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Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year

Hopman, Ellen Evert; , Mills, Lauren; , Yolen, Jane
Reader rating
4.6
(1 reviews) 123 sold
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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Journey through the sacred year with enchanting tales, ancient crafts, and seasonal recipes.

Delve into the vibrant tapestry of the sacred Earth year with this enchanting collection, offering a gateway to traditional Pagan festivals. More than just a book, it's a hands-on guide, blending original stories—perfect for reading aloud—with practical crafts, games, and seasonal recipes. Explore the rich symbolism, ancient lore, and cultural practices associated with celebrations like Samhain, Yule, and Beltaine. Discover the magical properties of plants and connect deeply with the rhythm of the seasons, fostering an appreciation for nature's cycles and ancestral wisdom.

Key themes
Honoring Earth's Cycles Ancestral Lore & Craft Passing Down Wisdom
Historical context

This work is deeply rooted in contemporary Pagan traditions, specifically celebrating the Wheel of the Year and ancient seasonal festivals such as Samhain, Yule, and Beltaine within an English-language esoteric context.

Difficulty
● Easy
Fans will love it
Starhawk · Dion Fortune · Gwydion Pendderwen · Celtic Folklore Collections
🕯️ Occult Philosophy
🏛 Destiny Books 📅 2022 📖 160 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9781644114148
Fun fact
This delightful collection excels at making the Wheel of the Year accessible and engaging for all ages. It masterfully intertwines captivating stories with practical crafts and mouth-watering recipes, creating a truly immersive experience. While less suited for those seeking advanced magical theory or deep academic discourse, it serves as an exceptional entry point for families or individuals wanting to actively celebrate and connect with the sacred Earth year through hands-on tradition.

📝 Description: Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year

An illustrated collection of stories and activities to celebrate traditional Pagan festivals and the changing of the seasons - 2023 Coalition of Visionary Resources Gold Award - Shares original stories, based on traditional folktales and designed to be read out loud, for each festival, such as Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasad, the solstices, and the equinoxes - Includes traditional games, hands-on projects special to each holiday, and seasonal recipes to enjoy the tastes and smells of each feast day - Discusses the sacred symbolism, magical lore, and cultural practices within each story and the healing and magical uses for the trees and flowers featured Once upon a time, when only candles lit the inside of homes and people traveled on foot or by horse, the family would finish their supper, wash and dry the dishes, and sit down before the hearth to hear a tale. These tales were not only entertaining but also passed down both history and tradition to the next generation. And as the wheel of the year turned, these tales also served to teach the children about holy days and festivals and the Gods and Goddesses who reigned over the changing seasons. In this beautifully illustrated book, Ellen Evert Hopman shares rich stories drawn from traditional folktales, hands-on crafts, and seasonal recipes to help families and classrooms learn about and celebrate traditional holy days and festivals of the sacred earth year. Designed to be read out loud, the stories are complemented with pronunciation guides and translations for foreign words. You will learn of the Cailleach, the ancient Goddess of Winter; La Befana, the Italian new year's witch; Eostre, the Goddess of Spring; Kupalnocka, the Polish feast of wreaths at midsummer; Yule among the Vikings; and many other deities and celebrations. For each story, the author includes hands-on projects special to the holiday--from crafting magical wands and brooms to flower crowns and Brighid's Crosses--as well as seasonal recipes, such as Magical Peppermint Chocolate Tea, Beltaine Bannock, and La Befana Cake, allowing families to enjoy the tastes, smells, and sounds associated with the feast days and celebrations.

