MoonScape Issue. 2 by Moon Books Publishing

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Contents Editorial

The Light Burns Within by Roselle Angwin

Gaia by Irisanya Moon

Replanting our Roots by John Michael McLoughlin

Persephone, Demeter & Hecate by Robin Corak

Breaking Midwinter Expectations by Nimue Brown

Light in the Shadow of Lilith by Laurie Martin-Gardner

What do Fairies do in Winter? by Daniela Simina

Gods & Goddesses of Winter by Ness Bosch

The Raven by Luke Eastwood

When the Wolfsbane Blooms by Robin Herne

The Birth of Winter by Scott Irvine

About MoonScape MoonScape is the offical Moon Books magazine. It is published twice a year in June and December. Moon Books in a Pagan/Shaman imprint from Collective Ink.

Disclaimer The opinions expressed in MoonScape by contributors are not necessarily those of Moon Books or it’s editorial staff. All articles remain the copyright of the author. Moon Books retains copyright on all content typeset by Moon Books or it’s editorial staff. All Rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced except for short passages for criticism or review without written permission from Moon Books.

Mistletoe - Healing Plant of the Winter Solstice by Angela Paine

Deer Mother by Andrew Anderson

Christmas Ghosts by Thea Prothero

Jera, December Solstice, and Place by Kelley Harrell

Seeking a Religion of Independence, Not Obedience by Logan Albright

Amaterasu Omikami by Ellen Evert Hopman

Backyard Report by Jane Meredith

Winter Solstice Song by Dorothy Abrams

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Purification and Renewal with Brigid by Erin Aurelia

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Editoral by Trevor Greenfield

o, here we are with the second And as the seasons turn, so too does edition of MoonScape… and they Moon Books continue to develop. said it wouldn’t last! This year, in concert with our regular output of new books we developed not Long gone are the balmy days of only this magazine but also started a summer, at least in the Northern YouTube channel which has grown to Hemisphere, and we reside once more six thousand subscribers and which in the cold grip of winter. Of course, offers weekly content to our viewers the notable lack of daylight in my part in the form of videos, interviews of the world, and my temporary love and book-related material. And next affair with central heating, is not the year, beginning in January, we will be experience of us all and in this edition presenting a twice-monthly podcast… of MoonScape, Australian author Jane The Pagan Portal Podcast, featuring Meredith, indeed, reminds us that one writers and experts from across the person’s winter is another person’s Pagan spectrum. Our new branding summer and asks to remember that, as she puts it… the world has two seasons, reflects our new diverse form… Monthly Books, Weekly Videos, The every season. Pagan Portal Podcast… something, we One of the strengths of Moon Books, hope, for everyone. one aptly demonstrated in the magazine, But enough from me. Dive into is the international make-up of our authors and the diverse viewpoints and the magazine find something that resonates with you (I’m sure you will) opinions they bring. Here you will find and maybe discover a writer new to writers from the United Kingdom, the you as well. Those of here at Moon United States, Ireland, Canada, France and Australia writing on equally diverse Books wish you all a Happy Solstice topics, from witchcraft to Druidry, from and beyond that, a joyous and peaceful the Goddess to ecology and all stops in time be that Yule, the Winter Holiday or Christmas, whatever and whenever between. As well, of course, we offer you celebrate. poetry to inspire.

Moon Books Publishing Vicky Hartley

Trevor Greenfield

Matty Greenfield

Rachel Patterson

Managing Director

Content Designer

Publisher

Podcast Host

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WINTER SOLSTICE

The Light that Burns Within First you need to shed all you know or can name then you need to step out of your shoes, your shadow, your own light, and your home. Strip naked as the four winds and forget being upright unless you want to dance, and then dance the stone row to the stone circle and allow the sky to take your voice. This is the season of yew and periwinkle of Persephone's descent to the winter gods. Watch for the barn owl and Hecate at the crossroads and prepare to hang from the World Tree until you are sobered by silence and stillness, and the great white unending song of the spheres. Kneel on the earth until you become a reed, a snail, a fox, another word for truth. Be the berry in the dark stream that the water bears away. Transformed into all you may be, step forward and cross the threshold, gateway to gods and ancestors, to what will endure beyond all that you can imagine of the play of particle, of wave – take the hand that's offered, step through this gateway to the light that burns within which now you’ll never lose again. Roselle Angwin

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by Irisanya Moon

t’s been warmer than usual where I live. The grass is often brown this time of year, but it’s drier and crunchier than I remember. From the first day I moved to California, people around me said the weather wasn’t what it had been during the previous years. In the 15 years I’ve been here, I never quite got the sense that the weather had a recognizable pattern to it anymore. Longtime residents seemed amused at times, but more often, they seemed worried.

The Reality of the World I grew up in the time when recycling became a ‘thing.’ I pushed my family to get MoonScape Issue. II | 6

recycling bins and I wrote dramatic essays in school about saving the planet. Several decades later, I look around and see the recycling bins at my apartment complex full of things you aren’t supposed to recycle. And the seasons keep changing into months and months of everything becoming better kindling for the next forest fire. To say reality is bleak is an understatement and an invitation to dissociation. I’m in the middle of activists and I’ve seen the work they have done, again and again. And yet, the world as I see it continues to be on a slanted slope toward complete destruction. My protestweary friends are less hopeful. My recycling

Gaia by Irisanya Moon

excitement has waned. (After all, is anything ACTUALLY being recycled anymore?)

Grabbing the Hand of Hope

This is a sad story, though I also know there are changes happening around the world. There are scientists and students finding new ways to get rid of waste. There are stories that show there are new ways to clean up the water and to bring once-nearly-extinct animals back. Those stories are not the ones that make the news. And it makes sense to reach for despair instead of reaching for hope.

Connecting with Gaia can happen in small ways. From getting out to enjoy nature to finding out where food comes from, you can step into a conversation with the Earth herself. You might find ways to plant trees and bushes that help insects. There might be ways you can reduce you energy consumption at home or drive less. You might discover you can buy things without adding plastic to the trash can. You might set up an altar and meditate with Gaia to hear what she might suggest you do next.

Reconnecting with Gaia Everyday I am an aggressively hopeful person by nature. I am the one you want to have on your team because I will focus on what we COULD do instead of what we can’t do anymore. It’s not an easy mindset, however, especially in a world that seems committed to separating humans from the Earth. Food isn’t in its original form. It’s rare to see how animals are processed for meat. There are steps and steps of packaging between the sources of nutrition and the moment you reach for a snack. This creates a disconnect between humans and nature, between humans and Gaia, a.k.a. Mother Earth. When we forget that we are a part of nature, that we are also Gaia, we aren’t as motivated or inspired to act. If we continue to think of the Earth as a ‘thing’ out ‘there,’ it seems like it isn’t even within our responsibility to do something or say something.

Yes, these are small steps, and they are small things that don’t add up to the Earth becoming undamaged overnight. But here’s the thing: this is not a one-day practice. The damage has been happening over decades, and it will take decades to slow it down and (fingers crossed) reverse it. What we’re doing now to help Gaia is what will help future generations, so they don’t have to work as hard to remember they are a part of the Earth too. Hope is something you can grab onto with the help and guidance of Gaia. She has seen the years pass and she will continue to watch the stretch of time. And she can take your hand and help you with the next steps.

In Irisanya’s Earth Spirit - Gaia: Saving Her, Saving Ourselves, readers will learn how to build a relationIn my work as a witch, I focus on building relationships with deities and energies. I look ship with Gaia by at this practice as being essential to cultivating reading her myths my inner wisdom and my outward knowing. and stories, makWhen I can look at Gaia as a being that I am ing magick with committed to, I act on her behalf. And as I act on her behalf, I also save myself. It is not about her, and learning ways to cope with reacting to something happening somewhere else. The ongoing destruction of the Earth is climate grief and personal, not just a scientific report or another build sustainable communities of warning to evacuate because the forest fire support. might take my house.

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here's a pandemic affliction of the soul running deep through our societies. It's chronic and highly contagious. Its symptoms vary for different patients: a sense of constant wandering, a lack of connection to place and to others, a lack of community, a restless hunger for shortterm pleasures at the expense of the long-term, and atheism. Viral apathy. One of the chief causes of this spirit sickness is the modern person's lack of roots. So many of us, whether physically or ideologically, have been ripped out of the soil of our ancestral traditions and replanted in the anemic sands of a world that views much of the past as a curious meme at best, and as something to destroy at worst. To be sure, much MoonScape Issue. II | 8

of the past is stained by bloodshed, malice, and the long history of humanity's greed, warfare, and fear. Wisdom calls us to sift the

all those in the family of Irish Paganism—yes, for all whether born into it by Irish citizenship, genetics, immigrant heritage, or

Wisdom Calls us to sift the wheat from the chaff. wheat from the chaff. If we don't—if we discard the entire harvest—we will starve. And we are starving. In our ravenous hunger for meaning, we are trying to fill our soul-gullets with any passing addiction and entertainment that will numb the pain. There's another way. A way back home. A way to plant our roots back into the rich, black soil of the ancestral soul. The Irish Pagan Book of Rites is part of that way home. It's a guidebook for

coming from the diverse tapestry of humanity and have chosen for themselves to be adopted into this family. Many in the Irish Pagan family find themselves in a spirituality striving to recreate what they can from what seem like scattered fragments of monastic medieval manuscripts, ogham inscriptions, and linguistic conjecture. Still more can they reap from the rich folk traditions which centuries of Christianity and foreign oppression could never quite extinguish from the Irish people. The

Irish Pagan is confronted by a diverse amount of sources, some quite nebulous. There is much to glean in theory, but little in praxis. The Irish Pagan Book of Rites fills that void. The Irish Pagan can open it and begin praying to the Gods and making ancestrally appropriate offerings the same day they pick it up—and they can do so in the beautiful, ancestral language of the Irish people themselves. Each ritual and prayer is presented with the English on one side and the Irish language on the other. Devotees are invited to lift up the prayers of these pages in the very same language as generations of Irish spoke and through their own acts of praying in Irish, may do their part to help foster the language for generations to come. The rituals contained in The Irish Pagan Book of Rites are each prefaced by a thorough explanation of the rite's background, its sources, any

tools it may call for, and the intention behind it. The rites find their inspiration and, in certain parts direct quotations, from several sources, including the Lebor Gabála Érenn (the Book of Invasions), the Metrical Dindshenchas, the Settling of the Manor of Tara, and Carmichael's Carmina Gadelica. Standing on the shoulders of these texts and the rich folkloric traditions of Ireland, the prayers are assembled from the experience of years of devotion and practice to give the devotee a wide range of rites to incorporate into their spiritual practice. The book begins with three preparatory rites that a devotee may perform as a way to ready themselves for the rite to follow, or for grounding and spiritual cleansing. After this, the main Rite of the Grove, or Deasghnáth an Neimhidh, is introduced. This is the central ritual, and is given as a beautiful framework for regularly making offering to

the Gods, Ancestors, and Land. There are then included rites for the consecration of water, blessing of a house, and rituals for the four great fire festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine,

There's another way. A way back home. and Lughnasadh. This guidebook will help the devotee rediscover the beauty and balance found in the ancestral way. For “by realigning ourselves with the Gods, with our Ancestors, and with the good spirits of the Land, we place ourselves in right order with the worlds, and assert with our words and actions the power to make holy again what has otherwise become corrupted by the forgetfulness of the unbalanced world” (The Irish Pagan Book of Rites).

