So today I want to talk to you all about an another amazing blogger. She dedicates herself to the lore of England. To the Fae. To Arthur. And actually even to Goddesses.
So it’s not all about England either. Her latest post on Aphrodite April is amazing. So here I am showing you her best posts. Please follow her!
The Blodeuwedd and Guinevere Connection
Flower Brides, May Queens, High Queens: Archetypes in Analysis
~ All Hail the White Rose and Enchantress of Avalon ~
– M
I’m on my Earth and Air shrine which I use for meditation and Astrology. And the view of the moon is good here. I’m waiting for it to be 12:34 am my time to get a good sight of the moon. So I figured I would show you my pictures so far.
I’m just here on my balcony, praying to the Gods (which includes Jesus). Enjoying the night breeze with my plants. And listening to advice from my spirit guides. Grounding with the Earth, because one does not need to be on a tree or dirt to ground. You can ground from anywhere.
If you’re on planet Earth, then you could be a thousand feet in the air and still access it.
Even while one looks up at the Moon. Here, let me entertain you with some of the links on the moon sent to me today.
A Gorgeous Ritual for Tonightâs Magic
FULL MOON IN LIBRA 2023 (also courtesy of Lady Beltane forwarding that article from Vibrational Astrology.com)
Full Moon Libra April 6th 05.34am BST â A Pause in the Mayhem
Year of the Water Rabbit 2023 â Chinese Astrology Predictionsďżź
Part way through I realized I would not be able to see the moon from my shrine. As it moved, it got into place above my roof. So I had to go downstairs just to see it get to it’s peak. But I waited until the appropriate time so that I could enjoy being with my plants and spirits. Just a little while longer.
A cloud cover started to come in at the last minute.
So I decided to hurry my ass down and hope for a good image.
So I took out my wallet as is the custom among the old witches of England and I opened it up. And I prayed to the man in the moon to fill it up with money. And any and other forms of prosperity. I already had my Moon water prepared when the Moon began to show how big it was on Tuesday. This time I prayed also for my other charms to be blessed as well.
I also uttered a secret wish.
And I left. Oh by the way the ritual I did for protection worked. For those who are wondering. I will write that post up soon enough. But for now, I’m going to take my moon bath.
And pray some more. Good night everyone,
– M
Happy First Day of Spring! Today is officially the first day of Spring. And for me it’s the second day of Ostara. Normally, Ostara’s day for me is the first Sunday after the full moon in March. And per her instructions, I celebrate at sunset Sunday until sunset Monday. But it also makes sense to me that Ostara would be the first official day of Spring.
So I celebrate this day as Ostara 2.
On this random links of the day, I give you Spring articles and stuff about Ostara. I hope you like them. Also for those who don’t know, Ostara Germanic Goddess of Dawn and Nature. But it’s very hard to find more than that on her. We know that she is the origin of the word “Easter”, and that a month bares her name in the ancient German Calendar.
And we also know that Easter Eggs and Hares are associated with her as well. Legend has it that when Spring came, Ostara saw a small dove with frozen wings. Even if the frost had been taken off, the poor creature would have lost her wings. And most likely died on the spot.
So Ostara transformed the female dove into a female hare. And this hare was the only one in the world to lay eggs like a bird. As opposed to having live young.
The Hare became so associated with Ostara, that her symbol became a triquetra formed by hares running after one another. Eventually, Germanic peoples created stories about a a talking hare named the Osterhase (Easter Hare).
In 1993 for example, the BBC television show Wildlife On One had an episode called “Shadow of the Hare“. In which they claimed Ostara had a hare as her traveling familiar. And this is where the origin of the Osterhase. The Osterhase is sort of like a spring version of the Yule Goat. A sacred animal known for bringing gifts of some sort.
On paper I haven’t seen evidence of that. But I have seen these animals with her in visions. So I believe it’s true. If only because this Goddess is so associated with them. You can’t think of this animal without thinking of Ostara also.
In this case, eggs to be eaten. Festive eggs were cooked and given vinegar and salt for children and adults to eat them as treats. With the coming of Christianity, things changed a bit. The egg treats of Ostara became the eggs of Jesus (I’m trying not to make a joke here). This is kind of weird since eggs are a symbol of feminine spirituality.
Within the egg is the fetus of an animal soon to be born. Something a man and a male Deity can’t do. So how did they explain that to the people they were trying to convert? They didn’t. Not really. For them, it became about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
Symbolizing a spiritual spring. And the color red which is a traditional color for Ostara became the blood of Christ spilled on the cross. But, the blood of Ostara has always been the menstrual blood of the Goddess herself. Far from a painful death on a torture device, it was symbolic of the power of women to create life.
