A Winter Solstice Ritual

 Evening Greetings,

And frosty greetings they are too!  My, my the winter solstice grows closer, the days are getting sharply shorter and the nights longer, more bitterly cold. 'Tis winter in New England!  Next Tuesday, exactly a week from today will be the winter solstice.  The longest night, shortest day of our year marking mid-winter and heralding the return of the Sun.

I've had several requests for a ritual that anyone can conduct to honor and recognize the winter solstice, the original focus of this holiday season. I've crafted one especially for tonight's discussion, and I'm happy in that it can be used by those of any denomination, or spiritual belief system.   I am discussing the ritual tonight so that those that wish to incorporate this into their holiday festivities will have the time to gather the items needed during this next week.  

First one must have a focus:

Your focus can be different from others, as long as it works for you. For instance if you feel more Christian especially around Christmas, honoring the new born God of light is appropriate. For those more pagan bent, honoring the wisdom of the Crone as well as recognizing the newly born God, the light, the Sun,  in its infancy, celebrating its spark which will grow stronger as the wheel turns.

For those who wish to visualize the imagery found in nature when honoring the Spirit of the Winter Solstice, you can envisage the evergreens in the forests, the red berries and the crystal white mantle of snow blanketing all surfaces, making them pristine and holy. 

This ritual requires you to craft or gather the following items:

• A green evergreen wreath one to two feet across or diameter. Decorated as ornately or as simply as you desire. It will lay flat on a table, so consider this when choosing or making your wreath.

•  5 red candles in separate holder, Tapers are ideal. Freeze overnight, then thaw at room temperature a few hours before using to prevent dripping wax. Votives can be used, even small jar candles. Use what works for you, making sure No flame touches the greenery of the wreath.

• a silver colored bowl that can fit inside the center of the wreath. 

• silver and red round tree ornaments

• a stick or cone of incense appropriate for the season, Balsam fir, Cinnamon, Peppermint 

• a bell

Next Tuesday is not only the winter solstice, a Sabbat, but it happens to fall on the next full moon, an esbat. This is a good time to point out that during moon esbats we conduct or cast magick.  A Sabbat is a celebration of life and love, the gifts of the Goddess and God, and typically magick is not done. It is more of a celebratory occasion, although we can focus on the upcoming year and do divination during Sabbats.In this instance when a Sabbat falls on an esbat, the Sabbat supersedes the esbat and we celebrate the Sabbat, with little notice of the moon.  This is just as my tradition was taught, and I pass it along for interest sake. You may do as you please.

As this is a celebratory Sabbat ritual, a magickal circle is not needed, which makes this an easy ritual for anyone to perform. First choose a flat surface to decorate with your ritual.  A dining table is nice as the rritual remnants make for a pretty solstice decoration. It is also not obvious that the decorations are anything other than holiday decor.

Make sure to eliminate all distractions and outside interference. Have everything assembled by placing the evergreen wreath in the center of the table. Lay it down and place the silver bowl in the center of the wreath. Ring the bell three times and light the incense.  Holding  the incense wand aloft, waft it around the wreath three times in the air and then place in its holder.  Now take each red candle in its own holder and place them in a star pattern around the wreath. Or equally spaced apart all around the wreath.


As you carefully light each candle give a blessing or prayer of thanks for each one. You may give thanks for whatever you desire, using words of your choosing. Or you may use these blessings I wrote if you'd like.  Say the following  as you light the candles. 

•  I give thanks for the wisdom of the Crone as she reigns over winters mantle (for the 1st candle)
• I give thanks for the return of the light, with each day he becomes stronger (2nd candle)
• I give thanks for the eternal promise of life found within each winter solstice (3rd candle)
• I give thanks for the coming spring which is quick on the heels of the winter (4th candle)
• I give thanks for the life, the love and the glory of this most holy of seasons  (5th candle)

Now pick up one ornament at a time and as you place each one into the silver bowl in the center of the wreath, name a person or something in your life that you willingly and joyfully bring into your next year of life.  Only name those and that which brings you pleasure and happiness. No one needs to know what each ornament represents, but you. Take note of what you choose to name and place in the bowl and what you leave out.  That which you leave out won't necessarily vacate your life, but it can become less as you focus on the wanted, the positive, the rewarding aspects of your life.

After the silver bowl is as full of ornaments as you choose,  sit for a moment and think of the upcoming year, along with the people and circumstances you wish to surround yourself with. Close your eyes and see the year ahead, the people and places, circumstances and experiences you desire. feel the love of the season fill you with warmth and happiness.  Then when you've finished, ring the bell and if the candles are still burning, you may snuff them out or allow them to burn all the way down as long as they are constantly supervised.  If you choose to snuff them out, you can relight them again and again throughout the Yuletide season.

When the candles have burned themselves out you can replace the candles, and each time you light the candles you can recite the prayers again.  Every now and again, throughout the season, pick up an ornament, hold it and name again the person, the situation.  This helps you keep those that are most special to you in the forefront of your mind in a conscious, aware, tangible way.  This is how you can assure yourself you bring the best and the most rewarding aspects of your life with you into the new year.

This ritual can be done anytime on the 21st of December, next Tuesday, but the evening time, after dark, seems the most appropriate as the light of the candles and the prayers pushes back the encroaching darkness of winter, allowing the Sun to return.

I wish you all a Blessed Solstice and a Merry Yuletide Season


Peace and Happiness





© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website.

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

A green idea for Christmas

Evening Greetings,

With the holidays just around the corner, I've a fun idea that is also a 'green alternative'  Christmas feature for your yard.  During the yuletide season I like to get a real Christmas tree for outdoor decoration.  I make a deep hole in the ground with a crowbar and secure the trunk of a spruce or pine.  I then decorate the tree with strings of popped popcorn and cranberries and natural ornaments. 

Its fun to pop large bowls of popcorn, then spend an evening stringing it while watching a fun movie, like Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' one of the best of the Christmas ghost stories if you ask me! Stringing the popcorn can be a bit tricky as well as  the cranberries, and must be done carefully or else they will split in half. Thread nylon string through the eye of a needle, the longer and thinner the needle the better. The needle needs to be big enough to get through the berries and popped corn, yet slim enough not to split the kernels or berries. You can double thread as you would with sewing. Thread the string through the eye of the needle, bring both ends of the string together and knot at the free end.  Knot the end by piercing a cranberry and tying the loose string end up and over the berry to tie it back on the main thread securing the berry at the end. 


Some people like to string the popcorn on separate strands from the cranberries, yet others like to combine the two on the same strand. It's really up to you. Realize if you try a combination look that the weight of the cranberries  is much heavier than the popcorn.  It's easier to string fewer cranberries than popcorn to keep the weight distributed properly. This is necessary for the strand to hang properly on the tree. Test hang it after a few feet are strung to see how it falls.

If you're really ambitious you can try stringing raisins on strands also, but I find they are sticky and soon the whole thing becomes a sweet, gummy mess!   Many sweet cereals string well,just don't use chocolate, as its not healthy for animals to eat.  But its up to you what you'd like to include. These natural strands to hang on the tree are all edible, but did I mention, they're not meant for human consumption?

I then set up the tree outside in full view of the the windows my cats like to sit in. It's a special treat for them as the feathered creatures, which are so brilliant in their colors in the winter, come and visit my Yule tree made just for them..

I hang the tree first with colored lights so that the tree can stand out in all its glory in the evenings. This provides a little color and happiness for travelers on their way home at night, with food for the birds and squirrels and enjoyment for my cats.  All from a simple tree.  It's also possible to get a tree for this at a good price, because you can get one that doesn't look so perfect as its meant for the outdoors and no one really sees it that close up.  So look for the 'Charlie Brown' Christmas trees and offer the seller a few dollars less because it might not be a full or as balanced as the other trees. You might be able to strike a bargain. But even at full price its a tree that keeps giving for at least four to six months. Keep reading and I'll show you how.

After stringing with lights and edible strands, I also like to put 'ornaments' on this Yule tree of nature.  Get large or medium pine cones and spread them with peanut butter.  Smooth or chunky, its up to you. Then place them, one at a time in a brown paper bag with a couple of cups of bird seed, dried cranberries, nuts etc. Sprinkle and with your hands on the outside of the bag press the dried ingredients into the moist, sticky peanut butter. Oooops!  Make sure you tie a pretty ribbon onto the top of the pine cone first to hang it from, before the peanut butter.  A lot less sticky and messy.   Hang these homemade energy- rich treats on the tree and you will attract birds and other small creatures that benefit from the fat and nutrient value of these treats.  By the way, these pine cone peanut treats make a nice holiday gift for your mice and other small furry pets.  We mustn't forget them during the holiday season.   

