tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19816810524454156242024-03-18T12:57:38.159-07:00Rue and HyssopRuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comBlogger478125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-75943823409908349702022-11-13T17:59:00.000-08:002022-11-13T17:59:30.696-08:00Finding Rue and Hyssop<p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">*TL/DR - For those who might be wondering about the future of Rue and Hyssop, I am working on renovations here which are likely going to take some time. I have reserved a space for writing over at <a href="https://rueandhyssop.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a>, and future R&H dispatches will germinate at that place for the time being. If you have previously subscribed here, then you are automatically set up (and can also unsubscribe at any time). If you want to keep in touch but have not subscribed here previously (or cannot recall) please feel free to pop over to <a href="https://rueandhyssop.substack.com/" target="_blank">Rue and Hyssop on Substack</a> and drop your email address there, and you will receive future posts and wild magics. (There's more info at the end of this post, but first I'm going to ramble a bit...because I'm me.)</span></p><div dir="ltr"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gkxg5abO2O5rbD4A9K2pefJf1b15y6IslSrtRqvjq3ibCpY9PCJ8xlL0kpdrDU9A5zEsXpr-dypcj5pEKHUEJ1pH6lv2zUt2tLIpawPv39oz2xsgNJw1WlFKwaY039Ef_SC8IZUn95g6jlfQ_ee36vywkKyYI_o2SaHo53RtlgSkpWd3YRi-xWp47w/s3352/IMG_E2914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3352" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gkxg5abO2O5rbD4A9K2pefJf1b15y6IslSrtRqvjq3ibCpY9PCJ8xlL0kpdrDU9A5zEsXpr-dypcj5pEKHUEJ1pH6lv2zUt2tLIpawPv39oz2xsgNJw1WlFKwaY039Ef_SC8IZUn95g6jlfQ_ee36vywkKyYI_o2SaHo53RtlgSkpWd3YRi-xWp47w/w578-h640/IMG_E2914.JPG" width="578" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">The birds jostle all morning at the feeder. They come in droves at first. All the little songbirds swamp the lantern-like device hanging from a pole in my backyard. The mourning doves arrive next. They cannot fit on the roosting bars but they are smart and know how to knock the contraption so the contents fall to the ground. The ducks from the lake fly over, and, seeing flocks of winged brethren, land clumsily between trees and garden beds, and then waddle over to pick around beneath the feeder. The quail swell into the yard last, pecking and scratching like diminutive chickens, cleaning up every last seed. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Now that the snow and ice have settled in, I make sure the feeder is stocked each morning. Mostly for the birds, but also for me. The whirling dance of those feathered creatures makes me smile as I linger at the window with my coffee mug pressed against my chest. It has been too cold, snowy, and windy for outdoor activities, and I already miss spending time outside after only ten days of this weather. Window-time is sweet relief.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Winter arrived early, transported into our high mountain valley in the arms of an 'atmospheric river' weather phenomenon. Last year that same climate event rode in on slightly warmer winds, and brought more precipitation than the low-lying coastal mainland, and many of our mountain rivers, could hold. The flooding was disastrous. We lost entire highway systems, and supply roads were cut off in many directions. Grocery stores in my area emptied out in days, but thanks to the hard work of rescue workers, road crews, and long haul drivers from the east, western British Columbia was mostly back on its feet by Christmas. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">All of that happened only days after my last post here, in late autumn of 2021. Winter was long and wearisome, but spring blossomed with exuberance and I busied myself with garden work and preparing for an unknowable summer in the land of wildfires. Time melted away, as it does, and I kept meaning to circle back to this space, to sweep up old posts and leave new wonders for folks to find. I suppose, this late in the year, as winter rushes in and birds flock to the feeder, I could recount assorted meaningful moments and adventures of 2022, but instead of writing a wrap-up post of the last twelve months I think it's time to look ahead.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">I am ready to shift some things around. I'm going to try writing from a new space for a while. I'm not prepared to close the doors at the blog, but it is in need of a good overhaul, edit, and facelift. It's going to take some time - perhaps a few months, but possibly closer to a year - before the renovations are complete. I need room to work through it, but I don't want to keep pushing writing aside just because I don't care for the interior design here. I've decided to settle into a spot on <a href="https://rueandhyssop.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a>.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><a href="https://rueandhyssop.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a> seems like a good fit for now. It's a simple email sign up, and then new posts are delivered directly to you when they are published. You can also drop in at any time and read the posts on site - they archive just like a blog or newspaper.<br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">If you have subscribed to Rue and Hyssop in the past, your email will be seamlessly moved over and you won't have to do anything. You will receive the first post when it goes live at <a href="https://rueandhyssop.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a>. Obviously, if you've lost interest in keeping up with my writing you will be able to easily unsubscribe. If you have not subscribed in the past, and have attempted to stay updated via social media links or RSS feed, you will find that subscribing to <a href="https://rueandhyssop.substack.com/" target="_blank">Rue and Hyssop on Substack</a> is the most reliable way to continue to keep up with my writing. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">I can also assure you that you will not be inundated with emails from me. My hope is to post twice seasonally. Gone are the days when weekly posts tumbled out, or frequent updates seemed important. It has been fifteen years since I discovered blogs, and a little over thirteen that I've been helming my own small space. I've raised nieces and kittens, grown more vegetables, flowers, and herbs than I could list, travelled and loved and lost and grown, and now I wish that everything would slow down so I could soak it all in.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">I'm still fascinated by folklore and stories, and eagerly look to every sort of celebration as a way to taste the loveliest parts of life. There is still witchcraft and wildness and wonder, always. And if any of that sounds remotely interesting or calls out to an untamed place within you, I hope you will come along for the ride.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Lastly, to those who have been reading for years, thank you. You have been kind and wonderful and kept me going at times when I wasn't sure I would continue in this space, or continue to write at all. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you would spend some of your valuable time with my words.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">See you soon, in the deep woods or beyond the garden gate...</div></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-72667063738028047762021-10-28T11:28:00.004-07:002022-01-24T21:58:01.231-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Folk Magic<p>So many thanks to everyone who joined me for the October festivities this year! I had a wonderful time and am thrilled that folks still want to play along each year. I've drawn the last names (Aly, Gay, Shelby, and Mara have all been sent emails) and I'm wrapping up the final books to head out to their new homes.</p><p>I hope these last two months of the year are good to you and yours. Stay well and safe, and thank you again for gathering around the fire with me.</p><p>xoxo Jen</p><p>______________________</p><p><br /></p><p>The salt shaker was on its side, little pebbles of the stuff scattered around it. Without thinking I pressed my fingers into the crystals and then flicked them over my left shoulder. Then I laughed and whispered "sorry, sweet devil," as I also happen to have a soft spot for the fellow, which that particular action was meant to thwart. There were a number of times while cleaning, that I did something which might seem strange to others but was unconscious or natural to me. Singing charms while sweeping. Drawing symbols on the doors with saliva or blessed water. Tucking a coin somewhere. Muttering a piece of a psalm. None of it on its own would be considered 'magic' necessarily. But all together, these actions weave together an enchantment to keep my living space safe and healthy.</p><p>My grandmother was not a witch. She was a 'good Christian woman' who raised seven children, grew roses like no one else, and kept my grandfather mostly in line. She could also heal a bee sting with a potato, cure whatever ailed you with food from her kitchen, and keep away pests and unwanted solicitors from her door with an ever-present box of Borax. I have never had any doubt that she was magic. </p><p>Folk magic is, just as the term implies, the magic of the common 'folk' in a family, an area, or a culture. In many cases the people employing those charms, ways, or songs might not label it as magic. They may consider it a gift from their land or their god(s), a gift passed through a familial line, or simply a learned skill. It was most often what was done to protect a family or home, heal what was harmed, and bring things or people closer (or push them away). Folk magic was, and oftentimes still is, a tool of practicality or necessity. </p><p>It is so much more than this, of course. And that is why I am leaving it to these next brilliant authors to introduce us to their studies, practices, and experiences of folk magic. I know you'll learn a great deal from them.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomONaTNlOenZ6Sf3_67gZSKiyNPNhUk8lp_iKSjfeAGf66ZngETgTU_fV3P1Jg5wWxdajZiz6SShWxB6-TcsDhGAcsMH4fSZUUt-c3cwKGJ7oAaGwgoRa_6eT3C1EJgbzVB53umibe2je/s1734/GOBG+2021+Folk+Magic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="1380" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomONaTNlOenZ6Sf3_67gZSKiyNPNhUk8lp_iKSjfeAGf66ZngETgTU_fV3P1Jg5wWxdajZiz6SShWxB6-TcsDhGAcsMH4fSZUUt-c3cwKGJ7oAaGwgoRa_6eT3C1EJgbzVB53umibe2je/w510-h640/GOBG+2021+Folk+Magic.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><br /><p>I have four books that present folk magic in beautiful, fascinating, practical (and sometimes painful) ways. Once you've read these books, you'll surely spot magic everywhere, and want to dig into your own familial and cultural history to track it down even further.</p><p>Our first book is one that will keep you busy, but the time spent here will bring nothing but rewards. <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/new-world-witchery-a-trove-of-north-american-folk-magic/9780738762128" target="_blank">New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic</a>, by <a href="https://corythomashutcheson.com/" target="_blank">Cory Thomas Hutcheson</a> of <a href="https://newworldwitchery.com/" target="_blank">New World Witchery </a>fame is, frankly, jaw-dropping. It is part history book, part enchanting folktale, a good helping of spellwork, a smidgeon of a recipe collection, plus a wink of devilish fun. It's as though the author took a basket out into the woods and rooted out the treasures of what magic was, and is, and could be, and brought them back just for us. </p><p>Magic in plain sight, the witch's flight, friendly spirits and unfriendly (baneful) magic. Tricksters and devils, healing and love, and how to launch a good defense. Creatures, cryptids, spell containers and charms. I don't know that there is any topic that Cory doesn't at least give us a glance at, and he is quick to recommend further reading for those things that excite our interest. What impresses me most, though, is that there is a genuine effort to bring awareness to the places where the pursuit of magic can harm others - racism, cultural appropriation, sexism, and indifference to physical ability/ableness. There are also sections called "Singing Bones" where we are introduced to healers, witches, and magical folk in history. There is no question that those who were considered 'other' were not usually looked kindly upon in days of old. I'm glad some of these people get their names honoured in this book.</p><p><br /></p><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: x-large;">There is a strong sense that the <i>place</i> of magic shapes the <i>form</i></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> of magic.</span> </span><i>- C.T. Hutcheson</i></div></span><div><i><br /></i><div><p></p><p><a href="https://threehandspress.com/shop/fever-tree/" target="_blank">Fever Tree: Charms Against Fever in Appalachian Folk Magic</a> by <a href="http://www.bloodandspicebush.com/about.html" target="_blank">Rebecca Beye</a>r of <a href="https://www.bloodandspicebush.com/" target="_blank">Blood and Spicebush</a> is a book that very much speaks to a place and form of magic. Appalachian healing traditions are a spellbinding example of how folk magic from one area can be similar to folk magic in another place, yet maintain the distinct flavour of the bio-region it was practiced in. The fever spoken of in the title is not a simple rising of body temperature due to an internal battle of our immune system. In the early days of communal-living people, fever was looked at as sentient and able to manifest. It brought sickness and disease. It was therefore crucial that it be prevented from laying hold, and there were a number of folks trained in ways help and heal, if it did. </p><p>Rebecca introduces us to a host of people doing the good work of ridding contagion, from blood stoppers and granny women to charm doctors and burn whisperers. We are made acquainted with methods and ingredients that were employed by healers, as well as magical actions (or in some case, inaction) that were mean to chase fever away. If you've ever had an interest in folk healing, or specifically the Appalachian region, this book is a must-read! </p><p>"Folk medicine does not stand still in time," says Beyer in this riveting study, "and today, this living tradition continues to grow and change as the people who heal with their hands continue to make and use the medicines of the mountains." </p><p>This compact but captivating book is part of the <a href="https://threehandspress.com/law-contagion-monograph-series/" target="_blank">Law of Contagion Series</a> published by <a href="https://threehandspress.com/" target="_blank">Three Hands Press</a> and is a limited edition publication (there were only 400 copies printed). Do grab one while you can!</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/moon-books/our-books/folkloric-american-witchcraft-multicultural-experience" target="_blank">Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience: A Crucible at the Crossroads</a>, by <a href="https://www.viahedera.com/" target="_blank">Via Hedera</a> is our next selection, and one that I think belongs on everyone's bookshelf. I wish it were ten times the length that it is, because the author's writing and research pulls you directly into the stream of folk magic in North America (specifically the USA) and takes you into the hidden eddies to show you where charms mingle with tricks, and where family/ancestors, festivals, and local flora and fauna all have made a place for themselves in these practices. Most importantly, Via pages through the history books and offers up carefully selected gems, all through the unique lens of her own multicultural experience. </p><p>There isn't a voice like Via's in the folk magic community, because there is no one else like Via. <i>"I speak as a witch who seeks to promote the magical traditions of my ancestors and the witchery they brought here; from Africa, from Europe, from Asia, from Turtle Island - because for some Americans, like me, this is who we are and all we know."</i></p><p>This is necessary reading for anyone interested in folk magic. There is no 'one source' for magic - no one owns it - and Via shows us how these practices have melted together in the cauldron of North America, carried here by people from afar, as well as cultivated on this soil long before others arrived here. You'd do yourself a kindness by reading <a href="http://www.viahedera.com/" target="_blank">Via's blog</a> as well, and I am hoping she will do us a kindness by publishing more books!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The charms we know today are most often hold-overs from those who came before us. We can trace their worries and daily fears through their common superstitions. We can view the world through their experiences when we tap into the charms they too utilized. Magic like this is an heirloom, one we ought to treasure for the simple lesson to be learned. </span><i>- Via Hedera</i></p></div></div><p></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><a href="https://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738764535" target="_blank">Roots, Branches & Spirits: The Folkways and Witchery of Appalachi</a>a, by <a href="https://www.myvillagewitch.com/" target="_blank">H. Byron Ballard</a> is another collection of magical heirlooms and practical magic that I know you will love. I was utterly entranced by the author's storytelling. The rich tapestry of their particular area of the Appalachians, the history and the heartache, and the deep magic that runs through the mountains and the people there. Reading this book feels like sitting on a porch with an old friend who is imparting tales and wisdom they learned over their lifetime.</p><p>"This land is a holdover to another time: one of kindred bonds that are almost unbreakable, where blood feuds can transcend generations, and where old women carry secret knowledge." While there are important stories of place here, there is also a good sharing of recipes (receipts), herb lore, charms, and even a few ghostly tales. What better to curl up with during the long nights ahead?</p><p><br /></p><p>If you haven't met and read our authors already, they each have truly excellent blogs and writings available that you will enjoy. Simply click through the links on their names above and you'll find them! A very special thanks this time around to Cory Hutcheson and Byron Ballard who are generously donating their autographed books to you!</p><p>This last game of trick-or-treat will run the month out - you will have until midnight on November 1st to get your name in the hat. Please make sure to leave me a way to contact you if you win (your email or social media tag). As always, you can let me know which book you'd prefer and I'll do my best to make that happen. And if you want to improve your chances, you can share this giveaway with your friends on social media and then let me know you did, and I'll put your name in the hat again. I'll draw the winning names when I awaken on All Souls morn (November 2nd).</p><p>Thank you so much for playing along this year! It has been quiet here of late, but I couldn't imagine not having these October games. I'm so glad you joined me around the bonfire and I hope you'll find some good reading at your side as autumn moves toward winter. Happy reading!</p><p><br /></p><p><b style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hys</span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-60962711993368398772021-10-21T00:46:00.004-07:002022-01-24T22:01:10.861-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Stars and Seasons<p>Thank you to all who stopped by to enter! The folks taking books home this round are: Kathy, Catherine, Jennifer H, and Jessica. I've contacted everyone, and now we are gearing up for the last giveaway. Check back in the darkest hours of tomorrow night! (Or, pop by with your coffee on Thursday morning - no judgement.)<br />__________________________________<br /><br />I spent last night with my head thrown back, watching the stars while the first outdoor fire of the darktide kept the chill at bay. Owls questioned each other across the creek, and the full moon rose over the charred western hills. It was a bittersweet time, initiating a new fire bowl, welcoming back the flames that keep my spirits up all winter, giving thanks for the final harvests of the land I live and garden upon, all while acknowledging the loss of the forests under that moon which were ravaged by wildfire this summer. I lingered, noting constellations until the sky was overcome by moonlight, and all but the brightest, twinkling stars faded beneath the luminescence.</p><p>Marking time and tide is important to me. It all goes by so remarkably fast, so it gives me a sense of peace to sit with moments, stars and seasons, and feel my place alongside and within them. These next books I have gathered up for you are all bits of starlight that I have found invaluable in helping me observe my unique space in the world and settle into the deep magic of it all, even as time sprints by and the tides rise and fall.<br /><br />For this giveaway, I have three enchanting books and one celestial planner which will assist you in charting your own life and seasons, in the best ways possible.</p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":19h"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A1SgGA0tJrxdRKxjgEgjKPKrD1xUWGAdbP2CpDJtaC42K6VANNG0TQ4GIULOfcoGQduy7jl2QAho_BKmAQvH1XA8XQuxgLFaA4FTZDd0Ldo0alw0dw2Qu1HIYFbXyi_uXnE7FMC3p7TC/s1709/GOBG+2021+Seasons+Stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1709" data-original-width="1491" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A1SgGA0tJrxdRKxjgEgjKPKrD1xUWGAdbP2CpDJtaC42K6VANNG0TQ4GIULOfcoGQduy7jl2QAho_BKmAQvH1XA8XQuxgLFaA4FTZDd0Ldo0alw0dw2Qu1HIYFbXyi_uXnE7FMC3p7TC/w558-h640/GOBG+2021+Seasons+Stars.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":19l" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 280px;" tabindex="1"><br />The calendar, or the year itself, has always seem particularly <i>alive</i> to me. I see it as having a tide or breath, and the seasons a result of the inspiration and expiration of this great being. Some places in the world, the tides of the year don't retreat and return as much as others. Perhaps you've never seen snow, or your winters settle in for half the year and spring and autumn are but a blink of an eye. But we all look to a calendar year to mark our days, and wherever we are there are seasons of some kind to observe. In <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/seasons-of-a-magical-life-a-pagan-path-of-living-9781662090332/9781578637232" target="_blank">Seasons of a Magical Life: A Pagan Path of Living</a>, the marvelous <a href="https://www.myvillagewitch.com/" target="_blank">H. Byron Ballard</a> offers us a look at the waxing and waning of the year and its most common traditions and celebrations. She weaves in folklore and practical magic - activities, skills, and chores - and suggests ways for you to work in concert with your landbase. I especially adore the morsels she gives us at each season's end - that strange, liminal time as one part of the year melts into the next. There are such good tasks proposed here, beautiful tales of home and hearth, and an excellent smattering of essays at the forefront of the book, that "better inform the journey," as Ballard says. I can see "Seasons of a Magical Life" having a permanent place out on the side table with your favourite farmer's almanac, perpetual calendar, or book of days. </div><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":19l" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 280px;" tabindex="1"><br />And while you are charting your year, why not give yourself the added benefit of working with the stars? Especially the ones you were born under! Astrology can seem like a foreign language (and that's even before you are looking at your own birth chart) but when you have these next authors helping you out, it becomes more like a symphony. <br /><br /><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/astrology-for-real-life-a-workbook-for-beginners-a-no-b-s-guide-for-the-astro-curious/9781578636563" target="_blank">Astrology for Real Life: A Workbook for Beginners</a>, by <a href="https://www.thetarotlady.com/" target="_blank">Theresa Reed</a>, is the book I would absolutely hand everyone who is starting their journey with astrology. The author has gifted us a wildly fun and sharp read, and makes you feel as though grasping the topic is not at all impossible. The book is packed with information, charts, exercises, and it's all put together in a friendly, visually pleasing way. If you ever wanted to have a good understanding of how to read your own chart, this is your book!<br /><br /><br />You might surmise that someone who didn’t want children, and then very-very-much-did, and then possibly couldn’t, and then raised abandoned kittens and wild/wonderful nieces and gardens instead, well…you might think that a book about understanding your child through an astrological lens, might be out of place in this someone's library. Ah, but you haven’t flipped through <i>this</i> treasure of an astrology book. <a href="https://brianasaussy.com/" target="_blank">Briana Saussy's</a> latest release, <a href="https://brianasaussy.com/star-child/" target="_blank">Star Child: Joyful Parenting Through Astrology</a> is not just for parents, but for all of us reaching back to comfort the awkward or confused child that we once were. It gives us an understanding of how we might have leaned this way or that - what might have influenced us - and why we saw things in a certain way. I'll admit to being a little wistful while reading it, wishing I could have handed it to my parents to help them understand this odd Virgo a little better when I was young. Star Child shows us how the glorious stars we were born under gave us tools to navigate a startling and baffling world, and if you <i>are</i> a parent it gives you extra vision into your child and how to relate to them based on their stars.<br /><br />We round out this giveaway with an invaluable tool for outlining your year and marking your own time and transits. <a href="https://www.planningbystarlight.com/" target="_blank">Planning by Starlight</a>, is a collaboration between sacred artist and author <a href="https://brianasaussy.com/" target="_blank">Briana Saussy</a> and photographer, visual artist, and magic maker <a href="http://www.jacquelyntierney.com/" target="_blank">Jacquelyn Tierney</a> and it is a game changer. It takes you through the year at a glace, gives plenty of room for monthly and weekly notes and observations, and includes all the important planetary/astrological movements you need to know for 2022. Jacquelyn has graciously offered up a digital planner for one lucky person and I know this will shift the way you look at your year. <br /><br />In their own words,</div><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":19l" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 280px;" tabindex="1"><blockquote>"We believe that an excellent planner is going to do a few things really well and skip a bunch of stuff that, at the end of the day, really doesn’t matter. As two ladies who LOVE planners, agendas, and calendars of all kinds, and as two astrologers who actively work with the moon, sun, stars, and planets, to plot out the days, weeks, months, and years of our lives, we know that there are certain things we look for in a planner. <br /><br />First and foremost, we want a planner that supports our lives by helping us remember our purpose. The point of a planner (agenda, calendar, etc) is not to spend all of your time working on your planner - updating lists and ticking off check boxes.<br /><br />Nope.