If you use charcoal disks to burn your herbs or incense you know that sometimes one disk is just to much to use. It will burn on and on long after you are completed with your burnings. A waste of disk is what it is. Which means wasted money. But there is a quick solution to this dilemma! And you can save a little money in order to go towards one of those outer banks vacation rentals that you might be looking at!

The charcoal disks that I purchase come in 10 per roll. What I like to do is purchase 3 rolls at time as that lasts me awhile actually. I take one roll to be used for those times when I know I will not need a full disk. Here is how to save a little time and money!

1. Make sure that you have paper towel or newspaper laying down as this is a messy job. I would also suggest gloves (latex) as your finger tips will get black.

2. Open your roll carefully and take out all the disks.

3. Break each disk in half. This is easy to do as they are not as hard and compact as they look. It is messy though!

4. Store in a designated container or even a  zip lock baggie to keep fresh. Charcoal disks can and will go stale no matter what you are told they do! Making the m hard to light and sometimes useless. I have two small containers that are marked 'Full Disk' and 'Half Disk' so I know ahead of time what I am reaching for.

That is all there is to it! Use the halves for the shorter periods of burnings instead of wasting a full disk. Your disks will go longer and in the long run save you money by only using the amount that you need.

        

Sometimes we sit here and sound like hens clucking away when we are brain storming. One topic leads to another and another. Our biggest topic that has been non stop is our site.

We have realized that it has not been updated in ages. Leaving it as is no longer acceptable at all. One reason it has not been updated is that the FTP and files that it has is a bear to use. Which is the hosting company's fault as it is nearly useless and takes so much time doing that you tend to give up before starting.

If you were to compare this to something it would be like buying badly made discount rugs and discovering that they were falling apart. Well, that is what this hosting site and company is like as well.

Beginning in 2010 that is going to change. A new site is in the works to be designed and updated. It will be like the saying 'bite the bullet' and just do it!

Announcements will be made when it will start so if there are any glitches you will know. It will not effect the blog in any way though!

        

Imagine that! Thanksgiving will be here in less than 2 weeks. That's right 2 weeks! Time to really pull out those recipes and get to thinking about cooking and decorating!

One thing that we all like to have is a warm atmosphere for those family and friends that will attend our feast. This does not have to be an extravagant affair of sorts. No you do not have to break out the tuxedo shirts to wear. Saving those for New Years please!

One way in which to make your guests feel warm and cozy is to focus on earthy tones for your decorations. Since you are making pumpkin or even apple pies this is a good aroma to build around your home. Using scented pine cones, which you can do yourself by soaking or spraying Cinnamon on them. Placing in and around your home. What I like to do is start to soak these about a week or so before the event. Giving ample time for the cones to soak up the scent and then to dry properly. The smell is wonderful!

Use items you find outside as decorating helpers as well. Set your altar up to display brightly colored leaves, twigs and whatever you have found and allowed to take by nature.

Decorating does not have to be a stressful time. Take a break and a walk to shop the natural way! Your guests will be comfortable and your home will feel cozy!

        

Tis the time to start thinking about giving back to others. This is a great way to show support to those at  Ft. Hood and others of our troops.

For those of you that are going to give to this drive and would like to report on what you saw and experienced bring a long your digital cameras to share the giving of others at this wonderful event! Send it to us along with any and all photos for the December issue.



Rev. Paula Johnson, Coordinator, Operation Circle Care, sponsored by Circle
Sanctuary
phone: 954-471-1435
email: paula@circlesanctuary.org
http://tiny.cc/operationcirclecare

Operation Circle Care Responds to Foot Hood Tragedy by Expanding Drive for
Yule Care Packages for Pagan Troops

OPERATION CIRCLE CARE GETS READY FOR YULE

Operation Circle Care is currently gearing up to collect and send gift
packages for Yule for Pagan troops for the third year in a row. This year,
we will be including in our program gifts for over 150 Pagan and Wiccan
soldiers and their families at Fort Hood, Texas in addition to deployed
soldiers serving in warzones.