By the way, let me speak on  behalf of the squirrels.  They have just as much right to be here as we do.  All wild animals do, actually.  Rather than devising ways to poison the earth, destroy the squirrels and trash your karma, instead place a few extra pine cones on your tree and treat all the small living creatures.  When feeding the birds I put out extra to feed the squirrels also.  They really are delightful to watch as they scamper and frolic.  I never begrudge the food the squirrels eat rather than the birds, for they're just as deserving.

After the holidays, you can take down the tree and put it to further use over the winter. Remove the electric lights and the nylon strings that held the fruits and corn as most if not all will be gone by now depending on how many wild visitors you've received.  

Take the tree and place somewhere on your property away from the house if possible, along a fence line or treeline. you can leave the pinecones if there's still any peanut butter and seeds left, and they can be replenished for this step also.  The tree, placed on its side, especially against a fence, tree or outbuilding such as a shed or garage, makes a small animal shelter where small birds can fly into for safety from larger predators and small creatures can winter over in the tree.  Note, if placed against a building or shed, the more people traffic around it the less likely animals will use it.  An out of the way place,  is best.

In the spring,  the tree, what's left of it,  can be used to start the first spring fire in the fire pit. Of course making sure no living creatures are still in residence!  Another green choice is disposing of the tree carcass at your local landfill if they have a program like Manchester does. They take all 'green' refuse, collected at the curb or brought in by resident and compost it, using huge machines that  move over the dried leaves, and yard scraps again and again until beautiful black, rich compost is created. They then sell it back to the residents to use in their yards. By using a commercially grown tree in this way you contribute more to the environment than you take away from it.   This is also taking into account the carbon footprint left by the plastic and artificial trees so in abundance today.

It is very hard in this day and age to live a modern life with the conveniences and luxuries we enjoy without harming the environment no matter how unintended. Using a real tree commercially grown and intended for quick disposal in the garbage landfill is a green alternative and natural way to celebrate the yuletide season with the animals of nature and helps put Nature back in Christmas.  After all that's where the celebration of the winter solstice started, as a celebration of Nature.

Peace and Happiness





© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website.

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Answers to the pop quiz

 Evening Greetings,

Well, I hope you're ready for the answers to the pop quiz I sprung on you yesterday. My students did very well this morning on their tests, and I'm sure you did also. 


1. What is the ritual blade, which incidentally is never used to make physical cuts, commonly called?

   An athame   see my first discussion on October 14th on more information re: athames

2. Once in its lifetime a ritual blade is allowed to make one physical cut, what is it allowed to cut?

 a wedding cake 

3. Do modern day witches worship a Satan or a devil?

   no- not in any fashion.  In actuality, according to those who profess expertise in the area of Satanism one must be a disillusioned Catholic to become a Satanist.  Many people, but not all,  who pick up the broomstick and become witches usually have left behind any Christian tradition they may have been raised in. 

4. New and Full moon rituals are commonly called by what ancient term?   esbats

5. Wicca is really a modern day religion started in the 1950's by a man named Gerald Gardner?

                                     True 

6. When working in a circle a witch normally moves in which direction?  Choose from one of the following:

                                    deosil         

7.  New moon ritual work is for:  choose one

                                 invoking                


8. Full moon ritual work is for:    choose one

                                 banishing 

9.Start with the left column of Sabbats associated with the Wheel of the Year,  place the number of the Sabbat next to its commonly known association in the right hand column. 


1. Samhain      4.   maiden - Ostara is a Germanic Goddess of the springtime

2. Yule          5.    ribbon - Beltaine celebrations often include a maypole with ribbons

3. Imbolc      7.  loaves of bread- Lughnasa is translated as "loaf mass', the mass of loaves of bread.

4. Ostara      6.  midsummer - Litha is the Summer Solstice, or midsummer

5. Beltaine     8.  sacrificial god- The cutting of the grains in September is metaphoric for the sacrificing of the God. 
                                                         

6. Litha    3. milk -  Imbolc translates in Gaelic as 'In the belly" and references the baby animals born in spring
                                                 
7. Lughnasa  1. apples- Samhain is also known as "The feast of the apples" a reference to the ancient Roman celebration of Pomona, an apple festival
                                                 

8. Mabon   2. evergreen - Yule and the evergreen is synonymous with the winter solstice


10.  Are all witches Wiccans?         No  One can be a witch and not follow the Wiccan tradition.

11.  Are all Wiccans witches?        Yes- Even though I've heard of those who refuse to use the word 
  witch because of negative connotations, if you follow Wicca as a  religious tradition you are by definition a witch. Wicca is, according to Gerald Garner who created this religion in 1953, the "religion of    the witches."                                        
                                                  
                                                 

12.  When casting a spell for the new moon you can expect manifestation within how much time?  14 days

13. When casting a spell for the full moon you can expect manifestation within how much time? 28 days

14.  When you curse or try to cast a harmful spell on another, who is the recipient of the energy sent?  
                                                                                                                                                  You are

15.  Witches wear black because it's slimming and the goth look is really in!    
False- we tend to wear black because it makes us less sensitive to absorbing others energies. 
                                                           


16. Wicca is a religion and Witchcraft is a science.  True  

17.  There is magick in everything.    True 

18.   Modern witches use the pentagram upright and inverted.       False

19.   Witches revere nature and all life.  True 


20.    Witches can be Christian.   True  - I was asked if this was a trick question.  Actually it's not.  I have met people who claim to be witches and follow a Christian religious tradition also.  Maybe an amalgamation of Christian and Wiccan practices. The good thing is, its up to you .  .  .   ish.   No one can determine but you if you are a witch, but I will say that if you belong to a Christian church and follow its teachings, realize that with that dynamic in your life you allow those to have a say as to what you do, and what's acceptable. Most witches shy away from anyone having control over us.  Yet ultimately the choice is yours.   As my muse will say to me "can you look yourself in the eyes in the mirror in the morning?"  If you can, then you're good.


.I hope you enjoyed this little quiz and that it wasn't too stressful.

Peace and Happiness











© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

A pop quiz tonight! I hope you've been taking notes!

 Evening Greetings,

Keeping in mind the title of this witches blog, I'm setting aside the history lesson tonight to focus on something far more fun!! A quiz!  I know, I know you love taking quizzes and tests, so this should make you as happy as my mice are playing on their wheel. 

This discussion came to mind this week as I revised a test to administer tomorrow morning in class.  I have some students taking their first-year first-quarter review and some taking the first-year mid-term review.  It's funny, I remember when I started Enchantments and after the first couple of months of classes I issued a test during one class. People freaked out! Talk about test phobia!  Oh yes, by the way, it's important to point out I only teach adults. Well, some felt betrayed, some terrified and one student actually took the test, left and never came back! My, my!  I still wonder about that, as he didn't do too badly.  But no matter, I know now to inform my students that  tests are a part of the curriculum.

 I have a rotating curriculum as new students can enter the year long program anytime during the year, so I like to test them on the material I know they have experienced up to this point. Everyone is tested at the same time, just with different versions of the test, so as I put this one together this week I thought I would share with you a sample of what they will be working with tomorrow morning. 

Tonight you take the test, and everything in it has been touched on in my discussions from this witches blog.  Tomorrow I will give you the answers.  I won't print the results today as my students read this witches blog regularly, or so I like to think! 

1. What is the ritual blade, which incidentally is almost never used to make physical cuts, commonly called?

2. Once in its lifetime a ritual blade is allowed to make one physical cut, what is it allowed to cut?

3. Do modern day witches worship a Satan or a devil?

4. New and Full moon rituals are commonly called by what ancient term?

5. Wicca is really a modern day religion started in the 1950's by a man named Gerald Gardner?

                                                   True or False

6. When working in a circle a witch normally moves in which direction?  Choose from one of the following:

                        widdershins              contrary           deosil          northerly         symbolic  

7.  New moon ritual work is for:  choose one

             banishing         invoking         cursing          socializing       worshiping  


8. Full moon ritual work is for:    choose one

           banishing         invoking          cursing          socializing       worshiping 

9.Start with the left column of Sabbats associated with the Wheel of the Year,  place the number of the Sabbat next to its commonly known association in the right hand column. 