John Michael McLoughlin is the author of The Irish Pagan Book of Rites. Moon Books Pubslihing| 9

FA M I LY T I E S

Persephone, Demeter, & Hecate as Shadow Work Allies

by Robin Corak

he dark half of the year is a perfect time to undertake shadow work. Throughout late autumn and fall I take time to revisit the land of my subconscious and find out what actions and beliefs no longer serve me. Shadow work is an ongoing, cyclic journey with no set endpoint but with many rewards. Psychologist Carl Jung believed that the shadow was comprised of the parts of ourselves that have been hidden or repressed but which still have an impact on our decisions. Typically without our conscious awareness, shadows have a tendency to perpetuate choices that interfere with obtaining that which we desire. If we wish to achieve greater life success and happiness, it is crucial that we familiarize ourselves with our shadow aspects. Shadow work is challenging. At best, it can be disconcerting and emotional, and at worst, it can be traumatic. I am therefore grateful for the comfort and guidance of spiritual allies who walk beside me as I do this work. For many years, I invoked the aid of Persephone in these efforts.

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I have always felt a strong connection to Her, and her role as Queen of the Underworld makes her an ideal ally, not only with the literal dead but also with “dead” beliefs and behaviors that we have outgrown but which may still cause us pain. Upon writing my book about Perspehone, I began to hear the whispers of some of those closest to Her. The first in Persephone’s circle to reach out to me was her mother, the goddess Demeter. Soon thereafter, Hecate, the faithful companion of both Demeter and Persephone, made herself known. It soon became clear that each of these deities had unique attributes which made them ideal shadow work allies. I believe shadow work can be broken down into three parts: past, present, and future. Uncovering and confronting our past is akin to pulling out weeds by the root. We cannot prevent the “weeds”, or shadows, from continuing to come back if we don’t descend into our own personal Underworld to get to the heart of what caused them in the first place. This is Persephone’s realm of influence.

Family Ties by Robin Corak

Early on in her story, Persephone was defined by those around her and never had an opportunity to determine her true identity for herself.

myths featuring Demeter, she is associated with the vengeful Erinyes and, in some cases, inflicts severe punishment on others who

Hecate holds the keys to unlocking a new vision for our future. Wisdom is Her gift. Oftentimes, it is the labels that are ascribed to us by ourselves or others that hold us back. One helpful way to uproot our shadow aspects is to take time to identify all of the labels we have been carrying around and evaluate whether or not they accurately represent who we are at our core. Labels can interfere with our ability to truly know and appreciate ourselves and may prevent us from pursuing opportunities that could contribute to our happiness and growth. An activity that I have found to be beneficial is to imagine myself walking a path with Persephone while wearing several cloaksone for each inaccurate label that I have been carrying around. As I walk with Persephone in my mind’s eye, I name each label and remove one of the cloaks. By the end, I am spiritually lighter-no longer suppressed by the dead weight of false labels. Given Persephone’s association with the Underworld, She can also aid you in accessing ancestral wisdom and information from deceased loved ones. Once we have found the initial causes of our shadows, we must determine how to redirect or release the energy that is bound up in these roots. It is in this stage where Demeter is most helpful. While Persephone went through a transformation, so did her mother. It was at the point of reunification that Demeter began to finally accept Persephone’s shift from child to young woman and was able to let go of beliefs that served neither Her nor her daughter. So how do we let go of some of our most daunting shadow related feelings-such as depression, anger or grief- and live in the present? A rarely considered aspect of Demeter is that she took action in the midst of her darkest emotions. Despite being mired in grief, Demeter chooses to act as a nursemaid to the young son of a powerful family. In other

have wronged her. While we should not enact vengeance or perpetrate violence as Demeter does, it can be healing to channel our feelings into productive action. There are many ways to take action, such as by using creative expression as an outlet for our feelings, pursuing our interests, or using one’s voice to advocate for others or change systems that are unjust. Demeter was also a goddess who oversaw public policy and justice and thus can be helpful with advocacy or systems change efforts. As a mother goddess, I have found Her to be nurturing when emotions become overwhelming. We must, at some point, integrate what we have learned in order to manifest a future that is aligned with our health, happiness and our sovereignty. Hecate holds the keys to unlocking a new vision for our future. Wisdom is Her gift. Just as Hecate became Persephone’s constant companion at the end of her story, wisdom becomes our constant companion as a result of our shadow work. In many ways, Hecate is a guide both at the crossroads and as we walk our paths. Hecate can help us to both assimilate our newfound wisdom and to re-envision our future. I recommend exploring resources such as Cyndi Brannen’s book, “Keeping Her Keys”, and The Temple of Hecate for more information about this goddess. Ultimately, all of these goddesses have attributes and experiences that resonate with the human experience. I encourage you to explore them as shadow work allies, for truly their gifts comprise the hopeful light that we may glimpse as we work our way through the darkness.

Robin Corak is the author of Demeter and Persephone - Practicing the Art of Personal Power Moon Books Pubslihing| 11

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Breaking Midwinter Expectations by Nimue Brown

admit that mostly I hate Christmas. I love Yule, and the Solstice and a great many traditional things around midwinter. I like the carols and I have no problem with actual Christianity, but I hate what happens around Christmas. I hate the waste and the expense, the stress of it and the misery this all causes. I hate seeing the overflowing bins, the food waste is horrific, and the whole thing depresses me immensely.

for us and what’s good for the planet are very much aligned. No one benefits from spending money on things they end up throwing away. Everything we send to landfill represents expense and effort. How much needless waste could we avoid if everyone spent the festive season focused on things that actually make them happy? How much more fun could we have if we didn’t feel under pressure to demonstrate love by spending a lot of money?

Over years of experimenting, I’ve come to the conclusion that a more sustainable approach to the season is a better choice. I don’t wrap presents any more. I’ve got my family trained up to use fabric bags, and the bags I made years ago now come back round to meet me again. One year I made crackers, and fabric hats - an entertaining process in itself.

Breaking out of midwinter expectations to do things on your own terms isn’t easy, but it is entirely worth it. The less I do, the more liberated I feel. This has given me the space to find out what’s most important for me at midwinter. It isn’t an obviously spiritual answer, although it works for me in a number of ways. My key seasonal activity is to make, steam, flame and share a Christmas pudding.

I’ve tested it extensively and there’s more fun to be had making festive decorations than buying them. Especially when there are children involved. Live trees don’t shed as much as dead ones. Some places will rent you a tree and take it back at the end, which is inspired. I like reusable decorations. Living in small spaces I’ve had a lot of motivation to discourage people from getting me a lot of stuff. It’s good to talk with people about how they feel and what they want. Unsuitable gifts can create future burdens for people. I like to give things that can be used, eaten, gardened with or are generally practical. That, and books. I also like to give things that aren’t massively overpackaged. My child and I ditched the idea of swapping gifts some time ago and spend our money on outrageous puddings we can share. It’s a good strategy and I can recommend it. The more pressured we feel around midwinter the more likely we are to spend money, consume hard and be miserable. The more stress there is, the less fun there is to have around the sharing of gifts and good things. Equally, the more laid back we can be, the more scope there is to have fun with what we’re doing. As is so often the way of it, what’s good

I like the tradition that everyone in the household stirs the pudding and makes a wish. I like mixing fruit, alcohol and other good things. I love tipping the brandy over the finished pudding and my son setting it on fire to glorious, blue effect. I love the sense of connection with my female ancestors when I do all this. The pudding is something I share with the people closest to me, so it’s also an expression of love, family and community. Living our best lives very seldom involves shopping ourselves into a state of misery and then eating ourselves sick. Happiness is to be found in what we share, not what we spend. The happiest things we can do tend not to be that harmful to the planet. Humans thrive on connection and shared delight, not on who can throw away the most turkey. The invitation to live a more sustainable life is also an invitation to find ways to be happier. I’ll take my low effort festival period and my delightful puddings over things I’ve felt pressured to do in previous years. Why make myself miserable just so that someone else can make a profit out of me?

Nimue Brown is the author of Earth Spirit: Beyond Sustainability - Authentic Living at a Time of Climate Crisis Moon Books Pubslihing| 13

by Laurie Martin-Gardner

n the treetops, the last remnants of autumn cling stubbornly against the snow-laced breeze. The world settles into the quiet lull of fleeting sunlight, a deep breath before the long, darkening cold settles in. The growing chill is a welcome respite after the brutal heat of the summer. As the Winter Solstice approaches, thoughts of death and rebirth accompany the turning of the Wheel of the Year. It is an ideal time to reflect, to identify aspects of the self that need attention, and to set intentions for the returning of the light. When I think of the long nights of winter, my mind often turns to the powerful figure of Lilith, the infamous she-demon stalking the ancient darkness for a man to seduce or a child to steal away. Throughout her long history, Lilith is often thrown into the barren wilderness of the desert where unclean and evil creatures are thought to reside. I like to imagine that after millennia of parching heat and dust, Lilith finds solace in the snow-

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covered countryside as she wanders along the incredible path that’s led her from demoness to symbol of empowerment and equality. Hers is a story like no other, and the darkness of the winter months is the perfect time to reflect on what Lilith can teach us today. You probably already know a bit about Lilith — how she was born in the depths of Mesopotamia as a nameless spirit of the wind before transforming into a deadly succubus haunting the Fertile Crescent, how Jewish

Lilith is always unapologetically Lilith. folklore declared her the failed first wife of Adam who rebelled against husband and God alike, and how she viciously strangled newborn babes without remorse. All of those aspects of Lilith are important to her story. They shape the shadow she has cast for more than four millennia. To reject those darker pieces of Lilith is to never see the true

Light in the Shadow of Lilith by Laurie Martin-Gardner

complexity of the puzzle she remains. It’s not easy to reconcile the evil Lilith has

the time to identify what you need to improve or change or release in order to heal and

