Yule is the sabbat of renewal and rebirth of our Earth. It is also the shortest day of the year. The Earth has been sleeping and it is now beginning to wake. We celebrate this with a tree and the Yule log fire. The reason for the tree is that the tree is the symbol of life and of growing. The tree is born of the Earth and grows from the Earth. We honor this by decorating the tree. We give presents because this is the day that the Earth is born. Sort of like the Earth’s birthday. Here are some special things to do to celebrate Yule.

With this offering I give
In my heart the Goddess lives
When I go to sleep tonight
Bring to me your love and might
Protect me on this darkest night
I watch for the return of the light.

• 2 T. yeast
• ½ C. warm water
• pinch of sugar
• 1 C. milk
• 1 egg
• ¼ C. sugar
• ¼ C. vegetable oil
• 1 t. salt
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 T. tomato paste
• ½ t. each of oregano, basil, and thyme water
• 5-6 C. flour
• 1 egg yolk beaten
  Dissolve the yeast in warm water sprinkled with sugar. Combine the milk, egg, sugar, oil, salt, garlic and herbs in a large bowl. In a measuring cup place the tomato paste and add water until it reaches the ½ c. point. Pour into the milk mixture and stir well. Add the yeast mixture. Begin adding flour, 1 c. at a time, until the dough can no longer be stirred. Turn out onto a floured board and knead, continuing to add flour to keep the dough barely dry. Don’t let the dough get stiff. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, and turn it over to coat both sides. Let it rise until doubled, about 45 min. to an hour. Punch down. Cut the dough in half, divide each half into thirds, then roll into thick coils. Braid three coils into a loaf and pinch the ends together. Set on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat. Paint loves with the egg yolk and bake for 35 min. at 375°.
  
  
  
  OSTARA This is a time when spring returns. It’s as if the Earth is reborn and because of that we use this time to celebrate birth and creation. The egg represents creation because in an egg a life is created. Just as a human egg grows into a baby, an egg can grow into a chick. That is why we decorate eggs at this time. That’s also why the Easter bunny delivers eggs, to remind children of how special it is to be born.
  
  The Story Once, long, long ago there was a bunny named Kronos. He was a kind hearted bunny and he wanted to make the other animals and people happy. He had the magick power to make beautifully colored eggs appear. The animals thought this was strange. It scared them because they did not understand it. They would not play with Kronos because they were afraid of him. One day the animals were teasing him so much that he decided to run away. He stopped to rest beside a large oak tree. When he was sitting there the Goddess Gaia appeared. "Why are you crying?" she asked. "Because the animals don't like me," he replied. "Don't be sad," she said, "they just don't understand what magick is. You have a very special gift and you should share it with others." Kronos liked to make everyone happy. He decided to share the eggs with the animals to show them that it was nothing to be afraid of. By the time he made it home it was dark, so he snuck into the animals houses and he hid beautiful eggs everwhere for them to find. The next morning the animals were so happy to find such a wonderful surprise that they weren't even afraid. They told Kronos that they wanted him to stay. After that Kronos decided that on that day every year he would hide eggs for children to find. And he still does.
  
  Activities Egg Cups (for displaying decorated eggs)
  Roll out salt dough ½ in. thick. Using a cookie cutter or sharp knife, cut out star shapes, with the center at least 2 in. across and the arms at least 2 in. long. Drape the stars over large ends of empty egg shells and arrange the arms of the stars over the sides. Place in small cups and bake until stars are just firm. Separate eggshells from stars. Make stands from the unused dough. Return it to the oven and continue to bake until it is dry. Decorate with paint.
  
  
  
  Beltane This is the great spring holiday of the Goddess. Halfway around the year from Samhain. Beltane is the festival that celebrates all living creatures. It is also a festival of flowers and of the faeries. The veil is thin between our world and theirs so now is the time to commune with them. To bring them into your life, call to them and leave them gifts.
  
