#scottish magic

[lailoken]

By Rowan Berry and Red Thread,

I put all Evil to its speed...

[connorphilpphotography]

Isle of Skye 2024

[sierrawitch]

Altars & Sacred Spaces

by autumn sierra

Altars are very personal for each practitioner, both religious and secular. Some use them, others don’t, some establish sacred spaces specific to their path.

I recently came across questions about outdoor altars, how to create them, what to include, as well as advice for altars in general. So, I thought it appropriate to cover all of this in one cohesive discussion.

Wiccan Altars

The Wiccan altar is, I think, the most commonly known arrangement. Wicca is so widespread that many conflate it with witchcraft in essence. Of course it uses aspects of witchcraft in its practice, but it is a religion built on the foundation of the god and the goddess (oftentimes vaguely referenced in such a way).

The Wiccan altar is very specific. Each tool and representative token is displayed just so, and can be done in a symbolic pattern as well. There is a statuette for each deity, along with their respective candles, items to depict the elements (incense for air, salt for earth, water for—obviously—water, candles for fire), traditional offerings of food and/or drink (or any other types of offering one wishes), a bell for cleansing and invoking the gods, and a wand and athame for ritualistic purposes. A pentacle can be placed or drawn onto the altar’s surface, but I don’t think it’s necessarily required as much as it is a symbol of protection, cleansing, spiritual connection, etc.

There is a specific ritualistic approach to practicing Wicca, which means that the altar contains everything required to perform said rituals. Other items and supplies may be added depending on the type of ritual or spell performed.

Meditation Altars

Meditation altars are oftentimes simplistic and vary in design based on the practitioner. The simplicity of this type of arrangement helps to maintain focus on the symbolism of one or a few items to achieve the desired meditative state, or to meditate on a specific topic.

Sound bowls, incense, crystals, statuary, elemental tokens, and other items can be incorporated depending on the intention for the meditation. The arrangement of meditation altars can change according to the practitioners needs, or stay the same to aid in grounding.

Deity Altars

Deity altars differ for each religion. A Christian altar will not be the same as a Buddhist one, or a Norse pagan one, or a Shinto one. Each deity altar is specific to one deity, or can honor multiple of the same pantheon.

I would say it’s best practice to separate deity altars based on the pantheon if you are eclectic. Gods from China aren’t the same as gods from Ireland (although they may represent similar aspects), and are venerated in different ways. It’s respectful to keep this in mind moving forward with designing and assembling deity altars in the home.

Unlike Wiccan altars, statuary isn’t required for deity altars (as seen above), but is nice to have as a visual representation of the deity’s “mortal” form. They usually incorporate plants, stones, incense and/or candles, dishes for food/drink/item offerings, and other tokens that the deity would like or represents them in some way.

Above is an image of someone’s personal Cernunnos altar. Deer antlers and bones are closely tied to Cernunnos as he is associated with stags, and has antlers himself. Deer represent the wild freedom of nature. Pinecones and acorns represent the cycle of life, fertility, growth, strength, and fortune. The framed art is most likely a representation of Cernunnos and his aspects, and the stones are collected and placed on the altar as offerings in a small half circle. The tall stone in the middle of the partial ring most likely represents Cernunnos as well, and the incense is lit to cleanse and offer as a gift of scent.

Intention Altars

Intention altars (or what I term them to be) are spaces dedicated to long-term spells and intentions. A great example of this is money spells. I personally have a money spell set atop my bookshelf surrounded by items which attract financial prosperity. It’s not large or flamboyant like the one shown in the above image, but it’s practical and gets the job done as I need it to. And it’s been in that same place, refreshed every now and again, for a few years now.

Intention altars can work for any long term intention or goal you’re working toward. Be it glamour, attracting money, attracting love, protection, education and enlightenment, or other purpose. These altars don’t have any parameters aside from what the practitioner deems necessary for their spell or to empower their intention.

