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Ostara is on it's way!!! Please use any of the following suggestions for fun games, activities and recipes!!


Violet Jelly

You will need:
2 cups Violet flowers (yes, the ones that grow wild)
1 qt. boiling water
1 lemon
1 pkg. powdered pectin
4 cups sugar
4 8oz. jelly jars

Pour the boiling water over the flowers and allow to set for 24 hours.
Drain the flowers off of the infusion.

Take two cups of the infusion and add the juice of 1 lemon and the package
of powdered pectin. Bring to a boil. Add sugar and return to a boil. Boil
1 minute and then pour into four 8 oz. jelly jars.
(Ed. note: This jelly is really fun to make. After steeping the violets,
the water is a beautiful soft blue. When you add the lemon juice, it turns
a vibrant purple. During cooking, it turns a lovely rose pink. It's a
great science project! Serve between thin slices of pound cake... yumm!)


Ostara Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 to 7 cups flour

Filling:
1/2 cup melted butter or margerine
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins 3 tablespoons cinnamon

Frosting:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk
1 cup sliced almonds

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, eggs, oil, salt, and three
cups of the flour. Beat well. Gradually add three or more cups of flour
until a soft dough forms. Turn dough onto a floured board and kneed until
smooth ( about 5 minutes ). Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise in a
warm place until doubled. Punch down, turn onto a floured board, and roll
into a 12x24-inch rectangle.

Spread melted butter over the dough with a pastry brush, sprinkle with
sugar, raisins and cinnamon. Roll the dough up carefully and cut into 24
slices. Place the slices, flat side down, in two greased 9x13-inch baking
pans and let rise again. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about15
minutes, checking often. Blend confectioners' sugar and vanilla with just
enough milk to make a thin frosting. Spread over pans of warm rolls and
sprinkle with almonds.


Egg Hunt Coloring Sheet:
CLICK HERE and then print and color!!!

On Ostara Eve:

Light a purple or violet candle and burn patchouli incense.
Carry them both through the house, saying:
"Farewell to wintry spirits and friends;
On morrow we greet the spirits of spring;
Our blessings to thee as your way you wend;
And merry we'll meet next winter again."

Blow out the candle and say:
"Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!"


I am quite new at Pagan Parenting, as I only have one child and he is still young, 3 years old. As a proud mother, I have to provide you with a link to his website
(Click on the "About Me" button at top of page)

The most important part, I think, about learning and practicing the Wiccan religion, is teaching its good ways. And this applies to our children as well as other adults in our lives.

Lets start with a little history lesson:

Most of you know that most fairytales commonly told to children (christians too!) are from Pagan descent!! Magical folk tales have been part of the storytelling tradition since the dawn of time . . . including stories of fairies, sorcerers, witches, and human folk under enchantment. Folk tales are humbler stories than the great cosmological myth cycles or long heroic Romances, and as such have been passed through the generations largely by the lower caste portions of society: women, peasants, slaves, and outcast groups such as the gypsies. Fairy folklore, fitted in with a general medievalism that in the middle to late 19th century can be seen in many types of art, such as the works of the Pre-raphaelite's.

For the Victorians it harked back to a more certain, uncorrupted time, pre the Industrial Revolution that was then sweeping all before it throughout England. Hence the collecting of tales in so-called primitive backwater areas in Scotland, Ireland and other parts. The concept of chivalry was important, Ruskin noted that "Fairy tales involve rescue of the weak by the strong and noble, and fairy mythology is full of acts performed in secrecy to reclaim the fortunes of the poor." Many of the stories as recorded by Yeats, Lady Gregory and Thomas Croker, show the fairies as an integral part of everyday life for the people who told these stories. Fairy doctors such as Biddy Early, though repeatedly condemned by the Church, were active and often highly respected (though with mixed feelings) by the local people. During the middle to late Victorian period, the influence, especially on Yeats of Spiritualism and the occult in general, were also reflected in the country at large. Yeats was also influenced by Helena Blavatsky and her Theosophical Society and it should be remembered that it was members of this society that were so involved with the later Cottingley fairy photographs - along with Arthur Conan Doyle (who was an ardent Spiritualist). As in many Irish folklore tales, belief in the survival of the dead went hand in hand with a belief in Tir Na Nog - fairyland - Summerland's. In 1920 W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory published a 'big book' of the folklore of the Irish. Yeats stated " My part is to show that what we call Fairy Belief is exactly the same thing as English and American spiritism except that fairy belief is very much more charming." Yeats also believed absolutely that these folk-tales represented 'an ancient system of belief', which had been overlaid by the later Christianity. So to Yeats at least there was some reality behind the Fairy Lore he and his faithful companion Lady Gregory spent so much time over so many years investigating. For Yeats at least, 'reality' was not in the 'artificial' world of formal literature, but amongst the tales of the Irish peasants. Blah

Blah Blah, you say? Well, all of this is pointing out that millions of families, of all religions, all over the world have had a bit of a Celtic Pagan influence! Just one of the many wonders of tradition and folklore.


