(Originally created and hosted for The Alexandria Archives on 8/1/19)
Instrumental/Nature music for this ritual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiveDidzPyw
Supplies:
a small handful oats/rice/grain (or paper scraps to symbolize the grain) to scatter on the ground or table
a simple grain-based snack (cracker, popcorn, ricecake, slice of bread, bagel, cookie, etc.) berries or grapes or a pear/peach. Enough to be split- half for yourself and half as an offering.
A candle
Candle dressings with holiday associations (oil/tincture/tea of rose, sandalwood, or citrus; gold or yellow colored flower petals (dandelions count!); amber, citrine, peridot, carnelian crystals; gold, orange, yellow, green, or light brown ribbon/thread/fabric)
a pen/pencil and paper
a divination tool
Today we give thanks for the first harvest. This no longer means literally for most people but it doesn’t we can’t do it symbolically! Also a harvest, in witchcraft, can mean many things beyond agricultural hauls. We are through the first half of the year and are reaping what we’ve sown for those first six months. Observing the changes in your community, your local wildlife and foliage. This greater connection is all a part of the harvest of life.
Get settled somewhere safe and comfortable; your supplies nearby. Collect the oats/rice/paper scraps in your hand. Feel their texture and the way they connect to the earth. How they hold the very foundation of a harvest in a tiny compact little vessel; waiting to be planted and tended to. Cup your hands in front of your face and gently blow on the grains. Think of the sun, the rain, the warmth needed to turn a seed into a crop. You are lending your energy to them. Tonight they are going to help guide us along this ritual. I like to take a breath and blow on the grains three times, but you can do it as many times as you need until it feels like the grains are bathing in your energy.
Gently scatter the grains/scraps on the floor (or a table surface- that’s okay). We are asking for the Harvest’s Blessing tonight and give this grain in trade. Close your eyes. Envision that you are now in a field and the grains you’ve scattered are already sprouting, growing, until there is a field of grain at least waist high around you. Run your hands gently through the soft shoots. Hear the wind blow through them; birdsong joins in joyously- it almost sounds like music. Wander through this field at your leisure; reflect on what this year has brought you. The good and bad. Think about how you can weed the bad out of future harvests and how to multiply the good for the next harvest. At some point, you will stumble across a small curved knife or pair of scissors in the field. Pick them up. They feel warm and familiar in your hand. The earth offers you some of her harvest willingly. Cut a small sheaf of the grain, the size of a small bouquet.
As you come back to yourself in your physical space imagine the sheaf of wheat came back with you and was transformed into energy that infused your candle dressing. Take a moment to hold the dressing and visualize that- the energy of the Harvest filling that oil/ribbon/petals/stones/etc. Take your candle and dress it with the Harvest imbued dressing; thinking of those wheat fields and the music they made. Charge the candle with the energy of the sabbat (charging methods: visualizing, rubbing, singing/humming, tapping, blowing, etc.).
Light your candle.
Take your pen and paper and think back to that walk in the field. Think about those personal harvests this year has brought you so far. On the top of the paper write down the good harvests you’ve been brought. On the bottom write down the bad. Tear the paper in half.
Feed the “bad harvests” to the candle- the Light of Lugh consuming it and cleansing it. Take the other half and place it under your offering you have. Focus on the good of those harvests and how they made you feel filling that snack and lighting the way for the rest of this year. Take a portion and eat it. The warm glow of prosperity and luck of the holiday fills you all the way to your toes as you eat this offering. Declare the other portion for the earth and deities/spirits of this Harvest. Leave your paper underneath until you dispose of the offering (in whatever manner you are comfortable with).
Lastly, time for some sabbath divination! You can do this at your leisure and share the results if you’re comfortable! I also have a specific holiday cartomancy spread below if you happen to be using those tools and feel so inclined! Once you’ve performed and recorded your holiday divination, take a moment to ground yourself and be gentle in returning to a more solid frame of thought. Please share any impressions, observations, feelings that you’d like to! Harvest Blessings to you all!
