The Birth of the Muses

The Nine Muses by Emily Balivet

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125709167/nine-muses-greek-goddess-art-deco?ref=shop_home_active_65

Tuesday, June 14th is the day celebrated as The Birth of the Muses. I do not know the origin for this, be it modern or ancient. No matter which, celebrate Them!


The Muses preside over the arts and sciences, giving inspiration to all artists, particularly poets, painters, dancers, musicians, philosophers, and astronomers.


There were nine Muses according to Hesiod, presiding over a different art, each symbolized with a different item. On the other hand, Varro mentions that only three Muses exist: Melete (practice), Mneme (memory) and Aoide (song). My own expeience of Them (UPG) is that there are nine. They have, in some way or another, directed my life since I was a child and continue to this day.

Here is some information compiled from various sources over the years.

Names and symbols:
• Aoide (song) one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Caliope (fair-voiced), considered the noblest of the Muses, presides over epic song, and was pictured with a wax tablet and pen.
• Clio (she that extols) is the Muse of history, and has a scroll.
• Erato (the lovely one), is the Muse of erotic poetry, with a smaller lyre.
• Euterpe (she that gladdens) is the Muse of lyric song, and has a double flute that was known as an aulos.
• Hypate one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Melete (meditation) one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Melpomene (she that sings) is the Muse of tragedy, and has a tragic mask, ivy wreath, and attributes of hero she is inspiring a song about e.g. the club for Herakles or sword for Perseus.
• Meses one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Mneme (remembrance) one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Nete one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Polymnia (rich in hymns), is the Muse of serious sacred songs, usually represented as veiled and pensive.
• Terpsichore (she that rejoices in the dance), is the Muse of dancing, with a lyre.
• Thalia (she that flourishes) is the Muse of comedy and bucolic poetry, with the comic mask, the ivy wreath, and the shepherd's staff.
• Urania (the heavenly), the Muse of astronomy, with the celestial globe.

Animal(s):
none


Sacrifices:
frankincense


Primary Cult Center(s):
Helicon, Pieria, Castalia, Aganippe, Sparta


Festivals:
Museia every five years in Thespiae; Current - The Birth of the Muses, June 14th


Ways to honor:
 Create! Learn some art-form you have not experienced before.  Go to museums, theaters, dance recitals, and other places of culture. Dance, sing, play music, study history, study the stars and planets in the night sky, write and/or recite appropriate poetry in honor of the Muses  
Support artists. Give money to street musicians or painters. 



Other information:

http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Mousai.html
http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Mousai.html
https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-3887923691185452%3A4lilh6jpty1&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=muses&sa=Search#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=muses&gsc.page=1 - a list of links at Theoi.com for the above links as well as those to each individual Muse.
Apollodorus' Library 1.3.1-4, 3.5.8

Hesiod's Theogony 36-115

Homer's Iliad 2.594-600

Homer's Odyssey 8.63-64, 8.479-481, 24.60-61

Homeric Hymn to Apollo and the Muses 25

Ovid's Metamorphoses 5.273-340, 5.662-678

Pausanias' Description of Greece 9.24.3, 9.29.1-6

A Hymn To the Muses
 

Daughters of Mnemosyne, 

The Nine who inspire and empower creativity.

Beloved are You all, 

Calliope, Clio, Erato, 

Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, 

Terpsechore, Thaleia and Urania.
You birth the thoughts that stir my soul,
You nourish my soul and kindle the flame within,

You tend the flame that brings my art.

You touch me and I forget that which is not needed.

Instead, I create, I dance, I sing, I remember, I laugh,

I see the stars and gain wisdom and contentment.  

You have given sacred and mystic rites;

With these, I make magic.
Do come, Lovely and Blessed Muses,

Kiss the brow of this Daughter of the Artes,

Bless the hand that holds needle and thread, pen and brush.

Bless the voice that sings and the hands that strum the strings,

Bless the breathe that carries wind through wood.  

