Spring Fever

I'm sitting here at my computer looking outside. What is it that I see? Snow. Yup. It's March 24, and it's snowing outside. Several parts of the state I live in got nearly a foot or more of snow in the last two days. It's not that bad here, but the snow is starting to pick up, and I can't see the brownish-greenish grass anymore.

I so desperately want spring.

We had a few days of tempting sun and warmth earlier in the month. You know, Mother Nature taunting us. I'm sure I'm not the only one with cabin fever. Heck, I've also managed to catch a pretty nasty crud that one of my kids likely dragged into the house. The crud plummets my productivity.

I so desperately need spring.

Not only does the crud destroy productivity, but winter does as well. It effects me in a bad way. I'm sure I've mentioned this before.

I long for warmer days to invigorate me, to give me extra energy to stay up a bit later and get a scene written or a chapter revised. I yearn for the sun to infuse me with its heat -- after all, I am a Leo, and Leos need their sun!

The last three months have been pretty dismal. While I haven't stalled out completely (which is great), and I'm not behind on my publication schedule (thank the gods), I haven't gotten done as much as I wanted to.

Now, again, I know I'm not the only one who wants spring to finally arrive. So, I think we all need to band together and use our collective brain power to wish it into being. Let's all ask Mother Nature to be kinder to us, to pack winter away for a few months and let the sun run free!

Who's with me? Come on, now. If you want spring to show up as badly as I do, you have to be ready to try anything. So, think hard, make your will be heard, and maybe we can all make a little magic and Mother Nature will finally unleash spring upon us.

Magic Is Reality, Reality Is Magic: Midsummer

Magic is Reality, Reality is Magic is a series that highlights aspects of religions, particularly Paganism. We pull things from everyday life to use in our fiction. Magic is one of the key attributes of fantasy. Why not explore the realm of magic that many people already have in their lives?

Picture By Douglas P. Perkins Midsummer, also called Litha or the Summer Solstice, is another one of those sabbats that can land on a different date each year. This is because it's the longest day and shortest night of the year, and this year it lands on June 21 (same day as Father's Day - wow, busy day this year!). Once Midsummer passes, days will start to get shorter and nights longer again. It's hard to think of that because at this point in the year most of us want the days to last longer--especially those of us who live through far too many months of winter each year.

Clearly, with Midsummer being the longest day of the year, the sun is at its height of power. It's a time to continue the celebrations started at Beltane. And it's a time for love. It's interesting how many weddings take place during June. Could this possibly be something that we brought along with us from the past without realizing it? Aside from love, though, celebrating the coming of new life is important as well.

And what would a holiday be without its symbols? Again, there's a balefire at Midsummer, along with amulets like the God's Eye, which represents the sun. Fire is powerful during many sabbats, but it's strongest during Midsummer--the sun rules. Those weddings I mentioned? Flowers, tossing rice, and even cutting a wedding cake have origins in Pagan fertility magic. The ring represents a magic circle. Those are only a handful of wedding items that originate from Paganism.

There's a lot of things going on during Midsummer, so I highly recommend you read further about it if you're interested. Here's a few websites: Litha, All About Litha, and Midsummer/Summer Solstice.

Further Reading Suggestions:

Franklin, Anna. Midsummer. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 2002.

I hope you found this tidbit interesting! If you would like me to touch on a particular topic that fits in this series, please don't hesitate to contact me with suggestions.

NEXT UP: Guest post from Jennifer Loring

Magic Is Reality, Reality Is Magic: Yellow

Magic is Reality, Reality is Magic is a series that highlights aspects of religions, particularly Paganism. We pull things from everyday life to use in our fiction. Magic is one of the key attributes of fantasy. Why not explore the realm of magic that many people already have in their lives?

Picture By 3268zauber With the days getting warmer (hopefully--if you live in Wisconsin like me, though, winter likes to keep knocking spring back down) many of us can't wait for summer. When the sun shines down on us, heating our bones. In spring, the sun starts peeking through the clouds more often and warming up the earth. And what color do we associate with the sun? Yellow!

Yellow is a bright color, and as much as we love to see the sun after a long winter, yellow brings hope and joy into our lives. Need a little optimism or creativity? Yellow is the color for these as well. If you want to inspire yourself, perhaps set a picture of a sunflower on your desk or burn a yellow candle. When you're feeling sluggish and down, take a glance at your bright pick-me-up.

There's another side to yellow, though. Calling someone yellow is an insult, labeling them a coward. It can also represent an impatient person or someone who acts rashly. And yellow is also used as a warning--the yellow in a stop light, as well as other street signs, bright to draw your attention.

Yellow can also symbolize confidence, attraction, persuasion, enlightenment, betrayal, and madness.

Don't forget to enjoy the sun during spring and summer because winter will be back all too soon!

What is your favorite thing about the color yellow?

If you'd like to read a bit more about this color, you can take a look at the following websites: The Color Yellow, Yellow Color Meanings, and The Meanings of Yellow.

Further Reading Suggestions:

Buckland, Raymond. Advanced Candle Magic. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1997.

I hope you found this tidbit interesting! If you would like me to touch on a particular topic that fits in this series, please don't hesitate to contact me with suggestions.

NEXT UP: Guest Post from Author, Ron Shannon - "Creating an Idea for a Story"

Magic Is Reality, Reality Is Magic: Ostara

Magic is Reality, Reality is Magic is a series that highlights aspects of religions, particularly Paganism. We pull things from everyday life to use in our fiction. Magic is one of the key attributes of fantasy. Why not explore the realm of magic that many people already have in their lives?

Picture By Will Merydith Ostara, or Spring Equinox, is one of the two sabbats that signifies that the day and night are of equal length. This day is also considered the first day of Spring, which usually lands around March 20-22. Ostara is a time that represents the sun's return to dominance, as once this day passes, the days will grow longer and the nights shorter.

Many of the symbols of Ostara are the same as those used for Easter celebrations. Eggs are considered the most prominent symbol of Ostara. They are a symbol of fertility. Each color used to dye eggs has a different meaning. For example, pink can represent love or peace. The rabbit or hare is another symbol associated with Ostara. This symbol is derived from a tale of Eostre, the Goddess of Spring--a small hare offered her eggs as a gift.

Would you like to know more about Ostara? If so, you may want to start with the following websites: History of Ostara, Ostara, All About Ostara, the Spring Equinox, and You Call It Easter, We Call It Ostara.

Further Reading Suggestions:

McCoy, Edain. Ostara. St. Paul: Llwellyn Publications, 2003.

I hope you found this tidbit interesting! If you would like me to touch on a particular topic that fits in this series, please don't hesitate to contact me with suggestions.

NEXT UP: April 3 - Monthly Update