<br /><br />The point of a planner is to support you so that you can do more of what you love, less of what you don’t, and most importantly fully engage in whatever it is you are doing at the time. In other words, a good planner supports you in being present."</blockquote><p> </p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3oc2ht_Skgl5FR5uL1JhnMqwQewd_kckLas-GswXVVL6paViyTZt9SL2XHx5GFVQ4aXGurRVBy6wTUDO-isd1hY52RveuqrnQ9_WNmq8AZNKJUfnWfW1F0jA6rndRDaRSd3fdJ77BdrU/s640/GOBG+2021+PBS2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3oc2ht_Skgl5FR5uL1JhnMqwQewd_kckLas-GswXVVL6paViyTZt9SL2XHx5GFVQ4aXGurRVBy6wTUDO-isd1hY52RveuqrnQ9_WNmq8AZNKJUfnWfW1F0jA6rndRDaRSd3fdJ77BdrU/w400-h400/GOBG+2021+PBS2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />This giveaway is for a digital copy of </span><a href="https://www.planningbystarlight.com/" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">Planning by Starlight</a><span style="font-size: small;"> - the photos are used for illustration - </span><span style="font-size: small;">but you can follow the link and buy the hardcover book if you like (which come with a course).<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQWfJURKYNLCX4V7exQJHq0Wohmkle-fL4slSd2hUNBTLb-KrE8WK2D-Y3soHwY69UKUItSqxyEajfoUAEQ9lUx7zts5NsiDChVx6K2QLwvYlV7a8gFFR3CwS8yJH62qkrdxZfLLGCnew/s828/GOBG+2021+PBS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="828" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQWfJURKYNLCX4V7exQJHq0Wohmkle-fL4slSd2hUNBTLb-KrE8WK2D-Y3soHwY69UKUItSqxyEajfoUAEQ9lUx7zts5NsiDChVx6K2QLwvYlV7a8gFFR3CwS8yJH62qkrdxZfLLGCnew/w400-h393/GOBG+2021+PBS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I have one copy of each book and one digital copy of the planner to give away. Please click through the links to take a better look at each item or check out the lovely authors.<br /><br />The game remains the same - your comment is your entry. Please ensure I have a way to get in touch with you if you win. Leaving your email address in your comment in safe manner (Jen loves books AT gmail) makes it easy for me to let you know if your name is drawn. You can feel free to let me know which item you would prefer if your name is picked and I'll do my best to match people with their choices. Please have your entry in by 9pm on Monday, October 25th! Also, while it is never necessary, if you want to share this month's festivities out in the world (social media post or the like) then I'm happy to give you a second entry - just let me know you've spread the word and I'll put your name in the hat again!<br /><br />Special thanks go out to Byron Ballard for generously offering up a copy of <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/seasons-of-a-magical-life-a-pagan-path-of-living-9781662090332/9781578637232" target="_blank">Seasons of a Magical Life</a>, and to Jacquelyn Tierney for gifting a digital copy of <a href="https://www.planningbystarlight.com/" target="_blank">Planning by Starlight</a>!<br /><br /><br /> <b style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-67293529634988870292021-10-14T00:21:00.009-07:002022-01-24T22:01:32.623-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Memento Mori<p>Congratulations to Ambrose, Rommy, and KH! I've contacted everyone, and now it's time to go howl at the full moon. Fly by tomorrow as the full October moon rises again and there will be a new handful of treats to be had!<br />___________________________<br /><br />Memento mori. Remember death. Remember that you must die. It seems impossible that we could forget such a thing after spending the last year and a half navigating a pandemic that has ushered over four million people to their graves, worldwide. We should want to set death aside for a while, shouldn't we? Perhaps. And yet, death doesn't stand aside for anyone. It is a vital part of the human experience. </p><p>In many cultures death is not something to hide from or fear. It is holy. A transition to be celebrated. Every part of this process, from how we take care of the body, to how (or if) a person is buried, and the customs and celebrations that might happen for years afterward, can be a reverent and sometimes jubilant practice that connects us to our ancestors, even as we become them. </p><p>Although many of us remember our dead year-round, this month is particularly suited for ancestral reverence. It also seems like an auspicious time to befriend our own impermanence. I have some wonderful tools to assist you if you should wish to use this hallowed tide to contemplate your mortality. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42fP0PInQ1e0KxnZB5f2QkICX3yBiK0pgXn3TG5c_YohMpJ_PxSvBeotBc2eGeJuLDKKnAqCexZ3KCvS3qZDvQe4IiYLp-n0hXlOPIYrgH7MmhyphenhyphenPs-romiIJ1aBqXgbrxukMa43p4poFe/s2016/GOBG+2021+Mort.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="2016" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42fP0PInQ1e0KxnZB5f2QkICX3yBiK0pgXn3TG5c_YohMpJ_PxSvBeotBc2eGeJuLDKKnAqCexZ3KCvS3qZDvQe4IiYLp-n0hXlOPIYrgH7MmhyphenhyphenPs-romiIJ1aBqXgbrxukMa43p4poFe/w400-h291/GOBG+2021+Mort.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>In much of the United States, Canada, and England, the protocol around death and burial follows a Christian, or Christian-adjacent etiquette. It is sanitary, modest, and rote. A body goes somewhere and is 'dealt-with' (by folks we've trusted to handle that task), while live people gather in a church or cemetery for a memorial service. But what if we, or our beloved dead, are of a different faith? How might those on paths that fall under the pagan umbrella ritualize our passing, or navigate the bereavement process in a way that respects our beliefs and practices? In their book <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/do-i-have-to-wear-black-rituals-customs-funerary-etiquette-for-modern-pagans/9780738765402" target="_blank">Do I Have to Wear Black: Rituals, Customs & Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagan</a>, <a href="https://www.mortellus.com/" target="_blank">Mortellus</a> takes a look at multiple Pagan paths and how they address death, offering up some corresponding prayers and rites, as well as how we might care for those left behind. The book examines various views of death and the afterlife, plus includes practical information on advanced planning (wills, funerary arrangements). <a href="https://www.mortellus.com/" target="_blank">Mortellus</a> is a mortician and medium, as well as an author, and their expertise shines through in this book. Do I Have to Wear Black is an informative and friendly read, and one I think will offer a helping hand in preparing for the loss of a loved one, or even planning our own departure.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikLd-Pq8io-by1izfcN5-Q_nC_-gM5GEzeNG19NVWQWgUcitwkPAKHpqdH49HliG0UZXjAZItoPqHlj6cr-HTYMkfWH2Uhc7IKpaJoBsoYmu-8Lx_5pxV6jrVo6Afu_WthoAo2emylb9C/s2016/GOBG+2021+Mort2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikLd-Pq8io-by1izfcN5-Q_nC_-gM5GEzeNG19NVWQWgUcitwkPAKHpqdH49HliG0UZXjAZItoPqHlj6cr-HTYMkfWH2Uhc7IKpaJoBsoYmu-8Lx_5pxV6jrVo6Afu_WthoAo2emylb9C/w400-h300/GOBG+2021+Mort2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><a href="http://caitlindoughty.com/books" target="_blank">From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death</a>, by <a href="http://caitlindoughty.com/" target="_blank">Caitlin Doughty</a> is a superlative (and spooky) journey through the wider world's death customs and funerary rites, told through the unique lens of its mortician author. It is a bright and fascinating book, for a subject that may seem heavy, and the author weaves a good balance of wit and reverence while recounting her research. She brings to light how many people in the western world fear death, and how other cultures embrace, celebrate, and honour the transition out of the human body. (Unsurprisingly, Caitlin is a foundational figure in the death positive movement and the architect behind <a href="https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/our-story/" target="_blank">The Order of The Good Death</a>, a community of funeral-industry folks, along with academics and artists, who have come together to envision and create ways to address how we face our end-of-life experience.) From Here to Eternity is engrossing - I kept wanting to read one more chapter...Spain! Bolivia! Japan! - and I know it will be another perfect addition for your reading stack this month.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU7TXQ83G4Rl8ZKenL7CeJD2K6uAHof5M0JJ4X4q1bY_hVT0mIdP6iPsX6kEL7na9daNVZmJ1cT19tW18__uSbcmgYJeM4JjPa97qHNangWWklBYglyvhyphenhyphenYhyjuzJ0p9hdttdVRF5vi5u/s2048/GOBG+Gilbert.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU7TXQ83G4Rl8ZKenL7CeJD2K6uAHof5M0JJ4X4q1bY_hVT0mIdP6iPsX6kEL7na9daNVZmJ1cT19tW18__uSbcmgYJeM4JjPa97qHNangWWklBYglyvhyphenhyphenYhyjuzJ0p9hdttdVRF5vi5u/w400-h400/GOBG+Gilbert.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We close the casket on this giveaway with a handsome piece to rest with...or wear around your neck. A delightful winged skull named "Gilbert," hand cut from an original drawing, in sterling silver. His creatrix is the brilliant <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">Patricia Tozer</a>, (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/treespeakstostone/" target="_blank">Tree Speaks to Stone</a>) who was inspired by the engravings found on 18th century gravestones in New England. This memento mori has a special patina added so that his best features stand out, and he will happily guard you (and remind you of life's impermanence) from the end of an eighteen inch chain. I am an ardent fan of Pati's creations and own a few of their gorgeous talismans, so I know that whoever welcomes Gilbert home will be very lucky indeed! You can take a look at more of <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/products" target="_blank">Pati's extraordinary art here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYmRT08_XZC8z_ORN47UNoFxcTkufs3ul-VNOA_zxBVKqlFGxrItxPo1oVkbe3hBxusN3Zjbp6B2tVZ9D2ryS7J9LSZa4sk_zsXjqjO5bQfImaQSN8DQDWLlQuSxEavKTfEiP2zQbPgZP/s2048/GOBG+Gilbert2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYmRT08_XZC8z_ORN47UNoFxcTkufs3ul-VNOA_zxBVKqlFGxrItxPo1oVkbe3hBxusN3Zjbp6B2tVZ9D2ryS7J9LSZa4sk_zsXjqjO5bQfImaQSN8DQDWLlQuSxEavKTfEiP2zQbPgZP/w400-h400/GOBG+Gilbert2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>This giveaway will run until 9pm (Pacific) on Tuesday, October 19th. Your comment is your entry, and if you have your eye on something in particular you can let me know what you'd prefer if you win. I try my best to match up names drawn with their preferences when possible. Please ensure there is a way for me to contact you if you win. An email left in a safe format, such as: JenLovesBooks AT gmail dot com, is best. If you are of a more private sort, you can always enter via the contact form at the bottom of the side column (I've been getting all the entries sent that way, so no worries). </p><p>This month has already been such a hoot - thank you to all who are joining in on my October fun!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-32954537415856945202021-10-06T23:35:00.007-07:002022-01-24T22:01:46.015-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Witch Work<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The four names drawn this round were: Misty, Alex C, Corinn, and Rowan! Congratulations!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are still plenty of chances to get some tricks or treats...stay tuned...as the moon rises tomorrow night another giveaway will appear!<br />_________________________<br /><br /><br />The warmth fled the day the exact moment the sun slipped down over the western hill. It was a breathtaking shift, the sort that gives a nod to the wintry tide ahead. Moisture hangs in the air tonight, an invisible curtain that is neither manifest or absent. The ghostly vapor is as much a part of the dark as the chill. And I can feel it all in the deepest part of me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">It is my mother's people who sense precipitation in their bones. Any big storm coming, or when the weather cools enough to coax the dew into frost on the tips of the grass, will cause a ripple of ache to run up a leg or down an arm, a throb across shoulders or a pang in hip sockets. It's not uncommon, really. If you talk to an orthopedic doctor they will tell you that atmospheric pressure can affect the fluid around your joints, causing sensitivity or even pain. Some folks feel it. Others don't notice at all. In the old days, before we understood such things, it was just <i>the knowing</i>. I always thought it was magic when my mother would slowly rock, rubbing her knee, and say "must be rain." I started observing it in my own body when I was in my twenties. A twinge when the weather was going to take a dive. A dull ache in my hips before an icy drizzle or thick mist moved in. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am very much not in my twenties anymore, so there is poplar bud oil to rub into sore hips, and a mug of something warm to soothe the rest of me. Still, I rather like the signals my body gives me that connect me with the wider world. The joints that know when the weather is shifting. The senses that pique when something feels off. I have a keen nose (which can be a blessing and a curse) and I often catch scents that other people don't notice. These sensitivities might seem like odd, inherited family afflictions, but they can be beneficial in your witchcraft (or other spiritual or magical) practice, and the good news is many of them can be learned.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are an enormous amount of books offering insight into direction and skill building when it comes to witchcraft. For this giveaway, I wanted to feature some of this year's releases that I think would be constructive for anyone mapping out their own practice. We have a book that navigates the pitfalls of this path and offers ideas for you to chart your own course, one that helps you work with your own inherent sensitivities, and another that gives you daily inspiration and ideas to explore. There's also a tool that can help you dig deep when you have a few too many questions. Let's take a look...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQR0h6xjMjJvJHsTbx1FGcoos0XXUbu4inCKh3m7Hn6Mcnyv_M4hyPtkOKc5K4XLH15Re7r8McC2wRb4pD2leBZhsiHfHidlFSEUFpwuL6GWTyThkskBkUGyNIRKXqF4mbw5xDULO-Pw6S/s2016/GOBG+2021+Witch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQR0h6xjMjJvJHsTbx1FGcoos0XXUbu4inCKh3m7Hn6Mcnyv_M4hyPtkOKc5K4XLH15Re7r8McC2wRb4pD2leBZhsiHfHidlFSEUFpwuL6GWTyThkskBkUGyNIRKXqF4mbw5xDULO-Pw6S/w480-h640/GOBG+2021+Witch.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-dabbler-s-guide-to-witchcraft-seeking-an-intentional-magical-path/9781982174347" target="_blank">The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft: Seeking an Intentional Magical Path,</a> was released as September faded away, and my pre-order appeared only days ago, so I am still happily consuming it whenever I have a chance to sit down. Even part way through, I can tell you that <a href="http://www.incitingariot.com/" target="_blank">Fire Lyte</a> has given us a treasure with this book. No topic is off-limits - he wants you to know exactly what you are getting into when you wander down this path. He weaves us through witchcraft in pop-culture and social media. Gatekeeping and hot takes. Scams, appropriation, and racism. He then leads us into the <i>why</i> of seeking witchcraft, and some of the tools, theory, and practices of the craft itself. If I were stumbling into the witch-verse today, fresh and innocent(ish), this is the book I would want thrust at me as a torch to help me see the way through the hazy maze of modern witchcraft, and to help me avoid some of the pitfalls. Even for those of us who have been on this path for many years, this is an informative, witty, and excellent read.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://owlkeyme.square.site/product/book-anatomy-of-a-witch-a-map-to-the-magical-body/372?cs=true&cst=custom" target="_blank">Anatomy of a Witch: A Map to the Magical Body</a>, by <a href="https://lauratempestzakroff.com/" target="_blank">Laura Tempest Zakroff</a>, is a truly beautiful book about a topic that is often missing in witchcraft guides. The human body. From the lungs and our sacred breath, to the heart and the blood that moves through the whole of us, to the deep magic of our bones, Zakroff takes us on a holy tour of one of our most essential tools in working magic. There are sigils, exercises, prompts, and rituals included to further your practice, but the entire book itself feels like a wondrous spell. If you've ever wanted to connect more deeply with your body, or personalize your magical work in a more meaningful way, this is essential reading. I managed to snap up an autographed copy of this book for you, and Laura included a vial of her anointing oil, made specially for this work.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">It is no secret that I love an almanac or a book of days. As a witch and fervent gardener I'm invested in the little daily rituals, celebrations, and important notes that mark the passing of time. Tell me where in the sky Venus is rising, and when the tide is coming in. Sing to me of best days for planting, and what mysterious saint has a feast day today. I adore it all. When I heard that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/judikailles/" target="_blank">Judika Illes</a> had a new book coming out, I was excited. When I discovered that book would be a journey through each day of the year, marking stars, saints, and other observations, which included tidbits of history, folkore, spellwork, and magical recipes, I nearly fainted with joy. <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/daily-magic-judika-illes?variant=32207517810722" target="_blank">Daily Magic: Spells and Rituals for Making the Whole Year Magic</a> is a witch's perpetual almanac, and it is a delight. Keep it handy and check in each day, or use it to track a series of days that are perfect for your current workings or projects. It also feels like the perfect tome for bibliomancy, if you are a fan of that sort of divination.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: white;">Speaking of divination...I have something special to share with you. <a href="https://sorceryundergrnd.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">T</a></span></span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><a href="https://sorceryundergrnd.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">he Sorcery Underground Fortune Telling Deck</a>, by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sorceryunderground/" target="_blank">Brian David MacDonald</a> </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">is a privately created deck that was released in a very limited run (and is now sold out). It is a glorious blending of Major Arcana, Lenormand, and playing cards, into one wisdom-packed set that will delight even the most inflexible reader. You can separate the cards and work with the individual systems, or keep the lot together for a comprehensive look at your query. MacDonald has added a fascinating trio of extra cards into the mix, as well, to make things even more interesting. The little white book that was included with the deck offers up meanings for upright or reversal readings, as well as clever advice or methods for digging deeper into those cards. I've been running this deck in multiple combinations, and I know you will find so many ways to read with it!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjwJCx3ZnBxItH_0nljbSjYdWwmroqVV22aBSxhu9RxdVxQpTbwRGhGe1fy91NLnz_6r5o1pwazNju5fUWfssw-tpP8XzAwjn_N_Hslq7fCPkHZFF4BCg_MiHoTL6Cv-F_C57PslqD1X8/s1420/GOBG+2021+Witch2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="1420" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjwJCx3ZnBxItH_0nljbSjYdWwmroqVV22aBSxhu9RxdVxQpTbwRGhGe1fy91NLnz_6r5o1pwazNju5fUWfssw-tpP8XzAwjn_N_Hslq7fCPkHZFF4BCg_MiHoTL6Cv-F_C57PslqD1X8/w400-h400/GOBG+2021+Witch2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Once again, your entry is your comment (including your email, listed in a safe manner). If you pass the word around (share to social media) then feel free to pop back and put your name in the hat again. As always, you can let me know which item tickles your fancy, and I'll try my best to match the winners to their choices. If you are just finding us and would like a more in-depth rundown of the mischief I'm up to here this month, you can scroll down to the bottom of the <a href="https://rueandhyssop.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-great-october-book-giveaway-plant.html" target="_blank">first giveaway post here</a> and get filled in.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">Please have your name in by the evening of Tuesday, October 12th. I will draw four names on Wednesday morning, contact the winners, and post the next giveaway on the evening of the 13th.</span></p><p><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-43394224674811908192021-10-01T21:28:00.007-07:002022-01-24T22:02:00.429-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Plant Lore<p>Congratulations to Fringe Nymph, Andrea Kiss, Sidur, and Tooshytospeak! Check out your inbox for the prize you won! </p><p>If your name didn't get drawn, not to worry! There's plenty of fun left! The next giveaway will be arriving as the skies darken on this 6th October eve... </p><p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">_______________<br /><br />The sky turned indigo only a short while ago, and the warmth of the day has seeped away as the cool flesh of evening continues to press against it. I can see my breath in the air tonight, curling and dancing away from me as I watch the stars appearing. It is the first day of October, and everything feels more sharp and in focus. Gone are the hazy, late summer days with their perfect Instagram-filter afternoon light. The dawn seems to leap up, directly from the dusky dregs of night, and there is very little twilight now - just a short moment of deepening blue, and then all is dark. But that's the sort of thing we like about this month. We are weary of the brightness and the oppressive heat (in the northern hemisphere, at least). Some part of us calls out to feel the sharp kiss of a cool breeze on our cheeks, and we luxuriate in the longer hours of darkness.</span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":zm"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":zi" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 280px;" tabindex="1"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">The Wild, in flesh and in the not-so-physical realms, feels close enough to touch. We hear the owl and coyote hunting again, now that the constant buzz of the warmer months has faded. It is the season of last preparations, bringing in the final harvests, and shoring up the edges of our living spaces for the cold days ahead. We set our wards, gather our wood (or candlelight), and hang our charms at doors and windows. Gourds tumble out of farm stands and show up on porches. Strange creatures arrive at our doorsteps looking for candy offerings to dissuade them from wreaking havoc. We gladly partake of all of it, knowing that these customs and practices keep us and our spirit(s) fed, and maintain a spark in the darkest season.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Each October I kindle my own cozy fire in this place. I surround myself with books and blankets, oracular helpers, and talismans. And I set about making a welcome space for all kinds of spirits so I can share my harvest. It's been a very long year already, in some ways. But I've always been refreshed by autumn, this month in particular, and I think I may be finding my second wind. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">For those that are new here, it should be fairly easy to follow along. To those that come by each year to join in on the festivities, welcome back old friends. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-IISXChOvybsNmJtgosQokSGLC2IbLOhYEQ5YUMa4rfs4Eb_Lh5PJespFKUFAM9U_js7q_pOj1BEfrgK5rSLnROGA7TALT2uKoxMAv0qkV00mq_QqkApHQNUIueWphzzU5jF6bsXW8Ks/s1752/GOBG+2021+Herbal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1752" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-IISXChOvybsNmJtgosQokSGLC2IbLOhYEQ5YUMa4rfs4Eb_Lh5PJespFKUFAM9U_js7q_pOj1BEfrgK5rSLnROGA7TALT2uKoxMAv0qkV00mq_QqkApHQNUIueWphzzU5jF6bsXW8Ks/w552-h640/GOBG+2021+Herbal.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><br /><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">I have a quartet of delights to share tonight that I know will tickle your fancy. There is folklore and history, magic and mystery, and all of it revolves around the wondrous plant people that populate our world. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">For our first October giveaways:</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">An anthropologist and world traveler digs up the history and deeply meaningful stories of wild food in <a href="https://linktr.ee/FeastingWild" target="_blank">Feasting Wild</a>, by <a href="https://ginaraelc.com/about" target="_blank">Gina Rae La Cerva</a>. A gorgeously written book about where connection and culture come together with food, medicine, and magic. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><a href="https://tenderheartstudio.com/work#/materia-medica-oracle-deck/" target="_blank">The Materia Medica Oracle</a>, from <a href="https://tenderheartstudio.com/about" target="_blank">Josie </a>at <a href="https://tenderheartstudio.com/" target="_blank">Tenderheart Studio</a>, is in its third printing and routinely sells out whenever this visionary artist and witch creates a new run. Simple, yet powerfully beautiful illustrations reveal an assortment of plants with a message from each. The enclosed guide books (this deck contains all three volumes and their corresponding guides) detail the medicinal, emotional-spiritual, and magical personalities and qualities of each featured plant. It's a truly lovely deck to work with.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><a href="https://rosdottir.com/about-2" target="_blank">Fez Inkwright</a> is the illustrator, botanist, and folklorist behind two bewitching tomes published by <a href="https://liminal11.com/" target="_blank">Liminal 11</a> - <a href="https://liminal11.com/product/botanical-curses-and-poisons/" target="_blank">Botanical Curses and Poisons, The Shadow-Lives of Plants</a>, and <a href="https://liminal11.com/product/folk-magic-healing/" target="_blank">Folk Magic and Healing, An Unusual History of Everyday Plants</a>. Each book looks at the stories, history, and uses of certain plants, and is peppered with poetry, folkore, and fascinating tales. They are both bound in exceptionally pretty covers with copper foiling. The endpapers are gasp-worthy and the illustrations throughout are entirely wonderful. Either book would be an excellent additon to your herbal or witchcraft bookshelf.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Please do pop through to the links if you'd like to get a better look at the books, cards, or their authors/creators!</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">You have five nights, until the evening of Tuesday, October 5th, to get your name in the witch's hat (the comment box below) and then I will draw four names at dawn on Wednesday, October 6th and dole out the prizes, and then post the next handful of goodies up for grabs.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">You are welcome to let me know which item you would prefer to have if your name is drawn. I can't promise that you will get it but if I can match winners with prizes I try to do that.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Thank you for joining me again in this most magical month!