1999 Imbolc Issue
4. Promoting Pagan Family Values - Selene
5. Pagan Parenting - WindSeeker
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6. The Winter of Their Joy - Selene
7. Lavender - Dor
8. Cats Corner - Sorcy
9. Meagan's Imbolc - Kat Dyer
10. Shopping Corner - Dor
11. Events List - Selene
5. Pagan Parenting - WindSeeker
I wanted to write about pagan parenting for myself. I want my girls to learn
freedom of religion, and that's why I want to show them the ways of the old
earth religions. That is part of my job with them. They learn the ways of
Christianity from my S. O. That is so very fine with me because I love the
way he teaches them without the fear that usually goes along with it.
When I first started showing them the ways, I must of went about it all the wrong way, as my youngest thought it was the coolest thing and my oldest didn't know what to think. So after about a month I laid off a bit. It was not the right time to do it when I was just learning the ropes myself. So now after a few years I have a good grasp of the path I have chosen and I feel it is time to
slowly let my girls be aware that there are other religions that are so
peaceful and loving. Exciting and energetic ones that make you feel good to
be alive, and that let you see that everything is beautiful and natural.
The Sabbats are a family learning time for my household. Where I am from I
don't YET have the opportunities for person to person contact to get ideas
from, so I turn to the Internet and get helpful ideas from there. I search
for the specific Sabbat and take bits and pieces from what would be good and
interesting and SIMPLE enough that my family could understand. Most of what
I find is stuff about things you can make from your own hands that relate to
that holiday. I like to find stories, legends
(http://bookofshadows.com/main/imbleg.htm), and history that explain the
craft and the holiday involved. I sometimes print out the stories and read
it to the girls. Sometimes we do an offering or a simple ritual in
appreciation of the Goddess and her seasons. There is a wonderful simple
offering ritual in Scott Cunningham's book, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary
Practitioner. It is a perfect guide to use along with kids. Also try to find
symbols and correspondences that relate to the holiday. I have retrieved
some fun stuff to do with children in relation to the holiday, and fun
things to read and share between us!!! These ideas let the children know
the many meanings and different ideas and ways of celebrating.
The recovery of the Earth Goddess after giving birth to the Sun God, first
Stirring of Mother Earth, spring-cleaning as a time of cleansing and
purification, and preparation for growth and renewal. A festival of the
Triple Goddess Brigit, whose breath gave life to the dead.
I found this idea in several places on the net. Blessing a seed is a very
popular activity to do on this day. You can give each (yourself and the
children) a seed of their own and share in the ritual. Here are some ideas
that would be handy, and they use any seed right from your kitchen!
APPLE SEEDS - Apples require some planning. Take some seeds and put them in
damp peatmoss and place in a plastic bag. Put the bag in the refrigerator
for two months, making sure the seeds remain damp. Then plant in a soil less
mix until roots develop. The apple tree can then be transferred to soil.
Apples like a cool winter. Peaches, plums and nectarines also require a rest
in the refrigerator.
AVOCADO SEEDS - An avocado makes a great houseplant. Remove the brown skin
from the seed and prop it on top of a jar with toothpicks. Fill the jar with
water covering 1/3 of the seed. Refill and change your water frequently. In
a few weeks, roots will begin to develop. When there are a reasonable number
of roots and a shoot starts coming from the top, transfer your seed to soil,
leaving the top shoot above the ground.
BEANS - Beans are easy growers. Soak dried beans (any kind) overnight. Plant
in a fair size container of soil. Water well and place in a sunny window. In
about two months you may be rewarded with beans to eat!
For more ideas like this check out the website at http://www.geocities.com/H
eartland/Hills/9659/houseplants.html. For even more neat everyday fun,
check out the rest of the page at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9659/. There is so much stuff on
these pages! I recommend it!
When you have a seed and the supplies you need prepared, then you can have
each child say what they wish for, what they hope for, and what they are
thankful for. When they are done stating their desires, plant the seeds in a
little pot. It is fun for the kids when they each have their own pot. It can
even be a Styrofoam cup depending on what type of seed they have chosen.
Here are some crafty ideas to anticipate the coming of spring.
Make egg carton flowers. Cut flowers from the cup sections of egg cartons
(tulips shapes work well for this). Paint or use colored cartons. Use
pipecleaners for the stems; either colored or regular (white) rolled in food
coloring or tempera paint and dried, and construction paper for leaves.
Pom-poms could be used for the centers. Make a fake milk glass vase for the
egg cartons flowers. Glue split peas flat side down in rows on a glass jar
using tacky glue. Spray paint the whole vase white.
Decorate candles with blossoms! Below are some methods:
Method A: Cut out pretty pictures from seed catalogs and glue onto your
candles. These candles are for decoration only.
