The Great October Book Giveaway - Stars and Seasons

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.)
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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.

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.

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.

The calendar, or the year itself, has always seem particularly alive 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 Seasons of a Magical Life: A Pagan Path of Living, the marvelous H. Byron Ballard 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. 

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. 

Astrology for Real Life: A Workbook for Beginners, by Theresa Reed, 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!


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 this treasure of an astrology book. Briana Saussy's latest release, Star Child: Joyful Parenting Through Astrology 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 are a parent it gives you extra vision into your child and how to relate to them based on their stars.

We round out this giveaway with an invaluable tool for outlining your year and marking your own time and transits. Planning by Starlight, is a collaboration between sacred artist and author Briana Saussy and photographer, visual artist, and magic maker Jacquelyn Tierney 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.

In their own words,

"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.

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.

Nope.

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."

 

This giveaway is for a digital copy of Planning by Starlight - the photos are used for illustration - but you can follow the link and buy the hardcover book if you like (which come with a course).

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.

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!

Special thanks go out to Byron Ballard for generously offering up a copy of Seasons of a Magical Life, and to Jacquelyn Tierney for gifting a digital copy of Planning by Starlight!


 Legal Bits:

* 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.

*  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 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  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.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

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 other than Rue and Hyssop.

The Magic and Mischief of the Darktide

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:

BrigidsBlest - A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk

Margarita - Weaving Fate

mtngirl - By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn

Eveline - Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas

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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.

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.

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. 

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.

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 Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk 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.

Our second book is a bewitching look at protection magic from the fabulous and feral Althaea Sebastiani. By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn: The Theory & Practice of Effective Home Warding 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.)

Our last book of magical wisdom comes from a familiar friend. Aidan Wachter 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. Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past & Telling True Lies is a companion to his first publication, Six Ways, 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.

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...

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. Al Ridenour 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 The Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil, 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. 

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.

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.

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!

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!

Legal Bits:

* 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.

*  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 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  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.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

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 other than Rue and Hyssop.

The Great October Book Giveaway - Your Own Magic

The lucky folks taking home books this round are:

Backwoods Witchcraft - Elaine

Witch Body - Kelly M.

Good Juju - The Were-Owl

Stay tuned for the next round of October fun, which will pop up at some point tomorrow!




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.

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.

October is wild magic.

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.

First up is the wonderful Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic From Appalachia, by Jake Richards. 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.)

From the publisher:

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. 

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.

Next up is Good Juju: Mojos, Rites & Practices for the Magical Soul, by Najah Lightfoot. Najah has an impressive and varied background of magical experience and she shares myriad ways you can create meaningful rituals and practices for yourself.

From the publisher:

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. 

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.

I'm entirely enchanted by this next book, Witchbody, 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 Witchbody 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.

From Sabrina:

A RAMBLING & POETIC AUTOETHNOGRAPHY OF WESTERN OCCULT MAGIC AS A PATHWAY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING ADVOCACY 

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?

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 Rue and Hyssop page on FB 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.

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!

Legal Bits:

* 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.

*  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 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  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.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

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 other than Rue and Hyssop

The Great October Book Giveaway - Making Magic

The three people taking home a copy of Making Magic are:

Ellie
Lisa
Aurora

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!

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?

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.

"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, "Making Magic: Weaving Together the Everyday and the Extraordinary," and I'm thrilled to be able to share some copies with you, thanks to the generous folks at Sounds True.

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.

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.

You can read an excerpt of this bewitching book here.

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.

Legal Bits:

* 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.

*  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 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  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.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

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 other than Rue and Hyssop

Riding Goats into May - A Nod to Walpurgisnacht

The 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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Bernard Zuber

"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.

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."

Besom, Stang & Sword, Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire

"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."

Ritual in Early Modern Europe, Edward Muir

"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."

Beltane Bonfire Spell, The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, Judika Illes

"Walpurgisnacht" by Albert Welti 1897

"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."

Witchcraft Medicine, Muller-Ebeling, Ratsch, Storl

Bernard Zuber

This charm 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.)

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

- excerpt from a 14th-15th century charm,
published in Lecouteux's Phantom Armies of the Night

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.

Happy Witches' Night. Happy May!

