December 2011

Yule edition

The Enchanted Forest Team

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A Blessing
May your body be blessed. May you realize that your body is a faithful and beautiful friend of your soul. ,may you recognize that your senses are sacred thresholds. May you realize that holiness is mindful gazing, mindful feeling ,mindful listening and mindful touching. May your senses always enable you to celebrate the universe and the mystery and possibilities in your presence here. May the Lords Bless you. May your senses gather you and bring you HOME - old Celtic blessing
Posted by LilWren

By lilWren

A SOLSTICE BLESSING
Cynthia Lilith Grove
copyright December 19, 2008

The earth stands still All time suspended As the Goddess breathes upon it Crystal flakes of fairie dust are expended. Mother Nature twirls in a swirling Durbish Exhaling breaths of wintry winds Ermine white drifts; they fly, they spin.

The child in each person Arises once again Embracing life Remembering when. Trees are dressed in majestic white The day without the sun Presents as night.

Diamonds and pearls Embrace the earth Angels fly in syncopated mirth. Oh wondrous nature Your beauty so bold Each creature acknowledges As a new tale unfolds.

Sleigh bells entwine with children's laughter Young and old become An eternal everafter.

An ordinary street becomes a royal lane for fairies to float through amidst angels' refrains. Sweet Goddess of the Snows Enchantress of the Ice The wheel of the year once again turns As the Solstice enfolds our eternal flight.

Yule Symbols:
Hidden in Plain Sight
By Foxxy
As a two decade pagan and previous to that a practicing Jew and Christian, I know how irritating it can be to have Christmas shoved down our throats. Everywhere you go you're slapped in the face with red, green, gold, and silver, Santa's, reindeer, elves, ornaments, lights, carols and perpetually cheerful "Merry Christmas" messages. Occasionally you'll find blue and white, menorahs, dradles, and the more ecumenical "Happy Holidays, But by and large, the dominant religion's presence is overwhelming, and our, older ways are ignored if not disrespected. But are they, really? Rome conquered Europe, and established the state religion as Christianity in 312CE. But old habits die hard. No matter how authoritarian Rome became, family and cultural traditions stuck. We still throw a pinch of salt over the shoulder if its spilled, avoid walking under ladders, and fret about the bad luck of breaking a mirror. All of those practices predate Christianity, and are essentially universal in European-cultured countries. Are these holiday traditions all that different? No. So they call it a Christmas tree. It used to be the Yule tree. Most often an evergreen it reminds humanity that even in the 'beginning' of winter, the promise of spring exists: the goddess is not dead, just sleeping. The star on top was standard long before Angels were -- in fact that switch has largely happened in my lifetime. Whose star? Ours, not the six-pointed Star of David. Winter does not obliviate the Pentagram's meaning even when its atop a tree. If anything, it points up, offering hope, which in the darkest days of winter, when the sun is least visible to many, reminds us the solstice will come, pass, and the earth will warm again. Sticking with the tree, ornaments can be anything, and were often hand made, or natural. Garland can still be found in strings of balls, reminiscent of strings of (holly?) berries, or in the form of ribbons which is more Victorian, if not specifically pagan. Lights are certainly safer than the candles that were used. Interestingly, in the last few years, candle shaped lights have again begun to show up on store shelves. Candles in windows are another held-over tradition. Ancestors used them to 'light the way home' in bad weather, invite others in, and 'help' the sun strengthen. Whichever reason, they are still placed in windows, and they remain inviting and pretty. So do pine cones -, yet another promise of returning life (and a potential food) - be they tied with grasses to the branches of the tree for decoration, or hung on ribbons or in wreathes. Wreaths hung on doors, over fireplaces, or on interiors or exterior walls have no direct connection to the Nativity. They too are residuals of our root cultures. Granted we think of them more often as garlands of flowers or head pieces for a Sabbat. But the interwoven wreath reflects the wheel of the year: yet another reminder that winter will not last. Plus, there's something homey and warm about the scent of pine,fir, or spruce hung indoors.

