Over the past few months, I’ve been showing up on Bluesky with what I’ve categorized as “Creative Crone Dispatch.” They are little tidbits of Craft knowledge, curated into regular threads born from my skills & experience of more than four decades of being a Woman In Total Control Of Herself. I started to really dig them and they made me recognize I have more to say.
A writer having more to say?
At my deepest heart, I’m a nerd. I’m also a Scorpio Stellium, so I like to get deep. I like to discuss the depths of a subject and learn as much as I can. And if we can sneak off into that corner booth at the pub underground and talk over it with our fav beverage deep into the night, I’m in heaven.
Social media can be a bit of the opposite, a hellscape, so controlling the content we want to explore, and keeping the coolest of folx closest, the Creative Crone Dispatch was born. Normally, I know exactly what I want to focus on – but today I decided to ask the near 1k people following me, what they wanted to chat about.
The answer came quickly via @4islesandco.bsky.social . However, my response wound up being too many threads and this blog post was born. So, my dear one, here is my very quick, hopefully easily digestible, thoughts on your query.
Let’s start with what Hearth Craft is – it is the magic of tending our center. It can look like sweeping the floor with intention. It’s stirring the pot as prayer. It’s is lighting a candle and fucking meaning it. Before temples, before skyscrapers of capitalism, there was the hearth. And around it – women. Hearth work is civilization’s first altar.
When someone mentions Hearth Craft, it is often in the same sentence with Hestia, the keeper of the flame. She did not wage war. She did not chase lovers. She did not leave. She stayed. Her power was continuity. Her magic was steadiness. Her gift was the flame that never went out.
If it’s not Hestia, then it’s the goddess Brigid. She represents not only poetry, but the forge. She is also the ‘banked’ fire in the kitchen. She lives in bread rising under cloth. In clean thresholds. In the quiet pride of a well-kept space. Hearth Craft is not perfection, but devotion made visible.
In Nordic tradition, Frigg is associated with the home, weaving fate at the spindle. She knows the threads before they tighten. She sees what is coming, and keeps her counsel. Queen of Asgard, yes; but, also keeper of keys. Guardian of the household’s inner sanctum. In the ol’ Norse world, women carried the keys at their belts, the symbols of authority over stores, wealth, and running of the home. This was not small power. It was sovereignty in wool and iron. Frigg’s magic is not loud. It is strategic, patient, and protective. Hearth Craft, in her lineage, is the weaving of peace – sacred harmony – within walls that can withstand the storm.
Not every hearth keeper had a myth. Most were unnamed. Grandmothers who salted soup by instinct. Caregivers who rose before dawn. A partner’s hands cracked from winter wood. Hearth Craft honors them, too.Their magic was consistency. Their altar kin-keeping. Their spell was love. When they cooked, they crafted communion. When they tended home, they tended spirit. This is not “just domestic.” This is sacred architecture.
They would sit at the hearth, a portal available to most of humanity, as the hearth is a threshold between worlds. The fire of the hearth transforms. Food becomes body. House becomes home.
In a world obsessed with spectacle, Hearth Craft makes us consider if the magical act of ‘tending’ isn’t one of the holiest, powerful. To tend the hearth is to hold fate gently in your hands.
And I leave you with this final piece of my regular Creative Crone dispatch – a bit of ‘hearth craft’ to get you started: This week, choose one hearth ritual. Light a candle before cooking. Bless your doorway. Sweep with intention. Bake bread as an offering. Ask yourself, what am I building here? And then follow the answer. The flame is waiting.
Although not entirely all Hearth Craft, my book, Magic In Your Cup talks about intention, tending, and the sacredness of what we put into our bodies and how to make it more magical. Find it wherever books are sold, or get one personalized just for you at the Creative Crone Shop.
In the last few years, my partner and I have felt the gentle tug toward older traditions, especially as winter begins. We’ve leaned in harder to the unique cultural aspects that our ancestors loved. These pops of echoes throughout the covenstead honor stories told by grandparents, snippets of folklore tucked between recipes and holiday rituals. On the surface it looks like our house is full of garden gnomes. And it is.
Over the years here at Villa Westwyk, our cozy cottage has begun to be filled with images, statues, and decor of (Jule) Nisse (Tomte), aka what Americans know as gnomes, or what those in Iceland call the Yule Lads (Jólasveinar). The latter have names like Spoon Licker, Door Slammer, and Window Peeper, so you know they are put in the trickster spirit column. But none of the pranks they do are completely harmful, but more a reminder that the spirit of the Land needs tending and nurturing.
Found throughout Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, these small, mischievous household guardians from our Northern European ancestors have become a charming theme for our winter Solstice observances, and we’ve employed them as part of our regular warding and protection magic. The gradual inclusion of these symbols of gratitude for the simple things in winter – As we began to decorate the covenstead for Yule, the theme of these holiday tricksters bring a blend of generosity, humor, and just a pinch of chaos, which aligns well with the PNW’s moody, moss-draped December.
