Halloween & The Day of the Dead

We had a wonderful Halloween Party, lots of fun and got to reconnect with friends and family. So here are all the pictures....


I won my work costume contest with this picture...I put on lots of make up so maybe I didn't frighten them! I have a Raven on my at and the wall plaque is a miniature reproduction of the Leaky Cauldron sign from Harry Potter. My prize was a copy of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas!

This was one of several lanterns I had out in the yard. I think the words kind of set the theme for the event...which lent itself to the short ritual we had.

This is a close up of Snabby's costume, as a "Ditch Witch" (a kind of digger tool company we have around here). I wanted him to go as a "Witch Gynacologist", but he decided to go with a less provocative outfit!



All three of these pumpkins we grew in our backyard, so the didn't cost us anything. Beaniac made the spiral-eyed one, her boyfriend made Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Snabby made a girl from the Fruity Oaty Bar commercial (in the film Serenity). They were a hit!


Here's our friends Becca (The Big Cheese) and Bob (Le Chef). He's reading my Day of the Dead pamphlet to get an idea of how to decorate his sugar skull. Isn't he studious? You can see a glimpse of the festive "papel" with Danse Macabre themes at the top of the picture.





This is a cute picture of the Beanic (as a mouse) and her boyfriend (as...surprise! a high school Marching Band member!). They had to go to a competition that day, but were able to get off early, enjoy the party and even go trick-or-treating!


Finally, here is a picture of our Day of the Dead altar. This is after our guests brought out the lighted votive candles and placed them beside the picture of their choice. Little colored corn, the aroma of Ginger Pumpkin wax melts and burning herbs (Calendula for Healing, Rosemary for Remembrance, Wheat for the Harvest time, and Rose Petals for End of Summer/Remembrance)were offerings for our Sacred Dead.

Autumn has arrived....

Field in the main campground area


Well the colder, darkening days are truly upon us, and a post about my experiences at the Northwest Fall Equinox Festival (NWFEF) is long overdue! To set the mood, here are a couple blog posts I've really enjoyed: a wonderful ode to the season, with some beautiful pictures and a second one which is a decidedly more Pagan take on the harvest.

I genuinely appreciated my time at the old YMCA Youth Camp site at Silver Falls State Park (where the Festival was held), with one exception - the field in which tenters must camp was also the site of the Drum Circle! If I had known this, I would have been more aggressive about asking someone to share a cabin, instead of waiting until the last night to do so.

Outside of that, I had an amazing time! I met several interesting and remarkable ladies from many walks of life. All had stories to share, and were very non-judgemental about how one might decide to handle life's ebbs and flows; "We're all on a journey, and we're all trying to get through life's challenges the best way we can" was the wisdom I gleaned from all those the stimulating conversations.

Although I hadn't had a real interest in the Hindu pantheon, I deeply enjoyed all the rituals & workshops for the Goddesses that had been prepared. The five Goddesses which had shrines (one in each cabin "neighborhood") were Kali, Deva (a triple personified goddess), Durga, Parvati and in the main area, the Goddess of Prosperity, Laxmi.

One of the most moving and deeply spiritual workshops was the "Family" one on Friday. At check-in at the gate, attendees were given a handmade token necklace with a randomly assigned number on the back. This number became a "Family" number (approximately 10 people per number); and at the designated time and place for that number, all the "Family" members met with a facilitator/leader and did some preparation for the days ahead. One part of the workshop involved each participant moving into the center of a circle while all the other people gently placed their hands on the center person while repeating 3 times:

"We will hold you until you soften."
"We will love you until you begin to melt."
"We will sing to you until you remember peace."

It was a totally incredible experience and really put me in the mindscape of the Festival. Did I mention this took place in the Tantric Temple? Yes, my "Family" place to meet was the MOST BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED temple of the whole campground IMHO. Later I participated in a group ritual at that same temple before the main Saturday night ritual, (again, as sort of a mental preparation for the evening). The Priestess presiding over it was amazing and she really loved my dress, which happened to be my wedding dress (an Afghani Nomad design from Folkwear).

Another great part of the Festival was the food! There were many vegetarian and vegan options I tried which I surprisingly enjoyed. I liked it all so much I bought their recipe book, "May You Never Hunger", Harvest Grove Family Favorites. The nice thing about this book is it has "Helpful Hints" and "Cooking Tips" for food preparation throughout the book, often the kinds of things you can find only in old cookbooks.

