Saturday 30 January 2016

Elder by Unity

Elder -Sambucus nigra


Gender - Feminine

Planet - Venus

Element - Water

Deities - Holda , Venus

Powers - exorcism , protection , healing , prosperity and sleep

The elder tree is a common sight in the British countryside and gardens , with its creamy - white frothy blossoms in the summer and purplish - black berries in the Autumn. It is considered to be unlucky to cut down or burn elder as The Elder Mother was thought to reside within it and it should never be cut without her permission. Before cutting any wood from it the following formula was recited while kneeling before the tree, prior to making the first cut.

‘Lady Ellhorn, give me of thy wood,
and I will give thee of mine,
when I become a tree.'

I would always thank the tree after you have cut any wood from it as well and if possible leave an offering for the tree spirit / dryad, I like to take a small jar with some liquid fertilizer with me, to pour on the roots of the tree, although I don't like cutting trees and prefer to use naturally dropped branches and twigs.


The elder is a medicine chest in itself , from the mud growing round its roots, traditionally thought to have special power in treating toothache , its bark being used as a painkiller and emetic , the leaves being used to treat eczema and sores , the flowers for fevers , coughs and colds and the berries to boost the immune system. In the forest of Dean , elderflower wine was regarded as such a good all round cure , that it was given for any ailment for a couple of days ; if the patient showed no improvement , it was time to call the doctor ! Modern herbalists use the berries for their antiviral properties and to stimulate the immune system. However don't eat the berries or seeds raw as they will make you sick. Elderflower water in centuries gone by was used by women to clear freckles, ease sunburn and soften and whiten their skin. It is still used today in some skin and eye creams and lotions. Going back even further, the Romans used elderberries as a hair dye.

Branches from the elder tree contain a soft pithy core which is easily removed to create a whistle or pipes, it is said the faeries use them for their music. Children also used to use the hollow branches as pop guns or whistles. The best time to encounter faeries is under an elder bush on Midsummer Eve, when the faery King and Queen and their train could be seen passing by. 

It is thought dangerous to fall asleep under the elder, as your soul may be kidnapped and taken into faeryland. However it was also considered safe to shelter under it during thunderstorms as it would not be struck by lightning (I wouldn't suggest you try this though!) Cradles were never made from its wood as it was thought a faery would replace your child with a changeling.

In common with other trees with white blossom, such as hawthorn and rowan, the elder had strong associations with many Mother Goddess figures. Like rowan, elder was thought of as a protective tree and it was auspicious if it was growing in your garden, especially if it had seeded itself there. The rowans place was the front door and the elder at the back door, to keep evil spirits and other negative influences from entering the home, it is also said to give prosperity to the household, and sticks placed around the house protect against snakes and robbers. The aroma of the leaves keeps flies away and the diseases they carry which is another good reason for having it grow by the back door which often leads to the kitchen in most homes, the last place you want flies. Bunches of leaves were hung in doorways, in livestock barns and attached to horses harnesses for the same reason. Elder was traditionally planted around dairies, and it was thought to stop the milk from turning. They were also planted around bakeries as protection from the devil.

The name elder may have been derived from Hylde-Moer, the Scandinavian matriarchal tree spirit and deity associated with the elder. It has also been suggested that the name may derive from the Anglo-Saxon Aeld, meaning fire, possibly referring to the pithy core of the wood which was used at tinder. 

There is a huge amount of folklore and superstition concerning the Elder, and below are a few examples:

Elder has the power to force an evil magician to release any enchantments or spells they may have cast against you. The berries, when carried protect you from evil and negativity. To prevent rheumatism, tie a twig of elder into three or four knots and carry in your pocket. Elder is used at weddings to bring good luck to the couple, and pregnant women kiss the tree for good fortune for the coming baby. Place elderberries beneath your pillow if you have difficulty sleeping. Warts can be cured by rubbing them with a green elder twig and then burying it to rot in mud. In some rural parts it was believed that if a child was chastised with an elder switch, it will cease to grow. 

The Elder is one of the Celtic Ogham trees; its Ogham name is Ruis. According to Glennie Kindred its energies are ‘transformation, renewal, regeneration and wisdom of an elder ' She says the tree has a wise old woman energy and the protection of the old crone aspect of the Triple Goddess who guards the entrance to the Underworld and death. 

I feel the Elder is a tree of wisdom, and if approached and treated with respect it has a very warm and loving energy, which is shown in its gifts of medicine and food that it gives us. I often pick the flowers and berries from a local tree when they are ready (after first asking politely and leaving an offering of plant fertilizer) I use the flowers mainly in a cold and flu tea which I make. 

You use equal measures of dried Elder flowers, (easily removed from the stems with a fork) peppermint and yarrow, mix the herbs together and I keep them in a clean jam jar in a kitchen cupboard. Then when I feel a cold coming on I make a tea with 1 tbs of the mix. 


I use the berries that I pick in the autumn to make elderberry syrup: Remove the berries from the stems with a fork as with the flowers. Put ripe elderberries into a large saucepan with half their volume of water. Simmer and stir for 20 mins. Allow to cool, then squeeze the juice, I usually line a fine sieve with a square of muslin and pour the berries and juice through into a jug, then squeeze and press down onto the muslin to get all the juice out of the berries , you could use a jelly bag . Measure the juice , and for every 500ml of juice add 250g muscovado sugar or honey ( I used honey this year and prefer it ) a stick of cinnamon , a few cloves and a few slices of lemon. Simmer for 20 mins then strain and pour while hot into sterilized bottles. Dose: 1 tsp neat every few hours for colds and flu or use it as a cordial and add boiling water to taste for a hot drink.