Growing up both of my partner and I were taught about these protectors of farms and families, hosting a beard much like my partner bears.That such energy would follow us here to the landscapes of evergreen forests is not surprising. Our covenstead, soft with rain and wrapped in fog, already feel like the natural habitat of the energy that tomte & nisse hold. They are after all, creatures who thrive in places where the boundary between the everyday and the enchanted is thin. The Yule Lads, who in Iceland descend from the mountains one by one each night, would find no shortage of dramatic ridges and misty foothills to wander here. You can almost imagine them stepping out from behind a cedar trunk with a half-eaten cookie and a grin. They remind us that winter magic lives in the handmade and the thoughtful. They were like tiny elfish guardians, ensuring the well-being of land, livestock, home, and community through long, dark winters. Their presence mirrors a worldview where the home and Land are sacred, alive with unseen watchers.
However, you do not want to disrespect these spirits. Like other Land spirits across the world, these mini-santa-claus characters are highlighted in the time between Dec. 12th and December 24th, coinciding with many of the global cultures’ winter festivals. They can be as prickly as the Yule Cat, the pet of the ogress Grýla, who is said to be the mother of said Yule Lads. Don’t disrespect them or you won’t be seeing a mysteriously placed pinecone on your windowsill, but maybe a broken window, which is especially not fun when it’s winter. The lore about their naughtiness was that the pranks were spurred by misbehaving children in the household (sound familiar?) Well behaved children meant the Yule Lad milked the goat as opposed to stealing the milk. And good children received small tokens and treats for their efforts. When the Yule Lads are helpful, they would like to be acknowledged for that help. So traditional celebrations, offerings, and poems of gratitude fill the winter nights in their honor.
We’ve rekindled and reinterpreted this ancestral customs of the Yule Lads as winter offers simple, low-pressure ways to bring the tradition into modern life. Ancestors may have left out a small bowl of porridge or cookies (sound familiar?); and today it’s a lighted candle in the window, a little brew from the cupboard, left as an offering in gratitude for the home and the Land that shelters us. The GrandWitchling likes to check to see if “someone” has taken a sip. Honoring traditions doesn’t require strict accuracy or elaborate ceremony. What matters is the spirit of the custom. For us it’s about respect for the unseen energy everywhere that is channeled to safeguard the home and protect all its inhabitants. In a region where winter stretches long and the nights fall early, these small rituals offer warmth and a sense of continuity. And if what matters is held in the vessel of an impish gnome, I’m even more about it because, let’s have fun and joy where we can get it, yes?
This week, I was stung by an unidentified flying insect. I wasn’t tromping through the land, or harvesting late, or weeding. I was just sitting having an evening snack and drink with kindred. From the description of those who witnessed the attack, it was as tiny barely a fingernail width, colored mainly black with a pointed lower abdomen and a narrow waist called a petiole. That description matches a western honey bee, that accidentally flew into my elbow and felt I was attacking it. The jury is still out as to what it was that stung me, but it certainly got my attention.
At the moment that it happened, I felt like I was in a weird dream state. Things were so pleasant and then in an instant they were not. For days, my elbow looked like it was missing because of the swelling and hives. I’ll live, and I’m much better. But the discomfort lasts all week. As I treated my sting site, I recalled the weird dream state that happened in the previous years as well. My body and my energy were on high alert, which often brings in my witchy brain asap. This was worth noting and would lead me down an interesting daydreaming path. Like the wasp sting awakened this creative, intuitive, meditative channel of communication between myself and the Universe.
Each year that I have lived here at Villa Westwyk I have been stung. I don’t have an anaphylactic response, but I always get swelling, pain, hives, fatigue, and in some instances, it triggers an asthma attack. To be fair, as a Witch who works closely with the Land, it is a hazard of the job. Because I apply permaculture principles to my Witchcraft practice, I noticed that behavior, as one of its key tenets is to observe and interact. Well, I’m watching me get stung once a year, every year since residing here. And I think I know what’s happening.
Each incident has involved a different flying wasp or bee each time. The first was a bald-faced hornet. They look like the mean thing they are. They are black and white with an almost skeletal appearance. They can be super aggressive. Their sting is very painful. Being stung by a bald-faced hornet was one of the worst stings I’ve experienced, partly because the bugger hit me more than once. I was weeding a section of Land that had been crying out for healing – removing invasive species – and I must have disturbed a nest. I did not return to that section of Land until the following season. The attack site – my wrist and put me on my ass for a few days with my allergic response. It hurt so badly, I had to ice the sting site like once an hour when awake. Sleeping was hard because it just throbbed, burned, ached, and itched incessantly and restfulness was nearly impossible. I did compresses, tinctures, teas, and all kinds of anti-inflammatory treatments. I give bald-faced hornets a wide berth still today.
