Seeking Advice…

KITCHEN WITCHERY

HAPPINESS - Chamomile, Lemon Balm, St Johns Wort, Oregano

MONEY- Spearmint, Basil, Cinnamon, Ginger

SUCCESS - Bay Laurel, Lemon balm, Lovage

BANISHING - Chilli Pepper, Mandrake, Frankincense, Mugwort, Rosemary

WISDOM - Thyme, Cinnamon

LOVE - Jasmine, Rose, Meadowsweet, Coriander, Basil, Marjoram

FERTILITY - Myrtle, Geranium, Mandrake, Mistletoe, Clary Sage, Fennel

HEALING - Calendula, Allspice, Elderberry, Ginger, Eucalyptus, Lavender

PROTECTION - Angelica, Lavender, Aloe Vera, Agrimony, Star Anise, Salt

PSYCHIC POWER - Frankincense, Yarrow, Bay Laurel, Mugwort

PURIFYING - Rosemary, Juniper, Sweetgrass

Lughnasadh (sometimes written Lughnasa or Lúnasa) is a festival originating from Ireland that celebrates the start of the harvest season.

It is traditionally celebrated on August 1st (in the northern hemisphere) or halfway between the summer solstice and the fall equinox.

The festival is named for the Irish God Lugh and it is said that the festival started as a funeral feast and athletic competition to honor his mother or foster-mother Tailtiu who had died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.

Scottish Folklore Songs (Historic Recordings)

The site Tobar An Dualchais is a collection of historic audio recordings in Scotland, and that includes songs. I collected just some of the folklore related ones into a list for you all.

I have no talent in singing, so I will have to leave that up to the rest of you. Some are in English, and other are in Gaelic.

Kelpies and Each-Uisge 🐎🌊

(link) A MHÒR, A MHÒR, TILL RID MHACAN. "This song, which was used as a cradle song, was said to have been a lament composed by a water-horse(each-uisge) whose mortal lover had gone, taking their child with her. He is pleading with her to return. " (Recorded in 1956)

(link) A GHAOIL LEIG DHACHAIGH GU MO MHÀTHAIR MI "This song takes the form of a conversation between a girl and a water-horse. The girl is asking him to let her return home to her mother. The water-horse has other ideas. It is clear from the last verse that the girl escaped. " (Recorded in 1954)

(link) 'ILLE BHIG, 'ILLE BHIG SHUNNDAICH Ò "This is a fairy song. It was said to have been composed by a girl who was in love with a water-horse. As the song describes, he was killed by her brothers. The song lists some of the gifts he had promised to give the girl. " (Recorded in 1963)

Mermaids 🧜‍♀️

(link) ÒRAN NA MAIGHDINN-MHARA "In this song a mermaid says that she was deceived. She fell in love with a man even though he was human and she was a mermaid. Her sleep is unsettled when there is bad weather. " (Recorded in 1963)

Selkies:

(link) THE GREAT SELKIE OF SULE SKERRY "Supernatural ballad in which a woman bears a son to a selkie." (Recorded in 1973)

(link) THE SELKIE "The woman is speculating on who her baby's father is, when he appears and tells her he is Gunhaemilar and he is a selkie [seal man]. She is distraught and turns down his proposal of marriage. He tells her to nurse the baby for seven years, then he will return and pay her. He comes back and she asks him to marry her, but he rejects her in the same words she used to turn him down. He says he will put a gold chain round his son's neck so she will know him. She marries a gunner who shoots both the selkie and his son and she dies of a broken heart. " (Recorded in 1971)

(link) UNKNOWN "A Shetland song mentioning the selkies." (Recorded in 1985)

Other:

(link) MORAG'S FAIRY GLEN "Song of a man telling the beauty of Morag's Fairy Glen, and bidding his love to meet him there. " (Recorded in 1952)

(link) FAIRY DANCE "This is the reel 'Fairy Dance' played on the fiddle. " (Recorded in 1970)

(link) CRODH CHAILEIN "This song belongs to the fairy songs tradition and was used as a milking song or lullaby. Colin's cattle referred to in the song are the deer. " (Recorded in 1955)

