Sunday Surprise - Midsummer's Eve or St. John's Eve

Midsummer's Eve or St. John's Eve

Taken in it's entirety from The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes.

Midsummer's Eve was originally intended to coincide with the summer solstice, the day when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer, the astrological sign that belongs to the moon, and Earth's magical forces are at their height. Midsummer's Eve is a major holiday for witches and those who love them. Because fixed calendars came into existence, Midsummer's Eve, especially in its guise as the Feast of John the Baptist, does not necessarily correspond exactly with the solstice. (The solstice moves; the Feast doesn't.) Modern Neo-Pagans, however, frequently coordinate Midsummer's Eve with the solstice and so this festival may be celebrated anytime, depending upon place, traditions, and participants, from approximately June 20 through the 24th. A wild anarchic joyous festival, the ancients would have had no objection to it lingering for three or four days.

Midsummer's Eve is a fire and a water festival characterized by ritual baths and bonfires. Bonfires are built upon carefully selected magical wood with special aromatic herbs thrown into the fires. The ashes are later preserved as amulets. Bonfires are built on the shores of lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. Just as livestock is driven between or around bonfires, so the were once driven into the sea to be buffeted by spiritually cleansing and magically empowering waves.

Midsummer's marks the convergence of Sun and Moon. The sun is at its zenith but the zodiac has entered the watery sign of Cancer, the only sign ruled by the Moon.  Children born during this 30-day period are known as Moon Children. Lunar deities like Artemis, Diana, and Hecate have powerful associations with fire and water as well as botanical magic.

Midsummer's Eve is considered the absolute optimal moment for harvesting magical and medicinal plants. Plants are ideally picked at midnight or when the first dew forms. (Rolling in the dew is believed beneficial for people, too.) Special, unique plants such as the fern seed that provides invisibility are available only on the night. Witch-hunters claimed that this was the night witches rode off to join Satan; witches, on the other hand, claimed that this was the night they congregated to celebrate the Earth and to harvest botanicals for the coming year's spells. According to the tenets of Russian witchcraft, the most powerful botanicals in the world are ritually harvested on Midsummer's Eve atop Bald Mountain.

This is the time to stay out all night reveling and then gather plants before calling it a night. It is a magical time for divination, communing with the spirits, and finding true love - or at the very least romance, flirtation, and fun.

Although Midsummer's Eve was Christianized as St John's Eve, this is perhaps the church holiday with the thinnest veneer. In Siberia a popular name for St John's Day id Ivan Travnik (John the Herbalist) or Ivan Koldovnik (John the Magician.)

In Denmark, Midsummer's Eve has been celebrated since at least the time of the Vikings and is associated with Odin. Healers gathered their botanical supplies for the year on this night. Bonfires were lit, a tradition that survives today, however, visits to the healing springs were once incorporated into the festival as well. Bonfires are still sometimes built on beaches, In Scandinavia, "maypoles" are sometimes erected at Midsummer's instead.

Midsummer's Eve bonfires and water celebrations were particularly beloved in Mediterranean regions. Midsummer's Eve pre-dates Christianity and Islam, and although the later associations have diverged from each other (on the Mediterranean's southern shore, in Muslim Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, the festival is identified with Fatima, the Prophet's daughter rather than with John the Baptist,) the rituals and associated botanicals are virtually identical on either side of the sea.

John the Baptist is much venerated by Freemasons. There is a tremendous Masonic component in Vodoun. In Haiti, John the Baptist is considered among the Iwa; his feast day is celebrated with bonfires, ritual bathing and ceremonial. Whether these celebrations arrived in Louisiana from Haiti, directly from France or even perhaps directly from Africa are unknown.

The most important annual New Orleans ceremonial during Marie Laveau's time was held on St John's Eve at the Bayou St John, the natural waterway which once connected Lake Pontchartrain, popularly known as St John's Lake, with the Mississippi River ant the heart of the Vieux Carre. When these ceremonials began is unknown. Marie Laveau presided over St John's Eve ceremonials at the Bayou St John for years. (See Hall of Fame: Marie Laveau) Celebrations included bonfires, ritual bathing, ancient snake rites, drumming, dancing, singing, and a communal meal. Once secret and forbidden, the festival's reputation (and remember, ostensibly at least this is an official Church-sanctioned feast, although certain practices - those snakes! - were consistently condemned) spread and by 1831, the Pontchartrain Railroad began running special cars to the lake for the festivities for tourists and spectators, not for the participants.

Eventually St John's Eve Voodoo celebrations became a tourist attraction. Tourists, non-practitioners, and observers came to watch, not to participate. Eventually tourist shows began to be staged for which fees were charged. Once again, it became necessary to hold true ceremonials in private. Post Civil War, the tourist fascination with Voodoo culture waned, resulting in periods of great oppression. By the late 1890s, private ceremonies as well as St John's Eve celebrations at Lake Pontchartrain were routinely broken up by the police.

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Thursday This is Your Spell – Has Been Interrupted for Beltane Associations

Beltane Associations
Unknown source

Herbs: Honeysuckle, St. John's Wort, Hawthorn, All flowers
Incense: Frankincense, Lilac, Rose
Colors: Green, Soft pink, Blue and Yellow
Decorations: Maypole, Strings of beads or flowers, Ribbons, Spring flowers
Foods: Dairy, Oatmeal Cakes, Cherries, Strawberries, Wine Punches, Green Salads

Tools and Ritual Components:

Incense – Frankincense, Rose and Bluebells make a lovely scent to appease the Fey and bring trust and purification to your gathering.
Ritual Soap - Thyme and Rose for balance and beauty, and to tempt the faerie folk into joining your celebration.
Anointing Oil - Lily of the Valley, a traditional May Day flower.
Ritual Cup - Woodruff Wine to banish negativity, or Red Clover Tea, a Victorian favorite for spring.
Altar Decorations - Ivy, Rose, and Hawthorn adorn the altar, while fresh Marigold petals form the outer circle. Garnet is a symbol of union and may be placed central to the altar for fidelity, and friendship.
Clothing - Crown yourself with a wreath of Ivy. Wear bright, lively colors, especially the green of the forest to honor life and vitality.
Cakes - By May, strawberries have come into season. Why not enjoy them with Victorian popovers and a little cream? It's one way of thanking the Earth for her bounty. Candied Violets are also a traditional Victorian treat for this holiday.

* Nine Woods Used in The Belfire *

Birch - (Attributes: Protection of children, purification, creativity) Add to the fire to represent the Goddess or female principle.
Oak - (Attributes: All positive purposes, magic for men, fidelity) Add to the fire symbolizing the God or male principle.
Rowan, or mountain ash - (Attributes: Divination, healing, astral work, protection) Add to the fire as the Tree of Life. .
Willow - (Attributes: - Romantic love, healing, protection, fertility, magic for women) Sacred to Hecate, add willow to the fire as a celebration of death.
Hawthorn - (Attributes: Fertility, peace, prosperity, binding) As Tree of Purification and a Sacred faeries tree, add hawthorn to the Belfire for purity.
Hazel - (Attributes: Manifestation, spirit contact, protection, fertility) As Tree of wisdom, add hazel to the fire to gain wisdom.
Apple - (Attributes: Fertility. Tree of love) Add apple wood to the fire for the magic of love.
Vine - (Attributes: Faerie work, Joy, Exhilaration, Wrath, Rebirth) This is the Tree of joy so add vine to the fire for joy.
Fir - (Attributes: Strength, life and immortality, rejuvenation) As the Tree of Immortality, add fir to your Beltane fire for rebirth.

Sources:

A Victorian Grimoire by Patricia Telesco

Celtic Myth and Magick by Edain McCoy (link to the book online)

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Friday Form A Circle – Beltane Ritual

Beltane Ritual
Adapted from a Ritual found at
Lady Bridgte’s Wiccan Ways 
Original written by Lady Bridget and Lady Therese 1997

Cleanse area with besom.
Cast the circle in your usual manner.
Cleanse and bless the participants in your usual manner.

