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Choosing and Consecrating Magical Tools

May 20, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

The tools that we work with in ritual are important elements of our workings. They are objects that focus us in directing our will and our energy to complete whatever work it is that we are doing. These sorts of tools become more effective the longer we have been using them, and the longer we have been working to invest our energy in that particular tool.

These tools know us and vibrate in harmony with our use of them when they have a relationship with us. While our tools are not sentient, I wouldn’t call them passive either. These are tools that channel magic, and the longer we use them, the more magic we imbue in them.

Some of us are lucky and these sorts of tools are handed down to us with a great deal of magical energy already present. My best friend’s Athame is the straight razor her grandmother used in her sewing projects. This is an Athame with a great deal of family history and ties. These sorts of tools recquire little more than a sort of getting to know you period where you and the tool aclimate to each other and establish a working relationship based on the ties already present.

Most us, unfortunately, aren’t that lucky. While there are many more second and even third generation Craft practitioners these days than there were even ten years ago, most of us are starting out on our own and have to pick up our tools the old fashioned way. And some of us don’t want that combined history and simply want to start fresh with something that is completely and only ours.

I’ve recently acquired two new tools that have a large significance in my rituals: an Athame and a wand. The athame was a tool I helped to choose, and was presented to me at my initiation; the wand was a gift from my partner.

So how do you start creating this sort of working relationship?

Never buy a tool that doesn’t call to you. All of my Craft tools, in whatever form, have pulled me to them specifically. There has been an immediate zing of energy exchanged that was impossible to ignore. In the case of the wand, it called my partner to it. It will be a tool that our coven uses together.

I look for tools that are traditional; not everyone does, but I prefer bone and wood that have been handcrafted over cheap, machine made items. Tools like this handle energy much more naturally.

It’s not always possible to know the maker of your Craft tools, not all of us are lucky enough to live near someone who makes these sorts of items, but I would also recommend not buying these types of tools online. You need to be able to handle a tool and speak to the person who was responsible for its creation. If you can make them yourself, even better. This is true of most magical items. There are very few online vendors that I trust, the ones that I do have been recommended to me by other reliable practitioners of my acquaintance and when I have bought items from them, they have been exactly as advertised.

Most Craft store owners should be able to tell you the provenance of an item and the exact materials used to make that item. They also usually know whether the maker has a good reputation or not.

You don’t have to find a tool immediately. Take your time, go to festivals, go to fairs, talk to people and see where they have found their tools. It may take a few months, don’t be discouraged. Remember, these are items that we will use for years to come. Rushing something like this ensures that you will not find the correct tool.

Once you’ve found the perfect item, don’t haggle for it. Pay exactly what the seller is asking if it’s a fair price. When you haggle a price down, it diminishes the power of the tool and takes away from the effort the creator took in making it. If you can barter for the tool and give something in trade, this is perfectly acceptable. You’re still paying a fair price, you’re offering something of equal value, even if that is simply the gift of your own energy.

Once you’ve acquired your tool, take the time to consecrate it and then invest your energy into it everyday. When I’m at home, I carry my Athame around with me, even when I’m not in ritual. I push my energy through it constantly. If I’m not carrying it or I’ve had a busy day, I take a second to pick it up and just think at it for a minute or two. I also won’t let other people touch my tools until I’ve firmly established my own bond with that tool. I’ve only had my Athame for four months now. It will not be touched by anyone other than my partner for a long time yet and the only reason that he is allowed to touch it is because he and I are magical partners as well as significant others and when I do most magical workings, he plays a significant role. He is not a casual lover and I would not recommend sharing your tools with anyone who is.

To consecrate a tool:

Set an altar with representations of the four elements. It is traditional to set Air in the East (usually incense), Fire in the South (candle), Water in the West (bowl of water) and Earth in the North (bowl of salt), but this is up to you and how you usually work.

Choose your representations with what feels right to you. I start in the East; many like to start in the North, again, this is up to you and if an element calls you specifically, start with it.

Take your tool and kiss it, focus your energy on it and take a few minutes to think about what you’ll be using this tool to do.