(link) TÀLADH NA MNATHA SÌDHE "This song is a fairy cradle song in which the speaker says she would wander in the night with her beloved child. Sections of the song contain vocables which belong to the piping tradition." (Recorded in 1970)

(link) HORO 'ILLE DHUINN SHUNNDAICH "A song in which a woman tells of the murder of her fairy lover who promised her the kertch of a married woman." (Recorded in 1994) (link) HÈ O HÒ A RAGHNAILL UD THALL "In this fairy song, a fairy woman is trying to get a herdsman called Ronald to come across a river to her. Fairies cannot cross water." (In some stories, certain types of fairies can't cross running water) (Recorded in 1953)

(link) HÓRO 'ILLE DHUINN SHUNNDAICH "Song about a woman with a fairy lover." (Recorded in 1962)

(link) ÒRAN AN LEANNAIN-SÌTH "In this song the bard tells of being visited by a fairy lover. She asks him to make her a song, which will win an award at the Mod. He describes her beautiful appearance and sweet voice. She promises to give him a magic wand. She tells him about some of her deeds, and reminds him to make the song as she requested." (Recorded in 1960)

Water Sprites and Cuachag | Scottish Folklore

There was once a time where every river and stream had some sort of spirit, fairy, or other creature associated with it.

"Wherever there was a spring, there was life; where-ever there was life, there was a spirit; and each river and loch, each burn and tarn, each bubbling spring had its own deity." The Silver Bough: Volume 1 by F. Marian McNeill (1957)

Sometimes water sprites were kind and helpful, but there are also ones that were a lot darker.

"I am reminded of a walk I was privileged to take with Mr. William B. Yeats on Lady Gregory’s estate at Coole Park, near Gort (County Galway); for Mr. Yeats led me to the haunts of the water-spirits of the region, along a strange river which flows underground for some distance and then comes out to the light again in its weird course, and to a dark, deep pool hidden in the forest. According to tradition, the river is the abode of water-fairies; and in he shaded forest-pool, whose depth is very great, live a spirit-race like the Greek nymphs. More than one mortal while looking into this pool has felt a sudden and powerful impulse to plunge in, for the fairies were then casting their magic spell over him that they might take him to live in their under-water palace for ever." The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W. Y. Evans-Wentz (1911)

There are many sprites that were often talked about in Scotland, and one was Cuachag. She was said to be a dangerous river sprite living in Glen Cuaich.

“Many a river, too, has its spirit. Glen Cuaich, in Inverness-shire,’ writes Professor Watson, ‘is – or was till lately – haunted by a being known as Cuachag, the river sprite.” The Silver Bough: Volume 1 by F. Marian McNeill (1957-1968)

It was said to be a fauth, which is a name for evil water creatures.

"It was a river sprite, which haunted Glen Cuaich in Inverness-shire, which is connected to it by name. Like all the Fuachan, it is a dangerous spirit." A Encyclopedia of Fairies by Katharine Briggs (Published in 1976)

(I decided to try drawing my take on a river sprite.)

If you haven’t given an offering to your deities/spirits/ancestors/etc in a while because you feel icky mentally or physically, here are some quick and easy options:

- water (drinkable, preferably)

- make a playlist of at least 3 songs (you can add more later if you’d like)

- talk to them, just say hi, tell them what’s going on in your life

- if you’re physically able, dance or exercise a bit!!

- read or re-read stories about them if they’re a deity

- recall fond memories you’ve had together, tell them why these memories are fond

- Buy or pick a flower/plant, put it on your offering space

- buy a lil pastry and offer it to them

Hey Mate, got tips for Brigid Worship that doesn't involve American/English/Wiccan stuff? I'm an Irish ex-Catholic who's trying to worship the Tuatha Dé Danann (I'm mainly focusing on Brigid because I loved her Saint equivalent growing up), but a lot of my research keeps showing me English/American Neogpagan and Wiccan Shite. Any advice?

hey mate! i’ll link some resources for you to peruse, hopefully they help. mix up of gaelic-centric and celtic-centric pagan resources

Gaol Naofa (a website discussing Gaelic polytheism)

