Countdown to Spring: Imbolc Recipes!

Bailey’s Irish Cream Truffles

1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur
1 Tbs. Butter
12 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate pieces
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
powdered sugar or cocoa

Melt chocolate pieces, Bailey’s and cream together over very low heat. Whisk in yolks, one at a time-mixture will thicken. Whisk in butter. Refrigerate several hours or overnight until firm. Make small balls with a teaspoon. Roll in powdered sugar or cocoa.

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Faery Wine

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
cinnamon

Warm milk–DO NOT BOIL. Add honey and vanilla. Mix together and pour into a mug. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

(source): http://circleofthesacredmuse.com/celebrations/imbolc/

Food for Thought Friday

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Happy a blessed weekend everyone!!

Countdown to Spring: An Imbolc Poem

Imbolc Night

Imbolc candles burn so bright,

On windows sills they sit

They call the Sun to see the light;

Through eve we keep them lit

We plow the field to sow the seeds,

As winter begins to die

Brigid’s bed made and crosses weaved

On our altar they so lie

Candle flames surround the night

With love our circle’s cast

  Promise of spring, we honor Brigid

The time has now come at last

~ written by Lady Caer Morganna

Imbolc: So what's with the Groundhog?

 As most of you already know, Imbolc has always been associated with fertility and weather divination. The word, itself is Old Irish for “in the belly” ~  hence the strong association between Imbolc and Brigid, a Celtic goddess of fertility (and a Triple Goddess as well). When this pagan holiday was converted by the Catholic church, the celebrations of Candlemas (“candle night”) and Saint Brigid’s Day were born. Saint Brigid’s Day was celebrated on February 1st and honored an Irish saint, named after the Celtic goddess, and who was also a contemporary of Saint Patrick.

Candlemas was celebrated on February 2 (Groundhog Day). It was the celebration feast of Mary's purification and was marked by a candle procession. Historically speaking, the connection between purification rituals and the month of February goes directly back to the pagan era as the word "February," is derived from the Latin “februa” meaning "expiatory offerings” and designates this month as a time for purification.

 So what exactly does a groundhog have to do with all of this? Well, for one thing the Roman’s had celebrated somewhat of a similar version to our own contemporary Groundhog Day in early February, except it was the hedgehog performing weather divination instead of a groundhog. It was beliefs such as this which survived the Christianization of Europe. By attaching themselves to the “new” Candlemas Day holiday, parts of the old pagan traditions were kept alive and; therefore, accepted as folklore. European settlers in North America continued the tradition, substituting the groundhog for the European hedgehog. 

New Year, New Beginnings

Brightest Blessings everyone! I truly wish to thank you all for your continued love and support from the heart. It has meant so very much to me and my family. Huge hugs!  ... :-)

I hope the new year is finding everyone happy and well! Since I last posted, my dad had been released to a different rehab center ~ thank the Goddess!! This one is so much better than the one he had been in. That place was so bad that I swear to you I wouldn't even send my cats there (or dog if I had one)! I will spare you all the ugly details of it; however, I will tell you that I fought extremely hard to get him to the facility where he is currently now in rehab. Unfortunately, my parents insurance company had us between a rock and a hard place with very little option but to either (a) send him back to the horrible, very neglectful rehab where he had been for two weeks, or (b) send him a lot further away with a chance of receiving much better care! Needless to say, we chose the latter. It is a wonderful place called, "Laurel Center" located in Hamburg, PA ...

We are hopeful that he will be able to eventually return home and we could get by with having a visiting nurse to help my mother out. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Now, onto something a bit more up-lifting. Although it is still only the month of January, I am already looking forward to Imbolg and the promise of spring! I am sooo ready for the end of the freezing temperatures and ice. Not to mention the opportunity to see my favorite groundhog, "Punxsutawney  Phil," on the news give us all his 'farseeing' prediction about spring on Groundhog's Day ...

Almost every part of the country and/or world has their own unique version of the Groundhog and celebration which lands on February 2nd of each year and also happens to be the very same day as our Imbolg/Imbolc/Candlemas sabbat.

Groundhog Day is so popular here in PA, that I would be terribly remiss for not mentioning two of our more local weather predicting prognosticating groundhogs, "Shoey Louie" (from Shoemakersville, PA) and "Pagoda Patty" (who makes her live appearance from The Reading Pagoda in downtown Reading, PA). And let us not forget Canada's Wiarton Willie and  Winnipeg Willow ...

"Winnipeg Willow"

"Wiarton Willie"

I am hoping to be able to find the time to post a little more on Imbolg/Imbolc/Candlemas, but for the time being I will leave you all with this clip from the movie, "Groundhog Day" ...

And so it begins ...

Happy Saturday everyone! So much happening here and I just wanted to touch base with you all. First off, I would like to give a shout out to my god-daughter, Kylianna whose birthday was yesterday ... I am so very proud of this young lady!

 

Happy Birthday, my Kyli-girl!!

Also, I have been very busy as of late with my family in regards to my dad who, after being discharged from the hospital a month ago and had been rehabing, is now back in the same hospital once again with multiple medical issues going on. And so, my dear friends, I feel the Lord and Lady are telling me that now is the time to finally take my hiatus from my blogs ~ atleast for a little while in order to concentrate all my energies on my father and to be there for my entire family as we are forced to make some very difficult and extremely crucial decisions.

Just this afternoon, my dad told us (and I quote), "When life knocks you down, you fight to get back up again!"

Please continue to keep my dad in your thoughts and, again, "THANK YOU ALL" for your many positive thoughts and prayers for him the last few weeks! You are truly a blessing!

Hopefully, I will be back in a few weeks or so. I wish you all the best in this new year 2015!

Brightest Blessings! 

TWL's Top Ten Sexiest Men of Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Once in a little while I just feel the need to let my hair down, a bit of stress therapy I suppose you could say. And since I love science fiction/fantasy shows so very much, I thought I would put together my idea of the top 10 sexiest men of sci-fi in my view. I also browsed the web to get an idea of what other people voted in as good candidates and considered them as well.

And so, my friends, here goes ...

10.  Kevin Bacon ("Ryan Hardy" from "The Following")

9.  Chris Hemsworth ("Thor")

8.  Will Smith ("Agent J" from "Men in Black")

7.  Chris Pine ("Captain James T. Kirk" in the "Star Trek" movie
     re-makes)

6.  Vin Diesel ("Riddick")

5.  Jared Padalecki ("Sam Winchester" in "Supernatural")

4.  James Purefoy ("Joe Carroll" in "The Following")

3.  David Tennant ("Dr. Who")

2.  Misha Collins (Supernatural's "Castiel")

1.  Jensen Ackles ("Dean Winchester" from "Supernatural")