Mistletoe? It's another evergreen, and for those of us of Celtic belief or decent, an extremely potent reminder of our beliefs. All Heal, as it was called, also remained green, with white berries. Holly, another wood deemed special by the Celts also remained green all winter, and its berries are brilliantly red. Any wonder that the "Christmas colors" are Red, Green, and White? Santa? Well, he's an elf, according to the most common of his 'histories.' His helpers are invariably elves as well. He travels on a sleigh, pulled by reindeer, to bring gifts to the deserving. I don't recall any elves or sleighs or reindeer in Bethlehem, so where's that connection? Reindeer thrive in snow, where other animals flounder. A sleigh works much better than a broom for carrying a quantity of anything, much less gifts for an entire household. Part of it goes back to the fact that people gathered for Yule But, part of it goes back to having extra time for hand crafts when the weather was not conducive to outdoor entertainment or labor. Winter was as challenging for parents then as it is now. So toys would be made to help entertain the children during the short winter days. New clothes were given to protect those beloved from winters weather. When better to gift someone then when friends and family are around to share the experience? Oh, I'm sure some generous soul named Nicolas, later canonized for his generosity, existed and helped to consolidate the idea. But at the core of the gift giving are much older traditions. The music? Oh, yes, that can be trying when there is no where to go to escape it. But listen closely. Every so often you'll hear "Deck the Halls," "Good King Winselas" "Greensleeves" and other songs that may have been altered to some extent to 'pass' Rome's domination, but which remain at their core our music. A little googling will find you pagan versions of most of the carols, if you're so inclined. Actually, Christ-mass wasn't in December. It was, and is, far too cold to have the sheep out on the hills at night in December in the Middle East. March and September have been suggested as more realistic dates for the birth in Bethlehem. But 25 December was Saturnalia -- one of the most beloved festivals of the old Roman and military gods. Thus, just as All Saints and All Souls days were moved from February to overlap Celtic Samhain, December 25th was designated as Jesus' birthday because you can't be out reveling all night then make it to church at dawn for Mass, without the priest noting your less than pristine appearance. For those of you still in the proverbial 'broom closet' the requirement of spending the holidays with avidly Christian or conventional friends and family, look for the underlying ancient symbols. I don't advocate preaching to them, but some research and asking "Do you know why (this or that) symbol is used?" may begin a dialogue from which all can benefit. You then by finding validation of your beliefs in theirs: others by learning something new and opening their eyes to the fact older traditions arent inherently evil. I know I wondered how elves, reindeer, sleighs and Santa associated with Bethlehem as a child. So take advantage of those questions, and fill in the blanks to the kids, if the opportunity presents itself. If you feel obligated to decorate, choose to use the symbols you like, or that have meaning to you. Eventually, Yule will be as recognized as an intrical part of the holiday season as C/Hannukah, or Ramadan, or Kwanza. So, when you're feeling inundated by conventional, commercial Christmas, you can smile inwardly or outwardly, knowing that, even if they disapprove of them, they're reinforcing OUR beliefs. (C) FoxxyInSpirit2011

The gift of life

Life within lives i have liven so many and for wrong reason I was driven. Failure within failures on lonly roads life turns and twists, experiences comes in loads Time goes, time dos not exist for real time is the ever changing so enjoy the deal Let go, let go of all ideas about goals in future exist and be in the grace of life and the nature See the grandness that everyday bring to you eyes enjoy the moment and the forms, the colours that displays Amazing people all around are a gift playing, discussing how to make the big shift The time is now to be the one that you are truth is as it is and it will take you far With courage and honesty you might find your self and the programmed verision you can put on a shelf Find the one that you came here to be Love and live because life is for free
By

Beauty and Youth Anyone who keeps the abilty to see beauty never grows old -- Franz Kafka --

Heaven on EARTH My soul can find no staircase to heaven unless it be through EARTH,S loveliness. ---- Michelangelo -----

