#WiseWoman

[jackiebranc]

WITCHES ON THE ROOF No.3

SEE FULL PROJECT -> https://jackiebranc.site/witches-on-the-roof/

[ancestorsalive]

Season of the Witch

- The origins (and places) of the Cailleach

The Cailleach, divine Hag/Crone of Gaelic folklore, is often portrayed as the embodiment of Winter. She is said to appear as the earth is dying, and is known as a bringer of storms. She is said to control the weather and determine the length of Winter and its harshness.

She is also said to be responsible for the formation of many of the country’s most prominent landmarks, and there are probably more geographical and archaeological features on the Irish landscape, that are associated with the Cailleach, than any other character in Irish folklore (see pics for landmarks & associations).

As a creator of the land and controller of the weather, the Cailleach would appear to represent an archetypal sovereignty/land goddess, whose origins may be traced back to Bronze-Age, or even Neolithic cosmologies.

However, despite her presence on the landscape, the Cailleach does not appear in ANY of the Irish literary myths. In fact, most of the traditions we now associate with the Cailleach (such as her association with winter), can only be traced back as far as the late-19th Century Gaelic revival in Scotland, where she features much more prominently than in Irish folklore.

Her earliest appearance in any written form is in an ‘untitled’ poem from a 16th Century manuscript (though its language suggests some of it was written at a much earlier date - possibly 10th Century) which, after it was first translated in 1899, has come to be known as ‘The Lament of the Old Woman of Beare’.

In the poem, the woman (name unknown) describes herself as an aging Queen of the Beara Peninsula in southwest Ireland; lamenting the passing of her youth and the riches and attention that went with it. The poem’s essentially christian narrative holds no hope of redemption or regeneration for the the old woman or the ‘old ways’ that she seems to represent.

Although the poem is untitled, the original introduction line reads… “Sentainne Bérri Cecenit íarna senad don chríni” (The Old Woman of Beare said this when senility had aged her).

The Old-Irish word ‘Sentainne’ meaning ‘Old-Woman’ would come to be replaced in later Middle-Irish with the word ‘Caillech’ - which in Old-Irish means “the veiled one” (specifically a ‘Nun’) but by the 10th Century, had come to signify any woman beyond childbearing years (which was OLD in those days).

The Old Irish ‘caillech’ ('veiled one'), from Old Irish ‘caille’ (‘veil/cloak’) is generally thought to be a loan-word from the Latin ‘pallium/palli(i)’ meaning ‘cover’ or ‘cloak’ (usually in reference to religious vestments - hence the 'nun' translation).

If so, this would make the Cailleach a ‘relative’ newcomer (etymologically speaking), which has led many medievalist academics to propound that she is an early-medieval folk figure rather than an ancient divinity (no surprise there !). . . However, this could be yet another ��folk-etymology’ - where the meaning of a word changes due to a popular misconception regarding its origins.

Classical writings indicate that the “Cailleach” may have been known as early as the 5th Century BC; in the area known today as Galicia, which gets its name from a Celtic tribe known as the Callaeci. This tribe on the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula were first named as the ‘Kallaikoi’ by the Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th Century BC; before being Latinised by Roman writers to ‘Callaeci’ in the 2nd Century BC - a name which Ptolemy suggested as meaning ‘worshippers of the Callaec’.

Interestingly, in Spanish folklore, another name for Galicia is "Terra Meiga" (Land of the Witches).

Given that recent archaeological, linguistic and genetic evidence points to a migration into Ireland by ‘Proto-Indo European/Proto-Celtic’ speakers during the Bronze-Age (c.2000 BCE); rather than the traditional view of a later migration of ‘Celtic/Old Irish’ speakers during the Iron-Age, (c.500-100 BCE): It seems unlikely that the word(s) ’caillech/caille’ would be ‘borrowed’ from Latin into Irish at such a late date.

Both Italic (Latin) and Celtic (Irish) are closely related branches of the Indo-European language family; with both languages diverging from the original Proto Indo-European (PIE) language sometime after 2000BCE (The similarity between the Celtic & Italic languages has even led some scholars to believe that there was a Proto Italo-Celtic language spoken prior to their divergence from each other).

Therefore, it now seems likely that the word ‘caille’ derives directly from the PIE root word, *kel- meaning ‘to conceal/hide/cover’.

However. *kel- is also the root of another PIE word - *Kolyo - meaning ‘the coverer’, which is thought to describe a (hypothetical) goddess who is half maiden / half grotesque, governing the realm of death, but also the life which is sustained by death… sound familiar?