The second growing season here I was stung by a bumblebee. That one hurt my feelings the most. I love the chonky bumblebees as they bungee jump from lavender stem to lavender stem. The physical recovery from that was not too bad, and the result was the setting of the rule that all harvesting has to be done before bee hour (around 10 a.m.). But it still wasn’t a cakewalk. Again, I was super sensitive the rest of the season when one of those very loud bumbles bobbed into view. I would immediately leave the area if one was about. I didn’t scream or cry or make a scene. Just a quick about-face away from wherever it was grazing.
Last year the sting came from the asshole of pollinators – the yellowjacket. Yes, yellowjackets are accidental pollinators as they fly from spot to spot in the garden eating the insects you hate to have in your garden like caterpillars and harmful flies. Yellow jackets eat a lot of the insects that like to harm fruit trees, so I want to give them a chance. But even so, they can be triggered to sting quickly, thereby achieving its asshole pollinator label. Yes, yes, even as an animist there are energies in this world I cannot abide. The yellow jacket has been on that list my entire life. Growing up we called yellow jackets sweat bees because they were always about when you were sweating outside in the heat. However, true sweat bees don’t sting and are sometimes called fairy wasps. But, the yellow jacket? Their sting has an intense pain level.
In the summer of 2023, the whole of the covenstead was infested with yellow jackets. Mr. Troy was stung several times as he played pest control serviceman to root out the massive hive under one of the pine trees not too far from our house. One of our dogs is deathly allergic to insect venom, having been hospitalized early in her life from a bee sting. Yellow jackets, like bald-faced hornets, can sting multiple times and they run in packs. Eradicating such sneaky hives is therefore a must. But not before those little assholes left their mark on both the humans living here. The lesson there was to pay attention more carefully to spaces the yellow jackets are drawn to and to design our landscaping in a manner that helps assist their natural predators – mainly birds like the Western tanagers. We have also heavily planted repelling plants all around the house especially. Plants like lavender, mint, lemongrass, marigolds, and thyme are ones that yellowjackets avoid. Next year we’ll be setting up a predatory pitcher plant bed to also help curb not only the yellowjackets but biting flies. When using our space during wasp season, we keep the yellow jackets occupied with a small offering of ripe watermelon or sliced cucumber placed in a different area from where you’re enjoying the outdoors. Their attention will be on the offering and not on your BBQ chicken and salad.
It’s clearly a trend these annual stings I’m receiving. I can’t help but think this is some kind of message from the Land, the Universe, my beloved dead, Spirit, or all of them. Four years, four stings. Like a fire drill for my spiritual life. I feel like the Universe is grabbing me by the elbow and trying to get my attention. Each incident has made me slow down, prioritize self-care, and remember that life isn’t all about work. After this latest wasp sting, I knew there was so much more to what was going on. Enter my dreamwork practice to the rescue. Dream messages don’t just come at night, Witches. They can come whenever we can switch our brain into that space of receiving messages. Given that understanding, what do these wasp stings annually mean?
In my Dreamwork, wasps, especially, denote social connections – family, friends, coworkers, and even the collective community. Have you seen how wasps work together? Even solitary wasps use other flora and fauna to survive. Looking at where I was stung to lends other clues. The wrist, the shoulder, my neck, and my elbow. The wrist may denote flexibility, adaptability, and certainly connection. But it’s also a super vulnerable part of our anatomy. Raise your hand if you have carpal tunnel, or if the worst part of doing planks is the pain in your wrists.
The shoulder much like the wrist connects the arm to the body. It also may represent responsibilities ala “carrying the world on her shoulders.” It can symbolize comfort or support. And shoulder can also be about pushing forward – think a football player – or not giving in on the sidewalk to people who don’t move to provide egress. Whereas signs or dream elements that incorporate the neck can mean there’s a throat chakra issue, or an ancestral wound involving the neck (if you know anything about the Witch wound, this is not surprising). Again, the neck connects the head and body and some of the most critical nerves and circulatory systems members are in the neck. It’s the thoroughfare of life in your body.
The elbow is the motivator of hard work when we look at its potential symbolism. Give it some elbow grease, or you must elbow your way to the top – it gives that kind of vibes. It is also a connector between the upper arm and the lower arm. An insect sting on the elbow as a message in dreams or a sign from the Universe tells me that prioritizing pointed connections. An insect sting on my neck says to prioritize critical connections. The responsibility of right relationship is mine to shoulder. And it is critical that I do so in a vulnerable way.
