The Origin of Thanksgiving

 

 

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is as pagan as they come.  Read on.  If we are going to observe holidays, national or otherwise, it would be well to make sure that they have a pure origin.  If we wish to honor the Creator then we need to make sure that we do not create our own ways of doing so.  Are you interested in learning the historical facts about Thanksgiving?  Let’s not assume that we have no need for further enlightenment or no need to advance beyond our present condition.  
When we first began observing the Creators feasts (appointed times), it was easy to see the pagan underpinnings of Easter, Halloween and Christmas.  We figured that our National holidays (July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, etc.) were all safe.  Were we ever wrong!  After learning the truth behind Thanksgiving, it too has been jettisoned along with the other pagan holidays.  The following information is an excerpt from a chapter in an up-and-coming book of our friend, Catherine Sinclair.   
Thanksgiving for the annual harvest is one of the oldest holidays known to man though celebrated on different dates.  The Chinese and Hindus are said to have celebrated harvest feasts thousands of years ago.  The Israelites were instructed to keep the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) a celebration, a holy convocation that was to last eight days.  The Old Testament is replete with commands to gather harvest and rejoice.  The most well known are found in Deut. 16:14 and Lev. 23:10. 
The ancient Greek harvest festival was called Thesmophora and celebrated Demeter, the founder and goddess of the harvests.  The symbols of Demeter were poppies and ears of corn, a basket of fruit and a little pig.  The Roman goddess of the harvest, Ceres (from whom we get our word cereal) had a festival, which occurred on October 4th and was called the Cerelia.

This is the shops most famous witch

 

 

Happy Halloween!

 

from

 

 

Kim and Della

October Correspondences

 

1. Stone:  Opal, Tourmaline
2. Animal:  Crow or Raven, Dove
3. Flower:  Calendula (Marigold)
4. Ruling planet:  Venus

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   

October

Have you ever thought about Halloween from a ghost's perspective? From skeptical and sometimes hostile nonbelievers to holiday industries that profit through sensationalism, the weirdness factor of Halloween when viewed from a Witch's perspective is likely similar to the experience of our wandering ghost friends, as well.  Just look at the popular-disembodied souls on display like captive monkeys at the zoo. Consider also the abundance of Halloween events in which a "genuine," green-faced, warty-nosed Witch puts in an appearance as if she's a Santa Claus, the star of the hour.

 

This state of affairs isn't necessary something to fret about-one can expect a bit of weirdness to ensue whenever ignorance and fear are in the mix. In a way, ill-conceived popular notions about ghosts and Witches serve us. We're remind of the fact that Witches serve us. We're reminded of the fact that Witches and spirits are meant to walk hand in hand, as ambassadors for the living and the dead, and as friends.  As Witches, we're sensitive to the spirits. We're aware of them and we're able to connect with them. We're able to remain calm and coolheaded instead of running away in fright.

 

These abilities give us a duty to be there for our spirit friends when they need us.  If it's indeed true that the dead wander in great numbers on Halloween night, then there are definitely going to be plenty of ghosts out there that could use a helping hand, whether it's in the form of communicating 

 a message to or from a loved one, or finding liberation from spiritually hindering earthly bonds. Why not use your special statue as a spirit liaison to make this Samhain a night to remember? Here's a magickal formula to try:

 

Helping Hand Powder

 

 

3 parts marigold blossoms, dried and crushed

2 parts white sage, dried and crushed

1 part graveyard dirt taken from around the roots of a large tree

 

Mix this blend on Halloween night in the proximity of a graveyard or haunted dwelling.  Place a round mirror in the bottom of a bowl.  Light a candle and hold the bowl so that the flame is reflected in the mirror.  With your wand, trace a circle around the bowl, making thirteen complete rotations.  As you do so, chant:

 

Life has gone out, flame of spirit burns bright,

All can shine on this Samhain night.

Spirits around, come play, if you can,

Come dance through this mirror I hold in my hand.

 

 

Next, put the herbs and the dirt in the bowl on top of the mirror.  Using your fingertips, crush the mixture into a finely textured powder.  As you do so, chant:

 

 

Magickal marigold, sage, and earth,

Embody the dead and give them birth.

