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!

A Witch’s Tea

 A Witch’s Tea

Tea in the Witch Wood to be taken at four

If the sun does shine or the rain does pour!

Toadstool sandwiches sliced like a dream,

Brown boiled acorns and fairy cream.

Hawthorn berry jam on mandrake leaves,

Spiced dark tea all under the trees.

And if there’s room, do not forsake

at least one slice of full moon cake!

c 2025 E A Kaufman

Inspired by the tea poem in Sara Midda’s book In and Out Of the Garden, 1981

Art: unknown artist

Pomona

Pomona

 I am the ancient apple queen,

As once I was so am I now.

Forever more a hope unseen,

Betwixt the blossom and the bough.

- William Morrison -

November 1st is the Pomonia, the ancient Roman celebration of Pomona. She is the goddess, spirit, or nymph of fruit trees, orchards, most especially the sacred apple. Pomona is also known to be a goddess of love spells and other enchantments. She is transformation, making things sweeter, and death. Her main tool is the pruning knife. Apples are sacred to Her and are useful for magick, especially love magick. 

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.

Blessings dark and deep!

Hallows Everyday 31

Hallows Blessings!

May the Great Mother

And all the Goddesses

Bless you and yours.

May your Ancestors 

Watch over and guide you.

May your life be filled with

Magick, enchantment, and love.

Hallows Everyday 29

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!

 

Hallows Everyday 28

Oh Spirits unto life return, 

Arise thee from land’s deep hollow.

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.

Hallows Everyday 27

 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

Hallows Everyday 23

The Veil Is Thinning 

As I went out walking this fall afternoon,

I heard a laugh a' laughing.

I heard a laugh a' laughing,

Upon this fine fall day...

I heard this whisper and I wondered,

I heard this laugh and then I knew.

The time is getting near my friends,

The time that I hold dear my friends,

The veil is getting thin my friends,

And strange things will pass through.

- author unknown -

Hallows Everyday 4

 THE NIGHT OF HALLOWEEN

 The Harvest moon fills the sky 

A wicked witch goes flying by

                 Ghosts and goblins.skeleton's too. 

              Moaning and groaning, waiting for you 

                 Black cats prowl the graveyard plots 

                    Witches cook in cauldron pots 

                 Cemetery ghouls roam the ground 

                  Not one unopened grave is found 

                     Tombstones are an eerie sight 

                 Shadows dance in full moon light 

                    The haunted house on the hill 

                  Walk in there and you get a chill 

                     Jack-o-lanterns eyes so bright 

                  Trick or Treaters scream in fright 

                  It's a time like you've never seen

                  Tonight's the night of Halloween.

                              Unknown author

 

I See The Wise Woman

(unknown artist)

I See The Wise Woman

She carries a blanket of compassion.

She wears a robe of wisdom.

Around her throat flutters

a veil of shifting shapes.

From her shoulders, a mantle of power flows.

A storyband encircles her forehead.

She stitches a quilt;

She spins fiber into yarn;

She knits, she sews, she weaves.

She ties the threads of our lives together.

She forms a web of spiraling threads.

by Susan Weed, from Healing Wise

Blessings dark and deep!

Hallows Everyday - 30

Art by Ron Byrum

witches

witches witches everywhere

how many do you see

there's witches in the garden

hiding in a tree

there's witches playing football

witches having tea

witches walking down the beach

witches swimming in the sea

all around us witches

some are hidden 

some are not

i have discovered lately

of witches....there's a lot

witches drinking coffee

witches at the store

witches at the doctors

witches sitting on the floor

witches flying broomsticks

and witches driving cars

witches riding bicycles

witches hiding in the stars

there's witches having picnics

witches playing in the park

witches lighting fireworks

witches dancing in the dark

witches running races

and witches playing games

witches riding horses

with funny witchy names

on hallowe'en the witches

get together, one and all

and while the kids are trick and treating

they watch movies at the mall

there's witches almost everywhere

you have to look and see

now, count up all the witches

did you get the same as me?

by Roger Turner

Blessings dark and deep!

Hallows Everyday - 26

.

Word Magic

hag (hag) n. an ugly old woman, esp a vicious or malicious one.

2. a witch

hagio-, a learned borrowing from Greek meaning "saint," "holy,"

"sacred," used in the formation of compound words

hagiology, hagiocracy

hagiocracy (hag' e ok' r se) n.  1. government by a body of persons

esteemed as holy

~ Burleigh Muten~

Blessings dark and deep!

Hallows Everyday - 7

Today, a couple of freebie cross stitch patterns for Hallows, as well as some links to a few special designers who have lots of witchy patterns. Enjoy!

Witch by Sub-Rosa Cross Stitch
http://e-subrosa.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-free-chart.html

Another little witch:

http://glenoaksprimitives.blogspot.com/2011/10/freebie-witch-cross-stitch-charts.html

Here are some links to my favorite witchy designers:

The Primitive Hare
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePrimitiveHare?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Fairy Wool In the Wood
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fairywoolinthewood?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Notforgotten Farm
https://www.etsy.com/shop/notforgottenfarm?ref=l2-shopheader-name

The Little Stitcher
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleStitcherShop

Wickedly Wunderful
https://www.etsy.com/shop/WickedlyWunderful

Primitive Acorns
https://www.etsy.com/shop/primitiveacorns?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Homespun Elegance
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HomespunElegance?ref=pr_faveshops

For some really complex designs, try these:

Mystic Stitch:
for witches: http://www.mysticstitch.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=62&zenid=allstcja2l811hgutemobdmh33
This link goes directly to all the witch designs. If you look on the left side, there is an index - fairies, Pre-Raphaelites, etc.