1. Samhain                    maiden

2. Yule                          ribbon

3. Imbolc                      loaves of bread

4. Ostara                       midsummer

5. Beltaine                     sacrificial god

6. Litha                          milk  

7. Lughnasa                   apples

8. Mabon                      evergreen


10.  Are all witches Wiccans?     Yes   or   No

11.  Are all Wiccans witches?    Yes   or   No

12.  When casting a spell for the new moon you can expect manifestation within how much time?

13. When casting a spell for the full moon you can expect manifestation within how much time?

14.  When you curse or try to cast a harmful spell on another, who is the recipient of the energy sent?

15.  Witches wear black because it's slimming and the goth look is really in!    True or  False

16. Wicca is a religion and Witchcraft is a science.  True   or    False

17.  There is magick in everything.    True   or   False 

18.   Modern witches use the pentagram upright and inverted.   True or False


19.   Witches revere nature and all life.  True or False



20.    Witches can be Christian.   True   or False

.

Good Luck and tomorrow we'll discuss the answers. Have a great evening!


Peace and Happiness






© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. 


If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

The colors of the season, red and green, why were they chosen?

 Evening Greetings,

My Goodness! In my attempt to discern the origins of the colors of Christmas, typically red and green, I came to see this discussion will have another lesson to impart.  What I have called "How to think like a witch" in my work with new students.  A witch tends to look at things a bit differently from accepted societal expectations and conventions.  But really, that's not a big surprise. Just to call yourself a witch you would tend towards the non-typical, wouldn't you?

Let me discuss with you the origins of the colors chosen to represent Christmas and I'll show you a bit of what I'm referring to.  I had heard for years of a pagan connection with the colors, and had heard that they could be attributed to the Celts.  Being pagan I was good with the concept, but then I started serious research, with credible sources and sticking with the general consensus amongst experts in the field.  I do use information available on the Internet sparingly and with reserve, preferring published works from credible experts and specialists. 

At the start of my search I started to run into all kinds of stories that claim to be the real story as to why red and  green are the 'official' colors of Christmas.  Yet the stories all fell short for various reasons, and most just didn't 'fit' with what we already know about the history of Christmas.

For instance, a common story speaks of 14th century 'miracle plays'.  These plays were put on by the local churches for the benefit of the populace. As much of the general public was illiterate during these dark ages, the church in its constant onslaught to convert and teach the masses the lessons it felt were warranted, presented these plays as an entertainment that would present the church's accepted religious views to the people.

It became popular to present a miracle play on Christmas eve called 'The Paradise Play'  which is the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, taken from the Book of Genesis.  It is rumored that pine trees were substituted for apple trees 'because apple trees weren't available in winter' and apples were hung off of the branches, thus uniting the green and red.   Hmmmm.  Really?

They would have had access to apple trees in the winter, they're still in the orchards, they just go dormant. But I assure you, cutting down and then propping up indoors an apple tree would be a very difficult chore.  The very nature of this type of tree does not support this usage.  Then when you consider the incredible weight of this type of tree,  due to the mass of wood, and the expanse of the branches compared to an evergreen tree, it makes it a ridiculous thought to set up apple trees indoors.  These plays also utilized props and scenery made much as on a modern stage today, so substitutes were a possibility.  We continue to put up Christmas trees this time of year and have for hundreds of years because its fairly simple to do as well as it being  tradition.

This story also goes on to say that this is why people started putting up Christmas trees in their homes to emulate the church.  And its a good story, except it neglects to consider hundreds of years of cultural beliefs and legends from the Germanic peoples who migrated out of Scandinavia and brought their spiritual lore with them,  that we just discussed earlier this week.People were honoring the evergreen tree for centuries before Medieval miracle plays.  So I discounted this as the origins of the color choices. 



The churches teachings during the dark ages, which went along with the mass unification of the Christian church throughout Europe, had the effect of  presenting history as if the entire human race's history spanned just a few hundred years rather than tens of thousands of years.  Many stories were created to fit the church's specific world view, to answer those questions that were deemed appropriate to be asked and answered. When the church made the Yuletide winter solstice into Christ's Mass, it needed to create the entire mythology anew, they just kept the bones of the ancient mythologies which made it easier for the resistant to convert.  "You can call it Christmas, we'll still burn a Yule log, feast and drink and celebrate the return of the sun", which is what happened. The people just wanted to keep their traditions, no matter what you dressed them up as.

There is a belief that the color scheme was of Celtic origin, and this has merit, as the Celtic migratory tribes first originated in the Eastern most parts of Europe, Scandinavia and the Slavic regions. It is possible that the tradition of the winter colors set down in antiquity traveled with them only to be morphed and evolve into what we know today.

I even read some concepts as to why red and green are the colors of Yuletide, that to me are outlandish and downright silly! One such Internet source goes into great detail as to how the colors of not only Christmas but of Santa Claus was determined by the mind altering use of fly ageric. This 'expert' claims that everyone was tripping on poisonous mushrooms all over Europe before vodka was discovered in the east.  What? Trust me historical research assures us that alcoholic beverages were made and consumed in Europe much more than poisonous mushrooms that would kill you if eaten and long before vodka was discovered. They had no need for vodka.

Fly agaric is a toxic substance that can produce a hallucinogenic effect if taken in microscopic quantities. To consume any is to risk death! He then went on to prove his point by suggesting that since the toxic qualities stayed suspended n human urine that people would then drink others urine to get intoxicated. What? Alright now, I think I've had about enough of this nonsense!  Seriously, be smart when using on-line sources, and try very hard to verify the information from a credible published source before making up your mind about something. At the very least get a consensus from a group of expert opinions.

Let me give you my personal opinion as to why the colors of Yuletide and Christmas are green and red. Being a witch I have learned that when information around me isn't resonating within me, in other words it just doesn't sit well with me, then I look within.  This time I closed my eyes and thought about winter. Well, having grown up in the countryside of New England, surrounded by forests and fields, pastureland and meadows I know the color of the winter landscape is pretty monochromatic. White, with shades of grays and neutrals. 

If you walk through the winter forest you will see two 'bright' colors predominant besides the whites and neutrals.  The green of the evergreens, firs, pines, spruces and hemlocks and the reds of the berries that the birds eat throughout the winter.  It just makes simple common sense that these colors are representative of the winter season.

Two other colors that seem to give red and green a run for their money during the Yuletide holiday season  are gold and silver.  I'm not even going to look up the suspected reasons for this. I don't have to. To me the color silver always represents the Goddess, as silver is her metal and it represents the moon, her symbol.  Gold represents the God, as gold is his metal and represents the Sun, his symbol.

The dark half of the year is the realm of the Crone in pagan belief. Yet, for Christians the God is born at this time, with the male taking dominance for a portion of this time.  The pagans see the dance between the God and Goddess as they travel around the wheel of the year.  We'll discuss this dance of the gods at another time. But they are both present in some form, during the turning of the wheel. It seems even more significant today, as the pagan traditions have been woven into the Christian religious mythologies so that many of the stories no longer have distinct separations where the pagan stops and the Christian begins. 

During this season the blend of pagan and Christian symbolism are both predominant and I believe they blend beautifully making our traditions an amalgamation of the very best of both ancient cultures, pagan and early Christian.  I can see a metaphoric comparison between all we cherish about this holiday and the state of mankind in relationship with itself.

I'll leave you with the real lesson of the discussion.  Read, study, learn if this world is of interest to you. Be skeptical, question and practice to find out and know how the magick works through you. Use common sense and if it feels not quite right, pay attention to yourself. The answer already lies within you. What doesn't feel right, leave aside. It's not meant for you.

Let me tell you a secret.   Everyone has the magick move through them, sometimes they even sense it. That doesn't make you special, anymore than anyone else, but the witch  .  .  .  well, its what she does with it. How she uses the magick to know what will work best for her.  If you focus on bringing that into your world, then you'll feel how special it truly is. 


Peace and Happiness




© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Who is Santa Claus really? An expose' !

 Evening Greetings,

Yes, as the title suggests, in tonight's discussion I will be 'outing' Santa Claus.  I think its time everyone knew who he is, and just how he came to have such an important role in this winter holiday.  Santa is typically thought of as a secular figure whom many feel was created by a Coca Cola advertising campaign, (which is false, by the way) or even by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823 with his Christmas bedtime story, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" now known as "Night before Christmas".   But again,  like so many things in our popular modern day culture we need to peer back, way back into the mists of history to find the origins of this mythical, but oh so important figure of modern day Christmas.

