Tuesday 25 November 2014

The Great Christmas Debate...

I have seen on facebook a few (only a few I must admit) complaints about how early the Christmas 'hoopla' has begun this year.

I did exclaim surprise myself when the Christmas cards appeared in the shops in September, that was even a wee bit early for me.

However I am MRS CLAUS...well I would be if I could.   The day after Samhain/Halloween I get the festive CDs out and start my yuletide shopping.  I love everything about the season except being in shops in December - way too many people, so I do my shopping in November.  Although I do like to go and sit in a cafe in the middle of town in December and sit with a hot chocolate watching all the shoppers and soaking up the energy of the season.

I have never lost that child like excitement that comes at this time of the year and I am very grateful for that.

My decorations go up on the first weekend of December but they come down on 26th/27th December, I don't like them in the house in January, for me once Boxing Day comes it is all done and dusted.  It is the build up to the celebration that I like the most.

But not everyone likes the festivity and I can totally appreciate that everyone is an individual and entitled to feel exactly how they want to, I really do, but it has to work both ways.  I have purposely not posted loads of festive pictures on my facebook page yet because I don't want to upset those of my friends that prefer to wait until closer to the day, but in return please don't berate me for liking and enjoying the season - it is my own personal choice and I am entitled to that and in fact it is my facebook page and if I wanted to post photos of Yule logs in August I can!

Bear in mind as well that today is 25th November - one month until Christmas Day and just over three weeks until the Winter Solstice...I don't think it is too early to be getting into the festive spirit. In fact I was looking at Halloween pictures on facebook in early September...two months away from the actual date - no one seemed to complain about Halloween decorations being in the stores too early?

Yep I get the whole 'it's too commercialised' thing but it doesn't have to be - it is us as the consumer that holds the power to change that.    We can choose to only buy one present for each person, we can choose to make presents, we can choose to shop locally, we can choose to buy from crafters and artisans...our choice.

A lot of businesses rely on the Christmas 'spend' to keep them afloat, whether it is the big businesses or the small ones.  Those businesses employ people...they employ people like us...they provide jobs and wages to pay our bills to keep food on our tables and a roof over our heads...

For me this time of the year is about celebrating, about being with family and friends - I work with the building energies of the season, I watch silly Christmas films that make me cry and feel good about the Christmas Spirit and on the Winter Solstice I celebrate the return of the sun.

My cards are all written, charities rely on selling Christmas cards to make money for their cause and I always recycle the ones I receive as well but I also accept that some people prefer not to send cards, again that is your choice to make, personally I absolutely love to send and receive cards but that is my choice to make too.

Life is a roller coaster ride, the energies of the year ebb and flow...I like to 'ride the wave' of the build up to Yule, I love cards, I love Yule trees, I love festive food, celebrations, catching up with friends and family, I love sparkly lights, I love tinsel and I love the festive spirit...good will to all...now if we could only extend that spirit throughout the whole year...

Monday 10 November 2014

A magical book sales figure...


I never had a burning desire to be an author...never felt that I had 'that book inside me'...however a while back I saw a publisher (Moon Books) asking on facebook for book suggestions for a Pagan Portal series they were running so I replied to the facebook post with the words "what about Kitchen Witchcraft"... to receive the reply "good idea, send us a proposal"...um...

So I fell into book writing totally by accident.

My first book Pagan Portals Kitchen Witchcraft was published on 22nd February 2013 and since then several others have followed:
Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch published on 28th June 2013
Pagan Portals Hoodoo published 30th August 2013
Pagan Portals Moon Magic published 31st January 2014
A Kitchen Witch's World of Magical Plants & Herbs published 31st October 2014
(and I am currently writing A Kitchen Witch's World of Magical Food to be published in 2015)

There is a reason for this blog post and it is one that to be quite honest baffles me, humbles me and overwhelms me all at the same time.

Twenty months on from my first book publishing I have hit a magical book sales figure...I don't know why it is magical, it just seems like it is.

In October 2014 I hit and surpassed 10,000 book sales...10,770 to be correct.  

That includes paperbacks and ebacks, not bad over twenty months!

Now don't all get excited, I don't want to be tapped up for loans or free beers, because seriously I am not anywhere near becoming a millionaire...I haven't even earnt enough to clear my credit card bill or my overdraft - unless you are an author of status such as Rowling you ain't gonna be giving up the real job anytime soon. (See previous blog post on writing books and not making any money).  But it's not about the money, it has been about sharing the knowledge and experiences I have gained along my own journey within the Craft with others.

And I have to say it is actually hard work...when you write a book the only way to get it noticed and to encourage people to purchase it...is to totally pimp it and yourself.  Each and every day I work at marketing and selling my soul to the internet, it is constant in getting your book noticed to magazines, vendors, the public and anyone else that can help, but it needs to be done - what's the point of writing a book if no one ever finds out about it?