(Please note – I have set up the circle with the associations I use. If you feel differently, if you follow generally accepted principles, you would then want to rearrange the directional/elemental associations to suit your belief system). Also, it seems a good place to note that I work with dragons whenever possible, and when I perform ritual, I call dragons for protection. Again, if this is not your path, and you aren’t familiar with dragon, you should probably replace the invocation of the dragons with whatever protective beings you work with regularly.

Invoke Dragons

East - Earth

All Hail to thee, Dragons of the East, keepers of the powers of earth. Guarding the womb of the Earth Mother, dark protectors of the new seed. The shelter of the stag and the new born fawn. Carpet of fallen leaves be our bed. The soil that is the flesh, the mountain that is the breast, and the earth that is the bone of the world. We call you now to aid us in our rites. So Mote It Be.

South - Fire

All Hail to thee, Dragons of the South, the powers of fire. Keepers of the spark of lust which leads to all Creation, the Sacred Fire of Life. Guarding the Flame of power, burning bright, giving guidance in the night. Love is the inner spark, the light that burns without flicker, the amber glow within. We call you now to aid us in our rites. So Mote It Be.

West - Water

All Hail to thee, Dragons of the West, Keepers of the powers of water. The tides of the ocean, where all life began, the rivers and streams that feed and nourish the earth. When we thirst, let your tears fall upon us as gentle rain. Thou art guardian to the dark sea from which all life comes, and unto which all life returns. We call you now to aid us in our rites. So Mote It Be.

North - Air

All Hail to thee, Dragons of the North, Keepers of the powers of air. Guardians of the gentle breezes that soften winter's chill and the cleansing force of the gale winds. Oh, ye of the South Wind, place of storms and breath of life. In the coolness of the breeze we hear your sighs, and in the rushing of the wind. We call you now to aid us in our rites. So Mote It Be.

(At this time the dragons have been called in and we now prepare to call upon the Gods and Goddesses. We have called upon a Goddess and God from each direction for this ritual.)

IInvoking the Goddesses and Gods

(face east)

Oh Father Gods of death and hunting, Cernunnos, Ra, and Herne. Even as you dwell within the temple of death, so you dwell within the Secret Seed, seed of the grain, seed of the flesh, hidden of the earth. For you are He who is the gatekeeper at the end of time, we hear the thunder of your hooves upon the shore. You are He whom all must face at the appointed hour, yet you are not to be feared, for you are father, brother, lover and son. We ask that you join us if for but a moment to witness our rites and bless your hidden children. Blessed Be.

(face south)

Oh Warrior Gods of protection and virility, Osiris, Llew, Pan. Oh laughing God of the greenwood, with your pipes and cloven hooves, shepherd of creatures free and wild. Beyond the doorway of time and out into the night, in search of mystery and the wonder of light. Crackling with energy under our skin, red lion roaring, pulses racing, we are open - Come in! Join us, if for but a moment, to witness our rites and bless your hidden children. Blessed Be.

(face west)

Oh, Goddesses of all beginnings, Cybele, Astarte, Yameya, Isis, be among us now in your aspect as Maiden of the Forest and Sea. The fair one who brings joy and new life to break the winter's stillness and silence. Oh virgin child of sunrise, wild mistress of the hunt, Artemis of the mountains, and Aphrodite of the oceans, we ask that you join us if for but a moment to witness our rites and bless your hidden children. Blessed Be.

(face north)

Oh Goddesses of nurturing and fulfillment, Bridget, Demeter, Cerridwen, Diana. In full knowledge of the seed that you bear, we await your life, your freedom, and your light, as part of all light that flows eternally. You, the mirror of the whole kindred, of star, of stone, and of greenwood tree. Turn life's great wheel and make us ever better from life to life to life. We ask that you join us if for but a moment to witness our rites and bless your hidden children. Blessed Be.

(At this time it is appropriate if you wish to do a maypole dance to go ahead to this section on erecting the pole and doing the dance. If the dance is to be done at another time, then go straight on to the lighting of the Bel fires.)

High Priestess - Before we begin this glorious age old dance of the maypole, it is customary to bless and consecrate both the pole, which is the representation of the God's regenerative life force, the phallus, and the earth, which represents the fertility of the Goddess, the vagina.

Consecrating the Earth

(dig the hole now if it is not already there.)
(pour a libation of oil or wine into the hole)

High Priestess: Earth Mother, may this offering prepare you to receive this symbol of your consort, our Lord.

Consecrating the Pole

(the men bring the pole in, marching in a rhythmic manner, two steps forward, and rock one step back, as is usual in a courtship! It is also appropriate for them to grunt. They turn the pole over to the High Priest)

High Priest: Blessed be this tree, vehicle of our Lord, which shall soon enter our Mother the Earth.

(at this time all ladies come forward and rub the oil all over the pole, chanting is appropriate, as are other more suggestive sounds! Each person then comes forward and ties a ribbon to the end of the pole, the color of the ribbon should have significance to the person. The pole is then erected into the earth, with as much flourish and noises as is deemed appropriate to those present.)

High Priestess: This is a time for joy and a time for sharing. The richness of the soil accepts the seed, and now is the time that seeds should be spilled. Togetherness brings joy and abundance fills the Earth. Let us celebrate the planting of abundance. All of you friends look upon the pole, seeing in your mind's eye the pure life force rising through it from the earth, blossoming overhead, and cascading down through us...flowing out from us to the Lady's world beyond...Look...and see Life!

(start the music, and dance the maypole! For directions, see the intro file)

(can now light the Bel fires)

High Priest- Now, as in ages past, it is the pleasure of the Lord who longs for the touch of His Lady, to light the Bel fire, as a signal to all, that this is the season of Beltane! Tis spring now, and the time for all of field and forest to be fertile!

(he lights the fire, and the High Priestess comes up to him holding a long green scarf)

High Priestess - Now, as in ages past, it is the pleasure of the Lady to arouse the passions of the Lord, to cause the sap in the trees to rise, to cause the very breath of the earth to sigh in anticipation!
(she teases him with the scarf)
Come, my Lord, and let us be together once again!

(she drops the scarf at his feet and quickly walks or runs away, not too fast. The HP picks up the scarf and follows her, she does not allow him to catch her too quickly, and if possible, other young ladies block his way. Finally after traversing the circle at least 3 times, he catches her and they kiss.)

(the HPS then hands the scarf to another young lady, who goes around the circle till she sees a man she likes, and drops the scarf at his feet, he then chases her in the same manner. This can go on as long as wanted.)

(Can do the Great Rite now, or after jumping the fire.)

High Priest - The Bel fires are a symbol also of purifying energy, and also the energy of the fertility of this season.

"Nine woods in the Bel fire go
Burn them fast and burn them slow"
Oak for the God
Birch for the Goddess
Fir for birth
Willow for death
Rowan for magic
Apple for love
Grapevine for joy
Hazel for wisdom
And Hawthorne for purity and for the May.

(at this time dance the spiral dance, chant, sing, and jump the fire.)

(can do the Great Rite now, if not done after the scarf chase.)

Thank The Gods & Goddesses

(face east)

Great Gods of Death and Hunting, Cernunnos, Ra, and Herne. Grant us the promise of renewal, that through death we are reborn. You reign supreme within your lands. Give us fair woodlands and green fields, blossoming orchards and ripening fruits. Your seed that is sown in spring will become the flower of the harvest. As Nature flourishes, so also do we. All upon the Earth is at one with the Divine Union, the fruit of magic. As you leave, fill our hearts with light and love. Blessed Be.

 

(face south)

Great Gods of protection and virility, Osiris, Llew, Pan. Grant us your determination and bravery. Prince of twilight, pearl grey warrior, with a silver foot, go silently as long as the moon shall rise and the star shall turn. For we are ever a star, to us is given the secret of the Winged Flame. Oh, keeper of the Sacred Forest, as you leave, fill our hearts with light and love. Blessed Be.

 

(face west)

Great Goddesses of all beginnings, Cybele, Astarte, Yameya, Isis. Grant that our beginnings be fertile and fruitful. The beauteous Sacred Queen in the full knowledge that times of joy shall return always, as lusty as before. Virgin Queen of the Sea, and of the desert, and rain, and of the deepest untouched forest. As you leave, fill our hearts with your light and love. Blessed Be.

