Winter & Yuletide Blessings

photo by Justin Kern

And now the fire's the focus of the room

By winter made so. Like a gay salute

There crackles in the hearth

The holly's fusillade.

~ from Winter by Maurice Craig

May this season be full of love, merriment and comfort! Warm hearts & hearths to you and your loved ones, and many blessings in 2013!

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

blessings to you all this samhain

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Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft star-shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

~Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
 

May your loved ones, both ancestor and alive be with you to celebrate this sacred time! Warm hearts & hearths to all of you dear readers!

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

Merry Midsummer!

{photo by Other Think}

A bird in the boughs sang “June,”
And “June” hummed a bee
In a Bacchic glee
As he tumbled over and over
Drunk with the honey-dew
~by Clinton Scollard

We hope that all of my readers have a lovely Midsummer and if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, a lovely Yule/Winter Solstice to you! :)

leave you with a great song for Midsummer, Belly of June by Horse Feathers.

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

unfinished business

This was something that I had sitting in my draft box for a while, but was inspired to finally publish it by Juniper over at the Walking the Hedge blog. To keep it relatively short, this is the part of my "bucket list" that I have yet to achieve. There are some who will probably find it dreadfully boring when compared to other lists, but I have sewed enough wild oats for my liking. ;)

In no particular order...

• Live in a wood cabin with a tin roof
• "Create" my own heirloom veggie, it doesn’t matter what type
  
• Go on a sacred pilgrimage to the lands of my Gods
• Learn to herd sheep
  
• Have some horses {some Vanners or Canadian horses would be very lovely!}
• Learn pottery
• Be on a property long enough to see a mature Permaculture system in action
• Ride across Canada on horseback, camping along the way
• See the decriminalization of sex work in Canada
• Make a successful batch of heather mead
• Learn Gaeilge, at least enough so the Gods don’t giggle
• Scatter wildflower seeds on a golf course
• Travel to the lands of my Ancestors
• Join a border morris side
• Learn to knit
• Make a moss graffiti masterpiece
• See the end of horse slaughter in Canada
• Camp in Restoule Provincial Park in the Autumn
• Participate in an archaeological dig or experimental archaeological project
• Master natural dying
• Have a lusty good time in the forest by firelight {again!}
• Pour a libation over the graves of Anais Nin and Emma Goldman
• Learn to play the bodhrán
• Raise a rowan tree from seed to berry
  
• Get the family farm back into the family
• Make hard cider from my own apples
• Visit and stay on the East Coast of Canada for a bit
• Learn to make the perfect campfire
• Make a cob house
• Have some type of impact on food security and the expansion of sustainable and ethical agriculture
  
• Visit all the Witchcraft museums
• Learn to plough with horses
• Finish the book that I have been working on for what seems like ages, and perhaps even get published
• Live on a small working farm

*********

That should keep me busy for a while.

Sláinte!

Laurel

An Irish Mead to Try! :D

This is a historical mead recipe found over at The Distant Mirror blog.

With the Stirrings of Spring Comes Mirth & Work

Happy Spring to you in the North & Happy Autumn to you in the South! :D

We got hit by a real warm spell last week and the snow is all gone. It seemed like just over night all of feathered friends were back and our green friends in the garden were starting to wake up.

{sweet woodruff, unidentified fern, lemon balm and comfrey}

In mid-March I started the first of our seeds including two different types of poppies, balloon flowers, white and blue and double pink columbines, scotch thistle, datura, swamp rose mallow, pink and double hollyhocks, and sweet williams.

All of the them {save the columbines} started germinating ahead of schedule. I will be starting another batch at the end of March and another in the beginning of April. I haven't quite figured out where they are all going to go as all of the prime window sill real estate is almost gone.

{"light purple" datura}

The inevitable Spring cleaning has been going on around here too. We have started to tidy up the yard and get it ready for the new beds to be dug out. The house has not escaped The Great Cleansing either.

During the waning of the Moon I made another batch of a "clearing wash". I am pretty sure that I shared the recipe here before, but I can't seem to find it. So, I will post it again for those who might want to give it a whirl.

