Healing with the Aid of Ancestors {Ritual and Herbal Powder Recipe}

I had been inspired by two events and two plants this year to finally do an Ancestral healing ritual this past Samhain. This is something that I had been wishing to do for a few years now, and had worked my way towards it on some counts, but also had been avoiding doing so, not ready to face or let go of some pain and anger. 

The first event of inspiration happened when I was at Tlachtga/Hill of Ward this past Bealtaine, after hearing the story of Tlachtga, I knew that I had wanted to do something on Samhain to honour her. In her story she is deeply betrayed by her jealous father, which lead to her rape and impregnation, causing her to birth three sons, which also ultimately lead to her death. But instead of her last words being of vengeance and hatred, they were of hope and love, the naming of her three sons: Cuma, Muach and Doirb. And as long as those names are remembered, Ireland and her people shall be safe from catastrophe. To me Tlachtga is a figure of strength and sovereignty; not necessarily encouraging forgiveness and most certainly not forgetting, but urging one forward to live their full potential, irregardless of what life throws at them. Also while at the Hill of Ward, I had my first of many experiences during my time in Ireland of communing with various nature spirits, this time being with Stinging Nettle. Already an ally, I was reminded of the many lessons that this plant can teach. One of them being that just like the pain one can get through harvesting them, it could be well worth going through the experience for the potential of nourishment and healing that both the plant and painful experience can bring. For only through such experiences can we truly gain the insights needed to heal ourselves and help others with the same. 

The second event of inspiration came this past summer during a get together up north, while visiting our family cemetery in a small village. The whole place was carpeted by beautiful Selfheal/Heal-all, another beloved plant ally. I harvested some, knowing that it would be perfect for helping heal family and ancestral wounds. 

While I did initialize the healing on Samhain, it is a work in progress, so this is something that I continue to do. I suppose it could be said that this has been incorporated into my devotional work with my Ancestors, hopefully that is mutually beneficial for both the living and the dead. 

I've decided to share some of that here, in case others are looking to do similar work with the aid of their own Ancestors.

Ancestral Herbal Healing Powder

A powder like this could easily be used in charms, in an incense, or as I have done and made it for adding to candles for ritual use. *Wearing gloves would be a good idea while making this, as some of the ingredients can be toxic. This was made on the full moon before Samhain, which happened to be a Sunday, to me a great time for healing work. I spent a good long while grinding everything in a mortar and pestle, in a meditative state focusing on healing. The mixture was then left under the light of the full moon to be blessed for nine days.

Stinging Nettle

Selfheal

Ancestor Graveyard Dirt

Ancestral Rose Thorns

Wild Rose

Cedar

Tansy {can be toxic}

Apple Leaves

Meadowsweet

Thyme

Bleeding Hearts {can be toxic}

Mullein

Heather

Linden Leaf and Flower

Forget-Me-Nots

Ancestral Healing Ritual

I carved on a black candle in Ogham down three separate sides "Clann" {Family}, "Shinsir" {Ancestors} and "Leighgeas" {Healing}, and over each carving placed three personal effects to consecrate the candle within the Three Realms: blood {Talam/Land}, saliva {Muir/Sea} and breath {Nem/Sky}. Then on each carving I rubbed some of the herbal powder from above, three times on each.

The candle was then placed in a silver bowl of Ancestral graveyard dirt, surrounded by three poppy pods, one at each point of the Ogham carving. Under this is kept names and situations being focused on for healing. Before being lit, the candle was anointed with nine drops of a healing oil, and sprinkled with more of the herbal powder. This is something I do every time before the candle is lit for a working.

Of course before beginning the ritual, I always leave offerings to those who I am asking help from, which I encourage everyone to do. During the ritual there are prayers, meditation and often divination as well, which I also encourage others to do, tailored to their own needs and personal practices. 

*********

It's never an easy thing, the process of healing. For those on that same journey, I hope that this post might be of some use to to you. 

Samhain Blessings

Samhain blessings to you all in the Northern half/Bealtaine blessings to you in the Southern half. However you observe this time of year, may your loved ones always be felt, both the living and the dearly departed. 

Warm hearts & hearths! <3

Folk Magic Quick Tip: Bedside Kit for Protection and Aids while Sleeping, Dreaming and Walking Between Worlds

Tending to be one of those people that likes to be prepared for just about anything, I have various types of protections, charms, and such scattered throughout both my home and carried on my person. Perhaps on the verge of overkill, but I don't wish to chance things, plus I like to have things within reach. And I am kinda lazy when in bed, not wanting to have to get out unless it is time to get up or if nature calls. So on my beside is a kit of things I might need to keep me safe while either sleeping, dreaming or while walking between worlds. 

This rather innocent-looking vintage tin once belonged to my Granny. She used to keep buttons, spools and other doo-dads for crafting in it. When I look at the image of the girl and the goat, I like to picture her as a witchling-to-be, so thought that it would be a good storage option for supplies of that nature. :) 

                 

Should you wish to do something similar, here's some ideas of what you could put in your own bedisde kit. This is currently what I am keeping in mine:

• Hagstone
• Saining water
• Black silk scarf that belonged to an Ancestor
• Mandrake flying ointment
• Herbal sleep charm
• Skeleton key with three red knots
• Immrama incense
• Antler slice to connect with one of my allies
• String of rowan berries on red thread
• Journal dedicated to dreams and journeys

Each item has a purpose, many of them with more than one function, so one could certainly simplify what they keep at their bedside down to perhaps just two or three items and be just as guarded. 

Good sleep, sweet dreams and safe travels to you all. 

Laurel

Rathcroghan Mound & Visitor Centre

It's taken me longer to post about the various places visited and experiences had while on pilgrimage to Ireland. I've posted about one of the other sites already {Tlachtga/Hill of Ward}. I suppose in part it can be chalked up to lack of time and motivation, but it's probably more honest to say that I don't know what and how much I am comfortable sharing of the more personal details. There are a few more that I would like to do, so I will get to them eventually. :) 

This post is focusing on Rathcroghan Mound and the Visitor Centre not too far away from the Mound in the village of Tulsk.

Rathcroghan Mound

Rathcroghan is actually a complex of various sites close to one another, the most well known being the Mound. We visited but two of the many monuments this complex has to offer, the Mound and Oweynagat/The Cave of Cats {another post of that spot to come}. It is the ancient royal center of Connacht, most famous for perhaps its ties to the legendary Queen Medb. 

Reconstruction artwork by the talent JG O'Donoghue

We did a procession up the hill, and had a beautiful group ritual lead by Lora O'Brien and Jon O''Sullivan {who also run Eel & Otter Press}. It was fantastic to experience this site as well as others with Lora and Jon, as they are both super knowledgeable about not only Irish myth and folklore, but are dedicated to preserving that knowledge and the sites. Lora in particular has strong ties and background to Rathcroghan. The work they do has been invaluable, providing resources and accessibility to information, not just the specs and stories of these places, but also emphasizing the importance of etiquette and cultural understanding that is key for anyone who wishes to grasp the spirit of these places and their stories. I say this whether you are a Gaelic polytheist, some other stripe of Pagan or of some other faith {or lack thereof} altogether. If you are not Irish and are visiting these places, I can't recommend them enough. Even for those who might be a little bit more well read and fancies themselves informed, if you haven't checked out Lora's work, do so.

After the group ritual, we had time to do our own thing, some gathering in small clusters or as individuals. Once again, it was nature spirits who called to me, most strongly felt was that of a rowan who stands guard at the public entrance of the Mound site. This solitary tree yet another harbinger of the lone side quests that would make themselves known to me on this pilgrimage.



At the beginning and at the end of the day our coach bus stopped for a bit at the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre, which houses a great little heritage centre, a nicely stocked gift shop and the Tain Cafe {if you are used to North American-styled coffee, you are safe, they got you covered :)}. The folks who run the place are very friendly, and if that is not enough to tempt you, the stop just to sit on this pretty throne is worth it.

Some links of interest:

Rathcroghan Royal Site {Voices from the Dawn}

Rathcroghan {Megalithic Ireland}

Rathcroghan: A Journey by Lora O'Brien

Rathcroghan Visitor's Centre

Lughnasadh Blessings

{photo of a working with Macha from last year}

I hope that everyone is having a fruitful beginning to the season of Lughnasadh {or a wonderful Imbolc for those in the Southern half}! 

