By Gregory Michael Brewer (AutTumn
The name Selena Fox has become a household name in the Pagan community,
but for those who may not know who you are, could you please tell us about yourself, such as
how long you have been practicing and what first drew you to the Pagan Path?
I am founder and high priestess of Circle Sanctuary, also known as Circle, a Shamanic Wiccan church which has been serving Pagans worldwide since 1974. I live in a forest in south central Wisconsin on land that borders Circle’s headquarters, Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve. My work includes creating and facilitating ceremonies, teaching workshops, writing, networking, administration, public speaking and media work, and serving as a diversity consultant on Pagan religious accommodation in educational, governmental, and healthcare institutional settings. I have a MS in Counseling from the University of Wisconsin and also work part time doing counseling, readings, and spiritual psychotherapy through telephone consultations. More information about my work is at:
www.selenafox.com
I began my Pagan journey as a child, growing up in the 1950’s in Virginia. During my youth, I had a series of mystical experiences while communing with Nature. I developed a love of folkways and connected strongly with ancient Greek and Roman mythology.
In junior high school, I began learning classical Latin and continued these studies through high school and college. As I translated ancient Roman texts and learned about Pagan Roman philosophy and culture, I experienced a deep spiritual resonance. When I was seventeen years old and a senior in high school, I started identifying myself as a Pantheist instead of as a Southern Baptist Christian, the faith I had been raised in.
As an undergraduate at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, my major field of study was Psychology, but I also took many courses in Classics. I was active Eta Sigma Phi, the Classics honor society, and during my senior year served as its president. While serving in that capacity, I decided to expand upon the intellectual discussion activities sponsored by this organization by proposing experiential learning. That is how I came to create and lead my very first public Pagan ritual.
This ceremony was a Greco-Roman Rite of Spring and had the support of the Classics Department faculty as well as students. On a warm and sunny Spring day in 1971, dressed in tunics and togas and wearing crowns of ivy, we processed to a beautiful area on campus known as the “Sunken Garden.” I led the procession with a tambourine in one hand and in the other, a thyrsus, a Dionysian ceremonial staff tipped with a pine cone. We danced ecstatically and invoked Dionysus and Mother Earth. We concluded with a feast.
What started out as an educational exercise to bring about a more holistic approach to learning about the Classics turned out to be a spontaneous initiation into Paganism. When I called on Old Ones by their sacred names in ancient languages, I connected with and was transformed by Their presence. I learned first hand the power of ecstatic ritual as a way of deepening rapport with the sacred Mysteries of Nature.
A few weeks later, I graduated, and I began my first job, working in a lab of an archaeological project in Hampton, Virginia. One of my co-workers was a woman who was practicing survivals of Germanic Pagan folkways passed down through her family. We became friends and, at her invitation, I joined her and several others for Full Moons and other rites. I began practicing the Craft that Summer. However, this form of Paganism was what some today would call “Old Style Craft” rather than Gardnerian Wicca or derivations.
These Pagan experiences of childhood and early adulthood later formed the foundation of the Circle Craft tradition, which I founded and initially called Circle Wicca (1970s) and later Wiccan Shamanism (1980s).
Could you please share with us a bit about Circle Sanctuary?
Circle Sanctuary is a non-profit Nature spirituality resource center and legally recognized Wiccan church. Founded in 1974, we serve Pagans worldwide. We publish a quarterly journal, CIRCLE Magazine; a sourcebook directory, Circle Guide to Pagan Resources; and other in-print publications, plus several e-bulletins, including Circle Times. We also have articles, rituals, and other information on-line at our website: www.circlesanctuary.org
We sponsor a variety of festivals, gatherings, workshops, rituals, and other events throughout the year. Many of our events are held at our headquarters, Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve, a private 200 acre site in southwestern Wisconsin, which is about a three hour drive from Chicago. Our longest and largest event each year is the Pagan Spirit Gathering, a national Summer Solstice Festival which in 2010 will be held at Camp Zoe near Salem, Missouri.
We sponsor the Lady Liberty League, which works for Pagan civil rights and religious freedom. We are active in interfaith networking, locally and globally, as well as we assist in academic research and networking in the emerging field of Pagan Studies.
We do Pagan chaplaincy work on campuses, hospitals, hospices, and prisons. Our Pagan military ministries include sponsoring Open Circles at US military installations; Operation Circle Care, which sends care packages to Pagan soldiers; and the Order of the Pentacle, a Pagan veterans association. Circle Sanctuary also is involved in charity food drives and other charity work.
We are actively engaged in Nature conservation work at our land and elsewhere. In addition, we operate Circle Sanctuary, a national Pagan cemetery, and one of the first conservation cemeteries in the nation.
More information about these and other aspects of our work is on-line: www.circlesanctuary.org
You have been very involved in the Pagan community as a whole and have accomplished many monumental tasks. Could you please share with us some of your accomplishments?
I turned 60 years old just prior to Samhain this year and as part of my personal celebration of my birthday, I reflected on my work on behalf of Paganism thus far. I think my most important accomplishments have been my contributions to Pagan rights, to Pagan networking and community building, to Pagan Studies, and to Pagan sacred land.
I have been on the front lines of the quest for equal rights for Pagans in society throughout my priestess life. I have assisted in several hundred cases over the past thirty-plus years and am thankful that most have met with success. Several victories which have had the most impact include: (1) in 1985, defeat of federal legislation which would have taken away tax exempt status for Wiccan churches; (2) in 1999, defeat of federal legislation which would have taken away the right of Wiccan and other Pagan troops to practice their religion at US military installations; and (3) in 2007, the settlement of Circle Sanctuary’s federal lawsuit against the US Department of Veterans Affairs which resulted in the pentacle being added to the VA’s list of emblems of belief that can be included on the grave markers it issues to honor deceased veterans.
A recent accomplishment (October 27, 2009) is being the first Pagan minister to be invited and to do the invocation which began a session of the Wisconsin State Assembly at the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.
My contributions to Pagan networking and community building include founding Circle (1974), Circle Network (1977), Circle Network News (1978), Circle Guide to Pagan Resources (1979), Pagan Spirit Gathering (1980), Pagan Youth Education Programs (1985), Pagan Leadership Training (1988), Circle Sanctuary Website (1995), CIRCLE Magazine (1998), Circle Times (2004). I also have been involved in supporting the Pagan Pride Project since its inception, and have spoken at events in this country and Canada. In addition, I am among those in the 1970s who helped birth the Festival Movement – the creation of cross-tradition campouts and other gatherings which have contributed to the growth of Paganism.
My contributions to Pagan Studies include co-founding the Pagan Academic Network (1992); writing When Goddess is God (1995), which was the first study on Pagan mental healthcare issues; and helping to found the Nature Religions Scholars Network (1995) which later evolved to be the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group in the American Academy of Religion.
My contributions to Pagan sacred land includes the founding of Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve (1983) and Circle Cemetery (1995), as well as providing consulting support for numerous Pagan land projects in the US and elsewhere.
As Pagans, we love to meet each other and to celebrate together. You operate a large festival called Pagan Spirit Gathering. Could you tell us more about this gathering?
I founded the Pagan Spirit Gathering in 1980 as a type of festival that emphasized tribal community building, cross traditions exchange, and Nature communion. Hundreds of Pagans of many paths from across the nation and other countries join together during Summer Solstice week to create and live in a magical village in a natural location. The Pagan Spirit Gathering, also known as PSG, includes several hundred workshops, rituals, concerts, discussions, marketplace, drumming, ecstatic bonfire dancing, firespinning, and other activities as well as youth education and Pagan leadership training. We will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary in 2010, and it will be held June 20-27 at Camp Zoe near Salem, Missouri.
Do you always celebrate and practice in a group setting? How do you feel about practicing in a group vs. solitary?
My practice of Pagan spirituality includes personal rites I do privately, small group ceremonies, and large community rituals. My personal rites are daily. Small group ceremonies are weekly, and larger community rituals occur at the sabbats and at other occasions, such as in connection with a rite of passage or conference.
Whether one chooses to be part of an on-going small or large group or not, I think it is helpful to do spiritual practice with others from time to time, and attending rites that happen as part of multi-tradition festivals, conventions, and other gatherings is a way to do that. I also think it is important to develop one’s own personal practice even if one is part of a group. By doing so, if something changes with the group and one no longer participates, the personal practice can be helpful in dealing with the transition. Doing personal practice and study also can enhance one’s participation in a group should one choose to also include group work as part of spiritual life.
Everyday is a holiday and we should celebrate each. But of the common 8 Pagan holidays/Sabbats, do you have a personal favorite?
Each of the sabbats is special to me in its own way and I do not favor one over another. My birthday and Circle’s birthday are just before Samhain, and because of that I celebrate the spiritual New Year on multiple levels at that Sabbat.