The Great October Book Giveaway - A Life Enchanted

Edited Oct 26/18


The following folks are taking home books:

Earth Works - Heidi and Misty F.

Italian Folk Magic - Shell

The Enchanted Life - mxtodis


*******************

The days of October slip by too briskly each year and I find myself caught in a whirlwind of activity, trying to eke out as many sweet and magical moments as I can before the month expires. I have been to a spooky corn maze, lingered by bonfires, perused fall markets, nibbled warm cinnamon-dusted doughnuts (purchased to keep my cold hands warm, as much as for the taste), and am still planning a selection of Halloween-themed jaunts as we race toward that bewitching evening.

But I also understand that the enchantment doesn't end when October does. It lingers in our daily lives, in the wonder of nature and the seasons beyond our doors, through the tides of our years. It is in our stories, our family lore, our personal practices. It is in how we make a home and feed ourselves (and others). It flows through our gifts and celebrations and is something to be acknowledged, sought, cultivated.

When you stop believing in magic, in the wonder around every corner, when you stop leaving a plate out for ancestors or St. Nicholas, if there is no joy in gardening or mending or singing charms...when a feather is just a feather and flowers no longer heal...then you are in trouble.

This year three books came out that were good reminders that enchantment can be found everywhere - even in the places it can be difficult to look. These books speak of family, folklore, strength and healing. They offer personal stories and more worldly tales. There are recipes and ceremonies and spells to weave. There is deep wisdom here, and I'm wildly happy to get to share them with you.

Take a closer look at these beauties here:

Earth Works: Ceremonies in Tower Time by H. Byron Ballard

"Earthwork" is a word used to describe a constructed bank of dirt, often raised in ancient cultures as a means of defense. Earth Works is a book of essays and rituals for a time of deep cultural change, a shift that author Byron Ballard calls "Tower Time." The first part of the book explores scenarios in these chaotic times and suggests possible reframing to understand the historic underpinnings and the long-term effects on both the planet and its inhabitants.

The second part of the book--called Berms--consists of tried-and-true rituals and ceremonies for communities, small groups and individuals to improve resilience and face inevitable change with courage, consideration and humor. 

Ballard has decades of ritual experience and brings that understanding to the practical and esoteric considerations of making ceremony both personal and powerful. You will find ideas here and inspiration--and something like hope.


Italian Folk Magic by Mary-Grace Fuhrun

Italian Folk Magic is a fascinating journey through the magical, folkloric, and healing traditions of Italy with an emphasis on the practical. The reader learns uniquely Italian methods of magical protection and divination and spells for love, sex, control, and revenge.

The book contains magical and religious rituals and prayers and explores divination techniques, crafting, blessing rituals, witchcraft, and, of course, the evil eye, known as malocchio in Italian—the author explains what it is, where it comes from, and, crucially, how to get rid of it.

This book can help Italians regain their magical heritage, but Italian folk magic is a beautiful, powerful, and effective magical tradition that is accessible to anyone who wants to learn it.

The Enchanted Life: Unlocking the Magic of the Everyday by Sharon Blackie

Enchantment. By Dr. Sharon Blackie’s definition, a vivid sense of belongingness to a rich and many-layered world, a profound and whole-hearted participation in the adventure of life. Enchantment is a natural, spontaneous human tendency ― one we possess as children, but lose, through social and cultural pressures, as we grow older. It is an attitude of mind which can be cultivated: the enchanted life is possible for anyone. It is intuitive, embraces wonder, and fully engages the mythic imagination ― but it is also deeply embodied in ecology, grounded in place and community.

Taking as her starting point the inspiration and wisdom that can be derived from myth, fairy tales, and folk culture, Dr. Sharon Blackie offers a set of practical and grounded tools for enchanting our lives and the places we live, so leading to a greater sense of meaning and of belonging to the world. To live this way is to be challenged, to be awakened, to be gripped and shaken to the core by the extraordinary which lies at the heart of the ordinary.


