While in most parts of the Western Hemisphere the sunny season is still picking up plenty of steam and will be around for at least a few more weeks, the Summer Solstice marks the point on the calendar after which the days gradually grow darker again for the next six months.

If the Pagan sabbats were light switches, Litha (which, north of the equator, corresponds with the Summer Solstice) would be the one that flicks off the light.

Half a year later, as the chilly season is hitting its stride, Yule, lovingly turns the light back on for us.

Though it can be strange to think of The Winter Solstice/Yule as a time of light and warmth, December plants the earliest seeds for the spring, summer, and autumn ahead – each of which will house its own distinct proportion of daylight.

Litha is a merry, upbeat, and beautiful sabbat. It might not be quite as youthful as Ostara and Beltane, but it is far from advanced in age either.

In the classic archetypical viewpoint that aligns parts of the year with human age cycles, come Litha, the Goddess has reached firmly reached the mother/mature stage of her life and the God his father/mature point as well.

Whereas some view the Summer Solstice/Litha as the start of summertime proper, many others – including no shortage of ancient and traditional cultures – see it instead as the halfway point of summer.

This is why another common and much-loved name for the longest day of the year is Midsummer.

The Summer Solstice occurs on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, this time around and is, scientifically speaking, the astronomical first day of summer.

I do not have a dog in the proverbial fight regarding whether one wishes to view Litha as the start, middle, or really, any other point of summer.

One’s feelings on the matter often pertain to things such as the weather patterns in their area, their spiritual path, and, in some instances, their profession.

For example, most teachers and professor sI have spoken to over the years about this topic views the Summer Solstice as the start of summer in their (text)books.

Whereas those who hold jobs that see them spending most or all of their working hours outdoors tend to land more in the Litha as Midsummer camp.

The bigger picture is what matters more and that is in observing, honouring, and celebrating the shifting seasons, (north of the equator) the hottest slice of the calendar, and the longest day of the entire year.

As a number of you have emailed and DMed me asking if this Litha would be the one to house a list of craft projects pertaining to the Summer Solstice, I am more than happy to oblige and bring you just such a selection several days in advance of the next Neopagan sabbat.

The majority of these projects were not actually created with the sole intention of being for Litha. However, each of them – to borrow a great expression from the UK – works a treat on that front and is an ideal match for the balmy days of Midsummer.

Should you be meeting this periodically occurring Solstice/Equinox/Sabbat craft series for the first time or if you would like to revisit prior entries, thus far, you can do so for the following sabbats.

–Ostara

–Beltane

–Mabon

–Yule

In the past, I have discussed many aspects of Litha in posts such as 12 Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice Indoors During Covid-19 and 15 Essential Oils That are Perfect for the Summer Solstice.

If you are new to the concept of Litha or would simply like to read more about this sunny season sabbat, I highly encourage you to check out both of those entries.

In addition, before we hop headfirst into an inspiring selection of 35 wonderful Litha craft ideas, let’s take delve a little further into what Litha is all about.

Is Litha the start or middle of summer?

As touched on above, while astronomically speaking the Summer Solstice is the start of summer, it is up to each person to decide whereabouts on their personal calendar they opt to view as the start of this season.

Living in Canada, where snow has been known to fall during every month of the year and spring has often scarcely begun before it has no choice but to pass the baton to summer, I lean more towards Litha being the start of summer.

And yet… I firmly view the next Pagan holiday – Lammas / Lughnasadh – at the start of August as the inaugural fall time sabbat. Therefore, in a matter of speaking, Litha does become Midsummer by default.

No matter what, it is safe to say that Litha is a sunny, upbeat sabbat with no shortage of reasons to celebrate its return.

Other names for Litha

In addition to the name Litha, the Summer Solstice has long been known by and/or associated with various other special occasions that transpire in the same general time period.

Therefore, amongst others, the Summer Solstice and/or Litha are also known as Vestalia, Alban, Thing-tide, Gathering Day, Sun Blessing, Whit Sunday, St. John’s Day, and Whitsuntide.

Most of these terms are rarely used anymore in the 21st century. However, is useful to know them, all the same should you encounter these alternative Summer Solstice names in the course of reading or otherwise studying history.

And on a similar note, Litha is classified as being one of the four “Lesser Sabbats” (aka, “Low Holidays” or “Low Sabbats”).

Lesser sabbats are cross-quarter festivals that occur between the four “Greater Sabbats” of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas (with the other three Lesser Sabbats being those that also correspond with a solstice or equinox; thusly, Ostara, Mabon, and Yule, respectively).

Litha correspondences, Litha symbols, and Litha meanings

Broadly speaking, by this stage in the year the growing season – both wild and guided by humans – is well underway.

Many baby animals have been born in recent months and plenty still will come into the world between now and early autumn.

Though some crops have already been harvested or are on the cusp of being gathered, plenty of others are still hard at work growing to the best of their abilities.

They will be plucked, sorted, and sent to market at the tail end of summer and straight on into the golden days of fall.

Litha is a time to relax and savour nature, all that you have accomplished since last Yule/Winter Solstice, and to let the sun’s radiant light shine brightly on the plans, goals, and dreams that you may hope to achieve between now and the shortest day of the year in December.

Some of the most popular and beloved Litha correspondences and Litha symbols include the following:

-Litha symbols: The sun, sun wheels, sundials, fire including balefires and bonfires, torches, cauldrons, swords and daggers, athames, spirals, spinning wheels, candles in Litha colours, the Goddess in her mother/mature phase, the God in his father/mature phase, faeries and other wee folk, phoenixes, merfolk, the moon (as the Summer Solstice corresponds with the start of the astrological season of Cancer, which is ruled by the moon), stars, cleansing waters, sacred wells, seashells, feathers, and a wide array of flowers.

-Litha colours: Red, fuchsia, coral, salmon, peach, orange, yellow, gold, green, aquamarine, turquoise, vibrant blues and purples, tan, woody browns, gold, brass, bronze, silver, and white.

-Litha animals: Birds, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, fireflies, bees, ants, horses, cows, buffalo, wolves, bears, deer, lions, cougars/mountain lions, lizards, snakes, marine animals, and bats.

-Litha crystals and stones (amonst others): Sunstone, yellow apatite, citrine, pyrite, yellow fluorite, honey calcite, yellow topaz, amber, clear quartz, rose quartz, jasper, diamond, ruby (July’s birthstone), tiger’s eye, rhodonite, peridot, jade, malachite, aventurine, blue lace agate, ruby tourmaline, red beryl, carnelian, howlite, opal, and moonstone.

-Litha metals: Gold (including rose gold), brass, bronze, silver, and platinum.

-Litha foods: Fresh fruits (including berries, melons, and stone fruits, fresh vegetables (such as lettuce, tomatoes, corn, radishes, green and yellow beans, zucchini, and peas), potato salad, edible flowers and wild greens, dandelions, olives, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, limes, bread, cookies/biscuits, graham crackers, oatcakes, pies, pastries, cakes and cupcakes/fairy cakes, mead, ale, wine, ice tea, mint tea, lemonade, limeade, orange juice, grapefruit juice, fruit punch, milk (including non-dairy milks), sun tea, butter, cheese, cream and whipped cream, eggs, meringues, custards, frozen desserts (including ice cream), marshmallows, honey, honey cakes, olive oil, sunflower seeds, sunflower seed butter, popcorn, corn based foods such as tortillas, saffron, chives, lavender, mint, lemon balm, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, paprika, chili powder, chili flakes, seafood, poultry, grilled foods, and spring water.

-Litha herbs and other plants: Lemon balm, heather, mint (all types), basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, dill, sage, fennel, chicory, purslane, lavender, orange blossom, rue, yarrow, borage, summer savory, tansy leaves, lemongrass, elderflower, mugwort, vervain, lotus, roses, jasmine, honeysuckle, meadowsweet, calendula, red and white clover, dandelion, marigolds, chamomile, mistletoe, St. John’s Wart, moss, ferns, hemp, and flax.

-Litha flowers: Roses, marigolds, daisies, honeysuckle, wisteria, peonies, dahlias, lilies, jasmine, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, sunflowers, poppies, and wildflowers.

-Litha trees: Oak, Elder, fruit trees, linden, rowan, holly, Japanese maples, willow, hazel, laurel, and olive trees.

-Litha incense: Citrus fruits, berries, peach, mango, vanilla, sage, rosemary, cedar, pine, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose, lavender, verbena, patchouli, frankincense, myrrh, ylang-ylang, cinnamon, and mint.

Litha oils: See my list of 15 Essential Oils That are Perfect for the Summer Solstice, while also taking your cue from the many entries in this section that are available in essential oil form.

-Litha altar ideas: Draw from the many entries in this section when decorating your altar for Litha.

In particular, you may wish to include representations of the sun and/or moon, sun wheels, spirals, swods/daggers/athames, cauldrons, flowers, oak leaves, mistletoe, (garden) seeds, herbs, seashells, sand, candles in Litha colours, items pertaining to divination, floral garlands or crowns, Litha foods, dried slices of citrus fruit, objects relating to dragons and/or faeries, and crystals that suit Litha especially well.

Litha element: Fire (though all of the elements shine abundantly throughout the Litha season, very much including the element of water which has extremely close ties to the Cancer season).

-Litha planet/celestial object: The sun

-Astrological signs that correspond with the Litha season/Midsummer: Cancer and Leo (Leo season also corresponds with Lammas at the beginning of August).

-Litha goddesses: Alectrona/Electryone, Sol/Sunna/Sunne, Bast/Bastet, Freya, Beiwe, Aine, Flora, Ekhi, Brigit, Étaín/Édaín, Olwen, Aurora, Diana, Eos, Habondia, Persephone, Hepa/Arinna, Selene, Fotuna, Saulė, Amaterasu, Shemesh/Shepesh, Magec, Uelanuhi, Yhi, and Gnowee.

As well as the Goddess/Divine Feminine in her pregnant/motherly form.

-Litha gods: Ra, Sopdu, Inti, Huitzilopochtli, Tonatiuh, Savitr, Pan, Lugh, Apollo, Helios, Surya, Mithras, Belenos, Hathor, and Freyr.

As well as the archetypes/God personifications of the Holly King, the Oak King, and the Greenman.

(Note: These are not exhaustive lists of sun-related deities that would be a natural fit for the Summer Solstice. For a more thorough compilation, check out Wikipedia’s list of Solar Deities.)

As with each sabbat that comprises the modern Neopagan Wheel of The Year, Litha is not without its fair share of meanings and attributes that are closely associated with this poignant annual event.

Some of the most widely acknowledged Litha meanings and attributes include the following:

-Balance

-Harmony

-Abundance

-Revitalization

-Vitality

-Light

-Divine energy

-Youth

-The prime of life

-Advancement

-Divination

-Psychic abilities

-Dreams

-Growth

-Hope

-Prosperity

-Charging (crystals, candles, witches jars, magical tools, card decks, spiritually meaningful jewelry, etc)

-Fertility

-Healing

-Nurturing

-Caregiving

-Self-care and self-love

-Gardening (including faery gardens)

-Art and creativity

-Walking and hiking

-Remembrance

-Equality

-Family

-Nature

-Singing and chanting

-Dancing

-Drumming

-Solar energy

-Fire and fire magick

-The fae

-Dragons

-Harvest

If you are working magick at Litha, the entries above can each be excellent jumping-off points for your spells, rituals, blessings, prayers, ceremonies, and related activities.

35 stellar summer solstice crafts, DIY projects, and home décor ideas for Litha

1. Felt Midsummer Crown: Floral crowns are a timeless way to celebrate the abundance of blooms and greenery that calls the sunny half of the year home.

Fashion a Midsummer crown from felt that will last long after even the heartiest of summer flowers has gone into hibernation once again and enjoy wearing it or displaying it in your home.

Either way, it is a treasure of a creation and one that you will surely look forward to connecting with Summer Solstice after Summer Solstice.

2. How to Make a Pentagram Herb Dryer: Preserve the season’s choicest and most beneficial herbs with this fantastic DIY pentagram hanging herb dryer, which easily doubles as Pagan/witchy decor whether it is in use at the moment or not.

3. Felt Mermaid Dolls: One of my oldest and dearest online friends is a fabulously creative soul who makes the absolute sweetest felt and fabric creations.

I thought of her immediately when I spied this summertime perfect sewing project post that guides you through how to make adorable little felt mermaids.

These cutie pies are fabulous as toys, home decor pieces, party (or wedding) favours, or to give as gifts to all of the landlocked mermaids in your life.

4. Clay Pot Toadstools: Delightfully simple to make, these adorable clay pot toadstools are just the thing to inject a serious hit of whimsy into any garden (very much including faery gardens).

You could also use them as indoor decor, too, and there is no stopping you from including one (or more) of these darling handmade toadstools on your Litha altar.

5. Sun’s Out Crochet Drink Coasters: Celebrate the majesty of summertime sunshine with these vibrant yellow crocheted sun-shaped coasters, which could easily be used for many other purposes as well.

Place them under candle jars, adorn your altar with them, string a row together to make bunting, hang one in the window to honour summer’s warmth – the possibilities are nearly endless!

6. How to Make Cute Washcloth Teddy Bears: Far more adorable than fierce, these precious little washcloth bears are a great way to pay homage to one of the animals most closely linked to Litha/Midsummer (plus they make terrific gifts for baby showers, tea parties, hostesses, and anyone else you think would enjoy a cuddly washcloth teddy bear).

7. Dehydrated Citrus Gardaland DIY: Often associated with the winter holiday season, slices of dried citrus fruit can just as easily and effectively be utilized at other times of the year as well.

Two of my personal favourites are Imbolc and Litha, where, in both instances, glassine-like wheels of dehydrated lemons and oranges do a superb job of representing the sun.

Thankfully, making your own dried citrus fruit is not terribly tricky and once you have whipped up a batch or two, you can put them to work in a wide array of ways. Including, should you wish, this awesome dehydrated citrus garland (that would look amazing drapped across or hung over your Litha altar).

8. How to Make a Beaded Suncatcher: If ever there was a (Northern Hemisphere) sabbat that suited suncatchers to a tee, surely it would be Litha.

A handful of pretty beads, a crystal or charm, clear beading thread, and a key ring (or other suitable ring) are all you need to create your own captivatingly gorgeous suncatcher(s0 that will help you enjoy the season’s vibrant light all the more.

9. Gorgeous Free Dragonfly Cross Stitch Pattern: Soft, summery hues, beautiful blooms, and a trio of dazzling dragonflies combine to make one seriously lovely cross stitch pattern that doesn’t cost you a dime (though you may need to spring for the materials involved).

10. Decorated Mid-Summer Candles: How delightful are these lively patterned and beautifully hued DIY decorated candles?

A cinch to whip up, one need only reach for plain candles and either wax sheets or candle paint are all you need to whip up your own Summer Solstice perfect candles (two other similar candle decorating approaches would be to use melted candle ends or wax crayons in much the same manner).

