A New Year

How was your Samhain? If you were lucky, like my friend Deborah Blake, you had snow on the ground for ritual. I know it's not exactly the weather we want for the biggest ritual of the season, but if the weather cooperates, I don't think there's anything quite so peaceful as a dark sky full of stars above and a blanket of snow beneath... and stillness all around. It's like the polar opposite of a raging thunderstorm for me.

For my Samhain, I had neither. What I did manage to do was finally get my altar the way I wanted it. Well except for the lack of candles. I can not believe with all the candles I have in this house - and in my ritual cabinet - I didn't have a single Yellow or Gold. :: shakes head in disbelief ::: But otherwise, I finally have a permanent altar. I've warned hubby NOTHING gets put on it.

So tomorrow when I go on a Quilt Shop Hop I'm going to buy the candle colors I need - at least two sets. I want to have a set I can use for a temporary altar. Hubby is gone 3 weeks at a time and home 3 weeks. It's part of his job as a river boat captain we've lived with for years. When he's gone, I can get up in the morning and visit the bedroom altar. But when he's home, he likes to sleep in at least til 8 and I'm an early riser. So I'm putting together a altar box I can keep in the living room and use a TV tray in front of the big East facing picture window.

As the holiday candles hit the shelves, now is the time to pick up the Gold and Silver candles in particular. With Halloween behind us, now is also the time to pick up the black and orange ones going on clearance. Learning from my own lesson, it's one of the things I'll stress in The Organized Witch.

As soon as I have those candles in place, I'll post a pic of my altar. I'd love to hear about yours. Is it traditional or is it more eclectic with things that mean something to you personally?