A Celtic Tapestry Anthology

The wheel of the year turns, bringing the joy of spring, the warmth of summer, the richness of autumn, and the merriment of winter. But eight Celtic festivals link these seasons together, bringing with them romance, lust, danger, and even magic. From a city under threat from night-time creatures at Ostara, to a selkie caught by the light of the Lughnasadh moon, to a writer caught in the flames of a fiery goddess at Imbolc.

Eight authors have come together to give their own twist on these festivals, weaving each story with a blend of myth, magic, and contemporary telling…to create A Celtic Tapestry



 

 
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  Guest Post by Laura DeLuca - Author of Brigid's Flame  

 

Brigid’s Flame is my contribution to the anthology and it was inspired by my patron goddess, Brigid. She is the goddess of poetry, smith craft and childbirth.  In my story, a struggling writer invokes Brigid on the sacred night of Imbolc to help rekindle his creativity with her eternal flame.  The chant my hero uses in one I wrote myself and have used many times to help overcome writers block.

“Brigid, I call you on this sacred night.

I summon your flame. I invoke your might.

The words will come. My mind will soar.

My strength and confidence will endure.

Goddess Brigid, fill me with creativity.

As I will it, so mote it be.”

Here is a simple spell anyone can use along with the chant to help bring some inspiration into their lives.  All you need is a candle (preferably orange or yellow, but white can also be used), a bowl, and a few ice cubes. If available, snow or icicles would be even better.  Set the items up on your altar or some other space where you have privacy. Place the ice cubes or snow into the bowl and light your candle.  Star into the flame and focus of what you are trying to accomplish. Imagine that the ice is your creativity. Right now it’s frozen and blocked.  Now see that flame warming the ice, melting away those blocks. Continue this visualization as you chant the spell.  Once the ice has melted it, drink the water. This is your creativity flowing freely back into you.     

   

The Giveaway

To help celebrate the release of The Celtic Tapestry, our friends over at A Celtic Attic are offering one lucky winner a beautiful Brigid's Cross wall plaque. To enter just fill out the rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on 4/11/13 Open WORLDWIDE. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again A Celtic Attic for offering this fantastic prize.


 a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Please note I received no form of compensation for this post***

Ostara by ~*Spirit*~

It’s that time again for another Sabbat! This is one I am especially excited for because it marks the beginning of Spring, which I love!! After a bland winter my soul gets itchy to be outside and see all the beautiful colors that Mother Earth has to share with us. This sabbat is Ostara, and a special note as it’s also my youngest daughter’s birthday.

The spring equinox is called by many names: Ostara, Oestara, Eostre’s Day, Rite of Eostre, Alban Elir, Festival of the Trees (I like that one lol) and Lady Day. It is known as one of the lesser sabbats, however I think solstices and equinoxes have added punch to their power through the energy of the universe, as on this day, the night and day are of equal lengths.

A quick tip on remembering which are the main sabbats and which are the lesser are the dates:

Solstices & Equinoxes (lesser sabbats) (March 21, June 21, September 21, December 21) – all on or close to the 21^st.

4 Major Imbolc Feb 2, Beltane May 1, Lammas Aug 1 and Samhain 31 – First or last day of the month, barring Imbolc.

Winter is a time where everything is dead and/or dormant. Spring is when everything is brought back to life, so for spell work, Ostara is the time to invoke those qualities/personalities into your life that you are wanting and letting go of those that you don’t want with the passing winter. This is the perfect time to renew yourself and find balance within.

An example of a great spell/ritual that you can do on Ostara is to take some old leaves, write on them qualities that you wish to get rid of and plant it in the ground to “ground out” those qualities. You can also do the same thing but plant it with a seedling, yet these words are to qualities that you want to bring forth in your life, as the plant grows, the abundance will flow to you.

The symbolisms for Ostara are much the same as Easter, eggs (fertility/abundance), rabbits (fertility) and fertility in and of itself is the embodiment of LIFE, which spring is all about bringing the earth back to life.