Come to one who is Your initiate, O Goddesses, 

For Your brilliant light of inspiration draws and holds me,

My soul longs for the touch of The Nine.

copyright Elizabeth A Kaufman 2010

I will post the Weekly Oracle tomorrow. I wanted to be sure to give all of you the information about The Birth of the Muses at least a bit in advance should anyone wish to make arrangements to celebrate.

Blessings Nine!

Making Oil Lamps

So... you'd like to have a beautiful oil lamp... or three... or nine... for your altars and shrines, but many of them can be expensive. I have gathered here a few video tutorials about making your own lamps from various bottles and jars.

You have a number of options when it comes to the bottles and jars, just use your imagination. Find colored bottles, plain glass bottles or jars, and decorate them with glass paints, beads strung on wire and molded onto the bottles, ribbons, etc. Just remember to use common sense and practice fire safety.

Enjoy!


I found this one easy and interesting, but would not use plastic bottles. This is simple and basic. His intro is a little manly-man with the bullets, etc. but very quick so just grin and bear it.



Another by the same person as above, Jiujitsu2000, that shows how to make a simple oil lamp with an oil/vinegar cruet that can be purchased at any store very inexpensively.



Canning jars with standard oil lamp tops, including the little screw thingy to adjust the wick. These can purchased for very little. Decorate as you see fit. Hurricane shades can be purchased for these which is wonderful when ritual is outside and the wind kicks up, which generally happens after calling the element of air. ; )

Note: don't bother referring to the video channel where she learned about these, Ben has removed his videos.



Any crafter worth her stash can come up with variations on the theme. Another option is really easy, just buys the lamps at garage sales, Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other second hand stores, or big box stores. I live in South Florida and we sometimes get hurricanes and tropical storms so I have a good supply of lamps purchased for a few few dollars each and which have lasted years. That being said, I like the idea of keeping my ritual items separate from daily use items. I also like the idea of decorating and then dedicating individual lamps to my particular goddesses, ancestors, and spiritual guides.

Here are some photos gathered from the web which show to tops of bottles and canning jars as well as some seasonal decorations.

I would be sure to remove all labels unless you have something really special and appropriate.

Use standard wick or 100% cotton yarn as show in the first two videos.

 Standard canning jar lamp.

 Blue canning jar lamps, possibly vintage jars.

 Caps and lid

Something special for the winter holidays.

Oh, but what about oil, you ask. Well, again, you have many options; the standard paraffin lamp oil, some of the finer more refined lamp oils, scented lamp oils, and olive oil. I've used olive oil in a clay lamp and like the way that worked. In the jars and bottles or hurricane lamps, I use a good quality paraffin lamp oil. I don't go for the inexpensive when it comes to oil.

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Again, USE COMMON SENSE and FIRE SAFETY. Wipe up oil drips and spills, wipe the bottles and jars of any drips of oil before lighting. Do not leave lamps unattended or where children or pets can reach them.

Blessings nine!

Witchy Stitches!

I don't call myself the Witch of Stitches for nothing! Earlier today I headed over to my local needlework shop, Cross Stitch Cupboard, in Fort Lauderdale. Karen had called me to let me know that the Halloween Ornament issue of Just Cross Stitch had arrived. I had planned a trip to the grocery store anyway, so I decided to stop at the Cupboard first.

I think this issue is the best they have ever done. There are 51 really great designs, with plenty of witches. I have already chosen 10, YES, YES, 10 designs that I want to stitch. Most of them are smalls so that's not as big a deal as it sounds. So here are my favorite witchy designs from this issue to encourage you to pick up a copy and a needle, LOL!

A little stitching witch holding a sampler. How could I NOT stitch this, fond as I am of samplers! This design is by Gail Bussi and is called "Little Stitching Witch."

Three designs on this page - all smalls. Top left, "Witch" designed by Pamela Byrd Smith of The Prairie Schooler, a favorite designer. Middle right, "Family Portrait" - a silhouette of a witch, another small, quick stitch, designed by Wendy White of Wee Works. Bottom left, "Double, Double" designed by Linda Ebright of Lizzie*Kate - how could I NOT stitch this one? 

