Favorite Bedtime Picture Books

November 6, 2011 at 6:27 am (Pagan Parenting)
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These are a few of my favorites to read to my lil’ preschooler before bed. He has a bit of a short attention span- bedtime is about the only time he’ll let me read to him. These stories are big on pictures, few on words, and brimming with magic.

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger
I recommend anything by Barbara Berger. Her books are so beautifully illustrated. This story follows Grandfather Twilight along in his evening ritual of journeying to the ocean to put the moon in the sky, then back home again and going to bed.

Midnight Farm by Reeve Lindberg
This is simple narrative in which a mother takes a night-time walk with her son to see all the animals of their farm. The wording is beautiful and rhythmic. I think this is my son’s favorite.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
This one has been around quite a while and I have to admit, it wasn’t instant an favorite with me; I think I just didn’t like the colors used. But my little boy loves it, and I guess it’s kind of grown on me. He likes the rhyming words of brush, hush, mush and repeats them when the story is read. The story has a kind of magical and comforting lulling quality.

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson
The words are few and mystical, so simple and so profound. The artwork really grabs you; scratchboard black and white with touches of gold. This wondrous and comforting book is sure to become a classic.

The Sandman by Ralph J. Fletcher
If there’s ever been a better story of the Sandman, I’d like to hear it. This miniature sized sandman (whose name is Tor) makes his sleep inducing sand from dragon scales. Kids love pointing out all the little details of the Sandman’s miniature world; a ladle for a bathtub, a thread spool table, postage stamp wall art, etc.

Rise the Moon by Eileen Spinelli
This one is another beautiful picture book that’s perfect for bedtime. It has a dreamlike quality. It’s more of a lullaby than a story, and shows the magical effect the moon has on different people and animals around the world.

Stormy Weather by Debi Gliori
Beautiful rhyming story of animal mothers lovingly putting their babes to bed. The words are so loving, it almost makes me tear up! The pictures are as beautiful and the story. You’ll want to linger on each page to absorb the details of the watercolor and ink illustrations.
It’s my favorite of the bedtime stories I read to my son.

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A Child’s Introduction to the (ADF) Three Kindreds

October 16, 2011 at 6:48 am (Pagan Parenting, spirituality)
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What Druids and some Celtic Pagans call the Three Kindreds are; the Deities (Goddesses and Gods) we honor, our Ancestors, and the Nature Spirits.

The Deities
When Pagans talk about the Gods and Goddesses all together, they are sometimes called the Shining Ones.  People have many different beliefs about what they are.  Here are some of those beliefs:  the deities are all spirit-parts of the living universe…  they are powers, or forces of life…  the Gods and Goddesses are the First Ancestors and heros af long ago…  some believe that the deities are different aspects, or personalities of one Great Spirit.  There are so many different Gods and Goddesses…  each deity holds a key to a different way of understanding the mysteries of the universe.  Most Pagans and Pagan families have just a few deities that they worship (their patrons), but respect and sometimes pay homage to others.

Ancestors
The Ancestors are also called Mighty Ones by some Pagans.  Some of our ancestors live in the Otherworld and watch over us and guide us.  We cannot see them, but sometimes they come to us in dreams.  Other ancestors may be living a new life through reincarnation.  It is a Celtic belief that ancestors will often be reborn into the same family.
We especially honor our ancestors and dead loved ones at Samhain, the Celtic Feast of Summer’s End- October 31st.  Listen to the words of the song “Blood of the Ancients” and think about your connection to the Ancestors.

It’s the blood of the ancients / That runs through our veins
And the forms pass / But the circle of life remains

Spirits of Land and Nature
The spirits of land and Nature are sometimes called the Noble Ones by some Pagans.  They are spirits of place, inhabitants and guardians of root and leaf and land.  In Celtic lands, these spirits are called the Sídhe (pronounced shee)- but more often called the Good People or Fair Folk (fairies).  In other places they may be known by other names.
They are not merely little winged creatures, but powerful and noble spirits to be treated with respect.  We show them this respect by protecting the environment and treading lightly in their realms.  We may also show our respect by making offerings to them of milk and bread.

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ADF Ritual/Prayer Beads

August 28, 2011 at 6:11 am (Chants & Songs, Pagan Parenting, spirituality)
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[This post is from last year, note the recent update at the end of the article.]

