Spring is HERE!

Despite the warning of 20cm due to hit Montreal by April 4th, Spring is officially here.

It is time for spring cleaning, for purging the unwanted and unnecessary, to freshen things up and make room for a joyous spring and summer to come.

Here are some things to consider starting off your spring with:

- Spring Cleaning & House Blessing

- Blue Moon Esbat Ritual (for the rare things)

- Mapping out your garden on paper with what you want to grow (or planning the window planters if you do not have a garden space). You might want to consider registering t use a Community Garden space.

- Start indoor seeds for some of those plants

- Make a room-by-room wishlist of how you want each room to look and feel. This becomes the start of an action plan to manifest these changes.

- Do your annual taxes

- Consider the one most important thing that makes you silly happy (or three really is best because three is a magical number). Do them!

- Pick a day or a time that you declare is SACRED for you for self-care. Schedule it in your agenda and STICK TO IT.

- Come out to the Beltain/Spring Fair: attend the talks; go to the ritual; support the artisans

Exploring the Elements

Join the CMS Level 1 students as they explore the Elements through their 6 senses. Learn the correspondences to these elements. Discover the altar tools that are associated with them. We will look at the meanings of various related symbols and the magic of colors.

Cost: $40

Preregister by Friday March 2nd.
http://paypal.me/scarletcougar/40

New for February

  Looking for something to do this weekend or next? Something to break of the winter blues... Join the CMS level 1 students in these interesting topics.

 

Feb. 18 – History, Nature & the Self

×          1pm: Intro to Pagan History II (Ethics, Redes, Charges) $20

×          2pm: Nature & Sustainability (connecting with nature, stewardship of the earth) $20

×          3pm: The Self (knowing yourself, knowing your personal energy) $20

 

Feb. 25 – Spirit & Sound 

×          1pm: Connecting to Spirit (improv & embodiment, music, dance, energy sensing) 2hrs - $30

×          3pm: Pagan Chants $20

 

 

Late Registration & New Ideas

If you have been pondering joining us for the new session, we have extended registration thru to February 4th, 2018.

Due to a conference, teachers will be away for the first weekend of February and the class will begin on February 11th, 1-4pm.

Also open will be the possibility to attend just a selection of the classes for $20 each.
- Feb 11th, 2-3pm: Energy Basics (centering, grounding, breathwork, relaxation, meditation)
- Feb 11th, 3-4pm: Intro to Pagan History I (magic, paganism, witchcraft, wicca, people, beliefs, practices)

Or maybe you would like to attend the symposium after the class.
Feb. 11th, 4-5pm: Symposium about Love Magic and Valentines Traditions

Registration & Open House

Registration for Level 1 is open from now till the Open House on January 20th.

REGISTER HERE

OPEN HOUSE EVENT LINK HERE

New session begins Sunday, February 4th, 1-4pm
Please note that we accept ONLY 10 students max in the class.

$150 every 6 weeks (3 payments)
includes three workbooks and reading material

Yule Fair

Lo' and Behold! A Yule Fair is nearly upon us!

Yule Fair: Sunday December 3rd, 10am - 5pm, at the Montreal-West Curling Club

This year is exciting with new vendors you have never seen before and spirituality themed FREE talks all day. Come check out the Fairs Page for more details.

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Crescent Moon School is preparing its new sessions for the 2018 year in a new location: Atelier Fiber Arts. On the horizon for the new year will be: Open House for CMS & Maplestone Academy, a monthly discussion over tea, workshops, and possibly even the rekindling of the Dark Moon Esbats.

Watch for news... or better yet, sign up for the newsletter by subscribing to the mailing list (there... on your right... see the sidebar?) to get all the news right in your inbox!

Mabon and Food

As the Fall Equinox approaches, we are reminded that this is the second and LARGEST of the harvest festivals (at least for the Montreal region of Quebec). Food is such an important part of rituals, especially sabbats like this one.

Sabbats are intended to be celebration days for the season and the gods (like the birthday of the gods related to that time of year), and thus not intended to be "magical working" days. Magical work is best saved for esbasts where they are intended. Who wants to work on their birthday anyhow!?! That said, we often celebrate with food. Within celebratory rituals is an aspect known often as "cakes and ale" (tho does not mean literally cake and ale). This is a part of the ritual where we commune with the gods. We offer them food and drink and share this with them.

Another important food-related aspect of ritual is the feast after a ritual. This is when everyone brings potluck food and drink to share. In our community, we also bring our feast gear (our own plates/bowls, cups/chalices, and utensils) as we are environmentally aware and perfectly capable of taking our own dishes home to wash rather that pollute Nature with our trashy disposables. This feast is critical energetically to help ground and rebalance everyone after a ritual. It is also a time for socializing and networking among community members.

Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox) is when we harvest the majority of the grains (wheat, barley, oats), later vegetables (beans, early squashes, eggplant, zucchini, and root vegetables like: onions, radishes, carrots, potatoes, turnips, beets), early tree fruits (plums, pears, nectarines, peaches), late berries (currents, gooseberries, elderberries), nuts of all kinds, lettuces, cabbages, spinach, and grapes for wine. There are so many things that can be made with such a HUGE harvest!

When planning your next attendance to a Mabon sabbat ritual, consider the harvest foods related to the holiday and try your best to put some effort into making something hearty.

~ Scarlet

PS. My plan for Mabon (which I will celebrate on Saturday) is to make buttered nuts and barley (with some mushrooms on the side because the hubby hates mushrooms), roasted garlicky mixed root veggies, beef/potato hash with onions.