The Magic of Fertility at Ostara

Admin-013 on March 19, 2020

Fertility

noun fer·til·i·ty (ˌ)fər-ˈti-lə-tē\

: the ability to produce young

: the ability to support the growth of many plants

: the ability to produce many ideas

Merriam-webster online dictionary

Eggs! Rabbits! Hens, oh My! Ostara is dripping in fertility symbolism. Everywhere one looks they see the signs of life stirring into being. Spring is a magical time of year and after the lengthy fallow period of winter, it is a welcome and joyous sight. As the drab and gray earth is slowly replaced by creeping green grass and slick, bare branches break out into buds, so to do our hearts quicken with excitement as the year tilts fully towards its fruitful tide.   

At Imbolc, we claimed our seed wishes and named them. With the turning of the wheel at Ostara we now take tangible action and plant our wishes into fertile ground. Through this season we will begin tending our visions and nurturing their becoming as they grow into this dimension just as seeds sprouting and growing into plants do. Our Grandmothers knew the value of harnessing this tide and channeling its life-giving, fertile energy into their lives. In springtime, we show honor to generations past and future by showering blessings over everything we wish to grow in the coming year.

Fertility Magic has many applications both literally and figuratively. Whether seeking to become pregnant, or simply to fertilize the seed of a dream, fertility magic is a potent force to usher wishes into reality. When crafting medicine of any nature, I teach that one must return always to the basic primal elements which govern the plant, animal or mineral to begin selecting the proper allies. Earth and Water are the feminine elements and the most fertile. Additional clues can be found in the planetary rulers of said plant, animal or mineral medicine. The Moon and Venus lend themselves nicely to fertility, for example. Ultimately, the strongest and most effective choices will always be dependent on the recipient’s own unique constitution. Select herbs that harmonize both with your intention and your individual make up, for example.

The Sun’s transit into Aries on the spring equinox adds a bolt of fiery, cardinal energy after a month in watery Pisces. This is the magic and heat that make seeds sprout in the garden and in life. It is the astronomical new year and when you are dialed in this time of year really does feel like a heady rush!  

It is only natural that Garden Magick factors heavily into Ostara rituals. This is the perfect time of year to appeal to the spirits of the land for a fruitful harvest and to bless your garden seeds. It’s a wise idea to get in good standing with the spirits of the land wherever you live. Regular ceremonial offerings are a wonderful way to establish a pleasant rapport. I have a blend of cornmeal and protective herbs at the ready for perimeter dustings, as well as for offerings to the stone altars I keep to the elements at the four corners of my property. For the garden, itself, all this and a little more should be offered at Ostara. Make a grand show of milk and honey poured on consecrated ground. The more profound my gratitude at Ostara, the more prolific my garden is by Lammas and the more bountiful my harvest by Lughnasadh.

Observing Ostara couldn’t come more naturally than by living a natural lifestyle, itself. If you plant a garden, you are honoring the vernal equinox. If you dye eggs for mythical Hares to hide away then you are honoring the Germanic Goddess, Ēostre or Ostara. Magic is simply focused intention. Say a prayer over your seeds as you plant them, not only for their successful growth but for the successful growth, health, fruitfulness, etc. of any endeavor you wish to bless. Poof! That’s magic. Paint an egg with intention and to serve as a focal point, or charm, for your holy desires. If you do it right, a reverent hush will fall over you every time it catches your eye and your heart will radiate with gratitude for the blessings you are preparing to receive.

This year I’m planning on starting the day with Krashanky, which are eggs dyed red to symbolize the fiery sun. The shells are taken as offerings to the river and when cast on the water they herald the return of the spring. I’m preparing a special egg dish with them that I can’t wait to tell you about. Later in the week, the Solar circle will gather to share how developments are progressing with our seed wishes from Imbolc and to energetically boost everyone’s progress with the fertile energy of Ostara. We will bless one another’s garden seeds and share good wishes for a bountiful harvest. Finally, we’ll enjoy some Pysanky, or painting egg amulets with magical intention. I’m really looking forward to hearing about everyone’s progress and just getting together for some light-hearted fun!

Give yourself the gift of believing in the potential of your heart’s desire with child-like innocence and wonder as another year literally springs into being! Expand into the Freedom of new life!

Want to know more about Garden Magick?

I have an entire course devoted to the subject! Does planting, tending, and harvesting by the signs sound appealing to you? Would you like to know more about forging a connection with the spirits of the land where you grow? Click on the photo below to learn more. Take advantage of the low-cost self-study option today. I’m restructuring the program and you’ll want to be grandfathered into the membership site at this awesome rate!

Well Did You Ever Make Colcannon…

Admin-013 on March 16, 2020

Colcannon (Irish: cál ceannann, meaning “white-headed cabbage”) is one of my signature dishes, I am known for it. Friends wait all year to sample this incredible mash prepared lovingly by me every March, 17th. I’m all for a yummy boiled New England dinner (Corned Beef and Cabbage), but I need to get down to truer Irish roots on St. Patrick’s Day. Chalk it up to my dismay over having unwittingly chosen the “Pagan Persecutor” as my patron saint as a wee Catholic girl and then growing up to be a bit more like one of those “Snakes” Patrick drove out of Ireland, as it turned out. I just need something a little more authentic to celebrate my heritage on that wily day. The soothing and delicious combination of potatoes, allium and cabbage is so damned good there’s even a song to celebrate it! 