11. Peach Bellini Sugar Scrub: Few fruits – and this is saying a lot considering how many of them are in their prime during the sunny season – sing with the heart and soul of summer more than peaches.

Having spent much of my youth (and no shortage of my adult years, too) in one of North America’s largest peach-growing regions, I have a particular soft spot for this scrumptious fruit and, in turn, just about anything that is peach-scented.

Should you melt for this lush fruit as well, why not give yourself a peach field pampering session by making a batch of your own peach bellini sugar scrub and putting it to good use in the tub anytime you are in the mood to savour the unmistakably beautiful aroma of this beloved summertime staple.

12. Cardboard Tube Grasshoppers: Despite their ubiquitousness with summer in many corners of the world, it is surprising how infrequently crickets and grasshoppers appear in summertime art, crafts, and home decor.

This sweet, very easy-to-make craft- which is terrific to create with kids – utilizes a humble cardboard tube and some pipe cleaners to make an adorable grasshopper that can you can either have leap around the house or park in one spot all summer long.

13. How to Transfer Photos onto Stones: Pretty much since I have been able to walk, I’ve been collecting little treasures (rocks very much included) from nature wherever I go.

If you do the same or just happen to have some suitable rocks (likely, quite literally) sitting around, why not turn them into impressively lovely works of art by transferring photos onto stones?

And should you happen to be a fellow Pagan/witch, this would be an awesome technique to use when making everything from altar decor to amulets.

14. Cherry Pompom Keychains: While the actual cherry growing season is but a few brief weeks or months in most parts of the world, when you create one of these super fun cherry pompom keychains you can keep the spirit of this delicious summertime classic going strong the whole year through.

15. Salt Dough Sun Plaque: As returning readers of this sabbat craft series may have noticed, salt dough lends itself marvellously to each point that comprises The Wheel of The Year.

In this instance, it is utilized to make an eye-catchingly lovely sun-themed plaque that, if stored correctly, should last you for many years to come (and which makes for a fantastic Litha altar decoration).

And fear not, if -like me – you must avoid gluten or are crafting with/for someone who does, it is entirely possible to make gluten-free salt dough that works every bit as well as the original version in the context of most salt dough crafts.

16. Easy Paper Plate Lemon Slice Bunting: Paper plates are an underrated craft supply item if you ask me. As this stylish DIY lemon slice bunting proves, there is no end in sight to what paper plates can do in the hands of creative individuals (in fact, the website that this tutorial hails from is devoted entirely to paper plate craft – how cool is that!).

17. DIY Underwater Seashell Candles: Many a long year ago, I managed a location of one of Canada’s most popular home goods stores called Stokes. It never failed to delight me as I watched certain items fly off the shelves. Back then (we’re talking roughly twenty years ago now), one such item was jelly candles.

Also known as gel wax candles, these eye-catching candles are fun, versatile, and can easily be made at home with the right supplies.

And while I cannot speak to how well they sell these days, based on the number of tutorials I have seen online for DIY jelly candles over the years, it is safe to say that they continue to have a loyal following.

Should you wish to try your hand at making some gel wax candles during the sunny season, may I suggest this beautiful version that utilizes real sand and seashells to create what surely must be one of the most summertime perfect forms of lighting ever devised!

18. Cute Painted Bottlecap Ladybugs: Those who were alive during and are old enough to remember the 1990s, may well recall the vogue for bottlecap crafts and jewelry that wove its way throughout that decade.

I was instantly reminded of this trend the moment I spied these darling little painted bottlecap ladybugs, which are a cinch to create and turn into magnets, papercrafting embellishments, jewelry, hair accessories, tiered tray decor, and more!

19. How to Make a No-Sew Fairy Doll: There is cute and then there is no-sew fairy doll cute!

Whether you create a single fairy friend or a whole garden’s worth, these delightful little handmade fairy dolls are a fantastic way to celebrate the strong connection between the fae and Midsummer.

20. DIY Sun Wheel Garden Decoration: If you are looking for an eye-catchingly terrific way to celebrate and honour the sun at Litha, this generously sized sun wheel may do the trick superbly.

You could also utilize the same general design approach to make a smaller version, should you wish to display or hang a DIY sunwheel up inside your home instead of outdoors.

21. Strawberry Acorn Magnets: Combine one of the spring + summer’s most beloved fruits with one of the fall’s most iconic natural treasures, stir some craft paint into the equation, and you are well on your way to making a shortcake’s worth of these super sweet little strawberry acorn magnets.

22. DIY Dollar Store Beehive Candleholder: Which sabbats (or months of the year, if you do not observe the Pagan sabbats) do you associate most closely with bees? For me, I would say that August takes top billing, but June and July are certainly close on its heels.

Bees are by far one of the hardest working members of the animal kingdom and their diligent activities have long helped to ensure plants and flowers the world over have been able flourish.

Shining the (tiny) spotlight on bees at Litha is a wonderful way to celebrate the natural world during the Summer Solstice season.

This darling DIY beehive candleholder is a great way to do just that without breaking the bank – meaning you’ll have more leftover in your pocket to pick up some delicious artisan honey at your local farmer’s market.

23. Lavendar Shower Steamers without Citric Acid: The shower time equivalent to bath bombs, shower steamers are surprisingly easy to make, infuse your wash with dreamily pretty aromas, and also make for fab handmade gifts (especially for those who have a shower stall, but not a bathtub at their residence).

This wonderfully in-depth tutorial guides you through how you can make lavender shower streamers that utilize one of the season’s most iconic and beloved plants. Plus, you can also use the same general recipe to make other types of essential oil-infused shower steamers as well.

24. DIY Pompom Watermelon Wreath: If you’re keen to whip up a bevy of your own pompoms and are a fan of watermelon-themed decor, this super charming wreath may be just the thing to jazz up any door or wall in your home summer after summer.

25. Citrus Stamped Tea Towels: I don’t know about you, but personally I can never have too many linens on hand in the kitchen and adore – as many people do – rotating seasonal ones throughout the year.

This delightful and very easy DIY project turns lemons into stamps and creates chic, beautiful tea towels that are works of art unto themselves.

26. Sea Glass Wind Chimes: Whether you are fortunate to live near the ocean or daydream about doing so, these awesome DIY sea glass wind chimes are a creative, beautiful way to bring one of the (modern) beach’s most resplendent treasures into your indoor or outdoor decor.

27. Herb Candle Rings (or Mini Wreaths): Gather up one or more of your favourite Midsummer herbs, a small embroidery hoop or wreath base, some thread, and a pair of scissors, then set to work creating this timelessly lovely Litha herb candle ring that makes for a fantastic altar decoration or way to imbue a sense of the season all the more into a centrepiece.

28. Maple Seed Dragonflies: When I was growing up, one of the houses that my family lived in for a few years had a magnificent, multi-decade old maple tree in the centre of its small front yard. My siblings and I enjoyed connecting with this tree in various capacities the whole year through, one of which was deftly twirling maple seed pods between our fingers to launch them into the air as “helicopters”.

To this day, anytime I spy maple seed pods on the ground, I think of the many hours spent engaged in this sweet, simple, entirely free outdoor activity as a child.

Now, as an adult, I love looking for ways to utilize maple pods in my crafting and home decor (and have been known to still send a helicopter or two up into the sky every now and then ).

If you or any of the little ones in your life enjoy doing the same, these elegant maple seed dragonflies are such an attractive way to do just that while honouring one of the season’s most adored insects in the process.

29. Sunflower Kissing Balls: Though they are most commonly associated with Christmas, kissing balls can just as easily be enjoyed throughout the rest of the year as well.

This delightful version sees them rendered in (faux) sunflower form for a piece of home decor that is bright, seasonally perfect, and sure to be a fun talking point when you have summertime guests over.

30. DIY Lavendar Stars: Fresh stalks from one of the most universally enjoyed plants and some slender ribbon are all you need to create these thoroughly beautiful lavender stars (which Pagans/Wiccans/witches may opt to see and use as summertime pentagrams).

31. Oyster Shell DIY Candles: Humans have been using shells as vessels for light-emitting products (such as oil and tallow) for thousands of years.

This fabulous contemporary project utilizes oyster shells as the containers for hand-poured candles that tap into the spirit of the sea, mermaids, tropical getaways and so much of what makes the ocean perpetually easy to adore.

32. Cherry Pie Food Amigurumi Crochet Free Pattern: There is no need to heat up the house further during the summer in order to bake a cherry pie when you can bust out the crochet hooks instead and whip up this adorable amigurumi version that does indeed look good enough to eat!

33. How To Make A Burlap Horse Head Wreath: Like countless others throughout the course of time, I absolutely LOVE horses and just about any craft, piece of art, or home decor item starring them.

I was not one of those lucky youngsters who had a horse or was given riding lessons (heck, I barely got a My Little Pony ), but I was fortunate all the same to engage with horses on a few occasions while I was growing up.

Horses – much like their farmyard companions, cows – are closely associated with Litha/Midsummer, and I can think of few more beautiful or creative ways to honour this majestic creature come the Summer Solstice than by making and proudly displaying this stunning burlap horse head wreath.

34. Quilted Strawberry Coasters: Keep furniture surfaces protected from the inevitable condensation that stems from refreshingly cold summertime beverages by sewing up a set of these sweet, charmingly lovely quilted strawberry coasters.

35. Air Dry Clay Sun Disks: Fun fact, air dry clay is one of my favourite mediums to work in. It is extremely versatile, readily available both online and off, does not require a kiln (or even an oven), and can be used to create countless types of handmade craft and decor projects.

Plus, IMO, it is a very user-friendly material that need not intimidate newcomers and which is also a great product to use when crafting with kids.

Celebrate the Summer Solstice by putting air dry clay to work in this cheerful DIY sun disk project that creates artistic pieces which can be used and enjoyed all sunny season long (and/or anytime you wish to focus on solar energy or solar deities).

PS: These lists of Solstice/Equinox/Pagan sabbat craft ideas and decor inspiration posts do not contain recipes. One day, I would like to launch a similar multiopart series that puts the spotlight on recipes that suit each of these special days to a tee as well.

In the meantime, though, I recently came across this gorgeous recipe for Lemon Pine Drizzle Loaf from Scottish blogger Rosie from Everything Looks Rosie that struck me as being endlessly perfect for Litha and so I just knew that I needed to include it here. (The general concept of this lovely loaf cake can be rendered in other iterations, too, such as gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and low carb, should you need/desire to forgo wheat flour and/or animal products.)

Ditto for her elegantly delicious Lavender Creme Brule, which would be a sublime way to cap off any spring or summertime meal.

Litha: the longest day and the shortest night

It is easy to focus on the fact that the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and in the process forget that as a result this sacred day also houses the shortest night.

These two points, which will reverse order come Yule (and which are, in fact, doing just that right now south of the equator, where many Pagans/Wiccans/witches in that hemisphere will soon opt to observe Yule), are unique to this day and this day alone each year.

It will be some time before we start to see a major decline in the number of daylight hours that illuminate our lives. When that point comes, we know that summer is getting ready to bow out and give autumn its due place in the eternal parade of the seasons.

I find there is a heightened sense of energy and vitality that emerges at the Summer Solstice – as though the universe is working overtime to charge our internal batteries which are often severely depleted by the colder months.

When I think of summer, I recall my youth and the sense of freedom that the dog days housed. Not just from school (which, bullying and a few teachers who will remain unnamed aside, I generally adored), but from the weight of winter’s chill as well.

Long hours of daylight meant afternoons that spilled into evenings spent at the beach, the water at the lake vying with that of a warm bath.

Night swimming – as the REM song of the same name states – “deserves a quiet night” and while the evenings were not always silent by any means, the noises that comprised their soundtrack only helped to cement the memory of backstroking under the moonlight.

Summer can be a challenging season, no two ways about it, but there is also endless reasons to fall all the more in love with it each year as well.

This season all but begs us to use each of our senses to the best of their abilities. There are brilliant sights, enchanting textures (from warm sand to the ticklish fuzz of a peach, gooey roasted marshmallows to lanky blades of grass beneath our bare feet), incredible scents and tastes, and no shortage of memorable sounds.

Think water splashing, warm evening breezes rustling through picturesquely green leaves, crickets serenading us with their nightly choir performances, squawking seagulls, fresh peapods being crisply snapped open, travelling fun fair rides operating late into the night, upbeat voices floating through the sunny sky, kids ringing bicycle bells, line-dried linens flapping merrily in the breeze, the iconic song of the much-welcome ice cream truck, and the unmistakable slip-slop of sunscreen being rubbed on one’s skin to name a but a few.

The crafts and décor ideas above tap into these sensory delights of summertime as well, reminding us even in the moment itself of the pleasures, gifts, and blessings of the growing season. Of vitality, hope, and – with any luck – at least three or more months until the first snowflake comes tumbling down again.

My birthday falls almost precisely between Litha and Lammas, and so both of those sabbats are all the dearer to my heart.

Naturally, you need not have a “cake day” during this period of the year to adore the Summer Solstice/Litha.

As with each rotation of the year’s mighty wheel these wonderful days, those that lie ahead of them, and the comfort that comes from knowing that no matter what life throws our ways, the seasons remain a steadfast constant, are there to be celebrated by one and all.

Springtime proper arrived mighty late here this time around and it remains anyone’s guess as to how long summer plans to set up shop.

No matter the duration, summer will propel us onward to autumn, the heart of harvest time, and all the tantalizing joys of the year’s next chapter.

Right here and now, though, there are summer fruits to be topped with lashings of pillowy whipped cream, games of frisbee to be played, concerts in the park to attend, and a whole slew of new sun-baked memories to be made throughout the coming summer months.

Happiest Summer Solstice and Litha wishes to each of you, my dear friends!

Let us all raise a glass of our favourite perfectly chilled beverage to that fact and to all that makes summer so unforgettably wonderful!

Are you planning to celebrate Midsummer this year? Which of the Litha/Summer Solstice projects featured in this post would you most like to try your hand at making?

The post 35 Stellar Summer Solstice Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for Litha appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Amongst the most common of which is a return to seeing and hearing a greater number of bird species.

This is both a harbinger of the current season as it approaches, as well as further proof that spring is here again once.

While our house is technically in a residential neighbourhood, it is situated between two parcels of beautiful woodland and our own (literal) backyard is jam-packed with lofty birch and evergreen trees.

For a forest adoring soul like myself, this really is a dream backyard and not a day goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for it.

If their numbers are any evidence, the local birds that flock to the trees on our property clearly adore this spot of woodland as well.

In the four (and a tad) years that we have lived at this house so far, we’ve spotted and heard a wide array of birds.

