Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you and yours,

May the coming year bring you an abundance

of good things; wealth and health, love,

creative and spiritual expression, contentment in your life,

gentleness and compassion for yourself and others,

 courage to stand strong when you need to 

and wisdom to make good use of all your blessings.

May the Goddesses,

Hekate, Demeter, Persephone, Artemis, Hera, Aphrodite,

Athena, The Muses Nine, Asherah, Bona Dea, Baba Yaga,

Mother Holde, Freya, The Fates and

She, The Primal Mother, Creatrix of all there is,

Bless and guide you.

Blessings nine!

Merry, Merry!!!

 

So merry, merry, happy Christmas - actually it is now the day after! Last night was our annual Christmas Eve open house and we had a wonderful time, as usual. Good friends gathering to celebrate and just be together - it's the best! And... we ate!!! Antipasto - ham, mortedalla, salami, pepperoni, chicken, provolone, spinach dip, black olive and garlic dip with crackers & veggies sticks, lasagna, pumpkin tiramisu, rum cake, pizzelles, mulled cider, wine, coffee. We ate, laughed, drank, laughed, talked and laughed again, all night.


I also made eggnog from scratch - oooooh! Good stuff when homemade. Simmered eggs, milk and a small amount of sugar to about 165 degrees, then added a mixture of more milk and cream as well as a touch of vanilla extract and freshly grated nutmeg. Since it didn't make enough for the whole gang, I fed it to my friend who just had gastric bypass surgery a month ago - nutritious with all those eggs and milk. The rest I selfishly kept for Mike and myself!!! It is not difficult to make, a little time consuming and well worth it. I found the recipe at one of the Jane Austen blogs I follow.


No one could locate the pickle ornament on the tree so I had to show them where it was. They all tried, I'll give them that, but no one found it. I gave them little goodies as prizes anyway.


Mike and I ate yule log after midnight, then looked in our stockings to find those little toys that you play catch with, a little basket with a popper in it to shoot a small plastic ball across the room or up in the air and catch it in the basket again. We played catch, laughing and making more noise than we should have until three AM!!! He still woke me by seven, asking if it was Christmas yet and we then proceeded to open gifts.
He gave me a wonderful set of apothecary jars for my herbs and potions, two needlework books, Connecticut Needlework, Women, Art & Family, 1740-1840 by Susan Schoelwer and Jane Bostocke, The Rest of the Story by Eileen Bennett,  along with a few other goodies. He got new boxers, soft and flannel, some cologne, DVDs, a very nice copy of Gulliver's Travels, among a few other things. A good haul of fun stuff considering we really have everything we need most in life, but... it wouldn't be Christmas without a few little presents to unwrap.


Today was a quiet day, reading my new needlework books - which I have to make mention about and Mike watching movies - including A Christmas Story, one of our favorites. I knew I was getting those books because I ordered them myself. Mike asked me what I would like and I mentioned them,  so we went on line together and ordered them from The Scarlet Letter (www.scarlet_letter.com) on the 21st - nothing like waiting until the last minute. Well... the books arrived on Christmas Eve!!!!!! I couldn't believe it and, of course, sent off a little note of thanks to Marsha. I had to wait until today to look at them though, but that was alright, I was so busy yesterday. This evening I have been stitching one of the little motifs from the Bostocke sampler; Eileen includes a little chart in the back of her book. I also have some other charts from the sampler that I found on line. That sampler is the first and, I believe, oldest signed and dated piece ever found. Lots of blackwork, which I love, as well as a section of motifs.


Last night, I also celebrated all the Mother Goddesses, but especially Asherah, who seems to be making Herself known to me lately, tapping me on the shoulder and sending me information from various places. We will see where that leads. Tonight, I found some information about Her in a place I have looked many times before, but never noticed these particular bits.


So, here it is, the witching hour and I have a little fire in the fireplace, candles glowing, the scent of bayberry and evergreen in the air. Tomorrow the temperature will only rise to about the mid 60s - I know, it's probably much colder where you are, but this is South Florida!!! Tomorrow night 32-36 degrees . A good thing I have flannel nighties, quilts and afghans to cover us! (Too many exclamation points??? I can't help it, I'm still in a state of excitement!)


Well, we have friends joining us tomorrow night to finish the holiday leftovers, so more fun. I hope your past couple of days were as delightful as mine. Here's to many joyful moments for you and yours!


Blessings nine!

