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Cailleachs Herbarium
Exploring Scottish Folk Practices and Traditions
Folk Practices
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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…
ByScott
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,…
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…
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 to this amazing traditional song by The Gloaming calling in the Summer (Samhradh means summer in Irish gaelic). I have provided a the lyrics and a translation after the video.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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, some accurate some not so much, so I thought I would offer my humble opinion on this fascinating figure.
Lùnastal – the first sorrow (part 2)
This is the Second part of the Lunastal Post. (Part one can be found here).
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 and how to apply the balm for best care.
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 this post might help in understanding where some of these ideas come from and how, in fact, they might not be as synonymous as people think they are to practicing folk magic in Scotland or for that matter witchcraft.
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…
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 has come to an end and the promise of a warmer, easier and fitful time is upon us. Celebrating this festival is a highlight of the Edinburgh City “night life”, over 6000 people gathered together on Calton Hill.