Daily (often multiple times) for weeks now, I have been checking to see if Bloglovin’ was back up again this month. As of the time of writing, it still is not.

Prior to adopting Bloglovin, which is a free service with no cap (that I am aware) on the number of sites users can follow, I used Google’s feed reader.

This was a terrific feed reader and I would still likely be utilizing it were it not for the fact that Google shut it down ages ago now (despite impassioned pleas from users for them to keep it alive).

There are certainly other feed readers beyond Bloglovin’ out there. However, the majority of them only allow you to have a relatively small number of blogs that you can follow for free with their service (25 – 100 tends to be the norm across freemium feed reader providers).

Beyond that cap, they want to charge you to upgrade in order for you to be able to follow a greater number of sites. Such costs are typically applied monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Ideally, I would prefer not to have to pay for a feed reader. That said, if Bloglovin’ continues to be down for long periods (or never returns altogether), I will have to come up with some sort of alternate solution here – be it free or paid.

As will, no doubt, many others who have stuck with the Bloglovin’ platform over the years – even after its mid to early 2010s heyday.

To add insult to injury, not only is the feed element of Bloglovin’ down, but the very same error message (in the screenshot above) appears when I click over to the page that normally shows me the extensive list of blogs that I follow.

Nooooooo!!!

Therefore, if I cannot gain access to that list (which I do not have recorded anywhere else), I will need to refollow those of you who comment here through whatever alternative to Bloglovin’ that I end up going with.

I am hoping that things don’t come to me having to abandon Bloglovin’, but by the same token, missing out on commenting on many of your sites in recent weeks is not something I want to continue experiencing all summer (or longer!) by any means.

If I am a regular or even semi-regular commenter on your blog, could you please leave me a comment below with your site’s URL so that I can start composing a new list of my regular blog reads to use if/when I do have to switch to a different feedreader? (Thank you very much in advance!)

And by the same token, I know that a fair number of you follow this site via Bloglovin’. So that we don’t risk losing touch, please feel free to sign up for my newsletter (located on the upper right-hand sidebar of this site).

At present, this simply emails each new post I publish on Witchcrafted Life to your inbox, so you won’t be inundated with actual newsletters (though, one day, I may start sending the occasional one out) and will still be able to follow along here if you are not planning to decamp to a different feedreader yourself.

As well, if you happen to use or know of any reliable, enjoyable feedreaders that are either free or very well-priced, likewise please share it/them in the comments below.

(I will be investing a number of Bloglovin’ alternatives featured in this post on the subject, but would love to hear more about your faves and recommendations, too!)

And, as you likely deduced after reading the above paragraphs, this is the sole reason why I have not been leaving blog comments on many of your sites over the past 3 – 4 weeks. I am very sorry about that, everyone, and really hope to get this issue sorted out ASAP!

Now, on with our latest edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me.

In Leo Tolstoy’s renowned classic, Anna Karenina, he penned the line, “spring is the time of plans and projects.”

This is a sentiment that I very much agree with. However, I do feel that it usually rings even truer for me during the fall.

After all, they don’t call Samhain / Halloween the Witch’s New Year for nothing! And what new year would be complete without a few new hopes and ambitions?

As winter waned and the first telltale signs of spring returned – despite the ever-worsening state of my physical health (I do not have any positive updates to report there, unfortunately, and so will say no more on the topic for the time being) – I was suddenly struck with one of the biggest waves of creativity that I have ever experienced.

It struck me like a bolt of lightning sent down by my muse and, I am very happy to say, is still going strong.

I have been floating on a crafty cloud nine all spring long and have jotted down literally hundreds of possible project ideas over the past few weeks.

This has been a joyous state to experience and one that is doing wonders in the process for my mental health, which is a terrific added bonus.

Periods don’t like this don’t come along every day for a lot of us and I am trying to soak up and be grateful for every second of amped-up creativity.

Weather wise, despite the fact that snow stopped falling in our neighbourhood a touch earlier than most years (late March vs the usual some point in April), we had next to no proper spring this time around.

Cool weather tinted in shades of worn pavement and faded blue flannel filled the bulk of our days. Enough rain to have one wondering if Amazon sells ark kits torpedoed itself at the ground for days – sometimes even weeks – very nearly on end.

Now, to be fair, I rather adore cool, grey weather and share Wednesday Addams’ sentiment that it is, “so nice and gloomy”.

Yes, I am one of those souls who tends to find damp weather, mild temps, and the need for multiple layers well into June to be an enjoyable experience.

That said, I am not averse to sunshine and can scarcely wrap my head around the fact that with the Summer Solstice/Litha having come and gone for another year, the days will now grow shorter until winter’s rebirth at Yule.

I don’t know if I would personally go so far as to say that I feel seasonally shortchanged, but I am definitely looking at my receipt very closely as I exit the weather store.

To my mind, the best positive to experiencing a far damper and cooler spring than usual is that it has done wonders to keep the annual horrific wildfire season that consumes (quite literally) much of BC in its fiery bite each spring/summer/early fall largely at bay.

So long as I live, I doubt I will ever forget the incredibly vivid red and orange coloured skies of last year’s forest fire season, as we spent days on end hosing down our house and yard to try and keep any live embers in the air from igniting our property.

(See this post of mine for unedited photos of exactly what I am talking about.)

All the while, sitting for about a month on evacuation alert, our most important documents, electronic devices, and a few treasured items neatly piled near the front door to grab at a moment’s notice had an evacuation come in.

Mercifully, that did not happen. Nor was our home or yard damaged by the huge blazes that roared loudly mere kilometres away.

However, the record-shattering heatwaves last year did do damage to some of the lofty evergreens in our backyard, with a decent smattering of their branches still bleached a distinctly rusty brown hue.

This spring was unquestionably a nippier than usual one, but that does not necessarily guarantee that we will be in for a gentle next three months.

Few things can turn more quickly on a dime than Mother Nature’s mood and it is anyone’s guess as to where the temps, total hours of sunshine, and wildfire levels will each land when all is said and done for another summer.

In the introduction to the Winter 2022 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me, I made the war in Ukraine the focus of those initial paragraphs.

Though I was hoping beyond measure that come the next edition of MCM&M, his horrific conflict would be over, the realist in me knew that such was, objectively, quite unlikely.

And as we surely all know, this devastating sham (on Russia’s part) of a war still rages on fiercely. Its end even less certain than the outcome of a whole season’s weather report.

Though media coverage (as it is apt to do) has let up a bit regarding this bloody conflict, I continue to follow credible news sources very closely regarding the war in Ukraine and have every intention of doing so for as long as the fighting continues.

Far closer to home, this spring has not been without its fair share of serious happenings as well.

As some of you may recall for the spring edition of this series, my sister came down with Covid in the winter. Thankfully, she did not require hospitalization and was gradually able to recover. However, no sooner had she started to feel a bit more like her usual self again than she contracted this terrible illness for a second time.

Very luckily, it was milder for her than the first experience and she is once again on the road to recovery.

Still, it is almost unbelievable that she fell ill with Covid twice in such a short time frame. Though no doubt her immune system was weakened by the first bout (as surely just about anyone’s would be) and that made her more susceptible to contracting this virus a second time.

Again, while my sister is doing fairly well at this point all things considered, sadly, I cannot say the same for my paternal grandfather.

Earlier this month, completely out of the blue, he suffered two very serious strokes in rapid succession. Tests quickly revealed a blood clot in his brain which is too large to safely be operated on and so will need to be managed through medication.

Right now, his medical team is optimistically saying that in time, with PT, meds, and so forth, he may be able to regain about 70 – 80% of his pre-stroke abilities and motor skills.

Naturally, everyone in our circle is hoping and praying for that to ultimately prove to be the case, but it is far too early on at this stage to know for sure.

He and my grandma are both in their early eighties and have been married since the 1950s. They have weathered their fair share of serious health issues over the decades, but this is definitely the very worst medical situation to strike either of them so far.

I worry not only for my grandpa himself but also for my grandma and know this will, understandably, take a very serious toll on her.

Everyone who can is rallying around them and trying to help in any way possible.

Given that once a person has one stroke (let alone two), your odds of experiencing another one are quite decent, I don’t think any of us will ever feel like my grandpa will be safely out of the proverbial woods on this front.

Hopefully, though, he will be able to make a sizable recovery and continue to be active and enjoy life (including gardening, which is one of his biggest passions) for a long time still to come.

There is scarcely any good way to segue out of such a heavy topic, so instead of switching subjects again in this intro section, let us proceed with the Spring 2022 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me.

Which, for those of you who are joining this series for the first time, is a link love post featuring online content that caught my eye during the past three months, coupled with a peek into what has been transpiring lately in my own life.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

–How to Make Your Own Scrying Mirror: Scrying is one of my favourite forms of divination and ways to enter into a meditative state of mind alike.

Should you wish to try your hand at scrying or are already a fan who is looking to add a new scrying mirror to your spiritual toolbox, this lovely, easy-to-follow DIY scrying mirror tutorial from Moody Moons has you covered.

–How to Write Powerful Poetry Spells: Long one of my very favourite ways to utilize the written word in my spellwork, magickal poetry is a powerful, expressive, and deeply personal approach to creating spells that anyone – whether they consider themselves a poet already or not – can engage in freely.

This eloquent and insightful look at the subject is bound to have you reaching for the nearest quill and paper.

–Signs a Deity is Calling You: Not all witches/Wiccans/Pagans believe in and/or work with deities, but a decent percentage currently do or would like to integrate this element into their practice.

If you have ever wondered about how to know if/when a goddess (though the general premises laid out in this post apply to the gods as well) may be reaching out to you, this wonderfully in-depth look at the topic has got your back!

–Ten Reasons Tarot Is Super Effective and How To Make It Work For You: Over the past decade or so, I have enjoyed witnessing tarot (and oracle) cards skyrocket all the more in popularity. While, perhaps not surprising then, at the same time the general public is gradually becoming more aware of what tarot actually is (a powerful tool for insight, growth, guidance, and divination) and what it isn’t (a magical fairy tale type of way to instantly know the future).

In this post on the official Llewellyn website, author Sasha Graham guides tarot newbies through some of the wonderful perks of working with this much-beloved tool. And, by extension, reminds seasoned card slingers of some of the reasons why we are such devoted fans of this awesome item.  

–Threshold Magick for Troubled Times: A supportive and thoroughly apropos – given all the immense problems that are rife in the world these days – look at a great form of magick that can easily be utilized by just about anyone who has access to a (safe) threshold.

–The Secret Names of Magical Herbs and Plants: This enjoyable piece delves into the subject of why, historically, certain plants + herbs were known by alternative folk/magical names and how both those who may still need to conceal their practice today (as well as others who are out of the broom closet) can utilize these old school monikers for some of the world’s most magical green offerings.

–Witchy Apps to Keep on Your Phone: Truth be told, outside of a select few, I have never been the biggest of app users (or, for that matter, cell phone users, point-blank). However, there are a handful of apps that I adore and I am always open to adding more entries to that list.

Penned last October, this handy post from the blog #Lazy is a terrific roundup of some of the best and most relevant phone apps for those who veer in a witchy/Pagan/contemporary spirituality direct.

To no one’s surprise, I’m sure, given that I am a Cancer, the Moon app in particular nabbed my eye. Which one leaps out at you the most?

Cardmaking, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

–Altered Vintage Bottle Tutorial: As of late, I have felt a strong pull towards making altered items. While not new to the act, I haven’t created too many of them in recent years and (much as with pocket letters) have been missing doing so.

Having recently read Anna-Karin’s tutorial post for how to make a vintage-inspired altered bottle, I am chomping at the bit all the more to hopefully make some “off the page” papercrafting/mixed media project this year.

If you are as well, swing on by her post and lap up the creative gorgeousness at work there.

–DIY Farmhouse Candle Holders: It is safe to say that contemporary farmhouse décor had taken off like wildfire in recent years and that it is a trend which is fast becoming all the more of a classic in its own right.

Though my personal décor tastes don’t veer too much in that direction, I admire the style and find that smaller farmhouse-y pieces can often be a cinch to weave into a wide array of home decorating styles.

The selection that Andrea rounded up in this post is inspiring – especially since there is no stopping one from following the general premise but putting their own creative décor spin on these great DIY candleholders.

–Easy Repurposed Antique Chair Spindle Wind Chimes: Like many a crafty/artistic soul, I tend to be drawn towards finding ways to reuse, repurpose, or otherwise find uses for items of all sorts that still have life left in them.

By far one of the most ingenious projects of this nature that I have hit upon in recent months is this super creative approach to turning old chair legs into beautiful wind chimes. B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!!!

–How to Make Beautiful Tissue Paper Pompoms: Beautiful is an understatement! These generously sized DIY tissue paper pompoms are flat-out gorgeous – while also being relatively easy to make.

You could whip up a few for year-round décor, create sets to cycle throughout each holiday season, use them for parties and weddings, or gift a bouquet’s worth of tissue paper pompoms to someone special in your life.

(On the same blog, Crissy’s beginner’s tutorial on How to Make Fabric Covered Flowerpots also leapt out at me.)

–How to Make Affordable Scrapbook Paper Wall Art: Though this post is currently eleven years old, the idea – turning beautiful pieces of scrapbooking paper into wall art – is no less at home in today’s DIY décor arena than it was in the 2010s.

–How to Make Paper Bead Jewelry: Much as with dried pasta, in our childhoods a fair number of us whipped up creative jewelry that involved making paper beads.

This resourceful type of DIY bead tends to cycle in and out of vogue a bit but has remained popular amongst plenty of crafters and jewelry wearers alike – especially when you end result is as lovely as the examples Amy shares in this great tutorial post.

–101 (free) Fall Sewing Tutorials: Much like the staff at many magazines, crafters often work on projects months in advance of a particular season.

With that thought in mind – and being a lover of all things autumn related – given that fall’s return is a mere three months away, I wanted to share this wonderful roundup post which features 101 different free autumn sewing tutorials for the sewers amongst my readers.

What’s Shaking in My Life and On My Radar

Having covered some of the heavier things that occurred in our lives this spring in the opening portion of this post, I will switch to more upbeat fare instead.

As mentioned above, my creativity has been going a mile a minute lately! And while my health does not allow me to keep pace with all of my crafty ideas, I have still managed to get in some paper crafting this season with (very realistic) plans for more as summer unfolds.

In addition, I have deep-dived again into another craft that I have adored and participated in since I was about 5 or 6 years old: cross stitching.

I love, love, love cross-stitching!!!

For me, it is relaxing, super enjoyable, and conveys a sense of the time-honoured tradition of needlework that has been an important part of countless peoples’ lives over the centuries.

Much as with the rest of my craft supplies and finished projects, the arson fire that we experienced in October 2016 annihilated my cross stitch stash and what was, up until that point, very nearly a lifetime’s worth of work. Dozens of projects spanning my childhood to my early 30s were gone in the blink of an eye.

And, though in hindsight I have no clue why I didn’t do so (perhaps because I started stitching many years before digital cameras hit the mainstream market? ), I had never taken photographs of them. Therefore, the only place they live on now is in my memories.

Life might knock me down, but I always spring back again and that sentiment applies to the majority of my long-standing passion as well.

Though I have done a small bit of cross stitching in the ensuing post-fire years, the bulk of my crafting attention has, objectively, been devoted to paper crafting. Rest assured that I do not see that changing anytime soon.

However, it can be a lot of fun to alternate between two or more different craft pursuits (which in this case, can sometimes even overlap – such with handmade cards that feature small cross stitch designs on them or stamp sets that mimic the classic Xs we all associate with cross stitchery) and I love that this recent surge of creativity has led me to connect with cross stitching again all the more.

Now, as a crafty witch operating on a very tight budget, I have been happily trawling the web for free and low-cost patterns that align with my current tastes in cross stitch designs.

Having hit upon a number of great sources (which I am thinking would make for a fun post here unto itself) and with some aida cloth and embroidery floss that I picked up a few years back, I now have a couple of fun new WIPs (works in progress) on the go.

I have also been binge-watching the cross stitchery side of YouTube as of late, where many who post about this passion tag their videos with the charming word “Flosstube”.

Doing so allows others with an interest in the subject to search for this term and be greeted with more video choices than there are colours in DMC’s current colour palette.

In time, as I have hopefully completed more projects, I plan to share some of them here with you – especially since I know that there are plenty of fellow cross stitchers amongst this blog’s readership.

In other news, this Friday was my little brother’s birthday (though as he is currently living outside of the country, it is not possible to celebrate it in person with him). A mere sixteen days from now, my own (GF) cake day will return.

Yep, we are both Cancers. Though being fairly close to on the cusp, I feel that he actually embodies a lot of Gemini characteristics.

Then, twenty-six days beyond that point, my sweet hubby will get to blow out his own set of candles.

The three of us are pretty much the only summer birthdays in our immediate family, which is a lovely point to share in common.

Fun, related fact: Hand on my heart, I was conceived on Halloween 1983.

Really, is it any wonder then that I would grow up to live a life where I #MakeHalloween365 and celebrate my most beloved (and spiritually significant) point on the calendar the whole year through?

And speaking of All Hallows’ Eve, from the day after my birthday onward, I gear up for spooky season all the more. Pretty much viewing July 11^th to October 30^th as one long, fabulously exciting countdown to the BIG DAY!

Which reminds me, with everything that has been going on in our lives and in the world at large so far in 2022, I have scarcely had a moment to sit down and ponder my Halloween costume for this year. Will I bust out a past fave again or opt for something new?

That is a question that I will hit upon an answer for in the next few months, as I prefer to have my Halloween ensemble planned out well in advance.

If you dress up for October 31^st, how early in the year do you tend to start thinking about your costume choice?

Alrighty, as few things in the universe make me as happy as Halloween season, this seems like a good place to wrap up discussing some of what’s been going down in my/our life lately.

Now, let’s hop with both feet forward into a fun mixed bag of various online stories that caught my eye, inspired me, or otherwise stood out over the past few months.

–Embroidery Artist “Paints” Lush Landscapes Using Only a Needle and Thread: Prepare to pick your jaw up off the ground when you gaze upon these stunning works of embroidery art created by the immensely talented Jade Deanna.