Unity

Thursday 28 January 2016

Guide to making a Brighid's Cross by Lela Moon

Guide to making St Brigid's Cross




Take Some pipe cleaners in any colour you wish. these ones are 6 inches long




Bend all in half



Take two pipe cleaners and slot together




take one pipe cleaner and slot over the one on the left at a right angle




take another pipe cleaner and slot it over the cleaner on the right



Now take a pipe cleaner and put it sideways over the pipe cleaner that is pointing upwards




Then take another one and go over the last one pointing downwards taking in the other ones and pull tight.






take another one and point it to the left and slot over all the pipe cleaners that are pointing downwards.




then take another and slot it upwards taking in all the cleaners on the left




carry on going round the square using the same method till it is as big as you want.












when you are done tie all the ends with ribbon or as i did with one of the ends of a pipe cleaner ..pop it on your alter xx





Lela Moon

Wednesday 27 January 2016

Handfasting Ritual by Autumn Ravenflower


Handfasting Ritual by Autumn Ravenflower

Set up an altar with the following:

Roses for love and violet for loyalty and faithfulness
Rose Quartz crystals for love and friendship
Jasmine incense for emotional connections
Pink candle for romantic love
Orange candle for happiness
Royal Blue candle to promote laughter and loyalty.

Besom decorated with pink, orange and royal blue ribbons

3 cords of these colours are also to be used in the handfasting.

A posy of: Red roses for love and respect
Lavender for luck and devotion
Ivy to symbolise everlasting and eternal love

Or this can be worn in the hair as a headdress

The guests gather around in a circle so that they may see the couple who will stand in front of the priestess/priest or person initiating the ceremony.

The person initiating the handfasting will call the elements:

We call to the element of Earth and invite you to join us on this special day
To bless the happy couple with your strength, your stability.
To look to you for your realm of wisdom so that they may grow and prosper
Hail and Welcome!

We call to the element of Air and invite you to join us on this special day
To bless the happy couple with communication and inspiration.
To look to you for dreams, wishes and desires so that they may attain joy in their new life together
Hail and Welcome!

We call to the element of Fire and invite you to join us on this special day
To bless the happy couple with passion and willpower.
To look to you for creativity, sensuality and motivation so that they may spark the flames of their lives together
Hail and Welcome!

We call to the element of Water and invite you to join us on this special day
To bless the happy couple with the essence of love.
To look to you for friendship compassion and healing so that they may seek comfort in one another.
Hail and Welcome!


The couple hold hands and facing each other say verbal declarations to each other: why they are marrying, what they promise to one another, what they appreciate in the other person.

The priest or priestess will then tie the cords to the couples joined hands saying a few words of their own.

The couple take a ceremonial sip of mead from a chalice and walk outside the circle to symbolise their old life and then walk back into the circle to symbolise new beginnings and their new life together before jumping the besom.

The priestess/priest thanks the elements for their part in the ceremony:

Earth - element of stability and strong foundations
We thank you for your presence here today
Hail and Farewell!

Air - element of inspiration and clarity
We thank you for your presence here today
Hail and Farewell!

Fire - element of passion and strength
We thank you for your presence here today
Hail and Farewell!

Water - element of emotions and friendship
We thank you for your presence here today
Hail and Farewell!

The couple and guests eat, drink and dance in celebration!



Autumn Ravenflower

Saturday 23 January 2016

Meditation to meet a Dark God by Lela Moon

Meditation to meet a Dark God by Lela Moon

Write a blog they say...
How? I say.
So here it is...

I had to research and write a lesson on three dark gods.
I spent hours looking through books in the library and on the internet all to no avail.
I would get the lesson up, look at the computer screen and then walk away from it. 

For six weeks I tried to write this lesson. So then I thought I would write the meditation to meet a dark god…nothing… 
I was told that I could leave the lesson and come back to it another day but I decided to carry on and come to it from a different angle.

I did the meditation to meet the dark god first.
BINGO….

After the meditation I suddenly remembered a book that belonged to my grandmother, it is well over 100 years old and about gods. I rummaged about on the book shelf and found the book.
PLUTO a dark god jumped out at me .
Enthusiasm renewed, I wrote up the meditation and finished the lesson using the research I had already done. 


Here is my meditation to meet a dark god.

Make yourself comfortable and think about what you want to get out of this meditation.
Ground yourself and as you are going to meet a dark god protect yourself.
To ground I imagine my self going down and down through the earth, feel the cold of it, the texture of it, see the animals living in it, see the roots of trees and the stones and crystals. I imagine my energy going into the centre of the earth and down there is a huge crystal I wrap my energy round this and tie myself to it ( like a balloon). I then take the energy up through the ground and into me filling my body with its earthy weight ( my personal grounding) I then protect myself by imagining a bright white light coming down towards my head. This energy goes round my whole body. See it ..FEEL it…you can push it about. While I am doing this I ask for it to protect me from any unwanted negative energy.

Close your eyes and take some deep breaths.
Sink into your chair…relax.. breath.. with each outward breath sink a little lower. Relax and breath ..
See in front of you a line of old trees, branches dropping to the ground, twisted and gnarled, entwining round each other.
The path is dark but there is a light far up ahead.
Walk towards this light. Feel the energy from these old trees breathing there wisdom and wrapping it round you as you walk.
Be not afraid.
Walk towards the light and know that you are safe as you are walking towards light.
The branches start to lift as you near the light.
Feel the earth under your feet, cold and damp, the light is coming from a cave.
Walk into this cave and you see a fire burning.
Smell the damp of the cave, hear the dripping water.
Feel the warmth of the fire that is there to support you, know that you are protected and cannot be harmed.
Ask if there is a dark god there waiting to talk to you.
Look about you, you will feel them approach if you don’t see them.
Thank them for coming, look at what the look like, do they have something that singles them out, something that you recognise, ask them if it is OK to ask any questions. You will feel if it is OK. If it is not then just see if there is anything they are telling you.
Ask them your questions.
Take your time.
When you are ready to leave thank them for coming and talking to you or imparting some knowledge.
Walk back to the entrance of the cave and leave the light. Take note of the new smells as you leave the cave and enter the path of trees.
Walk back along the road but do you notice anything different
Take these images with you
Remember the smells, the colours
When you get to the end of the road of trees turn and give thanks.
Come back into your present world wiggle your fingers and toes.
Take some nice big deep breaths and open your eyes.
Ground yourself again and have something to eat.


