Fabulous Folklore: Horses

We see this friendly boy regularly. It got me thinking about horses in folklore, and some of our local superstitions regarding them.

Here in the Midlands counties, spitting was considered to avert all evil consequences, and to meet a white horse face-to-face without spitting (usually over the left shoulder) was considered very unlucky indeed. Some have suggested that this negative association with white horses is because much of the Midlands was laid waste by Saxon hordes, who poured in under a banner emblazoned with a white horse, but I don’t know how true this is.

To dream of a white horse meant that death was coming. This superstition might have come from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as one of the riders sits upon a white horse. Another local superstition indicating death was to dream of riding in a cart “being greased with bacon”- weird!!

At Snelston - a medieval village near here now deserted - a witch would run out of her house and cling on to cartwheels as horses made their way up Galley Hill, on the way to Uppingham. Other stories regard her as a supernatural entity, living in the trees ready to pounce on any horses and carts that might pass by.

In nearby Lincolnshire, it was believed that if you saw a white dog, you should stay silent until you saw a white horse. I don’t know what the consequence of not staying silent was, or not seeing the white horse, because with all the superstition surrounding white horses, I don’t think seeing one was likely.

I’m pleased to report we do not spit at this lovely boy, he much prefers a cuddle.

Do you know of any strange horse folklore or superstitions? What about other animals?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Horseshoe Magick

Simple Magick: 6 Simple Snow Spells

It’s been snowing for hours! I haven’t seen snow like this for many years, it’s makes me so happy!

It’s not something I tend to do in my practice - because I rarely see it! - but you can use snow in your spell work. Collect in a plastic bag and store in the freezer.

Simple Snow Spells:

Make a snowman and use him or her as a magickal guardian. Build him or her near the entrance of your home.

Add a cup of clean snow to a ritual bath for purification.

Write the name of someone who is bothering you on a slip of paper and pack it in snow. Freeze it until they “chill out”.

Form bad habits into snowballs and throw them away from you.

Write something good you’d like on a piece of paper, roll into a ball, and then keep rolling until your intention gets bigger and bigger.

Place snow in a jar and when it melts you have “snow water” - leave out under the moon to make snowy moon water.

Do you like the snow? Do you see it where you live every year? Do you use it in your practice? Maybe you hate the stuff!? What do you think?

NEXT - Simple Magick: Using Eggshells
NEXT - Winter Magick: Using The Winter Season to Create Change
NEXT - Simple Magick: Using Snow in Magick

Word Magick: Reading Witchology Magazine and Pondering Community

I’m reading @witchologymag this morning, and pondering the power of community after reading recent posts by @marget.inglis_witchcraft and @thewitchesstone

I leave you with a poem from my journal entry today:

Whenever the blues, they come to stay,

You can, with a nudge, gently chase them away;

A call to the Sun, the sky, the flowers!

A call to invoke your personal powers!

Of happiness, strength, and kindness be,

when you’re trapped in a dark, encircling sea,

hold out your hand to others in need,

find peace and calm, and joy indeed. 

Tap into the magick, in your heart it shall be;

Give love and Be love.

So Mote it Be.

If you are struggling right now please be sure to reach out.

Fabulous short story by @thewildmoongarden

NEXT - Word Magick: Defining The Words Witch & Witchcraft 

Word Magick: Prayer to Mother Earth

Mother Earth,

Enlighten what’s dark in me,

Strengthen what’s weak in me,

Mend what’s broken in me,

Bind what’s bruised in me,

Heal what’s sick in me,

And lastly, revive whatever peace and love has died in me.

~ Unknown

NEXT - Word Magick: Courage - What Does It Mean? 

Fabulous Folklore: Wing Maze

This is the “Maze” (actually a unicursal labyrinth) at Wing, which is about five miles from my home. It is one of only eight remaining turf-cut labyrinths in the U.K. It is about 40ft (12m) in diameter.

The information on the board makes a lot of Wing’s Viking name, and it has been suggested by some sources that the maze is over 2500 years old, but it is most likely to be Medieval.

I’ve been looking at some old local history books and it has been suggested that there were labyrinths at nearby Liddington and Holt; though not much is written about them, and their secrets have been lost to time.

It is thought that people would recite prayers as they walked them, or shuffled along on their knees; and that they provided some sort of meditative purpose.

