Raven nic Rhóisín and Kathryn Price NicDhàna have a piece over at http://paganachd.com/articles/killyouandeatyou.html, that resonates with a lot of what we are trying to express when we talk about getting to know your local land spirits (this probably isn’t as much of a coincidence as one might think, many of the early proponents of the Celtic Reconstructionist movement in the US were among our Circle of Friends “back in the day”.
Continue reading →“The Song of Wandering Aengus” is a poem by Irish poet W. B. Yeats. It was first printed in 1897 in British magazine The Sketch under the title “A Mad Song.” It was then published under its standard name in Yeats’ 1899 anthology The Wind Among the Reeds.
Continue reading →(Noted Elswhere) Witch trials occurred in Edinburgh from 1542 to around 1700; the first convicted witch was sent to St Andrews for execution, but later on Edinburgh tried and executed witches from all over Scotland. Most were strangled and then … Continue reading →
Levy Dew http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levy-Dew “Levy-Dew”, also known as “A New Year Carol”, or “Residue”, is a British folk song of Welsh origin traditionally sung in New Year celebrations. The song was set to music by Benjamin Britten in 1936. It is … Continue reading →
Then Wheel has turned; some call it Imbolg, Candlemas, Oimelc, Brighid’s Day, the Feast of Lights, Groundhog’s Day. It’s the time of year when we can really discern that the light has returned. Longer days,depite the snows and rains. Animals … Continue reading →
Allison Gross (Child #35) 1 O ALLISON GROSS, that lives in yon towr, The ugliest witch i the north country, Has trysted me ae day up till her bowr, An monny fair speech she made to me. 2 She stroaked … Continue reading →
O I forbid you, maidens a’, That wear gowd on your hair, To come or gae by Carterhaugh, For young Tam Lin is there. There’s nane that gaes by Carterhaugh But they leave him a wad, Either their rings, or … Continue reading →
Thomas of Erceldoune Anonymous (Circa 1388-1401) Als I me wente this endres daye Full faste in mynd makand my mone In a mery mornynge of Maye By Huntley bankkes myselfe allone, I herde the jaye and the throstyll cokke; The … Continue reading →
(The Irish Ossianic Song of the Forest Trees is to be found in Standish O’ Grady’s translation in Eleanor Hull’s Poem Book of the Gael is a listing of trees to be found on Dartmoor. Fortunately, the whole text of … Continue reading →
More suggestions on woods for burning, this from traditional English lore. Several versions of this poem exist with multiple variants. I learned it first from Paul Huson‘s Mastering Witchcraft, which he calls “The Dartmoor Verse”. Oak logs will warm you … Continue reading →
The Witches Reel Cummer gae ye afore, cummer gae ye, Gin ye winna gae, cummer let me, Ring-a-ring-a-widdershins Linkin lithely widdershins, Cummers carlin cron and queyn Roun gae we. Cummer go ye before, cummer go ye Gif ye willna go … Continue reading →
Robert Cochrane wrote to Joe Wilson that “My religious beliefs are found in an ancient song, ‘Green Grow the Rushes-O’”. He identified this as an archers song from the middle ages. “Green Grow the Rushes-O” is a counting or teaching … Continue reading →
Samhain Night also known as “Hoof and Horn” Recorded on: “Once Around the Wheel,” 1987; Ian Corrigan (Association for Consciousness Exploration, 1643 Lee Rd #9, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118), As I rode out one morning all on All Hallows’ Eve … Continue reading →
