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Blessings on Tyr’s Day.

Be the justice the world seeks,

Speak with honour

And let your deeds

Clothe those words;

Be the water in the dry place,

The dawn where daybreak is long due,

The bulwark against the encroaching horde;

Though you be but one,

One alone, stand.

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The world is immense and the Gods are supremely powerful. Every time I think about this, my problems feel a little easier to beat!

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"Gunnar defending his home." What a guy

"Gunnar looks back at his home" - Njáls Saga (Andreas Bloch, 1898)

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"Gunnar looks back at his home" - Njáls Saga (Andreas Bloch, 1898)

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Celebrating Imbolc as a solitary practitionner

You'll find that some of these ideas wander a little outside your typical Imbolc rituals, as I've included many of my own experiences alongside your more traditional practices!

Baking sweets or bread! Oatcakes, honey cakes, scones, herb bread (bonus points for use of rosemary), and lamb are among my favorite Imbolc dishes. Anything herb, oat, dairy, or honey is typical.

Cleaning your home, coupled with cleansing of the rooms and objects of your choice.

Make yourself a nice cup of tea! Lavender and chamomile tea are staples. Bonus: sweeten it using honey and milk, both traditional ingredients of the season.

Learn about the Goddess Brigid! I'm a heathen, but I've always found it rewarding and fulfilling to learn about other mythologies and deities of other pantheons! You'll find the myth of Brigid is tightly intertwined with the celebration of Imbolc, and understanding one leads to a better understanding of the other.

Decorating with white, blue, red and gold! Lambs, the moon, corn dolls, fire, brooms, sunwheels, eggs, candles, and snowdrops are imagery associated with this celebration.

Work with the moon, or with a moon deity that you worship.

Making or decorating candles, and crafting Brigid's crosses.

Enjoy a glass of milk! Feel free to flavor it using honey, blackberry syrup or leaves, chamomile, or elderflower! (Important note: elder flowers, not berries or other parts of the elder plant, which are poisnonous when uncooked.) Bonus points if you enjoy an apple alongside it! I've taken to making apple quarters to eat when night has fallen on February 1st.

Make a list of elements of your life that you would like to see "grow"! What are your current ambitions? What projects do you want to see bear fruit?

Start a knitting project, or learn how to knit! Making a cloak, referred to as Brigid's mantle, is a common way to honor the Goddess Brigid.

Visit a local body of water, especially springs! They are the perfect spot to notice the end of winter, when their ice begins to melt. It's common practice to make pebble offerings to bodies of water, in order to thank the earth for its gift of sweet water.

Make an offering to the faerie folk (for example, milk and biscuits), or start learning how to work with them.

Acquire a new house plant, or even better: sow a seed for a new plant to grow in your home!

Work with the element of fire, for example, by practicing fire-based magic, by lighting candles in the house, or by lighting a bonfire/hearth fire.

Play calm music, especially harp music!

Appreciate the quiet and calm of nighttime, for example, by leaving your home in the dark once the sun sets, and lighting it up with nothing but candles as a symbol of the returning sun.

Reading or reciting poetry! Especially poetry pertaining to the night, winter, spring, nature and the like. Feeling inspired? Why not try writing some poetry yourself!

First picture Second picture: Spring by Ruth Sanderson

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I saw that this picture, which I made some years ago, has been reposted without my approval by another account on this website, for an informational post about Imbolc. I'm not the type to call out people for these types of reasons, but I want to make it clear that I don't appreciate people using the pictures that I make/take without my consent.

Late Imbolc aesthetic

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Just devotedly posting about the Gods, don't mind me!

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Thought and memory are his weapon and shield. His name, like a prayer, spoken after war when the ashes have fallen. Having gone to the roots of the earth, digging for life, seeking the strength to survive, he has grasped truth in his holy hands. None would defy that which has become infinite: the One-Eye reaches across the worlds, beyond all that is know. Eras are made and unmade under his command. Mountains leveled, heroes born, justice rendered, lives lived, under the eye of the supreme teacher. All that is seen and all that is done, weaved into a web, a testament to his rule. Every hardship overcome, a tribute to his light. Let his wisdom inspire and soothe. When all has quieted, the sun has set on the world and silence rules once more, he alone will listen still.

The fountain of wisdom statue in Thale

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Illustrations from Our Father's God Saga by John Bauer (1911)

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It's been snowing for more than two days now, and we'll hit some -30°C temperatures some time this week! This is the coziest period of the year, when it's blissful to curl up inside and reflect. Have you all had a nice winter so far? Have any of you celebrated Yule, or the winter solstice? Let me hear about your celebrations! Let's share!