We are all creatures of Light and Dark. Good and Bad. Both whole and Broken. been accused of, whether you believe her to be a flesh and blood entity or just a figment of the collective imagination. But, what Lilith does is serve as a reminder to each of us that the darker, deepest parts of who we are cannot be hidden forever. One way or another, we must all face those things that we’d rather pretend don’t exist. Lilith is always unapologetically Lilith. She doesn’t seek approval or validation from man or God. She stands in the truth of who and what she is, effortlessly evolving again and again. She reminds us that to be whole, to heal, to step into our own truth and evolution requires acceptance of our true selves. And acceptance takes work. Within each of us is something that we do not like. Something we wish to change. Something we wish to bury so that no one can ever discover this tiny piece of who we are. But instead of shutting it away, pretending it doesn’t exist, we must meet it head on, accept that it is a part of us, and do the work necessary to change and heal in a healthy way. Whether you seek out a therapist or embark on your own shadow work, Lilith reminds us that the work must be done. We are all creatures of light and dark. Good and bad. Both whole and broken. As the dark nights of winter begin to retreat, and the light returns in its fiery glory, take

move forward in the sunlight of the coming Spring. Perhaps for some, it is odd to think of Lilith in this way. To see her as something positive, as a motivating factor despite her dark history, can be difficult. But Lilith shows us that no matter how bad our past may seem, it does not have to define our future. Lilith has carved her own path, emerging from her demonic origins to reign as a beacon of light to all those fighting for the right to redefine themselves, for those struggling to embrace their authentic and complete selves, and for those seeking equality for themselves and others as well. Regardless of gender, Lilith’s story empowers us to move forward just as she has done, through scorn and ridicule and fear and the barren wastelands mankind fears to tread. To learn more about Lilith, please check out my book The Hidden Goddess, available now. And visit my website at www. lauriemartingardner.com for news on my next book, Pagan Portals - Lilith, coming soon!

Laurie Martin-Gardner is the author of Pagan Portals - The Hidden Goddess and the upcoming Pagan Portals Lilith. Moon Books Pubslihing| 15

What Do Fairies Do in Winter? by Daniela Simina “Jack Frost had made ice flowers bloom on glass; I had to open the window to see outside (…) I was just about to close it (…), when I saw him standing right there (…): an unusually tall man with rather long, silvery hair coming out from under the hood covering his head. I froze in amazement. My mind worked fervently in search of a satisfactory answer to the first and most urgent question that came to my mind: “Who is this?” Part of me wanted to jump back and shut the window, perhaps in a mix of fear and apprehension. The other part was completely mesmerized by the stranger shrouded in a long white cloak.”

Daniela Simina, A Fairy Path: The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training

by Daniela Simina

any people are probably accustomed to the bucolic image of fairies frolicking in lush green woods and meadows. Some may also be familiar with the tales of fairies stealing brides and young children, or maiming some farmer who cut a tree growing on a fairy mound. Summer or spring landscapes make up the backdrop upon which many folk tales – both merry and grim- unfold. But assuming that they don’t play Santa or go into hibernation, what do fairies do in winter? Newfoundland lore mentions fairies being very active in winter. In some areas, inhabitants scrupulously leave the fire lit overnight with chairs drawn nearby for fairy visitors who may wish to warm up a little on a cold night. Food is also left for them on the table and the doors unlocked for easy access. However, it is unwise to be outside after dark. In her book Strange Terrain, Barbara Rietti records the account of a woman abducted by fairies, possibly the Hunt, while taking clothes off the line, on a winter night. When the woman was brought back with the intervention of the village’s priest, she still had a pair of socks in her hands and acted confused.

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Many Newfoundlanders testify that around Christmas fairy presence is strongly felt in the human world. Peeking into fairies’ whereabouts might be tempting, but misfortune befalls the human caught spying. Such is the case of a housemaid who insisted on spotting the fairies when they passed her house on a Christmas night. The fairy host caught up with the maid as she was outside spying, trampled her, and in the blink of an eye disappeared leaving behind the dead woman’s body. In Icelandic belief, the period around Christmas and New Year is a time when the boundaries between the world of humans and the Otherworld almost completely dissolve. Encounters with the Huldufólk, fairy beings of Iceland, are most likely to occur on those days. As the story goes, a farmer spotted a group of Huldufólk traveling on New Year’s Eve. When the man followed them, a frightened fairy child put a pot on his path. The farmer stopped, and by the time he picked up the pot the Huldufólk group had disappeared. The man kept the pot which was passed down in the family as proof of that encounter. The pot is now in the National Museum together with many other objects of fairy provenance.

What Do Fairies Do in Winter? by Daniela Simina

The relationship between fairies and members of a household could be harmonious or acrimonious, a lot depending on how the humans involved

party. There is also the explanation that people blamed fairies as means to exonerate themselves from accusations of breaching norms of conduct. The Protestant Church

People blamed fairies as means to exonerate themselves from accusations of breaching norms of conduct. behave. Icelandic lore gives examples of such relationships forming on or around Christmas. When two fairy children came around on Christmas Eve, the housemaid who was alone in the house- treated them nicely. When a fairy man came around and made advances, the housemaid turned him down politely but firmly. A fairy woman then showed up and gifted the housemaid a splendid piece of red cloth. The fairy woman explained that the cloth was a gratitude gift for the maid being kind to her children and not answering her husband’s advances. When the family came back from church, the housewife got jealous of the gift the maid received, and the following Christmas Eve she insisted on staying at home. The housewife slapped the fairy children when they appeared and slept with the fairy man when he asked. The fairy woman showed up and, understandably displeased, cursed the housewife to lose strength in her right hand. The woman’s right hand went limp and never recovered.

banned dancing and partying that were deemed improper as prompting immoral behavior. Whether people gathered on various occasions and then attributed the music and dancing to fairies, or the Huldufólk truly took over a barn for some winter celebration, no one can tell with absolute certainty. But since there is no smoke without a fire it is reasonable to consider both scenarios possible. Although having fewer examples of fairy activity occurring in winter time compared to countries in the northern and northwestern Europe, Romanian lore does not lack in such episodes. Baba Dochia – an ancient goddess who also bears fairy associations - is mostly connoted to capricious weather rather than winter per se. Dochia is particularly active toward the end of winter and early spring. She dumps snow and sleet unexpectedly, thus posing a serious danger for herdsmen and their flocks, and for travelers. In the harsh Romanian winters, some fairies knock at the door asking for hospitality. They treat handsomely the generous hosts and retaliate on those who treat them poorly.

The house fairies expect to be rewarded for their contribution to the household’s good luck and for any other work they might be doing around the house. Porridge with large pats of butter or other offerings of food and drinks are left out for them at Christmas time and/or New Year’s Eve. Failure to provide for the household fairies attracts their anger and even makes them leave. This usually results in diminished luck and prosperity, or other kinds of trouble befalling the house and its inhabitants.

Happy Winter Everyone!

In Iceland of the late Middle Ages and well into modern times, fairies were known to take over homesteads to dance and

Daniela Simina is the author of Where Fairies Meet and A Fairy Path

Winter is making its debut. In the midst of celebrations and festivities do not forget about fairies: keep a safe distance, but if you must interact be polite, respectful, and firm. Don’t forget to feed the fairy-beings in your house and backyard, and if you have fairy familiars include them in your celebrations.

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by Daniela Simina

very winter we all die in some way to be reborn in spring. This is the season where ancestors and death are the main protagonists and with them, the natural phenomena that accompany us on winter days. Of course, we find deities closely linked to winter, especially in animistic traditions, which still retain a link to the original emanation of the deity as a natural phenomenon. Here in Europe, we find them especially in the North, like Skadi, a goddess of the mountains, winter, and hunting, who skis from one side to the other looking for her prey that she hunts with her bow. Skadi is from the Jotunn family, she is the daughter of giants and represents the wild, fierce, indomitable, independent, and self-sufficient nature of the primitive hunting woman of the northern lands in all her power, she is a goddess who inspires respect but also strength. Another Norse deity that we could relate to winter is Hel, the daughter of Loki. According to the tales, Hel is from the realm of Niflheim, which is the realm of Ice and

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Snow, and of course, is also the realm of the dead. She is a bit like a Norse Proserpina/ Persephone, and we can't rule out that she is indeed the emanation of a southern deity up in the north. Nevertheless,

elements, in China, we also find the Great Winter God, with similar attributes to Tengliu. In Japan we find a spooky supernatural spirit named Yuki Onna, that relates to winter, she is sort of a winter demon

I can't hide the fact that I have a soft spot for the Winter Hag. she is a powerful chthonic goddess, queen of the cold lands. It is interesting how we find more female deities linked to winter than male ones. In Greece, we find other winter goddesses: Desponie, a winter goddess of a mysterious nature, who was worshiped along with her mother Demeter, and her brothers, Persephone and Areion. Perhaps Hekate's devotees will be familiar with the name of this Goddess since it is one of the titles that the goddess of crossroads bears. We also find the Goddess of Snow Khione, daughter of Boreas, the north wind that brought winter. Another winter goddess is the Chinese Goddess Tengliu, associated with snow and other winter

or succubus, but she wouldn't be the first Goddess to be devilished! She is said to be a very beautiful woman with snow-white skin and blue lips that persuades men to come with her to seduce them. In Hawaiian mythology, we find Goddess Poli'Hau, the sister of the better-known goddess Pele, who is sort of her rival. Poli'Hau literally creates with her mantle the layer of snow that covers the summit of Mauna Kea, hardening the lava that her angry sister Pele spits out. In Persia, we find another winter goddess, Nane Sarma, who would come to mean something like Grandma Frost, married to the New Year deity, whom she only sees one night a year. Another female winter deity is Marzzanna or Morana, an

Gods & Goddesses of Winter by Ness Bosch

eastern Slavic deity who represents winter but also death, but it couldn't be any other way. She is also associated with illness and disease, but that is also part of the winter season. In Slavic folklore, her death marks the end of the winter. Marzzanna, like Frau Holle or Perchta, shares a lot of attributes. I personally think the reason behind it is that they all kind of represent the same Goddess, but in different areas, as the Goddess crossed the European continent. I will go into that later on. I have already mentioned some masculine winter deities but there are more, although I could openly say and not be too far from the truth that winter is mostly feminine. In Northern China, in the Baikal area, we find the sea of Ao Shun, the North Sea Dragon King, a God that has the power to control snow and ice as a winter God. We find in Japan a similar deity, Okami, a dragon Shinto deity of ice and snow. In Europe, we find different figures of Father Ice or Father Frost. These Winter Gods share very similar attributes. We find this figure in old folk tales and describe Father Ice as someone to respect and fear, as he can be lethal. Up north we find a sort of supernatural being, the Jotnar. Giants from the cold icy lands of the Jotumheimr who have a main role in the arrival of Ragnarok. Another supernatural Norse spirit that many people related to Snow is Ullr or Oller although it is not so clear that he is an actual God or that he is truly a winter god. He relates to hunting, skating, and skiing, yes, those are winter activities, but he also relates to battle and travel. He appears to be more relevant now to modern Norse pagans than he was in reality to the old Scandinavians. My devotion during the winter months is focused on the ancestors and two goddesses, who could actually be the same, Baba Yaga and Cailleach. And yes, I call Baba Yaga a goddess because I believe that she has already spent too many years under the yoke and filters of religion and patriarchy. We have to start approaching her as what she is, the original Babushka, a Goddess that crossed