"Matilda Hornbuckle" designed by another favorite designer, Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm. I love these primitive designs and this one is delightful!

"The Spells' Store" designed by Isabella Abbiati of The Primitive Hare, yet another favorite designer. This is just too wonderful not to stitch!

Another little primitive style design, "Ghoul Tidings", designed by Paulette Stewart of Plum Street Samplers. I love her designs too. This little witch is another favorite and I have to stitch her.

"Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble" designed by Traci Horner of Ink Circles. This is not my usual style, but anything with a cauldron...

"Goody Trask 1692" designed by Tanya Marie Willis Anderson, AKA The Sampler Girl. A cute little primitive design. Tanya has wonderful Jane Austen designs too.

"Starry Witch" designed by Elizabeth Toledo of Dames of the Needle. This is actually the first one I want to stitch. I have some wonderful linen, color Cognac, that will be just perfect. Can't wait to start this!

Right in the middle of the page, another one that caught my eye, a hardanger design by Lucy Lyons Willis, The Sampler Girl's mom. I love her work as well. I don't do a lot of hardanger, rarely in fact, but this piece has inspired me so...

Well, that's nine designs, but if you look at the magazine cover, there is a little owl in the bottom right corner - that little one makes 10 designs!

Now I wonder if these designs have inspired any of you who don't stitch to take up a needle and give it a try. Those of you who do stitch, well, which are you going to stitch? We'll see how many I actually get done as I have three designs I am currently working on, one is actually a silhouette of a witch at her cauldron! I can't resist a witchy design! In addition, I now have three apprentices and two monthly classes I am teaching. I wonder if I can stitch while I lecture??? ; )

All this stitching is really part of my devotional work. Most of what I stitch is dedicated to the goddesses I am devoted to. Stitching, threads, scissors, needles, all play a part in my magickal work as well. It is art as ritual. In 1997 I had an article, "The Ritual of Stitching", published in The Beltane Papers, unfortunately no longer in print. I was going through some papers and found the article which I will post here soon. It includes a design for a home blessing sampler and I will see if I can post that too - not really sure how to do it. I will have to re-chart the design with my MacStitch program. The design was originally charted by hand. So... stay tuned!

Blessings nine!

The Witches' Compendium, Ostara Issue

This is a free publication, with some very nice ideas, including correspondences, recipes, decorating ideas, etc. for those celebrating Ostara or even Spring Renewal festivals, by The Witch of Howling Creek. Enjoy!

http://issuu.com/witchofhowlingcreek/docs/compendium_ostara?mode=window




Blessings nine at the Birthing of Spring!

What I've Been Up To

So... I have been quite busy with all sorts of Goddess festivals. There have been quite a few that I have been inclined to celebrate; I was really called to keeping holy these sacred days. It has been spiritually fulfilling to be so steeped in my practice as priestess. As witch, I have been kept busy as resident witch at the shop, advising and assisting folks in need, doing some readings, brewing potions and making herb blends. I do not foresee any change with that - business is brisk and I am happy as a clam.

On February 12th I celebrated the Festival of Diana as Protectress of Wildlife. I recited hymns to Her, made offerings at the hedge and lake. I also made sure my ducks had some special little cakes, the squirrels, seeds and nuts, the birds received a special seed mix and Sterling B had some lovely tuna with just a bit of tomato sauce which he loves - he was rescued from behind a Pizza Hut at about 2 months and was terribly malnourished. However, that was 14 years ago and he is healthy and still loves tomato sauce.

February 13th was my version of the Parentalia, Honoring the Ancestors. I dusted all the photos on the Ancestor Wall, placing sprigs of rosemary and some little miniature roses. I sat and remembered many good times and stories I had been told. I made a libation of my special brew which includes Strega Liqueur as well as an offering of cake and fruit.

The Festival of Ovens was celebrated on the 17th. In preparation for this, I had cleaned my oven - thank goodness it is self-cleaning! All I had to do was wipe it out after it cooled. The stove was scrubbed from bottom to top, smudged, crystals that sit on the back, cleansed, and all was consecrated. I then baked a lovely olive oil cake, keeping some for us, some for the ducks and an offering to my Goddesses.

Ariadne was honored on the 24th. I spun a bit of thread with my drop spindle - not perfect by any means, in fact, rather bumpy and uneven, but I thought it was lovely nonetheless. This was draped on the hedge after being snipped in smallish lengths, as an offering. I worked on stitching a labyrinth design as well.

February 25th is the Time of Old Women, which I believe comes to us from Morocco. It is a time to honor our elder women for their beauty, age and wisdom. I spoke with some relatives (living) then gathered all the photos of the women in my family and DH's, and also Z Budapest, Marion Green, Patricia Crowther and a few others, to create an altar. I did some divination, calling on those who have passed, requesting a sign of some sort that they were watching over me. I was granted that favor. Libation and offerings at the hedge, as usual.

Sunday, the 26th, I honored Hygeiea, Goddess of Health. Her statue resides in my kitchen behind the sink. She was bathed, anointed with lavender and rose oils and Her "home" scrubbed and made tidy. Offerings of barley and herbs - nettles, dandelion greens, fresh oregano and rosemary were placed in a dish on Her altar.


On the 28th, I took a little ride out to the Everglades and left an offering for the Nymphs and Spirits of the Land there - the Nymphs of the Wetlands. Herbs, barley and a few flowers were the offerings I made.

March 1st was my day for purification for my oracle work. A special bath and anointing of oils was followed by my special oracle tea and then the working.

The Full Moon on the 8th is my next celebration and then a little quiet until mid-month when, once again, there will be a Goddess to honor and celebrate every few days. How lovely!

In the mundane world, my mother's second back surgery, this past Thursday, seems to have been a success. After many months of terrible pain, she woke up pain free. Two of my aunts are visiting, along with my nephew, so she is well cared for and I will see her very soon. Such a relief!

I have also begun music lessons again, am stitching and weaving like a mad woman, and creating everyday. Oh... reading too. Just finished a wonderful book by Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers, based on the story of Masada, with an interesting cast of magical women. The reviews by Hoffman's fans are not good - too long, too boring, too much mysticism. Ignore them! I didn't want the book to end, it captivated me. I recommend it for those who can understand and absorb the magic.

And now, into the arms of the Sleeping Lady, Mother of Dreams. May our rest be peaceful and renewing, and may we be blessed with sweet dreams as She, the Mother of All Things, watches over us.

Blessings nines!

Pomona's Magick

Today is the Feast of Pomona, a Roman goddess of fruit trees, especially apples, and abundant fruitfulness. She was considered to be a guardian of people, homes, gardens and orchards. Her name is from the Latin "pomum" - apple.

Of course apples have long been a symbol of many goddesses and their worship. It is appropriate at this time of year that we honor Pomona and the magick of apples, therefore I offer the following magickal suggestions.

Take apples, peel a few strips only of the apple skin, remove core and split in half reserving the strips of peel and core.  Place in a baking pan, flat side up, add a bit of butter, sprinkle with cinnamon, cloves and/or a little maple syrup. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until soft.  While cooking and eating, ask a blessing from Pomona for good health, protection and abundance. Be sure to save a slice to be presented as offering.

Take the reserved peel and wrap it around a sprig of thyme or oregano, perhaps even both, and a cinnamon stick. Using a knitting needle or awl, gently pierce the rolled peel in three places and stick cloves into each hole. Bake in a warm oven of 250 degrees for an hour or so to dry the peel and herb. Once dried, the peel can be added to an autumn pot pourri, used as offerings or in charms. Keep nearby when performing any divinatory or oracle workings.

