Adam and Eve's Affair

This torrid affair in black tea blend is perfect for all matters of love, faithful partnership and attraction. 

http://blackthornhoodooblends.com/products/adam-and-eve-tea

Ingredients:
4 tsp Adam and Eve tea
6 ounces gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 cup sugar
5 dashes orange bitters
Orange and/or lemon twists, for garnish

Directions:
Place a saucepan over medium heat, add 3 cups water and sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain the syrup into a glass measuring cup; if you have less than 2 cups syrup, add hot water. Add the tea and steep, about 3 minutes. Gently strain the tea and cool the syrup to room temperature. Combine the syrup, gin, vermouth and bitters in a large cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, about 20 seconds, then pour into a pitcher filled with ice. Garnish with orange and/or lemon twists.

Of Green and Glass: Where are all the Pagans?

Of Green and Glass:

Where Down to Earth Solutions and a Glass Edge Meet

By Goewin GreenWitch

Dear Goewin,

            This may seem like a silly question, but where is the “pagan community”?

Is there a secret handshake or a hidden sign I’m missing?  No matter where I go, or how hard I look I’m not seeing it / them.  I’m not vain enough to think I’m the only Pagan in my area, where are they hiding, and why doesn’t my area have an easier way of finding them?  I’m new to the Craft, and eager to learn, but how do I learn if I can’t even find others like me? Thanks!

-Lonely Pagan

Dear Lonely,

            No, there isn’t a secret handshake or sign.  It does however take a lot of legwork.  By now I’m sure you’ve googled, “My town” and “pagan groups” or the like.   Have you tried looking at email lists and groups on The Witches Voice or Yahoo Groups?  There are always places like Meetup that offer you a chance to meet other people interested in the same topics as you, whether it be Paganism, scrapbooking or gardening. 

            Here’s a question for you.  If meeting others in person is that important to you, why not start your own meeting or group.  I’m not saying you become that person in every community who reads one book and decides to start their own tradition.  Just put a notice up in area coffee shops, pagan stores and the like that you are creating a safe place for people to discuss similar belief structures, and then you can all learn from each other.  No matter how many years in the Craft, everyone has something that they are better at than everyone else.  There are free and low cost promotional materials available via websites like VistaPrint. 

            All in all, it really takes people that care to get something really good going.  Once you have a core group established, you can take that meeting to free places like The Witches Voice, Facebook, and Yahoo. 

Of Green and Glass: Make (Martial) Arts, not War

Dear Goewin,

            I’ve been on the Wiccan path for quite a few years now, and recently started attending Tae Kwon Do classes with my kids.  It’s fun for us, and I like being able to do something with them, instead of dropping them off somewhere.  How do I reconcile my enjoyment of martial arts with what I have been taught about the Rede and rules governing “harm none”?
                                                                                                            -Martial, not Mean

Dear Martial,

            Doing things with your kids is not wrong.  Enjoying activities that get them out of the house, away from TV and video games is not wrong.  While we’re at it, protecting yourself is not wrong!  

What is wrong is the people in the world that think it’s  okay to get what they want in the world by taking it from other people.  Every day I see it.  Even in this “small town”.  On the news each night, I see people kicking in doors on other people’s homes, to steal and do whatever they like to get whatever they like.  

That does not mean that you are somehow a “bad” person for wanting to protect you and yours!  The Rede may say “Harm None” but allowing someone to come into your home to hurt you, or your family, steal from you and abuse you and then to walk away unscathed?  That’s harm.  That person is going to go do it to someone else, and then their harm is on you as well because you allowed this person to continue harming others.  Let's not forget, there are plenty of Wiccans who don't even follow the Rede, but that's a topic for another day.

Does this make you a “mean” person?  No.  You are not going around kicking puppies, right?  Then to Tartarus with them.  Does this mean that you are looking to get into a fight “just so you can use what you know”?  Absolutely not.  I’m sure that by now you have gotten that from your instructor. The aim of martial arts is not to start fights, but to be able to avoid them. 

            

            I’m sure you have no moral objection to carrying an umbrella in case of rain, am I right?  I look at martial arts in the same way. What you learn in the dojo and its real world application is a tool.  You have it in case you need it, not so you can use it every day.  I feel the same way about responsible gun ownership, but that’s a different topic.  

