#scottish magic

[lailoken]

By Rowan Berry and Red Thread,

I put all Evil to its speed...

[marlowe1-blog]

"Hermetic Crab" by Cameron Hill (Teddy Bear Cannibal Massacre)

The magic crab has a Scottish accent

I don't remember this one. I remember liking it. I read it two weeks ago and I forgot this one. The crab has a Scottish accent and there's a great deal of magic in the thing. Paul McAvoy reviewed it in Whispers of Wickedness (the first place that published my stories. I think) and he really liked it. .

The point of the story is that a guy buys a magic crab at a pet store. The crab is a magician. The crab was originally a magician or a magician's apprentice, but you know, things happen.

Oh no. I really wish I could say more abou this one. What makes it even more confusing is that Cameron Hill is listed as a narrator and an illustrator in his Goodreads page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2040634.Cameron_Hill So are these all the same author? Does Cameron Hill still write? What is with that bdsm story "told to" Monica?

[connorphilpphotography]

Isle of Skye 2024

[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]

Gesundheit!

After saying a fond farewell to the mighty oak tree, Algy set off in high spirits, with his magic lantern in his beak, to pursue his quest for the light and warmth which he felt sure could be found somewhere in the heart of the winter darkness.

At first the low November sun continued to shine, but as he rose higher in the sky he noticed that the air on his wings had an icy chill, and he had not travelled all that far before the weather took an increasingly ominous turn, with a brisk wind from the north carrying massive black clouds rapidly towards him.

Deeming it prudent to interrupt his flight and seek shelter, Algy dropped quickly down to the ground as a wave of sleet and snow swept over the sky, blotting out the sun. He made a comfortably soft landing on a patch of long, wet grass, but it had already accumulated a sprinkling of snow with an icy crust, and before long the unaccustomed chill to his tail feathers had an unfortunately predictable effect…

However, although he believed it to be a Wednesday, he doubted whether he could expect any letters, as he had not seen a post bird for quite some time…

If you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger; Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger; Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter; Sneeze on a Thursday, something better. Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow; Sneeze on a Saturday, joy to-morrow.

[Algy is thinking of a Mother Goose nursery rhyme.]

With special thanks to Algy's friend @wouldwind for inspiration 😉

[grandboute]

Scotland my love

[sierrawitch]

What is “Celtic”?

by autumn sierra

The Celtic Nations reach from the British Isles in the Northern Atlantic, down further South to the countries of Europe’s Western coast.

Although many people associate “Celtic” with Scotland and Ireland, the word is a more encompassing term for these many individual cultures. They are known to have commonalities in their theology and folk practices considering they were of similar regions in history, but are unique in their own rights of course.

Over time, the Celtic people of Central Europe migrated to the outer Western and Northwestern regions. The graphic above gives some further insight to how the categorization of ethnicities evolved over the centuries into the Goidelic and Brythonic peoples that we are most familiar with in the 21st Century. (My practice focuses primarily on the Goidelic cultures, with a bit of influence from the Brythonic, but all of these are valid to include in a historically significant folk practice.)

So, if you’re considering studying Celtic folk magick or Celtic paganism in its broader form, take into consideration that you may be adopting a much heavier workload than originally anticipated.

[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

[lailoken]

Hollantide Neep Lantern (2023)

[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)

[sapphotism]

evan kelmp moved to glasgow!?! they truly did this for me and my scottish heart 😭

[that-cunning-witch]

Ancient Celtic religion (Irish, Scottish, Welsh, etc.) has been and is continuing to be culturally appropriated to absolute filth, but idk if y'all are ready to have that conversation yet

[adventuresofalgy]

Today Algy is celebrating the very special tumblr anniversary of a unique and very special tumblr friend… Teddy of @adventureswithteddy.

Eleven years ago today, on 14th October 2013, just about 18 months after Algy first started posting his own adventures on tumblr, another much more intrepid fluffy – or, more accurately, furry – adventurer posted the first of his own adventures @adventureswithteddy on this amazing platform, where almost anything fantastic and wonderful becomes possible…

From that moment on, Algy was not the only non-human adventurer on tumblr, and in all those eleven years Algy has never come across another to compare. Occasionally he has seen a fluffy, cuddly or furry friend feature in some human's posts, but Teddy of @adventureswithteddy has remained exceptional in every way, and Algy knows that he has many devoted friends and followers.

For Teddy has not been satisfied with the the comparitively limited and gentle adventures of the kind which Algy has undertaken himself. Despite his relatively small size and soft, cuddly exterior, Teddy is bold and dauntless, travelling to exotic parts of the world and daring to go where fluffy birds would most certainly fear to tread, or even to fly! Teddy has scaled enormous mountains, crossed great, rocky plateaux, and travelled through magnificent ravines, as well as visiting less intimidating locations such as the beautiful shores of distant tropical islands. He has even visited the Great Wall of China! There are truly no bounds to Teddy's adventures on this earth…

But Algy knew that there was one adventure which Teddy had never yet undertaken�� Although Algy longed to meet him in person, Teddy had never visited the wild west Highlands of Scotland… until today, that is, when some very special magic allowed Teddy – who in reality lives many thousands of miles away – to join Algy for a joyful celebration of his tumblrversary 💕

Algy realises that the wee ravine through which his own quiet burn flows down to the sea must seem like a miniature toy compared with the massive canyons which Teddy has explored, but he hopes that Teddy will enjoy the relative peace of his quiet day in the wild west Highlands of Scotland, and will perhaps relate many tales of weird and wonderful adventures around the great wide world, as he rests on the soft moorland grasses with Algy.

Happy 11th Anniversary Teddy and kind human friend @adventureswithteddy ❤️ Algy wishes you many, many more amazing adventures, and hopes that you will continue to share them with us all:

May the road rise up to meet you.  May the wind be always at your back.  May the sun shine warm upon your face,  the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again,  may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

[Algy is quoting a famous Irish blessing for travellers.]

[felinefractious]

Violetta Magic Cherry

🐱 Scottish Straight

📸 Proskurina Svetlana [Magic Cherry]

🎨 Red Mackerel Tabby