</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><b>For those of you that are new here, this is how these giveaways work:</b></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">We are running a simple game again this year - your comment counts as your entry. However, if you feel moved to share this around (either a specific giveaway or if you just send folks my way) you can leave another comment letting me know you spread the cheer, and I'll toss your name in the hat a second time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">On the evening of the draw, the winners will be notified via email and their names placed at the top of this post and the next handful of goodies will go up for grabs. Please, please, leave an email for me in your comment (in a safe format such as "JenLovesBooks at gmail") if your name does not directly link to you/your website. I can't tell you how many names I've drawn only to find that I couldn't contact the winners. I simply draw again, but it is rather heartbreaking to see the first name get tossed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">There are occasionally some goblins that stop by in October, just for kicks. I am taking down the comment moderation security and we will hope that we skate under the spam radar again this year. Also, Blogger doesn't always play nice with every app, so there are times when you may have to come to the giveaway page directly (not via the FB app, for example) and leave a comment that way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">As always, if your privacy is of concern or if you simply cannot get your comment in on the current giveaway post for some reason, you can send an entry in using the "Make Contact" form in the sidebar.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">All mail will go out within five business days of receiving the winner's address and will be sent via the most reasonable shipping rate. Please note that your parcel could take anywhere from 5 business days to reach you (in Canada) to five weeks (if you are in the EU).</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">Because it was a question last year, please note that all items are new, unread, and un-used. They are shipped out in padded envelopes or boxes, wrapped well, so that they may arrive to you in the same shape as I received them. Sometimes there are minor bumps or imperfections on books when they arrive to me and I'm afraid I cannot do anything about that, but all items go out in good shape.</p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p></div></div></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-3023364339131615672021-09-29T20:50:00.001-07:002021-09-29T20:57:45.388-07:00One Witch's Year<p></p><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Howling winds and bitter-cold nights softened into marshmallow snowfalls, which then faded into verdant greens emerging from earth and bud. The scent of smoke drifted on the breeze, but not the thick fragrance of a woodsy winter fire. Instead, it was the sweeter perfume of orchard prunings burning. Applewood and grapevine, censing the valley with hope for the new season.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Spring arrived in a bluster of tempests that showed promise, but never delivered any moisture. It was already dry by April, and some part of me could feel what was coming, but I laboured over preparing the herb, flower, and vegetable gardens because I didn't know what else to do. When the ravenous birds ate the pea and beet greens, I replanted because there seemed to be plenty of time for new growth. We waited on the rains. They didn't come.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7TCUB6-EwH5y9sIjNNFpyQs_O-zACWO86kepK8sngCqSpxMIZ0HvOomqd3vshtor4C4lcS3AN-RMBhRfjFD9VKeTaSUwf58H3pJlMD06HHq0SGa_xw3PdeELOKMIRyGLcb53S9Bk5Nyj/s2048/CAYZ0452.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7TCUB6-EwH5y9sIjNNFpyQs_O-zACWO86kepK8sngCqSpxMIZ0HvOomqd3vshtor4C4lcS3AN-RMBhRfjFD9VKeTaSUwf58H3pJlMD06HHq0SGa_xw3PdeELOKMIRyGLcb53S9Bk5Nyj/w400-h400/CAYZ0452.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><i>The scent of freshly cut grass is in the air for a moment. It fades underneath the odors of a semi-rural street. A smoky barbeque, grilling someone's dinner. The fake, flowery perfume emanating from the neighbour's dryer vent. There's a strange sort of energy circling tonight, and nothing feels settled. Not the newly-hatched chicks wedged into a nest in the corner of the wall just beyond my fence. And not the dark clouds skirting the hills surrounding my small town.</i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><i>A storm system moved into the valley today, bringing icy breezes and the fragrance of ozone, but it was only a cruel taunt. No rain has fallen. The land is too dry. The wind that accompanied the deceitful clouds stirred up dust into cyclones and then deposited it all over the homes and vehicles in my village, a fresh layer over the film of pollen that had already painted everything yellow. The temperature is dropping swiftly now, and I've just come in from wrapping up the newly planted tomato seedlings so they survive tonight's freeze. I have never had to do that in May. These are strange days.</i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObhfHOgcUwGBrF4_ZV1mOJo6d4pW80x_ob5le15Hi4unZDoEKUP6XgiTO3Ykf26-Z2ernkvwc7rjEKmwh86fK89_tgeDMiY4cmZhn00lDr0xTTDyDyzvmC7jIsdYcYTdpu1iMYBfalv7_/s2048/IMG_E0594.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1678" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObhfHOgcUwGBrF4_ZV1mOJo6d4pW80x_ob5le15Hi4unZDoEKUP6XgiTO3Ykf26-Z2ernkvwc7rjEKmwh86fK89_tgeDMiY4cmZhn00lDr0xTTDyDyzvmC7jIsdYcYTdpu1iMYBfalv7_/w328-h400/IMG_E0594.JPG" width="328" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span class="gmail_default">Late June</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span class="gmail_default"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span class="gmail_default"></span><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><i>Solstice. Spring's Leaving.
Midsummer.
St. John’s Eve. Lushsummer. Feast of Bonfires. Summer’s Flush. Seven Herbs Night. </i><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><i>The pansies are dying. They splay over the edge of their rustic clay pot, barely holding on to life. I cannot water them enough now. No amount of dead-heading and relocating to shadier spots will combat the intensity of the fever that wilts them. The temperate spring days that they thrive in have been chased off by an early heatwave the likes of which we rarely see until mid to late July, and even then...this is something different.</i></div><div class="gmail_default"><i><br /></i></div><div class="gmail_default"><i>I am wilting too.</i></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">Summer arrived in the high valley desert with a staggering hot spell. "It's a dry heat," we say, which means nothing unless you know the feeling of your cells parching, the astonishingly quick roasting of your skin if you stay exposed to the sun for mere minutes, and the heaviness of limb and lungs (which is odd, considering that every part of you seems dehydrated - including your bones). Even the wind feels brusque and insistent, no longer the cool and flirty breeze of the fairer season. It presses against you, and grazes over your skin like an unwanted advance. Despite the sweltering days and nights, it is the height of lushness for land and garden. The hillsides have a brief flush of green again, after a dry spring. My herbs and flowers are prolific and I've got bundles of assorted plants hanging from the ceiling or drying on racks. There is more ready and available for harvesting, both in my gardens and along my favourite mountain paths, than I can possibly bring in on my own. Each year I assess what balms and magics I'm feeling called to create, what medicines need restocking, and what I can manage to parcel out my hours and energy to. Last year I didn't get the chamomile picked and instead simply enjoyed their happy little flowers hosting bee parties. This year I won't get nearly as many wild roses as I'd like because they bloomed early and I simply don't have the time to get into the hills to a favoured spot where they are abundant.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">It's a give and take kind of season. The wind paused for a few hours on Saint John's Eve and I was able to get out to my fire bowl to honour the incoming tide of fiery, slow-moving days. Last year's corn dolly was the sacrifice, along with handfuls of herbs and woods. I whirled in the heady smoke, sang thanks to the land, the water, the stars, and scryed in the embers. There were cleansing and protection rituals to attend to, and the yearly Saint John's water formulation to oversee. I also make a ward for my door, incorporating the season's herbs and flowers into a wreath or swag with a certain number of plants (7 or 9, usually) which then become offerings and ingredients in my floral water. For a moment, during the last breaths of June, everything feels like magic.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bSf_Ndd4gHKblLRYPwEktIAMCwdHH_dmm4rVUm85kmNfofMoH56fQ58gEAeWq4XVr9m44ZfSkOGTrJtmnSiN6PykCaD93ViaScHYvIdiJBqvIEpJu-Ktw8pQimN3t5qG2AE-BsOTY-xc/s2016/2021+wildfire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bSf_Ndd4gHKblLRYPwEktIAMCwdHH_dmm4rVUm85kmNfofMoH56fQ58gEAeWq4XVr9m44ZfSkOGTrJtmnSiN6PykCaD93ViaScHYvIdiJBqvIEpJu-Ktw8pQimN3t5qG2AE-BsOTY-xc/w480-h640/2021+wildfire.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">Wildfire Summer</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">It started on July 11th while I was reading in the shade of my yard. I heard our village fire department go roaring out with their trucks. About fifteen minutes later I saw a spotter plane fly over and my heart sank. Another several minutes passed before the smoke began twisting up over the cliff. It was too close, so I packed to run, but the wind favoured the town and pushed the fire toward the hills, and it didn't stop. It burned for nearly two months, destroying the areas I hike and wander, where I spent my childhood sledding, fishing, and having picnics around campfires. The St. John's wort that grew at the edge of the meadow, the juniper that dotted the rocky ledges, vast stands of wild roses, swaths of bearberry, an entire hillside of Saskatoon berry bushes and wax currants - all gone. I still don't have it in me to think long about the loss of animal life. The devastation takes my breath away.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">Another fire, south of us. Lost homes and ravaged land. Another fire. Another. Most of them, human caused. An accident. And then an arsonist or two. This was the driest and hottest summer on record. But it won't be the last. Or the worst. There were long weeks of smoke so thick and low, you couldn't be outside without damaging your lungs. We lived in pea-soup for most of a month, and even when the wind finally shifted it rained ash for weeks afterward. My friend lost the corn crop on her farm. My peas finally produced pods and then shriveled up and died within a few days. But other life persevered. We find ways to carry on, even when the world around us is burning. </div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">There were crab cakes and coleslaws, hot dog stands by the lake and wine tasting in the shade amongst old vines. On the rare nights when the smoke cleared and the stars were out there were hours of constellation and meteor spotting. Each evening the sun set in a cloak of brightest scarlet and the moon burned a fiery orange. The full moon of late July became the Wildfire Moon, Ash Moon, Moon of Many Blazes. But even for the dog days, skies of smoke and soot, and blood red sunrises, there was magic to be made, food to grow, and reverie to find or create.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGMmHWBXr-Neg_YIXCymgZ-bL5lFCX7yMgV7r5B4uG1oW8mqCKQYckEU6XNzsv1InEHKUhNQMSsfaQtSWQNrMD35NOj02-TX-pAneVCmQbgkNm1niEtXgST67xjemigCYArZicyoZ7-85/s2016/2021+winetour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGMmHWBXr-Neg_YIXCymgZ-bL5lFCX7yMgV7r5B4uG1oW8mqCKQYckEU6XNzsv1InEHKUhNQMSsfaQtSWQNrMD35NOj02-TX-pAneVCmQbgkNm1niEtXgST67xjemigCYArZicyoZ7-85/w480-h640/2021+winetour.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">By August we were all so drought-stricken and weary you could have blown my entire village away with a swift puff of air - the sort of breath you reserve for birthday candles or dandelion seeds. As the month faded, rain finally found us. In the tiniest increments at first, but then more insistent as September dawned. I barely remember August at all, except for the taste of tomato and basil, warm from the garden, and a snapshot of an afternoon hovering over canning jars making pickles. </div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">Magical work waxed and waned, depending on exhaustion levels. Some weeks were all about altar service and offerings, and some days I only managed to light a candle or chat with an ancestor. Actual spellwork became something smaller and closer. Exercises in mind and body control. Hand movements and mantras. Breath and sound. There was no energy for grand rituals or vast amounts of ingredients and steps. In times of challenge my practice shifts to what I can reasonably manage, but that doesn't mean I don't get results. I found immense satisfaction with how smaller, more purposeful movements or sound could still bring about excellent outcomes.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91lriZ57WPC_reflcsZr9PXbjCrBa9agemv1QfirS-cJrhKz1bNcG9q_Hq5gRI0XP8THbG4vq1A-jLSwb_vGhjVRvki2bgRFGGUk6oCK7Yi6EiS-AYifumJNcL0tMSoUEM3mqWnwlULWk/s1280/2021+regional+witchcraft.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1136" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91lriZ57WPC_reflcsZr9PXbjCrBa9agemv1QfirS-cJrhKz1bNcG9q_Hq5gRI0XP8THbG4vq1A-jLSwb_vGhjVRvki2bgRFGGUk6oCK7Yi6EiS-AYifumJNcL0tMSoUEM3mqWnwlULWk/w355-h400/2021+regional+witchcraft.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">September found me celebratory (another spin around the sun for this Virgo) and breathing more easily in the cooling atmosphere. The parched landscape had changed, however, and even rain couldn't refresh what had been depleted. The trees aren't blushing this year the way they usually do. Many of them had begun to curl up their leaves in the drought and they never really recovered. But there is a flush of true autumn across the land now, even if it is hardly as grand as it used to be. The season of long nights is upon us, and I am so thankful to have made it here.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">This morning I could see my breath dancing in the brisk air. The scent of woodsmoke was over the village again, but this time it was not the acrid smog of forests burning. Someone had bowed to the cold morning and kindled a fire - the first of this new season. And I find myself hopeful again. </div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UQnEy3pjVhAInwMdkw_uil28ADF4pswgUUuGt08flTVcR0dt9oBrNLie0KimDRBBiCnSGevFx6M1Qdbnn0Im-hFTpD483hEj7UmnkocJX0jvJ445jGUGalyeBZLEhVjjsj74ToDWfX1Z/s2016/2021+pumpkin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UQnEy3pjVhAInwMdkw_uil28ADF4pswgUUuGt08flTVcR0dt9oBrNLie0KimDRBBiCnSGevFx6M1Qdbnn0Im-hFTpD483hEj7UmnkocJX0jvJ445jGUGalyeBZLEhVjjsj74ToDWfX1Z/w480-h640/2021+pumpkin.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">Post Scripts and October Parties:</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">- If my writing here sounds like a mishmash of thoughts and tenses, it is because I have included a handful of snippets from started-but-never finished blog posts. I've had difficulty writing this year. Finding the time for it, as well as the mental bandwidth. It was more important to me to finally get something down than to make it perfect. I'm hoping you'll forgive any sub-par grammar this time around.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">- A hearty thank you to all those who reached out to check on me or inquire about the blog. While this space has grown quieter over the past few years, it has not given up the ghost (there are so many more spirits to come). I am genuinely surprised and delighted when people take the time to read my words. Time is in short supply, and gods, it travels fast. I’m honoured when you spend even a few moments with me. </div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">- I am most found blundering about on Twitter or Instagram these days (and usually posting to those ephemeral Stories in the latter place). I’m afraid Facebook became too much for me this year, but I’ll be popping in more during this coming month of festivities.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">- And on that note…The Great October Book Giveaway has returned! Bumped back a month last year to give me some extra breathing room, we are now on track to bring you some wonderful treats during one of the most deliciously spooky months of the year. Fly by on October 1st to join in on the fun!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-43887441740857166082020-12-03T16:37:00.008-08:002021-10-12T21:09:28.120-07:00The Magic and Mischief of the Darktide<div>Thank you again for such a wonderfully joyful month of celebrating the darkest weeks of the year! The last books of our giveaway are going out to:</div><div><br /></div><div>BrigidsBlest - A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk</div><div>Margarita - Weaving Fate</div><div>mtngirl - By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn</div><div>Eveline - Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div>The ice crept in two nights ago, growing over every surface and crushing the last struggling plants in the garden between its frigid fingers. It left a blanket of sparkling crystals, and froze the water in the birdbath into a sculpture that was unappreciated by its intended patrons. On the days the sun finds us, it is still warm enough to melt the layer of frost. But that celestial body is wandering off, rising so far in the south now that we get only mere hours of its direct light. In the shadowy places of the yard the ice is already settling in to rule until spring. Snow will follow in waves. But frost is the true lord of winter.<div><br /></div><div>Autumn is said to be the season of the witch, and it's easy to see why. The golden days and cozy nights are naturally dripping with enchantment. But when we look at the power of winter, the cultures who formulated practices to keep themselves safe and fed in uncertain times, who told tales around the fire to weather the long nights and teach their children to have a healthy dose of fear and wonder, we can't help but notice that there is a deep vein of magic that runs through the season of frost and snow. Our practices instinctively turn inward. Our homes become our circle of power, our kitchens the alchemical laboratory, and our hearth/fire/stove the place where we conjure health, familial ties, and celebration.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, winter looks and feels different for everyone. If you aren't in the northern hemisphere at present, you might be dipping your toes in the first days of summer. And even if you are beginning to experience a chill (or have already been digging yourself out of your driveway for a month) you may choose not to observe any winter festivities, or feel especially celebratory this year. You don't need to be a fan of St. Nicholas or the Yule Lads to get your winter witchery on. In my deepest despair one winter, I still managed to cuddle up with cats and blankets and a stack of books, bake too much shortbread while talking to my dead grandmother, and learned to read the Lenormand - and while I didn't feel like taking part in any festivities, those things felt very magical to me. <br /><div><br /></div><div>This last giveaway of our celebration of the darktide is meant to offer you some ideas on making your own magic (and perhaps some mischief) through the winter months. I have three outstanding books for you if you'd like to gather some inspiration for enchanting your life, protecting your home and energy, and taking charge of your fate.</div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcZVKFe3NvYyARCDips-kv-RI1CpyTnHbXnwrqKALYDevBcsL1Mx2eer5751pnpF419N-tLZ43YkIKjTCZHN7el9D_eqSo_phrlhRhiJtZ2VjZWNv8F51jSXeXSEfFD4FBkFzP01p62xu/s2014/darktide+magic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2014" data-original-width="1450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcZVKFe3NvYyARCDips-kv-RI1CpyTnHbXnwrqKALYDevBcsL1Mx2eer5751pnpF419N-tLZ43YkIKjTCZHN7el9D_eqSo_phrlhRhiJtZ2VjZWNv8F51jSXeXSEfFD4FBkFzP01p62xu/w461-h640/darktide+magic.jpg" width="461" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The first book I have for you is very special. Six years ago I contacted the late Peter Paddon and arranged to buy some autographed books from him for my festivities that year. His work was to be featured in the last giveaway that October, but late in the month he passed away suddenly. It didn't feel right to continue with the giveaway only a week after he left us, so I gently packed the books away for another time. One of the books eventually went to live with a friend of his, and now it feels right to hand out the remaining tome. <a href="https://pendraigpublishing.com/a-grimoire-for-modern-cunningfolk/" target="_blank">A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk</a> is the account of Peter's Crooked Path of witchcraft, and also looks at some comparisons and lore from other magical systems. It contains excellent practices that the author used himself (some he created), including his take on ancestral work. Peter's 'voice' really shines through in this book, and you can see why he has been missed. The book has been lovingly kept in good condition (and never read - I have my own copies of his work) and contains a short blessing and autograph from Peter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our second book is a bewitching look at protection magic from the fabulous and feral <a href="https://www.ladyalthaea.com/" target="_blank">Althaea Sebastiani</a>. <a href="https://www.ladyalthaea.com/books.html" target="_blank">By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn: The Theory & Practice of Effective Home Warding</a> has arrived in beautiful print form just in time for all your winter warding needs. It's chock full of guidance on why you would want to make use of this practice (and why you might ease up on it), and various ways of implementing it, including instruction for tools (and what to do if you have no tools available) and techniques. Concise and no-nonsense, this is the book you want to have to keep the wailing winter spirits at bay. (You can get your hygge on after your wards are up.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Our last book of magical wisdom comes from a familiar friend. <a href="http://www.aidanwachter.com/" target="_blank">Aidan Wachter</a> has entranced us with his talisman making and insightful articles for years, and is now two publications into his master work on sorcery (which we hope never ends). If you'd like to alter the winds of fate, or have a better-than-average chance at molding your own life, then Aidan's books are definitely for you. <a href="http://www.aidanwachter.com/weaving-fate" target="_blank">Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past & Telling True Lies</a> is a companion to his first publication, <a href="http://www.aidanwachter.com/sixways" target="_blank">Six Ways</a>, but it's also a spectacular standalone workbook that takes you through approaches for implementing change for yourself, and having a hand in influencing the world around you. I cannot recommend Aidan's books enough, and I know you'll love having Weaving Fate to delve into during the dark months ahead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our final giveaway of the season is a bit of magic and mischief all rolled into one. Because Tales & Treats for the Darktide was meant to conclude on December 5th, I couldn't let the festivities fade without giving a nod to the creature who will be out roaming that night. December 6th is St. Nicholas' Day, and the 5th is the Eve of St. Nicholas when all good children place a shoe out to be filled with nuts, fruit, candy, or little toys. But...if you haven't been so good this year, a different sort of fellow might be paying you a visit...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZklNwXYUedq1AhaqcayYHTin6O6EvXkwEj4ZiQUOYnYuJB0QjwaQRy-amrzGH9UPS4wP_tPFD-pLJbkW9QRqFsg7HxE2oGeUu3NuaXfXOoEwEM0_jIdH1o-bq6755EAKBXSdsED1GX9d/s1714/darktide+mayhem.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1714" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZklNwXYUedq1AhaqcayYHTin6O6EvXkwEj4ZiQUOYnYuJB0QjwaQRy-amrzGH9UPS4wP_tPFD-pLJbkW9QRqFsg7HxE2oGeUu3NuaXfXOoEwEM0_jIdH1o-bq6755EAKBXSdsED1GX9d/w280-h400/darktide+mayhem.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In European folklore, Krampus is St. Nicholas' horned helper who takes the lead on dealing out gifts for the naughty children. And by 'gifts' I mean a switching with his bundle of sticks, or a one-way ride in his basket away from your family and warm bed. Fun, right? The night of Krampus, or Krampusnacht, has become a world-wide phenomenon (and a sub-par Christmas horror movie) in which people can embrace the darker aspects of winter and face their fears. <a href="https://www.boneandsickle.com/bone-sickle-host-al-ridenour/" target="_blank">Al Ridenour</a> is an author, podcaster, artist, and journalist who traveled to Europe to research the legend of this winter monster. He has collected these stories and experiences in his book <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-krampus-and-the-old-dark-christmas-roots-and-rebirth-of-the-folkloric-devil/9781627310345" target="_blank">The Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil</a>, which would be excellent to curl up with as the twinkle lights get tucked away and the January winds begin to howl at the window. </div><div><p></p></div></div><div>These last four gifts will be up for grabs until the minutes fade away on Krampusnacht (December 5th). On the morning of St. Nicholas' day, after I collect my chocolate and oranges from my shoe (because I'm always a good girl, even when I'm not), I'll draw the names from the hat and send out these books to four lucky folks.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are wrapping up with the same game as always - your comment counts as your entry. Please be sure I can get in touch with you if your name is drawn. You can let me know which book you'd prefer in your comment and I'll do my best to match wishes with names whenever possible. If you'd like a second entry, simply share this giveaway on social media and swing back to let me know you've done so, and I'll add your name to the hat again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you so, so much to everyone who has dropped by this last month to play along with me! This has been a trying year (at best) and I knew it would be a quieter celebration, but I've been truly uplifted by your messages and comments, and I'm really happy you wanted to join me again this year!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">PS - This should go without saying, but because someone inquired about it I do want to emphasize that all the items that I give away are brand new. All books are unread and are sent out in the exact form they were bought/received in. All card decks are unopened and untouched, and again, are sent out in the state they are received in. Shipping can be rough on items but I don't ever send out anything damaged and I always wrap the item and use padded envelopes to keep things in good order. Any small imperfections in the item were there when they arrived to me or were purchased in person by me. Thank you!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (excluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affiliated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-92028289526939335262020-11-27T15:46:00.007-08:002021-10-12T21:09:48.140-07:00Talisman of the Darktide<p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">The extraordinarily lucky person who will soon have this gorgeous charm around their neck is:</span></p><p>lillie8302 </p><p>Congratulations!