Apples - sacred to many goddesses and a symbol of women's magick; enhances loving energies, love magick, wisdom and protection.
Thyme - cleanses and disperses stagnant energies while attracting new and positive energies. Also assists in opening the third eye.
Cinnamon - enhances magick, aids magickal focus and connecting to other realms.
Cloves - purifies, repels negativity and hostility, elevtes spiritual vibrations.
Oregano - brings joy, protective, good for wards.
Maple syrup - a sweetener - sweeteners sweeten people and situations; maple's magick brings protective, sheltering energy, as well as encourages good health, longevity and balance.

Don't forget to bury an apple or two outside your home, offerings for both Pomona and your ancestors.

copyright 2010 E A Kaufman - from the forthcoming, A Book of Artes & Charms.


Blessings nine!

Home Again!

I have just recently returned from a trip to North Carolina and a wonderful visit to a couple of old friends. I spent long hours looking at buttons and antique sewing tools, talking and visiting various locations and events. I also had my other half take some playful, fun photos - such as above, I couldn't resist. The weather was chilly - mid thirties at night and only into the forties during the day. I was pretty comfortable though, participating in that time of a woman's life known as perpetual summer! In the above photo, which was taken on the road back from Hendersonville to Brevard after some antiquing, I wrapped up in my wool cape and posed appropriately - in my opinion! ; )

A too short meeting at the arboretum with my MoonMaid herbalist friend, Cynthia. We had a long, lovely chat, discussion of goddess and witchy issues and just generally caught up. She gifted me with a beautiful book of flower lore while I presented her with a Jim Shore Garden Fairy and a little silver pin of gardening tools. She lives on a mountain, growing a wild garden and preparing her products, mainly for women, but her ouch ointment in quite famous; my own husband is a great fan. We are hoping for a visit again in the late spring or early summer which will include a trek to the MoonMaid's mountain abode. (see moonmaidbotanicals.com for more info about her products.)

My other friend, with whom we stayed, is a close, close friend of many years. We met in the eighties when she and her husband owned an antique shop at Miami's historic Cauley Square. The four of us became very close and  spent a great deal of time together; we were partners in crime, so to speak. Bill passed away some years ago and we certainly miss him. They moved to North Carolina almost twenty years ago, got out the day Hurricane Andrew hit Miami-Dade County, but it always seems like no time has gone by and we pick up where we left off. We stayed up to too late talking, but it was a warm and wonderful visit.

I attended the Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival and have finally obtained a rigid heddle loom - yay and thanks be to Athena! I also picked up tips on my drop spindle spinning and hopefully, next year, will add a spinning wheel. Right now I will focus on my weaving. There were lots of wonderful like-minded folks at the festival, all friendly and willing to share information and tips. Needless to say the fibers and other goodies were gorgeous. My husband enjoyed himself tremendously and carried goods back and forth to the car. We found the soap maker we bought soap from a few years ago and laid in a good supply. Plenty of holiday gifts were purchased too. The following day we were off to the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands in Asheville. Beautiful art! Added a few handmade wooden spoons to my collection including a very long, large spoon and ladle that will be very helpful to my apple butter making this week.

Sigh! I didn't want to leave North Carolina. Miss it and my buddies Helen and Cynthia already.

Well, life moves on and Hallows is a day away, followed by Pomona's Day when the apple butter making shall commence! I celebrate Hallows over a number of days - from the 31st through the 11th this year. Honoring the dead and spirit contact are a priority, readying myself for the introspective time of the winter and making certain charms only done at this time. There is a ritual to put together yet and getting my dear other half to drill hazelnuts, incense to make along with offerings and the libation brew.

Oh.. and of course I'm gearing up for a little give-away so keep in touch as it will be announced on Hallows with the drawing on November 11th!

Blessings nine!

All photos copyright E A Kaufman 2011

So September Arrives!

copyright 2010 E A Kaufman

... all things change and pass in the end,

and when they are past we must rest and forget.

That too is the law of the gods.

When the summer is over, the land must sleep,

root and stone and water and earth:

the seed in the furrow, the beast in the hole,

the leaf on the tree giving itself to the air,

lightly - lightly - no weight staying it

- to fall to the ground and to rest.

