Showing posts with label Samhain. Show all posts

NaBloWriMo - Saturday Craft-Tactular - 2


Every Saturday this month I'll be sending you on a journey over to the Samhain's Sirens Blog to see my entries for the Amazing Craft-tactular!!

You'll see things like this!!

Photo Credit - Photographer & Artist - Renee Olson




There will be a wonderful how to post on creating a particular craft and then a wonderful giveaway!  So head over to Samhain's Sirens page and check it out!

Namaste & Blessed Be!!
Sosanna

NaBloWriMo - Saturday Craft-Tactular - 1

Every Saturday this month I'll be sending you on a journey over to the Samhain's Sirens Blog to see my entries for the Amazing Craft-tactular!!

You'll see things like this!!







There will be a wonderful how to post on creating a particular craft and then a wonderful giveaway!  So head over to Samhain's Sirens page and check it out!

Namaste & Blessed Be!!
Sosanna

NaBlogWriMo - Thursday Tirade 1



So Thursday Tirade is going to be about stuff that just annoys me.  I’m going to try my best to keep it clean and not use this day to do any damage.  These posts are completely my opinion and not representative of Pagans, Witches, Wiccans or Hecateans in general.  It’s what I think.

That being said today I’m going to focus something that REALLLY REALLY annoys the heck out of me.  If we look at the calendar that is used in many countries today we see that it is a Gregorian calendar.  Our calendar has changed many times over the years but still based on the old Roman Calendars.  Even the names, January – named for the god Janus, March for the god Mars and so on.  Our days of the week: Monday for Moons Day, Thursday for Thor’s Day.  The calendar we use today is Pagan.

So what’s a calendar - 



So we see that the calendar has started to sculpted and molded into something different.  In general Pagans follow the cycles of the year and celebrate the calendar; some by following what is called the Wheel of the Year.  In my path, I’m not big on following each of the days but there are a few that are especially significant for me.  More of what I feel drawn to, and less of “You better honor this day” sorta thing.



As a small child I was raised in a small town with small minds.  We were taught that KISS the rock band were really “Knights In Satan’s Service” and that Christmas as an evil pagan holiday.  

NOTE there is swearing in this video!  Here's a clip of a couple people talking about the KISS issue.




Forty years later I’m back in that small town and now the minds have changed, but they’re still just as narrow.  Slowly over my limited years I've watched as Ostara is now celebrated in the local churches with “Spring Flings” and “Egg Hunts” for the kids.  Now I’m as much for a party as the next chick but exactly at what point did the little bunny roll the stone away and help Jesus rise from the grave?  When exactly did eggs come into your faith?  Yeah that’s what I thought. 


I won’t outline each of the holidays that have been taken and changed to suit the needs of others; instead I’ll go to the MAIN one that is really PISSING ME OFF.

Like witches around the world when October 1st rolls around, my whole mind set changes.  Life starts to take on a different meaning for me.  I get to smell pumpkin and see the leaves change.  The air gets a bit crisper and that familiar feeling of seeing your breath is starting to happen.  Samhain is an amazing time of the year.  I love it.  I also love that we have several holidays that fall side by side and I can be extremely respectful of the different cultures.

Here in my little town, so is something else.  Churches across my town are having something called “Harvest Festival” or “Jesusween” … guess when it is? No come on guess.. RIGHT!  October 31st.  I get to see their little church signs say things like “Family Harvest Festival, A safe place for your family”.  I understand you need to drum up business, but please, leave this one, this last holiday that you’ve not bastardized alone.  Do they do that?  No, the next thing I see is giant billboards for “Judgment House”.  For those not familiar with it, it’s basically taking the ole Halloween Haunted House and changing the “scary” scenes for scenes of “Sinners” in hell or going to hell, or being tortured.  And our typical sins are represented, abortions.



Our Holidays have even become the subject of Songs –




If you want to scare your followers into acting a certain way, that’s your business.  Please try to stop dragging other religions down in the process.  And please PLEASE let me have what’s left of my October. 


Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(

Samhain's Sirens Blog Project & NaBloWriMo

Good Morning Everyone!!

This is going to be a very very busy month.  I've got a lot of stuff going on. First, I'm extremely pleased to announce that I am participating in the Samhain's Sirens Blog Project and Giveaway.

Over the next 31 days you'll be presented with informative, fun and amazing blog posts from our very on Samhain's Sirens.  We will be delivering messages related to our personal views on Samhain, Halloween and all things in-between.

I am your Crafty Siren and will be sharing all sorts of amazing craft ideas for this wonderful season as well as some great stuff around the Goddess Hecate.  Head over to our Samhain's Siren Blog for the info!

