Thanksgiving New Moon Newsletter
Thanksgiving is over and the leftover turkey is in the fridge, or in
my familys case, the tofu turkey is in the fridge! My brother
and I are the only members of the family that eat the traditional turkey,
the rest are now vegan/macrobiotic. I do try to eat healthier but nothing
tastes like a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, tofu just doesnt
do it. It does help when your sister is a vegan/macrobiotic
chef as the rest of the meal was healthy and delicious, her homemade
dressing and onion gravy is much better than StoveTop! The main thing
was that the whole family was together and we have much to be thankful
for.
No, I am not going to do the usual thankful newsletter that everyone
else does. I know what I am thankful for and I express it often to the
Powers That Be. You really dont care that Im thankful for
home, health, and the generosity of friends. Of course, that makes it
harder to come up with a topic........
A rose by any other name...
Laura is just not a magickal name. Classy, traditional, very common,
but not magickal. When I started practicing magick I was on my own,
a solitaire going by what I read and instinct. The Gods and Goddesses
knew who I was, why use a different name? When I came to a point where
I was ready to do rituals and spells with others, then I saw the need
for a magickal name. Something to help us prepare ourselves for working
between the worlds, to set these times apart by not using
our mundane names, but special names known only to those participating
and the Gods. Then I wanted a known magickal name, something
cool like Silver Ravenwolf or Starhawk.
My first magickal name came in a meditation. The meditation was not
specifically for a magickal name but it included a part where a name
appeared. I knew when I got the name it was to be my magickal name.
It was the name of a Goddess and a holiday: Ostara. I would never have
picked this name for me, Ostara is a Goddess of many things I do not
relate to, and it is not my favorite of the holidays. But there it was.
It wouldnt let me go, it kept repeating in my head. So I accepted
it. I used this name from the time I started working with others until
the day of my official High Priestess ceremony.
I say official because I was a High Priestess before the ceremony,
doing the duties of one and recognized by those who know such things
as one. The ceremony was a formality only, but it did call for a change
to mark the occasion. I asked the High Priestess doing the ceremony
to name me, wanting it not to be of my choosing, I wanted it to come
from a higher source so I asked her to find my name for me. I received
two names, one known only to me, the Gods and the one who named me.
The other is what I use in group rituals and will be my known
magickal name. It is again the name of a Goddess. One I am finding commonly
used but that does not make it less special to me.
The reason I am telling you all this? Because from now on my newsletter
will be signed with my magickal name, Rhiannon. I thought of trying
to spell it different since it is used a lot, but then thought it better
to use it as the Goddess spells it as so not to offend. I also use the
name Rose, which is spelt with the first letters of my entire magickal
name. So from this newsletter on, I will sign off with my known
magickal name, Rhiannon Rose.
Stress Relieving Oils For the Holidays
As we go into the Holiday season...its the most wonderful
time of the year, yeah, right ....most of us find ourselves
more stressed out as we deal with what gift to buy for everyone, the
crowds, the prices, balancing the budget, get the tree - decorate
the tree - keep the kids/pets away from the tree, and all the baking
(which leads to the weight gain stress)..... oh my! Here is some lovely
aromatherapy hints to help you de-stress and enjoy this festive time
of year (if I hear Jingle Bells one more time......!)
When I get stressed, the first oil I reach for is lavender,
to me it is THE stress relieving oil. When I had trouble sleeping through
the night, I found a reference in one of my books that instructed to
put a few drops of lavender on your pillow to help you sleep. That night
I did just that...and my boyfriend and I slept so deeply that both of
us slept through the alarm! I do not put the drops on the pillow every
night, I do this whenever life becomes especially stressful as I do
not want to get so used to the smell that it does not work. If lavender
tends to really relax you, then only use it at night, dont sniff
and drive!
Citrus oils are uplifting, as in they lift your spirits, so
if you tend to get depressed around the holidays, sniff some oranges!
The citrus oils Ive used are orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime,
and bergamot. Any one, or any combination, of these that is pleasing
to you will do. If you have an oil burner, put a few drops in it and
let the fruity smell fill the room. Citrus oils cannot be put directly
on the skin but you could add a few drops to your bath (who has time
for a bath?), or put a few drops in a carrier oil or your skin cream
to keep the subtle scent with you all day. You could also put a few
drops on your hairbrush and brush through your hair to keep the scent
around you.
A good way to keep these scents handy for when you need a quick de-stressing
sniff is to create smelling salts. Find a small container you
can carry around without it opening by accident. Put some coarse sea
salt in it, then add a couple of drops of your oil or blend of oils
to the sea salt. Keep closed tightly so the oils dont evaporate.
Whenever you need a quick pick me up, open the container and breathe
in calm, breathe out stress.
Really you can use any scent that is relaxing to you. I read once that
peppermint was relaxing! Not in my experience. I find peppermint to
be stimulating and use it to wake me up. Vanilla is a scent many find
relaxing, reminding one of home and baking. Real vanilla essential oil
does not smell like vanilla extract, but if you want to use vanilla
extract in the smelling salts or oil burner...go for it. I would not
use it on the skin though. Sandalwood is very calming to me, most likely
cuz I like to use it when meditating or before a ritual, however the
price may make this not the best choice.
If you choose to use an oil you like instead of my suggestions, you
might want to stay away from stimulating oils. Pines, eucalyptus,
mints, cinnamon, or spicy oils may be your favorite but I doubt they
will help you relax as they are known as stimulants. Use those when
going out to battle the crowds at the mall, then use calming lavender
or citrus oils once you are back at home.
Have a happy and scent-filled holiday season!
~~~~Rhiannon Rose
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