Some of the names that have been associated with this figure are: Sinterklaas, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Kris Kringle.  But what's interesting to me,  is it seems some of the first legends that have the same attributes as Santa today,  had to do with a female Santa!  Wait, let me back up a bit. 

Firstly, as you've no doubt noticed from the discussions we've had about Christmas so far, that many of Christmas's symbols and imagery comes from the winter traditions of Germany, Scandinavia and the Slavic countries. Perhaps because the winters in this part of the world are so brutal and non-relenting, not to mention long, dark and lonely, with some regions having very little daylight for a good part of the winter, that created a need for something to occupy the mind and heart.  The decorations as well as the legends and fairy tales flourished and were designed  to keep everyone believing that the spring would come.

I mean think about it, we have t.v., computers and a host of entertainments and distractions in our lives today. The ancient peoples didn't have any of these things to help get through a hard, cold, long winter.  It makes sense that some entertainment in the form of storytelling developed to pass the long hours, along with the feasting and drinking.  So, in the Germanic legends,  a goddess of the winter, a white lady who appeared as both a young maiden and an old, wise, ancient crone emerged as the goddess Holda. There are actually winter goddesses depicting the crone in so many ancient cultures, from the Calliech Beara in Scotland, The Baba Yaga in Poland, Hecate in Greece and the Goddess Holda from Germany, to name just a few. 

I see in Holda's story the origins of the Santa Claus story.  Holda or Frau Holle was a goddess who first appeared in Latin inscriptions during the period 197 c.e.- 235 c.e., and like many ancient goddesses,  could be beneficent or cruel and punishing.  She fell out of favor when Germany became Christian and she was associated as a matron or queen of the witches.

In 1494 Stephanus Lanzkrana in Die Hymelstrass  warned those who would worship 'the heathen goddess', and noted that followers left out meat and drink for her, which was considered a pagan sacrifice, yet more closely resembles an offering similar to leaving out Christmas cookies and milk for Santa today.

In 1630 a man, convicted as a witch, after he confessed to believing in Holda, which  identifies her in history as a goddess of the old religion. Many of the ancient goddesses rode through the sky using typical women's tools such as a broom stick, mop, and in the case of the Baba Yaga from Poland,  in a mortar with the pestle used as a rudder.  Yet even the Baba Yaga,  .  .  .  Oh! alright go ahead. Say her name aloud, you know you want to. I'll wait. 

Even the Baba Yaga wasn't without a broom, which she dragged behind her to eliminate any trail she might make.

These goddesses would often, as in the case of Holda, bring good children candy and sweets,  whereas bad children would be eaten alive or punished, or sometimes gifted with rocks or switches for their parents to use on them.  The behavior of children seemed a popular focus on these gift bearing visits of a grandmotherly type of goddess during mid winter.  Even though it seems scary how some of these goddesses would treat naughty children, they were all protectors of children and the souls of children who had died.


I see a strong resemblance between these legends and the fairy tales of  Ciinderella with her fairy godmother written in 1697 by Charles Perrault.and the Hansel and Grete fairy tale,written by the Brother's Grimm in 1812,  along with others.

Now, back to Santa Clause, .   .   .   that is .  .  .  if that's is his real name?   The name Sinterklaas comes from the Dutch and there is evidence that the first legends surrounding an individual like Santa were legends of the Norse God Odin. Odin was an ancient God in the Norse countries, now Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Lapland, Greenland and surrounding areas. He would travel through the night skies on Yule eve on a flying horse with eight legs, named Sleipnir. Young children would leave carrots, straw and sugar for Odin's horse in their boots at night. To thank them for their generosity Odin would leave sweets and presents for the children and take the offerings for his horse.  In Nordic countries the original bearer of gifts for children around the winter solstice was the Yule goat.  Yes I said goat!,  which speaks to the original pagan roots of this holiday.  What?! You've never heard of the Yule goat?  It's a good thing I'm here. Let's continue.


St. Nicholas was a real man who lived from 270 to December 6,  343. He was a Greek Bishop of Myra, (Demre, Lycia in modern day Turkey) and is also known as Nicholaos of Myra.  He was known for using his family inheritance to make others life's more fortunate and is best known for this story:

A father had three daughters and he could not afford to marry them off, as a 'dowry' or money paid to the groom was expected in this time and age. He contemplated selling one daughter as a slave, or prostitute depending on which version of the story you hear, so he could marry off the other two.  Nicholaos of Myra heard of this father's dilemma and one night snuck into the house and furtively placed gold in all three daughters stockings.  This way they were able to be successfully married off and the stockings filled with gifts portion of this story clung to the legend.  It may also shed light on why St. Nicholas is the patron saint of thieves!  He is also the patron saint of children, orphans and pawnbrokers!

With these ancient cultural fairy tales and mythologies added to the brew, we'll  now stir into the cauldron some American  influences to help create the Santa Claus we know today.  Let us now take a moment to clarify the time line of Santa in American history to dispel rumors and urban myths.

In 1821 a book published in New York "A New-year's present, to the little ones from five to twelve"  had a poem called "Old Santeclaus"  This poem was submitted anonymously and describes an old man, being drawn by reindeer in his sleigh, as he delivers gifts to children.

Then on December 23rd, 1823 a poem was published called "A Visit from St. Nicholas" in The Sentinel. Published in Troy, New York this poem was anonymously submitted but later was attributed to Clement Clarke Moore and is today best known as "The Night Before Christmas".  Many of Santa's modern day attributes are found in this poem. 

The clothes he wears, the tiny reindeer that fly through the sky, the sleigh he uses to deliver the toys, landing on the roof and coming down the chimney, having a sack full of toys, and filling the stockings.  I like this poem especially because it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Santa was a magickal being.  I wouldn't necessarily call him a witch or wizard because not all magickal beings are called such, but magickal without a doubt! 

Following these stories came the famous image of Santa immortalized by Thomas Nast  on January 3, 1863 in an issue of Harper's Weekly.  Nast was a caricaturist and political cartoonist.  This was the first visual depiction of Santa Claus in America, whereas the previous mentions were literary descriptions alone.  The first Santa created by Nast and published in Harper's Weekly,  is included in the side bar at the right of this story. 

As for the legend that Santa was invented by the Coca Cola Company?! Really? Does anyone believe that?  That's like saying the Energizer company invented the bunny!! Yet apparently there are those who need to know, so let's set the record straight.  The Coca Cola Company not only did not create Santa or his image, they were not even the first beverage company to use the image of Santa Claus.  White Rock Beverages used the modern image of Santa to advertise its mineral water as early as 1915, then again to promote their ginger ale in 1923. The Coca Cola Company first used Santa's image in their advertising in the 1930's.  

Well, having 'outed' Santa as it were, how would I answer little eight year old Virginia O' Hanlon if she asked me if there was a Santa Claus?  I agree with the response given by the editor of New York's Sun on September 21, 1897 . Frances Pharcellus Church was a man of vision and a man who understood the mind and hearts of children and adults.  Let me share this with you, as I so appreciate the touch of magick found within his reply. 

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? "VIRGINIA O'HANLON. "115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET." VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. --as written and published in the 'Sun' newspaper, New York, NY on September 21, 1897 by editor Frances Pharcellus Church

© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website.


If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Some Magickal Holiday Homemade gift ideas

Evening Greetings,

Uh, oh! I feel the spirit of Yuletide gift giving,  past and present, coming to the forefront of my mind.  Many magickal people want to give a gift that is personal, magickal and special to the ones they love during this holiday season.  Many either shun the retail marketing establishment or just can't afford to gift everyone with expensive presents.  This year more than most will be tough for many, so I have some inexpensive and lovely gift ideas that will take just one fun evening to make!

There really are many inexpensive, fun witch 'craft' (s) that you can make and give to those in your friends and family.  I'll throw out some suggestions and see what you like.  Every year, during this month my students have classes where we focus on the magickally infused things we can make for others.  One of our favorite projects is bath salts. 

A simple, basic recipe for a bath salts base is:

2 cups Epsom salt
2 cups sea salt
2 cups baking soda

This won't dry out your skin and it leaves your skin smooth and very soft.  To magickally effect this base recipe we add essential oils.  There is quite a few drops required of essential oil for 6 cups of base, but its worth it.  We also put food coloring into the mix to color it and the water when its used.  This should make enough for appx 3 gifts if jarred in 2 cup batches.

