Lessons shouted at you!

As this night is the perfect night to draw out some tarot cards or cast the runes, M and I decided to just do that.

Boy. (shakes head)

When the 'Verse decides to smack you in the head with a brick, it doesn't do it by half, does it?

I got such a telling off by the cards for not doing more, for being lax. The whole framework was there for me to see that with the new year looming large with changes afoot. (For both of us) My interest in things Pagan are to play a more important role, I am to pull up my socks and be more creative ... och, it was an eyeopening reading.

I must admit to not having done one in ages and ages and am always blown away by how much the cards tend to tell you, once you sit down and muck around with them for a bit.

Oh well - I am making a concerted effort in doing more things pagan/craft-wise. Who knows where that may lead? I have started this blog and I am re-reading loads of my books. Specifically forcing myself to do the Ronald Hutton books as they are jam-packed with information and invaluable in understanding where we come from.

I used the Faery Wicca Tarot deck (as pictured above) and admit freely to being quite a collector of decks - some I love for their images, others I love as they feel attuned to me. I use different decks at different times but as the FW deck went with me when we went to visit Tara in Ireland, I felt that it was a good deck to use for tonight's reading - it is beautifully crafted and relates strongly to celtic imagery and archetypes, very easy to follow through, if you have a bit of knowledge of Irish mythology. And it worked!

The lesson was put across. The student paid attention, now all the student needs to do is sit down and figure it out the next step to the whole to make it work, taking into consideration so many variables.

Always remember the Tarot cards are there for guidance, what they tell you is not set in stone.

Red Bracelet Spell

I realise that red string these days have got a reputation of belonging to the Kaballahists - people like Madonna (not sure who else) - but this spell is so much older than this new fad. And I am not speaking about the Kaballah either - which is ancient beyond ken - but about the red thread being a fashionable item!

It is a spell to bestow good fortune on a new born baby. This is dedicated to tincanman and his wife Jamie and their new baby girl.

Background:-

Cords and threads are important in magic, never more so than when they represent life and destiny. In this spell, a variation on a custom found in various parts of the world, they signify the future fortunes of a newborn nd are therefore to be treated with great respect. Anthropologists have noted the emphasis placed on cords n various rites of passage, in many cultures, and tying a lucky wristband on a newborn is a custom all over the world.

Traditions where a red thread is empoyed use the colour to signify power, health, and long life, and these themes are taken up in this charm, which has a distinctly Celtic flavour.

In Celtic beliefs, the goddess Brigid is the protector of all newborn creatures. In her triple aspect, she is healer, bringer of fire and inspiration to both poets and craftspeople. Here she is invoked to bless and empower with good fortune a braided red bracelet to give to a newborn.

You will need:

One charcoal disc in a fireproof dish
Matches/lighter
Three red candles (20 cm in length)
Three 45cm lengths of 15-thread tick red embroidery skein
One pencil
Three teasoons of frankinsence
Scissors
One eggcup of water
One pinch of salt

Timing - Work on a waxing moon to attract good fortune, and on a Sunday in honour of Brigid.

Casting the Spell

1. Cast the circle

2. Light the charcoal disk

3 Light three candles, after lighting each one, recite the following :
"Brigid, queen of healing wells" (candle 1)
"Bridgid, queen of balefires" (candle 2)
"Brigid, queen of makers" (candle 3)
"Hail and welcome" (still candle 3)

4. Tie the strands of the embroidery thread to a pencil and weave a braid, chanting the
following throughout:

May your days be long

May your shadow be great

May your heart be glad

Fasten, and cut when the braid is 10cm longer than the baby's wrist measurement.

5. Sprinkle incense on the charcoal.

Pass the braid through the smoke saying:

Air to speed your fortune

Pass it through the fire saying:

Fire to hasten your power

Sprinkle it with water saying:

Water to bring you love

Sprinkle it with salt saying:

Earth to send you health

And Brigid walk with you in your footsteps.

6. Tie the bracelet around the baby's wrist, then remove it, and place it under the crib mattress.

New Look

Dear All

It seems - out of the blue - that my bamboo website has disappeared. Maybe the chap who designed no longer is supporting it, or whatever, but I went looking at the site and there was nothing.

So, I opted for the swirly wrapper look from someone else's site.

I realise that it isn't particularly Crafty but I will let this be our face, for the meantime until I can get sumat that suits us all. I also realise that the swirls go into the words, but most of these are still readable. I am emailing the chap and asking him if he can somehow customise this one for me so that the words are swirl-free. Although, I must admit to quite liking it myself...

I will see what he sez back and let you know. In the meantime, do feel free to let me have links to add to the site. I will insert a few - the links weren't available on the bamboo website (well, they were, they just didn't work) and hopefully the archive links work on this one, whereas it didn't work previously with bamboo-site.

Welcome to our cool club!

The word has spread and I am pleased to welcome my hubby and good friend, Marcus, to the site.

He first wanted the option to do the research and write the articles and then hand them to me to blog, but I thought that was pretty darn unfair and so decided to invite him.

All Hail Gergaroth!

Wands and Wine

Much to my surprise, whilst paging through The Times during lunch at work yesterday this article caught my attention. I am not sure, from the tone of the article, if I had to be impressed or a bit embarrassed as it made those pagans in jail seem a bit...well, laughable. But, either way, I have decided to be impressed with it, in general.


Wands and wine for imprisoned pagans

By Richard Ford, Home Correspondent

PAGAN priests will be allowed to use wine and wands during ceremonies in jails under instructions issued to every prison governor.

Inmates practising paganism will be allowed a hoodless robe, incense and a piece of religious jewellery among their personal possessions. They will also be allowed to have Tarot cards but are forbidden from using them to tell the fortunes of other prisoners.

The guidance, issued by Michael Spurr, the director of operations of the Prison Service, makes it clear that Skyclad (naked pagan worship) will not be permitted. Prison staff have been told that pagan artefacts should be treated with respect.