(face north)

Great Goddesses of nurturing and fulfillment, Bridget, Demeter, Cerridwen, Diana. Grant us your patience and guiding wisdom. Both within and without, fill our souls with rebirth, that we may walk a little further, reach a little higher, that we may strive for the far horizon. Thou art the the cauldron of inspiration and the womb of the immortal mother, and as you leave, fill our hearts with light and love. Blessed Be.

(We have a simple prayer at this point which states that we have honored the Great Ones, your group can do something similar here, or skip right to dismissing the quarters.)

Dismissing The Dragons

East - Earth

Hail to thee, Dragons of the North, Keepers of the powers of earth. We thank thee for the stability in our lives which grounds us and gives us strength. Rock of life, salt and granite, ever-living, blessed planet, green grass, and leafy tree, vines as trailing hair, may you bring peace back in to the world. We bid thee Hail and Farewell, as you depart to your mighty realms, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.

South - Fire

Hail to thee, Dragons of the South, Keepers of the powers of fire. We thank thee for the flame of passion, and the cleansing Balefire. Blessed warmth give comfort and brightness and strength. Though these flames of the material world be darkened, they shall ever burn in the worlds beyond. We bid thee Hail and Farewell, as ye depart to your mighty realms, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.

West - Water

Hail to thee Dragons of the West, Keepers of the powers of water. We thank thee for the life- giving nourishment you have given to Mother Earth and the crops. Soft is the rain that gently falls upon the fields beneath, it patters down so gently that it hardly bends a leaf. We bid thee Hail and Farewell, as you depart to your mighty realms, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.

North - Air

Hail to thee, Dragons of the North, Keepers of the powers of air. We thank thee for life-giving breath, and the wings of our thoughts, wishes, and dreams. As you blow the staleness of winter away, help us fill our lungs with the freshness of clear skies and clear minds. We bid thee hail and Farewell, as ye depart to your mighty realms, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.

Open the circle.

Group Hugs!!

Bibliography

"A Witches Bible Compleat" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham
"Magickal Rites from the Crystal Well" by Ed Fitch

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Sunday Surprise - Hestia's Cleansing Meditation

Hestia's Cleansing Meditation
By Hestia

This is a mediation I wrote a number of years ago for an Imbolc ritual. I suggest taping it or finding someone to lead you through it. It doesn't take you down so you will have to use your own method for finding alpha. Let me know what you think.
Hestia

Take a candle and place on your right, close to hand

Earth.

You see a large depression about the size of a large hot tub, of soft, wet earth that reminds you of the mud puddles you may have played in when you were younger, or perhaps you still do. Sit and kinda roll in it. Feel it squish up between your fingers and toes. Feel it softly scrubbing away all worries about finances, work, responsibilities, commitments that you no longer seem to have the energy to face. Quiet your inner thoughts and listen carefully to the heartbeat of the mother. Let the sound help you renew your sense of foundation. Feel yourself become even more centered, your sense of balance greatly improved. Do you hear other sounds? Perhaps the sounds of things stirring in the veins of the mother? Sap running? Seeds sprouting? The much needed rest of the winter is loosening her grip. You must avoid becoming stagnant.

Air

Feel a gentle breeze blowing through your hair, tugging at any clothing you may be wearing, pulling gently at it, becoming stronger until it is a whirlwind tearing at your flesh. The dirt that was still clinging to you is "blown" off. The wind slowly rids you of all your negative thought patterns that you've been carrying with you this year. It also cleans your system of the impurities that cause sickness, giving your body the much needed health and vitality to enter this fast paced time. Your mind is clear, no longer held back with old "proven" ideals. You see things as they really are, not as you have been led to believe. New creative ideas are given the space needed to flourish with a greater capacity to remember, but also you must remember that others may not have the capacity to do as you do. Learn to communicate without demeaning others.

Fire

You see a great tower of fire, that, while you can feel heat, does not burn. Somehow you know it will not hurt you as you step into it. At first things feel uncomfortable, your blood has been very sluggish with the cold of winter, but as your blood moves faster it no longer bothers you. In fact it invigorates you. Your energy level knows no bounds. You begin to see the underlying reason, motivation of the things you are doing as well as the motivations of those around you. You no longer want to sit and think. You want to do! And then something else occurs to you, fire is hard to control. You must use this energy wisely.

Water

A large, deep lake stands before you. The water looks cool and inviting after the heat of fire, so you slowly wade in, relaxing your emotional muscles. You begin to swim around. Noticing how clean the water tastes, you cup your hands and drink your fill. Your connection with the Lady is now complete. Your psychic eye is open. You are open. You see the flow of energy around you, connecting everything together as if a giant spider had caught the world in its web. You see the relationships between you and your loved ones and notice the emotions that flow back and forth along those lines. The water your skin is drinking in feeds your creativity, giving support and encouragement to your ideas. Allowing your dreams to be fulfilled. Before you leave the water, visualize your shields. Remember that your subconscious mind needs those shields to protect itself outside of your sacred place.

Center

Move back towards the center of your sacred place. Remember the candle that was beside you and to your right as you entered this state. Pull all the sensations, thoughts, energy and feelings you experienced together into yourself and send it into the candle. When you have finished, remember to ground any excess energy and recenter yourself. When you are ready, return to the circle. Take the candle with you and use it anytime you feel that you need to reconnect with this state of mind. Also use it to clean your crystals, tarot cards, home, anything that may need extra special attention.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions / recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog

Sunday Surprise – Imbolc – History, Origin & Ideas To Celebrate It

* History And Origins Of Imbolc *

Compiled By Meredith

Imbolc is one of the four greater Sabbats. Most traditions celebrate it on February 1st or 2nd, or on the first Full Moon in Aquarius. Other names for Imbolc, include; Brigantia (Day of Brigid, England), Candlearia (Mexican Craft), Feast of the Waxing Light (unknown), Disting-id (Teutonic), Candlemas (Christian, The Purification of the Virgin), St. Brigid's Day (Irish), Oimelc (ewe-milk, Celtic), Lupercus or Lupercalia (Feast of Pan, Roman/Strega), Fest of Lights (unknown), Antihestria (Greek, for the Festival of Flowers), and in our culture Groundhog Day. Some contributed meanings to the word Imbolc are "in the belly" or "in milk" and refers to the pregnancy and lactation of the ewes. This Sabbat is a celebration of Spring’s coming, and an end to the dark, cold days of Winter. In Celtic traditions, this is a holiday associated with Brigit, and has survived to this day in Ireland as St Bridget's Day. (Who was reputedly a midwife at the birth of Christ.)

The Romans dedicated the holiday to Venus and Pan, and the Greeks to Diana. In Norse traditions it was known as Disting-id and was a time for readying the Earth for planting, usually by sprinkling it with ashes, salt, and herbs. Candlemas rituals, are done by Catholics. Some of whom bring their candles for the coming year to the church to be blessed by a priest. Americans celebrate Groundhog's Day, where we find what our chances of an early spring will be.

Imbolc is traditionally a time of new beginnings, with planning, starting over, and making way for the new. In our modern lives the season has little impact on our daily life. But for our ancestors it would have been very different. In the northern hemisphere the ground is often still covered with snow at this point, and might have been too hard to till and prepare yet for spring planting. Our ancestors would have been living off of their stores from the previous harvest. This would have been a time of reflection and looking back, evaluating the stores they had put by, wondering if there would be enough, and at the resolutions that had been made. Being mostly house bound this was the best time for working on things for the house. Sitting in front of the cook fire while the stew simmered and working on a quilt, dipping candles from the tallow in the stores, making the small repairs which they would be too busy to perform during the growing season.

