‘The season of limits.’   Merry Meet. There is a poem that has been part of my Mabon ritual since I came across it about six years ago. It touched me deeply, and has come to be even more meaningful as I move into the autumn of my life. At 60, I am claiming the title of crone this Mabon, and I find that Patricia Monaghan’s words apply to the circle of my life as well to the wheel of the year. I share them with you in the hopes you’ll find a phrase or more that speaks to you as the seasons change and you celebrate the coming of…

  Field, Forest and farm Merry meet!  Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals of the year – the witch’s Thanksgiving – and one I find among the easiest for which to decorate. Walks in fields, forests and farms provide everything a well-dressed altar could need. Apples, for instance. There’s a wild apple tree growing by the lower parking lot at my office. Apples can be turned into candle holders for tapers, tea lights or votives. Sliced into thin horizontal circles, dipped in lemon juice and dried in the oven, apples can be strung to make garlands and wreaths.  Peeled, carved and dried, they make shrunken crone faces for…

Flower Power       Merry meet! I have been using flower essences for several years, but this is the first year I made my own – to save money, as well as to enjoy the process. I began with research and putting together a plan. Since my one rose bush was done blooming and my snapdragons were yet to be out in force, when I happened upon a stand of moonbeam coreopsis as part of the landscape in a nearby building, I decided to start with that. It turns out it was just what I needed. I found that the flowers offers deep healing and recuperation from post-operative, emotional,…

Gratitude ritual Merry Meet. Astrological Lughnasadh occurs this year on August 8, as does the cross quarter date. That means if August 1 came and went without an opportunity for a ritual, you still have time to celebrate the first harvest – literally and figuratively. Two days later is a super full moon in Aquarius. On full moons, I like to give thanks for the abundance and blessings in my life. We are so quick to ask for what it is we need, want and desire, I think we sometimes forget to give equal time to rituals of gratitude and celebrating the gifts we have received. Remember, what has become…

Witch bottles   Merry Meet This month’s craft is a magical tool that is centuries old: a witch bottle. It protects the witch from malicious witchcraft and sorcery – as well as from evil and harm. For this you will need small, squat glass jar with a lid that’s perhaps the size of a baby food jar. Assemble a collection of sharp objects, preferably rusty, such as nails, razor blades and bent pins. Shards of broken glass, burrs and thorns are also good. Their purpose is to deflect ill fortune and bad luck. You’ll also need sea salt, a red string or ribbon, and black candle. Fill the jar about…

Stones   A popular form of divination is runes. It is a set of ancient Germanic letters or inscriptions that legend says came to the Norse god Odin, a relentless seeker of knowledge and wisdom. It is said that he pierced himself with his spear and hung from a branch of Yggdrasil, the World Tree at the center of the Norse cosmos, for nine days and nights, sacrificing himself for the knowledge of the runes, which was revealed to him. He passed on the knowledge to Freya. Heimdall, the god who guards the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to man. Runes are an oracle that can be consulted for advice.…

Happy trails Merry Meet. Summer brings vacations and vacations bring travel. Whether you’re traveling by car, bus, boat or plane, bring along a protection charm or mojo bag. It can hang in your vehicle, be tucked into a pocket or kept in your luggage and then moved into your home away from home. There are many spells and charms available in books and online you can copy, blend and modify, so I encourage you to make something that is meaningful to you. In a small cloth bag, place a few herbs, items, icons and symbols. Choose items that speak to you. Items that bring a sense of safety, protection and…

Corn dolls and smudge sticks   This month I hope to inspire you to plan a craft for Lughnasadh. It’s still a month away, which gives you plenty of time to decide what you want to do and to collect up supplies. Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas) is the first of the three harvest festivals. Where I live in central Connecticut, corn is in season, making cornhusk dolls an easy choice. There are many directions available online, some of which I tried to follow before getting confident enough to just wing it. So think about following along for a bit, then just doing your own thing. I can generally make…

“Here Comes the Sun” Merry Meet. June brings us in the Northern Hemisphere the summer solstice, also known as Litha and midsummer. It’s one of the four solar festivals. It’s the day with the most time between sunrise and sunset – even if it is just seconds different from the day or two before and after. For thousands of years, this is the time people have honored the Sun God with bonfires, feasts, torchlight parades, games and other celebrations.  One tradition to rise early and greet the sunrise. Another common tradition is to light a candle and keep it going the entire day, especially if it’s cloudy or raining. While…

Rethinking Tools Witches are typically pictured with a cauldron or a besom – or both. That’s because a cast iron cooking pot and a broom were ordinary household objects, safe to be seen with when it wasn’t safe to be a witch. The same goes pretty much for all tools used in witchcraft – which shows that you can use objects you have on hand in magical ways. The cauldron is a symbol of transformation, wisdom and the womb. To my knowledge, a cauldron is always cast iron – the witch’s metal, having strong protective powers – but there is no requirement that it have three legs and rounded sides…