If you could give a few tips to our readers how they can live a Wiccan/Pagan life on a daily basis, what would they be?
Here are some pointers:
(1) DREAMCRAFT: Spend a few moments upon awaking remembering and reflecting on any dreams that you recall. Do this before getting out of bed and calling to mind the “to do” list of the day. After reviewing and reflecting on your dreams, consider a message for the day and put it into action.
(2) GREET THE DAY: Do a ritual at the start of the day to celebrate the day and honor and strengthen your connection with the Divine according to the path of Paganism you are on. This ritual does not have to take long, and can be as simple as facing each of the sacred directions and then centering.
(3) NATURE AWARENESS: Spend some time each day outdoors tuning into the time of year and phase of the Moon, as well as noticing animals, plants, and weather patterns. Do this regardless of whether you are in a city, suburbs, small town, or in a rural area. Experience yourself as part of the greater Circle of Nature.
(4) MEDITATION & MAGIC: Spend time relaxing and centering. Work with a home altar. Do affirmations, creative visualization, chanting, invocations, and inner journeys.
(5) SPIRITUAL STUDY: Make time to learn and think about Pagan spirituality each day. This can be through reading, attending an event, visiting a website, talking with a friend, listening to music, or in some other way. Note your learnings and reflections in a journal or diary.
(6) THANKSGIVING: Develop a gratitude attitude. Appreciate. Give thanks.
(7) PREPARE FOR SLEEP: Unwind, relax, give thanks, and do a blessing on your sleeping life as you go to sleep.
What is your opinion of traditions vs. eclectic paths?
Both are valid approaches for spiritual development. Pagan spirituality has many forms. Established traditions as well as eclectic forms of practice can be enriching to the Pagan world.
It is important to connect with the path or paths that work for you at each stage of your life’s journey. “Know Yourself” is an ancient Pagan proverb from Delphi, Greece, and its wisdom still applies today.
If the path you are on is that of a particular tradition transmitted by a teacher or organization, learn its protocols and abide by them. If your path is that of blending teachings from many paths, create a stable framework that can blend this diversity into a cohesive whole. Those searching for a path would do well to attend a festival, conference, or other gathering in which there are rituals and workshops in a variety of traditions and paths in order to learn about which is likely to be the best spiritual fit.
Whatever your path, it is important to develop a good connection with your Inner wisdom and to pay attention to inner guidance. Realize that the path that you travel may change over time as you grow and develop as a spiritual being in your human form.
As we are approaching Yule, could you share with us a few of your favorite ways to celebrate this holiday and what Yule means to you along with any final words you would like to share with our readers?
I celebrate Yule as Yuletide – over several weeks each December and early January. Here are 13 ways to celebrate Pagan Yuletide:
(1)Create a Pagan Winter Solstice framework for the entire holidays season – understand that Christmas Eve and Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day have their origins in Winter Solstice celebrations of a variety of Pagan cultures through the ages.
(2)Decorate your home with sacred plants connected with Winter Solstice: evergreen wreaths & boughs, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. Learn about the Pagan symbolism of each.
(3)Harvest a Yule tree in a sacred way from a tree farm that practices sustainable agriculture, if you can, or intuitively select a tree, cut or symbolic, from a shop in your area. Set up the Yule tree in your home and decorate it with lights, sun symbols, and other images. Reflect on blessings of joy, renewal, and well-wishes as you decorate the tree.
(4)Kindle lights to represent the Sun. Decorate with electric lights and candles. On one of the nights of Solstice, turn off all lights, experience the longest night, reflect on renewal and peace, and turn the lights back on to symbolize the birth of the New Solar Year.
(5)Recognize Santa as a multi-cultural, multi-religious character – learn about the Pagan roots of Santa and other Winter Solstice sacred gift bringers, including the Goddess Holda (see my article: When Santa was a Woman on beliefnet for more info).
(6)Learn about holiday foods, symbols, customs, and/or lore from an ancestral ethnicity and incorporate something you have learned into your celebration of Yuletide
(7)Listen to Pagan Yuletide music. Create a Yuletide chant, poem, or song.
(8)Burn a Yule Log in a hearth, in a bonfire, or by burning candles on, in, or near a log of Oak on an altar. Learn about Yule Log traditions and create your own.
(9)Meditate on the rising and/or setting of the Solstice Sun. Note its position on the horizon at this time of year and observe its change in position on the horizon as the days start lengthening again.
