Category Archives: Beltaine

March 28, 2020 · 12:44 am

Social Media and our Health

Merry meet all,

I think we’re in the midst of a Stephen King movie. It sure feels that way. I just washed my dishes, swept and washed my floors. My place feels so clean!! My cat is siting on the floor near me. She is giving me THE LOOK!! anyone who has a cat knows that look. It means… serve me now, human. 

While you are all in self-isolation, what are you doing with your time? I am taking this time to catch up on projects I have been meaning to do for a while. I just bought a sewing machine. I have projects to complete so that will be fun. Nothing makes me feel better than finishing something. I plan to do a lot of cooking too. I want to use up the food I have before it spoils. I made vegetarian chili for supper tonight. Yum!

I hope my seeds come up soon. Every day for a week I have checked and there’s been no sign. I have to be patient. I also have writing projects to finish. Wow me bored? Naw. 

How are you all going to spend your time? Well I can make a few suggestions.

Spring clean, prepare for Beltane, sort out your unwanted items and have them ready to donate them later, clean your pantry, clean the litter box, see? There are things to do. We can all still practice our Craft. 

To stay sane in this troubled time, my best suggestions is to avoid bad news. Yes this means the news on social media. I know how attached you all are to your laptops, phones and tablets. But I know I feel a lot better avoiding Facebook mostly and instead posting cute cat pics on Instagram. I live with severe anxiety so I have to avoid bad news. That bad news can be anything but if it was serious enough, then by all means read it. Then you can just send the bad energy away. Like you are blowing out a candle and you see the smoke fade away? That’s sort of a similar idea here. You don’t have to follow all the news. It fills your head with nasty unpleasant negative energy. Is that what you really want? 

Essential oils carry naturally antiseptic, antiviral, and cleansing properties. The best oils to use to disinfect a working space if you work from home or are at work are lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, and tea tree oil. Don’t ingest them or rub them on your skin. However, you can dampen a paper towel and use a diluted essential oil in water to clean a desk. The regular cleansers they sell in stores contain toxic chemicals. So I prefer to use essential oils and they smell great!!! 

Essential oils can be used in diffusers as well to clear a room of negative energy, rid a room of a bad smell or relax you. So it may be wise to invest in a few. Just be sure to pay a reasonable price!

Please do protect yourselves and your loved ones. 

Stay safe, everyone. Blessings and health wishes to you all,

Spiderwitch

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May 3, 2013 · 12:11 pm

Spring Sprouts

Merry Meet All,

Today I can see sprouts pushing up in the soil in my seed trays. It’s fun to watch them grow. The sun is shining hard and birds chirp outside. The bright blue sky beckons me outdoors. I will answer this call, this morning is too beautiful to be stuck indoors.

I know you all had a fun Beltaine. I will be posting more here about growing our beloved organic flowers, veggies, and herbs so stay posted.

On May 10, a solar eclipse will ignite the sky. On May 13, the Celtic Tree month of Hawthorn begins. May 25 is the Full Flower Moon, a good time to ask the lunar goddesses to bless the seedlings you are growing. That is a lot to look forward to.

I wish you all a Merry Beltaine!
Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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April 29, 2013 · 2:30 pm

Beltaine Lore

Merry Meet All,

Beltaine is tomorrow. April gives way to a fertile earth. The songbirds fill the air with their songs and grass turns green. Beltaine is here!

The deities of Beltaine are: Pan (Greek). This agricultural god watched over shepherds and their flocks. He roamed the woods and pastures and played tunes on his flute. He appears like a faun, and is often honoured as a fertility god.

Flora (Roman): The goddess of spring and flowers was celebrated annually from April 28 to May 3rd. The Romans wore bright robes and floral wreaths, and attended festivals in her honour. They offered milk and honey to the Goddess.

Let’s not forget the Fae. Leave an offering in your garden to welcome them back to guard and nurture your garden to grow. Hang a garland of green over your door for protection. Collect some morning dew on the morning of Beltaine. Use the dew to clean your face, and in ritual as consecrated water, to invoke the goddesses Diana and Artemis. Bake oatcakes to ensure you will have abundance of your crops for the year.

Merry Beltaine

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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April 25, 2013 · 2:07 pm

Beltaine- Solitary Ritual

Merry Meet All,

Beltaine is about the stirring of the green earth. The earth awakens and green sprouts push out from the soil. This ritual is fun to do. Just be sure to check the frost date in your area and be certain that the frost date is passed for this ritual, which is best performed outdoors.

You will need the following: seed packets, or seedlings, water, soil, gardening tools, tea, incense.