Ancestral Altars

Ancestral altars are dedicated to passed loved ones and relatives. Not only are these altars nice for remembering the dead and showing them appreciation, but they also act as conduits for communication with them. You can ask them for support, guidance, and protection as respected companions in your practice. Communication also becomes easier during the thinning of the veil at Samhain and other liminal times like dawn, dusk, and midnight.

Items placed on an ancestral altar are specific to the practitioner’s culture and familial traditions, as well as what each departed loved one liked during their lifetime. This includes photos of the departed, notes/cards, personal trinkets of the departed like jewelry or lucky charms, candles, incense, flowers, stones/crystals, dishes for offerings, and anything else preferred for that specific altar.

Outdoor Altars

Outdoor altars have the same applications as indoor ones, except they’re out in nature rather than in the home. Many people create outdoor altars to venerate deities or nature spirits, others act as ancestral memorials. The options are nearly endless. There are a lot of materials available to use in outdoor altars, and each practitioner can decide whether their altar should be purely constructed with biodegradable and wildlife-safe items, or incorporate other objects from the home. (If you choose to make an altar in a secluded area of nature, please use wildlife-safe items if it’s not a location you plan on visiting regularly for upkeep. Keep our planet and its inhabitants healthy and thriving!)

Stone stacking has been particularly popular throughout history. Ancient megaliths provide evidence for mankind’s affinity for balancing rocks both big and small. Incorporating stone stacking into an outdoor altar can make a sturdy table, or a decorative wall protecting the altar from harsh weather.

Sacred Spaces

Sacred spaces are what you decide they are to you. Is it a place of worship, or connection to the earth? A place to disconnect from society, or familiarize yourself with spirits and the sìdhe? Or all of the above?

Sacred spaces can appear differently as well. It could be a clearing in a forest, or a set of stones arranged in a way that would otherwise seem improbable. It could appear as a cliffside, or a single tree, or even a space within your home. Liminal spaces are included in this list as well (see the photo above).

Regardless of the space(s) you choose as your sacred space, it is the space where you can carry out ritual and reestablish yourself in your practice through meditation, spell work (if applicable), and simply being.

Altars exist in sacred spaces. So, whether you think you have a sacred space or not, if you have an altar, chances are you have already created a sacred space of your own rather than found one out in the world.

Challenge yourself to discover a sacred space in nature. A home away from home. A place where you can go that’s uniquely separated from modern ways of life and reconnects you to your spirit and the spirit of the earth. This alone is a great exercise in maintaining a strong relationship with your personal practice.

[david-tennant-in-chairs]

I am so thankful for these two beautiful celestial entities (and the characters they play)

[adventuresofalgy]

And so, to please the woodpecker – and some of his friends on tumblr who expressed a wish to see him do the tap-away (and who Algy rather suspected thought he couldn't do it…) – Algy hopped up onto a branch as night was falling, and commenced to tap away by the light of his magical pumpkin lantern, singing:

“I just flapped away And I tapped away I went this-a-way A bit up-a-way And then that-a-way. I spent half the day Over there a way; So the folk all heard ’Bout the fluffy bird And came this-a-way Doing the tap-a-way…"

[Algy is singing - and performing – a passage from his children's chapter book The Magical Midwinter Star, which will be reissued with a new cover in paperback this coming weekend, 14th/15th December 2024 and is currently available as a Kindle e-book.]

For further details of the tap-away please see Algy's previous adventure.

[grandboute]

Scotland my love

[viktuurishipper96]

Oceanic love 🌺🌊🏝🐬🪸🐚

A Douglas x Oliver fanart but it was completely done via copic makers and watercolor. Douglas is wearing his blue opera dress and Oliver is wearing a blue waist coat that represents the ocean along with jellyfishes, clouds , music notes and bubbles. hope you’ll like it.