Baking Bread Spread The Knead: What you must surrender in order to develop your next harvest/goal The Dough: The central goal/idea of your next harvest The Oven: What you need to perfect your next harvest/goal(edited)
Foods:
Oatmeal, pinch o salt, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice
Diced potato, finely cut beef, salt paprika, basil, lemon zest, scrambled egg
Tilapia & Shrimp - salt, cilantro, lemon, paprika, chilli powder, basil
Steamed white rice, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, milk
Green tea with lemongrass, lemon, & mint
I usually use sea salt, but whatever
Jar: Basil, Bay, Carrot, Egg shell, Lemon slices, pennies, sealed with green & yellow wax, I used Chinese lucky coins tied to a ribbon to tie around the jar.
Altar: Gold cloth, 2 green taper candles, 1 yellow chime candle, a crap load of foreign currency, pennies, serpentine, carnelian, jasper (yellow or greenish colors), dragon’s blood scent, fehu rune and/or the Sun card from shadowscapes, and some of the wands cards depending on context
Galdr: chanting “fe fe hu” for about half an hour, sometimes I mix in, depending on context fehu with uruz or ansuz and so on, and/or ansuz (the z sounds can conflate between uruz and ansuz, and the u sound can conflate hu all three, imo)
Listen to your favourite song about the subject, use lyrics like a chant. Dress up during song. Wear jewelry or clothes like a body altar (gold and green colors, brown and copper are pretty good, coins and currency signs, etc) to invite prosperity to you.
Enchanting a coin, a favourite coin, and wearing it (in your shoe, in your pocket, on a necklace, in your wallet is preferred tbh - you can even shake it to help “activate” it)
Hey y’all it’s flu season. My mom’s got a little cough/fever going on so I called my grandmother and she gave me a bunch of remedies. She’s a Colombian woman who knows her folk magic so I thought I would share them here.
lemon
water
honey
Can be heated up in the microwave.
Main ingredients (add a lot of these):
red onion
garlic
Optional add ons:
chicken
buganvilla flowers (good for a cough)
carrots or anything else that would make it more nutritious and delicious
All cooked together in a pot with water.
banana
butter
honey
Mashed together until creamy and smooth.
warm water
salt or baking soda
Gargle it in the back of your throat and then spit it out.
It’s really important to take fluids when you’re sick so it’s also a good idea to drink liquids like orange juice (which has vitamin c), tea, and water.
If you’ve got any further question about how to make these or my personal magical correspondences, my ask is always open.
It’s been 14 years since I sat in my college dorm room and typed up my very first sex toy review. My blog is now a teen, the same age I was when I fell in love with a girl for the first time. Should I be asking my blog about its sexuality? Honey, you know you can come to me with anything.
I could yammer on about how different everything was back in 2007, because BOY WAS IT, but there are more pressing matters here, such as getting free sex toys into your hands! I’ve gathered 50 prizes for this giveaway, and I can’t wait to bestow them upon you.
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The names that are generally used to denote the Wiccan sabbats (as well as festivals of many pagan traditions) come from Gaelic (both Scots and Irish), Welsh, Norse, and Anglo-Saxon. There are variations of pronunciations for each one.
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Irish Gaelic for "summer's end." The standard Irish pronunciation is "sow-in" with the "ow" like in "cow." Other pronunciations that follow with the many Gaelic dialects include "sow-een" "shahvin" "sowin" (with "ow" like in "glow").
The Scots Gaelic spelling is "Samhuin" or "Samhuinn." There is no linguistic foundation for saying this word "samhane" the way it might look if it were English. When in doubt, just say "Hallows" or even "Hallowe'en."
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Norse for "wheel." It's pretty much pronounced just like it looks, although if you want to make a stab at a Scandinavian sound, it'll be more like "yool" and less like "yewl." This is the winter solstice.
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Irish Gaelic for "in the belly." Pronounce this one "IM-bullug" or "IM-bulk" with a guttural "k" on the end. Other names include Candlemas; Brighid (pronounced "breed"), who is the Irish goddess whose festival this is; and Oimelc (pronounced EE-mulk), which means "ewe's milk" in Scots Gaelic.
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Saxon name for a maiden goddess of spring, loosely connected to Astarte and Ishtar. This one's easy -- "o-STAHR-uh." Other names include Eostre (say "OHS-truh" or "EST-truh"). This is the spring equinox.