You can request care packages by writing to program coordinator, Paula
Johnson at paula@circlesanctuary.org.  Family members can also request
packages for a loved one or friend deployed in a war zone or at Fort Hood as
well but they must include an accurate APO address.

We need donations of gift items that are small and easy to mail. Pagan music
CD's are in big demand.  We receive frequent requests for incense as well.
Pentacles are always welcome.  Witches Calendars would be great.  Altar
cloths for the Sabbat's and Moons are easy to mail and appreciated.

One of the MOST important things Pagans can do to support Operation Circle
Care is to sponsor the postage needed to send care packages.  Postage is our
largest expense.  One care package (APO/FPO large flat rate box by US mail)
costs $11.95 to ship.  We need the community to sponsor soldiers by paying
the mailing expense to send a care package.

Operation Circle Care was a huge success the last two years year because of
community support across the USA.  Requests for packages for this Yule have
already started to come in and it is our hope to honor and remember each and
every Pagan soldier we can with a special personalized gift for Yule just as
we did last year.

Anyone who would like to donate money for postage can do so on-line or by
telephone.  If you have gift items to contribute, contact Paula:
paula@circlesanctuary.org

How to Help!

(1) SEND ITEMS: Photos of care packages sent in 2007 and 2008 along with a
list of suggested items to donate can be found at:
http://tiny.cc/operationcirclecare

(2) DONATE FUNDS: In addition to contributions of items, funds are needed to
help us cover postage and shipping of the donated materials. It costs us
$11.95 per package to ship by priority air mail. We seek to send a package
to every Wiccan/Pagan soldier deployed to war zones who requests one.

Donate On-line: to our Circle Charities with a credit card at our secured
on-line site: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/donate or call (608) 924-2216.
Be sure to go to the Operation Circle Care shopping cart to designate your
donation towards Operation Circle Care.

Donate By Postal Mail: Send a check or money order, payable to Circle
Sanctuary - OCC to: Operation Circle Care, Circle Sanctuary, PO Box 9,
Barneveld, WI 53507.

(3) TELL OTHERS:  Please let others know about this program -- forward this
email to lists, blogs, websites, others.

        

PAGAN SPIRITUAL COUNSELING Available for Pagans stressed by the Fort Hood Tragedy

A team of Pagan spiritual counselors has been formed by Circle Sanctuary to provide free telephone counseling support this month for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids, Heathens, Pantheists, and other Nature religion practitioners distressed by the shootings at Fort Hood in Texas this past Thursday.

Fort Hood is the largest US military installation in the nation.  On Thursday afternoon, November 5, an Army psychiatrist stationed at Fort Hood went on a shooting rampage, killing 13 and wounding 30 at the base.  This tragedy has shaken and stressed those at Fort Hood and in neighboring areas as well as across the country and at US military installations around the world.

More than 150 Pagans of many paths live in and around Fort Hood.  Many are part of the Fort Hood Open Circle, which is sponsored by the Sacred Well Congregation.  Some are connected with other groups, and some are solitary practitioners.

Circle Sanctuary formed this Pagan counseling support team as part of its services to Wiccans, Druids, Heathens, and other Pagans in the US Military.  This special response team consists of sixteen Pagan leaders from across the nation who are among those doing various forms of Pagan ministry through Circle Sanctuary.  The team is collaborating with other Pagan leaders in the Fort Hood area in providing help.  Circle Sanctuary is offering free Pagan oriented counseling by telephone to supplement grief counseling resources at Fort Hood.

Circle Sanctuary's Fort Hood Tragedy response counseling services are for Pagans in and around Fort Hood as well as for Pagans at other US military installations and elsewhere who have been adversely impacted by the Fort Hood shootings.  The counseling work being offered is specific to distress resulting from the Fort Hood shootings and will be offered throughout the month on November.