These include, but are not limited to, ravens, owls, hawks, northern flickers, pheasants, Eurasian collared doves, mourning doves, blackbirds, Steller’s jays, finches, sparrows, magpies, robins, chickadees, nuthatches, sparrows, woodpeckers, quail, and even the occasional hummingbird.

Beyond those winged visitors who come to call in our yard, both our town and region are home to many other species – as are British Columbia and Canada in general.

In fact, the Canadian Wildlife Federation informs us that there are approximately 462 known bird species living across this vast country.

And according to a CTV News article published last year, globally that number rises to a staggering 600,000+ species of birds.

It is no surprise then that birds have played important roles in the lives of a tremendous number of cultures around the world since time immemorial.

Whether revered and worshiped, used for food, feathers or other body parts; captured in art, written or sung about, or simply appreciated for their talents and beauty, birds have impacted the lives of countless people across the span of history.

The spiritual significance that birds have long held for many individuals cannot be overstated.

In some instances, gods and goddesses were believed to exist in bird or bird-human hybrid form (i.e., the falcon-headed Egyptian god named Horus), in others birds or images, figures, etc depicting them have been used both ritualistically and magically.

Many religions that could be dubbed modern “mainstream” faiths due to their widespread prevalence and large number of followers, as well as those of a more ancestorial and/or esoteric nature have made birds a part of their traditions and stories.

For both myself and a fair number of other Pagans, witches, and Wiccans, birds play important roles in our beliefs, practices, and, where applicable, magickal workings.

I have connected spiritually to birds my whole life and have spoken with numerous fellow witchy/Pagan souls who shared that the same applies to them as well.

While birds are not everyone’s favourite animal and ornithophobia (the fear of birds) is a relatively common fear, it is likely safe to say that far more people – regardless of their personal faith/beliefs – like birds than loath or fear them.

Birds enchant and delight us. They hold traditional meanings and can be seen as messengers that are here to transmit something important to us.

Their ability (barring a few species) to take flight and soar through the air, reaching high up in the sky has likely fascinated and inspired us since humans first appeared on this planet. And it is no surprise that an animal who ascends towards the heavens would have deep spiritual meaning for many individuals.

Birds do what a lot of us wish we (easily) could: leave the bounds of terra firma and sore above the earth, experiencing both the freedoms and challenges that come from such a lofty vantage point.

While I have always liked birdwatching and keep my eyes peeled for birds that may appear to me as messengers, signs, and spiritual allies, I am not a hardcore hobbyist bird watcher – nor have I ever worked with birds in a professional capacity.

Naturally, one does not have to be a serious birder to look out for and work with birds in whatever ways align with your interests and beliefs.

Though the last vestiges of winter have yet to vanish entirely from our tree-studded yard, spring officially started a couple of weeks now and that means many an avian visitor and seasonal resident alike is returning to our area once again.

I know that the same rings true for plenty of my readers as well. As such, I thought it was high time I reviewed a relatively recently released book pertaining to the spiritual meanings of birds: The Hidden Meaning of Birds: A Spiritual Field Guide by Arin Murphy-Hiscock.

An elegant volume on the subject of birds and meanings, this title was penned by one of today’s best-selling and well-known Pagan authors. The Hidden Meaning of Birds does a great job of melding scientific fact with folklore and spiritual traditions, and serves as a lovely read for those at all levels of knowledge on the subject of birds and their spiritual connections.

Book specs

Name: The Hidden Meaning of Birds: A Spiritual Field Guide

Author: Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Page count: 240 pages

Publisher: Adams Media (a division of Simon and Schuster)

Binding: Softcover

A book on the spiritual meaning of birds that is worth chirping about

There are exceedingly few corners of the globe in which one cannot find at least a species or two of birds. They reside in both the Arctic and Antarctic, in the densest jungles, are spotted in the driest of deserts, and can be seen many miles away from shore across the world’s oceans and seas.

Given the astronomical number of birds that exist on earth, it would be impossible for any one book to cover the ascribed spiritual meanings of every variety of bird. Not to mention the plethora of different interpretations and correspondences that many different birds have long been connected with across the planet.

Naturally, The Hidden Meaning of Birds: A Spiritual Field Guide by Arin Murphy-Hiscock does not attempt to do so – nor should it.

That would be an impossible task, as well as an unnecessary one.

Birds are just about everywhere and whether we’re dealing with those in our own neighbourhoods, the species that resonate most deeply with us spiritually, or simply have a love for certain types of birds, it never hurts to leave room for our own interpretations of things.

Penned by best-selling Pagan author – and fellow Canadian – Arin-Murphy Hiscock (whose work include such beloved contemporary titles as The Green Witch’s Grimoire, The House Witch, Spellcrafting, The Witch’s Guide to Self-Care, and The Pregnant Goddess, amongst numerous other titles), The Hidden Meaning of Birds is an appealing look at the spiritual connections and meanings linked to a few dozen species of birds.

Each bird entry that appears in this book is accompanied by a beautiful vintage bird illustration, an overview of the species, symbolism and folklore, and the meanings, omens and divinations associated with that particular type of bird.

Entries in this spiritual field guide to birds span 2 – 4 pages per bird and at the end of each entry, one finds a box in which the associated energies, associated seasons, elemental associations, and colour associations are provided for the bird in question (see image above).

These correspondences are especially handy for those who may wish to work with bird images, energy, feathers, etc in their spiritual and/or magical practices.

Before hopping (or would that be flying?) into the heart of the guide itself, readers are treated to an introduction and three chapters pertaining to the mysteries of birds. These are Historical Bird Divination, Modern Bird Divination, and Working with Birds Spiritually.

Each of these sections does a good job of concisely and informatively providing an overview of the topic at hand.

There is a tone of the serious and the academic to this book that aligns it with many mainstream bird identification and birdwatching guides – a point that is cemented all the more by the use of yesteryear avian illustrations in lieu of photos or modern artwork.

However, the tone is not so dry or encyclopedic as to lose sight of the spiritual elements that are, along with the bird species themselves, at the heart of this title.

Bound in a sturdy, field guide style softcover, this 240 page book is an engaging, informative read that is apt to have even the most seasoned birdwatchers amongst us looking at the feathered residents in their area (and around the world) with deeper interest than ever before.

How The Hidden Meaning of Birds: A Spiritual Field Guide rates with me

As with many of the books I review here on Witchcrafted Life, it is not strictly imperative that one be a witch/Wiccan/Pagan/similar to read, learn from, and enjoy The Hidden Meaning of Birds.

While certainly geared towards the spiritual side of humankind’s connection to birds, those with a general interest in ornithological topics (including both the history and folklore of various bird species) as well as individuals who simply wish to learn more about birds are apt to connect with this book as well.

I appreciate that the species highlighted The Hidden Meaning of Birds are arranged alphabetically and while there are numerous bird species I would have been delighted to see included here that didn’t make the cut, as touched on above, naturally, no single book could ever cover all of the bird species in the world.

What the reader finds instead is a cross-section of bird species from around the globe – think crows, mockingbirds, cardinals, swans, owls, and pigeons to name but six of many featured in this guide.

If you are the type who often sees and/or hears birds and feels a spiritual connection to them or believes that there are deeper meanings to be had when a particular type of bird crosses your path, chances are, you will enjoy this book.

It is by no means the first or only one on the subject of the spiritual meaning of birds, but having been published in 2019, it is amongst the most recent.

The Hidden Meaning of Birds is also one of the most informative that I have personally read to date. And since picking this title up shortly after its release, I have dipped into it many times beyond my initial reading.

Indeed, like many a good field guide, this is the type of book that one is likely to read cover-to-cover at least once or twice and then return to when information on a particular bird species is needed.

At times, I do wish that a larger volume of meaning was connected to certain birds featured in Murphy-Hiscock’s guide to our avian friends.

As well, it would have been great if the author had linked each bird species she covered to one or more of the sabbats that comprise The Wheel of The Year. Though, to be fair, as she does connect each species to one or more seasons, that information appears in a roundabout way all the same.

As someone who madly adores vintage and antique illustrations, I found the choice to use them here instead of modern artwork or photos added to the charm and interest of this book.

Some readers, however, may have preferred contemporary art or photos – especially if they were trying to identify a particular species of bird that crossed their path.

Thankfully though, on top of traditional birding guides, the internet is rife with sites and apps to help you do just that, if you are not able to find a given bird amongst the dozens included in this book.

Birds are a vital part of life as we know it here on earth.

For some of us, birds serve as spirit allies and guides (aka, “spirit animals”, though I try to refrain from using this term in most contexts, as it belongs to certain traditional cultures and belief systems), appearing to us with messages and meanings both of the type that may jive with those in books and others that might be highly personal to our own lives + spiritual paths.

The Hidden Meaning of Birds is not the absolute last word on the subject of spirituality and birds. No book or blog post could ever be.

Birds, like the air they traverse, are malleable and astonishing.

Humankind has long connected certain meanings, correspondences, superstitions, traditions, and lore to various birds.

These elements possess a degree of broad universality. However, it is ultimately up to each of us to interpret what our connections to, and encounters with, various types of birds mean in the context of our own lives and belief systems.

Having The Hidden Meaning of Birds to hand makes that job all the easier and more enjoyable, and as such it is a title that I am happy to recommend.

Or, if you prefer, just say to people that a little birdie told you about this book.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give The Hidden Meaning of Birds by Arin Murphy-Hiscock 4 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Have you read The Hidden Meaning of Birds? Do you feel a spiritual connection to our avian friends?

The post Book Review: The Hidden Meaning of Birds by Arin Murphy-Hiscock appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Nature – though not immune to human wrath of course – seemingly unaware of the hardships and tragedies unfolding across the globe at the moment, follows a rhythm nearly as old as time itself.

The months and seasons will transpire no matter what we do. They were here long before you and I were born, and it is a virtual certainty they will be here long after.

For those who observe it, the Pagan Wheel of The Year is much the same.

While there is little historical proof that any ancient culture observed the exact same eight festivals/sabbats annually, contemporary Pagans and witches have combined elements of traditional seasonal celebrations to create a powerful eight-part sabbat system that aligns with the beliefs/practices of many (though certainly not all) who fall under these wide banners.

One of the neopagan sabbats that we do know a fair bit about and which has roots stretching back for many centuries is Beltane.

This is – in the Northern Hemisphere – the traditional Gaelic May Day festival. Along with Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh, these four comprised the main seasonal festivals observed by the early inhabitants of Gaelic settled lands.

Today these annual dates, which each fall between an equinox and a solstice, are often referred to as “Greater Sabbats” and “Cross-Quarter Days”.

Fascinatingly, back in the time of the ancients who inhabited various parts of Europe, Beltane heralded the start of the summer pastoral season.

It was not, we believe today, a mid-spring celebration, but rather the unofficial start of summer.

This view was held by various other cultures around the world, too, who saw May – not the latter days of June – as being the time when spring began to pass the torch to summer.

It is primarily for this reason that the sabbat of Litha (the Summer Solstice) which follows Beltane has traditionally been referred to as Midsummer in various cultures (including many in Central and Northern Europe).

Starting at Yule (if not Samhain) straight on to Imbolc and to a degree, even during Ostara, many witches/Wiccans/Pagans work diligently to honour the power of light and warmth. Candles, fires, warm colours, and everything from crystals to foods in sunny hues are employed to this end.

We know that our actions do not actually cause each season to return, but by working in tandem with them and celebrating both the present moment and the months ahead, we strengthen our ingrained bond to each chapter of the year all the more.

Though it is at Litha that the sun reaches its annual apex, with the Summer Solstice being the day of the year with the longest amount of sunlight, I cannot help but feel that so much of what we have worked towards and eagerly anticipated culminates in Beltane’s return.

In this post, we are carrying on with the periodically occurring series here in which a slew of crafts, DIY projects, and home décor ideas pertaining to one of the sabbats is rounded up in a handy-dandy spot for all those who may be seeking ideas and inspiration on this front.

Thus far, this series has covered the following sabbats:

–Ostara

–Mabon

–Yule

As you no doubt guessed, Beltane will be the focus this time around.

Before we dive headfirst into the list of forty awesome Beltane craft ideas, however, let’s explore the celebration of May 1^st a little more.

Part spring, part summer, entirely lovely

Beltane has one foot firmly planted in spring and the other – which I like to imagine as sporting a chic sandal – in summer.

Sitting precisely halfway on both the calendar and The Wheel of the Year from Samhain (+ Halloween), Beltane is an intensely liminal period unto itself.

South of the equator, many who observe the sabbats in reverse order to those in the Northern Hemisphere, are embracing Samhain just as we throw open our hearts once more to Beltane.

For those who count down the nanoseconds each year until Samhain’s return, the knowledge that from May 1^st onward, we will be closer to the end of October than further away from it is enough to make us downright giddy.

I adore Beltane and find my connection to it grows stronger with each fresh year. In a lot of ways, I have come to see it as the Samhain of the spring/early summer and find that I do indeed get rather excited + happy as May 1^st rounds the corner again.

On the day proceeding Beltane, April 30^th, I observe Walpurgis Night. This event is not a sabbat, but it is a traditional Central European event that some – both inside and out of the contemporary Pagan/witchy world – continue to mark centuries after its roots first took hold.

A sizeable percentage of my ancestry hails from the lands comprising Central and Northern Europe, and my own eclectic witchy bases the majority of its practises and beliefs around the Paganistic traditions of these lands. Thus, Walpurgis Night jives with my path all the more.

I have come to look at it a bit like the Beltane equivalent of Christmas Eve. Though the two observances do, of course, differ significantly!

Beltane is a joyous, gorgeous seasonal celebration that is open to one and all, regardless of their personal spiritual journey.

We each have a right to celebrate and delight in the return of May and the road it will guide us on as we venture forth towards full-fledged summertime.

Some of the most common and potent Beltane themes, correspondences, and symbols include the following:

-Fertility and new life

-Family

-Farm animals/livestock

-Herbs, herbal medicine, and herbal magick

-Grounding/earthing

-Seeds and sowing (both literal and metaphorical)

-Flowers and green plant life

-Baskets (including traditional May Day baskets)

-Birds

–Butterflies, bees, ladybugs, and other insects that are key garden helpers

-Sacred bodies of water (and water in general)

-Faeries and other wee folk

-Youth and remaining young at heart

-Passion, lust, and love

-Handfastings and weddings

-Floral crowns

-Ribbons

-Knots and knot/cord magick

-Growth (both in terms of the natural world and one’s own personal growth)

-Cleansing and purifying

-Bathing

-Sunshine and light

-Bonfires

-Wreaths

-Music and dancing

-Hobbies and passions

–Rainbows

-Unity

-The Greenman

-The Maiden entering the Mother/Mature phase of her lifecycle

-Both the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine

-Strength

-Optimism

-Positivity

-Manifestation

-Giving, sharing, and helping others

-Seasonal foods and feasts

-Varieties of incense and essential oil [LINK] centered around seasonal plants, flowers, fruits, and herbs (i.e., lilac, honeysuckle, rose, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, strawberry, etc)

-Honouring and tending to the earth

-Listing to and following your heart

-Divination and connecting with the spirit world/ancestors

-Trusting your intuition

-Burning away/parting with elements that are holding you back or no longer serving you well

-Adventure

-Growing further in one’s spirituality

-Uniting and permeating the mundane with a greater sense of the sacred

-Nurturing and compassion (very much including self-care and self-love)

-Balance

-Harmony

Other names and alternative spellings for Beltane include – but are not limited to – Beltaine, Belltaine, Bealtaine, Beltain, Beltine, Beltany, Bealteine, Bealtuinn, Bealltainn, Boaldyn, Lá Bealtaine, Latha Bealltainn, Cétamain (the Scotch Gaelic word for “May”), Céad Shamhain, Cétshamhainin, Mayfest, and May Day.