Europe changing her name, evolving, a giant, icy, deadly witch goddess but also a creatrix goddess. Yes, she creates and modifies the landscape at will, but she is also a mother, and together with her husband, she has several children. I mentioned Father Frost earlier. Could he be Cailleach's husband? Maybe... Cailleach's children are like their mother, giants, probably related to the race of giants that also populates the north. There are folklore tales of fights between giants and how they threw rocks at each other, between Ireland and Scotland. I have the feeling that they traveled far, just as their mother. One of Cailleach's names, Beira, we find in Iberia, a border region between present-day Spain and Portugal, in the Sierra de la Estrella, (Sierra of the Star). When you travel through that place in winter you understand why Beira, Cailleach, is blue, and why she might emanate from that place, from the snow, with her icy blue skin. Baba Yaga-Cailleach is the frozen mother of Europe. But I also read about a giant Goddess of the Appalachian and of course, European settlers arrived there with their folklore and spirits. Of course, there are more deities linked to winter but I think she is the great winter

Winter is coming. Goddess and I can't hide the fact that I have a soft spot for the Winter Hag. If you don't know where to start with your winter devotional work, always start with the ancestors. You carry them in your blood, for this simple reason they are close to you. I would move on to honor local winter spirits, even the elements as such. The snow or ice around you and even the Fairies. I would actually leave offerings for the Fae or the Goblins, as a winter treat. Honour what surrounds you and of course respect your own season, giving yourself the space to become winter, to pause, to purify yourself with the snow...

Ness Bosch is the author of Sacred Bones, Magic Bones.

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The Raven High up she sits in the tree tops Cawing as she looks down. “You’ve still time” she says quietly, But you’d better hurry up boy And do what you have to do And say what you have to say. For you know it as well as I, That one day I will sweep down From these trees, land on your shoulder And whisper in your ear. You hold me at bay, ignore me I know, so not to hasten my coming, But we both know I will come, So keep on going, stoke the fire And keep it burning bright, Until the day I come for you. Luke Eastwood

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When the Wolfsbane Blooms by Robin Herne

urope has countless stories of werewolves, mostly terrifying ones that predate on human and livestock alike, though occasionally benevolent (or at least humorous). There are werewolf stories to be found in any part of the world that currently or previously played host to wolves – so many stories that it is impossible to cover all variations in a short article. So this will focus on the European versions. A recurrent theme within lycanthropic lore is the issue of how people become werewolves in the first place. The primary ways are through a misfortune of birth (usually, though not always, because they are descended from a werewolf); through the effect of some malevolent magic foisted upon them; or through the power of some equally malevolent magic which they have voluntarily entered into. In this latter case it is most commonly via an ointment or a section of enchanted wolf pelt.

family in 16th century France who were tried for carrying out attacks in wolf-form. Father, daughter, son and a grandson all met with a gruesome fate at the hands of the court. Whilst the accusations were doubtless trumped up or at least exaggerated, it was widely accepted that the curse could be passed down the bloodline. Some psychologists have pointed out that the XYY chromosome that used to be seen as a common indicator of psychopathy (the evidence is regarded as a bit more uncertain now) is inherited within families. Whilst people with XYY do not sprout fangs, they do have a predisposition to callousness and cruelty to a point which can often spill over into brutal violence. It makes them dangerous both to each other and to the wider community. Tales of volatile or murderous families could, with endless retelling and embellishing, become accounts of tribes of monsters.

Modern accounts of lycanthropy through birth have often linked the notion to known medical conditions, most often hypertrichosis – sometimes also called Ambas Syndrome. This genetic problem leads people to sprout copious amounts of hair all over their bodies, including their faces. This does lead to a somewhat wolfish appearance. The limitation of this argument is that those rare few with this condition have been largely integrated into society, albeit in often less-than-ideal ways (such as working in travelling freak shows, alongside other people with biological abnormalities). Even if the general public in centuries past lacked the scientific knowledge to understand the nature of hypertrichosis, they were quite aware that such people were otherwise ordinary humans (hairiness aside) and not flesh-eating monsters savaging victims at the full of the moon. The Gonzales Family, many of whom appear to have had Ambras Syndrome, lived quite openly in 16th century France. They were a curiosity, certainly, but nobody tried shooting them with silver bullets or fled town for fear of being devoured!

The Ancient Greek story of King Lycaon and his sons epitomises the idea of lycanthropy through imposed magical powers. In that myth, Lycaon offends Zeus when he murders someone and has cooked human flesh served up during a feast for Zeus and other deities who have disguised themselves as mortal travellers. Lykaon does not know who they really are, but the offence (tricking people into cannibalism) would still have been considerable even if they were ordinary human visitors. It was not the first such cannibal feast that Lycaon had indulged in, and for his sins he and his sons were transformed into wolves. Their werewolf descendants are said to roam the mountains of Arcadia forever more. Historians have speculated that the divine punishment on the king may symbolise the end of an era in which human sacrifice (and possibly cannibalism) was institutionalised in Arcadia. Whether the Olympians called an end to it, or culture simply moved on to less horrific forms of ritual offering is open to debate.

There are other medical conditions linked to this mythical state, such as porphyria. Again, whether enough people thought sufferers of such conditions were monsters to generate the vast number of frightening tales, is open to much debate. The wish to rationalise may say more about modern readers than past generations. Medical arguments aside, some cultures have accounts of werewolf families such as the Gandillon

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The 12th century cleric Giraldus Cambrensis described a missionary travelling through the Irish district of Ossory who encounters a talking wolf. The creature explains that it is a shapeshifted human labouring under a curse placed on his tribe by the little-known St Natalis. Members of this tribe are forced to take turns spending seven years in lupine guise before reverting to humanity. Similar tales of fixed periods of lupine servitude can be found in other parts of the world. The wolf informs the missionary that his wife is dying and requires Last Rites before it is too late. Needless to say, the holy

When the Wolfsbane Blomes by Robin Herne

man does his bit (despite quaking knees) and redeems the soul of the female werewolf. Whilst the story is doubtless apocryphal, it illustrates the belief that lycanthropy could be visited as a curse – not only on those who actually offended St Natalis but also their descendants (unto how many generations, nobody seems to know). Quite what upset the saint in the first place is not stated in the surviving manuscripts.

a great many more accounts of murderous attacks. Another French werewolf from the 16th century, Jacques Roulet, also claimed to use an unguent given him during a satanic ceremony. Unusually for the time, Jean’s sentence of death was commuted to consignment to a monastery on the basis that he was mad (which could be a side-effect of excess hallucinogen usage) and needed to be looked after.

Lycanthropy through voluntary magic can be seen in the peculiar trials of the Livonian werewolf Thiess – a very elderly man who freely confessed to having joined a mysterious cult which enabled the members to transform into werewolves in order to battle the forces of evil in Hell. This is a rare example of a benevolent lycanthrope (though the old man was still sentenced to a brutal punishment by the ungrateful authorities). Whether Thiess really was a member of some esoteric order engaging in shamanic spirit journeying or was simply delusional remains an open question. The former possibility hovers tantalisingly for modern pagans (though Thiess himself claimed to be a good Christian) and sits against a background of similar claims from werewolf and witchcraft trials in which the accused discussed being part of strange groups such as the Italian Benandanti.

By contrast, the late 16th century German werewolf Peter Stubbe (or Stumppe) claimed to have received his shapeshifting powers through a wolfskin belt gifted him by the Devil. There are some echoes to the selkie stories of women who don seal skins in order to change shape. Some anthropologists have speculated that this may root back to shamanic practices of wearing animal skins as part of ceremonies to tune in to the psyche of other creatures. Similar kinds of hunting rituals can still be seen taking place around the world in tribal communities. These ceremonies tend to involve a full animal skin rather than just a belt or girdle, but this style of consciousness-shifting may have adjusted over time. It is also possible that the use of skins and unguents may not be mutually exclusive, in that ointments could be smeared inside the pelt and then absorbed by the wearer. The difficulty with hallucinogens is controlling the vision – five people eating fly agaric could have five totally different experiences. Expectation can have some impact in shaping what is seen, but it is still an unpredictable route to explore. The intensity of the ritual is likely to be a far more significant factor than strange herbs or mushrooms. Which might be considered a Health & Safety guideline to readers who might be wondering which particular concoction might liberate them into wolf-form. If, like the Nordic Úlfhéðnar warriors or the Irish diberga, the reader would like to go a-wolfing then they need to put in a great deal of psychic work on psychic preparation to avoid the fate of Stubbe or Grenier – smearing on the herbs is just not enough!

The bizarre tale of the shepherd boy Jean Grenier, who was put on trial for murderous attacks against an unspecified number of other children in 17th century France, shows the use of ointments. Grenier claimed to have been inducted into some kind of cult by a mysterious character who dispensed a potion that had to be rubbed on the skin. Doing so transformed Jean and the other men into wolves. There is a possibility that this story might be at least partially true, with the boy describing some kind of hallucinogenic substance absorbed via the skin. Why an illiterate teenage shepherd should have been provided with such a thing is uncertain. Possibly there were a group of people engaging in some kind of ceremonial behaviour in the French forests, though most of them were presumably not as aggressive as Grenier or there would have been

Robin Herne is the author of The Magic of Wolves.

