Halloween contest!

I'm taking part in a Halloween contest hosted by my pal Sam Cheever. We're giving away a great "trick or treat" gift bag! Take a look!

http://melissa-lopez.com/contest.html

Good luck to all those who enter!
~Mel

Beltane - The Rites of Spring!

In the wheel of the Celtic year, Beltane marks the beginning of the summer season, a time of planting and fertility. The ancient celebrants lit great bonfires and performed rituals to ensure a good harvest. Sometimes two fires were lit, and the people would pass between them (and often their herds as well) to purify themselves and bring luck for the coming year.

Picture a night in a green valley, ringed with roaring bonfires on every surrounding hill. Men leap through the flames for luck; as the fire dies down, young women with rings of flowers in their hair jump through in hopes of finding a good husband. Pregnant women as well, to ensure an easy birth. Babies are carried through the smoke in hopes of protecting them from harm. The dancing (and often, ahem, "fertility celebration", if you will) goes on all night. The people carry home embers to light their own homefires.

What can you do to celebrate this time of new, greening things?

~ Wash your face in morning dew.
~ Make a simple garland of spring flowers and cast it into a running stream.
~ Take a basket of goodies to a friend in need.
~ Light a candle and, like our ancestors, jump over it for good luck. (Be careful with this, obviously!)
~ Celebrate with a May Bowl: Take wine or punch, float some sweet woodruff flowers in it (pictured above), and share with your friends.

Here's another fun recipe, courtesy of Jaguar Moon:

Vanilla Aphrodisiac Smoothie

1 cup milk
15 whole cloves
15 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla pod, split
1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
honey to taste

Directions:
Place milk, cloves, cardamom, and cinamon in a suacepan. Scrape in vanilla seeds from pod. Heat milk but do not boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then refrigerate until chilled. Strain milk into a blender goblet and discard spices. Add frozen yogurt and add honey to taste. Blend until smooth and frothy. Delicious!

~~~

Spring Showers Contest!!

Samhain Publishing is running a cool contest called "Spring Showers." Go here, read excerpts, and post a comment. The more excerpts you read and the more you post, the more chances you have to win!

I'm giving away a free copy of my first book, "Beaudry's Ghost", and a hand-beaded bookthong.

There are dozens of other authors and loads of other prizes, too!Have fun!