Tag Archives: Yuletide

Spell for Midwinter Light

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The winter solstice is when the sun’s path reaches its lowest point in the sky. This year that will happen on December the 21st. Around this time, we experience short days and long nights. It can be bleak and dismal but from now until midsummer, daylight hours will steadily increase. The ancient festival of Yuletide starts at the solstice and continues for two weeks. It honours the return of the Sun and is a chance to show gratitude to those who we value, those who support us, and those who need our support. This is also a time to consider the aspects of our lives that we would like to illuminate during the coming months. Here is a spell to help you do just that. Don’t over think the intention part, just let thoughts bubble up..

Gather the following materials:
Small handful of evergreen leaves, perhaps Ivy, Fir, or Holly, from plants growing nearby your home
Natural wax candle and lighter
Bay leaf, Birch bark, or paper (to write your intention on)
Pen or pencil.

Arrange the evergreen leaves in a circle around the candle. Light the candle and keep the leaves away from the flame. Take a moment to sit comfortably and centre yourself. Feel the warm glow of the candle and relax with a few deep breaths. Think of what you would like to come into being for you during the coming months; What would you like to bring to light, and breathe life into? Write a summary to capture the essence of this midwinter intention on the Bay leaf, Birch bark or paper.

Read your intention, aloud or inwardly. Then, place the leaf under the candle or herbs. Breathe smoothly, visualising the candlelight filling your body and illuminating your spirit. Imagine this energy pushing aside darkness and cobwebs; see it manifesting your wishes. Imagine the evergreen leaf circle growing upward, like a column around the candle. See it shooting up into the sky, entangled, glossy, and determined – a channel directing your intention up into the atmosphere to find all it needs to achieve your will. See your intention complete, as if it is already achieved, here and now.Enjoying this meditative state for a few minutes, then visualise the column of evergreen leaves reducing back to the ring around the candle. Breathe smoothly and become more aware of your surroundings and the floor beneath you. Extinguish the flame and take more time to ground yourself. Eat something to help with this if needed.

Leave the spell candle, intention note, and evergreen foliage undisturbed, if possible. Return to this set up each day during Yule, to relight the candle and repeat the practice. If you are unable to leave the candle and leaves out for the duration, store them safely, and bring them out to use each day. After fourteen days, burn your intention leaf or paper in the candle flame, then dispose of the cooled ashes in earth, either outside or in a house plant pot.

Winter Solstice Walk

Urban Herb Walks, Wheel of the year, winter foraging challenge, , , , , ,

Saturday 18th December 2021
13.00 – 14.30
Park Frankendael, Amsterdam
€15 per person (my apprentices – free)
Booking through Meetup

As we approach the shortest day of the year, I invite you to join me for a wander around the woody parts of Park Frankendael. We will be looking at the edible and medicinal plants which can be found at this quiet time of the year. Park Frankendael is a great place to learn about ethical foraging, to find out what’s “in season”, how and where to find it and how to use it.

The walk will go ahead come rain or shine so please be prepared for that when you book – a great opportunity to get your wellies or boots out if there’s a bit of rain – we will stick mostly to the paths though. I forage in all weather’s but the walk will not happen if we have a storm, because we’ll be in the woods and falling branches are not fun – so keep an eye on your messages after booking, just in case.

Booking for my walks are through Meetup

[I am a druid, herbalist, teacher, mother and have been teaching ethical foraging in Amsterdam for the past eleven years. Living in harmony with local nature, and helping others to do so, is my purpose. The aim of these walks is to pass on that enthusiasm and some degree of self-sufficiency to you. If you would like to know about my foraging and herbalism experience and the courses that I offer, please take a look at the about page.

Holly and Ivy (NL:Hulst en Klimop)

Evergreen herbs, Lotions, , , , , , ,

Not being a great one for tinsel and baubals, I generally opt for some sprigs of holly and ivy when decorating my home for the Yuletide festivities.  So I thought it was time to have a quick look at the herbal lore and uses attributed to these beautiful evergreen plants.

Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Boughs made from the glossy leaves and scarlet berries of Holly have been used to decorate homes at the winter festivals of Yuletide and Saturnalia, since ancient times.  Early Christians are thought to have adopted the practice, to deck churches with evergreen boughs, from their contemporary Pagan cousins.  Ancient Romans believed that Holly could protect their homes from poison, lightening and witchcraft.  It’s not difficult to understand why, given the spiky, defensive structure of many holly leaves.  Planting holly bushes close to homes was thought to infer this protection.

The leaves, berries and bark of Holly have been employed in herbal remedies over the years.  The berries quickly cause vomiting (they were used a purgative) but the leaves (of several Ilex varieties) have long been used as a tea substitute in Germany and Brazil. The leaves have been thought to help with catarrh, smallpox and pleurisy.  They contain a bitter alkaloid called Ilicin which promotes perspiration. Traditionally Holly leaves have  been used to treat intermittent fevers and rheumatism.  The berries, when dried and powdered are astringent and have been used traditionally to stop bleeding.

Gathering holly for medicinal purposes is best done in May and June, at about noon time when they are dry of dew.  Gathering holly for decorative purposes should be done with respect for the plant, taking just a little, without harm.  I like to return the holly to the foot of the plant I have cut it from, when I take my decorations down.  It feels much more respectful to do this and hopefully the plant will benefit a little as the dried branches slowly rot down.  Holly can be found growing in hedgerows, as specimens in gardens and within woodlands.  There is plenty growing in central Amsterdam.

Ivy (Hedera helix)
Glossy, beautiful, angular Ivy grows easily in pots and makes a great addition to balconies.  It sticks so well to walls, with its amazing vertical fibre support system, that it will easily pull the mortar out from between brickwork if the plant is pulled off.  However Ivy is said to be one of the only plants that keeps walls dry, it’s leaves acting as a protective and beautiful curtain. The fibres become true roots when they meet water, until then they help ivy to attach firmly to the most unlikely surfaces.

Ivy is favoured by many birds for nesting and its berries provide a rich source of nectar for bees.  Ivy has the amazing ability to transform itself in many ways when it reaches unrestricted light, such as at the tops of trees or walls.  It then produces softer looking, ovate leaves and bunches of pretty flowers on a strong bush like structure.

There is some much lore associated with ivy.  Like Holly, Ivy has been used to decorate homes since ancient Pagan times.  Poets’ wreaths are made from ivy leaves, as is the wreath of Bacchus.  It was thought that gently boiling bruised ivy leaves in wine would remove the wines powers of intoxication.  Perhaps the alcohol simply boiled away? Perhaps not.  Ivy has long been a sign of fidelity and was given to newly weds in ancient Greece.

One of the few traditional medicinal uses for Ivy was as relief for sunburn.  Soft ivy twigs, when boiled in butter were thought to produce a useful remedy.  I think I will stick with Aloe vera for now but the ivy remedy could be worth experimenting with.