German communities brought these traditions to North America and even England. And eventually they were turned into chocolate eggs to market them to children. And of course over time the hare became a rabbit. And then the hare went from female to male. And sometimes wore gentlemanly clothes.
But a male animal can’t give birth. So there’s that. Granted, no one 100% agrees on any of this. Some don’t even think that Ostara is a real Goddess. I have heard smartasses try and claim she is a “modern invention”. Because the Venerable Bede, the Christian monk who mentions the feast of Ostara doesn’t go too much into detail.
The man didn’t go too much into detail about anything. Christian scholars refused to document ancient pre Christian religions. For fear that they would accidentally create a manual for future Pagans to reconstruct their religions. Even Bede doesn’t actually say how Ostara was worshipped or how the feast was celebrated. All he says is “practices done according to the heathen rituals of the time”.
And by Heathen they mean anyone who isn’t Christian. Not just actual Heathens. In conclusion I can tell you Ostara is very real and an actual Goddess. She’s answered prayers before and granted me prosperity in exchange for worship at dawn. I won’t go into the actual practice, but shes brought me wealth.
A “fake” God can’t do that.
I have seen not one, but several Hare spirits that accompany her. I don’t know if this means they are descended from the dove turned hare. Or if hares were her animal from ancient times. I’ve never asked. Mainly because no one would ever believe me.
When people ask for evidence, they’re not going to take a witch who claims to have magical powers. And who saw Ostara in a ritual when asking for help. Because to an atheist or any non believer or secular person, there’s no difference between me, and a schizophrenic. Therefore it’s useless. I know what I know. I have experienced what I experienced.
I receive answers to every prayer. Sometimes only too soon, and I know it’s real. I was borderline atheist years ago. The paranormal opened my eyes to what’s on the other side. So I don’t care if anyone believes she’s real or not.
Just like she doesn’t care. Why would a being, who can make the sun rise, transform one animal into another, bring forth spring, regenerate and heal others, is immortal and beyond our universe, care about what someone who is trapped in a flesh suit with an expiration date believes? Time for the links.
The Legend of Ostara and the Hare and other traditions
The Easter Hare (German Folktale)
Ostara, the Saxon Goddess of Easter and Spring
Goddess Äostre and the Origin of Easter
What’s the Origin of the Easter Bunny?
đI’m disappointed with the time article. They use the lower case “p” for “pagan” which is pretty much any non-Christian religion. And it was kind of a lazy article to be honest. This blog post was written better.
We also have Osterfuchs the Easter Fox.
Move Over Easter Bunny, here comes the Easter Hare
đ This article is kind of more confused claiming Ostara had a male Hare as a consort. She’s not into animals people. Not like that at any rate.
In Switzerland it’s the Cuckoo Bird
The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny : A Scholar traces the folk figure’s history from the Neolithic era to today by Tok Thompson, The Conversation, April 14, 2022
đ This is a much better article. With traditions from various cultures. And fascinating histories.
From the same author :
Sacred hares, banished Winter Witches, and Pagan worship – the roots of Easter Bunny Traditions are Ancient by Tok Thompson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences Published: April 13, 2022 5.51pm EDT
Ostara by Mystic Life Design. This page is so beautiful it’s like a Virtual Stain Glass Window
Isis, Osiris, and Horus Spring Rites
Happy Vernal/Autumnal Equinox, Folks!
Goddess Ostara – What is known by the author EirĂkr Haf Ălfrsson
Ostara Pictures from Wiccan Writes
It’s is believed that Easter originally was a commemorative feast for the Germanic Goddess Ostara by author Marija Georgievska April 13, 2017
Three Easter Bunny Alternatives from around the world
Eostre, Ostara, and the Easter Fox
The vernal equinox is upon us â welcome to spring!
Happy Spring Equinox – Purple Rays
Celtic Tree Month of the Alder Moon: March 18 â April 14
Witchcraft Symbols, Terms and Definitions â Rabbit
10 Types and The Meaning of White Lilies
Goddess of the Day â Ostara â Saxon Goddess Of Spring And Easter
Ostaraâs Meaning, Traditions and A Simple Ostara Ritualďżź
Blessing on This Beautiful, Sunny Ostara/Spring Equinox
Easter Rebirth: How Rabbits and Eggs Came to Symbolize New Life (Video)
– M
“Praises to you O Lords and Ladies, blessings to you who answer prayers! Thank you for lifting me up high when I was low, for putting a smile on your child’s face once more!
If you remember yesterday’s post, I was in the middle of a Greek ritual. And for some reason I started spontaneously praying to the Gods for something other than my usual requests. In fact it was almost like my subconscious was coming out. Usually on Noumenia I ask for cleansing and purification with Apollon Noumenious. Or I ask Selene and Endymion for money since the moon and the Stars are associated with money.
