This Princess is No Sleeping Beauty
My reference to this Princess is not an argument against being a passive heroine. Or that women should avoid being caught in “the male gaze”* and stay there. Or that ladies should not be in waiting for rescue by a prince. While it’s true I neither believe nor advocate being any of these things, I’m...
We Were Planting a Garden
We were planting a garden together Not intentionally at first We scattered seeds about without thought or care for how they might grow But grow they did And soon our garden was beautiful, full of color and flora the likes neither of us had seen We laughed and let the garden run wild So lovely...
Astronomical Events in 2013
Astronomical 1: of or relating to astronomy <astronomical observations> 2: enormously or inconceivably large or great <astronomical numbers> Earlier this week, several of my friends shared a poster via the Grand Overseer that lists skyward observation events for 2013. Depending on where you are in the world and how close the Earth the event is...
5 Things that Sound Gross But are Eco-friendly
I’ve been thinking about eco-friendly habits lately. Or maybe I’ve been thinking about how to justify lazy habits as eco-friendly. I’m not sure, exactly. But I thought I’d share my ponderance with you. Here are five things you can do that sound kinda gross, but are actually green. Most of them will help conserve water....
Blasphemy Laws in Greece and Other Countries
Blasphemy 1a: the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God 1b: the act of claiming the attributes of deity 2: irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable I heard a story on NPR last week about arrests in Greece based on blasphemy charges. I was a little stunned by the...
Learning About Kwanzaa
A friend from high school posted inspirational African words and messages to The Grand Overseer in honor of the 7 days of Kwanzaa (December 26 — January 1). I first heard about the African-American-centric winter holiday about 10 years ago (I think), but I haven’t really thought much about it. When I first heard the...
You Can Still Spin Under Zilker Holiday Tree
The princesses are still holiday-ing this week and sending you happy cheer! If you are in our neck of the realm, you can still enjoy a winter favorite of ours — the Zilker Holiday Tree. It is open 6:00pm to midnight through New Year’s Eve. Take a friend with you so you can spin under...
Seasons Greetings, Love the Princesses!
Happiest of Holidays from our homes to yours! For your viewing pleasure, click on this image to view archives of holiday doodles from The Oracle. Featured image, Google doodle for Charles Dickens’s 200th birthday.
Finding Yule in New Traditions
Yule tidings! Happy Solstice! And YAY! — the world didn’t end today. I really didn’t think it would. But contemplating the faux end of the world got me thinking about other endings, too. Like the end of Christmas traditions as I embrace Yule. Let me explain. Many modern Pagans grew up in a different faith....
Finding Yule by Shopping Local
We princesses try to stay locally involved — whether its our food source, politics, or our Pagan practice. We also try to contribute to our local economy by buying local for our holiday gifts. The princesses are lucky to live in a town with lots of local gift options. And we like to do our...
Finding Yule: Lovely and Relevant Tree Toppers
People from all walks of faith (and non-faith) decorate trees in their homes to celebrate December holidays. While most decorations are easy to find, I have long searched for something that symbolizes Winter Solstice and Yule to crown my tree. Especially since the holiday tree tradition is rooted in my Germanic ancestry! In my search,...
Black Bears Sighted in Central Texas
The American black bear is native to the United States. Black bears were found everywhere in my home state, Texas, but over-trapping and over-hunting in the 1920s all but wiped out the native population. Texas severely restricting hunting in the 1970s in an attempt to help bears repopulate the state and then made it illegal...