  The Story Once there was a little elf named Priapos. He loved to go exploring in the woods. He would meet strange and beautiful creatures, because these woods were enchanted. As he was walking through the woods he heard a noise. It sounded like a voice, but not a voice he had ever heard. He came closer and closer to the voice, until he heard that it was someone saying "help me". He wanted to run off and help this person, but his mother had warned him not to talk to strange creatures. There were some out in the enchanted woods that would pretend to need help and when you got close to them they would capture you. Priapos didn't care though. He couldn't leave anyone who needed help. Finally he found where the voice was coming from. He looked down on the ground and he saw a faerie. This faerie had been caught in someone's cage. "Please let me out." she begged him. "My mother told me not to talk to strange creatures" he replied. "You must help me, I've been trapped by a troll and if I don't get free soon he will eat me!" she cried. Priapos thought about it and he decided that he could not let anyone get eaten by a troll. He let the faerie out of the cage. "Now I have something for you," she said. Priapos was scared. He was afraid of what she would do to him now. "Put out your hand," she said. He did what she said and in her hand she laid a seed. "What is it?" he asked. "Just plant near your home and you will see." She said. Priapos took the seed and when home. He knew if his mother saw the seed she would be mad at him for disobeying her. When he got to his home he stopped at the well in the middle of his village. He threw the seed into the well, but it hit the bucket and bounced out. As soon as it hit the ground it sunk right down into it. Priapos ran home before anyone could see what he had done. The next morning his mother woke him up and told him to come into town with her. He thought for sure he would be punished, but instead he saw a big brightly colored Maypole. It had beautiful ribbons of all colors hanging from it and elves were running around the maypole holding tight to the ribbons. He heard one of the elves say, "It must be a gift from the Gods!" Priapos just smiled. Maybe it was from the God's after all.
  
  Activities Calling the Faeries
  This is a good time to leave out offerings for the faeries in the form of food. To avoid bringing too many animals into your yard, you may want to choose a place away from your property. You can also make things for them, such as furniture made out of clay, cardboard, or twigs; or pictures or toys for them.
  
  Rainbow Hats
  You will need:
  
  • 9 in. paper plate
  • scissors
  • markers
  • crayons
  • paint
  • hole punch
  • and narrow ribbons of rainbow colors.
  Trim off about 2 ½ in. from one side of the plate, cutting straight across. Starting from the straight edge, cut out the center of the plate, leaving a 2 in. wide rim. This forms an upright headband. Color the headband in rainbow stripes. Punch a hole at each end of the colored stripe, about ½ in. from the edge of the plate. Add ribbon streamers. Curl the streamers with the scissors or let them hang down straight.
  
  Paper Hearts You will need:
  
  • Several sheets of red, pink, or white construction paper
  • scissors
  • and tape.
  Cut the construction paper in half lengthwise. Fold each half accordion style into four sections. Draw or trace a heart on the top folded section of one accordion piece, with the sides of the heart shape touching the folded edges of the paper. Cut the heart shape out through all the layers, being sure to leave an uncut section of fold on each side. Open the paper to see your chain. Write on each heart what you love, be it a person, pet, sport, book or favorite place. Decorate your altar or your room with the chain.
  
  
  
  SUMMER SOLSTICE This is the longest day of the year. It is a time of celebration. We celebrate all the fun that summer brings to us. Go camping, pick flowers, swim, hike, or have a picnic. Enjoy all of the things that the Earth has to offer and be willing to say goodbye to them as summer fades.
  
  The Story Faeries are beautiful and very small and have wings to fly around with. They have lots of magick powers. They can be invisible if they want to. They can make plants grow (and they talk to them to). Faeries are very special. They take care of the Eath and all creatures on it. Mostly though they care for the plants and trees. If we hurt plants and trees, it makes the faeries very sad.They love the Earth, and they don't want to see anyone do anything to ruin it. Everytime you throw trash on the ground, or step on flowers, cut trees, the faeries can see it. If you take good care of the plants and trees, and try to make our Earth clean and pretty the faeries will see that and they will be happy. On a day that we call Summer Solstice the faeries like to come out and play. Sometimes if you are real good and you look real close on that day you may even be able to see one of them.
  
  Activities Sun Piñata
  You will need:
  
  • Balloon
  • Liquid laundry starch
  • Newspaper
  • 2 wide, shallow kitchen bowls
  • Cone-shaped coffee filters
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
  • Sun-colored poster paint
  • Glitter
  • String
  Take 12 single sheets of newspaper, tear them into 1-to-1 ½ in. wide strips, then in half for shorter strips. Spread more newspaper sheets over work area. Pour laundry starch into one bowl, and place blown up balloon into the other bowl, keeping the balloon’s knotted neck down. Drag a paper strip through the laundry starch, then through 2 fingers, held scissors style, to remove excess starch. Cover the balloon with the strips. Leave a small section around the knot uncovered; this is where the piñata stuffing will go in. Repeat for a second layer. The coffee filter cones make the sun-ray spikes. Turn them inside out so the seam is inside, then stuff them with crumpled newspaper. Place a spike on the sun. If it is too big then cut at the opening to fit. To attach the spike to the sun, use small newspaper strips soaked in laundry starch. Lay a strip lengthwise along the sun and up the stuffed cone, smoothing the paper at the join. Use as many strips as needed to firmly attach spike. Repeat with other spikes, attaching them at regular intervals. Let the sun dry, rotating it in the bowl for even drying and to keep it from sticking to the bowl. The balloon will lose air as the piñata dries. If not, undo the knot and let the air out slowly or prick the balloon-but only after making sure the piñata is thoroughly dry and stiff. Paint the piñata bright yellow and sprinkle glitter onto the wet paint. Let dry. With the hole punch, make three holes well below the opening and attach string. Fill with stuffing. If you want to you can close the opening with more papier-mâché.
  
