Litha – the Summer Solstice

The longest day of the year goes by many names. But whether you call June 21st Midsummer, Litha, or even Beltane (as some covens do), today is a fabulous day to celebrate.

For Wiccans, Litha is celebrated as the height of the Sun God’s strength. After Midsummer the god weakens and begins to die (to be reborn again at Yule), but today he is strong and powerful. We may light bonfires or candles to commemorate as sun sets and the shortest night begins. In lieu of bonfires, some people prefer decorate their home in sunflowers to represent the Sun God’s warmth.

Love and fertility are also important themes at Midsummer. Dropping a Chamomile sachet into a bath is a great way to cleanse negativity, while attracting love into your life. Some people also choose to jump over bonfires for purity and luck (which is totally dangerous. If you choose to be ridiculous and jump over a bonfire, don’t try to blame your burnt off eyebrows on me).

Even if you aren’t Pagan, Midsummer is still a magical time. The longest day of the year is a perfect time for Barbecues, hikes, and trips to the beach.

Stay safe out there, no matter how you choose to celebrate!

 

-Ck

Wiccan Wednesday : A Quick Intoduction

Over the past couple of weeks, a few people have contacted me, asking for a more introductory post about Wicca.

I’m happy to share what I know, but Wicca is one of those things that you never really stop learning. Your experiences shape your understanding, so you’re always discovering more.

It’s important to remember that no two Wiccans are exactly the same. Practicing Wicca is kind of like making Mac&Cheese – everyone does it a little differently, there’s a slight learning curve, but it’s pretty hard to completely mess up.

So don’t worry! Even if you’re just starting out on your Wiccan path, you’re in good company. And even if you fumble, you’ll still end up with Mac&Cheese, so there’s always that…

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a religion which stems from Pagan roots.

Wiccans generally believe in a Goddess (who is represented by the moon) and a God (who is represented by the sun), and we usually call them the Lord and Lady.

Okay, so what’s a Pagan? 

The best definition I can give is that a Pagan is someone whose beliefs are less like Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” and more like the “Venus of Willendorf”. Basically, Pagans believe that the ancient peoples had it right – that nature should be our main focus.

(This is an extremely overly simplified definition, of course, since Paganism is a deep and rich tradition with hundreds of religious off-shoots. But it’s the best I can do until I get some coffee in me…)

So then, how is Wicca different?

Every branch of Paganism is a different. They each have their own rules and customs. They often focus on different deities (or different forms of the same deities), and honor them in different styles.

It’s important to remember that every Wiccan is a Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan.

Wicca is basically a modernized branch of Paganism. We follow a set of rules (called the Rede) which are specific to Wicca, which often means our practices are a little different.

Now, here’s where it gets more complicated…

Within Wicca, there are tons of different traditions. There’s Faerie, Gardnerian, Dianic, Reclaiming, and lots more. Each of these sects have slightly different rules and practices. In some traditions, you can only be a “true” practitioner if you’ve been initiated by a coven. In others, the only time coven members see each other is on holidays.

Probably the most popular branch of Wicca is Eclectic. Eclectic Wiccans follow the basic Wiccan Rede and cherry-pick practices from other traditions. Eclectic Wiccans are often solitary (since it’s hard to find groups of people who all pick cherries the same way).

Solitary? Coven?

“Coven” is a word that gets a bad rep, these days. If there’s a witch in a movie, nine times out of ten there’s a scene where she’s chillin’ with her coven, plotting evil deeds.

Really, being in a coven just means that you have like-minded friends. On holidays you all get together for cake and wine. If one of you needs a little encouragement, you all get together and do a ritual… and then have cake and wine – Wiccans love wine.

If you’re a solitary Wiccan, it just means that you prefer to buy your own wine. You might get together with some friends occasionally, but you usually do ritual on your own.

Depending on what tradition of Wicca you follow, your coven might be structured differently. Some traditions like to have a specific number of Wiccans in a coven, while others are less picky. Some sects have a structured hierarchy within the coven, while others vote or change leaders (sometimes called High Priest/Priestess) regularly.

What are the Wiccan holidays?

The Wiccan year is laid out a little differently than the standard calendar year. For starters, Samhain (aka Halloween) is our new year. The Wheel of the Year is the cycle of seasons which lead us from Samhain to Samhain. Our holidays (which we call Sabbats) are times when we celebrate the Lord.

In Wicca, the Lady is our main deity. Every month, when the moon waxes and wanes, we celebrate her. On the eight Sabbats of the year, we focus on the Lord and his life.

