Silvery Snow

Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again.

-Bill Morgan, Jr.

Photo courtesy of krystian_o on flickr.

Snow Poppet

Where I live, weather-wise thus far, this winter has been simply brutal. The month of January alone has brought more than four feet of snow. For those who believe that Hecate brings storms and difficult weather, trust me, she's been working overtime in my neck of the woods. And with so much snow in every direction I look, I can't help but think there has to be a use for it in magickal ritual. After all, the power of winter's weather is extraordinary, so why not harness a teeny bit for one's own personal use? And given that I'm also a huge fan of snowmen of all shapes and sizes, it was a quick jump to thinking that a little snowman would be the perfect stand-in for some poppet magick.

To work this spell, go outside into the snow at dusk or early evening, just as the light is fading to dark. For a banishment spell, the waning moon is best; to manifest something, use the waxing moon. Think of something in your life you'd like banished or drawn to you, something you would like the poppet to represent: be it energy, wealth, or even an emotion (good or bad). While meditating on whatever energy you wish to instill in your poppet, build your snowman. While he can be big, keep in mind that you're going to need to fill him with your energy to make this spell work, so smaller may be easier to successfully work with. Personally, I'd keep him no bigger than a foot tall. Decorate him as you would a cloth poppet (or in any way that makes your energy rise and your heart sing) and then circle him with nine snowballs. Be creative! Within your circle, light a small blue candle, place it at your snow poppet's feet and concentrate on sending your spell energy into the ether. When you reach the point of release, say:

With snow and ice, this witch's spell,

I cast you now to speed this well.

I focus my powers outside on this night

Now gather within and give my spell flight.

Throw up your arms to send your energy skyward. Allow your candle to burn down (safely) and your snowman to melt naturally. Give thanks.

Photo courtesy of ClanSoul on flickr.

Cold Winter

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show.

-Andrew Wyeth

Photo courtesy of the always amazing Giles C. Watson. Thanks again for allowing me to borrow a bit of your stunning work.

A Bit About Mabon

Is it really Mabon again? Egads, the year flies by, doesn't it? After another summer of intense heat, which is really not to my liking, we are again at that point on the Wheel of the Year where I come alive once more. Autumn is most definitely my season, which is not surprising really as I am a deeply introverted person who spends a great deal of time inside her own head. So it makes perfect sense that I would thrive in that portion of the Earth Wheel where things are becoming quiet and resting within themselves for the dark of winter. Samhain is my favorite sabbat of the year, but Mabon can sort of be viewed as the "gateway" to Samhain, and that's good enough for me.

Mabon, a lesser sabbat, is also known as the Second Harvest Festival (after Lammas). It represents the balance between the darkness and the light; of perfect equality. The foods of Mabon are corn, potatoes, nuts, apples and onions. Bread is, of course, a must. The traditional herbs of this sabbat are thistle, tobacco, myrrh, marigold (to symbolize the last of the bright light) and sage, which should be burned at any rituals. Not surprisingly, the symbols of this sabbat are what we see on every farm stand we pass in our daily travels: gourds, pumpkins, apples, pine cones, and corn stalks. The pomegranate is an important food and decoration for feasts and altars alike, symbolizing fertility, abundance and equanimity.

This is a sabbat of the solitary and the mysterious. Not sure what to do to celebrate? Try making some homemade wine, or take a walk alone in the woods while gathering dried seeds, leaves, branches and berries. You can use these to adorn your house and your altar. Alternately, you can take some of what you have gathered and visit the graves of loved ones now passed and decorate their headstones with the pinecones, leaves and berries, honoring those who have gone before you as a prelude to Samhain. Bake a loaf of bread- even a quick bread of fruit and nuts is nice- and break a slice into pieces, scattering it outdoors (preferably in the woods or on a harvested field, if possible) as an offering to the Goddess who has now matured into the Crone, as well as to give one last thanks for this past season of abundance. In doing this, you'll also be feeding some hungry wildlife on these first few cooler days and nights.

Whatever you choose to do to celebrate this little sabbat, take a moment to reflect on your life and the passing of another season, another year. Dive into the quiet of your mind for a spell, and revel in the last of the light while welcoming the gentle darkness that is quickly coming.

Photo Courtesy of Linder Rox on flickr.

Spring Days

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.

-Charles Dickens

There is something truly beautiful in the straddling of two seasons at the same time. I find it incredibly energizing to feel the warmth and the chill simultaneously, to see the green in bloom yet still be wading through the last of winter's mud and to be aware, in a very visceral way, of the changing of the seasons and the earth's wheel always, always turning. It makes me almost giddy.

Photo courtesy of bubba2tish on flickr.

Nearly Spring

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

Percy Bysshe Shelley, from "The Sensitive Plant"

Photo courtesy of Emblita on flickr.

