Author Archives: Lady Jasmine

Making Nap Time Spiritually Blissful

Nap time is a great time for bonding on a spiritual level and teaching meditation to young children. A mixture of meditation techniques and healthy sleeping techniques and Reiki can make a wonderful afternoon. Here is a break down of things I do with my own son and my Day Care children to help them fall asleep:

-Set the mood; darken the room, put on some tranquil music (we use Pandora’s Nature Sounds Radio), use aromatherapy candles or oils, set up a sacred nap time space. Include many soft surfaces like pillows and blankets or comforters.

-Prepare the child by setting up a daily routine. This may include finishing lunch and putting on the music and darkening the room 10 minutes before hand. Stay away from any exciting activities and treat pre-nap time as “wind down” time. You can also add in hygiene practices such as hand washing (a mini ritual bath) and tooth brushing. Read a book out loud to them for extra Credit.

-Prepare yourself. “Are the dishes done? Did I pay the bills? What time is DH going to be home?” A woman’s brain can get pretty active. Clearing it out and getting into a calm place helps so much when helping a child to nap. Find ways to calm quickly, such as a worry stone in your pocket, of taking a few breaths of fresh air. Ground and Center.

-Lay the child down, and give them any lovies such as a binky, stuffed toy or a blankey. I tend to cover the child with a blanket covering most of their bodies including their eyes, but leaving room for them to breath. I find this helps them know its nap time and know that I am putting them down for a nap.

– Gently rub their backs in a circular motion, moving to a more massage type touch. Gently massage the child’s back while focusing on them being calm and relaxed. Think of this as an energy transfer and concentrate on putting them in a state of relaxation and sleep. Once child is in a state of sleep or extreme calm, feel free to switch to Reiki to help balance the chakras. If is a smaller infant feel free to rock them to sleep, but you can still use massage and healing touch techniques.

-Give the child time to get into deep sleep before leaving the room or getting up. Helping the child by just being in the room for these times helps greatly from them waking up and having to start over. Keep your energy focused during this time. If you are able and want to you can also join your child in a nap.

-If you choose to stay awake, use the quiet time to relax or meditate and recharge in your own way. This is a perfect time for a cup of coffee or tea.

The Mandatory Book List

I notice allot of people these days claim the title of Wiccan. The impression that I get is that they read one book and then think that this makes them a Wiccan. So here is my version of a book list that I expect anyone who claims the name Wiccan to have read before they announce to the world “I am Wiccan!” regardless of if they are solitary eclectic or a more traditional Wiccan path. As a Veteran to the craft, if I am in a conversation with a person who claims to know anything about Wicca, I automatically assume they have read the following:

Scott Cunningham’s Guide to the Solitary Practitioner- If you follow my blog you know I am not that much of a fan of Cunningham.. however in this day and age every pagan has read this book. If you read this book and find yourself moved by its pages, Wicca is probably not for you.. However even if you like the book or not it is essential to understanding the ideals of Solitary Eclectics.

Raymond Buckland’s Big Blue “Complete Book of Witchcraft”- its basic and covers many topics, this used to be a standard newbie book in the day, and now I get the impression that many pagans have no idea what this book is. It is a surface scratch for Wicca.

The Ferrar’s Witches Bible- This covers a good chunk of info such as Sabbats and tools and all that good stuff..if you haven’t read it and are calling yourself Wiccan.. you might as well be a rocket scientist who has never taken a calculus class.

Margret Adler’s Drawing Down the Moon- This was once must read book for pagans back before Barnes and Noble had a New Age section… so yes you should read it.

Any Book by Gerald Gardner- because no matter what you believe, you can not do a ritual or study any form of Neo-Paganism without coming into contact with something Gardner did for the craft.. Yes the books are very boring.. and can take you almost a year of reading while on the toilet..but if you can actually get through one of these books you will be that much closer to understanding at least part of the history of American Wicca.

At least 10 other books- it doesn’t matter what they are but paganism in general is about life long learning, and if you are going to claim to be on this type of path, as a fellow pagan, I expect you to honor the idea of being on a path to wisdom.

Attachment DayCare???

So.. what exactly is that? Well I run an in home day care and I run home on the principals of Attachment Parenting with all the children. It means that I do not use CIO, I hold babies and children when they want to be held, I help parents with breastfeeding, I cloth diaper my own child and some of my daycare children, and I baby wear. Is it easy? No, but definitely worth it! I have a goal with each child in my care to build a trusting relationship. I follow the goals of PITC (Providing Infant and Toddler Care Program) to help build a strong basis of continuity and to facilitate learning and positive relationships starting at birth. The bond that I have with all the children is deep and loving. Yes that means that if I leave the room to potty that 3 of them will cry because they can’t see me. Yes it means some days I have to wear a baby around the house and whisper for 3 hours because they are napping in my Maya Wrap. Yes it means I have to plan our lunches around the baby so they can have homemade babyfood. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I not only get to have a strong bond with my son (which never could be replaced by anyone) but I also get to have great day care kids that I get to spend the day with. I am a lucky woman!