Traditions

Bread spread with butter was left on window sills on Imbolc Eve as a gift for the Lady, who was thought to visit each household that night, along with an ear of corn for her white cow. For those a bit more modern, try leaving buttered bread, an ear of corn, and a saucer of milk for Brigid on your doorstep. Reputedly butter and butter churns are sacred to Brigit. Sometimes the handle of the churn dash was turned upside-down and stuck into the ground with a cake placed on the flat top. In Scotland, on the last day of January, the ladies of the household would dress a corn dolly or a sheaf of oats (fertility) in woman's clothes and lay it in a basket or on a pile of reeds called a "Bride's Bed" next to the fireplace. A club, rod, or wand (often with a pine cone tip) was laid next to the doll. The women would then call out three times

"Bride is come! Bride is welcome!"

and discreetly withdraw so that the phallic "God" would impregnate the "Goddess." When the night was over, the women returned and checked the ashes of the fireplace or some type of sign. This could be the imprint of the club in the ashes, a footprint or any other mysterious symbol. If they find one, the coming year will be fruitful.

Decorations

Decorate your Imbolc altar with Goddess images, lights, and candles, as this is a Sabbat associated with light. Set out a bowl of snow to slowly thaw and remind you of the approaching spring. Corn dolls are also appropriate, as are seeds and any sprigs of early-sprouting plants you can find. Imbolc is a festival of the home and hearth, and you can keep a fire in your fireplace all day or a small fire burning in a cauldron on your altar. Now is also a good time to buy new plants for your house.

Herbs

Snowdrop, Bay, Heather, First Flower of the Year.

Incense

Rosemary, Cinnamon, Wisteria Frankincense, Myrrh, Basil, Jasmine, Camphor, Lotus

Colors

Black, White, Pink, Green, Orange, Red.

Food

Dairy products, Salmon, Lamb, Pork, Sprouts, Eggs, Spicy foods such as Curries and peppers, onions, Chives, Spiced wines, Seeds, Herbal teas, and round foods.

Gemstones

Amethyst, garnet, onyx and turquoise

Spellwork

Catalyst spells, spells for beginnings, rejuvenation spells, purification spells, spells for good luck and for future endeavors, and initiatory rites.

Totem Animals

Wolves, Bears, Stags, Eagle, Raven, Groundhog

Poems

This medieval Anglo-Saxon plowing charm, recorded by Berger, was said by the farmer while cutting the first furrow.

Whole be thou Earth
Mother of men.
In the lap of God,
Be thou as-growing.
Be filled with fodder
For fare-need of men.

The farmer then took a loaf of bread, kneaded it with milk and holy water and laid it under the first furrow, saying:

Acre full fed,
Bring forth fodder for men!
Blossoming brightly,
Blessed become;
And the God who wrought the ground,
Grant us the gifts of growing,
That the corn, all the corn,
May come unto our need.
If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas day be clouds and rain,
Winter is gone, and will not come again.

~E. Holden

* Ideas To Celebrate Imbolc *
Compiled By Meredith

Homemade Butter - In memory of our ancestors, and devoting your efforts to Brigit, you and your family can take turns making homemade butter. You will need;

• 1/2 pint whipping cream
• A jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Fill the jar 1/3 1/2 full of cream. Screw the lid on tightly and begin shaking the jar or rolling it back and forth on the floor or table top. The cream will begin to thicken and then small pieces of butter will begin to form. Continue shaking or rolling the jar until the butter forms a solid mass separate from the thin buttermilk. (It should take 10-15 minutes) You may add a dash of salt if you wish. The butter may be formed into different shapes using small cake molds or cookie cutters. Sample the butter on crackers or steamed vegetables Remember to keep any left-over butter refrigerated..

Spring Search - Take a hike with friends or family. Be on the lookout for signs of spring. Take souvenirs home, such as acorns, rocks, sticks etc. to make wands with.

Make a Priapic Wand - Take a stick about a foot long, and affix an acorn or pinecone to the tip with glue, wire, or twine. Use it in your Imbolc celebrations, and put it to "bed" with your corn doll.

Corn Dolls - Corn dolls, traditional portrayals of the Maiden, are common symbols of Imbolc. Dried stalks of wheat and grass can be found cheaply at craft stores. Tying a sheaf of wheat in three places, to represent the Triple Goddess, and wrapping it in a lace hanky can make simple corn dolls. To make a more complicated doll, bend the sheaf in half, tying it an inch or so below the bend. Make a small braid and poke it through just below the tie to serve as arms. Tie it again to mark the waist. Spread the ends of the sheaf out as a skirt, draping it over a cardboard cone if necessary to give it support. You can decorate it further as you wish, with a small straw hat, flowers or leaves, or just leave it plain.

Spring Cleaning - When you've completed your Spring-cleaning don't toss your old clothes and such, donate them to a local shelter for example. Go through your cupboards and donate canned foods or hold a canned food drive in your community.

Make Some Noise - Wake up early in the morning, take out all the noisemakers you can: pots and pans and whistles, go outside and joyfully make noise to wake up the sleeping Mother Earth. Bang away, wake her up! Little kids love a reason to let loose. Be nice to your neighbors though!

Planting rituals - You could also hold a ritual blessing over the seeds you plan to use in this year's garden.

Candle Making - Make and bless candles for the year to come. Children will enjoy helping you make candles. Wax can be purchased at your local craft store, in sheets or in blocks. Sheets are safest to use with small children, as no heat is involved. The sheets are simply rolled around long wicks. For older kids, melt the wax in a double boiler over low heat, or in a large empty can, with it's paper wrapping removed. Dip the wicks in one at a time, let the wax to harden before you dip again. You can use orange juice cans or milk cartons as molds. Wash them, then attach a length of wick to a pencil and allow it to hang inside the mold. Pour in the wax, and when it is cool and dry, remove the pencil and peel off the cardboard. Candles can be decorated, with whatever you would like, by pressing the objects into the wax while it is still slightly warm. You could also add scented oils, in small quantities, to your candles.

Fire - Clean your fireplace, sweeping clear all the ashes, then bless your hearth, and light a fire. Have an outdoor bonfire ritual, as a reminder of the warmth of spring to come. This would also be a good time to burn any Yule greens that still remain.

Bride's Crosses - In Ireland, people make Bride's Crosses woven of rushes or withies and in the shape of a three or four-armed cross. Or if you don't have these items, weave a Bride's cross out of wheat or barley purchased from the craft store or one out of the local grasses with dried seed heads. This custom may derive from an earlier fire ceremony in which this cross would have been ignited and cast into the winter skies of February to hasten the coming spring.

Dance the Spiral Dance! - Spiral dances are always fun. Grab hands and snake through the grass or the living room, wherever you do your ceremony. For those who cannot or do not want to do spiral dance, this is an excellent time to participate in the rhythm, by beating drums, shaking maracas and rolling rattles.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Wednesday What Herb Is This - Holly

* HOLLY *

The berries, though eaten by birds, are injurious to human beings, and children should be warned against them.

Also called Aquifolius, Bat's Wings, Christ's Thorn, Holy Tree, Holm Chaste, Hulm, Hulver Bush, and Tinne. Holly is associated with Saturn, and the element of Fire and rules the waning half of the year, from Summer Solstice to Yule. It is especially used in celebrations of Saturnalia, from the 17th through the 23rd of December, and is a symbol at this time of happiness and health. Holly as an herb of the Yuletide season, as Grieve informs us, dates to the Druids, "who decorated their huts with evergreens during Winter as an abode for sylvan spirits. Holly was also given as a desired gift during the Roman version of Yule, called Saturnalia. In some contemporary Neo-Pagan customs, Holly which has been used to decorate the Temple at Yule is kept sacred until the fires are lit at Imbolc and then it is burned in the cauldron. Indeed, in the ogham alphabet they called the holly “Tinne”, which is thought to mean “fire” derived from the word “tinder”, in association with the holly’s timber used in the fires of the old smithies. Many Traditions work with a Holly King, a variation of the Green Man or male fertility figure - even the Green Knight in the story of Gawain, carrying a holly club whose bi-annual contest was to vanquish the "Oak King."

It is possible that it's name came about as a variation of "holy tree", and is said to have sprung up from the blood of the Christ. In an old Christian legend the holly is said to have sprung up under the footsteps of Christ as he trod the earth, the spines of the leaves became symbolic of “Crown of Thorns”, the red berries representing the drops of blood associated with his suffering. From this symbology the holly tree became known as “Christ's Thorn” or the “Holy Tree”. Indeed the red berries may represent blood and sacrifice, or perhaps the blood and light of the Sun God, believed to be reborn at the Midwinter Solstice.

