Wild Leek/Ramp Pesto

Recently at a local farmers' market I picked up some wild leeks/ramps from the lovely folks at Wood Nettle Farm. Before I could even ask about views on wildcrafting practices, Tibrata mentioned the importance of harvesting them in a sustainable way, only taking some from any particular patch and only taking the leaves instead of harvesting up by the roots. That was all I needed to hear. And if you happen to be the area, they have what looks to be some amazing workshops and other events, including potlucks. I will definitely be checking those out and visiting them again at the market.

I am freezing some of my ramps, and decided to make a small batch of pesto. I have tried a few different recipes, some call to sautée the leeks, but I prefer to just use them raw. Below is how I made this particular batch, which yielded about 1/2 a cup of pesto.

2 1/4 cups roughly chopped raw ramp leaves

1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

I just put everyone together in the food processor and that's it. Even easier than basil pesto. 

I Will Go Forth With My Sickle...

"I will go forth with my sickle under my arm,

And I will reap the cut the first act.

I will let my sickle down

While the fruitful ear is in my grasp."

~Carmina Gadelica

The above is from a Reaping Blessing, a suitable ritual that can be done for around Lughnasadh, the first harvest. Should you be interested, I posted about a reaping ritual during a previous Lughnasadh post a few years back.

As well, below you will find a lovely video done by Niamh Ní Ruairc about Lughnasadh in Ireland:

May this season be fruitful for you all!

Sláinte!

Laurel

A Herding Croon

The cattle are to-day going a-flitting,
        Hill-i-ruin is o h-ug o,
        Ho ro la ill o,
        Hill-i-ruin is o h-ug o,
Going to eat the grass of the burial-place,
        Hill-i-ruin is o h-ug o,
Their own herdsman there to tend them,
        Ho ro la ill o,
        Hill-i-ruin is o h-ug o,
Tending them, fending them, turning them,
        Hill-i-ruin is o h-ug o,
Be the gentle Bride milking them,
        Hill-i-ruin is o h-ug o,
Be the protective Cailleach keeping them,
        Hill i-ruin is o h-ug o,
And The Three at the end of their journey,
     The Three at the end of their journey.
        Hill-i-ruin is o h-ug o.

 

~ From Carmina Gadelica Vol. 1 {slightly altered}

Fertility Charm for the Garden

 

I make these charms both for female fertility and to bury in my garden to bring abundant growth. I use milkweed pods because of its vulva shape; inside I use beeswax, shells and herbs associated with fertility and bounty.

 

Should you wish to make your own, Bealtaine or the Spring Equinox would be excellent times to bury in your garden, accompanied by a prayer for a prosperous growing season and offerings to the spirits/deities of agriculture.

 

Merry Lughnasadh!

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Walk softly, O man, past an acre of wheat,
With awe in your heart and your face.
Walk humbly, O man, and with reverent feet,
For strength slumbers here - Can't you feel its heart beat?
And beauty's own couch is an acre of wheat,
And holiness dwells in this place.

 

Breathe gently, O breeze, on the grain-heavy ears,
That drank long and deep of spring rain.
O breeze, ripple gently the yellow-tipped spears.
Our little ones, caught in the rush of the years,
Need growth that is stored in the wheat's golden ears
All mother-ripe now with smooth grain.

 

~ from Ballad of an Irish Wheat Field

 

Many blessings to you all and may have many bounties to celebrate!

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

Honey Bees & the Gaels

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;

Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

 

~ from The Lake Isle of Innisfree by WB Yeats

In many cultures the honey bee is a creature that plays an important role, and this is no different in Gaelic-speaking places. After doing a bit of digging, one could easily find that the Gaels had a close relationship with their honey bees, and this is reflected in song and poetry, folklore and traditions, and even laws. This post will just touch on some of those things.

 

The utilizing of honey for culinary and healing purposes does have a deep-rooted history in Ireland, which may have been gathered in the wild before people started keeping them domestically. How far back that history goes though I am note entirely sure.

According to A Smaller Social History of Ireland by P.W. Joyce {1906}:

"From the earliest times Ireland was noted for its abundance of honey...The management of bees was universally understood; and every comfortable householder kept hives in his garden. Wild bees, too, swarmed everywhere —much more plentifully than at present, on account of the extent of woodland."

