I Really Want An Environmental Revolution To Happen Soon. Gardens Everywhere, Herbal Wisdom Flourishing

dark green is a nice color. underrated

Why Yule Needs to Stay Creepy

“…There’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago…”

So I have been thinking about our Contemporary conceptualization of the Christmas season a lot lately and it’s kind of interesting. So many things we associate with Christmas – Christmas trees, greeting cards, Santa Claus, his reindeer and elves, gift-giving in general – all of these things came into vogue in the 19th Century and are very sticky-sweet, in my opinion. They’re lovely, but not filling. If we just scratch the surface of the Christmas we know and love and peek back into its history, we find something much meatier.

Before the cheerful Christmas tree, a number of other plants were associated with Christmas. The holly, associated with sacrifice and the blood of Christ, and the parasitic mistletoe, associated with the death of Baldur in Norse mythology – these were the plants associated with Christmas before the Christmas tree became the standard.

Also, the Yule log. The Yule log, meant to provide light on the darkest night of the year, was a magic charm in and of itself. If it did not burn through the night, it would be a terrible omen. By watching the fire and coals of the Yule log, one could also predict who would give birth and who would die in the coming year.  

When our simple Santa Claus is reduced to his predecessors, one is left with Odin, ancient Norse God of battle, Saint Nicholas, the canonized former bishop of Turkey, and Father Christmas, the hard-drinking gluttonous representation of holiday merriment. And all of them brought ghastly friends – Odin, the spirits of the Wild Hunt and Saint Nicholas, his helpers (including Knecht Rupert, Krampus, etc.). Father Christmas, more of a personification of the season than a night visitor, undoubtedly brought many hangovers.

Before stories about reindeer, snowmen, or things of that ilk, there were ghost stories. Charles Dickens did not invent the Christmas ghost story in “A Christmas Carol,” but popularized an already-existing folkloric trend. If we look to the old tales of Christmas, we find stories about witches that rode the night air, cursing the birth of the Savior. There are stories about fairies, ghosts, and Devils that wreak havoc, frightening livestock and damaging property. In an era before television or radio, homemade storytelling was one of the primary forms of entertainment. And winter was the storytelling season.

You also have mumming, wassailing, and caroling – dressing up in colorful costumes and (sometimes drunkenly) begging for money door-to-door. As John Grossman notes in his book “Christmas Curiosities,” Christmas before the Contemporary Period resembles our Halloween more than it resembles the Christmas we know now.

Let us not forget, those of us who acknowledge the Wheel of the Year, that the season of darkness extends from Halloween to Christmas. This darkness only begins to fade when we gain back the Sun at the Winter Solstice. From Halloween to Christmas, the dead may roam the Earth and weird things may happen. In his classic “Mastering Witchcraft,” Paul Huson notes that Yule is not a time for pleasant spell work, but cursing! It is a time of dark magic and mystery. And we need this time. To understand the light, we must understand the darkness – the witches, ghosts, and Devils of the old Yuletide. Like the trees that go dormant, we must embrace the darkness of winter to grow and thrive.

 ｡⋆  🎀 terfs suck 🎀  ⋆｡

Terfs: wombyn are their ovaries!!! Ovaries make a wombybybynnn. Accept that u are a womynbdgnn you have ovaries !!!!

Me, a trans man on the danger list for ovarian cancer and is going to get them removed in the distant or near future:

not for long

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Things to Research as a Beginner Witch

• The history of witchcraft • Famous witches, if you’d like • Types of witches • Types of magick (white magick, chaos magick, etc) • Types of spells (curses, hexes, etc) • Types of divination (tarot, scrying, etc) • Talismans vs Sigils (and what each are) • Seals • Maybe some alphabets if that’s your thing • Some witchy symbols • Deities (For pagan witches) • Let it spread from there!

. : MABON CORRESPONDENCES : .

NAMES: The Second Harvest, The Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autnno (Strega), Alban Elfed “The Light of the Water”(Caledonii/ Druidic-celebrates Lord of the Mysteries), Festival of Dionysus, Winter Finding (Teutonic, from Equinox ’til Winter Night or Nordic New Year, Oct 15th.) 

DATE AND TIME: [Northern Hemisphere] - Approximately September 21st*          [Southern Hemisphere] - Approximately March 21st* 

COLORS: Brown, Yellow, Gold, Red, Russet, Maroon, Deep Purple, Orange, Green

ELEMENT: Water

SYMBOLS[ISM]: Second Harvest, Mysteries, Equality, Balance                                                                                                                                                             THRESHOLD: Evening                                                                                        

INCENSE: Myrrh, Pine, Sage, Sweetgrass, Benzoin                                                                                                                                                                               FOOD & DRINK: Bread, Nuts, Apples, Pomegranates, Nut Bread, Bean Soup, Pies, Dark Fruity Beverages, Poultry, Apple Cider, Mead, Dark Wine, Corn, Potatoes, Carrots, Onion                                                                                                                                                                                   

PLANTS & HERBS: Acorns, Asters, Mums, Oak Leaves, Ferns, Grains, Honeysuckle, Marigold, Milkweed, Passionflower, Rose, Solomon’s Seal, Tobacco, Thistle, & a Variety of Vegetables                                                                                                                                                                                    . STONES: Sapphire, Lapiz Lazuli, Yellow Agates, Carnelian, Yellow Topaz, Amethyst                                                                                                                                                                                    

DIETIES: [Gods] - Mabon, Thoth, Thor, Hermes, The Green Man          [Goddesses] - Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Pamona and the Muses                                                                                                                                   SPELLWORKINGS: Protection, Prosperity, Security, Self-Confidence, Harmony, Balance                                                                                                                  