Write up your memories.



Lela Moon

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Naming Ceremony Ritual by Autumn Ravenflower

Naming Ceremony Ritual by Autumn Ravenflower

Set up on an altar the following:

White candle for purity, spirituality, truth and peace.
Blue Lace Agate crystal - for protection particularly for children.
(Or Mother of Pearl - infant/newborn protection crystal)
Burn a blend of Sandalwood and Jasmine incense for clearing negative energy and promoting peace and serenity. Each person in circle can also be smudged with this incense.
A chalice filled with full moon water for the blessing.

The naming ceremony would be outside if it is a nice day. Guests stand in the circle, with the parents and child inside it near the altar.

Cast the circle saying the following:

As we gather in this place
Hand in hand, we connect
Our energy - happy and pure
This circle it will protect.

Calling the elements:

Element of Earth, we call upon you in this naming
To help this child with stability and growth
To feel the connection to you from his/her feet
May you nurture him/her as they grow
Hail and Welcome!

Element of Air, we call upon you in this naming
To show this child communication and inspiration
To breathe in deeply and feel your caress on his/her face
May you power their mind and intellect as they grow
Hail and Welcome!

Element of Fire, we call upon you in this naming
To show this child energy and passion for life
To feel your warmth and observe your power
May you bless him/her with drive and vision as they grow
Hail and Welcome!

Element of Water, we call upon you in this naming
To show this child the feeling of friendship
To feel your healing and cleansing waters
May you bless him/her with purity and compassion as they grow
Hail and Welcome!

When we have asked the elements for their blessings, the parents or/and guardians may want to say a few words themselves as to what they wish for their child as he or she grows up.

Taking a few drops of the full moon water from the chalice, the High Priest or Priestess or the person conducting the naming ceremony will anoint the child on his/her third eye and in doing so, will say:

Element of Spirit,
Bless this child with potential and of promise.
Whose path is just beginning and is unknown.
May your divine knowledge ignite this spark of new life
Guide him/her on their forever continuing journey through life.
Blessed Be!

There may be guardians of the child appointed and they themselves could perhaps say a few words. Gifts for the child may also be presented at this time.
When all is spoken and gifts presented, it is time to thank the elements and to close the circle.

Element of Water, we thank you for your presence in this naming
For showing us compassion, clarity and friendship
Hail and Farewell!

Element of Fire, we thank you for your presence in this naming
For showing us to be passionate for life, your energy and your warmth
Hail and Farewell!

Element of Air, we thank you for your presence in this naming
For showing us inspiration and our ability to communicate
Hail and Farewell!

Element of Earth, we thank you for your presence in this naming
For showing us stability and freedom to grow.
Hail and Farewell!

As our hands were joined
And now we disconnect
Our hearts and minds are still as one
This child we still protect
Blessed Be!




Autumn Ravenflower

Monday 18 January 2016

The Witches Pyramid by Stormloverwolf

The Witches Pyramid by Stormloverwolf

It is known by different names such as the Four Powers of the Magus; the Four Secrets of the Sphinx; the Foundation and the Four Pillars of all Practical and Esoteric Magick. Esoteric meaning “intended for or likely to be understood by a small number of people with specialized knowledge”.

Where did this all begin? It began with a man by the name of Eliphas Levi 1810-1875 and his books were written between 1854-1856. Levi's first work on magick was in 1854 was called “Dogme de la Haute Magie, which then followed his second work called “Ritual de la Haute Magic. Both books were combined and then translated into English by Arthur Edward Waite and was then called Transcendental Magick, its Doctrine and Ritual in 1896.

If you look up images of The Witches Pyramid you will find both an actual shape of a Pyramid, and yet also a Pentagram which is how I first learned about it, however most people only work with it by the Pyramid shape.

Whether it is in the shape of a Pyramid or the Pentagram the meanings are what are so important for us practicing the Craft.

The four principles are: To Know; To Will; To Dare; and To Keep Silent. In the different references there has been a fifth principle added that I completely agree with and it will be included in this lesson for you. How you think of it as either the four principles or the five is up to you...both are accepted.

The first principle being TO KNOW – this principle aligns with the element of Air, the aspect of intelligence or mental aspect. We of the Craft need to KNOW who we are, what we are and what each of us is capable of. Each of these principles is very, very important.

We need to learn and continue to learn all of our lives. There is never the idea of “I know it all, I couldn't possible learn anything else”. We need to “know” our intentions of our work, be it ritual work or spell work, or our daily life. We need to “know” what the elements are and how to work with them and their elementals so that we can perform to the best of our abilities and hopefully not have anything backfire on us for not being properly prepared.

One of my favorite terms is “Knowledge is Power” and that is the truth! Another term that has always been a favorite of mine is “To be forewarned is forearmed”, this is also the truth at least to me. Both are very important statements. We need to know proper timing, appropriate days of the week, phases of the moon, even what color candle would be most appropriate for the work we would be doing. I want to also insert here that it is up to us to decide what is “right” for our work. You can ask 10 different Witches the same question such as “what candle color would you use for prosperity?”, and you could very well get 10 different answers. All of their answers would be right, because what is “right” for each one of us is the right choice for us and our work. Trusting your intuition is very important.