Solstice Blessings!

Blessings of the Season!

May She who is the Mother of all things,

Mistress, Governess of all the Elements,

bring you much love, happiness and all you need

for a joyful and fulfilling life!

Blessings nine!

Goddesses and the Nine Nights

Yesterday, December 18th was the feast day of Epona, the Gaulish/Celtic goddess of horses, who was adopted by Roman soldiers in ancient times. The Romans were, contrary to what many believe, very accepting of other religious beliefs, incorporating various foreign deities into their own pantheon. Her name, in Gaulish, means"Divine Mare" or "She who is like a mare." She was also a goddess of fertility, abundance and rebirth. 

Epona is associated with horses and was worshiped primarily by those whose livelihood depended on horses, foals and mules, such as soldiers, carters, stables hands and grooms. Her shrines were found in homes and stables, with statues and plaques depicting Her seated on a horse sidesaddle or surrounded by horses. Sacrifices were made to Her in the Roman manner; libations of wine, offering of incense, animals and roses.

Epona is also a goddess of dreams and nightmares therefore She would be the Lady to call upon when in distress from night terrors or for assistance with dream divination and interpretation of those dreams. Epona could also assist one when manifesting a new direction or path in life.

For me, She was always about the dream world; it was there that She most often made Herself known to me when I first heard the call of the Goddesses. Earlier, I offered incense and rose petals in Epona's honor.

In addition to this pleasant endeavor, I also celebrated the third night of my Nine Nights of the Winter Solstice Hallowing. The libation and offering have each received a third addition, cinnamon for the libation and actual cinnamon bark, harvested and brought to me by a friend just returned from travel, for the offering. The night before, my second night,  I added oregano to both. Another bayberry candle is also burning for our Winter Solstice spell. The scent of bayberry, balsam, pine and now oregano and cinnamon fills my home; a delight to our olfactory senses!

Later tonight, in addition to my forth night of winter solstice honoring, I now enter the second set of three nights, known as deep night, I will also honor Ops, Roman goddess of abundance, fertility and success. I will make an offering of bread and apples, and a libation of spiced, sweetened wine, in Her honor, requesting continued fruitfulness and abundance for those I love and myself, as the Sun returns. May Her blessings be upon you as well.

Blessings nine!

The Nine Nights of the Solstice Begins!

Earlier this evening, I began my Nine Nights of the Winter Solstice Hallowing. This is the way I honor the Winter Solstice and the Goddesses I am dedicated to. As explained in my article about this ritual last year in Goddess Pages, I spend some time each evening making invocations and offerings, lighting a few candles and,  on some evenings,  doing meditation and trancework. I felt intense connection with the Goddesses and Spirits tonight, down into my very deepest being, an ache in my heart. Dedicating these nine nights, no matter how busy my mundane life may be, centers and brings me to a sacred place within myself. I am very blessed to be able to do this. I felt the magick, the air itself was like electricity. 


Tonight, as I welcomed the season, I recited the Blessing of the Solstice Tree as well as making invocations to Hekate, Persephone, Demeter and the Muses Nine. An offering of cinnamon/clove and winter pine incense was made as well as the beginnings of a specially prepared brew, which was left at my altar. 


My libation brew will be made over the nine nights. Tonight I poured Strega Liqueur into the libation cup and will add an additional item each night. The libation will be poured onto the ground at my hedge on the ninth night. I am doing the same with  my offering. Into the offering bowl, tonight, I placed barley; over the next nine nights, I will add another offering, placing it at my hedge on the ninth night, as well.

I had intended that I would perform my Bayberry Candle Spell for only three nights, beginning the night before the Solstice - I truly felt directed to do that. However, at the last minute, I felt a change and knew I would begin the casting tonight, working for all nine nights . I therefore gathered my herbs and candle, candleholder and coins. I again felt a great increase of energy as I began and so it went, the mundane world faded and I was truly in the spell. I have been casting this spell every Solstice for many, many years and we always have what we need when we need it. Is it really a spell or, perhaps is it an offering?

Over the nine nights I will journey to Hekate's Gate, the realm of Persephone in Winter and   finally Hekate's cave. The first three nights, Twilight, are the journey into the mound and down the stone steps that lead to the Underworld, so I finished my rite with some trance work, beginning that journey down and within, crossing the hedge and entering this stairway that leads down from the doorway to the mound . Last year I received some gifts along the way and tonight was no different - a herkimer diamond, bits of some root and some earth from the walls of the stairway. Now to figure out what they mean and why they were given. 


Some folks may wonder and even disapprove of my sharing these details. That is their issue and not mine. There are no secrets and whoever needs to read this will find it. And that is the point, so others, who may need to know, may learn something from it, may find something in my writing, will have it. I hope those who read it reap some good from the sharing. 


So it begins, blessings nine!

Give-away at The Witch Blog

Take a look at this  beautiful print, The Snow Fairy!
http://www.witch-blog.com/2010/12/snow-rose-fairy-giveaway/comment-page-1/#comment-4297


The Witch Blog is having a give away and this is the prize. What a lovely holiday gift for someone. The event is open until December 22, 2010. Off you go now!

Blessings nine! 

Goddess Days to Celebrate

Here are some celebrations of the Goddesses for the month of December, some that I celebrate and some that may be of interest to others. While most women of the Goddesses celebrate our Ladies every day, it is nice to have special celebrations, especially at this time of year when joy and celebration are in the air!

December is the twelfth and final month of the Gregorian calendar and the first month of winter.  It's name comes  from the Latin word decem, meaning ten, December was the tenth month of the oldest Roman calendar as the New Year began in March. It is also derived from Decima, the middle Goddess of the Three Fates, She who personifies the present. 

Modern Pagans and witches celebrate the waning of the year, the Winter Solstice, also known as Yule. While many consider it a lesser Sabbath, we seem to celebrate with as much, if not more, gusto as Christians. There are many ways to celebrate this time of year, the return of the Sun, the beginning of the Winter, a time of introspection.

Here are some common correspondences for the month:

Astrological Signs:Sagittarius, Capricorn.

Spirits: Snow faeries, storm faeries, winter tree faeries.

Herbs: Holly, English ivy, fir, mistletoe, pine, balsam, cedar, holly, all evergreens.

Colors: Blood red, green, white and black.

Flowers: Holly, poinsettia, Christmas cactus.

Scents: Balsam, pine, bayberry, frankincense, myrrh, mint, ginger, cloves, cinnamon.

Stones: Blue zircon, turquoise, serpentine, jacinth, peridot, tanzanite.

Trees: Pine, fir, holly, all evergreens.

Animals: Mouse, deer, horse, bear.

Birds: Rook, robin, snowy owl.

Deities: Athene, The Fates, Freyja, Hekate, Lucina, Minerva, Neith, The Norns, Alectrona, Alcyone, Perchta, Helia, Sol, Frigga, Mother Holda.

Calendar:

December 1

The Goddess Athena was honored annually on this day with a religious festival called the Day of Pallas Athena.

December 1 is the time for young girls in some parts of the world, to perform the ancient art of cromniomancy (divination by onion sprouts) to find out the name of their future husbands. To find out who your future husband will be, take some onions and carve upon each one a different man's name. Place the onions near a fire and the man whose name is on the onion that sprouts first will be the one.

December 3

Women's rites were performed annually on this date in ancient Rome, in honor of Bona Dea, the Good Goddess. All males were barred from the ceremonies which were conducted by vestal virgins. 

This day was sacred to the Goddess Cybele and also to Rhea, the Great Mother of the Earth in ancient Greece.

Feast of Fauna, Goddess of Animals

December 4

The festival of Bona Dea, a Roman fertility goddess.

The Goddess Minerva was honored with an annual festival on this date in ancient Rome. Minerva (the Roman counterpart of the Greek Athena) is a Goddess of battle and also a patroness of the arts and wisdom.

December 5

The First Feast of Saint Lucia is held on this date each year in Italy. She was originally worshipped as Lucina before being Christianized into a Saint, a Pagan Goddess of light who also presided over childbirth. 

December 7

An annual rite called the Haloia of Demeter was performed in ancient Greece on this date. Each year the Goddess Demeter wanders the earth in search of her stolen daughter Persephone. The Goddess' sorrow brings Winter to the world and all trees and flowers cease to bloom; Spring returns however, when Persephone is allowed to temporarily leave the darkness of the Underworld and Demeter once again rejoices.

December 9

Sacred to Astraea, a Greek Goddess of justice.

The Optalia, the festival of Ops, the Roman goddess of harvest.

