Here we are at the end of week 2! Have you enjoyed the things we have shared with you? Did you try any of the recipes or make any of the craft ideas? How about those giveaways? Did you find anything you just can't live without? I for one have found many new items I have added to my "Wish List", LOL! Don't forget, tomorrow Sosanna has another Saturday Craft-tacular and then the Siren's will be back on Monday with more stories, giveaways, recipes, crafts, music and WINNERS!!
Today's Post ~ U is for Un-Everything
When I started this project it was unthinkable that I
would be able to actually complete the entire thing. I was concerned about finding enough topics
to tackle this unique but understandably unifying event. We've taken the letters of the alphabet and
brought them together for an entire year.
Not only that; but I have also unknowingly united three separate
blog projects into one.
My post today is for The NaBloWriMo, The Pagan Blog Project
2012 and The Samhain’s Sirens Blog Extravaganza. I decided that one word wouldn't be enough to
cover all the different blogs so I thought, why not use ALL of the
words. I also decided that instead of
using “bold” to emphasis the words, underline would be more fitting.
Samhain is the beginning of the New Year for unashamed
Pagans around the world. We spend our
time preparing for the thinning of the veil so that undoubtedly we can
reach out, pay respects and possibly unite
with our ancestors. On a personal note,
Samhain is when my partner and I uttered a set of vows that tied our
lives together as well as our hands in a lovely ceremony. People said it was uncanny and unusual,
but we have been together for ten years now.
For me Samhain is quite different than the traditional
Halloween. Now I do love the costumes,
people walking around as the undead, ugly witches walking the
malls, while teenagers dress as sexy Cancan girls or the lovely assistant on
the high wire delicately keeping balance with an umbrella certainly
providing their parents with ulcers.
With umber skin or the grayed out uniform of Ulysses
Grant our families march along the parade routes in the US for one lone
night allowing our kids to indeed do the unbelievable deed of taking
candy from strangers. Samhain opens the
divide in the spirit realm and allows us ever so briefly to see those that are
gone from us. It allows for
happiness and understanding as we pay our respects by setting out apples or
lighting a candle for those long gone. Ultimately
the way one celebrates is very personal.
Those unable to take an offering to the crossroads or to bury
your apples at the four corners can take it upon themselves to find a way to
pay homage. There are really no unacceptable
ways to pay respects to the dead.
A great way to celebrate Samhain is to bring those unaccustomed
to real meaning of this time of the year and show them a new way of
thinking. We take an unaccepted
position and a view of a holiday that is unjustly and unfairly labeled
as an unholy day and change it to something utterly amazing.
Use your time here to remember that those that are gone into
the spirit world are not unavailable to you. Simply open your mind and your heart. They are not unreachable. They are
just unaware of the barrier. Do not
unbalance the force but use it to create an unbiased space for
your ancestors to unite.
With that, I hope that I've uncovered the point I was
unarguably trying to make. I had
hoped to unmask the uncertainly and show that this wonderful
Samhain holiday needs something that is not unattainable in order to be successful. Just like life, this day requires one thing…..
U
Namaste and Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
Today's Giveaway
From Eliora at Elegantly Enchanting
Besom Candle Snuffer
Witch's Besom / Broom Candle Snuffer
Elegant little altar tool - a gift for yourself, or a
favorite Witch!
Birch-wood handle and natural bristle mini besom doubles as
a candle snuffer. The metal snuffer is made from tightly-coiled steel cording.
The broom bristles are embellished with a pretty, black satin ribbon with iridescent details, and a silver-pewter pentacle charm.
This besom snuffer measures approximately 10.5 inches in
length.
Remember:
Your first entry is to follow us here. (make sure you
comment and tell us that you're following!)
Bonus entries:
Go to Elegantly Enchanting and peruse her wares. Come back
and tell us what you like best there.
Make her page a favorite on Etsy and come back and tell us
(separate entry)
Like us on Facebook- come back and tell us (separate entry)
Follow us on Twitter (come and tell us!- separate entry)
Blog about this giveaway (comment separately and send us a
link to your blog post)
Tweet about this giveaway (comment separately and send us a
link to your blog post)
Recipe of the Day
Caramel Apple Monster Munch
From Food Network
Make sure to use stove-popped popcorn for this recipe--not
the microwave type--to ensure that your munch will be extra crisp and
delicious.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the bowl and spatula
1 cup salted cocktail peanuts
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups lightly crushed red and/or green apple chips
Directions
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat
until very hot and shimmering. Add the popcorn and immediately cover with a
lid. Shake the pot constantly, holding the lid on with a heatproof holder,
until the popping starts, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and
continue to shake the pot until the popping slows to just a few per 5 seconds,
1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let stand for another minute to
allow any last kernels to pop.
Spray a very large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Put the
popcorn in the bowl and remove any unpopped kernels. Add the peanuts. Spray a
rubber heatproof spatula with the cooking spray and place next to the bowl.
Combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a
medium saucepan and set over medium heat.
Cook, stirring, until melted and the
edges of the mixture begin to bubble. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan so
the bottom of the thermometer is resting in the sugar syrup but not touching
the bottom of the pan.
Boil, stirring, until the thermometer registers 300
degrees F (the hard-crack stage), about 8 minutes.
Turn off the burner and add the vanilla. Stir briefly--about
5 seconds--being careful not to burn yourself as the mixture bubbles up.
Immediately pour the caramel evenly over the popcorn and
quickly stir with the prepared rubber spatula until the pieces are mostly
separated, about 3 minutes. Pull apart any larger clumps, being careful because
the caramel will still be hot in spots. Stir in the apple chips.
Cook's Note: Lightly spraying the measuring cup with cooking
spray before measuring helps prevent the corn syrup from sticking.
Today's Craft Idea
Mummy Spirits
From Martha Stewart
Scare up some Halloween spirit by turning an ordinary wine
bottle into a delightfully sinister mummy. A spooky disguise for a wine bottle
-- it's a Good Thing!
Tools and Materials
Paper towels
Cheesecloth
Coffee (cooled)
Flour
Corn syrup
Glue (optional)
Mixing bowl
Craft stick
Foam brush
Mad scientist sticker
Bottle of wine
Mummy Spirits How-To
1. Dip paper towel and cheesecloth in cooled coffee. Crumple
paper towel and cheesecloth; allow to dry overnight.
2. Make a solution to attach paper towel to bottle: mix
together 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon coffee
(cooled); stir with craft stick. With a foam brush, apply a thin layer of
solution to areas of bottle to be covered with paper towel, being sure to do
only one area at a time because solution dries quickly. (Glue can be used in
place of solution if desired.)
3. Cover bottle with paper towel, leaving an open spot to
show name of wine. Cut or rip cheesecloth into strips. Take dried cheesecloth and
wrap around bottle to create the look of a mummy. Use some of the paste to make
cheesecloth stay put if necessary.
4. Attach mad scientist sticker.
And the Winner Is!
The winner for the October 10th giveaway from Sabrina the InkWitch is Danni Suplicki! Congratulations Danni and be sure to send us your shipping information so our vendor Siren can get this out to you.
The Video for Today as chosen by Kestril Trueseeker
Simply hearing this song gives me the chills, bringing back
memories of the Exorcist
Don't forget, the Siren's won't be here tomorrow but Sosanna WILL be and she's got some exciting things to share with you! Look for us on Monday. See you then! ;)
Day 12 ~ Un-Everything
by
Rev. Renee Olson
on
8:30 AM
Here we are at the end of week 2! Have you enjoyed the things we have shared with you? Did you try any of the recipes or make any of the cra...