Wave the tool through the first element and say: I ask ____ to bless and consecrate this tool in doing (state whatever you will be doing with the tool). I ask that ____ bless this tool with (whatever nature the element represents). Bless and consecrate this tool in my service to the Craft. (You can also name any patron deities you’re using). So mote it be!

For example, I started my consecration of my wand with the East and Air. I waved my wand through my burning incense and said: I ask Air to bless and consecrate this tool in it’s use for casting enchantment for me and for my coven. I ask air to bless this wand with its intellect and its quickness. Please bless and consecrate this tool in my service to the (name of my patrons). So mote it be!

Move to the next element and repeat. Do this for all four of the elements. After you have done this, either offer the tool your own blood (which I did in the case of my Athame so that it never works against me) or offer it your energy (which I did with my wand) by placing it against your heart and feeling the energy move between you and the tool.

At the end of the ceremony, place the tool on your altar, continue with whatever work you normally do, and let it acclimate itself to your altar and energy. Leave it for a night and then start carrying it around with you and using it as you would with any tool you already work with.

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Beltane May Bushes and May Wine

May 6, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

Last night, I had the honor of being crowned May Queen. As the personification of the Summer Lady, I led everyone in a merry chase through the woods. I was eventually “caught” by the gentleman who was crowned the May King. This wild hunt is a Beltane tradition. Beltane or Whitsun has many traditions associated with it, but it is a time for frolicking in the woods and merry making.

In ancient Rome, the goddess Flora was celebrated by a week’s worth of games. These games represented the renewal of life and the growing crops. It was a time of drinking and celebration. Flora was married to one of the wind gods and together they represented Spring.

This was also the time of the year when the goddess Persephone is seen dancing once more at her mother’s side after her sojourn in the Underworld.

In Britain, young people danced around the Maypole after a night in the woods where all social conventions were ignored. Bonfires were lit across the hills to help usher in the summer and banish the cold winter nights. “Jumping the fire” was a traditional pastime for young lovers. Morris dancing is also a traditional way to usher in May.

In most traditions, this is a time that represents the union of the God and Goddess and the celebration of life.

Traditionally, Beltane was not celebrated until the white flowered tree blossomed. In England, this is usually Rowan or Hawthorn. In the U.S., this is usually the Dogwood.

Rowan Blossom

Rowan Blossom

Hawthorn is a tree that has many folkloric stories and uses attached. This is why, one way to celebrate May is to decorate a May Bush. The Hawthorn is a thorny tree with white flowers and small red berries. To create your May Bush, gather the fallen branches of a Hawthorn tree together and bind them so that they stand up. Decorate the tree with bright flowers, painted shells and colored garlands. Do this with your family or your community. May bushes recall the power of the sun for your homes and the new crops.

It is traditional to set the May Bush outside of your home or in a window. It was also traditional to try and steal your neighbor’s May Bush! (This tradition was outlawed in Victorian England for exactly this reason). At the end of May, it was customary to dance around the May Bush in the same way that you danced around the Maypole and then burn the May Bush in the bonfire. The ashes from this fire are then sown through fields and around houses as a blessing and protection against the fey.

The Hawthorn is said to mark entrances to the Underworld and to aid in healing. If you’re working on any healing rituals during the time the May Bush is in your home, bless strips of cloth during the ritual and tie them to the May Bush.

And most importantly, while celebrating around your May Bush, drink some May Wine!

May Wine Recipe:

Ingredients -

1 Bottle Riesling

1/2 cup dried Woodruff

3/4 cup diced strawberries

1 bottle champagne (if desired)

Directions -

Combine the bottle of Riesling with the Woodruff, then let sit for an hour. (You can let it sit all night, but start with an hour to see how you like the taste of the Woodruff).

Pour into a glass pitcher. Add in the strawberries and champagne. Serve and enjoy!

 

Blessings of the May Queen to you and yours this beautiful Spring morning!

 

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Magical Etiquette 101

April 22, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

I recently had an experience with a guest at my coven’s ritual, which is held in my home. This guest came in and, without asking, touched our altar and picked up tools. He also made negative comments about the way we do ritual. Needless to say, the evening only went down hill from there and the guest was not invited back.