December 10 

The ancient Roman festival called Lux Mundi (Light of the World) was held annually on this day in honor of the Goddess of Liberty. In France, a similar festival takes place on this same date. For me, Lux Mundi is a celebration of Hekate Soteira, Light of the World and Savior.

December 11

Sacred to Arianrhod, the Snow Queen Goddess, and Yuki Onne.

On this date, Bruma, the ancient Roman Goddess of the winter season was honored with an annual festival known as the Day of Bruma.

December 13

The Sementivae, the second festival of Tellus, the Roman earth goddess.

In Sweden and Norway, the Sun Goddess Lucina is still honored with a traditional festival of light on St. Lucia's Day (also known as Little Yule) each year on this date. At daybreak, the first-born daughter of the house wears a candle crown in obvious reference to the Pagan symbols of fire and life giving light, and serves her family cakes. There are processions and treats. Young girls often wear white dresses and many of the men dress as elves, who are known as Lucina's helpers.

In myth, Lucia was actually a woman from Italy who was burned as a witch, but the fire did not touch her. She was later sainted by the Catholic Church. She was later Sainted by the Catholic Church.

December 14 - Celebration of Creation, honoring Spider Woman, who created the Universe and all within it.  

I stitch a little web on a small piece of linen with a very fine and beautiful thread, then burn it as an offering to Spider Woman.

December 15

The Greek Goddess Alcyone, who was symbolized by the kingfisher, is honored beginning on this day with the Halcyon Days festival which begins seven days before and continuing until seven days after. According to legend, these days are a special time of tranquility and calm, due to the magical powers of the Halcyon (a fabled bird much like a kingfisher, who nested on the sea and calmed the wind and waves during Winter Solstice. Interestingly, the kingfisher's eggs hatch at this time of year, but only if tides are low and the sea is calm.

December 16

In ancient Rome on this day, the festival of the Goddess of wisdom, Sapientia was held annually on the eve of Saturnalia, a day when wisdom may not be the ruling quality. She was also known as Sophia In Greece, and Sapientia-Sophia in medieval times.

The Yule Child is honored on this day in Mexico, by a religious festival known as Posadas , which begins annually on this day. It is celebrated until the twenty-fourth of December.

The Native American tribe of the Hopi in the southwestern United States celebrate the Soyal ceremony annually on this date (approximately). The rites of the Soyal celebrate the return of the Sun (Life) and commemorate the creation and rebirth of Spider Woman and Hawk Maiden. 

This day is also sacred to these wisdom-Goddessess: Athena, Kista, Maat, Minerva, and the Shekinah.

December 16

Beginning of my Nine Nights Hallowing of the Winter Solstice, three nights of twilight, three of night and , commencing on the day after the Solstice, three of dawn. 

December 18

On this second day of the Saturnalia, ancient Romans celebrated the Eponalia; a feast dedicated to Epona, the Celtic Mother-Goddess and a patroness of horses.

Feast of Our Lady of Solitude - celebrate your Matron Goddess on this day.

December 19

The Romans celebrated the Opalia , a feast dedicated to Ops (Abundance), the harvest Goddess of fertility and success, and consort of Saturn, on this, the third day of the Saturnalia.

December 20

The Mother Night, Yule Eve

On this night (approximately), a Germanic/Scandinavian Midwinter festival known as The Mother Night (or Modresnach) was observed. It was believed that dreams on this night foretold events in the upcoming year. Many of its traditions live on modern Christmas celebrations. The decorated evergreen tree was a symbol of the Tree of Life, or World Tree. The star atop the tree represented the pole star of the Star Goddess. The dinners and gifts were in honor of the food and prosperity given by the Mother Goddesses to their human children. The elves connected with our current Santa Claus are remnants of the supernatural Nature folk of the Old Religion. The reindeer are symbols of old shamanic abilities used by the people. The mistletoe is said to have first been picked and used to collect kisses by the Goddess Frigg, before it became a weapon to kill her son.

Also dedicated to Psyche - a day to honor your own accomplishments, who you have become and what you have achieved.

December 21

The Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule is widely celebrated by modern Pagans as the festival of the Sun's rebirth, a time of peace and prosperity, family gatherings and celebrations of the year's accomplishments.

In ancient Greece, the winter solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a goat. The women's role reduced to that of funeral mourners and observers of the birth.

