44 Days of Witchery Day 15: Thoughts on the Afterlife

Reincarnation.
I believe that my spirit will be born again and again until, well, I'm not sure how many times. I honestly don't know how many times it will take me to "Get it right". I suppose it just depends on what the Goddess herself sees fit.
I don't remember my past lives; I haven't ever done one of those regression/hypnosis things. (Not that I wouldn't love to claim to have been someone spiffy)I just have that feeling. You know? I get that sense sometimes that I've made a similar decision or that a particular crossroads has been in my path before. Kind of like a deja vu, I guess. I also feel drawn to certain eras in time, like it was an important life, but I just can't make that claim yet.

44 Days of Witchery Day 14: A favorite Pagan Holiday

Merry Yule, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza!
Celebrate it however you may, this is the time of year I love the most. Families come together and people share in giving to one another.
Yule isn't just one day though. It's a time of year. It's a state of mind, even. It is a period of reflection. During Samhain, one has recognized the lessons given in past experience and now Yule brings the opportunity to be reborn with new light. With it's pageantry and traditions, and of course the food. Oh, the food! Roasted pork, Orange Cranberry Chicken, Ginger cakes! And of course, a yule log:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sifted cake flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup milk
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• 1/8 cup confectioners' sugar
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• 1 1/2 cups whipped cream
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• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 8 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
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• 1/8 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring
• 8 ounces marzipan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease paper.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat together sugar and egg yolks at high speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, alternately beat milk and flour mixture into egg mixture.
4. Using clean beaters, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Fold one third of beaten whites into batter. Fold in remaining whites. Spread batter in prepared pan; smooth top.
5. Bake cake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until set, 12 minutes.
6. Dust a clean cloth with confectioners' sugar. Turn cake out onto prepared cloth. Remove waxed paper. Trim cake edges. Starting with a long side, roll up cake, jelly-roll style. Transfer, seam-side down, to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
7. Unroll cake; remove cloth. Spread whipped cream over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Re-roll cake. Place, seam-side down, on serving plate.
8. To prepare frosting, in a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, melted chocolate, and butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring vigorously until blended. Remove from heat. Let stand until set. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
9. To prepare garnish, dust work surface with confectioners' sugar. Knead food coloring into marzipan until blended. Using a rolling pin dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll marzipan to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using a small knife, cut out leaves. Arrange leaves, cinnamon candies, and snowmen on top of cake and around plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!

44 Days of Witchery, Day 13: Witchy Books that influenced me

In my library, I've got a vast array of different views. Including but not limited to Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows, Embracing the Moon, and Advanced Witchcraft. My first and still favorite being Solitary Witch by Silver Raven Wolf. It has a wonderful introduction with an in depth history of Wicca. When I began my studies in Wicca, I found this extremely helpful. I feel as if it is a wonderful introduction to any young Witch, taking you from a general understanding to feeling comfortable in performing your own rites, rituals, and spells.

44 Days of Witchery day 12: Picture of Nature: Air Element

Never to be underestimated, the power of Air is magnificent. Able to destroy towns, Air is still majestically beautiful.

44 Days of Witchery, Day 11: Witchy Tools: Oils

A few years ago, I was helping out a friend at work and completely hit the jackpot. You see, her job was to clean out homes and business that her boss just bought and clear out whatever remnants the previous owners left behind. On this particular day, she was cleaning out a mini spa. This spa had every essential oil imaginable! Needless to say, I brought them all home. 2 cases full of oils such as Chamomile, Basil, Eucalypti, Dragon's Blood, and many many more.
Now, my friend had no idea what on earth I wanted all these oils for. I mean, really? Why would I want Cedar oil?
But I just smiled and brought them home anyway. Because I knew that I would more than likely use every single one of them. Whether to anoint candles, make my own incense, or simply wear the essence. For example, Dragon's Blood is very good to wear when you're trying to determine who means you ill will. If someone doesn't like the scent and feels as if they need to get away from it, I suggest you try to cut ties with that person all together. Also, cinnamon oil is a very powerful scent sure to spice up your sex life.
That particular jackpot for me was a great learning experience. Being that I didn't know the properties of all the scents I brought home, I had to do a bit of reading. I learned a lot about oils and what one can do with all of them. It was wonderful practice, and I would recommend everyone do a little something with oils at least once.