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Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year — Spooky For Kids

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

Name: Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year
Price: 14.44 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781644114148

✍️ Ellen Evert Hopman, Lauren Mills, Jane Yolen

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$14.44 ~~$16.99~~ Save $2.55 (15%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

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.

Hopman, Ellen Evert; , Mills, Lauren; , Yolen, Jane

Praise for this book

“What a gift to families! This practical and magical collection of stories, recipes, and engaging activities takes its readers right back to the rhythm of a simpler, meaningful life, marking time with relevant ritual reverence for Mother Nature, her seasons, and her bounty.”

— Burleigh Mutén, author of Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic and The Lady of Ten Thousand Nam

🏛 Destiny Books 📅 2022 📖 160 pages 📔 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.

📑 What's inside

Foreword: Stories That Bring the Sun Up
by Jane Yolen
Introduction: The Circle Will Go 'Round
1 A Tale of the Cailleach, the Great Goddess of Winter
An Irish Tale for Samhain (October 31-November 1)
2 Old Nisse and the Return of Sunna, the Sun Goddess
A Norse Tale for Yule and the Winter Solstice (December 20/21/22/23)
3 La Befana, the Christmas Witch
An Italian Tale for the New Year (January 1)
4 Waiting for Brighid
An Irish Tale for Imbolg (February 1-2)
5 Eostre, the Goddess of Spring, Hares, and Eggs
An Anglo-Saxon/Germanic Tale for the Spring Equinox (March 19/20/21)
6 A Magical Beltaine Journey
An Irish Tale for May Day (May 1)
7 Kupalnocka and the Magical Fern Flower
A Polish Tale for the Summer Solstice (June 20/21/22)
8 Lugh of the Long Arm and the Blessing of the Early Harvest
An Irish Tale for Lúnasa (August 1)
9 The Spirit of the Grain and the Spirits of the Sea
A Scottish Tale for the Fall Equinox (September 21/22/23/24)
Index of Recipes Index of Activities

💎 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

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

🎯 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.

📜 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

Which seasonal celebration or natural shift of the year holds the most personal significance for you, and what traditions or feelings does it evoke?
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?
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?