Celebration

Mabon, Fall Equinox and a gorgeous giftie just for you.

I love Fall, the colours, it’s as if Nature is getting all dressed up and inviting us to celebrate and appreciate all the gifts and bounty we have received (think fields filled with gorgeous fat orange pumpkins). The smell of the air, and the crispness of the early mornings, the harvest fairs and there is a sense of urgency in the air. For me there is also a melancholy that goes with Fall as I watch the trees release their gorgeous leaves and the ground starting to frost and chill, there is a sense of loss as the snow is coming and the clouds are going to drop down.

Autumnal equinox offers us delicious lessons that run parallel with our lives. Think about it; the first lesson is the balance of the dark with the light. On the equinox night and day are in perfect equal balance and as human beings we are invited to balance our own inner dark and light. Joyce Rupp, a Catholic writer and poet challenges us to befriend our inner darkness: “I gratefully acknowledge how darkness has become less of an enemy for me and more of a place of silent nurturance, where the slow, steady gestation needed for my soul’s growth can occur. Not only is light a welcomed part of my life, but I am also developing a greater understanding of how much I need to befriend my inner darkness.”

Another lesson is that of Impermanence. Spring brought the glorious buds, Summer brought the flowers and expansion and now Autumn brings the leaves falling and bare branches. Things change and they move through their cycles, they don’t stay in one space. Imagine if you were a flower and you had gone through your budding process into your glorious blossoming period and then it was demanded of you that you continually stayed in that state. It isn’t sustainable, you need to be able to turn inward, nourish your roots, cocoon if you will so that you can go into another state of budding and blossoming.

The last lesson I see that autumnal equinox reminds us of is Letting Go. Think of the gorgeous leaves that gently flutter down to the ground. The tree isn’t trying to cling onto them, nor are the leaves struggling to stay where they are, they are gently released and offered back to the earth to nourish the soil. With this we are reminded that fall is a fabulous time for putting down our burdens, for letting go of things that no longer serve us and to get out of our way and allow Spirit/Universe/God to take charge for a while.

(Can you tell I am passionate about Fall and the Equinox!)

So as a birthday gift for you I have created the Mabon Magick Manual. It is packed with information, ideas, rituals and for those of you bold enough – a spell. Before you download, you might want to take a moment to centre, ground and get present. So I have a lovely visualisation for you. Imagine you are a tree!

Sending you huge blessings for a glorious Mabon (Fall Equinox on Monday September 23rd.

Enjoy your Mabon Magick Manual – let me know what you play with!!

Celebrating Imbolc and 10 Easy Rituals to help you tap into the Energy.

Jenny Heston · 1:11 am ·

Let’s talk about Imbolc shall we? Also known as Saint Brigid’s day. (Though you may be scratching your head and asking who she is and why to celebrate this day).

Imbolc is a Celtic fire festival celebrating the emerging life in the world around us as well as the Goddess Brigid who represents the fire of creativity, the protective hearth fire and her fire wheel all of which cleanse and purify. Imbolc is a celebration, because for those of us in the mid winter it promises us emergence, growth, renewal and hope and massive cleansing and purification. Imbolc is also the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox and occurs on February 1st. Okay Jenn, what’s that got to do with me?

Well whether you realise it or not your body is connected to the seasons, to the energy underneath you, around you, above you and in you. Imbolc is one of the seasonal changes on the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel of the Year is more than just the seasonal changes from spring to summer to fall to winter. It also encompasses the 8 holidays, or sabbats. Each of these holidays has its own energy and its own place in the cycle that influences. Imbolc brings us the burgeoning Spring energy that feels like a whisper or a possible promise.

I spent a lot of my younger years being raised on a sheep farm in Yorkshire and holy hannah! Imbolc was present with bells on!! Cow’s udders began to engorge with milk, ready for the first births of spring. The sheep would swell and look like fluffy balloons on toothpicks all waiting to lamb (and if you have never hung out with a lamb you are missing out!) Flowers were popping out on the floor of the copse and this was a time when farmers would prepare their fields for the first sowing and fishermen would return to the sea. All preparing and ready to expand and grow.