There is a local legend (referred to in 1843) that says a roosting cuckoo would be penned in the maze, in a symbolic attempt to “keep spring eternal”, however I can’t help but laugh at the idea of it simply flying off each time this rite was attempted.

It has also been suggested that it was used as a “walk of shame” inflicted by the church onto wrongdoers; and I wonder if this is at the root of some Christians disapproving of labyrinths, considering them “pagan” or “new age”.

Apparently they were once common in England, Denmark and Germany, and similar labyrinths were found in other parts of Northern Europe, but these were formed by placing stones rather than cutting turf.

There is a lot of rich history in this area. The folklore and customs of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire overlap, as they all border Rutland (which is tiny!), and there’s an abundance of holy wells, hill forts, barrows, mazes, sacred stones and even caves here. I look forward to reading (and sharing) more about them. One thing is for certain: when trying to learn about my ancestors the information I find only just scratches the surface, and leaves me wanting more.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Leicestershire & Rutland Leechcraft

Simple Magick: Using Eggshells

Crushed eggshells are known by some as Cascarilla. Eggshells have been used in magickal practice for hundreds of years to cleanse negative energy and bring positive occurrences. The eggshells are dried and ground into a powder and are not to be confused with the plant Croton eluteria, which is also known as cascarilla, and is a plant native to the Caribbean.

Eggshells can help block non-corporeal entities from a psychical space - benign or malevolent - so you might want to think carefully about their use, but you can use them to put a ring of peace and protection around your sacred space or home. They can be mixed with herbs to create magickal powders for specific intentions and goals, and they’re often used in spells related to setting boundaries.

Use eggshells with other ingredients (eg. Holy Water) for cleansing; use in a protection bath, or as a floor wash. Some witches use powdered eggshells to wash their hands, rub in their hair, or to mark ritual symbols on their bodies or animals for protection.

Cascarilla is simple to make. Boil the eggshells for ten minutes to protect yourself against Salmonella. Leave them in a bowl or on a piece of kitchen towel on a warm windowsill to dry. When they are completely dry, crush them with a pestle and mortar.

I grind my eggshells down further as part of my spellwork. In the meantime, these have been bottled and consecrated.

NEXT - Simple Magick: 11 Tips For Beginner Witches 

Building Community: Some Thoughts On Social Media

A beautiful picture of my beautiful husband on our hand-fasting. Right?

Yesterday a fantastic post about aesthetic and Witchcraft by @marget.inglis_witchcraft got me thinking, and my brain strayed down the path of Social Media and the current situation.

Like a lot of places in the world, things aren’t brilliant in the U.K. Due to coronavirus, we have in excess of 70,000 deaths and have just gone back down into lockdown for possibly another three months. This is impacting people in many, vary serious ways; but especially on peoples’ mental health.

I want to remind you that Social Media is a place where people put their best foot forward, are sharing the things that are helping to elevate their own mood, or their businesses. It is not always indicative of real life.

Whilst my account truthfully reflects the person that I am and the things that interest me, giving me an opportunity to play with my love of colour, I want to remind you that behind the account there’s a human being, just like you.

Like many others, my account doesn’t show you the boring day to day shit. It doesn’t show you the gripes and moans about walking through the house with wet shoes on after I’ve just cleaned the floor. It doesn’t show you my unhealthy obsession with My Singing Monsters, a game designed for 8 year old boys. It doesn’t show you the laughter where I open my big mouth really widely, making me look like Zippy from Rainbow, showing all my wonky teeth.

It doesn’t show you the currently very regular ugly-crying, where I’m getting snot all over my husband’s shirt. Sure, I have a fantastic life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have challenges. The long list of chronic health conditions that I’m finding hard right now, the life-saving and life-enhancing medication that I’m struggling to get because of Brexit, the daughter I’m missing because she lives with her dad many hours away, my lack of financial stability because of my health. The arguments I have with my husband because of certain external forces, the challenges we face as a couple, his extremely stressful job. This is real life: the list goes on!

Remember this as you navigate the internet, and remember it’s ok to not be ok right now. 

If all you’re achieving right now is managing to get up and eat, that’s a WIN. If you’ve managed to cross something off your to-do list today, that’s a WIN. If all the kids are alive at the end of the day, that’s a WIN. If you’ve managed not to murder your husband today, that’s a WIN.