Here are some simple recipes you can whip up to specialize the bath salts to a magickal property,

For money add 60 drops of essential oils broken down into:

14 drops ginger oil
14 drops vetiver oil
12 drops sage oil
10 lemon balm oil
10 basil oil

Add drops of green food coloring and with the back on a wooden spoon, push the oils and dye  into the dried ingredients until they blend and have been evenly distributed. This will take some time, perhaps 10 to 15 minutes. Do not rush, patience is important for an excellent end product.

  While you are mixing, you can envision money energy, maybe a green mist (in your minds eye) enveloping the bowl of ingredients.  See money falling from the sky, to settle into the bowl as you mix the ingredients carefully together. You may add to the power by stirring and working the mixture in a clockwise motion.

We do things in the magickal world many times in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.  This came from ancient peoples who followed the sun and believed that for one to follow the natural path of the sun, to move 'deosil' Latin for sun wise, was to bring prosperity and positive things to pass.  But to work against the sun, an old Gaelic word 'widdershins' was to go against nature and cause disruption and possible mayhem. 

You may store the mixture in small glass containers.  Many are available in shoppes right now for the holiday gift giving season..  Of course its helpful to tell the person about the magick you've put into their gift. Have them place a couple of tablespoons under running water in the bath and while they relax and rest, have them visualize financial prosperity coming into their lives.  They are working the magick, you just packaged the ingredients in a pretty manner for them to use. You are not doing this spell for them, they must do it themselves. Of course they can just use it with no visualization and small amounts of prosperity will manifest. 

Some other simple oil blends for bath salts are as follows:

For bath salts infused with the powers of attracting love and lust:

Remember appx 60 drops per 6 cup batch.
12 drops rose oil
12  drops dragons blood oil
12 drops rosemary oil
4 drops cardamom oil

Red food coloring for this recipe. The salts should be a pale pink, they will stain the water a darker color once added  to the bath. Initially making the salts any darker and you risk dyeing yourself to look like an Easter egg, or badly sunburned.  Probably not the look you were going for?

For tranquility and relaxation in the evenings:

10 drops lavender oil
10 drops lemon balm oil
10 drops apple oil
10 drops jasmine oil
10 drops lily of the valley oil
10 drops sandalwood oil

Keep this salts mixture white or you can add purple food coloring, which is available in your supermarket nowadays! Or you can add red and blue color and mix them well with a few drops of water before
adding to dry ingredients.

Place a couple cups of the bath salts mixture in a jar, cap and tie a pretty ribbon around. Place in a gift bag, with some pretty tissue paper, add a few bars of delightfully scented goats milk soaps, which are becoming very popular lately and what a luxurious, very welcome gift this will be. 

Perhaps the friend you wish to gift with a special present this Yule can't take baths, as is the case with diabetics and other people with health issues.  A nice gift to use in the shower is sugar scrub.  It helps exfoliate and leaves the skin soft, and deliciously scented. 

To make a sugar scrub, take a few cups of sugar. Regular, granulated white sugar.  Place in a mixing bowl and add a 1/4 cup of mineral oil to the sugar base. Then add essential oils, like the ones we added before to the bath salts base. Except with 2 cups of sugar add only about 10-20 drops of essential oil.  Mix it well, and it should have a damp but not wet consistency. Sugar scrubs that they sell in the fancy stores are more oil than sugar. This isn't necessary and makes for a slippery experience.

Take a tablespoon or so out, place it in your palm and rub it over legs, arms and anywhere you have dry skin.  PLEASE NOTE THIS WILL MAKE THE FLOOR OF THE SHOWER STALL A BIT SLIPPERY, BE CAREFUL IF THIS IS THE CASE. Please also let those who are receiving this gift know of that eventuality. Only a small amount is necessary.  If a fancy magickal goal is not required, adding a simple vanilla oil to the sugar makes a deliciously scented and fragrant sugar scrub. Vanilla also brings in loving energies and increases magickal power.

These are just a few ideas to get you started on your gift suggestion with a touch of the magickal added. 

Enjoy and happy crafting!

Peace and Happiness








© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com   Click on our title of tonight's discussion and it will link you directly to our school's website!

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

The Victorian Influence on our Christmas Yuletide Traditions

 Evenings Frosty Greetings,

I recognize days like today, very cold with snow flurries taunting us all day, never quite amounting to anything, but like the bully on the playground who walks by and gives an evil glare,  we, New Englanders , we know the potential of those innocent looking snow flakes. 

Yet, for all the cold, work and expense of a snowy winter, everyone pretty much desires a bit of white on the ground around Christmas Yuletide.   As for the Christmas decorations, the retail marketing, Christmas songs and carols, television infomercials, holiday gatherings, we tend to have our fill the 6 to 8 weeks typically set aside for this holiday nowadays, but as we near the 25th of December, it seems even the most Scrooge-like person wants, if only for a day, the 'traditional' Christmas imagery. Those fleeting memories from childhood, the magick of waking up on Christmas morning to find a present from Santa.. 

I find it interesting that just about all of our traditional Christmas decorations and images in the United States, come from the Victorian Era. The Victorian Era spanned the years Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901.  The latter part of the era coincided with the American gilded age and both eras were known for their opulence, the glitz and glamour, the lavish expense of the rich in mocking contrast to the abject poverty of the poor.

First we need to again go deep into pre-Christian European tradition to find the original roots of this winter celebration. We've touched on the pagan roots of Yule, which are based in the Germanic and Norse cultures. For more detail see my discussion "Yuletide to Christmas Where did this holiday really begin?"on December 1, 2010.  Now the peoples of these frigid lands in winter used what we recognize as a pagan-based symbolism as they descended into the harsh cold and ice of winter.

It was easy for the people to believe,  with the isolation that winter enforced, the harshness of survival, the bitter cold mixed with very little daylight in some areas up to six months of the year, that the sun may not come back, and all would perish.  They saw the immortal nature of conifer trees and other evergreens that did not die in the winter, as it appeared all else did, as a promise from their gods and goddesses that life would be renewed and resurrected again in the spring. The evergreen was a constant reminded of that promise and so they kept it indoors and close to them throughout the winter.  Even burning the pine cones and needles as an incense was thought to bring life and vitality to those who burned it. 

The Germanic peoples felt the evergreen foretold of the return of the sun god, Balor with the return of spring. Whereas the Druids felt that by bringing evergreen holly indoors along with the mistletoe,  it symbolized eternal life, while the ancient Egyptians brought indoors green date palms to symbolize life's triumph over death. All of these cultures celebrated these traditions on the winter solstice.

The Yuletide celebrated by these ancient cultures introduced the Yule tree, Yule log, Christmas tree and evergreen boughs to our traditional holiday decorations.  Although representing England, Prince Albert was German born and Queen Victoria's mother was also German born so the traditions of their culture which both Victoria and Albert enjoyed since childhood, were brought into the British monarchy. They wed in 1840 and the grand opulence and Victorian look and fashion that we recognize today was brought into being.

The Christmas Tree 

The opulent  Victorian 'crafts' look with richly adorned Christmas trees, wreaths and boughs brought the outdoor evergreen indoors, but with the acceptable extravagance required.  Even wreaths and trees that were placed outside were elaborately decorated. A Christmas card from the Royal family showed them gathered around the eight foot tall Christmas tree, it was a tradition that the tree be eight feet tall, no shorter, no taller. It was decorated with  lit candles, gingerbread, spun sugar, sugared fruits and sweets. Many of the ornaments at this time we made from sugar.  The image of the Queen, the Prince and their children gathered around the present bedecked tree,  heavily influenced a culture that thrived on being as much like the Royal family as possible. In this culture, fashion, etiquette, daily customs even the popular foods of the day were dictated by the likes and dislikes of the Queen and her family. These societal preferences found their way to America,  perhaps a season or two behind, but they found their way here and have flourished ever since.  

Christmas Cards

Christmas Cards started in the Victorian age also. Sending cards was actually a daily or weekly occurrence in England, especially in the large cities.  In the morning hours on a typical day, the members of the gentry or upper level of society would often spend a few hours writing cards and sending them by hand delivery to other members of the gentry. So cards issuing invitations to that evenings dinner parties and social gatherings, invites to balls and dances, generally 'social networking' , were sent back and forth as a typical means of communicating, as this was before telephones and public postal delivery was barely in its infancy.

A servant would be dispatched to deliver notes and return with responses.  Around Christmas in 1843 a gentleman in England wanted to send a card to his society members but was too busy to send out the few hundred he wished to.  He had them printed and all with the same message "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you - Sir Henry Cole.  In this way he solved his dilemma of hand writing so many Christmas notes. So it appears, that in Sir Henry Cole's search for time efficiency,  he invented the Christmas card concept.

