A Merry Solstice and many blessings to all!
Winter Mother,
help us grow as you need us to.
Winter Mother,
Show us the way through the dark,
show us what we are here to do.
We are growing,
We are changing,
on this darkest night,
We are growing,
We are changing,
in our darkest place.
Blessings dark and deep!
December 20, Mother Night, Yule Eve
The Winter Solstice, 2023 is December 21, at 10:27 PM. On the night before Yule (approximately) a Germanic/Scandinavian Midwinter festival known as The Mother Night (or Modresnach) was observed. It was believed that dreams on this night foretold events in the upcoming year. Many of its traditions live on modern Christmas celebrations. The decorated evergreen tree was a symbol of the Tree of Life, or World Tree. The star atop the tree represented the pole star of the Star Goddess. The dinners and gifts were in honor of the food and prosperity given by the Mother Goddesses to their human children. The elves connected with our current Santa Claus are remnants of the supernatural Nature folk of the Old Religion. The reindeer are symbols of old shamanic abilities used by the people. The mistletoe is said to have first been picked and used to collect kisses by the Goddess Frigg, before it became a weapon to kill her son.
So that is the Germanic/Scandinavian mythology. I have no note as to the source of the above, other than I found it a while ago on line.
For myself, I like to include and honor all the mother goddesses, my own mother, friends and family mothers, grandmothers. I light candles, quite a lot of them, make hot cocoa, eat cookies as well as offering them, and reminisce. I say prayers to the Mother goddesses and honor women and how our bodies are made to give birth. I also honor the maternal in us all, whether or not we have children. So many of us who chose not to be mothers have come through our lives as very strong nurtures. That was our calling and an important one it is. So after honoring all the mothers, goddesses and humans, I honor myself as well.
May the Mother Goddesses bless you all and encompass you and yours with love and blessings!
Blessings dark and deep!
Many people I speak to wish the days were longer, and seasonal depression is a real issue for many. I use to suffer from it myself. Now however, I relish this time of year, I settle into this time, especially once the holidays are over. Winter comes to me as a time of rest, restoration, and renewal.
I read the term “wintering” a few days ago and thought, ah yes, that is the perfect term for me when I think of how to describe what I feel. I have begun my wintering!
This is my hibernation time. A time of allowing seeds of thoughts, feelings, healing to come into being. Those seeds incubate and deepen so they can be developed or discarded. My personal spiritual practices deepen and I allow myself to journey and meditate, and connect with the goddesses and spirits as much as I need to.
Creative work, journaling, cogitating, and oracle work, these are what I do more freely and with greater appreciation for the processes. I just let myself restore and renew. By doing this, settling into and appreciating my wintering, I find great peace. Perhaps part of it is aging and understanding. I don’t know. I also realize this isn’t so for everyone, but for me I have found it to be so healing.
I wish you a wintering of healing and peace.
Blessings dark and deep!
I always honor Pomona on November 1st. I generally make a lusciously moist and spiced apple cake, a recipe I found as a young bride in the early 1980s, making it ever since. A piece of this, some apple slices spiced and drizzled with honey, an apple decorated with cloves, and some shelled almonds and walnuts are left under my hedges as an offering to Her. A libation of apple cider is poured onto the ground for Her. I light a lovely Crystal Journey Apple Pie candle and ask Her blessings for sweetness in my life. Then we dig in to a nice piece of apple cake and sip some cider to the soft glow and lovely scent of the candle.
Hallows Blessings!
Cast the Circle, made it bound,
Hagstone, besom, cup and flame,
We ride the way in the Lady's name.
Here is Her wisdom, for She is within.
Here is Her mystery where magick begins.
Circle of Power, Circle of Might,
Our circle is cast in the dark of the night!
The old fire does smoke and burn,
a beacon light we bid ye follow.
O Spirits to the Circle come,
Enjoy our feast this Hallows’ Night.
About the fire burning bright,
gather ye Old Ones, Spirits, and Shades,
Come ye to this hallowed ground,
unto the joyous rites here made.
Dance and tread the Castle’s Round.
By Witch’s Dance and serpent coil,
Beloved Dead, we thee invoke
The witch’s pot to gently boil,
amidst the sweet and rising smoke.
O Spirit presence draw ye near,
voices whisper and visions show
In fire, incense, and shadows appear,
all the witch would seek to know.
By skull and bones crossed we conjure thee, Come ye forth, so shall it be.
Crone's Wisdom
Hear the Wisdom of the Crone;
Her seeds of youth have long been sown.
Life has taught Her lessons well;
Listen closely to all She tells.
Once a Maiden so wild and free;
Beautiful, spontaneous, and full of glee.
Then a Mother She became;
Her views of life forever changed.
Now a Crone and willing to share;
Her deepest thoughts She will bare.
So listen to all that She may say;
Its Wisdom to help lead your way.
Mystikal Melita c 2011
A Magic Potion Just For You
Find a very tall black hat;
Fill it with a squeaky bat.
Catch a clever shiny crow;
Gather up the pumpkins' glow.
Call your black cat home to you;
Summon up a ghost or two.
Throw in lots of special treats,
Like candy corn and lizard feets.
Simmer, bubble, stew and wait....
Then it's time to celebrate!
- Laura J Perin, needlework designer
from her blog, two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com
A Charm To Call the Dead
Create an incense by mixing together some vervain, saffron, cinnamon, and ground pepper, then moisten with just enough honey to hold it all together.
Light a charcoal in your cauldron, create sacred space in your usual manner, then light a black candle. Work yourself into a mild trance state. Begin placing bits of your incense on the charcoal. Repeat this charm three times:
