#otherworld aromas

[otherworld-aromas]

| There is no prize to perfection. Only an end to pursuit. |

Product spotlight for our scented candle and fragrance oil products inspired by Viktor from 'Arcane'!

Scented with the smell of petrichor and sweet myrrh (opoponax), this fragrance feels both grounded and ethereal, in equal parts a stroll through the city after a long bout of rain and an afternoon down by the River Pilt: fresh, earthy, fragrant. Every time I think of the character of Viktor, or rewatch his development from the very start of Season 1 all the way to the climax and resolution of Season 2, I can't help but find myself think back to those scenes of Viktor as a young boy, testing out his mechanical boat in the tributaries of the River Pilt. They feel so full of wonder and a sort of serenity, even amidst the wariness of disappearing further into the cave systems of the undercity. I found myself influenced greatly by that as I came up with our scent for Viktor.

[zenithangelic]

Pieces of Us (Henry Townshend x Eileen Galvin):

TW: PTSD mentions

After surviving the horrors of Room 302, Henry and Eileen struggle to move on from the trauma that haunts them both. As they spend more time together, they slowly realise that healing isn't something they have to face alone—and that, in the quiet moments between, they might find something deeper than friendship.

Henry Townshend is sitting at his apartment window again, staring out at the muted grey sky over South Ashfield Heights. It's been months since they escaped Walter Sullivan's horrific world—since the room had gone back to being just a room. The once oppressive chains are gone from his door, the windows open without a fight, and the heavy silence that once enveloped the apartment has lifted. It's peaceful now, quiet, even normal.

But nothing is normal anymore.

He takes a deep breath, the air outside feeling slightly crisper as autumn creeps in. Every day he wakes up and wonders if it'll be different, if the memories of Room 302 will fade like a bad dream. They haven’t. If anything, they linger like a persistent fog that refuses to dissipate. Henry rubs his temple, trying to ease the familiar ache that’s settled behind his eyes. Eileen’s been on his mind a lot lately—more than usual.

He hasn’t seen her much since the hospital, where she was recovering from her injuries. She had made it out alive, but just barely. Walter’s obsession, the rituals, the otherworld—it almost took her from him. He doesn’t allow himself to dwell on how close he came to losing her.

His phone rings, breaking the quiet. For a moment, he hesitates, staring at it on the table. No one ever calls him. It feels surreal, like the sound itself shouldn’t belong in this space anymore, this apartment. But he picks up.

“Hello?” His voice is soft, cautious.

"Hey, Henry.” Her voice on the other end sends a rush of something through him—relief, maybe, or something warmer that he tries not to name.

“Eileen,” he says, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He leans back in his chair, feeling some of the tension in his shoulders dissipate.

“I was wondering… are you busy? I—um, I thought maybe we could meet up? I’ve been thinking a lot about, well, everything. You know?” She sounds unsure, hesitant. Eileen has always been that way, unsure of her footing around him ever since the nightmare ended. She was always the talkative one, bright and warm, but now there’s this distance.

Henry knows why.

"Yeah, of course. I’m not doing anything. Where do you want to meet?"

There’s a pause, and he can hear her breathing on the other line. It's strange, how intimate such a small sound can be.

"How about my place? I’ve kind of… fixed it up a little since, well, you know.” She laughs, but it’s forced, and Henry feels a knot form in his stomach.

“Yeah. I’ll be there soon.”

After they hang up, Henry stands, his legs heavy as he crosses the apartment. The hallway is long, far too long for such a small space. It’s his mind playing tricks on him again. He grabs his jacket, running his fingers along the fabric, and steps out the door. His steps are measured, slow, as he makes his way down the corridor.

Eileen’s apartment is just down the hall, and when Henry knocks, it’s only a few seconds before she opens the door. She smiles at him, but there’s a flicker of something in her eyes—something that she’s trying to hide.

“Hey, come on in,” she says, stepping aside to let him enter.

He walks in and is greeted by the familiar scent of her place, something warm and floral, mixed with the faint aroma of coffee. Eileen’s apartment feels more alive than his. There are small decorations, a framed photo of her with friends on the wall, and a few candles burning on a table by the window. It’s cozy, but he knows it must feel different for her now.

They sit on her couch, an awkward silence settling between them as Eileen fiddles with the hem of her shirt, glancing over at him every now and then. Henry watches her, trying to find the right words to say, but nothing feels adequate. What do you say after something like that? After being hunted, nearly killed? After watching someone you care about suffer?

Finally, it’s Eileen who breaks the silence.

"Do you think about it? What happened to us?" she asks, her voice quiet. She’s not looking at him, her gaze instead focused on the small candle flame flickering in front of them.

"Every day," Henry replies honestly.

Eileen’s hands tremble slightly as she smooths her skirt. “I—I can’t stop thinking about it either. I thought maybe after some time, it’d go away, you know? That it would feel like a nightmare, like something that wasn’t real. But it doesn’t. I still dream about it.”

Henry understands that. The dreams, the memories—they come uninvited. He still wakes up in the middle of the night, hearing the faint echo of chains dragging on the floor, the low hum of Walter’s voice reciting something terrible. His hands instinctively flex, remembering the weight of the axe he had carried, the desperation of fighting to survive.

"I don’t think it ever really goes away," Henry says softly, turning his gaze to her. "But maybe… maybe it’ll get easier."

Eileen’s eyes finally meet his, and there’s a sadness there that he wishes he could take away. She was always so strong, even when her body was battered and broken. She never stopped moving, never gave up. But now, sitting beside her, he can see the toll it’s taken.

“I feel… different,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “Like something inside me changed. Like I’ll never be the same.”

"You’re not," Henry says, surprising himself with how firm his voice sounds. Eileen blinks at him, a question in her eyes, and he continues, "We’re not the same people we were before. How could we be? But that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. We survived, Eileen. We made it."

She looks at him for a long moment, and something in her expression shifts. It's like the weight of his words hits her all at once, and for the first time since they escaped that nightmare, Henry sees her eyes soften with something that isn’t fear or sadness.

"You're right," she says, her voice steadying. “We did make it. But I don’t know how to move forward from here. I don’t even know where to start.”

Henry exhales, a long breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. He doesn't know either. They’ve both been living in this strange limbo, caught between their old lives and the horror that reshaped them. But maybe they don’t have to figure it out all at once. Maybe just sitting here, talking, is a start.

"One step at a time," he says quietly. "We can figure it out together."

Eileen’s lips curl into a small, tentative smile, and she nods.

-----

They fall into an easy routine after that night. Eileen visits his apartment sometimes, and Henry goes over to hers. They talk about everything and nothing, sometimes laughing about things that would’ve seemed impossible to find humour in before. And other times, they sit in silence, lost in their own thoughts, but never really alone. 

Henry finds comfort in Eileen’s presence, in the way she can fill the space with her energy, even when she’s quiet. There’s something about her that makes him feel grounded, like maybe he doesn’t have to carry the weight of what happened all on his own.

One night, as they’re sitting together on his couch, the topic of Walter Sullivan comes up again. It’s inevitable, really. They’ve skirted around it for weeks, but the weight of it lingers in the air between them.

“I don’t understand him,” Eileen says, her voice soft but steady. "I don’t understand how someone could become… that."

Henry nods, staring at the ceiling. Walter’s face flashes in his mind—the twisted obsession, the madness that had consumed him. He’d killed so many, destroyed so much, all in the name of something Henry still doesn’t fully grasp.

"I don’t think we’re meant to understand," Henry replies. "Not really. He was—he was broken."

Eileen leans her head back against the couch, sighing deeply. "I guess you’re right. But it still haunts me, you know? The way he looked at me. Like I wasn’t even a person, just… just part of his plan."

Henry clenches his fists at his sides, the memory of Walter’s gaze—cold and calculating—settling like a stone in his chest. He had watched Walter hunt Eileen, torment her, and it had ignited something inside him that he didn’t even know he was capable of feeling. 

"I hated him," Henry admits quietly. "I still do."

Eileen’s eyes widen slightly at his words, and Henry can feel the raw edge of the confession hanging in the air. He’s never been the type to feel such strong emotions, let alone express them. But this… this was different. Walter had pushed him to a place he never thought he’d go.

"I did too," Eileen says after a long pause.

 "But I also… I also feel sorry for him."

Henry frowns, looking at her in confusion. Eileen bites her lip, as if unsure how to explain herself.

"I don’t know," she continues. "He was so lost, so… alone. I mean, think about it. All he ever knew was pain, right? No one cared about him. And in some twisted way, I think he believed that what he was doing was right. That it would fix everything."

Henry doesn’t know how to respond to that. He doesn’t feel any sympathy for Walter—he can’t. But he can see the sadness in Eileen’s eyes, the way she wrestles with her own emotions about the man who nearly destroyed her.

"I guess we’re both a little broken," she says with a sad smile, "in different ways."

Henry looks at her, his chest tightening at the sight of her vulnerability. He reaches out, hesitating for only a moment before placing his hand over hers. It’s a small gesture, but it’s enough.

"You’re not broken," he says softly. "Neither of us are."

Eileen blinks at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Then what are we, Henry?"

Henry doesn’t have the answer to that. All he knows is that sitting here, with her hand in his, things don’t feel quite as heavy. The weight of the past, of Walter, of everything—it’s still there, but it’s bearable.

"I don’t know," he admits. "But we’re alive. And that has to mean something."

Eileen squeezes his hand, her smile returning, and this time it feels real.

-----

Months pass, and winter settles over Ashfield like a thick blanket, cold and unyielding. But inside their apartments, it’s warm, comfortable, almost… safe.

Henry finds himself spending more and more time with Eileen, and something unspoken grows between them—something that neither of them is ready to name. But it’s there, in the way she looks at him, in the way he lingers a little too long when they say goodbye, in the way his heart feels lighter whenever she’s around.

One evening, as they sit together by the window in his apartment, watching the snow fall outside, Eileen turns to him, her voice quiet but determined.

"Henry," she says, "I’ve been thinking… about us."

Henry’s heart skips a beat, and he meets her gaze, unsure of where this is going but already knowing what he feels.

"We’ve been through so much," she continues, "and I know we’re still healing, but I… I don’t want to keep pretending that this—whatever this is—doesn’t mean something."

Henry opens his mouth to respond, but the words catch in his throat. He’s never been good with this kind of thing, with feelings, with expressing what’s in his heart. But he can’t deny what’s between them anymore, either.

"I care about you, Henry," Eileen says, her voice trembling slightly. "More than I ever thought I would. And I’m scared, because I don’t know what comes next. But I do know that I want you in my life. Not just as someone who survived this with me, but as… something more."

Henry’s chest tightens, and for a moment, he’s overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that her words bring. He’s been so afraid to let himself feel this, to let himself hope for something good after everything they’ve been through. But sitting here, with Eileen looking at him with such vulnerability and honesty, he knows he can’t run from it anymore.

"I care about you too," he finally says, his voice soft but steady. "More than I ever thought I could."

Eileen smiles, a bright, genuine smile that lights up her whole face, and Henry feels something shift inside him. The weight of the past, of Walter, of the horrors they endured—it’s still there, but it’s not as heavy as it once was.

They sit in silence for a while, watching the snow fall, their hands intertwined. It’s not perfect—it never will be—but it’s enough.

♡If you liked this fic, please consider buying me a coffee! Ko-fi ♡

[thelivingautomaton]

hello time of wheelies, i am still livetweeting the books but i am now done with book 2 and figured you all might want an update, the most important being: y'all were right about the religious freaks with coffee, good god

yeah so let's start there with the seanchan because hooooooooly fuck

literally every time any of the seanchan are on the page i just sat there open-mouthed going "oh my god these guys are such FREAKS". but it's also so galaxy brained of robert jordan to introduce another antagonistic faction but have them be completely unconnected to the ongoing battle of dark vs light + unrelated to all the other factions in the setting?

and all the insane details about their culture. the nails! the blood! the insect-like armor! THE GROLM? (they're dimension-hopping colonizers????) also i only picked up on it b/c i was on the lookout but when lord turak is talking about "caf" and saying that the aroma is almost better than the taste, i literally sat up and yelled THOSE FUCKS HAVE COFFEE

for real though it is so unbelievably funny/based for rj to be like, okay, the prophesied last battle between the forces of good and evil is about to take place, world-shattering apocalypse, make or break. meanwhile, some guys from across the ocean are gonna invade and Do A Colonialism.

also, the damane? UNBELIEVABLY fucked on every conceptual level. special shoutout to renna's cloyingly patronizing treatment of egwene though, that shit actually made my stomach churn. (also also, shoutout to nynaeve for immediately seeing the damane/sul'dam/a'dam for what they are and reacting with the extremest revulsion when she has to put the bracelet on, love u bb girl <3)

kinda wanted at least one comedic interaction in the battle of falme where a bunch of seanchan soldiers run into The Actual Ghost Of Artur Hawkwing and lose their shit though. actually i thought it was soooooo funny as a narrative choice to have the horn blown but you barely see what happens in the big clash on the ground cos you're in rand's pov and he's too busy fighting ba'alzamon in a giant laser light show in the sky

(i still. don't really understand how that worked exactly but WHATEVER, it's fine. sad about the heron blade though ;-; but at least rand got to "prove" he has/had the right to it beforehand when he defeated turak. without channeling, even! which makes it 5x more badass)

also i thought it was interesting that by around the midway point of the book you have the pov characters dealing with three different factions whose way of doing things seems strange and alien: the seanchan, the aiel, and the cairhien nobles with the great game. just thought it was an interesting parallel

also, rand trying his best to Not Participate in the great game and just getting pulled in deeper was never not funny, sorry not sorry. rand and co infiltrating barthanes's mansion to try and grab the horn and the dagger was Peak D&D Heist energy and i loved it

the other big thing that had me losing my shit was surprise! parallel dimensions

LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK. the moment that the realization hit that the washed-out otherworld that rand/hurin/loial found themselves in was an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE where artur hawkwing didn't defeat the trollocs, i fucking went crazy. and then loial talking about the excerpt from "mirrors of the wheel" and going on about worlds that are shadows of the real world! i was hooting and hollering and going "this is just like chronicles of amber" (which i highly recommend for y'all, VERY different vibe compared to wheel of time but they're super fun and you'll love them if you like the whack-ass stealthy sci-fi/genre blends in WOT)

and then the escalation to rand actively trying to use the stone and flickering through countless permutations of his own life? utterly fucking bananas. also: unbearably tragic! literally what if you lived out hundreds of versions of your life but despite the seemingly-infinite choices open to you, they all really boil down to one choice: play the role that's meant for you and be doomed by the narrative, or don't play and be doomed anyways. like. FUCK

robert jordan i am begging you to give me more insane alternate realities for your made up fantasy universe, i am begging you for more insane creepy shit like the otherworld being devoid of people and all the color washed out since it's a "weak reflection", it is SO GOOD

this is tangentially related but: i knew who """selene""" really was going in, but i did NOT know her introduction in the books was this fucking batshit, and also that she comes across as literally the shadiest motherfucker alive. "oooh, here i am in my pretty white dress being attacked by a beast, come save me! no i don't know how i got here, i was just riding! don't mind how i know a surprisingly specific amount about the portal stones! you're my hero! you can blow the horn and be a great man!" unironically i love her so much for this scheme, and how it plays off so well vs rand's insistence that he's just a shepherd + his starting to settle into the position of "lord" and/or "dragon"

but fr though i think this conflict is sooooo interesting as a central narrative theme, i.e. the choice to seek out glory and heroism for its own sake vs taking it upon yourself as your duty because there's no one else who can vs running away from that duty and responsibility. "We may be a poor pair of heroes, but we are what there is." "It was not what I was made for, but all was breaking apart, and they were alone, and I was all they had." everything with rand feeling the "threads" of his duties and "death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain" and the idea of choosing to sheathe the blade in yourself when the moment comes. and how that ties in with ingtar's final choice and his sacrifice!

it's all about the CHOICE!!! this is literally me irl rn:

oh my god what else. i loved getting so much more detail on the aes sedai (who are basically underfunded academics constantly squabbling among their respective departments, i have decided) and how channeling works/feels. (the parallel between the girls imagining saidar as a flower vs rand feeling saidin as the flame and void with a sickly light in it. chef's kiss!!! but also, rand simultaneously craving saidin and being sickened by it? chewing glass about it, nbd) verin mathwin aka The Aes Sedai Ever is unbelievably great. a lot of this book felt like buildup so i'm hype for things to start popping off, especially now that rand has apparently accepted the mantle of dragon. these books are crazy and i love them

[ayeshaspakolkata]

Full body spa massage parlour - centre in Kolkata @ 999 only

Full-body massage establishments have sprung up as havens of calm and renewal in the midst of Kolkata's hectic pace of life. Locals and visitors alike appreciate these centers as a peaceful respite from the city's hectic pace.

The goal of Kolkata's full-body massage parlors is to provide tranquil escapes from the city's hectic pace. They provide a welcome reprieve from the stresses of daily life.  These spas provide a wide variety of Thai body Massage in kolkata treatments, each one designed to address your specific concerns. Whether you're in need of a moment of self-care due to stress or muscle tightness, you can find it here. Therapists at these facilities are professionals in their fields, so you can expect to feel both physically and psychologically refreshed after your visit.

In Kolkata, a visit to a massage parlor is like stepping into a peaceful otherworld. The atmosphere was designed to help you relax, so you may enjoy the soothing lights, sounds, and aromas in peace. These spas provide a wide variety of massage styles, from the traditional Swedish to more advanced forms of deep tissue therapy. Because each session is tailored to the individual, you can rest assured that you will have a one-of-a-kind rejuvenating experience every time.

The city of Kolkata is home to a plethora of best massage parlour in Kolkata, each with its own special appeal and amenities. While some spas stick to tried-and-true methods, others offer a more up-to-the-minute experience by incorporating innovative facilities. It's best to do some homework and check out some customer reviews before committing to an appointment there. You may get the most out of your therapy sessions by letting the therapists know what you hope to accomplish and what your particular concerns are.

