Folk Practices Archives - Page 3 of 4

Animism

Scottish Gaelic Divination Prayer \ Charm – The firth

Those following along on social media will know I have been discussing divination for a while and researching the below bit of Audio exploring authentic Scottish Prayers or charms to use as part of my divination practices. I happened across the below recording from 1950’s of a spoken charm from Uist for the Frith (I think). The Frith was undertaken on quarter days and this charm refers to that process at least I think it might do. There are many forms of divination used in Scotland and the Hag of the hills website has some great information about the different forms

Scott

Sunset at Fa'side Castle East lothian summer solstice

An Fheill Sheathan

An Fheill Sheathan, Midsummer, Johnsmass, summer solstice

Midsummer, the summer solstice, St Johns mass (the birth of St. John the Baptist), An Fheill Sheathan – all these names recall a festival that is at counterpoint to Yul or Jul. Like the Winter solstice feast the summer solstice, though not ignored by the Gaels and other Celtic people were of much less importance to them than other Europeans. It’s suggested that the Celts didn’t divide their calendar by solstices. The largest traces we have of the solstice celebrations are, unsurprisingly, in Orkney and Shetland where the Scandinavian influences were strongest. Masons and Masonic lodges in later years also

Scott

Folk magic, witchcraft, whats the difference ?

I get asked “what is a Folk Practitioner or what is folk magic?” on many occasions. I also get asked “what is the difference between what you do and what a witch does?”, “Is it witchcraft?”, “Are you religious?”, “Do you worship a lord and lady or speak to the de’il?”, “Do you follow the immanent and emanant mysteries of your gods?” and finally “Do you worship nature? Do you bang your drums and dance around?” This is no fault of anyone. Folk practices have been adopted in a lot of modern magico-religious approaches. This has caused a lot of confusion

Scott

Bealltainn

Samhradh Samhradh – Là Bealltainn – May Day

Its the first of May, Happy Bealltainn! One of the best days of the year in my humble opinion…its coming indicates its time to go out searching for wildcrafted herbs and fresh young shoots of plants. So what are your plans for today? Why not start it off by listening

Scott

Bealltainn

Lá Bealltainn – The Gaelic End of Winter Festival

Là Bealltainn, the summer hinge the swinging open of the door to Samhradh, summer. The liminal time, the otherworld now just a heart beat away. Yet in true Scottish irony it comes in with the “Gab of May“. These first days of “Summer” , the “Gab”, are traditionally cold and wet. There are four major festivals for us. With a nod towards the Winter and summer solstice providing the structure of our year. Imbolc, La Fheil Bride, is the Mid winter festival and Lughnassadh or Lunastal the mid summer festival. Leaving Là Bealltainn the celebration of the end of winter. Samhuinn the

Scott

Folk Festivals

La na Cailleach – Spring Equinox – Fools, Cuckoos, the Lady and the Devil

When the light of the sun of this day shines into the inner chamber of Sliabh na Calli (The Cailleach’s mound). By solar reckoning, the year is exactly half. Half day, half night. At one exact moment, the world balanced on a pin head. Everything in equal measure, fifty-fifty, resting in perfect balance, a pause. A breath. Exhale. The cry of the cuckoo calls out. Release. We move on to the lighter times. The spring equinox La na Cailleach is here. In neopagan and Wiccan circles the spring equinox has become related to Easter. Termed either Ostara or Eostre. It

Scott

Ancestors

From Dead to Deity – How did the Celtic dead become gods?

I’m sitting on a train. It’s like a liminal space, I’m not moving but rushing forward at the same time. Travelling through the amazing Scottish landscape, it’s always a joy. Even though a brown, white and green dusk coloured blur beyond the window. The sound of the train, the rock of its carriage, always makes my mind drift. It gets me thinking. Back to old conversations and thoughts. I have pondered questions around animism and the dead a lot recently. In discussions, its been one of many topics raised over whisky, late into the evening. I thought the friendly debates and these unformed threads of ideas

Scott

Féill Bríd

La Féill Bríd – Imbolc – Snakes, Fire and Lustration in midwinter.

Summer is coming, everyone is rushing around, readying for spring activity. Brid is coming. Must be busy. I find it exhausting at this time of year and in this climate to be thinking this is the start of action. I need more time. I’m definitely not in any rush. The emphasis of this festival is slightly different for us. La Féill Bríd / Brídghe is one of the festivals that sit funny with me. It’s also known as Oimelc by Cormac. Which, Meyer has interpreted it to mean legal washing and purification. Others have associated it with ewes milk as in

Scott

Midwinter sunrise Belmaduthy Cairn - Black isle

Folk Festivals

Jül/Jol – Yule – Breads and celebration

It is the midwinter solstice tonight (well officially the morning of the 22nd) the shortest day and longest night. It’s nice to think that the nights are getting longer once more but I miss the darkness of early evenings and cozy nights in as it starts to fade, and the summer sun bringing with it its urge to do things outside and stay up later. Such is life though. Things move round each year and its something we just need to relax into and enjoy. There isn’t much folk-lore existing around the tradition from the Gaels or the Celts for

Scott

a mossy gravestone - Cailleachs Herbarium

Ancestors

The good, the dead, and the fairy faith – Animism and ancestors in Scottish folklore.

