As a Witch I celebrate Yule AND Christmas with my family.....

But what exactly is Yule................... 

It is the celebration of the wheel of the year turning, it is the Winter Solstice the shortest day of the year, it is when the Sun God is reborn. The time of the Holly King is over and the Oak King will return. Light will now begin to return to the land and the crops will once more flourish. 


Many of the traditions of Yule are still honoured around the world although the are now thought of as Christian traditions.  For instance, Pagans would hang holly as a decoration in the form of a wreath on the door to honour the out going Holly King and a Yule Log would be brought in to celebrate his rebirth as Oak King.  Today this is in the form of a cake.........YUM!!!Mistletoe, which is sacred to the Sun, is used to invoke fertility hence the kissing under the mistletoe ;-) 

Sacred trees were decorated with offerings (The modern Christmas tree only dates back to Victorian times in this country!!!). Even Santa dates back to Pagan traditions as the original Victorian Card often depicted Santa as a man in Green honouring the Green Man God, it was only in the 1930's when Coca Cola began depicting him as the fat, jolly man we all know today that the image stuck!It is a time of gift giving and thanks giving to the Goddess and God for the gifts that they will bring to us 

I would like to think that whether you celebrate Yule, Christmas or Hanukkah, you will also join me in thinking about others less fortunate than ourselves, by cherishing our family and friends and by caring about all the other life we share this planet with.Wishing you a bright and blessed Holiday, no matter how you celebrate it!!
love and bright blessings 

Lesley  x x x  

What is the Akashic Record...... 

The Akashic Record is the past, present and future knowledge of all things.  It is a record of the Souls' journey since its inception as well as possibilities of its future enfoldment.  The Akashic Record is referred to in virtually every ancient spiritual teaching.  It is known in the Bible as "The Book of Life

Tonight I am having my records read by the wonderful and talented Trish, I've never had this done before and I can't think of any person I'd rather have 'do' it! 

But, this got me thinking, how do you find a reputable psychic, reader, medium, Seer - we can all access the WWW and I doubt I am the only one that has seen the adverts for spells to win the lottery or to make you irresistible to the opposite sex........ 

Personally, my rule of thumb is to read the testimonials, see what others are saying about them, and trust your gut instinct - if it sounds too good to be true - or too hinky, then it probably is I would say don't believe everything you read - there are NO fail safe spells that will let you win the lottery - think about it - if there was then there would be thousands of very rich Witches out there.....!!! 

I would also, personally, steer clear of any site that 'guarantees' the results of a tarot reading ..... they can't, it's as simple as that - all Divination method is guide to what may happen if you follow a course of action - the reader can not predict that the tall, dark, handsome stranger is going to fall at your feet and worship you forever.  It's improbable and impossible ......... 

So, I would say do your homework, ask around and check them out - ask them questions before the reading - no true healer or reader will be put off or offended if you asked them about their Craft.......... 

love and bright blessings to you all 

x x x 

Well December has come around and people are hustling and bustling everywhere as the Christmas Crunch commences. 

This is the busiest and most stressful season of the year, what with presents to buy, parties to organize, food to cook, relatives to visit and if you're lucky it's not your year to host Christmas Dinner.  Stress levels are mounting and sadly the number of suicides silently starts to rise.  It is most important during this month to invest some time in centering yourself and finding your inner calm.  Taking  ten minutes a day out of that already overstuffed schedule to meditate in a quiet, peaceful environment can seem like just one more thing to do, but it is one more thing to do that can save your life. 

It is a proven fact that daily meditation lowers blood pressure and stress levels which can lead to a healthier you, so why don't we make the time to do it??

 Beginners to meditation find it very difficult to stay focused for more than a few minutes.  I know I used to be exactly the same.  I'd go for a guided meditation session and be following along in my mind to some beautiful and exotic spot and the next thing I knew I'd be planning my grocery list and meals for the week.  It's not a wonder people give up and stop trying to do meditations.  If this is something that is happening to you or has happened to you, take heart, meditation is an art that requires practice.   The best thing to do is acknowledge that your mind has strayed off and gently bring yourself back into focus.  Every time your mind wanders, aknowledge that you've wandered and bring yourself back.  Don't beat yourself up over it.  The more you practice the longer you will be able to hold your focus.   As I said, when I first started I couldn't stay in the meditation for more than five or ten minutes, but now......I can hang in there for 45 mins. at least and I'm still practicing.  I can tell you that I do meditate on a much more regular basis now and feel calm and centered because of it. 

Meditation is something that you can do for yourself with little or no cost involved.  You just need a quiet space where you will be undisturbed for ten or fifteen minutes (yes, you and your cell phone may have to be temporarily parted).  Tell your family what you are doing and ask that they do not disturb you for those few precious moments.  Explain that by allowing you to work on calming and centering yourself, you will be more prepared to deal with their needs or better still, invite them to meditate with you.  If you're willing to invest a small amount of money, there are a lot of good quality CD's available from relaxing music and nature sounds to actual guided meditations. 

Reiki is another "Stress Buster".  Reiki, as well as being beneficial for a whole host of illnesses, is a "Super Stress Buster".  Just as we now know that antioxidants are beneficial to keeping us in prime working order, Reiki can be your ultimate relaxation tool.  Not only are you in a completely relaxed state of mind but your body is being infused with life force energy.  A total recharge of the battery system if you will.  After a Reiki Session you will feel an inner peace and a noticable calm.

So my holiday stress relief suggestions are to start and end your day (or at least one of the two) with a meditation and book a Reiki session to keep you stay calm yet energized as you tackle this busy season.  The other shoppers in those long checkout lines will want to know what your secret is.

Happy stress free Holidays
Trish Sheridan
Reiki Master