Holly is commonly used all over the world as a Christmas decoration, a custom derived from the early Romans who sent boughs of holly and other gifts to their friends during Saturnalia. In confirmation of this opinion, a subsequent edict of the Church of Bracara has been quoted, forbidding Christians to decorate their houses at Christmas with green boughs at the same time as the pagans, the Saturnalia commencing about a week before Christmas. The origin has also been traced to the Druids, who decorated their huts with evergreens during winter as an abode for the sylvan spirits. In old church calendars we find Christmas Eve marked templa exornantur (churches are decked), and the custom is as deeply rooted in modern times as in either pagan or early Christian days.

In pagan folklore the Holly tree is associated with the spirit of vegetation and the waning forces of nature, to which he is personified as a mythical figure called the Holly King. The Holly King rules nature during its decline from the mid-summer solstice through to the mid-winter solstice. At each of the solstice Sabbats, the Holly King and his brother the Oak King engage in ritual combat for the attentions of the Goddess, from whence the victor presides over nature through the following half of the year. In his personification as the Holly King, he is often depicted as an old man dressed in winter clothing wearing a wreath of Holly on his head and walking with the aid of a staff made from a Holly branch. This is symbolic of the fertile interaction of the Goddess and God during nature's decline and the darkest time of the year. At Yule, after his battle with the Oak King, the new light of the sun God re-emerges to encourage fresh growth during the coming new year.

Some old stories tell us that when winter came the old druids advised the people to take Holly into their homes to shelter the elves and fairies who could join mortals at this time without causing them harm, but these stories also tell of a warning, to make sure and remove the Holly entirely before the eve of Imbolc, for to leave just one leaf in the house would cause misfortune. Sterile holly was dangerous to man and beast, and on a year when holly had no berries, it was wise to add ivy or box to a wreath or ball for good luck, for the lack of berries was a portent of infertility or death. An old Scottish traditions says that no branch should be cut from a Holly tree, but rather it should be pulled free in a method considered fit for sacred tree. It was also considered unlucky to fell a Holly tree or burn its green skinned branches. Yet luck was increased if a small branch was kept and hung outside of the house, there it would continue to protect against lightening and witchcraft. It was also said that the flowers cause water to freeze, and that the wood, if thrown at any animal, even without touching it, had the property of compelling the animal to return and lie down by it. During the winter the country folk would gather up young stems of Holly and use it as a cattle-feed to sustain them during the privations of the winter. The stems when dried and bruised were often given to cows, who seemed to thrive on it producing good milk, the butter from which was said to be excellent.

In ritual uses, Holly is associated with the life, death and re-birth symbolism of Lughnassadh/Lammas, the first harvest of the year. Holly also symbolizes holiness, consecration, material gain, physical revenge, beauty, immortality, peace, goodwill and health. Holly water (infused or distilled) was sprinkled on newborn babies to protect them. It can be used ritually to aid and help with a person’s ability to cope with death, and to ease their sleep with peaceful dreams. The Holly has always been associated with mid winter festivals and was used in old Celtic traditions for celebrating the Sun Gods re-birth at the Winter Solstice.

The wood of the Holly tree burns very hot and its charcoal was used to forge the swords, knives and tools necessary for survival and protection. The old smithies and weapon-makers were considered to be great magicians for their ability to use the elements of fire and earth to create these tools. For this reason the druids associated Holly with the element of fire. In today’s rituals, Holly is used for magic associated with the element of fire and Holly incense is used to consecrate the magical knife (athame).

Holly leaves were formerly used as a diaphoretic and an infusion of them was given in catarrh, pleurisy and smallpox. They have also been used in intermittent fevers and rheumatism for their tonic properties, and powdered, or taken in infusion or decoction, have been employed with success where Cinchona has failed. The juice of the fresh leaves has been employed with advantage in jaundice. The berries possess totally different qualities to the leaves, being violently emetic and purgative, a very few occasioning excessive vomiting soon after they are swallowed, though thrushes and blackbirds eat them with impunity. They have been employed in dropsy; also, in powder, as an astringent to check bleeding. Culpepper says 'the bark and leaves are good used as fomentations for broken bones and such members as are out of joint.' He considered the berries to be curative of colic. From the bark, stripped from the young shoots and suffered to ferment, birdlime is made. The bark is stripped off about midsummer and steeped in clean water; then boiled till it separates into layers, when the inner green portion is laid up in small heaps till fermentation ensues. After about a fortnight has elapsed, it becomes converted into a sticky, mucilaginous substance, and is pounded into a paste, washed and laid by again to ferment. It is then mixed with some oily matter, goose fat being preferred, and is ready for use. Very little, however, is now made in this country. In the north of England, Holly was formerly so abundant in the Lake District, that birdlime was made from it in large quantities and shipped to the East Indies for destroying insects. The leaves of Holly have been employed in the Black Forest as a substitute for tea. Paraguay Tea, so extensively used in Brazil, is made from the dried leaves and young shoots of another species of Holly

Holly was once held sacred by the peoples of ancient Europe; known as one of the Seven Chieftain Trees of the Druids, its very name means "holy." So important was Holly that its pagan connotations were not scorned by the Christians of long ago, but rather adopted by them. Planted around the home for protection against evil. The leaves and berries can be carried by a man to heighten his masculinity, virility and to attract a lover. Holly trees can be planted outside your house and their blossoms are excellent for hanging over the doorways to ward off bad vibes, lightning, and unwelcome energies of all sorts. Holly is a powerful Bach Flower Remedy that can help to ease jealousies, suspicions, and generally negative or aggressive feelings towards others. in magical terms, holly is generally treated as a masculine magical energy. However, in some parts of England and Germany, hollies are referred to as "he" and "she." Those with prickly-edged leaves are thought to be male, while the smooth-leafed variety signified a female tree. Holly was often paired with ivy, whose black berries symbolized night and darkness. In some regions, holly played the King and ivy his Queen. In many places in the British Isles, the burning of the holly was a big celebration to observe the death of winter. At springtime in Scotland, the Cailleach, the Death Goddess who presides over the winter months, throws Her magic rod or hammer under a holly, admitting defeat in the race of the growing light. This explains why no grass grows under holly trees. Thus the evergreen red-berried Holly and its companion the Ivy, which together symbolized the male and female elements of the mid-winter Scandinavian Yule and Roman Saturnalia, became emblems of Christmas. Some folks burn holly leaves with incense; this protects the home and draws good luck. Others tell us that they place holly above the door lintel for protection and to invite helpful spirits.

Sources: 

Owl's WIngs

Herb-Magic

Controverscial.Com

 

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Sunday Surprise - The Fairy Witch

Are you a witch?

Are you a fairy?

Are you the wife of Michael Cleary?

The Irish nursery rhyme memorializes Bridget Cleary ( February 1867 - March 1895), often described as the last witch burned in Ireland, and popularly known as the fairy witch of Tipperary. Although Ireland had among the mildest witchcraft persecutions in Europe, it is often credited with hosting the first and last witch burnings of Europe. Books sometimes chart the entire witchcraze from Pertonilla of Meath, as the first woman officially burned as a witch, to Bridget who died at the tail end of the nineteenth century, aged 28. In neither case is the parallel exactly accurate: women were burned as witches prior to Petronilla and continue to be burned today, although now in different parts of the globe, Furthermore, Bridget Cleary's death was not typical of a victim of the witchcraze.

Witchcraft was a crime during the Burning Times. Whether or not individuals were indeed practitioners of any sort, they were officially charged with crimes, tried according to an official process, convicted, and condemned to capital punishment, Their deaths, however horrific, were legal. No one was charged and punished for these deaths,

Those convicted as witches were considered the guilty parties.

Bridget Cleary, on the other hand, was killed by her husband in the process of what he described as an exorcism: he allegedly believed that she was a changeling and was attempting to get his wife back. Michael Cleary was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Bridget Cleary, He was convicted and served a prison sentence.