The first fruits of the harvest for me are more of a spiritual and symbolic nature this year, rather than the literal and tangible ones. Reaping the blessings of seeds planted this past spring, or even before that, as I do observances looking back.

As mentioned several times before, for me personally, this is the beginning of Macha's time. This year simple offerings of beer and oatcakes, as well as seasonal wildflowers and grasses in a bouquet picked under a new moon and a cloak pin dedicated to her. A humble thanks for kicking my ass up mountains; some real ones, while others have come in the form of challenges that life tends to put in our ways. These last few years especially she has given me strength when I have been ready to give in, all in knowing that I can have faith in her to shield me from more than I can handle. 

May this time be fruitful for you all!

A Reddening Ritual {a Deer's Skull}

Just about a year ago I had done a rebirthing of a deer skull under last July's full moon {often called a Buck Moon, which last year also turned out to be the longest blood moon eclipse of this century}. I had wanted to do a post about it in greater detail, meaning to share the three stage process I went through to redden, rebirth, and consecrate and bind the skull to myself for ritual purpose.

A year on, I had been reminded that I wanted to post on this when doing a ritual this past full Buck Moon honouring my lovely deer friend. So, here we are, this is the first post of three in this little series of what I did for this particular skull. The process and ritual I will be sharing is something that I have done not only for animal remains, but also some other sacred items, most recently before this skull, my rowan stang, and don't see why others couldn't do the same should they be adverse to doing this for the remains of an animal.

While this is a practice I started doing before I considered myself a Gaelic polytheist, it has been refined over time to fit my personal practice and cosmology, and below is how I would go about doing it today. Just in case there are folks who are looking for inspiration on how one might do a ritual like this, I am going into quite a bit of depth here. Anyhow, on with it.

Instead of me rattling off what reddening is, and why we do it, I will be lazy and share a really great post that had been done on the In The Chimehours blog back in 2011, who also in this post reddened a very handsome deer skull.

This deerie was found by another in the forest, he was a white-tailed buck, whose antlers had been shed and had not started to grow new ones. So he had died in winter or early spring. I think that he was a younger lad, probably two or three years of age, and how he was found, his death seemed to be a natural one. I believe that while I was initially connecting to him, I saw what the cause was, but obviously can't say for sure. His skull had been exposed to the elements for some while by the time he was found. Not the "prettiest" skull, but he is certainly my favourite. His spirit has turned out to be a most precious ally in my travels when I walk between worlds.

At some point I may go into greater detail on how I've developed and maintain my relationships with spirit allies, especially of those whose remains I am the steward of. For now I will just say that before I started to woo him into working with me, I had made a little shrine to him, and left regular offerings, which I still do today. 

Prior to the actual reddening, I did a small offering and saining ritual on the new moon. The skull was placed on a plate that held the dry ingredients of the reddening paste {pictured and listed below}, surrounded by a rowan berry necklace and candles of the Three Realms.

• Lighting the candles of the Three Realms: Sky {"Blessings of the sky above"}, Sea {"Blessings of the sea about"}, Land {"blessings of the land below"}
• Lighting the hearth candle, a prayer of welcome is said to The Three {Gods, Spirits and Ancestors} and offerings are made: incense {representing Sky} whiskey {representing Sea}, and food {representing Land}. 
• A threefold saining is then performed: juniper smoke {"blessings of Sky"} is moved over the skull, saining water {"blessings of Sea"} is sprinkled over the skull, and sea salt and purifying herbs {"blessings of Land"} is lightly rubbed on the skull 

Below is a list of the dry ingredients that I had used in this reddening paste. Keeping in mind, I was reddening this skull to house an ally I wished to do specific types of spirit work with, the contents of this reddening paste reflects that. Ingredients may vary, depending on what the purpose of the item being reddened is. The dried ingredients I used here are {* potentially or is poison, handle with care}: 

Ancestral graveyard dirt

Staghorn sumac berries

Rowan berries

Ghost fern

Oak leaves

Wormwood*

European mandrake roots*

Bittersweet nightshade berries*

Yew*

Mugwort*

Willow bark

Dandelion root

Mullein

Black nightshade berries*

The wet ingredients for the reddening paste were three beets, each one carved with one of the names of the Three Realms in ogham: Nem {Sky}, Muir {Sea}, and Talam {Land} that were then boiled until they could be mashed; Samhain water, and nine drops of my blood. 