Add to that the hours and hours and days and days it takes to plan out, research and write a book, then the nerves as you wonder if it will be accepted and a contract will be forthcoming and then the overall worry (that never goes away) about whether anyone will actually like it or not!

So I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that has purchased copies of my books, you guys totally rock and without you the magical number would be but a dream.

I also have to thank my hubby for all his graphic work on the posters and adverts that I plaster all around the internet.

There is no big celebration or party hats and streamers...just a very nice proud feeling and warm fuzziness from me to all you guys for your support...although I may have cake...♥

Friday 7 November 2014

Ho..ho...ho...

I admit it...I know it is only early November but I have been struck by the Yule fairy...well and truly.

I LOVE the festive season...I revert to being a total child at this time of the year, in fact I don't think I have ever lost that sense of awe.

I was laid up for the first half of this week with a horrible head cold lurgy thing so I retired to the sofa with a blanket and watched the Xmas24 channel...and although I did actually fall asleep through some of them (hey I was poorly, cut a girl some slack) I have a lot of the films set to record now right through November...

I have to put my hands up and say - we have done most of our Yuletide shopping but only because I hate being in the shops in December, waaaay too many people.

November I start to watch the films and yes I already have festive songs on the CD in my car.

Yule cards will be written in the next couple of weeks but mainly because some have to be posted early overseas (who am I kidding? I would be writing them now anyway).

I am already skimming through cook books to plan what festive cookies and munchies to make and bake, although on 25th December we spend the day at my parents and get the whole 'shebang' done for us which is fab.

On the winter solstice I have my own small celebration as I am the only pagan in my family but I am totally supported with what I do, I still keep trying to persuade them I can open my presents on that day but I haven't won that argument yet...

Decorations go up on 1st December - although they will go up a couple of days earlier this year as we are hosting a Yule crafting workshop at our house on 29th November and I want it to be really festive for everyone attending - any excuse really...

However decorations usually come down on 26th/27th December because it all seems to be done and dusted by then and I want to clear up, clean up and get sorted.

I have decided that I am totally in the wrong job though...on reflection I am very well suited for another career...

  • I love the festive season
  • I love mince pies
  • I love to bake cookies
  • I love elves
  • I love the cold, wintery weather
  • I love reindeer
  • (can you see where this is heading?)
  • I love cheesy festive decorations
  • I love Yule trees
  • I love wrapping presents
  • I love writing cards
  • I own a fabulous festive jumper
  • I have a belly that wobbles like a bowl of jelly when I laugh...oh no wait a minute that's the other guy..


I should totally be Mrs Claus...

Monday 3 November 2014

It's a blessing...and a curse

Well it is back to reality this morning after having a week's holiday...

Hubby and I spent a couple of days in the beautiful city of Bath (via a fried breakfast in Salisbury), such a wonderful place and the weather was silly hot for October, we sat outside cafes drinking latte and eating cake, people watching, mooching and shopping and eating way too much lovely food.

Then we spent a couple of days at home with our children, watching TV, catching up on chores and decorating the house for Halloween.  Finishing up with two lovely Samhain rituals yesterday, one in the woods in the dark by candle light with the Genesis Grove and then an online webinair one with the Kitchen Witch students.

Friday...Halloween/Samhain was my birthday so we started the day with a birthday breakfast in the local cafe.  Then Halloween and trick or treating hit.   The rest of the day was spent getting ready for the trick or treaters and the children getting dressed up and face painted.

When I was a child and even right up to probably 15 or so years ago trick or treating was not really done in England but it seems to have slowly crept across the pond and now the shops are full of Halloween decorations and sweets and we have loads of trick or treaters.

This year the weather was unseasonably warm so we actually sat outside with bowls of sweets to greet the various witches, ghosts, zombies, vampires and a clown...in fact the clown was the scariest one of all...

So for the past few years my birthday kind of gets over taken by Halloween, I would imagine it is similar for someone with a birthday on 25th December.  Not that I am complaining really, it just takes a bit of flexibility...I ended up with a birthday week really rather than one day!

I had an AMAZING amount of birthday wishes on facebook, a huge thank you to everyone.  I read them all as I get an email each time someone posts on my timeline unfortunately when I went to my page to thank each person individually facebook decided to only show me some of the messages, so apologies to those that I couldn't get to.

I did have lots of people commenting along the lines of "oh how fantastic to have your birthday on Samhain/Halloween", "oh I am totally jealous, what a wonderful day to have a birthday"...well it is a blessing...and a curse...

But however you look at it...forty six years have now passed and having my birthday on 31st October was most probably fate...