The Blending of pagan and Christian Festivals


Ways of dealing with problems within the
community, which used a blend of Christian
and pagan rituals, was partly a product of the
interaction between Christianity and paganism.
Pagan belief demanded rituals that appeased
their gods while Christian thought required
that there was a focus on only one God. This
meant that such rituals belonging to the Wheel
of the Year had to be accommodated into a
more acceptable framework. The local clergy

therefore became agents of this assimilation
process. The mixing of liturgical, medical and
folklore medicine was a whole medley of ideas
as to how nature functioned.
The line between these ideas was very unclear
– rite blended into medical practice or was
mixed with apparently magical, and certainly
ceremonial, pre-Christian practices. This
coming together is evident in a charm ritual for
blessing the land, the Aecerbot ritual, which
was performed yearly and is still retained
centuries later on Plough Monday (usually the
first Monday after Epiphany – 6 January).
Originally an Anglo-Saxon fertility ritual, it
was gradually Christianized. In this agricultural
– or field – remedy for witchcraft, four pieces of
turf were taken from the four corners of the land,
along with other agricultural products such as
fruit, honey, herbs and milk as well as holy water.
Certain words (such as ‘grow’ and ‘increase’)
were said in Latin over these goods. The
individual turfs were then anointed and blessed
along with the fruits of the farmer’s labour, taken
to church and placed carefully under the altar.
The priest then said four masses over the altar.
The turf was placed back in the ground before
sunset, along with four crosses marked with
the name of the Apostles. Similar words and
prayers to those above were said, including a
specially written prayer calling on God, the
earth and heavens to help in bringing forth the
power of the earth for a successful crop. The
ritual was closed by the owner of the field
turning around three times while reciting
Christian prayers. There followed a similar
ritual for blessing the plough using herbs and
other sacred items. The strong similarities to
the rites calling upon Mother Earth and the Sun
God in pre-Christian rituals are quite marked.
Historic customs are often perpetuated in
seasonal festivals. One example is Homstrom
(celebrated on the first Sunday in February),
which is an old Swiss festival exulting in the end
of winter with the burning of straw people as
symbols of the end of Old Man Winter or the Old
God. A similar sort of festival has recently been
revived in Scotland round Lammas-tide.
Following the success of the 1970s film The
Wicker Man, which highlighted an ancient pagan
festival, today this gathering has been given new

meaning as an alternative music festival. The
ceremonial burnings commemorate the
sacrifices which our ancestors needed in order to
feel that they had done what was necessary to
achieve a plentiful harvest.
A similar celebration takes place at
Queensferry on the east coast of Scotland in
August, when the Burryman parades through
the town and finishes his day covered with burrs
(sticky balls of seeds), possibly representing all
the irritations which the townspeople wish to
get rid of before the winter.
If you want to celebrate in the same way you
might like to make a corn dolly in the shape of
a man

Folklorist Belief

FOLKLORISTS BELIEVE THAT the first festivals
arose because of the anxieties of early
peoples who did not understand the
forces of nature and wished to placate them.
The people noted the times and seasons when
food was plentiful or not and reacted
accordingly. Harvest and thanksgiving festivals,
for instance, are a relic from the times when
agriculture was the primary livelihood for the
majority. Festivals also provided an opportunity
for the elders to pass on knowledge and the
meaning of tribal lore to younger generations
and give them the opportunity to let off steam
in an acceptable yet controlled way.
General agreement exists that the most
ancient festivals and feasts were associated with
planting and harvest times or with honouring
the dead. These have come down to us in
modern times as celebrations with some
religious overtones. Harvest festivals are still
carried out in many Christian churches and
celebrate the fullness of the harvest. Among the
most attractive are the harvest-home festivals in
Britain where, in the autumn, parish churches
are decorated with flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Harvest suppers where a community join
together to celebrate the bountiful harvest have
their beginnings in the pagan beliefs of the three
harvest sabbats

Folklore

The majority of people who are new to spell
working will acknowledge that for them common
sense backed up by practical action is normally
more productive than theoretical or mystical
thinking. In magical working, as in everyday life,
when we have to handle a wide range of
circumstances, common sense in dealing with
them will normally produce the best results.
However, when we are confronted with the
unusual or difficult, or are faced by extreme
anxiety, even the most practical-minded among us
will theorize in order to make sense of what is
happening. We have not moved such a long way
since those times, in the distant past, when our
ancestors and people around the world routinely
believed that if the crops failed then the gods must
be angry. Practices carried out then are still with
us in the form of many of the festivals and feasts,
which still have relevance in the societies where
they began. Some of you may choose not to use
the spells in this section, but they do offer a return
to basics and give fascinating insights into how
our ancestors dealt with everyday challenges.

FOLKLORE ON A Stopped Clock

Lets examine the curious and sometimes sinister superstitions that have grown up around clocks over the years, and related how a stopped clock was often related to a death in many folk beliefs. Now this widespread superstition comes in two main variants, firstly there is the common tradition that a clock is stopped when some one dies. These days most people are familiar with it from a scene in the popular film Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), and the origin of this funereal custom has prompted much speculation over the years.

A commonly touted explanation is that folks stopped the clock when a loved one died so that the time of death was recorded accurately for when the doctor or similar vassals of officialdom came a-calling. However while this theory sounds all well and good, there is a problem with it – for it assumes that in ages past, our ancestors recorded deaths on certificates like we do today. However, death certificates requiring a doctor’s signature and attested details such as time and cause of death are a relative modern phenomena, with centralized death records only coming into effect in the late 19th century, and in the US death certificates were not introduced until 1910. Before then, deaths were recorded in parish registers and required far less details. But there are many sources that record this superstition dating back well before modern death certification came into effect.

So then, what was the origin of the custom? Another theory that has been advanced is that in olden times, clocks were large and noisy, and hence to silence the loud ticking they made, they were stopped, so to allow mourners to grieve in silence. A variation of this theory states that clocks in the room where the deceased was laid out were stopped so mourners did not worry about how long they spent paying their respects! Again both of these theories sound ostensibly plausible, but actually do not entirely fit the lore we have recorded. For many variations of the belief hold that the clock should remain stopped until the body is carried out of the house for the funeral. Then, and only then, may the clock be started again. It was therefore, a kind of symbolic gesture, acknowledging that for the dear departed time itself had stopped. Indeed this is made clear in one of the earliest references to the belief. In 1825, the Newcastle Magazine reports that –
At a northern latewake… the clock is shrouded and stopped, to signify that time has become a blank (for the deceased)
It has been also speculated that stopping the clocks is also a sign to the deceased’s spirit that their life is over and they must now move on from this life; quite literally a way of telling the dead ‘your time has ran out’. However it is also very possible that it is related to our second famous superstition about stopped clocks – that a timepiece will mysteriously stop when a loved one dies.

Now in the world of folklore, cause and effect is often not a linear process. Many superstitions originate in the same magical philosophies that give rise to sympathetic magic. Everyone knows the famous example of this – the voodoo doll, but as we saw in a previous article on witch bottles, sympathetic magic was a two way street – hence an evil curse could be rebounded back to the sender by example the magical ‘sympathies’ that power the original spell. Hence stopping a clock when someone dies may be similarly exploiting a magical sympathy, in this case to prevent the Reaper making a second call to the household too soon.

Clocks that mysteriously stop when a death occurs is often thought to be merely a hokey old plot device, with many crediting a hit song, My Grandfather’s Clock for being the origin of this superstition. Certainly this perennial favourite, written by Henry Clay Work, is a very old work, being first published back in 1876 (and if you are not familiar with it, the lyrics will be reproduced at the end of this article). And it is true too that the song has been massively influential – for it is thanks to Work’s song that we call grandfather clocks by that term – previous to this ditty they were known as long case clocks, floor clocks or tall clocks!

However what few people realize is that the song was inspired by a true life case. In the north of England, there is a little town called Piercebridge which is home to an old pub, The George Inn. Some one hundred and sixty years ago, The George was a coaching inn, run by two brothers named Jenkins. Their pride and joy was a long case clock made by the famed Thompsons of Darlington, for at the time Thompson clocks were renowned for their precision and accuracy with many famous clock-makers learning their trade at James Thompson’s workshop on High Row in Darlington. And by all accounts, The George Inn’s clock was exceptionally accurate, a very handy thing for travelers to a coaching inn.

However when one of the Jenkins brothers died, the clock began to lose time on regular basis. And when the surviving brother passed away aged 90, the clock, although fully wound, stopped. The new manager of The George attempted to get the clock running again, and despite being examined and rebuilt by Thompsons, the clock would not run. And indeed it never ran again, and can still be seen to this very day in the foyer stuck at 11.30. Now Henry Clay Work stayed at The George in 1874 and heard the tale of the stopped clock, and was thus inspired to write his famous song.

So if My Grandfather’s Clock wasn’t the origin of this superstition, where did it originate? Well according to documents left by the King’s Clockmaker, a Mr Vullamy, a clock in the royal household mysteriously stopped when George III died in 1820. And this historical oddity has been claimed to be the inspiration for the belief. However even a small amount of research will uncover a host of similar stories, and it appears that rather than being a folk belief, clocks do stop when some one dies. Now skeptics of course will claim that this is merely a trick of probability – and that obviously some people will die at the exact moment a clock that can be seen by relatives stops.

