Five Reasons Halloween Lovers Should Embrace Spring

Happy Spring! Wiccans and pagans celebrate the vernal equinox in the Northern hemisphere, the time when light and dark are balanced again. Now, I know that sunshine and flowers don’t exactly scream Halloween, nor appease goth lovers, but if nothing else, we are moving one step closer to Halloween, and that’s cause for celebration.

Ostara

The Germanic goddess of spring and dawn returns. This girl knows how to party. She loves festivals, feasting, drinking, and sex! Sex leads to babies and she is all about that. Ostara first showed up around the 8^th century during festivals celebrating the vernal equinox. Details of actual worship are sketchy, but by the time the 19^th century rolled around, she had become a permanent fixture in Germanic mythology. She represents fertility, healing, and rebirth, and is depicted as a radiant woman of childbearing years, wreathed or covered with blooming flowers, surrounded by rabbits, hares and other wildlife, and she brings absolute joy to those around her. One cannot go wrong planting some seeds or painting some eggs in her honor.

American Gods Ostara starring Kristin Chenoweth @Starz

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Wicked Art Wednesdays – Lisa Parker

World-renowned artist Lisa Parker hails from the U.K. and specializes in magical, fantasy, witchcraft and wildlife art. Lisa’s artwork possesses vibrant colors and her passion for animals shines through every masterful brushstroke. Officially licensed with over 27 companies, including The Bradford Exchange, The Mountain (apparel), Nemesis Now, and Prime 3D Ltd., Lisa’s artwork is featured on numerous products, home goods, jewelry, puzzle games, stationery, tarot cards, and witchcraft collectibles.

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Special St. Patrick’s Day Poem: Just My Luck

Met a leprechaun in a pub
drinking whiskey and rum.
How would you like
to have some mischievous fun?
‘Follow me into the wood
when the moon is full.
I show you a pot of gold
seen only by fools.
When you return after biscuits and tea,
look for the red ribbon tied to a tree.’
I saw a twinkle in his eye and did not care.
I thought only of the pot of gold he was
willing to share.
‘What’s mine is yours’ he went on to say,
‘as long as you remember the way.’
So, I followed the wee man into the forest.
The pot of gold was there,
just like he foretold it.
Come the next morn, I realized my gaffe,
every tree bore a red ribbon and the sound of his laugh.

Special St. Patrick’s Day Haiku

winds of march
mystical shamrock forest
leprechaun’s gold

Haiku of the Week

Long lost family
Dark memories fill the air
Long cold winter night

winter-night-winter-woods

Happy Caturday!

It is a privilege to live in a world that gives us the wondrous talent of Lisa Parker.

Friday Fright Nightcaps – The Witch’s Heart

Happy Friday! Happy International Women’s Day!

Witches are some of the most persecuted women on the planet. This is as true today as it was in the 16^th century. Most women who were executed weren’t even witches. They were just women who spoke out against corruption, injustice and religious and political persecution or fought back against sexual predators. In honor of these brave souls who gave their lives to help shape the future for all womenkind, I share with you, a recipe from the kitchen of The Flavor Blender called, The Witch’s Heart.

Witch-Heart-Halloween-Cocktail-The-Flavor-Bender-6 — Photo ©The Flavor Blender

INGREDIENTS

apple brandy or apple vodka chilled
grenadine
Blackberry Shimmery Liqueur
Powdered dry ice optional
Martini glass to serve

Photo ©The Flavor Blender

To view full recipe at The Flavor Bender: https://www.theflavorbender.com/the-witchs-heart-halloween-cocktail/

All brave women have a little bit of witch in them.

Wicked Art Wednesdays

Australian illustrator Selina Fenech is one of the world’s most popular fantasy artists. She creates beautiful magical worlds filled with fairies, mermaids, goddesses, unicorns and other enchanted creatures. Her art has been featured in books and magazines and is available on licensed products worldwide, ranging from clothing, coloring books, dolls, figurines, jewelry, tarot decks and dozens of other items. She is also a published author of YA fantasy novels titled: Memory’s Wake TrilogyArtist: Selina Fenech
Website: https://selinafenech.com/
Where to purchase goods: https://selinafenech.com/shop/
Social Media: https://twitter.com/selinafenech https://www.instagram.com/selinafenech/

Selina also offers free coloring pages to her fans on her website: https://selinafenech.com/gallery/free-stuff-for-fans/

Monthly Haiku Corner

raindrops on shamrocks
dance under the moonlit sky
fairy lights

*Artwork by Selena Fenech – Along the Forest Path

Best of Irish Horror

For a country so rich in myths and folklore, Ireland doesn’t produce many horror films. Let’s hope someone is carving out some funds from the $250 million that the Irish Film Board received last year to help usher in more scary movies from the Emerald Isle. Until then, here are five great Irish horror films to watch this month.

Citadel (2012)

citadel

“Take a look at yourself. Everything about you, says victim.”

A grieving new father joins forces with a grumpy priest to protect his baby from being taken by feral children.

Nothing will prepare for the barrage of emotions you’ll feel, watching a grieving young man struggling to care for his baby, fight the broken system, and deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder, all while fending off a group of freaky feral children from trying to kidnap his child. Suspenseful and unsettling, in the same vein as the French thriller Them, sadly, The Citadel misses the opportunity to truly be a frightening horror film, nonetheless, I still recommend it for the outstanding performances from Aneurin Barnard and James Cosmos.’

citadel2