Tree Blessing and an Encounter

So it is snowing like crazy this morning..big, fluffy flakes. It is like being inside a snow globe.

Mr. Squirrel enjoying safflower seed

Today the tree must be done!! First, though I will perform a Tree Blessing. I am adapting the ritual from Dorothy Morrison's book Yule A Celebration of Light and Warmth. Burning my white Goddess candle, I will use items representing the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) to bless, consecrate, and give thanks for this beautiful balsam tree that is gracing our home.

Small but beautiful, awaiting decoration

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to a Craft Fair at an elementary school just up the road. Over 100 crafters and vendors had gathered in the cafeteria on a snowy Saturday to offer their wares to an enthusiastic crowd. I enjoyed browsing, running into some friends, buying a few lovely hand made items and enjoying the smell of fresh roasted cinnamon pecans!
I happened upon a lovely woman selling medicine bags, sage smudge sticks and other Native American items and I stopped and had a lively conversation with her. What a great encounter! She was brimming with great energy and we chatted and felt a kinship! I purchased from her a wonderful smelling braid of sweetgrass, which she said had been gathered and braided by a member of the Mohawk. I also got a great sage stick, and she gave me some pointers on burning both the sage and the sweetgrass. She threw in some dried cedar as well to add power to the mix. You can call it coincidence, serendipity, happenstance, or as I would like to call it, a Universe Moment. Thank you, Candace, I enjoyed meeting you! You made my day!

Sage, cedar and a sweetgrass braid