How to make mulled wine

To make mulled wine, firstly choose a good red wine.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add lemon/orange peel and a little fruit juice. Crush cloves and crush fresh root ginger, add them with bay leaves, some powdered all spice, cinnamon and nutmeg, and some star anise. Heat the mixture - not boil - but lightly bubble for 5 minutes. Put the liquid mixture through a fine gauze filter.
Add brandy and honey to taste.
Serve in a heated cup.

Confession: I pour my finished mulled wine into my favourite tea pot (used exclusively for mulled wine). It is ideal when entertaining to have a special pot and special cup for mulled wine.

Shortbread, oatcakes and Fingers of homemade bread with a wedge of cheese are ideal serving suggestions.

Your Spiritual Journey

“The real story today is to define what it means to be spiritual. This is the biggest story - of the century.”  Bill Moyers

We are all brought up with some kind of spiritual understanding, but how many give this topic much thought? We accept what we are told and yet, it governs our lives, and is the most important aspect of our lives. We make outer journeys everyday, but the inner journey is the most vital!

Even those who practice a religion are often not considering their spiritual path. What could this path be? Mainly it is doing what is right and having empathy with others, but how do we know how best to walk this path of righteousness and wisdom?

The Advent Moon - A Poem

“The Advent moon shines bright and clear; my soul waits -

These Advent nights are very long;

Our lamps have burned year after year,

And still their flame is strong.

‘Watchman, what of the night?’ we cry,

Heartsick with hope deferred:

‘No speaking signs are in the sky’,

Is still the watchman’s word.

One to another hear them speak,

The patient virgins wise:

Surely He is not far to seek,

All night we watch and rise.

The days are evil looking back,

The coming days are dim,

Yet count we not His promise slack,

But watch and wait for Him.

Weeping we hold him fast tonight,

We will not let Him go

Till daybreak smite our wearied sight,

And summer smite the snow:

Then figs shall bud, and dove with dove

Shall coo the livelong day;

Then He shall say ‘Arise, my love,

My fair one, come away!’

The Advent moon shines cold and clear.

We watch and wait.”

“The Advent Moon Shines Cold and Clear” by Christina Rossetti

Elegy - A Poem

                 The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

         The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

         And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight,

         And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,

         And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

Grandmother - Advice

 Advice from the Grandmother 

Cure yourself, with the light of the Sun and the rays of the Moon.

With the Sound of the river and the waterfall.

With the swaying of the Sea and the fluttering of birds.

Heal yourself, with the mint and mint leaves,

with neem and eucalyptus.

Sweeten yourself with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile.

Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a touch of cinnamon.

Put Love in tea instead of sugar

And take it looking at the Stars

Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain.

Get strong with bare feet on the ground and with everything that is born from it.

Get smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with the Eye of your forehead.

Jump, Dance, Sing, so that you live happier.

Heal yourself, with beautiful Love,

and always remember.. You are the Medicine. "

Winter's Cloak - A Poem

Winter’s Cloak by Joyce Rupp

This year I do not want the dark to leave me. 
I need its wrap of silent stillness, 
its cloak of long lasting embrace. 
Too much light has pulled me away 
from the chamber of gestation. 

Wendy's Post Bag

Q: Dear Wendy: Do you have any recommendation about enlightenment? KC. 

Dear KC: Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

Before enlightenment, vacuum carpet, wash up dishes! After enlightenment, vacuum carpet, wash up dishes! 

Dear Wendy: Four months ago, I split up from my partner, a woman with two young children from a previous marriage. She now has someone else in her life and I find I am missing her two children. Over the ten months we were together and I bonded with them, but now she is adamant that I am out of her life and cannot see her children. I feel embarrassed to mention it to my family. I am less likely to get involved now with anyone with children. Is this fair? DD

Wendy replies: Dear DD: Every situation is different and it does seem unfair from your perspective. I am sorry that you are hurting and that you are now feeling guarded with your next relationship, should it be with someone who has children. You are obviously a deeply caring person and your love will be appreciated by someone looking for kindness and commitment. But the mother must give her children priority and they now have their mum, each other, and a new parental ‘significant other’. She has replaced you, which is painful in itself and he would probably not want you around. I think you are grieving for the loss of this family structure. This type of loss is very common but goes unrecognised by many people so it would be useful for you to contact a caring counsellor who will understand what you are going through. I suggest: Cruse Bereavement Care: 0300 031 7757

Avicenna

 

Who was Avicenna?

Ibn Sina, known as Avicenna was a Persian mystic, poet, doctor, philosopher (980-1037) living at a time known as the Islamic Golden Age and is called the Father of Medicine. His 450 written works have 250 that survive today. His was the first Encyclopaedia of Medicine. His work involved chemistry, mathmatics, ethics and related topics. 

The Crystal Gazer - A Story

I wrote this "skit/parody" after a visit to Maxine Sanders at Clanricarde Gardens! I studied with her at a time when Alex was on the south coast. He passed while I was in her Moon Shadows group. For those who know Maxine, you might recognise her tutoring style!  

The psychic peered into her crystal and whispered "I see hardness about you. There is no true love of beauty... yes, dare I say it? There is death all around yoou and you do not see it... and loss, great loss... and here, at this time, you will meet with an angel.. an angel to guide you to your destiny. You must seek maturity and wisdom..." her voice became quiet, then inaudible. 

Biblical Mysteries Revealed

We know so much about the people in the Bible because their names give away so much about their life. In Biblical times, people were not expected to be individuals, but be exactly a replica of their father. Skills, knowledge and abilities were handed down the generations, daughters were like their mothers, boys like their fathers - but there were exceptions!

Because so many of the Aramaic names have been changed, we can easily lose sight of this simple information.

The Gospel of Mary

The Gospel of Mary! We do not know which ‘Mary’ this refers to, maybe the mother of Jesus or Mary Magdalene, but many give Mary Magdalene the credit. The Gospel of Mary is considered ‘apocryphal’ that is, it is not accepted by the established Roman Catholic Church. It consists of two small manuscripts from a much larger missing document, one in Greek from the third century, the other in a Coptic translation from the fourth. We have some sayings reputed to be from Jesus, and teaching about the nature of sin, evil and wrongdoing which relates to our physicality. 

John the Baptist’s Story

“Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand!” John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus, proclaiming  “Make straight his Paths,” “There is one who will come after me, whose sandals I am not fit to lace.”

We do not know very much about the teachings of the Baptist, but it would have included a vow of extreme poverty and humility. The character of the Baptist is thought to be modelled on Elijah who gave his cloak- a symbol for his responsibility - to Elisha upon his death. As Elisha succeeded Elijah so Jesus succeeded the Baptist who was of the Levite caste, of the line of Aaron and who served as Rabbis/High Priests. The rabbis took turns to attend the Jerusalem Temple, burning incense, sacrificing animals, tending the lamps, renewing shewbread, all pertaining to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. John could have continued the privileged work of the high priest, but he chose to baptise pilgrims in the name of forgiveness in the Jordan. This was another type of priestly work, unrelated to the purchase and burning of animals, he was called a prophet not a priest.

Just as Abraham and Sarah bore a son in their elderly years, and Samson, the hero was born also of elderly parents, the Baptist was born of an angelic miracle. His elderly mother Elizabeth, a descendant of the high priest, Aaron, was too old to have the child she had always prayed for. Her husband, Zachariah was the High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple, of the eighth class, that of Abia.