However while invoking that old favourite agent of debunking, Coincidence, seems all very rational and scientific, at the same time it is hard not to feel a little chill when reading account after account of people reporting clocks and watches stopping at the moment of a death. Particularly when you have reports of modern digital and electrical timepieces suddenly stopping, and even multiple clocks stopping when the death occurs. It is apparently a common enough phenomena for many doctors and nurses to have noted it as something that happens often when some one dies.

Some have even theorized it may be some electro-magnetic effect, generated biologically when some one dies that is to blame, for it is a scientific fact some people’s bodies do carry a certain electro-magnetic charge that will stop any watch they wear. Perhaps when we start to see ourselves more as complex electromagnetic events than just bags of meat, when biology gains a deeper understanding of the electrical energies that are so vital to making us living, thinking creatures, science will get us an answer. Until then however we cannot rule out the Reaper’s bony fingers stopping the clocks to say “Time’s up…”

MY GRANDFATHER’S CLOCK
by Henry Clay Work

My grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride;
But it stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life’s seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopp’d short — never to go again —
When the old man died.
In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy;
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know
And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride;
But it stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life’s seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died.
My grandfather said that of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found;
For it wasted no time, and had but one desire —
At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place — not a frown upon its face,
And its hands never hung by its side.
But it stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life’s seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopp’d short — never to go again —
When the old man died.
It rang an alarm in the dead of the night —
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight —
That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side;
But it stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life’s seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died 

The Verdanthrope

In the deep recesses of the forest, a tale whispered by ancient trees and dreaded even by the shadows unfolded. The Verdanthrope — a creature carved from moss, branches, and the dark secrets of the woods — was more than mere legend. It was a dire warning.

Barely twice the height of a man, its unassuming size masked its sheer power and dread. Wherever humanity’s greed reached, encroaching upon nature’s sanctum, the Verdanthrope responded not just to those with the axe but to those who whispered orders in gilded halls, sealing nature’s fate with ink and parchment.

Villagers shared hushed tales of decision-makers who, after endorsing vast clearings, vanished from their opulent homes, leaving rooms filled with an eerie cold and the faint scent of moss. The Verdanthrope didn’t simply target. It stalked, blending seamlessly with nature, watching, waiting before it unleashed its dread.

“It doesn’t attack,” a shaken foreman once muttered, “It absorbs. You’re there one moment, and then… engulfed in green, lost to the forest.” Whispers spread of its ability to manipulate shadows, making the very forest come alive, turning every rustle, every creak into a harbinger of doom.

Its presence was a pulsating fear. While no one had seen it in its full terror, its silhouette, eerily human but wreathed in twisted branches, haunted dreams. Those who felt its presence spoke of a paralysing dread, the chilling realisation of being watched by eyes unseen but always felt.

Yet, beyond the terror it evoked lay an undeniable truth: The Verdanthrope was the forest’s last line of defence, a protector born from the heart of nature. It was a living testament to the price of disturbing the delicate balance. For in its silent watch, it bore a message — respect the balance, or face the verdant wrath of the forest’s guardian

Slavic Spirit: Leshi

Leshi has been known and honored as a woodland spirit or even Deity for centuries. Eastern Slavs call Him “Leshi”, “Lesovik” or “Lisovyk” (although the term Lesovik sometimes may refer to a slightly different woodland spirit), “Lyasun”, “Polisun”, “Visel”, “Blud”, “Lesun”, and sometimes even simply “Les” (Forest). Some also call Him Master of the Woods, Forest Father, Forest Uncle, Wild Man, Woodland Demon, and even Forest Saint and Forest Cherub.

The earliest time He was included in Slavic Divine Pantheon is XVIII century (Pantheon published by Popov, 1768). They say that even in XIX century, peasants claimed that Leshi was more likely to exist (more real to them) than monkeys: “My uncle and many other villagers said they encountered Leshi, yet none of them ever saw a monkey in their lives.” In the Carpathian Mountains, legends of Leshi mingle with the ones of a Bigfoot – Hutsul people call this spirit Chuhaister and believe He helps people find their way out of the woods and eats malevolent spirits like Nyavki.

He appears as “tall as the tallest tree in the woods” or “as short as the shortest weed”. He can take a form of any woodland animal or even a person: a man, a woman, or a child. However, whenever He assumes a human form, a watchful eye can tell this is no ordinary person, for He always has some defect that points out Him belonging to the Spirit world, such as absence of one (right) ear, eyebrows, or eyelashes, or a large wart that seems to be shifting all over His face, His eyes may appear crossed or have a strange green glow about them; His clothes has no buttons, and the edges of his shirt or coat are thrown right over left (normally it should be left over right on man’s clothes), or may be worn inside out or backwards. His long greenish-gray hair is always combed towards the left side. He may also be discovered if a man looks at Him over right ear of his horse. As many other spirits, Leshi does not wear a belt.

Bears and horned owls are His favorites. He may appear as a horned owl Himself or have one upon His shoulder, and his laughter sounds just like the cry of the horned owl. Poles even believe that Leshi takes a form of an owl sitting on an old tree and avoided cutting such trees down. Some Russians say, He could be found not on a tree but in a hole on an old tree: “In a hole in a tree you’d see an owl, or a Satan Himself”.

Magpies are considered His messengers, for they always make a lot of noise whenever they spot a human in the woods (to be honest, magpies also announce presence of other predators). Generally, all animals and everything in the woods, down to the smallest weed, obey to Him. This is why hunters and shepherds were considered magical people, for in order to provide a successful result of a hunt or keep all the domestic animals in the herd safe, they needed to make a pact with Leshi. Even the woodcutters could not cut a tree down in the woods without asking Him first, for in the woods He is absolute master.

Leshi travels on His own special trails, or the ones left by the animals, but no one could ever see His tracks, for the wind blows them over, or even if someone is lucky (or unlucky) to find them, he or she may be utterly confused, for He wears shoes on the wrong feet or sometimes even two left shoes on both of His feet.

Leshi is considered generally benevolent, although sometimes He is known to play pranks on people, especially those who come into the woods on the wrong time, without a blessing, or act negligent towards the forest. When one keeps circling in the forest and can’t find his or her way out, people say: “Leshi is leading him or her in a circle.” In order to confuse one on his path, Leshi only has to walk around that person in a circle. Sometimes, He may also scare people in the woods with mad laughter. To protect oneself from Leshi’s pranks, one needed to change himself according to Leshi’s way: twist all of his clothes inside out and put it on, and also switch shoes and put them on the wrong feet. Another way to break Leshi’s charms is for one to look in between his legs or say Leshi’s favorite saying: “I walked, I found, I lost.” Then Leshi is supposed to come out from behind the tree with words: “You figured it out!” and disappear after that. They also say that Leshi does not like salt and would never approach a fire to which salt was added. This may actually spur from Christian belief that all demons hate salt, for it is blessed in the church and used in Christian rituals (such as blessing of the water). An amulet against Leshi was “lutovka” – a basswood chip with no bark on. However, best protection against Leshi was knowing and respecting the “ways of the forest” (no wandering off if you don’t know where you are going, no following animal trails unless you’re a hunter, and of course, treating the forest and its inhabitants with respect – no dumping or cursing while in the woods!), as well as offerings: bread and two hard-boiled eggs, a gingerbread cookie, or a crepe. Actually, they say Leshi never forgives those who curse in His presence and sometimes takes away children who were cursed by their parents: “May Leshi take you!” They say that as soon as a woman in labor, exhausted from pain and effort says these words, her child immediately becomes property of Leshi, and He would take the child away as soon as the opportunity presents itself. These “kidnapped” children become His children, and if no one finds and blesses (or names) them within seven years, they may become malevolent spirits that lure passbyers, gatherers, and travelers into the woods to their death.

Vepss people (a Karelo-Finnish ethnicity in the Russian North) believe that Leshi needs to be thanked with food that bear prefers. Also, in the Russian North, woodcutters left little “notes” for “the Saint of the Woods” under the rowan tree – once they placed a branch of rowan and several rowan sticks against their heart.

Shepherds made “pacts” with Leshi by throwing a key and lock into the woods, in the hope that Leshi would use it to “lock” the herd in one place (or “lock” teeth to the wolves). This service was paid for with milk, and occasionally, a couple of cows. When a cow went missing, the shepherd or the mistress threw bread over the heads of remaining animals – this was an offering to Leshi in exchange for the missing cow.

Leshi was honored on certain holidays, such as Easter – peasants left an Easter egg on a woodland stump or at the crossroads of woodland trails (tentative date of the holiday uninfluenced by Christianity falls on April 4), Agafon’s Day (Leshi’s “Birthday”) – on this day He was believed to throw the sheaves of grain around if not paid proper respect, and His Farewell Day (October 4/17), when He was best not to be disturbed as He was getting ready for winter.
Leshi is normally envisioned as a solitary spirit. Two Leshis in one wood are believed to fight over their territory, although, according to Ukrainian beliefs, they may occasionally play a game of cards. The losing Leshi has to send His squirrels and hares into the forest of the winner (this is how Ukrainians explained mass migration of wild animals during a wildfire). In Russia, tales of mystical “battle of cards” of 1859 exist. They say that Western Russian and Siberian Leshis had a game of cards, and Siberian Leshi had to send a whole “army” of taiga hares over Ural Mountains into Western Russia.