–Five Organization Tricks for Highly Sensitive People: Being an HSP myself, posts that relate to this topic are ones I tend to lap up with gusto. As well as often nodding along in agreement as my eyes scan from one paragraph to the next.

That was certainly the case for me when I read this Apartment Therapy piece absolute some great ways HSPs can successfully organize their homes.

–How Stanley Tucci’s Big Night Helped Kick off an American Dining Revolution: No doubt like many other people, I can clearly remember a lot of the more “grown-up” movies that my parents allowed us to watch when I was little.

For me, at the age of 12 – 13, one of those was The Big Night.

Though life (aka, my health) took my future in a different direction, growing up I was deadest on becoming a professional chef with their own restaurant(s).

As such, the plot of this now-classic film from 1996 imprinted itself in my memory all the more and The Big Night still remains one of my favourite movies twenty-six years after it was released.

This look at how The Big Night impacted something far broader – the modern food revolution – is an engaging piece that has a lot of merit to the premise it puts forth and which is apt to resonate with foodies, chefs, and fans of both contemporary dining and modern cookery TV shows alike.

–19 Ways to Get a Little Self-Care Outside: This post is a wonderful look at a plethora of different ways many of us can experience/engage in realistic self-care in the great outdoors. In addition, it is a lovely reminder to all of us that few places are more peaceful, soothing, or enjoyable than when we are in the arms of Mother Nature.

–Six Different Types of Stones Used for Graves: This one is for all my fellow taphophiles, history lovers, and family genealogists out there – as well as anyone else who may be keen to learn more about a handful of materials that were used to construct headstones throughout the centuries.

–10 Famous Authors and Their Favourite Libations: This charming post takes a gander at the favourite tipples of ten world-famous authors (from Maya Angelou to Oscar Wild) and may very well have you reaching for your own personal fave by the time you’ve finished reading it.

–13 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying Anything For Your Wardrobe: Living in a small house with laughably little in the way of closet space, I try to be very mindful of what I buy as I know wardrobe real esteem is at a premium.

Though I do not follow the “one item in, one item out” approach religiously, it does come into play sometimes – as do a number of the points in this handy post that is a must-read, IMO, for fashion fans with closets of all sizes.

The Promise of Brighter Days Ahead

It has long been said that hope springs eternal. One need only look at the course of human history to see the truth in that statement.

Many of us have an ingrained sense of hope that runs so deep it might as well be part of our DNA.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that we are pie-in-sky optimists, wildly pollyannaish, or naïve. Rather, that we hold tight to the possibility that the majority of difficult/stressful/even seemingly dire circumstances we encounter will prove to be ones that can ultimately be overcome or able to be well managed.

Hope has long made me think of sunrises. Just as our good friend Sol comes barrelling back into our lives each morning, so too does hope have an incredible ability to reappear time and time again.

It is a form of comfort, resilience, and self-preservation. We need hope and, in order to exist, hope itself in turn needs us.

Hope has been out in full force all the more across many of our lives in recent years. Between the pandemic, numerous serious global conflicts, the soaring cost of living (which inflation has failed – in much of the world at least – to keep pace with for decades now), a wide array of natural disasters, and plenty more, if hope was a tradeable commodity, it would be the hottest stock on the market.

I love hope. It has genuinely saved my life on more than one occasion and is something I steadfastly hold tight to in the face of just about any situation. Worst case, it doesn’t help. Best case it does and in the process, hope makes getting through dark, difficult times a little less challenging.

Spring and summer are seasons that lend themselves all the more to hope and the ability to look at the glass (of lemonade) as being half full.

In the sun-bathed months, it is sometimes a touch easier to deal with our worries and troubles, anxieties and stresses. Now always, and not for everyone, of course. But for some of us, that is the case and no doubt plays into why we are particularly fond of the balmy side of the calendar.

I adore each season and lean into the perks of all four. While at the same time, continually growing and learning as a person thanks to the challenges inherent to every one of them as well.

Summer’s return unto itself is rarely enough to set every wrong right. Thankfully though, it can help to lift our spirits and provide us with wonderful new memories, languid days of relaxation, and, I find at least, scads of nostalgia.

Both literally and figuratively, summer comes with the promise of brighter days ahead.

Rare is the summer my mood is not lifted at least part of the time and even the most difficult summers of my life have been peppered with fantastic experiences that I look back on with great fondness.

It is anyone’s guess as to what the state of the world or of their own lives will look like when, in roughly three months’ time, the summer edition of this post will appear here.

Hope tells me that at least a few things may be better. Or baring that, not considerably worse off than they presently are.

And in the process, it enthusiastically reminds me that we are a mere three months away from the return of pumpkin season!

No matter what the coming sizzling hot weeks may throw at us, that fact alone is darn near enough to keep a perpetual jack-o-lantern-worthy smile on my face all summer long.

At the same time though, I will try to savour the present season and appreciate the blessings and challenges alike that it holds in store for us.

From the bottom of my heart, sweet friends, I wish each of you a tremendously safe, happy, wellness-filled summer that is illuminated as much by hope as it is by sunshine.

Which of the links above caught your eye the most? What are some elements of summer (or winter in the Southern Hemisphere) that you are most looking forward to experiencing?

The post Spring 2022 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me (Also, is Bloglovin’ Dead? – Please Read!) appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

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.

Eventually, time in the guise of the Grim Reaper catches up with all of us. Before that happens, though, if we are fortunate, we get to enjoy at least a few decades on this side of the veil.

As I was reflecting on the passing of time a little earlier this month, I was struck by the fact that we had hit the point in the year at which my next birthday now lies less than two months away.

I was also stopped square in my tracks to realize that roughly half a year had passed since the last edition of my ongoing Cemetery Journeys blog post series that was launched in the summer of 2021.

We kicked off this series by first visiting Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Then, in the afterglow of Halloween and Samhain, with November’s piercing chill returning to our days once again, we headed a touch further north in the province and spent some very enjoyable time at Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm, BC.

In the third installment of this exciting series, we are going to land fairly close to smack, dab in the middle of these locations. Doing so on a delightful spring day where – true to seasonal form – the light frequently shifted from vividly sunny to moodily overcast.

Throughout the previous two Cemetery Journeys entries, I discussed some important points to keep in mind when exploring the cemeteries of Western Canada (British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province and as such has a shoreline that is lapped by the mighty Pacific Ocean).

These include the fact that while settlement by non-First Nations people has only occurred in this part of the world over the past two hundred years or so (and even then, most areas were settled more in the range of 175 – 100 years ago at this point in time), the indigenous communities that filled not only BC, but Canada as a whole, lived in these rugged lands for millennia before the first Europeans are known to have set foot on Western Canadian soil.

Dovetailing with that point is the fact that as a result, there are no truly old non-First Nations burial sites to be had in this province.

Hitting upon cemeteries with headstones that proceed the 1890s – 1910s is worth celebrating and is not something one finds at every community, town, or city here in British Columbia.

Luckily, however, for history adoring taphophiles like myself, our current region of BC has been settled (again, by non-First Nations people) from about the middle of the nineteenth century onward.

As a result, some – though not all – of the burial grounds in this general area include headstones that predate the 1900s. Albeit often only by a matter of years or a couple of decades.

Still, I will gladly take that and usually make a point of trying to find the oldest headstone I can when visiting a cemetery (at least on my first trip there).

Despite living less than half an hour’s drive away from it, quite some time had passed since I last stepped foot on the hallowed ground that is Pleasant Valley Cemetery in the nearby town of Vernon, BC.

What better time to do just that than the early to mid-days of spring, when the natural world is bursting to life again and one can navigate the great outdoors without the need for double digits worth of thermal layers.

Enter our latest visit to Pleasant Valley Cemetery (a name that untold numbers of cemeteries in the English speaking world are called, believe me, I know ), which took place on a mild, subtly breezy springtime afternoon during which the sky bellyflopped back and forth between radiant sunshine and heavy grey clouds looked as though they had a lot to get off their chests.

It was Monsieur Soleil who won out in the end, but the mix of both types of light helped to add all the more of an atmospheric quality to our cemetery outing.

I shall soon invite you all along with me as we take a leisurely stroll across the gently sloping hills and tree-flanked pathways of Pleasant Valley Cemetery. First, however, let us briefly delve into the history of the community in which this burial ground is located: Vernon, BC.

A quick overview of the history of Vernon, British Columbia

Located in the northern end of BC’s well-known Okanagan Valley, which itself is situated in the Southern Interior area of this province, Vernon is a town with a rich history and yet, it often seems to play second fiddle to the larger nearby city of Kelowna.

This makes sense in many ways, of course, given that Kelowna is the biggest city (“biggest” being a somewhat relative term here ) in the entire Okanagan Valley.

However, Vernon is a terrific community unto itself and one that I feel deserves no less time in the limelight than Kelowna.

Located about 440 kilometres (270 miles) to the northeast of Vancouver, the area that is today known as Vernon was initially discovered and settled by members of the Interior Salish Okanagan people.

The name for Vernon in Salish was Nintle Moos Chin, which roughly translates to “jumping over creek”.

This title stems from part of a local body of water (now called) BX Creek which was narrow enough in some spots to jump straight over from bank to bank.

In the 19^th century, as missionaries such as Father Pandosy who we met when chatting about the history of Kelowna, began to make their way into the interior of British Columbia, Nintle Moos Chin would be renamed Priest’s Valley by the local English speaking community.

During at least part of the 1870s, it also went by Forge Valley in reference to politician, businessman, early Okanagan settler and rancher, Price Ellison’s blacksmith shop. In 1884, Price married Sophia Christine Johnson, Vernon’s first school teacher.

Today the Ellison name lives on throughout various corners of the Okanagan Valley, including both the lovely unincorporated community of Ellison and Ellison Provincial Park.

As that same century wore on, the area’s English name would again change, this time landing on the one that it holds to this day: Vernon.

A name which was bestowed on the community in honour of Mr. Forbes George Vernon, an early member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, who along with his brother Charles Vernon, owned one of the largest early ranches in the area.

Just as you will find many people residing in these beautiful areas today, the original First Nations inhabitants of Nintle Moos Chin/Vernon often lived in close proximity to the two lakes that this city houses: Swan Lake and Okanagan Lake

The latter is the largest lake in the whole Okanagan Valley, spanning the continuous distance from Penticton in the Southern Okanagan to Vernon in the Northern Okanagan (the two are about 1.45 hours drive apart from each other).

A few decades before intrepid missionaries and other early non-First Nations inhabitants started to set up the seeds of a township in what is now present-day Vernon, the area was explored in the 1810s by fur traders.

It is believed that a few decades later, a man by the name of Luc Girouard was the first permanent white settler in Vernon. He built a cabin in the area c. 1861 and would go on to plant Vernon’s first commercial orchards as well.

Little by little, the community began to grow, getting a sizable push towards developing from a small fur trading camp to a full-fledged community thanks to the 1863 discovery of gold in some of the eastern corners of the Okanagan (such as Mission Creek, Cherry Creek, and the Monashee Mountains, respectively).

Some feel that Vernon really got its start when, in 1863/64, the land that would become that township was purchased by Mr. William Campbell, who began – but did not complete – building the community’s first store.

This business-in-the-making was bought up by a stonemason named  Mr. John Imlay, who had such illustrious projects under his belt already as working on the Parliament Building.

Much as in Kelowna to the south and Salmon Arm to the north, early Vernon was peppered with numerous ranches and, as time went on, no shortage of orchards either.

Speaking of which, in 1890, Lord and Lady Aberdeen – whose contributions to and influence in shaping the early history of the Central and Northern Okanagan areas lives on in numerous forms to this very day – purchased the Coldstream Ranch from Forbes Vernon. By 1892, they had planted at least a hundred fruit trees at the ranch in the hopes of accelerating the orchard industry in the area.

It is from the name Coldstream Ranch that the community that came to exist around it would later be named The District of Coldstream. Today, this community continues to thrive and is part of the Greater Vernon area.

In no time flat, Vernon and its surrounding communities would indeed succeed as a thriving fruit-growing (and later also viticulture) corner of Canada. Sun-kissed produce offerings grown in the hearty Okanagan soil are enjoyed by locals and shipped to food merchants around the globe to this very day.

Interestingly, throughout part of the 19^th century, what would become the downtown core of Vernon was known as Centreville, a name that is rarely mentioned anymore and certainly no longer formally used in any capacity that I am aware of.

That downtown core would go on to form the city’s first business district, which came into being in 1885. This same year Vernon got its inaugural post office and a proper townsite was laid out and established for the city.

In addition to having a post office, Vernon was starting to blossom care of other firsts including a schoolhouse, hotel, and general store. A mere two years later, a Hudson’s Bay Company Store appeared on the scene as well.

Thanks in no small part to the abundance of cattle ranches that Vernon housed at the time, the area rapidly became a popular and successful economic hub for the Okanagan Valley.

Numerous forces drew early settlers to Vernon from corners near and far of Canada, as well as America, Europe, and elsewhere in the world.

The booming cattle and fruit-growing industries were two of the largest. Though, I am sure that the balmy summer weather that this region is so well-known for only helped to sweeten the deal for some of those early newcomers.

Growth and development in the area were aided all the more when the Canadian Pacific Railway (aka, the CPR) laid track that ran through parts of the Okanagan and on into the Shuswap, which is the region immediately following the Okanagan to the north.

Things did not stop hopping there in the 1890s, however! A mere two years later, a sternwheeler by the name of the S.S. Aberdeen (named for Lord and Lady Aberdeen) began to ply the waters of Okanagan Lake.

With both the railway and water travel now a part of daily life in the Vernon area, it was possible to bring in people, supplies, and animals considerably more quickly (and sometimes, more easily as well).

Also during the bustling 1890s, Vernon was officially incorporated as a city on December 30, 1892. Nine years later the first city hall was formed. It included both a public reading space and a fire hall.

Though it would, in time, be usurped on this front by Kelowna, back in those days, Vernon was the largest municipality in the Okanagan.

It was the first in which a telephone was installed and where a bank was built, amongst other things that Vernon accomplished sooner than any other part of the region.

As one drives into or exists through present-day Vernon from the south end of the city, they are bound to catch sight of a military camp and surrounding training grounds located there (which are often used for Cadet related purposes).

A military presence has been a part of Vernon’s landscape since 1908 when the Okanagan Mounted Rifles military program was established.

Later to be known as the 30^th Regiment BC Horse – or more commonly, the Okanagan Mounted Rifles.

Throughout both World War I and World War II, Vernon’s population expanded further due to the influx of military personnel and their families who settled – be it temporarily or longer-term – in the area as a result of the army training that took place in Vernon.

Traversing the same stretch of highway that runs through the military training area in Vernon, you will quickly catch sight of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

It is a large, multistory medical facility that serves not only Vernon itself but also the residents of many other smaller towns and communities (ours included) in the general vicinity.

This hospital was established in the 1900s and remains the only one in Vernon to the present day.

One piece of Vernon’s history that very few people are aware of is that for a time this city was home to what we would today call something along the lines of a mental health treatment centre, but which at the time was known as a mental asylum.

Originally constructed as a jail, the building operated as a mental health facility from c. 1902 – 1912. After which point patients residing there were sent to the Provincial Insane Asylum in New Westminster. In the years to come, this same building was used as an internment site during WW1.

Its use between the end of that war and its demise due to a fire that happened circa the early 1940s is not well documented. Today, the WL Seaton Secondary School stands on a spot that – often unbeknownst to many who spend time there these days – surely saw no shortage of sorrows, suffering, and injustice during the first four decades of the previous century.

Throughout the 1910s and beyond, other elements that often help a community to grow and succeed were also set up. These included such services and amenities as a high school, sports stadium, and a bit further into the 20^th century, an official library, and a modest-sized (to say the least! ) shopping mall called Village Green Centre.

While there is a bustling downtown business core, various plazas, numerous supermarkets and other shopping locations throughout Vernon, Village Green remains the city’s only mall.

(For better or worse, the Okanagan Valley is not rife with shopping malls and most of those that do exist here are scarcely large enough, IMO, to be crowned with that title in the first place.)

As the 20^th century rolled onward and the province of British Columbia as a whole continued to expand both in terms of its population and its transportation routes, Vernon would go to connect with three different provincial highways. These are Highway 97, Highway 97A, and Highway 6, respectively.

Much as with the Okanagan Valley as a whole, Vernon experiences hot, sunshine-filled summers and cold winters that often reside in sub-zero temperatures from mid to late autumn straight onto early spring.

The gorgeous months of warm sunshine have long helped to ensure Vernon was – and still is – a popular tourist destination, attracting many visitors to its arid climate, gorgeous lakes, and a plethora of surrounding mountains (some of which morph into popular ski hills such as Silver Star Mountain come the winter months) each year.

And speaking of the snowy side of the calendar, each winter Vernon comes alive care of the Vernon Winter Carnival, which was officially established in 1961. Though its roots stretch back to February 23, 1893, as that was when the first recorded winter carnival in the area took place. They would occur periodically between then and 1961, from which point onward they have been an annual event.

Today, Vernon’s is the largest winter carnival in Western Canada and the second biggest in all of North America (behind the well-known and much adored Quebec Winter Carnival).

On the flip side of the year, one finds the Vernon Sunshine Festival, an annual event that takes place in the downtown core of the city. This lively occurrence includes artisan booths, food trucks, live music, children’s events, and various other enjoyable happenings.

As with most parts of British Columbia, Vernon’s commercial structures and homes are a mix of old and new (with plenty that currently fall in between the two).

Downtown, on 30th Avenue (which is often considered to be Vernon’s main street), as well as elsewhere in the city centre, one finds an assortment of older buildings that have stood for numerous decades running.

The arts are well fostered and celebrated in Vernon, with, at the time of writing, no less than 27 different murals depicting scenes from the area’s history appearing on the sides of various buildings throughout the downtown core.

In addition, there is an excellent performing arts centre called the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre, as well as the Powerhouse Theatre which is home to a great community theatre programme.

Located in what is arguably the city’s most beautiful public green space, Polson Park, one also finds the Vernon Community Arts Centre.

And just a few streets over locals and tourists alike can catch a film at the Vernon Towne Cinema, which was built in 1929 – 1930.