Colours associated with Beltane include (but, again, are not limited to) the following:

-Pink

-Coral

-Red

-Yellow

-Peach/apricot

-Orange

-Green

-Aquamarine/turquoise

-Sky blue

-Purple (particularly lavender, lilac, hydrangea, pansy, and violet shades)

-Gold

-Taupe/sand

-White

A case could be put forward that Beltane is the merriest of the sabbats. It is bathed in light, adorned with countless new blooms, and full of a positive, hope-sparking energy that is all but palpable.

And in some respects, it is for those whose hearts beat in unison with the shifting seasons.

If you would like to learn more about Beltane, please check out my previous posts focused specifically on the subject:

–12 Awesome Nature-Centered Activities for Beltane (Guest post that I wrote for the Witch of Lupine Hollow website.)

–15 Excellent Pantry Staple Foods for Beltane and Their Magickal Properties

–25 Books That Are Wonderfully Well-Suited to Beltane

Clearly, I enjoy list entries when it comes to Beltane!

Whether you observe Beltane as a Pagan sabbat or not, we can all embrace and let our creativity shine as vibrantly as the newly returned spring sunshine during these early days of May.

Many of these projects are well suited to Ostara and Litha (and even Lammas, too, for that matter), so there is little to say you must automatically whisk them off into storage come the Summer Solstice.

While the bulk of these crafts are not ones that were designed specifically for Beltane, each contains elements/themes that are squarely at home in this cheerful chapter of the year and therefore easily landed themselves on this list.

I had a stellar time scouring the web for these Beltane-appropriate projects and hope that they bring you no shortage of enjoyment and inspiration as well.

40 Fantastic Beltane Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for May Day

1. Green Man Mask: Embodying elements of both nature and the sacred/divine masculine, the Green Man is an ancient archetypical figure who symbolizes rebirth, new life, nature, and harmony.  

This exquisitely lovely mask looks complex, but objectively, is not that tricky to replicate yourself – especially if you have experience in working with polymer clay.

Whether you wear your completed Green Man mask, use it on your Beltane altar, incorporate it into springtime magickal workings, or set it out as a gorgeous display piece, this is one of those handmade treasures you are bound to reach for year after year.

2. Woodland Mason Jar Lights: What would a craft project roundup post be without at least one mason jar project?

But seriously, there is a good reason why this most humble and hardworking of canning supplies has become a mainstay not only in that arena, but also in the realms of home décor and crafting.

Take this beautiful illuminated jar project for example. It is easy, budget-friendly, and a cinch to put together.

And once you have done just that, you have a breathtaking way to illuminate any dark or nighttime setting. And one that would also, I cannot help but think, make for a stellar addition to just about any woodland wedding setting.

3. Knit Flower Basket Tea Cosy: I have a thing for cozies – toaster, hot water bottle, tea kettle, you name it! If it can reside in its own darling little house, so to speak, I melt faster than butter on hot toast.

This whimsical flower basket knit tea cosy is equal parts adorable and elegant, and strikes me as an excellent gift to whip up and give for Mother’s Day (which, here in North America, is coming up next month).

Plus, for all those tea witches and herbologists out here, this would be an especially lovely way to keep your favourite magickal brew warm.

4. DIY Magic Paintbrush: Clever, resourceful, and very pretty, this creative project breathes new life in old paintbrushes and can be adapted to fit any colour palette your heart desires. Why not go for a rainbow now, fall colours in a few months, and icy cool or rich reds + greens for wintertime?

5. DIY Beltane Incense Recipe: Making (typically, loose) incense yourself can be a potent and highly enjoyable way to not only deepen your connection to this beloved product, but also potentially come up with some awesome and very unique blends in the process.

Take Moody Moon’s lead and put together your own festive incense mix this Beltane season. Ensuring, of course, that it is burned in a fire-safe receptacle (such as this terrific little cast iron cauldron), as loose incense does not work well or safely with most types of stick incense holders.

(Also on this same site, be sure to check out the author’s delightfully delicious recipe for Beltane Faerie Cakes with Candied Violets.)

6. DIY Paper Bird’s Nest: The simplest of supplies are all it takes to create these sweetly beautiful paper bag bird’s nests that look like they took ages to make, but which are actually a (springtime) breeze to put together.

They are every bit as at home for Beltane/May 1^st as they are Ostara/Spring Equinox and Litha/Summer Solstice, and would also be such a fun and festive way to present small gifts to friends, relatives, neighbours, teachers, and so forth throughout the year.

7. Beautiful Beaded Wind Chimes: When I was a little girl, my paternal grandparents had several different sets of wind chimes hanging from the roofing over their deck. Each time the wind rustled through them, it sounded like pure magick to my young ears.

Decades on, I delight no less in seeing, hearing, and even making wind chimes. If you enjoy any of those things as well – or know someone who does – this versatile and very lovely beaded wind chime project may be right up your (breezy) alley.

Plus, it is a great way to use up some of that “bead soup” that so many of us crafters naturally amass over the years.

8. Garden Creatures Cross Stitch Pillow: Fun fact, cross stitch – along with papercrafting and beading/jewelry making – is one of my top three favourite crafts of all time. I have been making tiny “Xs” on aida cloth since I was five or six years old and while these days I rarely have anywhere near the time I wish I did to devote to this passion, I try to get in at least a wee bit of cross stitching annually.

If you likewise enjoy this classic form of needlework and are looking for a charming springtime pattern to stitch up, allow me to suggest this adorable garden themed one that can be turned into a pillow or left flat and framed, as you desire.

9. Lavender DIY Wands: By far one of the most popular sunny seasonal plants the world over, lavender and its telltale scent are just the thing to imbue a beautiful sense of nature into any Beltane or May Day celebration.

This lovely project utilizes lavender and ribbon to create elegant wands that you can put to work in a wide variety of ways. Use them to scent linens, group a few as a centrepiece, use them on your Beltane altar, give them as gifts, or if so inclined (they are technically wands after all) as part of your magickal springtime workings

10. Easy DIY Paper Flower May Day Wreath: While Kristy – the skilled designer of this project – uses a digital die cutting machine to create the flowers in her example here, you could easily replicate this darling May 1^st wreath using manually/electronically die cut flowers or simply hand-cut and shape several blooms from scratch.

No matter what approach you take, you are bound to create a great little wreath that can easily be left out on display the whole sunny season through.

11. Peas in a Pod Crochet Pattern: There is cute, and then there is uber kawaii. This ridiculously adorable “peas in a pod” crochet project falls squarely into the latter camp and is an awesome way to celebrate one of the season’s most delicious garden offerings.

12. A Beautiful Grass Heart Craft: Nature provides the supplies at the heart of this enchanting craft project and highlights the depth of creative possibility that resides in even the most humble of materials.

13. May Day Flower Baskets Made from Tin Cans: Rare is the time I am not enthusiastically on board with recycling or upcycling everyday items into something creative, clever, and – frequently – very handy.

This sophisticated-looking, very inexpensive project hits all of those nails on the head and leaves you with one or more pint-sized flower baskets that can be filled with the real deal, artificial blooms, small gardening tools, writing implements, or just about anything else that fits inside of them.

14. DIY Leaf Pinwheels: An excellent craft to make with little ones, these lovely pinwheels utilize real leaves to make a classic toy that can easily double as a centrepiece, home décor item, or even – if multiples are grouped together – a wonderfully unique bouquet.

15. Easy DIY May Day Baskets: The tradition of May Day baskets, or posies, stretches back for centuries, and holds no less charm and appeal in the 21^st century as it did for those of the past.

These festive hangings are a joy to make, place around your home, and give as gifts – be it for Beltane/May 1^st, Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, or any other occasion you feel they would be a natural fit for.

16. Mini DIY Butterfly Pinatas: There is no need to wait for a birthday party to bust out – and open – the pinatas – especially if they are quick and simple to make versions like this adorable mini butterfly version.

Just think, for example, how sweet and special would it be to put one of these on (or alongside) each person’s place setting at an Ostara, Easter, Beltane, Mayfest, Mother’s Day, Wedding Shower, or birthday party.

And while we associated pinatas with candy, you can technically fill them with other small items instead, too (i.e., small craft supply items, costume jewelry, or beautiful little crystals – make sure, though, that if you include anything that could easily break if dropped that you instruct your guests to open their miniature pinatas over a table or soft surface such as a sofa).

17. Pressed Flower and Leaves Bookmarks: Preserve some of the season’s loveliest little blooms and leaves with this creative, low-cost bookmark project that is perfect to do with kids or (other) adults alike.

And don’t worry, a laminator is not essential here. Clear contact paper can be used instead to deliver the same kind of long-lasting results when creating your homemade pressed leaf and flower bookmarks.

18. Ribbon Streamers: No life-sized maypole to dance around this Beltane, but still in the mood to connect with the symbolization and enjoyment alike that colourful ribbons can present?

May I suggest these vibrant DIY ribbon streamers which you can flutter in the breeze, dance with, securely hang up to flutter in the wind (though, do keep in mind the materials used may not be weatherproof, so bring them inside after your festivities are over), use as a Beltane/May Day decoration, or leave out year around an upbeat piece of rainbow hued home décor.

19. Printable Strawberry Treat Boxes: A printer and the most basic of craft supplies (white cardstock, ribbon or twine, and adhesive) are all it takes to construct these precious little strawberry treat baskets.

Use them for gift giving, send them off in lunchboxes with a yummy bite to eat and a handwritten note tucked inside, or gather several in a basket or bowl and use them as a sweet-as-the-real deal springtime home décor item.

20. Coffee Filter Dancers: Don’t you just love it when the most basic of everyday items can easily be transformed into something enchanting?

I certainly do and as such, instantly fell head-over-heels for this cute, creative, and unexpectedly elegant use of coffee filters.

Compose a handful of these pipe cleaner beauties and place them around a tabletop mini maypole or anywhere else around the house that you wish. They are enchantingly sweet and perfectly suited to springtime.

Plus, with the addition of paper wings, they could easily become faeries or angels.

21. Quaint Flower Socks Free Knitting Pattern: In a season famous for the return of open-toed shoes, knit socks might not be the first thing we think of slipping onto our feet. And yet, not every pair of knitted socks needs to be blizzard-in-January thick/warm by any means.

This sweet, #cottagecore perfect floral themed thin knit pair is a wonderful way to keep on wearing woolen socks long after the last snowman has melted for the year.

22. Make Mosquito Repellant Candles: No word of a lie, many is the year when, in the span of two weeks or less, we have gone from multiple inches of snow on the ground to all but needing to take a bath in buy spray to keep the plagues of mosquitos as bay.

For my entire life, I have been one of those people that mosquitos instantly gravitate towards. So much so, in fact, that when I was growing up some of my relatives used to state (only vaguely jokingly) that they would not get a single bite themselves so long as I was nearby.

Suffice it to say, as someone who adores the outdoors but does not want to be an all-you-can eat buffet for the local ‘skitters, I am always on the prowl for natural ways to help combat this pesky element of the sunny season.

These easy, attractive looing DIY mosquito repellant candles are just the thing to utilize from the first telltale high-pitched buzzing sound until the last all spring, summer, and autumn long.

23. How to Make Pipe Cleaner Daisy Rings: One of the crafting world’s most classic and versatile products springs (seasonally related pun intended) to life in this super fun DIY jewelry project.

Pipe cleaners are all you need to create one, two, five, or a whole garden’s worth of vibrantly hued daisy rings – that, while certainly well-suited to youngsters, can also be a blast to wear as an adult as well.

Plus, how great would creating these be as a make-and-take craft project during a child’s birthday party?

24. DIY Woodland Butterfly Wreath: There is just something about both wreaths and butterflies that suits spring every bit as wonderfully as tall stacks of strawberry shortcake.

If, like, me you can never get enough of either, this sophisticated butterfly themed wreath – which is a snap to make – is a marvellous way to inject a hearty dose of the great outdoors into your interior décor all season long. (Honestly, this project is gorgeous enough to happily leave out the whole year through, if so desired.)

25. Mini Maypoles in 3 Easy Steps: From well-known (and ever-so-creative!) Pagan blogger Moody Moons, comes this easier-than-pie approach to making darling little mini maypoles that can be used Beltane after Beltane. They are upbeat, festive, and meaningful all in the same go.

26. How to Make Lavender Bath Sachets: Themes of cleansing, purification, bathing, and water in general are tightly interwoven with Beltane. Celebrate and connect with them all the more by setting aside some time to savour a gorgeously aromatic soak in the tub care of these lovely DIY lavender bath sachets that are just about as easy to make as turning on the faucet.

27. Sweet Strawberry Painted Rocks: The immense interest in rock painting that swept through the craft world a few years ago is continuing to stay strong – and for good reason! Rock painting is fun, fairly budget-friendly, and endlessly versatile.

Case in point, these adorable little strawberry rocks. How fab would a handful of these be scattered across a table for a tea, garden, Mother’s Day, or birthday party? Or what about in a decorative bowl on the breakfast table to brighten the mornings of all who see them before heading off for their day?

(Note, while not specified in this lovely DIY tutorial post, if you want the painting on your rocks to really last over time, I suggest covering them with a layer or two of suitable clear varnish/sealant once the acrylic painting has thoroughly dried.)

28. DIY Mini Maypole Cakes: Unlike most of the other projects featured in this post, these mini bundt cakes themselves are not intended to be reused year after year.

However, so long as you do not include any perishable items on them, the cute little handmade maypoles that top them can certainly be utilized multiple times (just make sure they are cleaned of any food residue before storing them away until the following Beltane/May Day) – which is worth doing a happy dance around the nearest maypole over!

29. Crochet Magnolia Applique: This detailed how-to post guides you through all of the steps (and supplies) needed to create as many elegantly prettyu crochet magnolia appliques as your heart desires.

Use them to embellish clothing, wreaths, centerpieces, napkin rings, papercrafting projects, gift wrap, or whatever creative idea your mind can dream up!