12 Great Decorations for a Pagan Yule Tree

Posted by Rev Carol Ingle

1) Crystals - just wrap some thin floral wire around them and hang them on the tree. The lights will bounce off of them and they'll look gorgeous. I especially like clear quartz; they remind me of icicles. 2) Snowflakes - what commemorates the winter season more? Either buy some snowflake shaped ornaments, or cut out your own out of paper. 3) Dried fruit - give your tree a woodsy, natural look with dried fruit. Hang slices of dried citrusoranges, tangerines, grapefruit and lemons. Hang them in front of a light, they are translucent and the light shines through. They look like little slices of the sun. Dried apples are also great for the season, especially if you can cut a slice sideways showing off the pentacle imbedded within. 4) Cranberries - just string cranberries to create a beautiful, vibrant red garland to drape over those lush, green branches. Or, make a hole in them and stick and ornament hanger in it and hang larger ones individually. 5) Cinnamon sticks - either stick an ornament hanger inside of the small tube, or string them on a long length of twine. They not only look great, but will make your room smell fantastic. 6) Pomanders - create pomanders by pushing cloves into small fruits, such as lemons, tangerines or apples, and roll them in seasonings until they dry. Put a wire through them with a ribbon around the top and you've got a beautiful, scented ornament. 7) Stars and Suns - make them out of clay and a cookie cutter or template, or cut them out of heavy cardstock and paint glitter on them. 8) Animals - purchase some small toy or decorative animals, glue some ribbon on them or hook an ornament into them, and display some furry woodland creatures on the tree. 9) Birds - likewise, get some small bird statues. Glue some ribbon to the bottom of them and tie them on a branch as though they are sitting on it. 10) Pine Cones and Acorns - hang them as natural as you found them, or paint them to make them sparkle and shine. 11) Punched Tin Moons - reserve your aluminum can tops. Put them on some scrap wood and poke holes in them with a hammer and a nail to create crescent shapes, or make a pentacle design on them. Spray paint them silver first if you want them to shine. 12) Herbal sachets - cut a circle of lace, and fill it with seasonal potpourri or your favorite seasonal herbs. Gather it, tie it with a ribbon and hang it on the branches.

Lets Get Crafty... Yule Spellboxes

Posted by Harobred

This is for those of you who are searching for inexpensive and meaningful Yule ideas.Right now you probably have the makings of this one within your reach.With a little practice these are both easy and fun. I make these all year round as my needs arise .But always at yule there is one for the tree. This is a spell that teaches patience and allows you to easily focus all your intent on your spell.Although I was shown how to build the box years ago by my uncle (the spell part was my idea ), I googled and found easy to follow diagramed steps for you to follow on a cool Origami site.

easy after a few attempts ," during which you'll crumple paper and no doubt curse my name " , but in the end you'll get it right and oh my what a great feeling ! Once you have the hang of it you are ready for the actual building of your spell.On your piece of paper ,write your spell ,runes or decorations.Remember to focus , your intent is vital to the success of this endeavorl. The spell in the picture is one of protection and abundance.

Once you've done this, its time to build your box.Make sure when you make your first folds that your spell is right side up ,the box is built around your spell enclosing it. Visualize the end result of your spell with every fold you make.Yep I know I keep saying that but every fold you make should reinforce your spell. After the last fold it will look like this "yes I know its ugly lol"

The last step of building the box is you blow in it. "by now you know this as you've practiced!" When you've reached this point ,with a picture of the result in your mind ,blow and say "SO MOTE IT BE " firmly.

Now for all intents and purposes your spell is done. But for the Yule I'm going to decorate mine . This one has a simple ribbon , some sprigs of Cedar and a few tiny Fir cones. I have a nice cauldron so I generally burn my spellboxes.However you may do with yours as you will, they can be kept on your altar,buried,given away or whatever you feel is appropriate for the situation.

*****heres a tip, for Yule write your spell on the inside of a square of pretty wrapping paper and your box will look like a wrapped gift ******* Materials....... !> a square piece of paper 2>something to write with 3>a piece of ribbon or twine and any other outer decorations you want How to build the cube.....
1 Fold a square sheet of paper at the diagonals and unfold it Put the paper at both arrows together. Lay the triangles at the top and at the bottom on top of each other.