Despite being a loner, Leshi is believed to have a wife – a hairy woman with tangled hair and breasts so large She needs to throw them over Her shoulders. Lesovichka (Leshi’s wife) is believed to have similar powers to Leshi, although tales about Her are not as common; however, her appearance is sometimes used to explain Leshi’s occasional liking for human girls and women (who were also considered more likely to be attacked by bears, and therefore avoided going in the woods alone or without offerings). Some also believed that Leshi could not marry a human woman unless she was cursed by her parents. Sometimes, Leshi is also believed to have a swamp Kikimora for a wife.

It is also believed that Leshi is afraid of calico cats, dogs that have a pair of light spots over their eyes (seer-dogs or Yarchuky), black roosters, as well as some other spirits, such as Domovoi and Bannik. He also rivals with Vodyanoi by trying to plant things in the water (Vodyanoi’s domain) and thus creating swamps.

One of the items associated with Leshi, aside from His traveler’s staff is the horn that Leshi uses to summon the woodland animals (in some tales, He just whistles instead). Generally, Leshi is not known to carry too many things with Him – at times, He may appear to mushroom pickers as another forager, holding a basket of mushrooms.

Good or evil, merciful or tricky, Leshi is the Forest, its very essence: good and bad, dangerous and resourceful. Let’s not forget this and respect the woods just as if they were a living being!

Let’s live in harmony with ourselves and Nature!

Corn Dolly’s

“An ancient and widespread custom across northern Europe was related to the cutting of the ‘last sheaf’ of the crop. The belief was that the ‘spirit of the corn’ was present in the grain; as the harvest proceeded, this spirit would become concentrated in the remaining crop and the final sheaf to be cut would contain its distilled essence.

Shown: Corn dollies collected by anthropologist Robert Craig Maclagan (1839 – 1919). Left Cailleach from Islay; right Maighdean Bhuana from Argyllshire

“In Gaelic tradition, the last sheaf or sguab mu dheireadh would usually be barley or oats, or a mix including rye. Once cut, the sheaf was crafted into a superstitious charm, which could take the form of a simple plait of straws tied up with ribbon, or may be crafted into a corn dolly and even clothed. The charm was displayed in the home over winter until it was time to start the growing process over again – often it was fed to the birds, horses, or ploughed back into the field to replenish the soil.

“As Calum MacLean writes (Scottish Studies, vol. 8, 1964), traditions relating to the last sheaf were found all over Scotland in various forms and with various names. In Gaelic it was called the maighdean-bhuana (the harvest maiden), the cailleach-bhuaineadh (the old woman of the harvest), or clàidheag, which became the Scots clyack.

“In some places it was the youngest female who cut the sheaf; in others it was the oldest person in the community. It was sometimes considered good luck, sometimes bad.

“It’s fascinating to listen to the different explanations – for example, the recording of William Forbes speaking to Ann Ross in Highland Perthshire in 1964 (Track ID 75601) or Janet Shaw speaking to Calum Maclean in Jura in 1953 (Track ID 6998).
Different localities had different names for their harvest celebrations. It was often called the ‘Harvest Home,’ but it was also known as a ‘Kirn’, a ‘Meal and Ale,’ a ‘Muckle Supper’ or Deireadh Buana in Gaelic.”

“These were events in which the the whole community took part and served as a thank you to those who had helped make the harvest successful. There would be plenty of food and drink, as well as games, divination, music, singing and dancing.

“There is a cheerful recording from John MacDonald in Elgin, with an explanation of the last sheaf, a dram and the tune ‘Harvest Home’ played on the melodeon (Track ID 25999). [Each of these audio tracks is linked in the article] Calum Maclean interviewed Kate MacRae from Lochalsh about the feasting and dancing at the Fèis Deireadh Bhuana (Track ID 1283).

“And in Orkney, Ethel Findlater spoke to Alan Bruford about the ‘Muckle Supper,’ which used to take place in people’s homes before the village halls were built (Track ID 64275): “After the harvest wis all in and they hed their potatoes up and everything ready for the winter, and the cattle all inside, they had a jollification they called the ‘muckle supper.’ And it was just held in the farm house and in the barn…the ones that had been helping them in the harvest time they would all invite…Plenty to eat and plenty of fun. Somebody would maybe sing a song or two…and then they danced ‘til maybe four o’clock in the morning!””

Spiders in Myth and Folklore

Nearly all cultures have some sort of spider mythology, and folktales about these crawly creatures abound!

Hopi (Native American): In the Hopi creation story, Spider Woman is the goddess of the earth. Together with Tawa, the sun god, she creates the first living beings. Eventually, the two of them create First Man and First Woman – Tawa conceptualizes them while Spider Woman molds them from clay.

Greece: According to Greek legend, there was once a woman named Arachne who bragged that she was the best weaver around. This didn’t sit well with Athena, who was sure her own work was better. After a contest, Athena saw that Arachne’s work was indeed of higher quality, so she angrily destroyed it. Despondent, Arachne hanged herself, but Athena stepped in and turned the rope into a cobweb, and Arachne into a spider. Now Arachne can weave her lovely tapestries forever, and her name is where we get the word arachnid.

Africa: In West Africa, the spider is portrayed as a trickster god, much like Coyote in the Native American stories. Called Anansi, he is forever stirring up mischief to get the better of other animals. In many stories, he is a god associated with creation, either of wisdom or storytelling. His tales were part of a rich oral tradition and found their way to Jamaica and the Caribbean by way of the slave trade. Today, Anansi stories still appear in Africa.
Cherokee (Native American): A popular Cherokee tale credits Grandmother Spider with bringing light to the world. According to legend, in the early times, everything was dark and no one could see at all because the sun was on the other side of the world. The animals agreed that someone must go and steal some light and bring the sun back so people could see. Possum and Buzzard both gave it a shot, but failed – and ended up with a burned tail and burned feathers, respectively. Finally, Grandmother Spider said she would try to capture the light. She made a bowl of clay, and using her eight legs, rolled it to where the sun sat, weaving a web as she traveled. Gently, she took the sun and placed it in the clay bowl, and rolled it home, following her web. She traveled from east to west, bringing light with her as she came, and brought the sun to the people.

Celtic: Sharon Sinn of Living Library Blog says that in Celtic myth, the spider was typically a beneficial creature. She explains that the spider also has ties to the spinning loom and weaving, and suggests that this indicates an older, goddess-focused connection that has not been fully explored. The goddess Arianrhod is sometimes associated with spiders, in her role as a weaver of mankind’s fate.

In several cultures, spiders are credited with saving the lives of great leaders. In the Torah, there is a story of David, who would later become King of Israel, being pursued by soldiers sent by King Saul.

David hid in a cave, and a spider crawled in and built a huge web across the entrance. When the soldiers saw the cave, they didn’t bother to search it – after all, no one could be hiding inside it if the spider web was undisturbed. A parallel story appears in the life of the prophet Mohammed, who hid in a cave when fleeing his enemies. A giant tree sprouted in front of the cave, and a spider built a web between the cave and the tree, with similar results.

Some parts of the world see the spider as a negative and malevolent being. In Taranto, Italy, during the seventeenth century, a number of people fell victim to a strange malady which became known as Tarantism, attributed to being bitten by a spider. Those afflicted were seen to dance frenetically for days at a time. It’s been suggested that this was actually a psychogenic illness, much like the fits of the accusers in the Salem Witch Trials.

Spiders in Magic
If you find a spider roaming around your home, it’s considered bad luck to kill them. From a practical standpoint, they do eat a lot of nuisance insects, so if possible, just let them be or release them outside.

Rosemary Ellen Guiley says in her Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca that in some traditions of folk magic, a black spider “eaten between two slices of buttered bread” will imbue a witch with great power. If you’re not interested in eating spiders, some traditions say that catching a spider and carrying it in a silk pouch around your neck will help prevent illness.

In some Neopagan traditions, the spider web itself is seen as a symbol of the Goddess and of the creation of life. Incorporate spider webs into meditation or spellwork relating to Goddess energy.

An old English folk saying reminds us that if we find a spider on our clothing, it means money is coming our way. In some variations, the spider on the clothes means simply that it’s going to be a good day. Either way, don’t disregard the message

Wyrd Scrying Spell


You will need the following items for this spell:

A wooden bowl
A small knife or chisel
Incense
Candle wax (optional)
Water
Begin by placing the wooden bowl on a flat surface. Take the chisel or knife and etch runes with speicifc and personal meaning into it. You may also wish to write your name to make it personalized. Get into a comfortable position. Fill the bowl with water now, and let it settle. Light the incense, of your choice, and spend a moment relaxing quietly, clearing your mind.

Call upon a specific deity that you wish to work with. Some like to call upon the Norns at this time, because they are the weavers of fate, and you will be attempting to read what they’ve woven. You may say something such as: “Three sisters, weavers of Wyrd, help me to see into the web that makes up the fates of myself, those I am connected to, and those I have yet to meet”. Close your eyes. In your mind, picture three women sitting in a circle with thread between them. This thread is wyrd. As they spin it, focus on it as much as you can.

