Unique Serving Platter

My ten year old daughter asked me a few weeks ago, what a witch really is? She was still under the perception that a witch worships Satan and flies around on a broomstick. In fact, witches to her, were downright scary. I couldn’t answer her as well as I would have liked to. I told her that if she truly wanted to know the answer to that question, then I would take her to talk to a friend of mine who practices Wicca. My daughter declined at first, fearing the entire concept, but in the long run curiosity won. I called my friend and asked her if we could come over, explaining why. She was more than happy to answer my daughter’s questions and rid of her misconceptions.

My daughter was hesitant to enter her house, now that she knew she practiced Wicca. But she soon settled down with a mug of hot cocoa in the comfy living room recliner. My friend had brought out some items that she wanted to use to show my daughter in her explanations. Once my daughter was ready to listen, my friend began to talk.

She explained that Wicca wasn’t anything evil or devil worshiping. They simply worship more of the nature and cycles of the world than most others do. She produced a large book and laid it in front of my daughter. She said that it was her book of shadows. Of course, she needed to explain what that meant as well. Every witch has their own book of shadows that is only meant for them. Just like a journal would be. They write down any thoughts or quotes, recipes or information about herbs, even poems, spells or stories. Their book of shadows was something that they hold sacred - not to be shared or opened by anyone else unless given permission.

My friend told my daughter to open up her book of shadows and look through it. She did and the pages were decorated with not only words, but items that were of interest to my friend. She had herbs taped inside for reference, photos and spells that she had photocopied from various places. Her book of shadows was definitely personalized. I had never even known that my friend had anything called a book of shadows. I never even knew that they existed.

My friend explained that her book of shadows had many writings about her journeys and practices that she needed to write down in order to make more sense of things. She could learn what things meant by writing in her book of shadows. My daughter seemed intrigued and I had to admit, I was too. I think that I had a new understanding and appreciation for my friend after that day - her book of shadows too.

As a descendant of Irish immigrants, I have a soft spot for the cultures of our westerly neighbors. I am particularly attracted to their art and the naturalist elements that are apparent in many designs of the region. I love Celtic jewelry and wear several silver pieces every day. Celtic designs are centered around mostly natural elements, a quality that I love about the designs.

Many Celtic designs are complex and beautiful representations of the world around us. You will often see images of plants and trees in Celtic designs. You can find an endless amount of images of Celtic artistry on the internet. I used the internet to find such images when I was drafting my first tattoo.

I have a tattoo on my back that is a tri-skellion, the Celtic version of the trinity. The Celtic version of the trinity does not relate to the catholic trinity. Celtic designs incorporate the power of three to mirror the natural balance of threes as seen in the life cycles of birth, life, and death. The past, present, and future represent another triplet that is a natural harmony honored in Celtic designs. My tattoo has many elements in it and all of them are aspects drawn from nature. There are a lot of leaves and vines in these designs and I chose the Celtic tree of life to be a part of my tattoo.

Another important characteristic of Celtic designs are spirals. This element is present in almost all Celtic designs and an important part of the art and spirituality of Celts. If you have ever seen the movie Pi, then you are already aware of the implied significance of the spiral. If you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend it as an interesting look at math, mysticism, and the human mind. Check it out. I think I have watched it about a dozen times. I think that I may even own it.

Back to the ranch. If you are a nature lover you will probably enjoy Celtic art and jewelry. If you know a nature lover, Celtic jewelry or art would make a good gift idea. Poesies are short poems that can be found on a lot of Celtic and Irish jewelry and add a special touch to a great gift. Poesy gifts are unique and speak to an innocent romance that I miss in today’s culture. Like the claddagh ring that has been popular in America for decades, poesy jewelry is destined to be a perennial favorite.