There was so much more: full moon illuminated nights, a hilarious wedding "ritual"/celebration for a long-time attendee who had just gotten married, the main group rituals each evening, time to rest, perusing the vendors for the perfect Witch's Hat....

I've already decided I want to attend next year, and look forward to celebrating the Autumn Equinox/Mabon with like-minded folks. I also want to have my husband share the experience as well, as participation in the rituals is totally voluntary and the restful natural setting helps refocus the heart and mind in healing ways.

Now onto Halloween!

Fall is in the Air!

For the last week or so, it's been very cool in the morning...the heat of August's Dog Days seems to be mostly behind us. The flowering plants are mostly done, the grass is brown, corn & apples are showing up in the Farmer's Markets around town, and even the vines on our Pumpkins & Cucumbers seem to be loosing their "oomph". All signs pointing to cooler weather ahead, and a busy Harvest Season!

This year I'm going to be attending the NW Fall Equinox Festival for the first time, (I'll be giving a full report when I get back!). The theme this year is Diwali, ("Festival of Lights" in Hindi), with the primary Goddess of this festival being Laxmi (Mother of Wealth & Prosperity). I think we all could use a little of Laxmi's influence in our lives right now, what with the economy going to pot and all....I'm thankful I was finally able to get a job, even though it will cause some stress (when will the dishes get done? Who knows!)..but to eventually get REAL health insurance will worth it!

NW Herb Fest

Well folks, I've just come back from a very amazing "herbal" experience! I attended the 2009 NW Herb Fest at Wise Acre Farms, just about 15 miles south of Eugene. I got alot of great information, met some fascinating working herbalists and a naturopathic physician (and several ladies studying to become N.M.D.'s - all of them at Portland's own National College of Natural Medicine). Although I'm not into Chinese or Ayurvedic Medicine much (I prefer the Western Eclectic tradition), the program does seem to be very comprehensive. So now onto the nitty-gritty pics and info!

First up is a picture of my campsite under an old oak tree in a huge open field, (the entrance to the Fair is directly behind the tree...see the pink tape if you click on the picture to make it bigger).


I was welcomed by several friendly folks as I set up my tent, and saw a beautiful crescent moon as the twilight deepened, then the stars came twinkling out, and I saw the Big Dipper, Milky Way...and many other constellations I didn't know. In the back of my mind I filed away a determination to learn the night skies for a future project.

Unfortunately, I think I got about 3 hrs sleep max...people came in until 1 am, the lights of their cars shining directly in everyone's tent, then bumbling around & noisily setting up their own tents. Of course there was the small hike to the bathrooms...


This a view from from my car in the parking lot (the other end of the field), with the green house & gardens behind the Port-a-Potties. In the background you can see the sewage company actually servicing the Port-a-Potties on Sunday Morning, (click to make the picture bigger).

There were alot of people there, maybe as many as 200 attendees. They also had a little vendor row, with some wonderful, mostly local products (there were a few from Washington & California). Here are some pics: (the one below I took from inside the main tent while I was eating breakfast)









The next view is from the other end, from the path to "kitchen" class room, in the back (on the right) you can see the table they used for the optional meals served during the Fair. I decided to buy all the meals, to save money (although I went out a little too!), and to learn about more healthy/vegetarian options for eating. The food was excellent! I really liked their garlic sour cream artichoke dip, Nancy's yogurt with granola & berries, quinoa with vegetables...and many other dishes. They were all prepared by the Park City Cafe (see a mini-review here. I complemented the lady who did the cooking and talked with her a little bit, come to find out they have a booth at the Oregon Country Fair near the Community Village! Awesome, definitely going to check them out next year...


















From this booth I bought a "Leo Balancing" astrological herbal bath therapy product. She also had a full year "Cosmic" herbal bath teas, as well as cooking herbs aligned with the signs/planets. Although I'm not much into astrology, it was a fun thing to get.






I also bought several tinctures from some other booths, and gathered up some propaganda from all of them, including one with herbal wines! Some of the teachers also had their own booths, selling their own herbal preparations, goddess tapes, book and various other items. One booth that I really liked was Mountain Rose Herbs
a huge sponsor of the festival, (which had only an an informational booth, not selling anything). They gave away posters, pamphlets, and lots of bumper stickers, plus let you touch, smell and taste several kinds of herbs they offer.


I have ordered from them, and used their products. So far I'm impressed with the quality, quick service and the cost. They are the premier local source for truly organic herbs, teas, and other body products.


Finally, I have some pics of the extensive herb garden:

Primrose & Coneflower (echinacea)










and some of my favorite flowers:









Nasturtiums & ?