</p><p>The last giveaway of the darktide will be live tomorrow!</p><p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">After a brief visit from the sun this week, the gloom has enfolded our valley again. I don't mind the feeling of snow approaching over the mountains, or the near-constant scent of woodsmoke from the hard working chimneys in the village. It's a cozy sort of bleakness, to be sure. The birdfeeder is stocked for our outdoor friends, and the oven has been put to good use as the temperature drops and the wind howls at the door. I'm prepared to meet winter, although I'd prefer it to arrive late and then excuse itself early.</span></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">The light rushes off hastily on these late November afternoons. I half expect to see a rabbit clutching a pocket watch, racing ahead of it. The shadows slip in early now that the sun is rising and setting further and further toward the south. The brightest glow in the sky seems to be the moon, which is swelling toward full and will peak on the evening of the 29th into the early morning of the 30th. With the trees bare, the Winter Moon...Frost Moon...Beaver Moon...can easily be seen and swooned over. It is this particular shadow, these bare trees, and this full winter moon, that is the inspiration for our next giveaway. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/product/the-forest-holds-the-moon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiih-zs7SwhN6AoQ8PBjMm9fIHG1O_-48VJPl4kPcFta9gcxt4O-kgL5LJ93LloOBwjspwBxC10B54yTOvY1pL9w-cHYV-lL_cKc2bR9I5nwf10nh4yQ8XPtsy-tScwpOuiUVV3laUxbvD3/w400-h400/PSX_20201007_133921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/treespeakstostone/" target="_blank">Pati Tozer</a>, the extraordinary silver and gem artist in residence at <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">Tree Speaks to Stone</a>, has revived one of her stunning hand-cut silver talismans just for us. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/product/the-forest-holds-the-moon" target="_blank"><i>The Forest Holds the Moon</i></a> is hand sawn sterling silver, from Pati's own original design. Hauntingly beautiful, it measures 36mm or approximately 1.4 inches in diameter, and hangs on dark and twisted (just the way we like it) silk cording from Japan. It has a brushed finish, and will look otherworldly hanging around your neck.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/product/the-forest-holds-the-moon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7f_gL95VU3gVTm6n7TuYDjqWR0fFipkjCXOcwQlUoCBBaNR7aHjVdk_eiTjrBOmli6BHIt7gxU87IxmJtG-YaYFKKKjkq-zXQDFjZ0Bsw6NuylTQ_CIak4GN-ADDEX26AnSWxqjlKjRf/w400-h400/PSX_20201009_094140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">The captivating <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/product/the-forest-holds-the-moon" target="_blank"><i>The Forest Holds the Moon</i></a> pendant has been temporarily brought back to life for this winter only, and you can win one of the two pieces that will be created this year, before it returns to retirement. (If you don't win, you can always <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">purchase the other pendant, which resides at Tree Speaks to Stone</a>.)</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/product/the-forest-holds-the-moon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFS8ieK2ipqihA-7dlAB74b8bRdtM8aVCq9qPjpnAiyc25olU9UrElWkeG-6dgAXYEM0wTO02dVGmjhcOhdcUo6ocjurcJkpcMvAjQSyfLAEd5TyqXw8ADEphmQ9aBz7YN3TD5wSyEOHe/w400-h400/PSX_20201009_094009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">If you would like to wear this enchanting charm into the winter months as your personal talisman, please leave a comment below. If you'd like a second entry for this draw, feel free to share either this post, or any of <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">Pati's amazing art pieces</a>, around on social media and then comment again and I'll drop your name in the hat once more.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">You have until the full moon begins to fade on December 2nd to comment, and then I'll draw the name of the very lucky recipient. Please ensure your comment links back to you in some way or leave your email in a safe manner so I can contact you if you win. You may also use the "make contact" form in the sidebar (I have been receiving all the entries sent along this way, so no worries - your info makes it to me).</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">So, so many thanks to the incredible <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/about" target="_blank">Pati</a>, who has generously offered up her work for our darktide frolic this year! <a href="https://treespeakstostone.bigcartel.com/products">Here is the amazing shop again</a>. And you can also find Pati on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/treespeakstostone/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> where you always get a first look at new creations and her wonderful world of silver and stones. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">And to those who feasted yesterday, I hope your gatherings were small and safe, and your tummies and hearts were full and happy. As we move into the celebratory season with earnest, I hope you will find comforts that, while they cannot replace large family gatherings, will help you feel warm and loved in ways that matter.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-5883399122073669632020-11-20T15:26:00.005-08:002022-01-24T22:02:49.056-08:00Wisdom of the Darktide <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thank you to everyone who entered! (I've also been receiving all the email entries via the contact button as well - not to worry!) The folks who will be getting some holiday mail are:</span></p><p>Ask Baba Yaga - Book #1 - Maria O. </p><p>Ask Baba Yaga - Book #2 - MrsDuncanMahogany</p><p>Literary Witches Book - dustbunny8</p><p>Literary Witches Oracle - eli mari</p><p>What Would Frida Do - Cartermaryd</p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As we stride deeper into the darkest weeks of the year, it is prudent to be aware of the beings that reside in the shadows. Our own goblins lurk there, of course, though it is in our best interest to get to know them. But there are also those shades and spirits that slink alongside us, their interest in us piqued (for good or for mischief). There are numerous tales of things that live in the dark, or hunt in the bitterest months, and so it is shrewd to take precautions and arm ourselves with safeguards, including a healthy dose of cleverness and discernment. That is, after all, how most fairy tale protagonists get out of their predicaments.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As of today my province has tightened up some of the Covid precautions after our case numbers rose dramatically in the past weeks. We are not wholly quarantined again (for now) but we are not to gather anymore, and we must be masked in all buildings. There is a drawing-in that happens naturally this time of year, and so I've decided to weave these new restrictions into my own cold-weather enchantments. I see being masked as a form of invisibility work. A way to move about swiftly and purposefully, without being noticed or recognized (for the most part). Though I enjoy gathering with others, there is a stream of protection magic to tap into when you are forced to keep those who don't live in your home, away. I see the magic of the darktide as a solid ally to these difficult times. And it's always good to have someone, or something, in your corner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This next giveaway features sage advice and guidance from literary and artistic women, as well as a good amount of advisement from a witch who rolls through the forest in a chicken-legged hut.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihr-Tga0uNVLSoLwJ0_3_cM3FvpJvvY-YIvaEi-Bs5KjojS_eMmDrQRA-dETrngvVzbPfp9Rya2cb1aoPAUbtXq2L3D6YexgvVqNwj5XVxUiYXtu7ZXB1lIpGF4NEgZxHZoZDIjhpCuyKp/s1847/IMG_4550.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1847" data-original-width="1231" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihr-Tga0uNVLSoLwJ0_3_cM3FvpJvvY-YIvaEi-Bs5KjojS_eMmDrQRA-dETrngvVzbPfp9Rya2cb1aoPAUbtXq2L3D6YexgvVqNwj5XVxUiYXtu7ZXB1lIpGF4NEgZxHZoZDIjhpCuyKp/w426-h640/IMG_4550.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.taisiakitaiskaia.com/" target="_blank">Taisia Kitaiskaia</a> is a Russian-American writer who became widely lauded as the present-day voice of the oracle Baba Yaga in her column for <a href="https://www.thehairpin.com/tag/ask-baba-yaga/" target="_blank">The Hairpin</a>. Two collections of those helpful and mysterious responses are now available in paperback, beautifully illustrated by Brenna Thummler: <i><a href="https://www.taisiakitaiskaia.com/ask-baba-yaga-book" target="_blank">Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles</a></i> and <a href="https://www.taisiakitaiskaia.com/ask-baba-yaga-troubled-times" target="_blank"><i>Ask Baba Yaga: Poetic Remedies for Troubled Time</i>s</a>.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282e;"><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Voices are ; noise, humanly noise — but what knows best in you is not of human shape or sound but of a stranger, Wilder beast. )Now it turns in your stomach, now it rends yr chest. Tell the voices to shut up & listen for the growl."</span></blockquote></span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kitaiskaia also dove into the world of historical and contemporary authors and resurfaced with the wonderful insights contained in <i><a href="https://www.taisiakitaiskaia.com/literary-witches2" target="_blank">Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers</a></i>, and <a href="https://www.taisiakitaiskaia.com/literary-witches-oracle" target="_blank"><i>The Literary Witches Oracle</i></a>, which is a deck containing the women mentioned in her book as well as cards inked with symbols and sigils created by illustrator <a href="http://www.katyart.com/" target="_blank">Katy Horan</a>.</span></p><p><span face="proxima-nova" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #575757; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><blockquote><span face="proxima-nova" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #575757; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book reimagines 30 female authors as true witches: not hook-nosed creatures riding on brooms, but figures of radical creativity, originality, and empowerment. Each witch is celebrated with a surreal vignette by Taisia Kitaiskaia and a full-color portrait by artist Katy Horan. Brief biographies and recommended reading lists round out each entry, and a foreword by author, podcast host, and practicing witch </span><a href="https://www.pamgrossman.com/" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(17, 17, 17, 0.2); border-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, 0.2); border-left-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, 0.2); border-right-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, 0.2); border-top-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, 0.2); color: #111111; font-family: proxima-nova; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Pam Grossman</a><span face="proxima-nova" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #575757; white-space: pre-wrap;"> contextualizes the figure of the witch and her connection to language.</span></blockquote><span face="proxima-nova" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #575757; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Next, I have a gorgeous tome by <a href="https://www.ariannadavis.com/" target="_blank">Arianna Davis</a>, a brilliant Afro-Latinx author, and an adjunct professor at New York University. <i><a href="https://www.sealpress.com/titles/arianna-davis/what-would-frida-do/9781541646322/" target="_blank">What Would Frida Do? A Guide to Living Boldly</a></i></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ariannadavis.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeqwiCLtz12CTFbw2-k8o7nPHbHyGDLa1Agp183VLKGU112K6LB0KbRAJ_GSLZD4Z_4rOoCKZ9UaI1II91Em1zOpagYcUG_Cx9PQONu72zacd1ArjHP2dH4jmxPHdBpRAP8zrpyK6v0sc/s0/Frida.jpg" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #6d6c6c; font-size: 16px;"></i></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #6d6c6c; font-size: 16px;">What Would Frida Do?</i><span style="color: #6d6c6c; font-size: 16px;"> explores the feminist icon’s signature style, outspoken politics, and boldness in love and art, even in the face of pain and heartbreak. The book celebrates her larger than life persona as a woman who loved passionately and lived ambitiously, refusing to remain in her husband’s shadow. Each chapter shares intimate stories from her life, revealing how she overcame obstacles by embracing her own ideals.</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #6d6c6c; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #6d6c6c; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="color: #6d6c6c; font-size: 16px;">In this charming read, author Arianna Davis conjures Frida’s brave spirit, encouraging women to persevere, to create fearlessly, and to stand by their own truths.</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #6d6c6c; font-size: 16px;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Think of these books and cards as having your own badass fairy godmother to chat with. I know you'll enjoy reading them in the dark nights to come.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have one copy of each of these enlightening items to give away. I'll draw five names on November 25th at 9pm Pacific, and then you can wander into the woods outfitted with sharp insight from wild and wise women. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Your comment counts as your entry. Please leave an email address or a linked comment so I can contact you if your name is drawn. If you'd like to share this giveaway on social media, that would be lovely - just pop back and let me know you did and I'll enter your name a second time. If you have a preference as far as which item you'd like to have next to you on a cold winter's night, let me know in your comment. I try as much as possible to match folks with their wishes.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-58624768604160360462020-11-13T15:37:00.011-08:002022-01-24T22:03:03.613-08:00Omens of the Darktide - A Trio of Tarot <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The names drawn for these lovely decks were:</span></p><p>Tarot of the Divine: Laura S. Reading</p><p>Hoodoo Tarot: Maria's Blog</p><p>Modern Witch: Melisa G</p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The deep grey has come to my village now. Low cloud, snow on the hills, mist on the water. We will wade through this bleakness for the next three months, until February begins to fade. It’s the price of living in a beautiful valley, surrounded by mountains. We forget during the year. Through the extraordinarily hot, dry summers, the lush springs and handsome autumns. But November reminds us. Winter here is little but grey. Unless you can get up the mountain, above the clouds into the sunlight, you need to find ways to weather the dark. Stacks of blankets and books. A fire. A stocked bar. Good snacks. And a host of friends (or a therapist) on speed dial. All are helpful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The darktide offers much time, and the perfect ambiance, for introspection. It is the dark moon phase in earnest. We examine our depths. We call our power back to ourselves, cut cords, bump up wards, and might perhaps need to slap away a few pests that we've allowed to circle too closely. (This is, of course, work that we do all the calendar long, but it is especially suited for the shadowy phases of the year.) It is also the perfect time for prophesying. For looking ahead, and observing portents. The <a href="https://brianasaussy.com/omen-days/" target="_blank">Omen Days</a>, occuring around the darkest days in December, are an excellent example of this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This next giveaway is meant to offer you some tools to look behind the curtain. Hopefully, the messages you receive will foretell of a bright future. We could use a happier 2021, for certain. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This year I've found three tarot decks that have moved me in significant ways, and so I picked up a copy for you as well. They offer fairytales and magic. Black history, and BIPOC representation. Multiple cultures, and figures in all shapes and sizes. Let's take a look...</span></p><p><a href="https://yoshiyoshitani.store/products/preorder-tarot-of-the-divine-a-deck-and-guidebook-inspired-by-deities-folklore-and-fairy-tales-from-around-the-world-tarot-deck-only" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tarot of the Divine - A Deck and Guidebook Inspired by Deities, Folklore and Fairy Tales from Around the World, by Yoshi Yoshitani</span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://yoshiyoshitani.store/products/preorder-tarot-of-the-divine-a-deck-and-guidebook-inspired-by-deities-folklore-and-fairy-tales-from-around-the-world-tarot-deck-only" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglOBPM0whSWMlc0oxYUKPGIKYPUA3uu4kqdGMrfbcSnnk7JVyjBzvpNVahZ2fAb3dvB11naZ70nBmU0lIAah_iCJHwI0wX6286n_BkGu0WjSW46FTjgkRg3g3T_JmEJQT5eCtV2QM7Osx/w400-h400/Yoshi+Yoshitani.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT73kYhxpGyN6d_Z290XJ3jh1vUcs3y7X6mumjIVRKRWLHCmYvMa3fgeiZc96hCWQSxPygmsCJT0B_mWYsvSGlVOhRR03xT5Az8axMsW9pUtNbKJWi-gHaGn9btW6IqFGl_GF5FkBGGrF6/s1708/IMG_4508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1708" data-original-width="1481" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT73kYhxpGyN6d_Z290XJ3jh1vUcs3y7X6mumjIVRKRWLHCmYvMa3fgeiZc96hCWQSxPygmsCJT0B_mWYsvSGlVOhRR03xT5Az8axMsW9pUtNbKJWi-gHaGn9btW6IqFGl_GF5FkBGGrF6/w346-h400/IMG_4508.jpg" width="346" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm completely enchanted with Tarot of the Divine. I was worried the art would be a bit too...soft...and the characters might lean toward quaint, but Yoshi has created substantial scenes and depth of feeling with her images. There were a few cards that touched me profoundly as I first flipped through the deck - one in particular made me gasp aloud. If I had any complaint at all with these cards it is that the cardstock is a little lighter than I would like (both in colour on the edges/frames, and in the weight). I know these aren't the cards I'm going to reach for in a rush. I wash my hands and shuffle them carefully when I pull them out. They are exceptionally fun to read with, in any case. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Next up is <a href="https://www.innertraditions.com/books/the-hoodoo-tarot" target="_blank">The Hoodoo Tarot</a> by <span class="gmail_default">author </span><a href="https://www.innertraditions.com/author/tayannah-lee-mcquillar" target="_blank">Tayannah Lee McQuillar</a><span class="gmail_default"> and artist <a href="https://www.katelanfoisy.com/" target="_blank">Katelan V. Foisy</a>. This striking deck captured my attention the first time I saw it. I'm going to be honest - it is still in its box because I'm navigating some of my feelings about working with it as a white person with no Black or Indigenous heritage. This is entirely my own issue. Katelan Foisy is, from what I can determine from her online information, a white-presenting woman of Romani heritage, so this is certainly not a deck that speaks of being off-limits to people outside of the Black community.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.innertraditions.com/books/the-hoodoo-tarot" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZwWcoP6ohKyMV1RxHtHJOi6potpemukl0BDFnAENMcPeJFM_Ke8ohV6NBHPI-0i1rfBY_STj395Li6aZxRTK3nxhkxrJx2ZC-hoWqNIMm3v5j6Khg6abZfpMEhc1XQC8Ks5fnTXtTciM/w266-h400/hoodoo+tarot2.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cXZbSeKfRLb3uKSao2f0qDnIqqqucLmNZN4aDt8PacCscWB3GI83zAK8SLmizRqARGegrwQ7OqjQ6rPxGzphP8fr3R4Y7mb9uQFRG3ac5VqYCZ8gu8S8YlTUN4ia1lY6QSC4GEyNQsvg/s1866/hoodoo+tarot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cXZbSeKfRLb3uKSao2f0qDnIqqqucLmNZN4aDt8PacCscWB3GI83zAK8SLmizRqARGegrwQ7OqjQ6rPxGzphP8fr3R4Y7mb9uQFRG3ac5VqYCZ8gu8S8YlTUN4ia1lY6QSC4GEyNQsvg/s320/hoodoo+tarot.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuJBGGlNf1ZkYv2aaszvd3d6erqBBtlsaxRtEqTS3ttRKmvFKHuJjrnt9niPcwvSvpL-iONghlt5FY2vrhyDvLBHXygwx5oeBejfuKKth9b2B7npvuywkt2Tl75Dr_0VvdPB4rsYcWxP3/s541/hoodootarot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuJBGGlNf1ZkYv2aaszvd3d6erqBBtlsaxRtEqTS3ttRKmvFKHuJjrnt9niPcwvSvpL-iONghlt5FY2vrhyDvLBHXygwx5oeBejfuKKth9b2B7npvuywkt2Tl75Dr_0VvdPB4rsYcWxP3/s320/hoodootarot.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="gmail_default"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">"Celebrating the complex American Rootwork tradition, </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">The Hoodoo Tarot</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"> integrates esoteric and botanical knowledge from Hoodoo with the divination system of the Tarot. Structured like a traditional Tarot deck, each of the 78 cards features full-color paintings by magical-realist artist Katelan Foisy and elegantly interprets the classical Tarot imagery through depictions of legendary rootworkers past and present as well as important Hoodoo symbolism.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">In the accompanying guidebook, Tayannah Lee McQuillar provides a history of Hoodoo and its complex heritage, including its roots in multiple African and Indigenous American ethnic groups as well as its European influences. She explores the traditional forms of divination used by rootworkers, including cartomancy, explaining how pairing the Tarot with Hoodoo is a natural fit. For each card in the Major Arcana and the four suits of the Minor Arcana (sticks, baskets, needles, and knives), McQuillar provides an in-depth card meaning that draws on both Tarot and Hoodoo tradition. She shares the history of the rootworker or symbol featured, any associated magical plants, a related scriptural quote, and guidance and advice based on the card’s meaning. She also offers instructions on card spreads and shares sample card readings.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">Offering a divination system rooted in the Indigenous and African experience in North America, </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">The Hoodoo Tarot</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"> provides a hands-on way to honor and explore the magic of Hoodoo for personal growth and spiritual inspiration."</span></blockquote><p> </p><p>Lastly, we have the effervescent and delightful <a href="https://www.lisasterle.com/mwt" target="_blank">Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle</a>. This deck takes the traditional symbolism of the Waite-Smith system and brings it into the modern era. The vibrant figures are all female or non-gender-specific, and of varying shapes and shades. The gorgeously inclusive art is a treat to behold!</p></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="gmail_default"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lisasterle.com/mwt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQm55aKk2jL82pwxV6pc8P-Bin2juOV1lktRbhNFWXhIVAgYNt9ap7dgH1buTCxIsQoKBJmkrNL3unh2QW-HVukDOzm7TZ9fLmM1T509mJobDImvSODXPJFe3xfWmhyphenhyphenPvdX9DvSOEGbV-/w384-h640/Modern+Witch.png" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lisasterle.com/mwt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRFs8zT6yExG9PN9lLFWXt7G6OFTDhIUQgSeJuSEvQmUIVS1glyOjp-Vx9pLmXe4uvlcPBWJWp5zEB5VR8_evM7YvWkxeElWnRVjqKZyJKqnc5ldu3HtPGKy2BrX70bLeteE3BxbDFjYE/w234-h400/17_Star_tarot.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lisasterle.com/mwt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoInl51AiljGCzUUk03b0BZzu5tzgrLLxr73kL4Riarqok1LF62aTZvhLriVBYL7z6eBuaHyLNPwE7FE6nGW9cbMJSo5cRpw0l9uFMZjuqOny4GLUBTPqPQumt7Y58bkH22JR5RFjHvpP0/w234-h400/14_Temperance_tarot.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have one copy of each of these decks to give away. Do follow the links to the artist/author sites if you'd like a better a look at the cards (the weather has been so gloomy this week that I wasn't able to get out to my wooden bench to get good shots for you). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Please leave a comment if you'd like your name in the hat, and ensure your comment links back to you in some way or you leave your email details (in a safe manner). Feel free to let me know which deck you might prefer, and I'll do my best to match up winners with their choices if possible. If you'd like to share this giveaway on social media or send folks my way, then I'll pop your name in the hat a second time - just let me know! If the comment form isn't working for you, or you'd prefer a bit more privacy, you can use the contact form in the sidebar. (Please note that I will be using your first name when I announce the winners.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I will draw three names on Thursday, November 19th - good luck!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="gmail_default"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="gmail_default"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="gmail_default"><br /><p><br /></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6584984738111887264" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 600px;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="background-color: #e7ddcf; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 20px -2px 0px; padding: 5px 10px;"></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"></span></span></span><p></p></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-65849847381118872642020-11-05T00:00:00.008-08:002022-01-24T22:03:18.552-08:00Tales and Treats for the Darktide Giveaway - Haunting BIPOC Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_B4Itx_ZjNfA6WKVODjI3ckjK6b02exEjywJ88VtR5H1HbT1L248LW_dYhcYOMxB9G9ue2A-gM-9XATgnMadcYTLhgsmk4Y9Fi5J6hBLKSLQMIkOXVCY1ls-TOVbfy1ttxNVcl6weP5N/s640/Darktide+Giveaway.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_B4Itx_ZjNfA6WKVODjI3ckjK6b02exEjywJ88VtR5H1HbT1L248LW_dYhcYOMxB9G9ue2A-gM-9XATgnMadcYTLhgsmk4Y9Fi5J6hBLKSLQMIkOXVCY1ls-TOVbfy1ttxNVcl6weP5N/w400-h400/Darktide+Giveaway.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><p><br />Thank you to everyone who came around to join in the fun and tossed their name in the hat here and via the contact button - the names drawn were:</p><p>Mexican Gothic - Rebecca P.</p><p>Hoodoo - petoskystone</p><p>Empire of Wild - Emily</p><p>Lovecraft Country - Duffi</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />The wind is moaning outside my window, greedily tearing leaves from their high perch and tumbling them into amorphous, lurching things that skitter down the road until they are caught up in alleyways or up against fences. I can hear the neighbour's windchimes. They are no longer the melodious soundtrack to a languid summer day. Now they screech in a high-pitched banshee's wail, crashing together in the bitter November gusts. If there was an ambiance to the darktide - this would be it. Biting, howling winds. Moody, dusky days. The full moons, mad colour, and revelry of October, now fading into weeks of damp cold, gloomy afternoons, and endless nights. Could there be a more perfect time to light the fires? And once the bonfire has raged, the offerings tossed onto the flames, and the frenzied dancing concluded, is it not the moment to curl up with a blanket and a book and ignore the wolf prowling outside the door? I think it is.