(10) Join with others in celebrating Pagan Yuletide. Attend a ritual, be part of a festival, join an on-line discussion, host a party, listen to a Yuletide show on internet radio (I will be doing 3 podcasts this Yule!)
(11)Contribute to a charity of your choice. Spread the joy of Yuletide.
(12)Learn about sacred sites aligned with the Winter Solstice. Envision your own celebrations of Winter Solstice being part of a vast network of Solstice celebrations happening around the planet (Winter in the Northern hemisphere & Summer in the South). Watch live video of Winter Solstice at Maes Howe or other sacred site with coverage.
(13)Focus on world peace and planetary well-being in your rituals, meditations, prayers, and other workings. Peace-making was part of Winter Solstice among many peoples in the past. Keep this tradition alive in the present and future.
I close with my Solstice Sun chant & a form of a blessing I created for our public Winter Solstice Pageant we hold each year in Madison, Wisconsin:
SOLSTICE SUN CHANT
by Selena Fox
Solstice Sun, Shining Bright!
Shortest Day & Longest Night.
Solstice Wish of Hope & Cheer:
Peace on Earth, throughout the Year!
YULETIDE BLESSING
by Selena Fox
As we celebrate this holiday’s time with lights, songs, gifts, evergreens, and other folkways of our ancestors of many lands,
Let us remember the ancient and sacred spirit of Winter Solstice – that of renewal, peace, and interconnectedness.
As the days grow longer again and we embrace Winter and the new Calendar year,
Let us kindle within ourselves a deeper awareness of the Divine Circle of Nature of which we are all part.
Let us celebrate our relationships with our families, friends, communities, cultures, all of Nature, and the Divine as Unity and as Multiplicity.
May we be filled with Joy, Love, and Harmony, and this Spirit of Yuletide shine within and around us throughout the year, as the Wheel of the Seasons continues to turn.
Blessed Be!
Good Yule! Merry Solstice! Io, Saturnalia! Happy Holidays!
Selena has additional information about celebrating Yule on-line:
www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/wintersolstice.htm
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/wintersolstice.htm
For more information about Circle Sanctuary’s Yuletide events:
www.circlesanctuary.org/events
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/events
Interview with Liz Silverwood
by Gregory Michael Brewer (AutTumn)
Liz is an active and practicing Witch and psychic. She is currently a 2nd degree Priestess of the Circle of the Spirit Tree tradition and on the verge of being initiated into the 3rd degree of the High Priesthood. Liz conducted a very successful workshop for the Chicago Pagan Pride Day 2009.
Merry Meet Liz -
You had a very good turn out for your workshop this year. Would you please describe that workshop and what it covered briefly?
Basic Beginners Tarot was a simple introduction to the practice of Tarot. We covered the concept of divination in general, the history of Tarot, uses for Tarot cards, as well as ethics. We also discussed choosing and caring for a deck, simple layouts/spreads and some basic techniques. I wanted to give a simple lesson for understanding and enjoying Tarot, while at the same time keep it informative and helpful to more seasoned readers.
In your opinion, do you think that your workshop helped reach out to the Pagan community? What was some of the feedback you received
I ‘d like to think so. I received both direct and indirect positive feedback that the workshop was helpful and informative. A few who were in attendance mentioned it sparked their interest to try Tarot as their personal form of divination.
Do you think that the workshops at the event over all are helpful and informative? Please share your thoughts.
From what I heard and experienced, all of the workshops seemed helpful and informative. There was such an amazing range of topics… I wish I had been able to attend more of the workshops.
Looking back at Chicago Pagan Pride 2009, what were some of your favorite moments?
It always blows my mind and warms my heart to have so many Pagan-minded people in one place. People coming together, raising money and collecting donations is such a loving experience. And simplest conversations that casually happen are some of the most memorable for me.
Did you attend any other workshops, and if so what did you personally get out of it?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend near as many as I would have liked. I really enjoyed the lecture on Pagan leadership. It opened my eyes and my mind, giving me lots of thoughts and ideas on how I can help my own group.
Would you care to share with us what initially drew you to the Pagan path and what labels and titles you claim?
I began reading Tarot with fair accuracy about 16 years ago, and had my own version of solitaire practice for a few years. In my late teens and early twenties, I tried various Christian religions, but as they say, Once a Witch, Always a Witch. I have been practicing Wicca with my group, The Circle of the Spirit Tree, for a few years now. I am currently a 2nd degree Priestess and I serve on the Council of Elders for my group.
If you could give any bits of advice for beginners and perhaps some encouragement, what would that be?
