and protection spells are usually performed at this time as well. The Goddess is at her peak as Mother and the Father God at his.

Depending upon the tradition, the names of these Pagan sabbats may vary. However, the basic meanings and symbolisms of these ancient earth-based celebrations, for the most part, remain the same.

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

What's up ...

Greetings all, what's up? Well, things have been pretty busy this past week. I had a job interview last Thursday (although I desperately want this job, I am NOT holding my breath!). My Notary Public commission renewal is running out this September and the process is sooo time-consuming here in PA that IF I decided to keep it I had to begin the paperwork and such SIX MONTHS before it expires. I was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to go through with it since the chances of my actually getting hired back into an office job anymore are slim to none apparently, but against my better judgement, I spent the $399.50 to renew it for another four years. I lost my job at Travelers Insurance the year I had my last Notary renewal and decided to renew it - thinking/hoping that I would get back into a clerical job, but it never happened. So, this is THE LAST time for me - I refuse to spend the time and money if I have no good reason to. 

At any rate, I took a day off from work today to take care of a couple of things I had to. Dealing with my mom's FMLA paperwork (long, aggravating story so I will not bore you all with it) for one and taking Pennsylvania's required THREE HOUR online Notary Public course and test for another. Yes, I passed and they e-mailed me my Certificate of Completion ...

Sunday, March 27, 2022

A weekend off

Greetings, friends! This weekend has been the first "free" weekend that I have had in a very long time! So, I made the best of it. Yesterday, I ran all of my essential errands and then spent the remainder of the day cleaning the house. Today, my sister Aurora Skye and I chose to spend some well-needed quality time out and about. We decided to have lunch at a very nice place called, "Ganly's Pub" located down the road from my house, then frequented our usual places. Two of them were "The Mint Leaf" and "Soul-Centered Wellness" where I found a couple of wonderful little fun items ...

I could not resist this new book about the Celtic Gods & Goddesses. I can't wait to read it! ...


There was a sale on "Serendipity" soy candles ...

Some new items for Spring ... 

Holiday hand decorated slate coasters.
A hand sewn mermaid cushion. 
"Cat Lover's" pen set.

A pretty new blouse.

And, two new awesome scented soy candles ...

On the way home we stopped off at two more stores we both love - "Celtic Myth & Moonlight" and "The Gem on Penn" where I picked up these cool things ...
Sir Leo checking out the new Dragon themed Sabbat Astrology bag. 💗

A new addition to my Bastet altar ...

A large Bastet altar candle ...


A gemstone cage and fluorite stone. Fluorite helps balance emotions in people. Its energy imparts emotional stability to handle difficult situations with a clear mind, not overwhelmed by emotions. Fluorite stone balls are popular feng shui items.


Have a great week all!!

Sunday, March 20, 2022

A Trip to New Hope

Today marked the first day of spring. The weather was cool, windy, and in the 50's, cloudy and overcast, but did not rain. So on my only day off, my husband and I decided to "get away" for a day. We drove to New Hope, PA.

We always have lunch at Fran's Pub before walking along the main street. Their homemade pizza is awesome!

The below pics are of what was once a church turned into a fine dining restaurant & bar that keeps changing owners. We have enjoyed visiting the Villages in New Hope since we began dating back in 1994. It is so sad to see exactly how much it has changed. So many stores are now  GONE! Among my favorite shops were "Gypsy Heaven" (closed the last two times we were in New Hope) and, unfortunately, it looks like "Mystickal Tymes" has also closed it's doors! 

And, what was once, a few years back, a really cool strip mall called "The Four Seasons" ...

 ... is now nothing but a big food market. The only thing I like there now is the delicious macaroons from "Sciascia Confections" ...

I found this cool mermaid bag at one of the stores which is thankfully still open ...

One of the reasons I wanted to go to New Hope was for the beautiful clothing stores. Since gaining so much weight from my job, I needed to find at least ONE dress that I could fit into. So I bought these pieces at "House of India" ...

On the way home, we stopped off at one of our local "Chili's Bar & Grill" for a steak dinner. All in all, a pretty good day and not a bad way to spend the first day of spring.

Happy Spring & Blessed Ostara!

HAPPY SPRING ALL! I thought it might be fun to share a few cherished spring and holiday pics from over the years.

When I was a child, my mother, brother, even my dad (one of the few times of the year that he ever attended church services with us), and I would get up bright and early on Easter Sunday. My mom would dress us up neat and tidy and clean us up nicely before leaving the house. But, before we got ready for church, my mom would always fix up an awesome Easter basket for each of us filled with LOTS of candy - Hershey Kisses, Reeses Peanut Butter cups, assorted jelly beans, yellow and pink marshmellow peeps, a large SOLID (not hollow) chocolate bunny. And, along with our goodies, she always found a cool little toy or stuffed animal to place inside a large plastic Easter Egg (mine was pink - my brothers was purple). 😃

This pic was taken back in 1976.

This is a pic of my brother (far left), my cousin, and me - circa 1974.
My brother and I riding our bikes around the yard. Notice my bare feet - Yes, folks I was a flower child even back then ... lol!
Me, my grandfather (whom we called "Pappy"), and my brother as a baby. He really was a cute kid!
The only Easter "gifts" which I still have saved from my childhood Pink Easter Egg.
These pics were taken back in 2002 from one of our many group Ostara celebrations. Part of the ritual was painting and decorating our own Ostara eggs ...
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And finally, a little holiday humor if you will ...
My very own special holiday bunny, Butterscotch!  lol
Speaking of Butterscotch, this month marks his third anniversary since joining our little family. I must say that of all of the kitties we shared our lives with, this sweet baby was the most adamant about wanting to be a house kitty.  Every night, he slept at the foot of the garage steps and cried to come in the house. It was not long after we brought him in and got him to our vet for a good bill of health that he settled in purrfectly. We love him so much - he is the best little boy! 😻
And, a little heart-shaped spring cake to make you smile!
And, perhaps a cupcake or two!
Have a Blessed Weekend, friends!
🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