Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Stephanie Woodfield, author of Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess the new Drawing Down the Sun. Have you ever noticed that stepping outside on a sunny day, and feeling the warm sun on your skin, can put a smile on your face? Or that you may feel less motivated during the winter months? For most of us, a couple of minutes of sunlight is the source of our daily vitamin D, which plays a role in a healthy immune system, and our mental health (among other things). Studies have even shown that sunlight boosts the brain's levels of natural antidepressants and mood lifting chemicals, compared to the brain's levels on darker days. The

Initiation is one of the most valuable experiences in any person's life. Many religions have initiatory rituals such as Confirmation, Baptism, Bar Mitzvah, and so forth. Generally, initiations are one of two types: initiation into a tradition and initiation into a group. For example, a person might be Baptized into the Christian tradition, but not align themselves with any particular church group. A person could be initiated into a fraternity or sorority which makes them a member of a group, but not of any spiritual tradition. Occult traditions are filled with initiations. Some of the more famous initiations into groups can be found in books such as Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft