#fertility traditions

[maypoleman1]

21st August

Saddleworth Rushbearing Festival

Saddleworth Rushcart. Source: Alamy Stock Photos

In mid August, the Saddleworth Rushbearing Festival takes place in the Tameside villages on the western edge of Saddleworth Moor near Manchester. It is a version of the church rush strewing ceremonies common over the summer, but this one, organised as it is by the local Morris men is a less reverent and more jocular and drunken affair. Two tons of rushes are piled on a cart and then hauled by the dancers, led by a “jockey” holding a large kettle, through the streets of Greenfield, Dobcross and Delph, the procession ending up at St Chad��s Church in Uppermill, where the rushes are strewn on the church floor. The rushcart has however stopped at every pub along the route with the jockey drinking a kettleful of ale each time. Apparently the tradition directly led to a local term for getting drunk - to get ‘kettled’.

Another tradition states that if women of childbearing years touch the rushes while they process, they will conceive within the year, which is possibly linked to pagan good luck and fertility beliefs. Apparently one year the landlady of the Cross Keys in Uppermill , one of the pubs on the route, tempted fate by touching the rushes, allegedly laughing at the superstition. She fell pregnant a couple of months later.

[sofiaruelle]

Would you dance, if i asked you to dance? 😫🫣

A wip for now,,,,

[grand-old-time-prints]

Merry Eostre, for those observing (Visit for more historical art and vintage prints)

[prahacat]

it’s spring, but all he wants to do is sleep

[wis-art]

Hoppas ni får en glad påsk!

[pushing500]

Against all odds, asexual Buckeye and reduced-fertility-gene Magic Man have managed to make a baby! However, because Buckeye is Animakin, she needs to plant the baby in soil... And there is no soil in the ocular forest where Monster's Basin is. Only red sand and red dirt and other nasty red stuff, which apparently doesn't count.

So, we have unexpectedly had to up and move in order to give this new baby the best possible chance of survival! We were hoping to be able to prepare a bit more first, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We'll leave everything behind for the sake of one of our own if we must.

However, moving means it's time for another (rather rushed, I'm afraid) colony tour! Presenting: Monster's Basin!!

Here's the whole thing from above. If I had to describe it in one word, I would say "red".

Here is the central room, the kitchen/dining/ritual room. Next to it, we have two bathrooms and our freezer. Magic Man is already packing some of our human leather kneel sheets, as you can see.

Some bedrooms: Top left is Vasso and Laursen's room, top right is Euclid and Socks' room, bottom left is Dire Wolf and Pro (and formerly Bella's) room, and bottom left is Magic Man, Buckeye, and Dopey the razorjack's bedroom.

We also have a small, utilitarian hospital.

Up above the bedrooms and the main room are our dinosaur museum (we can't go without a dinosaur museum) and our research laboratory. Also a better view of the freezer.

Our farms and a huge stack of red bricks that we'll never get to use.

Here's a nutrient-paste barn that we got from a prefab some traders sold us. Mostly so we could see what it was, but our animals seemed to appreciate it.

Bella's room that she was given when she grew up into an adult, the sauna, and Blackdragon, Duchess, and Night Stalker's room.

The wardrobe, the chemfuel room, the miscellaneous devices room, the hot spring, and the small place where we attempted to plant Buckeye's sapling child before we realised it didn't work in this biome.

Finally, our animal pen/archery range. We were very fond of the moose named All-Powerful (she fell out of the sky), but we'll probably release her into the wild (along with a self-tamed hare and three baby wolfchickens some traders gave us) to help us conserve food on our abrupt journey.

And that concludes the tour of Monster's Basin! I wonder where our caravan will take us. Hopefully, somewhere with plenty of fertile soil for a growing sapling child...

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[pagan-stitches]

From:

Goddess Embroideries of the Northlands by Mary B. Kelly, 2007

Personal library

[witchunderthewillow]

✨My 2025 Manifestation Spell Jar 💚🩷

This year, I decided to make a spell jar for 2025, focusing on focus, prosperity, wealth, abundance and ferrility as my partner and I have decided to try for a child this year.

✨ What I Included:

• Green Salt & Himalayan Salt: For grounding, protection, and growth.

• Our Hair: A personal connection tying my partner and me to this intention.

• Ashes of Sigil Paper: Burned sigils to anchor and activate my desires.

Herbs & Flowers:

• Rose Petals: For love and nurturing energy.

• Basil: For prosperity and abundance.

• Peppermint: For focus and clarity.

• Dandelion Root: For resilience and manifestation.