This is a peasant dish and as such it is one of the most delicious things one can ever eat. I prefer to play most recipes by ear, much as a peasant likely would, but just for my readers I wrote this one down. If you think you might like more or less of any ingredient, by all means please adjust. Keep in mind that Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes are preferred for their high starch content and using Red or other waxy varieties will result in a very sad potato paste. The only thing I insist on for this recipe is to use Irish butter. It must be the “ould sod” that makes it taste one million times better than anything you will find from your local dairy, unless of course, you happen to be lucky enough to be in Ireland!

Colcannon

Ingredients:

13 Large Russet Potatoes

1 Medium Cabbage

2 Large Leeks

1 LB Butter (Use Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter!)

Pint of Cream

Pinch of Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Scallions for Garnish

Instructions:

This recipe serves 8-10 people and still leaves some for leftovers which you will surely want. To make a smaller batch simply halve the recipe and use 6 or 7 potatoes instead and so on. You’ll need a mighty big pot for this to go all together in. If you haven’t got one go ahead and use a big baking dish or casserole for the final heat through in the oven, just adjust the time so you don’t dry it out.

Peel and dice (medium size) the potatoes and add to a large pot. Add water to the potatoes making sure they are covered by at least an inch. Add about a teaspoon of salt and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling reduce heat to simmer and cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Diced taters take very little time to cook and you’ll want to be very careful not to overcook these. Check them for doneness often after about 13 minutes. When a fork easily pierces the potato it is ready. Set the potatoes aside to drain thoroughly, but reserve a cup of potato water in the event you may need it for the mash.

Break the cabbage down by making incisions around the core on the bottom and then holding from the top, slam the core side down onto the countertop. This will remove the pithy core. It may take a few good raps to get it out. Continue by then slicing the cabbage in half and then into 1 inch thick slabs. Boil the cabbage for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Again take care not to overcook the vegetable. Check for doneness frequently. The texture should be soft, not too crunchy and not mushy. Set the cabbage aside to drain.

Slice leeks into ¼ inch disks and place into a large bowl with water to clean all of the sand out of them. Separate the rings as much as possible for optimum results. Once the leeks are cleaned and the water is strained they are ready to be cooked. In a large pot add the cream and ⅓ of the butter. Over low heat cook the leeks, cream and butter until the leeks are soft and have released their flavor, about 5 minutes. Stir in a pinch of nutmeg.

Mash the potatoes in a mixer or by hand. Add ⅓ of the butter as you go and bear in mind these potatoes should be slightly lumpy in the end. Take care not to overwork the potatoes or the texture can turn into something less than delicious. If necessary use the reserved potato water to keep the mash going smoothly, but avoid adding too much because the leek mixture and the cabbage will also be introducing liquid to the potatoes and we’re making a mash not a soup! Slowly add the leek and milk mixture into the potatoes and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the potatoes are adequately mashed and the milk/leek mixture has been incorporated begin to gently fold in the cooked cabbage. Thoroughly mix everything together taking care to preserve the lumpy texture of the potatoes and avoid turning the cabbage to mush. Dot the top of the Colcannon with the remaining ⅓ of butter, cover and put into a 325 degree oven to heat completely through, about 25 minutes depending on how deep your pot is.

For the garnish: Slice scallions into ⅛ inch slices and add a pat of (more!) butter on top if your little heart desires. This dish is amazing hot out of the oven, cold out of the refrigerator and even reconstituted into potato pancakes.

“Ith leat!” Tuck in! Or as they used to say in Connemara, “Súch Dé oraibh,” the sustenance of God to ye!

A Poets Dinner

Admin-013 on February 2, 2020

In celebration of Imbolc and the spirit of inspiration, I have a beloved tradition of hosting a late winter Poet’s Dinner. I don’t do it every year, but I’ve held it often enough that some of my friends secretly can’t wait for their opportunity to bask in the glow of the spotlight. We set a lavish tablescape, plan a fanciful menu and tell our friends to show up with “Words and Wine.” So, on those years we are moved to, we come together for a lively night warming one another’s hearts with inspiring cuisine, incredible beverages, and intoxicating words. What I have learned from ‘Poet’s Dinners Past’ is that people can be so amazing when given an opportunity to express themselves freely. It is a thing of beauty to behold!

It’s quite fun to witness one’s little gang step up their game. There are particularly memorable evenings of gatherings that exposed stunning wild beauty. After dinner and our fair share of wine, the words begin to flow freely. It is raw, true, sexy, free, at times hilarious, and delightfully rebellious. Always these exchanges are made more endearing because of the vulnerable exposure of our fellow human’s true hearts. It never fails that I am was in awe of everyone’s willingness to play along. All people need is the invitation. A formula that continues to produce truly magical evenings had by all.