Okay, this is where it’s easy to get confused. In Wicca, the Lord and the Lady are two parts of a whole. They are created in and of each other. A Wiccan may reference the “father” or the “mother” but really they’re only referring to characteristics of spirit.

Now, as the Wheel of the Year turns, the Lord dies. That seems like a really bad thing, right? But since the Lord and Lady are part of one another, the Lord is reborn through the Lady and we just keep rolling along.

Here’s a brief explanation of the Sabbats:

Samhain – Oct 31st. Wiccan new year, the day when the Lord dies

Yule – Dec 21st or 22nd. The winter solstice and the longest night of the year, when the Lord is reborn

Imbolc – Feb 1st or 2nd. When the Lord is a small child, and the world grows

Ostara – March 21st. The spring equinox, when the Lord and Lady marry

Beltane – May 1st. The celebration of fertility, when the Lady is pregnant

Litha – June 21st. The longest day of the year, when everything in nature is at its peak and the Lord and Lady are in their prime

Lughnassad – Aug 1st. The harvest time, when the Lord begins to grow old

Mabon – Sept 21st. The fall equinox, when the days get shorter and the Lord weakens

One last thing – what about witches?

Alright, I’m going to end this post with a question I get a lot : What’s the difference between a Wiccan and a witch?

Depending on who you ask, you’re going to get a very different answer.

Some people consider themselves Wiccan – a member of a legitimate religion. To them, “witch” is a dirty word, used to describe a stereotype.

Some people call themselves witches, but are in no way associated with Paganism. These people are sometimes called “practicing Wiccans” (which I think is a total misnomer). They may perform the ritual an spellwork of a Wiccan, but have no regard for the Rede, or the spiritual aspect of the act.

Some Wiccans recognize that the term “witch” has become synonymous with their religion and see it as an innocent word. Some Wiccans even enjoy the title, and deck their house in witchy things.

If you’re not sure what to call someone, just ask. If you’re polite about it and they get offended anyway, then that’s their problem and not yours.

Phew! Sorry that this post was such a long one. I hope those of you looking for it got some good info.

If you have more questions, just let me know! I’d love to write another intro (for things like rituals, spells, blessings, etc), but since they take up an awful lot of the page, I’ll only do it if you guys are interested.

Let me know what you want to hear about, and I’ll talk your ear off!

Blessed be,

Ck

Ps – here’s a few of my favorite resources. They’re great for when you’re first starting out!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wiccan and Witchcraft (by Denise Zimmermnn and Katherine A. Gleason) – This is the single best introductory text I’ve found. It’s not a super exciting read (300 pages of how-to) but it’s so useful. The best part about this book is that it’s very general. You get to really formulate your own opinion on lots of aspects of Wicca, before you go out and get bombarded by the views of the world.

Wicca.com – This is the best site for holiday meanings and rituals. They have a lot of good info, forums, and even a store. Just go in prepared, especially in the forums. Everyone has their own opinion, and if you aren’t fully aware of your own opinions, theirs might freak you out.

Tumblr.com – Just kidding. Never, never, try to use tumblr as a resource. There’s a few legit Wiccan blogs there, but most are just confused people who think Satanism = Wicca. (It does not, by the way. There’s no devil in Wicca.)

A Week’s Worth of Fun!

Hello readers!

I’ve been kind of a slacker this week, and that’s lame. Sorry about that!

I wanted to make it up to you by adding a week’s worth of posts before this week officially ends. Sorry, it’s going to be a long one, but I figured that was better than my subscribers getting a thousand emails in a row…

Anyway, I hope those of you who celebrated it had an awesome Christmas!

Ck

…

Let’s Talk About Stones : Mookaite 

Mookaite (also called Australian Jasper) is thought to bring about balanced experiences. It inspires both the desire for change and the calmness to deal with it. This is sometimes called the stone of versatility.

Mookaite is also a physically stabilizing stone, and is thought to strengthen the immune system.

Plus it’s cool looking, and feels weirdly soft.

…

Let’s Talk About Herbs : Eucalyptus 

In real life, eucalyptus is greener and more bouncy … the stems pictured are from my dried herb collection 

Eucalyptus is one of the easiest non-culinary herbs to come by. Not only is eucalyptus oil sold in many grocery stores, but the actual stems are frequently used as filler in floral arrangements.

Eucalyptus is a powerful healing plant. The crushed leaves are often used in healing spells – usually as part of an incense, or stuffed into a poppet.

You can also find herbal teas that include eucalyptus in most health food stores. Just be careful, since consuming eucalyptus for extended periods can lead to liver issues.