Much to the delight of early 20th-century architecture and history buffs, this movie theatre (which served in various other arts and entertainment capacities before becoming a cinema) retains much of its art deco design and charm.

And for those like myself, who swoon up a storm over all things creative and crafty, if you should happen to be in Vernon as spring sits on the cusp of summer, you can visit Chaos Crafts.

This annual event is the largest summertime craft show in Western Canada, attracting vendors and attendees alike from across BC, Alberta, and further afield.

Vernon has witnessed continued population growth for the majority of its lifetime and that has certainly rung true in recent decades.

In 2021, the population of Vernon proper came in at some 44,519 people (who are known as Vernonites). This number swells into the 60,000s, however, when surrounding communities are factored into the equation as well. Together, these areas form what is known as Greater Vernon.

Prior to moving to Armstrong (a town located about twenty minutes north of Vernon) in 2018, I had visited Vernon many times throughout my life (much of which has been spent in the Okanagan).

And once, for an ultra-brief matter of weeks in my teens, I even lived in Vernon.

In the years since we relocated to Armstrong, both Tony and I have gotten to know Vernon considerably better.

It is the nearest city to us (Salmon Arm, located north of our town, is the second closest) and as Armstrong lacks a lot of amenities (or at least any sort of variety of them), we often find ourselves spending time in Vernon – which neither of us mind at all.

Ever since I was a little girl and my family would take summertime road trips to various corners of the Okanagan and Shuswap Valleys, I have felt a connection to Vernon.

From its gorgeous heritage homes such as Campbell House and Mohr House to its equally lovely (unofficial) main street, its lakes (including the stunning Kalamalka Lake located on the southern edge of the city, which was once listed as one of the top ten most beautiful lakes in the world by National Geographic) to its arts and culture scene, Vernon has a good deal to offer both locals and visitors alike.

Kalamalka Lake takes its name from a highly revered First Nations man named Chief Kalamalka, who may have been born around 1800.

An early hotel in Vernon also shared his name and while it has not seen overnight lodgers for quite some time now, part of that building is still going strong. These days it is a popular local sports bar known as The Kal.

Should the occasion to do so arise for us one day, I would likely have no qualms about moving to Vernon. It might not be as big or have quite as much to offer as those larger BC cities that start with the letter V (aka, Vancouver and Victoria), but it is still substantially bigger than itty-bitty Armstrong.

While at the same time, in my personal opinion, it retains more of a cohesive community feel and spirit than that of ever-expanding Kelowna.

This makes all the more sense given that the Greater Kelowna Area more than doubles the population of the Greater Vernon Area.

Like most towns and cities around the world, as Vernon’s population began to grow, it was only natural that a cemetery would be required.

Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Vernon

Just as with the previous two cemeteries that we have spent time exploring so far in this post series, Pleasant Valley is the largest burial site in its respective community.

Fascinatingly, however, Vernon’s first cemetery was not the one we will be wandering through together today.

No, the first cemetery in Vernon, BC, was located in the 3700 block of 35^th Avenue on land donated for this very purpose by none other than Vernon’s first permanent white inhabitant, Luc Girouard.

This community burial ground came into being during the 1880s and had been known by a slew of different names such as “Vernon Cemetery”, “Old Cemetery”, and “Old Vernon Cemetery” before being given, on May 8, 1975, its current title of Pioneer Park Cemetery.

The first body to be buried at the Vernon Cemetery was, heartbreakingly, a one-year-old child named John William Hozier, who was laid to rest there in 1885.

As is apt to happen as communities expand, it did not take very long for Vernon’s relatively small original cemetery to become quite full (as well as, unfortunately, rather unkempt).

One or two years into the start of the 20^th century, in either 1901 or 1902 (I have seen sources that cite both of those years), the City of Vernon opted to purchase land for use as a new cemetery.

The land to do just happened to be located on Pleasant Valley Road, which naturally is where Pleasant Valley Cemetery derives its name from.

However, at the very beginning of its life, this location was known as both the Vernon Cemetery (just like its predecessor) and the Vernon Municipal Cemetery.

Once this new cemetery had been established in Vernon, Pioneer Park Cemetery was closed for burials. In the decades since, all of the burial plots have now been removed (with many being reinterred at Pleasant Valley Cemetery).

And in a lovely nod to the history of that piece of land, some of the grave markers were used to build a memorial wall at the east side of the old cemetery, which is today a small public park called Pioneer Park Cemetery.

Others – much like those laid to rest beneath them – were moved to Pleasant Valley Cemetery. And it is very cemetery that we will now be diving straight into exploring together.

Located at 4311 Pleasant Valley Road, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, Pleasant Valley Cemetery has been in continuous operation for an impressive 120 – 121 years and counting at this point (that being 2022).

Those wishing to visit this cemetery can do so year-round during the following times:

March 15th – October 15^th: 8 am to dusk

October 16^th – March 14^th: 8 am to 4 pm

One enters Pleasant Valley Road Cemetery through a wide, somewhat low wrought iron gate attached to two stonework columns. Upon doing so, you will instantly be greeted by a serene (drivable) pathway that is heavily flanked on both sides by tall, lushly verdant trees.

From the outset, one might not expect Vernon’s main burial ground to be as large as it is when you simply pass by it on your way to somewhere else.

However, one need only walk a few metres into Pleasant Valley Cemetery to begin to get a sense of the expansiveness of this immensely lovely final resting place of more than 17,000 individuals and counting.

Vernon’s Pleasant Valley Road Cemetery is divided into two sections: Evergreen and Maple, both of which are then broken down further into blocks, rows, and plots in which ones finds a wide array of different marker styles spanning some that were moved there from the original Pioneer Cemetery straight on to burials as recent as the same season you are visiting.

If you plan to walk around the cemetery, I would suggest wearing comfortable shoes in which your feet will not begin to ache quickly as you will be covering a decent amount of ground if you wish to see the whole of Pleasant Valley Cemetery on foot.

Naturally though, if one lives nearby or will be in the vicinity for multiple days, you could opt to explore various parts of the cemetery on different days.

When this cemetery was established at the start of the 20^th century, it initially covered an expanse of seventeen acres. However, it did not actually take very long for that space to be used up.

Therefore, as time went on, more of the adjacent land was purchased over the years to accommodate new burials (today it comes in at about thirty acres of land).

Prior to that point, however, in 1909, Pleasant Valley Cemetery witnessed a truly dark day when a fire at the Okanagan Hotel took the lives of eleven people.

A memorial was erected to honour a man named Archie Hickling, who perished in the blaze while helping to save others. In addition, a stone marker commemorates the victims of that tragic event which rocked the community of Vernon.

While Pleasant Valley Cemetery does not house anyone famous enough to likely be a household name the world over, it is home to a number of notable early residents and/or some of their family members. Amongst them is one of Price Ellison’s daughters.

There are some strikingly beautiful older monuments and headstones (and a few wrought iron plot fences) to be had in Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

A good number of which were the work of skilled Scottish stonecutter William Inkster, who moved to Vernon in 1903 – a mere one year after the (then) new cemetery was opened.

Mr. Inkster (I love that last name, BTW) founded the Vernon Granite and Marble Company, with some of the earliest granite coming from the properties of the Lefroy family and that of Price Ellison, whose daughter was just mentioned.

That granite can still be seen today in the antique headstones that still stand at Pleasant Valley Cemetery, quite a few of which include – as one would expect, especially for the time period – an array of Christian symbols and religious/spiritual inscriptions.

From very early on in its history, this cemetery has included a section that was/is designated for Chinese burials. Most of the markers located there are, naturally, in Mandarin or Cantonese.

While vertical headstones continue to be erected for some of the newer burials at this cemetery, the bulk of the recent cremation burials (as opposed to casket burials) are designated by small horizontal shaped markers that lay close to the ground.

Many peacefully pretty trees (including plenty of pines) coupled with an array of flowering bushes call this cemetery home as well.

Their presence offers an additional element of tranquillity and helps to create an even more beautiful setting for those buried at Pleasant Valley Cemetery and those who visit it alike.

As touched on earlier in this post, one of the standout features of this cemetery is the sweeping and rather majestic view of the city and the mountains on the opposite side of Vernon that can be viewed from some spots throughout the grounds.

I have had the joy of visiting many cemeteries throughout my lifetime and I can confidently say that few had/have views quite as breathtaking as this deeply peaceful one.

In addition to an area being designated early on for the burials of Chinese citizens, separate sections were also portioned out early on for members of civic clubs (including the Oddfellows), as well as for infants.

Following WWI, a spot was set aside to be used specifically for members of the Great War Veterans Association.

Areas were also singled for those who died while in the (devastatingly wrong and unjust) internment camps that were set up in the North Okanagan during both WW1 and WW2.

An October 2019 Vernon Morning Star article states that the first person to be buried in the city’s then newly established cemetery was a woman named Mrs. Ellen Johnson Wilding Weeks.

Originally from Shrewsbury, England, Ellen was born on January 22, 1847. She married a fellow named Thomas Weeks in 1867 and, nearly three decades later, the couple moved to Vernon with their five children.

Rather interestingly, the home that Thomas Weeks built for his family to live in is still standing to this day. It is now known as the Rice House and can be seen on 20^th Street in Vernon.

Sadly, on October 5, 1901, Ellen passed away from tuberculosis (then commonly called “consumption”) at the age of just 54 years old. Three days later she was laid to rest in Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

Less than two year on, her husband Thomas, aged 60, passed away from liver disease and was buried in the plot immediately alongside that of his beloved wife.

And while none of Ellen and Thomas’s children are interred at this cemetery, two of their grandchildren joined them at the family plot later on in the century.

(Note: If indeed that date was Ellen’s correct date of death, then it would imply that the cemetery was opened in 1901, not 1902. Though I am still trying to get some definitive answers there as both years are readily cited in various historical sources and online articles.)

However, due to the fact that some of the grave markers from Vernon’s very first cemetery were moved to Pleasant Valley, Ellen’s date of death is not the earliest to be had at this location.

These belong to some of the members of the Johnson family who passed away on various dates in the two decades preceding the creation of the original Vernon Cemetery.

I am likewise trying to determine if these individuals’ bodies are interred at Pleasant Valley Cemetery or if markers have “just” been placed there in memory of these early Vernon pioneers.

Sadly, the earliest death that appears on these markers is that of James O. Johnson, who was born on August 23, 1861, and who perished the very next day.

In the years to come, three other Johnson family members would also pass away at devastatingly young ages, their names, in turn, appearing on this same stone as well.

Another marker that will tug at the heartstrings of many who come across it is the inscribed memorial stone that was put in place as a memory of those who passed away between 1948 and 1961 in the Vernon-based BC Provincial Home for the Aged.

This marker came to be in recent times thanks to the hard work of two members (Alice Lee and Gilda Koenig) of the Vernon and District Family History Society who raised funds in order to have this stone created and placed at the cemetery.

Of the roughly 500 people who died in that government-run senior citizen’s home, it is believed that about 377 of them are buried at Vernon’s cemetery. However, only seventy or so of those people are laid to rest beneath headstones/markers, with the rest residing in unmarked graves.

Not uncommonly, little to no information whatsoever is now known about these individuals, so it is all the more important that their memory not be lost entirely in the mists of time.

As such, in addition to the monument rock, forty-one other rocks have been placed in a row to commemorate this group of people further – many of whom died and were, unfortunately, buried alone (that is to say, without any of their family present).

Today, burials (be they of bodies or cremated remains) continue to take place at Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

However, according to a 2019 article in the Vernon Morning Star newspaper, the city believes – and is making advance plans for the fact that – there is likely only about 25 to 30 years of space left for new burials at this location.

While no new (burial) ground is being broken quite yet, the city – which owns the current cemetery – will strive to get a jump on the day when Pleasant Valley is at max capacity by starting work on a new cemetery at least five to ten years in advance of that estimated point in time.

I have not heard or read, but like to assume that when that day comes, the City of Vernon will continue to maintain Pleasant Valley Cemetery.  

Time shall tell, but I for one will be keeping my fingers and toes tightly crossed when Vernon’s current cemetery reaches its limit and a new one is opened, Pleasant Valley will continue to stand as the beautiful, tranquil, and historically important spot that it is for many more generations to come.

The similarities and differences of cemeteries everywhere

Though this cemetery shares a moniker with scores of others around the world and there are additional common points to be had as well, like most burial grounds, it is not a carbon copy of any other out there.

This North Okanagan burial ground holds elements that help to set it apart and, in the process, endure it all the more to the hearts of many who spend time at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Vernon, BC.

Ultimately, even when various cemeteries and/or graveyards are rather similar to one another, it is vital to remember that they will forever be differentiated from one another by the fact that different groups of individuals were interred at each one.

Save for those very rare cases where part of a body was laid to rest (or their ashes sprinkled or housed at) at one cemetery and another/the rest at a different one, it is very uncommon for one individual to reside at two different cemeteries.

Vernon is the oldest community in the Okanagan and while its present-day cemetery is not the region’s largest or most senior, having been established roughly 121 years ago and presently clocking in at about thirty acres, it is certainly amongst them.

I feel very fortunate to live in a part of the country that is peppered with fascinating, beautiful, and diverse cemeteries up and down the region and to get the chance to visit some of them periodically.

For, after all, as I began this post by saying, the passing of time will eventually lead us all to our last breath. I have no idea if anyone will remember me after I am gone and my living relatives at the time have also crossed over.

Whether anyone will or not, while I am on this side of the soil, I make it my mission to remember and honour the lives, spirits, hopes, dreams, and accomplishments of all those who rest in eternal slumber at the cemeteries I am able to visit in person.

So long as my health permits, plans are in the works to spend time at some others around our region this year. It is a safe bet to say that future Cemetery Journey posts devoted to those equally poignant places will transpire here in due course as well. (I can hardly wait! )

What is your favourite season in which to spend time at cemeteries/graveyards? What was the last burial ground that you visited for non-funeral-related reasons?

The post Cemetery Journeys: Springtime in Bloom at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Vernon, BC 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.

He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity. – William Samuel Johnson

Since launching this quarterly blog post series in 2020, I have often begun my “Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me” entries with a quote pertaining to the forthcoming season.

There is no shortage of excellent quotes to be had about this revitalizing time of the year. However, while we are technically two short days away from the start of springtime, a different season, so to speak, has fallen upon the earth once again: that of profoundly devastating war.

I know and am the first to acknowledge that, heartbreakingly, there have been wars in one part of the world or another pretty much continually since time immemorial. The preceding (and present) years of the 21^st century fully included.

No serious conflict is without suffering, loss, injustice, hardship, sacrifice, and long-lasting devastation. Yet few wars since the final days of WW2 have, mercifully, brought with them the imminent possibility of another large-scale global war.

That is until the world’s biggest country (geographically speaking) decided to wage battle against a peaceful neighbouring nation for absolutely no good – or moreover, even remotely justifiable – reason.

Generally speaking, I go out of my way to avoid the news (especially as an HSP and an empath), knowing that if something is big or important enough, I will surely find out about it one way or another.

However, like a great deal of us, I have been glued to news reports regarding the horrific conflict in Ukraine.

Tears fall from my eyes like shrapnel of the soul. They are shed in unison with the millions that tumble from the exhausted, frightened, and utterly perplexed eyes of countless Ukrainians. To say nothing of the rest of the world, too.

As with most tragedies, there is a powerful sense of the surreal to what is happening in Eastern Europe right now.

Surely, we will all wake up tomorrow or the next day or the day after that and realize that the past three (going on four) weeks have been a hellacious nightmare.

Yet, as is so often the case, the very worst nightmares stem not from our sleeping minds, but from the atrocities that are carried out by certain individuals, groups, or nations when we are acutely awake.

I need only climb a few short branches back in time on my family tree to quickly come face-to-face with ancestors who hailed both from Russia and what is present-day Ukraine + Moldova. Some of whom immigrated to Canada as recently as the 1930s.

I knew and loved a few of these people firsthand before their respective passings during the early years of my childhood.

They were not far-off relations from centuries-long past. They were amongst my grandparents, great-grandparents, and great aunts + uncles. They embraced their new homeland with gusto but never lost sight of the culture, traditions, and memories they had grown up experiencing on the other side of the world.

As is the case for most people, it should go without saying that I am 100% on the side of Ukraine (and that of the Russian citizens who are strongly opposed to this incredibly brutal conflict).

It would be unconscionable in my books not to be.

This is not the first time in their nation’s long and fascinating history that Ukraine has come under siege or been unfathomably brutalized in other ways. For example, (WARNING: the following link includes graphic subject matter and images that may be difficult/disturbing for some viewers – especially younger ones) the Holodomor that occurred under the tyrannical reign of Joseph Stalin.

I have no doubt that many people in Ukraine knew prior to this war’s onset that they were strong, proud, capable individuals.

However, both inside and all the more so outside of the country itself, it is safe to say that few could have imagined just how incredibly strong and resilient 21st-century Ukrainians would prove to be.

The quote that begins this post stems from one of America’s founding fathers, William Samuel Johnson. It is no less true today than it was in the 18^th century. If anything, it may in fact hold even more weight nowadays.

Of course, though this colonial-era quote houses male pronouns, it is safe to say that Ukrainians of all genders are showing amazing fortitude and bravery in the face of their nation literally being razed to the ground.

So long as nuclear and biological weapons are not introduced into the fold, I continue to believe that Ukraine has a very real chance of winning this sham of a war.

Not a sham in the sense of it being make-believe (sadly, nothing could be further from the truth), but rather a sham because of its senseless and unprovoked nature.

As many of us keep a watchful eye on news updates viewed on TV, cell phone, tablet, and computer screens, the ravages of war growing ever more horrendous with each passing minute, it can be hard to shift our focus to lighter matters.

For not the first time in my life, tragedy drives home an intensely strong sense of what, at the end of the day, really matters and what can at times seem rather trivial and/or happy-go-lucky by comparison.

Just as it is doing for countless other souls across the globe right now as well.

We go on though, our hearts heavy with emotions such as grief, anger, and fear. We keep trying to live the lives that we are immeasurably blessed to have to the best of our abilities.

Ukraine is never far from our minds – nor is the looming threat of global war – as we do so. We have been starkly reminded of how, objectively, any of our own countries could theoretically find itself in the same sort of situation.