</p><p>If you've been around this neck of the woods during previous autumns, you will have surely stumbled across The Great October Book Giveaway. Originally meant as a way to thank readers of the blog and the lovely folks who have followed and/or befriended me on social media by passing out a few magical tomes during my favourite month of the year, it grew into a meandering game of trick-or-treat through tarot and cartomancy, art, herbalism, talismans, and more. Whenever something caught my attention in a big way, I picked up a second copy for you. Sometimes authors, publishers, and artists were incredibly generous and offered to share their creations with you too. It's become something I really look forward to each year and I love seeing so many familiar faces come back around to take part.</p><p>This year has been unlike anything most of us have experienced. I'm tired in ways I can barely articulate, and I know that many of you feel the same way. I had anticipated, when I bumped this giveaway back a month to give myself some breathing room, that there would be a collective sigh of relief and a new hope dawning as we began our celebration of the darktide. Instead, as I write this, ballots are still being counted in the US election and democracy is being challenged by the people who should be upholding it. But no matter the outcome, we will prevail. That's the thing about witches and wildlings - we are resilient and clever, and even if it seems we've been thwarted, well...you might want to salt your windows and sleep with the lights on. Because we always rise up, one way or another.</p><p><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;">"A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest, Granny Weatherwax had once told her, because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her." </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">- Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith</span></span></blockquote><p></p><p>Onward, then, into the darkest weeks of the year. We will wear the fallen leaves and marauding mists as our cloak, and the scent of woodsmoke and the sweet rot of dying gardens as our perfume. What better time to begin this bacchanal than <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Guy-Fawkes-Day" target="_blank">Bonfire Night</a>! Two quarreling and discontent parties, each clamoring for more power and recognition, and one failed attempt at blowing up parliament. Sounds about right...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEGnd-4wAwQ-ZTylgW6jwdoxVnOm6V1zfSm4I0eojrU5jtWjRuNOX8ZX6aYURniRLMDTDuvcf1G1pR5ewTapBHlkDXgcNSrUyNzFp4IK5n66MnGeGPBWkMiCOJzJVrCgsBdjeMT4iSq5_/s1915/Darktide+Week+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1915" data-original-width="1126" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEGnd-4wAwQ-ZTylgW6jwdoxVnOm6V1zfSm4I0eojrU5jtWjRuNOX8ZX6aYURniRLMDTDuvcf1G1pR5ewTapBHlkDXgcNSrUyNzFp4IK5n66MnGeGPBWkMiCOJzJVrCgsBdjeMT4iSq5_/w376-h640/Darktide+Week+1.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The first collection of books I have for you is a selection of haunting stories to give your goosebumps a workout. All but one of these novels is written by a BIPOC author, and all feature rich stories of suspense with BIPOC characters at the forefront of the action. This year was a time when many of us took a hard look at how we have participated in a world that placed People of Colour at a tremendous disadvantage as opposed to their white counterparts. We give top billing to white performers, artists, and authors. We offer financing and grants to white farmers. We patronize white-owned businesses. We read and watch white stories. All while Black and Indigenous peoples get ignored (or murdered). There are now multitudes of tips on <a href="https://shoppeblack.us/" target="_blank">how to support BIPOC businesses</a> and individuals across various industries. There are fundraisers and ways to volunteer or support community organizations. There's really no reason to not have a more multi-cultural bookshelf, closet, medicine-cabinet, or donation receipts to hand to your tax accountant.<div><br /></div><div>Only one of these books is a 2020 release, but all have captured my attention and made me shiver this autumn. I know you will enjoy them too. Here's what I have for you:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/mexican-gothic/9780525620785" target="_blank">Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a> - If having a cup of (possibly poisoned) tea in a creepy manor, while exchanging tales with Charlotte Bronte and Shirley Jackson sounds fun to you, this is your book.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/hoodoo-9781520032214/9780544935617" target="_blank">Hoodoo, by Ronald L. Smith</a> - This Young Adult book gave me some serious jitters at times, so don't let the fact that a twelve year old boy is the narrator make you think that this is a light read. Hoodoo Hatcher is from a folk magic practicing family and he has a mysterious stranger stalking him that he is going to have to deal with, one way or another. Chock full of magic, divination, dream walking, spirits, and symbolism, this book is a treasure, and the perfect read for a stormy night.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/empire-of-wild/9780062975942" target="_blank">Empire of Wild, by Cherie Dimaline</a> - A tale of a Métis woman who discovers her long lost husband is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Wild, yes. Supernatural. Poetic and base and beautiful. You'll want a good drink with this one.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/lovecraft-country/9780062292070" target="_blank">Lovecraft Country, by Matt Ruff</a> - A close and terrifying look at Jim Crow America from the point of view of its Black citizens who aren't just navigating a world rife with white supremacists, but one dotted with other monsters as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I will draw four names on November 12th, one for each book. You are welcome to let me know what book you'd like to receive if your name is drawn. I cannot promise you'll get your wish but I always do my best to match up folks with the items they prefer, if possible. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you so much for joining me again for the festivities. I think these darker, drearier days of November are going to be perfect for passing out gifts. I can't wait to get started!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJCK0_grQXplGrxfPl6SR4SqPPOdbiukuRq7hYi0ib28RtbmT2eFMBi6L7vGQGwaJL-dzUdH8pifK7BtCHKVBJMtYKd3O7y8O3TENi0fR-LEd_P4VrjZIyoHB7fK2KyxvfGD-hRpEbT1s/s1997/Darktide+Week+1a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1997" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJCK0_grQXplGrxfPl6SR4SqPPOdbiukuRq7hYi0ib28RtbmT2eFMBi6L7vGQGwaJL-dzUdH8pifK7BtCHKVBJMtYKd3O7y8O3TENi0fR-LEd_P4VrjZIyoHB7fK2KyxvfGD-hRpEbT1s/w400-h208/Darktide+Week+1a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>For those of you that are new here, this is how these giveaways work:</div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">We are running a simple game again this year - your comment counts as your entry. However, if you feel moved to share this around (either a specific giveaway or if you just send folks my way) you can leave another comment letting me know you spread the cheer, and I'll toss your name in the hat a second time.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">On the evening of the draw, the winners will be notified via email and their names placed at the top of this post and the next handful of goodies will go up for grabs. Please, please, leave an email for me in your comment (in a safe format) if your name does not directly link to you/your website. I can't tell you how many names I've drawn only to find that I couldn't contact the winners. I simply draw again, but it is rather heartbreaking to see the first name get tossed.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">There are occasionally some goblins that stop by in October, just for kicks. I am taking down the comment moderation security and we will hope that we skate under the spam radar again this year. Also, Blogger doesn't always play nice with every app, so there are times when you may have to come to the giveaway page directly (not via the FB app, for example) and leave a comment that way.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">As always, if your privacy is of concern or if you simply cannot get your comment in on the current giveaway post for some reason, you can send an entry in using the "Make Contact" form in the sidebar.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 16.5px;">All mail will go out within five business days of receiving the winner's address and will be sent via the most reasonable shipping rate. Please note that your parcel could take anywhere from 5 business days to reach you (in Canada) to five weeks (if you are in the EU or even the USA at this point - the USPS is a hot mess right now).</span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span></p></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-35730020387356273922020-06-21T22:28:00.001-07:002021-10-07T13:15:50.797-07:00The Blood, Dirt, Seeds, and Racism in my Garden<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;">
I stand at the kitchen window watching the sunlight gleaming through the white linens on the neighbour's clothesline. I am filling pastry shells with cinnamon-spiced apples, and I am thinking of my grandparents. My grandma had a long clothesline that stretched out past her rose garden. I wasn't permitted to fuss with it, but she let me run through the rest of the property without supervision. I preferred the company of the fruit trees in the small orchard, but sometimes I'd sit beneath the huge willow that guarded the tool shed (unless it was windy - that's when the caterpillars started dropping on you).</div>
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I didn't care much for her roses (I would mourn the loss of them later, though). I preferred the things growing in the vegetable garden. Grandma taught me about weeding and spacing and I taught myself which plants seemed to enjoy each other's company more, and how much sun they preferred, and what time of day they liked to be watered. I think she might have been pleased with my growing efforts this year. There is some wildness tumbling out of my beds, because I like the way plants will crawl over any barrier and I hate to prune them into submission. But the gardens look healthy, and I've already been stuffing myself with three varieties of lettuces and two kinds of peas, plus herbs and berries, for a few weeks now.</div>
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My grandfather was racist. I loved him more than I could ever say, and I never heard him speak a bad word about anyone. He helped his neighbours, volunteered, loved his family, and sang to the 'old folks' at the local retirement homes long into his 90's. But once I was old enough to start dating, my father warned me not to mention a beau to my grandfather if the boy was anything other than white. I was shocked. The family never talked about it.</div>
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Not talking about racism is how people end up being complicit in a system that oppresses Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples. Like so many others, I've spent the last weeks in deep conversation with myself, my friends, parents, and nieces. I want to understand where I am causing harm, and how I have participated in societal 'norms' that kept People of Colour from being treated as equals in our communities, societies, the world. I am listening, reading, donating, making lists of Black-owned companies to give my business to, and these will never be finished tasks checked off a list. This work doesn't end. More importantly, it will never be enough. But I hope in the years I have left, to leave a much better trail behind me than those who came before me.</div>
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I am passionate about being able to feed and care for those I love, and my greater community, by growing food and medicine. This adoration for earth and seeds and green life was a direct result of growing up in close relationship with my grandparents. I've been privileged to have access to places to garden. I've had multiple beds on a good stretch of land to play with, but I've also managed to grow an impressive amount of food out of a dozen or so pots on a small patio outside a rental unit. I believe we can grow food almost anywhere.</div>
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Black gardeners and farmers have long been at a disadvantage. They were, and are, priced out of land ownership and refused for mortgages that white people of the same means were approved for. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/29/why-have-americas-black-farmers-disappeared" target="_blank">They are routinely forgotten or passed over when it comes to subsidies, operating farm loans, and benefits</a>. It is long past time that gardeners, herbalists, and farmers of Colour are given the tools and means to feed and care for their families and communities, and make a sustainable living on their land. </div>
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If you would like to support BIPOC gardeners and farmers, here are some places that are making a difference:</div>
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<a href="http://www.soulfirefarm.org/get-involved/reparations/" target="_blank">Soul Fire Farm</a></div>
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<a href="http://saafon.org/" target="_blank">SAAFON</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.nationalblackfarmersassociation.org/about_us" target="_blank">National Black Farmers Association</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.sylvanaqua.com/" target="_blank">Sylvanaqua Farms</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.mudbonegrown.com/programs/pathways-to-farming" target="_blank">Mudbone Grown</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smarterbynature.org/about-us" target="_blank">Smarter By Nature</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.phillyurbancreators.org/" target="_blank">Philly Urban Creators</a></div>
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<a href="http://themetroatlantaurbanfarm.com/" target="_blank">Metro Atlanta Urban Farm</a></div>
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I cannot erase my grandfather's racism. But I can take the best of him and walk forward with the dirt under my nails, my choices, and my income, and do the work to support a better future than he could have imagined.<br />
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Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-38237865353248267022020-03-18T14:16:00.001-07:002020-03-18T14:32:12.182-07:00A Brief Note on Supporting Ourselves and Supporting Each Other<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The world has changed. For now. And likely, in some ways, for always. There is no right thing to say at this moment. No perfect phrasing, no prose that will settle on everyone's shoulders like a warm embrace. We are going to mess this up - this distanced communing and communicating with each other - because we aren't flawless, graceful creatures at all times, and everyone needs/wants different kinds of connection. We are likely going to say something that doesn't jive with what someone else thinks or believes. We may get testy after being corralled together (or alone) for an indefinite length of time. Mostly, though, I think we are going to help each other, and love each other, and do the best we can. I believe in us.</span><br />
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In a perfect world everyone would be provided for. No one would worry about feeding or clothing themselves and no one would wonder if they could pay their rent, utilities, healthcare, or monthly expenses. But we don't live in a perfect world, and people are concerned about how they will survive. (We've always been concerned, but now things seem much more dire.) People are going to be asking for help. They are going to be offering up what they have or what they do, as a way to provide for themselves. They will be trying to save their business, their livelihood, or attempting to bring in some money to help at this stressful time.</div>
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When someone asks for help, or promotes their business online, or shines a light on their accomplishments, or posts their fundraising links on social media, please don't shame them. Don't say "too soon," or assume they have the worst motives. Most folks are going into a time of massive uncertainty surrounding their lives and incomes, and sharing ways that you can support them isn't the same as trying to profit off a pandemic. Some folks won't be as eloquent as you would like. They may make mistakes, or misspeak in their attempt to communicate. Allow people some extra wiggle room. Be patient.</div>
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There are those who <i>will</i> try to take advantage, be dishonest, hoard and then price gouge, or outright steal. These people have always been out there (and there is a huge discussion here that is so necessary, about privilege, access to physical/mental health care, housing, and community care, that I don't have the space to even scratch the surface of) and we do our best to be aware of those situations. If someone seems to be taking unfair advantage, or preying on other's fears, then you can report their posts, or perhaps reach out to them if you are able to kindly offer them some help on how to steer their efforts to maintain their income in a more appropriate manner.</div>
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Please don't demonize those who are attempting to keep their existing online businesses afloat, or who are now moving their storefront to an online or a more easy, safe, accessible model. I've been seeing this happen on social media in the last few days and it's very disheartening (the wondrous <a href="https://www.instagram.com/archaichoney/" target="_blank">Britton</a> posted a story about this topic on Instagram as well). Please don't shame the people who will begin to post fundraising links, or who start up sites to sell what they make or offer a service they provide, so they can meet their needs. Support who you can, if you wish, or share their links if you feel moved to.</div>
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If you feel overwhelmed (and so many of us do) then pace yourself, take time off-line, feed yourself and your family, move your body, breathe. Help yourself stay safe, strong, and at peace, and then you will be able to more greatly help others.</div>
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There are so many people sharing helpful information that it can make you feel dizzy trying to keep up. I'll start attaching some of the articles I've had the chance to read in the past few days, that made me feel hopeful, and some of the ways I've been keeping well. Pop in and read them if you choose, when you have time. My brilliant friend <a href="https://brianasaussy.com/canto/" target="_blank">Briana Saussy</a> likes to quote Fred Rogers, and I could not agree more at this time:</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Look for the helpers</span></i></div>
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And I would like to add, <i>be one of the helpers</i>. When, and if you can.</div>
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I'll say it again...I believe in us. Hang in. Hang on. Reach out. We've got each other. We can do this.</div>
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Briana has a free, ongoing, <a href="https://brianasaussy.com/feast-days-for-the-radically-reverent/" target="_blank">healing and protection ceremony that you can join</a>.</div>
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Rebecca Altman of <a href="http://wonderbotanica.com/" target="_blank">Wonder Botanica</a> has a free class that just started called "<a href="http://wonderbotanica.com/" target="_blank">Surrender + Magic.</a>"</div>
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<a href="https://www.gaiansoul.com/2020/03/17/caring-for-ourselves-caring-for-each-other/" target="_blank">Joanna Powell Colbert</a>, of the Gaian Tarot and the Herbcrafter's Tarot, posted a beautiful love letter about <a href="https://www.gaiansoul.com/2020/03/17/caring-for-ourselves-caring-for-each-other/" target="_blank">how she is caring for herself and others</a>.</div>
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My <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oranjexpresspenticton/" target="_blank">favourite local studio</a> is offering free, online fitness and yoga classes three times a day via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oranjexpresspenticton/photos/pb.141427316409480.-2207520000../606870966531777/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</div>
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I'll add more links in time here, but I wanted to start you off in few good places...</div>
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(All photos on this post are from my recent walk to gather poplar buds -<a href="https://rueandhyssop.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-kiss-of-cottonwood-amber-on-poplars.html" target="_blank"> you can read about poplar and its magic here</a>.)</div>
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Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-54134299458077652742019-10-28T19:37:00.001-07:002022-01-24T22:04:08.089-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - The Magic of Blacktree Coven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><div>Thank you so much to everyone for joining me for another Great October Book Giveaway! I wish I had treats to send to everyone who stopped by to toss their name into the hat or wish me some October cheer!<br />
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The two folks taking home the prize packages are:<br /><br />Flutter<br />
Jenny Rosa<br />
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and I've got a special treat - a third copy of Besom, Stang & Sword! I pre-ordered a copy of the book when it went up for sale last autumn but was then supplied a copy by the good folks at <a href="http://redwheelweiser.com/" target="_blank">Weiser</a>, so I have a brand new book here waiting on a home.<br />
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That copy will be going out to Theresa N.<br />
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Thank you again, for always making this month so much fun for me! I hope November is extra nice to you, and you get some rest in before the next holiday season arrives!<br />
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We have come to the last days of October. The sky is a purple bruise as I write this, and a cold wind grabs at the tree limbs outside my window. Dusk is creeping in earlier each day and the morning dawns sharp and frosty, having gnawed the few stalwart plants in the garden until they have curled in on themselves in a feeble attempt at protection. There are folks who are morose at the sight of all this decay but I am a grinning fool as I walk by dry, whispering corn stalks and apples left to rot on the ground. I am endlessly fascinated by the cycle of my valley - how the land blooms and thrives, only to drop itself into deep sleep (or seed itself and release to death) and awaken again in the spring. Every chapter closes, but there is always a new page waiting to be turned.<br />
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So too, have we arrived at the last gasps of our month of giveaways. I have something that I think is really special to round out our October fun. Two very magical gift packages have arrived from the extraordinary folks of <a href="https://www.infinite-beyond.com/blacktree-coven/" target="_blank">Blacktree Coven</a>. You may know them better as Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire, the brilliant minds and voices behind the occult podcast <a href="https://www.infinite-beyond.com/down-at-the-crossroads/" target="_blank">Down at the Crossroads</a>. Chris and Tara published their first book together at the close of last year and I've wanted to pass out some copies ever since I first heard about it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.infinite-beyond.com/besom-stang-sword-by-orapello-maguire/" target="_blank">Besom, Stang & Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-Fold Path & the Hidden Landscape</a> has been raved about by some of my favourite magical folks since its publication. And for good reason. This is one of those rare witchcraft books that doesn't try to be either a catch-all of every sort of magic that exists, or The One and Only Authority™ on what a witchcraft practice looks like. Instead the authors delve into their own practice (which has coalesced in their coven, Blacktree) and share how they work with their landbase and the spirits they encounter there.<br />
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I was very fortunate to get a sneak peek at this work before it was published, and this is what I had to say at the time (and I still stand by it):<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4858;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“What an absolute treat to the senses it has been to delve into Besom, Stang & Sword! This text presents a cohesive system of practice, thorough in exploring the fundamentals of magic, yet unafraid to delve into the dimly lit corners of witchcraft. Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire offer their own meticulously curated system based on theory, history, folklore, and trusted praxis. They cover an astonishing array of topics in a refreshingly concise manner and offer clear instruction along with their own rituals and spell work. What they present to us is intelligent methodology, and a powerful and spirit-fueled practice that reminds you that your tradition is a living creature to be respected and nurtured. Though a primer for their own magical system, there is no feeling of witchcraft-light here. This book encourages a deepening of your magic, a connection to your own bioregion, and a passion for the work you do with the land and your own spirits. This is sure to become a foundational text among magical practitioners. Orapello and Maguire have offered a treasure to their community with this tome. “Magick is magick” they say, and this book truly is just that.” </span></span></blockquote>
I genuinely appreciated the way that Christopher and Tara-Love opened their door to us with this book. It's not often we get to see very deeply into the personal practices of public witches, but Besom, Stang & Sword gives us a glimpse of how a well functioning magical discipline can be formed. They are also eager to recommend alternate books/reading and openly supportive of you finding your own way to work with your land, history, and spirits.<br />
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I could go on at length about this tome, but I want to be sure to pass along the extra goodies too! Tara and Chris are not only authors and podcasters, but they are skilled in herbalism, alchemy, and art. They've come together in another bewitching project, "<a href="https://www.infinite-beyond.com/welcome-to-two-of-cats-apothecary/" target="_blank">Two of Cats Apothecary</a>," which allows them to share some of their ritual work and magical recipes with you. You can find them vending at local events in and around the New Jersey area, as well as online. And for this giveaway, you'll get a generous taste of their creations.<br />