In Slavonic cultures, the festival of Koleda began at Winter Solstice and lasted for ten days. In Russia, this festival was called Kutuja, which was later applied to Christmas Eve. Although the Slavonic name comes from the God Kolyada, it was in honor of Lada, the Goddess of love, Spring, youth and fertility. She was said to be reborn each year at this time - so here we have a goddess as the main character for the Yule child myth. In many cultures it is symbolized in religion by a Virgin mother giving birth to sacred offspring such as Rhiannon to Pryderi; Isis to Horus; Demeter to Persephone.

The festival of Angerona, the Roman goddess of secrecy.

The Solstice is also known as Winter Rite, Midwinter, and Alban Arthan. The word Yule is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Yula, which means Wheel of the Year.

December 22 

Birth of the Goddess, Rhiannon. Celebrate by reading Her myth.

December 23

The Larentalia (Larentinalia), festival of Acca Larentia, the Roman goddess who gave the early Romans their land.

December 24

Night of the Mothers. Honor all Mother Goddesses and celebrate the ability of women to create and nurture - not just as mothers of children and the ability to conceive and give birth to children, but also creative endeavors of all kinds and life in general.

December 27

Birth of Freya. In Her honor, burn amber incense and wear amber jewelry. 

December 28

Day of the Weaver Grandmothers. Celebrates those goddesses associated with the Fates and cycles of our lives. To honor these Grandmothers and the Fates, I choose some of my finest threads or I weave a small square and burn as an offering. I also tie strands of threads onto my hedge. 

December 29

Day of the Nymphs. (Greek)

December 31

Many honor Hekate on this, the last day of the year.

Blessings nine!

Another give away!

My friend, The Blue Faerie, is giving away this adorable little character over at her blog. Take a look!
http://dancingspatulawand.blogspot.com/
She crocheted this and even offers a link to the pattern.

So there we are, three posts in one day! Busy, busy!!!


Blessings nine!

Stitching Give-Away at Veronica'a Blog

A little giveaway from Veronica at http://veronicaoyh.blogspot.com/ . These are gorgeous little drawstring bags beautifully stitched and finished. Run on over and leave a message to have a chance to win one of these, she will be choosing three winners!


Blessings nine!

Then There Were Latkes...

And Mike said, "It is good!" This time, no blood sacrifice was made in the preparation of these latkes, all went well, not even a spatter from the oil. Thank the goddesses!!! The finger is healing well, but it is a mess. Sore as well, especially when I keep smacking it on everything. 

We lit our candles, ate all the latkes, down to the last crumbs and enjoyed every bit!

You may notice the additional decor - crystals and witches to the left, a little bowl of blessing dust to the right! We like to include an extra kick in the pants for our celebrations!

Blessings nine!

The Latke Incident of 2010

So... in my post yesterday, last paragraph, I made the statement that I would NOT grate any part of my fingers while preparing the potatoes for latkes - and... I did not. No, instead, while peeling the last potato, I sliced into my right index finger in two places. One slice was so deep, I ended up in the emergency room for stitches. The second slice only required a butterfly. I was sent home with a splint (because the big slice is across the joint), pain meds and an antibiotic. Thank the goddesses it was my right hand, I can still stitch!


The potatoes, for some reason of their own, kept slipping out of my hand, flying across the counter. Being left handed, I have an odd way of peeling - more scraping away from my hand, but the one, more serious cut, was toward me, a nice long slice with a deep hole. The other was at the tip,  can't figure out how I did it. Needless to say, we did not have latkes last night. My darling husband did what all good Jews do when their wives can't cook - he went for Chinese take-out. Ah, you may ask, didn't you go out for Chinese the night before? Yes, indeed we did - we love Chinese food. I will leave you with this little joke, a favorite of ours:


A Chinese man and a Jewish man are sitting and chatting. The Chinese man makes the statement that his culture has existed for five thousand years. The Jewish man says, well, the Jewish culture has existed for six thousand years. The Chinese man ponders this for a moment and then says, "So, what did you guys eat for a thousand years?"


And that my friends is the end of my story. Tonight, latkes, grated in the food processor. I'll just leave it at that and make no promises about anything!

A photo of the victim, culprit and supporting cast!

Blessings nine!

Finishing the Truth & Misc. Musings

Time to finish up my Thirty Days of Truth and it has been thoughtful, helpful and interesting.


24. Make a playlist to someone and explain why you chose those songs.


For my husband Mike, over thirty years and still going, happy, strong, romantic. He makes my life really good.