The full-body massage center in Kolkata are a welcome respite from the city's frenetic pace. Whether you're a local in need of a break or a tourist in search of peace, these locations are ideal for recharging your batteries and regaining your equilibrium. Indulge in the peace of Kolkata's top massage parlors; you'll emerge feeling revitalized in no time.

[ancientpathwayswitchcraft]

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[conundrumish]

alternate universe where the detective inspectors of the yard are supernaturals tasked with safeguarding the “veil” aka hiding the existence of the supernatural & paranormal. they also investigate murders done by supernatural means.

wow, i used that word thrice. more details underneath the cut.

Lucy Baker is a fresh recruit of New Scotland Yard, barely passing the exam by the skin of her knee. She is not only a newbie, but one of the only three humans at the Yard that’s allowed to peek underneath the veil and keep their society’s little secret. She makes the usual mistakes of assuming supernaturals are exactly how they’re portrayed in fantasy and horror films, but gets along swimmingly with her other co-workers and uplifts morale by simply existing. 

Alfendi Layton is a vampire forever stuck at twenty-five after the Forebodium Castle Incident. Instead of feeding on blood like fictional vampires, he’s absorbing people’s willpower as it’s his main diet - consuming their mental strength, allowing him to easily make his suspects give up on their false alibis and confess. How did he become a vampire? Well, there’s a certain magic called a curse...

Blaine Dartwright’s the other human at the Yard and the youngest detective inspector to be hired there - he’s utterly proud of his accomplishment, boasting about it to his co-workers. A lot of people see him as an annoying, stuck-up asshole to where he’s gained the nickname of ‘Bratwright.’ Sometime later in the storyline, Blaine’s bitten by a lycanthrope and it’s a slow, painful process when you’re infected with a rare strain of the Furry Disease. His real name is Locke Picard and, yes, he comes from a supernatural-hunting crime family.

Florence Sich is an imperfect homunculus - an artificial human created by alchemy - prone to catching disease and incubating them. She has a tendency to rely on the typical human things, while having the usual human weaknesses. Florence barely has the strength to stand up and has an IV drip, but it doesn’t mean Florence can’t perform her thaumaturgical forensics without alchemy. No, Florence isn’t tiny enough to fit in a jar. She’d shove you into a locker.

Dustin Scowers is a magician specializing in the art of cleaning things, he’s the cool janitor that everyone likes - he doesn’t fly on broomsticks or anything like that. He understands thaumaturgy as a magic, lending a hand to sweeping crime scenes of anything that’d destroy the Veil or in general, allow humanity to learn the supernatural are not fiction. 

“Sniffer” Hague is a psychic, he’s human - has an enhanced sense of smell that allows him to predict future events based on scent alone. Unfortunately, Sniffer doesn’t have any seer-related talents that allow him to make accurate predictions. He simply lists off the specific, unnatural aromas in the air and notes that ‘something might happen.’ He’s the junior detective that hangs around Blaine and already knows of his real identity.

Justin Lawson has the bulk, but he’s not a lycanthrope. He’s the third human at the Yard, working underneath the Serious Crimes Investigation Team that is a hidden supernatural hunter. Justin was Alfendi’s partner and ‘friend’, deciding to have Keelan curse Alfendi with vampirism and then shoot his murderer bestie dead. He’s notorious for his traitor streak, apparently having a history of doing this in the past that’s kept relatively hush-hush. As in, Justin’s the only one keeping the secret and he’s great at it.

Hilda Pertinax is another magician whose specialization lies in conjuration, meaning that she has several familiars that are, also, demons. She studied her arts at Scholomance, following Solomon’s magics and utilizes it to her best abilities for investigations. When she was promoted to work for Interpol, Hilda hadn’t remained in contact with Alfendi ever since the Forbodium Incident and they were both ex-lovers.

Keelan & Diane Makepeace are Fair Folk whose home resides in the Otherworld, but they’re not the Good Neighbors - they’re Unseelie. Rather than Justin leaving jigsaw puzzles behind on Keelan’s crime scenes, he left a mushroom and Keelan’s serial killings are known as the Spore-Dressed Killings (might need to come up with a better name later). Everything Keelan did for Justin as a ‘favor’ is returned in kind with him allowing Keelan to remain undetected for several years. Eventually, Keelan dies by Justin shooting him with a cold iron bullet and drifts the blame to Alfendi.

Diane is Keelan’s daughter, though, she’s a Fetch that shapeshifts into her victim’s appearances and acts as a doppelganger. Seeing a Fetch is a bad omen, usually leading to death. Except, Diane chooses to take the appearance of someone before killing them. She’s cute and gothic, but allowing her to fool you means Diane can toy with you all she’d like. 

[parfumieren]

Sacrebleu (Parfums de Nicolaï)

At this precise point in the arc of human evolution, it may seem that magic is on its last legs. The smarter we become, the further we stray from the neighborhoods of the divine. Once-mighty gods are now plastic action figures. Ancient religions limp along as superstitions. The Great Pan is dead, replaced by the Sony Playstation.

Flowers are no exception to the trend of disempowerment. Once upon a time, they were viewed as living missives from the otherworld. Plucking the wrong one could draw the wrath of the unseen; illness, misfortune, and death might visit the house into which a single stolen blossom was carried. For flowers belonged to the elementals -- a.k.a. "fairies" -- savage and unpredictable beings whom one begged for protection and bribed to keep at a safe distance.

Even helpful flowers were host to uncanny spirits. Periwinkle blooms, said to ward off all manner of evil, were yet used to adorn the graves of children. Those in the know called them violettes des sorciers.... witch violets.

But that was long ago. The Victorians and Edwardians stripped flowers clean of all unseemly characteristics and recostumed fairies in gossamer and starlight-- friendly, sanitized and safe for children. What job they started, Walt Disney finished.... and generations of girls like me grew up unaware of a femininity whose power was manifest not in cellophane wings, but in claws and teeth.

I admit I have never been what you would call the flower-fairy type. Even as a little girl, I eschewed things like dolls and frills and the color pink in favor of snake hunting and rock collecting. To my mind, flowers were just one more mark of femininity to which my tomboy self stood in improper contrast.

It follows that in my adult life, floral perfumes have largely struck me as overwrought in one of two directions: syrup or sugar, oversexed or sexless. One is womanhood exaggerated; the other is womanhood sanitized. Neither is natural or (at least to me) appealing. I have long found myself wishing for a floral with all of its dark magic intact-- inspiring equal amounts of desire and dread.

Was I born at the wrong time? Had I missed my chance?

Luckily, every so often, the breath of some age-old spirit reaches us from its hiding place, and we experience a primordial chill of recognition that reaches as deep as our bones. The violettes des sorciers are not all banished-- they're in Sacrebleu, a perfume as close to unseelie as it gets.

Of the several recognized usages of sacrebleu, which one did perfumer Patricia de Nicolaï mean to evoke? On one hand, sacré bleu allegedly refers to the celestial color of the cloak worn by the Mother of God. Taken in this light, the name of this perfume seems almost prayerful. In reality, however, sacrebleu is nothing but a curse-- something to shout when outraged. I like to think Nicolaï intended the latter, for this perfume was designed to provoke.

First came a mighty, in-your-face note of anise-- then nothing. Sacrebleu had simply disappeared. Failing to notice the "back in five" sign (written in the tiniest handwriting imaginable, and in invisible ink), I liberally reapplied to all pulse points. And waited.

Then anise returned-- with reinforcements. Sandalwood, licorice, cinnamon, vanilla. Soon they had me surrounded-- a pack of manic scent fairies spiraling around me in a helix of sparkling aromas.

Outnumbered and outgunned, I surrendered and closed my eyes. The air around me prickled with electricity, shimmered with color. And the scent-- fizzy, hard, and bright, intensifying and picking up velocity with every passing second. I could have been standing in an enchanted ring of violets in some shadowy forest straight out of Grimm... or on one of the rings of Saturn, dodging silver meteorites.

The glamoury lasted all day, most of which I'm sure I spent smiling goofily with my eyes crossed. When I finally landed back on earth, that maddening scent had faded to a nice Choward's Violet Mint sort of thing, dry and pleasantly prickly on the nose. But the fairies had vanished, as fairies do.... and I think the little bastards made off with my wallet.

They're welcome to it. It's a small price to pay for real magic.

Scent Elements: Mandarin, raspberry, blackcurrant, peach, apricot, carnation, tuberose, jasmine, cinnamon oil, frankincense, patchouli, sandalwood, balsam Peru, tonka bean absolute

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

The otherworld pt4

You sat in shock, Diavolo would simply discard one of his creations like that, however you couldn't dwell on it for long as his liquidated remains began to bubble up then. The mixture of blood, flesh and muscle thickened and swelled up. You could feel the small amount of it on you skin rapidly growing.

You quickly flicked it of and began to slowly walk back to the stairs. Somehow this blob had noticed this and move forward rapidly and latched onto your leg. You grabbed onto the rails of the staircase and tried to flick it off but to no effect. You quickly dragged yourself up the railing and slammed the door shut. The goo on you legs sliding off with ease.

You slid down the door as a large sigh escaped your lips. This was no game... It was a trial that Diavolo was attempting to make impossible. You couldn't just let him win. You needed to prevail, not just for yourself but all the other tormented souls he had taken.

You stood up and took a big breath in before marching out of the house, you need to show him you weren't afraid and that you were going to take everything he threw at you with a brave face.

🌌🌌🌌

You looked down at the door below you, the lights brightly blinking, tempting you to walk inside and enjoy the show but you knew this wasn't going to be some fun little theatre show. It was going to be another trial, possibly harder then the previous.

You opened the door with cation and treaded carefully through the house section of the building before entering the theatre area which you now questioned how such an area could fit under the house.

The theatre was cold and dark, a soft orchestral lull that played that made the place eerie and unsettling. It felt like you were the next unsuspecting victim in a slasher film. As you continued to walk you stepped on something and you tried to grab it through the darkness. Once you grabbed the cylinder shaped object you pressed a button and a sudden light blinded you.

You let your eyes adjust and point the light of the torch away from you. The theatre was empty and the stage looked no different to the the last time, or at least until you got closer and the smell of fish entered you nose making you want to puke.

The cutout fish that were hung up before were now the skeletal remains of real fish as well the freshly eaten fish remains that littered the ground, the stage was covered in real sand and the small glass bobbles that were supposed to be bubbles were smashed up, small shards of glass shone amongst the sand.

As you finally got on stage the large oyster opened to reveal two sleeping creatures intertwined in each other's embrace, the creatures were a mere shadow of their former selves. One that's skin was grey and rough like sand paper, fins decorated his arms and back. The only thing recognisable was his redish hair. The other had red, slimy skin. The inner side of his arms and legs were covered in suction cups and tentacles interlaced in the strands of his long platinum hair.

You quickly grabbed your pendant and looked through it to see the two eyes on-top of Tiziano's hand. You put the pendant and looked at the pearl ring that rested on his hand. You cautiously you reached in and attempted to grab the ring before a grey webbed hand latched onto yours. You looked at the grey skinned male in horror as his lustrous blue buttons gleamed in the flash of the spotlight. You mentally prepared yourself for the worst as his pursed lips opened, revealing his razor sharp teeth.

"Oh (Y/n) you finally came!" the red haired creature said with enthusiasm in his voice. The other male stirred before getting up.

"Oh we've been waiting for you for so long" Tiziano sung as the tentacles loosely rested around your neck as he pulled you into a hug. Your body tensed up as you felt the slimy appendages pull you closer to him before he stepped back a bit to inspect your body.

"You look like you've been dragged through a forest!" He remarked.

"Well your not to far off..." You muttered to the male.

"Oh dear, let us clean you up" he hummed as he grabbed your arm and tried to drag you back stage, you could feel the suction cups on his hand pulling up your skin.

"No, I'm fine" you said before his tentacles reached for your arm.

"No I insist" he said, his typically soft and calm voice had an unusual touch of anger in it making such an innocent sentence become slightly unsettling.

"We can't have you looking any less the your best, right Squalo?" He said while looking back at his shark like companion who gave a smile that showed off his razor sharp teeth once more.

"Of course" he said while grabbing your other arm before sitting you down into a chair.

As Squalo opened a wardrobe full of outfits and costumes while Tiziano grabbed a hair brush and began to brush your damp hair with one of his tendrils and another pushed your chin up while he grabbed a pair of scissors with his actual hand before he began to snip at the ends of your hair.

"Just stay still" he said in a soft tone, like a mother lulling their child to sleep as a soft, pleasant aroma filled your nostrils. It was something you could only explain as sweet yet spicy, like an old woman's light perfume mixed with cinnamon and incense.

You were confused. Why weren't they attacking you? Surely the point of the other puppets was to scare you into giving up, but these two were doing anything but. But you slowly started to calm down. This felt like how the world use to be, one of happiness that you never wanted to leave and that was all part of their plan, all part of Diavolo's. You were completely oblivious of the timer that loomed above you, slowly counting down your demise

You let out a sigh as your muscles eased and your nerves dispersed. You slumped back, falling into a trance like state. you didn't even fell more of his tentacles latched onto you and removed your clothes as Squalo brought other another set of clothes. Your mind was in another world and your body simply followed every signal the gave while redressing you whispering such sweet nothings to you.

"We'd do anything for you (Y/N), and we really mean it"

"If you want us to perform for you until we drop dead then we would"

"All we want to do is entertain you"

"Your happiness means everything to us" their words seemed to ring in your head like a singing bowl until the lustrous gleam of Tiziano's pearl ring brought you back to reality and reminded you what you had to do.

"Tiziano can I look at your ring please?" You asked as you got close to him.

"Sure" he replied as he held his hand up for you. You took his hand and pretended to inspect it before placing your hand on the ring. He quickly flicked his hand away as one of his tentacles pulled your hand away and tightly wrapped around it.

"You want this ring, don't you?" He scoffed before pulling his partner closer.

"If you want one, then you'll need a man first" he said teasingly as he kissed his boyfriend on the cheek while waving his hand.

"I'm sure Diavolo will be more then willing to get you such an extravagant gift" he continued.

"No, I'm not going to let that cruel man have me!" You said as you realised the sick game they were playing. You kicked Tiziano in the stomach, causing him to fall back. In retaliation Squalo lunged onto you. You held up your arms in defence against him as you fell down. You screamed out in pain as his teeth sunk into your skin. You quickly kicked him off of you with your bare feet before standing up.

"We can't... just let you leave (Y/n)" Squalo huffed as he was hunched over, obviously winded.

"Without you we're nothing" Tiziano said in a stone cold tone as he got to his feet before charging towards you.

You quickly ran back to the stage  in an attempt to escape but he was too fast, managing to tackle you down into the sand. The coarse sand grazed your skin and several shards of glass punctured your skin.

With little hesitation the male wrapped his tentacles around your throat while holding you down as you thrashed against his grip.

"You'll never leave! It's only a matter of time before the countdown reaches zero" he said in a slightly maniacal tone.

Your eye's widened in shock as you heard his words. A time limit was never discussed between you and Diavolo. Anxiety grew as you began to wonder how long it had been, how much time was there? How much time had been wasted?

You felt the life being choked out of you before a loud screech emitting from above. You looked up in fear as you saw the beam of lights fall. You closed your eyes in  waiting to be crushed under the beams.

The ground shook and the clang and crash of metal however you weren't crushed. You felt a warm liquid dripping onto you and that's when you opened your eyes.

Broken beams had lodged themselves into Tiziano and were only centimetres from piercing through you. He choked out a few inaudible gargles followed with a few coughs off blood before he died.

You heard a gasp from Squalo as he rushed over. He practically dragged you like a doll and tossed you to the side as he pulled his lover's corpse out of the wreckage.

"No, no, no" he sobbed before looking at you.

"You... You..." he muttered as he cradled his body.

"YOU DID THIS!" he screamed as he put his body down before charging at you and tackling you down once more. You pushed him back from you as best as you could as his razor teeth snapped in front of you, desperately trying to catch you in them.

You felt your head become light as the blood steadily trickle down your arm from the previous bite. You were loading your strength, you knew another bite would be fatal but you just didn't have the energy to keep pushing the shark like beast in front of you for much longer.

Diavolo watched through one of his many eyes and saw your predicament. As much as he enjoyed watching your struggle he knew that he no longer had control of Squalo, in this world accidents were still a common occurrence and an accident like that was to be expected at some stage.

If he didn't interfere soon you would surely die, and that was a very unfavorable circumstance. He had debated whether to wait for you to give up or forfeit the second pair of eyes to you since the conflict originally erupted. He tapped his finger and bit his lip in frustion as had finally made up his mind.

[trolldomblog]

Wheel of the Year

Samhain

Winter Nights (Asatru)

The Winter Nights are the traditional festival honoring the Disir or family spirits.  It is a time to remember your family, the dead, and your ancestors.  (For more information on the Disir see the chapter. Elves and other Spirits..)

A Freyablot may be performed at this time as Freya is known as the Vanadis (i.e.  the Dis of the Vanir) or the Great Dis, and she seems to be the Goddess of the Disir themselves.  This is probably connected to Freya’s position as recipient of half the battle slain.  One might also simply want to honor the Disir as a whole, or attempt to summon and pour offering to your own family’s Dis.  A sumbel which toasts one’s ancestors and passed on friends would also be in order. If a feast is held, it should be quiet and respectful of the character of the season.  Another idea is a silent. mum feast, a custom which is

found the world over.

The various Halloween customs such as dressing in costume or celebrating this time as a time where the worlds of the living and the dead connect are more Celtic in origin than Nordic and probably should not be part of an Asatru celebration.