ACTIVITIES: Making wine, Gathering dried herbs/plants/seeds/seed pods, walking in the woods, scattering offerings in harvest fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves/acorns/pine cones/ to honor those that have passed, Baking, Sharing a dinner with friends and family, plant bulbs to grow in the dark, have a bonfire, make a prosperity candle, go for a hike, collect things for and/or set up your Mabon altar, make some incense, bake, cook, collect milkweed pods in preparation for yule [to decorate and attract faeries], do an apple ritual, balance your chakras, make an herb broom                                                                                                                                                                   DECORATION: Fall Leaves, Flowers, Grape Vines, Cornucopia, Apples, Acorns, Corn, Wheat, Indian Corn hung on the door for luck/fertility/wisdom ANIMALS & MYTHICAL BEINGS:          Dogs, Wolves, Stag, Blackbirds, Owl, Eagles, Goat, Salmon, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans and Gulons

Weird Little Habits That Are Actually Magick

Knocking on wood Blowing on dandelion seeds Using a fallen eyelash to make a wish Kissing under mistletoe Throwing spilled salt over your left shoulder Don’t put shoes on the table/bed Don’t open an umbrella indoors Finding four leaf clovers for luck Carving jack-o-lanterns Wearing masks/costumes on Halloween Using flower petals to play ‘Love-me, Love-me-not’ Wishing on a falling star

That’s all I can think of at the moment, add more!

Old cartoons with a horrifying twist. By calkearns

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Follow for recipes

Is this how you roll?

[A]

Alfalfa:

Growing Alfalfa

Common Alfalfa Mistakes

Video - Growing Alfalfa

How to Grow Alfalfa Grass

Alfalfa in Magic

Allspice:

How to Grow Allspice From Seeds

Allspice Cultivation

Allspice | CCGrow

Allspice Growing

Allspice in Magic

Aloe Vera:

Growing Aloe Vera Indoors

Beginner’s Guide to Growing Aloe Vera

How to Grow and Care for Aloe Vera

How to Plant Aloe Vera

How to Grow Aloe From A Leaf

Video- Plant and Grow Aloe Vera

Aloe in Magic

Apples:

How to Grow and Harvest Apples

Growing Apples

Grow an Apple Tree From a Seed

Apples in Magic

[B]

Basil:

Growing and Harvesting Basil

Growing Basil

Everything You Need to Know About Growing Basil

3 Ways to Grow Basil

Video- How to Grow Basil

Video- How to Plant Basil in Containers

Video- How to Prune Basil

Video- How to Propagate Basil

Basil in Magic

[C]

Catnip:

Growing Catnip

How to Grow Catnip

How to Grow Catnip (with pictures)

The Benefits of Growing Catnip

Catnip in Magic

Chamomile:

Growing Chamomile

How to Grow Chamomile at Home

Chamomile Info

Growing Chamomile for Tea

Chamomile in Magic

Cloves:

Tips for Growing Clove

How to Grow Cloves

Detailed Guide to Growing Cloves

Growing Cloves

Cloves in Magic

Cilantro:

How to Grow Cilantro

Growing Cilantro

The Trick to Cilantro

Do’s and Don’ts of Cilantro

Tips for Growing Cilantro

Cilantro in Magic

Cumin:

Cumin Herb Info

How to Grow Cumin

Cumin in Magic

[D]

Dandelion:

How to Grow Dandelion in Pots

How to Grow and Harvest Dandelions

Growing Dandelions

Dandelions in Magic

Dill:

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Dill

Learn How to Grow Dill

Growing Dill

Dill in Magic

[G]

Garlic:

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Garlic

All About Growing Garlic

How to Grow Garlic in 15 Steps

The Best Way to Grow Garlic

Garlic in Magic

[J]

Junpier:

Grow Juniper

How to Grow and Care for Juniper

The Best Soil for Juniper Trees

Juniper in Magic

[K]

Kale:

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Kale

Beginner’s Guide to Kale

Growing Kale

4 Ways to Grow Kale

(I could not find anything about the magical associations for Kale, but personally I would associate it with cleansing, strength, and good luck!)

[L]

Lavender:

Your Guide to Planting, Caring, and Harvesting Lavender

Growing Lavender

3 Ways to Grow Lavender

Planting & Care

Growing Lavender in Containers

Lavender in Magic

[M]

Mint:

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Mint

Growing Mint

Do’s and Dont’s of Growing Mint

How to Grow Mint

Mint in Magic

[O]

Onions:

Planting and Growing Onions

Growing Onions

Video- Growing Onions

Onions in Magic

[R]

Rosemary:

Growing Rosemary

How to Grow Rosemary in 11 Steps

Everything You Need to Know About Growing Rosemary

Rosemary in Magic

[S]

Sage:

Planting and Growing Sage

Growing Sage

Everything You Need to Know About Growing Sage

11 Steps to Growing Sage

Know Before You Grow - Sage

Sage in Magic

[T]

Thyme:

Growing Thyme

Everything You Need to Know About Growing Thyme

Video- How to Grow Thyme in A Pot

Learn How to Grow Thyme

Thyme in Magic

Turmeric:

Video- How to Plant and Grow Turmeric

How to Grow Turmeric at Home

Growing Turmeric in Pots

Turmeric in Magic

[W]

Wheatgrass:

How to Grow Wheatgrass at Home

Video- How to Grow Wheatgrass

Growing Wheatgrass Indoors

I could not find a reference for Wheatgrass in Magic, but personally I would associate it with health, cleansing, and strength.

[Y]

Ylang Ylang:

How to Grow a Ylang Ylang Tree

Complete Growing Guide to Ylang Ylang

I could not find a specific page for this, but Ylang Ylang is usually associated with calming, employment, love, magical ability, and anti-negativity. (source)