One legend credits Saint Modomnoc  of bringing honey bees to Ireland from Wales in the sixth century. In the essay The Bee, its Keeper and Produce, in Irish and other Folk Traditions by Eimear Chaomhánach it is pointed out that:

"This date of arrival is substantiated by linguistic evidence of native Irish words existing at this time (the 5th and 6th centuries); such as beach (bee), mil (honey), and miodh (mead, i.e., fermented honey served as an alcoholic beverage)." {citation credited to Bechbretha: Old Irish Law-tract on Bee-keeping edited by Fergus Kelly & Thomas Charles-Edwards}

Mead was a prized drink of ancient Irish society, so much so that its main ingredient, honey was sometimes given as tribute to kings. If the feasting hall at Tara {tech midchuarta/mead hall} is any indication, this could push the date back even further {On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish by Eugene O'Curry}.

Prior to the settlement of the Gaels in Scotland, there is evidence of mead being made in the Bronze Age, found in a 1,000 BC burial in Fife. Fast forward a wee bit to the 15th century AD/CE and you find see a different kind of beekeeping in the lovely Rosslyn Chapel; workers renovating the chapel came across a 600 year old beehive that was in the roof. Apparently beehives were hidden up there so the honey would drip down onto the altar.

In Irish Brehon Law there was a tract An Bechbretha or Bee Judgements, a section of law dedicated to the affairs of beekeeping. The Bee Judgements were quite in-depth covering things such as property rights, injury, theft, and maintenance.

One of my favourite parts of the law is the sharing of honey with neighbours, since the bees would no doubt be gathering pollen from nearby gardens and fields that did not belong to the owner of the swarm. The attempt for equitable dispersal did not stop there though.

If someone had found an unclaimed swarm of bees on in someone else's meadow, they could get one quarter of the honey and the property owner would get the remaining amount; if found in a tree in the same circumstance, the finder and owner would get half each. If someone had found a swarm on communal land, they could keep both the bees and honey, giving a one ninth tribute to the tribe leader {A Smaller Social History of Ireland by P.W. Joyce}.

Should a person come by some bees or honey by more dishonest means, they would be penalized. In the case of beehives being raided, Ancient Laws and Institutes of Ireland Vol 1 says that the thief would have had to pay double the value or honour price.

No doubt bees were prized commodities, and not just for getting merry with mead. Besides their honey being used in various recipes and their wax used for moulds and candles, both were valued in healing.

Some examples from the Scottish Highlands of how beeswax and honey were applied in healing can be found in Healing Threads by Mary Beith. Beeswax was a favoured ingredient for making healing ointments and plasters, while honey would sometimes be infused or mixed with herbs for both internal and external use.

Dock roots were boiled and mixed with beeswax and butter to make a healing ointment, and one apparently popular plaster was a combination pine resin, pig fat and beeswax. Ox-eyed daisy infused honey was used for both coughs and wounds and honey-sweetened ground ivy tea was drank to treat coughs and consumption.



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I have come across quite a few sources that talk about the importance of telling the bees of any significant news going on within a family or household, including a birth, wedding, and especially a death. The point of this was apparently to keep bees from feeling offended, because should a household fail to inform the bees, they were said to abandon their hives. This is a tradition that seems to be rooted in both Ireland and Scotland.

 

From Ireland there is one account of a gentleman making sure his was washed, shaved and wearing his "Sunday best", as if he was heading on over to church before giving his bees the news that his mother had passed away. In Scotland some folks would "put the bees into mourning" by tying black ribbons on the hives after passing on the news of a death {Scottish Customs from Cradle to Grave by Margaret Bennett}.

 

In the Isle of Man children or their parents would make bumbee cages to catch bumblebees. The bees were thought to be wayward fairies or lost souls that the children should pray for. While the children slept, parents would release the bee and put a pebble in place of it. When the children rose in the morning they would see that the bee was no longer there and that their "prayers had been answered" or that the bumbee had "learned its lesson" and was turned back into a fairy, free in the world again.

 

To attract a swarm of bees into a hive, there is one recorded Irish method that I am aware of found in Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Francesca Speranza Wilde:

"Gather foxglove, raspberry leaves, wild marjorum, mint, camomile, and valerian; mix them with butter made on May Day, and let the herbs also be gathered on May Day. Boil them all together with honey; then rub the vessel into which the bees should gather, both inside and out, with the mixture; place it in the middle of a tree, and the bees will soon come. Foxglove or "fairy fingers" is called "the great herb" from its wondrous properties."

 {In a previous post I have shared an augmented version of this that I use that can be found here.}

Once you have drawn in your bees and harvested your honey, you should give these lovely Irish Mead and Scottish Heather Ale recipes a try!

 

Sláinte!

Laurel

As Bealtaine Approaches

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I thought that I would do a quick post sharing some resources and ideas since Bealtaine is just a few days off.