Samhain

Originating in ancient Europe as a Celtic Fire festival, Samhain is now celebrated worldwide. The timing of contemporary Samhain celebrations varies according to spiritual tradition and geography. Many of us celebrate Samhain over the course of several days and nights, and these extended observances usually include a series of solo rites as well as ceremonies, feasts, and gatherings with family, friends, and spiritual community. In the northern hemisphere, many Pagans celebrate Samhain from sundown on October 31 through November 1. Others hold Samhain celebrations on the nearest weekend or on the Full or New Moon closest to this time. Some Pagans observe Samhain a bit later, or near November 6, to coincide more closely with the astronomical midpoint between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice. Most Pagans in the southern hemisphere time their Samhain observances to coincide with the middle of their Autumn in late April and early May, rather than at the traditional European time of the holiday.

Samhain also has been known by other names. Some Celtic Wiccans and Druids call it Calan Gaeaf, Calan Gwaf, Kala-Goanv, or Nos Galan Gaeof. In Welsh, it is Nos Cyn Calan Gaual. It also is known as Oie Houney. A medieval book of tales, the Yellow Book of Lecan, reports that common folk called it the "Feast of Mongfind," the legendary Witch-Queen who married a King of Tara in old Ireland. In the ancient Coligny Calendar, an engraved bronze dating from the first century C.E.and dug up in 1897 in France, Samhain is called Trinouxtion Samonii, or "Three Nights of the End of Summer." Variant spellings of Samhain include Samain, Samuin, and Samhuinn.

With the growth and spread of Christianity as the dominant religion throughout Europe, Samhain time took on Christian names and guises. All Saints' Day or All Hallows on November 1 commemorated Christian saints and martyrs. All Souls' Day on November 2 was a remembrance for all souls of the dead. With the coming of Christian Spaniards to Mexico, the indigenous customs of honoring the dead at this time of year mixed with Roman Catholicism and gave birth to the Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, in early November. Samhain shares the ancient spiritual practice of remembering and paying respects to the Dead with these related religious holidays of Christianity.

Halloween, short for All Hallow's Eve, is celebrated on and around October 31. Although occurring at the same time of year and having roots in end-of-harvest celebrations of the ancient past, Halloween and Samhain are not the same, but two separate holidays that differ considerably in focus and practice. In contemporary America and elsewhere, Halloween is a secular folk holiday. Like its cousin, Thanksgiving, it is widely and publicly celebrated in homes, schools, and communities, large and small, by people of many paths, ethnic heritages, and worldviews. Furthermore, Halloween has evolved to be both a family-oriented children's holiday as well as an occasion for those of all ages to creatively express themselves and engage in play in the realm of make-believe and fantasy through costumes, trick-or-treating, storytelling, play-acting, pranks, cathartic scary place visits, and parties.

In contrast, Samhain and its related Christian holiday counterparts continue to be religious in focus and spiritually observed by adherents. Although observances may include merry making, the honoring of the Dead that is central to Samhain is a serious religious practice rather than a light-hearted make-believe re-enactment. Today's Pagan Samhain rites, while somber, are benevolent, and, although centered on death, do not involve human or animal sacrifices. Most Samhain rituals are held in private rather than in public.

Samhain's long association with death and the Dead reflects Nature's rhythms. In many places, Samhain coincides with the end of the growing season. Vegetation dies back with killing frosts, and therefore, literally, death is in the air. This contributes to the ancient notion that at Samhain, the veil is thin between the world of the living and the realm of the Dead and this facilitates contact and communication. For those who have lost loved ones in the past year, Samhain rituals can be an opportunity to bring closure to grieving and to further adjust to their being in the Otherworld by spiritually communing with them.

There are many ways to celebrate Samhain. More info here and below:

Samhain Nature Walk. Take a meditative walk in a natural area near your home. Observe and contemplate the colors, aromas, sounds, and other sensations of the season. Experience yourself as part of the Circle of Life and reflect on death and rebirth as being an important part of Nature. If the location you visit permits, gather some natural objects and upon your return use them to adorn your home.

Seasonal Imagery. Decorate your home with Samhain seasonal symbols and the colors of orange and black. Place an Autumnal wreath on your front door. Create displays with pumpkins, cornstalks, gourds, acorns, and apples. Set candles in cauldrons.

Ancestors Altar. Gather photographs, heirlooms, and other mementos of deceased family, friends, and companion creatures. Arrange them on a table, dresser, or other surface, along with several votive candles. Kindle the candles in their memory as you call out their names and express well wishes. Thank them for being part of your life. Sit quietly and pay attention to what you experience. Note any messages you receive in your journal. This Ancestors Altar can be created just for Samhain or kept year-round.

Feast of the Dead. Prepare a Samhain dinner. Include a place setting at your table or at a nearby altar for the Dead. Add an offering of a bit of each beverage being consumed to the cup at that place setting, and to the plate, add a bit of each food served. Invite your ancestors and other deceased loved ones to come and dine with you. To have this as a Samhain Dumb Supper experience, dine in silence. After the feast, place the contents of the plate and cup for the Dead outdoors in a natural location as an offering for the Dead.

Ancestor Stories. Learn about family history. Contact one or more older relatives and ask them to share memories of family members now dead. Record them in some way and later write accounts of what they share. Give thanks. Share what you learned and have written with another family member or friend. Add names of those you learned about and wish to honor to your Ancestors Altar.

Cemetery Visit. Visit and tend the gravesite of a loved one at a cemetery. Call to mind memories and consider ways the loved one continues to live on within you. Place an offering there such as fresh flowers, dried herbs, or a libation of water.

Reflections. Reflect on you and your life over the past year. Review journals, planners, photographs, blogs, and other notations you have created during the past year. Consider how you have grown, accomplishments, challenges, adventures, travels, and learnings. Meditate. Journal about your year in review, your meditation, and your reflections.

Renovate. Select an area of your home or life as a focus. Examine it. Re-organize it. Release what is no longer needed. Create a better pattern. Celebrate renewal and transformation.

Bonfire Magic. Kindle a bonfire outdoors when possible or kindle flames in a fireplace or a small cauldron. Write down an outmoded habit that you wish to end and cast it into the Samhain flames as you imagine release. Imagine yourself adopting a new, healthier way of being as you move around the fire clockwise.

Divinatory Guidance. Using Tarot, Runes, Scrying, or some other method of divination, seek and reflect on guidance for the year to come. Write a summary of your process and messages. Select something appropriate to act upon and do it.

Divine Invocations. Honor and call upon the Divine in one or more Sacred Forms associated with Samhain, such as the Crone Goddess and Horned God of Nature. Invite Them to aid you in your remembrance of the Dead and in your understanding of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. If you have lost loved ones in the past year, ask these Divine Ones to comfort and support you.

Transforming Expressions. If you encounter distortions, misinformation, and/or false, negative stereotypes about Paganism and Samhain in the media, contact the source, express your concerns, and share accurate information. Help eradicate derogatory stereotyping with courteous, concise, and intelligent communications.

Community Connections. Connect with others. Join in a group ritual in your area. Organize a Samhain potluck in your home. Research old and contemporary Samhain customs in books, periodicals, on-line, and through communications with others. Exchange ideas, information, and celebration experiences. Regardless of whether you practice solo or with others, as part of your festivities, reflect for a time on being part of the vast network of those celebrating Samhain around the world.

The fields are bare, the leaves have fallen from the trees, and the skies are going gray and cold. It is the time of year when the earth has died and gone dormant. Every year on October 31 (or May 1, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere) the Sabbat we call Samhain presents us with the opportunity to once more celebrate the cycle of death and rebirth. For many Pagan traditions, Samhain is a time to reconnect with our ancestors, and honor those who have died. This is the time when the veil between our world and the spirit realm is thin, so it's the perfect time of year to make contact with the dead.

Rituals and Ceremonies

Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Samhain, but typically the focus is on either honoring our ancestors, or the cycle of death and rebirth. This is the time of year when the gardens and fields are brown and dead. The nights are getting longer, there's a chill in the air, and winter is looming. We may choose to honor our arncestors, celebrating those who have died, and even try to communicate with them. Here are a few rituals you may want to think about trying for Samhain–and remember, any of them can be adapted for either a solitary practitioner or a small group, with just a little planning ahead.

Start off by decorating your altar with symbols of the Samhain season, representing symbols of death, the harvest season, and tools of divination. You may also want to incorporate some Samhain prayers into your rituals or perform a quiet Samhain Ancestor Meditation.

Plan your ritual festivities with ceremonies that celebrate the Harvest's End or honor the ancestors of your family and community. You can also perform a God and Goddess Ritual for Samhain or do a ritual that marks the Cycle of Life and Death.

If you have young Pagans in your family, there are different ways you can celebrate Samhain with kids, including planning a family Samhain Cemetery Visit.

Finally, if you're involved in your community, consider a ritual to Honor the Forgotten Dead.

Samhain Magic, Divination and Spirit Work

For many Pagans, Samhain is a time to do magic that focuses on the spirit world. Learn how to properly conduct a seance, how to do some Samhain divination workings, and the way to figure out what a spirit guide is really up to!

If you're thinking about holding a seance or a dumb supper, you'll want to be sure to read about the different types of spirit guides and how to find yours. If you find yourself wondering about whether that spirit guide is something else entirely, you'll need to know how to get rid of unwanted entities.

Pagans have a view of death and the afterlife that is a little different than our non-Pagan friends. In fact, divination with the spirit world is a popular magical activity around Samhain. You might want to try using a scrying mirror or even a Ouija board.

Last but not least, familiarize yourself with some of the Sacred Plants of the Samhain Sabbat.

Traditions and Trends

Interested in learning about some of the traditions behind the celebrations of the late harvest? Find out why Samhain is important, learn why black cats are considered unlucky, how trick-or-treating became so popular and more!

Samhain has a rich history, going back a long time. This is the season of Cailleach Bheur, the Hag in Scottish folklore, and a time when the many gods and goddesses of death and the underworld are recognized. However, keep in mind that Samhain is the name of the holiday, and not a Celtic death god.

Learn about Bat Magic and Legends, as well as some of the spooky traditions surrounding Black Cats, Jack o'Lanterns, and the practice of trick-or-treating. In many cultures, spider magic becomes prevalent around Samhain, and you may notice a lot of owl activity outside.

Because this is a time when many of us honor our dead, it's a good time to think about how we take care of those who have crossed over, and how many Pagan societies have venerated their ancestors.

Brush up on your Samhain Superstitions, and read some spooky poems... just in case things go bump in the night! In fact, if you like vampire stories, while they're not part of Paganism or Wicca, they definitely seem to be popular at this time of year.

Crafts and Creations

As Samhain approaches, decorate your home (and keep your kids entertained) with a number of easy craft projects. Start celebrating a bit early with these fun and simple ideas that honor the final harvest, and the cycle of life and death.

Bring the season into your home with these 5 Easy Samhain Decorations, or create some Magical Samhain Goodie Bags for Pagan Kids in your life.

Feasting and Food

No Pagan celebration is really complete without a meal to go along with it. At Samhain, celebrate with foods that celebrate the final harvest, and the death of the fields by making Soul Cakes, soups, Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake, baked apples, and even ghost poop for dessert

Yule

Winter Solstice has been celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years. This start of the solar year is a celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun. In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel.

Today, many people in Western-based cultures refer to this holiday as "Christmas." Yet a look into its origins of Christmas reveals its Pagan roots. Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthday of the "Invincible Sun" in the third century as part of the Roman Winter Solstice celebrations. Shortly thereafter, in 273, the Christian church selected this day to represent the birthday of Jesus, and by 336, this Roman solar feast day was Christianized. January 6, celebrated as Epiphany in Christendom and linked with the visit of the Magi, was originally an Egyptian date for the Winter Solstice.

Most of the customs, lore, symbols, and rituals associated with "Christmas" actually are linked to Winter Solstice celebrations of ancient Pagan cultures. While Christian mythology is interwoven with contemporary observances of this holiday time, its Pagan nature is still strong and apparent. Pagans today can readily re-Paganize Christmastime and the secular New Year by giving a Pagan spiritual focus to existing holiday customs and by creating new traditions that draw on ancient ways. Here are some ways to do this:

Celebrate Yule with a series of rituals, feasts, and other activities. In most ancient cultures, the celebration lasted more than a day. The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival sometimes went on for a week. Have Winter Solstice Eve and Day be the central focus for your household, and conceptualize other holiday festivities, including New Year's office parties and Christmas visits with Christian relatives, as part of your Solstice celebration. By adopting this perspective, Pagan parents can help their children develop an understanding of the multicultural and interfaith aspects of this holiday time and view "Christmas" as just another form of Solstice. Have gift exchanges and feasts over the course of several days and nights as was done of old. Party hearty on New Year's Eve not just to welcome in the new calendar year, but also to welcome the new solar year.

Adorn the home with sacred herbs and colors. Decorate your home in Druidic holiday colors red, green, and white. Place holly, ivy, evergreen boughs, and pinecones around your home, especially in areas where socializing takes place. Hang a sprig of mistletoe above a major threshold and leave it there until next Yule as a charm for good luck throughout the year. Have family/household members join together to make or purchase an evergreen wreath. Include holiday herbs in it and then place it on your front door to symbolize the continuity of life and the wheel of the year. If you choose to have a living or a harvested evergreen tree as part of your holiday decorations, call it a Solstice tree and decorate it with Pagan symbols.

Convey love to family, friends, and associates. At the heart of Saturnalia was the custom of family and friends feasting together and exchanging presents. Continue this custom by visiting, entertaining, giving gifts, and sending greetings by mail and/or phone. Consider those who are and/or have been important in your life and share appreciation.

Reclaim Santa Claus as a Pagan Godform. Today's Santa is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god, also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor (Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), and the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year). Santa's reindeer can be viewed as forms of Herne, the Celtic Horned God. Decorate your home with Santa images that reflect His Pagan heritage.

Honor the Goddess as Great Mother. Place Pagan Mother Goddess images around your home. You may also want to include one with a Sun child, such as Isis with Horus. Pagan Goddess forms traditionally linked with this time of year include Tonantzin (Native Mexican corn mother), Holda (Teutonic earth goddess of good fortune), Bona Dea (Roman women's goddess of abundance and prophecy), Ops (Roman goddess of plenty), Au Set/Isis (Egyptian/multicultural All Goddess whose worship continued in Christian times under the name Mary), Lucina/St. Lucy (Roman/Swedish goddess/saint of light), and Befana (Italian Witch who gives gifts to children at this season).

Honor the new solar year with light. Do a Solstice Eve ritual in which you meditate in darkness and then welcome the birth of the sun by lighting candles and singing chants and Pagan carols. If you have an indoor fireplace or an outdoor fire circle, burn an oak log as a Yule log and save a bit to start next year's fire. Decorate the inside and/or outside of your home with electric colored lights. Because of the popularity of five pointed stars as holiday symbols, this is a good time to display a pentagram of blue or white lights.

Contribute to the manifestation of more wellness on Planet Earth. Donate food and clothing to poor in your area. Volunteer time at a social service agency. Put up bird feeders and keep them filled throughout the winter to supplement the diets of wild birds. Donate funds and items to non-profit groups, such as Pagan/Wiccan churches and environmental organizations. Meditate for world peace. Work magic for a healthier planet. Make a pledge to do some form of good works in the new solar year.

Yule (Asatru)

Yule is the most important holiday of the year.  Everyone is familiar with the shortness of the deep winter days, but in the Scandinavian countries this is of even greater importance.  At the Yuletide there is almost no sunlight at all, and the climate would have people bound in their homes waiting for the return of Spring.

Yule is a long festival, traditionally held to be 12 days or more. After Yule the days began to get longer, and the festival represented the breaking of the heart of winter and the beginning of the new year. Yule was the holiday of either Thor or Frey, although there is no reason not to honor both Gods in modern practice.  Frey is the God of fertility and farming and was honored at Yule in the hopes that his time would soon return.  Thor was the sworn enemy of the Frost Giants and Jotunn who ruled the winter months, and as such was honored as the God whose actions fought off these creatures and brought back the

spring. Sunna, the Goddess of the Sun, should also be honored at Yule, although she is held at more important during the summer months when she is at her strongest.

The most important symbols of Yule are still with us today.  Most of the supposedly secular customs of Christmas are actually Pagan in origin.  Evergreen trees and holly which remained green throughout the long nights and cold were a promise that spring would once again return to the land.  These symbols may also have been a connection to the nature spirits who have sway over the return of the warm days. The modern conception of Santa Claus as an elf, for whom offerings of milk and cookies are left, is probably a modern continuation of leaving offerings for the Alvar and other nature spirits.  The idea of

children staying up all night in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Santa Claus may be a remnant of people staying awake to mark the long night and remind the sun to return. (In the latter case it’s

considered an adequate substitution to leave a candle going all night to light the way for the returning sun.)

Yule is a week’s long festival, not just a single holiday.  The Yule season begins on the solstice, which is the Mother Night of Yule, and ends with Twelfth Night on January sixth.  As a point of interest, January seventh is St.  Distaff’s day, which Nigel Pennic has suggested may have been a day sacred to Frigg, whose symbol is the distaff.

While one might expect a rather dour theme to a holiday held in the darkness and cold, Yule is a time of feasting and gladness.

In various places different Gods were held to be the most important at Yule.  Thor was honored because it is, he who fights and kills the Jotunn, who surely are the ones responsible for the loss of warmth in the world.  Yule was when Thor broke the back of winter and allowed the warmth to slowly return to the world.  Frey was also honored because it was, he who married Gerd and warmed her heart, returning fertility to the world.

There are simply so many different Yule customs, both ancient and modern, that one has almost limitless possibilities even when staying within Scandinavian and Germanic customs.  In modern practice one might honor Sunna on the Mother Night, then hold a blot a few days later to Thor, a feast for New Year’s day which is shared with the house and land spirits, and then finish on Twelfth Night with a ritual to Frey, whose time is then officially beginning.

13 Ways to Celebrate Yuletide

100 6806Create a Pagan Winter Solstice framework for the entire holidays season - understand that Christmas Eve and Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day have their origins in Winter Solstice celebrations of a variety of Pagan cultures through the ages.

