Quite a year!!

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of

 Stay-at-Home Witchery!

I am beyond elated at how far this small blog has come and what I have learned in the process of writing it. I have been able to share so much of my life with my friends, family, and loyal readers. But more than that, I have found a deeper connection and understanding with my own beliefs, practices, and family.

This blog started as a way for me to pass the time while I was on bed rest while pregnant. As the posts progressed it took on a life of it's own and has become an important part of my everyday life. My family finds it funny when something happens and I run from the room with a "I have to write that down so I don't forget" and insert said event into my research/blog memo notebook.

More people that I could have ever imagined read my blog. My audience spans 17 countries and has more weekly visitors than I could have dreamed of. I am amazingly grateful for every single one of my readers and followers! It is my sincerest hope that you enjoy reading these posts as much as I enjoy writing them!

In other news... Solstice this year was very uneventful. I spent a decent chunk of time in front of our winter altar and said my thanks and asked blessings for friends and family members. Because I was completely by myself this year with just the baby, I didn't do anything more than that. Also, it was dreadfully dreary and raining outside. Oh yeah.... and Chubs was sick, too. Regardless, I celebrated my own way.

Christmas was stressful. Fun, but stressful. Because of the baby being sick for so long, and me being a horrible procrastinator, a lot of my plans got left for Christmas eve. We visited 3 different sides of our families, I was even wished a Merry Yule by one of Daddy's cousins.

New Year's Eve is coming up in a few days. I have no idea what is going on with that. Personally, I don't feel like doing anything! I just want to stay in pj's! Then again, that could be because I spent over 2 hours shoveling snow yesterday and I am sore beyond belief! (Daddy can't because of his back. Honestly, I do enjoy shoveling snow)

I'm starving and dinner is smelling delicious. Good Night, Readers!

Brightest Blessings!
       )O(

Just around the corner...

Well, it's that time of year again! Solstice and Christmas are just around the corner. Yes, we celebrate both in our house. We don't exchange gifts on Solstice, it's a time for family, giving thanks for the blessings we've received all year, and stories...oh yea, and food. There is always food :D.

I have a very overwhelming love for the holidays. I enjoy Christmas just as much as I do Solstice! We have totally different traditions for each. On Solstice we are very immediate family centered. We have a feast, tell stories, the boys get new pj's and we watch movies together after the Solstice ritual.

On Christmas we celebrate with our extended family. We do brunch and present exchanges with my side. Then we visit with Daddy's family and do a present exchange there. Christmas is when Santa comes for the boys. This year my grandmother asked if we (my parents, brother, and our family) would go to mass with her and Opa. I almost laughed when she asked me to go. Just because she made it sound more like asking my permission to even ask the question. She has an odd way of showing her respect for my religious views. But she tries and that is enough for me.  I'm actually looking forward to it.

I have always enjoyed church services in the Catholic church even though I don't agree with what they are preaching about.  I love the music and the energy vibe that the congregations give off. The one thing I miss is having a group of people who share my beliefs. I have some great friends who support me and are absolutely wonderful. But I would love to have a 'coven' with which I could hold rituals with.

*sigh* The joys of being a solitary practitioner. :)

Anyway, we decorated the house over the past two days. We have almost seamlessly melded both Christmas and Solstice in our home. I will have pics up tomorrow. The lighting wasn't all that great after we finished. Also, I FINALLY got my altar changed from fall to winter.

So, aside from getting gifts finished up, I NEED to write out my Solstice ritual. Last year I modified one written by my friend. This year I'd love to write my own but utilize some of the traditions that I started last year.

I will be busy busy busy for the next 4 days, plus I promised my mom I would go shopping with her tomorrow and also bake cookies this week.

A lot of people let themselves get too stressed around this time of year. Yes, I have tons to do. But I try to remember how much fun each individual thing is and not to stress about the few things that don't get done.

Well... pictures and more insight tomorrow. Sleep now.

Blessed Be
    )O(

Misconceptions

Yesterday, I went out shopping with my mother and my aunt. We had a phenomenal time. However, I was shocked more than once by people, including my mother. We went to a GIANT craft show and as we perused the booths and wares that were on display my first shock of the day happened.

We were looking through necklaces and the like, beautifully crafted astrological signs, celestial moons and stars, and a handful of Goddess pendants. I didn't even see the Goddess pendants. My MOTHER pointed them out to me. We have a very clear agreement. I don't offer information and she doesn't ask when it comes to my beliefs. So I was very shocked that she even noticed that they were Goddess pendants. It did make me smile that she related the two though.