It might take me a few years to get the message – noted. I’m pretty sure I got it and what I have to do next – besides all the physical mitigation noted above. It’s time for me to spend some time being capricious and pensive. To observe if my connections, my relationships, and my community may need some pointed ‘medicine.’ Perhaps I need to work harder at these connections and take responsibility for where I am not doing so.
I certainly know that I’m not waiting for next summer for another sting to get to work on these nudges from Divine.
Tea leaf readings, also known as tasseomancy, have been an outer-edge flirtation in my magical practice. It was some divination I could do as a Witch deep in the broom closet and not many even blinked about it. It was one of my first divinations – outside of dream work, before Runes just spoke to me so clearly. But every autumn I seem to want to cozy up with some appropriate tea – today I used Witch’s Harvest from Night Rituals, which is just what the New Moon in Scorpio called for – Rooibos, which is all about strength, courage, and wisdom. Apple, for health; cinnamon for abundance; and marigold for healing. It’s very flavorful, too. So, as you sip, you connect with the liquid, the tea, as well as your intuition and, if it’s in your practice, ancestors (this practice feels very ancestral to me) (insert Spirit, Guides, or Divinity, as well here).
I can easily recall my grandmother and aunts talking about it – on my father’s more heathen side, of course. My mind’s eye easily plays little tea-reading sessions inside a tiny kitchen table that could not even begin to seat the amount of people who had to live in that house (1,000 square feet and a partially finished basement and weirdly attached garage for 11 people… what our ancestors went through). Messages like this are why I’m playing around again with my nose down staring at tea-mains inside a cup.
Additionally, a lovely group of my friends (Witches, all, y’all) surprised me on my birthday with this little set (pictured above). They knew I was giddy about giving this set (with book, of course) a home here on the covenstead. The gift came with a tea reading demonstration and general Q&A session with Ruthie Connel. Yes, that Ruthie. Did you know she’s a whip with a pendulum? Yes, the set came with one of those, too. My friends spoil me so much. Thank you, ‘Chamily!’*
It’s been a lovely magical pull back into a practice I’ve done for a bit, put down, come back to, put down again… you maybe know the drill. Our practice, our crafts go through cycles just like everything in the Universe. And that’s okay. Now I find myself back in love with this witchy tool. I’ve been practicing pretty much daily since receiving this gift – not always with this mug, mind you, as sometimes I find that I need a more sparse canvas for reading tea leaves. But I love the interaction of this particular set, including the astrologic influences as well as common culture symbols. It reminds me of the Runes’ ‘interactions on my casting cloth. Speaking of Runes, they show up often in my tea readings, which gives it this level-up feeling to the divination.
We awoke today with the new moon in Scorpio, and I had to swirl that energy into yet another tea reading. Let’s just say it didn’t surprise me when the moon symbol showed up. Working with this energy has provided me with a laser light on what and where I need to expend my energy this season.
Over on my Patreon, I examine more of what this new moon in Scorpio tea reading said to me.
In the meantime, I invite you to take the time this late autumn, and even throughout winter, to dedicate yourself to a magical practice you’ve been away from, you would love to explore, and get your Witch on! May we dive into the darkest time of year shining lights on things that bring us joy, knowledge, and comfort. All of this or better. So it is.
*Chamily = chosen family. Yeah, I made it up. All words are made up. (See: my Mercury return a couple of days ago. Hehe. Mercury is in Sagittarius, what do you expect? 😉
Oh, Yule. I love you and then don’t love you. I’ve been trying to get this post out since well before western thanksgiving. Clearly it’s been a struggle. And gift giving is, whether we realize it or not, also about how the act of giving makes the giver feel. I want to feel good about what I an giving, for sure, but I also want to make sure that it’s squee-inducing and sustainable. I know, I don’t want much.
This year the preparation for celebrating the Winter Solstice is finding me feeling very grinchy. I have a book to write and a lot of my creative power goes to that project, so thinking of gift ideas or holiday plans feels overwhelming. These feelings may very well be due to the world being like….well, our world. If you are feeling the same, I’m here to say you’re not alone.
This time of year it’s easy to feel this way, which could easily lead to stressing out or hurting people’s feelings. And feelings might be hurt not because you didn’t give a gift, but rather because there was no care in the thought of the gift. This is my 57th Yule, I can tell you receiving last-minute gifts from someone comes with the same energy. You’re better off giving a hug and telling the person the truth, then basically giving whatever.
These Bah-Humbug feelings can dip down into our thoughts about how to give gifts with our kindred, a Yule tradition for centuries. My Germanic/Norse ancestors started sharing their bounty with their kindred and community long before the word Christmas was uttered. Gifts were mostly consumables like food or drink, hand-made tokens of affection (think hand-carved into hair comb, or a fur collar for hunting in the snow) or simply spending time together. All good tried-and-true choices. I never dislike receiving a bottle of wine, or chocolate, or anything hand-crafted.