Decorate your home with sacred plants connected with Winter Solstice: evergreen wreaths & boughs, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. Learn about the Pagan symbolism of each.

Harvest a Yule tree in a sacred way from a tree farm that practices sustainable agriculture, if you can, or intuitively select a tree, cut or symbolic, from a shop in your area. Set up the Yule tree in your home and decorate it with lights, sun symbols, and other images. Reflect on blessings of joy, renewal, and well-wishes as you decorate the tree.

Kindle lights to represent the Sun. Decorate with electric lights and candles. On one of the nights of Solstice, turn off all lights, experience the longest night, reflect on renewal and peace, and turn the lights back on to symbolize the birth of the New Solar Year.

Recognize Santa as a multi-cultural, multi-religious character - learn about the Pagan roots of Santa and other Winter Solstice sacred gift bringers, including the Goddess Holda.

Learn about holidays foods, symbols, customs, and/or lore from an ancestral ethnicity and incorporate something you have learned into your celebration of Yuletide.

Listen to Pagan Yuletide music. Create a Yuletide chant, poem, or song.

Burn a Yule Log in a hearth, in a bonfire, or by burning candles on, in, or near a log of Oak on an altar. Learn about Yule Log traditions and create your own.

Meditate on the rising and/or setting of the Solstice Sun. Note its position on the horizon at this time of year and observe its change in position on the horizon as the days start lengthening again.

Join with others in celebrating Pagan Yuletide. Attend a ritual, be part of a festival, join an on-line discussion, host a party, listen to a Yuletide show on internet radio (I will be doing 3 podcasts this Yule!)

Contribute to a charity of your choice. Spread the joy of Yuletide.

Learn about sacred sites aligned with the Winter Solstice. Envision your own celebrations of Winter Solstice being part of a vast network of Solstice celebrations happening around the planet (Winter in the Northern hemisphere & Summer in the South). Watch live video of Winter Solstice at New Grange or other sacred site with coverage.

Focus on world peace and planetary well-being in your rituals, meditations, prayers, and other workings. Peace-making was part of Winter Solstice among many peoples in the past. Keep this tradition alive in the present and future.

For people of nearly any religious background, the time of the winter solstice is a time when we gather with family and loved ones. For Pagans and Wiccans, it's often celebrated as Yule, but there are literally dozens of ways you can enjoy the season.

Rituals and Ceremonies

Depending on your particular tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate the Solstice season. The Yule season is full of magic, much of it focusing on rebirth and renewal, as the sun makes its way back to the earth. Focus on this time of new beginnings with your magical workings!

There are so many great ways you can decorate your home for the Yule season. Adapt store-bought Christmas decorations, or make your own Pagan-themed home decor for the season.

Decorate a Yule Log

Yule Ornaments

Yule Smudge Sticks

Winter Nights Incense

Yule Herbal Sachet

Make Your Own Yule Greeting Cards

Hang the decorations on the Holiday Tree

Feasting and Food

Most Pagans will have a potluck at the drop of a pointy hat, so Yule is as good a time as any to plan a big feast. Spread the table out with your favorite holiday dishes, lots and lots of candles, and some of these delicious seasonal recipes.

Meal Blessings

Make a Pot of Wassail

Yule Plum Pudding

Crafting Yule Traditions with Väntljusstaken

(Light-Anticipation-Candlesticks)

Approaching the Winter Solstice/Yule time generally brings modern-day Heathens a variety of minor (in the scheme of the world-events) conundrum of choices. Most have a background in Christianity which is often considered baggage to be eschewed, something to consider as part of who we are, or somewhere in between.

The relationship with that monotheistic religion prior to moving into Heathenry (or other non-Christian practice) can be considered bitter and harmful, or positive in many ways but just not the path for that individual.

Probably one of the most uniformly celebrated holiday around the world is that of “Christmas”. Since the beginning of the Christian advancement and conversion practices, the movement has absorbed local pagan traditions, renamed them with Christian terms, incorporated them into the religious liturgy, and created new traditions to coincide with their new faith. As societies and cultures changed with integration and interaction with others, practices adapted to stimulus of new and different ideas. Over the centuries of practice, and as people were born into the faith, the origins of these practices were forgotten and often lost to the mists of Niflheim.

Thankfully due to archaeology, writings, and the continuance of traditions from generation to generation, we can begin today to recall some of those origins and attempt to reconstruct what our ancestors may have practiced. Given that this includes a lot of geography, a vast amount of time, and really having only the most minuscule clues resulting in a lot of guessing, surmising, and connecting dots that may not belong together, volumes of books are written about the “pagan” origins of Christmas.

About this time among Heathen groups, particularly on social media, discussions arise about how people celebrate during the Yule season and how they do it in a Heathen way. The results vary from people taking examples from certain practices (as noted above) and using them as their foundation for a Heathen Yule tradition to those who unravel the traditions from their heritage and Christianity to find the the pieces with which they can form new or revised Heathen traditions to connect with the Gods, Ancestors, and Nature Vaettir (spirits).

One of those re-purposed traditions is that of the Väntljusstaken (Sunwait Candles) being re-envisioned from the Advent Candles. I discovered this in 2017 from the post of a friend and found a page on Facebook to inspire the growth of this delightful tradition for the entire family.

It takes the premise of lighting a candle for a specific number of days or weeks prior to Christmas eve (usually twelve days) and changes some of the parameters (which are also flexible depending on the individual). The Väntljusstaken/Sunwait Candles practice came from Swedish traditions and adapted for a meaningful experience.

The lighting of the candles begins six weeks prior to the winter solstice on Thursdays. Thursdays were selected because of a Swedish tradition known as Thorshelg.

“The reason for the Thursdays is that, Thursdays have a traditional significance in Scandinavian folk lore. Thursdays have been the day for trolldom (folk magic) and communicating with the gods and nature spirits long into Christian times,” explained one of the Väntljusstaken Facebook page organizers. “There are accounts as late as the 19th century where the Torshelg (Thor’s hallow) was celebrated by inviting Thor and Frigga to the house on Thursday night.”

She continued to expain that other cultures have a specific holy day and but as there isn’t a one day specific to all of Heathendom universally, it makes sense for people to select what works best for them in this “tradition in development.” Some may choose to do the activity on the six Thursdays prior to the Winter Solstice (21 December), some may choose to do it on the day that the solstice falls upon for six weeks prior – with the final candle on 21 December, some may choose to begin six days prior with the final day on the solstice, and some may choose another day that is special to them. “I think everyone should feel free to do as they feel most comfortable. We are creating this together,” she said.

The procedure of the event is to light one candle each week until the solstice, recite a poem, stanza, or meditation, and contemplate on the season. For the Väntljusstaken activity, the first six letters of the Futhark (F U TH A R K) were chosen as a sort of runic “guide.” In preparation of the activity, one can select the six candles, carve or draw a stave on each candle (or as part of a decorated base or candle holder), anoint each candle, or address the energy of the runes with the candle. This would be a great activity for families to include their children in a creative activity that can also include storytelling, learning about runes, and strengthening those family ties at this special time of year.

On the chosen night, light the candle while reciting the Väntljusversen poem (available in Swedish, Dutch, French, and German on the page) or one of your choosing that is meaningful to you/your family. The rest of the ceremony is up to you to create to suit your desires for the winter, Yule, the coming year, etc. One thing that this author does is to contemplate on the energy of the rune of the week. How does that energy/power influence and interact with my life? How can I harness or observe those influences and recognize them?

At the end of the time, extinguish the flame. At the next week, relight the candle prior to starting with the next until all candles are lit at the end of the process. Some choose to allow all of the candles to burn down on the final night, sending the energy and intents of the working into the universe. (A note of caution: do not leave burning candles unattended, accessible to children and pets, or around flammable decorations or items.)

Väntljusversen poem

Fehu – In the first of sunwait we light

The candle of Fehu so bright

Until the return of the queen of skies

May her beauty and splendor in it rise

Uruz – In the second of sunwait we light

The candle of Uruz so bright

With all that has passed and ahead of us lies

May the passing of time in it rise

Thurisaz– In the third of sunwait we light

The candle of Thurisaz so bright

When the force of winter upon us lies

May the return of spring in it rise

Ansuz – In the fourth of sunwait we light

The candle of Ansuz so bright

In worship of gods old and wise

May the powers of Regin in it rise

Raido – In the fifth of sunwait we light

The candle of Raidō so bright

In yearning for that which never dies

May our longing for new life in it rise

Kenaz – In the sixth of sunwait we light

The candle of Kenaz so bright

A light in darkness again shall arise

May the hope of yule in it rise

Imbolc

Imbolc, also known as Candlemas and Groundhog's Day, occurs at the beginning of February. It marks the middle of Winter and holds the promise of Spring. The Goddess manifests as the Maiden and Brigid. The Groundhog is a manifestation of the God. Colors are White, and sometimes Red. It is a festival of spiritual purification and dedication.

Thoroughly clean your altar and/or temple room. Do a self-purification rite with Elemental tools -- cleanse your body with salt (Earth), your thoughts with incense (Air), your will with a candle flame (Fire), your emotions with water (Water), and your spiritual body with a healing crystal (Spirit). Bless candles that you will be using for rituals throughout the year. Invoke Brigid for creative inspiration. Take a Nature walk and look for the first signs of Spring. Reflect upon/reaffirm spiritual vows and commitments you have made.

Festival Dates:

January 31, February 1, February 2, February 6, February 7.

Multicultural Parallels:

Ground Hog's Day (USA); Aztec New Year; Chinese New Year; Roman Lupercalia; Valentine's Day (USA); Armenian Candlemas.

Flames: Sacred Fire

torchlit processions circling fields to purify & invigorate for the coming growing season (old Pagan)

lighting & blessing of candles (11th century, Christian)

sacred fire of Brigid (Celtic Pagan)

torchlit procession to honor Juno Februata/Regina (Pagan Rome; Christianized, 7th century)

Brigid: Celtic Goddess

Triple Aspects:

Goddess of Inspiration - poets, poetry, creativity, prophecy, arts

Goddess of Smith craft - blacksmiths, goldsmiths, household crafts

Goddess of Healing - healers, medicine, spiritual healing, fertility (crops, land, cattle)

Symbols:

Fire - flames, candle crown, hearth

Water - cauldron, springs, wells

Grain - Brigid wheels, corn/oat sheaf Goddess effigy, Brigid's Bed

Creatures - white cow with red ears, wolf, snake, swan and vulture

Talismans - Shining Mirror to Otherworld, Spinning Wheel and Holy Grail

Name variations:

Brighid; Bride (Scotland), Brid, Brigit, Bridget, Briganta (England), Brigan, Brigindo (Gaul), Berecyntia, Brigandu (France)

Name means Bright One, High One, Bright Arrow, Power.

Christianized forms: St. Brigit (Irish), St. Ffraid (Welsh), St. Bridget (Swedish), Queen of Heaven, Prophetess of Christ, Mary.

Pictish Pagan Roots

Bruide, the Pictish royal throne name, is said to derived from the Pagan Goddess Brigid. The Bruide name was given to each Pagan Pictish king who was viewed as the male manifestation of the spirit of the Goddess. The most sacred place of the Picts was Abernethy in Fife. It was dedicated to Brigid, in Pagan times, and to St. Brigid, in Christian times. Columban monks tended a Celtic abbey there and hereditary abbots were of the Earl of Fife branch of the Clan MacDuff, which survived to the present day as Clan Wemyss (Weems).

Irish Transitions and Traditions

When Ireland was Christianized, veneration of the Pagan Goddess Brigid was transformed into that of St. Brigit, said to be the human daughter of a Druid. St. Brigit became a saint after her "death" and was supposedly converted and baptized by St. Patrick. Pagan lore was incorporated into the Christian traditions and legends associated with Her as a saint. For example, as St. Brigit, She had the power to appoint bishops and they had to be goldsmiths. She was associated with miracles and fertility. Into the 18th century a women's only shrine was kept to her in Kildare (meaning Church of the Oak) in Ireland. There, nineteen nuns tended Her continually burning sacred flame. An ancient song was sung to Her: "Brigid, excellent woman, sudden flame, may the bright fiery sun take us to the lasting kingdom." Brigid/St. Brigit was said to be the inventor of whistling and of keening.

Customs

Blessing rushes/straw and making Brigid wheels

Putting out food and drink for Brigid on Her eve (such as buttered bread, milk, grains, seeds)

Chair by hearth decorated by women; young woman carries in first flowers & greens, candle.

Opening the door and welcoming Her into the home. "Bride! Come in, they bed is made! Preserve the House for the Triple Goddess!" Scottish Gaelic Invocation: "May Brigit give blessing to the house that is here; Brigit, the fair and tender, Her hue like the cotton-grass, Rich-tressed maiden of ringlets of gold."

Brigid's Bed (Scotland): Putting grain effigy and a phallic wand in a basket next to the hearth/candles at night and chanting three times: "Brigid is Come! Brigid is Welcome!"

Purification

removing Yuletide greens from home & burning them (Celtic)

cleaning up fields and home (old Roman, Februa "to cleanse" month)

Mary purification festival (Christian, Western church)

burning old Brigid's wheels and making new ones (some parts of Ireland)

placing Brigid's wheel above/on door to bless home (Celtic, Wiccan)

Signs of Spring: Ground Hog's Day

seeds as a symbol of new life to come

first greens and flowers as offerings

weather - bright or grey

hibernating animals - groundhog, bear, badger

If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, Winter again will show its might.

If Candlemas day be cloudy and grey, Winter soon will pass away. (Fox version)

If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight.

If Candlemas day be shower and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again. (Traditional)

Spiritual Awakening: Spirit Within

initiations - self, group (Dianic & Faery Wiccan); Christ child in temple (Christian, Eastern church)

dedication - shrines, temples (contemporary Pagan)

self-blessing and spiritual dedication

inner journey for Divine inspiration

affirming the artist/innovator within; energizing creative work.

19 Ways to Celebrate

Sacred Flames of Brigid Light, Making Magic on Brigid’s Night!

Alter: Create a Brigid Altar with candles and one or more depictions and symbols of Brigid

Cross: Create a Brigid’s Cross. Place it above or near the front door to bless your home.

Learn: read about Brigid Lore, Symbols, Powers, and Aspects.

Create: call on Brigid as Goddess of Inspiration as you journal, sing, dance, write a poem, tell a story and/or engage in other creative endeavors.

Fire: connect with Brigid as Goddess of Sun and Fire as you light a candle in a cauldron, kindle a fire in a hearth, or build and ignite a bonfire & gaze in the flames.

Land: call on Brigid as Goddess of the Land as you do ritual outside & attune to Spirit of Place.

Chant: sing Brigid’s name, chant Brigid chants.

Heal: call on Brigid as the Goddess of Healing in a ritual for healing self, others, and the planet

Mantle: place a strip of white linen or cotton cloth outside and call on Brigid to bless it. Bring it inside the following morning.

Feast: hold an Imbolc dinner to honor Brigid.

Water: place water in a cauldron, call on Brigid as Goddess of the Sacred Waters to bless it.  Scry in it. Anoint yourself and others for renewal.

Oak: call on Brigid of the Sacred Oaks as you meditate with an Oak tree or on Oak tree imagery and connect with strength, power, and endurance.

Journey: call on Brigid as Goddess of the Sacred Swan and have Her guide you in this form on a trance journey.

WELL: Visit a Brigid holy well in person or imagination. Place ribbons and strips of cloths there as healing prayer offerings.

Fertility: Craft a Brigid’s Bed or other charm for fertility and gift it to someone in need.

Stories: Hold a Storytelling Circle in person or online and share stories about Brigid and Brigid experiences.

Welcome: Open the front door to your home as you call to Brigid and welcome Her to be with you.

Blessings: Wish others Bright Brigid Blessings by voice and by written words!

Ostara

Spring Equinox, also known as Ostara, occurs in the middle of March. It marks the beginning of Spring and the time when days and nights are of equal length. The Goddess manifests as Ostara or Eostre with her basket of eggs. She is accompanied by the Hare or Rabbit, a manifestation of the God. Green has been sacred to this Sabbat since ancient times, because it represents the greening of the land with vegetation. This is a festival of new growth.

Prepare egg dishes and share them with friends. Organize egg games, such as egg hunts. Decorate your home with spring flowers and sprouting greens. Wear green clothing as an affirmation of new growth within yourself and Nature. Bless any seeds you plan to plant in your garden. Begin a new project. Make a growth charm out of a hard-boiled egg -- decorate it with symbols, write on it the quality you would like to manifest more fully within yourself, energize it, and then eat it.

Summer Finding (Asatru)

Summer Finding is also known to many groups as Ostara, the holiday sacred to the Goddess for whom the modern Easter is named.  She is a fertility Goddess and her symbols are the hare and the egg.  She was an important Goddess of spring to the ancient Saxons, but we know little else of her other than this.  Some have suggested that Ostara is merely an alternate name for Frigg or Freya, but neither of these Goddesses seem to have quite the same fertility function as Ostara does.  Frigg seems too high class to be associated with such an earthy festival and Freya’s form of fertility is more based on eroticism than

reproduction.

The obvious folk tradition at this time of year involves eggs.  These were colored as they are today, but then they were buried, or more appropriately, planted in the earth.  Some have suggested that the act was purely magical, the fertility of the eggs would then be transferred from the animal realm to the plant realm and would increase the prosperity of the harvest.  It’s also possible that they were left as an offering to the alvar and the spirits of the plants.

In any case a blot should be prepared to the Goddess of Spring, however one wishes to honor her, and also to the spirits of the land.

Spring Rituals

Signs of Spring - take a Nature walk with your attention focused on changes in the land, climate, creatures, plants. Reflect on yourself renewing as other parts of Nature you encounter are doing this.

Spring Cleaning - in & around home. Sweeping, scrubbing, smudging, burning, re-organizing, more.