I have two copies of Earth Works, signed and gifted directly from the exceptional Byron Ballard, and one copy each of Italian Folk Magic and The Enchanted Life to give away. You have until Friday, the 26th of October at 9pm Pacific to get your name in the hat. Leave a comment or send me off an entry via the "make contact" form at the top of the page. If you want better odds, feel free to share this giveaway or the authors' books/pages around and then swing back and let me know and I'll enter you a second time. (And you are always welcome to let me know what book you prefer if you win. I try to match the names drawn with preferences, whenever possible.)

I've had so much fun this month, and it's not quite through yet! Let's see what else October has for us, shall we?

Legal Bits:

* 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.

*  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 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

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 other than Rue and Hyssop

The Marriage of Spring and Summer or, Listening to the Land

I walked the five-mile length of land often, in all weather, keening my senses to the activity of snakes, toads, deer, and trees on rainy and cloud-filled days, I came to recognize the place of each stone, tree, and being that lived in the area, and my own place within, rather than apart from this sacred terrain.   

- Judith Berger, Herbal Rituals

I am listening to grasshoppers singing for the first time this year. In early spring I caught the thrumming of pond frogs echoing across the river, and have been serenaded by assorted song birds since late winter, but those big old grasshoppers don't usually start sawing their legs until the heat ushers summer in. We are at the precipice now, hastily tipping toward those months of sultry breezes and sweltering, slow-moving afternoons. I've been feeling 'in-between' for a few weeks now. Spring is not yet over, but summer seems about ready to set up camp at any moment. I'm all spun around, but rather contented about it.

It might have been the strange heat storms that were pacing along the valley hills just over a week ago, circling my little town but not pouncing (something we don't usually experience until July). It felt like the hot season had arrived. The temperatures climbed to the high 80's for almost two weeks and we were peeling off clothing and drinking icy beverages. The hard work of planting the gardens being finished, I was able to loll about in my yard weeding here and there, deadheading spring blooms and sipping my morning coffee in the shade while the cats clucked at the birds visiting the feeder. But last night there was a cold wind spinning its fingers through my hair as I moved through the rows of peas and lettuces. The day had been warm though there was just enough briskness to remind me that, despite the feverish tease in the middle of May, spring was not finished with us. My family in Ontario lost half their new tomato plants to frost a week ago and only a few mornings after that, at the eastern edge of my country, startled Canadians awoke to snow. I find myself hanging in the balance, the land I walk upon too far gone into ripeness to call it spring anymore, yet not quite radiating with heat and crackling with summer energy.

As gardeners, homesteaders, farmers, wild folk or witches for whom the turning of the year has a level of importance, marking time and tide is much more intuitive than looking at a date in your daybook and trusting that is when the weather will change and the next agricultural marker will be upon us. Most people live in areas that don't suddenly feel different when the solstices and equinoxes arrive, despite the calendrical announcement that it is the first day of the next season. Whether you are fond of the Old Farmer's Almanac or the Wheel of the Year, there is a still a flow to the way the land and climate metamorphose. Your area will tell you when the next season is arriving. Your trees, local flora and wildlife will give indications of the transitions and you only need to allow yourself to observe and note those messages to feel the tide of the year shifting.

The liminal time between seasons always makes me so deliciously dizzy. I feel almost tipsy, picking up on the increasing buzz of the incoming energies, while giving a nod and a farewell to those still hanging on - watching them dance and melt into each other like tendrils of woodsmoke or streaks of stardust across a meteor-showered sky. While I make note of grasshopper songs, where certain constellations are winking above me each night, and which garden flowers are blooming now, I also plug in to the deeper pulse of my land base. I know where the water is running and where the ponds are shrinking back from their spring flood. I can see the wild plants that are flourishing and tell by the animal signs who is moving through an area. I can feel my temples tighten when a low pressure system is approaching. Our entire bodies are a sensitive gauge that can observe and chronicle our experiences while translating the language of our environment into clear symbols that allow us to connect intimately with the land we live upon.

Start with knowing where you are. What's the geography? Do you live by the sea, in the high desert, in the middle of a great city? How many seasons do you have and how long do they last? What is your FDA planting zone? What animals and plants are natives there and who lived on the land before you?

Treat the land like a new lover. Learn what it is, what it likes, how it is threatened and who protects it. "Land" isn't only soil. It is wind and water. It is history and legend.

-H. Byron Ballard, Asfidity & Madstones

When we are in-between seasons, with one foot in each, feeling neither here nor there, it's good to set your sights on something to anchor you. For me, keeping my hands busy in the gardens or the kitchen calms my whirling senses. I'm a tactile girl, so having a task I can touch brings me a great deal of peace and pleasure. Here are some ideas, based on my own activities and current to-do list, that might assist or inspire as the veiling between spring and summer begins to slip away.

Late spring projects and nearly-summer tasks:

* The spring rains are fading now, so be kind and create a water source or bath for birds/bees/animals.

* While the weeds in your yard are lush and green, harvest them for food, medicine, and magic. (I know you have a good field guide and can identify your plants accurately.) Tincture fresh herb material, dry your harvest for infusions, toss freshly picked young leaves into salads.

* The May and June observances of Beltane and Midsummer are considered particularly fae/otherworldly (even though you can tap into this energy in every month). Have you cultivated a connection with your land and the others that live there? Do you offer gifts or thanks when you harvest or pass through an area? Is an altar, offering or burial place something you might wish to bring into your yard or practice?

* In my area this is the last chance to collect the soft and citrusy spruce/fir tips. Yarrow, wild rose, and elderberry bushes are seen blooming now. It is early berry season, and strawberries, honeyberries (haskap berry) and Saskatoons (service berries) can all be found. The medicinal herbs that are thriving with vigorous growth at this time of year, such as mugwort, vervain, calendula, and St. John's wort show up in folklore and magic as midsummer herbs and are traditionally harvested in mid-June. I'm out wandering the land and my gardens with my basket as often as I can be. My valley hills will begin to dry up soon, and the vibrant plants will fade with the fierce heat of summer.

* Midsummer (on or around June 21st up to and including St. John's Day on the 24th) is considered the height of green energy and there is magic afoot! There is a plethora of folklore on the merits of picking herbs/flowers around this date. I make sure my yearly Florida Water mother tincture is created before or on the solstice, and I purposefully harvest a small selection of midsummer plants for magical work.

For many years it was believed that witches picked their herbs at the summer solstice, and that they did it naked in the middle of the night. The farm women also made a bouquet of midsummer herbs, a summer solstice bundle, from one of the countless versions of nine herbs - a magic number. To increase the healing power of yarrow, wood betony, or other herbs the women peered through the bundle and into the fire and spoke a charm, something like the following: "No boil shall come upon my body, no break to my foot." 

-Witchcraft Medicine, by Müller-Ebeling, Rätsch and Storl

If you've moved recently, or are new to conversing with your land base, why not introduce yourself to people and places that might offer you sources of seasonal wisdom. There are few locales these days that don't have a farmer's market of some kind nearby. Talk to the farmers and herb-crafters. See what is in season and what they are expecting to harvest in the coming months.

Visit your local farm and feed shop. Even if you aren't a farmer there is always something wonderful to be found in a supply store and more importantly you can glean tips, tricks, and seasonal lore from the regulars as well as the person behind the counter. Don't have a farm store around? Hit the garden center. Someone there is going to be knowledgeable about the weather and growing conditions in your area.

Talk to your neighbours or folks who you know have been in your community for a long time. Most people don't mind a good chat, so ask them how the seasons have shifted since their early days in the area. My grandfather would have talked your ear off and told you all kinds of stories about his summers as a boy working in the local orchards (gods, I miss him).

Summertide is calling out a greeting now, with cherries beginning to spill out onto farm stands and snap peas fading to gold (even as the shelling peas still offer up a lovely harvest) and I am trying to taste the last kisses of spring before I run into the next season's embrace. I'll dance a while longer in this delicious in-between, gardening in the soft rain and grinning as the wind tries to make off with my big sun hat. I won't have to wait long for the heat - the grasshoppers are singing it in.



Witch Notes:

The quotes included above are from wonderful books that you might wish to seek out. Judith Berger's utterly charming "Herbal Rituals" is sadly out of print but is available as an e-book. It takes you through each month of the year, and presents the author's observations of the shifting seasons and the herbs and flowers that speak to her at those times.

