How was Samhain?

Our Samhain went Wonderfully! We had a bonfire, of course. We did a 2 night ritual. The boys learned again, as they do every year of Jack O'Lantern. Including why we use pumpkins now instead of turnips which were originally used for Jack O'Lanterns. The kids also learned what the meaning of dressing up, and going from house to house is about. That it too is like a ritual from long ago. People left out goodies for the spirits to pass their house by, hense the words Trick Or Treat.
It all led into All Souls day of the dead. Where they are educated and we do the march of forgotten souls, putting pumpkins on forgotten graves.

Mabon ritual

It went beautiful. My boys learned what it was really about. Mabon is the second of three harvest holidays. We had potato soup to honor the day. Baked potatoes as part of the ritual. Ate of bread, and drank of juice. (and rootbeer). Undisturbed and even a neighbor came to join in the festivities. The kids done drawings for a bit about it during school, and writing about it. Of course reading about it.

Feast of Lights

This is an Ancient Egyptian celebration. You have a fire (In our case candles) and go put them in front of graves. Use this time to meditate on the dead, and the God and Goddess in charge of the dead. It comes on September 14th. So tonight I will be going out with family and friends, and we shall celebrate this in our own way.
If you cannot go out and do this tonight, maybe plan for next year, and light a candle and concentrait on those who have passed on, and those who guide them there.
Love and Light to everyone!
Now would also be a good time to have a question and answer session with the kiddos about death and dying!

Practice Practice Practice

We did Pagan Pride Day this past weekend. What it consisted of with my boys was practice of their parts. Quentin being the West, and Ashton casting a circle. They worked really hard. Everyone was extremely impressed at our family based coven. The funny part was that while everyone was nervous, it all seemed to just fall into place. As if a higher spirit (Goddess maybe, lol) was watching over us all. It was wonderful!

Sorry for going so long

Our little guy was born June 4th. A little early, but he is great!
Back to business, School restarted August 9th. Actually we have started this year off with a bang. Our family based coven is going to be doing a closing ritual at Pagan Pride day. The kids are excited about that. We are using some school time to talk over and figure out what we are going to do for our public ritual!
How we celebrate the Harvest holidays, and how many there are. Recently we have also done a Greek Gods and Goddesses crossword, which contained facts about them too. http://www.weygold.us/arcade/crosswords/Greek_Gods_Crossword.pdf
Don't forget the word search we also done. http://bogglesworldesl.com/greek_gods.htm
There is also a Mabon course for learning about the Harvest holiday that I am going to sign up for to help the children! http://paganwiccan.about.com/c/ec/91.htm
I hope this helps you!!!! Let me know what you think!

Life Cycle

A little experiment. At the end of Samhain, when your pumpkins/JackOlanterns are dying, mychildren talked with me. Instead of doing the ordinarytrashing of the pumpkins, we made a pumpkin graveyard to the side of the house, where we dug out our bushes. Compost, they are dying, they return to the earth. From that through the winter, we get the whole death and into the soil. From that, clearing out in the spring,you should get little budlings. Then by Halloween you should have your own pumpkin. A lesson about the cycle of life!

Death and dying!

It's been a whle. There are reasons. On March 31 my husband's mother died. It was complicated, and he had to make the decision to pull her off of life support and let her go.
The kids were close to her, especially Anakin, our 4yo. How to explain death to a child? Well we're really open about it. Right now her ashes are on the mantel. Overall, what I recommend is... the Pagan book of Living and Dying. http://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Book-Living-Dying-Meditations/dp/0062515160 It really is an amazing book, with amazing prayers. It covers every aspect of death, in a clear and precise way too. Even my 10yo can read and understand it.

Ostra Pagan Holiday!

Teaching children of Easter, Ostra. It's easier then you wold think. Most of the things that were taken over by Christian Easter were all part of Ostra.
Easter eggs for example.
It is a symbol of rebirth of the seasons where we were no longer bound by winters cold and fruitless harvest.
Easter Bunny
Goddess who gave a bunny the powers to lay eggs once a year. You can guess when that was?
Spring Equinox The time when day and night beome the same length. Later the day grows longer, and Demeter got her daughter back (Incorporating the Greek Myth.) There are many things to tech the children about this holiday.
Here, we had an egg hunt, three legged race, musical chairs around the bonfire. It ws wonderful! We had a Wiccaning, and Eostra ritual! We feasted on Lunchmeat, cheese, potato salad, chips, beans, etc etc. Of course there was also candy too!
However you choose to celebrate, or to teach you kiddos about the importance of these things. I hope you don't forget what it is all about.... Family!

St. Pattys Day History!

It was yesterday. I don't take the joy out of the holiday. Everyone wears green or they get pinched. It's a fun tradition, and my moms maiden name was Carter, we have the roots to go along with it.
So how to teach a child the true roots without ruining the holiday? It took some reasearch but I did find something that explains exactly what happened, but doesn't ruin the holiday.
http://holidays.kaboose.com/patrick-history.html
It is kid related and it helps to explain what really happened.
I think it was pretty awesome and accurate without being accusing. Enjoy this, it was the best neutral truthful piece I found on it.

My son's Initiation studies.

This Sunday is my son's initiation. He just turned 13, and has chosen his path. He is receiving a pentacle and an alter pentacle. He is very excited, and has been working hard on learning how to set his alter. He has aquired a bit of things. Of course he is just beginning, and will need more, but on initiation night he needs to set the alter himself.
We have also been teaching him some of the 21 lessons of Merlin. A book my hubs treasures. The lessons of three, and there are plenty. Then explaining the things he doesn't completely understand.
The children have also been learning of Buddah, and Jesus, or as my 6yo calls him, that guy with the nails in his feet and hands. Seems he was unaware that was Jesus until he had seen him in a graveyard one day. I could of sworn I had went over Jesus with him, but I believe that maybe only the outrageous things seem to attract young people's curiosity.
Sorry I am not filled with information on this time around. It's been a long tiredsome day. Maybe if I have time tomorrow I will talk of the lovely weather changes, causing my boys to be able to get out, and their firewood gathering contest!
Blessed Dreams till then!

A Tarot natural!

Last night we found out something pretty neat! My oldest has a knack for reading his tarot cards. He gets things from them easily. I don't think he really needs the book. I find that pretty amazing for a boy who is about to be 13.
Lately I have been working with him on purification, and the meaning of the candle colors. Last night we recorded a session of him reading the cards, and it was amazing. We could see an Aura coming from his head. It was a pretty blue. He was concentraiting pretty hard. It was a really great session.
My boy is growing up. I highly recommend too the book Teaching Witchcraft by Miles Batty. Hope I got that right. It was a great book, and I use it for the older kids, and bits and pieces for the younger children. It actually teaches in lessons. Witchcraft 101, and Witchcraft 102. It covers so much, and it gives quizes so you can tell if they were paying attention hint hint.
I believe that is all for now. I have to see how the younger ones are doing with the group project going through the Moonths. (What I talked of in my previous post). I read it through, and they have read it through again, and are doing the work that came with it.

Our Pagan History, Moonths

I am going to brag about this new site I found. Consisting of a book about the Months, and where they really came from. Everything from Gods and Goddess names to simply the origin. It has work to do also. It is a wonderful tool and I highly recommend it.
http://www.sacredspiralkids.com/history/Pagan/moonth.pdf
There is the book. We already knew Spiralkids was helpful to homeschoolers, but I seriously do recommend this book. It's in PDF file, and it's easy for all ages too!

Opening blog!

Hey everyone. I'm a Pagan mommy, and that's also how I school my children. We do it at home as of yet. We are working on eventually having an actual Wicca/Pagan based school. For now I do these things with my own children tho. Right now I have my children do grounding meditations, and centering in the mornings. They also do a cleaning ritual daily. I incorperate things I find, and things I come up with to make their school based on religion that I have chosen, as well as teaching them religious tolerance. I want them to know Paganism, even if they don't choose it for themselves.
Many Pagans talk, but don't tend to let their kids participate, meanwhile other religions are starting kids out before they even reach school aged. Pagans don't seem to do that much, and if we don't teach them, trust me, others will. Probably others who are not as friendly towards the religion we have chosen. I could not imagine how I would take it if my kid was to ever down my religion without even understanding what it was about.
So with my boys I practice, and with my boys I teach. I make sure they understand all I can teach them, because truthfully, we don't have a bible that teaches us all we need to know. It's a miriad of things, and we need to teach what we can, while we still have their attention. Being a mom of 7, almost 8 boys, they still need my guidance. I plan on giving them all I can.
I am inviting you to share our homeschooling journey, and I will eventually open a website also. To help others to be able to do what we do, if they choose to.