Winter Magick Day 28

 

A Charm For Prosperity 

Needed:

A green candle

Olive oil you have blessed

A pinch each of basil, dill

Incense for cleansing

Matches or lighter

With the incense, cleanse your working area and candle. Hold the candle and charge for purpose - drawing prosperity. Anoint the candle with some olive oil. 

Lay the herbs in front of you and awaken them. Roll the candle in the herbs then place in a candle holder.

Take some deep breaths and focus your mind on prosperity flowing to you continuously. Light the flame and chant the following three times:

With this bright light

My flame takes flight

Drawing to me

Unending prosperity!

Let the candle burn until finished. 

Blessings dark and deep! 

Winter Magick Day 27

 

Celebrating the Spirits of the Land

Tonight I will be out in my little patio/garden allowing myself to be inspected by the land spirits. I am in a new home, and have a nice little patch of garden that has been speaking to me since I first saw it… and continues to do so every time I step outside the door! So, this will be the night. 

On my little brick patio I will sit in my wheelchair and light a candle and some herbs, bury a few crystals as gifts, perhaps some coins as well. I will leave a small food offering and make a libation of some spiced tea. When I have finished, I will simply sit there and let Them see and feel me. I hope I will make some connection, especially with the beautiful, large tree that is a canopy over my patch. The energy just keeps drawing me so I feel  it will be a positive experience, the first of many.

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 26

 One of the pages I follow on IG posted the following which so touched my heart I had to share.

She is called the Star Mother.

She walks quietly at the turning of the year, when the longest night has passed and the light has begun-almost imperceptibly-to return. She is not bound to one name or one land. Long before religion, creeds and calendars, she was known wherever women looked to the sky and felt the ache of hope in their bones.

The Star Mother is said to have carried the first light in her body. Not a blazing sun, but a small, steadfast glow-bright enough to guide, gentle enough to be held. In some tellings, a single star followed her footsteps across the winter sky. In others, the star rested above her, watching, blessing, remembering.

She belongs to the deep lineage of winter mothers: the ones who hold life through cold, through scarcity, through waiting. She is kin to ancient sky goddesses, to hearth mothers, to the woman who wraps a child in wool while the world sleeps. In later centuries, her story was woven into the tale of Mary, but the Star Mother herself is older than any one story. She is the archetype of light made flesh, hope carried into being.

On Christmas Day, when the sun begins its 

slow climb back into the world, her presence is said to be strongest. The star still shines—not to announce triumph, but to offer reassurance. It tells of cycles kept, of promises remembered, of life that arrives quietly rather than loudly.

Folk once believed that the Star Mother watches over travelers, over newborns, over those who feel far from home. Her light does not demand faith. It simply exists, steady and faithful, whether it is named or not.

She reminds us that the most powerful liah is often small at first. That what is born ir stillness can endure. That even after the longest night, the world remembers how to turn toward the sun again.

And so, on this day, her story is told softly - like a star glimpsed through winter branches-so that the light, once welcomed, may continue its slow, patient return.

- friendsoftheforest IG

https://www.instagram.com/friendsoftheforestct?igsh=NG8wM2xpNmVwNnl6

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 25

 

Merry Christmas, Merry Witchmas, Winter’s Deep Blessings! 

May the Goddesses bless us with all good things; good health and wealth, prosperity and love, creative energy and strength. May They protect and watch over us, guiding us on our path, and opening our hearts to joy. May we be able to see and understand, and be blessed with peace.

Blessings dark and deep, light and joyful.
The Witch of Stitches 

Winter Magick Day 24

 Bayberry Candle Spell

This is a spell I have been casting for many years, sometimes on the Winter Solstice, sometimes Christmas Eve, sometimes New Year’s Eve. I have done it for one night, three nights, and even nine nights. 

Here’s what you need:
Bayberry votive or other type candle and candle holder,
Coin, 3 Bay leaves, other prosperity herbs or blend (optional)

Cleanse candle holder, place a few drops of water in it. Now take a coin, place  in the candle holder. If using another type of candle, place the coun beneath the holder. Place the candle within. Put the candle in a place you can safely burn it. Prosperity herbs can sprinkled around the outside of the holder in a circle. 
Take a Sharpie pen, silver is especially good, but any color is fine; write those things you wish to manifest, use both sides of the leaves: good health, prosperity , happiness, whatever you wish. Place around the outside of your candle holder.
When ready, chant the following 3 times:

Upon this beautiful winter’s night,
I burn this candle, strong & bright.
Bayberry, bayberry, bless my light!
Winter magick now takes flight!
Bay leaves, bay leaves, empower my charm.
Away with anything that would bring me harm.
To me and mine these good blessings flow,
As comes the light, it is so!