2.The result is a flier triangle, which is known from the swallow or the pigeon.

3.Fold upward on the red line on the right and on the left.

4.Then it must look like this.

5. Fold on the red lines.

6. Then it must look like this.----

7. Fold the two little triangles on the red lines downward.

8. Put the last made triangles in the two pockets on the right and on the left. This is a little bit fiddly.

9. Then it must look like this.

10. Turn the whole triangle and repeat the steps 3,4,5,6,7,8,9.

11. Then it must look like this.

12.Fold and unfold on the red lines.

13.Take the folded cube in hand and blow into the hole at the top.

14.The cube is ready.

Posted by Rev Carol Ingle

True Spirit of Christmas

Posted by Shadow

The true spirit of Christmas is generosity. Not the generosity of material gifts and presents, but the generosity of your own loving presence. Give more of your own loving presence and less of the token presents this year. Yes, there is pleasure in enjoying material gifts, but what is remembered, what lasts, is the presence of the loving soul giving love generously and unconditionally to another. This presence lasts for all time. This presence, you will carry with you beyond this life. This presents lives on in a loving legacy that flows from generation to generation. You remember such a loving presence from your childhood. A grandmother, grandfather, an uncle, an aunt, a member of your extended family, someone who saw you as you truly are and met you and greeted you with this recognition. Someone knew you deeply and loved you, encouraged you and connected you to some good place within yourself, and through their recognition, reinforced your own awareness of the goodness within you. This is the highest gift of Christmas giving: to see the goodness in another, to recognize, acknowledge and reflect this goodness back to them. This can be done with a loving look, a kind gesture, a warm embrace, a few words of encouragement, or an expression that is as rich and elaborate as you wish. Trust though, the simple expression of this recognition, trust this recognition and realize that we are all members of one family and all loved by our Creator. Call upon us for we do serve you and are willing to help you. We will help you to find this place of loving generosity, of kind spirit, of authentic compassion and of true joy. Fill yourself with this loving spirit of Christmas. Fill yourself to the brim, let this spirit flow through you, let it fill you to overflowing to those around you.

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of the light rising and the dawning of a loving consciousness that is truly unlimited. If you will but allow yourself to be a vessel, fill yourself first, then overflow, you will find your holidays to be truly holy and be filled with loving presence. All blessings to you for a wondrous holiday season. Our present to you is our loving presence welcome us and embrace us as we welcome and embrace you. All blessings to you! -The Christmas Angels

http://healing.about.com/od/winter/a/christmasangel_3.htm

Lets Get Crafty ..... Ornaments For A Cool Yule

Posted by Harobred So the time is near and all of us are either decoratimg our trees or thinking about it.Every year I go scooting around the net looking for new ideas for my Yule tree and for the most part what I find is the same old thing.So what to do ,well we'll make a few at home.Celebrating dosnt have to be all staid and ceremonious it can be fun,groovy creative and still show your intentions of the season.Nor does everything need to be real ,intention and symbolism go a long way girls so start looking at things with new eyes. There are tons of inexspensive ornaments to be had right now that can be used for a yule tree .As much as I love them it dosnt have to have a Pentacle to be deemed tree worthy! By all means if you have access to fresh use it but also consider the ones you can lovingly unwrap and use each year.The ornaments Im showing you today I made with tiny grapevine wreathes (3 inch wreathes) ,bits from my work basket and a few things most all of us have hanging around.These are easy little things anyone can make and they will last for years.

For this one , I made a small spell bag stuffed with herbs and salt.A tassel with agate and wooden beads to dress it up and a cinnamon stick peace sign is assembled and hot glued into the center. Viola! A wish for Peace on Earth .

Next one up is my bow to Mistletoe ,other than your obligatory smooching aid for the season this plant has many uses for a Witch , Druid Elders had rituals for harvesting Mistletoe it was so sacred a tool.You could follow in their steps and hang mistletoe to bring abundance your way. So powerful was the belief of its mystical attributes the Norsemen laid down their arms if they met beneath it.

