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If we had no winter, the spring would not beso pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.

-Anne Bradstreet

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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5NEW

MOON

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FULL MOON

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YULE BALL

Saturday, December 11 8:00pm -11:30pm

Live music to dance to provided by Outlando Del Mar, fancy dress if youare inclined, snacks, readers and vendors for last minute gifts. Still onplanning stages but will be affordable admission and a wonderful time!

ODINS WINTER SOLSTICESaturday, December 18 7:00pm -11:30pm

Jefferson Unitarian Church

14350 W. 32nd Ave.Golden CO

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As we enter into December we are entering into the darkest time of the year, the days are at theishortest and nights are long. It is a time of deep inner personal work, we are at an in between timand stage. We are between the element of Water and the element of Earth, which is known as thePara Plain or Cross Element of Mud. If you think about Mud, it makes things mucky and hard to

navigate, and it also makes a traveler slow down or chose a different way toward their originaldestination. It is dark and shadowy, yet healing and replenishing at the same time.

As the month reaches the end we come to our new beginning at Yule, when the Sun is reborn andope is renewed. It is once again a time of communal celebration, family and tribe with great feas

and honoring of the Crone as she passes and the Maiden begins her ascent to spring.

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New Moon: Dec. 5th at 10:36 am Mountain Standard Time in Sagittarius

This is a time of magic to see a goal, complete a goal and then see another one. It is also a time touse your vision to see direction as Sagittarius is the seer of the zodiac. The influence of Sagittarius can be used to see outside your normal box and to tap into your dreams.

Full Moon/Winter Solstice: December 21st 1:13am Mountain Standard Time in Gemini.

Not only do we have a Full Moon on the Solstice we also will have a full Lunar Eclipse that weshould be able to see at its fullest at approximately 1:53 am. There is so much potential in themagical working for this night. Not only do we have HOPE coming as the Solstice marks thebeginning of longer days and shorter nights with the return of the sun, but we also have thePower of the Full moon, combined with a Lunar Eclipse, the powerful balance of dark and lighton a night of positive transformation.

For the sisters of OTGS, we will be working in both the dark and light, taking the workings of our November Esbat and continuing working with fears and the dark and understanding how tofind our own personal balance and how to shine light into darkness. We will be working withthe Roman Goddess Angerona.

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Other oils that can be used are Lime, Myrrh, Spearmint, Sage, or Clary Sage. Before you begin spraying,be sure that you have grounded and that you are in a peaceful state of mind or cleansing the area will befutile. Begin spraying an hour or two before your guests start arriving and be sure to spray every room inyour home. When you are finished, you can create an uplifting mood by using essential oils. The best oilsto create harmony and an uplift ing mood are Sweet Basil, Bergamot, Cedar wood, Cinnamon, Geranium,

Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Spearmint, andYlang Ylang. Choose scents that appeal to you and distribute them around the house. You can do this by

using a diffuser, putting a couple of drops on a hot l ight bulb, or putting a drop or 2 on a cotton ball andhiding it in an inconspicuous area in a bathroom. You may also sprinkle the oils on a fake plant, in a

bathroom or kitchen sink. If you are not playing hostess, you can cleanse yourself before leaving yourhome and use the uplifting oils as a perfume or put a drop or 2 on a tissue or handkerchief and inhale the

aroma when it is needed.

Remember that these steps do not have to be done only during the holiday season. Theycan be done anytime that you wish to create an uplifting environment. Cleansing your home should be

done on a regular basis or whenever you feel negative energies taking over you and your home.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

When preparing for the holidays, we want our homes to be perfect for our friendsand family, doing everything we can to make them comfortable and inviting. We

clean, organize and decorate to make them look their very best and reflect the spiritof the holidays. We do everything we can on a mundane level, but what about themagical level? Our homes hold our energy and everyone who enters it. If we are rushed while we are cleaning, anxiety over wanting our homesto look perfect, worry about if our relatives and friends are going to get along, etc. All of these energies reside around us whether we realize it ornot. They help contribute to the atmosphere during the gatherings, especially if any of our friends are sensitive to lingering emotions. Theselingering emotions in our home mix with the emotions of our guests and the potential for tension or arguments increases. If you are playinghostess this year, there are some steps that you can take in order to minimize the tension. After you clean your home, you should cleanse itbefore your guests arrive. You may do this by burning sage like when we cleanse sacred space, however, there are other alternatives. An effectiveway of cleansing your home is by using essential oils mixed with water and spraying the rooms. One such recipe is as follows:

4 ounces water6 drops of Lemon6 drops of Peppermint8 drops of Eucalyptus12 drops of Tea Tree

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Last month we started with self work aligned with the Wheel of the Year by taking an inventory of whatwe are grateful for. If it works for you like it works for me, by doing this exercise I also found things I amnot so grateful for, or things I need to work on. This is an aspect of Shadow Work, where I find thosefinal things from the year that I need to finally face or let go of. As we go into the darkest time of ouryear, I like to think of the three weeks leading up to Yule as the time of me, and I really pay attentionto what I discovered doing the journal workings of the previous month. In the world of worlds this isa time of stress, of extra financial burden and expectation as we lead into Christmas, there are partiesand gatherings, shopping and an expectation for us to live up to something others have pre-establishedaround us. The one person that gets pushed into the background most in this time of darkness and

festivity is me.

