Author: A Solitary Pagan
Winter Solstice Rituals
Rituals are like theatrical plays or operas. With the passage of time, their content is continuously reinterpreted and imbued with contemporary meaning. Rituals are ideal surfaces for projection. They consist of symbols that are interpreted unconsciously or personally. Christmas is such a ritual. The way we celebrate it remains constant; individual approaches and interpretations, on the other hand...
Symbolic Meaning of Christmas Plants
The symbolic meaning of Christmas plants opens up to us a new perspective on cultures and customs of times long past: the mythical wild hunt of Germanic and Nordic origin, the Julbock and the feast of lights from the north of Scandinavia, the celebration of Saturnalia from the Mediterranean, ancient rituals commemorating the rebirth of the sun, and a tradition of protection against witchcraft from...
Winter Solstice Season
Throughout the season runs evidence of a very rich Christmas ethnobotany, with ancient traces we will follow to their roots in this book. During this excursion into the past, we will learn much about Christmas trees and Christmas greens; about Christmas spices, scents, and incense; about protective rituals that have survived until modern times. The mythology of plants leads us to the origins of th...
Craft: Distaff Tree
The word distaff means “fiber stick.” Thus, the Old Norse dísir and Old English idises, tutelary spirits who presided over the birth of a child, determined the length, thickness, and overall quality of the thread that was to be that child’s lifespan, just like the fairies in “Sleeping Beauty.” The most primitive kind of distaff is, indeed, a stick. It should be long enough that the spinner can hol...
The New Moon
The new moon is often regarded as a significant moment for reflection and intention-setting. This phase is associated with a pause in the lunar cycle, providing an opportunity to consider recurring patterns and relationships in life. Many find it helpful to examine which situations or emotions tend to reappear, and whether there are lessons that remain unresolved. The darkness of the new moon is s...
Super Blue Moon
The Moon plays a significant role in life on Earth. Its gravitational pull not only affects the planet’s movement around the Sun, but also influences natural phenomena such as ocean tides. Humans, with bodies composed of approximately 60% to 70% water, are also affected by these lunar cycles. During the Full Moon, these effects can be observed internally, often amplifying our emotions and intuitiv...
THE MOON SIGN
In astrology, the Moon sign is a fundamental aspect of your natal chart, representing your emotional core and the instinctive responses that shape your inner world. While your Sun sign reflects your outward personality and conscious self, the Moon sign reveals the hidden layers of your psyche—your deepest needs, subconscious motivations, and the way you process feelings. The Moon moves quickly thr...
Blessed New Moon
Human experience is often shaped by our psychological state, which can sometimes overshadow our connection to the natural elements that form the foundation of our existence. When this connection is diminished, the potential within the human system may also be reduced. The physical body is composed of the five elements of nature: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Space. Among these, the Earth element is...
Blessed Mabon
With the Sun crossing the celestial equator and going south, it’s time to welcome the autumn season with the arrival of the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere. A time when day and night are of equal length, Mabon (one of the eight Wiccan sabbats) celebrates the Autumnal equinox – marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall. It is a point from where we head into the dark half ...
Palmistry: The letter M
DO YOU HAVE THE LETTER M IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND? Palmistry is an ancient method of predicting the future and interpreting a person’s personality from the pattern of the lines of the hands. Sometimes these lines can form even numbers and letters. One of these letters may be the letter M, the meaning of which has been investigated by many mystics. As many believe, the lines on the palm revea...
Frau Holle
Also running amok was Berchta’s more northerly incarnation, Frau Holle, who used to take charge of all infants who died before they could be baptized. The stubbled fields over which the broomstick-mounted Frau Holle and her adopted children flew at Christmastime would be especially bountiful at the next harvest, but if you looked up at the flight of spirits as they passed overhead, you would be st...
The Salige Fräuleins
In the Alps of the same century, a visit from the Salige Fräuleins (“Blessed Young Ladies”), who came at night to sample food offerings left on the table, was announced by softer bee-like music than the one Hans Buchmann heard. These Blessed Ones, as they are also called, would eventually make themselves over as the Christ Child’s retinue and replace the humming with the tinkling of a tiny clapper...