Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Lazy Pagan's Guide to Beltane (1 November - Southern Hemisphere)

I'm really crap at remembering when the Sabbats and Esbats are on their way and generally only remember the day before when it's often too late to arrange a proper celebration. It's only because Christmas and Easter are so well promoted with advertisements and the sale of decorations and Easter Eggs months in advance that these holidays are celebrated easily at our house. Unfortunately for a pagan in the Southern Hemisphere, these are mainly celebrated for the kids' sake, but are still fun. I'm working on being better at remembering when Yule and Ostara are due to arrive so my children can enjoy the Pagan holidays as well as the commercialised Christian holiday. What kids wouldn't love to have Christmas and Easter twice a year?

Beltane (also spelled Beltaine) this year was pretty much the same - only remembered it this morning after trying to mental note a few weeks ago that it was coming up. I tried to explain the day to the boys as being about love and marriage to which Mr nearly 7 replied 'yeah, yeah, blah blah..." Clearly it's not as exciting as that other holiday being celebrated today. Those in the Northern Hemisphere are celebrating Halloween tonight, and many people here are following suit. I know there are some kids in our street trick or treating tonight and we will do our best to accommodate ie fun sized choccy bars at the ready.

As I'm celebrating Beltane in this house, the festival of fertility and the high point of Spring between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice (although the ceramic jack o'lantern will make an appearance tonight mainly for the kids' sake and will bring it out again in April for Samhain.). Tomorrow the kids have their usual swimming lesson but we might celebrate the day out in the garden, tidying up and getting the vegetable garden going.

I don't really do alters as it's difficult with the kids and dog around so I just went outside and brought in some flowers from one of our blossoming trees.

Tonight for Beltane eve we are having:
Fish and chips from the local. (fish has been long associated with love and sex) Chips just come with it and I'm not complaining!
Lemon Tart which I whipped up this morning. (a yummy dessert to welcome in the upcoming Summer) Lemons are also associated with love, marriage and faithfulness and the eggs in it are associated with fertility.
Might wash it down with a glass of white wine for celebration (come to think of it I celebrate quite often!)

Because I already have 3 children and am not really wanting anymore, I'll be celebrating Beltane for love moreso than personal fertility! It's just going to be a nice time to reflect on my marriage to my lovely husband.

Got to go and draw some scary faces on the kids now and rummage through the costumes.

Happy Beltane Everyone!!!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Motherwars

I don't understand Motherwars. I know these topics have been done to death but it seems we are still no closer to the end of the battles with each other.

To work or stay at home?

Smack or not to smack?

Bottle or Breast feed?

State school or Private school?

Conventional or Alternative schooling?

Baby self soothing or attachment parenting?

Traditional vs Non-traditional Parents

I'll think of more as I go along.

I'll go into many of the above as separate posts in more detail as I have a bit more to say.

But does it really matter? Is one really so much better than the other? Why are we all so down on those who don't do the same thing we do in raising our kids? Aren't we all aiming for the same thing at the end of it all?

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Hello from Buff Cosmetics and The Lazy Pagan

Hi There

I've created a new blog to encompass the ones above and much more. As much as I love talking about beauty and paganism I found the subjects to be way too limiting as I had so much to say about other things and, if you have read the other blogs, so little to say about those particular topics.

So A Broom With a View has been born and is much more personal. There will still be a lot of beauty and makeup talk and much Earth friendly chatter, but truth is, I don't walk around with a makeup brush in my hand nor do I constantly try and find new ways of building spirituality.

I'm a mum of three boys which is an experience in itself, housewife (love using that word - it's kind of unPC), writer, bibliophile (or maybe just a bookworm), music enthusiast, business owner (albeit a pretty crappy one - more of a business planner) film lover, dog owner, Nigella-in-training and enjoy a myriad of other things.

If anything, it's probably more of a way of putting off things to do like get on with my novel or the housework!