Christmas Season.

Well the festive season is upon us once again and it is time to wonder where the year went! How on earth we are going to afford Christmas this year, and we start to think about what we are hoping the New Year will bring.

Here are a couple of little things you can do to Spiritually prepare for the greatest of spiritual seasons. No matter whether you are Christian, Pagan, or just plain you!

Sweep the Old Year Away.

A really easy and lovely ritual for sweeping out the cobwebs of the old year along with any stale aura or overused atmosphere.

Literally take a broom, (sorry a vacuum cleaner won't do!) and sweep your whole house from top to bottom, three times, finishing at the back door. Thinking all the while of all the elements of you and the past year that you wish to sweep away. Knock your broom out three times on the back step or threshold once you are finished to really emphasise the cleansing that you have accomplished.

This will certainly warm you up, and will leave your home feeling and looking truly ready for the new adventure ahead.

Choose your seeds.

Choose two or three small tumble stones to represent the seeds you wish to sow for the future. Spend time with them thinking about why you are attracted to each stone, colour, shape, texture and what they truly represent for you as future seeds, intentions or wishes. If you like meditate with them each in turn, cleanse them under running water and then create a special place for them to germinate as it were in your good intentions, light a little candle by them, a tea light would be fine, and dedicate its light to the light that each seed will bring into your life once it starts to grow and blossom. Keep them safe until early spring for planting.

This exercise gives us a wonderful opportunity to focus on what we have learned from the past year and what we wish to develop in the year ahead.

Call In The Choir

Call in the angels and environmental elements around you by finding some really rich Christmassy colours and textures and making your own decoration. You can use Candles, Ribbons, Holly, Ivy, Berries, Spices, even Oranges! Create your decoration thinking of the Joy of the season, both Christian and Pagan, and asking for help from those inspirers around you to create a wonderful warm and welcoming atmosphere within your home. It is really helpful to allow music to surround you while you are doing this, and if traditional Hymns, or Pagan chanting doesn't do it for you, Slade will do just fine!

Please be careful when combining candles with any form of decoration that you are not going to unintentionally create a fire hazard.

This exercise should allow the child within you to blossom in excitement and begin to live the season of goodwill while creating a focus for both your individuality and your creativity.

Toast the Oak.

You can toast with whatever tipple takes your fancy, although "warmer" spirits such as brandy or whisky are more traditional during the winter months, or mulled wine which you can easily make yourself. If you are a non drinker though you don't have to be left out, mulled non alcoholic wine works too, and so does warm milk with a little cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. I am sure you can find something, even if it is just a good old cup of tea.

Take your drink and hold it up to either a fire if you have one burning, or a candle, and then outside and hold it up to the moon, blow gently upon it's surface to spill the fragrance into the air and spill a little onto the earth, ending with a raised glass towards a tree, with each salute say a small "Thank you" for all the things that you have received this year and all the blessings yet to come.

Then go inside get warm and start celebrating!

With Love

Keara