My best advice is to trust yourself and your intuition. When first giving readings, try to be aware of what you are feeling and sensing when the person you are reading for is telling you that what you are saying makes sense or is accurate. Identifying those feelings and your level of awareness can help you develop and hone your skills as an intuitive person.
Based on your previous experience, would you teach another workshop and why or why not?
After my experience this past year, I am definitely interested in teaching another workshop in the near future. All of the people who attended my workshop were attentive, respectful participants that seemed genuinely interested in broadening their scope of knowledge.
Thank you for your time. If you have any last words for our readers please share them now and Blessed Be! Keep up your excellent work.
just want to say thanks to the organizers of the Chicago Pagan Pride for giving me the chance to share my knowledge and experience. And also, to the many Pagans that helped make Pagan Pride (in Chicago and world-wide) such a success this year. Blessed Be!
You may contact Liz Silverwood at:
silverwoodtarot@pobox.com
Volunteer Corner
by Sherry Gilles
Merry Meet,
I am a new volunteer for the newsletter. We have been busy pulling together information as Yule approaches and wish you the happiest of holidays.
Volunteering doesn't have to be difficult. Instead of worrying about starting something new as this busy season approaches ask yourself what informaton you have to share? What natural talent do you have? Are you a story teller or an artist? Do you write? What are you involved in?
Do you want to tell your story? Do you want to share your art? Do you want to submit an article?
Who do you know that is hosting an activity in your corner of the Chicagoland area?
What are you working on to help other people as the holidays approach? Are you hosting a food or coat drive this year? Are you involved in outreach of some kind? Have you been working with the elderly or with children? Do you offer public rituals? Do you know of a new store or a Pagan friendly venue?
Share that information with us so that we can let others know what is going on in the community.
Sherry Gilles
Volunteer Chicago Pagan Pride 2010
Change and the New Year
By Gregory Michael Brewer (AutTumn)
In life there is one thing that will never change, and that is the certain fact that things will always change. Many people fear change, but it should not be so. Why, because change brings growth. When one door closes another opens and we learn to let go of the past and the things that hold us back from spiritual ascension. Change brings new opportunities and a chance to improve our lives on all levels. Each year, at least here in the Midwest, with fall comes the changing color of the trees, whose leaves eventually drop and fall to the ground. When spring arrives again, new leaves blossom and the trees grow a bit stronger and taller, reaching higher and higher into the sky.
If you are one who fears change, then constant change is the one thing you can always rely on. As we celebrate Yule and the return of the light, we should also take time to welcome a new year that will be different and greater than the one before. It is time to embrace and welcome positive changes in your life for the New Year ahead. Here is an exercise you can do to help bring in a wonderful New Year
Take a moment to step outdoors if you can, or stay inside if you must, light a candle and take a while to reflect back upon all the changes you experienced throughout the past year. Think on the good moments; think on the hard times, painful experiences, and try to evaluate what you may have learned from them. State aloud or silently:
I embrace change. I am becoming the best I can be.
The light of the Goddess and God flows through me.
I release all that does not serve my highest good.
With the New Year I improve emotionally, financially, spiritually, and physically.
I am completely healthy and loved.
Goddess and God- guide and guard me on my journey into the New Year. Let the return of the light be a reflection of me.
SO MOTE IT BE!
Yule
By Maria Alioto
Yule has been celebrated for at least 3000 years. It is most commonly believed to have originated in The Germanic Region, being Norse in origin. The name Yule is is believed to be derived from Jolnir, which is another Norse name for the God Odin, the king of the Norse Gods.
Jul (Pronounced yule) is also the Norse name for “wheel,” as it is part of the sacred wheel of the year. This is a time for new beginnings
Yule, or the winter solstice, is the longest night of the year. It is when we see the least amount of daylight. On this day we celebrate the birth of the son of the Goddess, who becomes the sun god. This represents the return of light. One of the most popular stories regarding Yule is the story of the battle between the Holly King and the Oak King. They are believed to be dual aspects of the horned God. The Holly King is often described to look like A shaman version of Santa, a precursor to our traditional Santa Clause. He represents the dark and the night. The Oak King represents the light and fertility; he is often represented as the green man.
Each year at the winter and summer solstices the Oak King and the Holly King have a battle, and at Yule the Oak King wins and brings back the light and the sun.