Blessings dark and deep!

Copyright E A Kaufman 1996-2025

Winter Magick Day 23

 Winter Solstice Divination.

This time of year always has me snuggling down, looking within, reflection, introspection. What can I let go of? What can I look forward to? What have I learned? What tasks lie ahead? All that jazz! There’s always magickal work to be done. It is the way of the witch and priestess. For myself and others.

This spread looks interesting and I’m sure it will help me figure things out.

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 22

 

Winter Solstice Prayer Chant

On this longest, sacred night, 

I stand within the dark made bright.

The Sun has fallen, yet not gone, 

For from the womb of night-reborn.

Ancient Mother, ancient Flame, 

Keeper of time, remember my name.

From frozen earth and silent sky, 

Let seeds of hope now stir and rise.

I honor rest, I honor release,

The endings that have brought me peace.

What no longer serves, I lay to rest, 

Returned to soil, spirit blessed.

From shadowed depths, my strength I claim, 

I walk unbroken through the flame.

Though night is long, my light is sure, 

My will is strong, my heart is pure.

Return, O Sun, with gentle fire, 

Awaken dreams, renew desire.

Bring warmth to bones, to land, to soul, 

Make fractured pieces once again whote.

As wheel turns on, as days grow bright, 

I rise renewed from sacred night.

By earth, by star, by flame, by breath— 

I choose rebirth, not fear nor death.

So it is sown, so it shall be, 

As the light returns to me.

So mote it be.

(Author unknown)

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 21

 

Winter Solstice Blessings, Happy Yule,

 May all you desires and dreams come into being!

Last night my husband and I, along with the seventh night of Hanukkah, celebrated Mothers Night, the first night of Yule. We each took thirteen slips of paper and wrote our Solstice wishes, one on each slip, folded them up and place them in a bowl with our initials. Each wish is written as if it already is. We then lit a red candle for all the Mothers of Blood and Breed, as well as a positive energy candle. We then each chose a slip from our bowls, without looking at it, and lit it on fire in the cauldron. We will continue this for twelve nights. On the thirteenth night we will not burn the slip of paper, but read it and keep it, as it will be our task to bring it into being. I have seen various versions of this around the internet, thirteen or twelve  nights, but thirteen seemed right to me. So… there we are. May all our wishes, and yours too, come to be!

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 20

 I Call You, Winter Goddesses

I call You, all Winter Goddesses, 

of ice and snow and cold winds,

of long, dark nights, and short days.

I call all of You to bear witness to my Art.

Persephone of the World Below, I invoke you.

I call You to bear witness to my Art,

Great Hekate, who rules all realms,

I call You to bear witness to my Art,

Come to bear witness 

to the praise of Your merry band,

It is the Sabbath!

Now is the time of the longest night, 

the Winter Solstice!

I call You to rise here, 

Goddesses whom we honor,

I call to you as a witch,

I call to you as a sorceress calls,

Bound by oath and blood and mark to You.

Come hither, I call Your names!

- EA Kaufman 2013

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 19

 

December Magick Day 19: Rebirth

Light, I call You from the Shadows,

Light, I call You from the Dawn,

Light, I call You from the Noonday,

Light, I call You moving on.

Ever turns the Wheel You carry,

Ever turns the Seasons thus,

Ever turns the Night and Daytime,

Ever turns Rebirth for us.

The Sun shall rise with every morning,

The Soul renewed with every birth,

The Year reborn with every turning,

Thus transpires life on Earth.

Light, eternal change You muster,

Light, I follow in the dance,

Light, the brightness of life is courage,

Light, the nature of life is chance.

