Author: A Solitary Pagan
Honour the Darkness at Mabon
Without darkness, there is no light. Without night, there can be no day. Despite a basic human need to overlook the dark, there are many positive aspects to embracing the dark side, if it’s just for a short time. After all, it was Demeter’s love for her daughter Persephone that led her to wander the world, mourning for six months at a time, bringing us the death of the soil each fall. In some path...
Mabon : The Festival and its Meaning
Mabon celebrates the “Harvest home” the end of the grain harvest. The fields are all cleared and in the garden, most of the crops have come to an end. Only the Apples and Pears and the winter-hardy plants remain. As the sun retreats, the earth pulls in. All growth stops, the sap is withdrawn into the tree roots and the leaves begin to turn. It is time to look over what we have achieved and what we...
Mabon Explained
Autumn Equinox, 2nd Harvest, Falls Between September 21 – 23 Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, and we all take a moment to pay our respects to the impending dark. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year’s crops. The Druids call this celebration, Mea’n Fo’...
Lughnasadh Rites and Rituals for a Hedgewitch
This is the time of the first harvest, when the wheat that has ripened in the summer months is ready for harvest, turning golden as the sun. This is also when, hopefully, we begin to see the results of the work that we have done throughout the year. Know, however, that there is still much work to be done, and we cannot rest on our laurels! If you can, visit a field of wheat and pluck a few sheaves...
Lughnassadh
Time: Sunset 31 July-sunset 2 August (31 January-2 February in the southern hemisphere) Focus: Willing sacrifice for the greater good, natural justice and karma, trusting the cosmos to provide by giving without seeking immediate return; also spiritual transformation, renewal of the life force by absorbing the powers of the spirit of the corn through food and drink. This is the festival of the corn...
The Love Box
The Love Box is a traditional spell that aims to attract love by using meaningful materials and thoughtful timing. Many find that performing this spell on the first Friday after the new moon, a time linked to Venus—the planet of love—can enhance its effect. To prepare, you may wish to gather a few specific items: a small, heart-shaped box for your intentions; love-drawing incense, which often cont...
Love Drawing Potion
The Love Drawing Potion is a traditional witchcraft ritual intended to attract affection and strengthen romantic connections. Each ingredient is chosen for its symbolic meaning related to love, attraction, and harmony. The way the ritual is performed is just as important as the ingredients, with a focus on intention and respect for the process. To prepare, gather these items: a glass saucepan, dov...
The Copper Love Charm
The Copper Love Charm is a traditional ritual intended to attract love and strengthen romantic bonds. This practice uses copper, Venus, and the color green, all of which are commonly linked to love, harmony, and attraction in various magical traditions. For those new to witchcraft, this ritual provides a clear, step-by-step approach to spellwork, focusing on intention, repetition, and symbolic act...
Herbal Love Spell
This Herbal Love Spell is a simple ritual intended to encourage new romance and support affection in a natural way. Each part of the spell has a specific meaning and purpose, working together to help focus your intentions. The following items are needed: a small basil plant, some earth or potting soil, one rose quartz crystal, and a red flower pot. Basil is often linked to love and attraction. Ros...
SELF-DEDICATION LITHA RITUAL
For hundreds of years’ people or groups have been performing dedication rituals to their Gods and Goddesses, this was done to declare themselves to the divine, it solidifies the relationship you have and joins your energies together in a harmonious act of love and light. This ritual is a self-dedication for those of us who are solitary practitioners, meaning we practice our craft alone rather than...
Litha History – Celebrating the Summer Solstice
An Ancient Solar Celebration Nearly every agricultural society has marked the high point of summer in some way, shape or form. On this date–usually around June 21 or 22 (or December 21/22 in the southern hemisphere)–the sun reaches its zenith in the sky. It is the longest day of the year, and the point at which the sun seems to just hang there without moving – in fact, the word “solstice” is from ...
Summer Solstice—Midsummer’s Day
Summer Solstice—Midsummer’s Day, the longest day of the year, when the sun reaches its peak of power, and begins to decline. We mark this day as the beginning of summer, of the time of ripeness and harvesting. Yet is also a time of grief, of knowing that the flower must fade for the fruit to set. This year, the solstice falls in the midst of enormous grief—for those who have died in the pandemic, ...