And I work with Zeus Ktesios and Hestia on bringing prosperity to the Household. But I ended up asking for the original cold weather of my early childhood. Of waking up one morning and feeling the brisk chill. And seeing cirrus clouds in all of their feathery splendor. So I just went with it.
And this morning it was a beautiful grey day! When I was a child I loved days like this. When it would rain I used to pretend I was Captain Nemo. And I played with my maternal grandmother. Usually with a Nick Jr. cartoon or puppet show. My favorite was Eureka’s Castle.
The Tuatha de Dannan have recently been making their way back into my life. When I started out doing magic, like many I fell into Wicca. During this time, I was exposed to the many Gods and spirits of the people in the United Kingdom. And the Greek Gods. My Master even says the pantheon there is more like a “UK Pantheon”.
Because the cultures and peoples are so mixed in this area that no one culture can describe it. From the Welsh and the Irish, to the people of the Isle of Man and the West Country. I had worked as an eclectic witch for years. Then I decided that while I am very good at eclectic magic, I wanted to study and officially serve the Gods. In each of their cultures.
I had already initiated into Greek Polytheism/Paganism. But I still hadn’t reconnected to my Celtic roots. And I began to look around for a person to teach me. Properly. For a while that was a bust.
Until one day I found out that in my Greek Temple there was a Druid. And not just any Druid, but an elder in her tradition. I couldn’t believe my luck. Here she was. My Master.
Fast forward to the present. I have been studying them. And lately they have been very vocal. Besides the totem pole that I shared yesterday, I also have been giving them libations. And food.
And for some reason I thought of them when praying to Selene. The Tuatha are Faerie Gods. And many of the Fair Folk work with the moon. Maybe that’s why they entered my working. But I prayed with all my might.
Prayed for that chilly weather that makes me relive the happiest times of my early life. And the next day, they answered,
Some shots from the Balcony
My Balcony Garden
The Sun partially came out near the end but that was okay
Now I’m sure some idiot somewhere is going to come on here and say, this proves nothing. Or it’s coincidence. Let me say this : normally I would agree that it isn’t enough to be evidence. But lately our “spring” in Miami is more like Summer. Even for Florida, we have had historically high temperatures.
Courtesy of Global Warming. Some of the heat we have experienced hasn’t been seen since past centuries.
In fact, whenever the meteorologists claim a cold front will come, we don’t bat an eye anymore. Almost all cold fronts before this one have failed miserably. And they were stronger and had more of a chance of becoming cold weather than this meek little front. But instead we all saw a grey and cool day. With heavy clouds.
A good cool wind, and a gigantic smile on my face.
Praise be to the Gods, for the Shining Ones have answered prayer
– M
Cue all the disgruntled people in the more Northern states and countries. Coming here to tell me that I’m lucky that I live in a place that has the same temperature as Dante’s inferno. But I will say something of this place, the clouds tend to be beautiful.
I was celebrating the second day of the Noumenia here. And as I went through the litany of prayers that I have been doing today, I suddenly looked up. And I began to think. Was it thinking? No, I think I was praying again without being aware of it.
I was partially thinking of another group of Gods I worship, the Tuatha de Dannan. Not only the Gods and Faeries of Ireland, but one of the most ancient pre-human races that lived there once. Maybe it was because of the clouds. Both they and the Theoi and Theaia are called “the Shining Ones”. And in my mind I prayed in my own way,
“Please bring back the cool, the gentle winds with their fresh air. Please bring back the cool weather. Bring back those beautiful clouds I used to get up and see in the mornings in Miami. That fresh cold air when we did have cold here. One of the only good things I remember from my childhood.
Please bring back the morning mists. The damp dew of the early mornings. Bring back those sweet cold mornings with the frost of the old winter, which still rides the new spring air, bring back that which brings light to my life,”
I stopped, realizing I had accidentally said this in the middle of my official prayers. Or maybe it isn’t a mistake. Nothing done during ritual is ever a mistake. That’s what one of the Priests at my Hellenic temple always tells me. Maybe the ritual brought out what was in my heart.
So I went back to saying the words with an open mind.
“Let me relive the wonderful feelings of joy I had in school when I woke up on a cold morning. One of the few joys I had as a child. Let me feel alive again with these wonderful clouds and allow my soul to soar. Grant me what I ask. Please I beg of you.
Please O Shining Ones, bring to us the cold,”
For my Druid Master Nicole and my Hellenic Priest Tim, thanks for always being sources of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration.
– M
On this addition of random links of the day, we have some interesting articles on places and magic. And magical places in some cases. I kept getting so many of these articles that I made them into a random links addition. We’ll also be exploring ghosts and at least one article on haunted objects. Let’s get started!
