The Season of the Wassail

The cold bleak days of January are often brightened by the wonderful Wassail festival, which was traditionally celebrated on or around Twelfth Night.
Today, Twelfth Night  falls on the 5th January, however prior to the calendar changes of the C18, Twelfth Night fell 11 days later - around 16th January. The exact date however matters not, it is the spirit of the occasion which makes the festival.
The first writings we have of Wassailing appear in the C14, where the host of a party is described as holding up a communal drinking bowl and shouting out the word 'wassail'. The word derives from the Norse 'wes hail', or the Anglo Saxon, 'waes hael' meaning 'good health' or 'be whole'. After taking a drink the bowl was passed around and accepted each time with a kiss. The drink itself was thought to be 'lambswool', a mixture of mulled ale, herbs, honey and apples (you can purchase a pack of lambswool mix at the 'Copper Pot' in Bewdley Museum)
During the following century cakes were dipped into the bowl, and later still, in the apple growing regions of Britain, a ritual of blessing the apple trees with cider evolved. This was accompanied by hanging cider soaked toast in the trees for the birds and firing guns to scare away any impish spirits.
Although they are both now over, make a date for next years diary to visit Bewdley Museum in Worcestershire for the day time Wassail and Cookley in Worcestershire for an evening celebration with lit torches.
Meanwhile may all your trees bear fruit and Wassail to you and yours.
Read more: 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The Wolf Moon

Although this month's new moon is now a few days old, it was once referred to as the 'Wolf Moon'. It was the first moon after the dark time and although the wolf was sacred to the Celts it was seen as a lean animal and represented a time of abstinance and suspension following the solstice activities. Although the ancients knew that the sun was gaining in strength they still recognised that the worst of the weather was yet to come.

From 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

The Birth

Beneath the sacred oak

Where the cold earth yields to slumber

And the only heartbeat

Is the sole call of the wild,

There lies a darkened hollow

Where our Mother lies in waiting,

Waiting for her labour

To bring forth the Solstice Child.

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

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.'