Cailleachs Herbarium
Exploring Scottish Folk Practices and Traditions
Folk Practices
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The Winds who Herald Scotlands Spring
Before calendars fixed our months into neat boxes, people in Scotland watched the land, the animals, and the weather, especially the wind, to guide us to action. This relationship between person and land is something I’ve written extensively about and…
The Sacred Circle of Home and Hearth
Our homes were round once – a sacred circle. Imagine. A home with no corners. A roundhouse. Folk say the Romans made houses rectangles and introduced the cross-cutting corners of bureaucracy. The ideal Roman city was a regular grid of…
Sacred Water : Journeys of Transformation and Personal Power in Scottish Folklore
In Scottish cosmology, sacred waters such as our sea and rivers are more than elements; they are animated by their own spirits and present to us gateways to profound wisdom, spiritual insight, and personal power. Water is life and wise…
The Legacy of the Evil Eye in Scottish Folklore
In the mountainous highlands and rugged borderlands of Scotland, the ancient belief in the evil eye, known as the “uncannie eye” or “ill eye” still lingers, casting a shadow over folklore and daily life. For centuries, Scottish folk have whispered…
Fastern’s E’en – Shrove Tuesday in Scotland
Fastern’s E’en or Fasterns Een is a festival in Scotland, held on the Tuesday before Lent, otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday. Fastern E’en comes from Scots. Fastern’s E’en is also known as fastern-, fastren(‘s)-, fasten(‘s)-; fasting’s- (Sc. 1750 W. McFarlane…
The Scottish Folk Magic of Healing Wells, Springs and Lochs
Scottish healing wells or stroopie wells hold a deep and long history. Stroopie comes from the Gaelic word tobar-shrùbaidh meaning healing well the last word shrùbaidh sounds like stroopie. We know from archaeology and other deposits throwing of gifts and…
Dàir na Coille – The imbuement of the woods – New Years Day
Dàir na Coile is a fascinating tradition one we have very little written about. Dàir na coille I have come to love though. Its a counterpoint to consumerism – an invitation to pause and links back into the cyclical idea…
Scottish Cosmology of the Three Realms
Introduction – Celtic cosmology To understand why Scottish folk practice includes a focus on nature – earth, sky and waters spirts and its animated world we need to understand the roots of this island and its associated cosmology. This post…
Marysmass – Féill-Moire -Assumption day – Festival
Marysmass, Mary’s mass, Féil-Moire (Mary’s day) the Big St Marys Feast or the Assumption day happens on the 15th of August. Personally, I think it’s a great example of the syncretic nature of Scottish Folk practices and pre reformation kirk activities.…
Scottish Cultural Appropriation – Revisited
I have written a lot about my views on Scottish spirituality and folk belief before, but I’ve never really spelled out the position – why of things. I’ve explored Scottish cultural appropriation and appreciation through a story you can find…
Folk Devils and Saints in Scottish folk magic
Folk devils and saints in Scottish folk magic occur time and time again. Folk devils are tied to stories in our land and demonise our past folk traditions. Saintly spirits (along with folk devils) are called up for healing, cursing,…
Researching your Local Community Heritage
A Folk/Community Heritage hunters beginner’s guide on how to research community heritage As part fo the network you might want to research community heritage and this how to guide will help you make the first steps. You think you might have heard…
Scottish Clootie Wells
There is a strong tradition of taking the waters or drawing the water from a sacred spring or clootie wells at certain times of the year, or for traditional charms and invocations. These waters are used in 40% of the…
Conserving Community Folk Heritage site Guidelines for Visitors
Scotland is a wonderful place, with history and myth woven into a landscape of cairns, stanes, trees, rivers, hills, springs, and wells. These special places comprise our community folk heritage. We want you to enjoy the amazing access Scotland’s land rights…
Conservation Guidelines for Sacred Sites
If you wish for the blessings of a sacred site to go with you when you leave, take not only your own rubbish, but also the rubbish left by others. Dispose of it responsibly. Consider the act of taking litter…
Charring the Old wife
Beyond the Yule breads and celebration Plant lore is the verdant heart of Scottish folk holidays and traditions charring the old wife is a unique Scottish tradition. The Yules are no exception, even though at Yuletide the greenery has all…
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Divination by shoulder blade – scapulimancy–Slinneanachd/Slinnairachd
scapulimancy – Slinneanachd - Slinnairachd - divination by shoulder blade in Scottish Folk magic an exploration of the evidence and method.
Self-making – Disability in Scottish Folk Magic – Gods in Wheelchairs
I ‘m currently obsessed with the idea of parts of the self in Scottish folklore. Not just our bodies but what our spiritual DNA or what our sprit was once thought to be made of. It’s not just a mind,…
Saining not Smudging- Purification, Blessing and Lustration in Scottish Folk Magic Practice
Saining is the Scottish Folk magic act of purification – a way of blessing or removing enchantments that uses smoke or other methods like tar or water or written texts (though Mackenzie writes of it as an amulet to make…
A Memory of Water – Folk Magic is Community Magic
The below is the introduction for the event Dreaming Bread and Skyrie Stanes on the 11th of November 2018. I thought I’d share it on the website for folk who can’t make the day. I’m also nervous about public speaking…