To rest and to rest, safe on the ground,

deep under the snow,

with nothing to trouble it, only to rest.

... Rest, rest and forget.

The seed to the furrow, the beast to the hole,

the leaf to the ground,

and all to rest and forget.

- from The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope -

Happy September! Ah... how I love the change from August to September. The great wheel of the seasons slowly, slowly moving. I  look forward to certain tasks - changing the quilt on our bed, mixing a new cinnamon and clove pot pourri. I also pull out my worn and spattered recipe for apple butter, waiting for new apples to arrive. And then... pomanders! Those clove studded oranges that leave my fingertips stained brown and scented with cloves and orange no matter how many times I wash them. Delish! They add that wonderful orange spice scent to my home along with the apple butter. Oh... and my favorite Fanny Farmer Apple Cake recipe - also spattered and worn - scrumptious, buttery and spicy. Casseroles, stews, soups - all the recipes come out and so what if it is still warm outside? Inside, Autumn is about to arrive! It all makes me feel so Septemberish. Ah, if only I could live in Autumn all year long!

And, of course, there are magicakal tasks too; brews, herbal blends to prepare; spells and rituals to review - all for the coming season - The Autumn Equinox and Hallows; dark moons and full moons. 

So tomorrow, upon rising, the September tasks begin! A delightful day ahead.

Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it.

If I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

- George Eliot -

Blessings nine!

Voice of the Trees Give Away!

Mickie Mueller is a fabulous, fantasy artist whose work includes Goddesses, fairies and other magickal beings as she writes in her profile. Well, she's having a great give-away at her blog, so... follow the link and join in for a chance at the goodies she's offering:

http://mickiemuellerart.blogspot.com/2011/08/win-signed-copy-of-voice-of-trees-and.html

Take a look at her Etsy shop to see some of her wonderful art:

http://www.etsy.com/people/MickieMuellerStudio?ref=ls_profile

Blessings nine!

Framed!

I have a stack of finished needlework projects that need finishing - it never ends, or so it seems - doesn't stop the needle from flying though. Some are being stitched into little goodies and a few others were taken to my LNS, Cross Stitch Cupboard in Fort Lauderdale, for framing. They do a wonderful job and are a great shop, always helpful and so knowledgeable - if you can't figure out a stitching issue, they certainly can! I also photographed some other witchy stitches that hang around Toadstool Condo; I thought you might enjoy seeing them. Some are from a number of years back, all are dear to my heart!


Most recent framing: 


A little freebie design from an alphabet found on line, that I adapted and changed into something a little witchy!

A design by Lisa, may she be on a wonderful journey, of The Primitive Needle. She passed away a few months ago when swept away in her car by a flash flood. I have many of her designs. I was working on this when it happened and so have dedicated it to her memory.

And some old favorites including the witch wall, not a great photo, but there's no other way to photograph it as it is a hallway between the front door and dining/living room area. It is very narrow. All witchy designs - and a few pieces of Jewish art for my darling dear! We mix it up at the Toadstool!

Mike gave me another Jim Shore witch, this one called Wicked, with a flying monkey, a few years ago for my collection. I then found this little stitch to go with it - just perfect! Instead of stitching the broom, I added a silver broom charm. There's also an old, very old,  Cricket Collection design of a cute little witch next to it, to which I added a little crescent moon button - can't seem to stitch anything as designed.

And this is the work I designed for my article, The Ritual of Stitching, which was published with the chart in The Beltane Papers in 1997, I believe. Again, not a great photo due to the hallway, but you get the idea. I am planning to self-publish the chart in the very near future, so if you are interested in obtaining the chart so you can stitch this little blessing, let me know. There are a few specialty stitches as well as some leaf charms, but you could use small leaf buttons - or anything else you like!