Here you see an ornament I picked up for a dollar ,seated at the foot of the Mistletoe is a stack of Cinnamon logs and a sprinkling of BayBerry,Sage and Holly berries for protection and abundance.

So by now I've got my hot glue gun in full gear ,the Yule muse is whispering to me and I start thinking suppose Dr.Suess wanted an nice Yule ornament for Cindy Lou Whoo ,she would need the groovy rune.Out comes the Cinnamon sticks ,suede , Copper and another sprinkling of Yule herbs. A little while later and here is my hippy bow to Freyja ,who stands for wealth ,abundance,protection of both hearth and home.She is bedecked with Citrine the abundance crystal ,nuts,seed pods , Holly berries and has a groovy top knot of Copper spirals .All tokens befitting of the rune it adorns.

Craft class for Beginners every Saturday night Times

USA Central - 7 pm Eastern - 8 pm Western 5 pm Australia (Melbourne) Noon (Sunday) UK -1 am

Herbs with Susun Weed

Tarot Class With Hermotimus Tuesdays

Times
USA Central - 8 pm Eastern - 9 pm Western 6 pm Australia (Melbourne) 1pm (Wednesday)

Every 3rd Monday

Times
Central - 6 pm Eastern - 7 pm Western - 4 pm Mountain Time - 5 pm Australia (Melbourne) 11 am UK - Midnight

UK -2 am

Craft Class For Beginners

This Class is Weekly Classes Every Saturday, the class is taught in a live chat box and it is a time for people to share and learn. Basic Topics taught each week and then a time of Q & A after class is finished. All classes are then written up and put up in group for all group members to read over. Please come along and join in this is an amazing chance to learn with others
COME ALONG TO THIS LIVE CHAT EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT

Times of Lesson for each country USA Central - 7 pm Eastern - 8 pm Western 5 pm Australia (Melbourne) - Noon (thursday) UK -1 am

Tarot Teacher To The Site

Hermotimus

We at the Enchanted Forest are delighted and honoured to have Hermotimus in the post of Tarot Teacher to the Enchanted Forest. Hermotimus has been doing Professional Readings since 1975 (35 years) and has taught 5 tarot card reading classes in person (IRL) and 12 classes on line in the last 15 years. He will also be available to answer questions and offer guidance in the Tarot Group http://enchantedforrest.ning.com/group/thelearningtarotandsharinggroup

CLASSES RUN ON A WEEKLY BASIS

Susun Weeds
Monthly class on the Forest
2011 schedule of Chats with Susun Weed ~ Third Monday of every month ~
July 18 - Wild Greens August 15 - Wild Mushrooms Sept 19 - Kelp / Seaweed Oct 17 - Oatstraw Nov 21 - Poke Root

Dec 19 Burdock Ten Top Tips for Avoiding the Flu

1. Wash your hands. (Rub briskly under hot running water for at least 30 seconds.) 2. Don't use antibacterial soaps. (They encourage the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.) 3. Drink lots of fluids. (Especially hot herbal antibacterial teas such as sage, thyme, rosemary.) 4. Start your day with a cup of cool yogurt or hot miso soup. (Both encourage strong immunity.) 5. Make nourishing soups with the immune-enhancing roots astragalus and eleutherococcus.* 6. Spray your nasal passages with a saline solution or a xylitol rinse. (Kills viral particles.) 7. Be wary of diets that radically alter what you eat. (They tend to depress the immune system.) 8. Eat well-cooked leafy greens like kale, collards, and mustard greens. (Strengthens immunity.) 9. Add lots of arugula and watercress to your salad. (They're antiviral.) 10. Eat garlic. (Even powdered, even cooked.) Eat ginger. (Or drink it.)