Airing out the Home - opening windows and letting new air flow through and circulate.

Spring Home Blessings - consecrate with Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit; bless threshold.

Home Altar Renewal - take off all objects, clean altar and area around it, assess what to keep & what to change, re-set, add Spring decorations.

Spring Decorations - place Spring symbols such as wreath and/or budding branches on or near front door, place symbolic and/or actual flowers, other symbols around home.

Egg Traditions - coloring, exchanges, hunts, games, decorations, foods, divinations

New Growth Choices Egg Rolling Divination - decorate a hardboiled egg with symbols of possible actions to bring about new growth; with intention, roll the egg to discover which to work with first.

Spring Tonic - infuse herbs in hot water to create a tea, drink it with intention of rejuvenation; use newly sprouted greens when available.

New Garb - purchase and/or create something new to wear - clothing, hat, shoes, necklace, or other item; wearing it as symbolic of new life spring forth.

Seeds Blessings - selecting seeds to be planted, blessing seeds, starting seeds.

Garden Blessings - clearing away debris, burying egg or other charm for abundance, envisioning abundant growth of plants in the garden.

Spring Meditations - working with one or more Spring images: Ostara, Green Gods/Goddesses, Flora, Maia, Demeter & Kore, Dionysus, Jack-in-Green, Balance of Day & Night, Flowers, Eggs, Baskets, Maypole, Greening/budding branches, Butterflies, Sunshine, others.

Festival Rites - Spring Equinox, Earth Day, Beltane; bonfires, greeting dawn, dance, processions, song.

Beltane

Beltane Lore & Rites

known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night, happens at the beginning of May. It celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. The Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May King and Jack in the Green. The danced Maypole represents Their unity, with the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess. Colors are the Rainbow spectrum. Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.

Beltane Customs

Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend. Form a wreath of freshly picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty. Dress in bright colors. Dance the Maypole and feel yourself balancing the Divine Female and Male within. On May Eve, bless your garden in the old way by making love with your lover in it. Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck. Welcome in the May at dawn with singing and dancing.

Going A-Maying & Bringing in the May -- Merry-making and Nature communion. * Midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. * In Pagan Rome, Floralia, from April 27-May 3 was the festival of the Flower Goddess Flora and the flowering of Springtime. On May 1, offerings were made to Bona Dea (as Mother Earth), the Lares (household guardian spirits), and Maia (Goddess of Increase) from whom May gets its name. * Roman Catholic traditions of crowning statues of Mary with flowers on May 1 have Roman Pagan roots. * Marks the second half of the Celtic Year; one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. Complement to Samhain, it is a time of divination and communion with Fairy Folk/Nature Spirits. * Pastoral tradition of turning sheep, cows, other livestock out to pasture. * In Pagan Scandinavia, mock battles between Winter and Summer were enacted at this time. * Building on older tradition of this time being a holiday for the masses, in the twentieth century, May Day has been a workers' holiday in many places. * Some say that Mother's Day, in the USA, Mexico, and elsewhere has Pagan roots. Forms include pole, tree, bush, cross; communal or household; permanent or annual. * In Germany, Fir tree was cut on May Eve by young unmarried men, branches removed, decorated, put up in village square, & guarded all night until dance occurred on May Day. * In England, permanent Maypoles were erected on village greens * In some villages, there also were smaller Maypoles in the yards of households. * Maypole ribbon dances, with two circles interweaving; around decorated bush/tree, clockwise circle dances.

Flowers & Greenwood

Gathering and exchange of Flowers and Greens on May Eve, pre-dawn May Day, Beltane. * Decorating homes, barns, and other buildings with Green budding branches, including Hawthorn. * Making and wearing of garland wreaths of Flowers and/or Greens. * May Baskets were given or placed secretly on doorsteps to friends, shut-ins, lovers, others. * May Bowl was punch (wine or non-alcoholic) made of Sweet Woodruff blossoms. Traditionally, sacred woods kindled by spark from flint or by friction -- in Irish Gaelic, the Beltane Fire has been called teine eigin (fire from rubbing sticks). * Jump over the Beltane Fire, move through it, or dance clockwise around it. * Livestock was driven through it or between two fires for purification and fertility blessings. * In ancient times Druid priests kindled it at sacred places; later times, Christian priests kindled it in fields near the church after performing a Christian church service. * Rowan twigs were carried around the fire three times, then hung over hearths to bless homes. * In the past, Beltane community fire purification customs included symbolic sacrifice of effigy knobs on the Beltane Cake (of barley) to the fire, or, in medieval times, mock sacrifice of Beltane Carline (Hag) who received blackened piece of Beltane Cake; Maypoles in Spain were each topped with a male effigy which was later burned. Contemporary Pagans burn sacred wood and dried herbs as offerings in their Beltane fires.

May Waters

Rolling in May Eve dew or washing face in pre-dawn May Day dew for health, luck, beauty. * Getting head and hair wet in Beltane rain to bless the head. * Blessing springs, ponds, other sacred waters with flowers, garlands, ribbons, other offerings. * Collecting sacred waters and scrying in sacred springs, wells, ponds, other waters.

Sacred Union & Fertility

Union with the Land focus, often with actual mating outside on the Land to bless fields, herds, home. * May Queen (May Bride) as personification of the Earth Goddess and Goddesses of Fertility. * May King (May Groom) as personification of Vegetation God, Jack-in-Green -- often covered in green leaves. * At Circle Sanctuary, in addition to May Queen & May King, is May Spirit Couple, an already bonded pair. * Symbolic Union of Goddess and God in election/selection, crowning, processional, Maypole dance, feast. * Morris Dancers and pageants (with Hag & Jack-in-Green) to awaken the fertility in the Land.

Litha

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice, sometimes known as Midsummer, Litha, or St. John's Day, occurs in the middle of June. It is a celebration of the longest day of the year and the beginning of Summer. It has been a grand tribal gathering time since ancient times. The Goddess manifests as Mother Earth and the God as the Sun King. Colors are Yellow, Green, and Blue. It is a festival of community sharing and planetary service.

Celebrate Solstice time with other Pagans -- take part in the Pagan Spirit Gathering or some other Pagan festival happening during June. Keep a Sacred Fire burning throughout the gathering. Stay up all night on Solstice Eve and welcome the rising Sun at dawn. Make a pledge to Mother Earth of something that you will do to improve the environment and then begin carrying it out. Have a magical gift exchange with friends. Burn your Yule wreath in a Summer Solstice bonfire. Exchange songs, chants, and stories with others in person or through the mail. Do ecstatic dancing to drums around a blazing bonfire.

Midsummer Day (Asatru)

The summer solstice was second only to Yule in importance to the ancient Northmen.  Some groups mark this day as sacred to Balder, but we disagree with this.  While Balder can be seen as a dying and

resurrected Sun God, in the mythology we are most familiar with, he does not return to life until Ragnarök and it seems like. bad karma. to symbolically kill the sun when you know he doesn.t come back until the end of the world.  Instead, we mark this day as sacred to the Goddess Sunna, who is literally the sun.

One idea for midsummer is to remain awake all night and mark the shortest night of the year, then at sunrise to perform a. Greeting of Sunna. and a blot to her.

Another midsummer custom is the rolling of a flaming wagon wheel down a hill to mark the turning of the wheel of the year.  If fire would otherwise be a hazard, one could parade a wheel covered with candles for similar effect.  It is also a time for general merriment and in the Scandinavian countries many of what we know as the traditional May Day rituals such as May Poles and Morris Dances were instead

celebrated at Midsummer.

Solstice Fires of the Pagan Spirit Gathering

DSC 3266Sacred Fires and Sacred Flames have been an integral part of the Pagan Spirit Gathering since it began in 1980.  The Pagan Spirit Gathering, also known as PSG, is one of America’s oldest and largest celebrations of Summer Solstice and Nature Spirituality.  The Fires of PSG symbolize Sun, Summer, Community, Culture, and Celebration.  They are sources of illumination and inspiration that are an integral part of celebrating Summer Solstice and creating Community.

A variety of traditions involving sacred work with Fire have developed over the years at PSG.  Some of these traditions are forms of ancient Pagan practices, while others are more recent in origin.

Community Sacred Fire

A Community Summer Solstice Fire has been part of each PSG since it began in 1980.  Called the Sacred Fire, it represents the Spirit of the PSG Community and its celebration of the Sun at Summer Solstice time.  As was done by Celtic, Germanic, Scandinavian, Baltic, Roman, Greek, and other old European Pagan peoples, we use Oak wood as a fuel for our Sacred Fire.  Before the Sacred Fire is lit, we add ashes and charred wood from the previous year’s Community Sacred Fire.  This kindling a new fire from remnants of a previous one is an ancient Pagan practice representing continuity with the past in the on-going spiral journey of life.  

In creating each year’s Sacred Fire, we also include dried stalks of Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), a ritual herb long associated with Summer Solstice celebrations.  The Mugwort we use is from the Mugwort Circle, a tall hedge and ritual circle around our Maypole at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve in Wisconsin.  We harvest the Mugwort in a special ceremony at Lughnassad time during our Green Spirit Festival in early August.

On the evening of the opening day of the Pagan Spirit Gathering, we light the PSG Community’s Sacred Fire during our Opening Ritual.  The Fire is located in the center of our main Community ritual circle area.

Each year, one of the elders in our Community serves as the PSG Firekeeper.  The Firekeeper, assisted by a small crew of other Community members, ritually kindles the Fire as the rest of the Community chants and our Community drummers make rhythms.  After the Sacred Fire ignites and grows in intensity, my husband, Dennis, and I walk clockwise around the Fire and carry a large wreath of evergreen boughs used to celebrate Yule six months before at our Winter Solstice celebrations in Wisconsin. We cast this wreath into the Fire to signify the turning of the Wheel of the Year.  As the wreath blazes and burns, gathering participants cheer and welcome in the Summer.

Then, PSG coordinators of various aspects of gathering Community life come into the center of the ritual circle and encircle the Sacred Fire.  As they cast in handfuls of dried sacred herbs, they speak blessings upon the gathering and the Community.

Throughout the entire week of the gathering and through all types of weather conditions, the PSG Firekeeper and crew, assisted by other Community members, continue to watch over the Sacred Fire to make sure that it continues to burn day and night.  In instances of heavy rains, the Firekeeper and crew usually place a portable free-standing canopy over the Fire or use other methods to protect the Fire and keep it burning.

A variety of individual, small group, and large community rituals, meetings, workshops, meditations, and other activities take place around the Community Sacred Fire during the gathering.  Community members often feed the Fire dried flowers, sweet smelling herbs, paper talismans, and other spiritual offerings.  No trash is burned in the Sacred Fire.  The Sacred Fire is respected as a spiritual presence embodying the Community Spirit as well as a sacred area.

Each day’s morning meeting is held in the ritual circle around the Sacred Fire.  Community members gather to share news, announcements, discussion, music, drumming, and meditation.  

Some PSG Community members do personal healing work at the Sacred Fire at times other than large Community events there.  Some scry into the Fire and do other types of Fire divination for personal spiritual guidance.  Some Community members keep vigil at the Sacred Fire throughout the night and then ritually greet the rising Solstice-time Sun at dawn.

In late morning of the final day of our week-long gathering, the Community Sacred Fire is thanked, honored, bid farewell, and then extinguished as part of the Closing Ritual. Following this ritual, after the remains of the Sacred Fire have cooled, the PSG Firekeeper collects some ashes and chunks of charred wood for use in starting next year’s Sacred Fire.

Other PSG Community members have the option of taking bits of the Sacred Fire’s remains home with them to bless their home fires and remind them of their connection with the Pagan Spirit Gathering Community and the larger global Pagan culture of which we all are part.

Another ancient Solstice Fire practice which has been part of each PSG over the years is that of celebratory dancing and drumming around blazing bonfires.  In addition to happening as part of rituals around the Community Sacred Fire in the main ritual circle, this also occurs at other places within the gathering site.

The Community Bonfire Circle space has been developed in a wooded area of the gathering site as a place dedicated to drumming and dancing.  The Bonfire is initially kindled from the Community Sacred Fire following the conclusion of the Opening Ritual in the main ritual circle. One of the major PSG rituals, the Tribal Dance and Drum Ritual is held there on the second night of the gathering.  

During the daytime, a variety of drumming workshops are held at the Bonfire Circle.  Each evening, ecstatic dancing and drumming happens throughout the night.  Drummers and dancers interact with each other and the Bonfire in the center of the circle. Various drummers and dancers take turns establishing rhythms, which vary in pace, style, and intensity.

In addition to rhythm making with drums, often there are the additional sounds of tambourines, rattles, zills, flutes, bells, and other instruments.  Sometimes there also is chant-singing.  A variety of dancing styles may occur during an evening, such as trance dancing, ribbon dancing, and circle dancing.  As with the Community Sacred Fire, herbs, wood, and other spiritual materials may be added to the Bonfire as part of dancing and drumming experiences.

Next to the Bonfire Circle is the Fire-Spinning Area.  Fire-Spinning instruction and performances take place there.  By special arrangement, some Fire-Spinning also is incorporated in large Community rituals and other events.

Sweat lodge Fire

Another special area of deep spiritual practice is the Sweat lodge.  This sacred place is an area where sacred sweat traditions of the Americas and, occasionally, old Europe are practiced.

The Sweat lodge has its own Sacred Fire.  This Fire is used to warm the stones that provide the transforming sacred heat during Sweat lodge rites.  The PSG Community Sweat lodge coordinator, trained in traditional ways by a Native American elder, watches over the PSG Sweat lodge area and activities, to make certain that spiritual and safety protocols are abided by.  The Sweat lodge Coordinator also interfaces with the elders and teachers of different sacred sweat traditions who conduct Sweat lodge rites.    

Prior to each Sweat lodge rite, the ritual leader and participants gather around the Sweat lodge Fire and prepare for the ceremony.  During each ceremony, the Sweat lodge Firekeeper tends the Fire, serves as a guardian of the area, and attends to the needs of participants.  Following a ceremony, participants often spend additional time around the Fire as they reflect on and integrate their experiences of healing and transformation.

Other Sacred Fires

Other ritual fires sometimes are kindled in workshop areas and gathering centers as part of various small and large rituals, such as child blessings, handfastings, coming of age ceremonies, other life passages rites, guided journeys, and consecration rites. Also, each year, at least one potter facilitates a clay sculpture workshop in which participants create sacred images, ritual bowls, pentacles, and other altar pieces.  After the clay pieces have dried, they are pit fired in a ceremonial Fire created for that purpose.

The campfire in Amethyst Circle, the alcohol-free camping area for Pagans in recovery, serves as a focal point for meetings and socials as well as ceremonies there.  There are social campfires in other encampments such as the Rainbow Center and Camp, for GLBTQ Pagans, and the Guardians Camp which coordinates First Aid and Safety.

Candlelight Procession

One of the oldest and most spectacular of the Solstice Fire traditions at each year’s PSG is the candlelight procession to the Opening Ritual.  As twilight approaches, PSG community members dress for ritual and each lights a candle in a lantern or jar to carry with them.  With these lights, they join the community procession as it weaves its way through camp toward the main ritual circle.  Like a great ribbon of flickering flames, the procession spirals around and around within the great circle.

Hundreds of lights gleam and glimmer in the darkness.  Our lights represent both our individuality as well as our unity.  Our procession with these sacred flames spiritually connects us with each other, with the Spirit of the PSG Community through its history, and with the many others who have used sacred processions with flames through the ages as part of their religious and cultural practices.

A long-time favorite PSG Solstice Fires tradition occurs at the end of the opening ritual, when each participant simultaneously lights a sparkler from her or his candle flame. Participants then wave their glowing sparkler wands overhead as they make wishes and blessings for the gathering.

Another way we celebrate Summer Solstice at each year’s Pagan Spirit Gathering is with a Candlelight Labyrinth Ritual.  One thousand votive candles, each set-in sand in translucent cups, are arranged in an ancient labyrinth pattern within the main ritual circle.  

Known as the Seven Circuit Labyrinth, the pattern we use is more than 5000 years old and dates back to Pagan Crete.  At twilight, the Candle Labyrinth Ritual facilitators and helpers light each of the candles and do a special blessing of the Labyrinth.

Over the course of the night, from dusk to dawn, hundreds of PSG community members silently and meditatively enter and walk the Candlelight Labyrinth as a ritual of spiritual transformation.  After walking the Labyrinth to its center, which is next to the Sacred Fire, most pause and meditate for a time before walking the Labyrinth back to its gateway. Experiences with the Labyrinth vary. For some, it is calming, while for others it is energizing.  For most, it is a renewal ritual that deepens spiritual understanding.

Torchlights & Campfires

As twilight approaches each day of PSG, flames are kindled to illuminate roadways, centers, and campsites throughout the gathering site.  The PSG Community Torch lighting coordinator and crew make their way along main roads and side paths and light the many tiki torches that they have filled with kerosene, citronella oil, or other fuels earlier in the day.  They also light torches at the community altar, stage, and centers.

Throughout the years, there has been a growing number of tiki torches appearing at individual campsites as well, and these are lit by campsite members as part of their welcoming the night ritual process.

In addition, or as alternatives, to tiki torches, some individuals and groups kindle votive candles, oil lamps, and candle lanterns to illuminate their campsites, and in recent years, some solar-powered torches also have been used by some participants. Many Community members have sacred flames on campsite altars and shrines.  Merchants who keep evening hours often light their booths as well as their campsites with flamelights.  Most campsites with Fire rings also have campfires.  In addition to their use for cooking food and warming beverages, these campsite fires serve as focal points for small group evening activities, including discussions, storytelling, singing, and merry making. Some of these campfires also are used for household or small group private rituals.