 

A few years back I did a post on Bealtaine and May Day over at the nefaeria blog, going over some of the history and lore, as well as some recipes, prayers and other celebration ideas. The Tairis website has two fantastic pages with information on Bealtaine {part one, part two} as well as a webpage dedicated to ideas on traditional ways to observe the festival. As well, the Celtic Reconstructionist group Tuacondate shares their 2010 Bealtaine ritual on their website.

 

To get things started you could make a May bush and on the eve of Bealtaine decorate your home with green boughs and flowers. I have seen a few sources mention yellow flowers being a traditional choice, so you may decide to go with dandelions, woodbine/European honeysuckle, buttercups, cowslips or primroses. I also like to decorate with periwinkles, lady's mantle, daisies, sweet woodruff, ferns and other pretties that are further along this time of year. For bough cutting choices you may want to try hawthorn, rowan, ivy, elder {although some have historically thought that it was bad luck to bring elder into the home}, juniper, and blackberry. Some good possible substitutes for my particular region could be raspberry, Virginia creeper, forsythia, cedar, dogwood, chokecherry or crab apple.

 

Fire tends to be one of the first things people think of when it comes to Bealtaine, which is the focus of many different activities, including jumping over the bonfire, the ritual smothering and relighting of the hearth {with a communal flame}, and driving livestock between two bonfires for blessings and protection. Should you have the means, lighting a bonfire on Bealtaine Eve could be a great way to kick things off. I do not have a fireplace, so what I like to do is take my "hearth candle" and extinguish it and light a new one that I made for the upcoming year. If doing this idea in a group ritual setting, each person/household could have their own candle, which could be lit from the central one to represent the re-lighting with the communal flame.

 

Before sunrise on Bealtaine morning I will go out and collect dew and rainwater should there be any, to keep for various uses in the upcoming year. Later on I will usually also get the first "cream" from a friend's well for the same purpose.

 

If the weather is agreeable, I think that spending a good part of the day outdoors is a great way to celebrate. This time could be used to bless your garden, fields, livestock or to go out and collect rowan wood, as this was apparently the only time that it was proper to collect it to the Gaels.

 

For inside the house, it is a good time to sain/bless your home and hang rowan and red thread crosses. There are many different recipes appropriate for Bealtaine, and if you are feeling really adventurous, you could have a go at churning your own butter.

 

The Gaol Naofa website has a few great traditional songs for Bealtaine, including an old butter churning song!

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

Woolly Gaelic Songs & Prayers

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Gaelic cultures are rich in traditional songs, prayers and blessings for daily tasks, from starting the morning fire, milking the cow, churning the butter, harvesting the crops, and putting the fire out at night. So rich in fact that there is even a collection of these songs recorded in Gaelic Songs of Scotland: Women at Work in the Western Isles.

This is a practice that I have adopted and adapted into my daily routine, which I find does make work a lot more pleasant and my actions more meaningful {I talk about this a bit more here}. While I don't have sheep, nor do I spin, weave or knit, I do find the songs and prayers associated with these activities particularly lovely.

 

The Carmina Gadelica {Vol. I} has a great selection of blessings two of which I will share below:

 

 Am Beannachd Lombaidh

 

Falbh lom ’s thig molach,
Beir am boirionn Bealltain,
Bride mhin a bhi dha d’ chonaill,
Moire gheal dha t’ aurais,
Moire gheal dha t’ aurais.

Micheal mil a bhi dha d’ dhion
Bho ’n mhi-chu is bho ’n an-chu,
Bho ’n mhac-tir ’s bho ’n mhadhan stig,
’S bho ianaibh ineach call-ghob,
Bho ianaibh ineach cam-ghob.

 

{Translation:}

 

The Clipping Blessing

 

Go shorn and come woolly,
Bear the Beltane female lamb,
Be the lovely Bride thee endowing,
And the fair Mary thee sustaining,
The fair Mary sustaining thee.

Michael the chief be shielding thee
From the evil dog and from the fox,
From the wolf and from the sly bear,
And from the taloned birds of destructive bills,
From the taloned birds of hooked bills.

 

{source}

 

Coisrigeadh An Aodaich

 

Is math a ghabhas mi mo rann,
A teurnadh le gleann;
Aon rann,
Da rann,
Tri rann,
Ceithir rann,
Coig rann,
Sia rann,
Seachd rann,
Seachd gu lath rann
Seachd gu lath rann.

Nar a gonar fear an eididh,
Nar a reubar e gu brath,
Cian theid e ’n cath no ’n comhrag,
Sgiath chomarach an Domhnach da,
Can theid e ’n cath no ’n comhrag,
Sgiath chomarach an Domhnach da.