If you do get the flu, elder berry (Sambucus nigra) tincture or syrup may shorten its stay. Green blessings Susun S. Weed

The Pagan Origins of Christmas

Posted by Rev Carol Ingle
Many of our modern Christmas traditions began hundreds of years before Christ was born. Some of these traditions date back more than 4000 years. The addition of Christ to the celebration of the winter solstice did not occur until 300 years after Christ died and as late as 1800, some devout Christian sects, like the Puritans, forbade their members from celebrating Christmas because it was considered a pagan holiday. So what is the history behind these traditions? The Christmas tree is derived from several solstice traditions. The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and placed candles in live trees to decorate for the celebration of Saturnalia. In Scandinavia, they hung apples from evergreen trees at the winder solstice to remind themselves that spring and summer will come again. The evergreen tree was the special plant of their sun god, Baldor. The practice of exchanging gifts at a winter celebration is also pre-Christian and is from the Roman Saturnalia. They would exchange good-luck gifts called Stenae (lucky fruits). They also would have a big feast just like we do today. Mistletoe is from an ancient Druid custom at the winter solstice. Mistletoe was considered a divine plant and it symbolized love and peace. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is Druid in origin. The Scandinavian solstice traditions had a lot of influences on our celebration besides the hanging of ornaments on evergreen trees. Their ancient festival was called Yuletide and celebrated the return of the sun. One of their traditions was the Yule log. The log was the center of the trunk of a tree that was dragged to a large fireplace where it was supposed to burn for twelve days. From this comes the twelve days of Christmas. Even the date of Christmas, December 25, was borrowed from another religion. At the time Christmas was created in AD 320, Mithraism was very popular. The early Christian church had gotten tired of their futile efforts to stop people celebrating the solstice and the birthday of Mithras, the Persian sun god. Mithras - birthday was December 25. So the pope at the time decided to make Jesus - official birthday coincide with Mithras - birthday. No one knows what time of year Jesus was actually born but there is evidence to suggest that it was in midsummer. So, if you are celebrating any of the western traditions of Christmas this year, remember that you are actually enjoying the rituals and activities of several ancient religions whose traditions have been borrowed by the Christians over the years for the celebration of the birth of Christ. Happy Holidays!! By Royce Carlson

Grab a thick hoodie to keep you warm and a kool Travel mug to help keep your Tea or coffee hot!!!

Check out our Zazzle merchandise page for all our goodies and they last even after being washed several times. Check the Store tab on site or hit this addy for more. Grab a Great gift !!!!

http://www.zazzle.com/enchanted_forest

Earth Healing Group

This group is for those wishing to share earth healing techniques and information about important events and who wish to add their energy to raising the vibration of the planet for the good of all

Come join us and we will all send healing Energy to Earth at one time a collective conscious activity to help Mother Earth and all those on it.

This group is for all people from all over the world to come "together" every MONTH to focus their energies for a common goal. It is also a place to share with each other HEALING TECHNIQUES and INFORMATION about important events.

THIS GROUP IS HERE TO ACTIVELY MAKE A CHANGE AND RAISE THE VIBRATION OF THE PLANET FOR THE GOOD OF ALL

Celebrating the Sabbats as a Vegan; Yule

By

AprilRain

Yule is probably the one holiday during the year that I feel most connected to, due to my upbringing. It was a time that my family gathered, seeing members we hadn't seen very often during the year. Playing catch up and just generally spreading cheer and love. I don't think very much has changed with my Yule menu since I turned vegan (from vegetarian) so much as how I make it has changed. Here's the foodstuffs: Main Course: Lentil and millet loaf ( adapted from:

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/thanksgiving-recipes.aspx )
Condiment: Mushroom Gravy (also adapted from:

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/thanksgiving-recipes.aspx )
Side: Mashed potatoes Side: Sesame & ginger green beans Salad: Warm kale & sun dried tomato salad Side: Cranberry & orange relish Dessert: Pumpkin pie (adapted from: http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/11/05/dairy-

free-soy-free-pumpkin-pie/ )
Dessert: Yule log (taken from: http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/yule.html )

Main course: Normally I do a Tofurky, its quick, its easy - it tastes delicious... but I wanted something different this year. I did a test run of this great lentil & millet loaf... I don't want to say "meat" loaf because that would be misleading as it is not really meatlike at all. However it is a wodnerful loaf with grains and legumes and veggies that tastes amazing! Especially with the mushroom gravy that we'll be making.