The formal guidance on paganism in prison is contained in a 14-page annexe to a Prison Service order on religion in jails. It was issued last month to governors, chaplains and race relations officers. Under sections ranging from the use of wine, dress and hygiene to festivals, marriage and death, governors are given a complete guide to paganism, based on information supplied by the Pagan Federation.

It is the latest faith guidance sent to governors to deal with an increasingly diverse prison population in England and Wales. Previous documents have included guidance on Buddhism, Sikhism and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Governors are told that the main pagan festivals are at the time of a full moon, and seasonal celebrations such as the spring and autumn equinox, midsummer and Samhain, on October 31, the Celtic new year.

“Some Pagans like to celebrate Samhain with cider for the celebration of the apple harvest. In prison an apple can substitute for cider,” the guidance says.

Prisoners will be allowed to practice paganism in their cells, including prayer, chanting and the reading of religious texts and rituals. The wearing of ritual jewellery must be risk-assessed by prison officers before the inmate is allowed to place it around the neck.

The guidance adds: “Washing prior to ritual is considered very important in some traditions. Where possible, prisoners should be permitted to shower prior to group worship.”

In addition to a hoodless robe, prisoners can keep a flexible twig as a wand, a chalice and rune stones. The guidance makes clear that the hoodless robe can be used only during worship, and not by prisoners while on the wings.

The guidance highlights the part that wine plays in pagan rituals: “Some . . . will use water while other groups will use red wine. It is important that both variations be treated equally.”

But wine must be ordered through the prison chaplaincy, stored securely and used only under supervision. “Individual consumption will be one sip only. As part of the ceremony, the pagan chaplain may also anoint the prisoners with wine on the forehead,” the instruction says.

Prisoners will be permitted books of pagan writings, and the guidance specifies what staff should do in the event of a pagan marriage, to be performed by a pagan chaplain in addition to an office register ceremony, and a pagan death.

It is not known how many pagan prisoners are in jails in England and Wales.

Hats off to the Beeb

It has occurred to me that the bbc.co.uk website is really striving to keep up to date with all facets of life.

I went online and did a search on witchcraft, on the Beeb website and a plethora of goodies came up.

I copied the opening article here but visiting their website they have a tranche of further information on paganism etc. I must say well done to them for bridging the divide and being "with the times", giving space on their website to a growing culture within the UK and abroad. And they obviously have done their research too - if I am not mistaken Kate West has done her bit for this too - I think there might even be a link on the website somehwere where they do the Heaven and Earth Show on paganism/witchcraft. Go the Beeb!

*****

What is Wicca?

Today, the words Wicca and Witchcraft are generally used interchangeably to name the system of beliefs and practices that make up the spectrum of contemporary Witchcraft.
Wicca was used originally to distinguish the initiatory tradition of Witchcraft practised as a religion, but American popular television series have adopted the word Wicca to include what would once have been called natural magic or white witchcraft. When people in Britain describe themselves as Wiccan, though, they generally mean that they are practising religious Witchcraft. Media images often show Wiccans as teenage women, but it is practised by adults of all ages.

Origins of Wicca
Religious Witchcraft is not merely a system of magic, but is a Pagan mystery religion worshipping Goddess and God and venerating the Divine in nature. Its origins lie in pre-Christian religious traditions, folklore, folk witchcraft and ritual magic, but most Witches draw their inspiration from the ‘Book of Shadows’, a book of rituals and spells compiled by of one of Wicca’s major figures Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964).

Gerald Gardner claimed to have been initiated in 1939 into a coven of Witches who met in the New Forest in Hampshire and his two most well known books Witchcraft Today (1954) and The Meaning of Witchcraft (1959) produced a huge surge of interest, inspiring a movement that has spread around the world.

Gods
Wicca honours the Divine in the forms of the Triple Goddess, whose aspects of Virgin, Mother, and Wise Woman or Crone, are associated with the waxing, full and waning phases of the Moon, and as the Horned God.

The principal names by which the God is known are Cernunnos or Herne, both of which mean ‘Horned One’. The emphasis placed on Goddess and God differs between groups, traditions and localities, but most Wiccans believe that for wholeness the image of the Divine must be both female and male.

Structure
There are no central authorities in Wicca. Some Witches are solo Witches. Others belong to covens – groups of like-minded people who meet together to worship the Gods and to do magic. Some covens are part of initiatory traditions in which more experienced people act as teachers to newcomers. Others are formed by groups of friends who want to meet and learn together. The classic number of people in a coven is thirteen, but many covens are smaller. Some are mixed sex groups; others cater for Witches who prefer single sex covens.

Rites and celebrations
The major festivals of Wicca are known as sabbats. These are held eight times throughout the year and mark changes in the seasons. The festivals are Winter Solstice or Yule on December 20/21, the shortest day, Summer Solstice or Midsummer on June 21/22, the longest day, and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes (March 20/21 and September 20/21) when the hours of darkness and light are equal. The other four festivals are Imbolc, February 1/2; Beltane or May Eve on April 30/May 1; Lughnasadh also known by its Anglo-Saxon name of Lammas or Loaf Mass, August 1/2, and Samhain, also known as All Hallow's Eve, October 31 /November 1. Witches also honour their deities at monthly rites known as ‘esbats’, which are held on the full Moon, when the mind is thought to be more magically powerful.

Sabbats begin at sunset and end at sunset the next day and most rites are held at night, lit evocatively by candles if indoors or by the moon, bonfires and lanterns if outside. For indoor rituals, some Witches have rooms set aside as temples in their houses, which they use for rites. Others use their ordinary living space. Rites take place in a consecrated space, the circle, and even if there is a temple, the circle space is created anew for each rite The space is first swept with a broomstick or besom to purify it and then blessed with the four elements – air, fire, water and earth. The circle is then symbolically sealed by drawing a circle around it in the air with a wooden wand or a black-handled knife known as an ‘athame’. The four directions – east, south, west and north – are then honoured . Within the sacred space, the Goddess and God are invoked and magic performed. Rituals usually end with blessing a chalice of wine and cakes that are shared among the participants.

