Reflections, Fortunes, and Wishes

The twelve days of Christmas are a reflective time for me. I think a lot about our family, the girls, and the coming year. Some of my reflections are quiet and personal, some are shared with just Nels, and some are shared with others. Here are some things we do during the holidays that bring out those reflective moments in a festive way. All of these things use fire and are best done in the dark!


Casting Fortunes

For this you need a roll of solder, an old spoon, a candle, and a bowl of water. Snip a piece of solder into your spoon. Melt it over the candle and then pour it into the bowl of water. The solder will explode into interesting shapes which foretell something that will happen to you in the coming year. Sometimes a magnifying glass (along with your glass of champagne) will help you read into these interesting shapes. LOL.


Snapdragon

For this you need brandy, raisins, and a pie plate. Put some raisins and a little brandy in a warm pie plate. Light the brandy and as the dragon dashes about the dish, snap out a raisin, pop it in your mouth and make a wish. It will come true in the coming year.


The Yule Log

Our girls also enjoyed making a yule log one year. We all wrote down things we wished to cast away from the past year and tied them to the log. We also included bits from the Christmas tree which made it have a very satisfying POP in the fire. Writing down our thoughts brought a beautiful, reflective moment to Twelfth Night in a kid-friendly and party-friendly way.


So whether it be the Solstice, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve or Twelfth Night, cast your fortune, make some wishes, and send your midwinter reflections out into the world.

dawn klinge  – (December 28, 2008 at 11:05 AM)  

Great ideas. I hope all your wishes come true in this next year.

Cadi  – (December 28, 2008 at 12:14 PM)  

thanks for the blessing of this lovely post. insightful holy nights to you! cadi

Mrs. Darling  – (December 28, 2008 at 4:36 PM)  

I love the yule log. It always seems magical to me for some reason.

Hoping your wishes come true!

Anonymous –   – (December 29, 2008 at 12:16 AM)  

I love all these ideas! I think we'll do the Yule Log on New Year's Eve. I too am finding this time of rest after all the festivities to be reflective and calm. My husband and I have been doing a lot of house cleaning and organizing, which feels really good, and symbolic of the inner cleansing that accompanies this time of year.

RunninL8  – (December 29, 2008 at 9:43 AM)  

What unique ideas!!! I've never heard of snapdragon or the solder thing!!! I think we'll try them on new years! Thanks for sharing!

Lovely World  – (December 31, 2010 at 11:52 AM)  

Great ideas. We have been writing out individual and family resolutions over the past few of years, as well as burning papers written with things we wish to cast away. I might suggest we try some of these other traditions. Happy 2011.

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