…

Wiccan Wednesday Friday : Familiars

If you go out and Google “Wiccan Familiars”, you’re going to get a million different opinions on the subject. Lots of Pagans claim to have familiars and say that finding yours isn’t difficult. Others say that the familiar has to find the witch, and that you might wait years for yours. Some Wiccans even believe that the term “familiar” is a Christian invention, and should have no place in modern times.

It is true that in The Burning Times (aka, when witches were persecuted and often killed), having a favorite pet was often considered proof of witchcraft. These animals were given the name “familiar” and were thought to be messengers of Satan.

(You can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes right now…)

Anyway, most of the Pagans who have familiars nowadays agree on a few things:

-Familiars are creatures (mostly animals, but sometimes spiritual beings or even people) with which a Pagan has a close emotional bond

-Familiars and Pagans can communicate telepathically

-If a familiar is an actual physical animal, they have more human qualities than animal ones (ie: increased intelligence, specific personality traits, an affinity for things humans tend to enjoy – like television, books, certain foods, etc)

There are lots of details that Pagans disagree on, however.

Like I said, some think that the familiar has to choose the Pagan. So, you can’t go out and buy a kitten and decide “yep, this is my familiar” – it doesn’t work that way. A stray kitten would have to follow you home, sit on your doorstep and decide “yep, that is my Pagan”.

Others think that you can choose, or at least that you are drawn toward your familiar. So you can go and buy yourself a kitten, because you were MEANT to pick that specific kitten.

Pagans even disagree on what kind of animals can be familiars. Many think that only cats are acceptable familiars, while others say that any animal is fine (I’ve come across a surprising number of Wiccans who say their familiars are fish). Some say that only a physical animal will do, but others say your familiar is your “Spirit Guide”.

I could literally sit here all day and talk about all the arguments within the Pagan community, but most of you are bored already.

There’s a lot of great useful information out there, so if you’re interested in the subject of familiars, start Googling. Like so many other parts of Wicca, what is right is what feels right to you.

…

Let’s Talk About Colors : Green 

Green represents growth. It’s used in ritual to attract healing, fertility, luck, and prosperity.

Green is also the color associated with the Elemental Earth.

Earth is the nurturing element, associated with wisdom and abundance.

…

The Myles Family Recipe for Goldenrod Eggs!

Before I say anything else, let me tell you that this is not your everyday breakfast.

If you rolled out of bed and dined on a plate of Goldenrod Eggs every morning, you’d weigh a thousand pounds by the end of the month.

That being said, this is the perfect hearty breakfast for special occasions.

My Pops usually whips up a huge pot of this mess on Easter and sometimes on New Years Day. That’s it.

If you miss Goldenrod Eggs day, you sit depressed for six more months, fantasizing about the amazing magic awaiting you at the next holiday.

You will need:

-Six eggs (hard boiled)

– Two tablespoons of margarine

-Two tablespoons of flour

-Three cups of milk (soymilk works just as well)

-Salt and pepper

-Bread (toasted)

Start with your hard boiled eggs. You want to cut them in half, pop out the yolk into a separate bowl, and slice the whites into bite-sized pieces.

Once that’s done, start on your sauce.

Make a rue by melting your margarine in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add your flour and mix until you have a kind of paste. Turn the heat down to low and add your milk. (Now, if you forgot that step and you’re thinking “Oh, dear God! I’ve ruined everything!” It’s okay. Calm down. You probably scalded the milk, but don’t panic. Your sauce will still taste like liquid magic, it just might have a few weird chunks floating around. Trust me, no one will notice.)

As the milk warms, you can turn the heat back up to medium. Just make sure the sauce doesn’t boil. That’s all bad.

Stir constantly until the white sauce turns into a thick pot of magic. Add your egg whites, a little salt and pepper, and stir until everything is mixed and your eggs are heated through.

Lay a couple slices of toast (if you want to do this Grandma Myles style, you can butter the toast…but that’s basically a heart attack waiting to happen), and spoon out the sauce open-faced style. Trust me on this – don’t try to be fancy with your bread choices. You want the lamest, whitest, wonder bread on earth. I tried to be cool, once, and make this using a hearty sourdough. All bad. Basically, the sauce is so insanely rich and amazing that anything but the most flavorless bread will send you into taste-overload and you may actually die*.

Now, here’s where you impress everyone with very minimal effort. Toss a few of the yolks into a strainer  (you know, the kind with the long handle and the tiny circular net that you really have no use for, so you just use it for straining tea … is that just me?), hold the strainer net over your plate, and smoosh the yolks through with a spoon. You’ll get these tiny little yolk curls, decorating your amazing meal with their fanciness.

(This recipe probably makes about five enormous servings)

Enjoy!!

*Probably not “actually”, but you never know…