Chan ath-aodach seo, ’s chan fhaoigh e,
’S cha chuid cleir no sagairt e.

Biolair uaine ga buain fo
’S air a toir do mhnai gun fhiosd;
Lurg an fheidh an ceann an sgadain,
’S an caol chalp a bhradain bhric.

 

{Translation:}

 

The Consecration of the Cloth

 

Well can I say my rune,
Descending with the glen;
One rune,
Two runes,
Three runes,
Four runes,
Five runes,
Six runes.
Seven runes,
Seven and a half runes,
Seven and a half runes.

May the man of this clothing never be wounded,
May torn he never be;
What time he goes into battle or combat,
May the sanctuary shield of the Lord be his.
What time he goes into battle or combat,
May the sanctuary shield of the Lord be his.

This is not second clothing and it is not thigged,
Nor is it the right of sacristan or of priest.

Cresses green culled beneath a stone,
And given to a woman in secret.
The shank of the deer in the head of the herring,
And in the slender tail of the speckled salmon.

 

{source}

 

You can see more relevant prayers and songs in the Carmina Gadelica {Vol I} online for free.

 

Since the uploader has disabled embedding, here are some links to some videos on Youtube of some traditional songs and the singers in action: A Gaelic Waulking Song & A Gaelic Spinning Song.

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

 

A Few Irish Charms & Spells

{originally posted on the nefaeria blog}

Below are a few traditional Irish spells and charms; the first two I have changed to suit my personal situation, the last one is in its original form. All of these charms and spells are from Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Francesca Speranza Wilde.

*********
 

To Attract Bees
 

photo by Umberto Salvagnin

Gather on Midsummer {the original calls for this on Bealtaine/May Day, so the change I made is due to the climate that I am in}:

 

foxglove

raspberry leaves

wild marjoram

mint

chamomile

valerian

 

Mix them in butter that is also made on Midsummer {original calls for Bealtaine/May Day}. Boil them altogether with honey. Rub the mixture on a small clay pot and place in the bottom of a bee box and the bees will soon come.

 

*********

 

Against Enemies
 

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The three things are of my evil adversary:

 

An evil gaze;

An evil tongue;
An evil mind.

 

The three things are of my Gods:

The merciful word;

The singing word;

And the good word.

May the power of these three sacred things be on all of those that I hold dear.

 

*********

 

A Charm for Safety



photo by Dan Zen



Pluck ten blades of yarrow, keep nine, and cast the tenth away for tithe to the spirits. Put the nine in your stocking, under the heel of the right foot, when going a journey, and evil will have no power over you.

*********

Sláinte!

Laurel

Cross Quarter Waters

Tobernault Holy Well grotto in Sligo Co, Ireland. Photo by BA_Banks

During the cross quarters {to many neo pagans these are called the high sabbats} there are traditions of collecting water, whether it be from dew on a leaf, a holy well, or by leaving a bowl out to collect rain. Below you will see some of these traditions found in Ireland, Scotland & the Isle of Man, and I will share some of the ways that I collect water and what I use it for. If I am able to collect enough water, I will keep it in clean corked bottles {I usually re-use old whiskey bottles}.

Imbolc

 

There are a couple traditions that I have come across involving water for Imbolc. Sometimes water would be left outdoors or by the hearth on the Eve of Imbolc for Brigid to bless, which would be used for healing and fertility. Water was also collected from holy wells associated with Brigid which would be used to bless the household and livestock.

 

Since I do not live by a holy well, I will collect clean snow and leave it in a bowl for Brigid to bless. I use this water for house blessings and clearings {or saining}, as well as in purification rituals and for workings involving women's sexual healing and fertility.

Bealtaine

Many folks would visit holy wells and sacred water sites around the beginning of May to drink and bathe in the waters for healing or to take some home with them for luck and protection. The first "cream" of the well or spring collected for Bealtaine was thought to be the most potent. Dew was also collected and used by women and girls to bring beauty; both dew and the first cream was also used for blessing the milk cows and butter churns.

 

On Bealtaine morning before sunrise, I will collect dew {especially from lady's mantle} and bring in the bowls I left out to collect dew and/or rainwater. Some years I am also lucky enough to share some of the first "cream" of a friend's well. I use this water for consecrating seed, blessing livestock and farm buildings, as well as other agriculture rituals. The water is also useful for lust and romance workings.

