The Final Giveaway

This Giveaway is Now Closed!

For the final giveaway we have something really awesome from a cute little shop called Wee Witches. Here is a pic of what they are offering for you guys to win:

This is a spring cleansing kit. Included is this:

1 Mercury Ladder – Air

1 Grand Fairy Charmer with Rose Quartz

1 Magical Mini Cleansing Kit

1 Bottle of Magical Cottage Wash

1 Tin of Me Time Tea

From the artist:

Each is hand made, and full moon cleansed.

Mercury Ladders are the “masculine” version of Witch’s Ladders we make, they are all made of hemp and recycled glass.

Here's how to enter this giveaway:

You guys should know the rules by now... please follow them.

Mandatory entry:

Stop by the Wee Witches shop and pick out your fave item. Come back here and tell me about it.

Extra entries:

Be or become a follower of this blog.

Blog about this giveaway. Come back with a link and tell me about it.

Use the buttons below to tweet about this giveaway. Come back with a link.

Have the party button.

Good luck to you all!

Welcoming the God - Jon's Guest Post

Today is the last day of the party. Don't be sad to see it go, all things must come to an end, but just like the cycle of life, it will be back again! For the last giveaway, Jon of Me vs. College has posted his guest post at his blog. Click here to read it.

The Winner of the Thirteenth Giveaway

The winner of the prayer beads giveaway is: Emi Brade! Contact me with your mailing info hun!

The Thirteenth Giveaway

This Giveaway is Now Closed!

For the thirteenth giveaway, you have a chance to win this:

This is a handmade set of prayer beads made by me, Willow Silverhorse. I will soon be opening a shop called A Pagan Prayer, and I will be selling my handmade prayer beads, handmade candles (when I get the supplies together for that), and a few other fun things. This set of beads is called The Nature Lovers Prayer Beads. You can use them to connect with nature, connect with the green man, the horned god, or just for meditating. However you decide to use them is perfect! This set is made with yellow and green glass beads. Are you interested in calling these yours? Here's how you could win them:

This giveaway is open to everyone.
Please leave me some way to get in touch with you if I can't through your profile/blog.
Please enter separate entries into separate comments.

Mandatory entry: Be or become a follower of my blog. Tell me about it.

Extra entries:

Do you have a favorite post written by me? Tell me about it.
Like Confessions of a Country Witch on Facebook. Tell me about it.
Follow Confessions of a Country Witch on Twitter. Tell me about it.
Bookmark A Pagan Prayer. Tell me about it.
Have the party button. Tell me about it.

Welcoming the God - Welcoming the God Into My Life

Today's Guest poster is Domesticated Gypsy aka Kristina of Domesticated Gypsy.


This is my story of welcoming the God into my life.

I was raised in a patriarchal religion, and surrounded by families and friends who belonged to the same faith, essentially making all my associations dominated or overshadowed by men in charge. These men were not always judicious in their control and power, but even though many of them were, I still found myself lacking that strong female presence in my life. I was not close to my mother as a child either. These factors all had many lasting affects on me. Having a sour taste for organized religion was one, and having a sour taste for men in power was another. Eventually, I moved away from my faith, and for a time from my family and most of the relationships I had growing up.



I found myself floundering, needing to find something to believe in. It was during this time that I really discovered myself, and that the Goddess found me. Strangely enough, she found me through a series of fiction novels about teenage vampires! (Not Twilight lol) I suddenly connected with a strong loving female who granted love and acceptance with no judging, guilt, or expectations! I have connected on a deep level with a spirituality that surrounds and embraces me! I embraced Wicca and the Goddess with wild abandon, and left the memories and faith of my youth behind. I never put a specific name to it, but my beliefs bordered on Dianic, with the almost complete exclusion of the God, or any masculine influence. I connected deeply with Aphrodite, Isis, Persephone, Nyx, Epona, Athena, and so on. I felt nothing whatsoever for Pan, Thor, Cernunos, or any other faces of the God. I could not make the connection with Him like I could with Her.