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Inanna needed to provide a at each of the seven gates ave you ever replacement to take her place. that separates the realms of wondered where Two of Ereshkigal’s demons the living and dead passing winter came from? escorted Inanna to the surface through the final gate, naked. We take it for granted that The Queen of the underworld to drag the ‘sacrifice’ back our planet had seasons since to hell with them. Passing was Inanna’s sister, the beginning of its creation several victims on the way, Ereshkigal, the Goddess but is that the case. Before Inanna arrived at her city of Death who was having humans needed clothing and Erech to find her husband, none of it, faced her with fire to protect themselves the Fertility God, Dumuzi, from the cold after evolving to the seven Anunnaki Judges instead of mourning her lose their fur, the most ancient when Inanna arrived. They turned their gaze over the passing, was having a lavish of memories remember a time when the land bathed in eternal summer providing The Queen of Darkness threatened to fruit and crops all year release the spirits of the dead. round. All that changed at party for his friends, flirting Love Goddess, taking her life the beginning of civilization force and hung her dead body with the females having a when the Sumerian Goddess on a meat hook. Learning of whale of a time. The Goddess of Love and War and Queen of Love and War was livid of the eternal fertility of her death, the Serpent God Enki created two golems from and the Shepherd King’s life nature, not content with was over. ruling over Heaven and Earth, dirt under his fingernails to retrieve her. The golems Inanna wished to rule the With Dumuzi absent from subterranean world of the restored Inanna’s life after the land of eternal summer, removing her from the meat dead too. For her to descend nature, without the spirit of hook, by sprinkling the food into the darkness required rebirth began to whither, the and water of life over her. Inanna to leave an object land began to die and Earth’s However, before she can leave, creatures began to starve. of her majestic authority

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The Sun God Utu had to step in if the world was to saved, turned Dumuzi into a snake so he could escape up through the ground and restore order. Ereshkigal was incensed and demanded justice if the balance of life and death was not restored at once. The Queen of Darkness threatened to release the spirits of the dead to the surface to feast on the flesh of the living if her demands were not met. A life for a life and nothing less. With the Earth dying and nature unable to provide its inhabitants, Enki had no choice but to deal with his brother’s granddaughter Ereshkigal. Despite being the most powerful Anunnaki God, Enki feared Ereshkigal’s power over death from which there is no cure, only magic and deals with the Dark Queen. Inanna had grown greedy and life on

Earth was paying for it. A deal was finally made that Dumuzi would spend six months with Ereshkigal to coincide with the winter months between the last harvest and spring allowing the land to recover and regenerate and six months with Inanna over the summer to fertilize the land and bring it to harvest. The cycles of the seasons were born, people began to construct stone monuments to record the passage of time, gave offerings and made oaths and sacrifices to the Gods. The Akkadians conquered Mesopotamia 1,000 years later bringing a Semitic tongue and thought with them. The Goddess of Love becomes Ishtar, a more refined and beautiful, gentler and wiser Goddess than her predecessor. When Ishtar’s husband Tammuz is killed during a boar hunt, the Queen

of Heaven passes through the seven gates as before, leaving an item of attire at each one, determined to get him back. Standing before her sister, naked, Ishtar is struck dead by Ereshkigal’s gaze and placed next to her husband’s corpse. With the Fertility God and Goddess both absent from the surface, the world began to die. The wizard Enki employed a eunuch to retrieve them and restore the spirit in nature. As part of the deal between Enki and Ereshkigal, Tammuz was ordered to reside in the underworld over the winter and return for the summer. The Babylonians were instructed to honour Ishtar and Tammuz with offerings and sacrifices to ensure their reunion.

Scott Irvine is the author of Ishtar and Ereshkigal. Moon Books Pubslihing| 25

Mistletoe - Healing Plant of the Winter Solstice by Angela Paine

Mistletoe, with its milky white berries and slender, silvery leaves, hangs from apple, willow and poplar trees in many parts of Britain today. Sacred all over Europe since ancient times, there are numerous references to its healing powers in ancient Greek mythology. The Roman naturalist, Pliny, described how the Druids cut mistletoe at the winter solstice. They would walk, he said, leading two white bulls, deep into the forest, to their sacred oak grove, where bunches of mistletoe, dimly visible in the pale wintry light, hung from the bare branches of a giant oak. The chosen Druid clambered up the oak tree, with his golden sickle. He climbed along the huge branches in his long white robes while the rest stood waiting below, holding the four corners of a white cloak to catch the sacred boughs as he threw them down. So the golden moon-shaped sickle, symbolic of the feminine, cut the silver mistletoe, symbolic of the masculine. The Druids believed mistletoe, whose translucent milky white berries resemble spermatozoa, was the soul, spirit, or life-essence of the oak. To appease the oak tree for the loss of his sexual vigour, the Druids sacrificed the bulls, and offered up prayers to the Oak God, Hu, asking him to make the mistletoe auspicious ‘to those to whom he has granted it.’

any other food or drink during the journey for he was filled with the enchanting music flowing from its branches. Mistletoe berries can be hallucinogenic. The Druids probably ate them during shamanic rituals to help them prophesy, see into other worlds, heal the sick and perform their magic. Like all shamanic peoples they knew which plants contained hallucinogenic properties and they treated these plants with great respect, for they were very sacred. According to the Vogel Insitutie, Canada, mistletoe absorbs different alkaloids (powerful plant compounds) from different trees. These alkaloids would probably have changed the quality of the vision experienced by the person who ate the berries. Taking these berries was highly dangerous since they are so toxic, and the Druids made sure that no one took them without their authorisation, impressing upon the people that terrible misfortunes would happen to anyone who cut mistletoe without permission.

According to Robert Graves, the Druids also used mistletoe as a medicine. They were expert medicine men, and they would have observed that during the course of the year the properties of mistletoe changed. According to The Druids sacrificed the bulls, & Scheer and his colleagues in Germany in 1992, offered up prayers to the Oak God. the proportions of the various constituents of mistletoe vary considerably according to the season. The Druids used it as a nerve god Manannan and surrounded by magical tonic, to treat epilepsy, to treat stitches in the myth. One person was chosen, as a great honour, to carry it to the god. He did not need side; as an ointment for stiff joints and green According to Robert Graves the Druids cultivated mistletoe on apple and oak trees. Mistletoe growing on apple trees was called “the Silver bough.” It was sacred to the Celtic

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Mistletoe Healing Plant of the Winter Solsticeby by Angela Paine

(ie gangrenous) wounds. They gave it to wrestlers and athletes to give them strength and courage and used it to treat declining virility. Since the 1920s a steady stream of doctors, pharmacists and scientists researching mistletoe demonstrated that it contains compounds which stimulate the immune system and compounds which stop cancer cells multiplying. The main constituents include very large compounds called lectins, smaller viscotoxins and alkaloids. Some of the mistletoe alkaloids combine together with some of the lectins and viscotoxins to form special anticancer compounds, unique to mistletoe. These stimulate the immune system as well as inhibiting cancer cells. Both crude and fermented mistletoe juices also contain immune-stimulating polysaccharides. During the Middle Ages, Druidic traditions gradually died out and people stopped using mistletoe as a medicine or shamanic tool. It was not until the 1920s, when Rudolph Steiner became interested in its properties, that modern mistletoe research began. He believed the ancient Druids held the key to many of the health problems of his day. So he decided to go to Britain, ancient Druid capital of Europe, to seek inspiration. He travelled to the west of the country, where he found a giant Celtic Iron Age fort, high in the Shropshire hills. Standing in the cold wind alone on the hill fort, looking down on the emerald, moss green, gold and dark green patchwork of Celtic fields, he

tuned in to the ancient wisdom of the Druids, who had ruled that place long ago. And as he stood there, he had a vision of mistletoe and he understood that this was the plant he was looking for. Noticing that trees with huge outgrowths tend to suffer from repressed growth in other parts, he began looking at trees with mistletoe on them. These trees did not suffer in the same way. He believed that the excess of etheric force left the tree and went into the mistletoe. Since Steiner believed that an excess of etheric forces causes cancer in humans, he thought mistletoe would absorb these excessive forces, thus allowing the astral body to break up the tumour and disintegrate it. Steiner therefore decided to carry out research on mistletoe. He discussed, as described in the Park Atwood Clinic 1997 brochure, possible methods of preparation with doctors, pharmacists, and scientists, willing to experiment with his idea. Within a few years they had come up with a fermented mistletoe preparation, which they called Iscador. In 1935 the Society for Cancer Research was formed at the Institut Hiscia, Arlesheim in Switzerland, and Iscador was further developed there, with Steiner advising on the method. In the 1930s several other pharmaceutical companies developed their own mistletoe preparations using different methods. Since the 1930s scientists collaborating with Steiner grew mistletoe on a variety of different trees eventually choosing eight trees: silver-fir, sycamore, almond, hawthorn, birch,

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Mistletoe Healing Plant of the Winter Solsticeby by Angela Paine

ash, apple, pine and oak, to produce eight distinct varieties of Iscador, all marketed by Weleda, to treat different types of cancer. For example, doctors prescribe apple (Mali-

indicating that their immune systems were not working properly. After three weeks the clinicians noticed the numbers of different immune cells from the children’s blood had

The special mistletoe anticancer compounds help to keep differentiation mechanisms working. Iscador M) or fir mistletoe for breast cancer and oak (Quercus-Iscador Qu) or pine (PiniIscador P) for tumours of the digestive organs. Doctors in Switzerland, Germany, and Holland have been prescribing Iscador ever since, and it is now the most commonly used cancer drug in Germany, according to Ronald Grossarth-Maticek, Director of the Institute for Preventive Medicine, European Centre for Peace and Development, United Nations, Heidelberg, Germany. In a normal healthy person there are certain mechanisms in every cell in their body, which keep each cell type different. In a cancer patient these ‘differentiation’ mechanisms fail and one type of cell starts to multiply, growing into a cancer. In addition to this, people with cancer have depressed immune systems, which do not destroy cancer cells before they have the time to replicate in the same way as a fully functioning immune system does. The special mistletoe anticancer compounds help to keep differentiation mechanisms working, thus preventing the cancer from forming. They also stimulate the immune system to destroy cancer cells when they have formed. In 1997 Chernyshov and his team gave Isacdor to some of the children who had been affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident. One of the effects of radiation fallout is to depress the immune system, and these children all suffered from repeated respiratory diseases,

increased, indicating that their immune systems were working better. They were less tired, happier and had fewer headaches, sweats and painful muscles and joints. Iscador is often used together with conventional treatment, such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It stimulates the immune system and alleviates pain and side-effects of conventional therapy. Patients taking Iscador can cut down on painkillers and lead a more normal life. It also protects the DNA of the patient’s healthy cells from damage by the radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Sometimes Iscador is used to treat patients in the final stages of inoperable cancer, in order to improve the quality of their lives. Herbalists use natural mistletoe juice or tincture, sometimes together with periwinkle and violet root tinctures (since all three have anti-cancer properties) to treat cancer. They combine this with other immune stimulating herbs such as Echinacea and herbs to restore the appetite and stimulate the digestive system. They also prescribe a strict diet of organic raw vegetables and fruits, vitamins and minerals. This sometimes brings about a complete cure. You should not try to treat yourself with mistletoe. The whole plant is poisonous, especially the berries. An overdose can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels, leading to coma, seizures and death. It should only be prescribed by a registered herbalist or doctor.

There is a chapter on mistletoe in my book: The Healing Power of Celtic Plants. The book covers a whole range of healing herbs used by the ancient Celts and their Druid medicine men, together with descriptions of ways we can use these plants today.