{Herbs steeping in water}

This recipe calls for a tablespoon of each:

Sweet Woodruff
Rowan berries
Birch bark {please only harvest from fallen trees or naturally shed bark!}
Juniper berries
Cedar
Lemon Balm
Peppermint
Sweetfern
Thyme
Dandelion root
Witch Hazel
St. John's Wort
Sage

Boil 3 cups of water and pour over ingredients in a glass mason jar. Let it steep for 3 hours. Drain liquid through cheesecloth {I dispose of the plant material in the compost once I am done with it}. Put tea mixture in with cider or white vinegar into a clean glass jar that has a non-metal lid. Keep in a refrigerator {should last to 3 months with no issues}. To use mix with 3 parts water in a spray bottle or mop bucket.

*********

Recently I have added some new contented over at the Unfettered Wood blog that may be of interest to some of you:

Wonderful Maple Syrup: Some Lore & Customs

&

Poetic Weather Forecasting

I am also currently working on some other posts for that blog including one on traditional charms to ward off nightmares and on lunar and astrological gardening.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Happy St. Patrick's Day {& Some Recommendations}

There are some thoughtful posts on both Tairis & Three Shouts on a Hilltop about St. Patrick's Day that are definitely worth a read.

The Irish and Celtic Music Podcast has a really good St. Patrick's Day special and a great documentary to watch today is Death or Canada:

DEATH or CANADA from Daniel Thomson on Vimeo.

Have a great one and enjoy! :)

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

Introducing Unfettered Wood & Some Updates

In a somewhat plodding fashion I have been working on a project that I have been planning for a long time now. Finally after smoothing out some final details I am now offering my folk magic services to the wider public.

If you are interested in finding out more, please feel free to check out the Unfettered Wood website. I have also created a blog for Unfettered Wood, which people might be interested in reading, even if only for the information about Paganism and witchcraft {content coming soon!}.


Between that, preparing for the upcoming growing season and Imbolc, I have had little time to get into too much trouble!

We still have what has seem to become our "central" altar set up for Imbolc, leaving Brigid her daily offerings there instead of in kitchen, which is the usual station for her wee shrine.


On the Eve of Imbolc I left out a some offerings along with some items in the hopes that Brigid would stop by and bless them on the balcony that is just off of our bedroom.

There were some "signs" that she may have visited, and one admittedly unnerved me a bit. Perhaps it is a bit typical of me to wish for something like that and once I get what appears to be a tangible sign I start shitting bricks! ;)

{some of the items that were left out on the balcony to be blessed}

My sweetie got me a nice little Brigid's cross from Laura Travis' Etsy shop, which arrived right on Imbolc. It was nice that I didn't have to struggle to make one this year, because rush weaving skills I have not.

I will be starting some seeds very soon, after the local seed exchange this upcoming Saturday {stop by if you are in the area!}. :D Which reminds me, and I found a nifty seed starting guide over at the Little City Farm blog.

Sláinte!

Laurel

The Curse of Macha

I came across this trailer for The Curse of Macha on the Mo Shaol Págánachta blog. This is the first I have heard of this movie, and is supposed to be released next year.

Here is a small bit about the film from a promotional website:

Awakened by the onslaught of an invasion, Emer is forced to succumb to the horror of her children missing and the burning flames of her dying village. Rather than accept her fate, she breaks free of the carnage to find another village and a group of warriors willing to take up her cause and find out the truth of this nightmare.

The Curse of Macha also has a Facebook page.

Looks like it could be pretty good {!!!}.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Imbolc Blessings

original photo by Tobias Vemmenby

Rich meanings of the prophet-Spring adorn,
Unseen, this colourless sky of folded showers,
And folded winds; no blossom in the bowers.
A poet's face asleep is this grey morn.

Now in the midst of the old world forlorn
A mystic child is set in these still hours.
I keep this time, even before the flowers,
Sacred to all the young and the unborn;

To all the miles and miles of unsprung wheat,
And to the Spring waiting beyond the portal,
And to the future of my own young art,

And, among all these things, to you, my sweet,
My friend, to your calm face and the immortal
Child tarrying all your life-time in your heart.

~In February by Alice Meynell

I love this time of year. Imbolc is a sacred day in my faith, but I also love knowing that the signs of Spring are just around the corner. This is real good news for us gardeners who are just itching to get our hands in the dirt once again!