A little stitch in a great frame from Cross Stitch Cupboard, to show I am a member of:

And a necessary caution:  

And finally, another designer's work which is changed, if not beyond recognition, then not exactly what she had in mind and too long ago to remember which one! Blackwork, cross stitch, specialty stitches and a verse from Lucius Apuleius, I believe - my contribution to the designs, which is a favorite.

So there we have it, witchy stitches! Most, except for the first three photos, have been framed for many years, but I thought I'd share them anyway. The last was an offering for Hekate, our Great Lady!


Here's hoping you have a lovely weekend. I am at the shop tomorrow with all our wonderful crystals and stones, and other magickal paraphenalia. We now have a Facebook page! If you'd like a virtual tour of our magickal shop, go to the link below and "Like" our page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natures-Emporium/102956843131674

Gorgeous amethyst heart with baby calcite points and some smaller amethyst specimens. Wonderful pieces, great energy. After years in medicine, this job is a dream come true!


Blessings nine!

Of Stitches, Tomatoes and Eggshells

Well, it's been a busy week! I finished "Witch" a week and a half ago but just got around to photographing it. As many of you know, the designer, Lisa Roswell of The Primitive Needle, was killed in a flash flood a few weeks ago on her way to work. She was a lovely person and a favorite designer of mine. She will be greatly missed. My stitching needs pressing and then off to the framer. Next up, mermaids among other things!

Now this is interesting, isn't it? I am a tomato-aholic, just love them; sliced with a little salt and pepper, yum! My darling husband brought a mess of them home from the Redlands and picked this one out especially for me. At the farm, the sweet German Baptist lady selling them, said, "oh, it has a nose!" Of course that's not what my hubby was thinking and I'll just leave it at that!!!

At the last full moon, my magickal partner, Raven, and I made some little "boat"  offerings from eggshells. We decorated them with colored pens, swirled some candle wax inside for support, then added a few things to go along for the ride. Following this I received a request for a presentation at the local CUUPs group at the Unitarian Universalist Church. I asked everyone to bring an eggshell. I discussed some egg folklore and the importance of offerings during ritual and magickal work, as well as the difference between an offering and a sacrifice. We had a lively discussion and lots of fun. Very welcoming, warm folk. 

These are some of the creations of the group.

 All of this comes from a story I have read many times in Charles Leland's Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling, originally published in 1891. My copy is a Dover reprint from 1971, well worn with lots of bits of paper to mark favorite passages and rather yellowed with age. This story just made a great impression on me and touched my heart, inspiring me to save many of my eggshells to leave as offerings for the Hidden Company. I'll share the story here.


Once there was a gypsy girl who noticed that when anyone ate eggs they broke up the shells, and asking why this was done received for answer:-

"You must break the shells to bits for fear

Lest the witches should make it a boat my dear.

For over the sea away from home,

Far by night the withes roam."

Then the girl said, "I don't see why the witches should not have boats as well as other people." And saying this she threw the shell of an egg which she had been eating as far as she could, and cried, "Witch, there is your boat!" But what was her amazement to see the shell caught up by the wind and whirled away on high till it became invisible, while a voice cried, "I thank you!"

Now it came to pass some time after that the gypsy girl was on an island, where she remained some days. And when she wished to return, behold a great flood was rising, and it had washed her boat away, she could see nothing of it. But the water kept getting higher and higher, and soon there was only a little bit of the island above the flood, and the girl thought she must drown. Just then she saw a white boat coming; there sat in it a woman with witch eyes; she was rowing with a broom, and a black cat sat on her shoulder. "Jump in!" she cried to the girl, and then rowed her to the firm land.

When she was on the shore the woman said: "Turn around three times to the right and look every time at the boat." She did so, and every time she looked she saw the boat grow smaller till it was an egg. Then the woman sang:-

"That is the shell you threw to me,

Even a witch can grateful be."

Saying this she vanished, cat, broom, shell, and all.

"Now my story is fairly done,

I beg you tell a better one."

The response to this story was many oohs and ahhs, but what would one expect from a room full of witches? A sweet story and a fine lesson. And that, my friends, is the end of this day's post!

Blessings nine!