Lentil Millet loaf

Ingredients: 3 cups of cooked lentils 3 cups cooked millet 3 cups steamed brown rice 1 cup whole wheat bread, crumbled 1/2 cup dry oatmeal 1/2 cup almonds ground fine approximately 3/4 cup of tomato juice 1 Tbs of oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small carrot, chopped small 1/2 cup chopped zucchini 1/2 cup chopped yellow squash 1 cup chopped canned tomato 1 heaping Tbs of sage salt to taste Directions: This is enough to make two loaves, so if you're only eating for two cut it in half. Preheat oven 350, lightly oil two bread loaf pans. Lightly saut onions, garlic & veggies in oil, add water to "steam" if they need to be softer. Combine all the ingredients and mix well, if not holding its shape well enough add vegetable broth or water (a tablespoon at a time). Scoop the mixture into the pans and bake for approximately 1 hour until browned on top.

Mushroom gravy
Ingredients: 8 Tbs vegetable oil 3 cloves garlic -- squashed and minced 2 slices yellow onion -- chopped 4 white mushrooms, chopped 5-8 Tbs all-purpose white flour (if you want it more watery, use less. Less watery, use more) 4 tsp nutritional yeast 3 Tbs tamari (you can use Braggs Liquid Aminos instead - but Tamari tases soooo good!) 2 cups "chick'n" broth (Edward & Sons is my fav) 1/2 tsp sage 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp salt Directions: On medium heat in a deep pan, saute the garlic & onions in the vegetable oil until translucent. Add tamari, nutrtional yeast & flour to make a roux (I like to mix flour & nutritional yeast before pouring it in). Once evenly distributed and all flour is saturated slowly add chicken broth and mix in well. Add mushrooms & remaining spices and cook until thickened.

Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as you normally would - except add a dollup of vegan margarine & vegan sour cream! Or you can fry up a little bit of minced garlic and stir it in. The idea is to not stirl the potatoes too much because they lose their "fluffiness" and become sticky instead. I don't really care either way - mashed potatoes are AWESOME. Nomnomnom.

Sesame Ginger Green Beans

1 pound of green beans, ends removed & cut in half 1 one inch by one inch piece of ginger peeled and sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup (more or less is preference) sesame seeds 2-3 TBSP of tamari or liquid aminos 2 TBSP sesame oil

Directions:
In small frying pan, place sesame seeds (in a dry pan!) roast over medium heat until fragrant & lightly browned, stirring frequently as they do burn quickly. Set aside. On medium heat in a large frying pan, place oil, garlic, ginger & green beans, cook until color is brightened, but bean is still slightly crisp. Add tamari & toss, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Warm Kale and Sundried Tomato Salad Ingredients 1 bunch kale 2 TBSP sundried tomatoes, crushed 1/4-1/2 cup water (depends on pot size and amount of kale) 1 TBSP olive oil 1/2-1 TBSP hot sauce (Like Franks Red Hot) Directions: De-stem all of the kale (its easy to just take thumb nail down the stem or you can cut it out). Chop into bite sized pieces. Place in cool pan, drizzle with oil & massage the oil into the kale leaves to coat. Sprinkle with crushed sundried tomatoes, water & hot sauce. Cover, cook on medium heat until wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and cook until water is gone. Be careful not to burn! Serve warm.

Cranberry and Orange relish Ingredients: 1 bag of raw cranberries, rinsed and sorted (remove any bad mushy ones) 2 sweet oranges or 4 clementines, rinsed & chopped with rind, de-seeded 1/2 cup maple syrup (or more to taste) Place cranberries & oranges (separately or together if they will fit in yours) in a food processor and chop finely. The orange my turn mushy - but thats ok! Mix together, add maple syrup & let sit in fridge for 10 minutes to half an hour. Serve.

Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Organic Brown Sugar 1/4 cup Organic White Sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp salt 2 EnerG "eggs" 1 15oz can of pumpkin (WITHOUT spices!!) 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 cup coconut milk 1 graham cracker crust (I purchased mine already made, you can easily find a recipe online to make one yourself, like this one:

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/desertrecipes/r/grahamcrust.htm )
Directions: Preheat the oven to 425F. Combine all dry ingredients, add the egg, pumpkin & vanilla. Mix well. Fold in milk. Pour into crust, bake 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 50 minutes. Let cool an hour before cutting! May still be a bit jiggly before it sets.

Yule Log
I pretty much followed the exact recipe from the link above, so I don't feel the need to repeat it. The only thing I changed was that I sprinkled some coconut over the frosting instead of more sugar. I also think it would be ADORABLE to whip up a batch of vanilla frosting, split it in half - dying one half red & the other green... and making holly leaves and berries as a decoration! Remember, intent. Cook with magical intent, infuse your foods with nothing but happiness, peacefullness & prosperty. I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season, regardless of what you celebrate. Blessed be.

Enchanted Forest News

WE NEED THE MEMBERS HELP!!
Please help us make the forest the top of Ning and The Pagan Networks. This will only take a few seconds. Please VOTE FOR US - the banners are on the front page ITS SIMPLE Click on the "VOTE FOR US" BANNER ON FRONT PAGE (MIDDLE LEFT OF FRONT PAGE) AND THE NING 100 TOP NETWORKS Then Click on the ENCHANTED FOREST BANNER This should take you back to the site THATS IT - Simple You can vote for us as many times as you like (the more the better) encourage all your friends on the site to do the same. Lets see how high we can get Many Thanks The Enchanted Team

At the Enchanted Forest we try and maintain an "open policy" with this is mind we ask that all Groups created by members are created and open for all - No groups should be set to private. Thank you all for your continued support and input in the Forest. And to be sure is not another group of the same topic..many groups have been here long time and have gathered all sorts of information and we like to utilize them as much as possible.. So before putting one together check through to make sure is not another.. And when putting a group together ..please have info ready or discussions along with picks..have noticed some groups get started ..but without info or description or any discussions..we usually wait a week to give person time to do so..then if nothing is added ..will usually remove the group.. We try to keep them active and share the contents of these groups with members plus we always have new people coming in..also helps to make sure these groups are updated.

To invite your friends to the Enchanted Forest go to the INVITE TAB at the top of the page. You can INVITE all your friends from either your hotmail, gmail or yahoo account by simply entering your email address and password from your messenger account then click IMPORT ADDRESS BOOK this will list all your messenger account contacts select all the contacts you wish to INVITE then select SEND. To INVITE your friends by EMAIL simply select enter EMAIL ADDRESS and enter the person you wish to INVITE emails address (Separate multiple addresses with commas). And SEND its that SIMPLE !! Tell everyone about The Forest and help it GROW

If you have any problems with this or have any questions please contact any member of the team - who will be able to help you Enchanted Forest Team

This is your chance to let us know what you would like to see in the Forest - Lets here your ideas All appreciated

This is your site !!!! Have a look around - if you have something that you wish to share with the site add a BLOG or join a GROUP. If you dont see a group that interests you WHY NOT START YOUR OWN. If you need help with this or just want ideas talk to either Shadow or Breeze and we can help you !!!!!!!!!! We hope you have fun here and spend some time with us in the Enchanted Forest

At the Enchanted Forest we try and maintain an "open policy" with this is mind we ask that all Groups created by members are created and open for all - No groups should be set to private. Thank you all for your continued support and input in the Forest. The Enchanted Forest Team

Thank you for reading our Magazine. all the articles in this magazine are acquired from members on our site who share their knowledge and information to help others or those new to their path.. so we appreciate very much for those who have took their time to share. And this magazine is a compilation of that. If you would like to add an article to magazine or advertise on the magazine please hit up the magazine site for details and email addy to send articles to. The magazine is usually started a week before the end of month to be out by the 1rst of each month. So send them in anytime during the month.. Thank you Enchanted forest