 

Lughnasadh

It seems that people would generally go to sacred water sites and take care of business there, instead of bringing the water home with them. Sometimes horses and other livestock were put in the water for blessings, or people would immerse themselves and drink the water to heal all sorts of ailments.

 

I will collect rainwater {or river water if there is no rain} which is mainly used for harvest/reaping blessings; since Lughnasadh was historically a time for making contracts and paying taxes, I will also use it in workings involving engagements, marriage, oaths, business and finances, as well as other commitments. 

Samhain

I haven't come across many traditions involving water for Samhain, although the Tairis site mentions that water from a wise woman was sometimes used to bless folks for protection from the evil eye. If you happen to know of any traditions, please feel free to share them in the comment section!

On the Eve of Samhain I will leave out bowls to collect rainwater {there is no shortage at this time of year!}, which is used for workings involving divination, death and working with ancestors, protection against malignant forces and magic, and for hexing.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Straw Men & the Art of Scaring Crows

{Since that Autumn is now upon us, I thought that I would share a post that I had originally published on the nefaeria blog a few years back.}

 

original image by Notafly

Once I said to a scarecrow, 'You must be tired of standing in this lonely field, 'And he said, 'The joy of scaring is a deep and lasting one, and I never tire of it. 'Said I, after a minute of thought, 'It is true; for I too have known that joy. 'Said he, 'Only those who are stuffed with straw can know it. 'Then I left him, not knowing whether he had complimented or belittled me. A year passed, during which the scarecrow turned philosopher. And when I passed by him again I saw two crows building a nest under his hat.

 ~The Sacrecrow by Khalil Gibran

I've always wanted a scarecrow. Not that I want to scare away my Corvid friends {more the merrier I say!}, but it is probably just another symptom of my barnheart. 

Whether they actually get the job done in scaring the crows from the fields is up for debate, but they sure do tend to creep many of us human folks out! That is probably why they are often a symbol of Hallowe'en, and how it got the nick Dead Man of the Field. 

Of course, you do have the odd cute and cuddly scarecrow, like the one from The Wizard of Oz and the ones people have hanging around that look like a straw version of Raggedy Anne.

Dorothy & The Scarecrow, 1900

After doing a little bit of poking around, I was somewhat surprised to find that the historical use of the scarecrow can be found across various cultures, including Native American tribes, Japan, and of course Europe.

In her article The Great Scarecrow In Days Long Ago, Juliette Wood takes a look at some of the other names given to scarecrows and their origins; titles such as 'tattie-doolie', 'mommet', and 'bogle'.

The most widely known English term for these figures is scarecrow, but other, more regional terms, such as 'bogle', 'doolie' and occasionally 'mommet'or 'mawhini' are used to describe such figures. Most of the citations in the Oxford English Dictionary date to the sixteenth century and later, but there can be little doubt that scarecrows were in use much earlier. The terminology reflects both the function and nature of these effigies. 

The term ‘scarecrow’ reflects its role exactly and could be applied to a person who was employed to perform the task of keeping birds and other predators out of the fields as well as the figure. The same is true for 'doolie', if one takes this to be a variant of dole (marker). The rare Berkshire dialect word, 'hodmedod', refers to a silly person, while 'mommet' reflects the construction, something made of rags like a mop. 

'Bogle' is the only term with even a suspicion of the supernatural about it. The exact origin of the word is unclear, both 'bwg' (Welsh for ghost) and German 'boggel mann' are possible suggestions. 'Bwgan' is a common word for scarecrow in Welsh(Davies 2000) as is 'bodach' in Scots Gaelic (MacFhionghuin 1951), but this does really explain why a word with apparent supernatural overtones should be applied to the field figure.

These names usual refer to the straw men image that we tend to see the scarecrow as today, although they were sometimes made from different materials.

In ancient Greece the well-endowed Priapus had the honours of having his image carved out of wood for the purpose of keeping not only birds and predators away, but also thieves and other pesky intruders {The Royal Museum at Naples by Colonel Fanin}.

According to Lafcadio Hearn in Japan, an Attempt at Interpretation, the Shinto God Sohodo-no-Kami is the protector of the fields and the lord of scarecrows. In the book Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan by Asiatic Society of Japan it is said of Sohodo-no-Kami:

Sohodo no Kami, also called Kaye-biko, is the scarecrow placed in the fields to frighten away birds and animals, and though it is a very ugly and miserable creature, the divine books says of it 'this is a god that knows everything in the empire, although his legs are unable to walk.' 

As the spirits of all the gods have recourse to it, and perform wonders, it is a very dreadful deity, and therefore an image of it should be placed before the door of the shrine for the spirits of the gods who are bidden thither to rest upon.