The more that we know and understand, the more powerful and effective our work and healing will be both for us and for all of those that would be affected. So we need to “know” everything that is available to us and we need to memorize, practice and never stop learning. Don't you remember days when we were going to have a test in school and we either prepared like crazy and we knew the work or we just didn't want to bother, but then we must not have cared for the outcome, the grade? So to “know” is extremely important and we need to continue to learn, add to our Books of Shadows, reach for the stars as we continue to enrich not only our lives, but those around us that we need to do work for to assist them...

Associations for Air – Intuition, intellect, reasoning abilities, analyzing, imagining, wisdom, rationalizing.

The second principle is TO WILL- this principle aligns with the element of Fire, the aspect of Passion! How strong is your will when you are attempting something important? How strong is your “will” when you feel you or a family member might be being threatened? We can be very willful when we want to be and we must be! When we truly believe in something, we can become passionate about it. To “will” something to manifest we had better have the confidence in ourselves to bring it about! You must “will” your intentions, manipulate your own powers to maintain focus to bring about the final work that you wish to accomplish. As Witches we must know how to call the elements, direct all of the combined powers to create the Magick we want to manifest and not be slack so that it might backfire and do just the opposite of what we had intended.

The work that we do is very important to us, to those we are directing it at, and doing such always in a positive way, and we need to maintain our will to bring about its proper completion. We can't stop thinking about our spell work once the spell is done, we need to continue to keep our thoughts and will and desires for the outcome we wish to accomplish. We need to know that the magick is within “us”. It takes our “will” to manifest our desired outcomes in our Craft work and in our daily lives.

Associations for Fire – Discipline, our belief system, our self trust, application of our skills to perform the magick desired and even our approach to our own lives.

The third principle is TO DARE – this principle aligns with the element of Water, our emotions! Our need to achieve what we desire and to overcome possible obstacles. Are you willing to dare something to come about? You need to learn to if you aren't at this point. We need to stand with courage and conviction and know in our hearts what we are doing is for all the right reasons.

Before doing any spell work we need to understand what we are going to do and why we want to do it. What is our purpose? What changes do we wish to bring about in our world? We need to dig down and find our courage to move forward and experience new things. Might something scare us? Possibly, especially when we are seeing things come about that others said “it can't be done”. I believe in miracles, always have and always will, and working in the Craft we believe in being able to make wonderful things happen if we dare to challenge ourselves to try and to believe we can accomplish these miracles. We must dare to go beyond our physical limitations, trust our instincts, our intuition, and surrendering to the universal energies that we know exist.

When you have done meditations, have you felt that you have gone into other realms that were not just the physical realm where you are? So, to dare, can be a bit scary, but we need to have the courage and conviction to dare ourselves to go beyond what can be seen and heard by our physical senses. Have you challenged yourself to meet with deity? Have you called the God and/or Goddess to converse with them? Are we allowing ourselves to be open and receptive to ancient wisdom? As Witches we need to “dare” ourselves to go beyond what are the norms. We need to challenge ourselves to face and overcome challenges that will come up, I guarantee you they will come up. As we perform our magick our personal emotions play a big part, and we must be prepared and ready to meet these challenges.

Associations for Water – Emotions, the heart, drive to overcome obstacles, being courageous, take and overcome challenges that might scare us at first. Stand firm in our convictions.

The fourth principle is TO KEEP SILENT – this principle aligns with our element of Earth being centered and grounded, the silence within us.

In years and centuries past those that practiced the Craft learned hard lessons in why they needed to keep silent and be secretive about their “work”. Today, in these times working in the Craft is certainly more accepted, but there will always be those that shun us, or are afraid of us.

After we perform our spell work, don't chat about it to others. Sharing with a significant other or a partner that perhaps performed this with you is fair game as they understand our work and our desires. But we have to remember that to just chat about it, it can lose some of its power, its effectiveness. We need our work and our desires to actually manifest. We need to know in our hearts that what we have put “out there” to the universe to do its work to help us, will work. Never question your own abilities! Through working and learning all of the four principles we will build confidence, not arrogance and there is a big difference there. Having confidence in one's abilities is very attractive to others, but being arrogant certainly changes all of that.

In our confidence we don't want anything to weaken the possibilities of our outcome. We do our homework, we study, we prepare and we know what we put out will work so be happy with that knowing and continue on silently in your daily life. Questions have their place, but not in demeaning our own confidence in our work.

There is a certain power in remaining silent with some aspects of our work. We can always share with others of like minds that which we choose to share, to teach, to mentor; but there is also a beauty of silence of your work with just your knowing and the knowing of the Gods/Goddesses of what you do. There is a beautiful relationship that I share with Deity and I know that they always know what I have done, am doing as well as what I will be doing even before I do. The beauty of silence when we are doing our meditations, when we are saying prayers from our heart. Sometimes when we are not allowing ourselves to be silent, we may not hear what is being said to us from Deity, or other spirits that might wish to communicate with us. There are many answers that may be given to us through silence. So be aware that there are times that silence can be very important to us.

Being centered and grounded is essential for our “work” that we do. We need to prepare both our bodies and our minds for that which we might receive. Practice, practice, practice and learn so that when you need to do something on the “fly” so to speak, something that you weren't planning on, that you can prepare yourself both physically and mentally to do the work that will be needed. Always remember to release the excess energy after your work by either placing your hands on the ground to release the energy back into our beautiful earth to absorb it, or for myself that is physically difficult with my knee's, I clap my hands a few times to disperse the energy out for the universe to absorb.

The fifth and last principle is “Spirit”. This was added somewhere down the road, I am not sure of any specific date but I am sure that it fits perfectly to align all of this together. In doing research some refer to it as “To Go” and also “To Love”. Working with Spirit allows us to be able to let go, to move forth, to manifest, and to evolve. Spirit brings all of the other four elements into perfect balance.

In the Charge of the Goddess it speaks about if our intent in our actions is not pure, if we haven't worked diligently at the other four principles, then these four principles will be out of balance and we may not have any manifestation that we desired, it may in fact do the opposite and therefore could add on to our own karmic burdens.

So, what do we do from here? You study each of these principles, diligently, and continue to remind yourself how very important all of them are to those of us that work in the Craft. Do we need “refreshers” from time to time? Possibly ... I certainly do! I can get so caught up with my mundane life that I forget how important it is to take the time necessary to make sure that I am practicing each of these principles. These same principles not only affect our life in the Craft, but also in our everyday lives.

I aspire to be the best that I can be, that meaning I want to be helpful to others in learning, accomplishing goals and to enrich their lives as well as my own. For do we not flourish when we all are succeeding at our very best?



Stormloverwolf

Wednesday 13 January 2016

The Green Man by Autumn Ravenflower

The Green Man by Autumn Ravenflower

Think of the Green Man and the words conjure up many images and thoughts.
Who is he? What is he? Where did he come from?
I've held a fascination with him pretty much since I stepped on my path and love reading and learning all the myths and legends associated with him.
So who is this Green Man?...

From the rafters of ancient cathedrals and entrances to Gothic churches to medieval tapestries and the green forests worldwide, you will have probably seen him. He will look different in every place, but it's him - the friendly face, almost human, the features are made of leaves or it appears that foliage is sprouting from the smiling mouth, eyes and nose.

The 'Green Man' has been around for centuries. He probably wasn't originally called that but his name means many different things in many cultures, which I will cover further on.
So why is he still revered today and what can his story teach us?

To me, the Green Man is a symbol of nature, a connection and love of all things on Mother Earth. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth. 

To others, he may represent the wildness of nature, the untamed vegetation and forests and the untamed spirit that dwells in us all.

As he gazes down from cathedrals and churches, his foliage face may make you think that he is a protector of those that reside within those walls.

The Green Man means many things to people - being a pagan nature spirit, he may well have evolved from other ancient deities - Cernunnos, wild man and protector of the forest or Pan, God of fertility - both these attributed to the Green Man. Some say that they are all the Green Man in various forms.
He is most often referred to as having an association with the season of Spring - those leafy green features do conjure up the fresh foliage that appears on our trees around spring time - and the green man certainly means to some a fresh start and new beginnings. He is also noted, however, as a fertility symbol and as an autumnal figure rather than Spring like. Some carvings and drawings of him depict him with acorns and hawthorn berries and leaves. 

Although many depictions of the green man is with a smile on his face, sometimes there are stern looking ones, almost angry.

I get the sense that perhaps he is displeased by how man treats nature. It is a formidable force and one that shouldn't be messed about with. We must live with nature and not try to rule it or we must face the eventual consequences. The stern looking face serves as a reminder of this.

The most common image of the green man is seen in cathedrals and churches - carved in stone works either outside overlooking those that seek to enter, or inside - high above and sometimes hidden from view, but nevertheless peering down, or carved in pew ends. 

Why would a symbol of paganism from past and present feature in a place of Christianity?

It is thought that the green man featured very much too, as a symbol of new growth and a flourish of crops and grains amongst the church. Perhaps the carver felt that placing such a symbol would be a 'nod' to the green man to oversee that fresh green crops would grow and as such, a good harvest for the coming years. An act of faith, so to speak. 

It must also be noted that the green man doesn't just appear in cathedrals in England, he appears all over the world and means many different things.

Jack 'O The Green

Many, many years ago, our country was vastly populated with trees. Forests were of a much larger scale than they are now but these forests provided life for the inhabitants.

It gave us wood for warmth and shelter and food to eat from the plants and animals that lived within. It is not surprising that the forests were highly thought of and indeed worshipped. When the winters came, the animals hibernated, the plants and trees lost their leaves and we probably went cold and hungry. 

Spring time returned and new life emerged from the forest and celebration was to be had. Beltane is a celebration of this time of new growth - the sun is warming the earth and the forests are green and luscious once again. 

Jack in the Green is a fairly recent interpretation of the green man but still signifies the celebration of the rebirth of our earths bounty and seems to be employed solely for the Beltane festival and May Day traditions.

In the May Day traditions, played out at the famous Hastings festival, he is seen as a 'winter' green man who is 'slayed' to signify the end of the winter. His leaves are given to the townsfolk to keep until the winter solstice when they shall be burned to ward off any bad spirits.

There are many other names that are also connected with the green man -

John Barleycorn - connected with the ripe grain and barley at Lughnasadh. He is depicted as a man of ripe barley and corn ears which signifies the bountiful harvest at this time. The Lammas festival, held in Eastbourne UK is one particular event that has a procession with John Barleycorn leading. He too, must 'die' in order that he may be reborn again in the spring.
It in said that the name came from an ancient song called 'John Barleycorn' about the alcoholic drinks that can be made from barley particularly beer and whisky and its effects to those that consume it!

Oak King/Holly King - some green man pictures have foliage faces which are either oak leaves or holly leaves. 

These are said to represent the two battling deities, the Holly King and the Oak King. The Oak King rules the warmer half of the year and is at his most powerful at Midsummer before going into battle with the Holly King who defeats the Oak King at the Autumn Equinox and goes on to rule the cold winter months, being at his most powerful at Yule.

The Wild Man of the Woods - this is a green man representation that has spread as far wide as Germany and Switzerland. 

As an ancient character, he was said to be naked and hairy apart from foliage in his hair and beard. He was said to be the embodiment of freedom, wildness and the untamed spirit that dwells in us all.