To begin, enjoy a cup of herbal tea and light some corresponding incense. Stick the end of the incense into the soil. Rain incense or patchouli or lavender incense would be appropriate. Prepare the soil for planting. Mulch, water and fertilize your soil. Loosen the soil to allow room for the roots.

Say a prayer to the God and Goddess. Also, invite the faeries to bless your garden. Now you can plant the seeds or seedlings. Get in touch with the soil again. Smell and feel the texture of the soil. As you place each seed in the ground, offer a blessing, such as:

May this soil be blessed in the womb of the earth,
Grow fruitful and full to bring forth the harvest
anew.
Cernunnos, bless this seed. Blessed Be.

Cover the seeds or seedlings with soil. Add compost tea, compost, or mulch to fertilize and add nutrients. Put earthworms back in the soil and remember that without insects, beneficial insects, there would be no plants. Do not add hazardous pesticides to your garden. That kills off the beneficial and predatory insects that feed on the pests. It also affects your crop by leeching into the plants you want to grow. Opting for an organic method benefits all. Healthy plants are naturally resistant to disease and pests.

Water the plants and thank the deities/ God and Goddess one final time. Say aloud:

Hail Cernunnos! God of fertility!
We honor you by planting these seeds
I ask your blessing for fertile soil and plants
Hail, Cerunnnon, master of the earth!

Once you are done, remain a moment and meditate on what you have accomplished. Know that now the fruit, herbs and vegetables, whether planted in the soil or container grown, are now about to bloom. Tidy up the weeds and old plants. Leave a crystal or milk and honey as a libation to the garden and the God and Goddess.

My article on thyme is to be published in Essential Herbal magazine this summer. I had an article on Wildcrafting Herbs with intent published in the May/June issue of Essential Herbal magazine this spring. You can click on the link here:

http://www.essentialherbal.com/index.php

Thyme is a beautiful and multipurpose herb that no gardener should be without. I am also having my article on Odin and Gandalf printed in the upcoming next issue of Eternal Haunted Summer Ezine. Here is the link: http://eternalhauntedsummer.com/

Enjoy Beltaine!

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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April 19, 2013 · 11:20 am

Spring Sprouts

Merry Meet All,

Beltaine is coming! Before you know it, you will all be dancing round the Maypole!! I bet you’re all excited. I will have lots of fun stuff here so you will be prepared for Beltaine. Beltaine is the third spring Sabbat in the Wheel of the Year.

I heard of a way to grow carrots. Or, rather, the carrot tops. You need the carrot top (without the leaves), and it should be one inch in size. Cut the carrot top off and place it in a bowl full of water. Push two toothpicks into either side of the carrot and suspend the carrot top just above the water in the bowl. Place the bowl on a sunny windowsill. Soon you will have nice green carrot tops growing. I plan to feed the carrot tops to my pet guinea pig, Magic. He will love that. I plan to grow carrots and peas in containers indoors as well. The slugs eat everything in sight.

My potted garlic is growing well. Graceful, long shoots are growing from the garlic bulb. I spotted tulips, my bugleweed and woodruff, chives, are coming up in my garden. Each passing day, it becomes more spring. This is an exciting time.

Stay posted, as I will be posting more about Beltaine.

Plants in photo: From left to right, garlic, orchid plant, tomato sprout begun from seed, umbrella plant, and carrot

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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Filed under Beltaine, carrot tops, container gardening, earth, gardening, spring

March 17, 2013 · 3:31 pm

Spring into Ostara

Merry Meet All,

Spring Equinox is around the corner? Can you feel it in the air? I hope you are all prepared and have been reading the blog posts here to excite you about Ostara!

I found a beautiful green altar cloth fabric at the local fabric store on discount. The fabric is green, covered with lots of tiny green and white flowers. The fabric is made of either crepe or georgette. I think it will be perfect once I dress and cleanse my altar. I found rabbit candleholders made of coloured glass with spring coloured candles at the thrift store. I do plan to use those for the ritual. I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw them. Gifts come to you when you’re not looking for them. Keep your eyes peeled for some treasures for your own altars.

My essay The Fires of Beltaine will be published in the upcoming Spring Equinox issue of Eternal Haunted Summer. Here is the link: http://eternalhauntedsummer.com/. I hope you find it entertaining and worth reading.

March 27 is the Full Moon. This can be a good time to cast away winter and embrace spring. Storm Moon is the folkloric name for the full moon. This would be a good time for a strong ritual to clear away what does not serve you and reflect on your goals for the rest of the year.

There is lots to look forward to. I wish you all a merry Ostara!!

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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Filed under Beltaine, Eternal Haunted Summer, Ostara, spring, storm moon, treats, winter