Timeo Danaos et Dona Ferentes : The Dangers of Malevolent Spirits and Haunted Objects
From the same author :
The Algae that might save Earth’s Coral Reefs
The Iceberg Cowboys that Wragle Pure Water from the large frozen blocks
Clean and ethically sourced diamonds using air pollution?
đ I’m skeptical of this to be honest. It sounds like BS like “carbon capture” which only transfers the pollution from the air to the ground. Still I figured I would add this here and take a look.
Iceland’s Eruptions reveal the hot history of Mars
What Caused This Massive Mud Volcano Eruption in Indonesia?
5 Colorful Stories About the Pageantry of the Lunar New Year
Celebrating Scotlandâs Bard? Break Out the Haggis for Burns Night
Mother Goddess Tefnut and a Morality Tale: The Lion in Search of Man
The Fairy Glen of the Black Isle
The Holiday That Welcomes Back the Sun With Pancakes and Coffee
Offerings to Ghosts by Bodhi-Bowl which is an amazing mystical blog of Buddhist thoughts and teachings
Political Witchcraft: A Brief Overview of Occult Activism in Thailand from Upon the Altar another amazing mystical blog
Place Names : The Origin of Location Names
The Bird Migration Explorer App from the Audubon Society
Bob the Street Cat Memorial in London
Christians, Pagans, Muslims, Hindus what happens when we all get together
Enjoy!
– M
Note* Some people celebrate this night on December 24th. But others do it since the 21st of December (Winter Solstice). I actually celebrate it three times : The 21st, 24, and 25th (midnight) of December. Since it’s still dark even though technically it becomes the 25th at midnight, I continue the celebration. So technically it’s only twice.
Tonight we await Winter Solstice. The time of darkness. The time of silence. Of the cold wind blowing against the windows at night. Or in Florida’s case, the cold waters that fall from the sky.
Tonight we settle into the darkness. And allow ourselves to truly be consumed by it. To travel beneath the trees. And to hide in their shade. To see our breath as we exhale it.
And prepare for our rites.
I’m sure a lot of people think this is pretentious. No one is actually going around doing this stuff right? Yeah tell that to my neighbors. They all see me do it and then freak out and run away. It used to bother me.
And I used to go out of my way to hide what I was doing. Finally I said, if someone were dumb enough to watch a magical rite let them. And let them pick up something they weren’t meant to pick up. So as tired as I already am this morning from all the work and preparations, I have to stay up at midnight to perform my sacred rituals. Specifically Spirit communication since tonight is Mother’s Night.
That also means a night of divination and preparation. A night of feasting and drinking. A night of being with your family. Huddled up towards a Hearthe fire. While the Yule Log is burning.
There are so many traditions here that it’s hard to name them all. So I think every year I will write about a different one. That way I don’t drive myself crazy trying to write an Encyclopedia Britannica everytime. Also I apologize ahead of time for typos.
I am working hard to sift between clients. Plus all the rituals I do and follow. But for now let’s talk about a tradition I love very much. And it’s weird because so far I am not a Nordic practitioner. At least not officially.
Yet this became a cornerstone of my practices in Yule.
Modranicht/MĹdraniht/Modranect (Night of the Mothers)
Essentially, this feast is the beginning of Yule for many Nordic practitioners. It’s dedicated to the DĂsir. It’s basically a word for all female spirits. Female faeries and ghosts. But also your female ancestors and Goddesses.
They’re honored on this night.
Much even today remains unknown about the DĂsir. And points of view of them vary by regions. German scholars think they are linked to a West German Cult dedicated to female spirits. While others think they are older. At mother’s night several sacrifices in the feast dedicated to them were performed, called dĂsablĂłt.
An important thing to note here is that BlĂłt or “sacrifice” does not always mean blood sacrifices. A blot could be pouring a libation of mead to a spirit or God. Or giving cooked food to a spirit or God. There are many types of BlĂłt out there. Although it is believed animal sacrifices were offered during this time.
But there is no right or wrong way to do this.
