Give-Away Merry meet. We witches love stuff, and over time, we can accumulate a fair amount of it. As time passes, there are some items that may fall out of favor. Perhaps after reading that book on druids, you decide the information wasn’t something you would incorporate into your practice. You might be given a pentacle you like better than the one you’ve had on your altar for years. A tarot deck – or two or three – may no longer speak to you. The black skirt that no longer fits got pushed to the back of the closet and forgotten. Candles you thought you’d use are gathering dust. And…

Bread and Butter Merry meet Consider making bread and butter part of your Imbolc ritual. There is a focus on dairy this sabbat – because it is the festival of the lactating sheep – and nothing is more simple and pure than turning some organic heavy cream into butter. One way is to let the cream come to room temperature and then pour into a jar, filling it about 2/3 of the way. Secure the lid and shake. It will take less than 20 minutes. First, the cream will turn into whipped cream. Continue shaking. One recipe I saw called for adding a clean marble to the jar. After it…

Blessing Seeds Merry meet! One of the things I like to do on Imbolc is bless the seeds I will plant in the spring. The seeds represent what I wish to sow in the coming months – both figuratively and literally. For me, they help mark the turning of the wheel. At Imbolc, they are blessed, at Ostara some are planted indoors in pots to be put outside at Beltane. Others are planted in the garden as the soil warms and the weather allows. They will grow and bear fruit to be harvested at Lughnasadh and continuing into Mabon; their seeds are then saved from Mabon to Samhain. While most…

Glowing Snow Merry meet. A quick, easy and inexpensive way to bring a bit of winter inside this season is to coat glass candle holders with epsom salt. It’s a project suitable to do with children.   Choose an adhesive. It can be anything from Mod Podge to spray adhesive, glue or clear double-sided tape. Apply to it to the outside of the glass and then roll or sprinkle with epsom salt. Salt is sodium chloride and is edible. Epsom salt is not really salt; it’s magnesium sulfate in crystal form, so it looks an awful lot like salt, but it has more sparkle to it. It is not edible.…

Reclaiming Isis Merry meet! Isis has not been a goddess with whom I have worked. I hadn’t felt particularly drawn to deities from the Egyptian pantheon, but hearing ISIS in the news has led me to think her name is being taken in vain. She is not the most frightening terrorist organization: the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Isis is the Great Divine Mother of the Universe. She is the personification of femininity; she is the wife of a king and the mother of the god Horus. As such, she is the goddess of motherhood and children. She was the original madonna with child, later to become Mary and…

Holiday sales    Merry meet. Just as you may have stocked up on witch hats and black napkins after Halloween to save for next Samhain, look among the post-Christmas sale items for things that will be at home next Yule, as well as for other sabbats and rituals. I have a black bear that sat on my altar for half a year while I did a ritual using bear medicine; it returns there from time to time. There’s a polar bear, too, that walks across my altar especially around my birthday – both as the representation of one of my animal guides and of a yearling polar bear, shot by…

Peace Practice Merry meet! This year, I find myself wanting to create peace more strongly than I have in a long time. It seems to be a theme in my life, or perhaps the title of this chapter of the journey. As the whole world seemingly gears up for a frenzy of holiday shopping, decorating and partying – all during a time of uncertainty and unrest – I long to snuggle under a blanket of still snow and listen to music that lulls me into calm, feeling safe and staying grounded until Imbolc brings its energy shift and the stirring of new life. Without knowing it, I was searching for…

Stars Merry meet. My Yule tree is decorated largely with natural objects such as shells and pinecones, and replicas of such things as moons, suns and stars. Some of my favorite stars are rustic – made from twigs or, in this case, cinnamon sticks. Find five cinnamon sticks that are approximately the same length and thickness. Twigs or wooden chopsticks would also work. While I used threads separated from burlap twine to bind them, yarn, ribbon, wire and hot glue will also work. Place the pieces in the shape of a star so you can see the angle formed by each point. Begin tying the sticks together until you’ve worked…

Yule Brew Merry meet. For cakes and ale at your winter solstice gathering, or for a bit of Yule cheer during the deepest dark and gathering cold, brew up a batch of this seasonal blend. There are many recipes floating around – from wassail to glögg. Some call for wine, others for brandy or sherry, cider or ale, even poet and tea. All use a variety of spices (in addition to what’s below, consider vanilla bean and peppercorns) and fruits (others include raisins, cranberries and lemons). I chose to combine parts of two recipes and ventured out to gather up ingredients. These proportions work when using a quart jar. 2…

Magical Matches Merry meet. If you are looking for a tool for a special ritual or an easy gift, try decorating match boxes. I had a partial deck of miniature tarot cards. Cutting off the white borders with a paper cutter made them the right size for putting on boxes of matches. Some decks, such as the Rider-Waite, are just about the perfect size for the large box of kitchen matches, requiring only a very small portion of one edge to be removed. I used spray adhesive to affix them, but just about any glue will do. By choosing cards to fit someone’s personality, astrology or goals, you can make…