Magic and ethics
Like many Pagan religions, Wicca practices magic. Witches believe that the human mind has the power to effect change in ways that are not yet understood by science. In their rituals, as well as honouring their deities, Witches also perform spells for healing and to help people with general life problems. Magic is practised according to an ethical code that teaches that magic may only be performed to help people when it does not harm others. Witches believe that the energies that we create influence what happens to us: negative magic rebounds on the perpetuator but magnified. This process is often known as ‘Threefold Law’. Other important ethical teachings are that people should strive to live in harmony with others and with themselves, and with the planet as a whole. Environmental issues are important to Wiccans.

After death
Wicca teaches reincarnation. After death, the spirit is reborn and will meet again those with whom it had close personal ties in previous lives. The aim of reincarnation is not to escape life on Earth, but to enjoy experiencing it again and again until everything that can be learned has been absorbed. When the spirit ceases to reincarnate, it remains in a blissful realm known as ‘The Land of Youth’ or the ‘Summerland’.

Wicca and other contemporary Pagan spiritualities
Wiccan ideas and rites have been taken up by the Goddess spirituality movement. They appeal to women who have rejected male-dominated religions and who prefer to venerate the Divine in female form as Goddess, seeing this as important and empowering for women. There are many similarities between Wicca and Druidry. Both emphasize the importance of developing close links with Nature and their rites frequently take place out of doors. Both also stress the importance of guardianship of the Earth and environmentalism. Some distinctions are that Druidry is more purely Celtic than Wicca, there is less emphasis on magic in Druidry, and Druidry more actively encourages the development of music and poetry as paths to spiritual growth.

Herbalism - Medical and Magical

I freely admit that this is not my own work - I have naught idea where I found this article - it was either online or I copied it down from a magazine or one of my many books, at some stage, way back when, for my own use and as a handy reference guide, but having re-read it, I am sure that whoever drew this up wouldn't mind seeing it posted somewhere else - especially if I am not laying claim to it, but spreading the word!

Please remember that all herb-use should be double checked with your doctor - especially if you have a medical condition or if you are pregnant.

Be responsible in your applications!

The uses of herbs are many and diverse, and are steeped in centuries of folklore. Despite this, in the 21st century even orthodox practitioners of medicine are accepting their value and healing properties. Medically, decoctions can be made of the leaves or roots and taken when normal medicines are not desired or have failed to work. Magically, rituals can be enacted using the appropriate herbs - perhaps by rolling an oiled candle in them or by making a pouch to be kept in a secret place. There are too many herbs to feature within the scope of this article, but many useful ones are listed below, with their uses.

BASIL Medical - To relieve tiredness. Apply to stings and bites. Magical - Exorcism, happiness, peace, protection, purification, cleansing. Ruled by Mars.

BAY Medical - Ailments of liver and spleen, stings and bites (berries), menstrual problems, colds, coughs and flu, excess wind, urinary problems, ear pain, bruises. Magical - Purification, protection, healing, psychic powers, energy, strength, meditation. Ruled by the Sun.

BETONY Medical - liver disease, digestive problems, stomach ache, vomiting, headaches, colds, shortness of breath, excess wind, menstrual problems, kidney and gall stones, bruises. Magical - Exorcism, depression, banishing nightmares, purification, protection. Ruled by Jupiter.

BIRCH Medical - Mix leaf juices or sap with water for kidney and gall stones, and to wash sore mouths. Magical - Love, protection, new beginnings. Ruled by Venus.

BLACKTHORN (SLOE) Medical - Infusion of leaves for laxative, styptic, astringent, asthma, nosebleed. Magical - Cursing.

BURDOCK Medical - Women's problems, ulcers, sores, snake bites, bladder problems, sciatica, burns, diarrhoea, kidney and gall stones. Magical - Ruled by Venus.

CEDAR Magical - Money, protection, healing, purification, banishing, justice, peace, spirituality. Ruled by the Sun.

CHAMOMILE Medical - All pains, stitches, liver, spleen, tiredness, kidney and gall stones, colic, bladder problems, colds, menstrual problems, headaches, stomach ache, joint pain. Magical - Luck, justice, sleep, money. Ruled by the Sun.

CINNAMON Medical - Astringent, wind, gland stimulant, antacid, helps stomach upsets and diarrhoea, colds, sore throats, general tonic, sedative. Magical - Money, healing, psychic powers, energy, strength, justice, protection, strengthening love. Ruled by the Sun.

CINQUEFOIL Medical - Infection, fever, sore mouth, ulcers, cancer, open sores, fainting, toothache, coughs, shaking hands, shingles, itching, sciatica, bowel pain, bruises, bleeding wounds. Magical - Anointing, energy, power, strength, luck, justice, healing, inspiration, love. Ruled by Jupiter.

CLARY SAGE Medical - Menstrual problems, hormonal problems, PMT, broken bones, depression, aphrodisiac. Magical - Ruled by the Moon.

CLOVE Medical - Insect repellent, painkiller, especially for toothache. Magical - Exorcism, purification, love, money, protection. Ruled by Jupiter.

COMFREY Medical - Healing of cuts, rashes and broken bones, cystitis, bruises, lung problems, menstrual problems, mastitis, piles, painful joints. Magical - Protection while travelling. Ruled by Saturn.

DANDELION Medical - Diuretic, cystitis, menstrual problems, sedative, liver, gall bladder, spleen, fevers, bathing sores. Magical - Ruled by Jupiter.

ELDER/ELDERFLOWER Medical - Colds, sore throats, menstrual problems, styes, ear pain, diuretic, sunburn, headache, leg ulcers, nervousness, burns, snake bites. Magical - Blessing, Cursing, Exorcism. Ruled by Venus.

EYEBRIGHT Medical - All eye problems, weak memory. Magical - Clairvoyance. Ruled by the Sun.

FERN Medical - Kills worms, eases stomach problems, ulcers, wounds. Fern smoke drives away insects. Magical - Exorcism (indoors), to bring rain (outdoors), good luck, protection. Ruled by Mercury.

FEVERFEW Medical - Womb problems, coughs, colds, bladder problems, kidney and gall stones, depression, shortness of breath, colic. Magical - Protection when travelling. Ruled by Venus.