- Hel, the Witch

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 18

 Mother Berchta’s Coming To Town

You better watch out when winter comes night 
You better not doubt, I’m telling you why.
Mother Berchta’s coming to town! 
She carries a sack made out of a skin
She dumps the toys out and stuffs the kids in,
Mother Berchta’s coming to town! 
She rides on Ashurskeggi
A goat whose back is strong. 
Her beard is long and scraggly
And her tail is ten feet long! 
With six or eight horns, a moustache or two, 
Make no mistake, she’s coming for you!
Mother Berchta’s coming to town! 
She knows with whom you’re sleeping, 
She knows with whom you wake,
She knows each thought you’re thinking 
So don’t think, for Goddess sake!
So when the winds howl way up in the sky 
Listen as she and Skeggi pass by.
Mother Berchta’s coming, 
Mother Berchta’s coming,
Yes, Mother Berchta’s coming to town!

Sung to the tune of Santa Clause is Coming to Town
Lyrics rewritten by The Greenwood Singers, a Seattle based Pagan Chorus.

Blessings dark and deep!

December Magick Day 17

 

The Wild Horde 

The Frauen are the leaders of the Wild Horde, the band of wandering souls, especially children’s souls, who fly through the winter night skies (perhaps disguised as swans, or wild geese, or the wind). 
This is even true for St Lucy. In Norway, she is considered a loose woman, even a goblin, and is said to lead the Wild Hunt. 
The Wild Horde itself was a complex phenomenon whose origins lose themselves partly in the prehistoric past. There was the assembly of ghosts under the leadership of a female divinity—Hecate or Artemis in ancient Greece; in the Latin West, Diana or Herodias, the mother of Salome. This gathering of female spirits, which later swelled into the crowd of evil hags at the witches’ sabbath, was well known to theologians of the first millennium who in vain flung their anathema against it: As usual the effort was in vain.

- Celebrating Winter Solstice, Customs and Crafts, Recipes and Rituals for 
 Festivals of Light, Hanukkah, Yule, and Other Midwinter Holidays; Compiled by Waverly Fitzgerald

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 16

 Bring Back The Light

Bring back the Light, 

Light never ending.

Through dark of night, 

This call we are sending,

With all our might, 

Bring back the Light,

Bring back the Light! 

Our hearts are open.

On Solstice night, We are invoking!

The Life of Light, Bring back the Light!

Queen of the Stars, Queen of the Moon 

Queen of the Horns and Queen of Fire 

Light of Life, Seed of Light, 

Flame that warms the darkest night 

Queen of the Stars, Queen of the Moon 

Queen of the Horns and Queen of Fire 

Be with us on Solstice night.

To earth tonight, Bring back the light 

Bring back the light. 

(The original song was recorded many years ago by a gal named Gypsy. She recorded an album of wonderful Pagan and Goddess songs. I took some poetic license with a couple of lines.)

Blessings dark and deep!

Here is a link to a YouTube video of Gypsy singing Bring Back the Light

https://youtu.be/vfZCBzzjft4?si=mjW3Swi3Z2oEnUCF

Winter Magick Day 15

 

Winter Blessing

As winter weaves its silver spell 
across the dreaming, starlit land, 
may every snowflake's shining fall 
place quiet wonder in your hand
May frostlight shimmer where you walk, 
and night skies bloom in crystal hue, 
a season spun of whispered magic, glimmering paths and skies anew.
Let joy awaken in the cold; 
let bright enchantment find you near.
And may the winter's gentle spark 
bring warmth and wonder through the year.

- Yasmine Galenorn

Winter Magick Day 14

 

Night of Lussi

In Norway, December 13th use to be known as Lussinatten and thought to be a magical night. Before the calendar changed around 1700 in Norway, December 13 was the longest night.

Lussi, thought to be a feared fairy enchantress, demoness, or witch, traveled about with ghosts and other mysterious spirits on this night. She would, it was said, snatch up and carry away anyone She encountered wandering outside. Hence, people stayed inside and no work was done. It was also said that farm animals talked to each other on this night.

Be sure to keep the lights on and stay inside!
Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 13

 

A Candle Ritual For A December Night

Gather these items: 
Two chime candles or other small candles, one red, one green
A slice of bread with honey and cinnamon
Incense of pine, balsam, or rosemary 

At some quiet time during the evening, perform this small ritual to give thanks and ask for blessings through the winter.
At your altar or some other place that you like, set your candles in holders. Have a plate with the bread and honey next to them. Gather your thoughts and focus your energies. Light the incense. Think about the Goddesses you revere and the spirit guardians of your home. Consider how They have assisted you and your family throughout the year. Hold your hands over the candles and send your thanks into Them. Now light the candles and blow gently over the bread. Chant this or something similar:

Great Ones of Winter, 
Guardians of hearth and home, 
Mothers of the Hidden Light, 
You who are ever present in this home. 
Bless my work. 
Bless and guard this family.
Guide our steps as the sun is born again. 
I offer this 7flame, this food, this breath of thanks for all that has been done,
For all You continue to do.
May goodwill grow and may wisdom lead us 

through the cold into the returning dawn.
So mote it be!

Let the candles burn until finished, leave the offering at your ritual place. When the candles have finished, eat the offering as a way to give it to the goddesses and home guardians.
Blessings dark and deep!

Note: the chant is adapted from the book Witch’s Yuletide by Lilly Ryan

Winter Magick Day 12

 

 A Visit From The Yule Spirits

'Twas the night before Yule, 

when all 'cross the hearth,not a being was stirring; Pagan, faerie, or beast.
Wassail was left out & the altar adorned,
to rejoice that the Sun would soon be reborn.
The children lay sleeping by the warmth of the hearth,
their dreams filled with visions of belov'd Mother Earth.
M'lady & I beneath blankets piled deep,
had just settled down to our own Solstice sleep.
Then a noise in the night that would leave us no peace,
Awakened us both to the honking of geese.
Eager to see such a boisterous flock,
When we raced to the window, our mouths dropped in shock!
On the west wind flew a gaggle of geese white & gray,
With Frau Holda behind them in her giftladen dray.
The figure on her broomstick in the north sky made it clear,
La Befana was approaching to bestow Yuletide cheer.
From the south came a comet more bright than the moon,
And we knew that Lucia would be with us soon.
As these spirits sailed earthward o'er hilltops & trees,
Frau Holda serenaded her feathery steeds:
"Fly Isolde! Fly Tristan! Fly Odin & Freya! 

Fly Morgaine! Fly Merlin! Fly Uranus & Gaea!
May the God & the Goddess inside you soar,
From the clouds in the heavens to yon cottage door."
As soft & silent as snowflakes they fell:
Their arrival announced by a faint chiming bell.
They landed like angels, their bodies aglow.
Their feet left no marks in the new fallen snow.
Before we could ponder what next lay in store,
There came a slow creaking from our threshold door.
We crept from our bedroom & were spellbound to see...
There in our parlor stood the Yule Trinity!
Lucia, the Maiden, with her head wreathed in flame,
Shown with the radiance for which she was named.
The Lightbringer's eyes held the joy of a child,
And she spoke with a voice that was gentle, yet wild:
"May the warmth of this household ne'er fade away."
Then she lit our Yule log which still burns to this day.
Frau Holda in her down cloak stood regal & tall;
The Matron of Solstice, the Mother of all.
Under her gaze we felt safe & secure.
Her voice was commanding, yet almost demure:
“May the love of this family enrich young & old."
And from the folds of her cloak showered coins of pure gold.
Le Befana wore a kerchief on her silvery hair;
The veil of the Crone who has secrets to share.
In her eyes gleamed a wisdom only gained by spent youth.
Her voice was a whisper but her words rung with truth:
"May health, glad tidings, and peace fill these rooms."
And she banished misfortune with a sweep of her broom.
They then left a gift by each sleeping child's head,
Took a drink of our wassail, & away they sped.
While we watched them fly off through the night sky we laughed,
At the wondrous magick we had found in the Craft.
As they departed, the spirits decreed...
Merry Yule To You All & May All Blessed Be!

Copyright (c) by Richard De Angelis

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Magick Day 11

 

A Solstice Blessing

May you find peace 
in the promise of the solstice night, 
that each day forward is blessed 
with more light.
That the cycle of nature,

unbroken and true, 

brings faith to your soul 

and well-being to you.

Rejoice in the darkness, 

in the silence find rest.

And may the days that follow 

be abundantly blessed 

(Unknown author)

Winter Magick Day 10

 

Winter Magick Day 10: 

A Prayer to the Lady Sun at the Winter Solstice

Great Lady who is the Sun, 

The  wheel of fire, radiant in Your glory,

Hear me as I honor You on this, 

The shortest day of the year.