Imbolc is “Feile Brighde“, the ‘quickening of the year‘. The original word Imbolg means ‘in the belly’. All is pregnant and expectant – and only just visible if at all, like the gentle curve of a ‘just-showing’ pregnancy. It is the promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of earth awakening and life-force stirring. Here is hope. We welcome the growth of the returning light and witness Life’s insatiable appetite for rebirth.

It is time to let go of the past and to look to the future, clearing out the old, making both outer and inner space for new beginnings. This can be done in numerous ways, from spring cleaning your home to clearing the mind and heart to allow inspiration to enter for the new cycle. It’s a good time for wish-making or making a dedication.

Imbolc is traditionally the great festival and honouring of Brigid (Brighid, Bride, Brigit), so loved as a pagan Goddess that her worship was woven into the Christian church as St Bridget. She is a Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft. She is a Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and of the Hearth. She brings fertility to the land and its people and is closely connected to midwives and new-born babies. She is the Triple Goddess, but at Imbolc she is in her Maiden aspect. Brigid represented the light half of the year, and the power that will bring people from the dark season of winter into spring, her presence was very important at this time of year.

So how to mark or celebrate this day? Easy. Think about it – fire, hearth, growth, cleansing (not that you have to do all of them by any stretch!)

Rituals:

Gather snowdrops if you have them!

Why? These are the first signs of Spring in the bleak of Winter. Their merry bobbly white heads remind us that all things can grow and flourish even if the conditions feel bleak. So pick a posy of snowdrops and put them on your dining room table and breathe in the promise.

Plant seeds!

I love this one, especially when doing it with the kids. Each seed you plant represents a hope or dream, and it really doesn’t matter what seeds you plant. I have planted beans in egg cartons and paper towel with the kids. I have put seeds that need longer to develop into small pots to allow them the growing time that they need before going into the ground. The key is intention and celebration

Make a Brigid cross.

These look like a fire wheel when they are woven, they are traditionally made from reeds, but if that isn’t available to you, use something else, straws, hay, pipe cleaners….. If you have no clue what I am talking about, come have a little looksee here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq0ci42PnLc

Candles

Light a shed ton of candles which represent the the Flame of Brigid and make wishes for your family and friends – the simplest form of candle magic.

Food, glorious food!

Cook a lovely meal, light candles, invite friends and celebrate the days getting longer and all the promises that are burbling in the earth.

Yoga!

In Celtic mythology Brigid was associated with an awakening hibernating serpent which emerged from its lair at Imbolc. Traditionally serpents were associated with creativity and inspiration – the powerful Kundalini energy of the Eastern Mysteries. Paths of earth energy were called serpent paths and at Imbolc they are stirred from their slumber. So stir your body, stretch and offer up in prayer pose what you desire.

Eat Cheese.

Ahhh, but not just any cheese. Eat Ewes milk cheese (and it is very delicious) as this is the beginning of lambing time!

Clean your House! (Seriously)

Start your spring off with a good thorough cleaning, and then follow that up with a spiritual cleansing. (‘Spring cleaning was originally a nature ritual’ – Doreen Valiente). Personally I love putting everything back where it’s meant to be, releasing the stuff that is no longer needed and then washing my floors with an essential oil mix of Rosemary, Geranium, Lemon and Sage. As I wash I invite the energy of cleansing and purification in.

Take a Cleansing Bath or Shower.

Imbolc is known as a time of purification and cleansing. A great way to incorporate this into your magical practice is to take a ritual cleansing bath. The purpose of a ritual cleansing is to not only clean the body, but also to cleanse the mind and soul. It’s a chance to meditate and reflect upon the things you wish to wash away–whether it’s a bad habit, negative feelings, or anything else. Thus, if bathing, pop a container of Epsom Salts in with the essential oils that make you feel cherished and soak. Remember to wash off under the shower with soap afterwards.

If in the shower, mix together sea salt, olive/avocado/sesame oil with the essential oils you love and then scrub yourself and as you do – see it anything that feels murky or mucky or not fitting just drop and disappear down the drain.