By the light of the Moon, I charge this powder

To invite the ghosts and lend them my power.

 

Rub the powder on your palms or face, then hold out a friendly hand to welcome any wandering ghosts to join you.  This powder attracts the attention of spirits and helps facilitate cooperative interactions between the living and the dead.

-Melanie Marquis





 

 







We will be here

Look for us down by the river!

Fall Wreath made by Della. We also carry lavender filled Pumpkins to help with your Fall Halloween decorating!

September Moon

Every year, we call the September Moon the Full Corn Moon because it traditionally corresponds with the time of harvesting corn. It is also called the Barley Moon, because it is the time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley.
This month, we also celebrate what we call a Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox. It can occur in September or October and is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores.
The Full Harvest Moon is different than all our other full Moons. Around this date, the Moon rises at almost the same time for a number of nights in our northern latitudes.

	New Moon: September 5, 7:36 A.M.
	First Quarter: September 12, 1:08 P.M.
	Full Moon: September 19, 7:13 A.M.
	Last Quarter: September 26, 24:55 P.M.

Item of the Day!

Item of the day Wild Berry Incense sticks.

10 for $2

30 for $5.50.

Variety of scents

 

We have NEW store hours

Monday by appointment only

Tuesday 10am-5pm

Wednesday 10am-5pm

Thursday 10am-8pm

Friday 10am-9pm

Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday by appointment only

Jewelry Parties

 

Want to have a Jewelry Party? Don't want the hassle of having it in your home? Come to us at Krafty Kreations where we will host your party in our beautiful store filled with unique one of a kind jewelry, handbags and accessories. We also carry incense, crystals and stones.

 

Earn a Free Bracelet - do two of the following or ...
Earn a free Necklace or Earrings do three of the following ...

 If you keep your original scheduled party date.

 If you have 10 or more 'buying' guests at your party.
 If one or more of your guests books a party.

If your guests book a party at your party, and you attend their party, you will receive 50% off one item at their party! With a $200 qualifying party you earn a minimum of 10% of your total party sales towards regular priced products of your choice.
Invite friends and family that have a passion for fashion. No formal presentations, an open house format that is typically 1* hours. Your guests will be able to take home their purchases the night of the party. Contact us Today! 814-341-9933

 

 

Full Flower Moon

What is blooming all around you? Gather a bundle of herbs, flowers and leaves, and tie them with several ribbons in various colors- be sure to include red and white. Put the bouquet in a vase of water. This is a fertile season- celebrate by decorating your altar or other special place with this bundle and candles to represent the fire of passion. Focus on stirring or rekindling a relationship, if you wish. To do this, add a symbol of the relationship to your altar and surround it with the bouquet and candles. Visualize the fire and flowers infusing your relationship with a spark.

Loving light, fragrant blooms,
Celebrate the Flower Moon.
Dance around, stir the fire-
Fan the flames of desire.
-Ember Grant

 

May Moon Phases

Full Flower Moon May 25th. In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

Full Pink Moon April 25, 2013

This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

April Moon Phases

March Moon Phases

March is the month of the Full Worm Moon.

The Full Worm Moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.

Helpful Hints

Sleeping in a bed facing east makes it easier to wake up in the morning.

 

Quickening Moon

The Quickening Moon is a time of subtle awakening. There is a stirring in the land, barely reconizable. Honor this month's Full Moon by making time to clear the way for a new season- make plans for the future. Write a goal or project you hopt to complete on a piece of paper and burn a white candle on top of it. Make a promise to yourself or pledge your efforts to a project, lifestyle change or other goal. The Moon is your witness. In August, revisit this goal and check your progress. If you'd like, dedicate a piece of jewelry during this ritual; something you can wear as a reminder of your goal. Burn incense of myrrh, sage, spikenard, or  a combination of these and chant as you visualize your goal:
Constant Moon
Quicken my heart
Quicken my blood,
This is the start

Happy Valentine's Day

Origins of Valentine's Day: A Pagan Festival in February

 

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial--which probably occurred around A.D. 270--others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

February Moon Phases- Full Snow Moon

February 25 is the Full Snow Moon. Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February’s full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.