“The Gods and Goddesses, landwights, and honored dead have always received physical offerings of various sorts. These ranged from simple pots of food left in bogs or graves, to golden vessels and great hoards of amber, to the spectacular sacrifices of an entire defeated army along with all its animals and gear, a practice confirmed by archeological discoveries at sites such as Hjortspring, Nydam, and Illerup (see Our Troth vol. 1, chapter 4). In the sagas, a devout worshipper of the gods is called blĂłtmaĂ°r mikill, ‘a great sacrifice-person.‘
Even after the coming of Christianity, people continued to leave offerings at holy springs and trees and fields, and in some areas continued to do so into the modern age. People also continued leaving out offerings to the spirits who guarded their homes and farms,” – Offerings for Norse Paganism | The Troth
In this respect, I see a lot in common with Norse and Celtic views on offerings. My Druid Master even told me that you could offer up swords in ponds or lakes to the Gods. Some were offerings and others were for magic. How badass would it be to offer an entire defeated army to your Gods and spirits? That’s some powerful magic right there. But back to the DĂsir,
“Generally, a DĂs (singular of Disir) was seen as a powerful supernatural being that took a keen interest in families and estates. Their strength could vary greatly. Sometimes, they were described as mere guardian ancestor spirits, but their power could also inflate to that of minor local gods. The Disir would usually use their power for goodâthey acted as guardians to families and family farms, and sometimes even lent their protection to individual people. Yet, they did not love unconditionally and were known to take revenge against families or people who had not given proper sacrifice, or had otherwise angered their respective DĂs,” – The Mysterious Disir Of Norse Religion
In many ways this sounds a lot like the Agathos Daimon and the cult of the heroes in Greece. Note I am not saying that any of this is the same thing. I’m just pointing out interesting similarities. It seems at least some of the DĂsir were probably Demi Goddesses, local spirits, or ancient heroines who offered protection and blessings. The national encyclopedia from Sweden makes that even more obvious.
“In Norse mythology, a dĂs (Old Norse: [ËdiËs], ‘lady’, plural dĂsir [ËdiËsezĚ ]) is a female Deity, ghost, or spirit associated with Fate who can be either benevolent or antagonistic toward mortals. DĂsir may act as protective spirits of Norse clans. It is possible that their original function was that of fertility Goddesses who were the object of both private and official worship called dĂsablĂłt,”
– Nationalencyklopedin (National Encyclopedia from Sweden)
But they all agree on the same thing. They were a collective of Goddesses, heroines, and regular female entities. And they were so powerful that apparently like the Nourns, they could manipulate fate. Which makes sense if you realize that this is a massive faction of spirits including Goddesses. Just with the Goddesses alone there is more than enough power to manipulate fate itself.
Now imagine every woman who has ever existed in every race. Both human and non human alike. No wonder even the male Gods and spirits feared them. There is no defending against such power. So Modranicht is a very special night.
And Modranicht especially holds a special place in my heart. I have always felt a pull towards it though I don’t know why. It feels like home to me. Later I will explain how this holiday is special to me in other ways. But now I have more or less defined who the DĂsir are.
Now it’s time to define the other Mothers.
Matres/Matronae
What’s interesting here is that they are found not just in Nordic religion but all over Celtic religion as well. Their images and motifs seem to surround shrines of various countries. Going back to even before the Roman Empire. So who are they? The truth is we don’t know. We think they might be Triads of Goddesses who are aligned to each other.
But they could also be the same Goddess in Trinitarian form.
Whoever they are, they seem to be the main, all powerful spirit beings amongst the DĂsir. Who they were and why they were so revered remains a mystery. What we do know from all the offerings granted to them, is that they granted a lot of prayers. The only thing we do seem to know about them is their origin is Germanic. This is based on their clothing in all of their depictions.
They’re appearance shows that they come from the Ubii tribe from east of the Rhine River. We know that their power is great. And this is shown by how they take leadership over the assembly of the DĂsir. Even amongst Goddesses, they are the highest of the high. Could they somehow be the living embodiment of the primordial feminine?
DĂsablĂłt for the DĂsir
In the case of the Matronae, we know what kinds of offerings they had because of the inscriptions on their votive stones. We know they received incense, pigs, bowls of fruit, and also decorations of fruits, trees, and plants. We also know that their worshippers would leave idols of them at holy temples or other buildings. So any of those things are good offerings to leave them. Well except for the poor piggies.
Sorry but I am of the opinion that sweet innocent creatures need to be left out of sacrifice. I have no problem sacrificing a wife beater or a child molester. Or someone who abuses the elderly. Just so long as I don’t get caught and arrested. Just kidding (or I am?).
But there’s something I learned in my temple when doing certain sacrifices. You can make an effigy of an animal or person to sacrifice. And you can bring it to life via rituals. Heck you can even just write what you want to sacrifice : a bad habit, an obstacle, or even a problem in your life and light the paper on fire. Simple.
The DĂsarsalr
This was a huge building dedicated to the DĂsir. And the altar where their sacrifices were given was the hĂśrgr. From what little I have been able to gather (I am sure there are more learned sources than myself) there was a high priest and priestess. The priestess sacrificed an animal and “reddened” the altar with blood (Hervarar Saga). Now it doesn’t actually say it was a priest or priestess.
