The First Harvest and Starvation as Genocide

 

Lughnasadh or Brón Trogain, the first harvest. Personally it just doesn't feel right to be celebrating bounty while there is a livestreamed genocide where mass starvation is being used as a weapon. This year, it feels more natural to observe the funerary side of this festival, remembering and honouring those who have lost their lives because of oppression. To remember those who have lived through or are experiencing starvation as a tool of genocide. To remember those who do not get to celebrate bounty. To remember our more-than-human kin whose very existence is threatened because of colonizer and capitalist "culture". And to remember our Mother who is Generosity, Abundance and Life. 

This season seems to calls for us to share with others to create and nourish community. Of course this doesn't have to be a literal harvest, but what blessings are being reaped in your life that you can share with others? How can we carry this way of being into our daily lives, throughout the year? 

Trying to live this way for me has personally helped soften the harshness of the state of things. Being able to see what beauty is still here and to be hold thankfulness in my heart.

Beannachtaí Lughnasadh 💛 

Íobair an choilíneachas. 

Íobair an caipitleachas. 

Íobair na tíoránaigh. 

Grá dár Máthair. 

Ath-mháthairiú i ngach áit. 

Saoirse dúinn uile. 

Sacrifice colonialism.

Sacrifice the capitalism. 

Sacrifice tyrants. 

Love for our Mother.

Rematriation Everywhere.

Liberation for Us All.

  

*********

{Illustration by @seanfitzgeraldart that was used for an old rad quarterly called The Country Grind...anyone else remember it?}

A GLÁM DÍCENN RITUAL---Satire & Sacrifice of False Kings-

{This post is a compilation of a few posts originally shared over on Instagram in 2024}

Glám dícenn was a form of satire said to be used by the filí, the poets of the druid class in lreland. It translates to "cry of extremity", and was a powerhouse of a curse, often targeting chieftains and kings.

To compose a glám dícenn, a poet would do so beneath a large Hawthorn with no spikes. The satire would be repeated twenty-seventimes during the circuit of a moon, while pricking a clay image of the target.

A description of a ritual that would be carried out was that before sunrise, seven different grades of filí would go to a hiltop with a Hawthorn tree. The hill would be at the place where seven different territories meet. Once in the positions of having their backs to the tree, facing their own lands and with the wind coming from the north, the filí would recite or improvise a satire towards their target. This ritual was carried out while holding a spike from the Hawthorn tree, in the other hand, a clay image of the victim, to be pricked with the thorn.

In another version, the filí would hold a spike and a "sling stone", which were put at the foot of the Hawthorn. If they were justified in their actions, the king or chieftain they were targeting would be swallowed up by the land. If, however, the filí were unjustified, it was said the land would swallow them up instead. A good reminder for us to be in right relationship with place, our Otherworldly crew and each other.

SACRIFICE OF THE FALSE KING

False king,

a triad of blemishes on your cheek.

Tyrant king,

your nipples unworthy of fealty's kiss.

Colonizer king,

Sovereignty's thighs are closed to you.

Ríshliocht de Geasa Briste--"

Amplachán,

cursed are your eyes

greedy sight.

Meabhlaire,

cursed is your mouth

lying words.

Coirpeach,

cursed are your hands

murderous theft.

Drochdhuine,

cursed is your cock

desired rape.

Eascara,

cursed is your heart

only hate.

By the Realm of Sky, you draw your last breath.

In the Name of the Gods, no air in your lungs.

By the Realm of Sea, your blood is spilled.

In the Name of the Ancestors, no heat in your

veins.

By the Realm of Land, your skin turns grey. 

In the Name of the Spirits, no life in your flesh.

By the Three Realms, in the Names of the Sacred Three, Comes your Three-Fold Death.

colonizer, tyrant, false

un-king.

Originally this ritual was created and carried out in response to the rise of all the greedy and fascist shit stains who are clinging to power and who are the bane to the rest of us. In its entirety, it took several months from beginning to end. Besides writing the satire, there were various other stages.