Thousands of miles away from Eastern Europe, snow still dots the landscape around our corner of British Columbia.

Springtime has phoned and made reservations, but it has not checked into its suite just yet.

It is coming through. The ever-earlier arrival of sunlight each morning, the orchestra of bird songs that have begun to fill the air once again, and the first brave crocuses that proudly stretch their necks above the frozen ground all assure us that spring will be here before we know it.

With just two days to go until the official start of spring in the Western Hemisphere, it is time for a fresh new edition of this reoccurring post series.

As usual, the Winter 2022 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me is a link love post featuring online content that caught my eye during the past three months, coupled with a peek into what has been transpiring lately in my own life.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

–Advice for the Beginner Witch: It is scarcely a secret that witchery has seen a massive rise in popularity both over the past few decades and all the more so in recent years.

Naturally, this has led to the presence of a good deal more newbie witches and/or those who may have flirted with the craft previously, but never dedicated themselves to it and now feel a calling to do just that.

It can be – especially in this day and age of social media – challenging to start out as a new witch. It seems like there is so much to know and do and learn. Getting overwhelming or feeling like you must keep up with the witchy Joneses (many of whom have been practicing for ten, twenty-five, forty – you name it – years at this point) can easily happen.

Go easy on yourself, dear witchling, and find both advice and encouragement from this lovely post that guides new witches through some very useful approaches to beginning your beautiful journey into witchhood.

–Cute Witch Art Projects for Kids: Save for our six-year-old nephew (who lives in Italy), there are currently no young kids in our immediate family. If there were (and they lived nearby), I would love to spend a fun-filled afternoon with them making the simple, budget-friendly witch-related art projects that are featured in this charming post from Moody Moons.  

(Another recent post from Moody Moons that really resonated with me is her terrific tutorial on how to make DIY Green Witch’s Runes with Wood Rounds.)

–50 Signs that You’re an Old Soul: In my experience, many old souls inherently know that they are precisely that. However, sometimes a person may not be aware of their beautifully aged soul or, if they are, they might like to learn more about the subject. Finding, in the process, shared traits and experiences with plenty of their fellow old souls.

If you consider yourself to be one – or know somebody who does – be sure to pop on by Other Worldly Oracle’s excellent look at 50 ways to tell that you are an old soul.

–How to Make a Lovely Herb Drying Rack: Now, granted, this link could have gone in the more generic crafty column above. However, given how many witchy/Pagan folks are deeply interested in herbology, I figured that this link would be at squarely home in this section, too.

While most herbs (especially those grown outdoors) have not rebloomed again yet this year, in due course they will. If you have been itching to find an effective way to dry more of them yourself, this lovely tutorial on how to make a hanging herb drying rack has your back all the way.

–Make a Tiered Herb Planter with Dollar Store Buckets: And carrying on with the herb growing theme – because, if you can’t go all out on gardening-related topics in the spring, when can you? – this fantastic and very wallet-friendly approach to making a tiered herb planter with inexpensive buckets from the dollar store is a great approach for those on a budget or anyone looking to save some green (see what I did there? ) on the herb growing front.

–7 Reasons Why Self-Love is Spiritually Empowering: These days, most of us are familiar with the concepts of self-care and self-love. Ideally, we try our best to successfully make time in our busy lives to focus on these important areas. In doing so, however, have you ever stopped to think about the connections that can (and often do) exist between self-love and your spirituality?

This great post from Reroot Your Life explores that very subject and offers up seven excellent reasons why self-love is spiritually empowering.

–The Ethics of Divining World Events: It is human nature to look for answers, insight and (ideally) comfort when times get not only tough, but downright brutal.

For those who engage in various forms of divination, it can likewise come naturally to us to seek (possible!!!) answers with the cards, runes, or most other methods of divining.

This thought-provoking post from esteemed witchery/Paganism blogger + author John Beckett (I cannot recommend his book The Path of Paganism highly enough) delves into the pros and cons, ethically speaking, of doing just for major world events.

No matter which side of the fence you fall on when it comes to this subject, John’s fairhanded article is well worth reading during these tremendously uncertain times.

Cardmaking, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

–A Simple Lavender Wreath to Celebrate Spring: While “simple” in terms of the number of products required and ease of creation, rest assured that this elegant spring wreath is a head-turningly beautiful way to add extra seasonal pizzazz to any door (or wall) in your home.

–Cuddly Pompom Easter Bunny Tutorial: If you are in the mood for a melt-your-heart adorable springtime craft that is both easy and fabulously festive (not to mention a great gift idea), allow me to suggest this delightful pompom Easter (or Ostara) Bunny tutorial.

(For more awesome spring, Ostara, and Easter craft ideas, be sure to check out my post 35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for The Spring Equinox.)

–DIY Flower Butterfly Wings: In my latest project share post (Delightful Butterfly-Themed Happy Ostara Shaker Card for the Spring Equinox) I discussed how butterflies are a harbinger of spring’s return that I – like many of us – can never get enough of.

If you have ever wanted to make a pair of your very own wearable butterfly wings, this photo-filled DIY project post will guide you through how to do just that.

The inclusion of dried flowers/leaves makes these wings especially enchanting. Not to mention more than lovely enough to proudly display, when not being worn, in your home as the work of magical art that they are.

(I cannot help but think how fantastic this project would also look with jewel-toned fall leaves, should you wish to make different seasonal versions of wearable butterfly wings.)

–DIY Gold Foil Vintage Bee Birthday Cards: Much like butterflies, bees are another winged friend that helps to signal spring’s return and who does so much to help keep nature in bloom year after year.

If you are in the mood to celebrate bees in papercrafting form during the upcoming season (or anytime), this gorgeous gold foil card project from Diana at Dreams Factory is a stunning way to do just that.

(If you do not happen to have the tools, such as a laminator, that she uses here, I suspect a somewhat similar look could be achieved by using a good-sized bee stamp, clear embossing ink, and a rich metallic gold embossing powder such as Princess Gold from Ranger.)

And from the same blog, I adore this post on How to Make DIY Spray Inks in Any Colour.

–Four Ways to Organize Your Sticker Addiction: This post is a few years old, but I just hit upon it this winter and felt that it would be right at home in the next edition of this link love series.

Sticker storage can often be a challenge for those of us who cannot get enough of this charming craft product. Yet finding effective ways to store our beloved stickers is often considerably trickier than amassing them in the first place.

In this post, the author weighs the pros and cons of four different approaches for storing planner-related stickers. However, these same ideas can easily translate into just about any kind of sticker your heart desires.

–Oh Romeo Mini Quilt: As I have mentioned a time or two before, I am not a quilter. However, I adore this awesome fabric craft all the same.

I find there are numerous similarities between quilting and papercrafting and am continually inspired by many different types of quilted projects.

Case in point, this fabulously creative “Oh Romeo Mini Quilt” is an enchanting fabric art ode to one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays.  

–3-D Paper Eggs: Where would spring be without a bevy of eggs and all manner of craft + décor items depicting them?

Whether you are keen to ditch dyed eggs or would like a fun project to accompany that classic springtime act, this super easy-to-replicate tutorial guides you through how to make three-dimensional paper eggs that can be hung around your home for an extra sweet dose of seasonal cheer.

What’s Shaking in My Life and On My Radar

This winter passed, as they pretty much always do around these parts, in a flurry of snowflakes, bone-chilling temps, parkas, and warm woollen mittens.

Three cold snaps punctuated the already frozen air, though none saw the mercury drop below -30C/-22F.

Believe me when I say that by Canadian standards, that really isn’t too bad.

As I mentioned here a few blog posts ago, my sister contracted Covid this winter. Thankfully, she did not become extremely ill and/or require hospitalization. While she is still in the process of healing and regaining energy, I am grateful beyond measure to report that she is doing a fair bit better these days.

None of our other loved ones came down with Covid this winter (nor did Tony or I), which we are also endlessly thankful about. One can only speculate as to if that same statement can be made in another three months – let alone at the end of the year.

Also a few weeks ago, Tony and I received our booster shots (aka, our third vaccinations) and will continue to be the first in line for any future Covid vaccines that may be offered to the Canadian public.

Even though I personally think it is too soon to do so, earlier this week the BC provincial government rescinded the law mandating that masks be worn in most types of businesses and other enclosed public spaces.

I am starkly aware of the fact that a huge percentage of the population will, if not toss their masks away outright, then at least banish them to the back of the closet.

It is very easy to understand why and just as I have maintained since the get-go with the pandemic, to each their own when it comes to navigating the challenging waters of the Coronavirus.

Personally, however, as someone who is immune-compromised, I will continue to sport a mask to all the same types of places I have been doing so for the past couple of years. Far better to be safe than sorry.

With so much uncertainty in the world right now – and with the pandemic still going strong – we have not made much in the way of plans yet for the coming spring and summer months.

And after the especially brutal wildfire season that ravaged BC last year (it stands as one of the all-time worst on record here), we are already feeling a bit of trepidation regarding what the coming sizzling hot months may hold in store for our province this year.

Much as I wish with all my might that I could state the polar opposite, I do not have any positive updates regarding the serious and incredibly perplexing “new” medical issues that I have been battling since 2020.

Diagnoses are still proving wildly elusive, as is anything even approaching the degree of health care that I should be receiving to help get to the bottom of what on earth is impacting me.

I am no stranger (far from it!) to fighting tirelessly for diagnoses and the overall state of my health. I have been doing that for twenty, going on twenty-one years straight now.

Not, however, let me clarify, for most of these latest health issues themselves, but rather for just about all of my other chronic illnesses that preceded them.

Ever since these new medical challenges entered my life, at the start of each new season I find myself looking towards the end of it, hoping beyond measure that there will be some form of positive health-related changes by then. Some desperately needed help. Some sign that instead of continuing to worsen, things are stabilizing – or perhaps even showing a flicker of improvement.

And though my body and overall state of health continue to deteriorate and weaken further with each passing week, I am resolute in my hope and in my unceasing drive to get the medical answers, help, and treatment(s) that I NEED no matter how long I must battle for each one of those vital things.

On a far more upbeat note, the Spring Equinox is just two days away!

That day is when I will personally be observing the heart of the Ostara season. And while (as is often the case) I will do so in the company of lingering wintertime snow and ice, I am wonderfully excited to celebrate the newness, positivity, rebirth, and fresh possibilities that spring houses.

Then, come the first week of April, we will celebrate my mother’s birthday. I am hopeful that – after two years of not being able to safely do so – we can spend in person with her (just as we were able to do for my own b-day last summer).

I have said it before, but I will happily say it again: my mom’s birthday is akin to a second start of spring for me and always heralds the return of bloom, baby chick, and rainbow season all the more.

And speaking of my birthday, it is now less than four months away. A fact which I can scarcely believe!

First, though, we get to experience the beauty and wonder of spring, as the natural world breaks free of its lengthy wintertime hibernation and brightens our days both literally and figuratively in many enjoyable ways.

I have a lot of ideas for fun, informative, and inspiring blog posts here in the coming months – including, all things willing, a brand-new edition of the Cemetery Journeys post series that I launched here last year.

A number of you have emailed to ask me when that would be happening, so I am striving as hard as I can to get the next exciting journey up this spring.

And now, sweet dears, on with a smattering of assorted links that leapt out at me over the course of these past three snow-covered months.

–Emily Brontes’ Lost Second Novel: It is safe to say that Wuthering Heights stands as one of the best known and most beloved novels ever published.

Tragically, its author died young at the age of just thirty years old. Leaving, at the time, an unpublished second manuscript that we know with a good degree of certainty existed at one point, but which has sadly been long lost to the hands of time (or perhaps, as some strongly suspect destroyed by one of her sisters).

This engaging article takes a gander at Emily’s iconic inaugural novel, while also digging into the mystery surrounding what her second book may have been about as well as what fate might have befallen that now (presumably) long-lost second manuscript.

–11 Ways to Wear a Bat Bow: Whether you would only rock a bat bow in October or could easily – and gleefully – do so the whole year round, this charming post suggests eleven fun ways to inject some sartorial bat-themed goodness into your attire as often as your heart desires.  

–Goth Fast Fashion and Why It Isn’t Always a Good Thing: Regardless of your preferred personal style(s), this post – from Gothic Charm School author Jillian Venters – poses some insightful and important points that apply to a sizable percentage of clothing consumers in many parts of the world.

Fast fashion may be de rigueur in the sphere of 21st-century attire, but as Jillian wisely argues, it is often far from the choice we should be making – at least on a regular basis.

–Lost Women of Science Podcast: This recently launched podcast series (from New York Times reporter Katie Hafner) is on a mission to shine the very well-deserved spotlight on female scientists whose work, and in many cases, names, are little known despite the important contributions they made not only to the field, but to life on earth, point-blank.

The first scientist to be featured is Dorothy Andersen, a physician and pathologist who forever changed the lives of many people around the world when, in 1938, she discovered and defined cystic fibrosis.

As a passionate lover of science (and staunch advocate for women in STEM), I eagerly looking forward to seeing what other women will be featured in future editions of this much-needed podcast.  

–Metal Pens Pre-17^th Century: Much like the link pertaining to sticker organization shared above, this post has a few years under its belt.

It remains a gem all the same and, being a lifelong writer myself, I could not help but share it here – especially since the concept of metal pens is not something many of us associate with times preceding the Victorian era (let alone prior to the 1600s!).

As this article clearly demonstrates, however, they are invention that stretches centuries back in time prior to that point and which have been evolving for hundreds of years now.

–The Top Ten Strangest Snakes in The World: If you happen to have ophidiophobia, please be advised that chances are this link is not for you.

If, on the other hand, you are not afraid of snakes and would like to learn more about some of the most unique and (often) rarest of our slithering reptile friends, read on a very cool selection of ten unforgettable types of serpents.

–Metal Pens Pre-17^th Century: Much like the link pertaining to sticker organization shared above, this post has a few years under its belt.

It remains a gem all the same, and as a writer myself, I could not help but share it here – especially since the concept of metal pens is not something many of us associate with times preceding the Victorian era (let alone prior to the 1600s!).

As this article clearly demonstrates, however, they are an invention that stretches centuries back in time prior to that point and which has been evolving for hundreds of years now.

–Toronto Based Startup is Combatting Deforestation with Tree Planting Drones: There is no denying the profound importance of reforestation in the battle against the ever more alarming climate crisis that our planet is besieged with these days.

While there are various ways to plant and grow new trees, few are as innovative or original as that from Canadian Flash Forest, which is using drones to plant new trees.

How many trees, you may ask? At the time this article was written last year, no less than 300,000 seed pods had been dropped across specific parts of Canada.

One can only wonder how high that total will continue to climb – and hope, all the while, that this clever technique rapidly catches on around the globe.

Bonus link: Last October I shared a post here called 13 Awesome Cemetery Focused Blogs Every Taphophile Should Be Following.

In that post, one of the blogs that I featured was of renowned author Loren Rhodes, whose work spans both the fiction and nonfiction spheres.

Those who enjoy books pertaining to taphophilia-related topics may be familiar with Rhodes’ work, including her wonderful books 199 Cemeteries to See Before Your Die and This Morbid Life: Essays.

Thanks to that post, Loren and I connected for the first time ever and have remained in touch since (which is the coolest thing in – pun fully intended – my books, as I have been a big fan of her work for quite some time now).

Loren emailed me a few days ago to share that she would be launching a Kickstarter campaign (which is now live) to help back her newest release: Death’s Garden Revisited: Relationships with Cemeteries.

The title brings together personal reflections from numerous people around the world who have strong connections (for a myriad of different reasons) to cemeteries.

As a passionate taphophile who finds few experiences in life more enjoyable, spiritually fulfilling, and inspiring than visiting cemeteries, you can imagine how delighted I was to learn about Loren’s latest writing project.

Whether you enjoy genealogy, history, the art and design of cemeteries, or just about anything else pertaining to burial grounds, this book is apt to be right up your alley.

If you would like to help bring Death’s Garden Revisited to the point of publication, I encourage you to please consider donating to Loren’s Kickstarter campaign.

Hold Fast to Dreams

Though it has only been three short months since the Autumn 2021 edition of this post series appeared, for reasons both global and personal, it feels more like two years have elapsed between now and when we said farewell to fall.

Exceedingly few amongst us could have predicted when this winter began that less than a single season later, the world would be rocked once again by an unthinkable tragedy of epic proportion.

That is what has happened though and as with everything that leaves a stamp in indelible ink upon human history, we as a species will be forever impacted by the war in Ukraine.

Assuming, that is, that our species is able to keep going beyond the current generation.

I am nothing if not an optimist, but I am also the poster child for realists everywhere.

Since my early youth, I have studied the first two world wars to a degree that I cannot even begin to measure.

My eyes have taken in hundreds, if not thousands, of books and hours of programming alike pertaining to these world-altering conflicts – especially WW2 and the holocaust.

Beyond those two massive conflicts, I have been drawn to studying and trying to make sense of war, famine, genocide and other forms of the worst possible things human beings can do to one another for as far back as I can recall.

Everything that I have learned, viewed through lenses both philosophical and pragmatic, and laid awake at night thinking about, currently braces me for even more brutal days ahead.

Just like the citizens of Ukraine and countless others around the globe, I hold tight to the belief that the guns will be silenced, the bombs returned to their hiding places, and that the carnage and devastation will end before we as a collective whole do things from which there is no coming back.

As a young girl, one of the first pieces of poetry that I remember learning by heart in school was Dreams by the wonderful American poet, Langston Hughes. It goes as follows:

Hold fast to dreams 
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Some thirty years on from when I committed those poignant and powerful lines to memory, they remain with me verbatim.

As I lay my head down to sleep each night and again when that ever-brighter dawn wrestles me from slumber, I find Hughes’s words echoing through my thoughts.

They live in my heart and will remain there for as long as it continues to beat.

The dream, in this instance, is one of unwavering hope for an end to the war in Ukraine, the suffering on both sides, and the ability for the survivors to be able to one day piece their shattered lives back together again.

Their futures will not be the same ones that lay before them a few agonizingly short weeks ago, but there is still hope and the prospect of some sort of stability again.