Angela Paine is the author of Healing Plants of the Celtic Druids. MoonScape Issue. II | 28

Deer Mother by Andrew Anderson Many years ago, when the North was new and mankind’s foot had not yet stood upon its soil, the Goddess of Winter made it her home. Oh, she was a cruel mistress. She sat in the north wind, which chilled her heart. Her wild screams resounded in the blizzards, her cold breath thickened the ice and frosts of early morning. As her power grew, she danced among the infant birch trees and jewelled the plains with deep, glittering snow. It was a hard life for any who chose to live alongside her, but there were some who did. Wild beasts they were; bears and wolves and woolly mammals long since dead. And there were reindeer; huge herds, families who roamed the land, trying to live in the Goddess’ lap. One year the Goddess of Winter grew so fierce that the reindeer decided to find another place to graze. As they began to move, a mother deer called from the back of the herd: “Stop! she cried. “My boy-calf is too weak to move.” Her child had fallen into a deep drift of crystal ice and was shivering with cold. “Please, stay and help me save his life.” “You must leave your child” the chief reindeer stated. “There is nothing more you can do. Let the storm take him.” “I will not leave my child.” “Then you will be alone.” The herd moved away, trudging towards the warmer lands while the Deer Mother lay with her child. It did not take long for the spark of life to leave the calf. The storm was too terrible for him to survive. The Deer Mother lay with him long after he had died, her hot tears freezing to her face as she mourned his passing. One night, as she lay still beneath the snow, the Deer Mother heard a voice on the edge of the wind. It was not the voice of the Goddess of Winter, but one with more resonance, more feeling. “Help me. Help me, please” it cried. “Who calls me?” the Deer Mother asked. The voice replied again: “Help me. Help me, please.” The Deer Mother decided she must leave the body of her child and find the source the voice. Using her antlers, she buried her calf in a snow drift and listened again for the voice on the wind, but it did not come. She decided to follow her nose. Although she wandered through forests and across plains, nowhere could she find the source of the voice which had called to her. And then, halfway up the side of a mountain, the Deer Mother saw the entrance of a cave which shone with a dim, golden light. She heard the voice, calling again on the edge of the wind, “Help me. Help me please.” As she stepped into the cave’s mouth, the Deer Mother realised two things. Firstly, the warm glow she had seen outside seemed to be coming from much deeper within the cave. Secondly, there was

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Deer Mother by Andrew Anderson

an enormous bear asleep just inside the cave mouth. The Deer Mother decided to creep further into the cave and see if she could find the voice but, after only a few steps, the enormous beast began to stir. It smacked its chops, yawned and opened one bleary eye. “What are you doing in my cave?” asked the great bear, sleepily. “I am following a voice” replied the Deer Mother. “I did not mean to disturb you.” “Well you did” grumbled Bear. “But never mind. I was just dreaming that I was hungry and you will make a very tasty midwinter snack!” Bear leapt to his paws and let out a rock-splitting roar. There followed a dull thud as something hit the rocky wall of the cave. Both Bear and Reindeer turned to see what had made the noise and saw a confused looking fox sitting on its head, its magnificent tail dangling in its eyes. “What are you doing here, Fox?” demanded Bear, grumpily. Fox gathered his thoughts as he slid onto his back and up onto his paws. “It’s been a most terrible winter” Fox replied, sleepily. “I crept in here weeks ago and have been sheltering in the warmth of Bear’s coat ever since. I was doing very nicely until you came in.” Fox threw an accusatory stare at the Deer Mother. “Well don’t worry about her” Bear retorted, “she’s about to be my lunch!” “Excellent!” snapped Fox “I shall pick over the bits you leave behind.” “No, you won’t!” warned Bear. “I’m having you for dessert.” The great bear opened its jaws, when suddenly the small voice the Deer Mother had heard came calling from within the cave. “Help me. Help me, please” it implored. The bear looked at the fox, who looked at the reindeer, who looked at the bear. “You should really find out who that is, Bear” said Fox, who had sensed his chance to escape. “We’ll all go.” said Bear. “You go first.” The three of them moved further into the cave, following the echo of the voice. The Deer Mother noticed that they seemed to be following the light, which became warmer and stronger the further they went. At the bottom of the cave, amongst the stalagmites and stalactites, was a small, clear pool of water. In the pool was an orb, no bigger than a pearl, which glowed with golden light. As Bear lumbered in behind the Deer Mother and Fox, they heard the voice again. “Help me. Help me please.” “Who said that?” demanded Bear. “It’s me” the voice replied. “Your Mother Earth.” Each of the animals bowed their heads in reverence of their creator. “Where are you?” asked Fox, looking around. “Deep below your feet” the voice replied.

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Deer Mother by Andrew Anderson

“I called the Deer Mother to this cave to help me” the Earth continued. “Within the pool is something very precious. It is the Infant Sun that will hang in the sky and grow in strength. It needs nurturing, taking to the east and putting in the sky. But the Goddess of Winter is too strong. If it gets caught up in her storm it will perish and the world will live in perpetual darkness. Will you help me?” “What can I do to help this tiny spark of light?” the Deer Mother asked. “I couldn’t even save my own calf from the storm.” “Take my child,” the voice of the Earth said. “Run with him to the eastern sky. I will do all I can to help you. And so, I hope will Bear and Fox.” “Whatever you ask, I will oblige,” the great bear roared. “I will climb to the top of the world and push the stars around the heavens, so that the eastern sky hurries towards the horizon.” “And I will use my magnificent tail” barked Fox “to spark fires of every colour in the skies above the storm and enchant the Goddess so that she does not follow you.” And with that, Bear and Fox ran out of the cave and into the night. The Deer Mother dipped her head into the pool and lifted the Infant Sun high in her antlers, so that its pale golden light flecked her peppery fur. At the mouth of the cave, the blizzard was raging more fiercely than ever. “Run” came the voice of the Earth from behind her, “and believe.” And that is exactly what the Deer Mother did. She charged down the mountain and into the heart of the storm. The Goddess of Winter screeched and flailed, buffeting the Deer Mother to try and dislodge the Infant Sun from her antlers. But the Deer Mother kept running, picking up speed as she ran down, down, down the mountain. In an instant, the Deer Mother felt lightness lift every part of her. She felt the snow disappear from under her hooves. The rocks and the trees fell away away beneath her. The light of the Infant Sun spilled over her, dancing and sparking as it showered off her hooves, laying a trail for the Goddess of Winter, who was still in icy pursuit. The Deer Mother climbed higher and higher, over the trees, over the hills and the mountains, up through the clouds, and out into the starry clear air above the storm. There, true to her word, she saw the Great Bear pushing the arch of the stars around and bringing the eastern sky to the horizon. As the Goddess of Winter reached out of the storm for the Deer Mother, the Fox began to thrash his tail from left to right. Waves of glittering fire of every colour rippled across the sky, so enchanting the Goddess of Winter so that the Deer Mother slipped through her icy fingers. Spring returned that year as the Infant Sun grew and prospered in the eastern skies. Its warming rays fought back the Goddess of Winter, imprisoning her into the far North, if only temporarily. Bear and Fox stayed in the Northern skies, just in case anyone needed their help again. They can still be found there today, if you know where to look. And the Sun reunited the Deer Mother with her calf, to whom he gave life again. Eating the lush grass of spring, the boy-calf and his mother lived long, happy lives. And every midwinter, Mother Earth gives the Deer Mother and her child, and his children and their children, the gift of flight so that they can guide the Infant Sun back to his place in the sky.

Andrew Anderson is the author of Artio and Artaois and The Magic of Cats.

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by Thea Prothero

uring the dark half of the year, towards the winter solstice and Christmas beyond, one tradition that might not have been mentioned before, is that of telling ghost stories. In my family, for example, its now expected that I will write a new tale of unease to bring in the festive season. These days it is presented via email rather than orated around a roaring fire, over a glass of sherry, (think M.R. James,) but none the less it brings a sense of shared enjoyment in the “Pleasing terror”. Writing this article did, however, make me contemplate the reasons behind this macabre tendency at the time of celebration and joy. So why do we look away from the light, into the shadows? With the shortest day, and a night that seems to last forever, when the world seems to

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be perpetually dark, stories have always been a way to draw people together. Our ancient ancestors would have gathered around a fire - a spark of light in the darkness, a place of warmth and cheer in the cold. But it was also a time to collectively mourn, a time to remember all those who died since the last gathering. It

The Wild Hunt is a widespread motif in European folklore. was inevitably a time of death and endings. In Anglo-Saxon times, according to Eleanor Parker in her book “Winters in the World”, (2022, Reaktion Books,) the time of advent was strongly associated with the apocalypse. Beside the much-anticipated celebration of the

Christmas Ghosts by Thea Prothero

birth of Christ, our own mortality and that of our very souls was constantly in focus with the impending day of reckoning at the end of the world. The Wild Hunt is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, although it is likely to be a much earlier pre-Christian legend. The Wild Hunt is filled with supernatural, ghostly spectres, and rides around Winter Solstice, at the darkest coldest time of year. Beware anyone witnessing the hunt, for they would be swept up and either taken away forever or dumped miles from their home. The Wild Hunt is a widespread motif in European folklore, and there is much contention on who leads it from Odin on Sleipnir in Germanic and Scandinavian culture to Hern the Hunter, and Gwen Ap Nudd in Wales. In Susan Cooper’s famous children’s tale, “The Dark Is Rising”, (1973, Puffin Books,) the central character Will must save the world from the power of perpetual darkness by giving Herne The Hunter his mask. Moving forward to the Victorian Era, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens sits in prime position within the ghost story theme. Although the story is on the whole one of redemption – saving old Scrooge’s soul from purgatory, there are some icily chilling scenes, mostly featuring ghosts. Originally published in 1843, the first edition was so popular that it was completely sold out by Christmas Eve. To this date, “A Christmas Carol” has never been out of print and is one of the most enduring and loved Christmas stories in the world.

Of course, I have to mention M. R. James again! His ghost stories, famously told on Christmas Eve at the Chit-Chat Club, Cambridge University, were legend in their time. James was an exceptional scholar of Medieval manuscripts, and latterly became Provost at Kings College. Very much as an aside, his ghost stories were simply written as entertainment for his friends and published at the beginning of the 20th century to high praise and a whole genre (Jamsian,) of ghost stories is named after him. This leads to the early 70’s and the cult classic BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas, directed and produced by the legendary Lawrence Gorden Clark The series was presented to terrified audiences every Christmas eve throughout the decade. But has our collective fascination with ghost stories at Christmas faded recently? Well, no - Christmas 2014, one “must have” gift in the USA, may surprise you – not a board game but a Ouija Board! This was due to the popularity of the film “Ouija” which had been released just before. It seemed as though everyone wanted to speak to spirits, whether christmassy or not! More recently, “A Ghost Story for Christmas” has been revived on the BBC, both re-enchanting and continuing to create that good old festive feeling of unease. Even if you aren’t a fan of a ghost story, as you celebrate the season of goodwill and enjoy your festivities, as you turn on your LED lights, do remember to look into the shadows.

