Mrs Darley on Kindle

The first 3 Mrs Darley books are now available on Amazon Kindle - Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers, Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries & Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements.
These three books explore my initial journey into the realms of Paganism and magick when I lived on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, guided as ever by the delightful & charismatic Mrs Darley.

Friday - The Sailors Dread

For sailors, Fridays were once filled with dread, for they believed that witches reigned supreme on Fridays and as such could weald great powers over the waters.

The Bristish admiralty once decided to prove the absurdity of this superstition and so ordered the keel of a new ship to be built on a Friday, named the ship Friday, launced her on Friday and gave the command to a man called Friday. However, although the ship was new and sea worthy when it left port, neither it or the crew were ever heard of again!

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

The Season of Water

Ours is a world dominated by water, from soft rains and still lakes to iced glaciers and flowing rivers. None however can compare either in size or temperament to the wild untamed oceans that surround every outcrop of land.

These vast bodies of water once provided the beneficial environment in which life began to develop and even today support the greatest variety of living organisms on earth, from microscopic algae to the largest living creature - the blue whale.

It is little wonder then that these waters were revered as sacred, a fact which has led to many Gods and Goddesses becoming associated with our seas and oceans.

The oldest of the water Gods was Pontus, produced by Gaea herself at the very edge of time. Gaea's later union with Uranus produced Oceanus whose power was inferior to none but Zeus. As time passed however the Olympians stamped their authority over both the earth and the waters, with jurisdiction of these being given to Poseidon, whilst Oceanus was guided towards retirement.

Read more: 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

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'

A Pagan take on Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent for those who follow the Christian faith and is probably one of the most depressing occasions in the church calender. It was a day upon which the 'Rite of Ashing' took place, where burned ashes (usually obtained from last year's palm crosses) were sprinkled onto the head or forehead in the form of a cross, whilst the body was covered with sack cloth. It was supposed to remind man that from dust he came and to dust he will return.

The custom of ashing however, predates Christian times for an occasion of ashing is described in the Old Testament where Job covers himself in ashes and says, 'I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.'

In 1548 Edward V1 decided to abolish the ritual, but replaced it with what could be described as an even more depressing church ceremony, where the priest would read sentences from the book of Deuteronomy, especially the bit where God curses sinners and states that he will take revenge upon obstinate sinners, such as the unmerciful fornicators, idolators, slanderers, drunkards etc. Following this tirade of abuse everyone was expected to kneel and repeat the psalm, 'Lord have mercy upon me O God.'

It is little wonder that we have trouble loving ourselves if we have been brought up within this regime of self hatred. I jokingly asked my husband what he intended to give up for Lent and his answer was that he intended to give up denying himself pleasure! Now there's a good Pagan soul!

The festival of Imbolc

Sundown today sees the beginning of the Celtic festival of Imbolc, although in truth, the Celts did not have a fixed date, but celebrated in style as soon as the lambing season began. Imbolc was a time of the utmost importance to the Celtic tribes as the quality and amount of new born lambs meant the difference between survival and extinction.

The word Imbolc (pronounced 'im-olc') actually means 'in the belly' and refers to the stirring of life within the earth's womb. An alternative term for this festival is 'Oimelc', meaning 'the first flowing of ewe's milk, both of which are appropriate words for this exciting time of year.

When christianity came to these islands this festival became 'Candlemas' and commemorated the time when Mary went to the temple to undertake a purification ceremony forty days after the birth of Jesus.

Imbolc is still celebrated by Pagans and witches alike today and has become synonymous with the delightful Celtic Goddess Bride (christianised as St Bridget), who I will look at in greater detail as the week progresses.

Enjoy celebrating over the next few days. Decorate your home with white flowers and candles and arrange to share an Imbolc meal with friends or family to celebrate the return of the Goddess and the eternal hope of spring.

Preparation

In the Christian calendar the period of Advent has begun. The word deriving from the Latin 'adventus', meaning 'arrival' and as such a period of preparation begins.

Sadly however, with so much emphasis on materialism, little thought is given to the true meaning of this period of preparation and people are more inclined to be buying food, presents and cards rather than giving consideration to any spiritual aspect.

If you follow the Pagan path, this is a time for rest. The Dark Mother withdraws her hand from the earth and all falls silent. Within the stillness however, we too can prepare. For it is here that the seeds of hope are sewn for new life whilst awaiting the return of the sun.

If you are forced to be still for a while, perhaps because of the early snowfall, enjoy this window of peace, for it offers you an opportunity to reassess your life path before the sun calls your soul to adventure.