Crystals

If you have crystals around, how often do you work with them? When were they last cleansed? Crystals are part of Earth and they loved to be handled and given a purpose. So here are 7 crystals for Imbolc.

Amethyst

Peridot

Moss Agate

Onyx

Selenite

Moonstone

Sunstone

Personally, I put these in a glorious little bag, cleanse them (with sage), bless them and give them the intention of growth, expansion, purification and expansion. I then pop them under my pillow and sleep with them until March 21st (Spring Equinox).

So there we are delicious lovely, rituals that are easy (as ritual shouldn’t be a “To Do”). Wishing you a fantabulous Imbolc and that moment where you tap into your essence and be flooded with Hope, Growth, Expansion, Purification and Planning.

What, Why and How to Celebrate Lammas.

Jenny Heston · 12:00 pm ·

Happy Lammas! (No, not Llamas, there are no llamas here). Also known as Lughnasadh.

What is Lammas and what relevance does it have in my life you may be asking yourself. Firstly, I will say it is a celebration, and who doesn’t need a glorious reason to celebrate!? Secondly, let’s go explore what it is – so are you sitting comfortably? Have a nice cuppa tea to hand, or a cool glass of water? Then let us begin.

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago in the wonderful Gaelic mythological story of the Wheel of the Year, the Sun God (Lugh, Celtic God of Light and the son of the Sun) transfers his power into the grain, and is sacrificed when the grain is harvested. So we have a dying, self-sacrificing and resurrecting god of the harvest, who dies for his people so that they may live. Sound familiar?

The power of the sun goes into the grain as it ripens. It is then harvested and made into the first new bread of the season. This is the Saxon hlaef-masse or loaf-mass, now lammas. Seed grain is also saved for planting for next year’s crop, so the sun god may be seen to rise again in Spring with the new green shoots, as the sun also rises in the sky. There are many traditions and customs all over the country that are still carried out at harvest time today.

So Lammas is the first Harvest Festival of the year, it is a time of awareness that the strength of the Sun (Lugh) is beginning to wane and there is a shift and change afoot. Active growth is slowing down and the darker days of winter and reflection are gently and slowly raising their heads. It happens normally anywhere from July 31st – August 2nd, though some will tell you it can happen between August 1st and September 1st.

“ At Lammas the Goddess is in Her aspect as Grain Mother, Harvest Mother, Harvest Queen, Earth Mother, Ceres and Demeter. Demeter, as Corn Mother, represents the ripe corn of this year’s harvest and Her daughter Kore/Persephone represents the grain – the seed which drops back deep into the dark earth, hidden throughout the winter, and re-appears in the spring as new growth. This is the deep core meaning of Lammas and comes in different guises: it is about the fullness and fulfillment of the present harvest holding at its heart the seed of all future harvest. (It is a fact that a pregnant woman carrying her as yet unborn daughter is also already carrying the ovary containing all the eggs her daughter will ever release – she is already both mother, grandmother and beyond, embodying the great Motherline – pure magic and mystery.)”

So as the grain harvest is gathered in, there is food to feed the community through the winter and within that harvest is the seed of next year’s rebirth, regeneration and harvest. The Grain Mother is ripe and full, heavily pregnant she carries the seed of the new year’s Sun God within her. There is tension here. For the Sun God, the God of the Harvest, the Green Man, or John Barleycorn, surrenders his life with the cutting of the corn.

What are some of the symbols, plants and colours of Lammas you ask?

Green, Gold, Mint and Sunflowers! Mint is one of the revered plants of the Druids and Its magical properties are both protection and healing, and at this stage in the year, its properties of drawing abundance and prosperity, are most appropriate. Why sunflowers? Think about it, we often take sunflowers for granted, yet by this time of year their flower heads are full and heavy with that wonderful spiral of seeds and they spend the whole day gently turning their heads to gaze at the sun. In the Aztec temples of the sun, priestesses carried sunflowers and wore them as crowns. They symbolize the fertility of the Solar Logos.

I found a glorious little ritual for abundance to do on Lammas that you might want to try. (Courtesy of The Goddess and Green Man).