It is therefore possible that the modern Cailleach is a variation of this ancient female deity/character (*Kolyo), brought here in the Bronze Age by the same Indo-European speakers, from whom the peoples of Ireland and Scotland are descended ?

- Jane Brideson

The Labbacallee (Hag’s Bed) Wedge Tomb in Co. Cork is said to be another of the Cailleach’s dwellings; which in this instance, she shared with her husband, the druid Mog Roith. Local folklore tells us that during an argument, a huge rock lying in the nearby river was thrown by the Cailleach at her fleeing husband, pinning him to the riverbed. . .

[frommoon2moon]

Moon To Moon; Crone

[thatrevertmarwah]

[antrumpythiae]

The Oracle of Delphi, a city in Phocis, was the most famous oracular centre in Greece, and it had established itself on all other oracles since the VII century BC. It was located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, and had originated from the killing by Apollo of the monstrous snake Python, which had been once placed there to guard a sacred source. According to the myth, Apollo then installed the Phythian sanctuary and ordered that a virgin, the Phythia, uttered prophecies inspired by the divine exalations coming up from a crack in the ground, believed to be the very point where the Universe was born from. The pilgrims were admitted one by one inside the temple of Apollo. First, however, they had to purify themselves with the water from the source Castalia - just as Apollo himself had done after killing the Python - pay a tax and offer a goat as sacrifice to the god. From that moment the pilgrims were ready to meet the Phythia who, in the innermost cell of the temple, hidden from the gaze of men, was sitting on a high three-legged stool, the tripod, placed over the crack from which water from the Cassiotis sprung, along with psychoactive exalations. Originally the Phythia was a young virgin: later, a woman of older age was chosen, and she would live inside the sanctuary and observe rigorous chastity. Like the pilgrims, the Phythia also underwent a ceremony before uttering the response of the god Apollo: she would drink water from the Cassiotis source, chew some laurel leaves and absorbe the vapors that rose from some fissures in the ground and that would put her in a state of trance. The more or less intelligible sounds that came out of her mouth were reformulated by the priests often with ambiguous words: the risk of being contradicted by future events could definitively compromise the prestige of the Phythia. Therefore any wrong responses were attributed to the inability of the priests to understand the oracle, rather than the inability of the Phythia to predict the future. #oracle #oracleofdelphi #meditation #grounding #divination #scrying #oldworldwitchcraft #oldwalnuttree #oldreligion #witch #witchesofinstagram #wildwomanrising #wisewoman #witchywoman (presso Δελφοί (Delphi)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB_5rtKqGLE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thejaggedpoisonpath]

Butterfly Pea Flower tincture⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ This flower is known to enhance memory, cognition, & intelligence. ⠀⠀⠀ This tincture is used as a calmative /anxiolytic to reduce stress and anxiety, and also as an anti-depressant, anti-convulsant, and anti-inflammatory. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Butterfly Pea flowers have been shown to contain anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, diuretic, and analgesic properties, as well as proving beneficial as a local anesthetic, insecticidal, anti-diabetic, vascular smooth muscle relaxer, and blood platelet aggregation inhibitor. ⠀⠀⠀ Butterfly pea flower helps to maintain healthy eyesight, due to the anti-oxidant proanthocyanidin. ⠀⠀⠀ Butterfly pea flower is effective in preventing cataracts and glaucoma, treating retinal damage, reducing watery eyes and blurred vision, improving night vision, and soothing inflamed eyes. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Another traditional is to promote the growth of dark, lustrous, thick hair, as it is able to combat hair loss and restore hair color, as it is rich in bioflavonoids (found in products that stimulate hair growth). Butterfly pea flower revitalizes and nourishes not only hair but also skin. ⠀ ⠀⠀ The anti-oxidants increase the collagen and elasticity of the skin cells, therefore helping to reduce premature wrinkles and other signs of skin aging. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Butterfly pea flower is considered an aphrodisiac for women, & also used for problems associated with menstruation.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Very relaxing and grounding when used for meditation purposes.⠀⠀ *Statements not reviewed by the FDA. Information not meant to take the place of medical advice. *⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ #butterflypeaflower #thejaggedpath #apothecary #bruja #lefthandpath #queerfemaleowned #poisonpath #wisewoman #newyear (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmyqRz0rp7p/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[penningthoughts]

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Wise counsel!!!