Bonfires

Many people mistakenly think that Bonfire night was brought about by the Christian authorities to overlay the sinister Pagan fire festival of Samhain. Bonfire night however is purely to celebrate the survival of the Houses of Parliament following the unsuccessful gunpowder plot on 5th November 1605.
In 1606 James 1 ordered that everyone should attend a church service in order to give thanks for delivering England from such atrocities and as the years passed the celebrations continued outside the church service and bonfires were lit upon which images of Guy Fawkes were burned to commemorate his assumed execution.
Guy Fawkes however was not sentenced to burn but was supposed to have been hung, drawn and quartered. He deprived the crown of its revenge however as he jumped from the high scaffold before the executioner came near him and subsequently broke his neck.

If you are attending a bonfire tonight, enjoy the festivities and the powerful element of fire.

Wales and Mid West Pagan Conference

This weekend we visited the beautiful town of Crickhowell in South Wales, where the Wales and Mid West Pagan Conference was held. What a lovely place and what friendly people. Thank you to everyone who made us so welcome. This is a part of Wales with which, until now, we were unfamiliar but it is definitely somewhere we will be visiting again.

The conference itself made for a very interesting day spent with like minded people and some of the talks were fascinating on subjects such as training in the craft & the Gods of the Greek/Roman sorcerers. The open and closing rituals were also beautifully performed. Bee's (and many others I'm sure) hard work made the day a great success.

Will most certainly look forward to next year's conference.

The Element of Ether

'The fifth element or ether, is that which surrounds every living thing. It is that which houses the seat of the spirit, that which holds the blueprint of the physical body before birth and that which is last to dissipate after death........I believe that when the soul incarnates into the physical body, the flame of life is lit and that is what I consider to be the spirit. To me, spirit is the essence of life that sits within the etheric body. It ignites at our birth and evaporates at our death......that is unless someone meets with a violet or unhappy end.......'

From Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements by Carole Carlton

The Element of Fire

'Fire is housed within the sun, without which the earth would not be able to sustain life in its present form. It manifests in erupting volcanoes, in lightning strikes and is necessary in order for a rainbow to be seen. It is the abode of the elemental salamander and brings us the comfort of the domestic fire and the flicker of the candle flame, bringing both warmth and light into our lives. We are warm blooded creatures and need fuel with which to produce energy and heat to survive, too little and we become weak and cold, too much and we can experience skin eruptions and fever. Inwardly and symbolically fire manifests as anger, passion, determination and intuition, encouraging us to blaze our own trail and set the world alight with the essence of who we are'

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

The Element of Air

'Air is essential to life; it is our very breath, it gives us space in which to move, it is the wind that kisses our cheek, it is Nike; the winged Goddess of Victory, it is the abode of the bird, the bee, the moth and the bat. It carries words of love, songs of joy and the sounds of nature. It brings us light from the sun and the first smell of sumer, whilst in the depths of our subconscious it symbolises the realm of thought, inspiration and imaginings. It is purified by the sylph elementals and carries the seeds of our dearest hopes and wildest dreams.'

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements' by Carole Carlton. See http://www.arcanus.co.uk/ for more details.

Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements

My new book is out this week entitled 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'. It explores the four elements of air, fire, water and earth and takes what can only be described as a glimpse of what the fifth element or spirit can mean, for each of us have our own opinion of what spirit means to us.

Each chapter explores one of the elements which are vital to life upon this earth and offers what I hope are interesting facts about the world we are priviledged to live in. The atmosphere, the oceans, volcanoes and earth quakes are all investigated and their connection to the Gods of old, the mythical creatures that have become associated with them over millennia and their use, both physical and symbolic in alchemy and magic.

Mrs Darley of course is present in greater quantity than in previous books and, as usual, stops to make us think differently about aspects of the world in which we live whilst offering me plenty of insight as the book progresses. The following is a quote to hopefully whet your appetite:

'Here,' she said, 'lies a place where the Goddess dwells, where earth meets with water and yields to its power where religions fuse yet the old ways prevail. Here is a place where reason meets with magic yet magic defies all reason....'

I hope you enjoy it and that it fills your world with enchantments.

The Summer Solstice

Monday 21st of June at 12.28 marks the joyous occasion of the Summer Solstice, when the sun reaches the height of His power, showering the feminine earth with warmth in order that She might bring forth an abundant harvest.

Summer Solstice celebrations have their roots in Neolithic times, the importance of which is borne out by archaeological evidence of stone circles and tombs that are aligned to both the rising and setting of the sun at this powerful time of year.

The word 'solstice' simply means, 'the standing still of the sun' and, for a few days both at this time of year and around the winter solstice the sun does appear to remain stationary for a few days before a decrease in daylight becomes apparent.

The following is a poem which can be found in the summer solstice chapter of 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers' and which (with slight amendments), we attached to the floral wreath at my Mum's funeral earlier this year.

Fragrant rose,

Whose breath of scented laughter

Nourishes my soul

Whisper to me

That I may remember you

When the cold hand of winter touches my heart.

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!