Candle

Overcoming Yuletide Blues

Are you less than jolly this time of year? Tired of hearing how happy you’re supposed to be during the holidays? Do you just want more peace during this stressful time?

Some of us find it a hardship to see relatives who don’t share our spiritual beliefs.

Many Wiccans and Pagans stay in the broom closet (in hiding) from family and friends. Why? Rejection. Some families even banish pagan relatives. This banishment would result if they discovered our hearts and minds are with the Gods. It’s just too much of a risk of loss for many to bear. In some communities, one may even fear retaliation by one’s own family.

I know some pagans who don’t face such consequences and who practice freely. These fortunate pagans told me that the others are “cowards” for hiding. It bothers me to witness such lack of compassion for others’ pain and problems.

How do we cope with such adversity?

Being in the broom closet is not a bad thing. For some, it is a necessity for keeping their job and family.

So how do we keep the peace in our own hearts this holiday season while in the closet? How do we still honor the Gods during the holidays with family? Here are a few suggestions:

Wear a pagan pendent under your shirt. (Just make sure that it can’t fall out and be seen by unfriendly eyes.)
Light a candle (while saying a silent prayer) and place it on the mantel or other place of prominence in your own home.
Take a ritual bath before a gathering and honor the Gods. You’ll feel better.
Bring a bottle of your favorite drink (mead is mine) to a gathering.
Anoint yourself with sacred oil and keep your intentions of love and peace for the Yule holiday close to you.

These actions can be done in the broom closet and need not require permission from any unsympathetic family members.

And for that extra touch of magick here is a simple blessing you can say for yourself for holiday gatherings.

By the Gods and the four quarters might,

May this blessing be just right.

May the Gods love be in my heart,

May my heart be the center for my kindness,

May my kindness be a guide for my compassion,

May my compassion be an action of love in this world,

And may my action of love in this world bring peace to all at this time.

So mote it be.

How do you plan to celebrate this Yule Sabbat? Are there any ideas you would like to share? Let me know by using the comments box.

Blessings,

Moonwater

I wanted to take a moment and pass this vital message on to you from one of my mentors, Patrick McCollum. What the Patrick McCollum Foundation does is truly important to our community and around the world. If you think you can help, please contact Nell Rose.

Patrick leads march for preserving the Ganges and the Planet. 5000 children participated

“Patrick is quickly becoming one of the foremost voices in our world on the topics of creating world peace and sustaining all people. His message inspires audiences to recognize our inherent interconnection through a common narrative, which gives us greater access to envisioning and creating a common goal: a world that works for everyone. Patrick talked about some of the incredible things that have happened to him over the last 3 and a half years and I wanted to take a moment to review these once again:

Buddhist spiritual leaders in Thailand have named Patrick the “World Inner Peace Ambassador”.
He was an honored guest speaker at the World Culture Forum in Kazakhstan 2010 where he spoke on the importance of our harmonious connection with Nature and with each other.
He has been initiated as a Saint in India and given the name ‘Babaji’, meaning ‘Revered Father’
He has also been honored as the ‘King of Peace’ by renowned Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoche’s in our world, among receiving other titles of similar caliber.
In 2011 he was honored with receiving the Mahatma Gandhi Award for Religious Pluralism.
Last January, Patrick was invited to lead the opening prayer at the Maha Kumba Mela in India, a spiritual gathering that attracted over 100 million people.
In February, Patrick will be giving a blessing and be a part of the Maha Yaga in India.
In March he will be doing a workshop in Maui with Ram Dass.

Patrick’s teachings have helped many seekers make sense of the world and deepen their connection to Mother Earth and the Universe with an open heart in the wholeness of Love and Reality.

We are currently in an active fund raising program to help further Patrick’s work. We are attempting to raise $100,000.00 to create a digital media library to preserve the teachings of Patrick, and other like-minded spiritual teachers, update our web site, and help cover the cost of travel to the many events Patrick will attending and spreading his massage in creating peace bridges between countries and people, to help him to continue inspiring youth, to support women’s rights, religious equality and to continue to archive his spiritual practices and teachings, and for general overhead to help support and build a stronger Foundation.

We are also currently running an indiegogo campaign for Patrick for his upcoming Maha Yaga trip. If you could please send this to any list or social networking sites that you may be a part of to get the message out.

http://igg.me/at/PatrickMcCollumMahaYaga

If you can contribute financially in some way that would be wonderful. Please contact me so I might provide further details on our Fundraising Goals and how you can help.”

Blessings, Light, Love, Peace,