This brings up magical etiquette, both in your own home and in the homes of others. There are a few basics that most people should be aware of. When you go to another practitioner’s house, never touch anything without permission. Everyone approaches their tools differently, and while it might be fine with permission, you should never just pick things up. This is extremely disrespectful. The same goes for altars and shrines. This isn’t just out of respect for the person who owns the altar or shrine, but for your own protection as well. Do you know what sort of work this person is doing? Do you want to inadvertantly become a part of anything they do in the privacy of their own home? Say they’re doing a love spell for a friend; what might be the results if you end up putting your energy into whatever work is being done?

This also goes for things that you might not take to be magical or religious in nature. You never know what that statue might mean to the person who lives there.

Not all of us, but most, intertwine our magical rituals with our religious ones. These are extremely personal workings that you just don’t get to butt into without permission. And this brings us to our next point; don’t make negative comments about the things you see. Our guest kept telling us that what we were doing was not what another group in the area did, and that therefore we were obviously doing things incorrectly. Why wouldn’t we use lines in our ritual that the other group used? You can see where this was quite offensive. When you go to someone else’s ritual, understand that they may not be working the way that you are used to. What they do is not wrong, it is simply different, and expecting them to change what they do to make you more comfortable is not appropriate. If you have that much of a problem with different rituals, you shouldn’t be the guest of another group in the first place. It is perfectly OK to turn down an invitation to a group’s ritual.

You might see something and disagree with how it was done, or think it should have been done differently. However, you are a guest. Ask about what you’ve seen in a positive manner. “That was a very interesting casting. May I ask why you do it that way?” is much more friendly than “I don’t do MY casting that way!” It’s offensive to force yourself into someone else’s workings and imply that you could have done it better.

When our coven has a first time guest in ritual, we explain what we will be doing, and we make sure to ask if the guest has questions at various intervals (it is actually part of the way we operate to assign certain coven members the task of making sure guests are informed and made to feel welcome). Most groups will do this if you are invited as a guest to ritual. You as the guest should expect a certain level of explanation about the ritual itself. This doesn’t mean that you’re going to learn all the secrets a group has, or be “trained,” but you deserve a basic explanation of the etiquette for the things that will be coming up in ritual. One of the worst rituals I’ve ever attended was so because there was no explanation of what was planned, and I didn’t know how to react to the things that were happening or what words to say at certain points.

If you are holding a public ritual, you also need to remember to do this. Do not assume your guests’ level of knowledge, experience, or tolerance level. A friend of mine told me about a ritual she went to that was for women’s spirituality. Sounds pretty standard right? It wasn’t until the priestess smeared something on her forehead in the middle of ritual that my friend found out that it was someone’s menstrual blood. Needless to say, smearing a stranger’s menstrual blood on someone else without explaining this sort of thing or asking permission is invasive in more ways than one. Think about what you are doing and ask people if they are OK with what is being planned, especially in cases where bodily fluids are being used.

It should also be pretty obvious that you shouldn’t insert any of your own energy into something without discussing it first with your host. Maybe your help will be welcomed and appreciated, but you can’t know without asking. Again, you don’t know exactly what a person is working toward and it’s arrogant and disruptive to assume.

Walking into another practitioner’s home should be like walking into anyone else’s home, the same basic etiquette applies. But unlike everyone else, where poking through someone’s medicine cabinet is probably not going to get you into trouble, poking your nose without permission into a practitioner’s workings might get you into a whole lot of trouble in ways that you won’t even see until six months down the road.

Don’t assume; always ask, and be aware that most things you see are probably not mundane. Look, don’t touch, and remember, you break it, you’re probably going to buy it, in a very metaphysical and unpleasant way.

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Old Traditions, New Traditions

April 8, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

Over the weekend, my family and I had a stupid argument over a chain email my father sent me. Usually his chain emails are vaguely Christian flavored with the sort of “love thy neighbor” attitude that I have no problem with. I can usually glance at them and hit delete. This one however, was lamenting the death of Christian male privilege in our society. (Ha!) Unfortunately I hit reply and opened a big can of worms. I tend to forget that just because my parents are accepting of my Paganism, it does not mean that they are supportive or remember that my lifestyle is not theirs. They are usually quietly befuddled and have a sense of “where did we go so wrong?” about them. They try to cover it up at family gatherings and glide over the fact that their beliefs are not mine.