This was then all mixed together in a paste and plastered on the skull, which was left on for about 24 hours until it could crumble off by itself. Before moving onto the next stage, he was left to dry out completely for nine days.

Quick Tip for Polytheists: Small Rituals to Stay Connected

Or, I suppose this could also be called making the most of the time you have.

Many of us live super busy lives, and I think for those of us in polytheist, pagan and witchcraft communities, might feel that we don't have a enough time to spend on observing holy days or special times of the year the way we would like, or find it difficult to stay connected to the spirits and deities we have relationships with.

For me this became especially true once I started working in healthcare, and even more so once I moved away to where I am now. At times it has left me feeling extremely frustrated and even depressed. Like I am somehow failing. Over time I've found ways to adjust. Here are two examples of what I've done recently, which will hopefully inspire and give ideas for folks who find themselves in similar situations.

During Midsummer I was working and didn't have time to do much to celebrate. So, the night of, after working the late shift, a friend and I walked home together and picked wildflowers at around midnight as we made our way home. We did do the usual making of offerings and "paid the rent" to the local land spirits, a tradition I have taken to previous years {it is good form to never skip on hospitality in my view, no matter how pressed for time}. 

Some of the wildflowers were placed on my hearth shrine and others on Airmid's part of the shrine, with a quick devotional prayer. And that's it. I didn't have time to greet the rising sun, it was that or sleep. For practical reasons I chose sleep. So, just making due the best I can. 

Speaking of Airmid, I had mentioned in previous posts, how I divide the year to seasonal devotions to the household deities I have relationships with. From around Midsummer to Lughnasadh is Airmid's time. After my pilgrimage to Ireland, I feel a deepened sense of devotion to her, and I want to maintain that, to see where that leads.

For her season I decided to take advantage of the strong sun at this time of year, as well as her connection to plants and healing by making a sun tea every day. I simply choose herbs based on intuition or whose properties I feel I need, add them to a mason jar with water, and leave it on my balcony shrine for the day. I leave a little tea as an offering to the land spirits, make an offering of some to Airmid with a small devotional prayer, and use some of it myself. 

The main thing I think is to make the most the time, energy and abilities one has. Of course it is smart to be mindful of oaths one has made, but when it comes to The Three, I find that effort is probably what is most appreciated by those we have relationships with.

Tlachtga/Hill of Ward

On the first day the group for the Wolves, Witches and Warbands Irish pilgrimage met up, we made a visit to Tlachtga/Hill of Ward, a ring fort and sacred site in Co. Meath. The weather was very cold, wet and grey, very reminiscent of a late fall day, instead of being on the cusp of Bealtaine, or how I pictured it would be at least in Ireland. Which I suppose was suitable, as there are some at least who think that Tlachtga is the birthplace of Samhain bonfires.

Before doing the group ritual, we all had a chance to explore the site a bit, after getting a little introduction by the lovely Gemma McGowan. The story of Tlachtga had a real impact on me, to the point of tears, but it was to the far corner of the field that the site is on that I first felt called to.

While others are priests of deities or the go-betweens on behalf of the Othercrowd, I was the dipshit on the fringe of sites chatting with trees and plants, and listening to what the birds had to say. This ended up being a personal theme for me at each site I was able to visit, giving me the opportunity to connect with various different spirits and beings of those places. At this particular spot it was the humble stinging nettle that had the most to teach me. 

Only until pretty recently Tlachtga has been often overlooked as far as importance goes, but it is growing in popularity. There has been Samhain festivities held there, and a couple years back there was an archaeological dig. 

Some links of interest:

Tlachtga-Hill of Ward {Knowth.com}

Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival by John Gilroy {some parts of the book on New Grange.com}

Excavations at Tlachtga {Facebook page}

The Hill of Ward: A Samhain Site in Co. Meath {JSTOR}

A really beautiful spot. <3

Pilgrimage Processing {Shrine Edition}

I still have a whole lot of processing to do from my time in Ireland. Got the feeling that I will be doing that for some time. I do intend to share bits of that, and figured that I might as well start at the beginning. One of the first things I did after getting unpacked was putting together all the treasures that I got while over there, either found or given to me.