Here is an explanation of the word Ostara and Easter in comparison from The Real Witches Handbook, by Kate West:

“It is no coincidence that the name for this Sabbat sounds similar to the word “Easter”. Eostre, or Ostara, is an Anglo-Saxon Dawn Goddess whose symbols are the egg and the hare. She, in turn, is the European version of the Goddess Ishtar or Astarte, whose worship dates back thousands of years and is certainly pre-Christian. Eostre also lives on in our medical language in the words “oestrous’ (the sexual impulse in female animals) and ‘oestrogen’ (a female hormone).”

Now in my personal life, I have been blessed with seeing rabbits the other day. One had just given birth and I saw it’s babies! I also watched as two more female rabbits made their nests and I got to learn a bit about the nature of rabbits as well. The whole time I just smiled and kept thinking, “Well, Ostara IS coming up…,” seeing what you believe in IN action is pretty cool. I felt honored to have experienced that so close to the sabbat that embodies it.

Now before I forget, this is also the time to get planting! Fertility isn’t just for the cute little bunnies and other critters, it’s for us to reap the benefits of our own gardening.

I’m not going to list animal/color/candle/herb/oil/food correspondences because I believe we each walk a unique path and what’s right for one isn’t right for another.

Enjoy this Blessed time! ~*Spirit*~

Our First Book Review!

As our readers know, we have a couple friends that are authors. And damn good authors at that!  One of our friends, Tara Chevrestt has two personas that she writes under.  The first being Tara and the second being Sonia Hightower. Tara writes the sweeter, tamer genres and Sonia writes more on the naughty, erotic side! The book I reviewed for our dear friend is called Grapes of Lust. 

Here's the blurb on the book from Amazon, but if you visit Sonia's blog, Book Babe, you can see more on the book itself.

It’s a dark and stormy night, and two lonely souls are drinking alone at Vespera’s Vineyard. Circumstances force them to share a table, and they can either drown in their sorrows or breathe in the instant attraction.

Celia thinks she should continue to grieve, but Nicholas and his injury touches a part of her soul.

Can they move on and embrace life again? Can lust replace wrath and sadness? Will what happens at Vespera’s continue outside the vineyard?

Our thoughts: 

Sonia's short story is something that you can read quickly and find yourself fantasizing about being in Celia's shoes.

In this story two people who are having themselves a little solo pity party are shoved together and find lust together. Something of which they have both needed in their lives at that moment. I love that Sonia left us an open ending to this story. Maybe one day we'll find out what happened after Celia and Nicholas' short time together!

This short story is worth taking the time to read it! It's a quick read at only 23 pages but it's the story that those pages tell that will have you mesmerized and wanting more!

If you're interested in downloading the book, click here to purchase from Amazon or here to purchase from Secret Craving Publishing.

Enjoy! 

Written by ~*Fire*~

Destiny and Destiny Unveiled Giveaway

Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabriella and Darron at odds. 

There is more to the story than Gabriella and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabriella and Darron both come to terms with who they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.

Available on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.  

Destiny Unveiled

Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks Gabriella's help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic in the hands of the evil witches. Gabriella's coven sets out on a journey that may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within themselves. When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world is in her hands.

 Available on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble. 

About the Author

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Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama.  Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Demon and Player.

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the new covers, Author Laura DeLuca is giving away a prize pack that includes a oil diffuser, incense and burner, decorative wooden keepsake box, lavender scented drawer liners, a crystal point, stone pendant, and signed copies of Destiny & Destiny Unveiled with the original covers.

The Whimsical Pixie Etsy Shop is also donating a beautiful altar set inspired by the original cover of Destiny Unveiled. 

The book's cover was recreated on the altar box lid; the design was first set in pyrography, painted, stain and given a protective coating of high gloss polycrylic. The flower Celtic knot pentagram is worn by Gabby and her friends as a symbol of unity and has been pyrographed on the altar tile. Red paint was floated around the perimeter to coordinate with the Blood Moon of the cover. A red rose in full bloom was used on both millefiori* pieces; the censor and charcoal tongs. It symbolizes the Gabby's destiny being unveiled. 

