Dec. 12th, Women's Christmas; New Year Eve Focused Intent

Women's Christmas (December 12th), and Faerie Cakes

Hi everyone

For all the ladies out there, I just wanted to let you know that every December 12th, is Women's Christmas. On this day it is believed that if you make Faerie Cakes and eat them that you will be able to see the Faerie Realm.

Below is the story on the Faerie Cakes, and 2 different recipes for these Faerie Cakes. The first one is the more traditional version, and the other is a Diabetic version. The traditional version calls for Saltanas. Saltanas are Golden Raisins.

Here are the 2 versions of the Faerie Cakes

Faerie Cakes are an Irish Recipe for the Holiday Nollaig na mBan (Women's Christmas), which is celebrated on December 12th of every year. The cakes magical properties not only include seeing the Faerie Realm (after eating one of the cakes) on December 12th, but they can be used on other days (however they have to be baked on December the 12th), as a fertility charm or in healing the sick.

First I will give you the more traditional recipe. The second recipe will be a Diabetic recipe.

Version I Traditional Faerie Cakes

1 stick butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grated rind of one orange

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon milk

1/3 cup sultanas (Sultanas are Golden Raisins)

Sugar Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons water, boiling

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and orange rind. Sift in the baking powder and flour together and add to the butter mixture. Add a little milk to create a batter of dropping consistency. Fold in the Sultanas (GoldenRaisins), and spoon the mixture into well greased muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Take out of oven, let cool. Then drizzle on sugar icing and serve.

Version II Faerie Drops (Diabetic)

This recipe yields 24 Cookies. Food exchange, 1 cookie = 1/3 bread. Calories 1 cookie = 20. Carbohydrates 1 cookie = 4 grams.

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 90 mL

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 mL

1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring 2 mL

1 cup all purpose flour 250 mL

2 tablespoons granulated sugar 30 mL replacement (ex. Splenda, Stevia, Equal)

1 tablespoon ground cardamom 15 mL

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 mL

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 mL

Combine applesauce, egg whites, vanilla and almond flavoring in a medium size bowl. Beat with a fork until thoroughly blended. Combine flour, sugar replacement, cardamom, cream of tartar and baking soda into a sifter. Sift onto a piece of waxed paper; pour back into the sifter, and sift again. Pour flour mixture back intothe sifter again and sift directly into the applesauce mixture. Beat with a fork until well blended. Mixture will be sticky. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or until needed.

Spray cookie sheet lightly with a vegetable oil spray. Using a teaspoon drop cookie dough onto the greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool. That is it.

Have fun and enjoy these recipes. I hope you try these and share your expierence with me. If nothing else, it is a delightful activiy to do with children. I have found that children really enjoy doing this.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season.

Wishing everyone the very best,
Linda K Marchena
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The Power of Focused Intent for New Year's Eve

Every year I have told my client's that there is a belief that states that one should have some money on their person on New Year's Eve, just as the clock strikes Midnight going into New Year's Day. The reason for this, it is a symbol that the person will never be broke, and it affirms the idea of abundance.

If a person wants to focus on romance or a happy commited relationship, then they should have on their person (at midnight of New Year's Eve. going into New Year's Day) something pink or something that represents this intent.

This action of intent can be used with Health, Spiritual Growth, as well as others. This can be done by again having something on the person at midnight that represents the intent to be manifested during the year.

I have found this to be a fun and easy thing to do. Even during New Year's Eve Parties, I have found that the guests have enjoyed doing this, including the children.

I wish everyone a wonderful and safe Holiday Season and New Year's Holiday. Have lots of fun, but please remember to use designated drivers if you are drinking.

Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season,

Linda K Marchena

Uniting Against Fear

Uniting Against Fear

By Linda Kay Marchena

I remember when just a child of 7 years, the atmosphere of fear that surrounded our lives. It was the Cold War Era. The main topic of conversation at our dinner table and our neighbors' was about building bomb shelters, and stocking up on a years supply of can goods and water. You know, just in case someone decided to drop a nuclear bomb. Schools at that time had air raid drills besides the regular fire drills.