At the end of last year, a little while after rejoining Ár nDraíocht Féin, I got an idea for making ADF ritual beads.  These would be a tool for learning an ADF ritual set up, or possibly a tool for individual devotions, and/or an aid to learning ADF chants.  I never made this proposed bead set, but I might still do that someday.

I think it would be great for beginners or for kids especially.  So I’ve posted the it here because I thought there might be someone out there who would like to take up the idea.  This string of beads and charms might work out nice woven together with macramé knots between each bead/charm.  If you make one, send me a picture!

This is based on a ritual outline from the ADF website.  If I’ve left something out that your grove does, included something that you would rather leave out, or have ordered it in an odd way contrary to your liking, feel free to adjust.  (Note the imbedded links to chants for most of the beads.)

1. The first bead might actually be a small silver bell, to indicate the beginning of ritual/contemplation.

2. A blue bead or clear crystal symbolizing purification.

3. An Earth bead, symbolizing the Blessing for the Earth Mother.

4. A black bead, symbolizing an offering to the Outsiders.  (You may choose to leave this out if you don’t do an Outsider offering, or put it somewhere else in the bead chain- I went to a ritual where the Outsider offering was done first, and it seemed very appropriate.)

5. A World Tree bead or charm, symbolizing the Triple Hallows of Fire, Well, and Tree.  You may actually want to expand this portion into three beads; one for each Hallow.

6. A triskele charm or bead could symbolize the Three Realms of Land, Sea, and Sky.

7. A key charm for the Gatekeeper invocation/chant.

8. A green bead or leaf charm for calling on the Nature Spirits.

9. A skull bead for honoring the Ancestors.

10. A silver apple for the Shining Ones.

11. A bead/disk with a rune/ogham marking to symbolize the time in the ritual when an omen is taken.

12. A cup charm for the return blessing.

13. A spiral or star charm or glittery bead could symbolize the point in ritual when magical workings are done.

*When using the ritual/prayer beads, after going through to bead/charm #13, jump back to #10 and go in reverse to #7 and then #3 to thank the powers and close the rite/meditation/prayer, or just get extras of those beads and add to the string so you won’thave to keep track of which beads to go back to in order to close the ritual.

Update: I finally made these beads! My original idea was to use a combination of charms and beads, and to macramé them together. The charms I wanted were very hard to find and many of them were expensive. I decided to see if I could made a set with strong salt dough to show that this could be made very cheaply. That I did, using pendants I already had to stamp imprints of a tree on one of the beads (for a Triple Hallows symbol) and a triskele on another (for a Three Realms symbol), and a key on the Gatekeeper beads. I only used materials I already had; strong salt dough, craft paints, a jingle bell, and yarn. I didn’t make the holes in the beads large enough to string two strands of yarn through for macramé, so I simply strung them on the yarn and made a tassel on the end.

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Kids Activities for Midsummer / Summer Solstice

June 5, 2011 at 6:00 am (Arts & Crafts, Holidays, Pagan Parenting)
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STORIES
Although summer isn’t really the time for “traditional storytelling”, it’s great to have picture books and the like for kids to get some ideas for what the holiday is all about.  These books, while not all of them “instructive”, do portray various themes/moods of Midsummer.  Look for them at your library.
~William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” retold by Bruce Coville (for ages 9-12)
~ “When the Sun Rose” by Barbara Berger (for ages 4-8)
~ “Summer’s Vacation” by Lynn Plourde (for ages 4-8)
~ “Midsummer magic : a garland of stories, charms, and recipes” by Ellin Greene

EXPLANATION OF THE HOLIDAY
These books actually give a scientific explanation of the Summer Solstice, and in the first one, a bit of history to boot.
~ “The Summer Solstice” by Ellen Jackson (for ages 9-12), or
~ “The Longest Day” by Wendy Pfeffer (for ages 4-8)