A scene in the book tells of the young hero doing spell work on the beach using a drift wood wand to cast a circle and sea shells to form a pentagram. Both of these have been included as well as censor sand and a roll of charcoal disks so you can perform your own ritual. Whether you're just starting to walk the path or have for years, this kit makes an attractive addition to your ritual tools.

One lucky winner is going to receive both these fabulous prize packs. To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on  3/28/13. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to The Whimsical Pixie and the author for offering this fantastic prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What happens when...?

What happens when... my ghosts go missing?  Have you ever had a ghost or entity in your home that you know is there and then one day the energy of them is missing?  Well, that has happened to me a few times in the last few months. First, my protector, George went missing... I noticed that he hadn't been around but sometimes he doesn't really make his presence known so it wasn't so concerning.  That was it wasn't concerning until a friend posted on Facebook that she had a George come to her apologizing. Yup, he kind of disappeared from my house right before I went through something personal.  It was nice that he apologized but I really could've used the knowledge that he was still with me during that difficult time I was having.

About five to six weeks ago another of our "friendlies" (that's what we affectionately call the ghosts that are welcomed into our home) took a vacation.  This time though it was a BIG issue that he went on a vacation.  The ghost that went missing was the Union Soldier, Zachariah, that has been attached to my youngest son, M.  Like I said, this became a BIG issue as when he disappeared, M went back to a newborn schedule of being up four to six times in the middle of the night.  He didn't just wake up and go back to sleep, he woke me up every time that he was woke up. Needless to say this momma was running on very little sleep for a very long period of time!

Once I figured out that Zach was missing, I consulted with Earth, Water, and Spirit, amongst some of our other spiritual friends. We came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, M's problem was that Zach's energy was missing and he wasn't comfortable.  We decided that I should meditate and try to contact Zach's energy to see if I couldn't figure out what's up.  The hard part about that is being pregnant, I have a hard time meditating.  But, I tried my hardest to meditate and was successful. I asked the Divine to help guide Zach back to M and to bring peace back to my baby. Lo and behold, within a few days of me meditating, M was back to sleeping through the night again!

I am so thankful for the ghosts that we have in our home as they are very protective over all of us.  They are part of the family and their absence is noted quite heavily. I know one thing, I am so grateful that my children are sensitive to the paranormal and that they accept the abnormal. :-)

We enjoy hearing from you and welcome your thoughts and comments.  You can also find us on Facebook at The Sisters Elemental.

~*Fire*~

Elemental Meditation by ~*Spirit*~

Elemental Meditation by ~*Spirit*~

As with all things, you may have different correspondences. Do what works best for you, as it's your spirituality and your path.

Earth
Stability, food, wealth, crops, animals, home, mountains, strength, grounding, protecting, nature, death/rebirth, the body, fertility, birth, healing, empathy, strength, practical wisdom.

You're in a forest, standing with tall trees all around. The weather is exactly how you like it. Feel the breeze on your skin. Place your hands on the trunk of the tree in front of you. Close your eyes. Feel your arms, body and legs turn into limbs from the tree. Feel the roots going into the ground. What do you need from the element of Earth? Visualize it coming to fruition. Feel Earth's energy sweeping through your body and into the ground as you are connected to the tree.
Other visualizations: If you don't like the idea of turning your body into the tree, imagine it filling up with dirt, or leaves that are falling off the tree (or whatever else works for you).

Air
Mind, mental and psychic work, intuition, knowledge, abstract thought, wind, breath, clouds, inspiration, hearing, herbal knowledge, plant growth, purification, freedom, revealing truth, finding lost things, instruction, telepathy, memory, learning the secrets of the dead, zen meditation, new beginnings, illuminations.