As I have matured, and lived through my experiences the last few years, I find myself at another turning point. This year, this Spring, I am reawakening a part of myself that I had let go of. I sloughed off an unhealthy relationship, and focused my year on discovering who I am. Through this process I've discovered that I feel a certain longing now that I have struggled to define. When Willow mentioned that she wanted to have a “Welcoming the God” blog party, it struck a chord deep inside me. I now know what it is that I am longing for. I am lacking a duality in my life. I need the influence of a Goddess and a God. I need to know the love of a father who always accepts and cares, the tenderness and of a companion who always adores, and the innocence and playfulness of a young adoring man as well as the three faces I already know so well of my Goddess. So this Spring, I am welcoming the God back into my life, and I hope you will welcome him into yours!

The Winner of the Twelfth Giveaway

The winner of the twelfth giveaway is: Dragonfly! Either get in touch with me or Nydia and let one of us know your mailing information!

The Twelfth Giveaway

This Giveaway is Now Closed!

Here's your last chance to win something of Nydia's! She's graciously offering a set of runes for you guys to fight over win. Here's the pic:

To read more about this particular set click here. Here are the rules:

Please make sure I have a way to contact you if I can't contact you through your profile/blog.
Please enter separate comments for separate entries.


Mandatory entry: Go to Carioca Witch and pick out your favorite product. Come back and tell me about it.

Extra Entries:

Be or become a follower of Bringing Up Salamanders. Tell me about it.
Favorite Carioca Witch. Tell me you about it.
Blog about this giveaway. Come back with a link and tell me about it.
Use the buttons below to tweet about this giveaway. Come back with a link and tell me about it.
Follow Bringing Up Salamanders on Twitter. Tell me about it.
Have the button. Tell me you do.

Good luck to you all!

Welcoming the God - In All His Frailty

Today's Guest poster is Mama Thyme of Mama's Thyme.


Welcoming The God ... In All His Frailty

One of my favorite quotes is by Anais Nin : I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.

One of the major sticking points about Christianity for me was that the only female representations were inevitably virgins, and led lives of complete self-denial.  It made me wonder: if women were so weak and full of sin as the church would have us believe, why not give us stronger representations to inspire us?  Then, as a teenager, it dawned on me - in order to strengthen the male dominance of Christianity, they had to keep women believing that the way to salvation was being subservient to men.
I started reading about Pagan Gods and Goddesses, and was shocked and inspired to find that Pagan Gods had something the Christian God lacked - frailty.  They were not always depicted as all-powerful, all-knowing.  Dagda, the Earth and father God, is portrayed in Celtic lore as able to slay nine men with a single blow, yet also unable to begin the new year without mating with the Morrigan.  Odin empowered the Valkyries, those who choose who will die in battle and transport the souls of the fallen, and was accused of practicing witchcraft (seid) considered women's work.  Njord, father of Freyr and Freyja, even took a giantess as his second wife - so much for female depictions being restricted to small, meek virgins.  The word "Isis" in Egypt is also the word for throne - so when a pharaoh sits, he is literally "sitting in the lap of the Goddess"

The truth is, our Gods are strong enough to honor their female counterparts.  They do not need to restrict Goddesses to prove their own worth.  They mate with them, worship them, and love them.  Paganism is most beautiful to me, because it never holds me down.  The Gods are strong enough to respect a tough woman when they see one.

Okay guys we've had some confusion when it comes to guest posts and giveaways, plus I've been trying to find a house to buy and things have just been a little hectic :-D So today, I'm posting everything I have such as guest posts and some giveaways that I've either missed or gotten confused with. Sorry for all the mistakes that have been happening with this party. Next year I promise to be more organized since I'll be planning the party at least a month in advance next year!

Welcoming the God - The Green Man

Todays guest post comes from Aisha from By The Broomstick.