GALANGAL Magical - Money, prosperity. Ruled by Mars.

GERANIUM Medical - Depression, pregnancy, broken bones. Magical - Fertility, health, love, protection. Ruled by Venus

IVY Medical - Kills worms. Menstrual problems, kidney and gall stones, diuretic, stomach ache, headache, ulcers, burns, ear sores, spleen, hangovers. Magical - Protection. Ruled by Saturn.

JUNIPER BERRIES Medical - Broken bones, bites and stings, diuretic, wind, stomach problems, coughs, cramps, weak memory, weak sight, sciatica, kills worms, restores lost appetite. Magical - Protection against thieves, protection against rape, exorcism, love, scrying, healing. Ruled by the Sun.

LADIES' MANTLE Medical - Menstrual problems, PMT, to stop bleeding, vomiting, fertility, averts miscarriage, all wounds. Magical - Ruled by Venus.

LAVENDER Medical - Menstrual problems, hormonal problems, headaches, strokes, cramps, faints, stomach problems, diuretic, wind, toothache, sunburn. Magical - Protection against rape, scrying, anointing, exorcism, to see ghosts, cleansing, love. Ruled by Mercury.

LEMON Medical - To relieve tiredness, grinding of teeth. Magical - Psychic powers. Ruled by the Moon.

LILY OF THE VALLEY Medical - Weak memory, sore eyes, palsy, stroke. Magical - Anointing, happiness, peace, healing, love, knowledge, protection. Ruled by Mercury.

LOOSESTRIFE Medical - Sight problems, sore eyes, sores, ulcers, spots and scabs, sore throat. Magical - Harmony, the home, peace. Ruled by the Moon.

LUNGWORT Medical - Lung or chest problems, coughs, pneumonia, venereal diseases. Magical - Ruled by Jupiter.

MARIGOLD Medical - General tonic, chicken pox, measles. Magical - Clairvoyance, divination, love. Ruled by the Sun.

MARJORAM Medical - Headaches, acid stomach, restores appetite, coughs, lung problems, expels poison, bites and stings, diuretic, menstrual problems, itching, tinnitus, earache. Magical - Love, protection, purification, cleansing. Ruled by Mercury.

MELISSA (LEMON BALM) Medical - General Tonic. Relaxation, insomnia, fever, vomiting. Magical - Ruled by Jupiter.

MINT Medical - Colds, sore throats, bleeding, aphrodisiac, vomiting, mastitis, earache, lessens menstruation, headache, sores and scabs, digestion, kidney and gall stones, sore mouth, bad breath, wind, bites and stings. Magical - Money, love, luck, justice, cleansing, healing. Ruled by Venus.

MISTLETOE Medical - Spleen, ulcers, sores, fainting, strokes, earache. Magical - Love, protection. Ruled by the Sun.

MOONWORT Medical - Menstrual problems, bleeding, vomiting, bruises, broken bones. Magical - Clairvoyance, divination, love. Ruled by the Moon.

MUGWORT Medical - Menstrual problems, kidney and gall stones, diuretic, neck pain, sciatica, cramps. Magical - Crystal scrying, clairvoyance, divination, banishing, releasing, protection, psychic centres (opening). Ruled by Venus.

MULLEIN Medical - stomach problems, cramps, coughs, toothache, piles, diuretic, warts, sore throats, boils, joint inflammation. Magical - Determination, courage, exorcism, protection. Ruled by Saturn.

NUTMEG Medical - Wind, vomiting, digestion, diarrhoea. Magical - Scrying, luck, the home, gambling, justice, psychic centres (opening).

OAK Medical - Bleeding, diarrhoea, vomiting, diuretic, antidote to poison, inflammation, fever, lessens menstruation. Magical - Energy, fertility, divination, power, strength, protection, purification. Ruled by Jupiter.

PASSION FLOWER Magical - (Leaves and flowers). Love, scrying. Ruled by Venus.

ROSEMARY Medical - Depression, broken bones, colds, headaches, stomach problems, liver, conjunctivitis, drowsiness, nervousness, fainting, hangover, gum and toothache, bad breath, wind, sight problems, heart problems, coughs, joint problems, grief, skin problems. Magical - Can be used as a substitute for any other herb. Healing, insomnia, to restore youth, exorcism, love, intellectual powers, purification, protection. Ruled by the Sun.

SAGE Medical - Liver disease, diuretic, menstrual problems, bleeding, ulcers, sores, infertility, vomiting, headaches, joint pain. Magical - Spirituality, healing, prosperity. Ruled by Jupiter.

SELF-HEAL Medical - Broken bones, ulcers, bruises, inflammation, bleeding, headaches. Magical - Ruled by Venus.

ST. JOHN'S WORT Medical - Depression, wounds, bruises, swellings, vomiting, bites and stings, stomach problems, fits, sciatica, fainting. Magical - Invincibility, banishing, exorcism. Ruled by the Sun.

SWEET BASIL Medical - General tonic, bites and stings, childbirth. Magical - Love, healing, prophecy, purification, scrying, peace. Ruled by Venus.

THYME Medical - Whooping cough, shortness of breath, kills worms, childbirth, warts, sciatica, wind, stomach problems. Magical - Healing, purification, cleansing, banishing nightmares, grief. Ruled by Venus.

VALERIAN Medical - Diuretic, menstrual problems, poison antidote, coughs, bites and stings, wind, sight problems, sores and wounds. Magical - Love, sleep. Ruled by Mercury.

VERVAIN Medical - Womb problems, kills worms, stomach problems, coughs, kidney and gall stones, mouth ulcers, piles, headaches, skin problems. Magical - Love, lust, purification, wealth, warding off psychic attack. Ruled by Venus.

WHITE WILLOW BARK Medical - Nose bleeds, mouth wounds, vomiting, lung problems, colic, sore eyes, sight problems, diuretic, spots, warts, dandruff, fever. Magical - The home, wishes. Ruled by the Moon.

WORMWOOD Medical - Diuretic, swellings, jaundice, bruises, sore throat, eye problems, bites and stings, itching, colic, kills worms. Magical - Binding, clairvoyance, divination, exorcism, love, protection, prophecy. Ruled by Mars.