Now you are standing on a mountain, or possibly a high cliff. The wind is blowing fiercely  Your arms are raised above your head and you can feel the wind whipping between each finger. Your clothing is being blown against your body, off to the East. Think of your intentions for Air, and that those intentions are being blown into the East, the corresponding direction to it's element.

Fire
Energy, sexuality, passions, love, authority, transformation, purification, candle flames, sun, blood, healing, destruction, will, creativity, flame, heat, bonfires, hearth fires, protection, courage, strength, physical exercise, self-knowledge, loyalty, vision, illumination, power.

Standing in the middle of a ring of fire, the sky is black. The flames are shooting higher than you're standing and the heat is intense. As you're flowing with the dance of the flames you turn into one. Feel the heat and energy encompass you, and the intention of what you need Fire to do.

Water
Emotions, feelings, love, courage, the unconscious mind, intuition, the womb, marriage, friendship,happiness, dreams, sleep, healing, menstruation, fertility, cleansing, purification, vision quests, self-healing, sorrow, reflection, psychic ability, oceans, rivers, lakes, rain, springs and wells.

Diving deep into the ocean, you feel the water ripple over every muscle of your body. You come upon a large rock sitting on the sea bed. Place both hands upon the rock and allow the water to wash over you in waves of the intention you need from Water. Feel the ocean's energy encompass you.
Alternative: You can sit/lay next to or into a creek bed. Place your hand in the water and feel the smooth pebbles and focus on the way the water moves between your fingers. If your whole body is in it, feel the water wash over you.

Spirit
Encompasses everything. A final send off. Your soul.
You're standing in the middle of four pillars (each representative of the Elements). Your body turns into a violet flame as you feel purity and peace wash over you. Stay here for as long as you like, feeling each element and your true self. Know that what you've asked for, will happen.

Correspondences taken off of this webpage.

Ramblings by ~*Spirit*~

So many different things and topics to think about and want to post about that today, it's just going to be a ramble of everything on my mind and what's going on in my life.

In regards to the homestead, we're tearing down the cabin. The hubby has already started removing items out of the cabin and tomorrow we will start taking it down, reusing the good wood and burning the rest. Then we'll start the slow process of rebuilding :)

I have my garden all planned out, perhaps a bit too big I'm thinking. I'm pretty sure the garden I have planned could feed everyone on my road, which is ok I guess. We want to put bushels of extra produce next to the road for friends to use. Pay it forward kind of thing... The amount of dirt we will need (the soil here is no bueno) is astronomical. We will be doing a raised garden bed and we considered wood and then cinder blocks, however that's all going to cost a pretty penny as well. Our new idea is to use the trees on our property. There are a few that need to come down and I will make the raised beds out of those. Will look fantastic.

I need to start looking around for herb seeds and the seeds for our garden. I don't want anything that's been previously GMO'd or whatnot, just pure organic seeds. I am stoked about my herb garden, cannot wait to get that going and to get my indoor herbs going once the cabin is finished. I hope it doesn't take forever to build....summer is my goal right now. We're pretty simplistic when it comes to living, so just one super large square home and I'll take care of the interior ;)

Since waiting on the cabin before thinking of having more kids is the responsible thing to do, I'm focusing on my health. I have dabbled in Paleo for the past year, however I went full paleo since 12/12/12. I did that on purpose, and at the same time... I didn't, it just kinda happened LOL! Almost a month in and I'm still going through a pretty good detox. Took years to poison the body, now it's taking time to readjust it to a healthy lifestyle. Hopefully the detoxing symptoms will be gone in another month at the most. Here's hoping...

Something that has been on my mind lately is the bracelet I received from 3 Strands. I love what it stands for, and when I got the bracelet, I also received the name of the lovely woman who made it, and who is a survivor of her past ♥ Check em out!

My bracelet looks like this, but without the tan color in it. Super sturdy, and beautiful and it just makes me happy that this company exists to help women and children!

That's enough ramblings from ~*Spirit*~ Till next time, Blessings!