CRAFTS
~Sun-Colored God’s Eyes
Most adults know how to make this classic camp craft.  Some ancient cultures thought of the sun as a sky god’s eye.
~Herb Crowns
Midsummer is traditionally a time for gathering herbs.  See my Bealtaine article from last year on making daisy chains.  The same method can be used to make herb or (herb & flower) crowns.
~(burnable) Sun Symbols
How many ways can you think of to make a burnable sun symbol?  Fold or weave plant materials into a circle, or draw, color and cut out a sun from paper or cardboard.  You could also use my method of making “paper snowflake suns“.  Sacrifice your masterpiece to the midsummer bonfire.
~Look for he June 2008 issue of Family Fun magazine at your library.  It has some great Midsummer crafts:
Swinging Comet Tails (attaching a glow in the dark tennis ball to a string and spinning it around in the dark- it makes glowing circles!), Fireless Tiki Torches (adapting a flashlight to look like a torch), Cricket Chirper (make a wooden instrument to call the crickets).
~While you’re at the library, check out “EcoArt: Earth-Friendly Art & Craft Experiences for 3- to 9-year-olds” by Laurie Carlson.  Some crafts from that book that I think are “Solsticey” are:
Solar Art (p.94), Rose Petal Beads (p.96), and an Herb Pillow (p.100).

GAMES
~Sun Coin Treasure Hunt from “WiccaCraft for Famalies” by Margie McArthur
This is one of the best ideas I have seen for celebrating the Summer Solstice.  The basic idea is that you make little disks of clay or wood or what-have-you and draw/paint/or etch sun symbols onto them.  The book gives many examples of designs you can use.  Hide them and have a treasure hunt!  (Although making them is more than half the fun!)  You can even get all complicated and make a treasure map and such- details in the book.
~Sun Piñata from “Circle Round” by Starhawk, Diane Baker & Anne Hill
Coat a big balloon in papier-mache, let dry.  Pop balloon, seal opening with more mache.  Attach newspaper cones for sun-rays and add more layers of papier-mache.  Let dry. Paint.  Cut a door to insert prizes and candy.  More elaborate instructions can be found in the book.  How many different kinds of sun-themed goodies can you think of to fill the piñata?

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Celtic Beliefs in the Afterlife and Rebirth: an Introduction for Kids

October 4, 2010 at 6:42 am (Pagan Parenting, spirituality)
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Below (the non-italic parts) is a narrative that I used to explain a Celtic view of rebirth to my kids- it’s from a book of prayers and information I made for them when they were little. There are many contrasting views on what the Celts did or did not believe about life beyond death, so if this explanation doesn’t fit with your research/beliefs, keep in mind that this is just my interpretations and personal beliefs that I wanted to pass on to my descendants. Perhaps some of it will prove useful for you.
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The Circle of Life

All life is connected and moves in cycles- unending circles. The seasons move in a circle, as do the sun and moon and stars and earth.

So it is with all life… food chains, weather systems, all life cycles- everything.

Nothing truly ends, but just begins again anew.

Sometimes we can’t see the circles Mother Nature makes, but we know they’re there. When water turns to gas, this is called evaporation. What happens to water after it evaporates? It rises up into clouds. Although we don’t always see this happening, we know that the particles of water are rising, invisibly, up through the air to form clouds, to later come back down again as rain.

Reincarnation means to be born again into another body. The belief in reincarnation goes along with what we know about the circle of life.

Our spirits are like those drops of water. When we die, our spirits will go, invisibly like water vapor, to join with other spirits for a while in an Otherworld place before returning to earth in a new life. This is because the energy of spirit, like water, moves in a circle.

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Pointing out examples of unending life cycles is a great way of demonstrating the logic of a belief in rebirth/reincarnation. You can use the popular Neopagan chant “We All Come From the Goddess” (adapted as needed) to reinforce the idea and tie in the water cycle analogy. A great picture book illustrating the unending cycles of life is “When the Wind Stops” by Charlotte Zolotow.

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The Otherworld

There are many names for the place our spirits go after death. In Irish legend, some of the names of the islands of the Otherworld are Tír na nÓg- ‘The Land of Youth’, Tír N-aill- ‘The Other Land’, and Tír Innambéo- ‘The Land of the Living’. It is a beautiful world, a place of peace, harmony, and endless banquets, where souls live in the presence of the gods, goddesses, and ancestors.

Yet one might not wish to stay in the Otherworld forever. Longing for this world brings souls back to reincarnate, possibly into their own family line or into animals or trees that are close to places they loved in a previous life.