NEED HELP? CONTACT: counselingsupport@circlesanctuary.org

Please include your name, email address, phone number(s) and best days & times to call, and a brief description of how the Fort Hood shootings have stressed you.  Information you share will be kept confidential by those assisting you.

TELL OTHERS:  please post this notice to blogs, websites, e-lists, elsewhere to help get the word out to those in need of this support.

MORE INFO;

Info about the Fort Hood rampage & healing process:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ihGepAkECGoDagETVBMpPb3w7Y3gD9BQODMG0
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/healing/fort_hood.htm

Info about Circle Sanctuary Military Ministries
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/ministries/military/

        

I know. I know. Nobody wants to really bring this up but we just feel compelled to do so. Since today is the first of November our thoughts start to think about the upcoming holidays that will be here before you know it.

Count down to turkey day has begun with me. One thing that I am working on is making trivets for my stove and near the coffee pot. I can not stand the ones that I have looked at lately in stores. So, what I did was found 2 holiday patterns that are made from tile that suited me the most.

I measured the space in between burner on my stove top and then began calling around. I finally found a place that had quite a few patterns that I really liked. The choice was hard! Now I have two trivets in holiday patterns for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I already put the Thanksgiving out and was very pleased with the look.

The cost was under $10 for the four that I purchased and will bring years of useful pleasure!

        

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful New Year and survived their Samhain celebrations! What was amazing to me was that it was also a Full Moon to boot. Making any and all celebrations even more special.

Truthfully, this is the first year that I can remember in a while that actually was a Full Moon. Usually I keep abreast of moon times but things have been so crazy here, between Fall break and an unexpected rv repair things were out of hand!

We hope that everyone celebrated in their own fashion and will have a fabulous New Year!

        

Starting November 1st we will begin to take healing requests to post here and in the publication.

Please be sure to write the request clearly and with as little or as much details as you would like. DO not send addresses or personal info as it will not be published. Email addresses are fine but no physical addresses please.

This is not limited to just people, pets may be included as well. You may also send something as a personal request for something to take place.

An example: Please send energy and thoughts to Martha that her Medicare supplement will cover the expenses that have occurred due to her husband, Charles's illness.

These will be posted within 24 hours and then again on each Friday of the week.

        

Since on the subject of the door to door trick or treating that is coming up there are a few things that if having children we might try to remember.

Keep a watchful eye out on that candy that they receive. Not just for bad candies but from over indulging. Especially if they are pre teens and are prone to acne break outs. I have a teen and when he gets a little to much into the eating of the Samhain goodies I remind him of the out come that may happen. Maintain balance even though it might look good tonight you will pay tomorrow.

Don't let the little ones gorge on the candy as well. At the end of the night after they have sorted and traded a large bowl is brought out for each child to place the candy in. Each day there after they are only allowed a certain amount to be eaten until it is all gone. This saves on over eating and getting a sick stomach.

        

For many people time is always  concern when it comes to planning rituals. Seeing some of the more elaborate rituals they become exasperated at the thought that this is what they are supposed to do and they begin to rack their brains at when are they supposed to have time to do this?

Especially for Samhain. If you are a solitaire this may really concern you. More so if you are a parent that takes the children out door to door. How can you fit this in? This was the way that I was many and I mean many years ago. I would plan the events for the children down to the time to sort candy to when I would begin my ritual. By the time it came around I was so exhausted I did not want to do it or ran through the ritual so fast it was not enjoyable.

I soon learned that it does not have to be this way at all. One year I looked over what I usually do. A nearly three hour ritual. By writing every thing down I took out things that did not need to be done yet keeping those things that are traditional to me. By the time I ended I had a reasonable time of an hour or less. The first year I did this it worked fine and I walked away feeling as though it was one of the best Samhains ever.


Taking some things away might seem a little harsh to do but think about it do you really need to set up those stainless steel drums to play your music with? I am thinking no!

Relax and enjoy the ritual that you want to do. Rituals are not supposed to be work outs!