The widespread use of many types of Fire, including torches, lamps, candles, and campfires throughout the gathering site each evening creates an enchanting ambiance which is timeless, bringing forth ancestral memories of living in community during times when live flames were the customary means of nighttime illumination. The flickering of flames and the various Sacred Fires in rituals, in community areas, along paths, and throughout the gathering tribal village is a visible reminder of our connection with each other, with ancient ways, and the Summer Solstice.

Lughnassad

These are the dog days of summer, the gardens are full of goodies, the fields are full of grain, and the harvest is approaching. Take a moment to relax in the heat and reflect on the upcoming abundance of the fall months. At Lammas, sometimes called Lughnasadh, it's time to begin reaping what we have sown throughout the past few months and recognize that the bright summer days will soon come to an end.

Rituals and Ceremonies

Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Lammas, but typically the focus is on either the early harvest aspect or the celebration of the Celtic god Lugh. It's the season when the first grains are ready to be harvested and threshed, when the apples and grapes are ripe for the plucking, and we're grateful for the food we have on our tables.

Here are a few rituals you may want to think about trying -- and remember, any of them can be adapted for either a solitary practitioner or a small group, with just a little planning ahead.

Lammas Harvest Ritual: This ritual celebrates the beginning of the harvest season and the cycle of rebirth and can be done by a solitary practitioner or adapted for a group or coven setting.

Honor Lugh of the Many Skills: Take the opportunity this day to celebrate your own skills and abilities, and make an offering to Lugh to honor him, the god of craftsmanship.

Lammas Prayers: Use these simple seasonal prayers to celebrate Lammas, the early grain harvest.

Decorating Your Altar: Set up your altar for Lammas/Lughnasadh, using colors and symbols of the season.

Lammas Magic

Lammas is a time of excitement and magic. The natural world is thriving around us, and yet the knowledge that everything will soon die looms in the background. This is a good time to work some magic around the hearth and home.

Ash Tree Magic and Folklore: Because of its close association not only with the Divine but with knowledge, Ash can be worked with for any number of spells, rituals, and other workings.

Bread Magic: Let’s look at some of the magical folklore surrounding bread in different cultures and societies.

The Magic of Corn: Corn has been planted, tended, harvested and consumed for millennia, and so it’s no wonder that there are myths about the magical properties of this grain.

Protection Magic: In many magical traditions, workings can be done to ensure protection of home, property, and people. There are a number of simple ways you can do protection workings.

Sunflower Magic: Let’s look at some of the superstitions and customs about sunflowers from various cultures and societies.

Honey Magic and Folklore: Honey has a number of magical properties - let's explore some of the ways you can use it!

Lammas Customs and Traditions

The early harvest and the threshing of grain has been celebrated for thousands of years. Here are just a few of the customs and legends surrounding the Lammas season.

Lammas (Lughnasadh) History: This holiday can be celebrated either as a way to honor the god Lugh, or as a celebration of the harvest.

Legends and Lore of Lammas (Lughnasadh): Here are a few of the stories about this magical harvest celebration from around the world.

Lugh, Master of Skills: Lugh is the Celtic craftsman god associated with this time of year.

Deities of the Fields: In addition to Lugh, there are many other deities connected to the early grain harvest.

The Legend of John Barleycorn: In English folklore, John Barleycorn is a character who represents the crop of barley harvested each autumn.

The Vulcanalia, August 23: Because Vulcan was associated with the destructive powers of fire, his celebration fell each year during the heat of the summer months.

Crafts and Creations

As summer winds to a close and autumn approaches, make crafts and decorations for your home that celebrate the outdoors and the gifts of nature. Before you get started, though, read up on these Five Quick Decorating Ideas for Lammas!

Feasting and Food

Nothing says "Pagan celebration" like a potluck! Lammas, or Lughnasadh, is the time of year when the gardens are in full bloom. From root vegetables to fresh herbs, so much of what you need is right there in your own back yard or at the local farmer's market. Let's take advantage of the gifts of the garden, and cook up a feast to celebrate the first harvest at Lammas

Mabon

It is the time of the autumn equinox, and the harvest is winding down. The fields are nearly empty because the crops have been plucked and stored for the coming winter. Mabon is the mid-harvest festival, and it is when we take a few moments to honor the changing seasons and celebrate the second harvest. On or around September 21 (or March 21, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere), for many Pagan and Wiccan traditions it is a time of giving thanks for the things we have, whether it is abundant crops or other blessings. It's a time of plenty, of gratitude, and of sharing our abundance with those less fortunate.

Winter Finding (Asatru)

I have not come across a great deal of traditional lore about the Autumn Equinox which we know as Winter Finding.  It seems to have been overshadowed to some extent by the Winter Nights which we celebrate at the equinox rather than at the more traditional time of mid-November. If one wishes not to do this, the Winter Finding would be a festival of harvest. One should hold a Blot to whichever Gods of fertility seem most appropriate and then hold a large feast, concentrating on vegetables that are currently in season.

Rituals and Ceremonies

Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Mabon, but typically the focus is on either the second harvest aspect or the balance between light and dark. This, after all, is the time when there is an equal amount of day and night. While we celebrate the gifts of the earth, we also accept that the soil is dying. We have food to eat, but the crops are brown and going dormant. Warmth is behind us, cold lies ahead. Here are a few rituals you may want to think about trying. Remember, any of them can be adapted for either a solitary practitioner or a small group, with just a little planning ahead.

Setting Up Your Mabon Altar: Celebrate the Mabon Sabbat by decorating your altar with the colors and symbols of the late harvest season.

Create a Mabon Food Altar: Mabon is a celebration of the second harvest season. It's a time when we're gathering the bounty of the fields, the orchards, and the gardens, and bringing it in for storage.

Ten Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox: This is a time of balance and reflection, following the theme of equal hours light and dark. Here are some ways you and your family can celebrate this day of bounty and abundance.

Honor the Dark Mother at Mabon: This ritual welcomes the archetype of the Dark Mother and celebrates that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge.

Mabon Apple Harvest Rite: This apple ritual will allow you time to thank the gods for their bounty and blessings, and to enjoy the magic of the earth before the winds of winter blow through.

Hearth & Home Protection Ritual: This ritual is a simple one designed to place a barrier of harmony and security around your property.

Hold a Gratitude Ritual: You might want to consider doing a short gratitude ritual as a way of expressing thankfulness at Mabon.

Autumn Full Moon -- Group Ceremony: This rite is written for a group of four people or more to celebrate the full moon phases of the fall.

Mabon Balance Meditation: If you're feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life.

Traditions and Trends

Interested in learning about some of the traditions behind the celebrations of September? Find out why Mabon is important, learn the legend of Persephone and Demeter, and explore the magic of apples and more! Also, don't forget to read up on ideas for celebrating with your family, how Mabon is celebrated around the world and the reason why you'll see so many Pagans at your favorite Renaissance Festival.

Mabon History: The idea of a harvest festival is nothing new. Let's look at some of the histories behind the seasonal celebrations.

Origins of the Word "Mabon": There is a lot of spirited conversation in the Pagan community as to where the word "Mabon" originates. While some of us would like to think that it's an old and ancient name for the celebration, there's no evidence to indicate that it's anything other than modern.

Celebrating Mabon with Kids: If you’ve got kids at home, try celebrating Mabon with some of these family-friendly and kid-appropriate ideas.

Mabon Celebrations Around the World: Let's look at some of the ways that this second harvest holiday has been honored around the world for centuries.

Pagans and Renaissance Festivals: While the Renaissance Festival, whichever one you may be attending, isn’t inherently Pagan itself, it’s definitely a Pagan-magnet. Why is this?

Michaelmas: Although it's not a Pagan holiday in the true sense, Michaelmas celebrations often included older aspects of Pagan harvest customs, such as the weaving of corn dolls from the last sheaves of grain.

The Gods of the Vine: Mabon is a popular time to celebrate winemaking and deities connected to the growth of the vine.

Gods and Goddesses of the Hunt: In some of today’s Pagan belief systems, hunting is considered off-limits, but for many others, deities of the hunt are still honored by modern Pagans.

Symbolism of the Stag: In some Pagan traditions, the deer is highly symbolic, and takes on many aspects of the God during the harvest season.

Acorns and the Mighty Oak: In many cultures, the oak is sacred, and is often connected to legends of deities who interact with mortals.

Pomona, Goddess of Apples: Pomona was a Roman goddess who was the keeper of orchards and fruit trees.

Scarecrows: Although they haven't always looked the way they do now, scarecrows have been around a long time and have been used in a number of different cultures.

Mabon Magic

Mabon is a time rich in magic, all connected to the changing seasons of the earth. Why not take advantage of nature's bounty, and work a little magic of your own? Use apples and grapevines to bring magic into your life at this time of year.

Mabon Prayers: Try one of these simple, practical Mabon prayers to mark the autumn equinox in your celebrations.

Apple Magic: Because of its associations with the harvest, the apple is perfect for Mabon magic.

Grapevine Magic: Here are some simple ways you can incorporate the bounty of the grapevine into your fall harvest celebrations.

The Magic of the Kitchen Witch: There's a growing movement within modern Paganism known as kitchen witchery. The kitchen is, after all, the heart and hearth of many modern households.

Raise Energy with a Drum Circle: Drum circles are a lot of fun, and if you've ever attended a public Pagan or Wiccan event, chances are good that somewhere, someone is drumming. Here's how to host one!

Crafts and Creations

As the autumnal equinox approaches, decorate your home (and keep your kids entertained) with a number of easy craft projects. Start celebrating a bit early with these fun and simple ideas. Bring the season indoors with harvest potpourri and magical pokeberry ink or celebrate the season of abundance with prosperity candles and cleansing wash!

Mabon Feasting and Food

No Pagan celebration is really complete without a meal to go along with it. For Mabon, celebrate with foods that honor the hearth and harvest—breads and grains, autumn veggies like squash and onions, fruits, and wine. It's a great time of year to take advantage of the bounty of the season

Ten Ways to Celebrate Mabon

Mabon is the time of the autumn equinox, and the harvest is winding down. The fields are nearly bare, because the crops have been stored for the coming winter. Mabon is a time when we take a few moments to honor the changing seasons and celebrate the second harvest. On or around September 21 (or June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere), for many people who follow Pagan and Wiccan traditions, it is a time of giving thanks for the things we have, whether it is abundant crops or other blessings. It is also a time of balance and reflection, following the theme of equal hours light and dark. Here are some ways you and your family can celebrate this day of bounty and abundance.

Find Some Balance

Mabon is a time of balance, when there are equal hours of darkness and light, and that can affect people in different ways. For some, it's a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light. For others, it's a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest. Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit "off." If you're feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life. You can also try a ritual to bring balance and harmony to your home.

Hold a Food Drive

Many Pagans and Wiccans count Mabon as a time of thanks and blessings and because of that, it seems like a good time to give to those less fortunate than ourselves. If you find yourself blessed with abundance at Mabon, why not give to those who aren't? Invite friends over for a feast, but ask each of them to bring a canned food, dry goods, or other non-perishable items? Donate the collected bounty to a local food bank or homeless shelter.

Pick Some Apples

Apples are the perfect symbol of the Mabon season. Long connected to wisdom and magic, there are so many wonderful things you can do with an apple. Find an orchard near you and spend a day with your family. As you pick the apples, give thanks to Pomona, goddess of fruit trees. Be sure to only pick what you're going to use. If you can, gather plenty to take home and preserve for the coming winter months.

Count Your Blessings

Mabon is a time of giving thanks, but sometimes we take our fortune for granted. Sit down and make a gratitude list. Write down things that you are thankful for. An attitude of gratefulness helps bring more abundance our way. What are things you're glad you have in your life? Maybe it's the small things, like "I'm happy that I have my cat Peaches" or "I'm glad my car is running." Maybe it's something bigger, like "I'm thankful I have a warm home and food to eat" or "I'm thankful people love me even when I'm cranky." Keep your list some place you can see it and add to it when the mood strikes you.

Honor the Darkness

Without darkness, there is no light. Without night, there can be no day. Despite a basic human need to overlook the dark, there are many positive aspects to embracing the dark side, if it's just for a short time. After all, it was Demeter's love for her daughter Persephone that led her to wander the world, mourning for six months at a time, bringing us the death of the soil each fall. In some paths, Mabon is the time of year that celebrates the Crone aspect of a triune goddess. Celebrate a ritual that honors that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge. Call upon the gods and goddesses of the dark night and ask for their blessings this time of year.

Get Back to Nature

Fall is here, and that means the weather is bearable once more. The nights are becoming crisp and cool, and there's a chill in the air. Take your family on a nature walk and enjoy the changing sights and sounds of the outdoors. Listen for geese honking in the sky above you, check the trees for changing in the colors of the leaves, and watch the ground for dropped items like acorns, nuts, and seed pods. If you live in an area that doesn't have any restrictions on removing natural items from park property, take a small bag with you and fill it up with the things you discover along the way. Bring your goodies home for your family's altar. If you are prohibited from removing natural items, fill your bag with trash and clean up the outdoors!

Tell Timeless Stories

In many cultures, fall was a time of celebration and gathering. It was the season in which friends and relatives would come from far and near to get together before the cold winter kept them apart for months at a time. Part of this custom was storytelling. Learn the harvest tales of your ancestors or of the people indigenous to the area in which you live. A common theme in these stories is the cycle of death and rebirth, as seen in the planting season. Learn about the stories of Osiris, Mithras, Dionysius, Odin and other deities who have died and then been restored to life.

Raise Some Energy

It's not uncommon for Pagans and Wiccans to make remarks regarding the "energy" of an experience or event. If you're having friends or family over to celebrate Mabon with you, you can raise group energy by working together. A great way to do this is with a drum or music circle. Invite everyone to bring drums, rattles, bells, or other instruments. Those who don't have an instrument can clap their hands. Begin in a slow, regular rhythm, gradually increasing the tempo until it reaches a rapid pace. End the drumming at a pre-arranged signal, and you'll be able to feel that energy wash over the group in waves. Another way of raising group energy is chanting, or with dance. With enough people, you can hold a Spiral Dance.

Celebrate Hearth & Home

As autumn rolls in, we know we'll be spending more time indoors in just a few months. Take some time to do a fall version of spring cleaning. Physically clean your home from top to bottom, and then do a ritual smudging. Use sage or sweetgrass, or asperge with consecrated water as you go through your home and bless each room. Decorate your home with symbols of the harvest season and set up a family Mabon altar. Put sickles, scythes and bales of hay around the yard. Collect colorful autumn leaves, gourds and fallen twigs and place them in decorative baskets in your house. If you have any repairs that need to be done, do them now so you don't have to worry about them over the winter. Throw out or give away anything that's no longer of use.

Welcome the Gods of the Vine

Grapes are everywhere, so it's no surprise that the Mabon season is a popular time to celebrate winemaking, and deities connected to the growth of the vine. Whether you see him as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a key archetype in harvest celebrations. Take a tour of a local winery and see what it is they do this time of year. Better yet, try your hand at making your own wine! If you're not into wine, that's okay; you can still enjoy the bounty of grapes and use their leaves and vines for recipes and craft projects. However, you celebrate these deities of vine and vegetation, you may want to leave a small offering of thanks as you reap the benefits of the grape harvest.

[flyingthehedge]

Spirit Work for Imbolc

All the sabbats, contrary to popular belief, are great for working and connecting with the Otherworld. Imbolc, one of the fire festivals, celebrates the coming of Spring and the return of the Sun. With these themes in mind, here are 3 ways to connect and work with spirits on Imbolc.

1. Meet and greet your house spirits.

Every home has a spirit of its own as well as house spirits that you may or may not be aware of. Imbolc is a great time to meet and get to know them, as this is a time for new beginnings. This is also the time for "spring cleaning," and it is important that you work with the spirits of your home during any such deep cleaning or purging to avoid upsetting them. You may even end up finding them extremely helpful in the process as well! Examples of such spirits include Brownies, Hobs, Kobolds, Hobgoblins, Domovoy, and Tomtes. I grew up hearing about Tomtes, especially when something that was missing was suddenly found in plain sight, so this is often the name I use when I refer to my household spirit and guardian. With your Grimoire or Book of Shadows close at hand, sit on the floor in a central location of your home. Begin by closing your eyes and trying to sense your home's spirit, not your guardian spirit. What does your home feel like to you? Does it have an aura? If so, what color is it? Does it have a voice? Spend roughly 5 to 10 minutes sensing your home and gathering as much information as you can. When you are done, thank your house for providing you with warmth and shelter, and jot down any notes regarding your experience.

After you have met your house's spirit, its time to see if you have a home guardian spirit. The best place for this type of work is in the kitchen. Close your eyes and search your home's energy for anything unusual, especially around the stove. Since you have already met your home's spirit, you will be able to distinguish its energy from any other presence that may be residing there. Don't be upset if you can't find anything. It doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a household guardian, it may be that they are hiding from you. If you are able to sense something, greet it, and ask what it is and if it has a name it would like you to call it. Household spirits will generally identify themselves if you ask them directly, as they are there to keep you and the home safe. Make sure to thank them before you are done with a small offering. Milk, honey, or some bread work nicely. Write down anything you experienced. If you are unable to sense the spirit, leave an offering all the same on top of the stove. Continue to try to sense your household spirit for up to 3 days. If you are still unable to make a connection, you may not have a home guardian spirit and should consider inviting one in.

2. Cleanse your spirit.

As I mentioned before, spring cleaning starts around Imbolc, so why not cleanse your own spirit? I know witches are more likely to ritualistically cleanse themselves, but when was the last time you truly practiced self-care instead of just saging yourself? Yeah, that's what I thought. To cleanse your spirit, why not take a white bath? This recipe is adapted from Devin Hunter's recipe in his book The Witch's Book of Spirit. I have tried a lot of bath recipes, but this one is by far the best at deep cleaning your spirit. It is inspired by a New Orleans-style Voodoo recipe to cleanse you both spiritually, mentally, and physically.

