Calling all Campers- Beltaine we will go!

[Aeress]

Hey Campers, it is time to gather and sing the coming of Beltaine!

I thought we would break camp into two/three categories-

Celebrating with children
Celebrating with adults
and history, traditions, food and other

I imagine there will be lots of overlap between these three categories.
I'll be back during nap to get us started. Please feel free to start adding resources.

:::::treehugg er:

[Aeress]

Beltaine- the celebration of fertility - our own, the earths and our children as sexual beings.

As I read Celebrating the Great Mother this morning, I was reminded of the importance of allowing our children to be sexual beings. As an adult, I have streamed down the amount of stuff I use to make myself feel beautiful. I imagine most young teens went through what I went through- the awkward teens where I felt ugly, odd and unsure. How I wish my mother had allowed me to go bras free, enouraged me to find ways to feel beautiful without adding products and encouraged me to keep my hair on my legs/arm pits.

Let us celebrate what makes us feel beautiful! Do you see the graceful curve of your hips? Can you embrace your greying hair?
How about your inner self- what makes you feel beautiful from within?

Please share your recipes, concoctions and other remedies as well as answer the above questions.

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by brendon

Let us celebrate what makes us feel beautiful! Do you see the graceful curve of your hips? Can you embrace your greying hair?
How about your inner self- what makes you feel beautiful from within?

Please share your recipes, concoctions and other remedies as well as answer the above questions.

i am so not doing good with this lately. preg and gaining weight and have to wear a wedding dress. ugh. a comment from DH made the difference. he said this is how i am supposed to look. it just reminded me to appreciate what i do have instead of wishing i looked like a movie star, or those models in the wedding dress catalog. lol. my body is beautiful. i am trying real hard to fight prenatal depression so...

i like using coconut oil after a bath. that makes me feel good.

[battymama]

hi there! I am currently doing a big mix up of my beauty routine i used henna for the first time last night, i was then meant to put indigo over the top to turn it blue black but i kinda like the results. I use a mix of honey and cinnimon for my face and i add some stuff called bokashi oil from bali, its a cure all and was suggested to me by my cousin in law, seems to really be helping my acne and i have only used it 2 days!

Personally i have to have nice hair to feel beautiful, it really is my crown and glory. I have to admit that i do pluck my eybrows, but i dont shave my legs. At the moment i dont feel the best about myself, i still have a bit of preg weight to loose, my hair needs a cut and i have really bad acne wich has been brought on by breast feeding hormons. And it hurts

Inner beauty? for me laughing and having a good time, art, and reading really help me feel good about myself, inteligent and self fulfilled.

As for my Dh? well he would say i have a nice but, we disagree on this issue and he is bemoaning its diminishing size.

[Ambystoma]

Just subbing...always like to see what others do to celebrate. DH and I have started to plan a few things, but we just moved this year and don't have the same friends to celebrate with

[FreeSpiritMama]

I've had hard time accepting my grey hairs this last year, I love being natural don't use make up but the grey hairs have been a hard one! For me meeting with other wonderful, beautiful women who have embraced their grey hair and changing beauty has helped. I can acutally now say that I love my hairs, the greys are pretty.

I use affirmations a lot to feel my inner beauty and yoga and meditation help. Essential oils and beautiful home made creams and soaps make me feel papmered and beautiful. Massages from dh are great when he will oblige! Great food, juices, fruits snacking on nuts they all help me feel more beautiful (or maybe more healthy which for some reason makes me feel more beautiful)

Being in touch with my mooncycle helps too, I feel sexy and beautiful during my fertile time and more outgoing and sociable but then more introverted as my moontime is near. I am learning to allow myself these different feelings and celebrate them.

Dancing is a great way to celebrate and feel our beauty and feel / see ourselves as sexual beings

[Valerie.Qc]

subbing

[wombatclay]

sub a dub dubbing!

[Jade's Mom]

subbing

[redveg]

For me the past few months have been a huge change. When I was younger I was really in to never going out without being completely put together, this process could take hours! Now at 43, being honest with myself for the first time in a long time, and letting people around me know the real me, (just came out of the Pagan closet) I feel so much better about me. I don't feel the need to paint on my face. I will sometimes wear makeup if we go out, but my DS told me he thinks I am pretty, and don't need it. My hair is starting to get a few greys in it, I don't mind at all. I don't shave in the Fall/Winter. I think for me what I do to feel good about myself, is live up to my standards. I don't wory about what beauty is to the masses.

