The new premises of Mrs Darley's Herbal shop in Bewdley Museum Worcestershire is now open for business. A range of herbal tisanes, exquisite teas from around the world, tea ware, natural facial & body care, remedies, mood enhancers, incense & Pagan gifts are all available. Or visit the on-line shop at www.arcanus.co.uk/shop.php
Three of the Mrs Darley series of books are now available on Kindle - Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers/Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries/ Mrs Darley's Healing Wisdom.
Spring Blessings to all.

Golden October

October is a month of contrasts, beautifully warm days with a dusting of frost to begin and end. The month begins with green leaves and ends with the forest floor covered in a blanket of gold. Christmas goods may be in the shops but for those who follow the seasonal wheel, the most important event in the Pagan calendar happens this month- that of Samhain. Here the end of the old and the beginning of the new is celebrated and those who have gone before are honoured and remembered as remnants of their wisdom are recalled in the flames of the Samhain fire.
In the heavens this month we have a treasure trove of meteor showers, beginning with the Draconids on the 8th and 9th in the North West after midnight. It is a sparse shower however with around 10 meteors per hour. On the 21 and 22 the Orinoids shower us with around 20 meteors per hour of yellow and green fireballs and is best viewed in the east after midnight. On the 29 Uranus is at its closest approach to earth and can be seen all night due south.
For more information on the festivals Read 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers', visit 'Mrs Darley's Herbal' shop in Bewdley Museum, Worcestershire, or visit www.arcanus.co.uk for courses and workshops.

Plough Monday

The Monday following Twelfth Night was known as 'Plough Monday', as this was the time that farmers returned to work and the winter ploughing began. In actual fact very little ploughing was done and instead, the plough was dressed in ribbons and dragged around the streets, accompanied by people dressed up as goblins and witches and a man dressed as a woman who was referred to as a Betsy, Molly or Bessie.

The owners of the plough would ask for money from passers by and anyone who refused to donate would be at risk of having their garden ploughed up. Before the time of the reformation the money collected, was used to purchase a large candle known as the 'Plough Light', which burned on the church altar in order to bring good ploughing weather, a fruitful harvest and protection for the farmers.

These traditions stem back to Pagan times where sacrifices were made to the old Gods in exchange for a blessing before the new agricultural season began.

The Ondine

Autumn is the season of water and symbollically is associated with maturity and a quietening of the spirit. It is protected by the Ondine, a fairy like creature who makes its abode in pools and waterfalls.

These enchanting creatures are born with the gift of eternal life but do not possess a soul and can only acquire one by marrying a human and bearing his child. In exchange for a soul the ondine loses the gift of eternal life.

Read about 'Ondine's Curse' in the next blog.

The Yew

Beneath the yew, beside the stream

Lies the land of long lost dreams,

Where through the mists of yesterday,

The lore of magic still holds sway.

Where naiads sing and ondines dance,

The human soul becomes entranced.

Beneath the yew, Beside the stream,

Lies the land Of long lost dreams

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements' by Carole Carlton

Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements

My third book in the Mrs Darley series is out on the 6th July, entitled 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements', a description of which is given below:

'If you have ever entered into a raging sea, warmed your hands by a mid-winter fire, planted fragile seedlings in the rich, dark, earth or balanced precariously on the edge of the wind, then you will understand the magical power of the elements that bless our natural world. To have an understanding of the four classic elements of air, fire, water and earth is to have an appreciation of what is necessary in order to survive on our beautiful planet. To have an understanding of the mysterious fifth elements of ether or Divine Spirit is to have an understanding of the sanctity of life. This book is a celebration through poetry and prose of these sacred elements and the way in which they shape our lives. Throughout the book the wise Mrs Darley and a selection of her intriguing friends share their knowledge and often unworldly experiences with the author as she continues to journey along her own spiritual path'.

The book can be pre ordered from Amazon details are as follows:

Title: Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements

Author: Carole Carlton

Publisher: Mirage Publishing

ISBN: 1902578651

Price: £8.99

Hope you enjoy it!