Lammas Charm For Gathering In Abundance

You will need:

A broom or besom. Don’t worry if it isn’t a traditional besom, any broom will do as it is always intent that is important. If you have no broom collect a bundle of twigs and tie them at the top with Lammas ribbon to make a hand broom shape. The besom/broom is a potent symbol of hearth and home, found in some form in almost every household. It is a traditional magical tool useful for everyday charms as it has the imprint of its owner firmly on it. Sweeping is a natural gathering gesture.

Ribbon. A piece of green ribbon (for abundance), a piece of gold ribbon (for prosperity and gathering) or ribbon in Lammas harvest colours would be equally suitable.

A Sprig of Mint. Ideally a sprig of mint from your garden (but you can get this from any supermarket), or dried mint – put it in a pouch. The mint represents abundance and plenty and is easily accessible to the urban hedgewitch.

Take your broom and tie your ribbon around the stave or top. Tie in your sprig of mint or securely fasten your pouch. Take your broom outside, place both hands on the stave and focus on your intention – gathering in your harvest for winter. Turn slowly three times in a clockwise direction then start to sweep towards your door saying:

“By one, two, three and four, sweep Lammas gifts to my door. May abundance be a constant friend, by my hearth till Winter’s end.”

Repeat this three times, then take your besom/broom back into your house and put it in its usual place. You can leave the ribbon on for as long as want to, for a lunar month, or until winter is done. If you have made your own broom you can place it where you consider the heart of your home to be. The mint can be returned to the earth with thanks.

If you do not have an outside space you can sweep from your front door inwards to either your kitchen or hearth using the same charm.

So now you know what Lammas means, why it is celebrated and have a fun and easy ritual to perform to honour it, and bring in abundance. So go grab your broom and start sweeping!

Summer Solstice, Litha, Midsummer’s Eve – What it is and how to celebrate.

Jenny Heston · 2:59 pm ·

What is Summer Solstice you ask and why the heck should I give it any attention? Mighty fine questions, so let’s go for a little explore. Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning Sun and sistere, meaning to come to a stop or stand still. On the day of the June solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position, as seen from the Earth. At that moment, its zenith does not move north or south as during most other days of the year, but it stands still at the Tropic of Cancer. It then reverses its direction and starts moving south again. The opposite happens during the December solstice. Then, the Sun reaches its southernmost position in the sky – Tropic of Capricorn – stands still, and then reverses its direction towards the north.

On a purely factual basis Summer Solstice (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) marks the longest day of the year and the shortest night, it’s the start of the the lazy hazy days of summer. Kids are normally on summer break, families scramble to go on a holiday or camp, and a lot of time is spent soaking up the sun whilst hanging at the beach, playing in the water or hosting a summer bar-b-que. Summer Solstice both ushers in the warmest season and also a gentle reminder that the days are going to get a bit shorter. Even though the days feel longer, more languid and relaxed there is an underlying freneticism of getting outside, celebrating the sun as much as possible, as it will soon be gone. This year Summer Solstice occurs on Thursday June 21st.

Okay, so we have the facts, but what does it all mean? Summer Solstice (also known as Litha, or Midsummer Eve) is all about abundance, growth, expansion. It’s the celebration of the Sun! Think about it, the farmer plants the seeds in the cool of the Spring in the wet ground and as the Summer Solstice approaches things have sprouted and are reaching up as if they are doing a glorious sun salutation. It’s a time to watch the ripening and fruiting of the plants around us and our ideas. This is a delicious inner fire/power celebration that acknowledges the abundance that grows from tiny seeds.

At Stonehenge, (which was built over 5,000 years ago) the heelstone marks the midsummer sunrise as seen from the centre of the stone circle. In ancient times, the Summer Solstice was a fire-festival of great importance when the burning of balefires ritually strengthened the sun. It was often marked with torchlight processions, by flaming tar barrels or by wheels bound with straw, which were set alight and rolled down steep hillsides. The Norse especially loved lengthy processions and would gather together their animals, families and lighted torches and parade through the countryside to the celebration site.