We, as a planet, did in 1918 and again in 1945. Now, before WW3 truly does erupt, let’s stop this madness and do it again in the spring of 2022.

The very fate of the world may be riding on it.

As we look towards the coming season – be it spring on this side of the equator of my beloved autumn for those south of it – there are not words enough to convey how much I hope that you are able to have a safe season wherever you call home.

My deepest wishes for wellness, happiness, and peace to each of you, cherished friends – and to everyone who calls this remarkable planet of ours home.

The post Winter 2022 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

However, that doesn’t mean that I am not a huge admirer of many people and their wonderful work.

In terms of authors who write about Pagan/witchery/earth-based spirituality topics, high up on that list ranks Maia Toll.

For more than a decade now, my husband and I have run a free new book email notification service called AnyNewBooks.com that we founded back in 2010. (It generates important income for us via sponsors and affiliate programs.)

Virtually every week since then, a not-insignificant portion of my working hours have been spent compiling the lists of new books that we email out to subscribers (at present, we send out more than 300,000 emails per month).

The lists that we pull our selections from come via Amazon (US) and in the eleven going on twelve years since we launched Any New Books?, I have had the pleasure of seeing many thousands of new book releases each year.

Naturally, I keep a keen eye out for titles pertaining to my many diverse interests – those relating to my spirituality very much included.

I knew the moment, back in 2018, when I first caught sight of author Maia Toll’s inaugural book, The Illustrated Herbiary, that this was not your run-of-the-mill title.

Shortly thereafter, I was able to purchase a copy and it took a mere few lines in to have my suspicions confirmed.

From the tremendously lovely illustrations by artist Kate O’Hara to the deck of oracle cards included at the back of the book to the personable, inviting, knowledgeable way the author wrote, I was hooked.

And based on the roughly 1,800 reviews (nearly all of which are glowingly positive) that this book currently has on Amazon as of March 2022, it is safe to say that many others instantly fell in love with Maia’s warm, wonderful writing as well.

In the time since The Illustrated Herbiary was released, Maia has penned three more books.

The Illustrated Bestiary, The Illustrated Crystallary, and, most recently, Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion.

In addition, larger-sized decks of the oracle cards included at the back of each of Maia’s books are also available for sale. They are printed on sturdier paper than those that come with her books, so if you plan to use one or more of Maia’s decks quite often, you may wish to invest in those high-quality decks. Which are as follows:

–The Illustrated Herbiary Oracle Cards: 36-Card Deck of Bewitching Botanicals

–The Illustrated Bestiary Oracle Cards: 36-Card Deck of Inspiring Animals

–The Illustrated Crystallary Oracle Cards: 36-Card Deck of Magical Gems & Minerals

Plus, you can now purchase images from some of Maia’s work in puzzle form as well (as a big jigsaw puzzle fan, you can imagine how much my eyes lit up when I heard about that!).

If you or someone in your life adores jigsaw puzzles, you’ll want to check out the following three offerings based on Maia’s books.

–The Illustrated Herbiary Puzzle: California Poppy

–The Illustrated Bestiary Puzzle: Monarch Butterfly

–The Illustrated Crystallary Puzzle: Garden Quartz

As 2021 began to wind down, I was contacted by a publishing rep and asked if I would be interested in reviewing Maia’s latest book.

Already a big fan of her earlier works (of which, thus far, I own two – The Illustrated Herbiary and The Illustrated Beastiary, respectively), I was honoured by the offer and replied with a very resounding, “Yes, please!”.

In addition, I suggested that I interview Maia by email and then weave that chat into my book review blog posts. Happily, it was then their turn to respond enthusiastically.

Before delving into the coven’s worth of questions that I asked Maia, I am going to provide you with my thoughts on her most recent release, Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion.

Please note that while I was provided with a complimentary copy of that book and three decks of Maia’s oracle cards (visible in many of the photos throughout this post), all thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own and would not differ in any way, had I purchased those items myself.

Book specs:

Name: Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion: A Guided Journey into the Mystical Rhythms of the Natural World, Season by Season

Author: Maia Toll – Connect with Maia on her website | Instagram |Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Page count: 192 pages

Publisher: Storey Publishing

Binding: Hardcover

A passionate look at the year as viewed from a nature and spirituality-based standpoint

Let me begin by saying that, while the content housed within the pages of Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion is bound to find favour with many witches, Wiccans, Pagans, and the like around the globe, it is an inclusive title that can be enjoyed by those from a wide array of spiritual paths.

As many of my blog posts attest to, I have immeasurable love of, and appreciation for, each of the eight Pagan sabbats that comprise The Wheel of the Year (TWOTY) – just as I do, the year’s annual seasons.

I literally get giddy as a new season approaches, no matter which one it is! And by the same token, often feel a touch of melancholy as we bid farewell to a departing chapter of the year.

Since early childhood (years before I would first officially encounter the concept of TWOTY), I have felt as though each of the four seasons was more like two smaller seasons combined under the same header.

In some respects, I even viewed each individual month as a mini-season unto itself.

I am not alone in seeing and feeling that the year naturally divides itself into each roughly equal chapters: Early Winter, Late Winter, Early Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, and Late Fall.

You can well imagine then how delighted I was to see that in the Wild Wisdom Companion, Maia opted to present us with a look at a full year laid out in that very format.

Across the 192 pages of this gorgeously illustrated hardcover book (which was released in 2021), the author guides readers through the natural rhythms and cycles of the year.

She begins each chapter in an endearingly charming and whimsically creative way: by presenting us with a fictional conversation between the Sun and the Earth.

Each chat we are privy to presents a touching picture of how these two mighty celestial forces interact and the timeless dance that they enact so that life as we know it on this planet is able to continue onward.

I wholeheartedly loved this element of the book, just as I did many other things about the Wild Wisdom Companion.

In addition to the delightful imaginary conversations mentioned above, each chapter leads us through other factors that are presented for the year’s eight seasons.

These include an Element, an energy centre in the body, a plant medicine, an animal medicine (the presence of that term instantly reminded me of the book Spirit Animal Guides in which author Chris Luttichau uses very similar terminology), a crystal medicine, and three different seasonal symbols.

While some of the selections for each of these entries feel like a very natural fit, others are wonderfully unexpected. They help to prove a fun, fresh take on various plants, animals, mythical figures and so forth that are linked to each season.

In addition, beautiful quotes from other people are peppered throughout this book as well.

Though you might easily think that it would, the Wild Wisdom Companion does not specifically focus on the Pagan sabbats that comprise TWOTY.

However, the dividing points at which Maia has chosen to portion out the year do essentially correspond with each of the eight annual sabbats (those being Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule).

No doubt some readers will wish that there was more of a sabbat focus here. Yet, by not placing the sabbats in the spotlight Wild Wisdom Companion is able to become just that – a welcome companion – to a far broader spectrum of readers.

Instead of the sabbats, the year’s two Solstices and two Equinoxes are explored. These are astronomically determined points on the calendar that the whole planet experiences and thus they are an integral component of the human experience.

In her lovely introduction to this book, Maia states: “Wild wisdom is feeling in accord with the hawk flying overhead; it’s feeling sisterhood with the willows; it’s knowing that the stones are millennia older than humans and have much to teach about the passage of time. Wild wisdom is the sense of being in sync with the world around you, so much so that you feel safe and at home in your own skin. It’s a feeling we’re all looking for but very few achieve.”

She goes on to elaborate regarding ways to find or connect all the more with your own innate wild wisdom before sharing with us how she broke down the year into eight different segments, presenting that information as it applies to both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

In addition, Maia begins her year – when divided into eight parts – in Late Autumn.

A good many witches/Wiccans/Pagans feel that doing so aligns with their personal beliefs and their connection to nature (they don’t call Samhain the witch’s new year for nothing!), so that was a very welcome change of pace to observe in this book.

Throughout each season, Maia invites readers to journal and/or deeply contemplate their connection to some of the topics she addresses, as well as in regards to the seasons themselves.

If journaling is not your cup of tea (and it is 100% okay if that is the case), I feel that one can easily reflect on these topics in other ways, too.

For example during meditation, while sitting peacefully in nature, as part of spellwork, under the light of the moon or sun, or in just about any other way that feels right to you and your own path.

The Wild Wisdom Companion begins in late autumn, guides readers through an insightful, highly relatable walk through the seasons, and culminates with Early Autumn. Thus beginning the eternal cycle over again.

In fact, as you get to the final pages of this terrific book, Maia poses the question, “What if you stay right here and begin it again?”.

In doing so, she both invites and reminds of us the cyclical patterns of the seasons and the important place they hold in each of our lives.

It is a call to embrace the shifting seasonal tides all the more and to grow closer, in doing so, to Mother Earth herself.

Having experienced a whole year in a matter of hours or days (or longer), depending on the pace at which one reads this book, we are treated to the marvellous gift of a lovely deck of square-shaped oracle cards + one suggested spread for working with those cards.

Each of the double-sided cards corresponds with one of the various medicines or symbols that Maia presented us with throughout the Wild Wisdom Companion.

If one opts to work with those cards (and I highly suggest that you do, they are thoroughly lovely), this continuance between themes presented in the book and on the cards themselves is a great way unto itself to grow ever-closer to the seasons.

How Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion rates with me

This book weaves together powerful elements from each of Maia’s previous titles and opens us even more of her wisdom for us to learn from and, potentially, feel a sense of kinship with.

I knew back in 2018 when I read Maia Toll’s first book that she was a radiant beam of new light in the field of nature spirituality-based writing.

Four years on, I can tell you with unflinching certainty that not only has that light grown stronger, but it has helped to illuminate the paths of many thousands upon thousands of readers around the planet in the process.

I adore each of Maia’s books and card decks, returning to them time and time again throughout the year.

However, I must say that the Wild Wisdom Companion is my very favourite of Toll’s works to date.

I highly recommend this book to those both inside and out of the Pagan/witchy realm (and cannot help but feel that it is a title that many gardeners, nature lovers, and animal fans would delight in reading).

Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion is a well-written, intuitively presented, and extremely approachable look at the year and ways we can tap (all the more) into our own innate, incredible wild wisdom.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion 5 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An interview with educator, best-selling author, herbalist, and all-around lovely person, Maia Toll

Thank you with the deepest of appreciation, Maia, for sharing your time and knowledge with Witchcrafted Life’s readers. I sincerely appreciate it and cannot begin to tell you how much joy getting this opportunity to chat one-on-one with you means to me.

1. Welcome, Maia! It is a heartfelt joy and honour to chat with you regarding your latest book release – Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion – and Paganism in general. For those who are being introduced to you here today for the first time, could you please share a few points about yourself and where your passions lay most strongly at present?

Hi Everyone! I’m an author fascinated by the ways in which we can connect and learn from the natural world. Exploring the mystic has been a passion for me since I was quite young—for most of my life, I’ve been asking why are we here? And how can I be comfortable in this human skin?

These questions led me to an apprenticeship with a clinical herbalist and green witch in Ireland. That experience has informed who I have become in the time since. Like Autumn, I feel like there’s a deep bond between creativity and spirituality, so that’s a place from which I often dive into this work.

2. Wild Wisdom Companion is your fourth book to date. Is being a book author something that you long felt pulled towards becoming or did the desire and opportunity to do so develop more organically in recent years?

I have been writing since I was a kid. My first story was about a unicorn who got stuck in a bottle. I was eleven. As an adult, I would often joke that I was a writer without a story; I loved the process of writing—the peeling back of layers and the playing with words—but I didn’t have anything in particular to write about.

I had also made a rule for myself (I’m a Capricorn rising—creating, and then struggling against, rules is part of my nature) that I wouldn’t write a book unless I was bringing something new, and never before seen, to readers. It took a long while for me to get over myself and start sharing the way I see the world, even if I’m not the very first person to put those thoughts to paper.

3. What have you found to be the most rewarding and, conversely, most challenging aspects of being a highly successful author – and do you have any advice for those seeking to become first time authors in our sphere of Paganism/herbology/witchery and the like?

One of my personal goals when I started getting published was to meet other authors. Authors tend to be creative, thoughtful, widely read, and self-motivated, which is how I prefer my humans. I have two pods of authors I gather with regularly. Those get-togethers are key for my sanity, perspective, and general joie de vivre. Finding my people is one of the greatest rewards of this career path.

Just like any job, there is a myriad of challenges. Most of them are small obstacles, easily overcome. I try to get creative with the larger hurdles. Currently, I’m chewing on the way books are categorized. I believe that connection with the natural world, and the seasonal living it inspires, as well as exploring the mystical side of life are essential elements for being a whole human.

This way of looking at life nurtures creativity and helps you understand how to get through life’s rough patches. It’s much more universal than niche categories like “occult,” where I am often shelved, suggest. But which category should we highlight? Self-help? Nature writing? Spirituality?

It is an ongoing frustration that my books are shelved in a way that may keep people who would enjoy and benefit from them from finding them. And, truthfully, no matter what my opinion is, once the bookstores receive the books, they shelve them wherever they want, so my ruminations are rather pointless.

For first time authors, my number one piece of advice is write. Do the work, don’t just think about doing it. Writing, like most everything else in life, is a practice. The only way to get proficient is to put pen to paper. Once you’ve moved beyond thinking about writing to actually writing, remember that you’re writing for someone else to read. Who is your reader and what’s useful for them? What do you want them to know, feel, and do? Everything from subject matter to individual sentence structure should be crafted with the reader in mind.

4. Wild Wisdom Companion is a beautiful, eloquently penned ode to the timeless magic(k) of the seasons. I am an unwavering fan of all of your books and the wonderful sets of oracle cards they house, but must say, Wild Wisdom Companion is my absolute favourite.

Of these eight segments of the year, are there one or two in particular that you feel a particular connection to and/or affinity for – and is there one chapter of the year that you would describe as your seasonal soul mate? (Autumn is mine. )

The Wild Wisdom Companion is so many people’s favorite and I LOVE that. I’ve learned so much from writing each book and I would hope the newest one is always the favorite—that my growth as an author allows readers to go deeper with each new book.

Like you, autumn has long been my time of year. But a few years back we moved to a house in the woods. Living on some undisturbed acreage has given me a chance to lean into the entire wheel of the year in a fresh way. While I still love autumn, especially the quality of the light in the time between Samhain and winter solstice, I’ve come to adore late winter.

We have trillium, trout lilies, and some funny little ground orchids which pop up before the trees have leafed out. It is such a stunning time—the trees are still bare, letting me see through their branches to the mountains, but the ground is carpeted with leaves hiding little nodding flowers. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

5. What inspired you to write Wild Wisdom Companion? Was it a book you had long envisioned coming into being or one that sprang into being as a natural progression from your three previous titles?

This is a long (and rather tiresome) story! The short version: when I signed a contract for the book that became Wild Wisdom, it wasn’t meant to be a part of the series. Then, because the other books were doing so well, my publisher wanted it to be part of the collection. But the book I had written didn’t fit in. So, I rewrote it. Twice. And it still wasn’t right. By that point, I was exhausted and disheartened. So, I asked myself two questions:

1- If I were starting from zero, instead of trying to rejig an existing manuscript, what would best tie together the previous books? I kept thinking about a conversation with an editor who was not on my team but who was at my publishing house. We were chatting at a little wine and cheese get-together when I visited. She said, “You know, one thing you haven’t covered is time.” That comment stuck with me, and I kept chewing on it.

2- The second thing I asked myself was: what would be easy? I needed easy. I was pretty close to burned out.

A book focused on the wheel of the year was the answer to those two questions. I had been teaching on the wheel of the year for a while, so it wasn’t difficult to gather my notes and lessons and use them as a foundation. The book built up pretty quickly from there and voila! The Wild Wisdom Companion. 

6. What are some points that you feel the general public – and perhaps even some who are new to areas such as Paganism and witchcraft – would benefit from knowing about the Wheel of The Year and the perpetually vital role that it plays in the lives of all creatures great and small who inhabit our planet?

The pattern of the seasons, as they happen in more temperate climes, teaches us so much of what we need to know about the cycles of our own lives. When I’m working on a book and I’m frustrated, I ask myself where I am on the wheel: have I let go of what needs to go (autumn)? Am I gestating (winter)? Understanding where I’m at in my creative cycle lets me know what comes next and how to move forward.

This applies to other aspects of life as well. When I have birthed something new (spring), I know I still need to keep feeding it energy so it will flower (summer). When I’ve suffered a loss (autumn), I realize I might need winter’s hibernation to recover and heal.

Once you find this rhythm in your own life, you can look outward and find it in the lives of the plants, trees, and animals. It is a constant breath: inhaling energy toward you, exhaling energy out.

7. It is safe to say that the world has been through the wringer massively over the past two years due to the global pandemic. In the face of this profound ongoing challenge, what are some things pertaining to nature and/or self-care and spirituality that you feel people can do to help create a better sense of stability and wellness (emotional, physical, spiritual – or all of the above) again?

I wrote The Wild Wisdom Companion during the first tenuous months of the pandemic. Tuning in to the seasons got me through. And it’s still getting me through. Step out the door, feel the air, breathe. Our human world might be disrupted, but everything else is carrying on. Tune into that sensation.

8. How have you personally been faring during these tremendously difficult times? Have you found that they have deepened your connection to the seasons, the plant kingdom, the universe or any other facet of your spiritual journey?

The isolation from other people has been less difficult for me than most. Serendipitously, I moved to the woods a few months before Covid hit. Because I’m writing, I don’t have to go out to work. So, my days are synced to the natural rhythms. I’m getting to know this land, making friends with the trees and the creek, and working on my writing craft. Because this is what I was moving toward before Covid, for me, the inner work of the past couple of years doesn’t feel Covid related.

9. While Wild Wisdom Companion, much like your other titles, is apt to appeal to witches, Wiccans, Pagans and others of our ilk in general, I feel it is a very approachable and inviting book for all those who experience a strong connection to Mother Nature.

Can you please share a few easily doable, potent ways that just about anyone, regardless of their personal beliefs, can create or strengthen their bond with the natural world?

I love a practice that naturalists use called a “sit spot.” It’s simple, really: return to the same spot every day. Sit. Breathe. Observe. Be sure to pay attention to both the big picture stuff and the small stuff—the macro and the micro. Explore how to connect with the world around you. Try having a little dialogue in your head with a dandelion or singing to an oak. Play with what’s possible.