Open your eyes, and peer into the water in the bowl. Spend as much time as you need looking into the waters. You may see something now, or you may not. Sometimes you will receive dreams later on. When calling upon the Norns you may wish to specify that you wish to receive dreams, if this is what you want.
An alternative to this would be to put drops of wax into the water and try to interpret them. 

The Berkeley Witch

In English folklore, the Berkeley Witch was a wealthy woman who lived during the time of the Norman Conquest in the town of Berkeley in England’s heartland. She was wealthy and well liked, and lived luxuriously. Her secret, kept until she was close to death, was that her wealth was given her by the Devil, in a pact for her soul. Apparently, she earned the name witch because she sold her soul to the Devil, which reflects the once-common belief that all witches made diabolic pacts.
According to lore, one evening as the Berkeley Witch ate at her dining table, her pet raven gave a single, harsh note and dropped dead. The woman recognized this as a sign that her end was near and that she would have to live up to her end of the bargain with the Devil. The beginning of the end was an onslaught of bad news, the first being the death of her oldest son and his entire family. She was so overwhelmed that she took to bed and grew weaker by the day. She confessed her pact to her two other children, who were a monk and a nun. It was determined that the only way to keep her out of the Devil’s clutches was to wrap her body in a stag’s skin, place it in a stone coffin bound with three magic IRON chains — for iron drives away the Devil and his hordes — and place the coffin upright in church. Psalms and masses were to be sung and said over the coffin for 40 days and 40 nights. Meanwhile, if the coffin were not violated by the Devil by the third day, her body could be buried in the church’s graveyard.
On the first night after her death, a horde of Demons appeared and broke one iron chain. They reappeared on the second night and broke a second chain. But the third chain remained impervious to the Demons’ efforts, despite the fact that the very church shook on its foundation, and doors splintered on their hinges.
Then a hideous figure appeared — the Devil himself — and bade the Berkeley Witch follow him. From inside the coffin she replied she could not, for she was bound. “I will unbind you, to your great loss,” the Devil answered. He tore away the chain, smashed the coffin and seized the living corpse of the witch. He strode outside, where there waited a huge, Demonic black horse covered with spikes. He threw the witch on the horse, and her corpse was pierced through with spikes. Her screams reportedly could be heard for miles, but for naught: the Devil leaped up on the horse and rode away into the night.

Yuxa, or Yuha (“Sly Snake”), the Queen of Serpents in Turkic folklore. 

 She manifests in every serpent that is at least 100 years old. She can become a beautiful maiden, and makes an excellent fairy wife.

A human husband must never speak of what she really is, or their family life will end, and if there have been no children, she may even kill him. But if they do have offspring, she leaves him to care for her children, and returns to her supernatural realm, both sad and angry.

There are many tales of a youth who meets Yuxa and falls in love; more rarely it is a maiden who loves Yuxa, in which case, as a generality, she will manifest as a young man.

In her natural form she is a serpent with a dragon’s head and can breathe fire. Sometimes she has two forelimbs, sometimes none, as she resembles a legless lizard aka sheltopusik, or an amphiuma. Her tail is a barbed weapon. She can protect or terrify.

===

Art: “Salamander” (1886), but more like an emphiuma, by British artist, author, printer and book designer Charles de Sousy Ricketts (1866-1931). Charles’ lifelong romantic partner was portrait painter Charles Haslewood Shannon (1863-1937) , met in art school. The “two Charleses” founded Vale Press and designed, illustrated, and printed books togethter. 

WATER FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS

Water is a feminine energy and highly connected with the aspects of the Goddess. Used for healing, cleansing, and purification, Water is related to the West, and associated with passion and emotion.

In many spiritual paths, including Catholicism, consecrated Water can be found – holy water is just regular water with salt added to it, and usually a blessing or invocation is said above it. In Wiccan covens, such water is used to consecrate the circle and all the tools within it. As you may expect, water is associated with the colour blue, and the Tarot suit of Cup cards.

Let’s look at some of the many magical myths and legends surrounding water:

WATER SPIRITS

Many cultures feature water spirits as part of their folklore and mythology. To the Greeks, a water spirit known as a naiad often presided over a spring or stream. The Romans had a similar entity found in the Camenae. Among a number of the ethnic groups of Cameroon, the water spirits called jengu serve as protective deities, which is not uncommon among other African diasporic faiths.

For residents of the British Isles, many local bodies of water such as streams and wells were host to water spirits – and often these took on the role of local deity.

Historians say it became a popular custom to toss a bit of silver — coins, pins, etc — into a sacred body of water as an offering to the god or goddess of that area.

DOWSING FOR WATER

Dowsing is the ability to find a water source in a previously unknown area via divination. In many parts of Europe professional dowsers were hired to locate new places to dig wells.

This was typically done with the use of a forked stick, or sometimes a copper rod. The stick was held out in front of the dowser, who walked around until the stick or rod began to vibrate. The vibrations signalled the presence of water beneath the ground, and this was where villagers would dig their new well.

During the Middle Ages this was a popular technique for locating new springs to use as wells, but it later became associated with negative sorcery. By the seventeenth century, most dowsing had been outlawed because of its connection to the devil.

OCEAN BEINGS

The Orkney Islands are the home of a number of fascinating myths and legends about the magical power of the sea. The ocean is the home of Fin-men and mermaids, selkies and sea monsters. In Celtic mythology, a water horse called a kelpie haunts the shores and rivers of Scotland and Ireland.

If you’re planning a trip to the beach, be sure to read up on Seven Ways to Use Beach Magic.

WATER MAGIC AND THE MOON

The moon is tied to the ebb and flow of tides around the world. A phenomenon known as lunar tide occurs during the full and new moon phases – during these phases, the gravitational forces create a very high high tide, and a very low low tide.

Use water for divination by scrying during the full moon.

COUNTRY FOLKLORE

An English rural custom says that a woman who splashes too much water around as she does laundry or washes dishes will be cursed with a husband who drinks to excess.

Spilling water from a bucket on the way back from a well or spring can bring misfortune – unless, of course, you return to the source and make an offering to appease the spirits of the place.

In parts of Appalachia, it is believed that if you dream of crossing water there will be an illness in your family. If your dream includes muddy or stagnant water, then back luck is on the way.

In Hoodoo and other folk magic traditions, vervain is used to make Van-Van oil – this is simply a blend of vervain and a base oil, simmered and strained. This oil is used to provide magical protection, and clear away evil energies.

In many forms of folklore, vervain is associated with workings that decrease lust – however, the scent of vervain is a well-known aphrodisiac.

WATER GODS AND GODDESSES

These are some of the many deities associated with water:

Gong Gong (Chinese)

Llyr (Welsh)

Manannan mac Lir (Irish)

Namaka (Hawaiian)

Neptune (Roman)

Njord (Norse)

Oceanus (Greek)

Poseidon (Greek)

Sedna (Inuit)

Sobek (Egyptian)

Thetis (Greek)

Yemaya (Yoruba)

WATER FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS

Water is a feminine energy and highly connected with the aspects of the Goddess. Used for healing, cleansing, and purification, Water is related to the West, and associated with passion and emotion.

In many spiritual paths, including Catholicism, consecrated Water can be found – holy water is just regular water with salt added to it, and usually a blessing or invocation is said above it. In Wiccan covens, such water is used to consecrate the circle and all the tools within it. As you may expect, water is associated with the colour blue, and the Tarot suit of Cup cards.

Let’s look at some of the many magical myths and legends surrounding water:

WATER SPIRITS

Many cultures feature water spirits as part of their folklore and mythology. To the Greeks, a water spirit known as a naiad often presided over a spring or stream. The Romans had a similar entity found in the Camenae. Among a number of the ethnic groups of Cameroon, the water spirits called jengu serve as protective deities, which is not uncommon among other African diasporic faiths.

For residents of the British Isles, many local bodies of water such as streams and wells were host to water spirits – and often these took on the role of local deity.

Historians say it became a popular custom to toss a bit of silver — coins, pins, etc — into a sacred body of water as an offering to the god or goddess of that area.

DOWSING FOR WATER

Dowsing is the ability to find a water source in a previously unknown area via divination. In many parts of Europe professional dowsers were hired to locate new places to dig wells.

This was typically done with the use of a forked stick, or sometimes a copper rod. The stick was held out in front of the dowser, who walked around until the stick or rod began to vibrate. The vibrations signalled the presence of water beneath the ground, and this was where villagers would dig their new well.

During the Middle Ages this was a popular technique for locating new springs to use as wells, but it later became associated with negative sorcery. By the seventeenth century, most dowsing had been outlawed because of its connection to the devil.

OCEAN BEINGS

The Orkney Islands are the home of a number of fascinating myths and legends about the magical power of the sea. The ocean is the home of Fin-men and mermaids, selkies and sea monsters. In Celtic mythology, a water horse called a kelpie haunts the shores and rivers of Scotland and Ireland.

If you’re planning a trip to the beach, be sure to read up on Seven Ways to Use Beach Magic.

WATER MAGIC AND THE MOON

The moon is tied to the ebb and flow of tides around the world. A phenomenon known as lunar tide occurs during the full and new moon phases – during these phases, the gravitational forces create a very high high tide, and a very low low tide.

Use water for divination by scrying during the full moon.