The use of fires, as well as providing magical aid to the sun, were also used to drive out evil and to bring fertility and prosperity to men, crops and herds. Blazing gorse or furze was carried around cattle to prevent disease and misfortune; while people would dance around the balefires or leap through the flames as a purifying or strengthening rite. The Celts would light balefires all over their lands from sunset the night before Midsummer until sunset the next day. Around these flames the festivities would take place.

In Cornwall up to the mid 18th century the number and appearance of fires seen from any given point was used as a form of divination and used to read the future. So as we can see, this celebration has been around for years, upon years and has an intensity and a deliciousness about it.

So now we have facts, the meaning – how does one celebrate it? There is no right or wrong way by any stretch. However, here are a few simple ideas that aren’t overly complex.

Great the rising sun with some crystals. Energy Muse has a nice ritual for this.

Take a moment to offer up a prayer. If you have no clue what to say, here are a few ideas for celebrating Litha.

Move your body. Welcome the sun on this longest day with a couple of sun salutations. This is a simple Yoga flow that requires you just to be present and go as far as your body will allow you to go. If you are unclear as to what it looks like there are some great beginner versions on line and this will give you a glorious full body stretch (in a gentle way).

Make an altar. Pop some seashells, flowers, fruit and dried herbs on it and voila, you have created an altar. It doesn’t have to be big, or front and centre in your living room if that makes people around you uncomfie. Your altar could be those cool rocks you picked up over the last year all gorgeously stacked on your kitchen counter.

Eat outdoors. Whether it is your packed lunch at a park, or a family dinner at the picnic table. Eat outside and breathe in the green, the sun, the connection. Look at the plants that are near you whether they are wild rampant buttercups, or a gorgeous rose whose scent wafts to you on the breeze. Realise everything is connected, people, planets, sun and most certainly you.

Take off your shoes. I’m not saying you have to go barefoot for the whole day, but at some point, take off your shoes, let your toes wiggle in the grass or the dirt and just BE for a few moments.

Get your hands dirty. Plant something and if you try to tell me that it is too late I will call bollocks. It’s a great time to pop in more spinach, Brussel sprouts and a myriad of other things. So take a moment, grab a pack of seeds and as you pop them into a pot or the ground, set an intention.

Fire time. Have a bonfire, or a little fire, and if not a fire, light a candle.

Welcome the water. Get near water, whether it is sitting by a creek, a lake or having a dip in the pool. However, if you are living in a desert this could be a tad tricky, so in that case just pour some water into a little bowl and have it near your fire/candle.

Reset. This is a gorgeous time to use the energy of the Summer Solstice to burn away anything (and I mean anything) that no longer is who you are, or is serving your highest good. One year I had a photo of someone who had been incredibly toxic in my life, but still pulled the strings. So I took the photo, said a blessing, dug a hole and popped the photo in. Lit a fire and felt tons better!

Community. Invite a friend or 15 to celebrate with you. This is a fun celebration and festival and a pivotal time in the year. Invite friends over and have a potluck, a fire, a delightful natter, play music and celebrate your connection with each other.

There you go. You have now celebrated the Summer Solstice.

Wishing you glorious fires, connection, abundance and most of all fun!

Seriously, who doesn’t want to celebrate Spring? Why and how to celebrate.

Jenny Heston · 1:00 am ·

Seriously, have to ask – who doesn’t want to celebrate Spring? As a kid Spring time was filled with woodland flowers and baby lambs popping out everywhere and bouncing like mad fiends over the grass. Thus, I think that really nailed down the fact that I love Spring Equinox!

After a long (this one especially) winter, the idea, the knowing and the full Trust that Spring is going to come is amazing. To me it is about NEW. New plants, new ideas, new ways of moving in the world and releasing the blaugh. Spring Equinox (also known as Ostara), after the goddess Eostre is a fertility holiday, which celebrates the resurgence of life with such symbols as rabbits, cute little chicks and lambs (seeing any similarity to Easter symbols?)

