Nicky Nan Night

This coming Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian calandar,with Shrove Tuesday or 'Pancake Day' as it is now more popularly known being the last day upon which the faithful can eat sweet and fatty foods until Easter Sunday.

A 150 years ago howeverit was a rowdy festival at which cock fights, horse racing and dancing often took place, whilst in 1868 it is recorded as 'Blackamoor Night' where little boys blackened their faces and went from door to door begging for sweets.

A lesser known Cornish festival however used to be celebrated on theMonday before Shrove Tuesday and was known as 'Nicky Nan Night', where young men roamed the streets causing mischief and mayhem. A procession carried a burning straw figure which was said to be the Queen of the Cornish piskies, Joan the Wad, following which a meal of pea soup was served.

Whether you choose pancakes or pea soup this week, spare the burning of Joan & enjoy.

The Sap Moon

Tomorrow (21st) sees the birth of the 'Sap Moon' at 22.34GMT in the sign of Aquarius. This moon was one of hope to the Celts and brought sure and certain knowledge that the sap was beginning to rise within the earth's vegetation and that the new planting time was now only a moon cycle away.

The moon in Aquarius signifies a time of fairness, objectivity, trustworthiness and reason. It is also capable of bestowing flashes of genius and general good luck. Enjoy!

Read more in 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

Holy wells and springs

Watery places have always held a certain amount of fascination, especially natural springs and wells and, over thousands of years, have become sacred places of pilgrimage and sacrifice where the Gods who dwell beneath the depths ultimately decide the fate of man.

Both Bronze and Iron Age man saw water as having supernatural powers, whilst its mysterious depths were gateways to the underworld. As such, many offerings were made to appease the Gods as evidenced by archaeological finds of jewellery, plaques, coins and both human and animal remains. No doubt these places were the origin of today's wishing wells!

Discover more about these strange watery places in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The Sacred Fire of Bride

In Celtic times the main shrine to the Goddess Bride was at Kildare in Irelandand and was tended by a group of women known as 'the daughters of fire' whose job it was to ensure that the flames never died.

In Christian times the Goddess Bride became St Bridget and she took on the role of abbess of the convent at Kildare. The sacred fire also crossed the divide between Pagan and Christian beliefs and constantly burned within the abbey for more than 1000 years.

The fire however appeared to have magical properties, for it never died and never increased in ashes, a fact that is written about in the Chronicles of Gerald of Wales when he visited the abbey during the C12.

Gerald described how, over a period of 19 nights, one nun would watch the fire through the night, whilst on the 20th night, the nun on duty would fetch the logs, place them beside the fire and say 'Bridget guard your fire, this is your night,' and then leave. In the morning the logs would be burned and the fire would be alight.

In the C13 the papal envoy of London ordered that the fire be extinguished due to its Pagan connections, but the local people were so angry that they petitioned the bishop to have it re-lit and it then burned until the reformation, when under the orders of Henry V111 it was

extinguished for good.

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The Return of the Goddess

The festival of imbolc begins at sunset on the 1st of February and is a festival of joy, hope and new beginnings. It marks the birth of the first lambs, the return of the Goddess and is sacred to the Goddess Bride (Bridget).

Imbolc for me is when the new year really begins. Gone are the dark days of January for now the Goddess awakes and, as her hand touches the earth, life once again begins to stir bringing us a promise of renewal and the slightest whisper of spring.

The colour of this festival is white and silver and it is a wonderful time to share a meal between friends and loved ones with white wine, white meat (if you're not vegetarian) and white chocolate or ice cream. If you would like to toast the Goddess, then raise your glass with the words 'Failte leat a Bhrid' which simply means 'Welcome Bridget' and is pronounced 'Falche lai a Breed'.

Happy Imbolc and may the waxing year bring you health, love and happiness

Discover more in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The Storm Moon

The new crescent moon is now apparent in our evening skies and was known by the Celts as the storm or snow moon.
Although we may moan at a snow shower or the high winds, for the Celts, when food supplies were begining to run low, this time of year was still a far cry from spring. As such they would drum, chant and sing to appease the Gods and keep the cold weather and wild storms at bay.
Why not have a 'storm moon' celebration this week with plenty of drumming chanting and singing to appease the cold Gods of winter. Enjoy.
Read more in 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

Wassailing on Old Twelfth Night

The exact date of old Twelfth Night is the 17 January, but became the 5th of January after the calendar reforms of the C17. Today's celebrations however can be held any time between the two dates and this weekend sees many Wassailing celebrations nationwide. (check on line to see what's available in your area)
The word 'wassail' was first recorded during the early C14 and derives from the Saxon 'waes hael' meaning 'be whole'. Wassail was shouted as a toast whilst the drink known as lambswool was consumed which consisted of mulled ale, herbs and honey. A large goblet was filled with the drink and passed from person to person and accepted each time with a kiss.
In the middle Ages songs were written to accompany the drinking ritual;
'Wassail wassail all over the town, the toast it is white and the ale it is brown.'
So if January seems a little flat, why not celebrate and wassail with honeyed ale and song and may you all 'be whole' in the year ahead.

From 'Mrs darley's Pagan whispers