1.   Hold Me, Thrill Me Kiss Me - Mel Carter - the first time we listened to this together we did this (to us) comedic little thing where we looked at each other with smoldering gaze, held out our arms and ran across the room, embraced & kissed. We still do this - even in the car - minus running across the room.


2.   Forever My Love - Carly Simon - our wedding song and I've played and sung it many times for him because it's true.


3.   Nobody Does It Better - Carly Simon - I sang in a band in my salad days and sang this song, my husband loved to hear me sing it. We saw the James Bond movie together too. There are other reasons, but I won't go into details; suffice to say, nobody ever did or does it better for me!


4.   You're My First, Last, My Everything - Barry White - because he is!


5.   Longer - Dan Fogelberg - another one I sang for him, one of those songs for us.


6.   Bolero - Ravel - remember the movie 10, didn't we all listen to Bolero and make love? We wore out our record. Enough said. 


25. The reason you believe you're still alive today. 


Because I'm supposed to be; I've got things to do - lots of things.


26.  Have you ever thought about giving up on life?


Yes, but when it came down to it, I love life and can always find something wonderful that keeps me going - even if it is something as simple as the rustling of leaves in the trees. There's always something to live for.


27.  What's the best thing you've got going for you right now?


My optimism - I may get angry or temporarily discouraged, there may be difficulties, but I can always find the answer I need and I just keep on keeping on. I have this complete and utter belief that, no matter what, things will work out just fine, always.


28.  What would you do if you got pregnant?


KILL MYSELF!!!!!!!!! No, not really, but at 54 with a few health issues, let alone the fact that I do not at this time, nor have I in the past, want to be a mother. I use to think I was too selfish, I have always wanted to just do my own thing. I no longer think I was or am selfish - I think I knew my own mind, my own needs and desires; children just weren't on my list. Freedom - that was top of the list. I know there are many women who do not and cannot understand this, in fact I've known several women who destroyed their marriages in their quest to have a child. I never had that kind of need for motherhood and don't understand that overwhelming desire some have . I also have a large family and have friends who are parents - some are really great parents, all love their children, but most of the mothers I know are consumed by their motherhood. In fact, I have encountered women who actually look down at women who don't want to be mothers or feel sorry for those without children - which is annoying and stupid on their part. There is more to life than being a mother - one can nurture and mother on many levels. If I got pregnant now, there would certainly be a difficult decision to make and it wouldn't please many people, but I would take care of myself first.


29.  Something you hope to change about yourself.


I hope to always grow and change, but if I had to choose one thing? Well, I hope to learn to handle my reactiveness in more productive ways, not do away with it because, after all, it is what makes me so passionate. I could just manage better with a little less of it.


30.  A letter to yourself.


Dear Libby - Always remember you are surrounded by love, the love of good friends and family, guardians and guides, acquaintances and the Ladies. You are never alone, the trees and stones, the animals and  the Land itself, all are there beside you, touching you. Your heart is always filled with good so don't be so hard on yourself. Everyday is a good day - make the best of it... and that includes taking naps and reading all day if you want to. Do the things that please you, that make you happy, that make your heart sing. It's all good.


So that's that. I am really glad I did this. I want to thank everyone who commented, encouraged and shared their thoughts - I appreciate you all and your own journeys and shared wisdom added to mine.

* * * * * * * * * 

So... yesterday I worked at my friend's shop. Among the number of things I accomplished, such as bagging and pricing sage wands and dusting crystals, I sorted, weighed and priced quartz crystal. This was time consuming and very interesting!!! We had to weigh each one so it could be priced accordingly, but we also had to look closely at each. Just about all were double terminated, but many had other attributes, such as being soul mate crystals, inner child, ETs, incredible clarity or a world within - it was fascinating to look at them so closely, with a magnifier, to find all the treasures. What a way to spend the afternoon - and get paid for it! There was also magical advice to be dispensed, candles, herbs and stones to sell and the usual books to recommend. After closing the shop, we were off to dinner with the husbands, for chinese food. 

Today I will finish decorating the Toadstool for winter, try to work in some stitching and there are a few new books to look at. Also, as my darling dear is Jewish, I'm making latkes for supper. He loves them and eats a pile. I will NOT grate any part of myself while grating potatoes, NO, indeed not!!! We'll light our menorah and have a lovely evening, laying on the sofa, stuffed full of latkes, sour cream & apple sauce! Sunday, lovely Sunday!

Blessings nine!