It is probable that what happened to Bridget Cleary was not unique: what was unique - and remains so in much of the world - is that someone was held responsible and punished for causing the death of a woman many believed to be a witch. Her story pulls the blankets off the suppressed subject of the Fairy Faith -both it's genuine practitioners and those intensely opposed to it. Her story is also very revealing regarding the perceived blending or interchangeableness of witches and fairies, The ordeal that she underwent at the hands of her husband, neighbors, and family is certainly reminiscent of witch-trial ordeals.

Her maiden name was Bridget Boland. She attended school, off and on. until she was 14. At the age of 20 she married Michael Cleary, a cooper, on August 5, 1887, He moved into the house Bridget shared with her parents. The two couples lived together in that house until the death of Bridget's mother, one year before her own death. Bridget's mother, Bridget Keating Boland died on February 1, 1894, leaving Bridget Jr, alone in the house with the two men who would both be implicated in the death. 

According to her father's court testimony. Michael Cleary asked him "Don't you know it's with an old witch I am sleeping?" Whether this meant Michael believed her to be a changeling or whether this meant he opposed her forays into the Fairy Faith is subject to interpretation.

Both Bridget's and Michael Cleary's mothers were reportedly fairy doctors. It is possible that Bridget was training to become one as well. She had a strong independent streak, noticed and resented by some, She had a reputation of being haughty, proud, and "fine" and was disliked by some of her peers - young women who mostly lived a very different existence from Bridget. She was independent and enterprising: she owned a Singer sewing machine and kept chickens; thus Bridget, unlike most other women in her community, had an independent income. Keeping poultry was among the very few ways to evade complete male control of the purse strings: she sold eggs and also took in sewing.

Also unique among her female contemporaries, after eight years of marriage Bridget was childless and rather than seeming to mourn this, she seemed to relish her freedom. With no children, Bridget could come and go as she pleased and she did. She sewed and sold eggs, earning her own money, giving her a measure of economic independence.

In the wake of the scandal following her death, Bridget's neighbors and family were interviewed about her. According to reports, she had a defiant streak and wasn't easily cowed by authority. Joan Hoff and Marian Yeates, authors of The Cooper's Wife is Missing, describe Bridget as possessing what neighbors perceived as a "disturbing habit" of looking men in the eyes a trait allegedly characteristic of Pagan women.

Bridget's mother had a reputation as a "fairy expert" and bore something of a reputation as a witch, Perhaps Bridget inherited her interest in the Fairy Faith from her mother. Certainly she displayed a fascination with fairies and, especially in the last year of her life, following the death of her mother was often observed visiting two local fairy forts, leading to gossip by neighbors who speculated as to her motivation for the visits. Among the reasons suggested:

• She was trying to make contact with the soul of her dead mother
• She was rendezvousing with a lover
• She was irresistibly lured there by the fairies

Michael Cleary had his own personal history with the fairies: as a boy, his mother (also named Bridget) had allegedly run off with the fairies, disappearing for three days, Following her return, she allegedly began operating as a fairy doctor, Michael had strong feelings about fairies, too: he feared and hated them, and was obsessed with the notion that they would abduct Bridget - or that she would willingly join them.

The first known indication of dissension between Michael and Bridget occurred around Yuletide 1894. Michael allegedly feared she'd been abducted by fairies, and he ordered Bridget not to go to the fairy forts. She defied him and continued to go. (After her death, witnesses came forward saying that Michael had threatened to burn her if she went back.) She was observed visiting a fairy fort on February 1, 1895, the first anniversary of her mother's death.

On March 6, 1895, Bridget returned home in the late afternoon, ostensibly from delivering eggs, complaining of feeling unwell. (Witnesses suggested that she had been observed at the fairy fort that day.) She exhibited signs of fairy-related illness: aches. pains, and chills. She was irritable, described as "distant" and demonstrated some memory loss. Changes in temperament and appearance are among symptoms of fairy abduction, (In other words, a fairy is believed to have replaced or be impersonating the person believed to have been abducted.)

Initially, the family requested conventional medical attention. A local physician was requested to pay a house call. It took the doctor four days to respond following repeated requests. He examined Bridget, and determined nervous exhaustion and slight bronchitis. Despite requests for the doctor's arrival, Michael allegedly suspected that his wife had been abducted by fairies, who had replaced her with a changeling. Michael perceived that Bridget was now two inches taller than previously and that she seemed, in his words, "more refined."

For nine days, Bridget lay ill with a mysterious ailment, During these nine days, assorted friends, neighbors, and relatives came in and out. Her husband, convinced that his wife had been abducted by the fairies, searched for help from two sources - the Church and fairy experts. He was heard arguing with Bridget who was allegedly heard to cry out "If I had my mother, I would not be this way."

Nine was a magic number; one theory allegedly subscribed to by Michael, suggest that if the return of the abducted person is not affected within nine days, they are lost forever, although this contradicts the many tales pf changelings returning after seven years in Fairyland.

On at least three occasions requests were made for a priest's assistance. Priests were traditionally called in to exorcise fairies, considered akin to demons. This is "folk Catholicism" and was not standard practice even then. Theoretically it was not permitted, although allegedly it was common practice. A priest met with Bridget twice, Father Ryan spoke to Bridget for over 20 minutes, later describing her as coherent and intelligent. He said he thought her behavior might indicate the onset of "brain fever" and so decided to administer the last rites, just in case...She allegedly did not swallow the communion wafer: one witness claimed that she spat it out surreptitiously. this further confirming suspicions that Bridget Cleary had been abducted and that what lay in her place was a changeling.

Shortly afterwards, with the participation pf other neighbors and family members including her father and cousins, Bridget Cleary was killed by her husband and another relative, John Dunne, a local "fairy expert." Dunne was not a fairy doctor in the traditional sense. Two types of "fairy experts" existed:

• Fairy doctors, practitioners of the Fairy Faith, who were enthralled by fairies trained by them, and practiced arts associated with them
• What are essentially fairy exorcists, whose techniques drew heavily on Roman Catholic rites of exorcism and witchcraft trial ordeals; fairies were believed by these practitioners to be akin to demons; those allied with them were akin to witches.

Bridget was prescribed an herbal formula created from bitter herbs called "Seven Sisters Kill or Cure." It did neither. Michael then purchased an herbal cure called "Nine in One Cure," more potent and more exceedingly bitter than the Seven Sisters mixture. In these nine days, Bridget had not been permitted to leave her home, she was in a weakened condition from her mysterious illness and perhaps from lack of nourishment: attempts were made to starve out the changeling, She was apparently afraid for her safety and requested that the police be called. This was not done.

Witnesses described the final ordeal of Bridget. A sixteen year old neighbor stood in the corner of the room holding a candle for illumination. John Dunne sat on the bed gripping Bridget's hair. Two other men held her body down, each pinning down one shoulder, while another man pinned down her feet. Michael attempted to force Bridget to swallow the Nine in One herbal cure in new milk, yelling at her to "Swallow it, you devil!" and "Take it, you old witch!"  Her mouth was pried open: Bridget fought back, only confirming the belief that she was fairy-possessed. It ultimately took six men to pour the liquid down her throat.

After Bridget was forced to swallow the Nine in One Cure, the family waited three hours for a "change." When none was forthcoming, the "exorcism" escalated and the threat of fire was introduced. At midnight on March 15th, Bridget was dressed in her finest clothes including a red petticoat in order that she could "go amongst the people" - however one interprets this. ("The  People" is a euphemism for fairies.)

Urine was then thrown over her. She was choked, force-fed urine and herbs and pushed to the ground, her head knocking against the floor. Her clothes were stripped off, Bridget was shoved over the grate into the four-foot by four-foot fireplace, like some fairy-tale character (the witch in Hansel and Gretel for instance) in a fetal position with her legs sticking out. According to a witness there was a low fire burning in the fireplace, hot enough to heat an iron grill but not hot enough to boil water, She was threatened with a hot iron poker. ( Fairies allegedly fear both iron and fire so the combination was perceived as doubly powerful.)

Michael Cleary poured the contents of a can of paraffin oil over his wife and set her on fire. A witness claimed that the two women present attempted to put out the fire but Michael pushed them away, threatening to "roast" them as well. He proceeded to pour more oil over her burning body. According to a witness, Michael Cleary said he wasn't burning his wife; he was burning a witch who would go up the chimney.