Last, (but not least!) was the heat...it was unrelenting. I actually spent the 2nd night in a hotel, and was glad I did. I got some sleep and was able to pay attention and take notes in the classes alot better on Sunday. It got so hot in that big tent out in the field I kind of passed out and missed out on 2 good lectures. I ended up discussing the heat problem with some fellow student ladies, and found that it was a big problem for alot of folks, not just me. One older woman had pretty much decided not to come again, even though she had not missed one since it's inception many years ago (it's been through a couple incarnations, but always held by the same woman, Sharol Tilger). If I come next time, I will definitely stay in a motel with air conditioning!

The conundrum (if you will), is that it is the only reasonably priced herbal seminar around the PNW. The ones at Breitenbush are more than twice the cost...and the lecturers they get are VERY GOOD - almost all of them are clinical practitioners with 20+ years experience, and the majority have published books too. I will post more later about the specific classses and teachers at the Fair, since I think that information is worth sharing, and it's just so much I wouldn't be able to include it all here..(it's the post that never ends...it goes on and on my friends...).

Blessed be!

Ze Fair!

Gnomes on Parade!

Once again, we headed down to Eugene for the Oregon Country Fair...and had a pretty wonderful time, (there was a little unfriendliness the 1st day...but great after that). It also was the 40th anniversary of the Fair, and I managed to get one of the last Commemorative Batik Sarongs...they also had some flags which I wish I gotten now...but no worries! We also had one of the Beaniac's friends from Alaska (via Virginia...it's a long story!)-he was great, just became part of the family, and we're planning on having him back next year too! So now onto some more pics...


E -The Bean's AK friend & all around good kid, the Beaniac & Snabby

The second day was nice as well as we got to park nearer the entrance, and just mosey on in a little early with our 3-day wristband passes (cost a pretty penny, but makes Fair life just a little easier)...You can see above an example of the funky signs around that make it a fun place too-even the No Parking ones!


Glitter Henna!

I decided to spend a little cashola and get some Mehendi done - the lady that I chose incidently also offers a fine glitter decoration while it dries if you want - and I wanted! Here below is a pic of the finished design a day or so later...

Done!

May Day Fun!

Spring Lady Bag

Well, I'm working on a new project...and trying to get it done by Friday - May 1st!
I got the special edition Eco Bag from Sublime Stitching, and mostly following Jenny Hart's design & colors, (see pic above). I'll post updates as I finish more embroidery.

Also, I'll see if I can take pics at the May Day celebration at the Rose Garden too - I'll be up early - at 4am to get there in time for the Bagpipes at Sunrise!

Spring Lady-More!

Update # 1 - I've finished up the face, and will do the bee stuff tomorrow (will upload another pic too). I've really liked how it's turned out so far...and I'm on track to be finished by Thursday night (May Day Eve)-Yay!




Spring Lady-"Bee" almost done!
Well, I am way ahead of myself...I might be able to finish it by tonight...a whole day early! This is great, since I've got alot of other things to prepare for May Day - I really want it to be a totally fun day for the family!





Spring Lady DONE!
Yay! It's all done, and I've sure received alot of compliments on it! I am really pleased with how this project turned out, and will definitely be checking out other Limited Edition stuff by Sublime Stitching (the bag is already down from the website!)...Jenny Hart has had something special for each month this year; in February she had a VERY cute Valentine's inspired stitchable card...but I couldn't get it :( ...due to money being tight. Check out her site at the link above and see what her featured product is this month!

Opening to the Fullness of Spring!

Wow, spring has finally sprung from this long, dark, COLD wintertide...but still the chilly fingers of Jack Frost haven't let go...The mornings are often very cold still...

In the meantime we've worked on our garden, my potted herbs and even gotten an air/duct sealing for our home (for free!). We've worked very hard on getting more frugal with our lifestyle, reduced/eliminated some debt and will even be able to have some savings soon (in case of job loss). So many positive steps...

However, recently I've had to step back from an increasingly unhealthy situation...and it's been difficult. I'd been back and forth on how to handle it...and every time I thought, "Well, maybe..I'll just do this,...or ...I'll just help out here..", I'd get requests to do even MORE! "Do this! We need this!" There were several creative ways to "get the job done" without me, but they "can't see the forest for the trees" evidently.