  Sunflower Hat
  You will need:
  
  • 1 sheet of construction paper
  • 2 9in. paper plates
  Use the construction paper to make 12 to 14 flower petals, 2 inches wide by 4 ½ in. long. On the paper plates, draw a circle 2 in. from the edge. Cut out the circle and discard, leaving the brims to form the headband, which should fit most children’s heads snugly. If headbands are too tight, carefully trim the inner edge. Glue the petals evenly around one headband, then flue the other headband over this. Decorate the hat with glitter or makers.
  
  Summer Solstice Cupcakes
  You will need:
  
  • ½ cup butter (one stick)softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 2 cup flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 t. baking powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir in. Follow with ½ cup milk, then stir in the chocolate chips. Grease and flour cupcake tins(or use paper liners). Bake for 25 min. in a preheated 375 oven.
  
  
  
  LAMMAS This is the first of the two harvest seasons. We thank the Earth for what she has given us. Grains are being harvested and we often remember this day with bread. Remember that the Earth is a gift and we should always appreciate it.
  
  The Story A long time ago, people had to grow all of the food they ate. They didn't have stores to go to. If they needed food they had to work hard in the fields to get it. All of their vegetables came from their garden. All of the bread they ate came from grain that they grew in fields. Lammas is a very special day, because it is the last day of the harvest. The harvest is when all of the foods that they grew were ready to be picked out of the field. After Lammas, the food that they had with them from the harvest had to be stored and saved so it would last all winter. But on Lammas they ate bread and thanked the Gods for giving them the food that they had to eat. When you eat bread on Lammas remember that the God and the Goddess will always provide food for you.
  
  Activities Hug Tag
  One person is it. All the others are safe as long as they are hugging, in pairs or groups. The person who is it counts to five, and then everyone must break apart from whomever they’re hugging and run and hug someone else. Whoever is caught becomes it.
  
  Sun Ball
  A golden or yellow ball is tossed into the air. The group attempts to keep it from touching the ground. The longer it stays up, the longer summer will last.
  
  Hope Cards
  Ask the children to think about what they hope to harvest, literally or symbolically and help them make cards that represent those hopes. They can draw on construction paper or any scrap paper, or create collages from magazines, greeting cards, and old calendars. All the cards are put into a basket and shuffled. The each child draws a card. The card each child receives becomes a symbol of luck and blessing for the harvest. And by giving away our hopes we are asking for the Goddess to help them be fulfilled.
  
  
  
  MABON This is the second harvest season when we focus on the fruits. As with Lammas, this is a time to thank the Earth for her gifts, and to remember that all things must come to an end. Samhain is just around the corner, and the end of the Pagan year is near. Day and night are equal so we also focus on balance.
  
  The Story The good farmer worked hard all season to grow food to eat in the cold winter months. He knew that he had to work hard so that he would have food to eat when it was cold. The lazy farmer thought that it was too much bother. He didn't do any work all summer. He wanted to fish, and swim, and lay in the shade. Then Lammas came around and he still didn't do any work. But the good farmer prepared his bread and thanked the Gods for what they had given him. So when Mabon came he had done all of his work, and he had harvested the last of his grain. His cupboards were full of food. The lazy farmer didn't have any food in his cupboards. So on Mabon, he prayed to the Gods and asked him what to do. They told him that he should be like the good farmer who did his work so that on Mabon he could relax and not do any work. Mabon is the day to have fun and not have to work because all of your work is done.
  
  Activities Family Thanksgiving Feast
  Set the table with candles, one for each person. Each candle is held by a fruit, vegetable, or gourd serving as a candlestick. Then go around the table talking about what you are grateful for. This is not the time to ask for more, but to feel gratitude for what we have. After each person speaks, we all thank the Goddess and God together and say, “Blessed Be!” with enthusiasm. After each one’s turn, light one of the candle on the table. As the sky darkens outside, the room grows brighter with each added candle.
  