Spring Equinox is the second of the four “sky points” in the Wheel of the Year, and is a time of balance, it is when the sun does a perfect balancing act in the heavens. In other words, the sun rises exactly in the East, travels through the sky for 12 hours and sets exactly in the West. Thus, all over the world, day and night are of equal length. For us in the Northern Hemisphere we know from this moment forth there will be more light than there is darkness, and growth will reign triumphant over death. (For those in the Southern Hemisphere it is Fall Equinox, a time of harvest and getting ready for Winter and a gentle letting go of the light to fold in and cocoon).

This is a time when the goddess is the Maiden in all her youthful glory, the god is reaching manhood, and energy abounds. So why not tap into that energy to bring the light into your own darkness, if you have any? For example spring cleaning is not just about your home, it’s about removing old or negative energies accumulated over the dark winter months to prepare you for glorious growth. It’s about planting seeds of intention, seeds of growth, seeds of food – it’s about shedding that heavy winter coat and picking up something a tad lighter and a bit more fun.

If we were to look through multiple cultures Spring Equinox has, and is, a glorious time of welcoming in the light, celebrating the rebirth or creation of new things, planting seeds and releasing the old, worn and tired.

For example, there is the story of the Roman god Mithras, which is similar to the tale of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. “ Born at the winter solstice and resurrected in the spring, Mithras helped his followers ascend to the realm of light after death. In one legend, Mithras, who was popular amongst members of the Roman military, was ordered by the Sun to sacrifice a white bull. He reluctantly obeyed, but at the moment when his knife entered the creature’s body, a miracle took place. The bull turned into the moon, and Mithras’ cloak became the night sky. Where the bull’s blood fell, flowers grew, and stalks of grain sprouted from its tail.”

In the Mayan culture, at Chichen Itza, spring equinox is most certainly celebrated (I have been there for this, very cool!) It’s called – The Snake of Sunlight “A famous ancient equinox celebration was the Mayan sacrificial ritual by the main pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico. The pyramid, known as El Castillo, has 4 staircases running from the top to the bottom of the pyramid’s faces, notorious for the bloody human sacrifices that used to take place here. The staircases are built at a carefully calculated angle which makes it look like an enormous snake of sunlight slithers down the stairs on the day of the equinox.” (Having been there, very cool).

Last but not least let’s look at the Iranian New Year, which is called No-Rooz, and happens at exactly the same time. Again, spring cleaning occurs and an altar is set up “Iranians consider No-Rooz as their biggest celebration of the year, before the new year, they start cleaning their houses (Khaane Tekaani), and they buy new clothes. But a major part of New Year rituals is setting the “Haft Seen” with seven specific items. In ancient times each of the items corresponded to one of the seven creations and the seven holy immortals protecting them. Today they are changed and modified but some have kept their symbolism. All the seven items start with the letter “S”; this was not the order in ancient times. These seven things usually are: Seeb (apple), Sabze (green grass), Serke (vinager), Samanoo (a meal made out of wheat), Senjed (a special kind of berry), Sekke (coin), and Seer (garlic). Sometimes instead of Serke they put Somagh (sumak, an Iranian spice). Zoroastrians today do not have the seven “S”s but they have the ritual of growing seven seeds as a reminder that this is the seventh feast of creation, while their sprouting into new growth symbolized resurrection and eternal life to come. “

So in my world, no matter where you are on this planet – equinox time is about balance & harmony. Also, celebration! So whether you just take a moment to light a candle and say thanks, go kite flying, gift a friend with a crystal (I highly recommend Aventurine, Carnelian, Peridot or Sunstone), buy yourself some spring flowers and pop them where you can see them, light a fire and have friends over for a celebration, it doesn’t matter. But I do invite you to do something, even if it is just writing with a Sharpie on an egg! Here is an Equinox ritual to perform, either on your own or with others to acknowledge this time.

For me personally; I am celebrating with my kids, a glorious feast, the ritual above, and painting my toe nails Spring colours. Oh yes, I have bought some deep purple tulips for the dining room table and have candles galore!

So how are you going to celebrate?

Celebration

jennyheston

Release Anxiety And Claim Your Power