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Irish Gaelic for either "fires of Bel" or "bright fires." If you want to try it in Gaelic, you can say "bee-YAWL-tinnuh" or "BELL-tinnuh." Unlike Samhain, this word can within the linguistic structure of its language of origin be pronounced like it looks -- "BELL-tane" -- without totally abandoning its original construction. Other names are Walpurgisnacht (vawl-PUR-gis-nahkt) and May Day.
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Norse or Anglo-Saxon for "longest day." You can say this one just like it looks, or you can try for a Scandinavian sound and say "leetha" with the "th" more like a "t." This is the summer solstice.
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The first is Irish Gaelic for "festival of Lugh" (a major Irish deity); the second is Anglo-Saxon for "festival of the loaves" ("hlaf-mass"). Don't panic at that spelling; the second (which is modern Irish as opposed to old Irish) tells you all you need to know.
Say "LOO-nah-sah." (Some people maintain that the Scots dialect says it "LOO-nah-soo.") Lammas is just like it looks, "LAH-mus."
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This is believed to be a form of the Welsh word for "son." Therefore, it would probably be pronounced "MA-bon" with the "a" like in "mass." However, most Wiccans and pagans say "MAY-bon." This is the autumn equinox.
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Article Source : https://clubs.ncsu.edu/spm/FAQ/11pronounce.html
Image Source : https://www.instagram.com/p/B4aX5vVHBX_/?igshid=llpzumjzbbcb
The oldest worship of the world was of the sun and moon, of trees, wells, and the serpent that gave wisdom. Trees were the symbol of knowledge, and the dance round the May-bush is part of the ancient ophite ritual. The Baila also, or waltz, is associated with Baal worship, where the two circling motions are combined; the revolution of the planet on its own axis, and also round the Sun.
Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde (via worldofcelts)
A treat or breakfast, anytime you need a pick me up throughout the day. You can infuse these bars with your intentions, and charge them with a crystal of choice. I hope you guys enjoy! ~ Angel.
For the Bars:
½ cup (170g) honey
happiness, healing, prosperity
½ cup (120g) almond butter
prosperity, universal love, luck
1 box Honey Nut Cheerios
happiness, nostalgia, prosperity
For the Coating:
½ cups (75g) white chocolate
friendship, self-love, fun
1/3 cup (85g) greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey
happiness
1 tsp vanilla extract
self-love, attraction
On medium heat, combine honey, almond butter, and your honey nut cheerios in a rather large pan. Make sure the almond butter has melted and the cheerios are fully coated. This should take about no longer then 7 minutes. About 3 plays of Set Fire to the Rain by Adele.
Once you have done this, spread evenly into a glass baking dish until it sets completely. This can take 1-3 hours.
Cut them into bars. Combine your greek yogurt, honey, melted white chocolate, and vanilla together, and dip the bottoms into the mixture, Let them set for an additional hour.
Enjoy!
Kitchen and Cottage witchcraft is really what I focus on and I love to do little things to encorperate little things into my every day practice and a great way to do that is in the kitchen. So I’m going to list some of my go to herbs and spices that I use. A page straight from my Book of Shadows DISCLAIMER: NOT ALL HERBS FROM YOUR LOCAL WITCH SHOP ARE FOOD GRADE. MAKE SURE TO ASK FIRST. USING HERBS THAT AREN’T FOOD GRADE TASTE AWFUL AT THE LEAST AND CAN MAKE YOU SICK AT THE WORST.
Basil- Good for Protection. A favorite for pasta dishes. Use pesto as a good way to incorporate it. It’s also really good in soups.
Bay Lead- My favorite use for Bayleaf is healing, but not really physical wellbeing. I use it motly for emotional and spiritual healing. Really great after a long, stressful day. Cooks best in slow cooker meals like soups, stews, and pulled meats
Cinnamon- Protection and passion. I always find that it always brings a sense of warmth to whatever I’m making. I use it in a lot of sweets or whenever I’m making Chai.
Clove- Brings in warmth and casts out negativity. Clove is my favorite spice so I’ll add it to just about anything that’s “spicy”
Nutmeg- Strengthens divination. Nutmeg is really good in fall flavored baking and warm flavored stews, like those with a tomato base.