The soul is on a journey that never ends.

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One of the best descriptions of the Otherworld can be found in the story “The Princess of Land-Under-Waves” from “Classic Celtic Fairy Tales” by John Matthews. “The Other World: Myths of the Celts” by Margaret Hodges has another version of the same story titled “Dermot in the Land-under-Wave”. Many more descriptions of the Otherworld may be found in Celtic myths, legends, and fairy tales.

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Midsummer

June 15, 2010 at 11:52 pm (Arts & Crafts, folkways, Holidays, Pagan Parenting)
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The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year.  This year it occurs on June 21st.  Astronomically, it marks the beginning of summer, but seasonally, it is in fact Midsummer.  However, across Europe, Midsummer is not celebrated on the actual solstice, it is celebrated on June 24th.  The reason for this is because the 24th was the date of the solstice when the Julian calendar was created.  The name “Litha” for the Summer Solstice is only as old as the 1970’s- it was invented by Aidan Kelly as part of a religious studies project.  It is somewhat based on words that Saint Bede recorded as being ancient Anglo-Saxon names for the months of June/July.  (By the way, the name “Mabon” for the Autumn Equinox was also made up by Aidan Kelly.)

Traditions surrounding Midsummer mostly involve fire- lighting fires on hilltops, and in Wales, rolling a flaming wheel down a hill (it symbolizes the journey of the sun).  It is also traditional to gather healing herbs on Midsummer.  In Ireland, Midsummer was known as one of the three ‘spirit nights’ of the year (the others being Bealtaine and Samhain).  All sorts of rituals and magics were enacted for protection against fairies. 

Most Celtic Reconstructionists will be quick to tell you that the Solstices and Equinoxes are not Celtic, that celebrating them came to the Celtic peoples from Roman/ Anglo-Saxon influences.  However, the ancients observed the solstices and equinoxes long before Celtic culture came into existence- in lands that would later be occupied by Celtic cultures.  Many scholars now believe that that there was to invasion of Ireland by the Celts- that the ancient builders of Ireland’s (solstice accentuating) megaliths (like Newgrange) were the direct ancestors of the Irish people. 

Anyway, whether the solstices are pre-Celtic or not, universal or not, whatever-  I’m inclined to take notice of them because they are the great astrological turning points of the year.  It’s a sad, very sad fact that here in America, those old European bonfire traditions surrounding the solstice did not “carry over”.  Sure, Neo-pagan groups celebrate in various ways, but this isn’t quite the same as it would be if it was a holiday (even secular) celebrated by the community at large.  For the isolated celebrant, with not even a Neo-pagan group to participate in, there are many more obstacles to celebrating in any kind of traditional way- especially if you don’t own land.  Most public parks close at dark, so building even a small fire in a BBQ grill may be pointless if you’re going to have to leave at dark anyway.  The obvious solution to this is to go camping- at least you could burn a fire all night- dance, sing, and feast, in full traditional fashion- on a smaller scale, or course.  If even this is not possible (or practical) for you, then don’t sweat it.  I love those old traditions but I don’t enact all of them for every holiday.

I think this year I’ll do a simple meditation and read the Midsummer threshold invocation from the Celtic Devotional, then spend Midsummer doing a couple of my favorite summer activities with my family- swimming and a BBQ.

By the way, if you’re looking for some (not-so-traditional) kids activities for Midsummer, the best idea I’ve found (and I used to do this with my older kids when they were little) is to have a Midsummer treasure hunt!  This idea is from the book Wiccacraft for Families by Margie McArthur.  You paint or engrave sun symbols (the author gives many examples of sun symbols in the book) onto small clay or wood disks.  You know the rest- hide them, the kids find them.  The disks become keepsakes for remembering that year’s solstice.  Another fun solsticey thing I’ve done with the kids is make a big sun piñata as described in Circle Round.