Remember to take  part in the give away complete all the steps necessary to qualify.  Following blogs, tweeting entries and sharing on Facebook will help you rack up the entries and qualify for some great stuff!

Next, I'm also taking part in the NaBloWriMo.  Thirty-one days of blogging madness.  This is the first year I've participated in this so I'm looking forward to it.

I'm hoping to stick to this schedule

Monday Memories - Stuff thought out my life
Talented Tuesday - Things I think are amazingly talented.  Music Art and so on.
Witchy Wednesday - What would October be like w/o Witchy stuff!
Thursday Tirade - Stuff that just ticks me off
Friday - Pagan Blog Project Post
Saturday - Samhain's Sirens' Saturday Craft-tacular
Sunday Shelter - Networking Pets that are looking for homes

Looking forward to an amazing month!

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna


Honoring the Dead - The Witches Book of the Dead Giveaway

So as you know there are many many giveaways going on right now. I have one that I'll be doing later in the year. I went over to Kallan's page and saw she was sponsoring a giveaway with Lyn over at Witch Blog. If you'd like to participate in this giveaway head over to Witch Blog for all the details!



This blog post is about my cousin Tony, who passed too young.


This year has been a lot of growing for me. I've been working on my divination and have learned that the spirits that haunt my house, may not be the people that lived here before, but instead my cousin.

I've printed out a picture of he and I together and have it on my altar now. I've started to feel a bit more happiness around him now. It's probably best that I start at the beginning....

I'm the little one... Tony is holding my hand

Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Tony and I were raised together by my grandmother. We spent our early years together at my grandmother's house and were much like brother and sister. He taught me to catch frogs and even one time said "Put your thumb right here", I still have the scar when he ended up hitting my finger with the brick. Not a violent person but things I guess little kids do sometimes. I always looked up to Tony.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

He was my big brother after all.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

I remembered as he got older and started hanging out with my older cousins, I was left out and I felt so alone with out him.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

As we grew into adults we drifted apart. He got married, had kids, I did the same. After moving to San Diego, my sister was talking with me on the phone one day and told me that he had passed. I was so confused and saddened that not only had I missed talking to him when he was alive, I missed his passing as well.

The years rolled on and my hubby and I moved to NC. As we were riding past this house I saw it and said, that's the one. That's where we have to live. We moved in and lived here for a few months and then I found out that not 500 yards down the road was a lonely stop sign. That sign was where Tony spent his final hours. See, he was drinking and hanging out with his 1/2 brother who lives just around the corner from that stop sign. He passed out at their house and they decided that it would be terribly funny to strip him naked and use suran wrap to strap him to the stop sign. He never woke up.

Today I can see that stop sign from my house. Sometimes I feel like Tony is here. Walking around the house. Trying to get my attention. Poking me in the side and saying.. come on Let's go chase some frogs.

This year, my altar has a picture of he and I together. This year, on Samhain my honoring of the dead will be dedicated to Tony.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson



I love you.

Sleep Well.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(

October Happenings & Samhain Giveaways

I love love love October. The end of the year is rolling around the leaves are beginning to change. There's a slight crispness to the air. It's my favorite time of the year.

I love the smells of fireplaces beginning to burn and oh yeah, SAMHAIN! It's my favorite holiday, with Beltane bringing in a close second. This was the day hubby and I had our hand-fasting and the day we recognize our anniversary. This year will be nine years together! Truly a magical time of the year.

I love October for another reason. YES! Blog giveaways! Currently there are several blog giveaways going on and I'd like to highlight two.

First we have Kallan over at The Secret Life of the American Working Witch. She has started the first of her Samhain giveaways with a wreath from me, at "Sosanna's Closet" and a protection pouch. Kallan sent me a protection pouch a while back and these are great to have around. My was specially created for me and I still have it today. It's awesome. I won't be entering this round of the contest, but I know she's also going to have more stuff and I can't wait to see what's next!

The next giveaway that looks amazing is over at Mrs. B's Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. I've entered to win a couple of her giveaways before, however this one looks really awesome. The book she's giving away is "The Witches Book of the Dead". I've been having quite a bit of spiritual activity lately and I'd love to see what this books has to say on the subject. I've tried some divination work to try to see what's here, but I'm not having much luck. Maybe I'll win this one!

There are some other events going on like the "Get off Your Broom Fitness Challenge" over at "The Domestic Pagan" and "The Real Witches of Halloween" at WitchBlog.

Overall a great way to head into the holiday season, wish me luck on my entries this season, hopefully I'll get some treats!

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(

Blessed Beltane