Hogmanay

This year we stayed at home, really, in the house. But I wanted, as we now know we are staying, to ritualise Newyear/Hogmanay to include our home. I put together a bit of a mishmash of tradition and neo pagan elements.

• Lit candles to start (a little before midnight)
• Ate the handmade biscuits to thank all the good things from the past year 2014
• At midnight we Drank to the New year along with our hopes and plans 2015
• Opened the back door to let the old year out.
• Swept the living room with a broom made from a bush in the garden to the front door.
• Opened the front door to let in the New year
• Placed the broom at the threshold.
• Our cat Thistle was the  'first foot' :)
• Lit the smudge stick and smoked it through all the rooms in the house.

It felt right to mark the turning of the year in some way. Lets see how it goes!

After sweeping out the old year, our garden broom lays across the threshold.

Ingredients for the smudge stick were all gathered from the garden. Dried lavender, rose petals and rosemary. It smelt good.