The bottom line here is, don’t ever let anyone tell you that it is not okay to protect your family in the way you see fit, as long as it is responsible and legally protected.  They don’t have to live your life, or protect your family, that’s your job.  If it feels right to you, go for it. If it bothers them that much, they don’t need to be your friend. 

Of Green and Glass: Funeral wishes and last requests

While going through materials I've written for a book, I thought I'd share some of my 

'Of Green and Glass'  columns I wrote for "Thorn Magazine".

Dear Goewin,

            My family has recently suffered a death in the family.   While it was difficult to process at first, this is not the reason I’m writing to you.  During this mourning process, and funeral I started to wonder about how my funeral would be handled by my loved ones.  If I am not married to a Pagan, or my family does not share my beliefs, how can I explain the funeral customs I would like to partake in? Should I just leave instructions?  What basis do current society’s rituals have in common with earlier pagan rites?  What does a “Pagan Funeral” consist of? 

-Planning Ahead

Dear Planning Ahead,

            I’m sorry to hear of your loss, and hope by the time you read this, the grief will have dulled some.

            Let me start by saying that writing your wishes down only helps if you explain them to the person or people you are going to ask to carry out those wishes once you have crossed to the Other Side.    

            There are many funeral customs that have their roots in superstitions surrounding death and dying.  For instance flowers were placed at the graveside to appease the spirit of the deceased, and special clothing was worn by mourners to disguise their identities from returning spirits.   The loud and rowdy parties referred to as a “wake” were just that, the townspeople and family were trying to see if the person was indeed deceased, or just sleeping.  Twenty one gun salutes started in an earlier form where tribes believed that evil spirits hovered near the dead and the grieving, so they would hurl spears into the sky to drive off the spirits.

            When it comes to Pagan funerals, it’s just like many other things in the realm of Paganism, in that it’s up to individual Traditions and practices.  I polled about sixty Pagans in order to find out what they wanted done after they die.  The two most popular responses I got were, “Bury me without chemicals in the most natural way possible, and plant my favorite tree over my grave,” and “Cremate me, scatter my ashes in a beautiful, meaningful spot and have a party without tears”.   I only got one response of “bury me in the way of my parent faith”.  I did however get a few, “I’m not there anymore so it won’t matter to me” answers. 

            When it comes down to it?  The thing that is important is that you know your wishes will be taken care of by someone you trust.  Whether that person is a spouse / family member or a friend / coven mate that is up to you.  Just try to be as clear as possible, and it’ll all work out.

Kyrja, public Pagan, once shot at, now regaining security.

Hate Lives in a Small Town?

     With appologies to Voltaire, hate can be found just about anywhere.  Even in Florida, as Pagan children's author, Kyrja learned recently.  For those of you unfamiliar with the story, either from Facebook or the subsequent post on The Wild Hunt, Kyrja started getting harassing messages on her YouTube Channel, prank phonecalls and late night visitors who would scream obsenties at her home indicating that they knew she was a Witch. 

      The scariest part was during the evening of late March Kyrja's home was shot at.  The first bullets piercing the window where she sits to upload Rupert's Tales to the world.  Kyrja did the right thing, and called the police as well as the Lady Liberty League. 

     The police responded quickly as did the LLL.  Lady Liberty League has now made the approprate recommendations, not the least of which include security system and cameras to act as a visual deterrant as well as to record evidence in case of a return offender or copy cat.  In order to do this, Kyrja has launched an indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise the money needed ($1,100) to make the suggested upgrades. 

     This is where we come in, dears.  If you can contribute, even $1, great.  Let's get the word out to help our fellow human feel safe in her own home again.  It doesn't matter if you're a Witch or not, Pagan or not.  We're all beautiful beings and deserve to feel safe in our homes.  Let's help Kyrja's family know the peace we all deserve in our homes, and any wishes toward Justice for her family would be appreciated. 

Thanks so much my dear friends.

Amy

--------------------
Thanks to the lovely Kallan Kennedy, goddess behind "The Secret Life of the American Working Witch" I'm updating. 

I hadn't heard, but Kyrja's home was also bombed almost three weeks after the inital shooting of her windows!  Two seperate pipe bombs were thrown at the home on April 22nd while Kyrja's step daughter was on the lawn!  Heather had to be treated for chemical inhalation and given medication.  Please help this family realize their dreams of getting a peaceful night's sleep.  The family is offering a reward leading to the capture of those responsible!

Updated story here