Queen Of Air And Darkness

Good Witches Homestead

The early Celts savoured the dark side of life. They embraced war like a lover, plunging into battle naked, singing gloriously boastful songs. They were fearless in the face of death, which their belief in reincarnation taught them was ‘…but the centre of a long life.’ It was not uncommon for a man to lend money and agree on repayment in a future lifetime. Their day began at dusk; the new year at Samhain, the festival we know as Halloween. Darkness was associated with new beginnings, the potential of the seed below the ground. In Celtic mythology and folklore, the wisdom of darkness is often expressed by powerful goddess figures. Whether in the natural, cultural or individual context, their role is to catalyse change through the transformative power of darkness, to lead through death into new life. A Dark Goddess of nature, particularly in Scotland, is the Cailleach, a name…

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Weather Prognostication and the Wooly Bear Caterpillar

The Druid's Garden

In the last week, I’ve seen almost 50 wooly bear caterpillars. These caterpillars are also known as “wooly caterpillar”, “bear caterpillar” and “wooly worms” (latin: phyrrhartica isabella). These fuzzy, brown and black caterpillars come out just as the weather grows cold. I often find hidding in woodpiles or garden mulch getting ready to hibernate till the spring. The cold seems to summon them forth–you see nothing of them all summer, and then, a few weeks before Samhain they are everywhere. And, dear readers, they are here with a message.

These caterpillars, not unlike other famous wildlife in the area, have long been known to predict the harshness of winter. If a wooly bear caterpillar has more brown than black, that means the winter is mild. But, if the caterpillar has more black than brown, the winter will be tough. Here’s a graphic I made to share this wooly bear caterpillar…

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Acorn Folklore

Witch Rules

The Enchanter’s Daughter

The Enchanter’s Daughter …

Summer Flora & Fungi Hike

By Adam Haritan

Greetings!

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting the 2018 Summer Flora & Fungi Hike on Saturday, July 7th at McConnells Mill State Park in Western Pennsylvania… and, I’d love for you to join us!

Summer is the perfect season to explore Pennsylvania’s land in search of interesting and useful plants, trees, and mushrooms. McConnells Mill State Park — with its deeply-cut gorges, hemlock-lined ravines, whitewater currents, and historical landmarks — is a prime area for summer exploration.

While exploring the Slippery Rock Creek Gorge within the park, we’ll delve into a myriad of fascinating topics related to this season’s flora and fungi, including:

Edible and medicinal plants
Edible and medicinal mushrooms
Summer wildflower identification
Tree identification, along with edible and medicinal uses
Medicine-making using wild plants and mushrooms
Natural history and ecology of the area

… and more!

Interested? Here are more details:

What: Summer Flora & Fungi Hike at McConnells Mill State Park
When: Saturday, July 7th, 2018
Where: McConnells Mill State Park, Western Pennsylvania
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM OR 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

The program is geared toward adults and will entail moderate hiking (about 1.5 miles).

Please note that in order to maximize your learning experience, space is limited and registration with payment in advance is required to secure your spot.

To purchase your ticket, and to learn more about the outing, please visit the following link and choose the appropriate session:

Summer Flora & Fungi Hike with Adam Haritan

I’d love to see you there!
-Adam Haritan

2018 Mount Haemus Award Article – Channeling the Awen Within: An Exploration of Learning the Bardic Arts in the Modern Druid Tradition

By The Druid’s Garden

The Druid's Garden

I am excited to annouce that my 2018 Mount Haemus Award article, titled “Channeling the Awen Within: An Exploration of Learning the Bardic Arts in the Druid Tradition” has been released on OBOD’s website (a better formatted PDF is at the bottom of the page; I suggest downloading and reading that). In 2020, I will travel to the UK to deliver a talk tied to the paper itself, as every four years, OBOD offers a Mount Haemus lecture for the four most recent scholars. Every eight years, OBOD publishes a volume, and the next volume will also include this paper. Given this incredible honor–and the fact that the project is now finally finished (whew!)–I wanted to take a bit of time today to talk about the project, what I learned, and how I hope it can help others.

What I Learned

Regeneration, card 79 from the 3rd edition of…