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I’ll be sharing a spirit animal painting and message from my Elfin Ally Oracle Deck picked especially for the zodiac sign that Mama Moon is currently transiting. Enjoy!
Kingfisher Keyword: Awake
Meaning: You have a calling. What is it? Allow your inner compass to guide you to the answer.
Reversed: Noise and confusion disrupt your peace of mind.
Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, February 18th begins the time of the ash tree and its ogham character Nion. While the tree calendar is a modern construct, it holds meaning because of the concepts it has come to symbolize and the significance it has for twenty-first century magic, ritual, and everyday life.
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Really, in the long history of human religion, the Pagan Revival has got to be one of the most surprising—and unforeseen—developments of all.
One of the things that's most amazing about it is that, as a mass movement, the Revival Paganisms are largely composed of—and driven by—individual choices made by isolated individuals across the world.
Without benefit (for the most part) of personal or social pressure, people have again and again thought—and felt—their way back into the Old Ways. One by one, we look at ourselves and we say: I am pagan. Every day, it happens again. It's happening to someone even as you read this.
In the history of human religion, such a thing is utterly unprecedented.
Here on the blog, I’ll be sharing a spirit animal painting and message from my Elfin Ally Oracle Deck picked especially for the zodiac sign that Mama Moon is currently transiting. Enjoy!
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The crown of candles sits on the table by the door. I see it every time that I come into the house.
On Bridey's Eve, it graced a sacred head. The tall white candles bathed her in warm light, the leaves of its wreath crisply green against the white of her veil.
That was thirteen nights gone. Now the brittle leaves crumble as I unwrap the gold ribbon that holds them to the crown. The ribbon goes back onto its spool; the leaves I will strew in the snowy garden, to nourish another harvest.
The candles, half-burned, go into the chandelier in the temple, where they will light our next rite.
The crown, denuded, returns to its peg in temple storage, to await the coming of another February.
More than 300 years ago, Robert Herrick wrote in his poem "Candlemas Eve":
If you’re familiar with household folklore and traditions, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a lot of concern about housefires. While fire was a necessary element for survival – keeping warm, cooking food, boiling water to make it safe to drink and clean wounds with – it was also a hazard, especially in homes made of wood and thatch. Lightning could strike during a storm, and the roof would be set ablaze. An accident or malfunction could happen in the hearth, and the house would be consumed from within. Loss of a home spelled disaster, just as it does today, although fire codes and emergency response units have reduced risks for many of us.
Many household spirits were associated with fire. The German kobold is one example. Kobolds, like alps, were often described as fiery spirits that dwelled near or within the stove and, if they were treated poorly, could cause housefires in vengeance. Feeding the kobold regularly, refraining from speaking ill of him, and keeping the house clean and tidy were good ways to keep him happy and supportive of the household.
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Title: Dead Witch on a Bridge (Witches of Sonoma Book One)
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