I didn't want people who I've really come to like and admire think bad of me...but since they don't know the FULL details of what my family's dealing with on a financial, wellness/health and psychological level, I simply can't expect them to understand. Some have a small inkling, but aren't sympathetic as several others are dealing with health-related crises of their own. The one thing I didn't bring up to these folks is that this all happened during February/March, leading up to the most difficult part of the year for me. It dawned on me that my son's death still affects me to this day, and the grieving process intensifies problematic situations. I discussed the problem extensively with the two people who were present on the worst day of my life (the stillbirth of our son), and they both agreed with me; I had made the right decision to stand firm in my departure from this group. The relief is palpable, I didn't realize I had had been doing so much work for so long! It may get nasty, but come what may, I can finally say I made the right decision for me, my family and ultimately, for them.

So on to May Day...a Spring Sabbat to celebrate with Mirth and Joy; release burdens, and open up to new mysterious possibilities!

Signs of Spring

I should have posted this a couple weeks ago...but now will do. There's a fab full Storm Moon out...and I've decanted the herbal tinctures I started on the New Moon, which happened to be Mardi Gras! (more about that later..).

Anyhow, as a very occasional phenologist, I've noticed the obvious seasonal changes: chattering morning birds, the spring bulbs slow emergence and flowering, the longer days (although this was now screwed up by Spring Ahead Daylight Savings this past Sunday), and cloudy rainy days. Strangely, it snowed just a couple days ago (Monday the 9th) and earlier the year started out dry, COLD and sunny (see beautiful sunrise pic from early February)
February 09
In fact, it has been very cold this whole winter, and we've all had bad bouts with colds as a result.

Speaking of the Spring flowers, they are very late this year, usually by this time I have masses of Daffodils for a huge bouquet I make for the St. Patrick's Day celebration that I host for the older members of our family. We barely have any, just two pink hyacinths and one small early-blooming variety of Daffodil have fully blossomed, the rest are just buds...

Imbolc-First Post

Brigit pours out her Blessings

I really like this time of year, when the sun starts coming back, the spring flowers start poking their heads above ground and the frenzy of the mid-winter holidays are behind us. I especially love snowdrops, often the very first blooms of the season. I sometimes use old Catholic name for this holiday, Candlemas
. I like to celebrate it by making a Brigid's Cross, to hang over our threshold during the year (you can see examples in the background in the picture above); put away or burn any remaining mid-winter decorations and renew New Years resolutions.


There are several holidays that fall around this time as well:

1. Valentine's Day - Apersonal favorite as this is when my husband & I celebrate our "anniversary" - even though we were married in August.

2. Imbolc/Oimelc, a Wiccan/Pagan Sabbat (Holy Day); Often a day when new initiates are accepted into covens or begin individual studies with an elder. It also celebrates the end of Winter and the first day of Spring (despite Ground Hog Day stating "4 more weeks of Winter" usually!)

4. Mardi Gras! - Link takes you to the official New Orleans website...Party time!

Six Random Meme....

Six Random Things About Me
Swinebread didn't really tag me, but it seemed interesting, so here goes

The Rules

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six random things about me-

1) I have visited Palenque in Mexico-awesome. Wished I'd had a camera....

2) I was an evil older sister...but I got better!

3) I love Alan Moore...and his work! Can't wait for the next League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to come out (Top Shelf!)

4) I do several kinds of embroidery: Punchneedle, Hardanger, Brazilian, Cross-stitch, Neeelepoint, and the plain old kind...

5) I've never mowed a lawn, and by Goddess I never will!

6) I have the best husband in the world...forever and 2 years at least...

No Tags for anyone, if you feel you'd like to do this, great!

An Epiphany

The first weekend in January is the time when the French eat a special cake called "La Gallette", a pastry-wrapped disc enclosing a delicious almond paste interior...and a little ceramic item called a "feve" (there is no English equivalent). Here is a great authentic recipe, along with picture of the cake with a paper crown. Whomever finds the "feve" in their piece becomes King or Queen for the day.

The picture above is from a book I've read to my daughter's classes for many years...it's basically a Gingerbread man-type story "Run, Run, you can't catch me!" but of course he's caught by the sly fox in the end!

This time of year is also a nice wind down from the hectic holiday season; I had an "Epiphany" of sorts also...I've decided to make some simple daily practices...like a 5-minute morning meditation on the (Majors only) Gaian Tarot Deck I received as a Yule gift. My two other commitments are to redo my resume in order to get a REAL job in the next 3 months, and to either do yoga, or take a walk every single day.

Three things, three Kings - hmmm kind of fits, doesn't it?

Can't wait to work up some inspiring endeavors for Imbolc/St. Brigid's Day!