Another witness, (Protestant neighbor Minnie Simpson) later asserted to the police that the family members believed that the person was not Bridget but a witch, although she claimed that she herself (Minnie) did not. She did not explain, however, why in that case she didn't help Bridget, nor did she point out that she was among those who supplied the urine thrown on Bridget.

At this point, people allegedly thought Bridget was "cured" and left. Michael asserted that he wasn't sure and wished to remain with Bridget for further observation, promising to meet up with family members later at his father's house, although he apparently never arrived,

Based on the testimony of witnesses, Bridget was still alive when they left, It is unclear exactly when she died, however her dead body was discovered on March 22, 1895, 1,300 yards from the Cleary home, wrapped in a sheet and buried in a shallow grave. Her entire back and lower abdomen had been burned; roasted clear to the bone, her internal organs visible. Her right hand was severely burned but her face, hair. breasts, shoulders, neck, legs, and feet remained unscathed, There were marks about her face and mouth and bruises on her neck, believed to be the result of choking, Death was caused by extensive burns, with the official cause given as "shock due to burns."

Eleven people were arrested in connection with the murder of Bridget Cleary, including the 16-year-old neighbor who stood quietly in the corner, holding the candle. There are two ways to understand the saga of Bridget Cleary:

• There is no possession, there's no such thing, therefore it's deadly superstition or an excuse for fatal spousal abuse. ( And local gossip alleged that Bridget had a lover.)
• Regardless of whether Bridget was or was not possessed her husband and family feared rather than understood fairies, The Fairy Faith was not charming to them. Fairies were considered devils to be exorcized; the "changeling" was considered a witch to be burned as were perhaps practitioners of the old Fairy Faith.

Bridget Cleary's mother was locally rumored to be a witch, If one believes that Bridget was attempting to follow in her late mother's and mother-in-law's footsteps and become a traditional fairy doctor herself, perhaps she was burned as a witch to prevent achievement of her goals. The methods of exorcism to which her family resorted were not typical of the Fairy Faith, whose practitioners openly derived their skills from fairies, Instead the herbal cures and rituals were heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic rites of exorcism and also by published accounts of witch-trial ordeals. Trial testimony indicated that invocation of the names of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost formed a significant part of the exorcism ritual.

Although Michael Cleary was mocked for believing in fairies, his actions were not those of a practitioner of the Fairy Faith but were grounded in folk Catholicism, Bridget's screams were ignored because they were considered the screams of the invading spirit (fairy and/or demon). Lying in bed, Bridget told a visiting cousin that her husband was "making a fairy of me now" and that "He thought to burn me about three months ago." How to interpret these statements? Did Michael Cleary genuinely believe she was a fairy, or beneath the mask was this just a case of spousal abuse, or both? Was the goal to break the fairies' charm or to break the spirit of an independent woman?

The crime was a major public scandal; the "fairy murder" was popular with the media and drew international attention, much to the displeasure of the local authorities who felt it made the region appear primitive and ignorant. Although Michael Cleary and Bridget's family were arrested for her murder, there was ambivalence toward Bridget as well. She had not been generally beloved; whether "abducted" or not, she had clearly been dabbling with fairies. Attitudes toward Bridget may be demonstrated by her funeral, or lack thereof: In a macabre denouement, Bridget's body could not be released to her family, all of whom had been arrested and were confined on Clonmel Goal, Police called for the clergy but no priests in the district responded: Roman Catholic priests were strictly charged against performing sacraments where fairy-craft was suspected. Those who died under suspicion were refused Church burial.

The body of Bridget Cleary was finally buried at night by four policemen who read part of the burial service over her body. They obtained a simple coffin for Bridget and brought her to the Roman Catholic cemetery at Cloneen. where she was buried outside the church walls beside the unmarked grave of her mother near an oak tree. Bridget Cleary and her mother lie together in unmarked graves outside the church walls. No headstones exist but two stones mark the site.

During the trial, absolutely no discussion of fairies, or even any reference to them, was permitted. Michael Cleary was found guilty of manslaughter, not murder, and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, of which he served 15. Other defendants received lesser sentences depending upon perceived involvement.

Further Reading:

The Burning of Bridget Cleary

The Cooper's Wife is Missing  

Information obtained in entirety from The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft

Sunday Surprise - Elemental Magic

Along with magic itself, one of the most fundamental abilities of a magician has been to attempt to control the four raw powers of the elemental system. The four refer to Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. The ability to feel these energies, understand them, and to move them is the study of the Elemental Mage. Throughout their practice different casters will experience different degrees of success no matter which art is practiced, but Elemental Magic is often considered one of the most difficult arts to progress in and thus there are few practitioners. It is also difficult because of the nature of the magic itself: it deals purely with the real and tangible facets of the four elemental powers, not with the ethereal correspondences of the elements. As such, it tends to be seen as an "all or nothing" art where you clearly succeed or fail every time. Also, as a matter of practicality, few have a real need for this kind of power anymore (due to many of the necessities being provided for by technology) and thus the practice tends to be left behind, to a certain extent. Regardless of this fact, however, many have felt the call to gird themselves with elemental knowledge and harness the natural powers around them.

Focusing only on the physical manifestations of the four elements, each has unique uses and capabilities when properly applied. "Heat" energy, as we know it, is not perfectly synonymous with Fire Magic. Though to an Elemental Mage the two are very similar, there is a missing aspect in the concept of heat which restricts it to this level. For the Elemental Mage, all things which produce heat are also giving off the mystical equivalent of heat energy. In this way, Fire energy can also be used to metaphysically detect things which produce heat, and even, in extreme circumstances, to focus the ethereal form of heat into a physical manifestation of flame itself, thus creating pure flame from seemingly nothing. Keeping in mind the physical principles governing combustion it becomes readily apparent why feats of this nature are rare, at best. Through enough practice and concentration, however, the Elemental Mage learns how to absorb heat energy from all things around them, as a unified action, and bring it to bear against a target. This can be to warm the caster, to warm an inanimate target, or a friend. It can be used to find things generating heat, and to control preexisting sources of heat such as flames and mirages.

Air is another of the elemental manifestations, and is usually the first element an Elemental Mage finds control of. Due to its already volatile nature and tendency to change the Elemental Mage can find their first successes, usually, in attempts to change wind direction. Breezes can carry smell, keep away noxious fumes, cool the caster or something targeted by the caster, and may be the edge required to start a fire that just will not light. There are far too many uses of wind and air to be listed here; truly, we see the effects of wind every day, as even now we breathe the air and can describe what the wind conditions in our area are like. It can be used to regulate heat, it can affect our senses in various ways, and is an overall good place to start. Wind constantly moves, constantly changes, and in that spirit we may influence them without much resistance.

Earth, however, is the difficult counterbalance to Air. It is firm and resists all kinds of change, hence the Elemental Mage must exert themselves to a rare degree to find anything more than a nominal skill with this element. Earth is the foundation of most life, and by this merit it can be used to lend aid to dying plant life, choke out undesired plant life, sense creatures within the caster's spell range, and to basically know that which the earth would be able to relate (not as an intelligent entity, but as an extension of one's own senses, such as feeling the tremors of other animals, feeling the stability of a certain area to step on, etc.) Some Elemental Mages claim the ability to predict and cause certain events such as earthquake, famine, drought, siroccos, frost, snow, hail, sleet, fog, and other types of natural manifestation by making full use the the Earth element to gain knowledge and control of the environment.

Lastly, there is the practice of controlling the water. Water can be used in much the same way as Earth in that the tremors it carries can be interpreted by the Elemental Mage to extend their range of sensation and know things they would normally be oblivious to. Water abides in many of the things that we see daily. The air contains some, the ground contains some, and various materials or substances (including human flesh) have quantities in them. Elemental Magic concerning water can be seen in a great deal of cultures which still rely heavily on agriculture, and in the history of cultures which did. The "Rain Dance" is a prime example of water elemental magic at work. To cause rain to fall at will, or conversely, as the Biblical characters of Moses, Elijah, and the Two Prophets of Revelation 11, to cause it to stop is the bailiwick of the elemental magician.