For many of us who come to the Pagan Path, we are refugees of the Abrahamic faiths; &; because of this many of us go years before we are willing to work with the raw energy that is the God.

Sometimes He comes looking for us, and sometimes, we find Him when we really aren't seeking, or know what it is we are seeking.  His energy is different from the Goddess, and just as essential to the turning of the wheel.  

Green man in Rosslyn Chapel

One of the oldest depictions is the Green Man, this universal face, can be seen hanging out in the eaves of many a church in Europe, and Asia.  No one knows exactly how old the concept of the Green Man is but, he seems to be depicted in many different cultures and artwork. Our most current concept of the God is mostly from the Middle Ages, and their many depictions within the newly constructed Christian houses of worship.

The God, has begun to make a massive return in the last few decades (at least in my experience). In some cultures the Green Man in his many guises has never left, in the British isle, He can be seen at May Day festivities as Jack-in-the-Green, or Jack-in the Bush, in the guise of a mummer dressed in green leaves and fresh boughs. He can also be seen throughout Europe in many of the old architecture, especially in the houses of worship. He can be seen depicted as well in many of the newer statues throughout Europe dedicated to him.  

In his book 'The Green Man' by John Matthews, he gives many ways in which to seek the Green Man and celebrate him. I will share with you the ones I have used, and the ones which have made the greatest impact for me. Much like the Goddess, the God also has many aspects to himself, according to Matthews, the aspect of Spring is "Robin Hood, the Guardian of the Forest".

Green Man dancing 

on the May-blossomed Earth

Sings a small song

of the joy of being

"I am the centre, 

I reside not in stone,

but in grass, in leaves

behind which smiling 

I keep my council"

In my home, hanging always in my room is the small Green Man which came with the package, He is always on the altar whenever I set it up. He watches over the house from his advantage of the front wall and acts as a barrier to the rest of the home.

This statue seems happiest when He is near plants, especially if He is resting in the plants, my bamboo plant seemed to have great difficulty (which it shouldn't it''s like a cactus, you really can't go wrong) growing, I changed the vase it was in, I moved it so that it could be nourished by the light coming into the room, which happened to be closer to the God, it flourished I moved it where it got better light and even though it did well, it didn't do as well as it did before I moved it right on back. (the fae thanked me and my bamboo grew like crazy).

You can do the same as every home has that one spot that no matter how black your thumb, you seem to be able to keep the plants in this spot alive, you can place the God or a symbol of him there, You can also create a sacred space on your altar just for Him, try to use local plants and flora to decorate his space, and help make it more magical use plants that are living not fresh cut.

I also have images of the green man which are made from ceramics which sit outside in the garden during the spring, summer and late fall. Even if you only have a small space, then make the most of it, by placing a small figure of the green man or something you have made there along with your plants and you will notice them flourishing.

According to the Fairy Ring tarot, the other aspect  of Spring, which John also referenced, is the Woodwose, which also where the Green Man stems from, one of the early images is from 1250 in Norway from a piece called the King's Mirror.(image above).

The Woodwose is the raw primal energy of the forest., sometimes called a wildman or a woodwouse. They are powerful spirits who hide from human contact, their basic appearance is naked, with long shaggy beards, & hair,& they normally don't speak.

Within the Celtic myths their are several Woodwose, including the High King of Ulster who was driven mad, and he roamed the forest as a wild man, "The Madness of Sweeney" if we look to the Arthurian legends, Merlin at one point became a woodwose, after losing a battle.  

"The Welsh told a similar story about Myrddin Wyllt, the origin of the Merlin of later romance. In these stories Myrddin is a warrior in the service of King Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio at the time of theBattle of Arfderydd. When his lord is killed at the battle, Myrddin takes to the Caledonian Forest in a fit of madness which bestows him with the ability to compose prophetic poetry; a number of later prophetic poems are attributed to him."