Thea Prothero is a lover of ghost stories. She is the author of the forthcoming A Guide to Pilgrimage. Moon Books Pubslihing| 33

Jera, December Solstice, and Place

by Kelley Harrell

hen we approach the Elder Futhark runes in calendars, often referred to as runic almanacs or primstavs, we can explore our holy days in a deeper context. Though there are many runic calendars, I work with Nigel Penick’s pan-European one, for which December Solstice falls in the half-month rune of Jera. Jera means 'year,' as in, a full rotation of seasonality, which is expressed through harvest. It carries the sense of having applied our agency in keeping with natural order to produce a good harvest, which ensures a beneficial outcome. It is the midpoint rune of the Futhark, and as

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such it produces a bit of a pause of both exploratory and celebratory natures. As solstice appears to suspend us in dark time, Jera holds us in contemplative devotion. Jera is often compared to its opposite rune on the runic wheel, Dagaz, which occurs in June Solstice. Where Dagaz takes stock of the ‘day’--what was meaningful, what served us, what didn’t, how to apply our agency differently tomorrow given that information-Jera brings a broader line of inquiry around the progression of the year exploring what actions brought a good harvest, what ones didn’t, and where more attention is needed. In this way I refer to Dagaz as the rune of

Jera, December Solstice, and Place by Kelley Harrell

heart accounting, while I consider Jera the rune of hearth accounting. When we sit with what that means at an animistic level, it points to ruminating over how we go forward in relationship with ecosystem. We think about how we’re going to apply our agency in alignment with the needs of place-space and lay the groundwork for doing so. Harvest is a cyclic, deep observation of engagement with ecosystem, and as such gives direct feedback on how that relationship is going. In harvest we learn that our relationship to place-space is everything--literally. It’s how we survive, how we thrive. It reflects the health and success of our ecosystem, which is inextricably interwoven with our own. In that realization we form intentional alliance with place. We cultivate land-based identity. Who we are is where we are. With Jera we ally with Spirits of Place, who are our touchstone for identity and sacred order. Ceremony to honor December Solstice is the physical expression of relationship and gratitude to the planet-sun bond that regulates all of life here. A big part of the soul tending coursework that I teach is the importance of human persons cheering the other-than-human persons and spirits of our ecosystem through ceremony. In The Dark Time our celebrations of light, such as bringing the fir trees indoors, aren’t only to keep our own spirits topped off through

shadows and cold. They’re also to show support for our Naturekin and Spirits of Place as they directly weather the seasonal transition. We can also feed and water our ecosystem where appropriate, and make donations to organizations who tend wildlife in the coldest months. With that support, as we cloister indoors for warmth and reprieve, our Spirits of Place know they are not forgotten. In this way, human persons don’t just observe seasonal change, but are part of it. When we actively participate in how that change impacts our ecosystem, when we cheerlead the Dark Time in Jera, we become more intentionally part of the transition, itself, and of our ecosystem. Winter ceases to be something happening outside the window; rather, it is an experience we weather with place. With human persons intentionally engaged, ecosystem can be more enlivened and actively involved in the tending of all of its inhabitants. In this way, we are family with ecosystem. When we celebrate seasonal change intentionally by cheering our ecosystem’s hard work, beauty, challenges, and integrity, it is our gift to our ecosystem that says we know, we’re involved in that greater relationship, and we care how it holds us all.

Kelley is an author of several books on animism, soul tending, and the runes. To learn more about her and working with runic calendars, visit soulintentarts.com Moon Books Pubslihing| 35

ike many people of my generation, I grew up feeling spiritually homeless. I was raised in a mostly agnostic household, with parents that would occasionally drag me and my sister to church on Christmas and Easter, but I never got much out of these experiences. Nevertheless, as I grew older I became increasingly discontented with secular materialism as well. I

to reject almost entirely, yet these very convictions tended to hold me at a distance from the religious people and institutions with which I was familiar. I read the Bible and was horrified by its litany of commandments, injunctions to slaughter and enslave neighboring tribes, and the looming threat of eternal damnation for anyone who dared step out of line. Judaism and Islam placed too

Pagan theology supports free inquiry and independent thought. was convinced that there was a spiritual dimension to the world, if only I could find a way to access it. For a long time, I was hampered in pursuing spiritual development by my own emerging sense of personal philosophy. Violence, coercion, and intimidation were aspects of the world that I had grown

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much focus on obedience and authority for my liking, and I lacked the ethnic heritage to ever feel comfortable in a faith like Hinduism. Meanwhile, I was sympathetic to the New Atheists (men like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins) and their criticisms of organized religion, only to be left cold by their casual rejection of any magical or

spiritual underpinnings of what was clearly a miraculous world. For the time being, then, I would have to be a man without a faith. During my time at university, I discovered the political philosophy known (in North America anyway) as libertarianism and found that the label fit me and my ideas rather well. Libertarians were skeptical of arbitrary authority, opposed to violence and coercion, supportive of bodily autonomy, and focused on the individual as something valuable for its own sake, not just for its role in supporting communal goals. If only there were a religion compatible with these values, one that wouldn’t require me to bow and scrape and beg forgiveness for the crime of simply existing. As it turns out, there was. I just hadn’t discovered it yet. When at last I stumbled upon paganism, purely by accident,

I finally felt at home. Here was a community that expressed reverence, gratitude, and wonder for the natural world, with none of the trappings of monotheism that I found so objectionable. Paganism has no Pope to be obeyed, no dogmas to blindly follow, and no sacred texts purporting to be infallible or unquestionable. Pagan theology supports free inquiry and independent thought. It doesn’t dictate what you must believe, which gods you must worship, or which rituals you must observe. Pagan ethics stresses respect for the privacy and personal choices of others. Yet, questions of right and wrong are generally left for individuals to sort out for themselves, rather than being expected to follow a list of rules set in stone by previous generations. The emphasis on personal responsibility is important, because like libertarianism,

paganism tends to attract criticism from the uninitiated for being licentious and hedonistic. But both pagans and libertarians understand that freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin, and that the choice to live a life independent from the guiding hand of authoritarianism means you have to live with the

have struggled to harmonize their religious and political values. At a time when more and more people are feeling alienated and seeking new direction, both politically and spiritually, systems that offer community without coercion, morals without evangelism, and faith without dogma can be of tremendous value.

Libertarian Paganism has no aspiration to convert anyone or tell anyone what to think. consequences, good and bad, of your own actions. I wrote my book Libertarian Paganism: Freedom and Responsibility in Nature-Based Spirituality, to explore the seldom-discussed similarities between these generally misunderstood groups, and to show members of both that they might have more in common than they realize. I also want to offer a potential solution for those who, like me,

My vision of libertarian paganism has no aspiration to convert anyone or tell anyone what to think. It’s merely an invitation to think more deeply about the philosophies that underpin our belief structures, and to look for common ground rather than differences with our fellow human beings.

Logan Albright is the author of Libertarian Paganism and Conform or Be Cast Out. Moon Books Pubslihing| 37

AN IMBOLC ADVENT

Purification and Renewal with Brighid

by Erin Aurelia

uring the transition from Winter to Spring, the Celtic goddess Brighid can help you banish winter’s dregs of darkness and purify yourself as the light of the year waxes to help you rise renewed with Spring’s new life. In Ireland and Scotland, February 1st is the official end of winter and first day of Spring. It is called St. Brigid’s Day, and in the older tradition, Imbolc, the feast of Spring, associated with growing daylight, returning plant growth like reeds and snowdrop flowers, new lambs, and the Irish goddess Brigid. In Irish lore, Brighid is a triple goddess of three sisters: a poet, a healer, and a blacksmith, whose name means “Exalted One.” According to Cormac’s 9th century gloss of her, she was widely loved and venerated by poets. She is also connected with livestock and farming. In both St. Brigid’s Day and Imbolc traditions, February 1st is Brigid’s Day, and regarded as a time of purification. We too can embrace this practice of purification. Releasing the energy of winter and its associations with death purify us to stand ready to enter into the season of new life and receive its blessings. Purification can be and has been enacted in various forms. You might also consider including a practice of spiritual purification. As a longtime flametender for Brighid, I was inspired by her to create one. When the light begins to wax again after the winter solstice, I begin eagerly awaiting Imbolc and Brighid’s return to the land, just as the reeds and snowdrops associated with her return to herald the arrival of Spring. In the Christian tradition, the period of waiting for the arrival of the Christ child is called Advent, and similarly, after winter solstice, I too observe a period of waiting for

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Brighid’s return to the land in a practice I call Imbolc Advent. Over this advent period, I meditate with Brighid and feel my inner self slowly awaken and rise from the dark dreamy slumber of winter. I ask Brighid’s guidance in how I might best prepare and renew myself for Spring’s return, to be ready to step into a renewed self and season of growth with Brighid’s blessings. I write about and offer a full Imbolc Advent practice, including prayers and guided meditations, in my book, The Torch of Brighid: Flametending for Transformation. Some of the details of my practice change over the years as she inspires me, but the basic practice looks the same. I keep the Imbolc Advent on the four Sundays preceding Imbolc; Sunday because the practice is tied to the solar cycle of the seasons, and Brighid herself is known as a fire goddess with solar associations. If I intend to observe Imbolc on the closest Sunday, then I begin my Imbolc Advent four Sundays previous to that one. I first prepare a space for my Imbolc Advent which will hold five candles, with four set in the cardinal directions, and the fifth one in the center of them. This is inspired in part by traditional advent wreaths and in part by the shape of the Brighid’s cross. I like to place them on a tray or plate with evergreen sprigs. On each Sunday of Imbolc Advent, I light one more candle than I did the week before, so the additional candles lit mirror the gradually growing daylight from winter solstice to Imbolc. If I intend to let the candles burn down each Sunday, I ensure I gather enough candles to complete the Advent through Imbolc. On the first Sunday, I light the candle in the north, the direction I associate with winter and darkness, and I meditate with a face of Brighid I have come to know through my flametending

