Pagan Basics – A Doe in the Foothills

A Multi-Fold Harvest

This year has brought some serious changes to our lives. It’s taken so many turns, it’s almost unreal. In my life, it’s been a multi-fold harvest in many ways and, despite the challenges that come with it, I’m thankful for every bit we’re blessed with.

A Literal Harvest

This year has kicked in my inner prepper. I’m trying harder than usual to prevent waste and keep stocked up, especially with food. My garden didn’t get as far as we intended it to. Still have the beds to build; the budget’s just too tight for all the materials we need (especially the soil and 1/2″ hardware cloth!). But, earlier in the year, I signed on with a local pantry that delivers.

We’ve received so much produce! In fact, we’ve gotten more than we can eat before it goes bad and we’ve even given quite a bit away to loved ones. That said, there’s still plenty and I’ve been trying to put it to good use…for later. The cherry tomatoes are great to dry and store. Onions and peppers can be sliced/diced and frozen. Many fruits can be dried or frozen also. For a load of citrus fruits we got (lemons and limes), we zested the skin and juiced ’em.

Personally, I’ve focused on freezing and drying for preserving. I’ve never canned before and have that bit of apprehension many get. I do think I’ll try to can the apples though, as a sauce or butter, if I don’t dry them all. I’ll use some organic lemon juice as the acid and waterbath ’em. I don’t own a pressure canner (yet), which is why my green beans and corn got prepped for freezing too.

Meats and dry goods are being stocked too, as much as my budget can manage. Some comes from the pantry, some from the grocery, and some from the farmer’s market. If I wind up with a bulk package (say, of meat), I separate it into meal-sized portions, season/marinade and prep to freeze like that. I sort of winged it on the seasonings. If they turn out good, I’ll post the recipes I made up. All in all, I expect they’ll make for some tasty, quick meals on busy days.

I’m hoping to make time to put out some kind of fall garden, to ensure cool weather crops for fresh eats as Autumn sets in. Carrots, lettuces, kale, beets, turnips, and radishes are top on the list. Fingers crossed we can make this happen in time!

A Spiritual Harvest

This year has been trying for most of us and led us into new directions to cope. In my case, it’s shaken me out of my years long “out-of-practice” mode, spiritually speaking. I have a re-newed vigor for my Pagan faith and am looking to get back into old practices (like tarot/divination and herbalwork), as well as explore new ones (like journeywork and crossing the hedge). It feels like doors that have been closed are all opening back up at once. My empathic abilities are hitting new levels very quickly.

Puma illuminates the path, helps overcome
anxiety, and sees beyond what’s “normal”.

In prayer one morning, I asked for a sign of guidance, so I can be sure of my direction. You see, I’ve felt myself lost/stuck at yet another of life’s crossroads. To my right, just ahead of me, I received an immediate answer – my totem. It’s curious how I lean European in my Craft but my totem is decidedly Native American. I do have Native ancestors and felt this may have been sent by one of them. It was exactly what I needed and the answer came to me much quicker than normal. So, now I’m exploring Puma and the medicine she brings to one’s life. My Minister recently told me “step into your power”…it’s advice that matches up with my totem perfectly!

Another area that’s opened up is my innate desire to help others. I hate to admit it but, growing up, I encountered a lot of “takers” in my life. Sick of always being drained and taken advantage of by bad actors, I shut down. I think it was a protective mechanism, so I can heal the damage it caused (mentally and energetically).

Lately, it’s re-opening and I can’t help but feel it’s because the world needs so much healing right now. All the healers are likely being called at this moment. I’m still on an intensive healing mode, but I finally feel ready to begin helping others as well. I only hope I’m not jumping in too soon, or over-exposing myself to harm again, and serving only to further deplete myself. That won’t be helpful to anyone. Fingers crossed here as well that I can meet the call in full capability.

A Creative Harvest

This is another area I’ve felt has been shut down the last few years. The designing, the concocting, the sewing, the poetry and short stories…all of it seemed to have left me. It was like The Muses abandoned me or something and I couldn’t figure out why. Maybe because I was so depleted in so many areas of my life. It felt like a slow, painful death of everything that makes me Me.

Slowly, it’s coming back to me. Basic designs and words/phrases come out, asking to be brought to light. New skills are begging to be explored, like canning and embroidery. I have a renewed interest in things like making salves and tinctures. I suddenly can find the energy to at least start the processes of moving these things back into the forefront of my life. It feels like waking up from a terrible nightmare and realizing you’re safe in the warm sun of morning.

From Darkness, Light Is Inevitable

I can’t shake the feeling that things are likely to get worse before they get better, especially here in America. I encourage everyone I know to prep what they can and to encourage others to do so as well. I hope I’m over-reacting; this feeling is so strong. But, if I’m not, we’ll all need a stocked supply of necessities and each other’s help to maintain and pull through.

That said, I believe these dark times can be overcome. There will eventually be a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s inevitable because you can’t have one without the other. In the push-pull of it all, we will get to the other side of it and prove stronger than before.