That’s it! Hone your powers of observation and connection.

10. At the time of this interview’s publication, we are sitting between the first two spring sabbats of Imbolc and Ostara. What are some of the key components/lessons/inspirations that you feel this wonderful point in the calendar, as the mighty return of new life and warm sunlight looms near again, can teach or remind us all?

This is a season when the energy is rising. The tiny cotyledons of the plants are reaching upward, sprouting leaves. I try to tap into that rising energy, letting it come up through the soles of my feet. And then I ask myself what do I want to grow? Sometimes I want to grow a feeling—like joy. Sometimes I want to nurture a new way of seeing the world. And sometimes I want to encourage myself to act, to bring something new into being, like a book. Our culture puts a lot of emphasis on this last one, on action. But I think the first two are equally as important.

Also, if you’re reading this and you aren’t comfortable with, or can’t relate to, words like sabbat, Imbolc, or Ostara, just leave the language by the wayside. I do, all the time. I try to think about the seasons in terms of their energetics, what I can feel in my body. In the Wild Wisdom Companion, I don’t us pagan names for the seasons because I don’t often use those words in my life.

The other day someone said Litha and I had to look up what that meant! I always try to choose words that mean something to me personally. So, I do use Samhain and Imbolc because, when I was studying in Ireland, those were the names my teacher used. I celebrated both Samhain and Imbolc with her and so those words have a resonance for me.

11. Your writing, the important messages it conveys, and the support it offers to others are all very special elements that – not unlike the magnificent illustrations from artist Kate O’Hara that are housed in your books and oracle card decks – speak to scores of people around the world.

What sorts of points do you find easiest to connect with your audience over – and are there things you have learned from them since starting your journey as an author that you did not know or (yet) fully appreciate before that point in your life?

In general, book writing happens at a distance. I sit and think and write in my space and then someone reads and reflects in theirs. I’m sure there are places in my books where readers nod along and feel resonant with what I’m saying, and other places where they think no, that’s not how I see it.

As the author, I’m not usually privy to these thoughts. Sometimes I’ll get to have conversations around this sort of thing at live events and, if you had asked me this pre-Covid, I probably would have had specific stories to share. But I have had limited contact for the past two years. I’m looking forward to once again being able to have robust conversations and share, back and forth, in person.

12. Rapid fire style… What are your favourite books that you are currently reading (or have recently read)?

Here’s my current stack:

Matrix by Lauren Groff

The Heroine with 1,001 Faces by Maria Tartar

The Awakened Brain by Lisa Miller

Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Missing Witches: Recovering True Histories of Feminist Magic by Risa Dickens and Amy Torok

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

Three Simple Lines: A Writer’s Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku by Natalie Goldberg

The one witchy must-read from the last couple years is The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow.

And if you’re into herbal medicine, Energetic Herbalism by Kat Maier should definitely be on your bookshelf.

Kim Krans’ The Wild Unknown Archetypes Deck has been my go-to deck recently.

Crystals are in bowls and on shelves around my desk. I just reach for whatever my fingers want and hold it for as long as seems necessary. The thinking and analyzing part of my brain got over-used writing The Illustrated Crystallary so I’m in pure, unquestioning, intuition mode.

13. And last, but certainly not least… If you are able to divulge anything on this front, can you please tell us about your next book?

This is perfect timing because I’m just now able to talk about my next project! The Night School will be released August 9, 2022 and I am over-the-moon excited.

It was my first time writing in a narrator’s voice, instead of my own, and it was a blast. The Night School is for anyone who wishes they could go to a school for witches, wizards, or mystics. But it’s not fiction: the book contains the lessons you might learn were you to attend such an esteemed institution.

Thank you again, dear Maia. Not only for chatting with me and my audience, but for the extraordinary insight, care, passion, teachings, and – very aptly – wisdom that you impart to society. The earth is blessed to call you one of its own, and I know that your work will long continue to inspire, help and resonate with countless souls the world over.

Thank you, Autumn!

~*~*~*~*~*~

In closing, I would like to once again thank both Maia and her generous publisher for helping to put the wheels in motion for this blog post’s existence.

I am on the edge of my seat with anticipation regarding the forthcoming release of The Night School and hope, in time, to have the opportunity to review that title here as well.

Have you read Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion? How many seasons/half seasons does it feel most natural for you to divide your year into?

The post Author Interview & Book Review: Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion by Maia Toll appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

In 2020, when this blog was mere days old, I shared an entry called 12 Ways to Live a More Magickally Focused Year.

The next year, in February 2021, as a bit of a follow-up to that entry, we explored 14 Ways to Love Your Witchcraft Even More.

The ideas housed in these posts are well worth visiting (or revisiting, as the case may be) now that 2022 is officially underway.

They are, of course, far from the only ways to connect further and deeper with your witchery and/or spirituality (as, indeed, witchcraft can be practiced independently from faith or spirituality).

As dawn rises on a new year, a spiritually significant topic that frequently springs to mind for me is that of our animal spirit guides.

Please note that I did not say “spirit animals”. To my mind and those of many nowadays, this particular term is primarily usually reserved for those of certain ethnic groups, particularly indigenous peoples from around the globe.

While you might be inclined to say that reversing the order of the words is akin to splitting hairs, such is far from the case.

Guides – be they celestial, land-based, otherworldly, amongst the departed, part of the animal realm or otherwise are generally things that anyone on earth can connect with.

Any one of us can feel that we have one or more power/guide animal spirits with us or seek such out if they are not already a part of our lives and spiritual practices.

Many books that were published during the 1990s, 2000s, and even some of those from the 2010s do not necessarily make this distinction and veer into what a lot of folks today would rightly view as cultural appropriation.

I am very happy to say that this is not the case with the first book that I’m reviewing here this year: Spirit Animal Guides: Discover Your Power Animal and the Shamanic Path by Chris Luttichau.

This tremendously lovely book was first published in 2009 (with the title of Animal Spirit Guides) and has subsequently been reprinted over the years.

The copy that I am reviewing in this post was printed in 2019 and was purchased with my own funds.

Book specs:

Name: Spirit Animal Guides: Discover Your Power Animal and the Shamanic Path

Author: Chris Luttichau

Publisher: CICO Books

Page count: 160 pages

Binding: Hardcover

A contemporary approach to an ancient tradition

Chris Luttichau, this book’s author, is a well-known and highly respected teacher and healer who has traversed the globe learning traditional ways from knowledgeable teachers, practitioners, shamans, and others who possess time-honoured wisdom and approaches to life.

He holds tremendous respect for the earth and its inhabitants, very much including those of the animal variety, and keenly weaves elements of ancestor work, prayer, and dreaming into western (neo)shamanism.

The topic of shamanism enters the picture in Spirit Animal Guides. It is done so with immense reverence, broad strokes, and a reminder to us all that nearly every early culture around the world had spiritual leaders, healers and teachers who today could easily fall under the header of having been shamans.

This is true for my ancestors from locations such as the frozen north of Russia and the verdant Celtic + Norse lands, much as it is for many of us with far-reaching roots to Oceania, North America, Central America, South America, Asia, Africa, and other parts of Europe as well.

In 1998, Chris – a native of Denmark who currently resides in the UK – founded an international teaching organization and accompanying website called the Northern Drum Circle, where he periodically writes on topics pertaining to animal spirit guides and shamanism.

I have never met or interacted with Mr. Luttichau (who travels far afield to hold workshops through North America and Europe). However, it only took a few paragraphs into his book Spirit Animal Guides for me to sense that we would likely hit it off well and share many points in common.

Spirit Animal Guides: Discover Your Power Animal and the Shamanic Path features a gorgeous array of full-colour illustrations by artist Melissa Launay, each of which helps to bring the topics that Luttichau talks about and the selection of animals that he highlights to life all the more.

At 160 pages, this is not a huge book by any means. However, the information it houses far exceeds that of many longer titles on the subject of animal spirit guides.

First split into two sections (Section 1 and Section 2, respectively), then broken down into five chapters (plus a handy index), and further divided into numerous subchapters, this book has an excellent flow to it leads you to want to read it from cover-to-cover.

I have done so now three times since this book entered my life and have enjoyed it all more with each reading.

Spirit Animal Guides by Chris Luttichau begins with the opening lines, “The purpose of the teachings in this book is for you to discover whether they feel true for you. Find out if they awaken a remembrance within yourself and your body of an ancient instinctual bond between you, nature, and animals.”

True to its word, that is precisely what this book not only sets out to do but accomplishes with skill, insight, and inspiration aplenty.

The author addresses the topic of animal spirit guides and the long-held relationship between those who engage in shamanism, while also delving into the fact that humans from many walks of life have sought out (or been chosen by, as the case may be) animal spirit helpers/guides since time immemorial.

Early on in the book, he talks openly about his own spiritual journey, guides readers through methods they can undertake if they are presently seeking an animal spirit guide, and explains what he means when through this book he describes the “animal medicine” associated with the critters featured therein.

Before delving into the selection of animals that Luttichau has chosen to shine the spotlight on, readers are treated to the author’s thoughts pertaining to such areas as “The power animal as your mirror”, (a brief look at) “Shamanism and spiritual reality”, “Dream recall”, “The drum journey”, and various ways of working with your power animal.

In the section regarding shamanism and spiritual reality, Luttichau states that “The teachings given here about power and animals are closely linked to the shamanic tradition. Shamanism does not constitute a religion, and it gives each human being the freedom to explore reality with an open mind and heart to find her or his own truth.”

To my mind, this is one of the most accurate, even-handed and approachable descriptions of this subject I have yet to encounter.

It jives with my own views on the subject, though I readily acknowledge that under the broad banner of shamanism and traditional beliefs, certain elements are closed culture to those outside of those specific groups/ethnicities.

Luttichau discusses how many of us have – or can have if we are not already consciously connected to such – at least one primary “power animal guide”.

He leads readers through ways to find, connect with, and strengthen the bond between themselves and their primary power animal guide, as well as what might be termed secondary animal spirit guides – of which the author states he believes many of us have at least four.

One being our lead animal spirit guide and the other three being members who – along with said power animal – form what the author terms our “Circle of [Animal Spirit] Allies”.

Thusly called because each one is thought to represent or hold a place within the four cardinal points of a circle (those being east, west, north and south, respectively)

He goes on to discuss how each of these four is likely to embody different traits, serve to teach us various lessons, and how we ourselves can be seen in some respects as a manifestation of the creatures that comprise our Circle of Allies.

Furthermore, Luttichau thoughtfully reminds us that “There is no rush to find all four animal spirits in your circle. In fact, it is generally a good idea to take your time, letting the search unfold in a natural, general way”.

The information pertaining to one’s Circle of Allies is housed in the final pages of the book.

Sandwiched between that section and the beneficial introductory topics (some of which I touched on above), one finds the bevy of animal friends that Chris Luttichau opted to shine the spotlight on in this book.

He chose to do so by corralling various animals into groups based on where the critters in each spend the majority of their time.

As such, they are categorized as Earth Animals, Air Animals, Water Animals, and Water/Earth Animals for those creatures (think frogs, otters, and beavers, for example) who divide their time between both environments.

The selection for each group varies a bit in size, though multiple entries appear for each category of animal.

Naturally, no book or other type of resource (i.e., a website on the topic) can possibly cover every animal on earth.

Objectively, there are titles out there with larger amounts of animal spirit guides listed in them.

Yet few that I have personally encountered do as good a job of discussing the symbolism, messages, and “medicine” (aka, important lessons) that is linked to each animal featured therein.

For every critter in Spirit Animal Guides, the author relates an encounter or other type of interaction that he has had throughout his life with said animal.

This lends the book an appealing personal quality which helped me to feel all the more connected to the messages of the various animals Luttichau chats about.

Pulling from the whole of the animal kingdom, the author includes creatures from across the world.

Some are commonplace in many of our lives and/or general environments (i.e., cats, dogs, horses, certain types of birds, and buterflies).

Many we may encounter in person only on very rare occasions and others still are animals that (save perhaps outside of locations such as zoos and animal sanctuaries) we may never come face-to-face with in real life.

The author believes (much as I do, too) that as a general rule one does not pick their animal spirit guide(s) at random or based on their favourite creatures.

Rather, it is usually best/most effective to either intentionally seek your animal allies out or allow them to present themselves to you organically. Often, though not always, via one’s dreams.

Therefore, this book is not a shopping list of animals to pick and choose from to get the animal guide that you most want.

Instead, it is excellent resource if you wish to learn more about the overall subject of power animals and how to connect with your own, while deepening your knowledge of the creaturl(s) that you feel are or may become your own animal spirit guides.

(Remember, most of the time they select us, not the other way around. )

The information housed within this book is also handy if you believe a particular crritter has made its presence known to you as a means of delivering a message or serving as a sign and you wish to uncover what that sign/message may be convaying to you.

After all, many of us will engage with, see, think about, and feel pulled towards a substantial number of animals throughout our lives. Not every one of them will factor heavily into our spiritual journeys or serve as an important sign/message.

However, each can be appreciated and help us to remember how incredibly blessed we are to share our planet with countless thousands of creatures from the tiniest insect to the largest blue whale and everything in between.

How Spirit Animal Guides by Chris Luttichau rates with me

As someone who believes strongly in animal spirit guides, has identified and continues to actively work with their own, and who really enjoys this topic, I have read my fair share of books on the subject over the years (including classic titles from other well-known authors in the field, such as Ted Andrews and Steven D. Farmer).

None has felt quite as inviting or enjoyable to me as Spirit Animal Guides: Discover Your Power Animal and the Shamanic by Chris Luttichau.

If you are looking for more of a straight-up reference book, there are titles with larger selections of animals out there. Yet, few of possess the earnest heart and captivating spirit of Luttichau’s look at the topic.

Each time I have reached the last page of this book, I have found myself wishing that it went on for hundreds more.

The author has a friendly, inviting way of writing (not unlike that of David Dillard-Wright, whose book A Mindful Evening I reviewed here last summer) and excels at informatively teaching his readers, while never coming across as preachy, condescending, or know-it-allish.

This makes the book all the more of a wonderful reading experience and helps to cement it as a title many of us are apt to reread in its entirety and/or dip into as needed throughout the course of our lives.

Spirit Animal Guides is not specifically geared towards witches or Pagans. It is open to, and inclusive of, those from a vast swath of different spiritual paths and belief systems.

Anyone who has positive intentions and genuinely wishes to seek out their power animal(s) can do so throughout the course of their life.

I adore the broadness of this book, the methods used for finding and building a bond with one’s animal spirit allies, and the respect that is paid both to the subject of shamanism and to the members of the animal kingdom that are highlighted throughout its 160 pages.

Whether you have numerous books on your shelf pertaining to power animals or are eager to pick up your first, Spirit Animal Guides is a fantastic title that I very highly recommend.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give Spirit Animal Guides by Chris Luttichau 5 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Have you read the book Spirit Animal Guides – and if so, what are your thoughts on it? Are animal allies a part of your own spiritual journey?

PS: If you are eager to learn more about Chris Luttichau, I encourage you to check out this terrific podcast interview he had with Accidental Gods, visit his website, and look into his latest book (which I have not yet read, but certainly hope to one day), Calling Us Home.

The post Book Review: Spirit Animal Guides by Chris Luttichau appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

The inaugural post took an in-depth look at Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery. It also delved the history of Kelowna itself, as well as that of cemeteries as a whole in Western Canada.

If you are unfamiliar with the history of non-First Nations burial grounds in this part of the world, I highly encourage you check out that post. The information it contains is applicable to many different cemeteries from around these Canadian parts and will continue to apply to most (if not all of) the various entries that this post series will house.

Despite the various challenges both of the ongoing pandemic and those that have been present in my own life throughout 2021, I am delighted to say that I’ve had a chance to visit a few different cemeteries this year (some, even, for the very first time ).

The respite, happiness, serenity, spiritual connections, education, and enjoyment alike that each visit brings my taphophilia adoring soul knows no bounds.

As Tony – bless his caring heart knows – there are few more effective ways to bolster my mood and help set my world right again (or at least temporarily suspend some of my worries and stresses) than time spent at a burial ground.

Knowing this, when I’m really struggling, worried, fighting extra hard on the physical or mental health front, or otherwise in need of a pick-me-up, he often drives me to various cemeteries throughout our region. The time that I spend at them never fails to help ground me and lift my spirits (pun mildly intended, sentiment no less sincere).

Naturally, I often visit cemeteries when things are not as rough as well. The same benefits still come my way in spades and are no less appreciated whether I’m on cloud nine, hovering above rock bottom, or anywhere in between.

It means the world to me that Tony understands how much visiting cemeteries means to me and the powerfully helpful impact that doing so can have on my health, well-being, and spirituality alike.

Awesomely, he also really enjoys spending time at and photographing burial grounds. Thus, our visits to such locations are frequently ones we savour side-by-side. Making the experience all the more enjoyable and memorable for both of us.

Our springtime jaunt to Kelowna took us an hour south of our wee town of Armstrong. In the second of our cemetery journeys, we’ll be heading about half an hour north to explore the serenely beautiful Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

But first, let’s get to know this sun-kissed, Shuswap Lake-filled corner of BC – which has been a tourist hotspot for many decades now – a bit better.

A very brief history of Salmon Arm, British Columbia

To those unfamiliar with Salmon Arm, its name may, understandably, raise an eyebrow or two.

After all, salmon, like fish in general, do not have arms.

Lest you think that some sort of Blinky-worthy salmon plies the waters of this province, let me assure you that the name Salmon Arm has nothing to do with appendages on fish.

Instead, it pertains to the fact that the large body of water called Shuswap Lake that Salmon Arm is located alongside has four “arms” (they are Shuswap Arm, Seymour Arm, Anstey Arm, and Salmon Arm, respectively). Each of which, historically, experienced large runs of salmon that used to fill the creeks that empty into Shuswap Lake.

This lake – one of the loveliest and most visited in the province – drains, via Little Shuswap River, into a smaller body of water called Little Shuswap Lake.

