29 December, 2020

End of Year Practices

Now that 2020 is finally coming to an end, we are all hopeful for 2021 being a more positive year. Many people traditionally make New Year's Resolutions, but don't often stick to them long term. I find that setting short term goals, or splitting such resolutions into bite sized chunks makes things easier to handle. 

A great way to usher the old year out and the new year in is to cleanse and bless your home and household. 

I've put together a Home Blessings Bundle, which comes in two variants, with this in mind. 

This, is the Home Blessings Bundle #1:

Home Blessings Bundle #1 - Stock Item

Included in this bundle are:

1 x Wooden Pentacle 

1 x Buddha Incense Holder

4 x Sandalwood sticks

1 x Packet of 12 White Spell Candles 

1 x Crystal bracelet - choose between Green Moss Agate, Garnet, Black Onyx, Tiger's Eye or Amethyst

1 x Incense Sticks packet - choose between Frankincense & Myrrh, White Sage, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Protection, Dream Catcher, Prosperity, Luck, Buddha's Blessings, Nag Champa or Opium

1 x Fairy blessings magnet

And this, is Home Blessings Bundle #2:

Home Blessings Bundle #2 - Stock Item

Included in this bundle are:

1 x Wooden Triquetra

1 x Angel Incense Holder

4 x Sandalwood sticks

1 x Packet of 12 White Spell Candles 

1 x Crystal bracelet - choose between Green Moss Agate, Garnet, Black Onyx, Tiger's Eye or Amethyst

1 x Incense Sticks packet - choose between Frankincense & Myrrh, White Sage, Dream Catcher, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Protection, Prosperity, Luck, Buddha's Blessings, Nag Champa or Opium

1 x Fairy blessings magnet

All of the above comes neatly packed in a red velvety drawstring bag. 


Another bundle I've put together is the Protection Bundle. Each bundle comes in a velvety drawstring black/red/purple bag, and contains:

- Packet of 12 black spell candles
- Crystal bracelet (Amethyst/ Black Onyx/ Tiger's Eye)
- Packet of Incense Cones (Dragon's Blood, Palo Santo, White Sage, Frankincense & Myrrh, Sandalwood or Nag Champa)
- 1 Palo Santo stick
- 1 packet of 10 charcoal discs
- 1 jar loose leaf white sage
- 1 jar loose leaf olive

 All of the above items can be used for protection and/or cleansing, so the thought was, why not make it easier by providing this bundle?



Photo courtesy of one of our lovely customers - featuring Olive Smudge Stick, Hand of Hamsa dish, Blank Onyx bracelet and a Custom made Herbal Sachet 

Another item that has been heavily requested recently has been Herbal Sachets. Think of them as Magickal Pot Pourri, in a way. This comparison is being drawn because these little buggers smell good, but every herb in there is included because of its protective attributes. And, they typically tend to include a little crystal as well to boost it all up by a notch or two. These sachets are custom made, depending on the situation the person is dealing with.

 

Sometimes, something as simple as a symbol is what one would prefer to go for - such as the above Hand of Hamsa.

 It is a popular motif in many countries and known by Hamsa, Hand of Fatima, Hand of Mary, Hand of the Goddess as well as the Hand of Miriam. It is often used by people of Muslim and Jewish faiths as a symbol to keep away the evil eye. 

Journaling are also a good way to start off the new year. 


Keeping a diary can help you organise your thoughts more efficiently, and keep track of the important things going on in your life. 

Dream Journalling is an ever growing practice, and the new year is a great time to start working on recording your dreams. The subconscious mind often processes our worries and hopes whilst we are asleep, and so dreams can be an important indication of what's going on beneath the surface which we wouldn't otherwise be aware of. 


Daily Divination practices can be helpful to improve one's divination skills, and also help create a more regular and structured spiritual practice. Oracle cards such as the Goddess Power Oracle Deck are ideal for a single card draw that sets the tone for the day. 

Another option to help you with daily spiritual practices is Mindfulness Meditation. It is often challenging to weave mindfulness into our day as we get caught up in the fast pace of life. It can feel overwhelming sometimes to know what to do and how to start doing something different and having to decide stops us doing anything at all. Having flashcards that provide a brief Mindfulness exercise can help manage the daily stress. 

Last but not least, a good way to see the old year out is to cleanse via Smudging. 


No matter which type of Smudge Stick you use - be it Olive, White Sage, Yerba Santa, Dragon's Blood Sage or something else, they all work with the same premise. You'd need to light it up using a steady flame. I personally use the gas stove when at home, or a candle if elsewhere. Once lit, start from top to bottom, back to front of your home. Don't forget the corners, and all the nooks and crannies which are notorious for dust to gather there. If the dust gathers there, energy is likely to stagnate there as well. You can also smudge yourself, but that's easier to do if you have someone to help you out especially when it comes to the back. 

Once you're done, you can either snub it out like a big cigar, or let it go out by itself. 


And so, this brings us to the end of the last blog post of the year 2020. Feel free to share what you decide to go for from the above, or anything else not mentioned perhaps! Stay safe, everyone! 


Until next time, 


Ros 💜

05 December, 2020

The Creatures of Yuletide: Santa Claus, Krampus and La Befana

 Greetings on Krampusnacht! 


Today we will be looking at some Yuletide figures and their origins. Given that today is Krampusnacht, we'll start off with none other than Krampus himself!