Has the year shown you who you are? Are you prepared/ing? Have you received a call (of any kind)? What do you make of the lessons of 2020, personal or societal?

Imbolc: Life Springs Eternal

Imbolc (pronounced ee-molk), also known as Candlemas or Brigid’s Day, marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Celebrated Feb 1-2, it’s sort of the tipping point that reminds us that winter won’t last forever. The warmth will return, along with the growth of new life, as we turn towards spring.

The word Imbolc means “ewe’s milk”, as this is the time of year many animals are birthing the Spring flocks. Sheep, goats, etc. are giving birth and need special attention to help ensure safe deliveries.

Saint_Brigid's_cross — St. Brighid’s Cross

St. Brighit (Brigid, Bride, and various other spellings – pronounced ‘Bree’ or, sometimes, ‘Bri-jit’) started as a Celtic goddess and, as other Pagan deities have to encourage conversions, became adopted as a Catholic saint. Between the two faiths, she’s known as a patron of fertility, the arts, poetry, healing, charity, and prophecy. She is celebrated still, particularly in the British Isles, by crafting an effigy doll or a St. Brigit’s Cross (‘how-to’ in the link) and with the lighting of lamps or candles. Another tribute to the ever-lengthening days.

An Imbolc rit my church did one year involved planting a seed in an eggshell and a visualization on the ways we wanted to grow in the coming seasons. Eggs and freshly planted seeds are also means of celebrating this time-honored Sabbat. Sometimes we need the reminder that, no matter what is happening in life, new things will continue to emerge. There’s always room to grow, and learn, and evolve, and improve.

Yesterday, I focused more on the planting of new seeds than anything else. Now that I’m working outside the home (more steady than freelancing allowed for), I’m saving up to repair the elements of my garden. I didn’t use it at all last year and the cats have since destroyed the flimsy fence we threw together to section the garden from the yard and it’s become overgrown. This year, I intend to revive and improve it. Instead of trying to go big, all at once, I’m keeping it basic and will add to it as I go, as I’m able.

Garden beds — Something like this is what I’m after – will post before/after pics as able!

As a side note, yesterday was also a waxing moon in Taurus. Today is, as well. A waxing moon in a fertile sign is always good for planting, transplanting, etc. Things planted under Taurus are believed to grow sturdy and be productive. I considered this occurring on a fertile holiday my sign to get seeds started.

At some point, I’ll have to do a series on what I’ve learned about ‘Planting by the Signs’ and how it’s been a tradition in both Europe and Appalachia for centuries (probably millennia). Only becoming a dying art over the last hundred years, it’s reviving now as another “Old-Time Wisdom” we shouldn’t lose.

Whether you celebrate Imbolc, the more secular Groundhog’s Day, or just treat Feb. 1-2 as ‘another day’, I hope it’s spent with loved ones and enjoyed. Remember that Spring is just around the corner…in another 6-7 weeks (sorry, Groundhog, it’s always another 6 weeks of winter, technically 🙂 ).

Yule: The Longest Night

Yule, or the Winter Solstice, is the longest night of the year. In Paganism, this is when the Sun is reborn (or the Oak King, depending on your tradition). Basically, it is the return of the days getting longer until the peak at Midsummer. Believe it or not, many other Winter holidays celebrate this return of the light as well. Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, with their progressing candle-lighting, are two that do.

There are many ways to celebrate Yule. From Yule logs to pomanders to wassail (spiced wine) to making donations, several can be incorporated into other Winter festivities. One year, my (Pagan) church had an overnight. We lit candles and waited for sunrise in our jammies, entertaining ourselves with games, story-telling, and holiday-inspired snacks. Most of us fell asleep by 4-5am but we had a great time celebrating Longest Night.

Traditionally, Yule logs were burned to bless the coming year and a piece was kept to light the next year’s fire, for continuity of blessings/protection. These days, fireplaces are less common and most people won’t hang on to a charred piece of wood a whole year. As a practical alternative, a reusable Yule log can be made by drilling holes into a small log and fitting it for candles and/or incense. Sometimes, certain woods are preferred for the blessings they bestow (i.e. oak for strength, pine for prosperity, birch for fertility, aspen for spiritual wisdom, etc.). It can be anointed with oils that are meaningful to you. In short, they can be customized to fit the family.

Spices are a big part of all winter celebrations, am I right? Whether you’re spicing up your mulled wine or baking gingerbread cookies, they bring a warmth all their own. Speaking of spiced wine, the activity of wassailing – going door to door with song and drink – is the precursor of Christmas caroling. The idea was to bless one’s neighbors, by drinking to their good health, and pouring a bit on the ground to assist Spring’s fertility.

Pomanders, made by punching cloves into oranges, create a nice holiday scent. Experience tells me they can be somewhat messy to make and draw flies after a few days, though. This year, I think I will just diffuse some clove and orange essential oils (1 to 5 ratio, respectively) instead.