COUNTRY FOLKLORE

An English rural custom says that a woman who splashes too much water around as she does laundry or washes dishes will be cursed with a husband who drinks to excess.

Spilling water from a bucket on the way back from a well or spring can bring misfortune – unless, of course, you return to the source and make an offering to appease the spirits of the place.

In parts of Appalachia, it is believed that if you dream of crossing water there will be an illness in your family. If your dream includes muddy or stagnant water, then back luck is on the way.

In Hoodoo and other folk magic traditions, vervain is used to make Van-Van oil – this is simply a blend of vervain and a base oil, simmered and strained. This oil is used to provide magical protection, and clear away evil energies.

In many forms of folklore, vervain is associated with workings that decrease lust – however, the scent of vervain is a well-known aphrodisiac.

WATER GODS AND GODDESSES

These are some of the many deities associated with water:

Gong Gong (Chinese)

Llyr (Welsh)

Manannan mac Lir (Irish)

Namaka (Hawaiian)

Neptune (Roman)

Njord (Norse)

Oceanus (Greek)

Poseidon (Greek)

Sedna (Inuit)

Sobek (Egyptian)

Thetis (Greek)

Yemaya (Yoruba)

FIRE FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS

Connected to the South, Fire is a purifying, masculine energy, and connected to strong will and energy. Fire both creates and destroys, and symbolises the fertility of the God.

Fire can heal or harm, and can bring about new life or destroy the old and worn. In Tarot, Fire is connected to the Wand suit (although in some interpretations, it is associated with Swords). For colour correspondences, use red and orange for Fire associations.

Let’s look at some of the many magical myths and legends surrounding fire:

FIRE SPIRITS & ELEMENTAL BEINGS:

In many magical traditions, fire is associated with various spirits and elemental beings. For instance, the salamander is an elemental entity connected with the power of fire – and this isn’t your basic garden lizard, but a magical, fantastical creature. Other fire-associated beings include the phoenix – the bird that burns itself to death and then is reborn from its own ashes – and dragons, known in many cultures as fire-breathing destroyers.

THE MAGIC OF FIRE:

Fire has been important to mankind since the beginning of time. It was not only a method of cooking one’s food, but it could mean the difference between life and death on a frigid winter night.

To keep a fire burning in the hearth was to ensure that one’s family might survive another day. Fire is typically seen as a bit of a magical paradox, because in addition to its role as destroyer, it can also create and regenerate. The ability to control fire – to not only harness it, but use it to suit our own needs – is one of the things that separates humans from animals.

However, according to ancient myths, this has not always been the case.

Fire appears in legends going back to the classical period. The Greeks told the story of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods in order to give it to man – thus leading to the advancement and development of civilisation itself. This theme, of the theft of fire, appears in a number of myths from different culture. A Cherokee legend tells of Grandmother Spider, who stole fire from the sun, hid it in a clay pot, and gave it to the People so they could see in the darkness. A Hindu text known as the Rig Veda related the story of Mātariśvan, the hero who stole fire that had been hidden away from the eyes of man.

Fire is sometimes associated with deities of trickery and chaos – probably because while we may think we have domination over it, ultimately it is the fire itself that is in control. Fire is often connected with Loki, the Norse god of chaos, and the Greek Hephaestus (who appears in Roman legend as Vulcan) the god of metalworking, who demonstrates no small amount of deceit.

FIRE AND FOLKTALES:

Fire appears in a number of folktales from around the world, many of which have to do with magical superstitions. In parts of England, the shape of cinders which jumped out of the hearth often foretold a major event – a birth, a death, or the arrival of an important visitor.

In parts of the Pacific Islands, hearths were guarded by small statues of old women. The old woman, or hearth mother, protected the fire and prevented it from burning out.

The Devil himself appears in some fire-related folktales. In parts of Europe, it is believed that if a fire won’t draw properly, it’s because the Devil is lurking nearby. In other areas, people are warned not to toss bread crusts into the fireplace, because it will attract the Devil (although there’s no clear explanation of what the Devil might want with burnt bread crusts).

Japanese children are told that if they play with fire, they will become chronic bed-wetters – a perfect way to prevent pyromania!

A German folktale claims that fire should never be given away from the house of a woman within the first six weeks after childbirth.

Another tale says that if a maid is starting a fire from tinder, she should use strips from men’s shirts as tinder – cloth from women’s garments will never catch a flame.

DEITIES ASSOCIATED WITH FIRE:

Bel (Celtic)

Brighid (Celtic)

Hephaestus (Greek)

Hestia (Greek)

Loki (Norse)

Pele (Hawaiian)

Svarog (Slavic)

Vesta (Roman)

Vulcan (Roman)

AIR FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS

Air is the element of the East, connected to the soul and the breath of life. If you’re doing a working related to communication, wisdom or the powers of the mind, Air is the element to focus on. Air carries away your troubles, blows away strife, and carries positive thoughts to those who are far away. Air is associated with the colours yellow and white, and connects to the Tarot suit of Swords.

EARTH FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS

Each of the four cardinal elements – earth, air, fire and water – can be incorporated into magical practice and ritual. Depending on your needs and intent, you may find yourself drawn to one of these elements more so that the others.

Connected to the North, Earth is considered the ultimate feminine element. The Earth is fertile and stable, associated with the Goddess. The planet itself is a ball of life, and as the Wheel of the Year turns, we can watch all the aspects of life take place in the Earth: birth, life, death, and finally rebirth.

The Earth is nurturing and stable, solid and firm, full of endurance and strength. In color correspondences, both green and brown connect to the Earth, for fairly obvious reasons! In Tarot readings, the Earth is related to the suit of Pentacles or Coins.

Let’s look at some of the many magical myths and legends surrounding earth.

EARTH SPIRITS

In many cultures, earth spirits are beings that are tied to the land and plant kingdom. Typically, these beings are associated with another realm, the forces of nature that inhabit a particular physical space, and landmarks like rocks and tees.

In Celtic mythology, the realm of the Fae is known to exist in a parallel space with the land of man. The Fae are part of the Tuatha de Danaan, and live underground. It’s important to watch out for them, because they’re known for their ability to trick mortals into joining them.

Gnomes feature prominently in European legend and lore.

Although it’s believed that their name was coined by a Swiss alchemist named Paracelsus, these elemental beings have long been associated in one form or another with the ability to move underground.

Likewise, elves often appear in stories about the land. Jacob Grimm collected a number of stories about elves while compiling his book Teutonic Mythology, and says that elves appear in the Eddas as supernatural, magic-using beings.

They appear in a number of old English and Norse legends.

THE MAGIC OF THE LAND

Ley lines were first suggested to the general public by an amateur archaeologist named Alfred Watkins in the early 1920s. Ley lines are believed to be magical, mystical alignments in the earth. One school of thought believes that these lines carry positive or negative energy. It is also believed that where two or more lines converge, you have a place of great power and energy. It is believed that many well-known sacred sites, such as Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, Sedona and Machu Picchu sit at the convergence of several lines.

In some countries, spirits associated with various landmarks became minor, localized deities. The ancient Romans accepted the existence of genius loci, which were protective spirits associated with specific locations. In Norse myth, the Landvættir are spirits, or wights, directly associated with the land itself.

Today, many modern Pagans honor the spirits of the land by celebrating Earth Day, and use it as a time to reaffirm their roles as stewards of the earth.

DEITIES ASSOCIATED WITH EARTH

If you’re hoping to do an earth meditation or ritual, you can honor some of the different gods and goddesses associated with the land.

If you follow a Celtic-based path, consider reaching out to Brighid or Cernunnos. In the Roman pantheon, Cybele is a mother goddess who is associated with the earth. For Greek or Hellenic Pagans, Dionysus or Gaia might be appropriate to call upon. If your belief is more along the lines of Egyptian or Kemetic reconstruction, there’s always Geb, who is associated with the soil. Do you have an interest in Hawaiian gods and goddesses? Consider working with Pele, who is associated not only with volcanoes, but with the islands themselves.

Folk Medicine and Remedies

Prickling in the legs

Prickling in the legs can drive you crazy when you’re trying to go to sleep. One remedy is to eat banana – there’s a lot of potassium in bananas and the prickling sensation can come from a potassium deficiency.

Chafe

When you’ve gotten a chafe, you can crack a couple of eggs and pick off the membranes closest to the shells. Put these on the chafe and you’ll se that it heals over night.

Burns

Egg white is a good thing when you’ve gotten a burn. Smear a layer over the spot and you’ll see that it eases the pain rapidly. It also prevents blistering.

Sunburn

Put a thin layer of cooling and soothing natural yogurt on the part of your skin that’s burnt Let it sit for a couple of hours and then rinse it off with water.

Throat infection

Grate a carrot, put it in the middle of a big handkerchief and fold it. Dip a piece of cloth in ice cold water and wring it out. Put the pack on your neck and put the cold piece of cloth on top of it, then a wool scarf on top of that again. Let it work for 45 minutes or until it feels warm.

Onion wrap for ear infection

Chop a heaped teaspoon of onion, put it in a handkerchief and warm it on a saucepan lid. Place the warm onion pack on the ear and put a small corner behind it. To hold the pack in place, you put on a cap that you can tie under the chin. The child should lie with the infected ear against the pillow to keep the wrap warm.