It’s hard to walk away from the traditions that we were raised with. In some cases you still end up participating in your old practices because of things like family gatherings. One night, a few years ago, my roommate and I were standing at work discussing our plans for the holidays. Our supervisor, an older German lady broke in and exclaimed “I don’t understand you, neither of you are Christian, why do you pretend to celebrate Christmas?”. She looked at my roommate, “you’re an Atheist…” and then she looked at me and wiggled her fingers in an indecisive manner, “and you’re…well…whatever you are!” as if by declaring us non-Christian she was driving the point home. “If you’re going TO BE non-Christian, act like it.” While both of us sat her down and explained that just because we were not Christians, it didn’t mean that our families weren’t. And that we were not only expected to participate in our family activities, that we still enjoyed being a part of our family gatherings for the sake of family itself. this moment always stands out to me as indicative of a larger problem in embracing a new community.

Some of us are lucky and we are starting to see an actual second generation and sometimes even a third of Pagan families. For the rest of us, it’s often hard to leave your background behind you and embrace new traditions. Some continue to celebrate whatever holidays we grew up with and our Pagan ones just to keep the peace. I politely refuse to go to church and when my family’s more religious activities happen, I politely bow out and go entertain myself elsewhere, but…how do we forge new traditions when some people just won’t let you escape the old ones? How do we raise our families with the traditions we embrace and not allow our old traditions to steamroll us into not integrating into our new community?

When you’re practicing two divergent sets of practices, where do you draw the line and say “this is no longer appropriate for me to be a part of” and just say “no”?

For me, I no longer allow my parents to ignore the elephant in the corner of the room. Our exchanges over the weekend were fairly unpleasant, but I hope that it made them look at the fact that I won’t just allow them to ignore a very significant part of my life. These exchanges are never pleasant, but I became Pagan for more than just the Gods. We have a wonderful, divergent community that I feel is just as important for us to embrace as the philosophy itself. We are a religion of practice. My practices are vital to my everyday life.

If I do have children, I will raise them Wiccan. If I get married, I will have a Wiccan ceremony and not be bullied into a Christian ones as several of my friends have been. When I die, I wish to be buried according to my beliefs. I asked my mother at one point who in the family would come to my theoretical wedding. Her reply was “well…I guess your dad and I”. And how sad is that? That the rest of my family wouldn’t want to help me embrace a celebration for something like a wedding? I will make sure that my children understand that while I embrace my faith, if they find another, that will be OK.

I refuse to stay in the closet to make them comfortable. I can live with this now though, so that my children won’t have to. I will take the upset and the confrontation. Leaving our old traditions are hard, but until we do, we can’t ever be free to embrace our new ones and let our families see that just because we haven’t embraced their ways, ours aren’t just as valid and important. It’s one thing to show up to a family meal for a nice piece of ham and pie, it’s quite another to ignore your religion and be untrue to yourself just to make them happy.

 

 

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Enjoy It

March 25, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

Today my partner and I held an Ostara ritual for the local Pagan meet-up group. After cleaning the house, decorating eggs, cramming fifteen people into my tiny living room for the ritual itself, priestessing and then cleaning up afterwards…I am exhausted.

 

And after all of that, I realized that I hadn’t gotten to stop and just take a second to actually enjoy any of it. So today I am going to leave you to contemplate the amazing growth that this time of year is all about and remind you that while ritual and practice is vital to our Craft, so is taking the time to sit back and actually see what the world around us is doing during this time of year.

Bird of Paradise growing by my office

Enjoy it because there is so much beauty around us that we miss everyday in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life. If Ostara is about nothing else, it is about celebrating the fact that life is coming back to us after the long winter and that our spirits are just as renewed as the plants and the crops that are starting to grow again.

Blessed Ostara all!

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The Besom and Ostara

March 11, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

We’ve actually had Spring come to New Orleans this year. It’s unusual for us to notice that we have slipped from Winter to Spring down here. Usually it’s just cold, then cooler, then suddenly hot. This year, the cold has slowly given way to mild weather. The flowers are blooming, the birds are back and we have had some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. This year, Ostara is actually going to feel right to my Yankee sensibilities.