But I don’t have a lot of time or energy this year, plus resources are tight. So now what?
Bounty was the word that kept being whispered to me and which pinballed around in my brain every time I sat down to write this post. What bounty could I share with my children, my family, my friends, and my community?
Outside of my larder, which will still be a source of gifts for friends and family and has been for decades, there are larger things that I think I will be looking at as “gifts” this Yuletide. I’m sharing them here to hopefully inspire you, reader, and others to help cross off your gift-giving lists.
Change for Climate Change. I do not know anyone who calls themselves a Witch who doesn’t care for our planet and its creatures and who actively works – in a myriad of ways – for its benefit. Climate change is here. And we have to make drastic changes. It’s one of the reasons permaculture called out to me. This is my number one gift-giving idea. From giving to organizations to helping someone change a not so great consumption habit is likely number one on a Witch’s Yule wish list. Organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund, 1000 Gretas, or Climate Foundation can use all the gifts in people’s names they can get. Many organizations can let you give small amounts each month, which makes it easier to gift for those of us on a strict budget. During the gifting season a lot of organizations offer cool trinkets for the donation that you can then gift to your kindred in addition to the donation. For several years now, friends and family have received replacements for less sustainable living solutions from The Viking and I. Everything from reusable sandwich bags, bamboo towels, convenient reusable shopping bags, beeswax wrap, hemp socks, solar powered chargers, and the list goes on and on. There’s a healthier choice for just about every item we use daily out there. Go find it. Lastly, you can plan an outing with your clan to do something restorative (trash clean up, planting trees or community garden) for the environment and have a picnic or support a small local restaurant or food truck afterwards. Memories plus! However you give an offering to Mama Earth to your Witches, you’ll watch the Earth heal together.
Civic Participation. So many of the Witches in my circle and community deeply wish for a more equitable society. Many of us use our platform to educate folx about those in need of justice and care. I think this is a huge gift. Again donations are always welcome for nonprofit organizations working to create safe spaces for LGBTQA+, women, immigrants, war refugees, and animals. Volunteering with organizations that do that is another way to gift. Those hours add up to a monetary value by the organization and as the volunteer, you can get a tax deduction. No lie. Many organizations will give a certificate of your hours, the worth of that donation, and can dedicate it to another individual. We do that now with Habitat for Humanity, since houselessness is an area that really gets my attention. Look for the local organizations (for me here in the Upper Left USA it’s the Opportunity Council) that work directly with the most vulnerable in our community. Additionally, gifting to candidates who work for the issues important to our community may also be more heartfelt to your kindred. Voting for those candidates that work for our entire community, not just the corporations would be such a great gift for one another. If you told me you voted, I consider it a gift. So, thank you.
Growth Opportunities. When I say this, I don’t mean therapy sessions or scary bungee jumping to overcome fear – although, you do you, Witch!, but something that lets you grow together or even individually. Something that invests in your loved one personally or your relationship. My friend recently got ceramic classes for her and her mother. They are learning something together, taking time out each week to be with one another, and exploring the world together. This is what I mean. How about a gift certificate to your friend’s favorite yoga studio? Maybe you both take a meditation class together? Plan a monthly hike together. Stretch your creative muscles together in a community painting class. My local library has some great classes that provide gardening, painting, and even sailing lessons! Make a plan, stick to it, and what a gift you’ll have in both directions.
Time Investments. Time is the most precious commodity any of us have. Perhaps gift some regular time with your loved one. A second Friday happy hour together? How about brunch at the end of the month? Go to your favorite plant store together once a month. Or walk the beach nearby twice a month looking for red sea glass. Saturday card games with good snacks are always fun and low-stress and easy on the budget. Again, flex those creativity muscles and find a way to connect regularly and with grace. What a gift!
So no need to be overwhelmed. Set yourself up with a small bit of time, some tea, your best familiar, and make a list of what truly would feel good to give and has some collective meaning to it. For me, I’m just grateful I finally got this out into the world. But you better believe, I’ll be looking at these four bigger-picture gifts for my best Witches and kindred.
Happy Yuletide all! Let me know what is your wish or go-to sustainable and heartfelt gift?
Witches Thanksgiving is coming. Also known as Mabon (MAY-bn), or the Autumn Equinox. It is the second harvest. It’s a big one, too, for those living close to the land and growing food. Although I can harvest a little bit every day beginning about the full moon after the vernal equinox, each harvest sabbath (Lughnasah, Mabon, and Samhain) simply means new crops are coming in at each harvest. The first harvest is typically grain and berries. The second harvest is fruit and corn. And the third harvest is everything else, including squash (jack o’lantern pumpkins!), tomatoes, peppers, culling of the herds, etc.