Often scarecrows of Sohodo-no-Kami would be made from sticks and rags and placed in the rice fields.

The Zuñi people of the American southwest would make scarecrows from long cedar poles with animal furs and feathers hanging off them {Corn Raising: The Decay of the Seed}.

The Scarecrow by Anchise Picchi

Some of the earliest references to scarecrows comes out of Egypt, where they weren't effigies stuffed with straw, but actual people who would guard the fields, and throw sticks and rocks at critters who trespassed.

In England, young lads who had the same job description were often called 'tattie-doolies' and 'Jack O'Kent'. They would often make noise by jingling bells, banging together sticks, or using wood clappers to scare off the crows {Country Living Gardener A Blessing of Toads: A Gardener's Guide to Living by Susan Lovejoy}. 

After the black plague, straw men became a more common appearance, since so many of the children died off. Farmers would often cloth the scarecrows in rags, and put gourds or turnips on their head {perhaps the birth of the scarecrow from Sleepy Hollow?}.

A growing trend seems to be fairs featuring scarecrow making contests. Pumpkinrot is one of those people who have been making scarecrows and entering them into contests, and they are some of the most beautiful {in a skeery way!} scarecrows I have ever seen! I especially love Bog Man and Cryptzoology.

You can head on over to the webby to see galleries of the scarecrows, as well as inspiring Hallowe'en decorations.

And I now leave you a video of Bog Man: 

 

Sláinte!

Laurel

A Good Start to the First Harvest

mixed grain loaf

Things have been quite busy around here the last few weeks, but thankfully I have had time to celebrate Lughnasadh and have been able to spend a lot of time in our garden.

Just like with the other cross quarter days I observe Lughnasadh over a period of a few weeks instead of just a day or two. While mostly associated with a time to honour Lugh and Tailtiu {and I do honour Them as well}, my main personal focus at this time is Macha.

One of the rituals I like to do around Lughnasadh is a reaping blessing, which as you can see below from my adaptation of a reaping blessing from Carmina Gadelica is traditionally done on a Tuesday. Lughnasadh Eve fell on a Tuesday this year, which is when I originally wanted to do it. Unfortunately the weather was really shoddy that day; stuck indoors, I setup our seasonal altar on Lughnasadh Eve.

Lughnasadh morning I ended up carrying out the reaping blessing the next day, along with a nice harvest.

On Tuesday of the feast at the rise of the sun,
And the back of the bountiful fruits to the east,
I will go forth with my basket under my arm,
And I will pluck up the fruit.
While the harvested fruit is in my grasp,
I will raise mine eye upwards,
I will turn me on my heel quickly,
Rightway as travels the sun
From the airt of the east to the west,
From the airt of the north with motion calm
To the very core of the airt of the south.
I will give thanks to the Hosts of grace
For the growing crops of the ground,
They will give food to ourselves and to the Tribe
According as They disposeth to us.
Macha, Airmid, Flidais and Bride,
Gods, Ancestors, and Nature Spirits kind.

~ adaptation of a Reaping Blessing from Carmina Gadelica

blue jay bush bean harvest

The rest of the day was spent baking bread and making a yummy dinner and offering rituals in the evening.

A few days later I made more offering incense for Macha as the ingredients had become available once again. One of the blends I created is burnt in thanks for the bounty of the fields, blessing of the harvest, and for abundance in general; the other blend is for divination, magical workings, connecting with the dead and for battles. These two blend will be among the incense I will have available in the store.

Once more crops begin to ripen in our garden, we will then have our "big" Lughnasadh feast which will close things up. To see how our garden is doing, you can go check out a recent post over at my other blog.

Sláinte!

Laurel

On Lughnasadh & Lammas

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With Lughnasadh & Lammas just around the corner, I thought that I would share some links that folks might find useful. Here are a few to give you ideas on how to celebrate, as well as some history and lore:

Funeral Games & the First Harvest {a post I did a few years back on the nefaeria blog}

Lùnastal & Celebrating Lùnastal {from the Tairis website}

Horse Racing at Lughnasadh {from Heathens & Pagans for the Horses}

Lughnasadh Ritual 2009 {from the Celtic Reconstructionist Pagans of the Delaware Valley}

Sláinte!

Laurel

Common Comfrey {Symphytum officinale}

{this was originally posted a few years back over at the nefaeria blog}

photo by Rhisiart Hincks

Nodding gaily as Fine Folks nest
Just a leaf or two please
To bring my poor bones rest
Take over my fields
To nourish my fold
I harbour my Blackwort
More than I do gold.
~ Blackwort, dated around the late 1800's.