Winter time is always a time for me to ponder on those who have passed. Their missing faces from the celebration table hit pretty hard at this time of year. I don’t mean to be maudlin but it’s a reality we will all encounter at some point. It got me thinking. As this is the darkest time of the year, what those who came before us thought of at this time of year? What were the beliefs of the folks who saw fairies and ancestors as ever-present. Is it animism? Is it fairy faith? This is a thought piece rather

Scott

An old lady does some folk magic - Cailleachs Herbarium

Animism

Nicneven – A Wild Witch Chase – In search of the Scottish Hecate –

It’s the time of the year when I start thinking about the more witchier side of life and the name Nicneven and Hecate starts to be whispered of. Wrapped in warm blankets, looking out across to Fife and beyond as the grey clouds stream past, the apple trees shaking free their russet, yellow and golden leaves and sweet steam from my tea fogging up the window as it warms my hands. I always feel that Scotland is ideally itself in this Autumnal weather, there’s something that seems to suit it, the land stands proud as it loses it’s summer gloss,

Scott

Folk sitting around a fire, listening to a story cailleachs Herbarium

Animism

Audio Tales for our times – Lore of the land *all episodes

Recordings of a radio show about the Lore of the land, discussing folk lore and tales of the land in and around the UK, including Scotland.

Scott

Folk Magic

What is Scottish Witchcraft (or not)? – the role of the wise women

In a earlier post, I discussed the Cailleach and her associated role in Gaelic culture. She represents a power as vast and as wide as the Scottish landscape but a role that is also nurturing and intimately fruitful as the role of the wise woman (or man) in Scottish folklore. Unlike scottish witchcraft as a catch all term we have phrases that cover a wide variety of roles so called witches used to do. The bean/fear fease (wise women/man) bean ghlúine (midwife) bean chaointe (keening women) and the death midwife are all roles that derive and inspire their performance from

Scott

Taigh Nam Bodach - In Glenn Cailleach - Cailleachs Herbarium

Ancestors

The Cailleach – A Tale of Balance Between Darkness and Light (Part Two)

The Cailleach is a very interesting figure in Gaelic even possibly Celtic myth and beyond.The above video represents some of the Cailleach’s folk stories, the first about the priest who tries to count the bones in her house and dies of old age because he can’t count them all there are that many. The other part of the tale about the encroaching of man signified by the barking dog and her need to renew herself to become young again. In the previous post I discussed some of the background to the Cailleach and some of the folk tales that relate to

Scott

Deer in the woods - cailelachs herbarium

Ancestors

The Cailleach – A Tale of Balance Between Darkness and Light (part one)

As we move into the winter months I can’t think of a more appropriate force and mythological figure to write about. The Callieach is someone very close to me, and a reason why this website is called as it is. Recently I have noticed with interest posts written about her,

Scott

Folk Festivals

Lùnastal – the first sorrow (part 2)

This is the Second part of the Lunastal Post. (Part one can be found here).

Scott

Folk Magic

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones – Herbal Bone balm ( for care of bone ornaments)

Our bones that we have on display need as much care as the bones in your body but in a different way. For this is I have created what I’m terming a Bone Balm, and this blog looks at how it is made, the ingredients that are part of it

Scott

folk

Folk practitioner tools vs. Witchcraft tools – A discussion on history

We have grown up with this myth that broomsticks, athames, crystals and the like are synonymous with witchcraft. However, this is not really the case in folk magic practices and these tools are, if seldom, mentioned in the trials of folk magic practitioners that we have access to. I hope

Scott

Folk Crafts

Spin the wheel and seal your fate – Spinning and weaving in folk magic practice

Island Spinning Song Hullamackadoo, hooravahee Hoorovahinda, hoorovahinda, Hullamackadoo, hooravahee, O dicko-o-deck-o-dandy When will someone come to me? Will he come by land or sea Will he my own lover be? O, tell me truly, wheel. Wheel o’ fate what is’t you say? This year, next, or ne’er a day? When will a wooer come my way? O, tell me truly, wheel. Be he dark or be he fair, Shy or bold or debonair, Ribbons braw will deck my hair To meet and greet my true love. (Traditional Scottish spinning song [1]) We hear a lot about cauldrons, besoms, and crystal

Scott

The may queen Beltane - Edinburgh Carlton Hill

Bealltainn

Bealtainn, and May Day Renegades.

On first glance Bealtainn and May Day might not have very much in common. One a celebration and the other a political action but I don’t see them as different at all, sadly just the numbers they attract. Bealtainn: The clarion call to a summer’s promise, the adversity of winter

Scott

Exploring the archives

Category: Folk Practices

Category: Folk Practices

Category: Folk Practices

Scottish Gaelic Divination Prayer \ Charm – The firth

An Fheill Sheathan, Midsummer, Johnsmass, summer solstice

Folk magic, witchcraft, whats the difference ?

Samhradh Samhradh – Là Bealltainn – May Day

Lá Bealltainn – The Gaelic End of Winter Festival

La na Cailleach – Spring Equinox – Fools, Cuckoos, the Lady and the Devil

From Dead to Deity – How did the Celtic dead become gods?

La Féill Bríd – Imbolc – Snakes, Fire and Lustration in midwinter.

Jül/Jol – Yule – Breads and celebration

The good, the dead, and the fairy faith – Animism and ancestors in Scottish folklore.

Nicneven – A Wild Witch Chase – In search of the Scottish Hecate –

Audio Tales for our times – Lore of the land *all episodes

What is Scottish Witchcraft (or not)? – the role of the wise women

The Cailleach – A Tale of Balance Between Darkness and Light (Part Two)

The Cailleach – A Tale of Balance Between Darkness and Light (part one)

Lùnastal – the first sorrow (part 2)

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones – Herbal Bone balm ( for care of bone ornaments)

Folk practitioner tools vs. Witchcraft tools – A discussion on history

Spin the wheel and seal your fate – Spinning and weaving in folk magic practice

Bealtainn, and May Day Renegades.

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