The one who reddened the altar was Alfhildr, the daughter of King Alfr. But she was performing this ritual herself. In many occasions, Royals assumed a priestly role in ancient religions. But later we see the Kings of Sweden perform the ritual themselves as high priests of the temple at Uppsala (Ynglinga Saga).
We know this because a King named Adils died while doing the ritual at the altar site. The ritual had something to do with him riding around the stone altar with his horse. Which is another magical tradition you can find in different cultures. Thus we know that men could and were also involved in a priestly capacity. So we know that the rituals could be gender neutral and done by anyone.
In the eyes of the DĂsir, we’re all just mortals. And therefore not one of us is better than the other. Though I think it’s obvious women have a higher status. Given the fact that this celebration is focused on the sacred feminine.
My personal practice
This is my own version of the Modranicht feast. Part of it is eclectic and part of it is a reconstruction. I mostly follow my reconstruction based on personal research. Which I hope to find more answers and evolve this a little more. So I start with a family feast.
I have been blessed with a good mother and sister. They’re both pains in the ass but I love them. I buy a large dinner for the three of us and eat on the eve of the solstice. I give an offering to Goddess of the Home and Hearthe. All of them, before and after the food is eaten.
I do a special prayer to them. And I also honor all of my spirit guides in the name of my female spirit guides. I also honor both of my dead grandmothers and my dead cousin. I told you earlier I was going to tell you why this tradition is special for me. Ever since my grandmothers and my cousin died, it’s given me a way to touch base with them.
To honor them. To communicate and know the ways of the wise spirits. I honor my female Fae, and other spirits including heroines of the past. I give an offering of incense and flame, as well as fruits or vegetables to the Matronae. I also sacrifice something to them.
Usually bread. They seem to like the Cuban cheese bread that I offer to Hekate. So I give them that. Or Cuban bread. If you live near Cubans, you know you could live off that stuff.
Sometimes when I really have money I try to find German markets to get them food. But they also exist in Ireland and other places in Europe so sometimes I alternate. To the other DĂsir, I give them a rare or medium rare steak. And I leave it on my chothonic altars outside. Let them eat through the animals.
If not that, then I give them whatever I could find that they would like. These offerings I give before midnight. As preparation. Then I take a cleansing bath to be pure. And I await till midnight.
I give my final offering at the stroke of midnight. A candle I burn for them. My personal DĂsir. Those Goddesses and spirits to whom I give offerings. And many more whom I don’t know.
The DĂsir who visit me aren’t just European. All the female Orishas join in. Female indigenous spirits like the Hopi Spiderwoman and the Hawk Maidan. I also converse with Sunna and Amaterasu. And I await the arrival of my grandmothers and cousin.
Who signal the arrival of my foremothers. I see them all coming down from on high.
Like they are descending from a beam of golden light, itself encompassed by a white light. And we begin to talk for about an hour or so. Because I have to get up early I can’t really talk the whole night like I used to. So I make arrangements for them to speak to me in my dreams.
And with that, here ends my writings.
đđđ Some other links on Yule and Winter Solstice and the coming New đđđ
Celebrate the Winter Solstice with Sacred Foods and Feasting
Winter Solstice: 5 Rituals and Customs for an Auspicious Year
The Holly King and the Oak King
Contemplating Darkness on the Winter Solstice
WINTER SOLSTICE DECEMBER 21, 2022
Yule/Winter Solstice : The True New Year
The Story of Yule â How Vikings Did Christmas
Witch of the Week : Rhiannon and the Winter Solstice
âTales and Wassailsâ episode for the midwinter nights
A New Moon in Capricorn âď¸
Where did the idea of Santa Claus come from?
– M
Hello everyone! Celebrating the Catholic Feast of All Hallows’ Eve as we approach All Hallowsmastide. November is the time of the holy souls in Purgatory. Remember that the Real Samhain isn’t until two weeks from now in November (you can thank the Gregorian calendar for that). So this is a Catholicised version of the holiday. So we are in the Catholic feast.
Not Samhain. I made a special post for links to everything from articles to Creepy pastas on YouTube and more! Enjoy!
The Demon Cat of Washington DC
Today’s Cars for Halloween : Light a Lamp in Remembrance
6 Cursed Objects (One of them is from here in Florida)
The Strange Tale of a Mother’s Love : The Grave with a Staircase (Grave of Florence Irene Ford)
Llyn Barfog and the tale of King Arthur killing the monster Afanc
Conjuring Kesha : The Ghost Tv series starring Kesha
The Hardy Tree of St. Pancras Old Church, London
Piglet & the Bacon Ghost! A Winnie the Pooh Halloween Story
The Devil’s Bridge in Spooky Lane, Hertfordshire
– M
In countries and communities of Latin America, even in the north of America, there are stories told of the Crying Woman. Children are warned of going too close to lakes or ponds or other bodies of water at night. Sometimes during the day as well. She is a spirit of Vengeance, one who does not yield nor relent.