{The above is a rhyme I had found in one of my Ancestor's writings; I am not sure if she had wrote it or if it was passed down to her.}

Other Names: Knitbone, Ass Ear, Blackwort, Yalluc, Church Bells, Bruisewort, Consound

Description: Common Comfrey is a prolific perennial that is a member of the borage family. It is native to Europe and can now be found growing wild in many parts of North America.

It grows to about 4 feet in height and has large black roots that can go quite deep and spread, which has helped earned its reputation as a 'weed'. The leaves are oval to lance shaped that get large and hairy as it matures. The flowers are quite lovely and come in the colours purple, pink or white.

Warnings: As with all herbs, one should make sure to be thoroughly informed before ingesting them, and is best to do so under the guidance of a qualified healer.

Comfrey has apparently been found to cause liver damage when ingested in large enough amounts, and can possibly be linked to cancer when ingested as well. Several governments have banned products with comfrey in it.

Photo by Nova

The highest amount of the problematic alkaloid in comfrey is in the roots, and the leaves have more as they mature. If you choose to ingest it, it might be a good idea to only consume the young leaves, as they have almost none of this alkaloid.

When the plant is mature enough its leaves can be quite prickly, so wearing gloves to handle it might be necessary, especially on broken skin.

Cultivating: The natural habitat for comfrey are river banks, hedgerows, meadows, woodland edges, ditches, and other moist areas. It can also make itself at home with very little help in cultivated beds and yards. It does well in hardiness zones 3b to to 9 and is frost resistant.

Other types of comfrey {such as Bocking 14} are propagated by root cuttings, but common comfrey can be grown from seed or plants that can be easily found online or at nurseries.

Plant in full sun to part shade, once the soil is easy enough to work, in an area that holds enough moisture. Once its taproots develop, it can be quite drought resistant. It can grow in just about any soil type {it is great to grow in clay if you want to break it up!}, but for best results, plant in rich and well-drained soil.

One important thing to keep in mind is that comfrey spreads and grows quickly, so if you want to avoid it taking over your garden then plant in a well contained area! Depending on location, comfrey flowers anytime between May to September.

Medicinal/Remedial Properties and Lore: Anodyne, astringent, demulcent, emollient, expectorant, haemostatic, homeopathic, nutrient, pectoral, pulmonary, refrigerant, tonic, vulnerary.

Comfrey is one of those herbs that has been used for so many different ailments throughout history, and still today.

Photo by Luis M

Brother Aloysius recommended a cup of comfrey tea a day for those who were prone to obesity. He also suggested its use for coughs, acne, diarrhea, cancer , cholera, excessive menstrual bleeding, and dysentery {Comfort to the Sick}.

Nicholas Culpeper held it in pretty high esteem; he said of comfrey, 'This is a very common but a very neglected plant. It contains very great virtues.' He thought it was good for gout, hemorrhoids, gangrene, fevers, and {Complete Herbal}.

One of its most popular uses earned it the nick 'knitbone' as an aid for broken bones. Pliny noted that when he boiled the roots in with meat, a gluey substance held two pieces of meat together.

The allantoin in comfrey may be at the root of this healing property. It is also a pain reliever and can be placed over a sore area when prepared as a poultice. These two properties also make comfrey suitable to help treat sprains, bruises, sores, and cuts.

Another historical and modern use of comfrey is to help combat internal bleeding. Old Saxon texts recommended it for this use, as well as John Gerard who said it was good for 'those who spit blood and have inward wounds and burstings'. Today it is sometimes taken internally for ulcers.

Wisewoman Susun Weed sings the praises of comfrey to help keep memory, and nourish the body. Below is a video of her showing how to make a comfrey infusion:

Magical/Spiritual Properties and Lore: From the Blackroot rhyme at the top of this post, I gather that at least some folks believe that comfrey is connected with Faeries.

I have heard that it is both associated with the elements of water and earth, as well as the planet Saturn. I have also seen several mentions that it is a beloved herb of the Goddess Hecate, and is an appropriate offering planted in a garden for Her, or a bouquet placed at on an altar for Her.

A few cultures thought that  comfrey would protect travellers, including Saxons. In England, sprigs were sometimes given to bards as well as pilgrims travelling to sacred sites; in other parts of Europe, travellers would place leaves in their shoes, wear it as a charm around the neck, or weave it into the manes of horses to protect them and their charge.

Photo by Evelyn Simak

Another potential use for comfrey is for prosperity and protection magic for the home and for land. It can be used in a ritual, or hung about the home, or planted on the land for this purpose.