In my family, we celebrate Yule in concert with Christmas. After all, from Mithras to Horus to Jesus, it is celebrated as a birth of a Holy King in many traditions and for many years. The winter holiday is a marking of a natural rhythm for me. As a family, though, the most important thing for us is the time spent enjoying one another’s company. And the sumptuous feast doesn’t hurt either…

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Samhain, a Celebration of Life and Death

Samhain reminds us to honor our ancestors, celebrate life, and not fear death.

I’m pretty late with this post but better late than never, I suppose. 🙂 For reference, the Gaelic word Samhain is pronounced ‘sow-en’ or ‘sah-wen’ – not ‘sam-hane’ – and the featured image belongs to DragonOak.

Samhain is considered the 3^rd and final harvest of the year, in many Pagan traditions. It is the turn of the wheel that marks the finishing of Fall’s work and the brief resting period that sometimes follows, as we move into the darker half of the year (Samhain to Beltane). For us, the bit of rest helps us gear up for the upcoming Holiday season.

Samhain is the Celtic/Gaelic version of an ancient holiday that reminds us to honor our ancestors. Mexico’s Day of the Dead is similar in many ways. It is the time of year the veil between our world and theirs is believed to be the thinnest. Many choose this time to communicate with loved ones who’ve passed on, through divination. Others may set an extra place at the table in remembrance. Still others simply look back with fondness.

A secular celebration for many today, Halloween activities have a basis in these ancient Pagan traditions. Dressing up was once meant to frighten off spirits who may wish to do harm. Guising started in the Middle Ages, when people in costume went door to door asking for food or money as payment for songs or prayers for the dead. This became trick-or-treating in the early 1900s, when kids would prank those who didn’t “treat” them. Somewhere along the way, their end of the exchange became forgotten.

For me, the main point of Samhain is to honor those who came before me and respect Death as a natural part of Life’s cycle. It is, effectively, the final harvest in this life, though I personally believe it is only the body that dies. Far from being “scary” or “gruesome”, it is a reminder that life is a continual thing and death is nothing to fear.

However you celebrate, or choose not to, I hope you all enjoy the remainder of your Fall season and the time life gives us with our loved ones.

Fall into Mabon

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are falling, garden harvests are happening, and back-to-school schedules are being settled into. We’re on the cusp of my favorite season – Autumn. Time to celebrate Mabon!

Mabon, or the Autumnal Equinox, is the second harvest celebration of the Pagan year. Today, day and night are in equal balance, with the Wheel turning toward the coming winter.

Often celebrated as a wine festival and widely known as a Pagan Thanksgiving, it is a time of balance, relaxation, and completing tasks. Mabon offers a brief respite between harvesting summer’s bounty and storing it away to last the winter. It is also a time of reflection, as we look on the year thus far to see what worked for us and what didn’t. What didn’t work is a lesson on improvement and a plan to look ahead, to do better next time.

My Autumn Doll — This is Autumn, a doll I made at a spirit doll workshop a few years ago.

Many foods and drinks are associated with Mabon, as it is a time of plenty. The cornucopia is overflowing! While wine is a common component, apples (cider…mmmm!) and root veggies also play a role. Fall leaves, acorns and pinecones are frequent decorations on the Mabon altar, representing the continuity of life even as the world turns increasingly cold and dark.

Ways to celebrate are as unique as those celebrating. From a simple meditation to creating gourd art to a full-blown ritual with the coven, pick what works for you. So, pour a glass of wine/cider, eat a little root stew and sit outside to enjoy the fall leaves blowing about you. Or have a bonfire and usher in Fall with some good friends and music. Or teach your kids to make gourd art. Or….oh, just get out there and have fun already!

*Featured photo isn’t taking caption…photo by OakenHoof, found at http://cloggin.co.uk/content/incredible-edible-harvest-festival

Happy Lughnasadh!

I wanted to pop in today to wish everyone, Pagan or not, a Happy Lughnasadh. For the record, as it’s a dicey looking word (many Gaelic words are), it’s pronounced “loo-nah-sod” or “loo-nah-sad”.

In Pagan tradition, Lughnasadh (or Lammas, meaning ‘loaf-mass’) is the first of the 3* harvests. It introduces the transition of summer into autumn and is often celebrated as a grain festival. By some contrast, the next holiday, Mabon (or Autumn Equinox) is often considered a wine festival.

There are many ways to celebrate, from a simple meditation to a full-blown ritual. It could be a baking of bread that is consecrated (blessed) before eating. If eating freshly harvested foods, don’t forget to save the seeds, for it is said that, if they sprout the next year, one should plant it as a connection with the Divine. This seems to go especially for trees, such as apple. However one chooses to revel, the main point is to mindfully recognize where the Wheel of the Year currently sits and express gratitude for/reflect on/celebrate/etc. your place as part of Nature.

There is also some lore involved with the holiday, much of it Celtic, but I won’t get too far into it today. I intend to create a series on the Pagan holidays soon enough, so there’s no need to be redundant. 🙂

As I said before, whether you’re Pagan or not…enjoy your day!

*According to some traditions, Samhain (pronounced sow-en, not sam-hane) is not counted as the third harvest.