YARROW Medical - Colds and flu, sore throats, women's problems, wounds, ulcers, baldness, stomach problems, incontinence, toothache, cramps. Magical - Banishing, releasing, clairvoyance, divination, exorcism, love, marriage, protection. Ruled by Venus.

Dartmoor

I have harped on about Wistmans Woods previously on this site, as well as my other site. This is a picture (or two, if blogger allows me to update more than one) of what this magical place looks like in Winter. The copse of trees, seen from afar, doesn't look like anything much. Yet, the closer you get, the larger they become, the more ominous and hoary. People react differently to the actual place - some hate it on sight and refuse to enter the woods, clambering over huge rocks and convoluted roots. Some love it. Some come here to pray and do small rituals. The day we went we found quite a few offerings of late winter flowers, colourful ribbons and a small candle which had been used.

There are many legends about Dartmoor and about Wistmans Woods. Friend John has this article which he had written on these woods and the Wish Hounds on his website.

Dartmoor has been inhabited for the past four thousand years, so it can lay claim to the most interesting folklore, legends and myths. One of my favourite websites - www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk - has made light work of these and put them down for the public to view. Do go visit and read up more. And if you ever have the chance to go and visit this beautiful and magical piece of UK Countryside, do so, without hesitation.

Kits Coty, Kent

We visited Kits Coty on the recommendation of a friend I had made on the old CoA website, called Oriondruid. He tends this site and many others, when he can. We visited on a beautiful warm clear Sunday. We didn't know much about the site, or what to expect. Needless to say the path leading up to the site really set the scene for the encounter.

Some call it simply Kit's Coty, because 'coty' means the same as 'house'. The story explaining the name tells us that Kit is Catigern, who, together with his brother Vortimer fought Hengist and his brother Horsa here around 455. Both Horsa and he were killed. We don't know who won, but Catigern was supposedly buried here. Indeed, this site is just a few miles north of Aylesford, which is usually identified with the Episford of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. That a battle once raged here may be supported by another reference to this place as the battle of 'Cit Coit'. This battle is also a legendary Celtic battle ('Battle of the Woods'), but not connected with any specific site. A possibility therefore remains that both are the same thing, as 'Cit' (or 'Kit') is in fact the same as 'Cat', the Celtic word for 'battle', which is of course the first part of Catigern's name. We could imagine a stand-off between two bloodied armies on either side of the river, the ford having been the contested object.

I have found an interesting link about the site here

Jack in the Green - Hastings

We were fortunate enough to visit the Jack in the Green festival which had been held last year in Hastings. These are some pictures we took on the day. I felt especially moved by this parade of Jacks, their attendants, pucks and morris dancers. Eventhough most of them, no doubt, did it for fun, the mere fact that something so very ancient (in my mind, at least) still existed and took place for all the public to join in on, really blew me away. We had a brilliant time and everyone got "greened" on the day. It is a pity that for some reason this year - 2005 - it had not been held.

Shamnism in the Altai Mountains

Altai Mountains - Siberia


I was doing a search on the Ice Maiden of Siberia and this article from The Times popped up and I felt compelled to post it here. It amazes me completely how attitudes towards Shamanism, Witchcraft and Wicca is on the change, even in such places as Russia. Admittedly, it is a slow change but the sheer fact that there are young people with the talent for shamanism being trained in tiny Siberian villages by existing Shamans who had survived the purges inflicted on them during the troubled times, not so long ago, is amazing. It gives us hope.

In an idyllic Siberian valley, seated on a low stool in a wooden yurt, the old witch doctor donned a fox-fur hat and a scarlet velvet robe and began to chant in her ancient language.
First she summoned the spirits of the surrounding mountains, lakes and gorges. Then she mixed milk, flour and butter and scooped it on to the small roaring fire built from faggots of juniper.

"I can cure trauma, paralysis, eczema, toothache and a host of other maladies," she said. "People come to me from far around. Even the doctors from this area come here to be cured."

In this remote region of southern Siberia, near the borders of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, Tamara Klesheva, 59, is a practitioner of the ancient art of shamanism.

After decades of suppression when these traditional healers were almost wiped out, they are enjoying a renaissance not seen since the Russian colonists arrived nearly 400 years ago. Fuelled by a new spirit in Russia since the fall of communism, dozens of would-be shamans are being trained in tiny Siberian communities.

Tamara said: "Young people with special powers come to me and I tell them how to study. Our numbers are growing again. The knowledge and experience are spreading. We're not oppressed any more."

As the word of their powers spreads, thousands flock to their fires for cures they say modern medicine cannot bring. Tamara receives up to 50 patients a day, some with aches and pains, others with life-threatening wounds.

Rooted in the mists of time, shamanism is an ancient belief that disease and illness can be cured through communing between the real and spiritual world by means of a series of rituals and meditation.

Under the Soviet Union, this and other beliefs deemed unorthodox or superstitious were banned. In the early years of communism, dozens of shamans were shot. Later they were imprisoned. Now the state has abandoned its opposition and the Siberian peoples are seeking out the ways of their forefathers.

Tamara practises in a yurt in the village of Kyrlyk. The tools of her trade are sprigs of herbs and urns of wheat mash, cheese, bread and butter. "I was a girl when I realised I had special powers," she said. "I consulted an older shaman and we discovered I had inherited them from a relative on my mother's side seven generations back."

The setting could hardly be more conducive to Tamara's pursuit. More than 2,500 miles east of Moscow and 700 miles from the nearest airport, it is a scarcely inhabited paradise of rolling hills, jagged mountains and fast-flowing rivers. In the forests, wolves, deer, bear and snow leopards roam.

"I work every month," Tamara said, "from the new moon until the full moon. But then I rest and gather my materials. I know that sometimes an operation is the best cure for a person. But there is much that modern medicine doesn't cover. There are things only I can cure."

A neighbour, Pyotr, a horse-herder, said: "She's an extraordinary woman. It's impossible not to believe in her. When I was in hospital with broken ribs, she visited me three times. On the third day the pain just evaporated."