I got up the other day and as I stood at my kitchen counter making coffee, I glanced out the kitchen window to see that one of the windows on our temple room was open again. A window that had been firmly latched shut the night before.

I have a feeling the spirit that so delights in mischief making was enjoying the beautiful morning as much as I was.

While Imbolc is about the possibility of light returning, Ostara is the light arriving. It’s a good time to do your Spring Cleaning, both literally and figuratively. It’s a time of year where new possibilities have a greater effect on some magics and it’s a great time to clear out the old and start the new. So what better time than to do some broom magic?!

In my tradition, this is the time of year that we build our besoms. Or, if you already have one, it’s a good time to bless it. The broom is a symbol of the union of male and female energies in creating life. A traditional witch’s broom has an Ash handle and broom-corn bristles that are bound with willow strips. At the join of the handle, under the broom corn bristles, is an acorn. Obviously the symbolism here should not be lost on you.

In many cultures  couples “jump the broom” to get married. If you hang a broom over your bed, it encourages fertility and not just of children, but of creativity and ideas. The besom often gets overlooked, but it can help you in meditation and in building powerful protection for both your Circles and your home.

While most people know that you use a besom to sweep your Circle before casting, it is not to cleanse away negativity as many people will tell you, but to lay down the fertile energy of the youngest woman in circle for the Priestess and Priest to use in casting the actual Circle. You can’t build something out of nothing after all.

I’ve also been told that if you have unwanted guests and use the besom to sweep something outside your door, it will ensure the guests leave quickly. Other’s say that by putting your broom under your bed, instead of above it, and focusing on finding your true love, he or she will soon appear.

The broom is a powerful tool, both for your home and for your relationships. This Ostara, take your broom and look at it with new appreciation, and integrate it into your ritual. It can bring you more luck and fertility than you ever imagined.

Slightly Untraditional Brooms for sale by Broomchick on Etsy.

Slightly Untraditional Brooms for sale by Broomchick on Etsy.

To bless your broom:

Bring it into Circle with you after you sweep and set it across your altar. Join hands with everyone else in Circle with you and dance around the altar going deosil. Start out slowly and then speed up, building up the energy as you go. Sing a sweeping song (like the one below), and time your singing with your dancing. Speed up until you feel the energy is at it’s peak and then stop and focus it on the broom on your altar. This will energize your broom with energy for the coming year.

 

Blue Star Sweeping Song

 

Corn of Golden Broom

Tied beneath the moon

Ashen handle, oak seed charm

Dance in magic, ward off harm

 

Weave the circle well

Weave the enchantment well

Sweep the circle well

Sweep the circle well

 

By the sickle shorn

By the maiden born

Tread the floor and thread the air

By the spellcraft that you bear

 

Weave the circle well

Weave the enchantment well

Sweep the circle well

Sweep the circle

 

Here is an audio version of the song as well.

 

 

 

 

 

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Pagans and Family

February 25, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

A few weeks ago, we had a chat here on The Pagan Household about the idea of family. Patrick, our intrepid leader, expressed his fear that a lot of people don’t come to The Pagan Household because they don’t think that they are family oriented, or that because they don’t have children this is not the website for them. In other words, Pagans do not always identify with the term “family.”

I do not have children. My partner and I are not married. Nonetheless, we are a family. Our Pagan people are our family. I think this website is about more than what our overall society defines as a “traditional family unit”. Within Paganism we have every combination of family: single parents with children, same-sex partners, covens as family, polyamory: I think we are here to celebrate whatever form your family takes.

My curmudgeonly Wiccan and I

My Curmudgeonly Wiccan and I

One of the reasons that I was first drawn to Paganism (outside of my need to find the Gods) was because through Paganism, I found my people. In the Pagan community I found the community that I belong to. It’s very rare for me to come across someone else who identifies as Pagan that I don’t enjoy hanging out with, at least in short durations. The Pagan community brings me such joy. I love going to the large gatherings and seeing the many and various forms of people that our community attracts. We have such color, creativity and talent to offer. Our imaginations are endless. In fact, I think we’re the coolest thing since sliced bread.

