witchythingscore

[witchythingscore]

Happy Walpurgis night!

Its name come from Saint Walpurga, who feast day is May the first. 

I regard her as the witches’s patron saint for that reason, with Saint Brigid and Saint Hildegard. Brigid have her feast day on February the 1st, a day regarded as the first day of spring. That’s why Irish people  still make, on that day, Saint Brigid crosses that are associated with witchcraft. As for Hildegard, she was a medium and wrote several grimoires about herbology and cryptozoology. 

Traditionally, May the first was the very beginning of hot season in ancient days, despite (like today…) these days can be cold due to the Ice Saints phenomenon. That’s why light fairies (seelies) ended their hibernation and dark ones (unseelies) would begun theirs.

 The ancient ones would be  terrified to cross the path of unseelies on their way to bed, and that night quickly get the reputation to be one of the biggest sabbaths of the year with one night exactly set six months later. That’s it: Halloween. The contrary happened (Unseelies woke up and seelies were going to bed) that night. You would spot no one outside on 30th April to May the first night (too afraid to met bad witches or even demons),

 and in some north European countries, it is still traditional to disguise as witches and have fun outside (well, except not, this year).

   So, one of the biggest sabbath, right? Unfortunately,  a meeting with your coven is not an option during an epidemic. But guess this is still a good night to do rituals.

[witchythingscore]

“Happy Saint Walpurgis day, witch!”

“Happy first day of fairy month, fairy!”

*Both* “Happy first day of Virgin Mary month, Christowitch!”

Not to mention that the Virgin Mary is fairies’s patron saint. Or that May the first is also Saint Joseph artisan day, to pray for issues with employment. Talk about a magic, female, busy day…

[witchythingscore]

[witchythingscore]

Happy Walpurgis night!

Its name come from Saint Walpurga, who feast day is May the first. 

I regard her as the witches’s patron saint for that reason, with Saint Brigid and Saint Hildegard. Brigid have her feast day on February the 1st, a day regarded as the first day of spring. That’s why Irish people  still make, on that day, Saint Brigid crosses that are associated with witchcraft. As for Hildegard, she was a medium and wrote several grimoires about herbology and cryptozoology. 

Traditionally, May the first was the very beginning of hot season in ancient days, despite (like today…) these days can be cold due to the Ice Saints phenomenon. That’s why light fairies (seelies) ended their hibernation and dark ones (unseelies) would begun theirs.

 The ancient ones would be  terrified to cross the path of unseelies on their way to bed, and that night quickly get the reputation to be one of the biggest sabbaths of the year with one night exactly set six months later. That’s it: Halloween. The contrary happened (Unseelies woke up and seelies were going to bed) that night. You would spot no one outside on 30th April to May the first night (too afraid to met bad witches or even demons),

 and in some north European countries, it is still traditional to disguise as witches and have fun outside (well, except not, this year).

   So, one of the biggest sabbath, right? Unfortunately,  a meeting with your coven is not an option during an epidemic. But guess this is still a good night to do rituals.

[witchythingscore]

A witch Easter: moodboard

My ko fi

[witchythingscore]

Since my first article on Easter witches, I’ve learnt that the custom was named Virpominen in Finland. When you google it, kids on photos are disguised as bunnies,  chicks, cats and witches, amalgamating the traditional creatures of the season and Easter witches.

 And…oh wait, there is still snow there in march and April? 

It begins actually on Palm Sunday, when children start to offer feathered branches.

Guess that witches appearance was XVth century peasants inspired, when witches were supposed to be any woman. But here, you can see that they dressed like anybody else during Victorian era. Apart from brooms it was possible to ride on a Billy goat,  or on a cat familiar if rendered big enough. 

And were they a stand in for Cupid on Valentine day too?

I was intrigued too by recurring symbols. Scandinavian witches have cats, because they are their familiars, of course. But I could not define the symbolism of putting a ribbon around their neck.

Witches also have teapots and horns, and, I don’t know…kind of shovels? Edit: Rather edgers, actually.

 Teapots and horns (you could drink in) were simply a reminder of feasts in Blockula. By the way, the island was an “ inverted land ” were women notably act as men. No wonder witches were all women then.

For the shovels (edgers), I guess it was to erase prints. Baba Yaga, the Slavic witch, was travelling in a barrel and erased her prints with a broom. But Scandinavian witches would fly directly on a broom, not a barrel, technically it let no prints on the floor. So, if someone know why the edgers? (maybe to ride on it like any farming tool, but witches had them in addition of their brooms actually…)

Modern era witches can see the disguised kids as offensive, because the virpominen tradition was inspired by the witches Hunt and persecution era.

 Scandinavian were that panicked of witches, they believed easily they could fly en masse to an island during holy week. But the suspicion and executions leaded to the harmless today celebration. I personally see nothing wrong in this, seeing it more as an homage to witches. I’m not offended easily in fact, for years now I just stopped to call “witch” a disagreeable woman because I see it as a compliment. “Shrew” or “monster” are more appropriate to me.

[witchythingscore]

Easter witches

I thought I knew the most I could knew about witches…But I still do discoveries on the subject. Did you know that (I discovered it while searching for the term on Pinterest to do a moodboard) there is a tradition of Easter witches?

Hell yeah! I’m not speaking about Wiccans celebrating Ostara, I mean being associated with the Christian Easter.

I did not know that this is a thing in Scandinavian myths. In these countries, people believed in “Blockula” (never heard of this before either), a magical island that would only appear to witches, and made only for them, where they met the devil. An inverted Avalon, in a sense.