Earache

If you have an earache, you can take a piece of fresh ginger and put it against the ear. Squeeze it a bit, and the juice will ease the pain.

Headache

Is there really anything worse than having a bad headache? To lie there in bed just wanting to chop your head off. That’s not what I would recommend, although it surely would cure the migraine it self. Here are some more or less useful tips against mild pain and real migraine.

  • Headaches may come from dehydration, drink a couple of glasses of water.
  • Chamomile tea made from the flowers is antiseptic but also analgesic.
  • Acupressure: massage the small pit between the ears, in the middle of the thumb grip or the point an inch out from the corner of the eye.
  • Massage does, even if it doesn’t help, at least feel good. Concentrate on shoulders and neck.
  • Migraine tea: Pour 1.5 – 2 dl (~5.1 – 6.8 fl oz) of hot (not boiled) water over 2 tsp of grated horse radish, strain and drink immediately.
  • Keep a small bottle with 3 drops of essential lavender oil in Almond oil. Rub it on your temples.
  • Migraine: Store some fresh Featherfoil leaves in aluminum foil in the freezer. Chew on some as soon as you notice the first symptoms. If you can’t stand the taste, there are capsules and pills with Featherfoil.

Stomach problems

You could have many different stomach problems. Aches, pains, constipation and diarrhea are just some examples.

  • Ginger: When you have indigestion and bellyaches fresh ginger might help. Grate or chop it finely and mix it in your food, or chew some thin slices after the meal. Ginger is good for most stomach problems, f. ex motion sickness, constipation and summer diarrhea.
  • Fennel seeds: Chew them or make tea from them against gas. To make tea you let 2 tsp of seeds steep 15-20 minutes in hot water.

Diaper rash

A sore bottom is very common for children who are in diapers. A very good advice: Stop using all ointments! Wet naps and ointments and other things with artificial fragrance and strange declarations of contents as long as a bad year is something you should keep far away from the skin of babies. Use potato flour. The only thing that works! Potato flour has a stabilizing effect on many skin conditions, you can dry the flour in the oven first then it gets easier to use. Powder the baby’s bottom and avoid using ointments during the treatment period. Many find that the soreness has gone already when it’s time to change the next diaper. Marigold ointment is also good. You can also rub the sore behind with breast milk. Breast milk contains substances that make it very useful for treating soreness and other things.

If you’ve burnt your self on a nettle

  • Try to rub some pure lavender oil on it and presto, it doesn’t hurt anymore.
  • Rub the yellow part of a dandelion on the skin where you got burnt. It often grows near the nettle.
  • Cut a tomato in half and rub the cut side on it.
  • Use Aloe Vera gel.
  • Rub Cucumber on it, it helps.
  • Squeeze the juice out of the stalk of Plantain and pull the leaf in the direction of the stalk over the stinging area.
  • Rub the juice of a cabbage leaf on it.
  • Onion juice soothes many kinds of irritation.
  • Rub a Dandelion leaf over it.
  • Pour milk on it.

Lemon wrap for a sore throat

A lemon wrap for the throat can reduce swelling when it’s sore. You slice a lemon and put the slices in a row on a cloth, fold it and put it around your neck and then a wool scarf around it.

Hangover

I’ve never had one myself, but I know many are tormented by them. Take two tsp of Thyme for one cup of water, boil for 10 minutes and drink the day after. The best advice though is probably to eat properly before and after drinking, and to drink enough water.

Stuffed nose

Mix a few drops of Eucalyptus oil with clean water in a small spray bottle, spray it on your sweater or your scarf. Sniff it in. It opens the nose. For small children; put a few drops of undiluted Eucalyptus oil on the pillow, by the next day a lot of it has come out.

Clogged milk channels

If you’re weaning your baby and you’ve got clogged milk channels, and you wish to drive the milk back, this might help:

  • Rub your breasts and armpits with white camphor oil.
  • Put a poultice with warm green soap water on and change it as soon as it cools.

If you want the lactation to decrease, it might help to drink sage tea. Pour 1⁄4 l (~8.5 fl oz) of cold water over 1-2 tsp of sage. Slowly bring it to boil and let it steep for a few minutes before you strain it. Drink a cup three times a day.

Increase lactation

Pour 1⁄4 l (~8.5 fl oz) of boiling water over a mixture of 1 tsp of anise, 1 tsp of fennel and 1 tsp of caraway. Let this steep for about 10 minutes, and drink a cup.

Breast infection

Poultices of cabbage leaves have been used for a long time on nursing women with infected breasts. It’s said that the cabbage can pull the infection out, and besides it’s known for its analgesic properties. Remove the thick nerve and roll the leaves soft before use. Change poultices two times a day and rub the skin with oil first, so it doesn’t get irritated by the cabbage juice.

Pollen allergy

Honey is said to prevent hay-fever. A tablespoon for each meal all through winter is a supplement full of vitamins and minerals and might help reduce the allergic reactions.

Sinus infection

Boil 1 1⁄2 liter (~0.4 gallons) of water with 1 tsp of salt, let it cool and sniff it into your nose.

Anemia

Not all types of ginger ale are made with artificial taste. Some contain real ginger and this spice is said to increase the blood count. Drink a bottle every day for one to two months.

Blood circulation

Garlic has a beneficial effect on the blood circulation and some say a daily intake of garlic can reduce sclerosis in the veins. Cold feet, varicose veins and leg pains can be improved by a daily intake of 3-6 garlic capsules. (Make sure you get a good brand, there are a few on the market with minimal amounts of garlic). 1-2 pieces of garlic a day would be a suitable dose for those who prefer the natural flavor.Lay down on your stomach with your feet stretched out against the surface. Mix 1 tsp of salt and 1 cork of green soap in a container of hot water. Use it as a footbath until the water is tepid (30 minutes) It’s said that the mixture stimulates the blood circulation. Changing between hot and cold baths increases circulation. So does all forms of activity.

High blood pressure

Note! What ever you try of remedies, never stop using blood pressure medication without asking your doctor first. Make sure you go on regular check-ups, whether you take medication or not. Other general advice is; reduce your salt intake, loose weight if you’re overweight, stop smoking and don’t eat food with saturated fat.An extract of mistletoe has been used against headaches, high pulse and heart conditions. You can try a cold water extract of the plant (you shouldn’t make tea from mistletoe). Use 1 heaped tsp for 1⁄4 liter (~8.5 fl oz) of cold water and let it sit in a pot over night (not aluminum). Strain it the next morning and warm it until it’s tepid. The extract is split into three cups during the day (not all at once!) Warning: mistletoe is a poisonous plant and must be used carefully!Garlic is known for its stimulating effect on the circulatory system and some say it also stabilizes blood pressure. Take 1 tbsp of cod-liver oil and 4 capsules of garlic every day. (Warning: never stop taking blood pressure medication without consulting your physician and get your blood pressure checked regularly)

Soothing

Warm chamomile tea, lemon balm tea and lavender tea is soothing. You can buy these as pure herbs at a health food store of a drug store and mix your own tea, either with all three or the one you prefer. Use one tsp of each with hot water in a cup or teapot.

Cystorrhea

You get the best chance that this advice will work if you start at the moment the symptoms are noticed. If the problem continues, contact your physician. Cystorrhea is an infection and can develop into serious conditions if it isn’t stopped in time.

  • Drink a decoction of bird cherry bark. The ‘tea’ is diuretic and can be used several times a day.
  • Remember to drink a lot of water.
  • Dissolve 1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds (trigonella foenum- graecum) in some water and drink several times a day. It may have a favorable effect on different infections in the body.
  • Excessive vitamin C in the body is secreted into the urine and makes it sourer. This restricts the bacterial growth and because of this it might be a good idea to take a strong dose of vitamin C morning and evening. Especially in the evening because the urine lies still in the bladder at night.
  • 1⁄2 dl (~1.7 fl oz) of 7 % white vinegar
    1⁄2 dl (~1.7 fl oz) of water
    3 tbsp of sugarDrink it morning and evening. If the mixture is too strong, soften it with more water. Warning; if you have a weak stomach, the mixture should be made weaker and 1-2 tbsp morning and evening.
  • 1-2 tsp of golden rod (solidago virgaurea) is mixed with 1 cup of cold water and brought to boil. Let the tea steep for a couple of minutes before you strain it. Drink a cup of warm golden rod tea three times a day if you have problems with cystorrhea, kidney infection or painful urination.
  • Horsetail tea (equisetum arvense) is a highly valued agent in folk medicine against urethral problems and is mildly diuretic. Drink it as soon as the symptoms set in and you may avoid them developing further. 1- 2 tsp of horsetail in a cup of cold water is brought to boil and let steep for 15 – 30 minutes. Strain it and drink a cup three times a day.
  • Sage can have a healing effect on cystorrhea. 4 tbsp of sage leaves to a large cup of cold water is brought to boil. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes and strain it. You can mix it with some honey if you want. Drink it in sips during the day.
  • Massage the rump-bone, the one at the bottom of your spine. It’s shaped as a triangular bone plate. This stimulates blood circulation and accelerates the healing process according to a physiotherapist.
  • Avoid sweets, citrus fruits, matured cheese, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.
  • Take cranberry capsules with buchu extract (Agathosma betulina).
  • Drink cranberry tea and hip tea (makes the urine sour).
  • Eat blueberries.
  • Don’t sit on cold surfaces and keep your feet and hands warm.
  • Urinate immediately after intercourse.
  • Use a skirt or loose fitting pants, this way you avoid dampness. (Dampness makes bacteria happy).
  • See a physician if you have any of the following symptoms: Nausea, blood in the urine, shivers, vomiting, lower back pain.

