Preparing for Winter Ills

With this beautiful autumn weather still warming our island, winter seems months away and yet we all realise that soon enough the cold will creep in, no doubt accompanied by coughs colds and flu.

The elderly and the vulnerable are offered the flu jab, whilst many of us wait until illness strikes before resorting to cold and flu remedies. This winter however, why not try to some good old fashioned remedies that won't harm your body, but which may help to prevent illness taking hold?

The number one remover of ills is the humble onion. Not only does it help build immunity (along with garlic) if eaten, but if cut in half and placed in a dish of water in each room in the house it absorbs germs and viruses in the air.

A bunch of rue hung over the doors and windows is also capable of purifying the air as will burning 3 drops each of juniper and tea tree essential oil in a little water.

For more information on healing Read 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Healing Wisdom'

Heavenly October

Another exciting month in the heavens is in store as the Orionids meteor shower explodes across the early morning skies after midnight on the 20/21st October. This is however a difficult shower to predict and may be visible any time between the 17 th and the 25th. It produces around 20 meteors per hour of yellow and green which often appear as fireballs.

Jupiter can be seen in the east from the 13th just below the moon as it sets, but on the 27th it reaches its closest point to earth, therefore through a telescope some of its largest moons may be visible.

It is a month which sees the end of British summertime as we move back to GMT and also one which heralds the end of the old Celtic Year at the festival of Samhain (Halloween) . This is a time to put to rest all that no longer serves us and one which offers us the opportunity to create a new and fertile space in which to live and thrive.

The Blood Moon

Today sees the new moon in Libra, a time of balance and fair judgment. This moon was referred to as the 'blood moon' by the Celts as it was a time when the maternal qualities of the Goddess and in deed life itself was revered and honoured.
The Celts believed that the spirit of a person dwelt in his or her blood and as such the Gods were asked to strengthen the blood of the tribe before the harsh weather began. It was also the time when animals were brought in from pasture and certain ones were chosen for slaughter.
As we journey into the autumn may the blood moon bring you many blessings.
From 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

Autumnal Words of Wisdom

'Everyone is disappointed when the summer ends,' she mused, 'both seasonally and in life, but autumn can be quite beautiful, softer somehow and richer in colour.'
'And it gives us an excuse to light our fires,' I smiled.
She nodded, 'yes every season has the ability to bring a little warmth into our lives in one way or another.' She disappeared momentarily into the kitchen and returned with a jar of greengage chutney.
'Here's a little something to remind you of summer during the autumn to come,' she smiled. 'Nothing is ever lost as time passes, it merely metamorphoses into something as wonderful, or in some cases, into something even better than before.'
From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers.'

The Wine Moon

The waxing crescent should just be visible tonight in the sign of libra. The next two days are auspicious for performing magic in connection with the arts, justice, partnerships, emotional balance, peace and love.

This new moon is the wine moon which was believed to be the moon blessed by the Gods and under which, after consuming copius amounts of wine, the Celts practised various methods of divination.

Raise a glass of rich red tonight and toast Dionysus.

Season of Fire

We are entering the last month of the season of fire before the mellower times of autumn come into play.

Fire comes to us in many forms during our earthly journey. From the power of the mighty sun, to the gentle flicker of a candle flame, from the explosive nature of the volcanoe to the warmth of a winter fire and from the fury of a lightning storm to the magical effect of fire through water which provides the beauty of a rainbow.

These last days of summer encourage us to weave our magic in connection with job offers, career, new projects, law making, or indeed anything which requires passion and commitment for fire denotes change and speeds its arrival.

Fire

In flickering flames I flirt, flambyant, fleeting, gone.

In lava lakes I lie, languid, lambent, waiting.

In boiling blood I bide, boundless, bellicose, fervent.

All taken from 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

Bidding Farewell to the God

Lughnasadh is upon us. It begins at sunset tonight (1st) and ends at sunset tomorrow. The word itself derives from the Irish Celtic God Lugh, who, in actual fact had very little to do with the corn harvest, but was a popular and heroic God often referred to as the shinning one and for whatever reason gradually became associated with the sacrificial aspect of the God.

Lughnasadh celebrates the beginning of the corn harvest, the last sheaf of which was thought to contain the spirit of the corn God. As such, the reaper who cut it down was considered to have taken the life of the God and it was not therefore an auspicious act to participate in. It therefore became general practice that when everything was cut except the final sheaf, that all the reapers would stand blindfolded in a semi circle and hurl their sickles at it, thus no one would know who had taken the Corn God's life.

Once cut however, the sheaf took on a different aspect altogether and was taken home by one of the reapers to be 'dressed', i.e. made into a human shape or tied with red ribbons and took pride of place at the harvest supper, sitting next to 'the master'. It was often known as a 'kern baby' and is where our term 'corn dolly' derives.

Simple corn dollies can be made at home and are still used by farmers today to bring fertility to their cattle. Fertility and abundance can however come in many different ways and should you decide to make your own dolly, even if it is simply tying together a few pieces of corn with a ribbon, make sure you hang it by the hearth until the spring equinox, at which point the seeds should be scattered on the earth to bring you abundance for the summer.

Over the next couple of days give a moment of thanks to the Goddess for the corn which sustains us and to the God as his blood is spilled upon the earth to bring us fertility for the year to come.