Trees 101: The Holly

Holly is one of those rare plants that remains green and thrives this time of year when all is sleeping or dead, and as such deserves its reputation (along with oak) as one of the two most magickally powerful trees. It is the power in these two woods that spawned the legend of the Oak King and the Holly King as oak thrives during the warmer, lighter half of the year and holly in the darker months of cold. But holly is in fact symbolic of the Goddess, with its red berries representing the blood of life she bestows on us. It is one of the nine sacred woods of the sabbat fire and represents, through the Goddess, justice.

Holly is used for protection against witchcraft, evil spirits, mischievous sorcerers, poison and lightning and having holly in your home, especially at the new year, is guaranteed to bring luck and safety to your house and all who dwell within. Keep a small sprig of it in your home throughout the year to manifest its protective properties continually. It's lucky for a man to carry a bit of holly on his person as holly is a "male" plant in contrast to ivy which is "female." Holly berries can be used to predict winter weather. If you see holly bushes with an abundance of berries, it's sure to be a harsh winter as the Goddess is guaranteeing an ample food supply for our wild friends, both furry and feathered. If you are startled by a wild animal while out walking in the woods, throw a sprig of holly at it and it will lie down quietly and leave you alone, even if you don't actually hit the animal!

Holly can be used medicinally to fight fevers and to stop jaundice and it is used to enhance dream work. Dreaming of holly means that you must attend to that which troubles you, but picking holly leaves in a dream means you will live a long life. On a Friday after midnight, and in total silence, gather nine holly leaves, wrap them in a small white cloth using nine knots to tie it closed and place it beneath your pillow. Your dreams will be sure to come true.

Holly is ruled by both Mars and Earth and vibrates with a masculine energy to the elements of earth, air and fire.

Photo courtesy of Tollen on flickr.

The Winter Solstice

Today is the perfect day for the solstice: cold, crisp and snowy white. And while this sabbat is meant to ring in the returning of the light, it's important to remember that with this being the longest, darkest day of the year, some time should be spent in contemplation of that darker side.

Before the lights are turned on, the candles lit, the drinks poured, the food shared and the warmth spread, take a few moments in the solitude of this cold winter's day to actually feel that quiet. I like to take some time to be alone with myself (preferably outdoors beneath the glorious moon) and take stock of my life, including all the less than lovely things in it. I give thanks for what I have and I spend some time thinking about that which I don't have and why this might be so. I let go of that which is old or dead and make tentative plans for the new year and all the possibilities that new life and light will bring to my humble world.

Feeling the darkness of this day is equally as important as being joyous in its light. Being alone with it (even for a moment) is as important as being surrounded by friends and loved ones, for without the dark there cannot be light. And without the introspection there cannot be an outward celebration.

Photo courtesy of the amazing Giles C. Watson on flickr. Thanks again, Giles!

Indian Summer or Not?

You learn something new every day and today I learned something that I thought I knew, but have clearly been completely wrong about for most of my life. Having always thought that Indian Summer meant a few hot days in late September or maybe early October, I was surprised to find out that this is actually St. Luke's Little Summer which occurs in the days around October 18th and that these days were so named in order to give more attention to the saint's feast day as early Christians were spending far more time celebrating St. John's Day on June 24 and Michaelmas on September 29 and devoting too little time to poor St. Luke. True Indian Summer occurs only between November 11 and November 20, which I find absolutely amazing. But regardless, given that I live in New England (and it already snowed here yesterday for most of the afternoon), there usually isn't very much Little or Indian Summer to speak of here.

The early snow yesterday has me wondering just how severe this winter is going to be and for those who also prefer to consult nature over the five o'clock weatherman's predictions, here are a few things to watch for, courtesy of our Native American ancestors, to tell you if the upcoming winter is going to be a cold one.

Geese will be seen to fly at much higher altitudes
Oak trees will bear an excess of acorns
Chipmunks will be in abundance
Lakes and rivers will freeze later than usual
Onion skins will be thicker than usual at harvest
You'll see squirrels gathering a much larger supply of nuts
Woodpeckers will appear earlier than they do before a warmer winter
Corn husks will also be thicker and stronger at harvest as well

Trees 101: The Fir

Fir trees are known as the "birth tree" and are used in protection spells for mothers and children. A few needles may be burned during childbirth to ensure a safe birth for both mother and baby. It is the fourth of the nine sacred woods of the sabbat fire, representing friendship. The fir symbolizes the Great Mother Goddess due to its seeming immortality (as it doesn't "die" in the winter months as do other trees and plants). Native to only the northern hemisphere, the fir is traditionally used as decoration during the winter as it is symbolic of life and thus represents abundance in the coming year. For this reason it has been used since early times at Beltane and Yule. Sensitive to the elements, fir cones respond to the sun and rain by opening and closing with each.

Native Americans used many parts of the fir tree as medicine, and even today the fir can be used to treat cuts, burns, coughs and colds and even constipation due to its laxative effects.

The fir is associated with Mars and Saturn and while its energy is essentially masculine, it is associated with both the God and the Goddess. The fir tree vibrates to the element of air and as well as being used for protection and medicinal purposes, can also be used for attracting prosperity, in divination work and to promote personal change.