Today everyone is talking about terrorism as part of their topic of conversation. There is something wrong when we live in a world with so much potential for good, that we expose children to things to fear of on a daily basis.

Children being hurt, killed abused in all sorts of ways, by war, gang violence, abusive family members.

Just think of how much good and how much better this world would be if the adults of the world would unite together to say no more. No to their own anger, no to their fear, no to their selfishness, no to the past traumas of their lives that trigger extreme behavior such as an unhealthy need for power and control over others, which leads to violence, abuse and war. Let us think of the children of the world and how they are innocent bystanders to the abuse, wars, continuing destruction of our environment and food sources. They are at the mercy of the whimes of the adults. It is the adults who make the decisions, and yet when they are destructive decisions it doesn't only afftect the adults involved it also affects the innoccent bystanders, the children. Would it not be better to unite as human beings to create peace in this world.

How is this accomplished. It is accomplished by not only respecting ourselves but respecting others, no matter who they are. It is by living ones life with a sense of integrity, which means that when we say something or commit to something (even if it is just returning a phone call), that we follow through. By being consistant with what we say and do. These are necessary to estsblish trust, not only in our everyday lives, but it is important that our business leaders and government leaders exhibit these traits.

Tolerance and nonjudgement are also important. Instead of looking at each other as far as race, nationality, religion, size, shape, lifestyle, financial status would it not be better to focus on the major problems affecting the World. After all the bottom line is we are all human! We could accomplish so much more by ridding this World of disease, famine, homeless, poverty if we would focus on these things. Instead of War with one another, let us all unite and declare and end to these other problems that are in our world today.

Feng Shui - The Myth And The Marvel

Feng Shui - the Myth And The Marvel

by Breiana Cecil

It is possibly the most ancient design movement known and yet has made itself an avant-garde design craze. Although, over three thousand years old, the idea of Feng Shui has received much attention in modern day. Surf the net or the local bookstores and you will find numerous resources on the subject. It has taken the Interior Design industry by storm and has found a way into university classrooms all over the world. It has been revered as an art. It has been shunned as superstition. It is controversial, which means it is interesting. So let's take a brief look, shall we?

Feng Shui ("wind-water") is an ancient Chinese practice dealing with the arrangement of a space and its elements to bring balance to the environment and those who dwell within, more basically, living in harmony with your surroundings.

This ancient philosophy says that being in tune with the elements and energy around you will bring you the most balance in life. These elements are Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. The energy is Ch'i (pronounced 'chee').

Ch'i is the life force, and it is present all around us, all of the time. The purpose of incorporating Feng Shui into our homes is to attract Ch'i and to raise positive energy levels. The Chinese have utilized this in the construction of large buildings and homes, aligning the corners of the structures with the corresponding directions of the four cardinal directions--north, south, east, and west. The ancient Chinese tended to build their homes according to the directions and meaning of each.

Astrology is incorporated as well. Depending on the individual’s year of birth, each direction has different meaning. Those dealt with include positive directions (prime, health, longevity, prosperity, etc.) and negative directions (death, disaster, the six shar, and the five ghosts). According to Chinese life principle, there is no getting around the negative directions. Though, it is believed that utilizing Feng Shui in your home can keep the Ch'i in balance, and the positive and negative in harmony.

In this day and age, not many of us have the option of choosing our land so freely, as we have settled down already or dwell in apartment buildings. Unfortunately, we can't very well pick up and turn our homes to suit our individual Ch'i. This is where Feng Shui designers have found their calling. Placement of furniture, certain deco, as well as color use are considered imperative factors in the Feng Shui culture. Here are a few interesting and random examples.

Furniture Placement:

- Move the bed to face your health and longevity direction.

- Always have a bed against one wall, as this gives the individual stability.

- The oven and the sink should have space between them, as they represent opposing elements; water and fire.

- The living room is the central gathering room and where most families spend their time. Try to put the main area of focus (television, sound system) in the corner that represents health. This way, when the family lounges together, they are facing a positive direction.