If you’re wanting to have a gathering of your Witch sisters and brothers, this is a wonderful time to do so. So much food is in season. And the weather, at least here in the Pacific Northwest, is still nice enough to gather around a fire circle outside.
Most gathering of witches means potluck of some sort. There’s always the witch that will bring the wine and party favors, another who’s got the sweet treats covered, and another who brings the appetizers. If you’re hosting, the entree will fall to you, along with one or two sides or a salad, as well as making sure your space is welcoming. Maybe some post-meal concoction to sip by the fire whilst you tell stories of your year thus far. You decide how much you take on. Just don’t take on too much, please. Hosts as well as guests should be enjoying themselves. This is a celebration of our gratitude. Our connections are likely at the top of that giving-thanks list. Roast the stuffed turkey, but let everyone else do the rest. However, if you just love creating wonderful food for friends and family, do what you think you can handle without stressing.
Other things to make your Witches Thanksgiving festive are doing things like gourd candles (maybe make enough to allow your guests to take one home), corn dollies, or having the activity of making a scarecrow for the pumpkin patch or front gate, or pressing apples and pears into cider (as might be the case here at Villa Westwyk). Maybe one of your guests would like to do some divination for everyone for the season ahead. Or maybe you watch the new Halloween flick that was just released. Take your inspiration from the landscape around you, the energy of the group, and go forth and have lots of Witchy Fun.
Today I put together a Mabon menu to hopefully inspire, instruct, and initiate you into this upcoming season. Inspired by what’s growing here at Villa Westwyk or available nearby (e.g. sablefish), each category should have you covered no matter which part of the potluck you want to cover. As well, there’s a fire circle ritual to help you welcome in Autumn and prepare yourselves for winter.
First you need to set the mood: and that’s certainly good fun. Decorate your space. Many of my seasonal decorations are actually wards. (More on that here on the blog soon!) Refresh your altar for autumn. If you have a fire circle where you’ll be hosting the ritual, make sure there’s enough seating and table space for everyone. Make sure there’s blankets for everyone to stay comfortable. Again, if you’re hosting, ask your guests where they may like to help. A good guest will ask, as well.
The menu below is by no means the only menu for your Witches Thanksgiving. Again, take your inspiration from what is available to you and your kindred. This is just what will be on the menu at Villa Westwyk this year. Be sure you understand any food preferences and allergies from your guests before using this menu or creating your own.
Please note to access the links of these recipes, you’re going to need a passcode. It’s easy: Mabon2022
Gratitude is at the center of Thanksgiving. So the ritual is focused on that. And it’s focused on the fire element, which is necessary to help us survive the upcoming winter season.
Here’s what you’ll need for this activity:
A spot to gather around a fire
Candles or torches that mark the four directions
Small slips of paper and pens or pencils for each guest
A small altar with Autumnal decor
Cleansing herbs (rosemary, sage, mugwort, lavender, etc. – you choose your adventure here)
If you don’t have a fire pit available to you, feel free to gather around a table with a centerpiece of lots of candles. Plan on one candle representing each guest, so 7 guests = 7 candles. And please, for Freyja’s sake, please follow candle safety. You’ll also need a fire-proof container (cauldron).
This is a very casual ritual and more about pulling out the recognition of all the abundance in our lives – there’s more than you think. Doing this little exercise, if you’d prefer that word over ritual, helps you and your guests ground down in gratitude around the fire. I set up the tiki torches around the fire circle to mark the four directions ahead of time. If your tradition calls for casting a circle, feel free to do that. But it’s not necessary for this.
There’s a small altar, mostly hosting all the symbols of Autumn: squash, apples, colored leaves, anything that makes it festive for you. Perhaps offerings for the land spirits or your particular deities. For me it’s offerings to Skaði, the goddess of the Hunt (an autumn activity) and Winter and Tyr, the sky god. Appropriate because of the planetary movement of the equinox. As always, you do you, Witch.
Remember, a table with candles and cauldron works, too!
In the center is the fire pit, which I’m sure the Viking will have made larger than necessary. Before going around the circle (sunwise, aka clockwise) some cleansing herbs are added to the fire. The host may do this, or everyone can take a little bit of the herbs and toss them into the fire. Again, candles and a cauldron around a patio table works well, too. Our warm, rainless summers these last 5 years or so here in the PNW means fire rituals often are simply tabletop affairs as fire bans for safety are necessary. All good. This is an opportunity for the host to thank their guests and invite them to consider what they are grateful for. To help your guests get in the mindset of expressing their gratitude, you may ask them to consider three things they are thankful for at Mabon.