Note: Calling all crocheters, the very talented Olena, who created this wonderful project has also made and shared scores of other crochet flower patterns on her site, many of which she links to in this post.

30. Rainbow Pinecone Fairies: Precious, colourful, and sweeter than springtime honey, these adorable little pinecone fairies are a cinch to put together, make for a great project to do with kids, and are no less at home on a bookshelf or dining room table as they would be on your Beltane altar.

31. May Day Mason Jar Gift with Free Printable Tags: Spread some festive springtime cheer to friends, neighbours, relatives, colleagues, or anyone else you fancy by surprising them with one (or more) of these super easy to make jars full of sweet springtime blooms that are both plant and holder in one.

32. Ribbon and Flower Crowns: Utilizing two items that have long been associated with Beltane/May 1^st, this enchanting craft project creates a beautiful floral crown that can be worn for years to come –  and/or put to work as a really lovely piece of seasonal décor.

33. Handmade Beaded Butterfly Brooch: Various colours of seed beads, thread, felt, and a suitable clasp pin (or even a safety pin) are all you need to bring this beguilingly lovely butterfly brooch to life.

Copy it as it sits now, or switch up the colours and/or types/sizes of tiny beads and create a whole flutter’s worth of butterflies to wear yourself, give as gifts, or pin in suitable spots around your home as whimsical seasonal décor pieces.

(Related side note: There are multiples terms in English for groups/flocks of butterflies. Two of my favourites are “flutter” and “kaleidoscope”, as both make perfect sense to me. Additional names for groups of butterflies include bivouac, flight, swarm, army, roost, rabble, and wing. Which one/ones do you like best?)

34. Flower Cross Stitch Mini Baskets: While, understandably, we tend to associate springtime baskets with Ostara and Easter, they are no less apt, charming, or beautiful at other points in the spring and summer as well.  

These sweet little cross stitch baskets are far easier to make than they may appear at first glance and can be used to hold a wide array of items from wrapped candies to spools of thread, small bouquets of blooms to servettes at a picnic, tea or garden party.

35. Decoupage Pansy Votive Holder Jars: In the past few weeks, I have suddenly felt pulled towards a craft that for all intents I have not dabbled in for many a long year at this point: decoupage.

Fittingly, I recently hit upon this delightful decoupage votive holder jar project that stars tissue paper pansies and creates a magical little light source for those delectably warm spring and summer evenings spent outdoors.

Naturally, these votive holders can be put to work inside the house as well – and you can certainly swap out the pansies for another type of flower or different type of image entirely. For example, how fabulous would these be with a swarm of fireflies depicted on them?

36. Painted Umbrella Wreath for Spring: Though the classic adage states that April showers bring May flowers, the fact of the matter is that in many corners of the world, May can be a pretty drizzly month unto itself!

Tap into the eternal association between springtime and rain showers care of this clever + beautiful wreath that utilizes an umbrella to hold your favourite seasonal blooms. Colour me smitten!

37. How to Make a Button Bouquet in a Salt & Pepper Shaker: This awesome wire craft employs a few easy-to-obtain items and creates a conversation-starting gem of a floral bouquet that will last long after the final rays of summer sunshine have gone into hibernation for another year.

(As well, you could always switch up the colour palette and create button bouquets for other holidays and special events, too. Naturally, I am envisioning a dark, gothy arrangement for Halloween and/or Valoween.)

38. DIY Homemade Rose Petal Bath Soak (4 Ways): Of all the blooms that grow across the globe, no other ranks higher for me personally than roses.

Naturally, I am far from alone in my passion for this stunning, richly aromatic flower.

This Beltane season, celebrate the purification and revitalization properties of water + cleansing by whipping up one of the four different versions of DIY rose petal bath soaks that are housed in this terrific, photo-filled how-to project post.

39. Soft Fabric Strawberries Tutorial: Easy enough to be hand sewn if you do not own (or wish to use) a sewing machine, these precious fabric strawberries add pep and colour to any setting and would be just the loveliest thing to give as a hostess, Mother’s Day, wedding shower, or other occasion gift all spring and summer long.

40. DIY Pentacle Wind Chime for Spring: Beltane and wind chimes are a perfect match in my books, as the latter utilizes melodic sounds created by the hand of nature to create an enchanting background to the sun-kissed months of spring and summer.

This awesome example can be made in whatever colours you desire, dressed up or down, and used both indoors or (in a suitable spot where the elements won’t wreck it) outdoors.

And should you be on the hunt for books about Beltane, you can find a number of them listed in my post, Your Ultimate Guide to Books on The Pagan Sabbats.

PS: If you are looking for ways to better organize your craft supplies + creative space to help make whipping up beautiful springtime projects like these all the more of an enjoyable process, pop on over to my recent post 50 Super Helpful Craft Supply and Craft Room Organizational Ideas.

Light, warmth, fertility, love, harmony, and optimism

These are common themes that run through Beltane each year. They are not the only ones though, and as with each of the sabbats, it is up to the individuals who observe them to work with the themes, concepts, and (if applicable) deities that you personally feel most connected to in your practice.

Interestingly, despite being one of the warmer sabbats in much of the Northern Hemisphere, fires – particularly bonfires – are an activity pertaining to Beltane that stretches back to the ancient inhabitants of what is today the UK, Ireland, and some of the Norse lands.

Traditionally, either on the evening prior to May 1^st or the night of Beltane itself, household candles and hearth fires would be doused or snuffed out. Inhabitants of the community would then gather together as a sizable bonfire was lit (often on a hill or other steeper vantage point).

Various rituals were often carried out in conjunction with the Beltane/May Day bonfire. One of the best known of which was driving livestock (particularly cattle) between two separate, but very closely situated, fires as an act of purification, blessing, and strength.

This tradition was documented as continuing to take place in parts of the UK and Ireland well into the 19^th century and it is thought that at least a few European farmers continue it to this very day.

Much as with livestock, humans would sometimes also walk between the fires or – assuming the flames weren’t too dangerously high – possibly even leap over fires at Beltane as well.

Torches alight with flames from these communal fires would be taken home to rekindle hearths, candles, rushlights, and oil lamps in the hopes of a bright future in the coming growing and harvesting months.

As these fire(s) burned down and it was safe to then do so, in some areas, people would anoint themselves and/or their animals with ashes. Others are believed to have also been scattered across fields and budding crops to help ensure a prosperous harvest in the coming summer and autumn months.

Acts such as these tap into the ancient practice known as sympathetic magic/magick (sometimes also referred to as imitative magic/magick).

In this case, the fires of Beltane represented the sun, while also acting as a form of ritual purification that helped to burn away negative energy, sources of harm, and lingering challenges from the previous year leading up until May 1^st.

These are all benefits that each of our lives is bound to be bettered by. Therefore, it is of little surprise that some people continue to light fires – be they roaring bonfires or the flames flickering atop tiny chime candles – upon May’s return.

Another common element of early Beltane celebrations was that of food and feasting.

Given the wonderful array of fresh produce returning to farmer’s markets and grocery store shelves (not to mention home gardens) these days, honouring the start of May with a scrumptious feast can be an excellent way to connect further with this meaningful point in the calendar.

Naturally, so can letting your creativity soar far and wide as well.

Whether you opt to follow any of the projects shared above, take a general sense of inspiration from them, or go down your own artistic path entirely, allow these revitalizing days of mid-spring (or early summer, as you please ) to fuel the proverbial bonfires of your own creative undertakings this Beltane season.

Do you view Beltane^t as being more aligned with spring or summer? Which of these festively lovely May 1^st craft ideas jump out at you most of all?

The post 40 Fantastic Beltane Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for May 1st appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

In this world of sub-zero temperatures and slippery sidewalks, it can often be hard – at least if you live, as I do, in an area that experiences long, cold winters – to feel or see a sense of spring’s return yet.

Yet, the catalysts for this exciting happening are brewing. As she wears a mantle of white, deep inside Gaia’s womb, the seeds of spring are being nurtured. 

Each day brings slightly longer minutes of daylight. The frozen ground is still to the eye, but beneath its surface, a microcosm of activity is happening that will help ensure fresh blooms, green grass, and food for humans and critter alike in a matter of months. 

Imbolc – the first of the eight annual Pagan sabbats that comprise the Wheel of the Year – is rounding the bend again.

(Read more about the origins and meanings of Imbolc in my post on Dairy Alternatives and Menu Ideas for Imbolc.)

It will grace us with its presence on February 1st, a stirring and meaningful reminder that spring is not actually a million miles away at this point – even if it can feel that way sometimes. 

Inspired by my dear friend Willow from the stellar witchery blog Flying the Hedge, who has long posted about her own sabbat altars, today I’m going to give you a tour of my Imbolc 2021 altar. 

But first…

The Launch of Witchcrafted Life’s YouTube channel

Soooo, I did a thing this week.

Every now and then, usually seemingly out of the blue, I get what I like to call a sudden surge of moxie when it comes to the internet. 

A mighty force comes over me and my usually ridiculously shy, introverted nature receives a spark of extra boldness and extroversion. 

These sparks are few and far between, but I’ve long learned it’s best not to ignore them for they can lead to some pretty incredible things in the long run. 

This time around, the spark placed on my heart the fact that the time had come to launch a YouTube channel to accompany this blog and my current social media accounts.

I could list a million and one reasons, many of which are solidly legit, why I could have ignored the spark, put it to the side, debated at length with it in my mind.

But I didn’t do that. 

I didn’t listen to the fear or the trepidation. I didn’t even focus (too much) on the fact that I am not a huge fan of how my own voice sounds.

You see, I have a somewhat nasally sounding voice that is present in almost all of the women (of multiple generations) on the paternal side of my family. I also think my voice sounds many years younger than my age, though perhaps now that I’m in my mid-30s, that isn’t actually such a negative point any longer.

Nope, instead, in the wee hours of the morning, having just set up my Imbolc 2021 altar a few minutes prior, I whipped out my cell phone and shot a short video of said altar.

Is this video award-winning quality? Lol, no, not in the slightest. But it real and sweet and the first step on this exciting new journey. 

What can you expect from Witchcrafted Life’s YouTube channel?

Much like this blog (and my Instagram account), Witchcrafted Life’s YouTube channel is going to be a mix of posts pertaining to witchery and Paganism, as well as paper crafting and other creative pursuits. 

It is possible that additional types of content might appear there as well, but at his early stage in the game, I’m letting things unfold organically and trying not to stress or over-plan things too much.

On my YouTube channel, I plan to post crafting related video tutorials, project shares, occasional hauls, happy mail, reviews, an array of witchy and Pagan related topics, and likely other things, too, as time goes on.

I would be honoured and sincerely grateful if you subscribed to Witchcrafted Life’s YouTube channel. 

Thank you with a very grateful heart for doing so. 

I should note that this YouTube channel is not aiming to replace my blog or Instagram, but rather to accompany them and serve as an exciting additional way for me to share, support, teach, and hopefully inspire others all the more. 

My Imbolc 2021 altar 

(Further information about this altar…) I have multiple altars in my house. This one is located in what was originally designed to be a very small closet in the (likewise, quite small) room that serves as both my craft room and my primary witchy/sacred space.

This altar focuses on the Wheel of the Year, with a new set up generally being created for each sabbat (or, less often, for each of the four seasons). 

It houses a mix of certain items that are mainstays on this particular altar, coupled with pieces that are swapped in and out for each sabbat or season. 

Beyond what I shared in this short video tour of my altar, let’s delve into some of the Imbolc correspondences at work on this altar. 

Imbolc correspondences

With my wand, besom, and athame, I formed the shape of a triangle in the middle of the altar. 

These sacred magickal tools are ones that I use all throughout the year. 

Triangles are considered to be one of, if not “the”, strongest and most powerful shapes. 

After the year we just collectively endured, I felt like I needed to fortify both my Imbolc altar and my life + witchery all the more this sabbat. 

As well, triangles are intimately connected to the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water), which – along with spirit – I make a point to specifically recognize and honour at the sabbats.  

Triangles are also comprised of three sides or parts, with three being an extremely powerful number in witchery – not the least of which comes via the archetype of the triple goddess. 

Spirit, is honoured here in multiple ways, with the aged silvertone metal pentacle offering plate in the middle of the triangle being one of the key ways on this altar. 

Birds appear on this Imbolc altar in multiple forms. 

Two owls (owls are rife with magickal and spiritual connections such as clarity, the ability to see and survive in dark times, the ancients, ancestry, wisdom, strength, and the darker half of the year) appear on my Imbolc altar.

One in the form of a beautiful transparent ornament filled with glittery “snow”, the other sweet little owl figurine. 

Both of these items are gifts that I received over the years from cherished family members (who know that I have an unending love of owls and things that depict them), so they mean all the more to me. 

Atop the ceramic bell on the righthand side of the altar sits a sweet little blue jay. 

Blue jays are smart, focused, hard-working animals. Spiritually, the can represent many things, such as commitment, fortitude, bravery, assertiveness, faithfulness, opportunity, resourcefulness, and making the best of whatever life hands you.

If those aren’t traits and approaches we can be served well by at present, I don’t know what are! 

Last summer, while on a nature walk with Annie, I found the partial remains of a bird that had clearly been struck by a vehicle. Most of the poor dear had been completely obliterated, but one of its wings remained intact and I immediately felt a strong inner voice telling me to bring it home.

After properly cleaning and decontaminating it from any possible parasites, I held a vigil for the bird’s lost life, promised this part of its earthly body a safe and loving home, and have been working with the wing in various witchy ways ever since. 

In the deep, icy cold heart of winter here in Canada, we don’t tend to see a ton of different animals. However, amongst those that we do, birds, deer, and foxes are some of the most common. 

Deer are not directly represented on my Imbolc altar this year. Foxes, however, are in the form of an adorable little vintage fox figurine. 

Much like owls, foxes are an extremely magickal and spiritual animal who have been revered, honoured, and sometimes even worshiped since time immemorial. 

Foxes can represent a wide range of things such as cleverness and intelligence, strength, agility, guidance through tough times or decisions, privacy and secrecy, and a connection to liminal times and periods, such as dusk or just before dawn, as well as the periods surrounding sabbats and shifts in the seasons. 

In terms of colours for my Imbolc altar this year, I opted primarily for shades of white, silver, grey, blue, and earthy brown. 

These hues are ones that directly represent those that fill our snowy Canadian landscape at the moment, and which I personally associate a great deal with Imbolc.

Magickal correspondence for blue include: Serenity, stability, peace, hope, patience, stillness, devotion, truth, honesty, and healing. 

Magickal correspondences for white include: Peace, hope, acceptance, strength, possibility, newness, honour, beauty, versatility, and timelessness. 

Magickal correspondences for silver and grey include: Introspection, serenity, acceptance, history, ancestors, femininity, the moon, intuition, openness, and creativity. 