  Mabon Mobile
  You will need:
  
  • Pretty colored leaves
  • Other natural found objects that are small and light, such as seed pods, thistle heads and small pinecones
  • 8-12 supple twigs
  • Sturdy thread or light string
  On Mabon, focus on balance by creating a mobile of autumn leaves and other objects. Select you longest twig and look thread around it. Move the thread around until you find the twig’s balance point. Knot the thread and hang the twig where you can comfortably work on it. Select the next two largest twigs and use more string to suspend them from either end of the first stick, finding their balance points. Pick out four objects of approximately the same weight, and tie short lengths of string onto them. Hang them from the sticks, making sure to maintain the sticks’ balance. Continue this way, building down and out, adding sticks and natural objects until you’ve created a balanced, multi-level mobile. Carefully hang it up, either over you Mabon altar, or somewhere where people won’t crash into it.
  
  Cinanimals
  You will need:
  
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1 ½ cup cinnamon
  • Rolling pin
  • Wax paper
  • Cookie sheet
  • Toothpick
  • Assortment of cookie cutters shaped like animals
  Combine the applesauce with one cup of the cinnamon. Stir until well mixed. The cinnamon is very dusty, so stir slowly to prevent little cinnamon clouds from forming. Now add more cinnamon, a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture has a firm consistency, easy to roll out but not dry. Work on wax paper dusted with cinnamon. Roll kiwi-size balls out to about ¼ in. thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. As you work, bless each animal and give thanks for it’s particilar gift. Gently transfer the shapes to wax paper or a cookie sheet. If you plan to hang these animals, use the toothpick to form a hole, making sure the hole is at least ¼ in. for the edge. Let the cinanimals dry in the sun or, if the weather is damp, in the oven set at the lowest temperature for about two hours.
  
  Harvest Candle holders
  You will need:
  
  • Fruits and vegetables (apples, acorn squash, small pumpkins, or any medium sized gourds)
  • Sharp small knife
  • Candle tapers
  Polish the fruits and vegetables with a soft cloth until they shine. Stand one on a flat surface and find the point where it rests most solidly. Press your finger along the top to find the best place to cut and still keep the fruit or vegetable’s stability. With the knife, dig a neat hole, the same diameter as the candle taper, about two in. deep. Secure the taper in the hole with a little wax. (Apples should be rinsed with lemon juice to slow the browning process.)
  
  
  
  SAMHAIN This is the Pagan new year, and a time when we honor those who have passed on. This is not a sad time, but a time to be glad that we knew them and to remember them with happy thoughts. The Earth is also dying, but just as we return again, so does the Earth. The veil is thin between our world and the spirit world, so now is the perfect time to commune with them. Do not be afraid. No spirit or demon should hurt you on this night because your loved ones will be with you.
  
  The Story Samhain is what Pagans call Halloween. Just as everyone as born, we all must die someday. But when some one we love dies, we don't have to be sad because we know that they went on to the Summerland where they will always be happy. If you want to remember someone who died on Samhain you can make your costume look just the way they looked when they were alive, so that you will be able to remember them. This is also when ghosts and spirits come back to see us again. If you see a ghost just remember that it is just someone who used to live here a long time ago and they just want to come back to see us again.
  
  Activities Samhain Apple Chain
  You will need:
  
  • Several sheets of red, yellow, or green construction paper (or all of them)
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  Cut the construction paper in half lengthwise. Fold each half accordion-style into four sections. Draw or trace an apple on the top folded section of one accordion piece, with the sides of the apple touching the folded edges of paper. Cut this apple out through all the layers, being sure to leave an uncut section of fold on each side. Open the paper to see your apple chain. Repeat with the other accordion piece to make your next apple chain. Attach to the first with tape. You can make the chain as long as you wish. Write the names of your beloved dead on each apple and hang across your altar.
  
  Roasted Seeds
  Put the hulled seeds in a dry skillet on low to medium heat, or in a 300° oven. Turn frequently to avoid scorching, until they turn light brown and they become fragrant. At this point take them off the heat, as further roasting might burn the delicate seeds. They will become crisper and slightly darker as they cool. To salt your seeds, dissolve 2 teaspoons of salt thoroughly in ¼ cup water. Once off the heat, sprinkle nuts lightly with the salt water mixture. The water will evaporate leaving a thin coating of salt on your freshly roasted seeds. Alternatively, try sprinkling the warm seeds with your favorite soy sauce.