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Bealtaine for Kids

April 18, 2010 at 6:42 am (Arts & Crafts, folkways, Holidays, Pagan Parenting)
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Introducing Bealtaine to Kids
One book I have recommended time and gain for introducing the Celtic High Days to children is The Ancient Celtic Festivals and How We Celebrate Them Today by Clare Walker Leslie and Frank E. Gerace.  There are a lot of little inaccuracies however… for instance, the book depicts the maypole as a Celtic custom, and puts forth the idea that marriages and handfastings were customary on May day.  If you don’t mind explaining to your kids that some of these details are wrong, then this book is quite good for explaining some of the meanings of the holidays.  It includes full page colored drawings of what each holiday may have been like in ancient times.  Another depiction of Bealtaine in ancient times can be found in a coloring book entitled Life in Celtic Times.
Of course another way to introduce your kids to Bealtaine is to include them in the festivities and explain everything as you go along.  Include them in preparing the sacred foods of the Bealtaine feast and let them make offerings and libations too.  Although summertime is not a traditional time for telling stories, it is worth noting that it was on Bealtaine that the Tuatha Dé Danann arrived in Ireland.  There is a lovely short story account of it in Celic Wonder Tales by Ella Young.
Crafts – Customs – Activities
Bealtaine is a very family friendly holiday!  There are so many wonderful traditional customs (see my earlier post on Bealtaine), there’s no need to make up new ones!   Collect May dew, splash each other with water.  Sing some Bealtaine songs.  Get out there and pick some wildflowers and dandelions!  Decorate your house with them, make little paper cones with a string handle (May Baskets), fill them with flowers, and hang on neighbor’s doorknobs.  Also, decorate yourself with them:

Flower Chains
Would it even seem right to not make these on Bealtaine?  Learning how to make flower chains is one of those classic childhood skills that every kid (and grown-up) should know.
1.  First off, pick a bunch of long stemmed wildflowers, daisies, or yellow dandelions- about fifteen to twenty.
2.  Crisscross a couple of the flowers at the stem just an inch or so down from the flower head.
3.  Loop the stem of the second flower under and around the stem of the first and cross it over it’s own stem like in this second picture.  Pull it gently until its lightly knotted.
4.  Repeat step 3 with more flowers.  Make flower chains long enough for a flower crown, plus more for necklaces and bracelets, if you like.  Join ends together and knot.

May Bush
This can be a living tree or a branch or clump of a tree brought indoors.  Decorate it streamers, ribbons, scraps of cloth, flowers, and colored eggshells.  At dusk, dance around it!  The May Bush is representative of the World Tree or Tree of Life.

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The Three Realms: An Introduction for Children

March 29, 2010 at 6:18 am (Pagan Parenting, spirituality)
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 In ancient Ireland, people made their oaths by saying:
 
“May the sky not fall,   

 May the sea not burst its bounds,    

May the land not open beneath me,    

So long as I keep my oath.”    

     The earth is the home of all life.    

She has three realms, which are necessary for life.    

These are the Sky, the Sea, and the Land.    

 Land    

We stand firmly upon the land.    

It is our foundation. It is always beneath us.    

The earth grows our food so we may eat    

and the trees make oxygen so than we may breathe.    

The land is the mid realm that we share with the Nature Spirits.    

 Sea  

The sea always surrounds us.   

 All things need water to live. Water flows in an endless cycle.    

All life began in the sea. The sea is the underground realm, home of the Ancestors.    

Sky  

The sky stretches out over land and sea.   

The atmosphere of the earth contains oxygen so that we can breathe.    

Above the atmosphere,    

The sun, moon, and stars all influence life on earth.    

Without the sun, we would not be here.    

The moon rules the flow of the tides, the rhythms of life,    

And lights the sky at night.    

The sky is the upper realm, home to the shining deities.    

     

So when we say a blessing, prayer, or meditation of the Three Realms, we connect with the sacredness of all life. We imagine ourselves to be like sacred trees; our roots reaching through the land realm to the underground waters that flow to the sea, our trunk holding strong and steady in the mid realm, and our branches reaching up into the shining sky realm.   

    

The triskele is a symbol that helps us remember that we are all part of the Three Realms. It has three spirals or arms. Imagine each of these is one of the Three Realms.   

 

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Celebrating the Spring Equinox with Kids

March 2, 2010 at 6:57 pm (Arts & Crafts, Pagan Parenting)
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Some spring craft ideas for kids:
~Assemble a terrarium.
~Start seeds indoors in egg carton cups, to plant outside after the last predicted frost.
~After eating your Ostara eggs, make mosaics from the shells.
~Make paper flowers using the glossy advertisements found in junk mail.