The Green Man In Other Cultures

The Green Man is not just restricted to the cathedrals and churches of Europe. There are other places far and wide who also have their representations of him.

In the Far East, there are deities with greeny/blue skin which is perceived as representing new life. Krishna was one such deity who was said to be the preserver of life. He was associated with Spring and was a destroyer of pain and suffering. 

Associated with Krishna was the God Rama who also had dark bluey/green skin. He was said to reside in the woods with his wife Sita, who sprang up from the ground when the earth was ploughed. Together they ruled over the natural world - and birds, insects and animals travelled to be near them.

In Borneo, a face which sprouts roots and flowers is a symbol of luck and fertility.
It's called Kirtimukha - a vegetation God who is also found carved into many temples of India.
A representation of the Green Man is also found in Mexico - home to the ancient cultures of Mayan and Aztec. At Uxmal, a pyramid by the name of The Pyramid of Magicians has lots of foliate heads amongst the carved foliage on its walls. 

The Green Man has also been spotted in Africa, Indonesia, Brazil and the USA in various guises from temple friezes to museum pieces.

Although the Green Man may be an ancient figure, his presence today reminds us of our need to preserve that green and luscious woodland without we would not be here ourselves. Trees stabilise our atmosphere, the air we exhale is processed by those very trees. The Green Man teaches us that we need to be aware of the world around us, look after it and preserve its beauty. He also teaches us to take time out from our daily world of work, modern day computers and life and get out there, to connect with him - breathe deeply and take him into your very being!

Green Man Meditation

Make yourself comfortable - if it's a warm day, try and sit outside in a garden or in an undisturbed place in a park or forest.
Take some deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel the air as it travels deep within your tummy.
Focus your mind on your breathing and as the world dissipates around you, you find yourself on the edge of a forest. The day is warm and the sun is shining high in the sky warming your skin. The forest has tall trees but they are not thick enough to block out the sunshine. You walk in amongst the trees taking in the scents that come up from around the forest floor - the flowers and the earthy smell of the ground. The ground crackles as you walk on the twigs that lay on the ground. As you walk you notice a clearing in front of you. The grass is green and luscious and you feel that you want to rest and soak up the suns rays. You sit down on the warm grass and take in your surroundings. Butterflies land on distant flowers and birds are floating on the warm air currents.
You look at the forest that you are in and notice a green leafy figure peering out from the trees. He is smiling and seems quite happy to see you. He has green shiny leaves for a face and leaves are sprouting from the corners of his smiling mouth. You ask him if he has anything that he wishes you to know. Listen and remember what he may tell you. Thank him and standing up, you make your way back through the forest.
As you approach the edge, you are aware of your breath once again and find yourself back in your comfortable seat.


Celebrate the Green Man. Give him a special place in your home or garden. My hallway is dedicated to him with pictures of nature and green men hanging from the walls. I also have 2 green men in my garden. Make an indoor or outdoor altar.

Make your own Green Man. This can be a drawing, painting or make one with felt or Fimo clay.


Autumn Ravenflower















Green Man artwork (c) Peter Patterson

Sources and reference:
greenmanenigma.com
paganwiccan.about.com
ukstudentlife.com (jack in the green festival)
The Green Man - Spirit of Nature by John Matthews

Monday 11 January 2016

January 2016 crafty ideas by Lela Moon

January 2016 crafty ideas by Lela Moon.

These little ideas are going to be simple and quick. They are the sort of thing that can be done on your own or with your children.

Hopefully every month I will post 3 little ideas.

1. A tree that can change with the seasons
2. Salt dough discs with natures imprints
3. Wreath for the door

Basic salt dough recipe:

(This is not the same as play dough).

2 cups plain flour.
1 cup of salt.
A little oil
Water , I found with this it’s about 1 cup but I add a little at a time and more if needed.


Knead into a ball that doesn’t stick to your hands. Add more flour if it’s sticking
This can be kept in the fridge for ages if covered.




Make your object then bake in the oven on the lowest temp for as long as it takes to go hard.

You can also use an airing cupboard or the oven after cooking when turned off.

Just for your information play dough recipe is:
2 cups flour
1 cup of salt
Dessert spoon of oil
2 teaspoons of cream of tartar
2 cups of water
Food colouring or paint if you want
Herbs if you want to add texture for sensory dough
And a good plop of essence of your choice if you want.


Put in a large sauce pan and cook. Its hard work stirring it ..Once it is all in a lump take out and leave to cool then kneed. Cover or use . This will last for ages if it kept covered.

The Season Tree

I collect birch twigs every day on my walk to make into a broom or to cover archways or wooden fences in the garden but also I use them to make wreaths.

So to make the tree:

Make your salt dough and then take a little and make it into a ball, stick twigs in it and then put it somewhere warm to dry out….it is that simple...then come the spring you can add little bits of white/pink tissue paper to make blossom and then little bits of green in the summer and red in the autumn.

Job done and a tree for your altar all year round.

Children love to do this.





To make the discs:

I went out into the garden and picked a small holly leaf, sprig of rosemary, an ivy leaf and a small fern leaf.

Take a small ball of salt dough, roll out and then cut out disc shapes, I use a small glass.  Press in the leaf and roll over again.



Cut again if the disc has become too big,  take out the leaf and bake in a warm oven until hard. I put mine on grease proof paper.




Then they can be painted or just covered in PVA glue.

Make sure your disc is fairly thin as it will rise a bit when you cook it or dry very slowly.

Easy peasy. I use these for parcel labels or place settings or just decoration.

Door wreath

I have one on my door all year round and add things to it each season.

So today I picked up some birch twigs that had fallen from the tree, I never cut them off the tree as there are always loads on the ground.



