Jules, E,
For your child/ren, what nursery themes have you done? And what were some of the favorite themes you have seen? We are looking for theme ideas for a fourth child and I feel sorta "tapped out."
Our daughter (oldest) was butterflies with purple and green color scheme.
Our son (middle) was lions with a dark green and tan color scheme.
Our son (youngest right now) has dogs with light blue, tan, and chocolate color scheme.
And I just want to see what others have done and if they have seen any really inspired nurseries :) We have the guest room painted dark teal and bright green (not ugly, just different) and I would love any ideas that might not make us have to repaint :)
Answer
I believe in using neutral colors on walls rather than painting them special for the baby, because they are little for such a short time! There is a lot that can be done with textiles and wall decals.
What I would like to do for my baby is a theme involving local wildlife: deer, owls, etc. A lot of baby decor involves African animals, but I'd rather get my kid interested in animals we can see when we walk in our own woods.
For dark teal and bright green, I think an island/aquatic theme could be fun. I am thinking of palm trees, dolphins, etc. You can probably find some decals in this theme on Etsy.
I believe in using neutral colors on walls rather than painting them special for the baby, because they are little for such a short time! There is a lot that can be done with textiles and wall decals.
What I would like to do for my baby is a theme involving local wildlife: deer, owls, etc. A lot of baby decor involves African animals, but I'd rather get my kid interested in animals we can see when we walk in our own woods.
For dark teal and bright green, I think an island/aquatic theme could be fun. I am thinking of palm trees, dolphins, etc. You can probably find some decals in this theme on Etsy.
In need of guidance for our first Samhain, please?
Le Fae
Okay, so it won't be my first Samhain per se, but I do want this year to be the first time I construct an altar and really focus on remembering those that have passed. I have been 'studying' pagan and wiccan traditions for over 10 years, but never felt like I could call myself a true pagan or wiccan, I really would like that to change.
I was blessed with my first child this spring, (a boy!) and would really like to start him off on the proverbial right foot. He will be just 6 months on October 31st, so right now it really is more for my husband and I than him, but we feel that our memories are just as important as our sons.
My question is how do other pagan/wiccan families celebrate Samhain with their children?
Also, subject of great debate for us, what is the proper pronunciation? *lol* 'Sow'in', 'Sow-ween', 'Sam-in'?
Thanks and Blessed Be!
I am sorry Valentina, but I fail to see how observing the religion of our ancestors that respects those that have come before us and shows love to nature and Earth is childish.
Answer
Congrats on the baby. (sigh) family... I love family. ;-)
In my family we're just used to sow-WHEN. For us it is a 3 day festival, it's gotten kind of big over 20 years, so warning, this is long, lol:
The week leading up to it, we begin to really clean the house. We are big on crafts & making our own decorations. We do some more Americanized "halloween" decorations outdoors (not too gory) but inside it's very Pagan harvest / day of the dead influence.
We have a buffet table in the dining room we set up the altar on for major Sabbats. Harvest decor, skulls & death symbols (nothing gory), candles, cauldron, things from those who died (my dad's lighter, my grandmother's pin, etc).
We write the names of our dead on paper and hang it over the altar... it could be an actual ancestor, pets, recently deceased friends/family, or even celebrities (like I always include Chaucer because he's my favorite writer, and Ben Franklin because he's my hero).
We often cut out a "tree" shape from a grocery bag and hang it above the altar, we call it the "tree of rememberance" and write the names on colored paper leaf-shapes and stick them on the tree. Sometimes we make chains of apples (like paper dolls) and write the names on them.
We bake bread on the 30th morning. Sunset on the 30th we light the "Sun Candle" (we light it at every sabbat) and say prayers & welcome the ancestors, have a big feast and make offerings to them and remember their names and sit around after dinner tell the kids their stories. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, sometimes both. It's great because the kids 'know' them even though these people died before they were born.
On the 31st, we will wake up, carve jack-o-lanterns & bake pies & such, start our traditional big cauldron of beef stew & other little details, then take a nap... then the kids get into costume and go out trick or treating for a couple of hours.
We often have family/friends come over, so the kids return and we start the prayers & a small, simple, informal family-friendly ritual in honor of the death of the Sun God... and we blow out the Sun Candle and cover it with a black cloth... we bless the feast and make offerings, then we feast.
The kids commence with candy trading negotiations while we clean up a bit and digest, then we tell seasonal stories or the kids do some kind of seasonal enactments (basically they act out the stories).
The kids (and whoever else wants to, like usually my husband who is not a night owl) goes to bed... adults who remain/stay up have a more formal ritual, may include spells or divination or something, or just a discussion (like the year a dear friend died, we just mourned and comforted each other).
We sleep in on Nov. 1st (some people usually sleep over). We wake up, eat leftovers, usually starting with pie, lol. We bury the offerings on the altar & the remains of the sun candle (we make a new one every Yule). We say a closing prayer at Sunset about how life goes on & death is a part of life. Ah, the circle of life. The kids like to sing that song.
Congrats on the baby. (sigh) family... I love family. ;-)
In my family we're just used to sow-WHEN. For us it is a 3 day festival, it's gotten kind of big over 20 years, so warning, this is long, lol:
The week leading up to it, we begin to really clean the house. We are big on crafts & making our own decorations. We do some more Americanized "halloween" decorations outdoors (not too gory) but inside it's very Pagan harvest / day of the dead influence.
We have a buffet table in the dining room we set up the altar on for major Sabbats. Harvest decor, skulls & death symbols (nothing gory), candles, cauldron, things from those who died (my dad's lighter, my grandmother's pin, etc).
We write the names of our dead on paper and hang it over the altar... it could be an actual ancestor, pets, recently deceased friends/family, or even celebrities (like I always include Chaucer because he's my favorite writer, and Ben Franklin because he's my hero).
We often cut out a "tree" shape from a grocery bag and hang it above the altar, we call it the "tree of rememberance" and write the names on colored paper leaf-shapes and stick them on the tree. Sometimes we make chains of apples (like paper dolls) and write the names on them.
We bake bread on the 30th morning. Sunset on the 30th we light the "Sun Candle" (we light it at every sabbat) and say prayers & welcome the ancestors, have a big feast and make offerings to them and remember their names and sit around after dinner tell the kids their stories. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, sometimes both. It's great because the kids 'know' them even though these people died before they were born.
On the 31st, we will wake up, carve jack-o-lanterns & bake pies & such, start our traditional big cauldron of beef stew & other little details, then take a nap... then the kids get into costume and go out trick or treating for a couple of hours.
We often have family/friends come over, so the kids return and we start the prayers & a small, simple, informal family-friendly ritual in honor of the death of the Sun God... and we blow out the Sun Candle and cover it with a black cloth... we bless the feast and make offerings, then we feast.
The kids commence with candy trading negotiations while we clean up a bit and digest, then we tell seasonal stories or the kids do some kind of seasonal enactments (basically they act out the stories).
The kids (and whoever else wants to, like usually my husband who is not a night owl) goes to bed... adults who remain/stay up have a more formal ritual, may include spells or divination or something, or just a discussion (like the year a dear friend died, we just mourned and comforted each other).
We sleep in on Nov. 1st (some people usually sleep over). We wake up, eat leftovers, usually starting with pie, lol. We bury the offerings on the altar & the remains of the sun candle (we make a new one every Yule). We say a closing prayer at Sunset about how life goes on & death is a part of life. Ah, the circle of life. The kids like to sing that song.
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Title Post: What themes have your nurseries been? And what are your favorite themes you have seen?
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