Pepper- Used for protection. I like to think of it as sort of a ‘bite’ at the things you need protection from. Actively expelling instead of putting up a “wall” like cinnamon.
Poppy seeds- Prosperity. Lemon poppy seed muffins are an amazing good luck charm to use before a a big test or meetings.
Rosemary- Purification, intellectual protection. Rosemary is a sort of go all herb. It goes great in roasts and traditional English and American cooking. Use a spring of rosemary on roast veggies, chicken, or steaks. It’s also good in homemade bread and can be used during Sabbats and Holidays as part of the feast.
Thyme- Divination and clarity. This is another sort of ‘old school’ herb. You can find it in a lot of simplistic cooking (three or four ingrediant meals) and in a lot of italian food. It pairs great with marinara, eggplants, and peppers. Roasted egg plant with olive oil and thyme is one of my favorites.
Vanilla- Love. I put a drop of vanilla in my coffee almost every morning to try and bring love into my day. It works great if you have a stressful job you need to remember to stay caring and level headed at (childcare, health care, support lines). I also like to use it in small short bread or sugar cookies and use those as offerings (particularly to Aphrodite)
Despite much uncertainty surrounding the initial beginnings of the Yule Log tradition, today, the Yule Log is a way for witches, pagans, and non-practitioners alike to celebrate the winter solstice. What we do know about the traditional Yule Log is that it was a piece of wood burned, at least, for the day/night of the solstice itself (though perhaps for the entirety of Yule, which originally lasted many days) and part of the log was always kept unburned so that it could light next year’s Yule Log, passing the light from one log to another throughout the years. This unburned part was said to bring luck and protection to the home it was kept in throughout the year. These days, we use the Yule Log to light and warm the home, ward off dark and danger, and remind us of both the darkness of the solstice and the soon-coming light.
Here are a few ways to bring a Yule Log into your solstice celebration this year.
For a sweeter option you can always bake a Chocolate Yule Log - time consuming, but not overly difficult, a dessert Yule Log can be a fun way to bake alongside family and friends while you warm your home and fill your stomachs.
If you do happen to have a fireplace then choosing, buying, finding, or chopping your own large wooden log or bundle of logs (usually Oak, but many sources vary) is certainly an option if you want the more traditional experience of tending a fire throughout the longest night of the year.
My favorite option for adopting the tradition of the Yule Log, however, is to decorate a log with ribbons and foraged items and drill holes for candles to burn throughout the night, lighting your home without the need for a small blaze. Here are two sources on how to make one and what they can look like when finished.
Happy Yule!
Here’s a brief overview of the holiday Lammas. [LAH-mahs] Some people use the name Lughnasadh. [LOO-nah-sah] They are both names for the same holiday–the celebration of the first harvest–, however they are not necessarily interchangeable.
Lughnasadh is the Gaelic name for this occasion. It celebrates the waning of the sun god Lugh as the summer gives way to fall. The year’s crop is ready for harvesting. Lammas is the modern name. It has minimal connection to the Gaelic sun God, so if you don’t believe in the God, you would use the term Lammas. Both terms recognize the power of the sun God infusing his blessings into the first year’s harvest, however Lughnasadh credits a Gaelic God while Lammas credits a more general sun God. Lughnasadh is the more traditional name, so you can choose to use that term if you want without having any affiliation to Lugh.
Lammas is celebrated on August 1st (Northern hemisphere) or February 1st (Southern hemisphere).
Lammas is a time of giving thanks, so be sure to leave offerings to your deities. It’s custom to use something from your harvest (if you harvested anything) as your offering. Spells involving blessings or guidance are going to fare well during this day.
Symbols: Sunflower, Wheat, Baskets, Creative Tools (pen, paintbrush, microphone)
Colors: Deep green, orange, burgundy deep reds
Herbs: Vervain, Sunflower, Rosemary
Food/Drink: Grain, Honey, Nuts, Berries, Beer, Cider
Incense: Frankincense, Rosemary
Crystals: Tiger’s Eye, Obsidian
Use this holiday to celebrate the things in life granted to you. Share your talents with others. Go for a walk in nature. Have a feast.