Make into a circle, I use cable ties to hold them but you could use string or wire whatever you have at home.

Add more bits to make a bit of a circle .

Then add what you want..I got ivy from the garden and twisted it in.
I then tied it to the door.



Hope you enjoy x




Lela Moon

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Superstitions

Superstitions

Are you superstitious or do you believe we make our own luck ? 

We may live in a modern technological age, but many of us still cling to to superstitons that have been around for centuries. 

I have always saluted magpies but have recently given up as I seem to see them everywhere I go and it was getting silly saluting constantly. I was nervous when I first stopped but I have to say it doesn't seem to have changed my luck at all (yet!)...

This got me thinking about other superstitions, why are some of us so hung up on them and how did they originate?  It seems that some are specific to certain countries and some things can be associated with good and bad luck depending on where you live. I found several different accounts on some of their origins as well, they seem to mainly be suggestions and guesswork. I've made a list of some of the most popular superstitions. Where I've included more than one version you can choose which one you believe in.

Avoiding walking under ladders - I found two versions of the origins of this. 
1. In medieval times ladders were leaned against gallows so that the corpses could be removed. People developed a fear of walking under the ladder believing it could bring about their own death by hanging. 
2. Thought to originate from ancient Egypt. Egyptians believe in the power of pyramids, a ladder leaning against a wall formed a triangle which symbolized a pyramid. Walking under the ladder would break the power of the pyramid and bring bad luck.

Breaking mirrors - In Roman times it was believed your reflection represented your soul. If a mirror was broken your soul would break too bringing bad luck. The Romans believed people's health changed in 7 year cycles so breaking a mirror would bring 7 years bad luck. I also read that in the 18th century mirrors were very expensive and servents were told it was bad luck to break them to make them more careful when cleaning them.

Saluting magpies - There are many tales and rhymes about magpies. They usually mate for life so seeing one alone was a sign of sorrow. It is also probably something to do with their mischievious nature, they are often called 'thieving magpies' as they are known to be drawn to shiny objects like jewellery and coins. They also raid the nests of other birds eating their babies and eggs. In Yorkshire magpies are associated with witchcraft and it is custom to make the sign of the cross if you see one. In some parts of the country they are thought to carry a drop of the devil's blood on their tongues. In another tale they were thought to be the only bird who didn't sing or comfort Jesus on the cross.
Friday the 13th - Fear of Friday 13th is called - paraskevidekatriaphobia. Some believe the number 13 is unlucky as Judus was the 13th person to be seated at the last supper. It seems to be unlucky in many different countries. Another suggested origin is it was the date King Philip lV of France arrested hundreds of Knights Templar. People in the middle ages believed that witches covens consisted of 13 witches.

Putting shoes on a table - When miners in the North of England died their shoes were put on the table as a mark of respect. Therefore putting shoes on a table was seen as tempting fate.

Opening umberellas indoors - This started in the 18th century when umberellas were large and had big metal spikes on, they were difficult to open and if opened indoors could injure someone or break something.

Black cats - Seeing a black cat is lucky or unlucky, depending on what country you live in. Some believe the black cat is a demon in disguise. They are also thought of as witches familiars and their association with Ancient Egypt adds to the distrust of the black cat in some Christian cultures. In Scotland and Japan though they are seen as omens of good luck.

There are many more superstitions that I haven't got room for here. I think they have probably grown out of peoples desire to find some influence on the unpredictability of their lives. 

Dr Richard Wiseman at the University of Hertfordshire has researched superstitions and believes that some people actually want to blame their bad luck on superstitions because it helps them to avoid taking responsibility for their own failings. It's easier to say "I failed that exam because I saw a magpie" than to admit you didn't study hard enough for it...



Unity
Priestess of the Oak & Ash

Monday 4 January 2016

Hey I think I am a Kitchen Witch...

Kitchen Witch by Starlitenergies

When I first started to realise “Hey I think I’m a Kitchen Witch”, I wanted to bff (best friends forever!) a variety of people in the magical world. But let me be honest, most of all I wanted to befriend fellow Kitchen Witches. Sisters/brothers unite! Let's get some spit, blood, hair, dirt, and basil and get this party started!

But I didn't find too many. I Googled. I tried tracking down people. I tried a lot of different key words. Honestly, I found a lot of people who claimed to be Kitchen Witches, but in scanning their blogs all I generally found were recipes and chatter about their kids. Now, there's nothing wrong with any of that, but there are some flaws to it.

What Doesn't Make You a Kitchen Witch Per Se (in my opinion) :

A recipe isn't magical in and of itself. Just dumping a bunch of recipes on your blog/website doesn't make you a Kitchen Witch anymore than it makes Mary Berry a Kitchen Witch. If you said I use honey in my Chocolate Lavender Mousse to sweeten my mother-in-law towards me because she's a complete bitch on wheels to me by that point in the meal or I put menstrual blood in my Bolognese sauce so my husband still thinks I'm hot as hell even when I'm tired and in joggers, rock on! Those are magical acts. Bring on the recipes!

Having children. While yes, it is a very specific way to mark your transition into motherhood (sometimes), kids don't really make you a practicing magic type person any more than it makes SuperNanny Mary Poppins. Things that would: Using magic to help soothe a baby/get a baby to sleep (I will only slightly guiltily confess to having done this before), protection magic, detailing tiny rituals you do with your kids.

Being a Homemaker. I do very much think that unpaid labour in the home needs to be appreciated and ideally compensated, it's a job. And just like going to work in an office is not a magical act in and of itself, neither is taking care of your home. If you were talking about cleaning/organising in a magical blog and discussing how to be more green (because we need to take care of Mother Earth of course and she's a goddess in and of herself), discussing what oils you use to scent your house and why, what you do to keep the house spiritually/magically clean, rock on.