💎 Expert review

💎
Esoterica Books editorial team
Occult literature desk
This collection serves as a vibrant gateway to traditional Pagan festivals, successfully blending enchanting original stories with practical guidance. It excels in its approachable nature, inviting readers to explore the symbolism of Samhain, Yule, and Beltaine through crafts and cuisine. However, it may not suit those seeking dense academic analysis or strictly historical documentation without contemporary interpretation. Readers looking for complex theological debates might find the tone too light or the focus on activities insufficiently rigorous. Nevertheless, for those wanting to actively participate in the rhythm of the seasons rather than just observe them, this book offers a warm, accessible entry point into esoteric practice and cultural appreciation.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This book is an ideal companion for modern practitioners seeking to deepen their connection with the natural world through tangible, hands-on engagement. It is particularly suited for families or groups who wish to blend storytelling with practical rituals, offering original tales perfect for reading aloud alongside seasonal crafts and recipes. Readers will gain a richer appreciation for ancestral wisdom and the magical properties of plants, fostering a sense of continuity with nature's cycles. If you are looking to move beyond theoretical study into experiential celebration, this guide provides the necessary tools to honor the sacred Earth year with joy and reverence, making it essential for those who value community, creativity, and spiritual grounding in their daily lives.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —
⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5
★★★★
If you seek to enrich your understanding of the Wheel of the Year, share ancient wisdom with younger generations, or simply desire engaging, hands-on ways to celebrate the changing seasons, this collection is for you. Embrace a deeper connection to earth’s rhythms.

Reader rating

4.6
Based on 1 reviews
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Esoterica Books editorial team

This collection serves as a vibrant gateway to traditional Pagan festivals, successfully blending enchanting original stories with practical guidance. It excels in its approachable nature, inviting readers to explore the symbolism of Samhain, Yule, and Beltaine through crafts and cuisine. However, it may not suit those seeking dense academic analysis or strictly historical documentation without contemporary interpretation. Readers looking for complex theological debates might find the tone too light or the focus on activities insufficiently rigorous. Nevertheless, for those wanting to actively participate in the rhythm of the seasons rather than just observe them, this book offers a warm, accessible entry point into esoteric practice and cultural appreciation.

❓ Frequently asked questions

While designed with family engagement in mind and accessible for younger readers, its rich content on folklore, crafts, and recipes makes it a valuable resource for anyone interested in celebrating the sacred year, regardless of age. Adults will find much to appreciate and learn within its pages.
The book features a diverse range of interactive elements, including original stories based on traditional folktales, clear instructions for seasonal crafts, engaging traditional games to play, and delicious, themed recipes tailored to each festival's unique atmosphere and ingredients, encouraging hands-on participation.

📖 Who should read this

If you seek to enrich your understanding of the Wheel of the Year, share ancient wisdom with younger generations, or simply desire engaging, hands-on ways to celebrate the changing seasons, this collection is for you. Embrace a deeper connection to earth’s rhythms.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Honoring Earth's Cycles

This book beautifully illuminates the eight traditional Pagan festivals, from the depths of Samhain to the vibrancy of Lughnasad. It provides context and activities for each solstice, equinox, and cross-quarter day, guiding readers to experience the profound spiritual and natural shifts throughout the year, fostering a deeper connection to nature's rhythm.

Ancestral Lore & Craft

Beyond stories, the collection delves into the practical application of ancient wisdom. It explores the healing and magical uses of plants, shares traditional games, and offers hands-on craft projects specific to each holiday, connecting readers directly to the historical and mystical dimensions of these celebrations through active participation and creation.

Passing Down Wisdom

At its heart, the book emphasizes the power of storytelling to transmit culture and knowledge across generations. It presents original narratives, inspired by folklore, designed to be read aloud, fostering a communal experience that educates about deities, seasonal changes, and the enduring magic woven into our heritage and shared human experience.

💬 Quotes from the book

“Once upon a time, when the hearth fire was the heart of the home, tales were woven not just for entertainment, but to thread the wisdom of the turning year into the very fabric of family life.”

“As the sun climbs higher towards Beltaine, we gather hawthorn berries and weave ribbons, honoring the burgeoning life, knowing each leaf and blossom holds its own quiet magic.”

📜 Historical context

This work draws from a deep well of pre-Christian European folk traditions, echoing the ancient practice of passing seasonal knowledge and spiritual lore through communal storytelling. It connects to the modern resurgence of interest in Earth-based spirituality and the Wheel of the Year, offering a tangible link to ancestral ways of celebrating nature's profound rhythms and cycles.

📚 Glossary

Samhain
Wheel of the Year
Imbolc

📔 Questions to reflect on

  1. Which seasonal celebration or natural shift of the year holds the most personal significance for you, and what traditions or feelings does it evoke?
  2. How might you adapt or create new family traditions to more deeply connect with the natural rhythms of the Earth's year in your own life and home?
  3. Choose a plant or animal native to your region. What ancient lore or magical properties might it have held for your ancestors, and how do you perceive its symbolism today?

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