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I have two fabulous prize packages to give away, direct from Blacktree Coven. You'll receive a copy of Besom, Stang & Sword, as well as two incense blends, a witch's salt blend, a witch's ointment, and a couple other little treats. You will have until the last moments of October fade away to get your name into the hat. I'll draw the two names and contact the winners on November 1st.<br />
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As always, your comment is your entry. You must provide an email address (in a safe manner) or a link to a functioning social media page where I can contact you. If you would like an extra entry, please share this post or any promotional information about our wonderful authors, and that will earn you a second chance at winning. If your privacy is of importance, you can private message your entry to me at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rueandhyssopblog/" target="_blank">Rue and Hyssop Facebook page</a>. Please note that if you win, the name you've given me will be posted at the top of this page.<br />
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I want to thank Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire for making this last giveaway so special. Do check out the excellent podcast, <a href="https://www.infinite-beyond.com/down-at-the-crossroads/" target="_blank">Down at the Crossroads</a>, and their assorted social media haunts - they are some very fine humans, in my opinion.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ishallgointoahare/" target="_blank">Tara-Love on Instagram</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/chrisorapello/" target="_blank">Chris on Instagram</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/downatthecrossroadspodcast/" target="_blank">Down at the Crossroads on Facebook</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop</span></span></div>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-58024719099014092222019-10-21T21:15:00.001-07:002022-01-24T22:04:22.974-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Your Own MagicThe lucky folks taking home books this round are:<br />
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Backwoods Witchcraft - Elaine<br />
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Witch Body - Kelly M.<br />
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Good Juju - The Were-Owl<br />
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Stay tuned for the next round of October fun, which will pop up at some point tomorrow!<br />
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I'm not sure why, but there often seems to come a point each October where everything around me seems to vibrating in a frenetic symphony of breathtaking beauty, busyness, and strangeness. It feels as if at any moment all the whirling pieces are going to tumble to the floor in exhaustion. I'm surrounded by people who are battling their first cold virus of the dark season, my computer and wifi have been outright testy, the contact gadget on the blogging platform I use here has packed it in and doesn't seem to be interested in being re-installed, and I'm only managing to sleep in two or three hour increments. I'm picking up phantom scents, messages are sailing in from the beyond, and my readings and rituals have been exceptionally clear and effective. The lights in my home have been flickering and though I'm calling an electrician friend to take a look, I half suspect that the culprit is simply the spirited energy whirling around at this time of year.<br />
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Despite the weird-and-weary-ness, this month is the best taste of the season. October is the deep breath of fiery exquisiteness after the bright greens of summer faded to oceans of parched beige grasses and dull, dusty hills. September teased us with a fresh tide, but it is the colourful flags that October flies, barking and popping in the blustery winds, that make autumn extra special. The full moon last week was howl-worthy. The stars, on the nights that aren't cloaked in mist or clouds of woodsmoke hovering over my little town, are extra bright in the crisp air. The sounds of geese are fading, most of them having flown to warmer climes, and now we hear the questioning call of owls and the yipping echoes of the coyotes.<br />
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October is wild magic.<br />
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This next giveaway is about cultivating your own practice, and conjuring your own meaningful relationship with magic. It's about where you came from, what you've learned along the way, and the varied paths you explore as you experience the world. I have three books that look at personal magical practice from very different viewpoints, and I think there is something here for everyone.<br />
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First up is the wonderful <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/backwoods-witchcraft-jake-richards/1129437734?ean=9781578636532#/" target="_blank">Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic From Appalachia</a>, by <a href="https://littlechicagoconjure13.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">Jake Richards</a>. Jake takes us on a tour of his roots, and the stories and ancestors that helped him form his practice. This is southern conjure territory, so if you shy away from dirt, bones, psalms, or fortune telling, then you might want to choose another book from the stack. (Though I think you'd be missing out on some good tales and fine charms, if you did.)<br />
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From the publisher:<br />
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In Backwoods Witchcraft, Jake Richards offers up a folksy stew of family stories, lore, omens, rituals, and conjure crafts that he learned from his great-grandmother, his grandmother, and his grandfather, a Baptist minister who Jake remembers could “rid someone of a fever with an egg or stop up the blood in a wound.” The witchcraft practiced in Appalachia is very much a folk magic of place, a tradition that honors the seen and unseen beings that inhabit the land as well as the soil, roots, and plant life. </blockquote>
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The materials and tools used in Appalachia witchcraft are readily available from the land. This “grounded approach” will be of keen interest to witches and conjure folk regardless of where they live. Readers will be guided in how to build relationships with the spirits and other beings that dwell around them and how to use the materials and tools that are readily available on the land where one lives.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/backwoods-witchcraft-jake-richards/1129437734?ean=9781578636532#/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="270" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWEE7Wg25HHH__4OH_Ui_OV-o7pOC6rXLltfSviPEPNGA4iSmI24q7NH8FZJj4MFnTEWJLB4GzUigKyncf4IP7Ehj3Xaj3qa_PKW5Faw8tJPKUcSwVLf1CjqMEv9a1CFJIs9p65JzBd6D/s400/backwoods+witchcraft.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Next up is <a href="https://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738756455" target="_blank">Good Juju: Mojos, Rites & Practices for the Magical Soul</a>, by <a href="https://www.craftandconjure.com/" target="_blank">Najah Lightfoot</a>. Najah has an impressive and varied background of magical experience and she shares myriad ways you can create meaningful rituals and practices for yourself.<br />
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From the publisher:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Learn to better express your spirituality and build up your magical practice with this book's powerful spells, rituals, and tools. Designed to help you navigate whatever ups and downs life throws your way, Good Juju is your perfect choice for learning to embrace nature, the old ways, and the magick all around you. </blockquote>
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Using simple practices that don't interfere with any religions, Good Juju helps you lay a foundation for daily ritual work. You'll also learn how to craft mojos, create and work with altars, tune in to your intuition, and much more. Author Najah Lightfoot guides you in keeping your mind, body, and spirit strong as you discover your magical work and align with your higher power.
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I'm entirely enchanted by this next book, <a href="https://www.witchbody.com/" target="_blank">Witchbody</a>, by Sabrina Scott. The graphic tome is actually Scott's masters thesis, and is not only beautiful to behold but is a wild treat for your brain to wrap its tendrils around. I ponder something new each time I flip through this book. I wish I'd bought one of her original risograph printings when I first discovered <a href="https://www.witchbody.com/book" target="_blank">Witchbody</a> a few years ago, but I'm immensely glad that the good folks at Weiser picked up Sabrina's work and printed it for all of us to enjoy.<br />
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From Sabrina:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A RAMBLING & POETIC AUTOETHNOGRAPHY OF
WESTERN OCCULT MAGIC AS A PATHWAY FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING ADVOCACY </blockquote>
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The first graphic novel of its kind, Witchbody is a meandering synthesis of autoethnography, magic theory, and philosophical speculation. It is full of wonder at what it can mean to learn and teach and change and grow in this world which belongs to all of us: you, me, plants, trees, coffee cups and garbage bins. What can it mean to be a witch today, in the city?</blockquote>
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I have one copy of each of these books up for grabs. Your comment here is your entry. If you'd like a second entry you can share this post, or any of the authors featured, to your favourite social media platform and then pop back here and leave another comment. Please include your email (in a safe format) or a way to contact you via social media so I can get in touch if your name is drawn. I apologize for not having the contact form up and running for this giveaway. If privacy is a concern you can send me a private message via the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rueandhyssopblog" target="_blank">Rue and Hyssop page on FB</a> and I'll add your name to the draw. You have until Friday, October 25th to jump in. I'll draw the names from the hat that night after 9pm Pacific.<br />
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Thank you so much to everyone who has been playing along, leaving kind comments, and sharing my yearly October celebration of books, witchery, and wonder. It makes me grin so brightly that you come back around each year and seem to enjoy this merrymaking as much as I do. We aren't finished yet!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop</span></span>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-85269697064167041102019-10-16T17:05:00.001-07:002022-01-24T22:04:35.005-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Botanical Magic<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">
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The following folks will be taking home beautiful botanical goodies:<br />
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Dionne B. - The Herbcrafter’s Tarot<br />
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Crystal L. - Blotto Botany<br />
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Emily P. - The Illustrated Herbiary<br />
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Inari F. - Hedgewitch's Botanical Oracle<br />
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Congratulations!<br />
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For those who didn’t luck out this round, not to worry, there are more treats to be had! Soar by on your broom tomorrow eve and toss your name in the hat for the next giveaway!<br />
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As I write this, there is a howling wind shaking the trees beyond my window. I'm always a little blue when the leaves are stripped from the trees too quickly by greedy gusts. I like to revel in the fiery autumn colours as long as possible. But tomorrow there will be piles of gold and scarlet to swish my feet through, and that is the sort of thing that offers up a good amount of joy. It's difficult to believe that this delicious month is half over already, but the fun is not nearly finished yet. There is still an armful of books and treats to be had around these parts.<br />
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I do want to make an important shift in the entry process for the remaining giveaways. I've pulled several names as winners this month that had no way for me to contact them when I followed their linked comment. It's terribly sad to toss a name away that could have received a lovely parcel. Starting now, you <i>must</i> supply either your email address in the comments (in a safe form such as "Jen AT gmail") or a way to contact you via a<i> non-private</i> social media account (for example: twitter.com/rueandhyssop). <strike>You may also enter the current giveaway by sending me a note via the "make contact" button up at the top of the page - this automatically provides me with a way to contact you if you win.</strike> (EDIT Oct 18/19: The contact form has crashed as of this post. Please leave your entry as a comment, or if we are connected on social media and you want to privately enter this giveaway, then feel free to DM me. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and I'm working behind the scenes to fix this ASAP but the Blogger platform is being problematic.) Thank you for taking this extra step to ensure I can reach you if you win!<br />
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Now...on to the next giveaway!<br />
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This is the first year in some time that I haven't bought myself a large number of herbal books. I've been working with individual plants in my gardens and wilds, attempting to learn more about the plant friends I already know and love, one on one. I've brought a few new herbs into my toolbox this year too, but I've taken a short pause from stuffing my brain with information and wanting to work with all the plants I can get my hands on. I've craved some quieter, more personal study this year. (There are some gorgeous herbal books coming out next year so you know this won't last long.) My only purchases were two books and two botanical themed card decks, and the reason I bought them was because I saw them all over Instagram this year. The reviews were excellent and the artistry and design of each item were unique and beautiful. I've been thrilled with them, and I know you will be too. Let's take closer look...<br />
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First up is <a href="https://herbiary.com/the-illustrated-herbiary/" target="_blank">The Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals</a>, by <a href="https://maiatoll.com/" target="_blank">Maia Toll</a>, stunningly illustrated by <a href="https://www.kate-ohara.com/" target="_blank">Kate O'Hara</a>. The book is a set that includes cards for each plant mentioned, which can be employed as an oracle if you so choose. The Herbiary is a visual delight and is primarily a journey of connecting with the herbs Maia has chosen to feature. If you are looking for a field guide or a medicinal or practical herbal to help you learn to identify and grow/harvest plants, this is not that book. At the risk of sounding a little flippant, this book and card set feels like ordering dessert before dinner. It's swoon-worthy and luscious, though it isn't going to keep you alive all on its own. I do think it would make a fetching gift for anyone who already has mad crush on the natural world, and I'm pleased to have my own copy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova; letter-spacing: 0.26px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">Drink to your health, your ancestors, and your friends. Make zines, write daily, make plants and stay true to your own tastes and well-being.”</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova; letter-spacing: 0.26px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - An excerpt from Blotto Botany</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.gingertoothandtwine.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmZEB6RRjUOe6POGiVLvkSK5D0Vn1dLTw70J_VgNzL65Rw2IOyFWDoREj4ZZqjHbhsfYzGZq8Qcgwdg8SsTgnpSBHgC5QVpoK3C_7K9B_SuLRSflrU_gieGVoHHZwQtBoGqQCRdDCq6Hm/s400/Blotto%252BBotany_%252Ba%252BLesson%252Bin%252BHealing%252BCordials%252B%2526%252BPlant%252BMagic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Photo by Gingertooth and Twine</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Next up is an alluring tome that was hand illustrated, written, and assembled by <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Spencre McGowan of <a href="http://www.gingertoothandtwine.com/" target="_blank">Gingertooth and Twine</a>. Originally a self-published zine, <a href="http://www.gingertoothandtwine.com/the-book/" target="_blank">Blotto Botany: A Lesson in Healing Cordials and Plant Magic</a>, is Spencre's herbal log and list of yummy experiments that was serendipitously found and re-published as a book by Harper Collins. I found Spencre on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gingertoothandtwine/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> after hearing folks talk about how charming and wonderful her book was, so naturally I had to pick up a copy (and one for you too). I've only just begun to try some of the recipes within but I've got a long winter ahead (if the birds and the caterpillars are telling the truth) and I can't wait to play with more!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first of two enchanting card decks I have for you is the <a href="http://www.siolothompsonart.com/botanicals" target="_blank">Hedgewitch's Botanical Oracle</a> by <a href="http://www.siolothompsonart.com/" target="_blank">Siolo Thompson</a>. (Siolo is also the artist and creator behind the <a href="http://www.siolothompsonart.com/linestrider-tarot" target="_blank">Linestrider Tarot</a> which I've previously shared with you.) The Botanical Oracle seems both sharp and fluid at once. Thompson's art offers the realism you want when learning about plants, with a somewhat liminal feel that benefits divination systems. Though the beautifully hefty Field Guide that accompanies the deck gives you a very nice overview of the medicinal and folkloric uses of each plant/card, it also encourages you to sense the magic inherent in the plants yourself. I've found this deck very accommodating. It works beautifully alongside other decks and I've felt immediately comfortable working with it and interpreting its messages. I'm already very attached to this deck and wouldn't part with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This year I've tried to curb my tarot/oracle purchases. Instead, I spent time pulling out older decks that I wanted to give some love to and make better use of. I have only three new decks this year (thus far). A magical, personal-run deck that was gifted to me by a beloved friend, the above oracle, and this next tarot set. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't know that I've fallen for a tarot deck this hard in a long while. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.herbcrafterstarot.com/" target="_blank">The Herbcrafter's Tarot</a> is a labour of love from <a href="https://herbmother.com/" target="_blank">Latisha Guthrie</a> and <a href="https://www.gaiansoul.com/" target="_blank">Joanna Powell Colbert</a>. These are stunningly drawn cards with powerful messages. The companion book is stellar (the sturdy box with internal ribbon-as-lift is one you'll want to keep) and gives you information about the card through the lens of the plant depicted. It also offers medicinal and magical histories of the plants, as well as giving you practical and ritual crafting ideas to work with the plant and energy of that card.<br />
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You'll experience tarot in a new way with the <a href="https://www.herbcrafterstarot.com/about-the-deck" target="_blank">intricate system Latisha and Joanna have laid out</a>. Please do yourself a favour and click through the links to see the gorgeous cards - my photo doesn't do them enough justice!<br />
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I have one copy of each of these lovely books and decks to give away. I'll draw the four names on Sunday, October 20th at 9pm Pacific. Please ensure your email address or contact information is included in your comment. Feel free to share this post or any of the author/artist's work online and return here for a second entry. You may let me know which deck or book you'd prefer and though I can't promise to make it happen I'll do my best to match winners with their choices.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop</span></span>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-82619199881948538572019-10-11T17:06:00.003-07:002022-01-24T22:04:48.164-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Making MagicThe three people taking home a copy of Making Magic are:<br />
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Ellie
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Lisa<br />
Aurora<br />
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Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by to toss your name in the hat! Swing by again tomorrow for the next handful of delights!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Who has not been in touch with the extraordinary and extremely rare at least once? Who has not come through some kind of fire of the soul, or hoarded a certain treasure, or listened to a living wood?</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://brianasaussy.com/making-magic/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="1600" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5r8Svpm8DPsoS_Nb0ozDsNfHrH4okNTD2kTGOdWUT-1sr41wpGQZUZNJjPkEJgLJYJNlua7muQ74o0qJepDEwNgDyn5GNbr2TMv0H9rvrfsi2EUdFAUPbo6LIaGskGghdTcsynAm3Nhi/s640/IMG_1077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fairytales and folk charms, familial stories, ancestral practices, and the thump-thump of your heart beating in your chest as you feel the threads of magic twist around you, whirling up from some timeless place within you. You know it when you feel it. It's a recognition of something that seems like it has always been a part of you. It is the realization that when you were small you saw a grandparent perform a rite or incantation of some kind (though they would surely not have called it that). It is the remembrance of old songs or stories that were meant to keep you from harm's way, or heal you, or bring something back to you.<br />
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"Now it is time to remember our magic," Briana Saussy says, and the next book in our month of giveaways is one that will surely help you do that. Briana has been weaving magic for years, working in-person and online with folks all over the world. Her candle and petition work is renowned, her courses are unmatched, and she's a damn fine astrologer to boot. This past August she released an absolute gem of a book, "<a href="https://www.soundstrue.com/store/making-magic.html" target="_blank">Making Magic: Weaving Together the Everyday and the Extraordinary</a>," and I'm thrilled to be able to share some copies with you, thanks to the generous folks at <a href="https://www.soundstrue.com/store/making-magic.html" target="_blank">Sounds True</a>.<br />
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One of the things that I love about Bri is that she peels back the heavy curtain that others try to drape over magical practice, and shows how accessible and practical magic can be for everyone.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Magic, like all wild things, does not accept or settle into assumed roles, nor does it follow impatient demands. It goes its own way, making its home in all places where the everyday and extraordinary are woven together.</span></i></blockquote>
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You can read an excerpt of this bewitching book <a href="https://brianasaussy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/MKT2112-MakingMagic-BookExcerpt-NowAvailable1.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I have three copies of Making Magic to give away. Leave a comment (with contact info if you please) and I'll put your name in the hat! Share this post, or any of Briana's wonderful work, and circle back with a comment, and I'll put your name in the hat again. If you'd prefer to enter the draw privately, just use the "make contact" button up top. I will be drawing the three names on Tuesday, October 15th at 9pm Pacific.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop</span></span>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-33383869168481992222019-10-05T20:18:00.001-07:002022-01-24T22:05:05.358-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Magic in Overlooked PlacesThe lucky book winners, this round, are:<br />
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Johanna L - The Wiccan Wheel Mysteries<br />
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Bella S. - pair of poetry books<br />
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kgkathands - The Lost Kitchen cookbook<br />
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I’ll be in contact with you shortly!<br />
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There seem to be some gremilins causing mischief...I’m having some difficulty with my laptop tonight, so the next giveaway will be posted tomorrow (Friday, October 11th). Thank you for your patience!<br />
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One of the things I love about magic, is that if you have your finger on the pulse of it - if you recognize that it bubbles up in unexpected places and threads itself through areas commonly overlooked - then you can find enchantment anywhere.<br />
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Normally this yearly giveaway is entirely populated with non-fiction books on magic and herbalism, with the occasional sway into witch-art of some form, and a few of the newest tarot or oracle decks I've found. I almost never include fiction or other genres, not because I don't read them or they aren't excellent sorts of books, but the bulk of my writing here at Rue and Hyssop is about my journey through the year in gardens, woods, and witchcraft, and so I generally stick to those themes. This year, however, there were a few authors/books from outside the usual non-fiction fare I offer that made a big impression on me, and I wanted to share them with you. They conjured the feeling that magic was afoot. That the authors were people who noticed the threads weaving the world together, who had touched the live wire of magic in one way or another (even if that's not what they would call it). Each of these books/authors gave me a thrill in some way and I know you'll adore them too.<br />