Purification and Renewal with Brighid by Erin Aurelia

practice as Brighid the Dreamer. I liken her with the traditional Scottish Brigid’s Day observance of watching for a white serpent to emerge from a knoll to announce the arrival of Spring (a precursor to the later American Groundhog Day tradition). I equate Brighid the Dreamer with this hibernating serpent, resting underground in the dark with sleeping seeds that fell from trees and plants in autumn, waiting to burst into life with springtime’s warmth and emerge into the light from their own slumber. Brighid the Dreamer, like the seeds, holds both the integration of the past cycle of growth and the dream of spring and new life to come. I picture myself hibernating under the earth, like her, like the serpent, like the sleeping seeds, and ask Brighid to help me dream a new dream for myself, for who I want to be in the new year, how I want to grow, and what I want my life to look like. On the second Sunday, I light the winter candle in the north, then the next candle moving sunwise, the candle in the east, which I associate with springtime and renewal. On this night, I meditate with Brighid the Smith, asking her to help me crack the slumbering seed of my new self by conceiving the steps I’d like to take to forge my new self and new direction in the new year. On the third Sunday, I light the candles in the north and east, and then the candle in the south, the direction I associate with summertime and growth. I call on Brighid the Healer as I envision myself as that cracked open seed sending up a brave stem to crest the surface of the soil and leaf out like a snowdrop. I ask her to help me recognize and clear away any dis-ease that might impede my inner growth in becoming my full new self in the new year, like fear, confusion, procrastination, or mental or physical illness. On the fourth Sunday, I light the first three candles, then the fourth candle in the west, the direction I associate with harvest’s abundance, and call on Brighid the Poet as I envision myself as the snowdrop setting bright white

buds, preparing to bloom on Imbolc. I ask her to help me recall the learning and wisdom I’d gained from the year that is passing, so I might bring it into the new year to guide and nourish me on my new path. On the night of Imbolc Eve, I like to leave out a bowl of water that will catch the rays of the rising Imbolc sun, clean and tidy my Brighid shrine and leave her an offering there of milk, bread and butter, or other baked goods, then take a bath with bath salts to purify my body as I have purified my spirit and shrine, so all is prepared to welcome the new year and Brighid’s return to the land. On Imbolc Morn, I open my door to let out the old year and its energies, then stand outside and greet the risen Imbolc sun as Brighid having returned to the land to usher in the springtime and herald a fresh new year of growth and abundance. Afterward, I bring the bowl of Brighid-blessed water inside and set it beside my Imbolc Advent candles. I light all four directional candles, then the fifth one in the center to acknowledge and celebrate Imbolc and Brighid’s return. I envision myself as the snowdrop in bloom now, ready to step fully into my new self. I sprinkle my statue of Brighid with the Brighid-blessed water to represent her springtime renewal, then myself as a baptismal renewal of self with the growing light and new growth on the land. I then sprinkle the water around the corners and boundaries of my home to purify and refresh it with Brighid’s presence and energy for the new year. Just as a long winter can slow new plant growth, stagnant energy within us and our spaces can impede inner growth. Winter and stagnancy are the energies of death. Clearing away death makes room for new life to emerge. This is purification, and this is Brighid’s gift to us at Imbolc.

Erin Aurelia is the author of The Torch of Brighid: Flametending for Transformation.

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odern Pagans often assume that the Sun is male while the Moon is female. This isn’t true for most of northern European cultures, nor is it the case in Egypt or in Japan. The Japanese Sun Goddess, “Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven”, is in charge of Takamagahara (“High Celestial Plain”), the home of the Kami (deities and forces of nature). One of her brothers, the Storm God Susanoo, rules the sea plain, while another brother is the Moon God Tsukiyomi no Mikato. Amaterasu is the rising Sun that illuminates all creation and provides nourishment to all beings. She oversees the orderly movement of day into night. As the Queen of Heaven, she is the Goddess of Justice who maintains harmony and balance in both the natural world and human society. Amaterasu was born from Izanagi’s purification following his attempt to free his wife from the land of the dead. The three kami who were born as he washed himself were; Amaterasu from his left eye, her husband and brother Tsukuyomi from his right eye, and the

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Storm God Susanoo from his nose. She and her husband Tsukuyomi gave birth to Ame no Oshihomimi, father of Ninigi. Ninigi’s great-grandson, Jimmu, became the legendary first Emperor of Japan (660 BCE). Thus, Amaterasu’s bloodline can be traced through the Imperial family from the 7th century to the modern era. Amaterasu was the first to cultivate rice, which she did in heaven. Her grandson, Ninigi, brought rice to Earth from her celestial paddies. She is also the inventor of the arts of weaving and of cultivating silkworms. Chrysanthemums, the Cryptomeria tree (Cryptomeria japonica) (Japanese Cedar) and horses are sacred to her, as is “Ocean Day” or “Sea Day”, the third Monday in July, when thanks are given to the sea for her bounty. Also sacred to her is the Winter Solstice, a celebration of the Sun’s return. Offerings to her include rice, silk, and cloth. Japanese Cedar or Japanese Redwood, called “Sugi” in Japanese, is the national tree of Japan where it is often planted near temples and shrines.

Amaterasu Omikami by Ellen Evert Hopman

Medicinal Uses of Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) Japanese Cedar is in the Redwood family. The oil and/or resin from the tree is purifying and detoxifying and used in the treatment of trauma, tumors, eczema and gonorrhea. It is antifungal, antibiotic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and can relieve coughs. The leaves are highly aromatic and are burned as incense. The essential oil can alleviate stress. Cautions: the pollen from this tree may cause hay fever.

Celebrate the Return of the Sun To honor Amaterasu and the Solstice, make a traditional Japanese rice dish such as Mushroom Rice.

Ingredients

Method

(4 servings) About 1 cup mushrooms such as fresh shiitake, shimeji, eringi, enoki, maitake, or cremini cut into bite sized pieces. If using dehydrated mushrooms, soak them in water first. 1 ½ cups Japanese short-grain rice – the same kind used to make Sushi, or Korean short grain rice. Dashi (Japanese soup stock which you can buy in packets) or Kombu Dashi with some dried shiitake mushrooms added in.

For seasoning 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. Mirin (rice wine) (You can use Sake, rice vinegar, sherry, balsamic vinegar, Chinese cooking wine, vermouth, white wine, marsala wine, and white grape juice as substitutes if necessary) 2 tbsp. Sake (you can substitute dry sherry, dry vermouth or white wine, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice if needed) ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. grated ginger 1 clove garlic, minced For the topping 2 tbsp. unsalted butter About five cut up chive, scallion or green onion tops ½ tsp sea salt flakes.

Make dashi soup stock from scratch, or buy dashi packets or powder. Vegetarians can make kombu dashi and add dried shiitake mushrooms to the broth. Wash and rinse the rice until the water is clear and place in the pot. Soak the rice in the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt. Mix in the ginger and garlic. Place the cut-up mushrooms on top but DO NOT MIX THEM IN. Allow the mixture to sit in the pot for about twenty minutes before cooking. Cook for about twelve minutes or until the water is absorbed. Once it’s finished cooking, let it sit for about ten more minutes, then fluff the rice. Scatter the butter, chopped chives and sea salt flakes on top and close the lid again, to allow everything to melt and combine. Stir very gently to mix in the mushrooms before serving. Adjust seasonings with more chives or salt flakes as desired. Serve as a side dish with fish, chicken, or braised eggplant.

Ellen Evert Hopman is the author of a number of Celtic herbals and Druid novels. She lives in Massachusetts. See all her books at www.elleneverthopman.com. Moon Books Pubslihing| 41

Backyard Report on the Approach to the Solstice from the Southern Hemisphere

by Jane Meredith

e’re heading into a drought that’s forecast to last three years. As the days lengthen towards summer there’s a feeling of dread, with bushfires breaking out, destroying land, habitat, houses; taking the lives of the native creatures and even putting human lives at risk. They’re unseasonably early this year, more of them at one time than we’re used to, and closer in to suburbs. This is just the start of the bushfire season – 80 bushfires destroy more than 30 homes, 130 fires burned over 5,000 hectares in New South Wales - are some of the headlines for October 2023. In this same October suburban homes and gardens were decorated with plastic pumpkins, kilometres of fake white cobweb, plastic skulls and ghosts, and on the night of the 31st small children went trick-or-treating along the streets. Because – it’s the eve of winter, right? The night when the veils are thin and spirits cross to the other side and we all wear masks to either keep us safe, or allow us to cross through those veils and meet with our beloved dead? Wrong. This is not so much a rant about rampant consumerism, the production of yet more plastic junk and the subsequent devastation to our planet – although that as well. And its even less about trying to take away a night of fun and daring, costume and dancing with the unseen that small children might be granted. But it is a rant about what it’s like to live in a part of the world that doesn’t acknowledge its own seasons – the actual weather, time of year, length of

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days and the very real seasonal happenings. So we’ve got it all upside down – still imagining we’re part of those colonial empires that invaded, importing their own culture and doing their best to obliterate the realities of the land and its peoples, even if doing that condemned us all to denying reality for ever onwards. Some of us celebrated Beltaine in amongst the skeletons and fake cobweb. I held a Dinner of Love, others danced through the streets with music and wild costume. And come the solstice – in among the fake snow and the northern hemisphere carols playing on a loop – some of us won’t be heralding the new birth of the sun, but honouring its full power and strength, hoping we and the land survive that. In the southern hemisphere we have no need to be reminded of what’s happening on the other side of the world – Halloween in spring, Christmas at midsummer, even Easter in the middle of autumn – we’re used to all that. It’s almost all we see, shielding our eyes against the reality that surrounds us. But if you live in the northern hemisphere, this is a somewhat riled invitation to remember the other half of the globe. In your awareness, in your magic, even in your social media posts please acknowledge that the world has two seasons, every season, because perhaps if you do that, and validate the reality of the whole of this sacred wheel, we’ll learn to do it ourselves. Jane Meredith is the author of Journey to the Dark Goddess.

Winter Solstice Song Dark Mother Crone,

Demeter, is that You?

Where have You gone?

My Mother’s come, but

It’s cold. And I am all alone.

I will stay right here

The night is long and dark,

Within the long night winter

And I am on My own.

For six months each year

Where have You gone,

I will stay right here,

Dark Mother Crone?

Demeter Dear.

Persephone!

Howl in the night!

I’ll come to take You back home

My roaring wind will cut off

Where the light will be.

Any budding life.

This night is nearly over.

And I will cry.

Give Your hand to Me,

My sleet will coat and bite,

So that You can see,

Suffer cold and blight!

Persephone.

Destroy this night!

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Mother, do not dare!

Mother, Crone, and Maid.

I’ll rise again in spring

The circle turns within us.

With sunlight in my hair,

Never be afraid

Give birth to love and laughter,

Of winter hair and wrinkles.

New life everywhere

Promises She gave—

Mother do not dare,

Youth and age repaid

Oh, do not dare!

Crones will all be maids.

My winter curse is bound.

So give honor to the Crone

But snows will clothe and shelter

At Winter Solstice sisters

Life within the ground.

We are not alone

All trees and seeds will sleep the moon around,

She blankets everyone

And when My curse is done, Awaken with Your sun.

With love and warmth at home. No one is alone. Give honor to the Crone.

Dorothy Abrams

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