- The Chinese believed that no matter how big the family, there should always be at least eight chairs at the dining table. If more or less, the number must always be even.

- Face the desk that you work at towards your creative direction.


Decorations and Accessories:

- If one of your positive directions lie in the South, and there is a Southern wall with no window in your home, add a mirror. This gives Ch'i room to flow with no ending point.

- The bathroom of your home is the place for Ch'i to pool--and in its most negative environment. Bathrooms are typically small, and are associated with destruction. Mirrors, and house plants should be abundant in this area.

- The living room or bedroom are good places for oil paintings and art, as these are objects of prosperity.

- The study, or the area where you do so, should be filled with objects of creativity. Fill the area with artwork, pottery, and house plants. If there is no window above your desk, guess? Add a mirror!

- Round objects represent money. So, in the living room, and study, try round rugs, tables, and coasters.

- Wind chimes, wind chimes, wind chimes! Anything associated with wind will help Ch'i flow freely.


Color:

The central colors of importance to Feng Shui include green, red, yellow, white, and black. Although the meaning and directional significance of each differs depending on your source, each color represents one of the five elements (Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, Wood).

- It is important that the color of your bedroom correlate with your element. Mine is water, which seems to be associated with white or blue.

- The kitchen is the one place in the house most susceptible to hazard. Green is the safest color to use here.

- The study is an important area for free air, and open mindedness. Yellow or white will keep the area amicable.

For more information on color use, check out the Quick Guide to Color Effects and Meanings blog.

Whether or not you take the ancient art of Feng Shui on board, it is quite an impressive subject as well as vastly immense--I have only just touched the bare minimum here. Aside from the apparent mysticism, its principles touch upon the chic mannerism of modern design as well. More and more designers and clients are designing with meaning and with spirituality. In my opinion, this is wonderful!

Every type of art has spiritual root and meaning--it's the artist that makes it distinct. As always, my best design advice is to understand what touches you and manifest it into your space. Peace be with you and may your Ch'i flow free!

About the Author: Breiana Cecil of NewAgeArticles.com

Uniting Against Fear

Uniting Against Fear

By Linda Kay Marchena

I remember when just a child of 7 years, the atmosphere of fear that surrounded our lives. It was the Cold War Era. The main topic of conversation at our dinner table and our neighbors' was about building bomb shelters, and stocking up on a years supply of can goods and water. You know, just in case someone decided to drop a nuclear bomb. Schools at that time had air raid drills besides the regular fire drills.

Today everyone is talking about terrorism as part of their topic of conversation. There is something wrong when we live in a world with so much potential for good, that we expose children to things to fear of on a daily basis.

Children being hurt, killed abused in all sorts of ways, by war, gang violence, abusive family members.

Just think of how much good and how much better this world would be if the adults of the world would unite together to say no more. No to their own anger, no to their fear, no to their selfishness, no to the past traumas of their lives that trigger extreme behavior such as an unhealthy need for power and control over others, which leads to violence, abuse and war. Let us think of the children of the world and how they are innocent bystanders to the abuse, wars, continuing destruction of our environment and food sources. They are at the mercy of the whimes of the adults. It is the adults who make the decisions, and yet when they are destructive decisions it doesn't only afftect the adults involved it also affects the innoccent bystanders, the children. Would it not be better to unite as human beings to create peace in this world.

How is this accomplished. It is accomplished by not only respecting ourselves but respecting others, no matter who they are. It is by living ones life with a sense of integrity, which means that when we say something or commit to something (even if it is just returning a phone call), that we follow through. By being consistant with what we say and do. These are necessary to estsblish trust, not only in our everyday lives, but it is important that our business leaders and government leaders exhibit these traits.

Tolerance and nonjudgement are also important. Instead of looking at each other as far as race, nationality, religion, size, shape, lifestyle, financial status would it not be better to focus on the major problems affecting the World. After all the bottom line is we are all human! We could accomplish so much more by ridding this World of disease, famine, homeless, poverty if we would focus on these things. Instead of War with one another, let us all unite and declare and end to these other problems that are in our world today.