Ancestral Marriage Support

I met (and married) my husband in October, and as we move into the darker, colder months I like to call upon my ancestors for their love, support and guidance to watch over and protect the union that is my marriage.

Dorothy Kate

Beatrice Winifred

Ethel May

Clarence Alfred

Derek Lyle

Kenneth Stanley

They always feel very close to me around this time, and a little bit of anniversary love and support goes a long way.

In this picture you can see my handfasting cords (we handfasted a few years before we married) and a picture of my maternal grandparents.

On Samhain night I usually connect with my grandmother, Dorothy Kate. She was a woman to be reckoned with, and I can always rely on her to give me the best advice - and she’ll always give it to me straight. I also feel like my husband’s parents are around at this time of year - it’s nice to know that we are being watched over and cared for. 

NEXT - Samhain: 4 Types of Ancestor 

NEXT - Samhain: A Celebration Supper 

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: Yule - Midwinter

Happy Birthday, Tabitha!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, spooky Samhain spider, Tabitha - 15 today!

When Tabitha was little I could be thinking of something completely random ~ for example, Christmas in June ~ and she’d start talking about it as if she’d read my mind.

When we broke down on the A1 two years ago I discovered after that she, like me, had known it was going to happen before it did.

When she had a fortune cookie at my parents house recently I guessed the message inside when she held it in her hand, before she opened it.

When she was three she spoke of the “other” place she lived in before she came to Earth and chose me as her mum.

We’ve always had this special psychic bond.

Tabitha you are beautiful and magical. I’m so proud to be your mum and I’m wishing you the loveliest day. xxx

Tell me some interesting and spooky stories about your children! Did they talk about the place they existed in before birth? Did they have special gifts?

Fabulous Folklore: Ashwell Sacred Spring

I’ve been searching for holy wells and sacred springs in my area, of which there are quite a few. I have been unable to find the one at nearby Ladywell, but my husband accidentally found the Ashwell spring on his travels. We went to see it and it is one of those sites that is tantalisingly close to the road, but easily missed! 

Ash trees are often associated with wells, and at the top left hand side of the picture you can see the trunk and leaves of the ash tree situated next to the site of the spring. It’s possible that the village is named literally after this spot, “Ash-well,” although it started off as “Exwell” in the 11th century. 

Ash trees have long been associated with Yggdrasil, the immense sacred tree in Norse mythology that is central to the cosmos, with all else existing around it. At the base of Yggdrasil was a spring where the Norns (Fate, Being, Necessity) lived. The ash was considered sacred in Britain as well as Scandinavia. 

The spring arises in a stone well house, not dissimilar to the one at nearby Greetham, and bearing an inscription that is nearly the same:

“All ye who hither come to drink. Rest not your thoughts below. Look at the sacred sign and think. Whence living waters flow.”

It was really dry when we had a look, but I’m hoping that as we edge toward the winter and have a bit more rain we’ll be able to see the small pool the spring is said to create, and perhaps I can take some sacred water.

Do you have any sacred springs or holy wells near you?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Sheela-na-Gig

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: Imbolc

Customs & Traditions: Samhain

I wondered about the traditions you have at this time of year.

At home, we celebrate both Halloween and Samhain. Usually we celebrate Halloween with a walk in the woods, pumpkin carving and a movie. There are usually a lot of sweets and treats. 

In the evening, we celebrate Samhain with a seasonal feast and our annual ritual at sundown. Sometimes that’s four or five of us, or sometimes it’s just me and my husband; depending on where the children are.

We don’t have a full dumb supper, but we do lay an extra place setting at the table and invite any of our ancestors who may be passing through to join us. When everyone has gone to bed I have my own private ritual.

There are many parts to our day that are traditional to us. We go to a river or body of water special to us and using apples to represent our deceased loved ones, we make an offering in their memory to the Earth. I like to be in my home by sundown and I light a candle that I keep burning all night, which I keep close to me. If I’m not too tired, I like to keep a vigil all night. I do some spell work, connect with my grandmother (who is in spirit) and do some journeying.

What do your festivities look like? Do you celebrate Samhain? Do you celebrate Halloween? Do you celebrate both? What do those celebrations look like? Have they melded together?

 

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: The Celtic Roots of the Modern Halloween Custom 

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: 65 Samhain Magickal Correspondences 

NEXT - Samhain: Samhain Night Blessings 

NEXT - Imbolc Magick: 40 Correspondences 

Fabulous Folklore: Stonehenge

There are many myths and legends surrounding Stonehenge, with many of these stories attempting to explain its origin. Most of these stories involve the devil, gods, giants or wizards. One such tale tells of giants holding hands, dancing in a circle on Salisbury Plain, before being turned to stone.