Krampus


Krampus is a Central European folkloric creature. He is described as a horned, anthropomorphic figure with a red, long, polling tongue, as is said to be a "half-goat, half-demon" who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved. Krampus is one of the companions of Saint Nicholas in several regions - including Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Hungary, Northern Italy, Czech Republic and Slovenia. Although his origins are unclear, it has been theorized that Krampus has pre-Christian origins.


Krampus has gained popularity in recent years outside of Central Europe thanks to the glorious Krampusnacht Parades that have been recorded and shared on the internet year after year, as well as being centric to a number of movies and books. 


It is hard to come across Krampus themed items, so every year, the search is quite intense. This year I decided I'd commission some Krampus bauble/pendants, such as the ones displayed above, as well as the Gingerbread Krampuses just below this paragraph. 


La Befana


"La Befana vien di notte

Con le scarpe tutte rotte"


These are the opening lines for the classic Italian nursery rhyme about La Befana. There are many variants of the two lines that follow, but the one thing that everyone is in agreement on is that La Befana travels at night.

Her name is thought to be a corruption of Epiphany, although some theories suggest that Befana is descended from the Sabine/Roman goddess named Strenia


The story goes that this old Italian lady was approached by the biblical magi, also known as the Three Kings/Wise Men a few days before the birth of the Jesus. They asked for directions, as they had seen the star in the sky which announced Jesus's birth. La Befana didn't know where Jesus was to be found. She did, however, provide them with shelter for the night. She was considered the best housekeeper in the village, and her home was spotless. The Magi invited her to join them on the journey to find the baby Jesus, but she declined, stating she was too busy with her housework.

Later, La Befana had a change of heart, and tried to search out the traveling party and the newborn Jesus, without any luck. It is therefore said that to this day, La Befana is searching for the infant Jesus, and as she looks for him, she leaves all the good children toys, sweets or fruit, while the bad children get coal, onions or garlic.


The Befana is celebrated throughout all of Italy, and has become a national icon. Urbania is thought to be her official home. Every year there is a big festival held to celebrate the holiday. It is estimated that 30,000 - 50,000 people attend the festivities. Hundreds of Befanas are present, swinging from the main tower. They juggle, dance and greet all the children. 

Santa Claus

Last but not least, the most famous character of the festive season! 


There are several predecessors to Santa - here they are at a quick glance:

Saint Nicholas of Myra: A 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra jn Lycia. Nicholas was renowned for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes.  During the Middle Ages, often on the evening before his name day of 6 December, children were bestowed gifts in his honour.

Father Christmas: He dates back as far as 16th century in England during the reign of Henry VIII.  Father Christmas was portrayed as a large man in green or scarlet robes lined with fur. He was the embodimeny if the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, bringing peace, joy, good food and wine and revelry.  

Wodan/Odin: Prior to Christianization, the Germanic people's, which also includes the English, celebrated a midwinter event called Yule. This is what the Yule sabbat we celebrate today is based on, in fact!

With the Christianization of Germanic Europe, many Yuletide celebrations were absorbed into what is modern Christmas. 

During the Yuletide period, supernatural and ghostly occurrences were said to increase in frequency, such as the Wild Hunt The leader of the wild hunt is often said to be Wodan (Norse Odin), bearing (among many) the names Jólnir, meaning "Yule figure", and Langbarðr, meaning "long-beard", in Old Norse. 

Wodan's role during Yuletide has often been thought to have influenced concepts of St. Nicholas in a variety of facets, including his long white beard and magical steed. 

Ded Moroz - Originating from pre-Christianity times as a Slavic wizard of winter. Some sources in Slavic mythology see Ded Moroz,  also called Morozko or Ded, as being a snow demon. At the time, the term demon had no negative connotation. 


Ded Moroz is known to bring presents to well-mannered children, often delivering them in person on New Year's Eve.

In East Slavic cultures, Ded Moroz is accompanied by Snegurochka ( "Snow Maiden"), who is his granddaughter and helper. Whilst Ded Moroz wears a heel-length fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and valenki on his feet, Snegurochka wears long silver-blue robes and a furry cap or a snowflake-like crown.

Snegurochka is a unique attribute of Ded Moroz. Similar creatures in other cultures do not have a female companion. Often Snegurochka is known ad Nastenka (Nastya), diminitive of Anastasia. 

Ded Moroz has a long white beard. He walks with a long magic staff and often rides a troika (a traditional Russian harness driving combination, using three horses abreast, usually pulling a sleigh.)

 

Santa Claus - The name is a phonetic Americanisation of the Dutch Sinterklaas. The name was first used in the American press in 1773), and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat.

As the years passed, Santa Claus evolved in popular culture into a large, heavyset person. One of the first artists to define Santa Claus's modern image was Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist of the 19th century.  

Did Coca Cola really invent Santa Claus as we know him?

Haddon Sundblom is the person behind the depiction of Santa Claus for The Coca-Cola Company's Christmas advertising in the 1930s. The Coca-Cola Company did not, in fact, invent  Santa Claus, nor are they the first to depiction him as wearing red and white. The fact that these are the same colours of the company is a happy coincidence.

Santa Claus had appeared dressed in red and white, pretty much in the same form as we known him today, on several covers of Puck magazine in the first few years of the 20th century.

Then, in 1915, White Rock Beverages used a red and white Santa to sell mineral water. They then used the red and white Santa image in 1924 for advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923. 

This brings us to an end for today. Be good this festive season, and take care of one another! 

Until next time! 


Ros

Essential Oil Spotlight: Bergamot

Bergamot Latin name: Citrus Bergamia Origin: Ivory Coast From: Fruit Peel Process: Cold Expression Consistency: Thin Perfumery Note: Top ...