What Qualifies You as a Kitchen Witch/Hearth Wo/man/Someone Who Does Hedge-Like Magic (in my opinion) :

If the Personal is Political, then the Every Day is Magical. Look, you don't have to cast +5 spells every time you make burgers for dinner on a Tuesday night. But what can you be doing in your every day life in your hearth to make it more magical? Smudging with sage every few days to clear out the energies? Spray bottling your bed with a water based mist you made that has “come to me” oil in it? Choosing your cooking herbs based on magical purposes? Go crazy.

Get a Base Education in the Lower Arts. Yeah, yeah, you like to put on your robes and call on all the archangels and whatever. Cool. But sometimes for whatever reason, you'll need to know how to do things quick and dirty, so learn how. Learn what salt and kitchen herbs can do for you, learn about mojo hands and honey pots and spirit bottles. I recommend of course the incomparable Rachel Patterson’s Hoodoo as your Idiot's Guide. Test yourself if you're super structured magically, pretend a friend needs a fertility charm tonight and you need to get to her just using stuff around your house. What do you do?

Get a Base Education in House Wifery. Some men back in the day got married because they had no clue how to take care of themselves. While that's not so common in this day and age, you still need a base education in house wifery to be a successful hearth wo/man. Thanks to most of the first world being a convenience culture, you may have been getting by on relying on take away, a launderette, and a cleaning service. That's all well and good, but you're missing pieces you need to be a successful hearth wo/man. If you are missing any of these things, that's okay, don't feel bad about it. But a lot of people cry, ‘Oh I'm no good at it’! Or, I don't know how! Ignorantia juris non excusat. Ignorance of the law excuses no one, so get to work. It won't be perfect from the gate, but nothing is. Ask someone better versed for help, if you know someone. Worst case you burn a few casseroles and shred a few shirts; it's no big deal. Even if you won't use it for a while or ever (though you'd be surprised), these are all good life skills to have that will translate over into your magical life. Think of them as Hearth Meditations.

Can you:
* Do your own laundry?
* Have your house clean enough to have your mother or mother-in-law over without them making a face?
* Cook a dinner for yourself and others?
* Meal plan?
* Budget and financially plan?
* Be able to make a stew quickly for an emergency?
* Host/ess a party?
* Know how to bake something from scratch?
* Know how to do your own grocery shopping that's more than just micro meals?
* Know how to do basic clothing repair?
* Know what to bring as a hostess gift?
* Know how to conduct yourself socially at various social obligations?
* Know how to give yourself self-care?
* Know v. basic first aid?
* Know how to care for small children for a day?


It's okay to have untargeted kitchen Witch practices. Look, I'm the first to say that some of my more focused practice is lacking. You don’t have to use every bread baking experience as a magical attempt to influence a situation. You can use it as a meditation practice and focus on the magic of the experience, that’s perfectly valid. Think about why whatever it is you're doing - baking, cooking, cleaning, sewing, whatever is a magical experience for you. You're not being graded, whatever reason you have for it being a magical experience for you is right. There are things in everyone's life I think (I hope!) that are magical to him or her but not targeted for results. It's good to have and share those experiences too.

You need to know how to do this stuff. That does not mean you need to do it all the time. I had suggested a base education in house wifery, but that doesn't mean that you're responsible for it all the time in some kind of psychotic valium laced Stepford scenario. I know how to do the main meal cooking, but my significant other does it in our household. If he ever said, ugh make dinner instead of just doing the pudding, I could. If you know how to clean your house sparklingly clean but chose to not live in a constant Martha Stewart police state, that's okay. If it's part of your strategy as a hearth Witch, well then you must be a clever Kitchen Witch! My house would not pass inspection at all times (or really like 29 days out of the month) either. If you have the means to send out your laundry or order take out every night, rock on. You just need to know how to perform these functions should you ever need to. It's sort of like knowing how to do long division. It's good to know how to do by hand, but the gods made calculators for a reason.

Sometimes, simple is best. I believe in being well rounded. And frankly sometimes if you need to do something on the whim, it's a lot easier to pour some salt into a bowl and spit into it than to do a long formal practice. I also think it's good to know simple magic in order to be able to obtain simple things. You need £20 to make your bills this month? You could do something v. formal or you could do something quick and get on with your life. Formal magic often requires a lot more time, energy, and effort. And there are certain things that are better suited to those practices, but you need a quick little something, simple magic just seems like a better way to do so.

Furthering the math analogy, you may become so accustomed to algebra and using a calculator to do so, you forget how to do basic level math. This is not going to help you when it's your job to do lunch math for the table friends splitting the bill 'cause you're the math chick and you left your phone at home.

Some of what I suggest needing to know may seem unnecessary but look at it from a Kitchen Witch's perspective: You claim to be a Kitchen/Hearth Witch, I'm supposed to trust you to do a love spell for me using hearth magic, but… you don't know how to take care of your hearth which functions as your temple, your magical work space? Fill in your own joke here!



Starlitenergies
Priestess of the Oak, Ash & Hawthorn

Sunday 3 January 2016

Introducing...

Hearth Guardians

We would like to introduce you to our lovely new team of Hearth Guardians here at Kitchen Witch.

All of our Hearth Guardians are Priest/esses of the Oak and Ash and are working on the Forest of Hawthorn level along with training towards becoming High Priest/esses of the Kitchen Witch Coven. They all provide support, friendship and encouragement to fellow Kitchen Witch students along with writing branch lessons and articles for this blog. We are extremely proud of each and every one of them.

Watch out for new regular blogs from these fabulous people...



StormloverWolf
Unity
 Amunhart
 Autumn RavenFlower
 Lela Moon
 Starlitenergies