I can highly recommend Asfidity Madstones, an enchanting workbook (both working with your land and a good helping of magical work too) and Witchcraft Medicine (pages 10-19 speak of midsummer specifically). I also want to point out author Tristan Gooley who has a handful of books on the joy of reading nature's signs (his website is wonderful and you could get lost there happily).

And for those who find themselves somewhat overcome with seasonal tasks and malaise, this is a lovely article about dealing with seasonal overwhelm, from One Willow Apothecaries.

Edited to add:

I neglected to mention a wonderful email-course called Be A Local Witch, from Lady Althaea. I received the course because I'm a Patreon supporter of hers and though I've been running through my own forests and meadows since I was a child I found it a fantastic read with wonderful ideas and actions for a deeper relationship with the land and its spirits.

As for me, I'm currently digging through these gems:

The Enchanted Life: Unlocking the Magic of the Everyday by Sharon Blackie

Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic by Aidan Wachter
(I've read this wonderful book and am circling back through it, marking it with dozens of sticky notes - I'll have more to say about this tome soon! In the meantime, grab it - it's fantastic!)





PS - My apologies to the southern latitude folks, for whom this post will offer little. I know you are moving from autumn into your winter season now and I wish you warmth, comfort, and plenty of hygge!

Of Summer, Sacrifice, and Sacred Places

The frantic movement of bee and wasp tonight has given me pause. Are they drunk on summer still, or are they vigorously preparing for the lean seasons to come? My late summer garden offers more for them this year than last, and I suspect they are grateful. The foxgloves have bloomed heartily and the sweet peas, though fading, are yet putting on a ruffled pink show. The insects whirl around the purple hyssop flowers and encircle the second crop of blossoms on the raspberry bushes (the very things I cut to the ground early this spring thinking it would tame them, and now they are nine feet tall). 

The winds and rain we've been calling on to sweep away the wildfire smoke blanketing the valley arrived for one brief evening on the weekend and blotted out the view of the peak of the Persieds meteor shower. It also pushed over all but two stalks of my corn and most of my sunflowers but I can see the sky tonight for the first time in weeks and that's a small price to pay for stars. I've missed watching the summer sunsets more than I can say. 

I can't go out to the gardens anymore without crushing a leaf of this or that in my fingers. Tonight I am redolent with the essence of hyssop and mugwort and lemon balm. The grasshoppers are ticking away in the long grass and the mild temperature is a blessed relief from the mid to high nineties we've suffered through for the better part of a month. The wind is rousing again, and I'm warily eyeing the corn that I've propped up with pieces of poor garden fencing. I'll know in the morning if my meagre fix has been successful. 

The tomatoes, onions, and peppers are being plucked now and I have a constant dance of nightshades in the fridge at all times. I like to cut up the four different types of tomatoes I grew this year, along with whatever peppers and onions are being harvested and have this salsa-of-sorts at the ready to toss into omelets, salads, or onto crusty bread for bruschetta. The corn is coming in handsomely from my friend's ranch. My corn dolly has been created for the year but I cannot kindle a blaze to burn last year's doll, so her offering will have to wait until the fire ban is lifted for my area.

I gave the most valuable sacrifice I had to offer on August eve, my beloved black cat who couldn't find his sturdy legs any longer, and it seemed that the world understood how difficult a parting that would be for me. It presented me with an opportunity to heal my heart, and I flew off to New Mexico and spent the better part of a week in a high desert of juniper and pinion pine and red clay. I fell asleep to the sound of coyotes calling, yipping and howling across the wilderness outside my window. I watched sunsets and moon-rises so stunning I gasped, and stood on a balcony feeling the swell in my chest as a storm blew in and lightning flickered on the horizon.

I walked the side streets and plaza of Santa Fe, my senses seduced by whiffs of leather, cigars, fresh corn tortillas, and sweet perfumes I couldn't place, all pouring out of shop fronts. I admired rows of steer skulls and pottery, paintings and sculptures at each turn, and turquoise in almost every window. I was more entranced by the Catholicized spirits and symbolism than I thought I would be, collecting up a pocket shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe and a charm covered in milagros to bring home with me, but beneath the grand basilica and religious top notes of the area, a deeper flavour emerged. I could feel the hum of something older beneath my feet. I slept in a bedroom that was partially submerged in the earth of the countryside and I dreamed deeply and awoke feeling more myself than I had in a very long time. 

