~ Our Altar Space, decorated for Yule~

(click on the photo for the full effect…)

Hello Dear Friends,

So the Sun reached it’s Southernmost point, relative to the Northern Hemisphere at around 12:30 am-ish on December 22nd for us here in Florida.  I was awake for it but had decided to observe the Shortest Day and Longest Night throughout the 22nd…

So the that morning I got up, did my daily spiritual routine, worked at the Motel, then it was off for some drinking and conviviality with the boys at a local Cigar Lounge I frequent…  good times and good (if sometimes warped) conversation, not a bad way to spend a part of The Longest Night.

Then home to light some candles, make an offering of some spiced wine to the WitchFather, and enjoy some quiet time thinking of the Passing and Coming Years.

I am also trying to resist the siren song of The Fabulous Jonathan’s splendid baking talents…

“You want to make some cookies for our friends for Christmas?” he asked…

“Sure, that would be cool!” I said…  I was picturing a simple basket of home-made cookies for folks…

4 types of cookie, 4 Rum and Bourbon Ball variations – including Amaretto and Chambord and Black Cherry infused Bourbon, and some Peppermint Bark later…

Well, we have some very lucky friends this year!!  Jonathan did it all, and I have been informed that I ~WILL~ be helping next year!  My work schedule and some projects I’m working on didn’t leave me with much time to help with the production line… although it has given us some grand ideas for our eventual coffee house…

Mind you we may have to start in early November to get the full production line out and send to our many friends next year… with luck we will be able to afford to ship next years batch out of Florida…

  Jonathan is also responsible for our Yule Tree this year.  I was willing to settle for the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree seen in the photo at the top of this post… Jon had grander ideas.

It’s been a tough year this year, for both of us, and I feel both lucky and blessed to have someone in my life who is eager and willing and able to put so much of his time and energy into spreading joy and beauty in the world!

I hope that whatever Light you uphold, you have a joyous Yuletide and an Auspicious New Year!

Peace,

Pax / Geoffrey Stewart

PS- I took the photo of the altars, thus the questionable image quality, Jonathan, who is the Photographer in the family took the rest of the pictures, he’s a bear of many talents folks!

Post- Post Script ~ So as I wrote this out and contemplated the past and the present Dawn has kissed the sky… The Sun Returns…