Magickal correspondences for brown include: Grounding, stability, strength, dependability, resourcefulness, nature, and home. 

These colours appear throughout the items on my altar, including the candles, crystals (clear quartz, sodalite, desert rose, and moonstone), the ribbon and charm on handle of the besom, the crescent moon ornament, and various candleholders. 

Candles are a must for me on just about any sabbat altar I construct, but are an especially apt addition at Imbolc.

Yule helped to start the ball rolling on the return of longer periods of daily sunlight, but it is at Imbolc that we really begin to focus on the returning light and the ways in which it will help to generate spring’s rebirth.

As well, we turn to the light and heat of things like candles, oil lamps, and bonfires as meaningful representations of the inner light and strength it can take to power through another long winter. 

In terms of crystals, I incorporated the following four stones into my Imbolc altar:

–Clear quartz: Each of the elements, the soul, energy, psychic abilities, light working, protection, clarity, tranquillity, harmony, versatility, strength, healing, positivity, abundance, hope, banishing negativity, and balance. 

–Moonstone: Water (which we have plenty of in the form of snow and ice in early February), ancient wisdom, spirituality, abundance, clarity, personal growth, insight, giving, peace, nighttime, serenity, timelessness, femininity, mothering, child birth, new beginnings, and, naturally, the moon. 

–Desert rose selenite: Earth and air, grounding, aligning (including of the chakras), dreams, light working, harmony, fortitude, creativity, stability, newness, past and future lives, insight, safety and security, wisdom, creativity, awareness, deepening one’s abilities, motivation, and bolstering self-esteem and positivity. 

–Sodalite: Water, intelligence, psychic abilities, equality, trust, clarity, intuition, perception, emotional balance, calming, restfulness, meditation, bolstering self-esteem and self-acceptance, and restfulness. 

These stones were selected first and foremost for their properties and meanings, which I feel align well with Imbolc as well as the current troubled times our world is enduring. Their colours have the lovely added bonus of working well in the context of winter and Imbolc. 

I will conclude this tour of my Imbolc altar by mentioning the gorgeous circular wooden Wheel of The Year plaque that rightfully nabs the limelight here. 

It was purchased about four years ago from a fantastic European seller of handmade magickal, altar, and ritual products called Pandora Witch Shop. 

I cherish the eight-times-a-year act of literally turning this circle, or wheel, to align with the next sabbat. And cannot recommend picking up one of Pandora Witch Shop’s offerings for yourself highly enough, if the idea of doing so resonates with you as well.

Imbolc (and Lammas) blessings from my heart to yours

Whether you observe Imbolc or not (which, it is important to note applies primarily to the Northern Hemisphere, as many Pagans and witches who live south of the equator celebrate the first of the harvest sabbats, Lammas, at the beginning of February), it can be beneficial to take some time to celebrate the start of February.   

We’re not quite through winter yet, but we’re not at the start of this chilly season anymore either.

February 1st is an excellent time for grounding, balancing work, goal planning (or checking on how your current goals are doing), embracing coziness, savouring the peacefulness that winter can impart, new plans, and beginning to prepare for spring. 

On the new plans front, I’d say the launch of Witchcrafted Life’s YouTube channel definitely qualifies! 

I’m elated about this new start and look forward to hopefully sharing many fun, informative, and inspiring videos there with you as time goes on. 

From my heart to yours, happiest blessings for a serene, beautiful, regenerative, and very safe Imbolc season, dear friends!

The post Imbolc 2021 Altar Tour + The Launch of Witchcrafted Life’s YouTube Channel appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

And speaking of glowing things, tonight, as we gaze skyward – wondering if maybe, just maybe, we really did see something flash across the sky on a broom – we will be doing so under the light of a blue moon.

Not any blue moon – rare as they are unto themselves – but an extra uncommon October 31^st blue moon at that.

The combination of an event that transpires once every two or more decades on a day that is, for many of us, already an extremely spiritually and/or meaningfully charged time is nothing short of incredible.

What is a blue moon?

The expression “blue moon” has been in use since at least 1528, when it appeared in a religiously focused pamphlet that was penned by two friars.

These days we generally use the term “blue moon” to refer to when two full moons take place in the same calendar month. However, earlier on, this expression was applied to times when an extra full moon appeared in a given season.

We’ve been using the term “once in a blue moon” and referring to two full months in a single month as blue moons since at least 1946, when the expression was discussed in the March 1946 edition of Sky and Telescope magazine.

While blue moons themselves are fairly uncommon – with one happening, on average, every 2.5 – 3 years or so – the occurrence of blue moons on Halloween is much, much less frequent.

This rare and exciting event, which takes place today, is not slated to return again until 2039 (followed by three more Halloween Blue Hunter Moons this century, in 2058, 2077, and 2096, respectively).

Talk about living up to its name!

Is the blue moon actually blue?

Despite its name, blue moons – which, again, refer to times when two full moons occur in the same calendar month – are not actually blue in colour.

That said, depending on the atmospheric conditions, degree of visible light, weather, and cloud cover, the sky around the Halloween full moon – be it an actual blue moon or otherwise – can sometimes have a marvelously spooky blue, black, purple, orange, yellow, or white colour to it.

Again though, the moon itself will not be a glowing blue orb of light in the sky this Halloween – as cool as that would surely be!

Interestingly, it is possible – though exceedingly uncommon – for the moon itself (be it full or otherwise) to take on the appearance of having a blue cast to it.

This is most likely to occur when there is a sizable amount of dust particles or smoke in the atmosphere, such as during some major wildfires and following the 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano and various other large volcanic events (including Mount St. Helen’s in 1980).

Cold weather, especially that of the winter months in both far north and far south climates can also sometimes cause the moon to take on the appearance a subtle blue tinge.

This is aided all the more so if the sky around it is inky blue and/or if the moon is partially full or obscured to a degree by cloud cover (as seen in the gorgeous photo above, which was taken in the winter of 2017 by my husband, Tony, who is a talented and passionate photographer.)

When is the next blue moon?

We will all be waiting a good long while until the next Halloween blue moon. However, as far as non-spooky season blue moons go, we will experience a second full moon in the same month come August 2023.

To be precise, the next blue moon will take place on August 31, 2023 – and not only with it be a blue moon, but it will be a blue super moon.

An event that is, much like a Halloween blue moon, a rare and wonderful happening unto itself.

(A super moon is the full moon that is the closest and, accordingly, largest of a given lunar year.)

Can a year have two blue moons?

While we’re on the subject of rare moon occurrences, you may be wondering if it is possible to have more than one blue moon in a single lunar year.

Delightfully, the answer is yes.

Though an uncommon happening, some years do house two different blue moons. This can occur if a given February (the shortest month of the year) has no full moon of its own in a particular year.

For those who like to mark their calendars really far in advance, we’ll get to enjoy the next double blue moon year in 2037, when a blue moon will appear in both January and March of that year.

Two blue moons is the largest number of blue moons that can occur in a given year, and indeed, more years lack a blue moon than includes one (or two).

What is the name of the October full moon?

Each of the full moons of the year is known by various names across different cultures and time periods.

The moon following the Harvest Moon, which took place this year on October 2^nd, is commonly called the Hunter Moon.

Its name refers to times when – and to this day still for some people, too, of course – following the harvest season or in conjunction with its final days, hunting and forging were carried out to help load up one’s caches of food for the coming long, cold winter months ahead when easily obtained food sources were/are often scarce.

What do you call it when there are two new moons in one month?

Much as how a single month can, occasionally, house two blue moons, so too do some months include two new moons (the time when the moon is positioned between the earth and sun leading to a dark moon or “no moon”, though the later is factually inaccurate, as the moon is always in the sky, whether we can see it at or not).

When this happens, it is called a black moon.

Black moons, much like blue moons, are rare events.

Those whose spirituality and/or connection to nature is aided by the actions of the heavenly bodies above will be keen to watch out for and connect with the highly charged energy of black moons.

On average, black moons occur every 32 months or so. They are the opposite of full moons and the next one will grace the sky come April 30, 2022.

What else is going on in the sky tonight?

Depending on where you live, the weather today might be anywhere from roasty-toasty to snowflake filled, rainy to calm and mild.

We’ll be lucky if we stay above freezing on this end. But, given that we’ve already had multiple snow days this year, I really cannot complain so long as the flurries stay at bay!

No matter where you reside, the moon will have some lovely company today, as the red planet of Mars comes the closest to earth it has been in two years.

Talk about one heck of a celestial power couple!

What does the blue moon represent spiritually?

The answers for this are vast and varied. The moon has been a meaningful, often highly referred part of many peoples’ lives since time immemorial.

Many a book has been penned on the subject of the moon’s history, moon magick, moon folklore, and the astrological science surrounding the moon – and for good reason!

This mythical and magnificent glowing orb is a universal nightlight that shone down upon the earth since before the dawn of life on this planet.

The moon itself is a highly symbolic and important cosmic body.

Countless religions and faiths, belief systems, magickal workings, and good ol’ legends alike have involved the moon over the course of human history.

Likewise, scores of meanings and connections have been linked to the moon.

Some of the most common and widespread include feminine energy and the divine feminine, mystery, spirituality, psychic connections, traditions, cyclical nature, birth, death, the afterlife, reincarnation, balance, strength, patience, energy, fertility, power, beauty, reverence, nighttime, shadows, darkness, water, oceans, the key stages of life, witchcraft, magick, serenity, healing, the natural ebb and flow of life, and personal growth – to name but a few.

A blue moon can house, convey or personally symbolize any or all of these things for a given individual.

It also has the added element of rarity, which lends it an extra special energy and sense of wonder.

And while not technically blue in colour, a blue moon is a great time to honour the name of this second full moon and work magickally/spiritually with the colour blue in whatever ways feel right to you.

As well, if you work with crystals or any other items you wish to charge by the light of the moon, the Halloween 2020 blue moon is a truly apt and awesome time to do just that.

Living the blue moon life

The expression “once in a blue moon” is used quite frequently. Chances are many of us say it more than we even realize.

Once in a blue moon can be applied to situations or events both positive and negative, as well as those that are simply especially uncommon.

For me, the fact that I wasn’t able (for health reasons) to post quite as many Halloween and Samhain related entries here and over on Instagram alike as I would have ideally liked was a bit of a blue moon event unto itself.

Many who have known me for long – be it via IG, back in the days of my vintage blog, or elsewhere online – likely know that I live for October (Halloween/Samhain is my favourite and most sacred day of the entire year). And that, whenever possible, I post up a storm in celebration of this deeply meaningful chapter of the year.

Some years though, no matter what we plan or hope for, there are forces bigger than us at play.

A lifetime of experience has taught me that, while it’s wonderful to try and better situations or elements that aren’t ideal, fighting tooth and nail against those we have little to no ability to alter is often a recipe for heartache, stress, and a host other undesirable states.

And that, dearest friends, is the furthest thing in the universe I want when October 31 returns to our world – which it has done today.

This Samhain/Halloween is different in a lot of other ways, too.

How could it not be given the unique, challenging, often difficult, continually uncertain year that has been 2020?

Yet, no matter what, no matter where in the world we reside, at some point on the final day of October, a rare second full moon will shine down upon us.

Its solid, yet ethereal nature and haunting beauty, a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, a little extra light is out there, waiting to help guide our paths onto better, more stable times ahead.

This October 31^st, whether you observe Halloween, the final Pagan harvest season sabbat of Samhain, both, something else entirely, or nothing at all, I encourage you to connect in your own poignant ways with the energy and radiance of the 2020 Halloween blue moon.

Events like this truly do not come along every day. Indeed, it will be another 19 years before the time a blue moon falls on All Hallows’ Eve again.

Go forth or stay put, party or keep the celebrations mellow, work magick, connect with the departed, rewatch your favourite Halloween flicks, feast on festive eats, or head outside and bath in the beauty and intense energy of this poignant celestial event.

However you spend this day, I hope that it is a positive, safe, meaningful, and memorable one for you.

And remember that, like rare blue moons themselves, tough and uncertain times such as the year we’re collectively experiencing, do not last forever.

Happiest Halloween, joyful Samhain, and blessed blue moon wishes from my heart to yours!

The post Every Once in a Blue Moon: Fun and Fascinating Halloween Blue Moon Facts appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Historically, Beltane has often marked the start of the light half of the year, which is characterized by such things as abundant sunlight, warmth, and a wide variety of fresh crops.

This light-filled half will conclude, from a sabbat standpoint, with Samhain at the end of October, from which point onward the world will experience the darker half of the year. Until, in a dance that has played out since time immemorial, the cycle begins anew once more the following Beltane.

For those north of the equator (south of this point, the seasons – and, optionally, Wheel of the Year – are experienced in reverse order to those in the northern hemisphere), May and June are often a gloriously lovely time.

All of nature has come out of hibernation, the sky rivals tropical seas with the depth of its azure tones, the grass is verdant, lush and inviting to our sandal clad feet, and some of the most delicious fresh food of the entire year is once again in season.

This year, however, while all of those same things still ring true, the Covid-19 pandemic and continued need to remain in self-isolation, coupled with global food chain and supply shortages of certain products means that popping down to the nearest grocery store or farmer’s market for fresh produce may not be possible at present

Even if our local supermarkets are open, there’s no guarantee that the items we’re after will be on their shelves. Nor that we’ll be in a position – be it due to health, finances, or safety – to reach the stores nearest to us in the first place.

I’m a huge proponent of eating fresh, shopping locally, and (if feasible and so desired) growing some of your own food.

Tough times alter our lives, however. The types and availability of food that we presently have available to us is currently one of the ways in which many people are experiencing the impacts of this devastating global pandemic.

In today’s post, we are going to explore some of the foods that are closely associated with Beltane coupled with ways to make the most of those foods in store cupboard form, as that is what an ever-increasing number of us are working with for our daily menus and sabbat meals alike.

What foods are traditionally associated with Beltane?

Beltane is the Celtic May Day festival whose roots stretch far back in history, to a time of a primarily agrarian-based society the predated the industrial revolutions by hundreds upon hundreds of years.

It is one of the four traditional Celtic/Gaelic festivals that helped to delineate the seasons for these early people (the others were Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh/Lammas, respectively).

Beltane was heavily associated with the start of the summer pastoral season, fresh produce, and energy filled life, plus fiery passion, and was seen to be a time when – much as at Samhain – the veil between the worlds thinned.

The ancient Celts were certainly not the only culture to celebrate, honour and/or worship the start of May, but it is largely through their observance of this annual happening that we’ve derived much of our 21^st century interpretation of Beltane. Influences from other early European cultures, including the Norse and the Germanic peoples can be felt as well.

As this springtime sabbat is typically observed on, or right around, May 1^st, the foods that have traditionally been associated with Beltane tend to be those that are at are in season at that point in the spring.

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

-Asparagus

-Artichokes

-Baby/new potatoes

-Bannock

-Blueberries

-Carrots

-Celery

-Dairy products (vegetarians, vegans, and those who do not otherwise consume animal milk products can easily swap in dairy alternatives instead)

-Garlic (as well as wild garlic)

-Green beans

-Green peas

-Edible springtime flowers such as honeysuckle, lilacs, jasmine, roses, and violets

*IMPORTANT NOTE* Only Jasminum officinale is edible. All other jasmine species, including “false jasmine” are poisonous. Please see this page on edible flowers for more details.

-Honey

-Leeks

-Lemons

-Lettuce

-May Wine (alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions; here is a lovely May Wine recipe that you may enjoy)

-Oatcakes

-Radishes

-Ramps (a species of wild onions)

-Roses (and rose water)

-Rhubarb (in some areas, in others it may be ready later in the summer)

-Scones

-Spinach

-Spring onions

-Strawberries

-Swiss chard

-Various herbs such as chives, dill, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme

-Watercress

Importantly, it should be noted that the ancients did not have had access to all of these foods at the same time and in the same place. (Ye olde Whole Foods Market was definitely not a thing yet! )

However, chances are that of those they were able to harvest or otherwise obtain (such as through trading), they would likely have included a variety of these healthy offerings into their diet during the spring and early summer months.

Some of the above listed foods are going to be explored in further detail below, complete with their respective magickal correspondences.

Are fresh foods a better choice for Beltane?

While you might prefer the taste or texture of fresh versions of certain foods, from a magickal standpoint, I do not personally believe that canned, tinned, frozen, dehydrated, or otherwise non-perishable forms of food are automatically less effective, magickal, or meaningful (especially if little to no preservatives or artificial ingredients have been added to them).

You can impart, bless, charge, or otherwise imbue anything that you eat or work with in your practice with the energy and intent of your choosing.

Doing so should help to ensure that foods with far off expiration dates are just as useful and beneficial in your workings (and daily meals) as those that were just plucked from the field or tree.

Objectively, while some foods are seen as being fairly common non-perishable pantry or store cupboard staples, I have no way of knowing what you have on hand and/or may readily have access to at present.

I encourage you to keep in mind as you continue reading from this point onward, that this is not a checklist. It is totally okay if you do not currently have some or even all of these different foods at your house.

Necessity is the mother of invention and of substitution. As lovely as it is to try and eat foods that are traditionally in season – or otherwise plentifully available – at the time of each of the sabbats, if that isn’t feasible for you, please try not to worry about it.

As an alternative, you could aim instead to focus more on the colour of your food. For example, luscious greens and sunny yellows, pretty reds and elegant purples to mirror and correspond to the hues that we see in abundant in the natural world during the month of May.

As well, for the purpose of keeping things concise, I have used the terms “pantry” and “store cupboard” quite liberally here, extending them to cover various foods that you may have in canned, tinned, packaged, frozen or otherwise non-perishable form.

Naturally, if you currently have ready access to the fresh versions of these foods and wish to enjoy them during the Beltane season, by all means do so.

That said, we witchy folk are nothing if not resourceful and know that making the best of what we have at our disposal right now is one of the keys to a happier, more content, and abundantly blessed life and magickal practice alike – so reach for those store cupboard staples!

15 foods for Beltane and their magickal correspondences

1. Asparagus: Magickal properties for asparagus pertain in no small part to lust, sex, power, and fertility – making it one of the most well-suited foods to tuck into at Beltane. In addition, asparagus is linked magickally to cleansing, purifying, healing, water magick, money magick, fortitude, keeping a calm head, standing up for yourself and others, boldness, and masculine energy.

Common non-perishable forms of asparagus include frozen, pickled, and canned/tinned.

2. Artichokes: Magickal properties for artichokes tend to gravitate heavily towards matters of shielding and protection, as well as areas of personal growth, getting to the heart of the matter, letting your inner desires shine or manifest, exposing the truth, boldness, honesty, caring for others, and love of all sorts.

Common non-perishable forms of artichokes include frozen, pickled, and canned/tinned.

3. Blueberries: Magickal properties for blueberries abound – much like the healthy properties of these powerhouse fruits. Turn to blueberry magick for protection (including of pets and other animals, as well as houses and property protection), the moon, feminine energy, health, healing, restoration, aura cleansing and strengthening, divination, faeries, sweetness, vitality, completion (of projects, goals, tasks, etc), shielding and protecting from energy vampires and psychic attacks, and optimism.

Common non-perishable forms of blueberries include frozen, dehydrated, powdered, freeze-dried, syrups, jams, jellies, preserves, and canned/tinned.

4. Carrots: Magickal properties for carrots – by far one of the most iconic and beloved of springtime vegetables – include such things as grounding, healing, protection, desire, sexuality, fertility, seeing things for what they truly are, planting seeds of your desires, positivity and fun, sweetness, healing, opening your third eye, dreams, visions, youthfulness, and playfulness.

Common non-perishable forms of carrots include frozen, dehydrated, freeze-dried, jams, preserved in sweet syrups, relishes, pickled, and canned/tinned.

5. Celery: Magickal properties for celery include those that can help with a number of important areas of our lives, including mental clarity, releasing, banishing, concentration, psychic awareness and gifts, soothing, helping to pass or speed along unwanted situations, serenity, calming, weight related matters, balance and harmony, unearthing the truth, and (much like asparagus) water workings and rituals.

Common non-perishable forms of celery include frozen, dehydrated, celery salt, celery seeds, and canned/tinned.

6. Garlic: Magickal properties for garlic, one of the world’s most frequently used and adored culinary ingredients, are quite abundant and pertain to matters such as protection, luck, distancing yourself from unwanted energies and individuals, health, personal growth, masculinity, strength inclusion in witch jars, spell jars, mojo bags, and poppets; home protection, cleansing, purification, ancestor work, spell breaking, hex and curse breaking, working at the crossroads, and nighttime magick.

Common non-perishable forms of garlic include minced and crushed forms of garlic sold in jars, frozen, freeze dried, garlic salt, garlic powder, garlic paste, pickled, and canned/tinned.

7. Green Beans: Magickal properties for green beans are plentiful – much like the culinary applications for perineal springtime vegetables. Matters of divination, money, creativity, new starts, standing tall (standing up for yourself), insight, wisdom, communication, clarity, personal space, getting out of ruts, hopefulness, creativity, garden and the fae are some of the key areas where green beans can help your magickal spells and other witchy workings. (Note, these magickal properties apply to yellow wax beans as well.)

Common non-perishable forms of green beans include frozen, freeze-dried, pickled, and canned/tinned.

8. Green Peas: Magickal properties for green peas (including sugar snap peas) share points in common with those of green beans, as well as some of their own special strengths. Turn to green pea magick when you want to focus on areas relating to new growth, love, traditions, family matters, ancestor work, history, gardening, environmental protection, Gaia, strength, grounding, acceptance, serenity, and money matters.

Common non-perishable forms of green peas include frozen, freeze-dried, canned/tinned, and green pea snack crisps.

9. Honey: Magickal properties for honey flow as abundantly and beautifully as this ancient, much adored culinary treasure. Work with honey in your spells, rituals, offerings and other magickal activities that pertain to love, happiness, peace, serenity, creativity, femininity, fertility, healing, self care, vital energy, binding, friendships, reaching amicable outcomes, traditions, family, celebrating both life and death (including as an offering at cemeteries, launching new project and businesses, sweetness, kindness, romance, longevity, the sun, in hoodoo honey jars, and as an offering to a wide array of gods, goddesses, and spirit allies.

Most forms of honey, assuming they are properly stored are inherently long-lasting. If needed, honey can be frozen and thawed for later use (or used straight from its frozen form in some types of recipes).

10. Lemons: Magickal properties for lemons are generally upbeat and sunny, reminding one of the vibrant hue of this beloved citrus fruit. Make lemons your magickal main squeeze when you want to focus on spells, rituals, offerings and other witchy workings pertaining to awareness, spirituality, clarity, purification, cleansing, rejuvenation, happiness, compassion, prosperity, warm and friendly relationships, friendship, femininity, fertility, children, auras, lightness of being, dreams, breaking negative ties, optimism, and the moon. (And, my fellow Cancers may enjoy knowing that lemons are closely associated with our astrological sign, much as it is with that of Pisces.)

Common non-perishable forms of lemons include frozen, freeze-dried, dehydrated, preserved, dried lemon peel, lemon extract, lemon juice, lemon concentrate, lemon pepper, jams, marmalades, and candied lemon peel.

11. Oats: Magickal properties for oats stretch far back into the past and oats remain one of the most versatile and useful magickal ingredients you can keep in your kitchen or witchy ingredient cabinet to this day. Use oats in your magickal workings when you’re focusing on areas of happiness, health, tradition, stability, fertility, ancestor work, family matters, fortitude, endurance, persistence, personal change, meditation, house and home, beauty, friendship, faithfulness, good luck, stick-to-itiveness, comfort, healing, respect, spiritual growth, venturing out into the world, education, employment, and achieving balance in your life.

Most varieties of oats, assuming they are properly stored are inherently long-lasting. Some of the most common forms of oats include oatmeal, quick cooking oats, old-fashioned oats, rolled oats, steel-cut oats, oat flour, oatbreads, oatcakes, oat crackers, oat based breakfast cereals, granola, musali, granola bars, British flapjacks, oatmeal cookies, and oat milk.

12. Rosemary: Magickal properties for rosemary abound and this beautiful herb is one that should have a standing spot in both your magickal workings and your kitchen. Use rosemary when you’re focusing on areas pertaining to love, attraction, spicing up your life, the solar plexus, dream work, warding off nightmares, memories, loyalty, sleep, strength, kitchen witchery, home blessings and protection, family, jealousy, bonding, purification, divination, protection from the evil eye, cleaning your space, offerings, the dead, hedge riding, spirits, ancient history, creativity, strengthening relationships, rejuvenation, bathing, and the element of air.

Common non-perishable forms of rosemary include dried, frozen, rosemary paste, rosemary-infused oils, and rosemary salt.

13. Spinach: Magickal properties for spinach are strong and ample (much like the delicious culinary possibilities when cooking with spinach). Tap into the green goodness of spinach when you wish to focus your magickal workings on areas of personal growth, money, fertility, passion, strength, determination, shielding, charging, the forest (and nature in general), travel, transportation, ley lines, astral projection, or the planet Jupiter.

Common non-perishable forms of spinach include frozen, canned/tinned, and dehydrated.

14. Strawberries: Magickal properties for strawberries are generally sweet, upbeat and highly welcome – much like this sunny weather culinary staple. Turn to strawberries in your magickal workings when you’re centering your attention on romance, love, pregnancy, family, youth, beauty, femininity, positivity, hope, truthfulness, creativity, warmth, friendship, overcoming hardships, dedication, success, stamina, reliability, giving, spiritual detoxification and cleansing, good luck, or the goddess Venus.  

Common non-perishable forms of strawberries include frozen, dehydrated, freeze-dried, powdered, syrups, jams, jellies, preserves, and canned/tinned.

15. Thyme: Magickal properties for thyme include those pertaining to purifying, cleansing, releasing and banishing negativity, happiness, personal style, prosperity, sweetness, hope, stability, tradition, balance, personal freedom, boldness, positive outlooks, letting go, compassion, reaching peaceful agreements, easing anxiety and nervousness, grief, trauma processing, releasing negativity, the fae, forest spirits, history, ancestors work, finding lost items, house hunting, financial matters, longevity, creativity, performing arts, writing, and honoring the dead.

Common non-perishable forms of thyme include dried, frozen, thyme paste, thyme-infused oils, and thyme salt.

As discussed earlier in this post, it is useful to remember that the magickal properties of each of the above listed foods apply whether a given food is fresh or preserved in some manner.

I aimed to include foods in this list that are, under normal (aka, pre-Coronavirus) circumstances, relatively readily available in many parts of the world in at least one non-perishable form, such as canned, tinned, frozen or dried.

Thus making them more likely to be a store cupboard (or freezer, spice rack, etc) item that you already have in your home or which you may be able to purchase – depending on what the shops or online sources for groceries (and magickal ingredients) in your area still have in stock at the moment.

Ways to work with food at Beltane

If you’re wondering how to work with food at Beltane, you’ve come to the right place!

The following are some lovely and meaningful ways to involve springtime foods in your Beltane celebrations, rituals and magickal workings.

Before hopping into this list, I need to preface it by making an important point. If you – or anyone in your household/family – need every last bite of food at present, please do not sacrifice even so much as a single blueberry or crumb of oatcake for purposes that do not involve human or pet consumption of said food.

It is a wonderful thing to celebrate the sabbats with food-related activities and festive meals, but we are currently living through some exceptionally different and difficult times and survival must always come first.

So with that important point established, let’s continue on and explore a number of different ways to perform Beltane kitchen witchery and otherwise work with food at Beltane in a magickal context.

–Place offerings of food on your altar or in another spot in your house (or yard) for whatever spirit allies, deities, elementals, angels, or other entities you presently work with.

–Hold a dumb supper. While most commonly associated in a modern Pagan sense with Samhain, the act of holding a silent – or “dumb” – supper in order to honour the departed is a poignant act that is inherently at home come Beltane as well.

This is especially true since Beltane and Samhain are exactly opposite each other on the Wheel of the Year and both are liminal times when the veil between the worlds grows thinner. If you’d like to learn more about Dumb Suppers, I suggest checking out this guest post I wrote on the subject back in 2018.

-Whip up some delicious Beltane recipes and have an early morning feast to welcome the rising sun on Beltane morn (or later in the day as a fun and festive May Day brunch.

-Make a batch of beautiful Beltane cupcakes or a charmingly lovely May Pole Cake, both of which honour the centuries old tradition of dancing around a maypole at the start of May.

–Anoint candles with dried or fresh herbs or flower petals (ensure that anything you burn is safe to be inhaled by humans and any animal friends who live with you).

–Mix dried or fresh herbs with salt (white, black, pink, etc – depending on what you’re aiming to accomplish or manifest) and use it to cleanse, bless, protect, or banish unwanted elements or energies from your house, by sprinkling the herbed salt mixture in various areas inside or out of your home (again, make sure any ingredients you use are safe for pets and humans – especially if you live with children).

–Create healthy, all-natural treats for your beloved pets using some of the same store cupboard ingredients that you may be tucking into this Beltane. For example, these 4-Ingredient Dog Treats that star blueberries and whole wheat flour or these inviting looking Carrot and Catnip Kitty Treats.

-Make a loaf of bread, cake, batch of cookies, tray of brownies, or another recipe that includes two or more of the Beltane foods listed in this post for extra seasonal potency.

For example, what about a carrot, thyme and lemon cake? Why not a vegan pot pie with green peas, spinach, leeks and assorted herbs? Or why not a delicious overnight oatmeal loaded with strawberries and blueberries, plus rosemary or lavender, if you have some to hand.