Much like the shaman of many cultures, Merlin was able to gain powers by returning to the forest and secluding himself for a time from the regular society. to see the Woodwose, is a call to embrace the wildness of your own spirit, to harness it for change.  It's a desire to leave behind the known and seek out the unknown. He is gust of fresh air, and indicates the rejection of established values (which may not be your own values) and the optimism of a life overturned. Changes are coming embrace them.

You can also check out John Matthews other books "The Quest for the Green Man" which has several different ways in which you can incorporate the Green man into your life.

Enjoy dancing to pipe songs of the Green Man

Be Blessed

The Winner of the Eleventh Giveaway

The winner of the Laughing Vixen Lounge Giveaway is: Freckles! Contact me and let me know your choice of pendant and chain/ribbon, and your address, and I'll forward it on!

I Messed Up Again!

The guest poster on the 26th of April was Pagan Presence of Pagan Presence: News and Interests. I am deeply sorry for not mentioning that yesterday. Please stop by her blog and see the rest of her writing.

Welcoming the God - The Art of Being Silent

I am your guest poster today my dear friends! Yes, me, you're friendly Country Witch Willow. Okay, okay, so I'm not a guest, but I thought you guys were here because you like me, not because of the cool loot you have a chance to win ;-). Well, either way, you're here and you expect a post, and by the gods you're gonna get one lol. I'm in a very silly mood tonight as I write this, and I just got to watch Eat, Pray, Love for the first time, so I'm feeling very zen as well, which is what made me think of what I want to write about tonight. 

The art of being still and silent is an amazing practice. I admit, I'm not very good at it... I have horrendous ADD and it can be hard for me to focus on anything and make my mind shut up long enough to be still and silent, but on the rare occasions when it has become possible for me to sit still and be silent for up to an hour, I have come away from the experiences feeling comforted, rested, reassured, and enlightened. While this is a practice that I'm sure I need to work at more, I highly suggest trying it. It can be hard to get your mind quiet and to keep your body still, but if you succeed at it for even a small amount of time, the pay off is worth the struggle. 

I want you to try this: go outside and sit in the nice warm sunshine. Sit there for as long as you can just sitting and being silent. Listen to the sound of your breath, listen to the birds, the wind, the cars passing by, everything. Let the sun soak into you. Sit still, be silent and just listen. Watch the world around you, but keep silent. Breathe in the peace of nature, and just enjoy being. If you start getting sore or fidgety, you'll know it's time to stop, but keep working at this every day. This will help you be able to eventually clear your mind and you will be able to sit outside on your front porch and meditate. 

What other way is there to get closer to nature and to the God than to sit outside, and just be? Sitting outside, being silent can forge a deep and profound bond between you and the God. By choosing to be silent, you offer an opportunity for the God to speak to you. It's kind of like that really good friend you have that you want to tell so much to but they just won't be quiet for you to be able to tell them all those wonderful things. The God cannot speak to you if he can't get a word in edge wise! 

The Eleventh Giveaway

This Giveaway is Now Closed!

For the eleventh giveaway I have something really awesome in store for you! How many of you like Laughing Vixen Lounge? Wow that many of you huh? Well, today is your lucky day! You have a chance to win your choice of one of her silver pendants. If you're unfamiliar with the Laughing Vixen Lounge here is a sample of some of the things you might win:

Are you interested yet? Thought you might be! Here's the rules, then I'll tell you how to enter.

You must have some way for me to contact you if I can't get in touch with you through your profile/blog.
Winner gets their choice of any $14 silver pendant and their choice of color chain/ribbon.
Please leave separate comments for each entry. Separate entries entered into one comment will be counted as one entry.

Now, how to enter:

Mandatory entry: Hop on over to Laughing Vixen Lounge. Pick out your favorite item, then come back and tell me about it.

Extra entries:

Favorite Laughing Vixen Lounge on Etsy. Tell me about it.
Be or become a follower of the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog. Tell me about it.
Follow Laughing Vixen Lounge on Twitter. Tell me about it.
Like Laughing Vixen Lounge on Facebook. Tell me about it.
Blog about this giveaway. Tell me about it with a link.
Use the buttons below to tweet about this giveaway. Tell me about it with a link.
Have the party button. Tell me about it.

