http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica Mon, 09 Nov 2026 14:26:34 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3059/samhain-2026 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3059 Apple - Cranberry wine
Bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizers
   Beet Chips as an appetizer
Main Course: Dutch Oven cooked Pork Roast, Potatoes & Carrots:  Buttercup Squash :  Pork Gravy

Dinner Rolls

Dessert:  Cream Cheese frosted Brownies - Also Sugar COOKIES!!!!!!!!


Dinner prep went well and our dinner guest brought a white chocolate mousse with an apple compote (which was dove into before I could snap a pic).  It was VERY tatsy.
We had close to 60 ghosts, goblins, princesses, Minnies, aliens, Santas, etc....  They all appreciated the full sized candy bars.  Had one kid yell back to his parents before he chose his treat "Hey Mom, they have full sized candy bars".  
Hope your Halloween was fun & pleasant.

Yule is next - it is the beginning of our Wheel of the Year ]]> Sun, 01 Nov 2026 12:35:31 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3045/mabon-the-autumnal-equinox http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3045
Of course apple wine was served....
Mabon is the second of the harvest feasts.  It is centered around root vegetables and apples.  
Good food and precious family.
Blest be!!!! ]]> Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:24:01 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3043/41-years http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3043 A couple of houses that dot the shores. ]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:46:07 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3042/lughnasadh http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/3042 We invited my sister and my son's friend, to add to the party.  We also ended the daylight hours playing Bocci.  




"Lugh: The God of the First Harvest "





To truly understand Lughnasadh, you must understand Lugh. He is one of the most complex and compelling figures in the   Celtic pantheon   — not a simple harvest god, not merely a sun deity, but something far more layered. Lugh is Lugh Lámhfhada — Lugh of the Long Hand — a title that speaks to his reach, his skill, and his mastery over distance and craft.
When Lugh arrived at the hall of the Tuatha Dé Danann and asked to be admitted, the doorkeeper asked what skill he brought. Lugh named one craft. The doorkeeper said they already had a master of that craft. Lugh named another. Same answer. He named every skill he possessed — warrior, harper, poet, sorcerer, craftsman, historian, hero — and each time was told they had no need of another master. Finally Lugh asked:   "Do you have anyone who is master of all of them at once?"
The doors opened.
Lugh is the God of mastery, craft, skill, light, and the harvest sun. He is the one who holds all things together — the generalist who transcends specialization, the light that makes all growth possible. At Lughnasadh, we honor not just the harvest of the fields but the harvest of our own skills, our own work, our own creative output.
The themes of Lughnasadh:
First harvest   — reaping what you planted at Imbolc and tended through spring
Sacrifice   — the grain must die to become bread; what must you release?
Gratitude   — genuine, embodied thanks for what the earth and your own effort have produced
Skill and mastery   — honoring Lugh by honoring your own craft
The turning light   — the sun is still strong but the days are shortening; the dark is coming
Discernment   — not everything that grew deserves to be harvested; some things must be composted
Community   — Lughnasadh was historically a time of games, fairs, and gathering; connection matters
Transformation   — grain becomes bread; raw becomes nourished; effort becomes result

Ask yourself as you approach this sabbat: What have I built this year? What am I proud of?
What needs to be cut before it drains the rest of the harvest?"
https://www.moonlightmysteries.com/blog/lughnasadh-witches-guide-first-harvest-sabbat?srsltid=AfmBOorsNIOI-cSZEN-NKjGIeV1hcy1W5i_GKacaxpimhsHhif9HL2l5 ]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:56:09 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2963/40-years http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2963
Good health to all.]]> Sat, 16 Aug 2025 18:49:49 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2936/anything-special http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2936 For me - it has been a long wet May.  Chilly and drab, but this weekend it has been sunny & chilly so we got the area of Summerland set up ( the place we put memorials to lost pets & flowers for lost persons).  My lilac bush planted for my passed sister in law is blooming.  The mums for my mother survived the cold of winter.  The statues for my lost pets are out and guarding the area.  The hummingbird feeder is set up with quite a few visitors.  Old Glory is flying high and all is good in my world.
I have started reading the memoirs of Josh Gates (love me some Josh).  Started the new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution.  Have gone back in time to the show Profiler on the Roku Channel.  My son bought me a couple of DVDs I am looking forward to (the mini series The Shining & the Rob Lowe version of Salem's Lot).  I am looking forward to some alone time to watch them (no one in my family appreciates Stephen King). 
All these things are good.  Special to me.