[theloulouge]

Reminder Reflections 206

“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” – Maya Angelou

[theghostofdash]

The Wise woman Watercolour

April 9 2019

[magdalene-spirit]

Shaming is Control 🗡️

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—

When you are shamed

In front of others

Someone wants to control you

To take possession of your precious life-force

And direct it for you

To decide for you

Where it must go

Soon your innate creativity

And deep body wisdom

Will be collapsed

Next time your innate

Body wisdom ‘speaks’

Through the Mother Tongue

Of sensation

To warn you of danger

Around you in the intent of other people towards you

You can no longer hear Her voice

You have been shut down, numbed and collapsed by strategic, systemic shaming

You can no longer adequately respond to danger

And instead you override

Your knowing and push forward

Your boundaries have been violated

Now you can no longer tell

Where & who you are

You feel lost

You feel empty

You can’t feel your own

True vibration of being

Your inner warning system

Has been corrupted

Now your natural response

To avoid what is wrong for you

Can be medicalised

As social anxiety etc.

And you can get some pills

To push you forward

To deplete your inner life-force

To use your inner life force

Pursuing things that are not

Really true for you

That are not of the Soul

The Self within

You have been tricked

Into abandoning yourself

Into self-betrayal & self-sabotage

You have betrayed the true creative Soul life, to build the life, from the inside out that is true for you

#socialanxiety #shame #wisewomen #wisewoman #wisdom #bodywisdom #wisewomentradition #awarebody #bodyawareness #sophia

[plantbasedmimi3]

Just a woman wifing, mothering, evolving + finding balance 🤍🌱

#wisewomanera

[daphnedarko]

She’s the calm, the storm, & the equilibrium.

I’ve always found myself in storms, but I tended to resonate in a melancholic manner. Rain, thunder, lightning— they were expressions of my deep emotional nature. However, like most inherent feminine qualities, being “too emotional” felt like a burden to me; like a flaw. In reality, this is just another fallacy women are made to believe. When our emotional nature is understood and cultivated, it is undoubtedly a superpower.

[amybrownmastiffstudios]

Four surreal images by Amy Brown. Shop online at Amy-Brown.pixels.com Surreal images by Amy Brown of Mastiff Studios. #surrealartcollector #surrealism #womanpirate #pirate #skullpainting #pheonix #wisewoman #watercolorpainting #mixedmediaart (at Mastiff Studios) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKRrGhLMt-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[teatoast-n-tarot]

#libra #tarot #tarotcardsoftheday #tarotdailymessage #tarotcard #tarotday #circe #triplegoddess #tarottribe #signs #seeingbeyond #spiritualpath #gift #oldways #wisewoman #higherconciousness #communicate #thoughts #mystic #themind #themoon #metaphysics #natural #supreme #subconscious #enlightenment #triotrebletribe #blessed #asabovesobelow #somoteitbe (at Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoJ6LRUMlLs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[yanathemystic]

The part in life when you realize it’s more important to listen to your inner voice rather then listening to everyone else >>>>

[thejaggedpoisonpath]

Welcome to all my new followers & my longtime patrons, too! I'm Bobbi - the Witch behind everything that is, The Jagged Path - a Queer, woman owned small business.⠀ What is The Jagged Path?⠀⠀⠀ My specialty is Traditional Witches Flying Ointments & oils. I organically grow my own Baneful plants and other herbs/plants. I also grow/work with Lotus flowers, Fly Agaric, Klip Dagga, Stramonium, Opium Lettuce, Ghost Pipe, Brugmansia, plus many more traditional herbs.⠀ ⠀⠀ I offer tinctures, flower essences, Anointing oils, Spagyrics, Herbal Smoke Blends, herbal teas, & Folk Medicines. I also offer spell work/ritual services.⠀ US based; free shipping. ⠀ ⠀ I focus on vegan friendly/gluten-free. No beeswax, & no fragrance enhancers of any kind. I practice as traditionally as possible, including my preparation methods. No heat used; each oil macerates at least 30 days, in a dark, cool location, hand shaken each day. I use the percolation method in my tincture/spagyric preparation. ⠀⠀⠀⠀ I use recycled/recyclable packaging & reusable bottles & tins. Products always made in small batches. ⠀⠀⠀⠀ I'm an herbalist of more than 23 yrs, with a decades + long focus on traditional Witches Baneful plants & Flying Ointments. ⠀⠀ The testimonial page on my website speaks for itself.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Check out my 🕸site, social media pages, & my Patre0n. ⠀⠀⠀ #thejaggedpath #poisonpath #queerowned #meetthemaker #wisewoman #flyingointment #bruja #curandera #smallbusinessbigdreams (at Galveston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm2eBriraAP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=