The First Wailing Women
The Aztec version of the first Wailing Woman was the Goddess Coatlicue (serpent skirt). She isn’t just the Mother of the Gods. She is also the Patron of women and children who die in childbirth. It’s said that when the Spaniards conquered the Aztecs, a vision of her was seen wailing in sadness for her people. For she saw the dark future that awaited them.
Then we have the case of the Goddess Brighid
Brighid had married a human king and had sons with him. But one day her family died in a battle. And the result was that she wailed endlessly over their bodies. This started the Irish tradition of keening. Or wailing for the dead.
This is where the mourning women at funerals come from. And the legends go on with the Banshee of Ireland or the Cihuateolt of Mexico. Or apparitions in Catholic countries of mourning women in mourner garbs. Or mourning women from the Victorian era who haunt old houses. We even have one of those here in Florida.
Wailing Women or women in white started out as Goddesses in my research. Divine women from various backgrounds and eras. Who cried out in agony at several turning points in history. But where does she come from? Most people say this is a Latin American tradition. I disagree, I have seen a depiction of a Wailing Woman in almost every culture.
People in North America were first introduced to a concept of the Ladies in White in the pilot episode of the TV series Supernatural. Here, Sam and Dean Winchester, encounter an American Lady in White. One of the few times they ever got the folklore right in that show. Sam even mentions, when explaining what they are, that these types of spirits can be found all over the world.
Typically, as explained in that episode, women in white are women that were abandoned by an unfaithful man. They usually bare children to that man, then in a fit of rage, some might say, temporary insanity (like Sam mentions) the woman takes her anger out on the children. They blame them for the abandonment of the spouse, and kill their children as revenge against the Father. Usually by disposing of them in a river, lake, pond etc. The children drown. But when they come to their senses and realize what they have done, they commit suicide the same way.
They can also haunt roads and street corners as well. And some are like “Resurrection Mary” of American lore. They ask for a ride home or to a certain intersection and suddenly they vanish. But unlike Resurrection Mary, who is a benign spirit, this version of wailing women will haunt the man who gives them a ride. It seems not all of them can kill.
So they resort to tormenting their male victims. Some also harm people indiscriminately of whether they are men or women. Children or the elderly. Some pretend to be in trouble to lure well meaning people to their aid. And this just leads to them being killed.
Not all of them dress in white either. In India they can be dressed in various garbs or whatever. Mexicans who crossed the border, have said that they encountered wailing women there. They believe these are deceased border jumpers who were harmed either by the coyotes (smugglers), other travelers, or even the various militias or immigration officials hunting them. Whatever the story, even on the border no one is safe.
In Mexico, Women in White can transform into horse headed women. These women are similar to the Selkies of English folklore. These beings are normally called Sihuanaba the Sihuanaba are usually their own type of creature. However the Llorona seem to also take this form sometimes, luring men to bodies of water to be drowned.
It would seem that the trend in women dying horrible deaths associated with unfaithful men or dead beat men, bred a strange evolution of ghost on the other side. Vengeance Ghosts already being an off shoot in their own right. So this is the reason that so many of these female ghosts, are following identical or near identical patterns. Perhaps itâs even possible that these women have a similar spiritual wavelength. That their thoughts or feelings or desires are so similar or similar enough, that they have collectively evolved.
Perhaps evolution doesnât end with life, it just changes form in death.
Now to finish, I should mention that in the media, the most popular Llorona (Crying Woman) is the Mexican one. As I said before, there are several versions of this story because they are all different women who had similar traumatic experiences. The story in Mexico is about a peasant indigenous woman. Her real name is lost to time, but most people say it was either Maria or Rosita. The story goes that she was the most beautiful young woman in her town.
But she was not interested in a relationship. Some say that she was in love with a particular young man. Others claim, that she was vain and selfish desiring only status and power. I tend to reject the negative portrayel of her. Because as a person of mixed descent living under European colonialism, I can tell you that stereotypical portrayals of bad women are all too common.
Especially when itâs a native woman and a white man. The man was not only a white Spaniard, but a member of the Elite Criollo (Creole) families in Mexico. Specifically he was a land baron like his family before him. Maria or Rosita was said to be entranced by him. He began to woo her even serenading her under the night sky.
Eventually, she gave into him and they married. Although other stories maintain they could not marry because of the racial hierarchy the Spanish Colonies of the time. In those tales it is said she became his âIndian wifeâ. Spaniards since the Conquistador times, would have legitimate marriages with white women. But would also be permitted under the Colonial system to sleep with native women and have a sort of civil union with them.