• Cinnamon Chips: To attract wealth and success.

• Thyme: For courage and focus.

• Sandalwood: For spiritual connection and grounding.

• Ginger Root: To spark action and motivation.

• Juniper Berry: For protection and prosperity.

• Hibiscus Flower & Dried Pomegranate Blossoms: For fertility and creativity.

• Mandrake Root: A powerful symbol of fertility and magical growth.

• Yarrow: For strength and harmony.

• Cedar Tips: To honor life’s cycles and provide protection.

• A Penny (Heads Up): For luck and financial abundance.

• Crystals: Citrine, Carnelian, Green Aventurine, and Moonstone, each contributing their unique energies for prosperity, creativity, passion and focus.

• Lavender Oil: To promote calm and harmony while amplifying the jar’s magic.

✨ Process:

1. Cleansing & Grounding: I cleansed the jar and materials with incense smoke, focusing on clear intentions.

2. Building the Jar: Layer by layer, each ingredient was added with mindful visualization of the energy it brings.

3. Sealing with Wax: Using green and pink candle wax, I sealed the jar, representing growth, prosperity, and love.

✨ Placement & Energy:

I put the jar in a place in my home where I would see it everyday but also has special significance. It serves as a daily reminder of the magic I’m manifesting and the work I’m putting into achieving my goals.

May this jar bring abundance, love, and opportunities not just for me, but for anyone reading who is ready to manifest their dreams. 🌟

[mcromwell]

"Salmon Run"

Is she bringing the salmon up the bank to fertilize the trees, or to eat it? Why not both? 🐟🌲

12"x16" acrylic on reclaimed support

[aworldofpattern]

Miss Universe Philippines 2023, Michelle Marquez Dee, wearing a gown designed with Mark Bumgarner.

The design was inspired by the traditional tattoos of Maria Whang Od Oggay, popularly known as Apo Whang Od (pictured below).

At age 106, she is the oldest tattoo artist, or 'mambabatok', from Kalinga in the Philippines.

[theamenableone]

Amy's belly...

Traditionally, a rounded belly might symbolize fertility and the capacity to nurture life. However, in Amy’s case, the "cum gut" represents an inversion of this theme—her belly grows not because of life within, but because of her consumption of semen, turning the symbol of fertility into one of male worship and servitude.

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Fertility doll of the Asante people, late 1800s-early 1900s, Ghana.

[nickysfacts]

It’s amazing how many meanings one small shell can have!

🌊🐚

[iamn0there-o]

happy gublerween everyone!

here is my man and i :D

[sappy-witch]

🔥🌜 Celebrating Walpurgis Night 🌛🔥

Hello darlings 🥰

As the long, dark winter months come to an end, we welcome the coming of spring and the promise of renewal. One of the most magical nights of the year is Walpurgis Night, a celebration that occurs on the night of April 30th.

Walpurgis Night, also known as Hexennacht or May Eve, is a pagan festival that dates back to ancient times. It was originally a night to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of the planting season. Today, it is a time to embrace the return of light and warmth, and to honor the spirits of nature 🌷✨

To celebrate Walpurgis Night, you can light bonfires, dance around Maypoles, and create beautiful floral wreaths to wear in your hair. It's a night to let go of the old and welcome the new, and to connect with the earth and its cycles.

Some popular ways to celebrate Walpurgis Night include:

🔥 Lighting bonfires or candles to honor the return of the sun.

🌸 Creating floral wreaths and garlands to wear or hang in your home. 

🕯️ Holding a ritual to honor the spirits of nature and ask for their blessings. 

💃 Dancing around a Maypole to celebrate the fertility of the earth.

🌿 Planting seeds or starting a garden to welcome the spring.

Remember, the energy of Walpurgis Night is all about renewal, growth, and new beginnings. Embrace the energy of the season and allow yourself to let go of the old and welcome the new.

If you're celebrating Walpurgis Night this year, be sure to share with the Sappy Witch Coven by submitting your post to connect with other witches and pagans around the world 🥰

———

🌞 If you enjoy my posts, please consider donating to my energies 🌞

✨🔮 Request a Tarot Reading Here 🔮✨

———

With love, from a Sappy Witch 🔮💕

Blessed be. 🕊️✨

[importantkidspyfarm]

Okay, so I just learned of the Victor Noir grave effigy and, very specifically, the tradition around it. It got my Gothic Romance senses a-tingling.

Also, the French. Why are they like that?

Victor was twenty-one when he died. His statue has probably gotten more play than he ever did when he was alive.