Summer has gone, passed us by,

the fields are dead and cold,

all of earth sleeps in Persephone's absence.

But even in the darkest times,

You light the way for those who  

need a beacon of hope, 

of brightness, shining in the night.

Winter is here, and colder days coming,

the fields are bare, seemingly empty.

Demeter mourns Her Daughter, 

She journeys within, as do we,

In reflection, introspection, rest.

We light these candles in Your honor,

that You might gather Your strength

and bring life and warmth back to the world.

Mighty Lady Who is the Sun above us,

Lady Bright, Lady Light,

we ask You to return, 

to bring back to us

the light and the warmth of Your fire.

Bring life back to earth,

Bring light back to earth.

Hail the Lady, the Golden Sun!

The original version of this prayer was written by Patti Wigington, About.com. As a Dianic Feminist witch, I took certain liberties with it and created a Dianic version to merge with my practice. 

This version was created in 2008.

Winter Magick Day 9

A Winter Meditation 

During these days before the solstice, in the deepening dark, allow yourself to be seduced by that luscious darkness. Sometimes there is fear of the darkness, I know this well myself. But try to consider it not as a place to fear, but as a safe place, warm and soothing, nourishing and restorative. Allow yourself to see it as a place of hibernation, where you move away from any coldness and harshness, the overstimulation and busyness of the physical world, a healing place where you can indulge yourself in periods of creativity, healing, and rest. 

Find a cozy place, sit or lie down. Wrap yourself in a soft blanket, a cup of tea or cocoa at your side, perhaps some very soft, relaxing music or silence, as you like. Lean back and read along, traveling with me.

Let your body relax, sink in to your cozy place, and take some deep breaths. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply but easily into your belly. At your own pace, gently, gently, and relax. 

Visualize yourself at the entrance to a cave. The air is warm and comfortable, the scent of the earth rich and soothing. You walk forward with the knowledge that you are perfectly safe at all times on this journey.

As you walk forward, you feel yourself descending down an incline. There is soil and stone all around and roots hang from above. There are small lantern’s hanging  here and there gently lighting your way. You are completely relaxed in this place, any worries are released, there is only contentment here. 

You gaze around and notice lovely stones of different colors embedded in the soil of the walls. And you keep walking, down, down, deeper into Mama Earth, feeling more and more at peace as you go.

And now you notice the ground has become more even and you see ahead of you a door in the earth. It opens in welcome and there is light and warmth. An old woman stands there wordlessly inviting you to enter. There beyond the door is a room, the walls lined in richly colored fabrics of all kinds. A hearth of rough stone is opposite the door, a fire brightly burning. Soft, pillowy chairs are arranged near the hearth, and the woman waves a hand towards the seats. So… you sit gazing around at the wonderful colored fabrics on the walls, their embroidery of leaves and flowers, animals and insects, mushrooms and birds so pretty and alive. The colors are stunning, almost hypnotic, and you feel an incredible soothing sensation wash over you. This room embraces you a gentle energy.

“Be comfortable here and rest yourself,” says the old woman. Her voice is soft. “This time of year is such a rush, take a break with me here. Chat with me or just enjoy the crackle of my fire. All is well here, all is well for you.” She serves a warm beverage, just what you like. You wonder how could she know. Her eyes are bright, you feel such reassurance in her presence, as if you have always known her. 

There is no need to know who this woman is, you just intuitively know that she is someone you can be at ease with, who offers a peaceful respite from your world. Relax in her presence, rest and allow her healing to flow over you. The lovely walls, the beautiful embroideries, the warm and inviting energy, all soothe your entire being. Let yourself drift. 

After a while of rest you may have a question, a need for clarification of something in your life. This old one will have a bit of advice to share so listen carefully, open your heart. Is she speaking to you?

When you are ready, say thank you and farewell. Walk through the Old One’s door. Move easily up the incline, perhaps a stone will offer itself to you as you walk. Breathe in the rich scent of roots and stone and earth. Breathe in deeply of Mama Earth’s energy.

As you move up returning to your own place, the gentle peace of the Old One’s room remains, as does the knowledge that you can return anytime you like or need to. She is always there, at all times, offering rest, healing, and peace. 

Return now to your own place, restored. 

Blessings dark and deep!

C 2025 EA Kaufman