Even the hard-bitten, vodka-swigging descendants of Russian colonists are drawn by the shamans' reputation as faith healers.

"I believe absolutely in her powers," said Alexander Zatayev, the Russian director of the Katun National Park.

"Not only the Altai people believe in the shamans, but we Russians too. They are close to nature and happy with what God has given them. That's more than can be said for other religions."

Growing up in Dublin on Halloween

I was visiting the Llewelyn Publishers website and found this journal entry and had to grin and giggle as it brought home how loved this holiday was and still is:-

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Hallowe'en Growing up in Dublin - Jennifer Meier (the link is through to the actual article)

What comes into your mind when you think of Samhain? No matter what pictures or memories you have, I can imagine none are quite like mine. Maybe I'm being naive, maybe Hallowe'en is the same around the world, or at least everywhere, where hoards of Irish emigrated. Here in Switzerland it's not like back home, it doesn't actually really exist, nobody takes much notice, except the Irish pubs scattered around the country ( but they're only using it as a commercial scam!), even my "family" of hallowed out pumpkins get rather strange looks.

Hallowe'en is one of those times of the year when I get homesick, when I yearn for those images etched into my mind, the memories of my childhood and my life before I went abroad. Back home Hallowe'en hasn't changed much over the past few hundreds of years, and the church never managed to stamp it out, it's still as magical as ever, and as popular as it was during the times of the Druids, and I miss it like hell. I don't arrange dozens of bowls of goodies on my dining room table, because nobody calls dressed up as a ghoul, so I only have a small feast for me and my children. I dress up an old wooden fork (that thing must be at least a hundred years old), normally in orange and black ribbons with dried corncobs and sunflowers tied to the prongs. At the foot of this, I place a few little pumpkins and sawdust. And all my window sills are decorated with similar items. I'm the only house ever decorated but I don't care.

I grew up in Dublin city, I'm a native Irish and the blood in my veins is green, I'm probably not your typical picture of an Irish cailín, a little too delicately built, but the temperament is there and the freckles. I went to France some years ago and met my husband there, and as he is Swiss, I then came to Switzerland. It's a beautiful country here, the people are a little strange, so serious and strict, but it's a country full of history and ghastly stories, but still it's not Dublin, I'm not saying I hate it here, I don't really, I just get home sick every now and then.

Growing up, Hallowe'en was one of the most favourite holidays among most of the children (and adults), it was eagerly awaited for many reasons. In Ireland there are two weeks holidays especially for the festival, or was it one? Anyhow, it's hard to pinpoint where the preparations began, for the under 15 years of age in anyway, the adults could actually do it all in the week before Hallowe'en, or so they said.

In the housing estate where I lived, the houses were built in squares, making a quadratic area for the children to play, and the children of one square rarely played with the children of another square, altogether, in our estate were about six of these squares. In our square, we started collecting wood for the bonfire around the end of July, or the beginning of August. Every square had it's own bonfire, so wood was a cause for fighting. Every tiny scrap of any flammable material was collected and stored away in a secret place, ours was under the basement of the "flats." The flats were cheap apartment blocks with unused basements, where only the rats dared to go, and us of course, making it the safest place for our treasure. Evenings where spent walking around the housing estates, even the ones further away, risking fights with rival gangs, to find wood for our bonfire. It was really well organised by the older children and teenagers, they sent out "squads," and told them were to look. So from August until the end of October, the city was filled with little squads of children walking around, trying their best to look innocent, and searching for wood in the area they were told to check out.

Our Fire had to be bigger than all the rest, especially than the "Kalls." They were on the field next to us and every year it was a big thing to see which gang had the biggest fire. It was like being patriotic: generations of "Squares" had competed against one another to be the pride of the estate, the square with the biggest bonfire. The Kalls had one advantage over us--"Caesar." He was a bull with no front teeth, the stories of how he lost his teeth were famous, the one that stuck in my head was something about him biting his owner, and his owner who was on crutches at that time, hit him in the mouth with a crutch. I never found out if was true, most probably not, most probably they were removed to avoid him ever biting a child and being put down. But anyway, they were the biggest threat to our bonfire, The Kalls.

After months of collecting firewood, the day finally comes, we're all on holidays and everyone got up early and waited at the kitchen window for the first of the older boys to come out. We started at about ten o' clock in the morning bringing the wood out of our hiding places and arranging it in the middle of the square, we looked in awe as it lay there in all it's glory, the result of many months worry and struggle, even the small children had been collecting and gleefully placed their little bundles at the side of the pile, the older children where always so proud of the little ones. Some of the wood had always been found by others and stolen, and the risk of last minute raids were fairly high, so older boys escorted the girls to secret places to obtain the hidden treasure, and many more prowled around making sure nobody was spying on us, this was a great moment and no-one was going to ruin it. I remember one year we had a particularly bad time with the Kalls, they had stolen a lot of our wood, we looked upon the smaller than usual pile in the square, some of us ready to cry, some of us just plain angry,and all of us disappointed. They had raided one of our hideouts just a few nights before, and some of the boys still had bruised eyes.

At about three o' clock in the afternoon, after we had finished piling the wood, my dad came out of his garage grinning like a Cheshire cat. He made a comment on how small the bonfire would be and laughed as the boys went into a frenzy recalling the struggle only nights before, of course exaggerating about how many Kalls had actually participated in the raid, and then they fell quiet, because just then we caught site of something behind my dad on the ground...
My dear dad who kept every tiny scrap of wood ever to fall into his hands, all neatly stored on top of the rafters in his almost house like garage (which he had built himself mind you!), had felt sorry for us and decided to donate us some of his precious wood. We could have cried for joy, we had eyed this lot up for years and never got so much as a match stick, and now we were being handed it for the best use ever imagined for wood--our Hallowe'en Bonfire. I was so proud in that moment, I nearly cried I was so proud, that was my Dad who had saved us the humility of a less than the size of a garden shed bonfire. I couldn't wait to see the look on the faces of those Kalls, to see all their jaws drop, because they were expecting an easy victory, and weren't going to get it.