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It was early in the year when I heard about <a href="https://www.findthelostkitchen.com/" target="_blank">The Lost Kitchen</a> and read <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2015/2/25/the-heart-breaking-story-behind-the-lost-kitchen-an-incredible-new-restaurant-in-freedom-maine" target="_blank">the tale of a woman who had her heart broken and her dream crushed</a>, who then found a way to rebuild. I was immediately enraptured by Erin French's journey. I set to searching out her restaurant and how someone might make a reservation (I'd long wanted to visit Maine, where she is located). It turns out that The Lost Kitchen hadn't just enchanted me. They were constantly booked up and still fielding calls for reservations, so they decided to hold a lottery for table seating. Last year <a href="https://www.boston.com/food/restaurants/2019/03/11/the-lost-kitchen-2019-reservations" target="_blank">twenty thousand postcards</a> arrived on Erin's doorstep - each one a hopeful entry for a chance to eat one of her beautiful meals. (I'll be sending a postcard of my own next year!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_DCNVJdAfKxYOp1NeiMgBWTYzsnYDDJ5jrhCQ1d0rQh1HSsSMNfzFLyHTp-0YpVvvWrSKm3YeMPsRLkMf9d_7Hdvtv_W-bt1BD3_Kh4FK0HaWdj3fQB5C_6A5AfDIjIA1CESDlaKfPxt/s1600/the+lost+kitchen+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_DCNVJdAfKxYOp1NeiMgBWTYzsnYDDJ5jrhCQ1d0rQh1HSsSMNfzFLyHTp-0YpVvvWrSKm3YeMPsRLkMf9d_7Hdvtv_W-bt1BD3_Kh4FK0HaWdj3fQB5C_6A5AfDIjIA1CESDlaKfPxt/s400/the+lost+kitchen+3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There is something extraordinary about a person who has seemingly lost out on the future they were building, only to discover that they could re-form or re-imagine it and it would unfold in even bigger ways than they could have anticipated. Erin began her 'secret dinners' in her apartment, expanded to a small retail location, was locked out of her dream only to move it into an Airstream trailer, and now cooks with friends for thousands of people each year in an historic mill in Freedom, Maine. Reading her gorgeous cookbook (with her amazing story included) is not just perusing a stack of tantalizing recipes, it's like curling up for tea with a friend that inspires you.<br />
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<a href="http://jenniferdavidhesse.com/books.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1253" data-original-width="1548" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPADd4DxIRG93PAQFaCFavzqw5FRa6fZlDaHtr6LqfXwTN0tmomLWZnFgUe1clXHOQvxK8e51uzrQgsVR59-3QrEYjbo7QSDuvR_UaX-8T4D73g8MjIyfvt1AkTmfFZHd4aJfZfLZlMq3/s400/BeFunky-collage+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This summer was hard on me. I was knocked down in May and spent much of the following three months trying to keep my spirit light in the midst of heartbreak, funerals, and whatever hellish planetary bullshittery was swirling overhead. My salvation in the scorching months was a lawn chair in the shade in the late afternoon, a cold beverage, and a stack of books. I had a variety of poetry with me at all times, plus folk and fairy tales of every sort. They were what transported me to a quieter place where my mind and heart could find respite.<br />
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I was nearing the end of a pile of library books when I found myself thinking, "I need some fun, witchy fiction books to read." And just like magic an email popped into my inbox from <a href="http://jenniferdavidhesse.com/index.html" target="_blank">Jennifer Hesse</a> introducing herself and her books. I've already grabbed a few of her <a href="http://jenniferdavidhesse.com/books.html" target="_blank">Wiccan Wheel Mysteries</a> series for myself and I picked up one for you, too. Plus, Jennifer has been kind enough to send along a book for you as well! The series follows Keli Milanni, lawyer and practicing witch, while she navigates her way through assorted mysteries, messes, romances, and her own journey with magic. They were perfect summer reads and I know the two autumn-themed books I've got for you, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Autumn-Alibi-Wiccan-Wheel-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07MB47MTL/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=autumn+alibi&qid=1570329457&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Autumn Alibi</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Samhain-Secrets-Wiccan-Wheel-Mystery-ebook/dp/B077X1D4BB/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=samhain+secrets&qid=1570329487&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Samhain Secrets</a> will be excellent for curling up under a blanket with in these cooler nights ahead.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Breakage - Mary Oliver</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>I go down to the edge of the sea.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>How everything shines in the morning light!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The cusp of the whelk,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>the broken cupboard of the clam,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>the opened, blue mussels,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>moon snails, pale pink and barnacle scarred—</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>and nothing at all whole or shut, but tattered, split,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>dropped by the gulls onto the gray rocks and all the moisture gone.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>It's like a schoolhouse</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>of little words,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>thousands of words.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>First you figure out what each one means by itself,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>the jingle, the periwinkle, the scallop</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i> full of moonlight.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Then you begin, slowly, to read the whole story.</i></span></div>
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I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show some love to the poetry that kept my heart beating this summer. We sadly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/15/mary-oliver-obituary" target="_blank">lost the beloved Mary Oliver</a> in January, but her words live on in her thirty-plus published works. It was the opening lines of "Wild Geese" that completely shifted things for me fifteen years ago, and she still has the ability to make me gasp and sigh "yes!" to her observations of nature and the world. I'm passing along her collection of poems, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Why-Wake-Early-New-Poems/dp/0807068799/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=why+i+wake+early&qid=1570329428&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Why I Wake Early</a>."<br />
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Along with Oliver's book you'll receive a book I brought home from Sleepy Hollow - a collection of captivating poetry from assorted authors, entitled "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bewitched-Haunted-Everymans-Library-Pocket/dp/1400043883/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GY8TZB4GPGYG&keywords=poems+bewitched+and+haunted&qid=1570328307&sprefix=poems+betwit%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Poems Bewitched and Haunted</a>."<br />
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From the publisher:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">From Homer to Horace, Pope to Poe, Randall Jarrell to James Merrill, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Poems Bewitched and Haunted </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">draws on three thousand years of poetic forays into the supernatural. Ovid conjures the witch Medea, Virgil channels Aeneas’s wife from the afterlife, Baudelaire lays bare the wiles of the incubus, and Emily Dickinson records two souls conversing in a crypt, in poems that call out to be read aloud, whether around the campfire or the Ouija board. From ballads and odes, to spells and chants, to dialogues and incantations, here is a veritable witches’ brew of poems from the spirit world.</span></span></blockquote>
You can see both poetry books on the left side of the first photo in this post.<br />
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These three prizes: one amazing cookbook, a pair of fab fiction tomes, and bundle of two dreamy poetry books, contain their own variety of magic and I believe they will find homes with folks who know a thing or two about enchantment. They will be up for grabs until Thursday, October 10th, when I'll draw the names of the winners. Your comment is your entry, and if you should like another chance to win then simply share this post around however you wish and then swing back and let me know. I'll make sure your name goes into the hat again. Alternately, if you are having issues with leaving a comment, or if you'd prefer to enter privately, then you can send your entry via the "make contact" button at the top of the page. (Please note that if your name is drawn, I will be posting it at the top of the giveaway.) Feel free to let me know which prize you'd prefer. I try to match winners and books up, whenever possible.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span><br />
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<br />Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-6687667114989788192019-10-01T20:53:00.001-07:002022-01-24T22:05:18.168-08:00The Great October Book Giveaway - Historical, Ancestral, and Folkloric MagicThank you so much to all who were keen to start off this magical month with me! The next giveaway is now live, and as for the books here...they are going home with:<br />
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Honoring Your Ancestors - Jennifer<br />
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Southern Cunning - Heidi<br />
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The Sleepy Hollow folklore books - Thistle<br />
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Congratulations!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBsRA6JiDhIweJ_OWcqrRpkWdE9wjFNYu_IEilRouX3lBMzdQCLGnsr4HqtTZqprvnw9qapjbcqWW-BCxxn5JjavzYtRTl4gQzUrMSzVp0rNGgZHzsSNcDalJQuACKAxK7VTkmyBDHG2L/s1600/GOBG2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBsRA6JiDhIweJ_OWcqrRpkWdE9wjFNYu_IEilRouX3lBMzdQCLGnsr4HqtTZqprvnw9qapjbcqWW-BCxxn5JjavzYtRTl4gQzUrMSzVp0rNGgZHzsSNcDalJQuACKAxK7VTkmyBDHG2L/s400/GOBG2018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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October has found us again. I am here, in my charming valley in the north west, snuggled in with fuzzy slippers and extra blankets pulled out of the wardrobe. September ended in near-constant rain and October arrived this morning with snow on the hilltops and ice on my car's window. I feel somewhat ill prepared for meeting the cold so soon, and I have been looking warily at the yard and gardens and noting the impossible number of tasks that might have been taken care of before the chill arrived. But there are better things to attend to than winter preparation. We have an entire month of harvest and haunts to celebrate!<br />
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Each year as I wander through social media, read websites and blogs, and listen to podcasts, I come across awesome authors, books that capture my attention, and card decks that tempt me to take them home. When I find something that catches my heart (or other bits) I try to grab a second copy to pass along to someone else. It's my small way of saying thank you to those who pop by my little spot on the interwebs here, or the kind folks who like, comment, or interact with me on social media. (Plus, I've always had a mad love of mail, paper, and packages, so this gives me an excuse to revel in those delights.)<br />
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For those who come back every year to celebrate this magical month with me, hello again old friends! And to those of you who are just finding this strange and celebratory place for the first time - welcome! Let's open the first chapter of this month and see where our story begins...<br />
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We start this delicious month off with a handful of books brimming with history, folklore, and ancestral veneration. Having just returned from several days in the history-and-legend-rich land of the <a href="https://rueandhyssop.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-sleepy-end-to-september.html" target="_blank">Hudson River Valley</a> I'm eager to share books that speak to connections with our past. What came before may seem to only have a tenuous connection with the here and now, but the past is still very relevant, and spending some time studying it can be a helpful and potent addition to our own journeys and practices.<br />
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<a href="https://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738761008" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljktQ1OJji_jCX0Xk5T_nFXAbOMc_1fYdmcQEHzDduQgYb-bqkiL76ogpouCJTAH9QLsGv2R94CgT5eBqQhqBSi_DucY2zT8S2rIDgzsDDD9cRd1pJFqhsIAH1_gW6w2kLRsp7JdBUHRs/s400/honoring+your+ancestors.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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Our first selection is <a href="https://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738761008" target="_blank">Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration</a>, a truly beautiful book from <a href="https://www.italianfolkmagic.com/" target="_blank">Mallorie Vaudoise</a> about connecting and working with your ancestors. It includes important topics like healing ancestral trauma and choosing to interact with ancestors not of your bloodline, as well as touching on various spirits and saints. I have not encountered such a rich and thorough examination of this topic before, and I know you'll really enjoy diving into this important work too.<br />
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From the publisher:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Ancestor veneration is one of the most widespread spiritual practices in the world. This book shares the important distinctions between working with blood ancestors, lineage ancestors, and affinity ancestors while helping you recognize the signs that your ancestors are responding to your petitions and offerings. You will also explore important topics like mediumship and ancestral trauma so you can be sure to develop a veneration practice that's uplifting and affirming for you."</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/moon-books/our-books/southern-cunning" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="397" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvhByhBWeZwkM-3MmV_fZfXyo_r1ckIedg1FYxqFB_Wvae2vO_9RbUBGTgieER4ZGKKy_5KUyvYnb1vIoTDIe1UTEL71TPYsn8tcsRqLFkGCcdg0Pe0NZQHaVda0oZX0n37nQlOlg03Wq/s400/southern+cunning.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
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Next is the wonderful <a href="https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/moon-books/our-books/southern-cunning" target="_blank">Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South</a> by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aaronoberon/" target="_blank">Aaron Oberon</a>. I am endlessly fascinated by the deep magic that wells up under the land and spills out for those locals who are keen to listen for it, seek, and find it. Bioregional witchcraft is <i>your</i> witchcraft - it is the whispers of the trees in your town, the movement of the waterways that nourish you, and the stories of the place you lay your head. Getting to know your own local legends and history is invaluable when building a meaningful magical practice. Aaron digs deeply into the stories and important superstitions of the southern states where he makes his home, and the result is bewitching.<br />
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From the publisher:<br />
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"Southern Cunning is a journey through the folklore of the American South and a look at the power these stories hold for modern witches. Through the lens of folklore, animism, and bioregionalism the book shows how to bring rituals in folklore into the modern day and presents a uniquely American approach to witchcraft born out of the land and practical application."</blockquote>
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My last selection is a haunting pair of books directly from Sleepy Hollow. I picked up two tomes during my visit, on the local folklore and legends of New Amsterdam and the Hudson River area:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Sleepy-Hollow-Hudson-Valley/dp/1596297980/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=Legends+and+Lore+of+Sleepy+Hollow+and+the+Hudson+Valley+-+Johnathan+Kruk&qid=1569986777&sr=8-1-fkmr0" target="_blank">Legends and Lore of Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley - Johnathan Kruk</a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Historically-Annotated-Legend-Sleepy-Hollow/dp/0970549415/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Historically+Annotated+Legend+of+Sleepy+Hollow+-+Washington+Irving+and+Henry+John+Steiner&qid=1569986810&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Historically Annotated Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving and Henry John Steiner</a><br />
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Both of these books are fantastically chock full of history and lore, and the annotated Sleepy Hollow has the added bonus of being Washington Irving's original ghostly rider story with the addition of a flurry of footnotes relating the historical accuracy that Irving's colourful tale sometimes chooses to ignore.<br />
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I have one copy of each book to give away (the Sleepy Hollow books come as a pair), and the three winning names will be drawn on <b>Saturday, October 5th</b> at 9pm Pacific. You can state in your comment which book you'd prefer and I'll do my best to arrange the winners with their chosen books but I cannot promise that will always work out<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>The important-but-tedious bits:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16.5px;">We are running simple game again this year - your comment counts as your entry. However, if you feel moved to share this around (either a particular giveaway or if you just send folks my way) you can leave another comment letting me know you shared some October love, and I'll toss your name in the hat a second time.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16.5px;">On the evening of the draw, the winners will be notified via email and their names placed at the top of this post and the next handful of goodies will go up for grabs. Please, please, leave an email for me in your comment if your name does not directly link to you/your website. I can't tell you how many names I've drawn only to find that I couldn't contact the winners. I simply draw again, but it is rather heartbreaking to see the first name get tossed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16.5px;">There are occasionally some goblins that stop by in October, just for kicks. I am taking down the comment moderation security and we will hope that we skate under the spam radar again this year. Also, Blogger doesn't always play nice with every app, so there are times when you may have to come to the giveaway page directly (not via the FB app, for example) and leave a comment that way.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16.5px;">As always, if your privacy is of concern or if you simply cannot get your comment in on the current giveaway post for some reason, you can send an entry in using the "Make Contact" button on the top of the blog.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16.5px;">All mail will go out within three business days of receiving the winner's address and will be sent via the most reasonable shipping rate. Please note that your parcel could take anywhere from 5 business days to reach you (in most of North America) to five weeks (if you are in the EU).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Legal Bits<span style="line-height: 18.48px;">:</span></i></b><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.</span><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.</b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone othe</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">r than Rue and Hyssop.</span></span>Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-62083915497107493982019-09-30T21:13:00.000-07:002019-09-30T21:13:30.029-07:00A Sleepy End to September<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a High German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson. Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions; stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole ninefold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols.</i> </blockquote>
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It is the eve of October, and my heart is still in Sleepy Hollow.<br />
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I have just returned home from spending the better part of a week in the enchanted Hudson River Valley, exploring the towns of Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Irvington, and meandering further north and east. I reveled in cemeteries with gravestones from the 1700's, got lost in a giant corn maze, ate apple cider doughnuts, drove winding back roads canopied by the limbs of trees growing on either side, squealed at the biggest jack-o-lantern display I've ever seen, and swept my fingertips over the very same walls and woodwork that Washington Irving did 160 years ago. I've still got the Sleepy Hollow spirit humming within me, and now I feel so ready to dive into one of the most magical months of the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHkBn7S3oTgEGStVWN8lA_EVzmQTJmQ520et0LGdSDKaGsJVCS8plkdGz3-r_OqGPS4n86UUybPku5eJmPySo-bp1hg2hym0lDOBPYomfJKutTReiJWFL5H1JmC__gvRr6lMVjZwseJC-/s1600/Sleepy+Hollow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHkBn7S3oTgEGStVWN8lA_EVzmQTJmQ520et0LGdSDKaGsJVCS8plkdGz3-r_OqGPS4n86UUybPku5eJmPySo-bp1hg2hym0lDOBPYomfJKutTReiJWFL5H1JmC__gvRr6lMVjZwseJC-/s640/Sleepy+Hollow1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback, without a head. It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War, and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk hurrying along in the gloom of night, as if on the wings of the wind. His haunts are not confined to the valley, but extend at times to the adjacent roads, and especially to the vicinity of a church at no great distance. Indeed, certain of the most authentic historians of those parts, who have been careful in collecting and collating the floating facts concerning this spectre, allege that the body of the trooper having been buried in the churchyard, the ghost rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head, and that the rushing speed with which he sometimes passes along the Hollow, like a midnight blast, is owing to his being belated, and in a hurry to get back to the churchyard before daybreak.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>Such is the general purport of this legendary superstition, which has furnished materials for many a wild story in that region of shadows; and the spectre is known at all the country firesides, by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
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The history and folklore, old magic and superstition, and the hardworking and hopeful spirits of the early Dutch settlers, left an imprint on the land in the area along the Hudson River. That imprint would also include their treatment of the original inhabitants, the first peoples of that place, and the enslaved Africans they brought in to work on their farms. The raids and eventual surrender of New Netherland (New York state) to the English, and then the devastating spread of tuberculosis, added layers of complexity to the way of life in the valley, but through it all these small settlements flourished and grew into the bustling riverside towns of today. Spending even a short amount of time in this area it is easy to see why writers, inventors, dreamers and others took such a shine to it and chose to make it their home.<br />
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I can still hear the rustling of leaves in the old Dutch burying ground, the whispers of the great oaks and horse chestnut, and the dreamy burbling of the Pocantico River (more of a brook in the area where I met it). The voice of that place will surely haunt me for a very long time.<br />
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The year is flying swiftly along like the galloping hooves of that old Hessian's horse. I've found myself surrounded by a large stack of books and other goodies that will be making their way across spellbound bridges (via the modern pony express services of Canada Post) to some lucky folks in the weeks ahead. Sleep well tonight, if you can. The enchantment of this next month is bound to fill your head with delights and devilry and you'll need to keep your strength up. Pop back around tomorrow as the light slips from the sky and the first dusk of October settles. I've got a mug of something warm for you and some wonderful reads to curl up with.<br />
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Happy almost-October, friends.<br />
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Quoted excerpts above from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washinton Irving. You can read it <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm" target="_blank">here</a> via Project Gutenberg. And if you enjoy a story being read to you, my friend Cory over at <a href="https://newworldwitchery.com/" target="_blank">New World Witchery</a> narrated the tale a few years back <a href="https://newworldwitchery.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/special-episode-the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow.mp3" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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PS - If you don't know what I'm talking about, <a href="https://rueandhyssop.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-delight-of-decay-on-october-eve.html" target="_blank">this post from last year</a> will give you more of a hint about the not-so-secret October happenings at Rue and Hyssop.Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-72941280636184885202019-08-31T23:59:00.001-07:002019-09-02T02:10:25.981-07:00Hazy Days and The Blessed In-Between<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am finding, more and more over the years, that the deep breath between the notable points of the seasons is where I feel the most inspired. It is the softer spaces, the blurred boundaries between one tide of the year and the next, that spark a swelling in my heart and spirit. All seasons have their beauty. Even the fierce heat of the last several weeks, the height of summer's fire before the sun's rule over the day began to slip, has had its own charms. But it's these in-between times, when one portion of the year looses its grip and another season begins to whisper of what is to come, that I feel my pulse quicken and my mind swirl with musings and enchantments.</div>
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It's been a difficult summer for many of us. My compass has been spinning since May and I've managed to chart my course only when I shifted my focus to my own work and well-being. When my gaze lingered on others for too long, I faltered. When I chose to expend all my energy taking care of folks, it became a too-heavy burden instead of a gift I could offer. I had to reach for my heart like I did the summer peaches, find comfort in my own arms and hands, and sweeten my spirit with staggering sunsets, meandering waterways, and the call of osprey. </div>