Cellulite

Cellulite is fat tissue on the thighs, bottom and upper arms, and it’s a problem many women have. Many say that it helps to massage the skin daily with a hemp cloth. You can do it in the shower, and keep it up until the skin gets warm. After a while the skin gets smoother and firmer (it increases blood circulation) Alternating baths; Massage with a coarse cloth combined with alternating hot and cold showers is extra effective. Rub the skin with salicylic Vaseline after the bath. Since this is a rather stick ointment, it might be a good idea to go without clothes for a while, until it’s fully absorbed.

Bad breath

Against bad breath it’s recommended to chew fresh leaves of mint or parsley. It also helps to chew on fresh or dried seeds from cumin, caraway, fennel, lovage or fenugreek. Try chewing 2-3 fresh or dried peppermint leaves or 2-3 fresh or dried lemon balm leaves. Parsley is also a good thing when you’ve eaten garlic; it’s best if you chew it raw.

Diarrhea

  • Boil Carrots to a mush (can be given to young and old).
  • Eat 1 tsp dry cinnamon, it may ease nausea and diarrhea (take it with a glass of water).
  • Eat dried blueberries or drink a concentrated decoction (can also be given to children and infants).
  • Barley soup: Barley is boiled in water for about 1h, strain and drink in sips during the day.
  • 1tsp ground nutmeg flower is washed down with a glass of water, you should get better after a few hours.
  • Stir 2-3 tsp of Potato flour into water.

Eczema

  • Chop Dandelion leaves and flowers and make a poultice which is put on the skin. You can also use the decoction and rub it directly on the skin. Repeat the treatment every other day.
  • Fill a bottle with marigold petals and pour brandy over them. Let the mixture sit for 3-4 weeks (or even longer). The mixture is rubbed directly on the skin.
  • Honey helps the soars and softens the skin (If you warm it, it’s easier to handle.)
  • Boil 1⁄2 pack of bran in 2 liters (~0.53 gallons) of water, strain and pour in the bath water (can also be used for infants).
  • Boil 1⁄2 pack of bran, 2 liters (~0.53 gallons) of water, 1 tsp pure liquid green soap for 20 minutes and strain, the fluid can be rubbed directly on the skin.
  • Zink cream is good for eczema on the hands. You can get the pharmacy to make this ointment for you; zinki oxidum 20 %, camphora 5.5 %, Acid Salicyl 1.5 %, vaselinum 73 %.
  • Cod-liver oil is good for eczema on the hands. Use medical cod-liver oil 3-4 times a day. It should get better after a couple of days.

Colds – Misc tips

  • Keep your throat moist. Drink at least 10 glasses of water and do 4 steam baths a day if you can.
  • Heather is good to breathe in when you have a cold. It’s also good for coughing and diarrhea. It’s mildly sedative and soporific. There is some superstition around heather. They say that if you bring heather into the home, someone in the same house will go to sleep for ever.
  • Elder is good against fever and colds and is causes sweating. Drink 2 tsp of flower/bud hot. Note! Larger amounts can cause nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
  • Vitamin C is good against colds (prevention). There’s a lot of it in citrus fruit, black currant, carrots etc.
  • Against a sore throat you can use curry dissolved in tepid water. Use 1 tsp for 1 cup of water and gurle with it.
  • To get rid of mucus, you can squeeze the juice out of a lemon into a cup and drink it.
  • Swallow 20 whole pepper corns with a glass of water.
  • Grind white or black pepper and mix it with as much full milk as you can drink. Boil and drink it, add honey if you want.
  • Add a few drops of Japanese peppermint oil in some water and drink. You can also gurgle with pure peppermint oil.
  • Bergamot tea was used by Native Americans to ward off colds and a soar throat. Six leaves are allowed to steep in a cup of boiled water for 15 minutes to make an antiseptic tea. The leaves, stems and flowers can be brewed to soothe a sore throat.
  • Take 1 cup of boiling milk, add 1 tbsp of honey to soothe a sore throat.
  • Some say it pays to avoid meat and eggs until you feel better.
  • When you’ve had enough of drinking this and that for a sore throat, try taking a teaspoon of crem now and then.

Children’s colds

  • Warm some water and add a couple of drops of Eucalypt oil. Place the bowl at the side of the child’s bed, it will ease breathing and loosen a stuffed nose.
  • Small children can get rid of a cold easier if you rub their feet with sheep’s tallow.

Colds – bronchitis

If you have mucus in your chest or bronchitis, two cups of Hyssop tea (hyssopus officinalis) a day may be beneficial. 3 tsp of Hyssop (dried) is left to sit in 1⁄4 l (~8.5 fl oz) of water for 10 minutes.

Cold Prevention

  • Echinacea is good as a preventative and when you start to get sick. To prevent a cold you can take 30 drops a day for week, stop for a week and then repeat it. If you notice thay you’re getting sick, you can take 20 drops five times a day for a week.
  • Mix a large, finely chopped onion with four tbsp of honey. Leave it foir three hours and then strain. Take 1 tbsp of the juice three times a day.
  • Chew Angelica root when you feel a cold coming on.
  • Some take a large dose of vitamin C (vitamin chock) and mean they’ve avoided an oncoming cold. (Be careful, large doses of vitamin C can be hard on the mucus membranes of the stomach.
  • Chew garlic until all the juice is gone.
  • Put garlic in your nose and sniff the fumes. One clove in each nostril and breathe in a couple of times.
  • Garlic sandwich; 3 cloves, a piece of bread and some other form of spread.
  • Garlic salad; 1⁄2 finely chopped apple, 1 tbsp of parsley, 2 large pressed garlic cloves, 1 tbsp of sour cream. (Eat it 3 times a day, the apple and the sour cream makes it taste milder and the parsley takes away some of the smell.)
  • Garlic and milk: bring 2-3 cloves to boil with milk, add honey if you like, nice to give to children who can’t eat raw garlic.
  • When you feel a cold coming on, chew on shoots from fur tree, larch or pine. It’s supposed to kill it. It’s disinfecting for the mouth and the throat, increases blood circulation and is said to be blood purifying. For those afraid of bad smell, there are remedies for that to, see bad breath.
  • Put 2 drops of iodine in 1 glass of water drink it every day. (Iodine is poisonous in larger amounts so be thorough with the dose, some may be allergic to iodine and shouldn’t drink it.)
  • Put Champhor 20 drops on a piece of sugar and suck on it or take 1 cup of warm milk with 1 tsp of camphor (this is strong, not recommended for small children), go to bed and sweat it out. Dry camphor- put it on a wool cloth and put it on your chest, loosens nose and chest and is said to protect against infection (can also be used on children).
  • Chamomile tea and linden flower tea also prevent infection. 2-3 tsp is made into a large cup of tea.
  • 2 Peppermint drops in half a glass of tepid water or on some honey.
  • Sage gurgle water and tea.
  • Apple geranium – plant which smells like lemon when you touch it, just to have it in the living room can be preventative.
  • Zone therapy – press on and massage the skin between your thumb and your index finger on both hands for about 5 minutes, then put your index finger nails against the top of the inside of the thumb nails and press for 15 minutes. Repeat several times a day for a couple of days.
  • Take a warm foot bath with a handful of sea salt and go to bed immediately after, you’ll probably feel better the next day.

Hoarseness

  • Cold wraps around the neck.
  • Small Burnet drops- put some drops on a piece of sugar and suck it. Repeat 3 times a day.
  • Carrots and honey- boil 4 carrots until they’re soft and mash them with 1 dl (~3.4 fl oz) of honey. 1 tsp 5- 6 times a day (also works for smoker’s cough).

Sore throat

  • 1-2 cups of Fenugreek tea a day. 2 tbsp of Fenugreek powder to 1⁄4 l (~8.5 fl oz) of boiling water, drink it after it’s cooled (you should avoid hot drinks when you have a throat infection).
  • Put 1 tbsp of Apple vinegar in a glass of tepid water. Gurgle with it several times a day. Small sips every 5 minutes if the soreness is further down.
  • Gurgle with salt water for 5 minutes straight several times a day.
  • Gurgle with sage several times a day (2 tsp of sage in 1⁄4 l (~8.5 fl oz) of water which is heated up towards the boiling point). Nursing women should avoid sage, it hampers lactation.

Stuffed nose

  • Essential oils, especially pine needle, sage and eucalyptus oil may help. Drip a couple of drops on a cloth and sniff.
  • Take the lid off a jar of honey and breathe inn the gas from the honey. You can also rub some under your nose.
  • If you move your jaw muscles from side to side, it may loosen a stuffed nose.
  • Boil some Pine and Spruce twigs in water and hold your head over the steam with a towel over your head. Breathe deeply until the stuffiness goes away.
  • Chamomile steam baths also works dissolving.
  • 2 tbsp of Horsetail is steeped in 1⁄2 l (~0.4 gallons) of boiling water for 30 minutes, and then you breathe in the steam for 2 minutes, pause then continue for as long as you can.
  • Do the same with Thyme as with the Horsetail but only let it steep for 10-15 minutes.