Method B: Have mom or dad melt some plain old canning wax in an old clean
can in boiling water. Remove the wax from the heat. With a disposable small
paintbrush glue small blossoms to the candle with a spot of wax. Wild
violets and buttercups work well for this. Cover the blossoms with a light
thin layer of wax. These candles can be burned.
A classic activity is growing grass seed. Decorate a Styrofoam or plastic
cup with a face, using paper, paint, or whatever. Fill with a few pebbles
for drainage and soil. Sprinkle grass seed and cover with a light layer of
soil. The idea is that the grass grows and looks like hair. If it gets too
long you can cut it with scissors.
Here is a craft idea to do with your kids. Make a lantern or two with them.
Fill one tin can per child with water and freeze overnight to make it easier
to puncture holes in the tin. Make lanterns outdoors or indoors on a plastic
sheet. Keep sponges and a bucket handy.
Time: 15 minutes
Materials:
1 ice-filled tin can per child
Hammers and short nails
1 bucket and sponge
1 8-in. plastic-coated wire per child
Method:
1. Use a hammer and nail to punch a hole on either
side of the can's open end.
2. Punch more holes all over the sides of the can.
3. When there are enough holes, empty the ice into
the bucket and turn the can upside down to dry.
4. To make a handle, push the wire through the first
2 holes made on the can. Twist the wire together
at each hole to keep it in place.
5. Demonstrate how the light shines from the lantern
using a flashlight.
(Adapted from Globalchild, Maureen Cech)
You can have these and candles to place around the windows.
Another activity is to make potpourri. Simply combine ingredients like
Angelica,Basil, Bay, Benzoin,Celandine,Heather, Myrrh, yellow flowers, or other ingredients you like and you have your own creation of an Imbolc potpourri. Try different combinations and enjoy.
BRIGID'S CROSS
Step 1 - Make a bundle with 6 pipe cleaners and bend them in half. Tie the
ends all together with a piece of string.
Step 2 - Lay the pipe cleaner bundle on the table in a vertical position,
with the tied end on the top.
Step 3- Make a second bundle, again using 6 pipe cleaners, and bend them in
half.
Step 4- Before you tie the ends this time though, slip it through the middle
of the other bundle so that they're linked.
Step 5 - Now tie the ends and lay this second bundle down in a horizontal
position with the tied ends pointing to the right. If you did it right your
shape should look like the letter "L".
Step 6 - Now you're going to repeat the procedure. Make a bundle with 6 pipe
cleaners, bend them in half and, before you tie them, slip them through the
middle of the horizontal bundle, just to the right of the first bundle. This
batch should be in a vertical position, with the tied ends on the bottom.
Step 7 - The last step is to make one last bundle, slipping it through the
middle of the batch you just laid down, only this one goes horizontally to
the left. Now tie the ends. You should now have an upside down "L" linked
through your right side up one. Now you've made Brigid's Cross!
Explain to the kids as they work that Brigid was the Maiden Goddess in
Ireland. Her name meant "The High or Exalted One." She was the Goddess of
Fire and was therefore called on by families to be their Hearth Guardian and
the protectress of their homes.
Another fun activity to celebrate Brigid's Day is to have the children draw
a picture of what they think Brigid might look like. Flaming red hair, a
fiery dress, or whatever they might picture in their minds. Hang their
pictures on the refrigerator as part of your Brigid's Day celebration so
they can enjoy them every day! These are excerpts from A Wiccan Primer:
Rituals for Children Copyright 1996 by Wind*Dancer
Try some "Frozen Nature Collages" from the book "Outside Play and Learning
Book"
(To order this book, visit http://www.ghbooks.com/activity/10009.html)
Materials:
Disposable pie tins.
Materials from nature, such as pine needles, pine cones, twigs or acorns.
Water.
Yarn.
Masking tape.
Freezing weather.
Food coloring.
What to Do:
Fill the pie tins with water. Let the children place various objects from
nature in their tin. Put in a drop or two of food coloring if you wish (let
the child choose the color.) Place the ends of a loop of yarn in the water.
This will be used as a hanger later. Print the child's name on a piece of
masking tape and attach it to the yarn. Place the tins in a sheltered spot
outside and allow them to freeze solid. It's nice if you can place them near
a window where the children can watch them from inside. When they are
solidly frozen, pour some warm water on the back of the pie tins to free the
ice from the tin molds. Then hang these beautiful things from a tree or the
fence so the sunlight can shine through to decorate their playground. Over
time the children can watch what happens to their ice collages as the
weather gets warmer.
You can try some "Star Windows" from the book "Earthways".
(To order this book, visit http://www.ghbooks.com/activity/10024.html)
These little windows of colored light are a special addition to a window
near your Season's Garden. They also create a seasonal mood, depending on
the colors and forms you choose. To the children, they are magical when
placed on the window so that the sunlight shines through.
You will need:
Construction paper. (Deep red and blue)
Scissors.