Ref below

[hearthandheathenry]

All About Beltane

Beltane, also known as Bealtaine in Irish, is a Gaelic holiday traditionally held on May 1st or the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It is believed to be named after the Celtic sun god Belenus. It was widely observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle Of Man, and is one of the 4 major Celtic fire festivals. It is mentioned in even the earliest Irish literature and marked the beginning of summer and used as the marker to drive cattle into their summer pastures. Although public celebrations have mostly fallen out after the 20th century and many traditions have been mixed with other cultural holidays (such as the Roman holiday May Day), many Celtic Neopagans and Wiccans still celebrate, and many local traditions still continue, causing it to now get a cultural revival.

Traditionally, rituals were held to protect the livestock that moved pastures, along with crops, dairy products, and people, and to encourage growth. It was also important to appease the Aos Sí, or nature spirits/fairies, which were believed to be more active then.

According to early medieval texts in 908, druids would make two bonfires and drive cattle between them to protect them from disease. In the 18th and 19th centuries, bonfires continued to be an important part of the celebrations. Before the bonfires were lit, all hearth fires were put out, and then relit using the fire from the Beltane bonfires after the celebration.

Continuing into the 19th century, cattle were still driven over or between flames, or sometimes around the fires or made to leap over. The people themselves did as well for good luck and protection. Once the fires died down, people would dab themselves with the ashes and sprinkle them over their crops and livestock. Torches from the bonfires would also be brought home and carried around the home or boundaries, and also used to relight the hearth.

Food was also an important part of the Beltane festival, and usually included a feast of lamb, which, historically, was sacrificed. In 1769, it was written that a hot drink, called a caudle, made of eggs, butter, oatmeal, and milk was served, along with tossing a bit on the ground as an offering. A Beltane Bannock, a type of oatmeal cake, was also written to be important and had a few traditions around it.

In one tradition, the Beltane Bannock had nine knobs on it and each person would take the bannock and face the fire, proceeding to break off the knobs of bannock one at a time and tossing them behind their shoulder as an offering to the spirits for protection over their livestock and from predators (one for the cow, one for the sheep, one for the fox, etc). Afterwards, they would drink the caudle.

According to other 18th century writers, there was another Beltane Bannock tradition where the bannock would be cut into slices and one was marked with charcoal. The slices were then thrown into a bonnet and everyone would take one out while blindfolded. According to one writer, whoever pulled the marked bannock slice had to leap through the fire 3 times. According to another, the person would instead be pretend-thrown into the fire and for some time afterward people would talk about the person as if they were dead. This may have always been symbolic, or it may have been a tradition from a time where actual human sacrifice was used. This tradition was also near identical to May Day traditions that occurred in Wales and other parts of Europe, however.

Other traditions including flowers and plants were also observed, especially ones that evoked fire. Documents from the 19th century cite that yellow and white flowers, such as primrose, rowan, hawthorn, gorse, hazel, and marsh marigold was used and placed at doorways and windows. Sometimes they were strewn into garland, and other times they were made into bouquets, made into crosses, or fastened to them. They were also fastened to cows and milking/butter equipment.

Decorating a May Bush or May Bough was also a widespread tradition, and it usually consisted of a small tree or branch (typically hawthorn, rowan, holly, or sycamore) decorated with bright flowers, ribbons, candles, painted shells or egg shells from Easter, and more. In some traditions they also decorated it with gold and silver May Balls, which were hurling balls, that were then either given out to children or gifted to winners of a hurling match. It was also known as the only acceptable time to cut a thorn tree, as they were associated with fairies and may have also been a relic of worshipping tree spirits. It would either be decorated where it grew, or branches hung over windows, doors, roofs, and barns either inside or outside. Traditionally, it was the responsibility of the eldest of the house to decorate it.

The tree was usually left up until May 31st, but in some traditions it would be burned in the festival bonfire after singing and dancing around it. In Dublin and Belfast, May Bushes were brought into town and decorated by the whole neighborhood, with each neighborhood competing for the most beautiful bush. These competitions could also lead to neighborhoods attempting to steal others May Bushes, which eventually led to the May Bush being outlawed in Victorian times.

Appeasing the fairies was also a big part in Beltane celebrations, with many traditions revolving around offerings to the fairies and also warding them off, as there were many fears around them stealing dairy. One protection tradition was to leave 3 black coals under the butter churn. Another was to hang May Boughs on the milk pails. And yet another was to hang cattle tails in the barns. Flowers were also used to decorate the cattle's horns for good luck.

Farmers would also lead a procession around the boundaries of the farm and would "carry with them seeds of grain, implements of husbandry, the first well water, and the herb vervain (or rowan)", stopping at the four cardinal points of direction starting at the east, and performing rituals towards each direction at each stop. These processions were said to bring protection of their farm produce and encourage fertility. Some people also made the sign of the cross using milk on the backside of cattle for good luck.

As for fairy offerings, one tradition was to pour milk or leave food at places associated with the fairies such as "fairy trees". In Ireland, cattle were brought to "fairy forts" where a small amount of their blood was poured into the earth with prayers of the herd's safety. Sometimes, the blood would be left to dry and then be burnt.

Visiting holy wells was also a popular way to celebrate Beltane. Visitors would walk sunwise, moving from east to west, around the well while praying for health. They would then leave offerings of coins or cloth. The first water drawn from the well on Beltane was thought to be especially potent, and would bring good luck to the person who drew it.

Morning dew on Beltane was also thought to bring goodluck and health, and maidens would wash their face with it or roll in it at dawn or before sunrise on Beltane. It was also collected in a jar, left in sunlight, and then filtered. The dew was said to increase sexual attractiveness, maintain youthfulness, protect from sun damage, and ensure skin health during the ensuing year.

Modern day celebrations may vary from these more traditional festival activities, but many choose to incorporate or take inspiration from the traditions at least. Popular traditions still revolve around bonfires, feasts, decorating a May Bush, and focusing on protection and growth.

Beltane Associations

Colors - yellow, white, red, green

Food - lamb, milk and dairy, beef, bannocks, caudle, cakes

Animals - cattle, sheep, other herd animals

Items - primrose, rowan, hawthorn, gorse, hazel, marsh marigold, holly, sycamore, yellow and white flowers, flower garland, greenery, morning dew, dairy products

Crystals - citrine, fire agate, fire opal, carnelian, red and yellow jasper

Other - protection, fertility, good luck, fire, smoke, ash, sun, bonfires, farming

Ways To Celebrate

light a bonfire

jump over or dance around a bonfire

decorate a May Bush or May Bough

craft and hang flower garland

bake Beltane Bannocks

collect morning dew

create some caudle

ward and protect your home or property

leave offerings for the fairies

focus on protection, growth, and luck magic

enjoy time in the sun

have a feast

create a bouquet out of yellow and white flowers

visit a farm or petting zoo

[tabbbbyyyy]

Fun fact: my mum works in a school and she just told me there's a kid named Xanthous. Like actually, I almost did a full ass spit take. She just mentions it cos we were talking about odd names and I awakened like a sleeper agent

[sherbetgreeceuh]

Some ponies I've been drawing for this

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Our Lady Of Mysterious Ailments & The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

books 2 & 3 in the Edinburgh Nights series

paranormal mystery set in a climate-ravaged future Scotland, plagued by ghosts and magic

follows a 15yo Black girl who’s finally gotten an in to learn scientific magic properly - but it turns out to be an unpaid internship, so she has to take more jobs delivering ghost messages and investigating mysteries to take care of her gran and little sister

in book 2 she’s investigating a strange illness centred on a magic school for boys

and in book 3 she’s attending a global magician conference held in a creepy castle - when someone’s murdered, and they’re locked in until she figures out the culprit

Zimbabwean magic, friendship, disabled characters, no romance (so far)

[lailoken]

Hollantide Neep Lantern (2023)

[sierrawitch]

My necklace was made before I even created my tumblr account. I wear it everyday, yet it never occurred to me that I could share it here.