Candy Canes 

Candy canes have their history in candy making over 350 years ago!  During the earliest days of candy making, hard sugar sticks, upright, all white,  with no specific flavor but the taste of sugar, were very popular. In 1670 a choirmaster at Cologne Catherdral in Germany had bent tops fashioned into the candy sticks to represent shepard's crooks specifically for the week of nativity services.  They tended to be several hours in length and would be attended daily the entire week, so to keep the children quiet he handed out these nativity candy sticks. They were still white and unflavored sweet, but proved to be terribly popular and they started to appear in other towns around the holidays.   

The first time the candy cane was recorded in American use was in 1847 when a man in Ohio decorated his holiday tree all over with the white confections.  The familiar red and white striped look we're accustomed to today took place around the turn of the 20th century.  Christmas cards depicting candy canes before 1900 showed only pure white canes.  Around the same time peppermint and wintergreen started to be added giving these flavors a significant role in the celebration of Christmas, and doing away with the unflavored variety that had existed for over 200 years prior. 

The Influence of Charles Dickens on Christmas

Traditional Christmas imagery became very popular after the publication of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.  This popular Christmas season ghost story was published the week before Christmas in 1843 and by the end of that year, a mere 2 weeks later over 6,000 copies had been sold.  Mr. Dickens work is solely credited with the introduction of Christmas dinner, the giving of presents, taking time off to celebrate life and family.  This may have been Victorian England, but it was also the Industrial Revolution and if you weren't of the gentry, the elite rich and privileged, then you were of the working class and it was a very difficult life for many.  Workhouses, children as young as 4 and 5 being forced to work dozens of hours, employers using employees with little regard for human life, let alone comfort and dignity. Charles Dickens wrote of this dark side of London, in this time. He lived amongst it. 

A Christmas Carol showed everyone, even the working class, that a day as holy, as special, as Christmas, the celebration of the Yuletide,  belonged to everyone. During the Industrial Revolution  people worked seven days a week. Days off, holidays, weekends didn't exist. One worked to survive. The factories produced and profited the most when they were worked seven days a week. Its no surprise to me that at such a dark time, the special light of Yuletide, the belief that the sun will come again, that we will rise renewed was brought into being again. People were desperate for something to give them hope for the future.  Mr. Dickens work gave the people the holiday imagery they needed and aspired to and Queen Victoria reign made it acceptable for all. 

Christmas and Yuletide celebrations had fallen out of favor when the Puritans ruled Parliament, during the Elizabethan age, for over two hundred years prior. The concept of 'everyman' celebrating had become a thing of the distant pagan past until the reign of Queen Victoria brought it back with a vengeance and we have benefited ever since.  

Many times I've been asked about our practice in relation to Christmas.  Many pagans and Wiccans celebrate, and many like to refer to its original name of Yule or Saturnalia, which is the Roman equivalent of Yule.  We celebrate as we do every other Sabbat or holiday, with a feast and a ritual with loved ones.  Lighting a candle is a nice way to celebrate this holiday. Candles have always been a part of winter celebrations, a symbol of light and warmth in the midst of darkness and cold.

We hang stockings, decorate our yule tree, bake cookies and feast with family and friends.  The feast for pagans is significant as we remember, those who perished by not having enough, as the winter is also a time of remembrance. Remembering our ancestors, loved ones and those who have gone before. It is also a celebration of abundance. If your Christmas Yule feast is abundant, with extras and leftovers it signifies a prosperous year ahead.  So buy an extra loaf of bread, and fresh fruit.  Exotic fruits like oranges and limes and lemons, well, they were exotic during Victorian days! These have a 'luxury' energy to them that speaks to abundance and prosperity. Fresh whole pineapples are also a symbol of luck, prosperity and abundance for this holiday.  Extra nuts, candies, treats are predominant around this holiday as it also has a strong energy that speaks to the child within everyone's heart. 


Many times in the past I have celebrated on the 21st when I have the opportunity, and this year I will conduct a small ritual that night. This year I will have a family dinner on the 25th, and whether you are pagan or Christian there is an undeniable energy, a spark of the magickal on the 25th, if one would stop for a moment to sense it.

It comes from our childhood memories, blended with the love of family and friends mixed up with the magick of millions of people around the world all feeling the same similar feelings of love, happiness, forgiveness and peace. That many people putting out that kind of energy creates a thought form, a global thought form that becomes tangible, at least substantial enough for everyone to sense it, the 'magick of Christmas'. 

I can already feel the energy of the Yuletide spirit, can you?

Peace and Happiness





© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com. Click on the title of this discussion and the link will take you to the school's website.

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

The magick of mistletoe

 Evening greetings,



Let's discuss some of the common traditions that surround Christmas and Yuletide. Tonight we'll talk about  the ancient magickal plant Mistletoe.  Mistletoe's magickal history goes back thousands of years, and it was considered a sacred and mysterious plant in early European folklore with use by the Druidic priesthood of the Celts.

It's magickal properties include aphrodisiac, fertility, protection, and prosperity.  The mistletoe of the sacred oak, was especially prized by the Druid Priests and Priestesses. It would rarely be found growing on the Oak tree and would more readily grow on apple trees, so when it could be harvested from the oak tree, it was even more prized.

Historically mistletoe, as recorded by Pliny the Elder, was venerated by the Druids. They saw within the plant magicks that would cure all ills, and curiously today,  mistletoe is an ingredient in the drugs being found most effective in fighting cancers. The druids even made a sacred ceremony out of the harvesting of this sacred plant.

When found in an oak, the druid's would gather below and hold aloft a white woven silken cloth beneath the oak branches. A druid would climb the oak and with a ritual golden boline, small sickle shaped knife, would cut the mistletoe from the host oak and drop it down onto the cloth.  It was commonly collected during mid-summer and mid-winter, and as it was an 'air' plant, what today is called hemiparasite, meaning it can live off a host plant, it was never allowed to touch the ground.  .

Then two white bulls would be ritualistically sacrificed and ritual incense was burned and prayers were given that they would be prosperous and blessed by having this sacred plant. Mind you all of this ritual for just harvesting and getting the plant ready to dry and store for later use.  

Mistletoe was prized for its fertility properties and the small white berries were thought to represent the semen of the God. It was also thought to protect against lightening strikes, fires and to keep evil away.


Mistletoe was included in the preparations for Yuletide,  so when Christmas came around, mistletoe was already a big part of the Yuletide tradition and so was kept as an ancient but acceptable tradition. It was first hung in houses, by doorways to keep evil spirits out, and in some cultures they would hang it in barns to keep witches out.  By the way, that won't work. Not that I want to go in your barn anyways, but its funny how throughout history the plants used most by witches are the ones reputed to be able to keep them away.  It often becomes obvious the 'experts' on witches in the middle ages really didn't think out their arguments well, they all fall short of logical.

Eventually the mistletoe took on a warmer responsibility and was thought to bring good luck and prosperity if two people who were friends, regardless of sex, kissed or shook hands in greeting under the mistletoe.  This quickly morphed as an acceptable way for a young gentleman to get a kiss from a pretty girl.  At one time a kiss would occur then one of the white berries would be removed, and after all the berries are removed a new piece would be hung.

Today, most mistletoe is sold with fake plastic berries or none at all, and for good reason. Mistletoe is poisonous, the berries very much so.  Even if it looks harmless do not let children or animals play or have access to mistletoe that you buy for holiday decorating.

 The magick of mistletoe today says that if you kiss your love under the mistletoe you will stay in love. Well now, that's worth it, even if its an old druid's tale! By hanging a piece of mistletoe this year you are touching on a tradition that shadows into the past 5000 years or more.  Now, your homework .  .  .  go out and buy a piece of mistletoe this year and hang it in a place in your home, to bring protection, security and love.  Remember it also protects against lightening and fire, and that's always a good thing to have extra protection for!

If you do hang mistletoe this year have a care to keep it away from children, pets and anyone that might try to eat it. IT IS POISONOUS, even though you can purchase it everywhere during the holidays at the checkout counter for a few bucks.  It doesn't even really look real as most is sprayed a fake green, as when dried the natural  green is a bit dull.  But its real, and it can be fatal. So I suggest if you can't buy the real stuff you use a kissing ball made of evergreens and non toxic materials, that are also sold this time of year.  They have a similar magick, though they date from the Victorian times.