Colored tissue paper. (Gold, yellow and white)
Basket or tray.
Pen.
White glue using small saucers and cotton swabs (or pencils with new
erasers) or glue sticks.
What to do:
Cut the construction paper into frames in the shape of your choice. A plain
rectangle with rounded edges to soften the shape is fine; a star would be
extra special, but will take longer to do. The total size is up to you, but
make it no smaller than 6 inches long and 4 inches wide. The frame edge
itself should be approximately 3/4 to one inch thick. Run a bead of glue all
around the back of the frame near the outer edge and press a large piece of
white tissue paper over it. Trim the tissue paper. Cut the yellow and gold
tissue paper into star shapes, in varying sizes if you like. By folding the
tissue accordion style, you can cut many stars at the same time. Place the
stars in a basket or on a tray.
Write the children's names on the backs of the frames (the side with the
tissue paper glued on). This is the side on which they work.
Give children a glue stick or have them share a small dish or saucer of glue
(just put a little on the dish). They could use a cotton swab to apply the
glue, but use these sparingly as they cannot be reused. You can also use
erasers on new pencils to dip in the glue and dab onto the stars. The
erasers can be rinsed off and reused. Using a tiny drop of glue for each
star, the children cover the white tissue with stars.
Encourage them to fill the surface, although the younger ones may just place
a few stars on the tissue paper. It is fine to overlap the stars, as this
creates interesting shapes and beautiful and surprising new colors. When
they have finished, add an extra covering of white tissue as you did in step
two. While not completely necessary, it provides a nice protective backing
and gives the transparency a more finished look. Let the children hold them
up to the light. The children are always captivated by the results.
Cover your classroom windows with star windows, or send each one home so the
stars shine there. This technique for making tissue paper transparencies is
endlessly variable. The frames can be cut into any shape, from pumpkins
(fall) to eggs (spring). Just choose the tissue paper in seasonal colors and
cut the construction paper into appropriate shapes. Generally, white tissue
paper is used for backing in all cases.
Candle making ideas can be found at a site called "The Melting Pot" at http://www.angelfire.com/ca/SSaSSSy/candle.html. This is a really neat site
to get ideas for making all different and neat kinds of candles!
Here's a little candle activity you can share anytime. Have your children
observe a candle. How does it make them feel? Does it make them feel calm
and happy? Does it make them feel sad or peaceful? Ask them what it looks
like while burning? Ask them to observe the flame. What do they see in the
flame? A really nice touch is to have incense burning. Tell them that in the
past that this was the main source of light.
The kitchen is always a great place to create holiday magic. Try some of
these recipes with your children.
Crescent Cakes:
1 1/4 cups flour.
3/4 cup sugar.
1 cup finely ground almonds.
3 drops almond extract.
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened.
1 tablespoon honey.
1 egg yoke.
In large mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Add the butter,
honey, egg yoke and mix together well. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic
wrap, and then chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the refrigerator. When ready,
pinch off pieces of the dough (about the size of plums) and shape them into
crescents. Place the crescents on a well-greased cookie sheet and bake in a
325-degree preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
(This recipe yields about one dozen Candlemas Crescent Cakes.)
From: _The Wicca Spellbook_ By: Gerina Dunwich
BRIDECAKES:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
2 cups oat flour or wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup buttermilk
Cream butter and honey together. Mix dry ingredients together and add the
currants, stirring to coat them with flour. Stir the dry ingredients into
butter-honey mixture and add buttermilk to make dough. Roll into balls and
flatten on greased cookie sheet. With a knife mark each with a bride's cross
(+). Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.
(Recipe from WiccaCraft for Families by Margie McArthur.)
An Imbolc Blessing:
Cold Winter is gone,
The snow will soon thaw,
Life stirs deep in the Earth.
We sing the Great Goddess
Back with us once more,
To bless the land in it's rebirth.
The snowmelt soon comes,
The trees will draw breath,
The robin will lend us her voice.
Come Pure Maiden,
Bless now your Earth,
In Goddess and Love we rejoice
An Imbolc Carol:
We dance the Ring of Imbolc,
We dance the round of spring,
We dance this night to Invoke
The hope that it will bring.
Well, I've found some new and different ideas to get you started on some new
traditions for your family, or to add to the ones that you already do. Just
remember, do what your comfortable with. There is no need to go all out and
elaborate on things. As long as the child gets the point and meaning of the
holiday, that's is great.
IMPORTANT URL'S AND RESOURCES
http://www.jazgordon.com/pparent/
http://www.pagansunite.com/info/sabbats.html
http://www.ghgcorp.com/jwaldie/fampath.htm
http://www.teacherlink.usu.edu/resources/ed_lesson_plans/Byrnes/intro.html
I would like to thank the people who supplied me with the some of the ideas in case I forgot to mention you or your page.
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