I’ll also mention here that I’m not in the camp who believes you should master something new in lockdown - a new language, a new hobby, a fitness regime, weight loss, writing a book, reading ten new books, new skills in the kitchen - BOLLOCKS.

If you do manage any of these things, that’s amazing! But if the next few months are focused only on survival that’s OK. 

Please be kind to yourselves. We’re still midwinter and there are more tough days ahead. 

NEXT - Building Community: Kindness & Compassion
NEXT - Simple Magick: Protecting The Integrity Of Your Spells On Social Media
NEXT - Campaign To Pardon The Pendle Witches

Tarot Method: Wren's Year Ahead Spread

Usually at the start of the year I take a bit of a break, read the slips of paper from my Gratitude Jar, and do a simple tarot spread for the year ahead. Thanks to a reminder from @thewitchesstone this week, I’ve done it. Even if I am a little late.

I lit a green candle for good luck, success and prosperity, and let it burn while I shuffled and picked the cards; blowing it out before doing the big reveal.

I used @the_embroidered_forest tarot, which I absolutely love and was so over the moon to win just before Christmas - thanks Alicia! If you’re wondering about this deck it’s absolutely incredible. The images are enchantingly beautiful, and one of the best things about it is the fabulous quality cardstock and snazzy silver edges.

I had a pendulum by @wiccawolfie on standby just in case I needed further clarification.

While I was shuffling the cards a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln sprang to mind: “The best way to predict your future is to create it”, and so I made the intention in that  moment to keep pushing myself this year.

As many of you know, I have been floating ideas for a shop and creating a Patreon, but I have been doing this very slowly due to chronic illness. As part of my manifestation process, and the long term spell work I have been doing to aid these plans, the moment must be absolutely right.

Do you carry out some sort of New Year’s divination? If so what type? What are your plans for this year? What would you like to manifest? 

NEXT - Tarot Method: Unblocking with Chase The Ace
NEXT - Tarot Method: Storing Tarot in Drawstring Bags
NEXT - Natural Remedies: Meadowsweet Foot Soak

Witchcraft Books: Mixed Witchstack Sunday

Happy to take part in this week’s #witchstacksunday over on Instagram - first one of the year! These are the books I shall be dipping in and out of this month: 

Magical Aromatherapy - Scott Cunningham

Folk Witchcraft - Roger J. Horne

Herbal Remedies - Anne McIntyre

Prehistoric Astronomy & Ritual - Aubrey Burl

Beowulf

The Green Witch - Arin Murphy-Hiscock

What are you reading currently? What are you going to read next? What’s at the top of your witchy book purchase list?

Head over to @witch.with.books for lots of awesome witchy book recommendations.

NEXT: Witchcraft Books: Witchy Resources
NEXT - Review: Magical Aromatherapy by Scott Cunningham

Bee Magick: 11 Useful Correspondences

There is an abundance of folklore surrounding bees. Charms with bees in were hung in the best room of the house to bring health, happiness and good fortune to the home. It was said that if bees flew into a house, a stranger would soon call. If they rested on a roof, good luck was on its way.

Bees appeared in Mycenaean tomb decorations, with some tombs shaped like beehives, speculating the view that bees may have been seen as psychopomps or messengers of the dead, or even that the human soul transmuted into bee form after death.

Once upon a time almost every British family who kept bees had a custom called “telling the bees.” The bees were kept abreast of all important family matters; births, marriages, important journeys, absences, but especially deaths.

Usually the “goodwife” of the household would go to the hives, and knock gently to get the bees’ attention. She would then gently and solemnly tell the bees the news. In Nottinghamshire, the wife of the dead was heard singing quietly in front of the hive—“The master's dead, but don't you go; Your mistress will be a good mistress to you.”

Failure to update the bees brought a fear of catastrophe. Failing to put the bees in to mourning meant all sorts of calamities might ensue; the bees might leave the hive, or not produce enough honey, or even die.

In my county, whenever there was a death the top of the hive was wrapped with a piece of black fabric or crepe by the beekeeper, otherwise it was feared that the bees would not thrive. Whenever there was a wedding the hives were decorated and pieces of cake were left out so that the bees could share in the festivities.

Magickal Correspondences for Bees:

Fertility
Joy
Feminine power

Teamwork

Growth

Competent leadership

Hard work

Obedience

Industriousness

Prophecy

The sweetness of life