Posted by Morrighan on November 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm | Last modified: November 4, 2011 11:01 am
Title: Rites of Passage
Author: Christine Hall
Publisher: Capall Bann
ISBN: 186163-086-7
Pages: 146 incl. back matter
Copyright: 2000 Christine Hall
Still available, but possibly out of print?
For every book out there on the store shelves that holds the info pagans seek – not many, if any focus so well on just the rites and celebrations pagans have to mark the passage of time.
Yes, in our mundane travels we have birthday parties, baby showers, weddings; but this book finally focuses specifically on the pagan aspects. A welcome and refreshing change indeed – no sorting through a tide of “101” drivel looking for saining information!
Quote pg. 95 para. 1, 3 & 4 from the chapter on ‘Divorce’
“This is a ritual you can use if you want to cut yourself free from a relationship, if your partner doesn’t want to participate, and if you don’t like the formal or public element of a group ritual.
Explain to the tree what you are going to do, and why. Dance around the tree to raise power. Sit down under tree (or, if it is wet and muddy, lean against it’s trunk).
‘Tree, I ask you to be my witness as I release myself from YYYY and YYYY from me.’”
This book came in very handy in the past decade. Two members of Glas Celli pledged their hearts and souls in handfasting rituals (one legal, one ritual ceremony) and at the time Wren, the bride, consulted the book for ideas and in fact eventually wound up with a copy of her own. We’ve consulted the pages for other rituals as well, including saining, first blood, and the inevitable mourning rituals.
We as a grove are pleased to have this on our collective shelf.
5 of 5 Broomsticks
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Jodi Lee, aka ierne Morrighan Corvidae, is a 20+ year veteran of pagan paths. A full-time freelance editor, she is the owner/publisher of Belfire Press.
Tags: birthing, christine hall, death, first blood, handfasting, rites of passage, rituals, saining | Categories: Book of Shadows, Celtic & Pagan Info, Main, Pagan Parenting, Reviews | | Permalink
Posted by Morrighan on November 9, 2011 at 5:00 pm | Last modified: November 9, 2011 3:54 pm
My youngest, Draco, received two medium sized pumpkins today. She only wants them for the seeds, which is fine… I want them for the fleshy bits.
I love pumpkin. Pumpkin pudding or pie is my favorite, followed closely by Grandma’s Pumpkin Loaf, and of course Pumpkin cookies. Thanks to a friend online, I was pointed to a site that had the following recipe (originally credited to Libby & All Recipes) for Pumpkin Whoopies.
PUMPKIN WHOOPIES
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin (or prepared fresh pumpkin)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Directions
For cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Drop by heaping measuring teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets. (A total of 72 cookies are needed for the recipe.)
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until springy to the touch. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For cream cheese filling:
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto flat side of one cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Store in covered container in refrigerator.
PUMPKIN BARS
Ingredients
For bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
For topping:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.
Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10×15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting.
To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares.
GRANDMA’S PUMPKIN LOAF
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup applesauce
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two loaf pans, or three small size.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, soda, salt, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well. Add applesauce, eggs, pumpkin, and water. Mix batter with mixer. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.
BAKED PUMPKIN SEEDS
Ingredients
Cleaned, dry pumpkin seeds
1/4 c olive oil
seasoning salt (or other seasoning mixture)
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Toss cleaned, dry seeds in olive oil, spread evenly on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning salt and bake for 20 minutes or until golden-brown.
Tags: baking, cookies, kids, left-over, loaf, pumpkin, recipes, seeds, slice, treats | Categories: Book of Shadows, Main, Pagan Parenting, Recipes, Sprites Pagan Kids | | Permalink
Posted by Morrighan on November 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm | Last modified: November 4, 2011 9:48 am
Title: A Bard’s Book of Pagan Songs – Stories & Music from the Celtic World
Author: Hugin the Bard
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Pages: 259 + CD
ISBN-10: 1-56718-658-0
Release: Third Printing, 2000
Currently out of print?
What a refreshing, amusing and wonderful book!
Yes, this one I love. In fact, I’ve played the accompanying CD so much I know all of the words, and my daughter is still convinced he wrote the songs for her (her name is Rhiannon after all…).
The first thing a customer will notice when they open the pages of this book, is that it looks handwritten. This is not type face font! This is something that looks like it took a long time of careful, painstaking printing.
Lyrics, stories and music – definitely the work of a skilled bard. Hugin has a way of weaving the story with so much more skill than most story tellers, and his music is easy to learn, and the editor’s are right – you’ll be playing along in no time, even if you aren’t musically inclined.
I will quote my youngest daughter’s favorite song, set to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell” –
The Cauldron and the Goat
“The cauldron and the goat
The castle and the moat
Fooled by Blodeuwedd
Wearin’ no coat.
You know she had your ear
The spear took a year
Made on the Full Moon
Don’t you feel queer?
He waited for your bath
And hid up the path
The only time the magick failed
Do you feel wrath?
He got you in sight
And slew you so bright
And you were no more a man
An eagle took flight.
‘Til Daddy came along
And sang you a song
And now that story told
End of this song.”
Even now, while typing this, I am grinning from ear to ear. I can hear the music from the CD and the way the song is presented therein… you really must get this if you don’t already have it!
5 of 5 Broomsticks
–
Jodi Lee, aka ierne Morrighan Corvidae, is a 20+ year veteran of pagan paths. A full-time freelance editor, she is the owner/publisher of Belfire Press.
Tags: bard's book of pagan songs, hugin the bard, music, mythology, pagan songs, rhiannon, singing, welsh | Categories: Celtic & Pagan Info, Main, Pagan Parenting, Reviews, Sprites Pagan Kids | | Permalink