During the Samhain season i gathered the materials to create an effigy represent the false king, which took shaped over a few weeks. On the new moon before the Summer Solstice l did a "birthing" the effigy, animating and naming him. It was at the Summer Solstice when the curse was done, along with a symbolic "triple" sacrifice at a grave of a notoriously cruel landlord. After this, the "corpse" was dismantled and the foraged materials he was made of were brought back to the place where they were gathered. Those remains were placed in an ancient man made pool where evidence of sacrifice was found.

My Mentors through this process was both Macha as well as hÚath/Sceach Gheal/Hawthorn.

After this the beginnings of a ritual of land and water was healing started, which is still on going. A part of this is creating the Incantation of Right Relationship.

I've come to realize that ending something harmful is not enough, but perhaps more important, is dreaming and creating something new in its place. And while that is happening, reparations must occur as well.

*********

In preparation there were some resources of information and inspiration that i found really helpful. 

First two courses from the Irish Pagan School:

*"The Sovereignty Goddesses of Ireland" instructed by Gillian Kenny

*"An Introduction to Rosc Poetry" instructed by Geraldine Moorkens Byrne

And books:

*"Irish Saints Who Loved Malediction" by Ksneia

Kudenko {found in "Charms, Charmers and

Charming in Ireland"}

*"The Irish Comic Tradition" by Vivian Mercier

*"Ogham" by Erynn Rowan Laurie

*"The Book of the Great Queen" and "The Magic of the Otherworld" both

by Morpheus Ravenna

Creating an Incantation of Right Relationship--a Collaborative Ritual Process {part one}

 

During last Samhain, at the new moon, i started a process where i will explore what the Ogham has to say about living in right relationship. This started a few months previously when i was attempting to create a Rosc inspired incantation of

Right Relationship, in the voices of each fid of the

Ogham as i interpreted them. It had become obvious that this needed to be a deeper and experiential exploration.

This process is ritual, it is also taking honest looks at how all the toxicity of empire has entangled me, how i embody that. It is unlearning/relearning and enacting this in tangible ways.

Ritual/ceremony/sacred practice is just how i make

sense of alot of things. But with that can come the temptation to disengage with material reality, leading to bypassing. So having a devotional structure helps

keep my neuro-spicy self accountable.

Maybe some of you can relate?

For now i've opened the way with the feda of the first aicme and will be following up with a post about that hopefully soon.

Eamhain Mhacha: Neamhspleáchas agus Cómhalartacht/The Twins of Macha: Autonomy and Reciprocity

 {The Lughnasadh season is upon us here in the Northern hemisphere, a time to remember the Sovereignty Goddesses and their sacrifices. We sadly lost Shuhada Sadaqat/Sinéad O'Connor just a few days ago; her actions and convictions, what she offered up to the world, emulated how I imagine a Sovereignty Goddess would be. So while I am devoted to Macha, my love and gratitude extend to all the Sovereignty Goddesses and to everyone who strives for liberation on behalf of themselves and the collective. ❤️‍🔥

This is my attempt to help process some of my thoughts and much of what is written here probably won't be new to folx who are reading it. But perhaps it can spark some of your own thoughts around sovereignty, what that might look like to you and its importance. So here is my little prayer for us to return to ways of being that are centered in autonomy and reciprocity.}

🕯🕯🕯

🌟 Eamhain Mhacha: Neamhspleáchas agus Cómhalartacht/The Twins of Macha: Autonomy and Reciprocity 🌟

These last few years have been a bit of a crash course in personal sovereignty. This has also been accompanied by confliction of the whole concept, as sovereignty is often meant as power-over instead of empowerment. After spending some time in Macha's territory it has become clear that there is still so much to unlearn/learn and to sort out in my heart, head and spirit. 

As I sat on top of Eamhain Mhacha, I started to revisit the idea of what sovereignty means to me both as an anarchist and as an Irish-centered polytheist. This is a place thought to be the ancient seat of rule for the province of Uladh {Ulster} and Macha being the tutelary Goddess here is often associated with sovereignty. What might that mean to her and her devotees today? What potential does that have to offer or even what did it look like before we thought that we could own other beings and places? In quiet ritual, I consulted her and remembered her stories that are rooted here.