We'll discuss kissing balls, boughs, bells and the Christmas tree in my next discussion on the Victorian influence found in Christmas.                        Jingle Bells, Jingle bells, fa, la, la la la!



Peace and Happiness
  
 








© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com. To access the link to my website click on the title of this discussion and it will bring you to it.




If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Happy Birthday Kittens of Enchantments!!

 Good Evening,

I have a story I want to share with you.  It's about the cats I have living at Enchantments and how they came to be here.  Two years ago on October 22nd, a Wednesday night, I was upstairs in the school getting ready for class. I was in my office and students were already starting to show up for their magickal studies class.  I was speaking with a student when more students came upstairs and one came to me and said "Um, Ms. Faith. It's kind of strange, but a cat came into the school with me."

I asked immediately where this cat was.  I had no sooner uttered the words when up the stairs came this precious, little black cat with green eyes. She was not quite a year old and while almost completely black she had a "milk tip", or patch of white on the very tip of her tail.  I watched in surprise as she came right across the space to my office, walked right up to me and curled herself around my ankles and started to purr! Even being a witch this was enough to have my eyes wide with amazement.  I told her it was nice to meet her and told her she could stay for class, but then she's have to go home.

She had a ratty flea collar around her neck which indicated to me that she belonged to someone.  While my students all wanted for us to keep her, I had a dilemma. I had a cat once that went missing and never returned. It can be devastating and I didn't want to cause someone pain and worry about their cat.  Although it was October, the weather was still mild and so I decided that we would put her out that evening so she could make her way home. I did tell my students I would bring her in for safety's sake if she was still around the next day, primarily because of the timing. A black cat, hanging around a witch shop, with Halloween right around the corner,  well I knew lots of bad things could happen with all of those factors in play. 

Well, the next day she was still around. We still had some items outside from our summer celebrations, rituals and classes and the next day the black cat was crouched in a large copper cauldron we had left out. A woman who is mentally ill, and walks up and down the street was trying to get the cat.  The woman, we knew, because at times we've had to call the police to help her as she will walk in the middle of the street and sing Christmas carols while trying to dodge traffic. A sad, harmless woman and I'm sure she meant only to pet and play with the cat, but when we got to work she was trying to capture the cat and the cat wanted nothing to do with her.

We told the woman the cat was ours and brought her into the store. The flea collar was very tight, so I cut it off of her. I fed her and when I went to pick her up, I scooped her up under her belly, she gently nipped at my hand.  I immediately felt that that meant something, and that she was most likely pregnant.

We posted pictures of her in the store and a few days later a customer came in and mentioned she had been driving by and saw a car stop in front of our store and she thought they put a black or dark colored cat out on our front lawn.  I told the customer that we did just have a cat adopt us and if my suspicions proved true and she was pregnant I then understood perfectly what had happened.

I also knew, with that sense of 'knowing' that she was now ours.  I started trying out names and she finally came to the name Callie.  I found that interesting because at the time that was my magickal name.  I let her share it, as it seemed to fit her so well. Shortly afterwards I brought her to the local vet and they confirmed she was most likely just under a year old, and indeed expecting a litter. I also noticed that when I went to pet her and she saw my hand she immediately cowered and shied away. Someone had been cruel to her.  She exhibited other behaviors of not being cared for well.  On top of that, the fact that someone dropped her off in a strange neighborhood, where it was cold and scary, she was pregnant and alone, yet my brave little- Callie had the courage to walk into a strange building with lots of people, and she somehow knew to seek me out.  I believe the Goddess was with her that night.

I made the decision then to keep her. It was obvious to me that someone somewhat cared for her for a time, but did not take the responsibility they should have and have her fixed.  We had her given the shots she could have while expecting, and made arrangements with the vet to have all her medical needs and those of her kittens met by us. I believe that domesticated animals are here for us. There would be no need for domesticated animals if not for humans, and as such we have an inherent responsibility to them as they share our world. 

Then came the blessed event, exactly 6 weeks from her arrival, to the day, on December 3rd, 2008, on a Wednesday night (during Witches Astrology class,   which I found to be perfect timing) Callie started giving birth.  I had never presided over an animal giving birth before, even though I was raised on a dairy farm.  We always saw the new born animals after they were born.  I had seen calves and foals being born from a distance, but they are so big right from the beginning and the vets and my father, who was the farmer, always kept the kids far enough away to not be able to see exactly what was going on. 

My priestess Laurel,  who works with me at Enchantments, came upstairs and helped me act the midwife.  Right before each kitten was born, the mother announced their arrival with a scream that would curdle milk  and definitely got our attention. We stayed with her for an hour and a half and by the end of class, coincidentally, she had birthed four beautiful tiny kittens. They were so tiny and fragile.  Because of the time of the year, it was almost Yuletide,  I thought the names of the Arch angels to be appropriate.  Well the first three were named after the angels, the first to be born was Rafa 'el, we call him Raffie. He's a flirt, a lover and just wants to snuggle and play.  The second and by far the biggest was Micha 'el, we call him Mickie, he feels there was a mix up and he should have been born first as he acts the King. The third was a little girl who has the most precious, pretty kitten face, even now. We named her Gabri 'el  and she goes by Gabbie, she's a bit stand-offish until she decides she likes you, and she's very quiet. Nary a peep out of her, ever.   The last little one, darker than the rest, he was almost black at birth, we called Baby Boy.  They were all born with mom's green eyes.

Four perfect, beautiful kittens.  I remember one day worrying that Baby Boy was so small, and he seemed weaker than the rest. He was also sluggish and the vet seemed to think he would be fine, but he wasn't as active that first week or so.  One night I was worried and around midnight, I went back to the store just to check and make sure everyone was fine.  I went to the closet in my office which was the temporary nursery and he was still weak and listless.  I placed my magickal cloak, one that I would wear in ritual in the magick circle on the floor of their nursery and placed him upon it, with the others.  I didn't know what else to do, so I said a blessing, asked the Goddess to look over them, and went home and burned a brown candle for animal magick.   

The goddess heard my plea and the next morning Baby Boy was scampering and playing with the others.  He has, I'm proud to say,  become the biggest of all of them!.  They are all Egyptian Mau's by breed.  I only know this because shortly after they were born I saw a show on Animal Planet that actually spoke of the breed Egyptian Mau.  What makes them unusual is they are only one of two species of domesticated cats that have spots. The leopard cat breed also has spots, but what makes the Egyptian Mau unique, is they have a large skin flap connecting the back legs to the abdomen area that typically cats do not have.  Apparently this allows them to achieve the fastest running speeds of any domesticated cat. Officially Egyptian Mau's have been clocked at over 30 miles per hour!!  I know when the kittens play and run around it seems fast, but I've never clocked them myself. 

They have tiger striping on their shorter front legs, and spots on their backs and bellies. They have longer back legs which aid them in running and jumping father than a typical cat. Besides the skin flap, they have the dark black eye liner around their eyes and they seldom meow. They chitter, and chirp instead when they speak with us. They are also very sociable and love, love, love being around people.  Oh!! Please don't misunderstand, I'm not looking to adopt them out, I'm not getting rid of them. Any of them!!

Actually, when I first found out Callie was expecting I though, fine. I will give her kittens away as everyone is apt to do, but only after they have been spayed, neutered and have received all of their first year vaccinations. I know from experience, that a lot of very nice people, for whatever reason do not take the responsibility and have the necessary  veterinarian care given to their animals. I find this to be irresponsible. Everyone loves puppies and kittens but if you can't or won't care for them as you should, please don't bring them home. I also knew keeping them for a year, would make them older where the 'cute kitten impulse' wouldn't be a factor.  The one thing I didn't think about, was how anyone could get rid of their 'babies' when you've had them an entire year. I couldn't. I wouldn't, I won't.

The vet was kind and gave us a serious discount on their vaccinations, knowing the circumstances of how we came about our litter of kits.  We did even out the numbers a bit, and I brought Baby Boy home with us. He's now the 'king' of the household and he rules with two other female cats I had before Callie adopted us at Enchantments. 

A very cool epiphany happened while I was with the kittens one day.  They were hungry and their canned food, was cold. A partial can in the fridge.  I heated it up and when I put it down I watched one kitten go up to the food, and he felt the heat and backed away and then came and took a bite.  It occurred to me I was watching the very first time he had experienced hot, or warmer than body temperature food.  I realized that their entire existence depended on us, humans. That we effect everything in their lives. We can make their lives wonderful or miserable, its completely up to us.  Right there and then I made Callie and her babies a promise.