Child of Nature
by GypsyLynx
Child of nature in a land of strife
Child of nature filled with life
Raise your voice to a brand new day
Grandfather Sun light your way
Taste the wind, feel the breeze
With Grandmother Moon take your ease
The Arch of Sky, gentle and blue
Joins up with Earth to watch over you
Child of nature in a land of strife
Child of nature filled with life
The power of Thunder in your voice
With rippling Water may you rejoice
The steadiness of Rocks give you your ground
Whispering Four Winds fill you with sound
Medicine Bear and mighty Hawk
Beside Eagle and Otter may you safely walk
Child of nature in a land of strife
Child of nature filled with life

Thirteen Pagan Parenting Tips

These were found in the 1999 Magical Almanac By: Llewellyn
1. First and foremost, love your child. Self-esteem is a valuable commodity. A few kinds words or a simple hug from you as your children are growing up could save thousands of dollars in therapy bills down the road.

2. It is essential to the continued good health and well-being of any parent to cultivate a positive outlook as much as possible. No, I don't mean running out and joining the Barney fan club. What I mean is that it is important to welcome every good thing that comes into your life, so that as you show gratitude, your child learns to likewise develop gratitude. You can't expect your child to develop such things without first learning them from you.

3. As a parent, you have incredible power and influence in shaping the life and attitudes of your child. It's a big responsibility. Being a parent is a task and obligation that defines us, our role, and our community from that point onward. Parents shape the future through their children. Think about what you teach your child, the words you use around them, and the way you respond to their needs and demands.

4. Be fair, honest, and open in how you treat your child. No good comes from lying to your children. Attempting to teach your child concepts of honor, integrity, and honesty will force you to adhere to these same things. If that doesn't teach you some humility, nothing will.

5. The best thing about being a parent is that you get to do all the things you wish you could have done as a kid, and in this way you can heal your own inner child.

6. I do not preach to my child. I dislike proselytizing, and will not condone it in my home. I raise my chilto be tolerant of other religions. I encourage my child to think for herself, to make up her own mind, and to feel free to discuss or question anything. If I can't explain to her that I need to get some sleep so I can go to work in the morning, how am I going to explain such things as manners, boundaries, spirituality, or (eventually) sexuality to her? I see my child developing in leaps and bounds and going places I could never have gone at her age. Watching her grow has given me a renewed and deepened respect and reverence for the way life works.

7. Laugh and play with your children. Be part of their fun. It will strengthen your bond and it can heal a lot of the grimness and hardness we all accumulate over the years. Your kids can teach you a lot about how to be happy, to reconnect with the child-self within all of us and how to make life special again.

8. Act responsibly and show some respect to your children. If they want to follow in your footsteps, there's plenty of time to do things right. Your children don't have to be initiated to grow up within the Craft. When and where it's appropriate, include your children. Create your own rituals together, traditions that the whole family can share and take pride in. Provide them with suitable activities, like seasonal crafts and decorating the house. Take this special time to teach your children the stories and myths, the reasons you do what you do. Give them the chance to participate in the fun Pagan stuff and don't make a big deal about what goes on in the circle - leave that for another day, when they are more mature and ready to deal with it in a spiritual context.

9. Always let your kids know that you love them and take pride in them, no matter what. The three most powerful magic words in the English language are "I love you." Don't be afraid to use them on your kids frequently.

10. You're human and make mistakes. We all know this. Make sure that your children know this, too. That way they'll know it's okay for them to make mistakes, and they won't have to watch as you fall off that pedestal they might have built for you. Their expectations are shaped in response to your own. Cut them a little more slack than you do yourself. They haven't made all the same choices you have, and they may see things differently than you do.

11. Empower your kids. Teach them how to get things done. As they get a little older, show them how to do things for themselves. Learning how to cook or help to do laundry can cultivate problem-solving skills better than practically anything else. After a few domestic training sessions, you'll find the shared context useful in explaining all manner of things to them down the road.

12. Encourage your children to read, first by reading to them, then by having them read to you. One of the most powerful and important acts of magic is literacy. This is a very important gift to give to your child, and one that will enrich and enhance their life.

13. Listen to your children. They can sometimes teach you a great deal about things you probably have been taking for granted for a long time. Just remember that you're the parent and it's up to you to set the limits and boundaries for your children, not the other way around. Give them their say, but the final decision is yours.

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Poetry is such an important (and enjoyable!)�part of the Wiccan religion, that children should always be exposed to it. Allow them to express themselves through music an poetry also.

Rainbow One
by Sonja Dunn
Please don't rush me Daddy
I want to taste the Sun
I want to climb the rainbow
Now that the storm is done.

The Moon
by Eliza Lee Follen
Oh, look at the moon!
She is shining up there;
Oh Mother, she looks
like a lamp in the air.
Last week she was smaller,
And shaped like a bow;
But now she's grown bigger
And round as an O.
Pretty moon, pretty moon,
How you shine on the door,
And make it all bright
On my nursery floor.
You shine on my playthings,
And show me their place,
And I love to look up
At your pretty bright face.
And there is a star
Close by you, and maybe
that small twinkling star
Is your little baby.

Some Books I would recommend (a couple I still have on order! So I will be finding out new info with all the literature I am going to be reading soon)