After about an hour of shopping I stopped at a booth that  had a glass case displaying Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (mainly Isis and Anubis), a smattering of costume jewelry and cameos, and a few circlets. The man behind the case smiled and started chit-chatting with me when he noticed my pentacle. I wear it everyday and I don't hide it. He almost fell over when he saw it. Not because I, being this big bad evil witch, was there in front of him. But because I wasn't 'in hiding' as he put it. Then, of course, he assumed I was a Wiccan (not that I have anything against Wiccans, I am just not one and I am tired of people hearing that I am not Christian and just assume I'm a Wiccan.).

I ended up schooling him for about half an hour about different types of pagans and witchcraft on a whole. It made me quite glad that I am well versed in world religions.

But those two encounters alone made me wonder what other people think when they see my pentacles or here that I am a pagan. I know I have, more than once, shocked/startled/terrified people when I inform them of my witchy activities :) It's taken some explaining, and occasionally some teaching, once I reveal how I live my life. We currently have a friend who STILL won't come over anymore.

I had one woman tell me, as she sat in MY living room, that she couldn't "believe someone who seemed so normal could be into THAT sort of thing". After I collected my jaw from the carpet I explained to her how practicing witchcraft was the same for me as her going to church everyday.

Most people think witchcraft and immediately jump to the thought of cloaks, pointy hats, and cauldrons. I'm not going to lie... I do have a cloak. More of my spells are performed at my kitchen counter in a space of 5 minutes than not. I usually only cast circles and do major spell casting or rituals during sabbats. Even then... it's iffy. I have 2 kids and run a household, I get busy. I do visit my altar almost everyday to light candles, ask for guidance, and offer my thanks to the Gods and Goddesses. Also... if you drop by unexpectedly; you may just find me sitting at my kitchen table, while the baby is napping, just staring at a flame. I happen to be fire scrying. Go sit in the living room and wait for me to finish.

Other than that... I go about my daily chores: cooking, cleaning, laundry, cleaning, baking, cleaning, and oh yea, did I mention cleaning? 3 boys (Daddy is TOTALLY included in here), 2 cats, 1 giant dog, and 2 turtles... the house is a little hectic. But we love every minute of it.

I live my truths everyday. I love every minute of the life that Daddy and I have built together. My kids are growing up healthy and happy... that is really all I can ask for out of my life.

Blessed Be my friends!
     )O(

Oh yea... almost forgot, Chubs is crawling now and pulling himself up on the furniture! It all happened in 2 days! I'm a sad momma.

25 for the 5th time!

The third brought around the full cycle year of my life, I'm officially 29 now.

It's been a long (for me), strange, sometimes difficult, but extremely rewarding life! I have found a happiness that I never knew could possibly exist with a man who loves me and my flaws. I have two wonderful children that simply complete me. I'm no longer lost and floating adrift while searching for something that speaks to me. I have friends and family who accept me and support me. (yea...I am TOTALLY bragging!)

But a hard, yet vitally important, lesson has been learned throughout this life. When you have some around you that are doing nothing but dragging you down... you HAVE to let go. Sometimes it is easier than others. The result has to be the same though. I've cut out ALL the negative influences, drama queens (and kings), and false friends. Want to know what I learned from that? I am a stronger, better, and (much) happier person because of it!

Enough enlightenment for today... the holidays are quickly approaching! Aside from Samhain and Beltane, this is one of my favorite seasons. I have to work at not letting it become stressful for me... but I enjoy it none the less. Winter Solstice/Yule is and has always been very family-centric for me. Solstice is usually celebrated privately with my children. Daddy usually ends up working, and he doesn't participate in rituals (which is fine, he is Catholic). Then, we celebrate Christmas together with our extended families.

So... what does a Stay-at-Home Witch give people for the holidays? Well, I can't tell you exactly because some of my gift receivers read my blog. After I will give you links to tutorials and all kinds of fun stuff. Everything we do give though is almost always (last year was a little different because I was SUPER sick with being pregnant) homemade and personal. ^_^

On that note... I want to point out that I believe homemade gifts are by far my favorite. We, as a society, have come so far away from what the holidays are about. It's become nothing but commercialism, greed, and consumerism at it's finest. Which is sad. I am trying desperately to teach my children that the holidays are not about getting gifts but giving back. One of my best friends is thinking about volunteering at a soup kitchen during this coming holiday season and I am planning to go with her. I want to bring my oldest with me so he can experience what it is to give back to people who really need it! He's a very compassionate child. I think it'd be good for him.

I want to start a volunteer group... maybe I will find a way to work it into the urban commune I started up. Oh... I forgot to talk about that here. Well, I will post all about The Great Avalon Commune later. It was a brilliant idea that I had had since I was a child and finally got the opportunity to start it up! Hopefully, it will work out as well as planned.

On that note... I have dishes to do and blankets in the washer that need to be hung up to dry! A Stay-at-home-witch's work is never done, but I love every minute.

Blessed Be!!
     )O(