Tell me something good & special in your life.]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 10:35:49 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2906/and-so-it-begins http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2906 Tue, 31 Dec 2024 10:39:06 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2820/ostara-march-19th http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2820 Very early this year.  The Spring Equinox is Ostara.  The beginning of spring.  Flowers are pushing through the cold ground to show us their beautiful colors. 
Ostara marks the Spring Equinox, which happens between March 19 -23. Ostara is a pagan celebration of the German goddess Eostre and the origins of the Christian celebration of Easter. As the beginning of spring Ostara is a good time to literally and figuratively plant seeds for the future. https://www.mabonhouse.co/ostara

I do begin my seedlings inside using cardboard egg cartons.  I spend time redesigning my garden and Summerland area.
Spring cleaning also begins for me on Ostara.  The kitchen is first before I begin cooking the feast.  


Symbols of Ostara 

Colors:  Green, pink, blue 
Foods:  Eggs, honey, sprouted greens, baked goods, asparagus 
Stones:  Aquamarine, amethyst, rose quartz 
Symbols:  Rabbits, eggs, spring flowers , lambs, clover, baskets 
Flowers & Plants: clover, daffodils, crocus, tulips  
Deities:   Isis, Estotre, Adonis 

I cook a spiral ham, some type of potato (I rotate between varieties), Devilled eggs, grilled asparagus, honey cakes, and honey bread.  
I usually meditate outside honoring nature and thanking Mother Earth for her bounty.  

Hope everyone has a beautiful Spring.

]]> Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:06:42 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2812/new-tool http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2812
I just ordered a new tool for my Wiccan collection.  I can't wait to use it. ]]> Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:15:13 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2806/imbolc http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2806
It is the Mid-Winter Sabbat.  It occurs on Groundhog's Day (February 2nd).  It is the time to use up the stores (root vegis, left over grain).  It is a meager feast, but a feast just the same.  We have survived half the winter and looking forward to the Spring Equinox.
My feast day begins with a batch of scones - I used dried cranberries in mine.  My daughter and sister adore my homemade scones (or bannocks for the Scots out there).  I prepare myself for ritual - don my ritual dress and cloak and go to my alter.  I light my power candle, light some appropriate incense, put on some Celtic music and cast my circle.  I perform my ritual, give thanks and close my circle.  
I then began my potato soup, which simmers all day.  I make some mulled wine in the crockpot.  I make a loaf of Old-fashioned Soda Bread to go with my soup.  There is no dessert, since it is a meager feast.   ]]> Wed, 31 Jan 2024 12:07:30 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2779/krampus http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2779 Tue, 05 Dec 2023 09:54:31 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2766/samhain http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2766 Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:16:42 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2756/autumn-approached-mabon-is-around-the-corner http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2756
Thought this picture was gorgeous. ]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 16:00:57 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2753/september-words http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2753 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 16:15:07 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2752/a-pagan-child http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2752 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:34:06 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2751/a-spell-for-you http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2751 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:12:04 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2750/a-gentle-wish http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2750 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 14:09:13 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2746/i-am-a-crone http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2746 ]]> Mon, 14 Aug 2023 15:13:12 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2745/speaks-for-itself http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2745 Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:44:05 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2743/first-installment-the-first-house http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2743

"Someday you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will become someone else's survival guide."  Brene Brown



My first memory was when I was 2.  It was the house we lived in that was very creepy even to my young mind.  I remember talking to beings that no one else heard.  I remember seeing beings no one else saw.  I remember the family calling me strange and maybe nuts.  I have 4 brothers and a sister.  I will label my brothers thusly:  oldest brother - 10 years older than me will be called T, brother that is 9 years older than me will be called M, my sister will be MF, the abusive brother is 6 years older and I will call him Abuse, and that leaves P - the brother that is 3 years older.
They now say all my memories are false and I never saw or heard anything - they still think I am strange and nuts.  However; MF does remember strange happenings in that house - she swears she saw a UFO across the road from the house that hovered over the woods.  I remember lights in those woods.  
All in all I was an outcast in my family right from the beginning.  No one in my family ever tried to understand me - my father once said I had my own language until I was four that no one else could decipher.  Maybe that is why I carried on conversations with my stuffed animals - they never yelled at me to speak normal.  
I remember being tied to the clothes line pole as my mother hung out laundry.  It would not have been such an ordeal if she hadn't tethered me to the same pole as our collie, Champ.  He was a big dog in the eyes of a two year old.  And he nipped.  A good reason I am now a cat person.
MF and I shared a bed and our room was reached by walking through my brothers' room.  The upstairs was off limits - I am not sure of why, but there was a lot of noise up there.  That was the house I saw the glowing hands floating in the dark that I have written about in the past.  
There was an old spring house we used to sit on - was the size of a decent shed.  We used to sit up there (MF & P) to escape my Abuse.  He was scared to climb - MF boosted P and me onto the roof to escape.  We would stay up there for hours.  Of course they never knew what I was saying (or that is what they told me).  
When I was older and driving I would make the 30 minute trip to drive past that first house.  It still would freak me out.  It sat there like a malignant force, whispering evil thoughts to me.  It is gone now and nothing has replaced it.  The area still seems creepy to me even with the house gone.  The house stood on land that laid between two lakes, so I am thinking it most likely was tribal land and who knows maybe a sacred piece of land.