Sound enticing? Try it, you might like it! It need not be a fussy affair. Grab some of your favorites and recite them at dinner tonight! I have a few standards that I look forward to revisiting each year in early February. The Song of Wandering Aengus is at the top of the list, for certain! After observing the tradition of honoring poetry at Imbolc for decades now, I know my favorite Yeats poem by heart!

Visit my Poets Dinner Pinterest Board for more inspiration.

Watercress Salad with Avocado and Orange

Gougère

Grapefruit and Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Baked Artichoke Risotto with Radicchio

Creamed Onions with Rosemary

Dark Chocolate Dipped Oranges with Sea Salt

Banana Meringue Pudding

Carriage Punch

Imbolc ~ Surrender to Devotion

Admin-013 on January 29, 2020

Every midwinter I eagerly await the cross-quarter Celtic holiday, Imbolc. So sweetly do I cherish its treasured Goddess, Brighid for her promise of springtime and the miracle of her restorative power. She is the magic of white space after the swell of Yuletide has receded. Her presence is announced by the flutter of inspiration in our bellies as we set forth our intentions for the coming year. We sit at her feet while perusing seed catalogs, visioning the future gardens of our souls, as much as any other kind of gardens we can dream of at this time of year.

Imbolc (Imm-ulk) is the cross-quarter holiday that initiates the season of spring in the Celtic calendar. It is observed at the beginning of February with various traditions vacillating between the 1st and 2nd of the month. Lunar Imbolc is marked with the new moon in Aquarius whenever it occurs, which in the case of this blog post happens to be today (1/20/15). Imbolc is Brighid’s day through and through! She is the Goddess of inspiration, poetry, midwifery, smithcraft, healing, wells, and fire. Imbolc is the first Spring fire festival and it celebrates the growing strength of the Sun. Though the sun was reborn at Yule it isn’t until Imbolc that we can truly say we notice the difference. And what a difference it is!

The meaning of the word Imbolc is hotly debated. Some say it means “in the belly.” Others believe it means means “in milk”, or “ewe’s milk” which correlates to the birth of lambs at this time of year and the lactating of their mothers. In many parts of the world, the earth is beginning to show signs of spring. Crocus and snowdrops push up through the snow as the ground warms below the strengthening sun. In modern times we relate the season of Imbolc to cleansing and the preparation for growth and renewal. The gifts of insight and inspiration allow us to make resolutions and solid plans for the coming year.

I feel the call of Brighid intensely at this time every year. Quickening light and energy stirs me to action after the slumber of deep winter. Imbolc heralds the beginning of spring and contains the promise of renewed life in the year ahead. I was born at Samhain which is the beginning of winter but was conceived during this season of Lupercalia and in a sense, my very existence is a springtime promise fulfilled. I made my first vows to the Goddess on Imbolc as an intrepid 21-year-old. I learned what it meant to have an invincible summer inside myself that winter. To the untrained eye, the midwinter doldrums are something to merely endure, but to a wise woman, there is much to learn about the strange alchemy of fire and ice.

Right now I am deep in journey and vision work. Horse is my guide in the dream space and the journey time. Situated securely on the back of an incredible stallion I was treated to the most beautiful countryside as we made our way up the Tor to Brighid’s well in my journey last night.  A message delivered by my guide said, “Listen closely to the voice within. Are you prepared to meet the Goddess?” Atop the mound, I was told to disembark and walk the rest of the way. There were other devotees there and together we walked silently toward the well. We gathered together before her. SHE stood beside her well. Her voice called out demanding to know, “What will you heal? What will you build? How will you inspire?” When we could answer her we were given a drink of the sacred crystalline waters of Brighid’s well. The medicine a unique blend bespoke by the Goddess herself for each one of us. A voice echoes and I hear, “I vow to take the medicine I am given.”

What projects will you commit yourself to this year? What longstanding problems will you heal in your life? What thing of beauty will you create? What powerful manifestations will you bring forth?

Check your personal well, how deep are your reserves? What do you need and how will you supply it? If you already know where you want to go make sure you are properly outfitted for the journey ahead.

Fire warms, sustains, and transforms. The sensuous quality of its nature is mesmerizing. Just remember, if you play with fire you might get burned, or burned out. Wield your power wisely.

Imbolc is an especially potent and magical turn of the wheel. Behold the miracle and the power that is Brighid. Feel the flutter of inspiration in your belly. Dream the vision of your heart into being. This is smith-craft as life.

​Imbolc Candle Devotion Ceremony

Supplies:

Representing fire:

One Red Candle for creative inspiration.

Representing the sacred well:

One White Candle for transformative healing.

Representing the forge:

One Black Candle for protecting what is manifesting.

Inside of specially prepared sacred space prepare yourself by getting still and asking yourself to listen to the voice within.

Are you prepared to meet the Goddess?

When you can answer, “What will you heal (white)? What will you build (black)? How will you inspire (red)?” light the candle that corresponds to each intention. Vow to serve the mission of your vision. Dedicate yourself to the devotion of your dreams. Allow the candles to burn to fruition. Carry the wax in your medicine bag or bury it on your property. So mote it be!