I remembered the arrogance of both her chosen husband Cruinniuc and of King Conor; her husband's boasts and the king's fragile ego. The betrayal and the abuse of power. 

Betrayal of the husband after he swore to Macha not to mention their relationship or her Otherwordly talents. Instead of keeping his promise, Cruinniuc bragged at a {either Lughnasadh or Samhain} feast hosted by King Conor that his wife could outrun the king's fastest horses. This lead to Macha having to make good on his boasts, as the king threatened to kill her husband if she didn't race against those horses. Problem was she was very pregnant, in the final stage, ready to give birth soon. She pleaded with King Conor to allow her to give birth first, but the tyrant wasn't having it. She turned to the crowd of people at the feast, seeing if anyone would speak on her behalf for the king to have mercy. She was instead met with mockery and jeers.

Macha raced the king's horses and won, right after which she gave birth to twins. It is thought by many that Eamhain Mhacha was named after them, "The Twins of Macha".

I remembered that abuse of power and betrayal, not only by her husband and the king, but by all present, everyone was culpable. I also keenly remembered the defiant curse that Macha spat out: for nine generations all the men of Ulster would become weak and immobilized with the pangs of birth in Ulster's greatest times of need. This is the part of the story I hold onto most dearly; not the curse itself but it's Macha's rebellion and resilience that enchants me.

Many of us have known deep betrayal and abuse of power, and at the same time, there are many of us who are culpable at benefitting and participating in those very things as well.

As for Macha's Twins, there are a few different outcomes I've heard. Sometimes there is no mention of their fate at all; sometimes they become the chariot horses for the hero Cú Chulainn, and sometimes they are taken back to the Otherworld with Macha. For me they have become the embodiments of Neamhspleáchas/Autonomy and Cómhalartacht/Reciprocity as Macha herself is an embodiment of Flaitheas/Sovereignty.

🕯🕯🕯

✨️Neamhspleáchas/Autonomy✨️

 In my own struggles to find healing and to reclaim power, there have been people who have tried to dictate to me what that should look like. Sometimes I think this was coming from a good place, and other times there was an agenda, and in those times people would try to use their own power over me to push their agenda. In softer instances it would be run-of-the-mill paternalism, and in more fucked up instances it was manipulation, threats of punishment and weaponizing my own trauma against me. All in the name of "saving me from myself". 

Internalizing this from a young age has at times made me judgemental of others, and unfortunately there have been people who were dear to me that I failed. Instead of being a good friend, I allowed my disagreement with some of their choices get in the way of meeting them where they were at. Sadly they are no longer here for me to try to make it up to them.

Dogma and authoritarian tactics are rampant in non profits and charities that are supposed to be serving marginalized people. Shit like saviourism {especially the white variety!} as well as withholding of services to those who need it if they don't conform to some narrow vision of "acceptable" behaviour {i.e. joining a certain religion, practicing sobriety and heteronormativity}. But this isn't limited to these types organizations, I have seen grassroots and other types of activist groups openly shun people for not meeting their purity mandates {such as people who do sex work, who use substances or who are Queer}. 

And lastly, I have both witnessed and experienced spiritual leaders in pagan communities who have misused their influence over vulnerable people who came to them in trust. Bidding us to listen to what they say our Otherwordly crews require of us, attempting to persuade us from our choices, otherwise we aren't "stepping into our full power" {or some variation of that}. Once again, in some of these cases the shunning is brought down for not following their directions.

So in saying that, what I envision sovereignty to be would have firstly the component of autonomy. We are the experts of our own trauma and needs. It is so important that we all have the freedom and space to figure out what that looks like, to make mistakes, to learn, and to have a voice. 

With that autonomy I also think it's important to reject the hyper cutthroat individualism that the dominant western culture pushes.

✨️Cómhalartacht/Reciprocity✨️

Western colonizer culture is set up for us to be in perpetual isolation and alienation; this makes it possible for those who hold the power to maintain its apparatus of extraction and exploitation.

