The Song of Wandering Aengus by W.B. YeatsI went out to the hazel wood,Because a fire was in my head,And cut and peeled a hazel wand,And hooked a berry to a thread;And when white moths were on the wing,And moth-like stars were flickering out,I dropped the berry in a streamAnd caught a little silver trout. … Read more
In some mysterious way, woods have never seemed to me to be static things. In physical terms, I move through them; yet in metaphysical ones, they seem to move through me.— John FowlesThe daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere slowly, almost imperceptibly, grow longer. But the Moon now fades, and we move towards Her dark … Read more
Take out, then take in Bad luck will begin. Take in, then take out Good luck comes about. As the most wonderful Priestess of Time , Waverly FitzGerald tells us, “Everything you do on this day has magical implications for the coming year. So don’t take anything out (not even the trash), and don’t lend … Read more
Blessings of the Triple Goddess © Mickie MuellerTriple Solstice Goddess (To the tune of We Three Kings,words by Lunaea Weatherstone,with her kind permission) Goddesses of Solstice are weBringers of the star and the treeMaiden, Mother, Crone uncoverWinter’s deep mystery… CHORUS:Oh…time of wisdom, time of sightTime of winter’s darkest nightGoddess hold me, love enfold meOpen me … Read more
Yule Blessings! Happy Winter Solstice!Hail to the returning Sun.We drink to the Old Gods.To the Holly, to the Oak, and Lady.A Merry Yule to all!— A very old Yuletide toast,from the lore of my dear magical sister Alruna The Shortest Day By Susan Cooper(author of The Dark is Rising) And so the Shortest Day came … Read more
This is the Eve of the Winter Solstice. This is the great celebration of Mother Night. As far as we know, our ancestors did not have atomic clocks or satellites to help them dissect Time to the nanosecond. Instead, they had to figure by their keen observation, by dead reckoning, by the plants and animals, … Read more
Groundless hope, like unconditional love, is probably the only kind that counts. — John Perry Barlow A BRIEF FOR THE DEFENSEby Jack Gilbert Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies are not starving someplace, they are starving somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils. But we enjoy our lives because that’s what God wants. Otherwise the … Read more
Halcyon days, now wars are ending.You shall find where-e’er you sailTritons all the while attending With a kind and gentle gale. — Halcyon Days by Thomas Shadwell (1642 – 1692) Winter Solstice draws near, and we enter into the Time Out of Time. Once upon a time, Alcyone (also called Halcyon) was the daughter of … Read more
O Yuletide Tree, O Yuletide TreeEvergreen and fragrantO Yuletide Tree, O Yuletide TreeEvergreen and fragrantWe bring you in our home to beA sign of life’s eternityO Yuletide Tree, O Yuletide TreeForever green and lovely. Evergreens have long been part of Winter Solstice celebrations. The evergreen trees, such as fir, pine and cedar or juniper, keep … Read more
O Christmas Tree © Rachel Cochrane Pagans sing, are you listenin’,Altar’s set, candles glisten,It’s a Magickal night, we’re having tonight,Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland. Blades held high, censer smoking,God and Goddess, we’re invoking,Through Elements Five, we celebrate life,Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland. In a Circle we can light a Yule Fire,And await the rising of … Read more