I promised her that she would never again know a cruel hand or hear harsh words.  Cats, by the way, dislike human anger and upset emotions very much, much as I do.   I also promised her, her kits would never know a cruel hand, a harsh word nor ever be harmed or mistreated in this lifetime. They will always have a loving home, and with four cats here and three at home, I know I'm running the risk of being called a 'crazy cat lady' but that's o.k., I'm a witch. It's an honor to me that she chose me to be her guardian and friend, and that she trusted her most precious of belongings to me. 

I've included pictures of all of the babies and the mom.  It would have been nice to take a group photo, but you try that with a bunch of cats!! I dare you.

Today is their birthday, they are two years old.  They've made my life so much more rewarding and special just by being in my life.  I know many will feel Callie was lucky to have found Enchantments and me, but I'm truly the lucky one.

Peace and Happiness






© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com.  The link to the schools website can be accessed by clicking ion the title of this blog post.

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

The History and Use of Incense

 Good Evening,

Today was a wonderful day. The sun was shining, a bit cold, but no snow!!, and I received in the shop one of my favorite orders. Incense. Shipped all the way from India.  The incense I purchase comes from Pondicherry India, and is made in a very old fashioned manner.  Since I smell delightful, having processed a big order of incense, I thought tonight's discussion on  the history and modern ritual use of incenses and smudges would be appropriate.    

It is believed that the use of incense predates history and there is evidence that mankind utilized fragrant smoke from the very earliest times.  As soon as man started using fire for heat and warmth, he would have noticed that certain woods and dried vegetation would release smells, many pleasant and comforting. Early man would have noticed a change in the way he felt when inhaling the smoke of certain plants and woods.

The ritual use of incense took on more substantial proportions when it was brought into the temples and ritual groves.  During ancient times when priests and priestesses sacrificed animals to their gods and goddesses, it is thought the use of incense became popular to mask the smells of the sacrificial animals decaying flesh and blood. 

The smoke as it drifts and wafts upwards was soon seen as a symbolic vehicle for man's prayers and wishes floating directly to their gods in the heavens. The use of incense then took on a special responsibility in helping to create sacred space, and was often employed as an agent of the element of air, and even today is found in just abut every major organized religion. 

At one time in history when the incense route through the middle east was flourishing, frankincense,  a resinous sap from the trees of the genus Boswellia became more valuable than gold or silver for over 1500 years, and has been traded in Northern Africa for over 5000 years.  Scenes depicting frankincense being traded are painted on the walls of the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, an Egyptian queen who lived around 1450 BCE. The Egyptians, living and dead were  'censed' with the smoke, what today we would call 'smudging'.
 
As resinous saps and aromatic wood powders were being discovered and used in the far and middle east, somewhere in the long unwritten past the indigenous peoples of the North American continent were using dried sage brush, herbs and other plant material to create the sacred smoke that brought their prayers   to the ancestors and brought guidance and allowed them to communicate with their spirit guides.

The Native Americans still  utilized what today we call smudge. Bundles and sticks made from materials like dried sage brush, cedars and sweet grasses were used to smoke or smudge people, living areas, work areas and religious sacred areas. The smoke is believed to remove negative and stagnant energies from a person or place.

  An interesting note regarding sage brush. This is the 'white sage' that has the magickal properties of removing stagnant energies and cleansing an atmosphere.  Somewhere in the past people mistook the common garden sage we grow in New England, which when dried has a grayish white appearance, and it is sage as is the sage brush, but garden sage has the magickal properties of longevity, healing and immortality.  All sage does  not have the same properties, it varies by variety.  I myself have in the past used garden sage mistakenly to cleanse and clear an area. It was always a disappointment, I now know why.

Incense and smudge has long scented the air around mankind, making special occasions sacred and blessing places and people with its smoke. They are both still heavily used today. 


Try a smudge stick of desert sage and you'll immediately be able to feel the difference.  An excellent author whose work I admire, Mr. Christopher Penzak has been quoted  "smudge is like soap, you don't have to believe in the power of soap for it to work". He's very accurate, for even if one is skeptical you can feel the difference  once someone has smudged an room or building. Its a fresher, freeing feeling. Almost spring like, regardless of the season.

Over the years I've been employed by a number of businesses to smudge their business offices, work areas even a bakery!  The energy seems to balance out and financial flow is increased, clients and customers seem happier and employees seem to have less stress and issues.  This is what has been told to me by those whose places I've smudged.

For those of you who have used smudge sticks, you've heard the common phrase "smells like someone is smoking pot!"  Really? I tell them I'll have to take their word for it, but I can assure them its desert sage and quite legal and harmless but very effective. The smell is slightly sweet, smoky of course but with a resinous almost pine/rosemary scent. Sage brush has a strong resin within, and this is what is released by burning.  The businesses I've smudged seem pretty progressive to me,  because they swear by the practice even if the smell is pleasant but a bit questionable.

Anyone can smudge, or burn incense.  I say a few incantations invoking the Goddess to aide me in my work, and I use heavy visualization to 'see' the energies the person wants for their business or personal life.  Any person can be smudged also. I typically use powdered incense for rituals and cones and sticks I use for creating the energy I desire in a room.  If you only have sticks or cones and wish to cast a circle, use several at once, maybe 3 wands of smoldering incense, to create enough smoke to really define the border of the circle. Powdered incense sprinkled on burning charcoal tablets is really the ideal method for burning incense for ritual. 

The incense that came in today, were all sticks and cones, and I'm excited about this latest shipment because its real incense.  What do I mean?  The incense itself is made in the ancient masala method employed by Indian incense masters.  They use an ancient technique, which takes resinous saps, powdered aromatic woods, pure essential oils, powdered flower petals, seed, pods, sweet grasses and forms it into a dough.  This dough is then affixed onto sticks  or made into cones.  They are dried and cured and then are ready to be burned.

An important side note for incense users.  Please for your safety and the health of your family, stay away from hand dipped incenses.  I've researched this subject extensively and hand dipped incenses are dangerous and have been suspected of causing allergies, asthma and scent sensitivities resulting in migraines and other side effects.  The reason is simple.  The product you're burning may look like the incense sticks I just described in the prior paragraph, but they're not.  Far from it.

My research has discovered that hand dipped incense sticks and cones start out as either sawdust or charcoal 'punks'.  Scentless sticks or cones made out of a base of charcoal or sawdust.  They are then dipped in a solution of up to 95% petroleum based solvents and artificial fragrances.  Many of these 'dipped' sticks and cones are actually sold un-packaged. The customer chooses the ones they want and the store clerk wraps them up in a brown paper bag  to bring home.

It's a 'homey' even country store look with the incense sticks being stored in canning jars, crockery and other quaint containers. Truth? The longer they 'air out' the more dry they become and the placing of them in brown paper helps wick out any additional oils. They also need to be dry to burn properly. The dipped variety smokes and many times do not even smell like the fragrance they're supposed to represent. I tell my students and customers hand-dipped is great as long as its chocolates!  Incense, no.

Indian made incenses are the real deal.  The sticks may not be perfectly formed, but like any hand made product it has its variations. The first time I burned the vanilla incense it really smelled like someone was baking a cake, when have you last had an incense that could do that? Hmm? I know!

Whether you burn incense or not, the world has been scenting itself and centering itself for centuries with the aide of the natural world or resins, woods, grasses, flowers, plants and oils.  There is something delightful to me about burning a tablet of charcoal, waiting until it ashes over and then sprinkling a bit of dried powder and watching it start to smoke before being hit with the aroma and beauty of the incense.

I see my use of incense as a bridge between myself and the over world or heaven world. A bridge between myself and Goddess, myself and the spirit world.  When I burn incense or smudge I quickly transport to the ritual 'me', the witch that I am in relation to my Goddess.  It does not have to mean this for you, most importantly if it makes you feel good to burn it, then do so.  If you haven't ever burned incense? Oh, my! You really are missing out on a lovely experience.  Try some.  I bet you'll like it!

Here's where I get serious!  IF YOU HAVE ANY MEDICAL CONDITION THAT WOULD BE AGGRAVATED BY SMOKE OF ANY KIND,  DO NOT BURN INCENSE OR CANDLES INDOORS WITHOUT A DOCTOR'S APPROVAL.  

Remember 'an it harm none. Not even yourself!"


Peace and Happiness






© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, click on the title of this blog post, its a link that will bring you to  www.enchantmentsschool.com  

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.