Friendly Horses

Yesterday I went with a friend and her daughter to a farm with a lovely herd of friendly horses; some of the horses are rescued from the slaughter and PMU industries. Here are photos of just a handful of the friendly herd:

 

This guy was a real ham!

 

 

 

This is the mare that I rode.



photo credit T. Ryder.

 

And some of the others in the herd.

 

photo credit T. Ryder

 

photo credit T. Ryder

 

 

 

Waxing of Light, Waning of Darkness

 

Glass úar errach aigide,
úacht ina gaíth gignither,
glaidsit lachain linnuisci,
luind cendach corr crúadéigme.
Cluinit cúana a ndíthrebaib,
fri h·éirge moch matanraid,
dúscit eónu a hinnsénaib,
móor bfiad riasu bfirteititt,
a fid, a féor glass.

~ Glass úar errach

 

Translation:

 

Spring with a chill bite is borne,
the breeze cast in whispers cool;
the cry of ducks' held on high,
and the hard tune of the crane's call.
The cadence of hounds is heard
as haled are morning's marches,
moving to life all the land;
it's light a glittering guide
where glens and grass spring.

~ Translation by Hymir's Kettle

 

{I believe that the poem was originally from The Book of Leinster--formerly Lebar na Núachongbála}

  

*********

 

As a gardener in a region with long winters {this one particularly long!}, I always look forward to spring, when I can finally dig dirt instead of snow.

 

Last year I started observing Latha na Caillich, which as a Gaelic Polytheist and as someone who lives where I do seems like a sensible time to celebrate the coming of spring. It is a day where I make offerings to both An Cailleach and Brigid; for me personally An Cailleach is very present during the dark part of the year and the winter and to me  Brigid oversees renewal and regeneration.

 

During Latha na Caillich there are some sources that state that this is when An Cailleach loses a yearly fight to the coming of spring, where she either turns to stone, falls asleep until the winter, or becomes young again. Some of these sources associate the triumphant spring with Brigid, although as Annie of the Tairis site points out, it is unclear where the An Cailleach/Brigid connection originally comes from {here and here}.

 

So my decision to honour both Goddesses during this time are just due to making sense to me, more so than based on any firmly rooted tradition.

 

While I have been eagerly awaiting spring to show its face, I have been keeping myself busy starting seeds for the garden and making charms for new beginnings and rebirth. Hopefully soon spring will be here and I hope that you are all having a wonderful beginning to this new season.

 

I leave you with a song version of the poem I posted above.
 

 

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

A Policy Update

Unfortunately one of my customers has notified me that their purchase was seized by customs in their country. Due to this, I have updated the policy of the UW Etsy shop.

 

Many of the items that I have for sale are plant-based, and many places have restrictions on what they will allow shipped in to their jurisdictions. It is up to customers to know the laws and regulations for what is restricted or banned in their areas. This means that I will not be offering refunds for items seized by customs.
 

Many governments have clearly defined lists of what is banned or restricted in their areas. Products that I carry that might be of risk include seeds, incense, and other plant-based products.

 

Thanks for reading and to my past, current and future customers!

Sláinte!

Laurel

Scenic

These are some photos I found that I took back in 2009 in one of my "sacred spots", on the shore of Lake Nipissing.

Seed Starting Resources

  

Although the weather around these parts begs to differ, the rumour is that Spring is just around the corner! It is around this time of year that many of us gardeners start seeds indoors, so I thought that I would share a few helpful resources.

 

For information on seed saving and the importance of preserving heirlooms and genetic diversity go to Seed Savers and Seeds of Diversity {both have info on many different heirloom seeds and links to where you can buy heirloom seeds}.

Thrifty Seed-Starting {resources on how you can use recycled and free materials for your seed-starting}.

Mother Earth News has a great article called Best Tips for Starting Seeds Indoors

Gayla Trail has has an excellent Seed Starting Guide section on the You Grow Girl website, including resources such as a printable seed starting chart and an article on how to build a D.I.Y. grow light system.

For seeds that need a cold treatment before germinating, Alchemy Works has an article that marries practical and ritual methods.

Should you wish to bless your seeds, I have a blog post from the past with a ritual that can easily be adapted for indoor seed starting. The post is called Consecrating Seed.

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel