Author: A Solitary Pagan
Stregoneria
Italian folk magic, known as “Stregoneria,” is a rich tapestry of practices, spells, and rituals deeply rooted in Italy’s diverse cultural traditions. Passed down through generations, these customs reflect the beliefs, values, and superstitions of different regions and communities, each with their own unique variations and symbolism. Stregoneria is not a single unified system, but rather a collect...
Moon spirit symbols
The study of moon spirit symbols occupies a central position within the disciplines of witchcraft and lunar magic. These symbols are imbued with profound significance, representing intuition, femininity, and the cyclical progression of existence. Manifesting in diverse forms, they possess meanings that are deeply interwoven with numerous spiritual traditions. The following is a comprehensive exami...
Lupercus
Lupercus, though not a central figure in most historical witchcraft texts, is a deity associated with fertility, wild nature, and ritual. His presence is noted in Roman mythology, particularly in contexts where the boundaries between the human and the wild blur. Themes of fertility, protection, and the untamed spirit of nature are rooted in both ancient paganism and modern witchcraft practices. In...
Native America Honouring the Roots
The history of North America includes the presence of Native American peoples long before the establishment of modern borders or the creation of maps. Archaeological evidence indicates that these communities have existed for thousands of years, developing complex societies, trade networks, and sacred sites that remain significant today. Native American nations display considerable diversity, both ...
THREE OF VISIONS (CUPS)
Even in the enchanted forest, this is a remarkable sight. What appears at first to be a rumble of aggressive bears is revealed to be quite the opposite. Bedecked with garlands of blackberry brambles, three bewitching bears are dancing together in celebration. What are they celebrating? It’s a beautiful day in the forest and they are bears! What could be better than that? They dance bear-foot...
Autumn Equinox: Entering the Portal
We are now entering the portal and the wheel is turning again. A symbol of the in-breath and out-breath, the balance between two worlds. The dark and the light. A mirror of nature’s cycles of death and rebirth. The birds are following the Sun to the South and the misty elves dance upon the Nordic lakes. The balance between the past and future might bring vulnerability, as if we are leaving somethi...
EQUINOX BLESSINGS
May your world be brought back into balance and harmony and love wrap itself into every fiber of your being on this sacred celestial day. I make peace with the shadowI make peace with the uncertaintyI make peace with letting goI make peace with the changesI make peace with my knowingI make peace with the revelationsI make peace with my unresolved feelingsI make peace with my truthI reclaim my body...
September 22nd Equinox
The September 22rd Equinox brings a turning point in the astrological year. Energy begins shifting in a new direction, guiding things to change, evolve, and grow. If we look at the astrological year, the September Equinox is the halfway point, and a time when we start making our descent through the chapter we have been working on. While we won’t reach the end of this journey until the March Equino...
EQUINOX and MABON
The term Equinox is derived from the Latin ‘Aequinoctium’ which means day of equal night (as in nocturnal) – which occurs twice a year, the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Equinox. In modern Celtic revival systems, the Autumn Equinox is also known as Mabon, which has a few possible origins. In some parts of northern Britain, the Autumn Equinox was known as ‘Ecky-thump’ which was a kind of rural slan...
Mabon…Welsh God or Autumn Equinox?
I’m away this weekend honouring Cerridwen with a bunch of Druids on the shores of Llyn Tegid. So won’t be able to post much about the autumn equinox/Mabon stuff. So here’s just a gentle reminder that “Mabon” is the name of a Welsh deity. His name, “Mabon ap Modron” means “the great son of the great mother”. Modron isn’t an alternate name for him…nor the seasonal celebration…it is the name of his m...
Happy Autumn Equinox!
“Solstices and equinoxes mark the four movements in a celestial score. The older I get, the more I aspire to tap into the symphonic song of nature. To harmonize with the flow of seasons, the cycles in our landscapes, and the larger universe… The autumnal equinox falls between 21 and 24 September, as the Sun heads southward, crossing the celestial equator. In Celtic tradition, this equi...
MABON VERSUS AUTUMN EQUINOX
Did you know there is a controversy using the term Mabon as synonymous for the Autumn Equinox? The name Mabon certainly is a modern addition created by the neo-pagan writer Aidan Kelly. Kelly borrowed the name from the character Mabon ap Modron, a figure from Welsh mythology, but this figure was not originally linked to the Autumn Equinox. There is no historical or archaeological documentation of ...