The abilities of the Elemental Mage vary greatly, and intimate knowledge of the elements gives intimate knowledge of the physical world around and its innermost mechanics. To truly understand the world around us is only a matter of learning and harnessing the ways of nature.

AIR

Mastering the element Air

The elemental Spirits of Air are the Sylphs.

Air is the element of the intellect, and is concerned with the realm of thought. Air magic rules spells involved with travel, instruction, freedom, obtaining knowledge, discovering lost items, uncovering lies, and can also be used to develop the psychic abilities. Performing air magic can be as simple as dropping something off the side of a mountain or other high place. Air is associated with with the East (North in my world...), the color yellow, and the season of spring, and is considered to be masculine, dry, expansive, and active. The element of air excels most in places of learning and is at work whenever we theorize, think, and ponder.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of warmth and moistness. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary.
• Find a place where you can be alone, take a lounge chair along with you. Wear as little clothing as you can (if possible, nudity is best), and sit or lie in the chair. Begin pore breathing, this is started by doing the relaxation ritual***. Next, become very aware of your breath. Become aware of the slow in and out motion of the physical air. Notice the way the air feels as it enters your body. Now imagine that your body is nothing more than a huge breathing apparatus. Imagine that every part of your body only has the function of breathing. You should do this exercise daily for one week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Air. Feel the lightness, the giddiness, the warmth and moisture of Air. Feel how physical things don’t seem to matter. Do this exercise for only one week, NO MORE. If you wish to do it again, only do it once every month.
• Once you have learned to “be Air,” the next step is to control the element Air. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Air. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Air element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel heavy, slow or lazy, do this exercise. If you feel relaxed and refreshed, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the Element of Air.

EARTH

Mastering the element Earth

The elemental Spirits of Earth are the Gnomes.

Earth is the stable, solid, dependable element. It is the realm of abundance, prosperity, and wealth, and is the most physical of all the elements. Whenever we walk, sit, stand, crawl, eat, sleep, work our jobs, tend our plants, balance our checkbooks, or taste salt we are working within the element of Earth. In magic, Earth rules all spells involved with business, money, employment, prosperity, stability, and fertility. Earth rituals can be done simply by burying an object representative of your need in a plot of virgin ground, walking over miles of countryside visualizing your need, or drawing images in the dirt. Earth is a feminine element because it is nurturing, moist, and fruitful. It's color is green, direction North (East in my world), and season winter.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of dryness and coolness. However, don’t do this just out of your head. Rather, make a list of Earth things that you see each day. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary.
• Find a place filled with nature, such as a field or park. Wear as little clothing as you can (if possible, nudity is best), and sit or lie on the ground so that as much of your skin as possible is touching the ground. This is especially easy for women, as they can simply wear a flowing skirt with no underwear and sit on the ground with the skirt spread out. In this way there is nothing between the skin and the Earth. Spend some time contemplating, feeling the coolness and dryness of the Earth. You should do this at least three times within a week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Earth. Feel the heaviness, the slowness, the coolness and dryness of Earth. Feel the way you can absorb the pains and problems of the world (however, do not actually do so). Become Earth. Do this exercise for at least a week before moving to the next exercise.
• Once you have learned to “be Earth,” the next step is to control the element Earth. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Earth. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Earth element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel lightheaded, overweight, just heavy and lethargic, do this exercise. If you feel lighter and better, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the element Earth.

FIRE

Mastering the element Fire

The elemental Spirits of Fire are the Salamanders.

Fire is the element of change, will, and passion, and it's realm is that of sexuality and passion. Fire is both a physical and spiritual element, and it's magic involves spells having to do with energy, authority, sex, healing, destruction, purification, evolution, etc. Fire rituals may be done by the fuming, burning or smoldering of an image, herb, or other flammable objects, or with the use of candles or small blazes. Fire magic is usually practiced near the fireplace, beside a fire lit in a wilderness clearing, or simply beside the flame of a lit candle. Fire is thought of as being masculine, and is connected to the South, the color red, and the season of summer.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of having heat and dryness. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary. Do at least daily for one week.
• Find a place that is extremely hot, such as a desert or a dry sauna (not a steam bath). If those are not possible, find a place where a roaring fire is going. Such a fire could be in a fireplace or a barbecue pit or grill. Remove all of your clothes, or as much as you can, and get as close to the heat source as possible without risking a burn. Once you are in a position where it is uncomfortably hot, but not painfully or unbearably, do the relaxation ritual***. Focus on your breathing, again, imagine that you are a huge breathing apparatus. Do this for a short while, usually ten minutes, do not spend any longer than that. Do this exercise at different times of the day or night for one week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Fire. Feel the heat and your ability to transmit the heat. Know what Fire feels like, what fire is. Do this for one week.
• Once you have learned to “be Fire,” the next step is to control the element Fire. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Fire. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Fire element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel listless, or have a total lack of energy, do this exercise. If you feel energized and revitalized, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the element Fire.

WATER

Mastering the element Water

The elemental Spirits of Water are the Undines.

Water is the element of purification, the subconscious mind, it's realm being love and the emotions. The magic of water is involved with pleasure, friendship, marriage, fertility, happiness, healing, sleep, dreaming, psychic acts, and purification. Most water magic rituals usually end with an object being tossed or placed in or on a body of water. Mirrors, the sea, fog, or rain can all be used to perform water magic. Water is a feminine element, it's color is blue, it's direction is West, and it's season is Autumn.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of being cool and moist. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary.
• Remove your clothes and enter a bath or pool where the water is cool. If you have access to a lake or river, this would be best. Also, it would be good if you could get a swimming snorkel so that you can breathe while completely submerged beneath the surface of the water. (Obviously, this world be difficult to do in a small bath tub or in a shallow pool, but if you have access to a snorkel and have a place where you can be totally submerged, you will have the quickest success.) Once you are submerged as much as possible, and if you are completely submerged, breathing comfortably through the snorkel, do the relaxation ritual.*** Next, become very aware of your breath. As you do this you will find that your breath will automatically slow down. Notice the way the air feels as it comes in through the nose, down the air pipe and into the lungs. Feel this. Once again, imagine that you body is nothing more than an enormous breathing apparatus. If you experience any sort of “drowning sensations”, stop immediately and try again later. You should do this exercise for one week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Water. Feel the fluidity, the coolness, the refreshing moistness of the elemental waters. Know what water feels like, what water is. Do this for one week.
• Once you have learned to “be Water,” the next step is to control the element Water. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Water. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Water element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel hard headed, overly tense, or like your muscles are hard as a rock, do this exercise. If you feel relaxed and reasonable, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the element Water.

***Relaxation Ritual

1) Sit or lay in a place where you will not be disturbed for at least ten minutes. Remember to unplug the phone. Get comfortable. Keep your arms and legs uncrossed. If you're sitting, your back should be straight; rest your hands, palms down, in your lap. Close your eyes.

2) Visualize a golden ball of beautiful, warm light surrounding your feet. The ball of golden warm light always brings peace and total relaxation. Wherever the ball goes, tension departs. Let it go, and as it goes, feel your feet filled with the warm, golden glow of peace and total relaxation.

3) Now allow this ball of light to rise up your legs and up to your torso. Then allow it to go down your arms to your fingers, and finally up to your neck and into your head until you are completely covered with the warm, golden glow of total peace and relaxation, and all tension is gone. If you notice tension anywhere, send the ball there and the tension will vanish.

4) Stay in this state of deep relaxation for a few moments. (Don't fall asleep!)

5) When you're ready to come out of this state of deep relaxation, take three deep breaths and feel fresh life and energy coming into your body with each breath.

Know that you can return to this state whenever you like simply by doing this relaxation ritual. If you're having trouble sleeping, try this ritual when you lay down at night instead of suffering or taking sleeping pills. Be at one with yourself.

Sources: Although the basic "mastering" instructions are something I have had for years, (and as a consequence have no idea where they came from) I did add some additional information, which came from the following sites:

Raccoon Mask

The Library of Knowledge

Asiya's Shadows

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.