[Aeress]

I told my 4 yr old yestderday, "You are so pretty just the way you are." She leaned on my shoulder and dreamily said, "yes, I am." How I wish I could bottle that feeling.

I awoke to snow this morning, so I threw on my most fave jammies and sweater and decided to make today a chil day. I know I have been feeling frumpy- I get tired of having to stain treat my clothes, soak and wash and wash everything cause having a toddler means mess and I know putting on new, new to me clothes, would help lift my spirits. Stil, what would be the point? Being a Mom to me means I get messy.

[Aeress]

Day Two-

Mother Nature, Earth Goddess Symbols and Crafts

I had a few thoughts-
Rock Garden Goddess Craft for Kids- find some rocks, anything that appeals to the kids and bring out the paints. The kids could paint faces, symbols or just decorate the rocks as they see fit. Then as a family you could write blessings on them or write invisible blessings on them for the faerieis and such to find.

Earth Goddess or Mother Nature- Using clay, beads or other materials to make small goddess figures for your altar. I like the idea of using cay becuase i could add features into the clay. Then using pipe cleaners, make a body for your goddess and attach to the clay. Once dry, you could add some pretty ribbons, fabric and such for a beatiful flowing dress.

[saphire]

I'm behind! I'd like to add some recipes for feeling beautiful first-

Making your own deodorant is ridiculously easy. Then you know what is (and isn't) in it.
You'll need:
Shea butter
baking soda
small glass jar (empty baby food jar?)

optional:
2-3 vit E capsules as a preservative
eo for fragrance ( I like sweet orange, lemon, or grapefruit)
cocoa butter

Measure out 3T shea butter (and 2T cocoa butter if using) into your small jar, and melt in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir it a bit, and zap it again for 15 seconds if not melted. Add 3T baking soda (4T if using cocoa butter) and stir until blended. Add vit E and eo if using. If you are impatient, place this in the fridge to set up faster. I keep mine in a drawer in the bathroom, and scoop out a bit with my fingers and rub into my armpits. It works really well.

Light Moisturizer:
Aloe vera gel (about 6 oz), a few drops glycerin, and lemon eo.
A very light moisturizer I love in summertime- works very well for my oily skin.


Kids!
In this month's family fun magazine there are a few fun ideas:
easy backyard bird feeder
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and...&craftid=11737
fairy house from gourds http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/bett...8/fairy-house/
fairy house from sticks http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and...&craftid=11050

Very extensive craft ideas and colorpage printouts http://www.artistshelpingchildren.or...printouts.html

I found a blog some time back (wish I could find it again!) The mama was describing her dd's fairy house, and how the fairy would come and leave bits of evidence of her presence in the fairy house. The dd would leave little gifts for her fairy, and the fairy in turn would leave notes and little gifts her. It sounded so great. My girls are getting a bit older at 7 & 9, it could be hard to convince them fairies are visiting, but it would be such a creative and imaginative game anyways. Maybe our fairyhouse should have a mailbox.

[Indigo73]

Subbin' will try to get back on tonight and catch up, but tonight is Game Night and who knows what we'll be playing since it's DS' turn to pick.

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by LionessMom

i am so not doing good with this lately. preg and gaining weight and have to wear a wedding dress.

oh goodness, i think pregnant mamas are so beautiful! round and sexy and full of ripe fertility. embrace that vibe, mama!

Originally Posted by battymama

Personally i have to have nice hair to feel beautiful, it really is my crown and glory.

yes, me too, alas. i perm it-- it's straight as an arrow, and i like wash-and-go hair. i don't do a dang thing to it anymore. if it's straight, i have to comb it! : even that is too much hair care for me. you have to remember i used to be a punk/gothy person and it took entirely too much time to do hair. i'm rebelling now
i don't shave, either.