Those in power want us to forget that we are all interconnected. That we as humans are connected to one another, but more than that, we are connected with all beings. We are all kin. If we remember this, we are more likely to live in the spirit of reciprocity. 

There is a wonderful Irish seanfhocal/proverb that sum this up perfectly: "ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine/it is under the shelter of each other that we survive". 

 It can be hard to imagine what that would even look like or figure out how we get there. Or it could be hard to believe that it is even conceivable. But it can be done, it has been done, it is being done.

Personally I don't think this is about creating some utopia or that this will solve all our problems. I do think however that there are so many possibilities of what we can do now to attempt to shift into living in right relationship, but since it is so vastly different to what many of us are familiar with, it might be daunting to figure out what that even means.

There are two quotes from Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass that really speak to my heart of what it means to live in reciprocal ways:

"Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us."

and 

"The most important thing each of us can know is our unique gift and how to use it in the world. Individuality is cherished and nurtured, because, in order for the whole to flourish, each of us has to be strong in who we are and carry our gifts with conviction, so they can be shared with others."

What a beautiful way to resist western colonizer culture.

Perhaps it might also be helpful to think of ways in which reciprocity is already expressed in our lives. Both in how we send that out into the world and how it is given to us. This might be a nice starting point or something to reflect on when we feel like we are "not doing enough" or when we lose hope. I definitely lean into this when my health stuff limits me and want to figure out how I can contribute while in recovery mode. 

As animists, pagans and magical workers we can turn to our spirit allies to collaborate with, our ancestors for healing and support and to the stories of our deities and heros for inspiration.

This sacred territory of Macha is still colonized, and as an outsider it's not my say how decolonization here would look like. Where I live, Turtle Island is still of course colonized too, and the active genocide against Indigenous people is still happening. Some of my ancestors were settlers from Ireland, fleeing from An Gorta Mór, The Great Hunger that was forced upon them by the English. Others who were first British colonizers here on this island, then moving on to become participants in the genocidal colonizer project on Turtle Island. One thing both those lines have in common is that they both bought into the lie of white supremacy and benefitted from it. And with that I inherited privilege and responsibility.

I mention this because we most certainly can't have the kind of sovereignty that I am envisioning here without actively eradicating colonization. For settlers that means listening to Indigenous people whose lands they occupy and supporting Indigenous lead tactics when welcomed to. 

🕯🕯🕯

I don't believe that the Sovereignty Goddesses were born to represent dominance, but come from a time when many more of us rememembered our interconnection. That kind of sovereignty is not about promoting greed or control, or retribution. Instead it upholds generosity, cooperation and restoration. And I think to get to that Sovereignty it is of equal importance to have Autonomy because we are individuals, and Reciprocity because we are a collective. 

Míle buíochas to Macha for all your lessons, protection and guidance. Sé do bheatha, a Macha/Hail Macha!

*********

Beannachtai,

Laurel

Preparations and Imbolc Blessings {Resource Link Roundup}

Over the last while a few folks have been contacting me with questions about Brigid and Imbolc. I'm starting to prepare for my own observances and will be a little too busy to contact people back right away, so I figured that I would make a quick resource link round up of previous posts for people instead. I hope that it will be found to be helpful and that you all have a blessed Imbolc {in the North} and Lughnasadh {in the South}.

Warm Hearts & Hearths,

Laurel

*********

A Herding Croon
A Recipe for Spring Cleaning
A Rowan and Red Thread Cross for Safe Travels
As Imbolc Approaches
Candles for the Three Realms
Charm of Grace

Consecrating Seed
Crafts for Imbolc
Cross Quarter Waters
Devotionals
Every Day Rituals {and Hearth Keeping}
Fertility Charm
Forging New Bonds with Deities {focused on An Cailleach, but transferable to other deities}
Hail Brigit
Hearth/Home Blessing Candle
Lustral Bath Melts
My Brigid Doll and Her Bed
Poetic Weather Forecast
Saining/Purification Water
The Descent of Brigid
Victorious Brigit
Woolly Gaelic Songs & Prayers

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.

***********

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!