This is an Ogham/Ogam protection charm I made by stripping a pine branch, carving a flat edge, and burning the word cosaint (Irish for protection/defense) into the wood. It’s created its own finish with the natural oils from my fingers, enhancing the color and shine of the wood.

[david-tennant-in-chairs]

No offense to my local chickadees, titmice, and painted buntings, but what kind of feed do I have to put out to attract this kind of beautiful bird to my feeder?

[adventuresofalgy]

Algy spent a peaceful night, high up in a tree near the edge of the forest, happy to know that he was not alone, for a small herd of red deer were moving about below him, browsing for such food as they could find in the snow, even in the darkness.

But when he woke up in the morning, Algy felt disconsolate and discouraged. He had lost the alluring comforts of the enchanted woodland, and had also lost his way home. He was altogether lost!

Flying over to a tumbled spruce in a clearing nearby, Algy perched on the soft needles with his magic pumpkin by his side, pondering glumly what he should do next, for he had no idea which direction to take when he left the forest. Suddenly, he heard a tap, tap, tap, tap, tapping sound.

"Who's there?" he called, and received an odd sort of answer:

“I can see what’s wrong with youse,” rapped the bird. “Youse needs to get yersel’ up and do the tap-a-way.” “The what away?” said Algy. “The tap-a-way,” rapped the bird. “Why, at any kind of a ceilidh, or when I’m feeling a wee bitty glumshie, I just gets up and does my tap-a-way.” The strange bird jumped down on to one of the fallen tree trunks, just a short distance in front of Algy, and tapped on the rotting wood a few times. Then, lifting one foot in the air, it started to do a crazy sort of dance, hopping and flapping about on the huge mossy log, all the while rapping a song in its hoarse voice, and bending down frequently to tap loudly against the wood with its beak. It rapped: “I just tap away, Then I flap away; I will hop away Till I stop a way Over there a way. Then I’ll peck a bit, While I think of it, Doing the tap-a-way Just in this-a-way: It’s a holiday! I can tap all day, In my happy way, And I’ll skip and dance – You should see me prance! As I tap away. Feeling low today? And the sky’s all grey? Don’t just sit around On the icy ground: Do the tap-a-way! You will feel so good If you tap on wood, Doing the tap-a-way Just in this-a-way: It’s a holiday!”

[Algy is hearing a passage from his children's chapter book The Magical Midwinter Star, which will be reissued with a new cover in paperback this coming weekend, 14th/15th December and is currently available as a Kindle e-book.]

[thelawlandlass]

My spindle from NiddyNoddyUK arrived a few days ago. Been spinning up some red wool to use to make protective folk charms, such as rowan and red thread crosses.

I am a Scottish folk magic practitioner, and have been for 19 years. One of the reasons I got into traditional spinning was to be more authentic to my spirituality. I wanted to make more genuine folk charms and other folk magic crafts, as well as crochet hand spun wool.

Rowan crosses are one of the many traditional charms in Scottish folk magic. They were used to protect people against witchcraft and the Fair Folk (mistakenly called 'the fae' by contemporary witches/neo pagans). The red coloured thread symbolises stuff, such as sacrificial blood, thunder, and the blood of Jesus Christ.

I know red thread is significant in Jewish culture, which I find quite interesting given Scottish culture and Jewish culture are to completely seperate cultures. I often wondered if Christianity taking elements of Jewish traditions had something to do with this? I know Easter (according to Jew Witches website) was taken from the Jewish holiday Pesach (Passover), so it wouldn't surprise me how much Christianity borrowed Jewish cultural customs, and ended up in our folk magic traditions.

Or a cigar is just a cigar...

Anyway, I'll finish up the results and post them on here once I've completed spinning this wool.