Tairis (another website discussing Gaelic polytheism)

An Introduction to the Tuatha  Dé Danann (video)

Na hÉireanneach

A Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland

Pagan Portals - Gods and Goddesses of Ireland: A Guide to Irish Deities

Gods and Fighting Men: The Story of the Tuatha De Danann and of the Fianna of Ireland (not sure where to link, this was lent to me! fer sure you can find it though)

The Cailleach in Irish Megalithic Traditions

Druids, Deer, and Words of Power: Coming to Terms with Evil in Medieval Ireland

The Book of Celtic Magic: Transformative Teachings from the Cauldron of Awen by Kristoffer Hughes

The Religion of Ancient Celts 

Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts

Brigid of the Celts

An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism

The Tain (amazon bleugh)

Irish Imbolc Customs

Scottish Deities: Brighde

Brighid, Goddess and Saint

Tending Brighid’s Flame (amazon bleugh)

How to Make a Brighid Cross from Rushes

to keep in mind while reading: Cailleach is not a member of the Tuatha Dé, and her lore supersedes theirs by a long shot. The Cailleach - Brighid dichotomy is specifically a Scottish folkloric tradition and does not appear in Irish folkloric tradition.

as far as personal experience, i don’t know much about brighid. never formed a bond with her, honestly, and she’s never shown interest in me in return. but i still celebrate her feast and do a lot of basic worship of her that day.

my main tip for you would be that, well... it’ll seem harsh, but coming from a fellow irish person, the tuatha de danann are nothing like the catholic god. they don’t love you unconditionally, and they aren’t omnipresent or all knowing. wise and powerful, fer sure, but your relationship with them will be completely different and unfamiliar at first. 

the irish deities were originally venerated ancestors. they became divine as the legends of them spread. the tuatha de danann are more like if an EXTREMELY powerful and respected war general was your landlord. offerings are less about connection and more about payin’ your rent! 

at the bare bones basics: there was an agreement between humans and them that they’d retreat from the war that was resulting in the near-extinction of both their peoples, IF the human invaders would leave part of their harvest goods for them on the mounds and edges of forests and windowsills on certain fests and holidays. with that deal struck, the tuatha de danann retreated underground beneath the faery mounds and very soil we stand on.

so keep in mind: the gods do not love you until you build that relationship. they’re not your parent, they’re not a friend. they are wiser, stronger, and more powerful than you in every way. holy fear should be part of it at first when it comes to irish deities. obviously you can still form a close bond, even worship them or become a close communicator! but you have to earn that first. 

"Hag Stones."

A Stone with a hole in it's center, or as the Celtics reffered to it as a "Hag Stone." A seeing stone.

Seen in popular media such as "Coraline." and "Spiderwick chronicles."

In Coraline it was used to find 'Lost' things, helping Coraline find the three missing ghost eyes to beat the other mothers game. But when first told Miss Spink and Forcible and two differing opinions. "It's good for BAD things." > April "It's good for LOST thing." > Miriume.

"In Spiderwick chronicles, it was a tool used to help a human see Fearies. Because only people with the sight or allowed to see the Fea can see them while most of the time they remain hidden. Only a "Seeing stone." Can help someone see the Fea clearly.

But thats in Fictional Media, what about real Hag Stones and their superstitions in real life?

"Celtic in origin. Referred as Hag Stones. Also known as Holey Stones or Witch Stones, are stones that have naturally occurring holes and usually found near oceans or other bodies of water. They are said to be powerful protection tailismans and when worn or carried they protect the bearer from curses, hexes negative spirits and harm. They have also been used to prevent nightmares, being strung on a bedpost or placed underneath pillows. It is also believed that if you peer through the hole of the stone that you can see the Fae Folk and otherworldly entities. If one broke, it is thought to have used its power to protect life.

*With that last addition, it makes sense on why this was used in media such as Spiderwick Chronicles and Coraline from it's tie to the Fea and other supernatural entities.

September will be full of happiness

September will be full of blessings

September will be full of growth

September will be full of surprises

September will be full of positivity

September will be full of love

September will be full of kindness