So for the first 20 days of December, I have begun a practice of taking time, usually early in the morning,and sit in the darkness and just meditate or relax, to commune with God Herself and Myself. Whiledemands upon us seem to be heavier this time of year and the energy of those around us tend to bemore stressed or depressed, taking time out for self is vitally important. Take mind of what you eatduring the day, no I am not talking about counting calories, but paying attention of how you feel vs whatyou are eating. Pay attention to how you sleep or dont sleep depending on what kind of foods you eat.While this might not seem like energy work, it is work on self on how your physical energy respondsto your daily intake of fuel. It is important for a witch to keep in mind a balance of body with spirit, sowhen our physical energy is down, it is hard for us to keep our spiritual energy up. Food journaling forrealizing how you feel is a good way to find a balance between body and spirit.

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You cant think of Yule or Christmas without thinking about peppermint. Candy canes andpeppermint candies are synonymous with this time of year. You see them as decorations on theChristmas trees and wreaths and are even used by Santa to give the children after they sit on hisknee telling him their wish list. While most think of peppermint as the flavoring of candy canesand gum, it has a multitude of uses. Colds and flu are prevalent this time of year andpeppermint can help relieve most symptoms. Sip some peppermint tea to soothe an upsetstomach. Mix it with an essential oil and rub it on your chest as a decongestant andexpectorant. Use the oil mixture to rub on your feet for a reflexologytreatment to help release the mucous from your system alongwith other toxins. The oil mixture can also be rubbed on soremuscles and aches to relieve pain. It is also great for skinirritations as it soothes rashes and burns. During the spring and

summer months it can be used to deter insects and rodents.Magically, it helps to enhance psychic powers, purifies an areaor objects and use it in love spells.

Mystical Properties Purification, love, enhance psychic powers & awareness, focus

Healing Properties nausea, vomiting, headaches, stimulates lymph nodes, upper

respiratory tract infections, decongestant, expectorant, flatulence, digestive systemdisorders, burns, rashes, muscle aches, bruises, reduces mental and physical fatigue

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We are in the middle of the holiday season and there is little that people associate more than cold or familywith this season then the smells of the season. Often for ritual we use incenses and sages. There is anotherscentsable option for filling our homes with magic during this and any season.

Commercially produced potpourri is often composed greatly of woodchips that have been doused withscented chemicals. There are many options to make potpourri at home for often less money and without thetoxins. The following recipes contain simple ingredients that are available at the supermarket. For any otherhard to find ingredients, look for them at natural groceries, or apothecaries.

To use any of the potpourris a commercial grade simmerer could be used but is not necessary. An old potthat is no longer used for cooking set on the stove works great for this purpose. All of the following recipesare single use but may be doubles or tripled for your needed use. To use any of the recipes fill your simmererwith 2 Cups of water. Add the mixture and keep on low heat for or longer add more water at 30 minutesor as needed.

Also consider the thought of these as simple holiday gifts.

Purification Simmering Potpourri6 tbsp peppermint1 t6bsp spearmint

1 tbsp rosemary1 tbsp dried lemon peal1 tbsp dried lime peal

Protective Simmering Potpourri(use once a week or more it desired)

4 tbsp whole rosemary3 bay whole leaves1 tbsp whole basil1 tbsp whole sage

1 tbsp whole fennel1 tsp whole dill seeds1 tsp whole juniper berries

Optional: a pinch of dried garlic

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This time of year we see candy canes everywhere. Department store Santas give them tochildren after hearing their Christmas lists and we see them as decorations on Yule trees or evenon Yule packages, but do you know the history of the candy cane? Me either so I set out to tryand find the answer. After much research, I have found thisthat there is no concrete answer.Yeah, I was disappointed too. I DID find out that, believe it or not, the candy cane has beenaround for over 350 years, however, they were not always in the shape that we see them in now.Originally, the candy cane was a hard sugar stick, straight and white.

When the European-Christians adopted the use of trees as part of their Christmas celebrations inthe 17th century, they decorated their trees with food such as cookies and sugar sticks. It wasntuntil the late 17th century that the sugar stick received its bend and became the sugar cane. Themost popular story seems to be that the candy cane received its now famous shape when thechoirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany bent the sugar stick to represent a Sheppard'sstaff and then they were given out to children to keep them occupied when the nativity servicesran too long. However, the possibility exists that the cane received its bend for a much morepractical reason..it was easier to decorate the tree if the candy stick was bent. Yeah, Im leaningtoward this one but then again, I am a practical type person. Either way, the shape of the candycane spread throughout Europe and eventually landed in America sometime in the 19th century.