The Winner of the Tenth Giveaway

The winner of the tenth giveaway is: Domesticated Gypsy!!! Congrats Kristina! Let either me or Nydia know your address so you can get your goodies!!

The Tenth Giveaway

This Giveaway is Now Closed!

Were you sad that you didn't win Nydia's Green Man Doll? Well, weep no more my friends! You now have a chance to win another one of Nydia's amazing dolls. For this giveaway, you have a chance to win your choice of one of Nydia's Baby Goddess Keychains! Here's how to enter:

Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if I can't contact you through your profile/blog.
Please put separate entries into separate comments. Separate entries entered as one comment will be considered  one entry.

Mandatory entry: Go to Carioca Witch and pick out your favorite product. Come back and tell me about it.

Extra Entries:

Be or become a follower of Bringing Up Salamanders. Tell me about it.
Favorite Carioca Witch. Tell me you about it.
Blog about this giveaway. Come back with a link and tell me about it.
Use the buttons below to tweet about this giveaway. Come back with a link and tell me about it.
Follow Bringing Up Salamanders on Twitter. Tell me about it.
Have the button. Tell me you do.

Good luck to you all!

Welcoming the God - The Sun, God of Spring

I wonder how many other nature-loving pagans have, like me, adopted the Sun and Moon as their personal deities.  This divine relationship is sincere, effortless and almost parental-- containing the warm respect, casual cadence and nurturing essence of a bond shared between parent and child. 

Daily I look skyward, finding comfort in and seeking guidance from their reliable presence.  My Lady Mother calms my often impatient spirit.  She blesses and protects my home, my family as she blankets the nighttime lands with her ever-shifting light. 

But since the focus of this blog party is the god and not goddess, I nod to her respectfully and move to think upon my Lord, the Sun.  I greet him as I rise from bed each morning, drawing in his brilliant energy and asking that he watch over my day as he journeys across the sprawling skies.

Throughout the ages there have been a great many cultures and groups who worshiped  the sun as central deity and I’m quite convinced that early Christians also adopted this solar devotion, exchanging the actual planetary body for a relevant human form, a “son” named Jesus Christ. 

I think this is why there are so many beliefs surrounding The Savior that coincide with ancient pagan practices linked to the Sun--Though the man Jesus Christ was known to have been born sometime in the spring with the animals of herd, it is celebrated in December near the Winter Solstice, a holiday in the pagan Wheel of the Year when we see the rebirth of the Sun god after his death at Samhain.  I don’t believe this to be unintentional and at the same time, I’m not offended or bitter-- I take it to be the normal resulting merge of ideas and celebrations as the segregated peoples of the world began to mingle.  I just wish more Christians would come to accept this as well.  But, I suppose that’s a topic for an entirely different post.

While I know the Sun and Moon are not themselves great gods, they are my constant connection to a source of ethereal divinity buried within us all.

Welcoming the God - Dark Goddess' God (Guest Post & Giveaway)

My Dark Goddess NEEDS His Bright God – Giveaway

The eleventh guest post oozed out of Magaly Guerrero’s darkish-wicked-cool mind. She is the creator of Pagan Culture, a blog about witchy things and sexy, dark, and bloody fiction. Stop by her blog, and find out how to win a copy of Spicy, Earthy, Sweet by Erin O’Riordan (Must be 18 to enter this contest).

***                      

My gods are the different aspects of Nature. I see my darker side in the pitch black of the Dark Moon. The brightness exists in my triumphs, smiles, friends, family… in my lover’s touch. My spirituality and my writing linger somewhere in between. I believe everything contains a bit of everything else, which is why I don’t see the gods as individual entities. To me, they are—and will always be—The Old Ones: a balanced ONE made of two complimenting halves.