Coughing

Cut an onion into segments and put it in a bowl of water – almost cover it with water. Place the bowl in the bedroom.

Bug Bites

  • Hyssop oil or lotion
  • Lavender oil
  • Marigold ointment
  • Bandage with plantain
  • Put fresh leaves of lemon balm or sage on the bite
  • Try a slice of onion.
  • Rub the bite with parsley

Hickups

Eat a teaspoon of raspberry jam.

Nausea

Mix 1⁄4 tsp of ground Ginger in 1 glass of water and drink it. The nausea usually subsides after 10-15 minutes.

Itching in and around the vagina

Wet a cotton swab with water and a smidge of 7 % vinegar. Wash inside and outside the vagina and rinse well afterward.

Motion sickness

  • 1 drop of Peppermint essential oil is mixed with 1 tsp of Honey in a cup. Add some hot water and stir well. Drink slowly half an hour before going on a trip. This should prevent motion sickness.
  • Place a newspaper on your belly and the motion sickness will be reduced.
  • Chew on some Parsley.
  • But a band-aid on your belly button.
  • Suck on a slice of Lemon.
  • Eat salty food before going on a trip.

Insomnia

A small bag of Hops under the pillow is said to help against insomnia.

Toothache

If you have a toothache, you can lessen the pain by rubbing Clove essential oil on your gums.

Warts

  • Add tea tree-olje to the warts every day and they will soon go away.
  • The juice of a Houseleek is said to remove warts.

Heartburn and reflux

A handful of Almonds may help against heartburn and reflux.

Tips to Boost your Immune System

  • Eat Garlic (preferably in food, not raw)
  • Get your 5 fruits and vegetables a day
  • Eat Bell Peppers
  • Use Turmeric, Echinacea, Elderberry or Ginseng
  • Drink Green Tea
  • Avoid toxins
  • Avoid refined sugar and reduce your overall sugar intake
  • Exercise, but not too much
  • Reduce stress
  • Get enough sleep
  • Get enough fluids
  • Keep your gut happy with Yoghurt

Faces of the Holly King

Names
Janicot, Woden, Odin, Gwyn ap Nudd, Arawn, Iuan, Krampus, Hod, Hob, Basajaun, Lucibello, Iu-Hu, Old Nick, Misrule, Pan, Baphomet, Scratch, Puck, Buccos

Station of the Wheel
Northwest, Yule, December, Glass Castle, Cold Moon

Totems
Goat, Holly, Wren

Tools
Glass Orb, Druid’s Egg or Glain y Nidir

The Holly King is a speculative archetype of modern studies of folklore and mythology which has been popularized in some Neopagan religions. In his book The White Goddess, the author Robert Graves proposed that the mythological figure of the Holly King represents one half of the year, while the other is personified by his counterpart/adversary the Oak King: the two battle endlessly as the seasons turn. At Midsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength, while the Holly King is at his weakest. The Holly King begins to regain his power, and at the Autumn Equinox, the tables finally turn in the Holly King’s favor; he later vanquishes the Oak King at Yule. Graves identified a number of paired hero-figures which he believes are variants of this myth, including Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Gronw Pebr, Gwyn and Gwythr, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, Gawain and the Green Knight, the robin and the wren, and even Jesus and John the Baptist.

Wōđanaz or *Wōđinaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of a god of Germanic paganism. Woden probably rose to prominence during the Migration period, gradually displacing Tyr as the head of the pantheon in West and North Germanic cultures.

Testimonies of the god are scattered over a wide range, both temporally and geographically. More than a millennium separates the earliest Roman accounts and archaeological evidence from the 1st century from the Odin of the Edda and later medieval folklore.

The name of Woden is connected to a Germanic root *wōd-, preserved in Gothic wôd- “possessed” and Old High German wuot “rage”. Old English had the noun wōþ “song, sound”, corresponding to Old Norse óðr, which has the meaning “mad furious” but also “song, poetry”. Modern English preserves an adjective wood in “dialectal or rare archaic use”, meaning “lunatic, insane, rabid”. The earliest attestation of the name is as wodan in an Elder Futhark inscription. For the Anglo-Saxons, Woden was the psychopomp or carrier-off of the dead, but not necessarily with exactly the same attributes of the Norse Odin.

A celebrated late attestation of invocation of Wodan in Germany dates to 1593, in Mecklenburg, where the formula Wode, Hale dynem Rosse nun Voder “Wodan, fetch now food for your horse” was spoken over the last sheaf of the harvest. David Franck adds, that at the squires’ mansions, when the rye is all cut, there is Wodel-beer served out to the mowers; no one weeds flax on a Wodenstag, lest Woden’s horse should trample the seeds; from Christmas to Twelfth-day they will not spin, nor leave any flax on the distaff, and to the question why? they answer, Wode is galloping across. We are expressly told, this wild hunter Wode rides a white horse.

Horned Women

In Irish legend, 12 horned women,
all witches, who take over the household of a rich woman
and bewitch her and her sleeping family. No reason for
the bewitching is given in the story—perhaps, in times
past, no reason was necessary, for witches were believed
to bewitch simply because they were witches. The legend
tells of how the distressed woman breaks the spell.
The bewitchment began late one night, as the woman
sat up carding wool while her family and servants slept. A
knock came on the door, and she asked who was there. A
female voice answered, “I am the Witch of the one Horn.”
The woman thought it was a neighbor and opened the
door. She was greeted by an ugly woman from whose forehead
grew a single horn. The witch held a pair of wool
carders. She sat down by the fire and began to card wool
with great speed. She suddenly paused and said, “Where
are the women? they delay too long.”

Another knock came on the door. The mistress of the
house, who seemed to be under a spell by now, felt compelled
to answer it. She was greeted by another witch,
who had two horns growing from her forehead, and who
carried a spinning wheel. This witch also sat down by the
fire and began to spin wool with great speed.
The house soon was filled with 12 frightful-looking,
horned witches, each one having an additional horn, so
that the last witch bore 12 horns on her forehead. They
worked furiously on the wool, singing an ancient tune,
ignoring the mistress, who was unable to move or call
for help.

Eventually, one of the witches ordered the mistress to
make them a cake, but the woman had no vessel with
which to fetch water from the well. The witches told her
to take a sieve to the well. She did, but the water ran
through the sieve, and she wept. While she was gone, the
witches made a cake, using blood drawn from members
of the sleeping family in place of water.

As she sat weeping by the well, the mistress heard a
voice. It was the Spirit of the Well, who told her how to
make a paste of clay and moss and cover the sieve, so that
it would hold water. It then instructed her to go back to
her house from the north and cry out three time, “The
mountain of the Fenian women and the sky over it is
all on fire.” The mistress did as instructed. The witches
shrieked and cried and sped off to the Slivenamon, “the
mountains of women,” where they lived.

The Spirit of the Well then told the mistress how to
break the witches’ spell and prevent them from returning.
She took the water in which she had bathed her children’s
feet and sprinkled it over the threshold of the house. She
took the blood cake, broke it into pieces and placed them
in the mouths of the bewitched sleepers, who were revived.
She took the woolen cloth the witches had woven
and placed it half in and half out of a padlocked chest. She
barred the door with a large crossbeam.

The witches returned in a rage at having been deceived.
Their fury increased when they discovered that
they could not enter the house because of the water, the
broken blood cake and the crossbeam. They flew off into
the air, screaming curses against the Spirit of the Well,
but they never returned. One of the witches dropped her
mantle, which the mistress took and hung up as a reminder
of her ordeal. The mantle remained in the family
for 500 years.
The legend of the horned women appears to be a blend
of pagan and Christian aspects. The well is inhabited by
a spirit, a common pagan belief. The horns of the witches
symbolize the maternal and nurturing aspect of the Goddess,
who is sometimes represented by a cow. The horns
also symbolize the crescent moon, another Goddess symbol.
In ancient Greek and Babylonian art, the Mother Goddess
often is depicted wearing a headdress of little horns.
Yet the horned women of the legend are not maternal and
nurturing but hags who cast an evil spell, fly through the
air and shriek curses—the portrayal of witches spread
by the Church. The cardinal point of north is associated
with power, darkness and mystery in paganism, but in
Christianlore it is associated with the Devil.

Goblins

In French folklore, wandering sprites who
attach themselves to households and both help and
plague the residents. Goblins live in grottoes but are
attracted to homes that have beautiful children and lots
of wine. When they move in, they help by doing household
chores at night and by disciplining children—giving
them presents when they are good and punishing
them when they are naughty. Goblins have an unpredictable,
mischievous nature, and instead of doing chores at
night will sometimes keep everyone awake by banging
pots and pans, moving furniture, knocking on walls and
doors and snatching bedclothes off sleeping persons.
Goblins who become tiresome can be persuaded to leave
by scattering flaxseed on the floor. The sprites get tired
of cleaning it up every night.

Goblins are the equivalent of brownies in England
and Scotland, kobalds in Germany, domoviks in Russia
and other sprites in other countries. They have become
associated with Halloween and are said to roam the night
when the veil is thinnest between the world of the living
and the world of the dead.