2 cups sea salt

2 cups Epsom salt

3 tablespoons cascarilla (powdered egg shell)

13 drops sage essential oil or 1/4 fresh sage that has been ripped or cut to release the aroma

2 cups milk (any variety)

Begin by drawing a bath. While the bath is still filling, mix the salts, egg shells, and sage together in a white bowl (white symbolizing purity here). As you do so, empower the mixture with your intent. Place the bowl under the running water and allow the mixture to swirl around until the bowl overflows. Dump the contents into the bath and finish filling the tub. Once the tub is filled, draw a pentacle with your hand above the water and pour the milk through the center of it. In your mind's eye, push the pentacle into the water. If you wish, you can cast a spell over the bathwater or simply state your intention. Hunter has a beautifully written spell that you can find on page 89 and 90 of his book.

Once the milk has been added, you have roughly 30 minutes before the milk sours. The combination of sage and hot water causes this reaction, but you may notice that the worse off you are energetically, the stinker the bath gets. When you are done, drain the water counterclockwise (you can do this by swirling the water counterclockwise a couple of times), seeing all negatively wash away with it. Remember to shower afterwards, allowing the running water to wash away anything that may remain. Do not wash with soap For this particular bath, you should dry off with a white towel to remain pure. Afterward, spend some time in silence, meditating and clearing your mind.

This is a really great way to prepare for hedge riding or to unwind after a particularly stressful day. It's also a great way to cleanse yourself after you have done a deep space clearing in your home. When you deep clean your house and spiritually cleanse it, sometimes stale or negative energies get stuck to you. This bath is a surefire way to flush them away.

3. Practice weather divination, such as nephomancy and chiromancy.

Any form of divination is spirit work, as the messages we receive and interpret come from the spirit world. Every year, cities around the world release a groundhog to predict the coming of Spring. I doubt many of you have access to a groundhog, but there are other forms of weather divination you can practice this time of year. Nephomancy is the art of studying the size and shape of clouds while chiromancy is interpreting the pictures we see in the clouds. On a sunny day, spend some time seeking messages from the clouds. Begin by meditating for a moment or two on your question. Ask your guides to provide you an answer through the clouds. After you are sure your guides have heard you, begin watching those white, fluffy masses move across the sky. Write down what you see and predict in your Grimoire or Book of Shadows. Nephomancy and chiromancy are great ways to hone your divination skills. It will make you a better hedge rider and diviner in the long run, plus who doesn't like watching the clouds. It is so relaxing.

What ways do you connect with the spirit world on Imbolc? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

[all-things-witchcraft]

💀 Samhain 🎃

As October begins to reach it’s end and treats, as well as tricks, are getting prepared to be served to little ones, we approach the Witches favorite time of year: 

Samhain!

This will be a post for Samhain. I’ll be making these for each Sabbath! If I leave out information or you’d like to know more, please feel free to add onto this or ask me questions.

What exactly is Samhain anyway?

🎃 Meaning “Summer’s End” and pronounced saah-win or saa-ween, Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of the coldest half of the year. For many practitioners, myself included, Samhain also is the beginning of the spiritual new year.

🎃 Samhain also has been known by other names. Some Celtic Wiccans and Druids call it Calan Gaeaf, Calan Gwaf, Kala-Goanv, or Nos Galan Gaeof. In Welsh, it is Nos Cyn Calan Gaual. It also is known as Oie Houney. Variant spellings of Samhain include Samain, Samuin, and Samhuinn.

🎃 Samhain shares the ancient spiritual practice of remembering and paying respects to the Dead

🎃 Halloween, short for All Hallow’s Eve, is celebrated on and around October 31. Although occurring at the same time of year and having roots in end-of-harvest celebrations of the ancient past, Halloween and Samhain are not the same, but two separate holidays that differ considerably in focus and practice. In contemporary America and elsewhere, Halloween is a secular folk holiday. Like its cousin, Thanksgiving, it is widely and publicly celebrated in homes, schools, and communities, large and small, by people of many paths, ethnic heritages, and worldviews. Furthermore, Halloween has evolved to be both a family-oriented children’s holiday as well as an occasion for those of all ages to creatively express themselves and engage in play in the realm of make-believe and fantasy through costumes, trick-or-treating, storytelling, play-acting, pranks, cathartic scary place visits, and parties.

In contrast, Samhain and its related Christian holiday counterparts continue to be religious in focus and spiritually observed by adherents. Although observances may include merry-making, the honoring of the Dead that is central to Samhain is a serious religious practice rather than a light-hearted make-believe re-enactment. Today’s Pagan Samhain rites, while somber, are benevolent, and, although centered on death, do not involve human or animal sacrifices. Most Samhain rituals are held in private rather than in public.

🎃 Samhain’s long association with death and the Dead reflects Nature’s rhythms. In many places, Samhain coincides with the end of the growing season. Vegetation dies back with killing frosts, and therefore, literally, death is in the air. This contributes to the ancient notion that at Samhain, the veil is thin between the world of the living and the realm of the Dead and this facilitates contact and communication. 

🎃 For those who have lost loved ones in the past year, Samhain rituals can be an opportunity to bring closure to grieving and to further adjust to their being in the Otherworld by spiritually communing with them.

Some ways you can celebrate Samhain:

🍂Samhain Nature Walk - Take a meditative walk in a natural area near your home. Observe and contemplate the colors, aromas, sounds, and other sensations of the season. Experience yourself as part of the Circle of Life and reflect on death and rebirth as being an important part of Nature. If the location you visit permits, gather some natural objects and upon your return use them to adorn your home.

🍂Seasonal Imagery - Decorate your home with Samhain seasonal symbols and the colors of orange and black. Place an Autumnal wreath on your front door. Create displays with pumpkins, cornstalks, gourds, acorns, and apples. Set candles in cauldrons.

🍂Ancestors Altar - Gather photographs, heirlooms, and other mementos of deceased family, friends, and companion creatures. Arrange them on a table, dresser, or other surface, along with several votive candles. Kindle the candles in their memory as you call out their names and express well wishes. Thank them for being part of your life. Sit quietly and pay attention to what you experience. Note any messages you receive in your journal. This Ancestors Altar can be created just for Samhain or kept year round.

🍂Feast of the Dead - Prepare a Samhain dinner. Include a place setting at your table or at a nearby altar for the Dead. Add an offering of a bit of each beverage being consumed to the cup at that place setting, and to the plate, add a bit of each food served. Invite your ancestors and other deceased loved ones to come and dine with you. To have this as a Samhain Dumb Supper experience, dine in silence. After the feast, place the contents of the plate and cup for the Dead outdoors in a natural location as an offering for the Dead.

🍂Ancestor Stories - Learn about family history. Contact one or more older relatives and ask them to share memories of family members now dead. Record them in some way and later write accounts of what they share. Give thanks. Share what you learned and have written with another family member or friend. Add names of those you learned about and wish to honor to your Ancestors Altar.

🍂Cemetery Visit - Visit and tend the gravesite of a loved one at a cemetery. Call to mind memories and consider ways the loved one continues to live on within you. Place an offering there such as fresh flowers, dried herbs, or a libation of water.

🍂Reflections - Reflect on you and your life over the past year. Review journals, planners, photographs, blogs, and other notations you have created during the past year. Consider how you have grown, accomplishments, challenges, adventures, travels, and learnings. Meditate. Journal about your year in review, your meditation, and your reflections.

🍂Renovate - Select an area of your home or life as a focus. Examine it. Re-organize it. Release what is no longer needed. Create a better pattern. Celebrate renewal and transformation.

🍂Bonfire Magic - Kindle a bonfire outdoors when possible or kindle flames in a fireplace or a small cauldron. Write down an outmoded habit that you wish to end and cast it into the Samhain flames as you imagine release. Imagine yourself adopting a new, healthier way of being as you move around the fire clockwise.

🍂Divinatory Guidance - Using Tarot, Runes, Scrying, or some other method of divination, seek and reflect on guidance for the year to come. Write a summary of your process and messages. Select something appropriate to act upon and do it.

🍂Divine Invocations - Honor and call upon the Divine in one or more Sacred Forms associated with Samhain, such as the Crone Goddess and Horned God of Nature. Invite Them to aid you in your remembrance of the Dead and in your understanding of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. If you have lost loved ones in the past year, ask these Divine Ones to comfort and support you.

🍂Transforming Expressions - If you encounter distortions, misinformation, and/or false, negative stereotypes about Paganism and Samhain in the media, contact the source, express your concerns, and share accurate information. Help eradicate derogatory stereotyping with courteous, concise, and intelligent communications.

🍂Community Connections - Connect with others. Join in a group ritual in your area. Join a Discord server for Witches. Organize a Samhain potluck in your home. Research old and contemporary Samhain customs in books, periodicals, on-line, and through communications with others. Exchange ideas, information, and celebration experiences. Regardless of whether you practice solo or with others, as part of your festivities, reflect for a time on being part of the vast network of those celebrating Samhain around the world.

What are your plans for Samhain? Feel free to share them!

[otherworld-aromas]

[tipsycad147]

Love Magick

Clothing Used in Love Magick  Feathers Used in Love Magick Flowers Used in Love Magick  Colour Magick  Love Spells

Clothing Used in Love Magick Colours Green, Pink, Rose, Red and Copper Fabrics Cotton, Linen, Plaid or Tartan, Silk, Satin and Velvet Prints Moon, Stars, Hearts, Cupids, Arrows and Flowers

Feathers Used in Love Magick 

Red Great fortune in love and passion. Orange Promise of great delight. Yellow Beware of an untrue lover. Green Adventuresome love or a Faery lover. Blue Love will enliven your days. Purple Spiritual love. White Delay; take your time. Grey Be courteous and polite. Brown Healthy and hearty love. Black Hidden secrets and change. Grey & Black Be careful what you wish for; be sure of what you want. White & Grey All your wishes in love will come true. Black & White You’ve avoided a bad love affair. Blue, Black & White Surprises in love, the unexpected.

Flowers Used in Love Magick 

Amaranth: To mend a broken heart (carry with you). Amaryllis (a.k.a. Belladonna): You are beauty. Anemone: I cast you away. Angelica: Inspiration and protection. Brings the gift of temperance. Anise: Awakens subtle energies needed for magick. Artemesia: Moon Magick, women’s mysteries. Asters: To attract love (wish for love as you place each seed or seedling into the ground).  

Bachelor Buttons: Wear to attract a bachelor. It will either bloom or wither, depending on the quality of the match. Balm (a.k.a. Melissa): Soothes away the hurts and pain of love. Basil: Brings wealth. To arouse sympathy between two people. To ease troubles in a relationship. Fidelity. Bay Laurel: Opens one to the possibility of great fame and victory in their activities. Burn for visions of love. To attract love. To keep a lover (split a love in half and then, you each keep your half). Begonia: Helps with premonitions. Belladonna (a.k.a. Amaryllis): You are beauty. Betony (lamb’s ear): Protection and children’s magick. Bluebell: I bind with Faerie Magick. Borage: Courage, psychic abilities. Bugle: Health and healing. Burdock: For cleansing magick and when feeling bad or highly negative about one’s self or others. 

Calendula: Health. Camellia: Beauty beyond this world. Chamomile: Prepares the mind and body for magick. Brings peace and relaxation. Caraway: Chew on it to remain faithful. Toss to aid a bride and groom. To keep your possessions and keep a marriage together. Catmint: Cat Magick, affection, beauty, and cheerfulness. Cardinal Flower: To attract a mate within seven days (touch the root to every part of your body). Works especially well for old maids. Carnation: To mend a broken heart. Cattail: To regain the enjoyment of sex (for women, carry one with you). Chrysanthemum: To draw in the magick of love. Clematis: Beauty of the Underworld and sexual attraction. Cockscomb: Protection and healing. Cohosh: Love, protection and courage. Columbine: A fool’s heart cannot be broken. Courage in love. Cornflower: Fertility, to draw love and sex. Love-in-abundance. To feel the richness of existence. 

Daffodil: Power of the Faerie Queen and to find love. Daisy: Lasting love, to love through the Wheel of the Year. To get a lover to return to you (root under your pillow); to attract a new love (flower in your hair). Brings feelings of simplicity, clarity, and playfulness. Dandelion: Psychic messages of love. Dill: Protection and prosperity. Use in a bath to make yourself irresistible. For lustful enchantments. Dragon’s Blood: To increase love. The scent is an aphrodisiac (wear one).   

Elecampane: Dispels violence and angry vibrations. 

Fennel: Health and purification. Ferns: Faery Magick and invisibility. Forget-me-not: To remind a lover of you. Undying love. Foxglove: To learn about a false love. For use in Faery Magick and protection. To open one’s self to sexual love. Poisonous. 

Garlic: Protective charm. Keeps you strong. Brings togetherness to a family. Gentian: To find a secret love. 

Hawthorne: Brings success and happiness in all work-related matters. Heliotrope: Invisibility. Hellebore: To open one to the mysteries of different realms of existence. Use with vervain to contact Otherworld beings. Poisonous. Henbane: Improves one’s faculties of clairvoyance and divination. For men to meet a bride (plant, let ripen and then, harvest while naked and standing on one foot). Poisonous. Hosta: Mystery and health. Hibiscus: To keep you name and image in your lover’s mind (place on your altar or carry with you). It has other love applications, as well. In fact, it is a versatile as roses are. Hollyhock: I shall achieve my goals in love. Honeysuckle: Sweet taste of love. Hyacinth: To purge your heart of love.  

Indian Paint Brush: Emblem of the Great Spirit’s love for humanity. To attract love (carry in a sachet). Iris: I bind my love. Ivy: To bind love and honour.   

Jasmine: To bring abundance of love. Sensual love, pleasure, joy of the senses, enduring physical attraction between two people. Faith. To free a women’s sexual instincts, desire to feel well and look good, and to enjoy the dance of the polarity of existence. To feel more attractive, when a love is new and sweet, or to re-sweeten an old and mature love. For men to find a new love. Jimson Weed: Releases inhibitions. Call the power of fire and burn for a glimpse of your deepest wishes and desires.   

Lady’s Mantle: Love and romance. A potent love charm for women. To attract love. Lavender: To learn the secrets of love. Aroma is an aphrodisiac. Protection against domestic abuse. Freshness, cleanliness, honesty, and directness. For unresolved guilt. Power. Counteracts the Evil Eye. To alleviate unresolved guilt. Works in the emotional sphere to shake of feelings of discomfort. Leeks: Share during a meal to fall in love. Lemon: Use a heart-shaped cut of the peel as a charm to attract love. Lilac: To tell if your love is real. Lily: To cleanse one’ s heart of pain. To stop someone undesirable from pursuing you with love charms. Lily-of-the-valley: Happiness and wisdom. Lotus (a.k.a. Water Lily): To send water Faeries with messages of love. To ease the pain of love and rediscover that place in your heart that remains virginal and unaffected. To soothe a troubled heart. Lovage: Use in a bath to attract a new love. To inspire romance. 

Maidenhair Fern: Make a potion to enhance womanly beauty and grace. (Wear, don’t drink.) Poisonous. Mallow: To get a lover who left you to return. (Place a vase of them where your lover could possibly enter, such as outside the front door or in a bedroom window.) To soften your character. Makes women softer and more feminine, makes men appreciate life’s small pleasures and beauty. Use in baths and potions. Mandrake: Mystical plant. Luck charm for fertility and protection. Poisonous. Marigold: I must leave you. Marjoram: To accept profound changes in one’s life. Meadowsweet: To attract and cheer the heart to love. Melissa (a.k.a. Balm): Soothes away the hurts and pain of love. Mint: Prosperity. To remove excessive heat from emotions and situations (use in a tea). Monarda: Success and prosperity. Monkshood: Chases away pain, both physical and emotional (burn, then sprinkle to the wind). Poisonous. Morning Glory: Power, protection, love and banishing. Mugwort: For protection and happiness during travel and the holidays. (Carry in a sachet.) Myrtle: To keep peace in your home and love within its walls (plant one either side of your home). To keep love vibrant between old lovers (carry as a sachet). 

Narcissus: I love myself more than you. Nasturtium: I trust my love. Nettle: To resolve “prickly” situations, such as, petty jealousy, envy, slanderous gossip, etc. Nicotiana: Moon Magick, healing, cleansing. Nightshade: To free your energy so that you can discover what it is you truly want to do. Poisonous. 

Orange Blossom: To ensure wedded bliss. To attract a good love-making experience (use in a bath). Orchid: Night love and mystery. Fertility. Aphrodisiac.  

Pansy: Dreams of love. To make love grow. To enrich your attractiveness (carry or wear one). Parsley: To improve physical well-being, restore health, strength and vitality (can be used in tea). To heal a broken heart. Phlox: To show love for another. Petunias: Power and cheer. Peony: I draw love unabashedly. Poppy: To send moon Faeries to whisper your name. Primrose: To appear youthful and loving.   

Rose (general): Love; the Goddess. Austrian Rose: To bring the look of beauty to each of us. Bridal Rose: To bind a marriage spell to least for eternity. Burgundy Rose: To bind dreams of you in your lover’s mind. Cabbage Rose: To remind your lover of you via scent. Pink Rose: To begin a love affair and to increase self-love. Friendship and romance. Provencal Rose: To charm a lover into seeing your face in their dreams. Red, White, and Pink Roses Together: To promote fertility. Red Rose: The Goddesses Cerridwen, Macha, and Morgain will bless you with love. Eternal love and passion. Rose Leaf: To mend a broken heart. Single Rose: To bring a new lover into your life. Thornless Rose: To rid a love affair of arguments and trouble. Tudor Rose: To bring sovereignty and peace to your home. White Rose: To grant the love of Oomah, the Faery Queen. Pure love. Withered Red Rose: To rid your mind of an unfaithful lover. Withered White Rose: To release the painful memories of a love passed away. Yellow Rose: To tell if a lover has been untrue, or to see who is gossiping about you. Tenderness and jealousy. Rose Buds (with thorns and leaves): To keep a wrong and unwanted lover away. Moss Rose Bud: To draw the light from the planet Venus to charge a written spell. Red Rose Bud: To wear in a wedding. To attract passion. White Rose Bud: To bring the Faery Queen’s blessing upon your love relationship. Rosemary: Remembrance, cleansing, love and health. Very happy little herb. Brings contentment and love. Uplifts spirits. Rue: To help you see people’s mistakes – yours and those of others (hang dry indoors, out of sight).   

Sage: Wisdom. Brings health and beauty. For all-around improvement magick. Purity and energy cleansings. Skullcap: Relaxation. Soapwort: Cleansing. Solomon’s Seal: Protection and banishing unwanted spirits. Speedwell: To send love fast and far. Strawberries: Perfection. Sunflower: To win a love. To invoke the presence of a very strong man into your life. Affluence and grandeur. Follows the sun during the course of the day. Use for strength and vitality, and to enhance masculine energy, for courage and action, to add strength to active, expanding incantations, and to improve your self-image. Sweet Violet: To become tender, soft, and vulnerable. Sweet Woodruff: Protective charm for athletes. 

Tansy: Vigour and long life. Thistle: To improve your love making skills (for men, carry with you). Thyme: New projects. Inspires courage and strength. Use before handling difficult situations. To gather your energies and focus them on the situation at hand. To prepare for magick. To reveal the difficulties in a situation. Tulip: To claim your love. To mend a broken heart. To bring the qualities of simplicity, firmness, and honesty back into a relationship.   

Valerian: For Dream and reconciliation Magick. Vervain: To open one’s self to a new love. Violet: To balance the mind of a lover. Faery Magick, protection from enchantment. To become a vulnerable and soft woman. To attract a woman. 

Water Lily (a.k.a. Lotus): To send water Faeries with messages of love. To ease the pain of love and rediscover that place in your heart that remains virginal and unaffected. To soothe a troubled heart. White Lily: Symbolizes the spiritual life. Use to elevate one’s self above the stresses of everyday life. To purify a love affair. To open your heart to new values and meanings. (Perhaps you’ve just ended a relationship and you feel that next time it should be different.) Works very well with Stone Magick, especially with rubies. Wisteria: To shower love everywhere. Witch Hazel: Brings charm, attractiveness, and irresistibility. Wormwood: Brings vitality (good for after draining sessions of magick) in incantations, etc.   

Yarrow: All-purpose Witch’s herb. As a “pick-me-up.” To re-energise love, etc. 

Zinnia: Friendship.   

http://hafapea.com/magickpages/love.html         

[amunetred]

Black and Blue

A/N: T rating.  I’m writing my seven days in the form of a continuous short story, so here is chapter 1, Black and Blue.

Break down, tears fall to the ground

Tell myself: “Damnit, nothing can be found”

When you’re a fighter

You’re a fighter, fight on baby - Sia, Black and Blue

Chapter 1

Black and Blue

I’d seen dark. If one could say they’d looked into the abyss, into the endless nothing, the obsidian trap where hate could swallow you whole and hold you captive, I’d faced that many times.  That kind of darkness was no stranger to me. I’d looked it in the eye, and fought it with a vengeance, one that threatened to consume me along with it. But Leo’d always been there to pull me back, save me from the brink of any and everything, including myself.  

During the Kraang invasion my mutation was a fresh hell, my life collapsing in upon itself as the world outside appeared to be doing the very same thing.  Most nights in that time I’d spent coiled tight beneath a billboard, wishing the power might be restored that the giant bulbs should illuminate and warm me, lest I learn to self-regulate my serpent body heat. I wasn’t sure I could-- then I did.

This time was different.  Not the body-heat part, I’d had many years to become one with my mutant side.  It was the invasion that was different and it wasn’t the Kraang.  

I dropped to my belly, willing myself to transform enough that my tubular form permit me to slither along the dank, narrow passage. I halted as the last remnants of the sun’s warmth faded from my tail, the darkness swallowing me whole as I looked back to the last slivers of a melancholy blue sky.  How far we’d fallen, each and every one of us.  My heart clenched. Perhaps it was because I’d spent so much time walking the grey line between black and white, right and wrong, good and evil, that when the Unnamed invaded, ripping apart the veil that separated the two worlds, black and white, right and wrong, good and evil, I remained unchanged.  Because, I’d lived my life that way all along.  That and whoever my otherworld counterpart had been, she was dead before they came.

But that blurry high wire I danced upon, that wasn’t so for Leo or his brothers.  They had boundaries they did not cross.  At least they hadn’t at the time.  

Moisture seeped from the ground beneath, water dripping from the low ceiling above.  I should hate tight spaces, but I’d been locked in a cell enough times that I was capable of shutting that part of me off.  The fear of the walls crumbling, collapsing and closing the passage, trapping me along with it, what should be terror was merely a faint whimper inside me. The most prominent emotion I carried, I’d hesitated to name.  It was what drove me forward, kept me searching... kept me breathing. No.  The only fears I bore were either faced or yet to come.  The first had been loving him, for in those moments of peace, true bliss, those fleeting moments we cannot keep and do not last, they leave a burn, something precious covered with the scar you wear after they’ve gone.  The only thing I truly feared was losing him. But, in a sense, I’d lived through that too.  Though I did not fearing dying at his hand, because I would die knowing I’d done all I could to save him.  

“Don’t do this, Karai.  He ain’t the same.  If I can’t save him, you can’t.”

I would’ve laughed at Raph’s warning, were the scar skipping across his upper lip to dash his brow not still sutured, purple and hopefully not infected.  The bruises on his body, black and splotchy, his arm in a sling, his ankle wrapped. He’d almost lost an eye, by his brother’s doing.  I might lose my life.  But if I’m to die at the end of anyone’s sword, let it be Leonardo’s and I’ll die heartbroken but honored.

“If he-- kills you-- and ever comes out of this—if he remembers, he’ll never forgive himself.” Donatello put his hand on my shoulder.  “Think of how April feels, knowing they used her the way they did.” He glanced toward the end of the hall, a full tray of food from the morning still outside the door. “Don’t put this on him, Karai.”

I squeezed deeper along the passage, my forked tongue tasting the air, searching for him.  What had Donatello thought I would do?  Not go for him?  Not fight for him?  The universe and the Unnamed knew his brother’s had tried.  We tried.  One by one we’d saved all that remained from their brainwashing, from the spell they’d used April’s mind to cast over us.  One by one we’d died.  Shini, Jones, and so many others...  Strange how the two worked together, an alien sentient being possessing a psychic half alien human, to unlock a terrible door that left us twisted and broken, facing our polar opposites, left to destroy ourselves… or to struggle to get back to who we were.  

Clumps of mud sprinkled my back like spit before a rain shower.  I should be afraid.  Fear should course through my tepid blood, chilling it with icy pinpricks.  Thought I could not see, though I could feel the instability of the earth surrounding me, I feared nothing, not even the blade of my lover’s sword—should I ever find him.  

“I can’t give up on him, Donatello.  He never gave up on me, and I’ll go for him again and again until I either bring him home or die trying.”  I adjusted the strap on my backpack, stepped out onto the rickety front porch, paint peeling beneath my boots, waved to Raph and left the Hampton’s house.  Without a radio.  Without a phone.  Without back up.  Because there was no power in this hell.  Because there was no one to spare that was not needed elsewhere.  April was a complete mental case, Donatello’s hands full just trying to keep her from starving to death as she recounted all she’d been used to destroy. This left Raphael working to be sure Donatello ate, and that the unconscious Michelangelo didn’t fade away.

The mouth of the tunnel widened as I flicked the air, tasting sediment, mold, something metallic….steel!

Steel and— my heart fluttered— sandalwood!

My body transformed, the starving mouths of my hands dissolving into the curling fingers of my palms.  He was near, I could taste him.  He was near and soon I would look into those hard blue eyes and search for the soul I loved inside him.    

A cold laugh carried along the tunnel running vertical to mine.  A chilling, shrill sound that hurt like a blade to the gut.  Because it was his, and yet it wasn’t.  “You back again?  I thought you would’ve learned.”  

I didn’t need to close my eyes for the darkness enveloping me, not to see, to recall the last time I’d heard this sound…

It, the sentient leader of the Unnamed possessed April, much like that ancient Aeon bitch.  Only this creature didn’t need her for long, using her like a key to unlock the veil between two worlds, us and our polar opposites.  Only not all of us had them.  Or if they’d existed there, in that other world, they were already dead. 

 A white bolt split the sky, one half a brilliant summer blue, the sun bright and shining, though it was muggy and hot, nothing was perfect.  The other a starless, moonless black, with crumbling buildings that looked as though they’d dissolve to ash if one touched them.  And the split remained, even after the battle, both seeming both lost and never-ending.  

The people from the Night, that’s what we’d called the dark side, wanted to live in the Day, our side.  And the war began.  The problem was when Light destroyed Dark or the Dark murdered the Light, the soul left without a vessel was absorbed into the surviving body.  Leo was the first to make that mistake.  We lost him first.  He’d been gone the longest.  And what he’d become was—

Steel cut the air before me and I flinched back into my tunnel.  Transforming again, I coiled as tight as I could in the tight space then sprung forward launching myself at him, returning to my human form as I wrapped my arms and legs around his body.

I’d tasted the rope he dangled from.  Knew he held it, supporting his body with one hand.  It was nothing for him to add me to that burden, but it was unexpected and he flailed.  Though he did not complain, no cry of surprise, not in pain, nor distress. He made no sound at all.  And that terrified me.  

Rather than struggle to be rid of me, he wrestled an arm free and began climbing.  

“What- what are you doing?” I managed, though it was stupid for me to speak to him unprepared.

“Climbing.” His voice was a cool, detached thing, lacking the warmth-dashed-with-arrogance that I enjoyed.  I longed for the voice he used to tease me with when we sparred.  A flash of steel, a bead of sweat glistening his brow, or beading on the bridge of my nose, his reflection and mine blurred and stretched in the cross of our blades.  He’d back me into a wall, I’d drop him to the floor.  A roll.  A twist. A thrust.  My match.

As we ascended my mind caught up to the present, to the scent that was still him, clung to his skin and oozed from his pores, that he could not wash off and I was glad of it.  Though the warm, spicy aroma seeping from his flesh stirred my insides it also brought pressure to my chest for I missed the touch that had always accompanied it.  For right now he was rough as he drove his free hand into the soft tissue surrounding my shoulder blade.  “Gah! Leo, stop! Please, stop!” My arm went numb, dropped limp and useless to my side.

“You came back.” He clucked his tongue as if I’d asked for the pain.  He clipped something to my belt.  Oh no. I struggled with my one arm, desperate to remove the metal binding, though I couldn’t see to understand how the clasp worked. Then he released my shoulder, thrust a hand into my chest, at the same time he lifted his knee and drove his foot out sending me flying into the wall.  I bounced off, tumbling down the shaft, clumps of dirt and loose soil falling into my eyes.  I met the end of the rope, bouncing and dangling beneath him as he hauled us both up.

There was no point talking to him now.  Not until we were on solid ground.  I took a deep breath, clearing my mind on the exhale. I’d planned to find him.  Step one complete.  I’d planned to convince him to take me in.  Step two… in progress.

[danithebookaholic-blog]

NEW RELEASE - REVIEW!

The Soul Keepers

By Devon Taylor

Published by: Swoon Reads Publication date: August 28th 2018 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

“A fantastic high-stakes adventure on a ghost ship sailing forever into eternity, where every soul is (literally) worth fighting for—what’s not to love? Devon Taylor weaves an endearing tale of friendship and loss with heart-stopping action and a whole lot of terrifying monsters. You’ll root for Rhett and his fellow reapers through every twist and turn!” —Rin Chupeco, author of The Bone Witch and The Girl from the Well

Full of danger, stormy otherworld seas, ghost ships, and terrifying monsters, this thrilling debut novel is perfect for fans of Taran Matharu and Neal Shusterman.

Death is just the beginning. After dying in a terrible car accident, Rhett awakens in the afterlife and is recruited to join the crew of theHarbinger, a colossal seafaring vessel tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead. To where exactly, no one knows. But the crew must get the souls there, and along the way protect them from vicious soul-eating monsters that will stop at nothing to take the ship and all of its occupants.

Rhett and his new friends have a hard enough time fighting back the monsters that grow bolder and more ferocious every day. But then a new threat emerges, a demon who wants something that Rhett has. And if she gets it, it could mean the end of everything… for both the living and the dead.

Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, The Soul Keepers is a pulse-pounding, cinematic adventure by debut author Devon Taylor.

Goodreads

Purchase: 

Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

Devon Taylor was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters. His day job consists of sneaking around the house with ninja-like stealth to avoid waking up his kids. When not writing, reading, or tediously typing out text messages with all the correct spelling and punctuation, he spends his time with his family. THE SOUL KEEPERS is his debut novel.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Review & Wrap-Up:

While reading The Soul Keepers I was telling everyone I came across about it! Even a couple of Sisters from the Church of Christ that have been going door to door in my town for the last few months; they stopped by to talk about the Book of Mormon (I'm a reader, I read everything, including religious texts if they're given to me) and instead I talked to them about The Souls Keepers!

I really loved this book! For a debut novel and even a young adult novel, the concept behind the story is original and encapsulating. From the moment I started reading it I was hooked! Author Devon Taylor created personable characters and put them in a world (the spiritual world of Earth's souls), and made them even more personable by putting them into (essentially) everyday situations, causing a calming effect and suggesting that there really is more life after death; that you're life has a purpose here and in the after world.

And touching on a topic from my last review — The Trouble with Unicorns — Devon knows how to write a battle scene! (YAY! ����) The battle scenes in The Soul Keepers are chapters long, but not so long that they get boring. I was a little nervous at one point where I thought "Wait... that was it? That's how that ends? All this led up to that?!" and thought Devon did a copout on me, but it was a trick and the battle continued! Ahh! I loved it!

I really couldn't say enough good things about The Soul Keepers. I could go on and on, but I try to keep my reviews short and simple. So if there's one thing in this review that you read I hope it's this: This is one book that I would highly recommend to everyone!

 From one bookaholic to another, I hope I’ve helped you find your next fix. —Dani

Dani's Score out of 5: 📚📚📚📚📚

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pair it with: Thor's Well - Devil's Churn Pinot Noir

 Ruby color. Fruity aromas and flavors of wild blueberries, vanilla cream, fruit punch, and cherry cola with a dry-ish medium body and a smooth chocolate finish. A plush and fruity Pinot Noir with a crowd-pleasing style.

Pair with grilled or smoked salmon as well as beef, veal or game.

Start a conversation: Do you believe in life after death? What do you believe happens with our souls?

Have a book you’d like to suggest or one you’d like me to review? Please feel free to leave your comments down below.

[amsterdamwhitney]

Contemporary Canadian artist YOLANTA DESJARDINS' opulent floral and sumptuous still life canvases celebrate the powerful abundance and energy of our world.

Contemporary Canadian artist Yolanta Desjardins transcribes an opulent vision of nature into her spectrally hued floral and sumptuous still life oil canvases, celebrating the powerful abundance and energy of our world.  Both modern and timeless, Ms. Desjardins' evanescent compositions provide beauty and inspiring concepts as she commemorates the splendor of nature and immortalizes the permanence of our natural world.  Her arresting visceral vision encapsulates an idyllic, contemplative serenity where the presence of light and shadow radiate a divine visual poetry as the viewer is displaced from his contemporary setting and feels he is on the cusp of another timeless, yet transitory, otherworld. Infusing her polychrome canvases with luminescent animate and inanimate subjects, this gifted artist visually transcends canvas boundaries with incandescent subjects found in the natural world. Successfully distilling a singular scene into a single moment in time, Ms. Desjardins' unique ability to use color to achieve ethereal clarity encapsulates fragments of eternity and enshrines them to offer a permanent remembrance of visual contemplation. 

"I am a student of light which always humbles me,” says Yolanta Desjardins of her work. Inspired so thoroughly by the vitality of nature, Ms. Desjardins transfigures the essence of the external world as she inhales its beauty and exhales its joy. Painted with a master's hand, her expressive brushwork interprets nature's vibrancy as she captures multiple moments in time and symbolizes essential characteristics of the world by unearthing the timeless energy of our environment. “The visual language which I have learned from the observation of Nature is dynamic, subtle, eloquent and elegant, like a mysterious invisible spirit, it invites me to look carefully, and discover secrets through my own developed visual vocabulary," Ms. Desjardins explains of her process. A myriad of rich expressive hues intersect on the canvas with a beautiful intermingling of gradated tones which contribute to a feeling of tranquility and charm. Combining naturalism with expressionism, the viewer can almost inhale the sumptuous aroma of the flower's opulent petals which bloom on the canvas. By translating nature's eternal grace, she adroitly encapsulates nature's everlasting presence, and allows the emotional power of the landscape to filter into her canvases.  

With unique imagination, this gifted artist's oeuvre joyfully communicates the exuberant language of the external realm through undulating bursts of color. By encapsulating the evanescent temporality of nature, Yolanta Desjardins' art illuminates the dynamism of our intimate, treasured objects and correlates the direct link between nature and human emotion.  Her subject matter is a visual reminder of the cornucopia of riches in our life as she reflects on the bounty of luxurious fruits and flora which richly emblematize the importance of the majesty of nature. Through a spectral color palette, she invites a spiritual contemplation of the lusciousness of the natural terrain as she fuses the dazzling imagery of nature with the sensation and emotionality of powerful painterly expressions. Declaring the beauty and strength of our environment, her art underscores that nature is universal and can be experienced by everyone, and reminisces that the natural elements that are accessible to all.  

The award-winning artist Yolanta Desjardins has enjoyed numerous successes worldwide, exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States. A talented still life and portrait artist, Ms. Desjardins has works in the permanent collection of the National Library of Australia, St. Patrick's College Strathfield, and Balmain Sinfonia.