And when I think about The God… Oh! I see all the wild things that remind me that I’m a woman who craves to be touched, wanted, and loved by her man.

I’ve always known that my truest self embraces the darker aspects of The Goddess—nothing evil, just the mysterious enough to make most people shy away from it: blood, sex, the uncanniness of death. I think of my likes as very natural. Don’t all animals bleed, have carnal desires, and eventually travel to the Summerland? Yet, even my darkish optimistic self understands that my mind can be a scary place; it needs balance. I’ve found it in my writing, my family, my friends, and most of all, I’ve found it in my Piano Man.

My Dark Goddess NEEDS His Bright God. One cannot exist—at least not in my soul—without the other. I believe that the power of The Old Ones—the opposite forces that exist in all living things—truly thrives when both aspects are embraced. I said once that I’ve been guilty of neglecting The God, but I should take that back—I just didn’t know what my goddess’s god looked like. Silly; I know, for he has been with me all this time.

I acknowledge the male aspect of Nature in the smiles of the males in my life: my nephew (who is more like my son), my father, my brothers, guy friends, and in everything masculine. I celebrate The Wild God in the arms of my Piano Man. In the sounds that escape my mouth when he touches me; in the way he holds me when we sleep, in our daily 1313 ‘I love yous’; in the fact that his brightness accepts and embraces the darkness that lives in me.

I’m officially welcoming The Wild God into my life; even if I now recognize that He has always been with ME.   

The Winner of the Ninth Giveaway

The winner of the ninth giveaway is: Rambler! Email me with your address hun and I'll forward it on to Nydia!

The Ninth Giveaway

This Giveaway is Now Closed!

All righty guys, this is probably the giveaway you have been waiting for. Today's giveaway is from the lovely Nydia. You have a chance to win one of her amazing God dolls! Up for grabs is this:

This is a beautiful Green Man doll. It is made out of tan felt and handmade and hand embroidered by Nydia. You're drooling now aren't you my friends? Here's what you've gotta do to win this prize:

Make sure you leave me some way to contact you if I can't get in touch with you through your profile/blog.
Put all entries into separate comments. If separate entries are entered into one comment it will be counted as one entry.

Mandatory entry: Go to Nydia's shop by clicking here. Pick out your favorite product and come back and tell me all about it.

Extra entries:

Be or become a follower of Bringing Up Salamanders, Nydia's blog. Tell me about it.
Favorite Nydia's Etsy shop. Tell me you did.
Blog about this giveaway. Come back and tell me you did with a link.
Use the buttons below to tweet about this giveaway. Come back and tell me you did with a link.
Follow Bringing Up Salamanders on Twitter. Tell me about it.
Have the party button. Tell me about it.

Good luck to you all!

Welcoming the God - Mani God of the Moon

Today's guest post comes from Jane of Witchery Grove. Stop by her blog for more of her awesome writing!

Hail Mani, God of the Moon,

I thank your for your luminous light,

In our darkest hours.

I acknowledge your power,

Over our earth and seas

I praise you for your promise of,

Magic and mystery.

I honour your breath taking beauty

On your nightly journey.

Hail Mani, God of the Moon.

In many religions and cultures the moon is seen as a female deity but according to Northern religion and folklore the moon is male and is the original ‘Man in the Moon’ in the stories we were told as children.

In the Norse mythology Mani is the sister of Sol the sun. He travels through the night sky in a horse drawn chariot, chased by the wolf, Hati. If the wolf gets too close we get a lunar eclipse occurs, the wolf is destined to catch Mani at the final battle of Ragnarok. Mani is accompanied on his nightly journey by two human children, Bil and Hjuki. It is said he rescued the two children from their father on earth after he watched them being forced to fetch water through out the night. The nursery rhyme of ‘Jack and Jill’ is thought to originate from this legend.

One way we can honour the God of the Moon is by creating a moonlight garden and what better time to plan such a garden than in the spring and with the long summer evenings to look forward too. Most gardens are designed to be seen during the day, but you can create a garden that also comes alive with its own sensual beauty during the twilight and night time hours. Such a garden will also provide a place of delight for the nocturnal wildlife, such as bats and moths.