–Connecting all the more with the fae is one of the key elements of Beltane for some folks, myself included. Why not bake classic oatcakes, scones, Fried Honey Cakes, or Elderflower Fritters to leave as an offering for those faeries who inhabit your immediate environment.

-If you have access to pesticide-free edible flowers that are safe for human consumption, consider creating a gorgeous flower-infused honey that celebrates two of spring’s most meaningful (and delicious elements).

This Rose Honey recipe does the trick superbly (and would also make for a wonderful drizzle atop a wide range of Beltane baked goods, from muffins to cakes to berry crisps, crumbles, and buckles).

-If you’re imbibing this Beltane or otherwise utilizing alcohol in your workings, rituals or offerings, consider adding some delectable spring fruits – such as strawberries and blueberries or, if you can get them, early season or frozen peaches – to the wine or your choice for a delectable Beltane sangria.

–Start a book of your favourite sabbat recipes or magickal recipes, including those for Beltane, and add to it each time you hit upon a dish that’s a winner. Alternatively, jot down your sabbat recipes in your grimoire, book of shadows, or another existing book in which you record information pertaining to your path.

Creating our own light during the darkest of times

Beltane is a time to actively embrace, honour and celebrate the sunshine generated light that has returned to our world.

To this end, bonfires have long been a traditional part of many Mayday festivities and rituals. They are not the only way to let the light shine all the more brightly in our lives, however.

Things are not just tough, they’re out and out brutal for the planet as a whole right now.

At Beltane, I encourage you to look for safe, meaningful ways that you transmit energy, positivity and hope out into the world.

Ensure that you focus on your own well being, while also remembering that of others and the countless ways that we are each doing our best to stay afloat, keep our worlds intact as best we can, and remain alive during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to working with seasonal foods and kitchen witchery in general, ask yourself what are some things you could do right now to brighten your days or those of others?

Much as there is a limitless amount of energy in the universe, so too do we have a profound amount of both inner energy and light that resides within ourselves.

This Beltane, tap into and honour that light.

Let it shine, allow it to help you process and cope with the current state that the world is in, and permit it to guide you onward through the remaining months of 2020 that lay beyond May 1^st.

With all my might, I wish you a safe, sacred, beautiful, and blessed Beltane.

The post 15 excellent pantry staple foods for Beltane and their magickal properties appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

And, generally, that is true. I started to have that train of thought myself when the idea for today’s entry hit me, then I had to laugh. Sure, I could hold off, but I’d be doing so for another four years!

You see, we’re just nine days away from February 29^th, which makes 2020 a leap year. And while I consider myself a patient soul, four years is just a tad too long to wait on such a fun, date-specific post.

So without further ado, let’s hop right into and get to working some Leap Year Magick!

Why do we need Leap Years?

Perhaps no other day is more mysterious, unique and even chic than February 29^th. It’s like that ultra-cool, super elusive celebrity – or relative – who only makes rare guest appearances once in a great while.

Yet what is a Leap Year and why do we need one?

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians (though I personally suspect even earlier societies took note of this fact as well) observed that it actually takes the earth a tad more than 365 days to revolve around the sun.

How much longer, you may ask? Roughly 1/4^th of a day per longer per year.

The earth circles the sun once, approximately, every 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds. The technical term for the duration of the year when it is measured this way is a Solar Year or a Tropical Year, which astronomers measure beginning on the spring equinox.

Hence, in the context of the current Gregorian calendar that much of the modern world uses, we need leap years to help ensure that earth’s revolutions and our calendar itself remain in synch.

If we didn’t add an extra day into the calendar every four years, we would lose about six full hours from our current calendar each year.

That might not seem like too big of a deal at first glance, but over time, the missing hours would quickly compound into days and weeks. In fact, it would only take a hundred years for the Gregorian calendar to end up about twenty-four days short! (In other words, the better part of a full month.)

The extra day – which is technically called an intercalary day – that we require to help keep our calendar system working effectively is tucked onto the end of every fourth February, as February is the shortest month of the year.

It is generally believed that the ever-industrious Roman general Julius Caesar was the first person to introduce the concept of a leap year into the calendar system, though the process involved with the frequency of said leap years would take many hundreds of years more to develop more closely into that which we now use today in the 21^st century.

And did you know, those who are born on February 29^th are known as Leaplings? These folks only get to technically celebrate their February 29^th birthday every time a leap year appears, but many opt to observe it on either February 28^th or March 1^st on leap year-less years.

February 29^th is a liminal day

Occurring as it does once every four years, February 29^th is a rare day. It exists, that much is true, but the fact that it does so on such an infrequent basis makes a highly charged, unique and powerful day that exists both in situ and betwixt the realms.

It is a liminal time, not completely unlike periods such as those surrounding Samhain and Beltane, respectively, when the veil is especially thin.

February 29th is a day and time on the edges and periphery. A brief period of once-ever-four-years time that quickly transforms into the more commonplace occurrence of March 1st.

What kind of magick should you do on the Leap Year?

Any kind your heart desires! Though, that said, now is a phenomenal time to set long-term spells, manifestations, and plans into place.

Some examples of these kinds of long-term magickal workings include the following:

-Banishing work.

-Beginning a new journal, Book of Shadows, Grimoire or other personally meaningful spiritual or magickal related record.

-Breaking bad/negative/unwanted habits.

-Bringing your deepest, most poignant dreams into reality.

-Burry, in either a more literal or a figurative or representative way, aspects of your life, magick practice, and spiritual journey that no longer serve you well or which are holding you back from blossoming in the ways that you need and want.

I am especially fond of doing banishing work involving written messages or intentions and burying them outdoors at either 4 am or 4 pm on February 29^th (the hour of four-o-clock corresponding to the fact that leap years generally transpire once every four years).

-Committing yourself to thoroughly learning a subject, art, technique, etc that pertains to your magickal practice.

-Engaging in long-term shadow work.

-Fertility magick.

-Health, wellness, and fitness-related workings and goals.

-Launching new projects, such as a business, blog or website, volunteer endeavour, or doing home renovations.

-Long-term goal setting, specifically if you have any goals or plans that may take up to four years to complete (though this is not mandatory and shorter, though still significantly lengthy goals can be set into motion now as well).

-Love magick to help you find, if desired, a long-term partner (you can also perform friendship magick to help bring new long-term friends into your life as well – keep in mind that love magick does not have to strictly be romantic by any means; plutonic love is highly important in most peoples’ lives as well).

And speaking of love and romance, historically, in certain parts of the world – particularly in Ireland, was an old tradition that women could reverse the standard practice of the day and, on February 29^th, ask their beloved to marry them instead of waiting for their honeys to do the proposing (as seen in the vintage image above).

-Planting/starting a new garden or a brand new section of an existing garden.

-Starting something new that will require one or more years of your life.

-Workings pertaining to courage, tenacity, bravery, and fortitude.

Shorter-term magick for the leap year

With February 29^th being such a relatively rare day, it is an ideal time to engage in magickal workings of any length.

If you’re feeling drawn towards shorter-term magick and spiritual undertakings, here are some useful suggestions that you may wish to put into practice specifically on the last day of this February.

-Astral projection and lucid dreaming.

-Courage magick to help you do something that you’ve been struggling to muster the gumption needed to undertake.

-Curse and hex breaking (or placing, if that’s up your alley).

-Doing twelve-month tarot and oracle card spreads to help provide you with a clearer picture of your life over between now and next February.

-Ethically gathering/sourcing natural materials from the outdoors to use in your witchy workings for the coming year.

-Finding lost objects. February 29^th is “hidden” for a few years at a time, when it reappears, jump at the chance to use its powerfully unique energy to aid you in locating missing or lost items.

-Hedgeriding.

-Negative energy reversal work.

-Protection and invisibility/cloaking magick.

-Realign – or begin realigning – areas of your life that may be off-kilter, out of whack, topsy-turvy or otherwise not aligned as you’d ideally like.

-Seeking spirit allies, both animal and non-animal related.

-Shamanic work (done respectfully and mindfully of the traditions and beliefs of the culture whose practices you are enacting or drawing inspiration from).

-Strengthening psychic abilities.

-Take a leap of faith in yourself, your abilities, a new job, someone you trust, a new opportunity – just about anything, really. If ever there was a day for such a leap, February 29^th is definitely it!

-Work with the current astrological chapter of the year, Pisces, a water sign, and the twelfth sign of the zodiac (the annual cycle of which begins anew with Aries, which generally begins on or right around March 20th).

-Working with the faery folk in your immediate area and letting them know that you’re thinking of them at on this naturally enchanted day.

Are leap years lucky or are leap years unlucky?

Some people, both inside and out of the Pagan and witchy world, believe that February 29^th is a wonderfully lucky day.

Just as, others – perhaps more so in the past – such as the Scottish and Greeks of yore, saw it as an unlucky date. Indeed, the Greeks thought it was unlucky to marry point blank during a leap year, but especially to do so on February 29^th itself.

I’m always leery of dubbing a particular date as being inherently lucky, but can’t help thinking that the rarity and charged liminal energy of February 29^th lends itself to potentially increasing one’s luck, good fortune, and all-around positivity on that specific date.

Leap year magickal correspondences

Generally speaking, a lot of the correspondences that apply to February 29^th are ones that hold true for the month of February as a whole.

As well, you may find that things and correspondences which are especially rare or hard to come by – much like the rarity of leap years themselves – feel right for your workings and sacred space on this special day.

The following is a list of magickal correspondences for February:

-Trees: Cedar, pine, rowan, cypress, and laurel.

-Herbs, spices, and flowers: Hyssop, bay leaves, anise, myrrh, sandalwood, frankincense, pine needles and pine resin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ylang-ylang, mint, rosemary, balm of Gilead, sage, thyme, basil, tansy, wisteria, jasmine, heliotrope, palmarosa, lemon balm, primrose, heather, snowdrops, and patchouli.

-Colours: White, blue, violet, purple, grey, light yellow, pale green, pink, red, brown, silver and gold.

-Crystals and stones: Clear quartz, diamonds, rose quartz, citrine, amethyst, fluorite, silver, pyrite, angelite, aquamarine, ruby, garnet, jasper (including dalmatian jasper), ammolite, bloodstone, turquoise, black tourmaline, onyx, and selenite.

-Animals: Sheep, cows, foxes, rabbits, hares, bears, deer, otters, groundhogs, prairie dogs, eagles, robins, owls, chickadees, blue jays, and unicorns.

-Gods and Goddesses: Brigit, Kuan Yin, Diana, Eros, Persephone, Aphrodite, Demeter, Venus, Selene, The Muses, Mars, Pan, Boann, Shakti, Branwen, Parvati, and Bast.

Nature spirits: The fae, including faeries who are connected to the home, one’s property and garden.

-Foods: Those associated with Imbolc and the end of the winter, with an emphasis on warm spices, fresh citrus fruits, grains, seeds, breads, potatoes, and most types of fresh and dried green herbs.

-Magickal supplies: Candles, salt, dried herbs (including those listed above), tools made out of silver and silver-tone metals, altar tiles, crystal wands, and ogham runes.

-Elements: Air and water, though fire is an important element for February as well, particularly as it relates to Imbolc.

-Astrological sign: February 29^th falls during the time of Pisces, whose ruling element is water. Pisces is ruled by Neptune and is represented by a fish.

A leap year spell to help you get over hurdles in your life

What you’ll need

-A large bay leaf (use more than one leaf if needed) or another type of dried leaf that is suitable for writing on

-An environmentally friendly writing material, such as Natural Earth Paint or vegetable ink, or if that is not possible, a permanent marker in the colour of your choice (I’d suggest picking one that aligns with the intentions behind your spell)

-Optional, an eco-friendly offering to leave in the area where you perform the working outdoors. Things such as lovely rocks, attractive leaves, springs of herbs, and pieces of fruit are often good choices.

How to perform this spell

Select a natural spot that safely allows for you to throw something into it without damaging the natural environment. (I CANNOT STRESS THIS POINT ENOUGH – PLEASE BE SUPER SAFE!)

This could be a small hill, a river, a gully, an abandoned/no longer used well, or another suitable spot in your area.

If possible (though it is not imperative), prior to 4 am on February 29^th, gather the materials listed above and visit the spot you’ve selected. Ensure that you are dressed warmly, if the weather is less than favourable.

Arrive at the spot a little before 4 pm (if possible), take several deep, soothing breaths in and out, and focus on your surroundings. As you do so, think about an area in your life that you’ve been struggling to overcome or more past.

This could be just about anything. From ditching an unwanted habit to working up the courage to ask for a raise at work to finally standing up for yourself with your in-laws.

Once you clearly know what you’re focusing on, write the name of that issue on the leaf or leaves that you brought with you. A single word or just a few words will likely suffice here, no need for lengthy paragraphs in such a small space.

Hold the leaf (or leaves) in your hands and (if doing so is safe in the area that you’re visiting) close your eyes. Focus your energy on the leaves and envision the strength that you need to overcome this issue in your life entering your body, as you transfer the energy, fear, stress, anxiety, and so forth from yourself that may be holding you back into the leaf or leaves.

Safely approach wherever you are going to throw the leaf/leaves. Right before you toss this trouble away from yourself, say the following words (or ones of your choosing):

“I am projecting that which holds me back away from my body, my spirit, and my life. I tap into the energy of this liminal, rare leap year day and ask that it help give me the courage and strength to overcome this hurdle that I’ve been dealing with once and for all. So mote it be.”

Scrunch up the leaf/leaves and throw them away from you. As they weigh very little, they may not travel far, so you might have better luck dropping them, rather than throwing them.

Step back, take a few more deep breaths, and concentrate on the natural energy of your surroundings, as well as that of February 29^th. When you feel ready, thank the environment and Leap Year for assisting you (if you brought an offering to leave, do so now) and carry on with the rest of your day.

What does the leap year mean to modern witches and Pagans?

Like so much in our individual practices, this will vary from person to person. For some, it may just be an extra day at the end of February. For others it is a time to engage in long term magickal workings, take chances and proverbial leaps in our lives, focus on the magick of a day whose presence is only felt and experienced once every four years, and celebrate the rarity of February 29^th.

I get downright giddy when we get treated to an extra day. It feels so deliciously secretive – even if most people know about leap years. Perhaps then, it is one of those secrets that we wear on our sleeves. They’re private, but not as concealed as we might have the rest of the world believe.

Whatever the case, I’m on board with the leap year big time and am delighted that the idea for this post struck me just in the nick of time (and that I jumped on the opportunity to pen it when I did).

I encourage you to look for ways to tap into the energy, strength, unique qualities, and hurdle busting properties of the leap year on this special day that we won’t experience again for another four years.

What are your magickal plans for February 29^th?

The post Leap year magick, correspondences, and a spell for February 29th appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.