Fascinatingly, Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, which is a branch of the Thompson River – itself a tributary of that lengthy, serpentine body of water that flows throughout a long swath of British Columbia, the majestic Fraser River.

The word “Shuswap” stems from the Shuswap or Secwepemc First Nations People, who are the most northerly of the Interior Salish Peoples. In their own language, the Shuswap call themselves ʃǝxwépmǝx.

Salmon Arm is located in the Shuswap Regional District of the Southern Interior region of British Columbia. Though established as a town more than a century prior, it was not until 2005 that Salmon Arm officially became a city.

Do keep in mind, my dear readers, that the term “city” is used somewhat generously here throughout Canada. With a 2016 population of just over 17,700 inhabitants, Salmon Arm won’t exactly be vying on the population front with places such as Tokyo, New York, San Paulo, Cairo, or Moscow anytime soon.

Nevertheless, a city Salmon Arm is all the same and its modest population size only helps to add to the small-town charm of this gorgeous location.

In the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, British Columbia was awash with metal rushes, particularly those pertaining to silver and gold.

The importance of these events, the throngs of prospectors and other people they brought to British Columbia, and the towns that they helped to establish all contributed greatly to the present-day population and layout alike of this province.

In the mid-1860s, the Big Bend Gold Rush along the hefty Columbia River saw an influx of prospectors traversing the interior of BC, some of whom journeyed through the Shuswap region.

The general area was noted by famed explorer David Thompson a few decades prior however, when in 1815 he recorded a lake called “Shuswap” in his travel writings.

The first non-indegious peoples exploration started in earnest throughout the area in the mid-19^th century.

In 1880s, the Canadian Pacific Railway surveyed this corner of the province. In due course, track was laid and gradually settlement sprung up in the area throughout that decade and ever onward.

As one might imagine, the first corners of the Shuswap region that were settled housed the greatest potential as agricultural centres, as well as being both accessible and logical as routes in and out of the community.

The District Municipality of Salmon Arm was officially incorporated in 1905 and though it would, for a time during the mid-20^th century be classified as a village again, it did not take long for the municipality status to return in 1970.

Throughout the first years of the 20^th century, Salmon Arm established a well-deserved reputation as being an excellent producer of various types of fruit – particularly apples, pears, and plums.

This orchard industry helped the budding community to grow all the more and, in the process, made it a hub of both the immediate area and of this general region of the province as a whole.

No single individual or group was solely responsible for the creation and expansion of Salmon Arm and its smaller surrounding communities (such as Westwold, Coldstream, and Enderby).

Naturally, as with most communities, various early settlers left important marks on the area and some of their names are still familiar to many locals and those with an interest in BC’s history to this day.

Amongst this group of pioneers, settlers, prospectors, entrepreneurs and others one finds individuals such as overlander Alexander Leslie Fortune.

Mr. Fortune pre-empted some land that now sits slightly south of the present-day community of Enderby – which, at the time, was called Fortune’s Landing after Alexander himself.

Prior to coming west, Fortune married a woman named Bathia Ross and the two remained wed during the twelve – yes, you read that right, twelve – long years that he was out west and she was back east in Lancaster, Ontario.

Once reunited in person, the two lived in the North Okanagan-Shuswap area for decades, where they were well known for their kindness, hospitality, generosity, and civic-mindedness.

Their important contributions to the development of this part of the province and their surname alike continue to reverberate through various corners of the region, including in the name of Fortune Creek, which runs between Enderby and Armstrong.

In 1885, during the construction of the local railway (which was completed the following year), a brewery and gambling house called Dutch Charlie’s opened its doors. That same year, the first house in Salmon Arm was built by a German settler on what is today Beatty Street.

Dutch Charlie’s would be a relatively short-lived operation, however, with provincial police shutting it down in 1890 after an unsolved murder occurred on the premise.

In 1907, the first local newspaper – The Salmon Arm Observer – went into production. It remains in operation, including in digital form, to this day.

The Shuswap District (aka, Shuswap Region) sits immediately atop the Okanagan Region and to the East of the Thompson-Nicola District (in which one finds the city of Kamloops, which, with a population just shy of 100,000 inhabitants, is the province’s 12^th largest municipality).

Much as with Okanagan Lake to the south, Shuswap Lake experienced a good deal of travel via boat, with the S.S. Marten (a Hudson’s Bay Company-operated steamer) being the first commercial boat to set sail on the sparkling waters of this lake.

This occurred back in 1866 and while Shuswap Lake have not been used as a primary means of transportation or commerce in the area for a number of decades now, it is still enjoyed by many pleasure crafters, swimmers, kayakers, paddleboarders, and others every year.

Salmon Arm has experienced continued population and industry expansion for many years now. As the largest community in the Shuswap region (and one that is situated on the majestic 89 kilometre/55 mile long Shuswap Lake), it is no surprise that tourists and those looking to relocate to the area flock to this picturesque corner of BC.

These days, Salmon Arm’s economy is guided by numerous sources, including tourism, lumber (sawmills have operated in the area since the late Victorian era), dairy farming, orchards, and manufacturing.

Visitors and residents alike enjoy the beaches, walking paths, and other amenities offered by Shuswap Lake, as well as the city’s museums (including the wonderful RJ Haney Heritage Park & Museum, which I’ve shared photos of over the years on my Instagram account), art gallery, local theatre group, assortment of both chain and independently operated shops, and the stunning outdoor scenery that surrounds and fills the town.

Salmon Arm is flanked by numerous lofty hills and mountains, and it is from one of the latter that the city’s primary burial ground, Mt. Ida Cemetery, takes its name.

Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm

British Columbia’s cemeteries might not be the oldest in the world, but they must surely be amongst the most picturesque and peaceful.

A good many were built in areas that remain rich with breathtaking natural scenery to this day. Abundant trees, small hills, wildflowers and other natural charms often share space with gravestones whose dates span a century or more at this point.

This is precisely the case when it comes to Salmon Arm’s oldest and largest burial ground: Mt. Ida Cemetery.

This idyllically pretty Shuswap District cemetery is located at 2290 Foothill Road SW, Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

It is open between 7 am and 8 pm daily, year-round.

Mt. Ida, the actual mountain, is believed to have been named in the 1870s (possibly by a Mr. J. Richardson) after Mount Ida on the island of Crete.

It should be noted that Mt. Ida in Salmon Arm, BC, is not related to the identically named Mt. Ida that is located in Kakwa Provincial Park, BC. The latter of which, at an impressive 3,192 metres tall and boasting a classic pyramidal shape, more than earns its nickname as the Matterhorn of the North.

In addition, it is important to remember that Mt. Ida is the name that the mountain in the Shuswap was given by white settlers. In the language of the local First Nations Peoples, this hill is known as Kela7scen, and it is considered a sacred site to indigenous communities of this area.

As a population began to be established in Salmon Arm and its smaller satellite communities, a cemetery naturally became a needed element of the township.

Once a suitable location was determined on the (then) outskirts of town, Mt. Ida Cemetery was opened and saw its first burial in 1894.

Two years after passing away from tuberculous at the age of just 26, Mr. Charles McGuire was reinterred at the Mt. Ida Cemetery. He was the son of Sarah Agnes and Alexander McGuire, two of the area’s earliest non-First Nations inhabitants.

After its closure as a public house, it was Charles McGuire who helped to turn Dutch Charlie’s into a locl trading post, all the while working to secure the burgeoning community’s mail contract.

The family’s name lives on in the area to this day via McGuire Lake and the adjacent McGuire Lake Park in Salmon Arm.

At the time of its opening, Mt. Ida Cemetery was a modest one acre of land that had been purchased by the local Methodist community with the (presumed) aim of it being a Methodist focused burial ground.

The Salmon Arm Reporter tells us that in 1909, ownership of Mt. Ida Cemetery was transferred to the municipality of Salmon Arm, under whose care it has remained ever since.  

As one might expect, a fair number of the area’s first settlers and some of their descents have been laid to rest in Mt. Ida Cemetery over the years.

The earliest sections of the cemetery are now more than 125 years old and numerous headstones exist there which date from the 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s. With continued burials from that point onward to the present day occuring throughout the grounds of this cemetery.

While the whole of Mt. Ida Cemetery is now considerably larger than its single acre beginnings, it is not so huge or challenging to traverse that one cannot explore the whole of it in a single outing – time, weather, and other circumstances permitting, of course.

The Old Section of the cemetery, as the original section is known by locals, includes a captivating array of grave markers and headstones.

These include such styles as tabletop markers, tablet stones, set-ins, ledgers, obelisks, urns, open books, lambs and doves (typically used for those who passed away at a very young age), and numerous sizes and types of crosses, including Celtic crosses.

This portion of Mt. Ida Cemetery is located on a tranquil grass knoll that basks in the refreshing shade and beauty of numerous maple trees, all of which reside at the foothills, so to speak, of Mt. Ida itself.

In addition to those of Northern and Central European ancestry, amongst Mt. Ida’s earliest residents, one finds members of the Chinese Canadian community as well. Later interments include those from many different parts of the world and numerous grave markers appear in languages other than English.

Mt. Ida Cemetery is maintained by the city of Salmon Arm and like many Canadian burial grounds, includes a section specifically for members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

In addition, a touchingly lovely memorial cairn has been placed to the right of this section of the cemetery with small plaques bearing the names of fifty local veterans.

According to the Findagrave.com entry from Mt. Ida Cemetery, as of the time this post is being written (in November 2021), there are approximately 5,302 memorials on the premise. A space that sprawls across about 110 acres, only nine of which have been deemed suitable for internment usage.

Annually, about 75 to 80 new individuals are being housed at Mt. Ida Cemetery.

In addition to in-ground burials, the city of Salmon Arm recently put installed a new 24-unit columbarium for cremation internments.

Interestingly, as Mt. Ida Cemetery is now nearing the maximum number of burials that are permitted in the suitable ground that is available, the city has obtained a new piece of land and is developing the Shuswap Memorial Cemetery on it.

This newly constructed 25-acre cemetery is located at the southeast end of Salmon Arm at 2700 20th Avenue SE. It provides grave plots, scattering gardens, family vessels, and columbariums.

A peaceful early autumn visit to Mt. Ida Cemetery

In the first days of this fall, Tony and I decided to take a late afternoon drive up to Salmon Arm.

More than a year had passed since we had last stopped in to visit Mt. Ida Cemetery while in Salmon Arm and the start of what is both of our favourite season seemed like an ideal time to do so again.

While I have photographed parts of Mt. Ida Cemetery on previous visits, I’ve not yet shared many (if any) of those images publicly (though hope to do so as time goes on).

All of the images of Mt. Ida Cemetery housed in this blog post were taken by me with my iPhone in September 2021.

The day we were there was chillier than one might expect for the very start of autumn and rain had fallen prior to our arrival at the cemetery.

A few brief spits tumbled down while we were there, too, but not enough to send us fleeing for the car.

The sky overhead summersaulted between hues and intensity of light. One moment it was a mix of dusty periwinkle and aged sand, the next glisteningly blue, and the next still as grey as the antique headstones that dot the property itself.

All around us, the many trees, shrubs, and other greenery of Mt. Ida Cemetery were embracing the current season and glowing resplendently in their early fall colours.

Much of the earth and bark mulch at Mt. Ida has a warm, naturally reddish-brown colour to it which was brought to the fore all the more by the damp conditions and accompanying fall foliage.

I will happily visit a cemetery at any point in the year, but especially welcome the opportunity to do so during the autumn months.

Not only does the local landscape stand to be awe-inspiringly gorgeous, but the powerful connection between the departed and the weeks that span the Pagan sabbats of Mabon and Samhain provide an even greater spiritual connection, as the veil thins to its most gossamer point in the year.

On this visit, knowing that I would be blogging about the history of Mt. Ida Cemetery, I was keen to cover as much ground there as I realistically could before the day’s light gave up the ghost.

While, interestingly, I did not spy Charles McGuire’s headstone (I will be keeping an eye out for it on future visits), I did have the pleasure of documenting many other early grave markers belonging to some of the area’s first settlers.

When visiting a cemetery, my interest and focus generally lies with pre-circa 1960s inhabitents. However, I make a point of exploring as much of a given burial ground as I possibly can. And, in the process, reflecting on and paying my respects to both the more recently departed and those who have been laid to rest for a good many years now.

If you are planning a visit to Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm, BC, and wish to explore it thoroughly, I would suggest allotting anywhere from 2 to 4+ hours to do so.

Having been there before, I had a lay of the land already (including knowing where the Old Section is located) and that helped to save time.

There are no washrooms on premise (objectively, few cemeteries I have ever been to included public washrooms), however, there are a small number of benches around the property if you wish or need to stop and get off your feet for a while.

The terraian is a mix of unpaved and paved paths, as well as ample grass and bare soil covered ground.

If you visit from about May to mid-September (or later still if it is an especially warm autumn), please note that the mosquitoes on the property can be brutally thick.

A previous summertime visit saw me inundated by more mosquitoes than at almost any other time and place in my entire life.

All that to say, if you pop by Mt. Ida during the warmer months, use bug spray and wear clothing that covers as much of your body as possible.

Much to our delight and relief, nary a single mosquito was spotted while we were there at the start of this autumn.

As well, once the snowy season returns it becomes trickier to traverse the whole of the cemetery on foot unless one is sporting suitable wintertime footwear, such as snow boots or even snowshoes.

However, that said, the paved and unpaved pathways (some of which cars are permitted to drive on) should be a bit easier to tackle even in the snow.

Given its relatively close proximity to our house, the fairly large number of interments, and the rich history that this burial ground contains, it is safe to say that will continue to visit Mt. Ida Cemetery from time to time.

Especially during the fall months, when this historic Shuswap District cemetery presents a celebration of both departed human lives and the last days of the year’s mesmerizing foliage.

Have you ever visited Salmon Arm’s Mt. Ida Cemetery? Which of the grave markers featured in this post sparked your interest the most?

Explore additional burial grounds that have been visited in the Cemetery Journeys post series:

–Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery, Kelowna, British Columbia

The post Cemetery Journeys: Enjoying Early Autumn at Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm, BC appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Cemeteries and graveyards in some parts of the world have been closed to the general public during these highly challenging times, but many have remained open – frequently with Covid safety measures in place.

As a passionate taphophile, I have been visiting cemeteries since my youth. These sacred spots of eternal slumber are amongst the most serene, comforting, enjoyable, inspiring, and beautiful I have ever known.

Another irony is that cemeteries often make me feel more alive. They conjure all manner of thoughts and emotions pertaining to death, as well as to the gift of life.

Cemeteries are not amusement parks, and while there is no shame at all in feeling happy or content at a cemetery, it is important to always remember the somberness and loss they signify for many on this side of the veil who have endured the passing of a loved one.

When I spend time at a cemetery, I make a point to reflect not only on the lives of those interred there, but also on the impact their passing may have had on those who knew and cared about them.

Not everyone who dies is buried or interred in a cemetery or graveyard. Yet, no matter our final resting place, we are all connected from the very first human to the last who will ever exist by the unifying certainty that is death.

Visiting cemeteries outside of reasons such as funerals, genealogical or historical research is not everyone’s cup of tea.

I acknowledge and respect this fact. We are each different, each called to by various places and passions throughout our life.

Whether you define yourself as a taphophile or not, if you have even an inkling of an interest in graveyards, cemeteries, and the like, I hope will enjoy a new periodically occurring post series here in which I take you along with me as I explore (and sometimes reexplore) cemeteries that I have visited in person.

I am dubbing this post series “Cemetery Journeys”.

This name is both literal in the sense of that it will document trips/journeys to various cemeteries around Canada (and who knows, perhaps further afield, too ), as well as being a respectful homage to the fact that, ultimately, we are all on a journey to the grave.

Launching a series like this is something I have been keen to do since Witchcrafted Life began last year.

Now (with the first harvest sabbat of Lammas under our belts and the exciting journey towards fall, Mabon, and Samhain upon us) seemed like the ideal time to do so. And what better cemetery to begin with than one from our very own region of British Columbia: the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery.

But first…

An extremely brief history of Kelowna, British Columbia

As the largest city in this province outside of the Lower Mainland area of British Columbia, it is only natural that Kelowna serves as a hub for the valley – called the Okanagan Valley – in which it resides. Doing so, quite conveniently, in the center of this region.

Many thousands of years before the earliest Europeans set foot on the arid soil of the sun-drenched Okanagan Valley, the area was inhabited by the Sylix/Okanagan People.

This part of BC was not entirely unknown to Europeans – chiefly those involved with the fur trade in Western Canada –  in the 18^th and early 19^th centuries. However, it was not until 1859 that the first non-First Nations settlement was established in Kelowna.

This effort was led by a man whose name is now embedded in the area and who is still spoken of affectionately to this day by generations who never got the chance to met him: Father Pandosy.

Two other Oblate missionaries, Father Richard and Brother Surel, respectively, also had key roles in establishing a mission in what would one day become the city of Kelowna.

The formation of this mission helped to entice settlers from elsewhere in the province, country, and further afield to the budding community. Following that, it wasn’t too long before Kelowna’s roots as a city were firmly planted.

As the century began to tapper, Kelowna got a further boon when in 1893 the Governor-General of Canada, Lord Aberdeen, purchased a substantial amount of land in the area. Much of this land would be used for orchards, which did a great deal to bolster the area’s economy (the Okanagan Valley in general is one of North America’s largest fruit and viticulture growing centers).

As the 20^th century emerged, Kelowna’s population continued to be on the smaller side of things, sitting at about 600 inhabitants. However, that was still enough to land Kelowna status as a city in 1905.

The name Kelowna derives from an Okanagan First Nation word for grizzly bear. A majestic creature that feels like an especially fitting animal to associate with a city nestled in the heart of a wild, desert-like landscape that is famed for its breathtaking nature beauty.In the days before roads, highways, and even railways, snaked their way to the Okanagan, much of the traffic to and from Kelowna was carried out via sternwheeler boats that plied the abundant waters of Okanagan Lake.

With mining thriving in various parts of Central and Northern BC during the early 20^th century, it wasn’t long before the Canadian Pacific Railway came calling.

A touch east of Kelowna, track was laid across a beautiful chasm called Myra Canyon. From the years spanning 1916 to 1972, CPR trains traversed Myra Canyon and in doing so, helped to open up the area, bolster its economy, and put Kelowna on the map all the more.