I especially like honing its 'binding' properties in my workings whether for protection, to help me to 'stick' to the right path, or to heal old 'wounds'. If you are going this route, make sure you mean it, as comfrey is quite effective!

Other Uses: Comfrey is an excellent fertilizer for the garden! You can make a liquid fertilizer out of it (it is stinky but so worth it!), mulch your garden beds with it, and use it as a compost activator. To see the fertilizer recipe, as well as get more info on its uses in the garden, click here.

Comfrey is also a great fodder for livestock, especially backyard chickens. ;)

Sláinte!

Laurel

an old seed-planting rhyme

One to the Good Folk,

One to the crow,

One to wither,

And one to grow.

Wonderful Maple Syrup: Some Lore & Customs

photo by Brad Smith

Maple syrup season has "officially" started in my area, which was ushered in this past weekend at a first tapping ceremony. So I thought that I would do a post about some folklore and customs around maple syrup and its production.

Production of maple syrup had been going on in North America prior to European colonization and is a craft that was discovered by the First Peoples of North America. {North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual}

My family's old farm in Restoule at one time had an active sugar bush, mostly for household and neighbour consumption. It was used for decades, but it was at most productive when diversified farming was still the norm here in Northern Ontario.

In her book Reflections of Restoule, June Hample writes:

"Many families {in Restoule} made maple syrup and maple sugar. Often this was the responsibility of the woman too, as her husband was in the logging camp or on the river drive at this time of year. The first buckets were hollowed-out blocks of wood and the first spiles were also made of wood. The sap was gathered by hand and carried to a huge iron kettle which was suspended over an open fire on a tripod of poles. When the syrup was almost thick enough, it was taken to the house to be finished where milk was added to it. As the syrup boiled up, the milk rose to the surface bringing all impurities with it. The foamy milk was then skimmed off leaving the syrup clear, pure and delicious; ready to be poured, piping hot, into empty whiskey bottles and stored for future use."

A little later on she says:

"The last boiling of the syrup was kept thin then cooled. Vinegar 'mother' was added to it and in a few weeks the vinegar was ready to be used for pickling and salads."

While settlers used block buckets, the Anishinabek people of the Restoule area seemed to prefer sticking to the birch bucket to harvest maple sap.

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Maple syrup season was quite a festive time of year, one that children of the village looked forward to almost as much as Christmas. Families would host "sugar on the snow parties". Today there are still various festivals to go to, including the local Powassan Maple Syrup Festival.

At the local first tapping they had a town-crier open up the festivities. In times past the "sugar on the snow parties" were kicked off by a reverend saying a prayer of thanksgiving.

Around Christmas some folks would sing to the sugar bush and give some of the older trees a wee drink of whiskey or ale. Sounds a lot like wassailing to me!

Apparently maple syrup season was important to the First Nations as well, who called this time "Sugar Month" or "Maple Moon". Some tribes celebrated with  various rituals including dancing to encourage the maple sap to flow. {The Maple Sugar Book by Janet Eagleson & Rosemary G. Hasner}

There are a few First Nations' legends about maple syrup and maple sugar. There is a story that I believe is local to Northern Ontario that can be found on the website of Professor Ian McKenzie {Nipissing University}.

First Nations woman tapping for maple sap, circa 1908

In this particular tale maple syrup flowed straight from the tree by simply breaking off a twig. That was until Manaboozho changed things. He was slightly peeved to find his people all lying down with their mouths open beneath a constant stream of syrup coming from the maple trees. So to keep them from being "fat and lazy", he pour baskets of water over every maple tree. With this all the trees would just produce sap, so to get syrup the people had to work for it.

Another legend says that maple sap was first discovered after Chief Woksis pulled his tomahawk from a sugar maple and sap flowed from it. His wife used the sap to cook dinner and it has been a dietary staple ever since {source}.

Besides its wonderful culinary uses, maple sap, sugar and syrup have a history in folk healing as well. Maple sugar was used by settlers for wounds and stomach problems, while some Natives used it for diarrhea and sore throats {American Folk Medicine: A Symposium Edited by Wayland D. Hand}. Breathing in maple steam while sitting in a sugar shack was supposedly used as way to cure colds {source}.

As far as magic goes, sugar maple products are not something that I

photo by Chiot's Run

use, so I am not too familiar with their properties. However, I do have a vegan friend who uses maple syrup in lieu of honey for honey jar spells and seems to think it does the trick.

On a final note, I find that maple syrup is a suitable and well received offering to local and nature spirits here in Northern Ontario.

Sláinte!

Laurel