Ancient Yule traditions are still practiced in modern day celebrations. Greenery was brought indoors for protection during the winter months. Pine trees were cut down and brought inside and decorated with candles or lights. Ornaments were made from oranges and apples spiked with cloves. The lights and the ornaments represent the light of the sun. Other ornaments were also hung on the tree to represent the Gods. The trees were considered sacred and were cut down for the Yule celebration with a heart of reverence, gratitude, and respect for nature. At the end of the celebration they were properly burned to warm the home and the heart in a gesture of giving thanks for all that nature has provided. Wreaths were also made to represent the circle or wheel and decorated and treated in the same manner.
Mistletoe has been associated as a magickal plant for ages. Even though it is toxic, it was considered sacred by Druids, the Greeks, and the Romans added it to evergreens to make "kissing bushes.” It is hung in houses to promote well -being, peace, and harmony.
The Yule log was supposed to be cut down from your own property or given as a gift. It was often thought as bad luck to purchase a Yule log. The Yule log was decorated with pine boughs, pinecones, holly, and mistletoe. It was then blessed with holy water, ale, or wine to bring the manifestation. The log was burned over the course of 12 days and a small piece was saved to keep in the house to insure good luck and guard against misfortune throughout the year. It was then used to light the Yule log the following year.
Yule was celebrated often for 12 days, but some cultures celebrated for 7 days and others for as little as 3 days
Possible magickal works for your Yule celebration can include spells for peace, harmony, love and happiness. This is also a time for closure on many things. This is the time to let go of what has been hindering you emotionally and let it go so you can bring about more happiness and prosperity in the upcoming year.
A Solstice Carol
by Jennifer Lawrence
Long the night and short the day--
Comes the solstice soon;
Winter’s breath now chills the air
And darkness hides the moon.
Yule approaches, bringing us
The God’s yearly rebirth;
The Goddess welcomes back her mate
Upon the frozen earth.
With mistletoe and holly bright
Our homes we decorate;
And watch the Yule log burn at night,
His birth to celebrate.
Now with gifts, feasting, and joy
We welcome back our Lord;
Love and hope as He grows strong
Are Midwinter’s reward.
So to hail this holy day,
We join together here
And stand in love and harmony
To wait the coming year.
Community events
Saga & Edda Intensive Discussion bookclub
Sunday December 20, 2009
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Witchy Wearables bookstore
4459 147th St, #D,
Midlothian, IL 60445
Join us to study and discuss the Icelandic Sagas, Prose & Poetic Eddas. These are the sources of literature that record the myths and historical events upon which is based the modern reconstruction of the Pre-Christian Scandinavian religion known as Heathenry/Asatru.
Feel free to bring your favorite translation of the Poetic Edda, your sense of fun and a friend!
We look forward to good conversation with you!
Participants are asked to bring a snack to share and a $3 donation
CRYSTAL BOWL HEALING MEDITATION
Rosina and Her Band of Bowls
3rd Friday Monthly (7 PM)
1st Sunday Monthly (11 AM)
TranZformation Rosina's own shop
8101 W. 123rd Street
Palos Park, IL
(708)361-2080 (after November 25.
Bring something to lie down on or something comfortable to sit on as you bathe yourself on all levels with the sounds of the Tibetan and Crystal bowls.
Recipes
Peanut Butter Cookies (Reindeer favorites)
Submitted by Sherry Gilles
2 1/2 cups flour, sift or stir before measuring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup shortening (margarine works too)
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Instructions: Combine dry ingredients separately
Combine wet ingredients separately (mix well)
Once both are mixed well add dry ingredients to wet. Mix slowly.
Roll dough into little balls with your palms and dip fork into lukewarm water and smoosh each ball flat leaving a pretty little fork pattern on top of each cookie. Batter should be a tiny bit crumbly but still moist. If you cannot make firm little balls, it’s too dry. Test cook a couple at 375 degrees 8-10 mins. If those are good, then you’ve done it. Lots of recipes tell you 400-425 degrees but I have always found that too hot [ovens vary] and the bottom of my cookies burn. Unburnt cookies are more tasty!
Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Reindeer favorites)
Submitted by Kim A
12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup orange juice with mango
1 cup white sugar
Put all ingredients in a sauce pan on med heat until the berries burst. As this fragrant mixture cool it will thicken. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat it. This can be made ahead of time so it's one less thing to make for a holiday dinner. Very tasty!
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Copyright * 2002 - 2010 Greater Chicagoland Pagan Pride Committee. All rights reserved
Blessed Be,
Maria, AutTumn and Sherry
Chicago Pagan Pride 2010 leadership committee
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