These days, Kelowna has a population of just over 132,000 people.

Compared to many cities around the world, that might seem fairly small. However, for a province that only been inhabited by European (and other international) settlers for about two centuries now, Kelowna is quite a decent size.

Indeed, many corners of BC were not established (as the towns and cities that they are now) until the late 1800s or early 1900s.

As such, the fact that Kelowna got its start in the mid-Victorian era helps to make it one of the oldest continually settled corners of the province – especially north of the Fraser Valley/Lower Mainland area of the province. (The first white settlement in British Columbia was established in the 1790s at Fort St. John in northeastern BC.)

Naturally, as with most communities, it did not take too long for Kelowna to require, and in turn construct, a cemetery of its own.

Kelowna has had, and continues to have, various cemeteries throughout its lifetime. In this post, we are going to explore the largest of them, the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery.

Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery

Located at 1991 Bernard Avenue in Kelowna, British Columbia, the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetary spans a rolling, beautiful 50-acre space at the foot of Dilworth Mountain. It is immediately adjacent to the Kelowna Golf & Country Club, and the relative serenity of both make them well-suited neighbours.  

For those wishing to visit, the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery is open 365 days a year from 7 am – 8 pm between March 16^th and October 31^st, and from 7 am to 5 pm from November 1^st to March 15^th.

At various points in the year, Kelowna Museums offers reasonably priced guided tours that focus on a particular aspect of the cemetery’s, and by extension Kelowna as a whole’s, history.

This summer’s tour is “Kelowna’s Forgotten Chinatown”, led by local historian Bob Hayes.

Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery got its start as an Anglican Church burial ground at the turn of the last century, blossoming in the ensuing decades into a sprawling multi-cultural, historically rich cemetery with, at present, more than 25,000 memorials.

A cursory glance of the grounds that comprise the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery can be a touch deceiving. At first sight, the cemetery may not seem as large as one might expect for a city the size of Kelowna.

However, it takes but a few minutes (especially if they’re spent on foot) to quickly realize that this is anything but a small cemetery.

Fifry acres is nothing to sneeze at and while it is certainly possible for one to traverse the whole of Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery in a single (good-sized) visit, you may wish to split seeing the entire cemetery across multiple days.

That has been my approach. Done both because of the size of this burial ground and because I truly like to take my time and connect with each cemetery, and its inhabitants, that I have the joy of visiting.

Cemeteries in British Columbia, Canada

As it is safe to say that most of the cemeteries that I highlight here in this engaging new blog post series are apt to be ones located in British Columbia (where I live), we should touch on some points about cemeteries in BC in general before proceeding further.

As a collective whole, Canada is, from a non-First Nations Peoples standpoint, a very young country.

We officially became a nation in 1867, though our non-indigenous history stretches back a few hundred years earlier. Nevertheless, we’re a relative newcomer on the world stage compared to many other countries and this fact is reflected in Canada’s cemeteries.

Extremely few Canadian cemeteries proceed the mid-1700s and many are far newer still, having been established in the 19^th or 20^th centuries. (An unmarked burial site in the Maritime province of Nova Scotia is believed to house European settler graves that may date back to around the 1680s.)

Prior to the mid-nineteenth century, the vast majority of Canada’s European population was located on the Eastern side of the country – which still houses the largest portion of this nation’s inhabitants.

Gradually, western expansion and exploration unfolded. From the long treks of a small number of intrepid adventurers, hearty explorers, and fortune seekers alike, followed waves of more what might be termed more generalized migration to British Columbia.

With a shoreline nestled against the mighty Pacific Ocean, British Columbia is Canada’s most westerly province.

Before the days of planes, trains, and automobiles, it could only be reached by water travel or a lengthy overland journey which often encompassed crossing the formidable Rocky Mountains.

As a land of diverse climates, ample opportunities, and staggering natural beauty, once the western expansion ball got rolling, it didn’t take too long for BC to flourish.

New communities, towns, and cities alike sprang up rapidly through various parts of the province during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Some – particularly when mining was involved – were relatively short-lived. Plenty though were able to not only survive, but thrive, and now account for why BC is Canada’s third most populous province.

While no shortage of fortunes were made (and plenty lost) in BC’s early days, by and large, the population that settled here was comprised of hardworking everyday folks eking out a living, building families and community ties, and helping to turn this province into the wonderful place that it is today.

What, you may be asking, does this have to do with the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery and BC’s cemeteries in general?

The answer lies in the relative humbleness and understated designs of the grave markers and other memorial elements that comprise most cemeteries in British Columbia (and to a degree, throughout much of Canada in general) – as well as the size of the cemeteries themselves.

Are there exceptions to that statement? Absolutely! One need only look, for example, to Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver or Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria to see expansive cemeteries that include an array of more ornate memorials. Many of which date to the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

However, as a whole, BC’s cemeteries are humble affairs. Few teem with the iconic colonial-era headstones of some of the graveyards in the Eastern United States or the jaw-dropping artistry and grandeur of cemeteries such as Kensal Green and Highgate in London, England.

Yet, even so, it is safe to say that each of British Columbia’s cemeteries has a heartwarmingly enduring beauty all its own.

They, like most cemeteries and graveyards the world over, also rarely lack for history – whether that past can quickly be learned about in books, museums, and online or if much of it has now been enveloped by the murky ethers of time.

A springtime visit to Kelowna Memorial Cemetery

On one of those mid-spring days when the weather has more sides to it than an octagon, my husband, Tony, and I decided to spend an enjoyable afternoon visiting the Kelowna Memorial Cemetery.

Covid rules were (and still are at the time of writing) in place and we made sure to respect them fully.

Despite the relatively mild weather that was flip-flopping from overcast to briefly sunny and back again, we saw almost no other visitors to the grounds the whole time we were there.

That isn’t to say that there weren’t potentially some there. Simply that the vastness of the 50 acres of this cemetery easily allowed us to walk for hours without encountering another living soul on that particular day.

Our visit was a general one. We didn’t come with any specific goal or research purpose in mind.

This outing was about shaking off some of the cabin fever of winter, spending time getting to know the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery (which is located just over an hour’s drive south of our small town) better, and taking photos of some of the graves and other structures on the premise.

Many a headstone and grave marker calls the Kelowna Memorial Cemetery home. In addition, cremations are housed in cremation niches, crypts, and columbaries, particularly in a part of the cemetery called the Legacy Gardens.  

Like a lot of taphophiles and graveyard adventurers (though not all, of course), I find myself – a lifelong lover and student of history – drawn to older graves.

Thankfully, Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery is happy to oblige those with a passion for the past. Various portions of the cemetery are divided into lettered sections, with the first, Section A (also known as the Pioneer Section), being dedicated to some of the oldest inhabitants.

Amongst which various founders of Kelowna are laid to rest, including a chap named Bernard Lequime who, in the 1890s, laid out the original townsite of Kelowna, and Arthur Booth Knox, after whom Kelowna’s gorgeous and highly visited Knox Mountain is named.

The Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery also houses areas specifically dedicated to both early Chinese and Japanese citizens as well.

In 2014 a granite monument was erected in the Pioneer Section on behalf of the BC Legislative Assembly to acknowledge the wrongdoings done against many early Chinese Canadians by past provincial governments.

Many more recent graves also call this cemetery home, as do an abundance of tranquilly lovely trees and many gorgeous, well-manicured flowerbeds.

As with plenty of cemeteries (of all sizes), the grave markers at the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery are in varying conditions. Quite a few are presently holding up well for their age, whereas others have succumbed to the ravages of time, moss, and weather conditions.

In general, though, I find a good percentage of the older tombstones to still be fairly legible. Some are nearly as crisp as the day they were first etched, others are clearly showing their age, but (again) remain readable.

On this visit, we did not see the whole of the cemetery – nor did we make a point to inspect every single grave in each area that we did spend time in.

Both Tony (a fellow taphophile) and I love to have more to explore and acquaint ourselves with further on future visits.

No post pertaining to the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery worth its salt would be complete without mentioning some of this burial ground’s best-known inhabitants: various members of the Bennett family, including the famously outspoken former BC Premier W.A.C Bennett and his wife, May.

Both are interred at this cemetery and in addition, the Bennett Memorial Columbaria provides above-ground monuments for the placement of private cremation remains (totalling 576 cremation niches, each of which is able to house two urns).

There is much more to see and explore at the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery beyond what appears in this post.

I hope to photograph and share additional parts of it with you in future editions of this series (as well as on my Instagram account, where I’ve been posting photos from various cemeteries for a number of years now).

This cemetery is a beautiful, well-maintained, peaceful, inspiring, and enjoyable one. I feel at ease there and love that it, like most of the cemeteries that I have the honour of visiting, resonates deeply with my spirituality as a Pagan witch.

If you should have the opportunity to visit the Kelowna Memorial Cemetery, I highly recommend doing so.

At 50 acres and more than 25,000 final resting places (be they graves, urns, scattered ashes, or memorials without actual remains), this historically rich corner of Kelowna is one that is sure to appeal to taphophiles, history buffs, genealogists, and many a goth soul alike.

Not to mention those who find solace and comfort in cemeteries.

I fall into every one of those camps myself and am excited to hopefully share many more cemeteries journeys around BC (and hopefully elsewhere as well) that I have the pleasure of undertaking. (Pun intended, sentiment no less sincere.)

Have you ever been to the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery? What was the last cemetery or graveyard you visited?

The post Cemetery Journeys: A Visit to Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

While Luna doesn’t vanish from our sight for the whole of winter, many a frosty cold evening of snow cloud-filled skies means that being able to spy her during this chapter of the year isn’t always a given.

As a Cancerian (sun sign), I feel an exceptionally deep connection to the moon, opting to work with lunar energy and archetypes all throughout the year.

Happily, even when the moon is not visible, I can still feel the remarkable pull and energy, light, and guidance it gives to the world.

When I was a young child, the moon beckoned to me instinctively and I spent many a night staying up well past my bedtime to gaze up at, commune with, and feel comforted by the moon’s presence.

As I grew older and officially began practicing as a Pagan witch in my teens, my connection with the moon deepened all the more and has continued to do so in the ensuing decades of my life.

I am far from alone in feeling an extraordinarily strong bond with the moon. Our nearest celestial neighbour has resonated with humankind since time immemorial.

We’ve deified and honoured the moon, woven it into countless legends and stories, turned into a muse for all manner of art and creativity, given each of its fullest monthly days their own names, and found ways to weave the moon into countless areas of our lives.

Many who follow witchy, Wiccan, or Pagan approach – as well as those from various other spiritual paths – opt to work closely with the moon.

We may gather as covens or groves in her loving light, charge everything from crystals to water under her watchful eye, draw down the moon, use her energy to help foster our magickal workings, pray to her, design spells that are in tandem with her monthly phases, or otherwise find creative, meaningful ways to include the moon in our spiritual journey.

It stands to reason then that no shortage of books pertaining to the moon, and its ties to witchcraft, folklore, and spirituality would be penned.

Such is certainly the case and in this post, I’m going to shine the spotlight – or, should I say, the moonlight – on one of the latest to be added to the canon of lunar titles: The moon + You by Diane Ahlquist.

This book was published in 2020 and I purchased my copy of it last year. Somewhat surprisingly given that it is a new title, I picked it up on clearance for a song.

I’ve been familiar with Ahlquist’s work for a number of years and have previously read some of her other books, including the engaging and informative Moon Spells: How to Use the Phases of the Moon to Get What You Want.

An author, psychic counsellor, and professional speaker, Diane Ahlquist is well known name in both the spirituality book realm and that of areas such manifestation and psychic abilities.

I respect her work and have enjoyed the other titles that I have read thus far from this author, so was especially happy to not only add The Moon + You to my witchy bookshelves, but to be able to do so for a great price.  

Book specs:

Name: The Moon + You: Your Guide to Finding Energy, Balance, and Healing with the Power of the Moon

Author: Diane Ahlquist

Page count: 240

Publisher: Adams Media (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

Binding: Hardcover

What is The Moon + You about?

As you might deduce from both the title and cover image of this book, The Moon + You pertains to finding, connecting, and working with lunar energy and some of the key monthly phases of the moon.

While this book does occasionally make mention of witchery or Paganism, it is not a title that I would place squarely under either of these headers. Instead, it a broader, more far-reaching pairing of the moon and spirituality in general.

This might put off some readers who are aiming for a squarely moon spell or moon magick related title, or a book that approached the moon from more of a straight up Pagan or witchcraft perspective.

However, by the same token, it’s broader degree of inclusivity helps to make this title one that it is open to a wide range of spiritually inclined individuals.

The first thing that greets you upon seeing The Moon + You is its serene and rather beautiful cover, which has a metallic sheen to it that calls to mind the glimmering light of the moon itself.

Once inside The Moon + You, the reader is presented with a brief introduction followed by five good sized chapters.

The chapters themselves are further divided in a number of subsections, most of which span 1 – 3 pages apiece.

For the chapters, the author opted to focus on – in this order – five key phases of the moon: Full Moon, Waning Moon, Dark Moon, New Moon, and Waxing Moon.

Personally, I found this moon phase arrangement to feel a bit discombobulated. I suspect that she opted to start with the full moon because it is arguably the most energy-filled, iconic, and (in some peoples’ eyes) gorgeous of the moon’s phases.

However, I feel it would have been more natural to start with either the Dark Moon or New Moon, working one’s way organically through the phases of the moon, much as Luna herself unfolds in the heavens upon us each month.

Beyond this minor point, the book itself approaches the subjects of self-care, wellness, and spirituality, with some magickal workings woven into the mix, as it pertains to the moon.

Ahlquist guides readers through ways to connect with, harness and put the energy of each of these five key moon phases to work for you personally.

Across the chapters of The Moon + You, one finds a diverse range of suggestions, ideas, and jumping off points if they wish to connect with the moon in any of these ways.

These include options such things as releasing stress with breathwork, journaling your dreams, using a pendulum, and caring for dry skin with herbal remedies – amongst dozens of other ways to work with the phases of the moon.

This book is written in friendly, easily understandable language. The ideas it puts forth are approachable and, in my opinion, may resonate more with those who are newer to working with the moon.

That isn’t to say, however, that more experienced moon workers can’t glean value from this book as well, just that I personally felt it was somewhat basic at times.

In addition, while some of the topics covered in The Moon + You can easily be detailed or even flushed out within the span of 1 – 4 pages, IMO, certain others deserved substantially more focus so as to not gloss over some rather important subjects.

For example, in chapter 3 (the Dark Moon), on pages 117 – 119, one of the ideas put forth is to a do a past life regression.

As a firm believer in past lives, our ability to connect with them in our present iteration, and the profound messages, truths, wounds and healing alike that I feel can come from doing past life regression work, this is a subject I would not personally skim over in the span of just a couple of pages.

However, that said, I do fully acknowledge that past lives are not at the heart of The Moon + You, and can appreciate that this subject was brought up in the context of the Dark Moon. A time when working with past lives, as well as doing shadow work, is a natural fit for many of us.

As you might imagine, plenty of the ideas put forth in this book flow with the energy associated with the moon’s main phases.

Thus, one often does livelier and more outgoing things when the moon is waxing and full, and more introspective, banishing related, and lower-key activities when the moon is waning or dark.

A lot of people who work with the moon do find that their own energy, intentions and magickal activities jive with these energy patterns and archetypes. However, not everyone does and I was a bit surprised that the author didn’t address this point in much detail.

Throughout the book, Ahlquist makes mention of various spiritual practices and beliefs (and occasionally to deities) from numerous corners of the globe.

By and large, I felt that this was done respectfully and that spiritual or religious appropriation was not a standout issue with this title. This is something that I, like many people, very much appreciate.

As the ideas and suggestions put for in The Moon + You are plentiful, this book offers up a solid number of possible ways to work with the moon (including a small handful of recipes).

If some of them are not to your likening, don’t work for your life, or don’t jive with your spiritual path, chances are at least a few of the others may.

Throughout this book, the author makes a point to discuss how the lunar phases can impact and influence our emotional states and overall sense of wellness, as well as how to tap into the moon’s energy for assistance with things such as personal strength and healing.

Some of the key suggestions/themes that ran through the various chapters include meditation, working with one’s chakras, setting intentions, journaling and freewriting, feng shui, and utilizing herbs.

While the term “new age” isn’t used as much these days as it was in previous recent decades, I would say that The Moon + You falls under the header of being a new age book. Especially, again, as it is not geared solely towards witches.

How The Moon + You rates with me

The Moon + You was a quick, pleasant read. While very little of the information presented was new to me and I don’t feel like this is a title I learned a great deal from, I enjoyed exploring the many ways to harness the moon’s energy and symbolism put forth in this book.

Is The Moon + You the most in-depth look at working with the moon that I’ve come across? No, it’s not.

This is a good basic or beginner introduction to the subject, which, again, may also resonate with some more experienced moon magick/healing/intention/etc workers as well.

The Moon + You was a quick read that I started and finished over the course of a single weekend.

I appreciated being reminded of various ways to work with the moon, even if many of them are ones I already know and may have carried out already over the years.

Plus, it’s always wonderful to see and learn more about how others approach working with the moon, be they fellow witches/Pagans or otherwise.

Rating this book took a fair bit of deliberation. Happily, there is nothing glaringly negative that stood about it to me.

By the same token though, it did not absolutely knock my socks off either (personally, I preferred Ahlquist’s Moon Magick and Moon Spells, respectively, more than I did this title).

Not, of course, that I expect everything I read to do just that. I definitely do not and I can appreciate + enjoy a good basic and/or refresher look at various spiritual topics.

The friendly, approachable nature, useful suggestions, and even the pretty cover of this book all helped it to win favour with me.

As did the fact that as a collective whole, I found reading The Moon + You to be a peaceful and inspiring experience – not unlike connecting with the moon itself.

Therefore…

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give this book 4 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ★ 

Have you read The Moon + You and if so, what were your thoughts on this lunar energy centred book?

Do you enjoy working with the moon or does the idea of doing appeal to you?

The post Book Review: The Moon + You by Diane Ahlquist appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.