I gathered with a group of amazing women, spent time with two soul-friends that I'd never met but who felt like home, and learned the song and fragrance and spice of an area that seemed so right that I can still taste it on my tongue. There was laughter and bone-deep sharing of lives and loves and losses. There were candles lit every day, from the simple to the most sacred. There was holy water from historic churches partaken of, and used to anoint places on me that would surely have caused the pious to blush. There was guacamole that caused a ripple of elation usually reserved for more carnal situations, and there was deep fried ice cream. And on the way home, after maneuvering through airports late into the night, there was a thunderstorm viewed from 30,000 feet and a moon so red that it might have been a pinprick of my own blood somehow left hanging in the sky.

These last few days as I reoriented myself to hazy skies and a valley situated at a much lower elevation than the high plains that skirt the mountains of New Mexico, I've been feeling like there are things coming to a conclusion in my life. I can't quite flesh it all out at this moment, but I suspect it has something to do with the last four years not really unfolding the way I had planned, and how I've sailed through the high waves and windless seas, and how it's all brought me to this moment. A dear friend asked a few weeks ago about my plans for the upcoming solar eclipse and I hadn't answered his question because I didn't know that I was feeling moved by it in any particular way. Only two days ago, I wasn't sure I even cared about the eclipse. But now I'm sensing that there will be some work or observation of note. I'm left wondering if this impression of things coming to completion is respective of the World card from the tarot. Or perhaps the Death card. Or something more prosperous, like the nine of pentacles (yes, please). Time, and eclipse, I suppose, will tell. 

As I plunge ahead into harvest tide duties, jamming, drying, pickling, and freezing my garden gleanings and gatherings-up of local crops and wild plants, there is also less tangible work being attended to. The altar has a simple new addition of a Mercury working and my local spirits are being tended to as I find my way back to wandering in the woods and beside rivers. I've not been neglectful, but the heat and smoke of the past month has kept me closer to home than I would have liked, and that means all my libations and songs have been gifted to the valley floor and not so much the hills and wilds. I know they haven't forgotten me though. 

I hope your summer has been kind. I hope you've had play and rest and are finding that a satisfying harvest is beginning to come in. I wish whatever blessings you long for upon you as the sun disappears and then rejoins us on the 21st of August. (If you have solar eclipse plans, I'd love to hear them.) The languid late summer days aren't over yet, though twilight and pre-dawn are stretching out their dusky fingers and settling deeper into our hours of light. Welcome them with me, won't you? We don't have to say goodbye to the sun yet. But oh, those dark-kissed early evenings in the garden, or curled up on outdoor furniture under twinkle lights with others, are some of my favourite hours of this time of year.

Witch Notes:

~ Though I am Canadian, I am, like everyone else, nursing a deep heartsickness over the events in Charlottesville (and those that have occurred since the US election). There are a number of things that can be done by those who have means and energy to give. Everyone will attend to these things differently, but if you rally or donate or weep or open your home to others or pray or curse, I support you. Process and engage in the most healthy way you can, and please take care of yourself.

There is only so much I can do from here, but I've donated to a local Charlottesville charity doing good work in the area, and I've got some wicked thorns from a lightning-struck black locust that are doing an entirely different sort of work on the situation. In the meantime, soak your spirit in these beautiful words from HecateDemeter, Southern Pride in a Time of Terror. 

~ Briana Saussy has opened registration for Spinning Gold, her gorgeous foray into fairytale, magic, and the Sacred Arts. I participate each year and adore Bri's heart, spirit, and work. Check it out, here.

~ October is just around the corner (yes, really) and the Great October Book Giveaway will be back for the 7th year. I couldn't put on such a fantastic event each year without the generosity of some of the authors and artists I feature. I have a nice selection of goodies stacking up for my readers already, but if you are an author (or know one) who wants to participate by sending along a tome or two to some lovely readers, please feel free to message me. The giveaway was originally a book-only event, but it has now grown to include card decks and art/talismans. The theme each year is geared toward the varied things I blog about - witchcraft, folklore, herbalism, cartomancy, and associated ideas, so if your work falls into those realms and you'd like to help out, let me know.