It was late before we had finished hauling sheets of chipboard and timber from my dad's garage, and some of the boys had already started bringing wood up to our traditional fire place, some of the boys stayed chatting to my dad, thanking him over and over, until he finally reminded them of the time, time to get the fire ready. Every year it was placed in the exact same place, and throughout the whole year the five meter in diameter charred circle was to be seen. Carefully the wood would be piled up, only experienced children where allowed to help, and now there were parents around to supervise and also to make sure no thieves would pop up anywhere. Standing around the site like soldiers, they too were proud of this moment, it was, after all, their children who had spent months making sure this would be possible.

At last it was ready, the smaller children were already dressed up and doing their rounds under the escort of older siblings. Darkness was nearing and one of the fathers stood ready with a can of petrol. I normally had to go home around now for dinner, as with a lot of the kids, but about ten people stood watch over the fire. And funny enough, I guess it was always at this time the mascot was placed at the top of the fire, I never actually witnessed this, and I always wondered how they got it up there! Every year without fail, a large stuffed animal was found somewhere and was adopted as mascot, it was never a really important thing, but where else were we to put a great big stuffed animal? So each year it landed on the peek.

For dinner we always got Witches dinner, also called Call-cannon or curly kail, I loved it, it was made of mashed potato with chopped raw onions and kail (frizzy or curly cabbage), there were always coins hidden in it, and we shovelled it down in the hope of finding them. Then my mother arranged the large bowls of fruit and sweets and Bairm Breac on the table, these were for the children who knocked on the door dressed up, and my mam loved the kids, she would ask them all silly questions, and she was always very generous with what she gave, she then reminded them that Mrs. Broe had made little bags of goodies so they better hurry before they're all gone. The idea was that the kids frightened whoever opened the door, but I loved Hallowe'en and always got in the mood of the evening, normally this meant keeping watch out the window so I could frighten whoever knocked, one favourite was opening the door so they couldn't see me while they were still coming down the path, I would then jump out dressed up as some horrific being, but they loved it! The Breac was a traditional cake with a ring hidden in it, this ring was also the only reason why a child would ever touch this fruit loaf served with a thick coat of butter, and although back then I also only ate until the ring was found, I now years on, bake tons of these cakes at Hallowe'en, I eat most myself, but a few are given to close friends, I guess this is one of those foods that grow on you over the years.

It's dark now and the smaller children will be going to bed soon, as I make my way back up to the fire amid the scurry of tiny ghouls and witches, a wonderful feeling always comes over me at this time, after months of hard work the time had come to set it all ablaze. This great ceremony was always done by a parent, and I guess he or she was always honoured to do it (no need to say this was also the start of many an argument). Petrol was poured over the wood and slowly a single match was held up to it, the crowd gave great cheers, bottles of beer popped and the odd illegal banger went off, and now for most started the fun part.

After the smaller children went home, and most mothers, - yea someone has to open the door to all those ghouls!- the older children gathered around to listen to some teenager tell tales of ghostly encounters, I must admit, I've also told the odd tale on this night! Stories were told and bravery was tried, it was said, and still is, that whoever walks counter clockwise around the bonfire six times, would see the devil. I never tried it myself, I didn't fancy seeing old Nick himself, then again I can't remember anybody trying it, although the odd boy boasted that he did it the year before and had told the devil he was a stupid looking so and so.. but if taunted to prove he wasn't scared...

If you walked around the Dublin suburbs now, you could see thousands of fires, big as houses, literally. I only ever once drove around Dublin on this night, with a friend of mine, he was seventeen, so was I. But I can still see it clearly, it was beautiful, the whole city was ablaze, hundreds and thousands of ghastly figures, walked the street, some playing pranks on friends, and others on their way to a fancy dress ball. All who were wearing a costume got into every disco free of charge tonight, and all who were not wearing a costume were not looked upon with a friendly manner, and the best costume always got a prize. And we drove around silently, watching the best loved celtic holiday in all it's glory.

It's summer now, every year I think about going home for Hallowe'en, but every year I end up staying in Switzerland, baking tons of Breac, and cooking Witches dinner. Pity really, it's always because of some little thing that pops up out of nowhere, like a last minute business trip for my husband. Well at least I'll be spending it with other witches, even if our fire is not big as a house, and even if it's the only one in the whole country at the time, my memories still make it a special night for me, and it comforts me to know that not too far away, at this very moment, thousands of fires, big as houses, are burning brightly, in a country where you don't have to be pagan to take part in this wonderful festival, and I will be there in my mind, beside the fire, throwing nuts into it, nuts that Mrs. O'Brien had, as always, given me, listening to the stories and singing with friends. And one of these days I'll tell my husbands boss to "Sod off, we're going to Dublin next week, so my hubby can't pop down to Geneva, mate!"

Samhain / Halloween

I love Halloween. I love the history, the myths, the magic of it.

I love the smell in the air, that hesitating on the edge of a knife of the weather, which can have the elements tilt from summer to an icy cold autumn day within seconds. I love having friends around on the day for a celebration of friendship and the end of a long year whilst tucking gorgeous stews and deep red wines followed by a luxury dessert. It is a festival of the end of the harvest. A time of plenty, a busy time when the lands are readied for winter, making sure that enough preserves and food are laid in store for the coming of the long winter. It is a time when we can celebrate our witchiness and pagan roots without preamble and we can dress up to our hearts' content and not have anyone blink an eye.

A time when kids come trick or treating - more treating and no tricking, as most of them aren't quite sure what its about, except for the fact that they are getting free sweets. Below is what I have found on our excellent local UK website about Halloween/Samhain.

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The festival marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter in the Celtic calendar, and is one of the four Celtic fire festivals - the quarter points in the solar year. It marked the point in the year were a time of plenty gave way to more lean times, in all probability the reason for its association with dread and eeriness. Traditionally it is when the gates of the otherworld are open, a time when dark forces are abroad in the realm of humans. This is a brief overview of Halloween examining its roots and folklore.