In creating your garden include as many white flowering plants as possible to best reflect the pale light. Along side your white plants use pastel colours, silvery foliage and lots of fragrant plants to delight all the senses and attract the wildlife. Try to aim for different textures and flowering periods to extend your moon garden through the year.

If you have space, a tree such as the Silver Birch would look stunning with its white shimmering bark or a white flowering Lilac. Some flowers choose to release their fragrance in the twilight hours, Night Scented Stocks, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Nicotiana – flowering tobacco plant, Evening Primrose and fragrant herbs such as Mint are just a few. If you live in a desert area, there are also some varieties of Cactus that are night flowering.  The choices of plants are endless and will depend on your local climate, but a moonlight garden is a dream to create. Those who live in apartments need not feel left out, an indoor garden place in a moonlight filled window can be just as magical.

Hail to Mani, God of the Moon.

I wish to thank Willow of Confessions of a Country Witch for letting me be a guest on her blog; it has been a real pleasure writing this post.

The Winner of the Eighth Giveaway

The winner of the eighth giveaway is Sarah! Email me your info and I'll forward it on!

The Eighth Giveaway

This Giveaway is Now Closed!

This giveaway is brought to you by Wylde Ivy. You will love what it's up for grabs. First off, let me tell you a little bit about Wylde Ivy. Their shop is amazing! It is filled with the most amazing handmade artisan scents (available in perfumes and bath and body products) you will ever find. And the owner is a very nice woman!

From the artist:

We take great pride in the careful craftsmanship and high quality of all of our products. Our handmade soap recipes are the result of over two years of research and development of our unique formulas. Currently, we have been making handmade soap for over nine years! Wylde Ivy soaps are handmade from scratch using only all natural vegetable oils and exotic butters and the Cold Process method of soap making. We specialize in extra mild soaps, unique scents, and high quality handmade bath and body products.


So, up for grabs is a $50 gift certificate good toward anything you want in the Wylde Ivy store. Like the idea of that? Here's how to enter the giveaway.


Rules: 


You must have some way for me to contact you.
Please enter entries in separate comments. Extra entries entered into one comment will be considered one entry.


Mandatory entry: Go to either of the Wylde Ivy shops by clicking here and here. Pick out your favorite product, come back and tell me about it.


Extra entries: 


Be or become a follower of Wylde Ivy blog. Tell me about it.
Like Wylde Ivy on Facebook. Tell me you did.
Follow Wylde Ivy on Twitter. Tell me you did.
Use the buttons below to tweet about this giveaway. Come back and tell me you did with the link.
Blog about this giveaway. Tell me you did with the link.
Favorite the Wylde Ivy etsy shop. Tell me you did.
Have the party button. Tell me you do.

Welcoming the God - The Many Blessings of The God

Our guest post today comes from the amazing Faerie Sage from Faerie Sage Kitchen. She is an awesome writer and wonderful person all around. Please stop by her blog and check it out!

Today I have the greatest pleasure to be able to write a guest blog for Willow at Confessions of a Country Witch, for ‘welcoming the god’.  Since the 15^thwe have been welcoming the God back to the land in all his glory.  Originally I had intended to give you a more in depth post regarding how I welcome the god back into the fold, but instead this year, the God has decided to pull me into the fold and so I will share the store of my fate with you 

along with the pictures of my spring here on the coast of British Columbia.

The story of my fate is long and unending, so I will have to start and end rather in the middle.