Sometimes (if it were a wealthy Spaniard) passing on properties or titles like the âroyal bastardsâ of Kings. Indian wives were the kept women of powerful colonial masters. The Church more or less recognized these unions but only to an extent. In this story, which was the story I was told and her name here is Rosita, she was his lover for years, eventually bearing two young sons. They would have special rendezvous so that he could also meet with his sons.
But one day, he told her he was being pressured into an arranged marriage with a Spanish Noblewoman to gain more lands. She was enraged at the fact that he was going to marry someone else despite their years long relationship. In an act of temporary madness, she drowned both her sons in river. She hadnât actually realized she was enacting her fantasy of drowning him in the river until she enacted it on her sons.
She snapped out of it, realized what she had done, gone after them to try and save them, and died in the attempt. Another version of that story says the Land Baron was angry she shut him out and refused his advancements. So he, not her, had killed the children (who were apparently from another marriage). Which led to her diving in after them and dying with them. Whatever the case may be, it is said that soon after, the Townâs people began to see apparitions of Rosita/Maria near the river, in the same white dress she was buried in.
Her wailing was so loud, it awakened the village every night. In yet another version of the story, after killing her children she went all the way to Heaven. But when God asked her where her children were. She said she didnât know, and God told her she could not stay until her children came back with her. Now, how anyone would know this happened is beyond me. Maybe the Ghost told someone a long time ago. Or a shaman saw it in a vision. Who knows.
The Llorona in San Diego
Those are all the versions I have heard. Now, I will tell you all a story about a friend I had who lived in San Diego, California. She lived in apartments there. But California, is one of those states with odd Paranormal activity.
It is true, that if you research enough you will find Paranormal Acitvity anywhere. Or some legend or ghost story here and there. But Florida, New York, California, Hawaii, the Ozarks, and Louisiana seem thus far to be the most haunted of areas here. My ex girlfriend, an accomplished witch and medium once told me she would never want to live in Florida. Because of how âmessed upâ the energy here is. Similarly, that same messed up vibration can be felt in California by some.
The Elders always say that our Spirits travel with us wherever we go. Others do not believe that and think that our ancestral spirits stay in the homeland. I can tell you that the former is true and the latter is a lie. I am always in touch with local spirits. On a daily basis I have seen all sorts of creatures that are not in any books I have ever read.
But their energies are still unique to whatever land they came from. A unique aura to them that distinguishes them from native spirits. In California, where there is a heavy indigenous population from Mexico, some of the south native spirits traveled with them. Among them was a Weeping Woman. But this one didnât try to kill men.
What she wanted was children. My friend at the time, Annie encountered one. I changed her name I for privacy. She is a powerful Soothsayer. Soothsayers are a subcategory of Seers and Mediums.
They have prophetic powers and can see and feel things in greater detail than a regular psychic. Her children inherited her powers. One night, she told me that a spirit that had not manifested before was suddenly there. And it was a Wailer. It wanted her children.
Somehow, she must have bound herself to someone there and they brought her over with them. The Wailer was a meztiza (1) woman. She had a round face with a brown mole on the right side of her mouth. She would never move her lips, she just had a grim expression, and a voice that would manifest out of nowhere. She seemed to be manifesting it with her mind.
She kept singing a lullaby in her language to them but it still had no effect. I always wondered if this was because of their own innate strength in the spirit world. It still managed to get their attention however.
The entity looked like a whisp of smoke below the waste and above looked almost like a normal woman except that she was transparent. And that horrible, grim expression. Just blank like someone who had gone through a traumatising experience. If the stories are true, that may explain why. And rather than white, she wore purple with a black veil.
The veil covered her head. But her face was left uncovered. It was a shawl like those common to Spanish speaking Turtle Island. They lived on the second floor of the apartment complex and it would just hoover there. Staring. Trying to get the children out.
She tried to enter the apartment and could not. It was being repelled by Annieâs wards. Annie, eventually discovered the entity. She performed a ritual to cross the poor soul over to the other side. It looks like she thought if she could kill Annieâs children, it would allow her to be with them in death. She wanted her family back. Annie set the poor soul free.
And never again to my knowledge did such an entity try to harm hers or any other children there. There have only been four cases I was involved in, and one indirectly involved in, where children were in some kind of danger. And sadly, each one was worst than the last.
These children were lucky to have a witch for a mother. Annie, through her knowledge of magics, was able to save the day. So the next time your children tell you about their imaginary friends, pay attention. Especially if their description is awful. You never now what is roaming around with a perchant for innocent blood.
– M
Adventures of A Mage In Miami 