In the old Celtic calendar Halloween - or more correctly Samhain - was actually the begging of the New Year, and the preparation for the coming hardship of winter. All the animals that were not breeding stock were slaughtered, and their meat salted and stored for the dark months. As one of the most important celebrations of the year, a great feast was held, and bonfires were lit throughout the countryside.

The festival was also a time when fertility played an important factor in the future well-being of a community. Animals were mated, and good breeding stock selected. This fertility aspect is reflected in legends passed down from the Celts. In Irish mythology the god Dhaghda made love to the Morrigan on Samhain eve, while she straddled the river Unius, in a symbolic union of the god of light and the goddess of death as the year turns towards darkness. Cu Chulainn also had Halloween relations, and Halloween was the date when Aengus found his otherworld maiden in the guise of a swan.

There may have been a more sinister side to the festival in Celtic times, and Caesar mentions human sacrifices during the four festivals of the year. Although Roman propaganda accounts can now be seen as biased, there is no smoke without fire, and evidence suggests ritual human sacrifice was practiced in the past. There is a tradition of the death of the sacrificial king at Samhain, and some of the darker customs of Halloween may disguise older practices. In some parts of Scotland, white stones marked to represent those present were thrown into the halloween fire, these had to be retrieved later, or evil was supposed to befall the person who could not find their stone. At Calander in Scotland, stones were placed in the ashes of the fire and left until morning. If they were displaced it spelt certain doom for the owner of the stone. Fraser in his book The Golden Bough, mentions the choosing of a sacrificial victim by the means of specially baked cakes, and in some regions small cakes were traditionally baked at Halloween; in England they were known as Soul cakes, eaten by all family members; and in Ireland they were known as barm brack cakes, which often contained lucky and unlucky objects of a divinatory nature.

The festival was also associated with the dead, and with remembering the ancestors. It was customary in some areas to leave an empty chair and a platter of foods for the invisible guests, so that they would not be offended. The witching hour was seen as the time when the departed returned, and silence was often kept for a short time in their honour - as the chimes of midnight rang out.

In the North of Scotland, Halloween was when the blue-faced hag of winter, the Cailleach Bheur was reborn with the coming of the winter snows. She was then the guardian of winter until the return of Summer on Beltane. She exists in many folk tales and may be a denuded form of a widely worshipped goddess. It was also customary to dedicate the last sheaf of corn from the harvest to her. This was moulded into a feminine shape and named the Carlin or the Cailleach.
With many of the rural communities entrenched in the old ways, the church decreed that November the 1st should be known as All Saints' Day (this happened in 835AD), and All Souls' Day was moved to the 2nd of November. Thus the 31st of October became All Saints' Eve, or all Hallows' Eve, with older customs and beliefs surviving until the present day.

The tradition of a bonfire celebration lasted longer in some rural areas than in others. At Fortingall in Perthshire, a fire was held on a Bronze Age burial mound until the early part of the 20th century. The local community danced around the fire while it was in full blaze, and then returned home for traditional Halloween games. This took place on the 11th of November, the time of Halloween (Samhain) in the old calendar.

Today the customs of Halloween are reflections on the deeper meaning of the festival to our ancestors. In the modern world, the changing of the seasons are not as important to our livelihood as it would have been hundreds of years ago, and the festival has become heavily commercialised. However, Halloween is great fun for thousands of children and will hopefully continue to be enjoyed, despite some calls from church leaders to have it banned.

Some Halloween customs In parts of Scotland it was customary to throw a silver coin through the front door of the house on the morning of November the 1st. The coin had to remain hidden where it had fallen to bring luck in money matters concerning the house.

The Halloween pumpkin originates from the custom of using lanterns to ward off the evil spirits, which were thought to wander through the thin veil into our world.

In some areas it was customary to throw a stone with a personal mark on it into the ashes of the fire. These had to be retrieved to ensure luck for the coming year.

If a young woman wanted to get a glimpse of her future husband, all she had to do was sit looking at her reflection in a mirror by candlelight at midnight, with an apple in her hand. Hopefully she would see the image of her future husband looking back at her from the mirror.
Hazelnuts were also used in husband divination, to denote a future love each of the nuts would be given the name of a possible lover and placed in front of the fire, the hopeful young lady would then recite "If you love me, pop and fly; and if you hate me burn and die." The first nut to pop would be the girls' likely suitor.

Another method of providing clues to a future spouse was to throw a fully peeled apple skin over the shoulder. This would then spell out the initial of her future lover.

Apples were also used in one of the better-known traditions that of Apple Bobbing. This game consisted of a large barrel of water in which a number of apples were floated, each participant then had to attempt to grab an apple using only their teeth, which inevitably led to a soaking. In another version, an apple and a lighted candle were placed on either end of a stick balanced in the middle and suspended from the ceiling by a piece of string. This was then spun, and those playing the game had to attempt to bite the apple without getting burned - a rather more painful fate than a good soaking!

The night was also a time for prophetic dreaming, again often to discover future husbands. This link with ongoing fertility may date back to when the festival was also a time for cattle to be mated for spring births.

As a time of change it was also a time of throwing out all the old associations that have passed their usage. On a personal level these were written down on a piece of paper and burned in an act of cleansing.

Some Halloween hauntings
Halloween has always thought to be a good time to see the denizens of the spirit world, which is why few people ventured out of doors after dusk in more superstitious times. There are many hauntings that have a Halloween significance, some of these are listed below:

Spynie Palace, Morayshire At Spynie Palace near Elgin -now a ruin - the bishop was thought to be a practitioner of black magic, and it was at Halloween when the local witches were said to fly to St David's Tower filling the air with unearthly music and light.

Newton Castle, Perthshire
The apparition of the Green Lady of Newton Castle is said to be most likely to appear at Halloween, her gravestone is also meant to turn around three times

Armboth House and Thirlmere Lake, Cumbria
Armboth House was haunted following the drowning of the household's daughter on Halloween, the night before her wedding day. The house now lies submerged beneath Thirlmere resevoir, but it is said that the sound of bells can still be heard, and a ghostly dog is said to swim in Thirlmere Lake (where she was murdered).

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