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Halloween.  I'm not a fan of this time of year.  There's all the horror movies and everything associated with the day.  I never dressed up as a kid or for that matter as an adult.  I never did trick or treat.  We just didn't do it.  

Now when we talk about the day being a time to honor the ancestors, this I can get into.  I'm the family historian.  I've got the genealogy records and do the research.  I've done the DNA through Ancestry (fascinating).  This is a thing for me.

Here is a delightfully easy recipe that will produce a flavorful homemade liqueur that smells as good as it tastes.  If you are interested in making a hassle-free bottle of spirits apples are a wonderful way to start.  Start with these ingredients:

Like many other purple crystals, sugilite is both a spiritual stone and a mental stone. In fact, it helps you understand the effect your mind has on your body. Sugilite can help with learning disorders and remove blocks that prevent new patterns of thought. This rock is good for teachers and students, as it not only clears the paths in the brain but also creates an atmosphere of loving understanding. It can be quite effective when dealing with autism. A gorgeous series of deep purple bands of color, this South African stone, also called luvulite, signifies the highest state of spiritual love. Another forgiveness and letting-go stone, sugilite is so powerful that it can help with channeling. Placed on the third-eye area, sugilite alleviates sadness and despondency. Immensely positive, sugilite protects your very soul from the frustration and disillusionment of this world.

As a healer, it dispels headaches and gently draws pain out of afflicted areas, brining respite to inflammations, toxicity, and stress-related illness. Sugilite has been used to great effect to ease the discomfort of those suffering from cancer. It is wonderful when a stone helps with both physical and emotional issues, as does sugilite. This stone absorbs anger, hurts, and energies that you have unwittingly picked up and are draining you. If you have problems with jealousy, this is the perfect stone to help you rise above any pettiness and bring out your best side in relationships. I love that sugilite creates a sense of belonging for those who always felt like outsiders.

The controversy over appointing a ruthless political operative, perjurer, and probable sexual predator to the Supreme Court has led many people to put the blame on old White males and their culture of privilege. While there is some truth to this argument, it does not go nearly deep enough to shed adequate light on these crimes against the constitution. Going more deeply also sheds light on the rise of NeoPagan religion in this country.

I was fortunate enough last month to be able to visit Iceland for just under two weeks. I had never been there before and had been looking forward to the trip, as Iceland has a reputation for its beauty and for its deeply ingrained folklore. Neither disappointed. 

Words cannot do the country's beauty justice. It is truly amazing and everywhere you look seems more gorgeous than the last. Not only the natural places but even the cities, which I am not prone to favouring, are beautiful and full of statues and street art. I saw more murals on walls in Reykjavik than I have ever seen anywhere else and the art was a nice counterpoint to the natural beauty. My main focus wasn't on the ambience though, impressive as it was, but on the spiritual connection and folklore. 

Samhain Meditation

Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes, focus on your breathing, deep breathes in…deep breathes out…