We create things like this!

We create things like this! Bottle Tree at Sirius Rising, Brushwood Folklore Center 2012

I consider my pirate crew in Ohio as my family. My coven here in New Orleans is also my family. They may not be blood (and this is not saying that my blood family isn’t just as important to me), but my Pagan family is my chosen family. I think we get lucky in this life to eventually find our chosen family, and I know that, sadly, some people never do. I am amongst the lucky ones, and this is something for which I give thanks to the Gods every day. My life would be a lonely place without my people.

Pirates!

Pirates!

When I have a depressing moment where I think I’m too weird or wonder why I couldn’t be “normal”, I touch base with my people and realize that I would never want my life to be any different than it is, that the “normal” people have very dull lives in comparison to mine.

My family sings together.

My family sings together.

The tradition I practice is big about this concept of community. When you are welcomed into Blue Star, you are welcomed into “the family”. We fight, we bicker, sometimes we even ignore each other, but at the end of the day, what family doesn’t? Last weekend while at PantheaCon, I received my first degree Initiation and it really was a homecoming for me.

As an overall community we need to reassess what we define as family. I don’t know that I will ever have children. I am not at a place in my life where they are something to consider yet, but my lack of children does not negate the value of my family unit. The overall community that we live in is working hard to redefine the idea of family, and while the Pagan community is generally extremely liberal in how we regard family, I think we still have some deeply rooted expectations of what a family looks like.

I think a family consists of people who love each other, trust each other, and are willing to support each other when times are tough. I hope that other people agree. What form does your family take? I would love to hear your stories and see your pictures. I think it’s only through showing our own personal stories that we can connect with the greater whole to redefine the concepts behind words like “family,” and this website is a great place to start.

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Fairy Wings for Mardi Gras

February 11, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

Throughout the year, I spend a lot of time costuming. But this is Mardi Gras, the big one! Last week, I debuted my main costume, Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, as I walked in the parade Chewbacchus. I took a break from writing for the festivities. If you want to read more about that parade, check out my partner’s blog here. This Tuesday is Mardi Gras itself, though, Fat Tuesday, the Big Kahuna. And after costuming as Sally, what shall I do for Mardi Gras?

So I started searching through my costume drawers and my closet, and putting items together. And in my fervor of dressing and searching, I realized: I needed wings! So I made some.

This is a great craft to do with your kids. What little Pagan boy or girl doesn’t need an awesome pair of wings? And they’re pretty easy, though an adult should be helping out. (And yes, I do realize the irony of the fact that I started this column out complaining about fairies, and here I am making fairy wings! My Significant Other is rubbing off on me).

What you need:

2 or 4 wire coat hangers

any color of regular knee highs or trouser socks, though knee highs are a little easier to work with

A hot-glue gun and glue sticks

Electrical tape

A few yards of Ribbon (I prefer to use the recycle sari ribbon that high end craft stores carry, but you can use anything you want. It could also be rope or twine, it depends only on how you want to decorate your wings!)

Two or three plastic flowers

And then anything else that you want to use to decorate – glitter, ribbon, craft supplies, beads…the sky is the limit!

 

Directions:

First get 2 or 4 wire coat hangers.

These are the basis of your wings. Grasp the hook and the center of the base and stretch them out.

They should look something like this when you’re done. (Instead of using hangers, you can also use wire and freeform the shape for something less blocky. I find hangers a bit easier in a pinch.)

After you’ve done that, you should bend the hooks so that they are closed.

Next, take one of your knee highs and stretch it out. You then slip it over your bent hanger. Do this for each of your hangers.

 

Next, take two of the wings, and use your electrical tape and some of your ribbon to hold them together by binding the hooks.

IMG_0698

This doesn’t have to look great, as you can cover it up later. If you are doing four, do the other two and then bind both pairs together.

These are the basic wings.

Next, tie two yards of ribbon on both sides with the knot on the side that will rest against your back so that you have a way to actually wear your wings.

IMG_0702

Now your wings are pretty much done; all that is left is decorating!