Often I’ll ask them to consider their journey since last Autumn to highlight what abundance and blessings they’ve encountered, especially where their personal growth is concerned. What personal quality are you thankful for? What non-human thing are you thankful for? What other person are you thankful for? As the MC, really ask them to explore the why. Why are you grateful for your work ethic, for instance? “Well, Runa, it helped me finish X project before the equinox…” This is a conversation, to a degree. And a time of reflection. As one guest speaks to their gratitude, the others are invited to fire scry or just meditate on the flames.
After the gratitude expressions are complete, this is when your guests will put the one thing they want to leave behind as this new season begins. Starting clockwise again, have the person approach the fire (carefully) and toss their completed release note into the flame, saying “I release what does not serve me.” They do not have to say what the thing is that they are releasing. That is between them, the fire and, if appropriate, their gods. If one of your Witch guests wants to announce what they are releasing, that is fine, too.
End the ritual officially by offering blessings to your guests and again your gratitude for them in your life, for their contributions to the circle, etc. Close your circle here, if you so choose.
Afterwards, it is a great time to pull out a nightcap of some sort. This can be anything like some hot tea and honey, maybe hot cocoa, or here on our covenstead, it will likely be some Cassis (black currant liqueur) or apple cider that we brewed. Then simply hangout by the fire and visit with your kindred. Make plans for a winter gathering now during this conversation, if you like. Play guitar or ukulele. Sing acapella. Laugh. Connect.
Be sure to extinguish all flames before leaving the area. Practice good candle and fire safety. Because Samhain is coming and we want to be able to celebrate the Witches New Year together, too. Stay tuned as I’ll be offering the same kind of post for that Witches Sabbat as well.
How do you celebrate Mabon the Witches Thanksgiving? What of the above might you adopt for your celebration?
It’s September in the Pacific Northwest, or Spider Season as it’s more locally known. Literally spiders show up everywhere. Now, we’re not as bad as some places in Australia, but funnels, webs, and strings of baby spiders in flight are everywhere. Sunrise & Sunset chores here on the covenstead if viewed from the outside looking in, appears as if we’re practicing some unknown form of martial arts as we try to avoid and untangle ourselves from the ever-present webs. Do not leave the house without a hat right now.
Keeping critters off our temporary clothesline is easy with this Witch’s Brew!
As we live closer to the land here, the prevalence of creepy crawlies is a bit higher. So how do we keep our sanctuary, our home, from being infested? Witchcraft to the rescue! Specifically herbalism and the principles of Permaculture.
Like many Witches, I try my best to live in harmony with all the creatures. Spiders found inside the house here at Villa Westwyk, are escorted outside, unless they show up at the base of the toilet at 0333 hrs when The Viking is half asleep, or if they scurry down one of their seemingly invisible threads while I’m in the shower. A Crone has to have some boundaries! But this happens rarely, even in the PNW Spider Season, because I have a secret weapon: bay.
Bay leaves, bay oil, and even a properly placed bay tree helps keep the spiders at bay, along with a few other pesky insects we don’t want in our homes. Also, I welcome them in my pastures, gardens, and green house. Heck, two of them have my house looking like I already decorated for Halloween. But inside, and certain places outdoors, like my clothesline, potting shed, and barn walkways, are off limits. They are welcome anywhere else.
Granted, doing your weekly cobweb dust in the house does do wonders to make spiders feel your private abode is inhospitable. But there will always be spiders about, even in the cleanest and protected homes and cars. Spiders do good work getting rid of other even more annoying bugs like flies, beetles, and even other spiders. But I prefer that my carnivorous plants (venus fly trap, etc.) do that job, which I highly recommend. If you’re in Western Washington, you may source them from Predatory Perennials.
For more than a decade, I’ve been relying on natural insect repellents and plantings. (I’ll do another blog post down the road on why certain plants on the covenstead are where they are.) Bay oil is my go-to primary in this regard. It is an essential oil of Bay, made from those same little leaves you put in your stews and such, Laurus Nobilis, or Sweet Bay as it’s known, can be like an invisible fence to spiders, and often ants, too. I spray it on my outdoor clothes line, which always seems to attract the little arachnids. But under the full moon in August and September, I repeat this ritual to help keep the spiders at bay (haha, pun intended). When we lived on our sailboat, this happened monthly because spiders just LOVE sailboats. They seem to love RVs, as well. So this little recipe and full moon working has come in handy, a lot. I can tell you that it works. I’m sharing it here in case you just might want to add it to your witchy repertoire, regardless if you’re in the PNW or not.
Now before we get to the recipe, allow me to let you know that it’s important that whatever you’re putting on this may react poorly to it. For that reason, be sure to test a small, inconspicuous spot before you apply this spray to any material. I’ve not had any problems, but I also don’t spray it directly on anything, but rather via a micro cloth that absorbs the concoction. But I’m also mostly putting this on natural materials Additionally, I talk to the spirits of the land, or specifically to spiders, in this case, and tell them why I need them to respect this space. And I offer them alternative areas, where I think they will have a bit of sun, a bit of shade, and lots of good hunting (hint hint: anywhere but here).
