Category Archives: Secrets of the Trees

Imbolc

Merry meet all,

Happy Imbolc! The first spring Sabbat is finally here! The snow still blankets the earth and the cold nip is in the air. But we are getting closer to spring. Now is the time to peruse seed catalogs. I am already dreaming of what I want to grow in my garden this summer. 

I attended a public ritual the other night. The Imbolc Ritual coincided with the Interfaith Harmony week. A Druid coven also attended the Ritual. I believed the Ritual to be very powerful and emotive. I wish I knew how to utter so fluently in other languages. That is something I just have to master. 

I plan to start plants from seed this week. I want to grow pumpkins (but seriously, wish me luck), tomatoes, cucumbers, dill, amaranth, popcorn (yes, you read that right), mustard seed, purple beans, purple coneflower. I still have seeds saved from last year. Oh this should be fun. I have soil and I need starter trays. My cat can’t get up on the counter. I plan to start my seeds there. The sun will give the starter seeds the light they need. I can’t wait to order mugwort, mandrake, and sage seeds and moonwort. I can’t wait to get them in the mail. I am just as eager to put  my plants out that I have overwintered, such as my ginger, geranium, catnip. I am still fussy about the seeds being natural, otherwise not coated in nasty chemicals. I try to get organic seeds and thankfully, Annapolis Seeds does carry organic seeds. I miss my garden so much. 

You can tell I am eager for spring to arrive. Imbolc brings out my creative side something fierce. I can’t help it. Brigid truly is one of my patron deities. I filled the feeder up with seed. The birds visit the feeder. I saved them from starvation. 

I hope you all have fun planning your garden and ordering seeds. Are any of you ordering witchy seeds? Let me know in the comments below. Happy Imbolc! Happy seed planting. 

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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Secrets of the Trees

Merry Meet All,

Wasps are buzzing by the window and the wind is rustling in the trees. The harvest season is upon us. I bought a pumpkin yesterday and enjoyed a savoury bowl of squash soup. This is the time to honour the earth for the bounty it offers us. The leaves are turning those cherished shades of gold and crimson. This is the time for long walks in the woods when the wind is strong. Let the wind blow your aura clear, refreshing you. Listen to the voice of the Green Man in the trees. Gather acorns and seeds and colourful leaves to press in a book.

I love trees. Where I live, I have a lovely graceful birch tree outside my window. It shelters insects, birds, and protects wildlife and homes. The beautiful tree is a symbol to me of endurance and strength. The birch tree has been graced by sparrows, chickadees, cats, and squirrels.

When I lived at home, we had a lovely old large maple tree in our backyard. We added an apple and cherry tree but the maple tree, to me, was incomparable. It graced the far left corner of the garden. The tree stood up to many storms and withstood the test of time. Every fall was a treat, as colourful leaves would spill down on the lawn. I used to sit beneath the tree and be lost to dreams.

Magickal Powers of Trees
Apple trees: Healing, prosperity, love, and youth
Ash: Protection
Birch: Protection, purification, fertility, renewal
Elder: Healing, protection, prosperity
Elm: Protection
Hawthorn: Cleansing, marriage, protection
Maple: Divination, love
Oak: Healing, strength, longevity

Celtic Tree Lore
The Oak Tree- Duir- June
The Oak tree was revered by the Druids. It is known as the King of the Forest. It represents the Oak King in Pagan, Wiccan, and Druid lore. The Oak King rules from Yule to Midsummer. The Druids believed that dryads, or wizened old men, lived in the trees. The wood of the oak tree was seldom wasted: the wood is used for wands, medicine, and for Yule logs.

If you listen closely, as you sit outside, you can hear the faeries and dryads whispering to you. They may share warnings, lore, or magic. I hear the whisperings in the wind. I have been told the same from other people so it is not just me. If you are sensitive, or psychic, or a witch, or both, and you listen hard enough, you may hear them too. Remember that tiny acorns bloom into mighty oaks.

October 20th is the frost date. Be sure to gather your herbs, fruits, and vegetables before the frost.

Have a wonderful Fall season
Blessings,
Lady Spiderwitch

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