In the meantime I have plenty of cleaning and preparation to do for our celebration of this day. So I will leave you with a beautiful version of the song Gabhaim Molta Bride {I praise Brigid} performed by Claire Roche. Lyrics and a nice translation can be found over at Gaol Naofa

~AND~

A link to the new Tairis Tales blog, which holds a collection of Gaelic legends & lore. It can be found here {and I nominate Heelan Coo as the best web address of 2012! *moo*}.

A Blessed Imbolc to you & yours. :)

Sláinte!

Laurel {& Aymi}

Yuletide Blessings!

The light of the growing days to you,
The warmth of home and hearth to you,
The cheer and goodwill of friends to you,
The love of the Ancestors and the Gods give peace to you.

{a revised Irish Christmas blessing}

We wish our all of our readers warm hearths and hearts, and all of the best for 2012!

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

Winter Once Again

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I have tidings for you;
the stag bells,

winter snows,
summer has gone.

Wind high and cold,
the sun low,
short its course,
the sea running high.

Crimson the bracken,
it has lost its shape,
the wild goose has raised
its accustomed cry.

Cold has seized
the birds' wings,
season of ice,
these are my tidings.

~Ninth Century Irish Poem

We Actually Have Things in Our Etsy Shop

It has been ages since anything has been added to our little Etsy shop. But I have just added a few items and I will hopefully be posting some more tomorrow. All the items so far are just vintage pretties.

Wee Vintage Bunny Mug

Vintage Doggy Planter

Trio of Retro Soup Bowls

Sweet Vintage Gingham Apron

Colourful Vintage Tea Towel

Sláinte!

Laurel

This Clucker Has Found Her Head {I Think!}

{tinkered royalty free photo}

When trying to take on too many things at once, it is inevitable that I will eventually be the proverbial chicken running with its head cut off. It might be great for a laugh for those around me who have mastered the skill of multitasking, but for me it is unproductive and eventually it all just falls to shit.

The only cure for this is a day off to breath and figure out what to tackle. Prioritize, or something like that. I took a few days just to be sure and am back on track.

So thanks to our readers for being patient for the lack of posts. I hope to be caught up soon! :)

Sláinte!

Laurel

Small Farm Rising

I originally saw this trailer for Small Farm Rising over at the Cold Antler Farm blog. This looks like a pretty neat film and there are some great resources on the film's site as well.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Samhain Blessings...

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Tangled in root and thorn
Caressed by bracken and moss
Pools of blood and scratched flesh
A vessel of decay will go back to the
Land of Forlorn where
I will be blessed.

Midnight compass and guiding fire
Witching stang in black earth
The Antlered Brow rides high in the
Hunt for Souls...

Come catch me Wild Hunter!

I welcome the vibrant yelps of Your
Red-eared hounds
I summon the beating hooves of Your
Phantom steed
I beckon the wailing of Your
Hunting horn.

Soon Death will find me and
I will return to my
Ancestral Home.

{from Samhain 2008}

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We wish all of our readers a wonderful Samhain & Hallowe'en! May your loved ones who have past be close to you, and the ones who still live be even closer.

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

One of the Best Hallowe'en Costumes Ever...

I think even the most serious witch secretly likes to dress up around this time of year, even if it is just to frolic at a secular party for a wee while. I am going out as a Raging Granny this year but lookie at this costume!

I heart Emma Goldman

There are some other pretty awesome costume ideas over at the website, Take Back Halloween.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Almost there...

I forgot how long it can take to nest in a new place, but things are coming along. Hopefully everything will be unpacked and all the perennials replanted in the next few days so I can shift my focus to Samhain and projects that have sat on the back burner for a tad too long.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Moving 'Stead

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The home that we are currently renting is being sold, so we have been busy looking for a new place to put our roots til we're ready to finally buy our dream stead. We have found a little house where there will be enough outdoor space to take all my perennials to and to have a respectable veggie patch as well.

So, things will probably be extra slow around here while we make the transition.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Stepping Out for a Few

I am going away to civilization {read: the woods!} for a few days, so things will be quiet 'round here til then. See you when I get back.

Sláinte!

Laurel