More Ostara crafts (including natural egg dyes), activities and some great coloring pages can be found at Acorn Hollow.
Resources for teaching kids about the spring equinox:
The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson, and although its not particularly a Celtic holiday, theres some good information on the equinoxes in
The Ancient Celtic Festivals: and How We Celebrate Them Today by Clare Walker Leslie and Frank E. Gerace

More children’s picture books:
Spring’s Sprung by Lynn Plourde
The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow

Here is an idea for including children in an Ostara ritual:
The World Egg
During the telling of the following world egg creation story, two
participants hold up a large paper egg.  (This can be decorated ahead of time by the kids.)
At the end of the story, kids burst through the egg from the other side, bringing fresh or paper flowers to the people in the circle.

“In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, there is a myth of the world being created from the fragments
of an egg laid by a diving duck on the knee of Ilmatar, goddess of the air:
One egg’s lower half transformed
And became the earth below,
And its upper half transmuted and became the sky above;
From the yolk the sun was made,
Light of day to shine upon us;
From the white the moon was formed,
Light of night to gleam above us;
All the colored brighter bits rose to be the stars of heaven
And the darker crumbs changed into clouds and
cloudlets in the sky.”

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adapting the ADF ritual format to a family-style setting

January 13, 2010 at 6:28 am (Holidays, Pagan Parenting, spirituality)
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Those of you have been reading along since the beginning know that I have a few idiosyncrasies concerning the details of Pagan ritual. I have come to dislike the set up of Wiccan rituals. (“Casting circles” has no meaning nor purpose for me, and I’m ambivalent about “calling directions”.) My ideal preference is for Celtic Reconstructionist rituals, but there are a lot of things I like about ADF rituals. I became a member of ADF because I identify with their worldview and cosmology, I am inspired by much of their liturgy and chants/songs, and its easier to find fellow ADF members that it is to find other CR Pagans locally- and having Pagan community is very important to me.

Having said that, there are a few things about ADF-style rituals that I have seen fit to adapt for “home rituals”- that is, rituals where it is just the family, or family and friends. According to the “ADF Core Order of Ritual”, there are just three things absolutely necessary for a ritual to be considered “ADF style”, and these are #1 Purification (and it must take place before Opening the Gates), #2 Establishing a Sacred Cosmos including: Three Worlds/ Realms, and establishing a Sacred Triple Center, with fire being an essential component (most common set-up is fire/well/tree), and #3 calling a Gatekeeper to open the gates between the worlds.

Much to my surprise, the Core Order does not include a propriation to the “outsiders”- which is something that most ADF rituals have. For those who are unfamiliar with this, in ADF rituals, an offering is commonly made to the outsiders- any spirit beings who are unfriendly to our deities/spirits. Essentially, it is a bribe to leave us alone while we do our ritual. I have always had reservations about this aspect of ritual. If you leave food out for the dogs, won’t they keep coming back? And if malevolent spirits really want to disrupt our rites, are they really going to be appeased with some ale poured out on the ground for them? Offering to the Outsiders just seems like another addition to an already elaborate ceremony. I think family style rituals should be simple, with an emphasis on the customs of the holiday being celebrated, and deities being worshipped. I prefer this alternative to appeasing the “outsiders”– do a blessing & protection ritual on the ritual area (the whole house and/or area of your yard) that you use on a regular basis. (In Norse tradition, this is called a warding.) Doing one of these warding type of rituals once a year should suffice, and can be reinforced through simple prayers on a regular basis. (I will include an example of a house blessing and protection rite in my next post.)  If doing a spontaneous ritual in an unfamiliar place, I would think that a simple purification and protection prayer would suffice instead of an outsider propriation- the blessing and protection rite isn’t just for your house or ritual space but also works as protection on yourself and family.

Other adaptations of the ADF format to more simplistic family style rituals would be adapting the nature of the language used in liturgy. References to “our grove” would naturally be changed to “our family (and friends)” or “our household/hearth”. Simple and short invocations would be used, and songs/chants that appeal to all ages strategically placed. Favorite phrasing, call and response, classic elements memorized for each ritual would add special significance for younger members. This is the type of liturgy framework I’ve been working on, and which I will share with you, my readers, during the course of this year.

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