I like to hot glue some plastic flowers in the middle to hide where you bound everything together. But you don’t have to. I also like to use glitter glue, beads and fake shrubbery. Another trick is to light an incense stick and to poke holes through the hosiery to create a more ragged fairy look. I also like to hang things off the center to dangle down your back.

I actually made two sets this time around; as you can see from my second set, you can make your wings to look anyway you like.

 

And that’s all there is to it! If you want a slightly more in-depth tutorial, check out Emilie Autumn’s video on crafting fairy wings, found here.

Happy Mardi Gras all! Surprisingly enough, sort of a typical Pagan holiday…

 

 

 

 

 

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A Short Break

January 28, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

As most of you have probably noticed, I live in New Orleans. We have just entered the height of the Mardi Gras season.

So…I am going to be a terrible columnist and take a short break.

Don’t worry! I’ll be back next time and in the meanwhile, you can all imagine me running around dressed up as Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

My Mardi Gras Costume

My Mardi Gras Costume

Happy Mardi Gras Everyone!!!!!

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Salmon and Hazel

January 14, 2013 in Sage & Scourge

During this time of year, my tradition talks about the Salmon of Knowledge.

The Salmon was said to eat the hazelnuts that dropped down the well of Wisdom.  There was an old legend that said that anyone who could catch the Salmon and take the first bite would be granted all the wisdom of the world.

An old druid set out to catch the Salmon and after nine years, finally did. He gave it to his apprentice and with explicit instructions told him to cook it, but not to take a bite! For that bite was meant for him.

The apprentice was a good lad and followed the instructions to the letter. But, when the Salmon had just finished cooking, the hot oil popped and splattered, burning the boy’s finger. Not even thinking about it, the boy sucked on the burn and thus had the first bite of the fish. When the apprentice took the fish to the old druid, the old druid realized what had happened and with good humor gave the apprentice the rest of the fish to eat.

Several different Celtic heroes are said to have been this boy, who went on to do great things.

This is also a time when I focus on divination. Supposedly hazel trees grow in places where the veil is thin and can assist you with divination. Here are a few things that you can do with hazelnuts with your family. The hazel is a fairly common tree and even just the act of gathering the nuts and branches can be a fun family outing.

It’s said that if you eat a meal of Salmon and hazelnuts, your meditations will be deeper and more clear. If you have something specific to work through in meditation, eat this meal to find the answer you need.

Take nine hazelnuts and bore holes in them. String these together, (some say to use black string, others say to use red, I think you should pick the color that makes the most sense to you). You can make as many of these as you like and hang them throughout the house for luck. (I’ve done this and it really is a fun family activity).

You can also take branches that have fallen off the hazel tree and leave them on your windowsills for protection for your house. (This is a good charm against fire).

If you have small children that have nightmares, work with them to make a wand from a hazel branch. Show them how to draw a circle around their bed with the wand. This will keep nightmares away. This can also be a good bedtime ritual to do every night and can be used to teach about the place of ritual in our lives.

If you give a new bride a basket of hazelnuts it will bless her new family with fertility. (Be careful with this one!)

If you have teenage daughters that are confused about which boys to ask out…have them take hazelnuts and toss them on a bonfire while calling out the names of the boys they are interested in. The one that pops the loudest is the one they should ask out on a date!

If you’re wondering if you should accept a proposal, you can put two hazelnuts on a charcoal to divine how the relationship will work out. If the hazelnuts stay together and roast evenly, the relationship will be stable and last for a long time. If the hazelnuts pop and role away from each other, the relationship won’t last.

Burning hazel branches on the night of your wedding is also said to bring luck to your marriage.

The hazel shows up in Greek mythology as well. Hermes’ caduceus was made from hazel, which was a gift from Apollo. While hazel itself does not have many healing properties (you can mix crushed hazelnuts with mead to sooth a cough), the presence of hazel in the house is said to help assist the healing process if someone is very ill.

And if nothing else, roasting hazel nuts is a warm and delicious treat on the long cold nights of this time of year!

 

Hazelnut Encrusted Salmon Recipe:

Original recipe makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Arrange salmon on the baking sheet and spread with equal amounts mayonnaise. Top with hazelnuts and sprinkle with tarragon, orange zest, salt and pepper.
  3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

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