As a late twenty some woman, I have been going to school almost constantly since I was five years old.  Last year around this time I completed my Masters degree in archaeology and was greatly looking forward to finally working in the field which I had put so much money and effort into getting my schooling in. Alas it was not to be, hard as I tried no such job appeared and the longer I tried the less confidence I had.  Living on the coast of British Columbia I am blessed to have very little winter and a very early spring full of birds bees and flowers.  So this year as winter wound to an end I decided to simply go with the flow of life, to welcome spring to enjoy the beauty of the earth and to wait for the arrival of the god.  Well the god arrived with a force this year, and he brought with him a change of fortune for me.  I sent a resume out to an archaeological firm, the next day I had an email back asking for an interview and the day after that I was interviewing for the job.  Three days after I sent the resume I had been sent, and accepted, a job offer to be a full time permanent archaeologist with this consulting company.  In half a month I will be moving from the coast of British Columbia to the north above the northern living line!  As spring has officially sprung and the god has re-emerged into our lives, he brings with him great change for those who are ready and willing to accept it, he brings hopes and dreams, opportunities and joys.  So this year the coming of the god has been a whirlwind, of surprise excitement and very busy energy! So be aware, allow the god and the goddess to bring you to them as much as you bring them to yourself, because they offer great things, often far better than we ourselves imagined

It is my hope that you enjoy these little tidbits of spring from our garden here in coastal B.C.

Fixing an Error

I mistakenly didn't put the link to my guest poster's blog for the 22nd. I feel terrible about it because Lilac Silverfox is a dear friend of mine. Please take some time to drop by her blog by clicking here.

The Winner of the Seventh Giveaway

The winner of the seventh giveaway is: Nydia! Email me your address hun and I'll forward it on!

The Seventh Giveaway

This Giveaway Is Now Closed!

The seventh giveaway comes to you from White Moon Witchcraft. Her etsy shop is absolutely amazing and the rune amulet she's giveaway is AWESOME!

From the artist:

White Moon Witchcraft is a wee witchcraft shop carrying handmade magickal wiccan and pagan treasures! There is a wide range of products using as many natural materials as possible, made with love, harmony, strength and intent - all you have to do is enjoy them! Lots of love and time is poured into  into each and every item, and that is what makes them truly powerful. Please visit White Moon Witchcraft on blogger: www.whitemoonwitchcraft.blogspot.com , on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Moon-Witchcraft/183824068298586 , and on twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/WhiteMoon13  .  For other great metaphysical shops go here:  http://www.etsy.com/teams/6047/the-metaphysical-merchants-team-on-etsy

This decorative handmade charm can be hung on a wall, door or window of your home, to guard and protect your living space. The runes, when converted to the modern alphabet, read GUARD THIS HOME. Citrine, the bright, solar stone in the center, is known for its powers to protect and shield from negativity and bad influences. The purpose of this amulet is to keep out bad people and protect you and your family from harm, both physical and spiritual. It is colored yellow to reinforce its protective powers by drawing in the influence of the Sun God.
This piece measures  approx. 10" from the very top of the string to the lowermost bead. It is handcrafted out of clay and embellished with earth toned amber-colored beads.
Inscribed on one side only...the back is blank.
Please note that each one of these is handmade, one of a kind, and may vary from the photo in the shape of the citrine, placement of fingerprints in the clay and the shape of the larger beads.

And here is what you can win:

This giveaway is open to all!

Here are the rules:

You must leave me some way to get in touch with you if you win.

Leave separate comments for each entry. I'll be using a random numbers generator to pick the winner, and separate entries added into one comment will be counted as one entry.

Mandatory entry: Be or become a follower of the White Moon Witchcraft blog.

Extra entries:

Favorite the White Moon Witchcraft etsy shop. Leave me a comment telling me you did.

Like White Moon Witchcraft on Facebook. Leave me a comment telling me you did.

Follow White Moon Witchcraft on Twitter. Leave me a comment telling me you did.

Blog about this giveaway. Leave me a comment, including the link to your post.

Use the buttons below this post to tweet about this giveaway. Leave me a comment, including a link.

Pick a favorite item from White Moon Witchcraft and tell me about it here in the comments.

All right guys, good luck! This giveaway will close at 11 pm central time and I will announce a winner before 11:30 pm central time.