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I found solace in the shady spots of the yard and gardens these last few sultry months, in books and poetry, in fairs and farmers' markets, and in a brief escape to the ocean. But mostly I managed to thrive in the way I always do. Dirt under my fingernails, walking beside the river, eating food right out of the garden, and transforming my herb harvests into teas and balms and magics. Right at this moment I've got calendula flowers set out to dry, a basket on the counter of scarlet paste tomatoes and basil still warm from the heat of the day, and I'm slipping goldenrod into a jar to make an extract to assist my lungs should I fall to a cold this winter. I haven't harvested all the plants I wanted to this year, didn't reseed the garden beds that were available after the spring crops came to fruition, and I haven't been out in the woods nearly enough. But I've done what I could do, and I don't have much care for running myself ragged anymore. I'd rather run through cornfields.</div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough.”</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Toni Morrison<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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Virgo season is my season. It's the sweet sigh of relief after a frenzied summer in the valley. Though the frogs and crickets still sing each night I can hear the low murmur underneath those songs again. The whisper of trees making less chlorophyll as the days shorten. The nesting and gathering of animals preparing for the colder months. The owls were calling the other night - a haunting chant I haven't heard since late winter. The sumac is blushing, the rowan heavy with berries, and the geese are gathering in the fields and lakes to prepare for their long journey.</div>
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I'm feeling wildly sensual of late. Electric. My skin is the velvet of flower petals and my hair is perfumed with herb blossoms. I am cat-mint and raspberries, the fragrance of ripe garden tomatoes, and the delighted surprise of a wild apple tree found in the forest. I am the opening of evening primrose in the dusk. I can't stop smelling my skin. I've been working with damiana and kava, infusing massage oils and sipping elixirs and reveling in their magic. I want to press pause on these too-short twilights so I have more time to roam between bats and dragonflies, nibbling the last offerings of the ever-bearing strawberries while my feet press sigils into earth and grass.</div>
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There are exciting things on the horizon. Fall fairs, a birthday, and an enchanting journey. I'm slowly planning October fetes, mulling over harvest tasks, and pulling out sweaters from the back of the wardrobe. But this year I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself. I'm soaking in these moments that are bookended by summer and autumn, enjoying the hazy days and cooler nights, knowing that this liminal time has a deep magic all its own.<br />
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May the magic find you, too.</div>
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Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-85827800691177434932019-05-10T10:04:00.000-07:002019-05-10T10:20:52.408-07:00 Pizza for a Kinder Mind<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">I'm feeling raw and broken-open, of late. It's okay. It's part of being human - being me. I've grown, and have developed healthy ways of softening and easing the panic or despair that rises from my gut and tries to squeeze my chest, lungs, heart. I like this being older. This feeling of still being a feral girl (which is how I feel every day if I don't look too long in the mirror), but having the benefit of experience and whatever small amounts of confidence I've mustered up over the years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">My brain isn't always a friend. It brings up old stories sometimes. It says "they don't like you," or "you'll never fit in," or "your best isn't good enough." It says "that thing you did fifteen years ago is shameful and you should still feel awful about it. Remember. Remember all those mistakes. All those times you should have done better. You should have been better."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Several years ago I began treating that voice like a frightened child. A shivering animal. Talking kindly to it. "Yes, yes, love. I know. You're safe. Shhh." When it won't quiet down, I go for a walk, or go out to the garden, or drive along the lake, or bake something that reminds me of my grandmother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">I'm in love with the scent of yeast. The feeling of dough stretching out and softening between my palms as I knead, makes me soon. Whirling around in the kitchen in the late afternoon while sunlight and sweet breezes dance through the window, is one of my favourite ways to unwind. I speak blessings to the dough, sing or chant to it, and as I go through the ritual of pressing and folding I find that my tension, fear, or anxiety slips away.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br class="m_2052620100571440560gmail-Apple-interchange-newline" />I don't purposely set out to eat wheat anymore (when I do bake it’s more often with gluten-free blends or a wheat & grain free ‘flour’) though it finds its way into my world from time to time. The sexy coupling of yeast and wheat is singular - nothing else really smells or feels like it. Sometimes it’s just the only thing I want.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This ridiculously easy thin crust pizza dough is what I've been playing with lately. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">‘Pizza for a Kinder Mind’ is a movement I could happily start. Do you have your own tricks to lower the volume of a shit-talking brain? What things happily derail a train of not-so-helpful thoughts, for you?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">1 teaspoon of traditional yeast</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">pinch of sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">3/4 cup of warm water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">1 and 3/4 cups of flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">a pinch of salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">- add the yeast and sugar to the warm water and wait 5 minutes or so for bubbles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">- place flour and salt in a bowl, add yeast-water mixture and toss with a fork</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">- turn out onto floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, adding more flour if too sticky</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">- press dough into a non-stick or greased pan, top with your fave ingredients, bake at 450 for 10-13 minutes</span><br />
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Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-76478855168760406392019-04-30T01:46:00.000-07:002019-04-30T01:53:12.721-07:00Riding Goats into May - A Nod to WalpurgisnachtThe wind has been howling at the windows for three days, and although the sun has done its best to shine in between spring rains its heat cannot compete with the biting cold that the tempests have blown in. I don't mind the last gasps of winter, the final shake of Frau Holle's feather blanket that resulted in rain-snow-hail this past weekend. In my mind and dreams the Wild Hunt is riding a frenzied race across the skies to the peak of the Harz to celebrate winter's end and the coming of summer. I need a fast goat who likes altitude, because I want to go too.<br />
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We have arrived in the season of lush festivity. And let's face it, in days of old if you made it through the winter without succumbing to disease or starvation there was definitely something to celebrate. Feasting on spring greens and shoots, lighting bonfires to chase off the winter and to cense your livestock, jumping brooms and fires (and jumping each other - it's a very fertile time of year after all), were some of the activities that folks embraced as the days grew long.<br />
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The last day of April marked Hexennacht, when it was said that witches rode to their sabbath at the Brocken in the Harz mountains of Germany. The saint Walpurga/Walburga who was called upon to aid in protection from witchcraft was canonized on May 1st, conveniently overlapping her eve with the night of the witches. Walpurisnacht (Walpurga's night) became both the time when witches were out on their revels and when people would employ protections for their homes and livestock to keep them safe from witchcraft. It's a wicked merry-go-round, isn't it?<br />
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If May dawned and you made it home from the mountains or your woodland frolicking, then you might bathe yourself in the morning dew to ensure youthfulness for another year. You could find yourself spinning ribbon around a maypole with village folk, guising or dancing in a parade through the streets, or preparing to lead your cattle between two bonfires to bless them with vitality.<br />
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There are more stories of folk practices and debaucherous frolicking than I have time to tell while the hours of April slip away, but I wanted to share a few words from others here - snippets from people and books I enjoy that speak to the spirit of this celebratory time. I'll be out by the fire tonight (if the wind cooperates) and I'll lift a glass to see the Old Woman of winter off. If you hear me howling, send a howl back. I know you're out there bringing in the May in your own way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTLlpLrIIbciuJgLvy8JZX4ZadYFDOv1PlR8fnj79VcPW1jSrbfq5jEGLU5rorfLog3jmL2c2Q0zGoaK6gDLvc5QeP2ztjaW86tERhhpO0n-nFzbWO-jT0QtYoOQABzmLeqrYe5IfjGEY/s1600/zuber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTLlpLrIIbciuJgLvy8JZX4ZadYFDOv1PlR8fnj79VcPW1jSrbfq5jEGLU5rorfLog3jmL2c2Q0zGoaK6gDLvc5QeP2ztjaW86tERhhpO0n-nFzbWO-jT0QtYoOQABzmLeqrYe5IfjGEY/s640/zuber.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bernard Zuber</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Some call it Walpurgisnacht or Beltane or May Day, and the days of observance may shift minutely, but the general celebration remains the same. It is a grand day of festivity and rejoicing, an ode to vanquishing the dark and looking forward to a green and glorious future. It is a time for joyous feasting and the encouragement of growth, a time for lovers and life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In Blacktree, however, we see Hexennacht as a night when witches fly to their own gatherings and revels. On this night, we also acknowledge and honor our genus loci and other land spirits. For us, Hexennacht is literally a night of witches; it says so right in the name. On this night, we howl at the moon, wild in our power and in love with our very nature as witches. We connect deeply with the land and spirits around us."</span><br />
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<i><a href="http://redwheelweiser.com/detail.html?id=9781578636372" target="_blank">Besom, Stang & Sword</a></i>, <a href="https://www.infinite-beyond.com/besom-stang-sword-by-orapello-maguire/" target="_blank">Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire</a><br />
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<a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/mvx4pSWJnI8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxLLwaJapYDGP7-mx_L-97CWptuV7VZrdAlCpI4g7E-imeti_t08gOYZWVpOVExanh1uKqCdTBWbFrdNtYi_TBq4xFYqK3SQzWaLpCsAgXDzrRqsEhFzgxgQQu-bG8G8ezqw8obju3DfF/s400/1larm-rmah-207931-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Although officially sanctioned by the church as the feast of Saints Philip and James, May Day celebrations in England smothered religious veneration with fertility rites suggested by flowers and fires. The notorious lecher, King Henry VIII, took great pleasure in his court's floral masquerades and the sexual license of Mayings. The common people had fun with setting up maypoles, lighting bonfires, playing football, running races, morris dancing, and flirting. Villagers were sent into the woods where they would cut down a maypole (that most obviously phallic symbol) to erect in front of the parish church, and many young couples, it appears, got "lost" for the night in the woods to enjoy semi-clandestine love."</span><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/vu/academic/subjects/history/european-history-after-1450/ritual-early-modern-europe-2nd-edition?format=PB&isbn=9780521602402" target="_blank">Ritual in Early Modern Europe</a></i>, Edward Muir<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Beltane rituals are still held. Traditionally bonfires are lit. To heal infertility, people creep through bonfires, jump over them, and run between them. Once upon a time, they also made love amongst the bonfires, although to avail yourself of this power you may have to build private, personal fires."</span><br />
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Beltane Bonfire Spell, <i><a href="http://judikailles.com/?p=86" target="_blank">The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells</a></i>, <a href="http://judikailles.com/" target="_blank">Judika Illes</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Walpurgisnacht" by Albert Welti 1897</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"A Munich vesper from the fourteenth century mentioned a Brockelsburg as being an abode of nocturnal ghosts and witches. Such "buck mountains," "hay mountains," or "heathen caps," where the last heathen festivals took place, were found throughout Europe. The most famous of these is the Brocken, in the Harz mountains of Germany. The "witches" usually gathered there on Walpurgis night. They danced the last winter snows away in "participation mystique." In the sagas they danced so vigorously that they danced through the soles of their shoes."</span><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.innertraditions.com/witchcraft-medicine.html" target="_blank">Witchcraft Medicine</a></i>, Muller-Ebeling, Ratsch, Storl<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bernard Zuber</span></div>
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<a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=EF0oDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT206&lpg=PT206&dq=May+the+supreme+Numen+divinium,+may+the+holy+sanctus+spritius,+may+the+sacred+sanctus+dominus,+again+protect+me+this+night+from+the+evil+creatures+that+roam+the+darkness+and+I+sign+myself+against+the+black+ones+and+the+white+ones+whom+people+call+the+Good+ones+and+who+leave+from+Brockelsberg&source=bl&ots=zDjmVv5si7&sig=ACfU3U0ozP8HNyowWYBqYBShhueo42xpfQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwivgrXRg_fhAhWeJDQIHX1QD1cQ6AEwAHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=May%20the%20supreme%20Numen%20divinium%2C%20may%20the%20holy%20sanctus%20spritius%2C%20may%20the%20sacred%20sanctus%20dominus%2C%20again%20protect%20me%20this%20night%20from%20the%20evil%20creatures%20that%20roam%20the%20darkness%20and%20I%20sign%20myself%20against%20the%20black%20ones%20and%20the%20white%20ones%20whom%20people%20call%20the%20Good%20ones%20and%20who%20leave%20from%20Brockelsberg&f=false" target="_blank">This charm</a> may well be the 'vesper' spoken of above. I've included a small snippet here if you are the sort to quake at witches flying overhead and want a few words of protection to whisper as you drift off to dream. (I'll try not to wake you as I streak by on my goat.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">May the supreme Numen divinium,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">may the holy sanctus spritius,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">may the sacred sanctus dominus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">again protect me this night</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">from the evil creatures that roam the darkness</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and I sign myself</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">against the black ones and the white ones</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">whom people call the Good ones</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and who leave from Brockelsberg</span><br />
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- excerpt from a 14th-15th century charm,<br />
published in Lecouteux's <i><a href="https://www.innertraditions.com/phantom-armies-of-the-night.html" target="_blank">Phantom Armies of the Night</a></i><br />
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I wish you wildness and firelight. Frenzied joy and good feasting. Kisses and dances and all the merrymaking you desire. May your earth and home and family be fruitful.<br />
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Happy Witches' Night. Happy May!</div>
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Ruehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521209734809361226noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981681052445415624.post-5922741498637575522019-04-17T10:59:00.000-07:002019-04-17T11:52:39.599-07:00Blessing the Seeds and the Blossoming Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXhXcV7xFVpBesXL0pT_HqTLb1V16_vso9EdtgBuNo6SNxeTaMlG8JIDwwaQ4Ijky1WhWaRrsTD9bjYIGORM5CSaZhBHHLkPp_ahgZvNkADQ7ImEtWePgdN_Y39Ud6NVPZRzwEg8Nae0r/s1600/April+rhubarb+pods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXhXcV7xFVpBesXL0pT_HqTLb1V16_vso9EdtgBuNo6SNxeTaMlG8JIDwwaQ4Ijky1WhWaRrsTD9bjYIGORM5CSaZhBHHLkPp_ahgZvNkADQ7ImEtWePgdN_Y39Ud6NVPZRzwEg8Nae0r/s640/April+rhubarb+pods.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is a world I had forgotten. Beyond snow and ice, frigid temperatures and howling wind. That world has been slowly slipping into this one, and over my winter-ravaged spirit, thawing even the most cold-bitten parts of me. The vernal equinox arrived in the northern hemisphere four weeks ago heralding a bright new season, but the warmth of spring has taken its time settling in. The sun that lights up our valley shares space with fast-moving clouds, cold rain, and blustery winds. The eternal early-spring dance twirls on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Spring rain coaxes out a different perfume from the earth than autumn rain does. The last time my valley was blessed with precipitation that wasn't snow, it was late November and the land had concluded its sickly-sweet dance of dying and rot, putting that haunting season to bed barren and still. The rain returned at the dawn of this month and the earth is rising to meet it, flushing with the sharp medicinal bouquet of greens and yellows. The buds on the trees are growing fat (and in a very few instances, popping open), and the grasses are pushing up from under last year's leaf compost. This is not the sugary scent of spring bulbs and blossoms - that will come soon. This is the hint of ginger and citrus, the pleasant balm of sunlight-awakened earth, that is the first welcome home sign of spring's return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am still stirring from my long winter's slumber, stretching and yawning. I've begun walking with my umbrella by the river as the Canada geese pair off and gorge themselves on the new grass on the path. The sheep have lambed at the small farm beneath the hill and the little ones race around their mothers. Crows soar past carrying nesting material in their beaks. The last of the snow melted away from the shadowy corners of my yard only two weeks ago, and now I'm keenly aware of how much work I have in order to clean up all the garden beds for the new growing year. It will move fast now that the cold season has finally loosed its grip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This year I am making more of an effort to watch the moon and charting the astrological signs so I might put the age-old wisdom of well-timed planting to good use. I have my trusty <a href="https://www.almanac.com/" target="_blank">Old Farmer's Almanac</a> and a journal to mark this year's experiments, successes, and inevitable failures. My peas and lettuces went into the ground under the waxing moon in Cancer last Friday, and I'm hoping to get some spring flowers in today or tomorrow while the moon is lingering in Libra. (I've long planted under the particular moon phases, but I've never been especially vigilant about planting under specific signs.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you too want to give your crops a leg up, why not try to correspond your planting and tending to the moon's movement through the constellations? <a href="https://agriculture.wv.gov/divisions/comm/Documents/Publications%20Print/Useful%20Information%20for%20the%20Farm%20and%20Home.pdf" target="_blank">Here's a quick and easy list</a> for reference, or you can always pop over to the Farmer's Almanac site and check in on their <a href="https://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/" target="_blank">moon planting calendar</a> each month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ARIES (head & face): Dry and barren. Never plant. Best sign for plowing, tilling and cultivating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">TAURUS (neck): Earthy and moist. Plant here to withstand a drought. Excellent for root crops and okay for crops above the ground and flowers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">GEMINI (arms): Airy, dry and barren. Destroy weeds, kill trees and prepare soil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">CANCER (breast): Watery and very fruitful. Plant here to withstand a drought. Excellent for above and below-ground crops. Time to graft. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LEO (head): Fiery, dry and barren. Never plant; destroy weeds, kill trees and prepare soil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">VIRGO (bowels): Earthy, dry and barren. Destroy weeds, kill trees and prepare soil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LIBRA (balance): Airy, moist and semi fruitful. Excellent for flowers (beauty) and okay for above-ground crops. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SCORPIO (loins): Watery and fruitful. Excellent for above ground crops and flowers. Okay for below-ground crops. Time to graft. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SAGITTARIUS (thighs): Fiery, dry, and barren. Destroy weeds and kill trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">CAPRICORN (knees): Earthy, moist and productive. Good for root crops and okay for above ground crops. Root cuttings and make grafts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">AQUARIUS (legs): Airy, dry and barren. Destroy weeds and kill trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PISCES (feet): Watery and fruitful. Plant here to withstand a drought. Excellent for below ground crops and okay for above ground crops. Root cuttings and make grafts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If charting the moon's course isn't enough magic for you, there are a variety of folk charms, historical customs, or familial traditions that you can employ while preparing your gardens for the new growing season. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">* Ask the elders around you what practices were their favourites for successful growing. My 86 year old friend swears that you must bury a fish beneath your tomatoes and pumpkins for the best possible harvest (I prefer to use a good quality fish fertilizer).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">* If you created a corn or wheat dolly last summer or autumn you can put it to bed in the garden or field now to re-plant the spirit of that fetish back in to the earth. Some folks will burn or bury their dolly upon creating a new one each year. You may have your own charms or magics to tuck in your garden as the growing season begins. Perhaps you've written out petitions of things you'd like to come to you slow and steady as the spring progresses, or you may bury a coin or two with the beans in the hopes of 'growing' your bank account. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wildlife-safe, biodegradable or retrievable offerings to the land can be made at the start of your growing season and/or throughout the year. I routinely share local wine with my gardens and their good spirits, and chocolate-free cookies or cake make their way into a specific corner of the perennial garden to keep myself on the sweeter side of the mischievous creatures that wander by that shade-dappled place full of strange, flickering lights in the dark, and odd volunteer plants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">* There are a number of seed-sowing charms and songs. <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg1/cg1096.htm" target="_blank">The Consecration of the Seed from the Carmina Gadelica</a> is a beautiful example. Children's gardening songs are easily found - often creatively crafted to the tunes of older songs a child has learned. I create my own as I move through each variety I'm planting. It's a delightful trance to be in, singing or chanting to the seeds as you tuck them into the earth, wishing them fruition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The old saying "one for the rook and one for the crow, one to die and one to grow" has many incarnations and is found all over North America and abroad. Being generous with your seeding was wise as it meant more chance of germination, especially when planting seeds near the surface of the earth where hungry critters could nibble them up. In a similar bent, "two for the devil and one for the garden" speaks to successive sowings of plants that might be finicky about sprouting. Sometimes this is temperature related (sowing too early) or might be a result of sub-par seed stock, or simply a crop that takes its sweet time germinating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">* Special days, hours, or time markers that have meaning can be worked into your planting rituals. In different regions, towns, or even spiritual communities there are sometimes special days/times that signal optimal planting opportunities. Perhaps you always plant a certain flower or herb on a beloved's birthday. In my valley we consider the May holiday weekend the safe-zone to begin planting crops that are less cold-hardy. Good Friday was once considered a beneficial day to plant as the devil was thought to be powerless on this date. (Of course, this is going to depend on your climate.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sowing above-ground crops as the day dawns or as the hands on the clock work their way up (from 6 to 12) might be how you symbolize your wish for the plants to grow tall and strong, and planting root crops in the waning hours of the day or when the clock hands are moving downward may bring to mind healthy tubers reaching deep into the earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">However you bless or begin to plant this year's gardens or patio pots or wee windowsill terrariums, I am wishing you the utmost joy as you step into spring and the blossoming year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sweet month thy pleasures bids thee be</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The fairest child of spring</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And every hour that comes with thee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Comes some new joy to bring</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The trees still deepen in their bloom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Grass greens the meadow lands</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And flowers with every morning come</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As dropt by fairey hands</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- John Clare, The Shepherd's Calendar, "April"</span></div>
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