Certain items are devotional pieces dedicated to specific deities, so those sit on their parts of the household deity shrine. Other items I thought would be good to put on the general Gaelic deity shrine, which I have found helpful as a visual focus while doing meditation, work or making offerings while going through this processing.

Some folks find making visioning boards helpful for when planning and dreaming, think of what I am at here as something similar, but after the fact. I suppose in a way it could be for planning and dreaming too though, as I have every intention of going back.

The shrine is now a little bit more spread out compared to what originally was. Thankfully I had some wall space still :) 

Time Flies When in the Otherworld

Bluebells and ferns on the Bog Trail in Knockvicar Ireland, May 2019.

I can't believe that it is June already! It definitely does not feel like a month ago that I was in the midst of such an amazing experience in Ireland. My time there was even more fleeting than since I have been back. Just like when in the Otherworld, time went by in a blink. But, to be fair, we were quite on an Otherworldly journey, those of us on that pilgrimage.

This had been my first time in Ireland, one of which I hope to be of many. It feels much thinner there than where I reside, more so than anywhere I have ever been I think. Although, I suppose the time of year and the company and purpose of being there all had something to do with that as well. Hard to say.

When asked about my time there, it has been difficult to describe most of it, as I still have so much processing to do. There were countless amazing and very weird experiences that happened, and to recount all of them, I really wouldn't know where to begin at this point.

I've said it more than once on here, but I have felt much more private over the last while about my spiritual practice. Although I think that sharing my impressions and how I remember certain things will perhaps help me process what happened to me there. I will say this much, I am sure forever changed. I know that sounds cliché, but at this point, that is the best way I can describe it.

I met really wonderful folks who shared this pilgrimage journey with me, and I also had quite a bit of time to myself. There were so many sacred places visited, of which I will share a bit about each one in individual posts, as well as other topics as they come to me.

Almost certainly there will be changes, at the very least finetuning to my spiritual practice. As well as a project that I feel called to do, once I finally figure out what that is to look like.

Fair to say that Ireland is one fucking strange and beautiful place.

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Some links of note related to folks who helped make this pilgrimage amazing <3

Wolves, Witches and Warbands {the actual pilgrimage}

Land Sea Sky Travel

Coru Cathubodua Priesthood

Lora O'Brien 

Jon O'Sullivan

Gemma McGowan

One Month and Counting...{Pilgrimage Advent Vigil Candle}

Today marks exactly one month before I fly off to my pilgrimage to Ireland. In anticipation for this I had created an advent candle of sorts, to be burnt starting nine weeks prior to when I leave. Each week is marked with a different layer, each separated by botanicals that I felt were relevant to what I was wishing to bring in.  

At the start of each new week offerings are made, prayers are said {I have been using an altered version of Charm of Grace as one of those prayers}, along with divination and meditation. Each week is dedicated to researching and trying to connect with one of the sacred sites we are to be visiting, along with other work that might need to be done, mundane or spiritual. While doing anything in regards to the pilgrimage, I make sure to light the candle each time. If nothing else, it is a good way for me to stay focused. 

Creating a candle like this is super easy. I just used an old jar that once belonged to a seven day candle, but one could easily do a pillar candle, or even a votive candle for smaller advents, or if less time can be dedicated to keeping vigil. And an advent candle like this could easily be used to observe a season, a particular working, or whatever else your imagination can come up with. 

Thanks to the lovely fellow Brighidine flamekeeper for the original inspiration, you know who you are. <3

Imbolc Blessings

As the serpent stirs, as the sap rises, as the land awakes, may you feel Brigid's quickening flame in your hearts, in your minds, and in your spirits.

Beannachtaí na Féile Bríde agus Imbolc oraibh/ Brigid's Day & Imbolc blessings to you all!

Recently Hoarded Gael Pol Pretties {more artwork by Sean Fitzgerald & Tales of the Taibhsear}

From a series done on Irish witch trials, Alice Kyteler & Petronilla de Meath}

Not too long ago I had gotten some more artwork by Sean Fitzgerald {you can see previous ones that I had gotten here}. If you are into the history, folklore and myths of Ireland, or love really great Celtic knotwork, go check out his online store. He is easily one of my favourite artists, and the photos I took of the prints sent to me do them no justice.