(Picture taken on this week’s hike)

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The Norns: Urðr, Verðandi and Skuld, by C.E. Brock for The Heroes of Asgard by Annie and Eliza Keary (1930).

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Full pic of my Aphrodite altar <3

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the trees you grew up with have not forgotten you. their branches still whisper your name in the breeze and their roots remember the paths your feet once traced through their shade.

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When people are like, "The gods won't help you with your problem! They're too important and busy for that!" I gotta wonder why they think people bothered interacting with deities in the past in the first place.

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January Magic Correspondences

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January is a month of new beginnings, a time to set intentions and welcome the fresh energy of the new year. It's a time of renewal, reflection, and planning for the journey ahead. This month is about honoring the transition from the old year to the new, letting go of what no longer serves us, and focusing on the goals and desires you want to manifest in the coming months. January is also the month dedicated to Janus, the Roman god of transitions, beginnings, and endings. He stands at the threshold, looking both to the past and the future, offering guidance as we move through change and growth. As the keeper of doors and gates, Janus helps us cross into new phases of life, making this the perfect time to reflect on what we want to leave behind and what we want to invite in. I think it's a great time to take advantage of the energy of the month by setting clear intentions, practicing gratitude, and creating space for both rest and action as we prepare for the journey ahead.

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Celebrations:

New Year’s Day – January 1

Planets:

Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Flowers:

Crocus, Snowdrops, Angelica

Herbs/Plants:

Marjoram, Thyme, Pine Cones, Holly, Thistle, Sage, Juniper

Tarot Cards:

The Fool, The World, The Hermit

Fruits:

Apples, Pomegranates, Oranges

Vegetables:

Turnips, Potatoes, Onions

Deities:

Janus, Freyja, Cailleach, Hecate, Inanna, Hera, Pax, Venus, Saturn, Hestia, the Camenae, Sarasvati, Chang’o

Colors:

White, Blue, Black, Gray, Silver, Purple

Runes:

Berkana, Eihwaz, Isa, Perthro, Sowilo, Uruz

Crystals:

Garnet, Onyx, Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Blue Lace Agate, Snow Obsidian, Moonstone, Labradorite

Animals:

Bear, Fox, Snow Owl, Wolf, Snow Goose, Blue Jay, Coyote, Pheasants, Ox

Trees:

Birch, Rowan, Pine, Cedar

Symbols:

Snowflakes, Owls, Snow, Ice, Wolf, Apples, Stars, Evergreen Wreaths, Keys

Magical Powers:

New beginnings, transitions, connection to the higher self, removing negativity, blocking negative energy, manifestation, protection, purification, rebirth of the light, shadow work, setting new goals, introspection, correcting mistakes, reflection, spiritual growth

ACTIVITIES TO DO

❄ now that the new year has started, set goals and dreams you want to accomplish this year

❄ collect snow to make snow water

❄ do yoga and meditation

❄ start learning more about different topics, especially related to witchcraft

❄ connect with nature

❄ collect pine cones and place them on your altar

❄ make puzzles

❄ start new projects

❄ perform spells for new beginnings

❄ create vision boards for what you want to attract this year

❄ connect with winter deities

❄ read the books you never finished

❄ rest and stay cozy by the fireplace

❄ drink lots of tea, cocoa, or mulled wine

❄ bake biscuits or gingerbread

❄ go ice skating

❄ spend time in the snow

❄ release what no longer serves you

❄ celebrate Handel Monday

❄ start a journal

❄ prepare for Imbolc or Candlemas

❄ burn bay leaves to make your wishes come true

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gifs from pinterest

tipjar☃️

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Truly terrible!

A new favorite classic illustration: "A chorus of foxes approve Loki stealing cakes from a nearby farmhouse", C.E. Brock, 1930.

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My favorite classic depictions of Yngvi-Freyr

Frey mounts the height of Hlidskjalf, Katharine Pyle (1930)

Sir Edward Cooley Burne-Jones (1881)

Freyr exchanges his sword for Gerd, Lorenz Frølich (1895)

The Lovesickness of Frey, W.G. Collingwood ( (1908)

Freyr Riding Gullinbursti, Ludwig Pietsch (1865)

Lorenz Frølich (1845)

Freyr and Skirnir, Carl Emil Doepler, Sr. (1876)

Freyr rides to the wood Barri to meet Gerda, C.E. Brock (1930)

Carl Emil Doepler (1905)

Alexander Zick (1901)

Freyr Sitting on Odin's Seat, Maria Klugh (1909)

Freyr and Gerd, Lorenz Frølich (1885)

Freyr, Ruler of Alfheim - Freyr and the Elves, C.E. Brock (1930)

Freyr seated on the throne of Odin, E. E. Speight (1903)

Freyr and Freyja, Donn T. Crane (1920)