Next installment coming soon...
]]> Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:09:46 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2718/i-am-a-solitary http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2718
There are so many symbols, rituals, feasts, and ways to work Magick.  There are many ways to practice:
Coven-Based Witch

Solitary Witch

Hereditary Witch

Crystal Witch

Cosmic Witch

Green Witch

Hedge Witch

Plant Witch



I am a Solitary.  I perform my rituals alone.  I use Tarot, pendulum, candles, crystals, and my Book of Shadows.









I have an athame, a chalice, ceremonial bowl, and an incense burner that live on my alter.  



I perform moon phase rituals, feast day rituals and spell rituals.  



I make offerings to the Goddess I work with and to the God who is her consort.  



I am thinking of doing a weekly article that goes into more detail of the many things that belong to my Wiccan journey in either Sinners or The Reality Show...

]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:00:10 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2679/heres-to-tolerance http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2679


I hear this when people find out I am Wiccan.  I get tired of it.  The truth is most Wiccans are more tolerant, kind and giving then some Christians I know. 
]]> Fri, 28 Oct 2022 11:53:26 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2677/samhain http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2677
My favorite feast day approaches.

Samhain (pronounced Sow-wen) is the third harvest of the year.  It means summer's end in Gaelic.  It is the end of the Celtic year - it is the last feast on the Wheel of the Year.
  
On this day, the great God of the Sun dies, and leaves his widow, the Goddess Crone, to mourn him until Yule (Winter Solstice) when he will be reborn, and light will return.  With the Sun God gone, nights grow longer, plants and trees die back, and all around us freezes and hardens in the chill.  On Samhain night, we stand at the space between the seasons, and in the heightened magic that connects the realms of the living and the dead.
www.SageGoddess.com 


"The pagan feast of Samhain is not, and never was, associated with evil or negativity.  It has always been a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and in our firm resolution that physical death is not the final act of existence." 
 
Edain McCoy –
www.witchcraftedlife.com
This is what I will be working on in this Samhain season:
https://www.theseasonalsoul.com/spiritual-significance-of-halloween
Samhain celebrates the dark and death.  It is not something to be afraid of, without the dark we cannot appreciate the light and without death there is no life.
At Samhain it’s clear that our inner world is overtaking our outer. Day is turning to night as we move into the dark side of the wheel of the year.  This is where we leave the outer world behind. This is where the energy turns inward, and things need to die on the outside in order to do that.
Samhain celebrates that Death.
At this time in autumn it’s very clear things have turned inward. You can see it in the trees & the gardens, and you can feel it in your spirit.  We’re drawing inward & our inner lives want our attention. 
This is the time of year to get comfortable with your inner life. This is where the work is for the next few months.
Make peace with yourself right now. Don’t judge anything that comes up for you. Just feel whatever you need to feel, and practice being an observer.  Observe your inner life without judgement.
This dark side of the wheel of the year reminds you not to fear the darkness. There’s a lot of beauty in these dark days. Embrace it.  Magic is born in the darkness.
And as you turn inward, don’t be afraid to look at your dark parts–be an observer. No judgement. What do your shadows want to show you?
What do you see if you gaze unafraid at the darkness you fight to hide? What if, instead, you wrap your arms around those parts of yourself–what if you send yourself only deep, compassionate love?
Samhain is the season of Death. This is when the outerworld dies, to make space for new life to be born.
If you are brave enough to look at the darkness, to listen it has to tell you, you discover parts of yourself you need to let go of in order to grow & evolve.
This is where we leave behind the things that we’ve outgrown. Welcome the mystery & the possibilities of the space that it creates in your life.
This is a powerful time for magic & manifestation. What new dreams will be born to replace the leaves that you’ve let go of?
Being brave enough to journey into the darkness requires really mindful nurturing & self-compassion. This is hard inner work. It requires you to be so gentle & loving & kind to yourself over the next few months.
In perfect divine timing, at Samhain we are entering the feminine/yin side of the wheel of the year.
Yin energy is restful. It’s gentle & nurturing. It’s intuitive & receptive.
This energy is really encouraging you to take deep care of yourself right now. Sleep as much as you can, don’t push yourself. Whatever self-care looks like for you, do that. Don’t judge yourself for how much you need it right now.
Allow yourself to rest, be open to just receive whatever comes to you in this space.

Other rituals can include:


For the scents of the season, you could try a Simmer Pot:
A pot of boiling water on your stove:
Add:   1 whole orange peel, sliced into strips
           2 Tbsp whole clove
           3 whole cinnamon sticks
           1 Tbsp nutmeg
            2 drops of vanilla extract
ENJOY!!!
Final words for Samhain:


]]> Tue, 25 Oct 2022 09:49:32 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2674/living-in-darkness http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2674
I have been away from here for a while.  When I did check in it was so disturbing I stayed only briefly.  I have found myself questioning on what is truly important as I watch women's rights get flushed and maniacs running for office.  And worst thing - people I thought were "normal" supporting these wackadoodles.  I just fell into a place where I couldn't deal with this.  I was actually wishing for horrible things to happen to members of our governing bodies.  We have a gubernatorial candidate that has stated the terminating of a pregnancy  to save the mother's life should be outlawed.  As if women's lives were expendable....  I just do not want to live in a country that thinks women are expendable, that we don't count.  
Reading comments here in regards to race has completely blown my mind.  I just don't get it and at this time I don't want or care to.  It is ridiculous that we as a nation and a site allow the blatant racism to stand.  I am not going to deal with it anymore.  I may stop in to the "Cats" and visit, but I am done commenting on any threads.  It is not worth the frustration and anger.  

Miss you guys!!!!
]]> Sun, 09 Oct 2022 16:36:17 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2645/lughnasadh-2022 http://thenewstalkers.com/veronica/blog/2645
Lughnasadh occurs every August 1st.  It is the first of three harvest feasts.  This one has fresh veggies and grain as its mainstays.  The tradition is to shape bread into a representation of the Green Man (Lugh).


About the God Lugh

Lugh is a Celtic god who was once worshipped across Western Europe and the British Isles. Other names for him are Lug, Luc, Master of All Skills, and The Shining One. In Wales he is known as Lleu Llaw Gyffes, which means Bright One of Skillful Hand, and in other parts of Europe he was known as Lugos, or Raven. 
He is the lord of the sun, light, victory, craftsmanship, and war. Lugh’s favored people are physicians, soldiers, warriors, artists, artisans, crafts people, and poets. He’s considered a master poet, warrior, sorcerer, metalworker, cupbearer, physician, harper, and builder. 
Lugh is known for using spears in battle, writing poetry, and playing the harp. His planet is the Sun, his plant is red corn cockles, his bird is the raven, and his animals are the lion and horse. 
According to Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes, “At least fourteen European cities are named for Lugh including Laon, Leyden, Loudon, and Lyon. Lyon’s old name was Lugdunum, meaning “Lugh’s Fort.” That city is believed to have been his cult center. Its coins bore the images of ravens, which may be a reference to Lugh. Carlisle in England, the former Lugubalium, is also named in Lugh’s honor. Some theorize that Lugh’s name is reflected in an older name for Paris: Lutetia. The Romans identified Lugh with Mercury. Many European churches dedicated to Michael the Archangel are believed to have been built over sites once dedicated to Lugh. Post-Christianity many of Lugh’s sacred functions were reassigned to saints like Patrick and Luke.” 
https://www.kajoralovely.com/lovely-blog/2019/7/28/lughnasadh



In my house I shape my homage item to the Green Man out of pizza. 
I couple that with first harvest items from our garden.
The zucchini was breaded and then baked (my hubby prefers them deep fried, but he doesn't need all that grease).  
Add to that some other fresh veggies.
Voila - a feast fit for a Pagan family - or at least some of us are Pagan - others just like the food....
]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2022 09:25:10 -0400