{Another from the Irish witch trials series Florence Goody Newton}

{portrait of a scene of from Irish myth, of Medb}

Currently Sean is working with Amanda Healy on an Irish mythology tarot deck and is also working on a Celtic knotwork book. Go check out his Instagram account to stay up to date on those projects and see what else he is working on. 

Something else that recently came to me in the post was Tales of the Taibhsear, a fantastic chapbook written by Scott Richardson-Read and an equally amazing c.d. accompanying it. A collection of Scottish folk magic, music and tales, this was a must have for me. I also got a lovely print of the cover art too {by Julia Jeffrey}, which hangs on my wall now beside the two witch trial prints from Sean Fitzgerald. 

Scott Richardson-Read is the one behind one of my favourite blogs Cailleach's Herbarium, Amanda Edmiston is a wonderful storyteller, and Debbie Armour who has such a beautiful voice. 

Daily Purification {and some updates/happy 2019!}

It has been quite a while since I have added a proper post here. I've found myself in a place where I'm feeling more private with all areas of my life the last couple of years, more so than I have in the past, including my spiritual practice. This hasn't really changed all whole lot, but I am hoping the periods of silences this year will become smaller here. Thanks for those who have stuck around to take a peek at what I do post. Hope 2019 will treat you all well!

This year I am taking a pilgrimage to Ireland, which is being hosted by Land Sea Sky Travel and the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood. No surprise, I am really looking forward to going, not only to take a pilgrimage to the land of my own heart, but also to be able to meet fellow polytheists as we take this journey together. Being a pilgrimage, there has been, and will be a lot of preparation, both of the mundane kind and the spiritual. For most Gaelic polytheists, I think that line is blurred anyways. As I make these preparations, I am hoping to share some of my thoughts, practices, and so on. First up is the idea of daily purification. 

Recently the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood hosted an online talk covering base practices within Celtic polytheism, and one of the topics covered was spiritual hygiene{cleansing and purification of self and space}. Daily purification was talked about, which inspired me to become less lax in this department. I wanted to create a special saining water that I could use at least once a day when doing my kindling prayers in the morning, and ideally at night as well when doing my smooring prayers.

Botanical Infused Alcohol for Saining Water

Given that plants and trees play a central role in my practice, it only made sense to incorporate them into making this water. To keep things from going rancid, I decided to start off with making an alcoholic base, with nine botanicals associated with blessing, protection, and of course purification. 

To 80 proof vodka I added the following {all previously dried}:

Rowan
Juniper
Yarrow
Rose
Meadowsweet
Thyme
Birch
Oak
Heather

Stored in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, I let everything steep for nine days, under a thick red fabric to keep the light out {red is associated with protection}, wrapped in a rowan berry and hagstone charm {again for protection}. Shaking once each day, while saying a little prayer for its intended purpose. After the steeping period, I strained the botanicals from the liquid. Now I have a base to work with, which I think should keep alright for at least a year, should I not use it all beforehand. Probably something nice to make again for each Imbolc.

Making Saining Water

I thought that the perfect time to make the saining water would be during a water blessing ritual that we do on the 20th shift of every cycle in a polytheist Brighidine flamekeeping sisterhood that I belong to. I made one bottle, with a back up mason jar just in case I needed more, before it is replenished, which would be every 20 days.

To the blessed water I added 20 drops of the alcoholic base, one for each day, and nine drops of rose essential oil and 18 drops of lavender essential oil. It smells very nice. Stored in an old whiskey bottle, it sits on the hearth shrine, ready for use every day.

Daily Saining Prayer

When doing my daily purification I pour some water into a little vessel, before saying the following prayer. While dipping fingers in water each time...

"May the Three bless my hands {rub water over hands}

May the Three bless my mind {touching brow}

May the Three bless my sight {touching *around* eyes}

May the Three bless my words {touching *around* mouth}

May the Three bless my voice {touching throat}

May the Three bless my heart {touching left side of chest}

May the Three bless my center {touching navel area}

May the Three bless my whole being {sprinkling water over self three times}

May the Three bless this space and any place I may be {sprinkling around shrine}"

***Please feel free to use this prayer, adapt it as needed. This is very much inspired by various prayers that one would find in Carmina Gadelica.***

Afterwards I like to leave the remaining poured water in the vessel on the shrine until the following day, to use as needed throughout the day. Plus it makes the room smell nice. :)