During the witch trials (XVIIth century) Scandinavians were terrified of witches, who visited Blockula  between Maundy Thursday and Easter (which they can’t stand, I guess). Witches had the reputation to steal to their neighbors things they could use to fly on and go to Blockula. Brooms, but also forks, rakes, cattle, etc. Peasants in Nordic  countries had the habit to hide their stuff during Holy week so witches won’t “borrow” these.

After the fear of witches disappeared during XVIIIth century, Scandinavians started to homage witches ‘s passage  at the time of the year. Until today, children, mostly, (but not only, elderly too) will dress as witches and go from house to house between  Maundy Thursday and Easter and ask for candies, Halloween style, giving branches with feathers in exchange . 

Hence Easter greetings cards featuring witches (note that they would wear a headscarf rather than a pointy hat, have colorful rather than black clothes, and for some reasons travel with a teapot -maybe because it is a long trip and they need to drink).

As the sky was supposed to be obscured with witches at the time of the year, Scandinavia associate Easter with witches, as closely as bunnies.

Hence adorable illustrations suggesting that witches are  distributing eggs just like bunnies. D’awww!

[witchythingscore]

A witch in spring: Moodboard

My ko fi  

[witchythingscore]

.☘︎ ݁˖᯽𖣂𖣐𓏢𖦏

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

[witchythingscore]

So true...In the past, New Year was celebrated on the first of March or April. When it became January, badly informed persons who celebrated in April were called fools...Hence April's fools day. However if you follow seasons rhythm, taking good resolutions in the middle of winter is an aberration. You may be too tired to keep them. Humans do not hibernate per see, but their bodies are cold sensitive, and they may fee like they need rest. When buds reopen, do you feel like you can get resolutions? That's good! Don't hesitate.

Reminder....

[witchythingscore]

I hope you all have a blessed Ash Wednesday and Lent. You’re in my prayers ❤️❤️❤️

[witchythingscore]

Spell Creation and Casting Basics

Determine what kind of spell you are wanting to cast. Why do you need this spell? What is the intent behind this spell?

Build your spell. Think about the outcome you want to happen once this spell has been cast. Who will this spell effect..what colors will be present in the spell? Will there be herbs, incense, candles etc. Will there be spoken word? Will it rhyme?

Center yourself. Make sure your mind is in a place to do spell casting. Quiet your mind and clear it of all the scattered thoughts and anxieties of the day. Center to keep your mind from wandering off your intent.

Once you feel connected, your spell is written and your candles are lit, incense burning. Focus your energy on your intent and let it build. Chant or sing or whisper your intent and let it build and build until you feel the need to release it and then let it go.

Watch for signs of manifestation in the days to come.

[witchythingscore]

[witchythingscore]

About Candlemas

It's the middle point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In French, there is a proverb: "A la chandeleur, l'hiver meurt ou reprend vigueur". " At Candlemas, winter dies or come back stronger". It's sure it will come back if, paradoxically, it's sunny on February the 2nd. If groundhogs see their shadows, you know...

Or bears. Groundhog or bear tradition has pretty much died here, but for a while in Europe Candlemas was called "Bear day", as people watched if bears stopped their hibernation on this day.

Crêpes tradition is ubiquitous there, because of an obvious symbolism (crêpes are round and golden like the sun). It certainly comes from pagan traditions, but reused after Christianity arrived.

Candlemas is the day of Jesus presented at the temple, and mainly, the tradition was to come back from the church with a candle.

Said candle brought protection, and was lit during storms, notably. 

And of course there are the Brigid crosses.

And ta dah, this time I could make mine:

[witchythingscore]

About Candlemas

It's the middle point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In French, there is a proverb: "A la chandeleur, l'hiver meurt ou reprend vigueur". " At Candlemas, winter dies or come back stronger". It's sure it will come back if, paradoxically, it's sunny on February the 2nd. If groundhogs see their shadows, you know...

Or bears. Groundhog or bear tradition has pretty much died here, but for a while in Europe Candlemas was called "Bear day", as people watched if bears stopped their hibernation on this day.

Crêpes tradition is ubiquitous there, because of an obvious symbolism (crêpes are round and golden like the sun). It certainly comes from pagan traditions, but reused after Christianity arrived.

Candlemas is the day of Jesus presented at the temple, and mainly, the tradition was to come back from the church with a candle.

Said candle brought protection, and was lit during storms, notably. 

And of course there are the Brigid crosses.

And ta dah, this time I could make mine:

[witchythingscore]

“Oh Saint Brigid of Kildare, witches patron, 

This day is your day.

Listen to my prayer, listen to my intention [insert]

And please let it grow like plants will. 

Let light be back in my life like it will be back on the world from Candlemas on,

Let my luck wake up like wild animals are waking up from hibernation.

Bless you! Amen.”

Here what a christowitch can say today, and how I managed to roll Imbolc, Candlemas, Saint Brigid day and Groundhog day into one (plus, this is new moon, time for intentions) .

 I couldn’t make a Brigid cross (no straw here), but still: I regard Brigid as witches patron saint (along with Hildegard von Bingen, the herbalist, and Walpurga who also have a sabbat named after her).  Her name (and day) were very close of Bridgid, a triple goddess, herself close to Trivia. This triple roman goddess (for the maiden, the mother and the crone) was said to have the aspects of Artemis and Hecate, the goddess of witchery. Appropriately enough, irish  people later choose to celebrate Saint Brigid (also an Ireland patron saint) on this minor sabbat day.  

[witchythingscore]

Reminder....