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Candy makers would sometimes decorate the candy canes with roses in order to dress them upa bit but their color remained white. It is not known when the stripes first appeared on thecandy cane, however, Christmas cards prior to 1900 depicted all white candy canes. Cards after1900 showed striped candy canes and it was around this time that the candy makers added

peppermint and wintergreen flavors to them. Personally, I am very grateful that they added theflavoring. I would think that without the flavoring, the stick would taste like a spoonful of sugarstraight from the sugar bowl, but hey, if you dig that, more power to ya.

Another theory as to how the shape occurred is that they were originally made in the shape of J to symbolize Jesus. The white symbolizes his purity and the red symbolizes his blood from thewounds that he suffered. (Appetizing, huh?) Im sure that you have received these emails as they

make the rounds every year around this time. There is no historical evidence to prove thistheory so I say dont believe it. Lets face it. Some people, whether as individuals or as a group,

just want to take credit for something they did not do. I know Ive worked with some of thosepeople and I am sure that you have as well.

Anywho, even though I am not satisfied with the history, I did learn a few things:

They have been around for over 350 yearsThey started out straight and received their curves later (like me)And people will take credit for anything if they think they will get praised for it (ok, I alreadyknew this one but had to get in another dig)

Happy holidays!!

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Holidays are a wonderful time to spend with your family and friends. They are a time of great joy, fun and often times stress. To help reduce your stress, carry a piece of smokyquartz with you. It is a fantastic mood stabilizer, balancing the energies of the body andmind and it neutralizes negativity. Its grounding properties make it a great stone for PMScrankiness and extreme stress or burnout and its calming qualities help alleviate panicattacks and anxiety. Since it is a mood stabilizer, it is also great for depression which

affects many this time of year. Its protective properties create a protective field allowingthe wearer the opportunity to recover from their anxieties while keeping out additionalnegative influences. Smoky quartz is associated with the root chakra, therefore, healingthe functions related to it such as the adrenal glands, kidneys, bones, legs, colon andspine. Its cleansing properties aid in the detoxification of the adrenal glands, kidneysand reproductive organs. Smoky quartz was important to several ancient cultures. TheGreeks believed that it was related to water, some believing that it was water that hadbeen turned to stone. Others used it in rain ceremonies. The North American NativeAmericans used it in Shamanic ceremonies and is particularly sacred to the Cherokees.It is believed that smoky quartz was sacred to the druids and it is the national gem of Scotland.

Mystical Properties- transforms negative emotions into positive energy, grounding,stabilizing, centering, uplifting, protection, calming, meditation, clarity

Healing Properties kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas, sex organs, bones, legs, colon,spine aids in removing toxins from the body, aids in the nervous system,

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What do you do for a living?I go to Red Rocks Community College full time and I work there also at the Library.

How long have you been on your path?I started on this path when I was 12, but kind of strayed from the path until I was 17 when I met a friend in high school who re-introduced me to the path andI became more active in the community.

How did you get on your path?I have always felt like I knew all along that this was the path that I was meant to be on. I was never comfortable going to church or even being in a church. Iremember when I was little, I decided that I would become a "guardian of nature". It sounds silly saying it now but it was very serious to me at the time andfor some reason I just knew that I had to do things with nature, to protect it and work with it instead of against it. I would always make "poitions" and littlebundles of flowers and plants tied up in a leaf, soaked in water and left in a tree to dry and, i guess, as a gift for the tree or whatever spirits might be nearby. Inever knew a name for it growing up, but I just always knew what to do and what my path was.

Do you follow a particular path? ie Wicca, Shamanism, ElecticTo be truthful, Im not even really sure what most of those mean, so I will just state simply that I am a witch and that I adhere to the pantheon of Egyptmostly, but I do experiment with other faiths at times when I feel like I need something different.

What is the most important part of your path to you?I think the most important part of my path is doing everyday magick, natural magick, breathing in the world around me and feeling the elements i come intocontact with everyday. Being in touch with everything around me, or at least some of the time, is something that I like to do in my routine and I consider thatmagick enough some days.

What's going on in your life right now?Right now, my life is very busy with a loaded class schedule, very hard classes, and never being at home because I work and go to school at the same placeand spend an average of 12 hours here a day. I would love to see my sisters more, but I can only make it to weekend events.

What are your muggle interests?Reading, writing, singing, astronomy, eating, sleeping, hanging out with friends, taking long showers andhaving clean hair.

FavoritesAnimal CatColor - GreenFood - RavioliDrink - Milk

Childhood toy - A beanie baby cat named vanilla that I took with me everywhere I wentCandle Sent - Christmas scents: Pine tree, apple cinnamon, etc.Season - All of them but fall might be my favorite