Another yarn describes the Devil disguising himself as a man to broker a deal with an old Irish lady who owned the stones. In return for them, he agreed to give her as a any gold coins as she could count before he finished moving them. She thought she was on to a winner with the time it would take to do this, but the Devil cheated the old woman out of a princely sum by using his powers to instantly move the stones to England, the site of Stonehenge.

After the Devil created Stonehenge he claimed that no-one could successfully count the number of stones. The antiquarian William Stukeley was quite fascinated by this story; he managed to count to 140 before stating:

"Behold the solution of the mighty problem, the magical spell is broke, which has so long perplexed the vulgar. They think 'tis an ominous thing to count the true number of the stones and whoever does so, shall certainly die after it."

Other folklore states that Merlin brought the stones over from Ireland to mark the graves of British nobles slaughtered by the Saxons and erected them on Salisbury Plain using magick.

What stories have you heard?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Silbury Hill

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Ring Stone at Avebury

NEXT - Personal Magick: My Beltane Handfasting

Fabulous Folklore: Kissing Gates

This is a Kissing Gate. They usually have a square, semi-circular or v-shaped enclosure, with a hinged gate that swings between two posts. The hinged part “kisses” both sides of the enclosure, allowing one person to pass through.

They’re commonly found at the entrance to graveyards. Much easier to negotiate than climbing over a stile and falling into the mud in your Sunday best! There doesn’t seem to be much folklore regarding them but there is a lot of debate over their name.

Some say that the name comes from when more than one person passes through the gate. In order for a person to do so successfully, they have to kiss the next person after they have negotiated the hinge, before the next person enters. It is considered good form for everyone passing through to exchange a kiss ~ meaning you need to go walking with people you’re friendly with!

Some say that they were placed at the entrances of churchyards by the Victorians so that couples could not pass through together. Passing through gates hand-in-hand was seen as symbolic of a sexual relationship. Others maintain that the term “kissing gate” comes from “kisting gate” - a place where a coffin was put so the bearers could rest before carrying it into the church.

Another theory is that would-be lovers gathered near them. Men would pass a coin or token to a woman. If she was interested, a kiss would be exchanged and she would place the token in her purse for eternity. If she was not interested, she would throw it away. It has been suggested that the following rhyme is related to kissing gates:

“There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile, he found a crooked sixpence against a crooked style. He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse, and they all lived together in a little crooked house.” That said, the Crooked House in Lavenham (see my earlier post) is also said to be the inspiration behind this poem.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Wishing Trees

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Haunted Houses

Review: Sunflower Journal (Autumn 2022)

There’s no better way to celebrate autumn than by grabbing a blanket, a cuppa and the latest edition of Sunflower Journal (@sunflowerjournalmag)

The only way I can describe this publication is utterly enchanting. It gently takes you through the seasons, providing articles for celebration and reflection, with a sprinkle of seasonal crafts.

The Autumn 2022 issue has several delicious recipes ~ Apple and Caramel Cupcakes did NOT escape my eye ~ plus all sorts of Autumn Equinox and Samhain joy.

Thank you, Carmen Rose, for sending this - I think it’s your best issue yet!

What are you waiting for? Grab a copy of Sunflower Journal for some seasonal cheer and let it keep you company as the days get colder and darker.

NEXT - Review: The Bewitching by Jill Dawson 

Fabulous Folklore: A Personal Spooky Story

So, Halloween and Samhain are nearly upon us. Let’s have some spooky stories!

Do you guys have any? I intend to share these stories and others from this post on my YouTube channel.

I have quite a few but today this one springs to mind…

Twenty one years ago I was walking down a dark, unlit country lane in Hampshire with my beloved friend, Sarah. It was the night before I was due to move to Northern Ireland and we were up late grabbing some precious time together. Down the other end of the lane was a man with a dog. I remember being in a fantastic mood; I was enjoying my evening with Sarah and was full of joy and excitement for the coming days. Add the prospect of petting a dog into the mix and I was positively bursting with happiness! My ‘phone rang and it was Tom, my then partner. He was on the overnight ferry from Belfast making his way over to England to collect me. I was chatting to Tom, hearing his news about how the first phase of our relocation had gone, and telling him what I was up to. We’d been on the call for a few minutes when I was said I going to say goodnight to allow him to attempt some sleep and because someone was approaching with a dog I wanted to pet. Sarah quietly shushed me, and I broke my sentence off. Weird. I repeated the bit about the dog to Tom and she shushed me again, looking a bit sheepish. I got off the ‘phone and asked her what was wrong and she said she didn’t want to talk about it. It seemed weird and out of character for Sarah, but I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. We carried on walking down the dark unlit passage, chatting and enjoying our time together. We got to the end of the road and I mentioned how strange it was that the man or the dog never materialised; she told me she’d answer this when we were back on lit paths. We made our way back onto the estate and she told me that the lane was called Black Dog Lane, and was supposedly haunted by a man with a big dark dog, who would wait for the dog at the end of the lane, before disappearing together.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Haunted Houses

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Friday 13th