Originally Posted by Ambystoma

Just subbing...always like to see what others do to celebrate. DH and I have started to plan a few things, but we just moved this year and don't have the same friends to celebrate with

you have us, now! :

Originally Posted by FreeSpiritMama

For me meeting with other wonderful, beautiful women who have embraced their grey hair and changing beauty has helped. I can acutally now say that I love my hairs, the greys are pretty.

you ought to move to asheville. when i first came here, it took me a full week to figure out why the vibe was different here. it's different on lots of levels, but i realized that all the gray-haired women, even much older ones, let their hair grow long and free, and walked with shoulders back, head up, with a confidence i'd never seen in women that age before. it's really empowering and encouraging!

i haven't been much in touch with my sexual side in forever. to be honest (and you Paganmamas thread peeps know this) i haven't had sex in nearly 7 years. i have had a date or two, but it didn't float my boat. i'd never dated before, just ended up with men who i'd known from a common crowd or whatever. dating is horrid, i think, so artificial! but if i don't go where men are, i won't meet them any other way.
anyway.
i dunno if i'd revealed this, but i did a love spell on valentine's day and that is the first time i felt in touch with my sexual side in a long, long time. i've been shell shocked, i think, from my relationship with ds's father-- the last and most intense in a long line of abusive relationships-- that i am scared to put my toes in that water again. but this year i am determined to venture out and at least try.

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by Maiasaura

oh goodness, i think pregnant mamas are so beautiful! round and sexy and full of ripe fertility. embrace that vibe, mama!

thanks, i am feeling better latley. i think as my energy comes back i feel less depressed.

i went to the dentist, and am getting the new crowns. now all of my top teeth will be the same color. that makes me feel pretty. being able to smile freely helps you feel happier.

my hair does mean a lot to me too. i love it long and shiny. the shiny escapes me sometimes, but it is long. i like doing nice stuff to it.

i like the rock decorating idea. my kids would get into that. we have lots of nice rocks around here that would look good painted by the kids. we could use them to decorate what we decide to grow. around the base of the pots or what not. we arranged rocks last year. just arranged them along our walkpath to the house. they were pretty as they were and the kids had fun.

[Ambystoma]

I love the fairy houses, saphire! I may make one for my tiny backyard.

I have a couple of ideas for today's theme:
I know it's not "crafts", but I really love planting flowers and other plants around Beltaine. Planting seeds are fun for children around this time-IME, kids really like having a the responsibility of growing the seeds themselves. And it's a wonderful fertility reminder, too!

Also, crafts with bells like bracelets/anklets and tambourines (to keep away the fairies so they won't act mischievous during the celebrations) are fun for kids to jingle and dance.

[Aeress]

great ideas! we tend to start any seeds at beltaine

I was thinking about musical instruments as part of the maypole dance.

i need to figure out a pole. hmmm?

brb

[Indigo73]

Okay have had a bit of quiet time this morning (alone in office) to scan the thread. Thank goodness it's still short.

We start our garden/seeds at Beltaine here too. I am really thinking of having some fun with DS & the rock garden idea... just have to figure out where to put it so a) don't trip neighbors and b) don't mess with land lords lawn mower.

Originally Posted by brendon

Let us celebrate what makes us feel beautiful! Do you see the graceful curve of your hips? Can you embrace your greying hair?
How about your inner self- what makes you feel beautiful from within?

Please share your recipes, concoctions and other remedies as well as answer the above questions.

I think DP has more issues with my white hairs than I do. I have this little sprinkle along my part.

It's been an interesting few weeks, maybe even couple of months. I've always felt good about me, but still felt the need to keep certain things under wraps because of public opinion... well no more. With DP's awesome support to celebrate my recent reaching of my first major weight goal and my upcoming birthday, I'm getting a tattoo and dreadlocks. Since making that decision, I found myself wearing earrings again (3.5 sets) and even wearing scents again. I've even had a bit more interest in clothes (instead of men's jeans I bought 2 pair of women's jeans this past weekend). Of course, whenever I am interested in clothes I can't find anything I like. : I like clear bright primary like colors and this season's colors seem kind of muddy to me. But that is because I don't like brown and I don't want to only own black and white. I want some springy pinks and light blues, not coral or teal. Oh well.

[saphire]

I like to wear bright colors too. Pastels don't do it for me, and I also like to wear something a bit different than everyone else around me. It seems like track suits, Old Navy, and Gap are the "mama uniform" around here.
I like to layer, wear dresses, gauchos, and jeans. I am so thankful I sew! And that I've put in enough time and effort to be good at it. Yesterday afternoon I made a new shirt, and I'm hoping to make another today.
I get inspiration from "window" shopping online, etsy is my favorite place to go poke around.

Maia- I hope the right person comes along when you are ready


Kids' craft idea for today- Crowns :
A crown of flowers is a traditional Beltane decoration. I've found a few crown ideas to share;

paper http://printables.familyeducation.co...ays/51720.html
felt http://juicy-bits.typepad.com/juicy_...-tutorial.html
http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2...le_about_.html
floral http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/belt...loralCrown.htm