Blessings dark and deep!

Hallows Everyday - 5

Well, we are prepping for Hurricane Matthew in my area so I will try to keep up the posts as best as I can. May we all be safe!

How Witches Are Portrayed

A favorite collection of mine is my images of vintage witches. We have average-looking women, real women, from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Later, the witch turns into a Playboy Barbie, which is what I see in a lot of modern artist's renditions - totally unrealistic and truly insulting to women. I'll go with these vintage images (and none of them were likely practicing witchcraft) anytime as opposed to the garter belts and stocking with the boobs hanging out.

Do I sound old-fashioned, bitter? I'm not. I just think that if you want the world to accept witchcraft as a religion (personally I don't care what the rest of the world thinks as long as they leave us be) and you use the following images to represent yourself, you lose credibility. People do see these as representations of what witches are. Of course, I'm a Dianic Feminist witch so my ideas are different than the average Wiccan or eclectic witch.

Or this:

Why would anyone take people who call themselves witches seriously when they portray themselves in this way? Fun images are fine, but a lot of the art out there doesn't help those who want witches taken seriously - IMO - and only my opinion.

And the word evil is used to describe the above green-skinned witch, of course. Then we have the nasty, old, evil witch image - yuck! Old women - disrespected and made the brunt of the worst depictions.

Here's my idea of a real witch:

Think about it - how do you want, if you care, others to see witches? Not that I am not up for a little fun with images, there is some great witchy art out there, humorous and loving. But... there are people out there who buy into the wicked witch as truth. So, just my two shekels.

Blessings dark and deep! 

30 Days of Devotion - 13

Day 13 - What Modern Cultural Issues Are Closest to Hekate’s Heart?

Fragment of ancient statue believed to be Hekate

This prompt for the 13th gave me some difficulty, in addition to working on Saturday, exhaustion at the end of the day, and not having a minute to write anything. Apropos to what eventually was given to me, this morning the answer came and I realized it was so simple. In a way it is a cultural issue, but perhaps not really. Whatever, this is what it is.

I feel that, for the most part, devotional practices are skimmed over in all religious practices. This is not a judgment, but a fact. People's live are so vey busy, the world in chaos, so taking time, even a brief few moments for devotional work seems nearly impossible; if not impossible, then the bare minimum is given.

Devotional work is what I feel is closest to Hekate's heart, to all the goddesses' and gods' hearts. We call upon Hekate for all sorts of assistance when we have need, but do we do it just to show honor, reverence, and love? Does every ritual have to be about asking for something? Shouldn't it be about connecting/communing with Her? Can She and any other goddesses and gods be given some of our time without asking for favors? So, in essence, I think Hekate, when petitioned, might very well be asking. "What have you done lately to remember Me? 

This is definitely modern culture, to want, to demand, and yet give nothing in return, or very little, the barest minimum one can get away with.

I also believe that, as a Dianic Feminist witch and priestess, that the treatment of women and children is very close to Her heart. We, the women, generally are the most devoted spiritually, and therefore, the goddesses and gods watch over us and are concerned for us. I am not attributing human qualities to Them, but They need us to remember Them. As the world is a scary place for us, women, the goddesses are concerned. 

None of this may resonate with you, but it is what came to me during my devotions this morning. If it doesn't resonate, that's fine. As I have said before, to each our own practices. I come to this from speaking about devotional work, encouraging it, almost daily with a variety of spiritually-minded people.

Blessings Nine!

Witchy Wordless Wednesday

Blessings nine!

Weekly Oracle

XI Sacred Fire - White Buffalo Calf Woman

Mythical Goddess Tarot

Sage Holloway - author, Katherine Skaggs - artist

White Buffalo Calf Woman presents Herself as our weekly message. She is the Holy One who teaches us to revere Spirit by honoring our Mother Earth. She is the passionate Sacred Fire and came to us in a pillar of light. White Buffalo Calf Woman carries our prayers and hopes into the Spirit World through the smoke of Her peace pipe and Her medallion of the Four Directions. She brings peace, She brings justice, She brings hope.  

This card, XI, is the Justice card in a standard tarot. Most appropriate and comforting considering what has been going on in our world recently. We truly need justice. But it is more than that too, it is hope, it is fiery energy, it is light in the darkness. You can pray or be part of the many workings for justice. White Buffalo Calf Woman's purifying fire consumes evil until it is nothing but ash and is blown away on the winds. So here, we are given hope, right will be done.

However passionate and intense your prayers and workings are, it is alright, it is just, it is as it should be. Do what you will for you have the abilities to do what is necessary, those abilities give you the responsibility to do that which is required of you. Do not be afraid of the naysayers, do not listen to them. Ultimately, the warriors carry flaming swords, torches, the light in the dark, and become the saviors. Not everyone will agree with this, so be it. Do as you must.

Blessings nine!

Witchy Wordless Wednesday

Blessings nine!

Witchy Wordless Wednesday

Witchy Wordless Wednesday

Blessings nine!