Has becoming a mother turned me New Age/Pagan?

I really think it has! It's very strange, but I like it. I feel more 'at one' with nature, my body and mind.
I guess becoming a mother has made me tune in and listen to my instincts - something that is considered 'weird' and 'new age' but really it's just natural and normal.

I must say I love this new me. Spending my time being a mother - breast feeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing - all that kind of scared me at first. I felt that it was the right parenting path to follow, but it took a little while to let go of my 'modern western society' way of thinking.
I'm so glad I've let all of that go now. It was such a burden to carry.

So now I'm very proud of my way of thinking and parenting Mathilda. I also feel that this is just the beginning of something. I want to carry on this natural way of living, as much as possible, beyond weaning etc...

So I found this the other day:
http://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/wheel_of_the_year/

It's part of the website for one of my favourite shops in Glastonbury, The Goddess and The Green Man.
This particular link tells you all about The Wheel of the Year, which is basically a term used by Pagans for the Earths seasons.
I know very little about the festivals attached to these seasons so decided to read about them further and after doing some research I've completely fallen in love with the ideas and traditions used to celebrate the Earths cycle!
For example, we are currently in Imbolc/Candlemas and according to The Goddess and Green Man, 'It is time to let go of the past and to look to the future, clearing out the old, making both outer and inner space for new beginnings.'
What better time to start following these traditions and to incorporate some new pagan-esque learnings into our own family life?

We are so lucky to live in the countryside, so I think we should be thankful for that and celebrate it as much as possible. Plus, it'll be a great resource for teaching Mathilda about nature, the seasons and ancient traditions (which need to be kept alive for other generations to enjoy). Most of all, it sounds like FUN!

I think I'll start by baking a seed cake, as suggested by The Goddess and The Green Man! Here's the recipe:

Simple Seed Cake

You need:

Flour 300gms/10oz
A pinch of salt
I teaspoon baking powder
Butter 125gms/4oz
caraway seeds 25gms/1oz
sugar 175gms/6oz
Two eggs, beaten
Four tablespoons of water

Set the oven to 400F/200C and grease and line a 6 inch cake tin.
Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into your cauldron or a large bowl and then rub in the butter.
As you do this think of family and friends, think of the small personal things that you would have them benefit from as Spring flows into their lives.
Visualise light flowing into the mixture, fire of truth and illumination, if you wish, use a rhyme.
Stir in the seeds and sugar and then the eggs, mix with just enough water to give a mix that softly drops off your spoon.
Stir in patience for the coming Spring, this is still a time of waiting.
pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for one hour, then reduce the temperature to 375F/175C and cook for a further half to one hour until the cake is golden brown and well risen. leave this one to cool in its tin,

May you enjoy.


A simple stirring rhyme might go like this:

Continuous motion, May all things flow, Circles of magic, Let the power grow, Elements mixing, Accept my plea, As I wish, So mote it be.

From The Kitchen Cauldron by M S Saille.



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Hot Cross bun and butter pudding

This is a great winter warmer! I followed a basic bread and butter pudding recipe, but substituted the bread with hot cross buns (mainly because i had 4 left and they were starting to go stale!). Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

Butter
4 hot cross buns
50g sultanas
2 tsp cinnamon powder
350ml milk
2 free-range eggs
25g granulated sugar
nutmeg, grated, to taste

Method

1. Grease a 1 litre/2 pint pie dish with the butter butter.
2. Cut the hot cross buns in half and spread each slice with on one side with butter.
3. Arrange a layer of buns, buttered-side up, in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of sultanas. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, then repeat the layers of buns and sultanas, sprinkling with cinnamon, until you have used up all of the buns. Finish with a layer of buns, then set aside.
4. Gently warm the milk in a pan over a low heat to scalding point. Don't let it boil.
5. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and lightly whisk until pale.
6. Add the warm milk and stir well.
7. Pour the custard over the prepared hot cross bun layers and sprinkle with nutmeg and leave to stand for 30 minutes or so.
8. Preheat the oven to 180C.
9. Place the dish into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown.

Serve with a dollop of vanilla icecream!


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