Escorting an evictee to the garden
Yes, my neighbors have caught me talking to the spiders. I normally have my polarized shades on and my big straw hat and pay them no mind. But this talking is important because I have livestock, which can really draw flies if you are not practicing regenerative agriculture. But because I don’t shoo down the Orb Weaver’s giant web between the tree and the fence, but rather walk around it, I think the spiders are really doing their job to help keep the flies down to what anyone without 9 geese, 10 chickens, and 11 ducks would experience in their homes. I am sure to mention that to them, how much I appreciate their work. It is important! Also, I noted that many a yellow jacket were in their webs, too. And that’s a bonus as well, especially since the long, cool summer diminished the number of praying mantis that hatched around the covenstead. In short, you need to establish an energetic exchange with these critters. CoExist, baby. I am very careful of my language here, as with any Craft working. For me, I imagine I’m talking to the children of Loki when addressing the spiders. If you want to be clear, be sure to write down what you’re asking first to check yourself before moving forward. Like with the Good Neighbors I avoid apologies or expressions of debt or gratitude (sorry, thank you, no bueno). But the bottom line is that all the creatures that reside here at Villa Westwyk see the work that The Viking and I are doing. They attach their webs to the trees we’ve planted. They revel in the scent of the flowers and bushes we are planting. They see the care with which we raise our livestock. That positive energy extends throughout our four fences.
Lastly, if you cannot get your hands on bay oil, a part of this ritual includes bay leaves, which are helpful, too. However, you can substitute or combine any of the following oils: lemon verbena, lemon essential oil, lemongrass (you get the picture that spiders hate lemon, eh?), peppermint, citronella, or tea tree. But bay just kicks the most spidery butts here.
There are few poisonous spiders here in Western Washington. If you live in an area that has more dangerous varieties of arachnids, please be cautious with this witchy rite. Understand what you’re up against, before you take the time to spray this brew about your home. Also I make no claim how this works against scorpions, but if you try, it, I’d be interested in your results! Comments make my day.
Spider Season Lodgers 2022
Alright, here’s how to make the spray:
Spider Season Spray
Equipment:
Spray bottle (a brown glass one is best, but as you can see from my photo, whatever you have available works!)
Ingredients:
40 drops of essential oil of bay
4 ounces of distilled water
4 ounces of 190-proof alcohol
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions:
Mix the oil, water, alcohol, and vinegar into the bottle. Close tightly and shake to mix.
Typical Use: Spray on a micro cloth and wipe on areas you want to deter spiders.
Tip: when you wipe down the inside of drawers, cabinets or closets with this, it helps make those areas smell so good!
CoExist With Spiders Ritual:
Equipment:
Spider Season Spray
Microcloth
A handful of bay leaves crushed
A broom if you need to sweep away actual cobwebs
Instructions:
I choose to do this on the full moon in August and September, as the relationship between myself and the spiders is heightened. But honestly, you could do it any time. Because I do this annually, these lunations in the late summer help me come back to this over and over again. As I mentioned, it’ makes sense to do this now in this space because it’s Spider Season. Witches in the Southern Hemisphere might find this more helpful on the full moons in February and March.
The day before the ritual, I give “notice” to the Spider and the general spirits of the land. I tell them how certain spaces (as mentioned above) need to be free of intrusion, and a space is waiting for them in the (pick your spot). Also, test your inconspicuous spot.
On the day, first ground and center yourself. Then clean and declutter any area you want to spray this herbal ward. As you clean – especially if you’re going to be dispatching webs and egg sacs – repeat your reasoning for this working and remember to be careful with your language. Example: “Spiders, spiders Here and there, Do not fret But you can bet There’s better parts You should depart To spin your place Beyond this (sacred) space.” I often will carry a spider to a more desired location. I know this can be tough for some, but find yourself a Green Witch, perhaps that can help you with this part if it’s difficult for you.
Then moisten your cloth and wipe down the areas (after you’ve tested thoroughly) e.g. your front entry way. Be sure that you are not stingy, but that it is well “oiled” in the area.
If you are creating a spider-free zone in an entry way, take your crushed bay leaves and sprinkle them in front of the threshold. Feel free to repeat your request and offer of place beyond this sacred space. (Note: you will find whole bay leaves in every cupboard and drawer that I have. Guess what gets replaced each late summer in my kitchen? Yep. Those bay leaves.)
Repeat at the next full moon.
I hope you have found this helpful. If you decide to actually make a ritual of it as described above, please let me know how it goes for you. As with everything in the craft: your mileage may vary. I am simply sharing my experience and knowledge.
