Category: Lore & Legend

The Pig is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac, related to the Chinese calendar. Although the Pig is not thought of as a smart animal in China, with a reputation for loving to sleep and eat and play in the mud, in the west, we know the Pig to be highly intelligent.

The Chinese interpretation is perpetuated by a myth in which the Jade Emperor invites all the animals to a party and the Pig arrives last, forever relegating it to 12th place in the zodiac.

Just as the Buddha is often depicted as heavy set, indicating his acceptance of everything, the Pig’s wide face and big ears connote good fortune. Their winning personalities indicate an easy way forward in life. 

In the 60 year cycle of the 12 astrological signs, 2019 is the Year of the Earth Pig. In completing this cycle, 2019 is seen as especially beneficial to those born in previous Years of the Pig, including 1935, 1947, 1971, 1983, 1995 and 2007. The most recent Year of the Earth Pig was 1959. Those born under the sign of the Pig are thought to be most compatible with protective Tigers (1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, etc.) *Note that the Lunar Calendar has the Year of the Pig beginning on February 5th. 

Bats, cats, owls…
Ghost, ghouls, the Grim Reaper…
Witches on broomsticks, boiling, bubbling cauldrons, and bonfires…
These are some of the modern-day associations with Halloween, October 31st. There is a far older association with this time known as Samhain or “Summer’s End,” marking the end of the harvest, the time to thin herds of cattle, preparation for the colder weather of winter to come.

The Pagan tradition of this fire festival has recorded roots from the 10th Century in Ireland, though it goes even farther back in the Gaelic and Celtic Isles and Europe. There are similar festivals throughout the world with other cultures and traditions celebrating this time of year as well.

Samhain is the spiritual New Year’s Eve. This is a time when the veil is the thinnest between the Otherworld and the physical world, making it easier for the dead and supernatural beings to enter and commune with us. This was a time of bonfires, guising, mumming, feasting, and divination. A time of setting up ancestor altars and remembering our recent dead, our beloved dead, our long dead, and setting a place at the table for them with food and drink and the telling of ancestral stories.

With the spread of Christianity, this festival morphed into All Saints’ Day, November 1st, and All Souls’ Day, November 2nd (see below).

Halloween comes from All Hallow’s Eve, October 31st. Halloween and Samhain are different in focus and practice. Halloween is a secular folk holiday very similar to Thanksgiving and celebrated by people playing in the realm of fantasy and make believe.

From Shakespeare’s “Bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble” to popular songs “I’ve Put A Spell On You” and Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller,” we love all things mysterious and spooky — especially at this time of year.

Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed Be.

In Christianity, All Saints’ Day (also called All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, and the Solemnity of All Saints) honors saints and martyrs, both known and unknown, with special church services, prayers for the heavenly dead, and visits to cemeteries. Originally celebrated at the end of Lent, in the the eighth century Pope Gregory III moved All Saints’ Day to November 1st, perhaps to coincide with pagan celebrations occurring at the same time.

The following day, November 2nd, is dedicated as All Souls’ Day, to commemorate souls in Purgatory, including unbaptized babies and “the Faithful Departed,” those who have been baptized but have died before making their confession. Black and purple are the liturgical colors of this day and deceased relatives are typically remembered and their graves visited. It is believed that, through prayer, the slightly less saintly among our loved one may be prepared for Heaven.

 Soul Cakes, rounded scone-like biscuits prepared with sugar, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice, have fallen from favor — but in the eighth century they were given to beggars in exchange for prayers for the dead, one soul per cake. That’s some serious trick-or-treating!

The modern Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a combination of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days celebrated on November 1st and 2nd in Mexico, Latin America, and U.S. Latino communities. A distinctly Aztec spirit remains in the holiday, dating back at least 3000 years. Los angelitos, the spirits of children, come out at midnight on the 31st. Adult souls take their place from noon November 1 until the following day.

Along with All Hallow’s Eve — Hallowe’en — these three days comprise the “Days of the Dead,” a triduum of feasts also called Allhallowtide.  A Triduum is a religious observance lasting three days, such as the Paschal Triduum, which lasts from Good Friday through Easter Sunday in Spring.

As the New Moon approaches, so does the Lunar New Year (an eclipse this year to boot!).  2018 will be celebrated as the Year of the Earth Dog throughout China and many Asian countries. For those born in the Year of the Dog, this coming year will be a time for clearing out obstacles and removing anxiety, but everyone is encouraged to participate.

To start the year off right, tradition gives us highly symbolic acts to make the very best of this time of renewal. Though these traditions vary widely, some of the most universal include lighting firecrackers, visiting temples, honoring ancestors, reuniting with family, giving children red envelopes filled with money, and wearing red, gold and other bright colors!
 One of my favorite traditions is eating from the whole fish, with head and tail remaining, as everything has a beginning, middle and end. Do not flip the fish over on its back to get to all of the meat, however, as this symbolizes a capsizing boat! Don’t worry about eating the whole fish either, as it is important to leave some leftovers to ensure plenty of abundance in the year ahead. Similarly, it is considered good luck to remove all debts, pay all bills and start the year fresh. Conversely, it is thought to be bad luck to clean house as one may “sweep away” the good fortune that is their right. It is also unwise to wash one’s hair, cut it, or indeed, to use sharp instruments at all. As always, kindness is key. Never make a child cry over the New Year holiday! The traditional time of celebration ends with a lighting of lanterns to welcome the coming Spring. In most cases, candles will also serve that purpose. Choose your vigils wisely and celebrate the good health and prosperity that is due to you in the coming year.

One of the things I love about doing spellwork is the forgiving nature of magic. If you don’t do it right the first time, you always get another go at it. Part of the human condition is making mistakes. If you aren’t making a mistake, you’re not trying anything risky. And I believe that if you aren’t taking a risk, you’re living half a life.

A powerful magical tool that gives us the chance to start over again is the Rose of Jericho, or the Resurrection Plant. 

When the weather is dry, these desert ferns dry up almost completely, curling up into a brown ball and remaining dormant until the rains come. They can survive in this dried out dormant state for years, but when they are exposed to water, they “resurrect” or come back to life over the course of a few days, opening up and turning green, as you can see in the time-lapse video above.

The Rose of Jericho shines in spells where you need to revive or resurrect something, such as lost prosperity. To do some financial work with a Rose of Jericho, just follow these super-easy steps:

1. Place the dried plant with its roots down in a shallow dish of spring water in your home or business on a Friday.
2. If you can, place it on a money altar or another special and sacred place.
3. Each day, pour the water off the plant and add new spring water.
4. Retain the water that you pour off, as this is Rose of Jericho water, a powerful prosperity blessing water that you can sprinkle around your home or business or apply to yourself or your loved ones.
5. After a few days in water the plant will begin to unfold and turn green. As it does, you will see signs of new financial opportunities.

Once your prosperity has increased, give the Rose of Jericho a little rest. Take it out of the water and let it go back to its dormant state. The Rose of Jericho has done its work, giving your prosperity a jumpstart.

May Day, May Pole: these are part of a much more ancient pagan observation and celebration — Beltaine/Beltane for the Celts, Walpurgis Nacht for the Teutons, and Floralia for the Romans. A time of bringing fecundity to the Earth, encouraging the abundance of crops and herds, invoking and honoring fertility and sexuality.

In the Celtic Calendar, this fire festival was to honor Bel, the sun god, warming the Earth goddess alongside her consort the Green Man, Lord of the Greenwood and animals, first in courtship, pursuit, and play. The festivities culminated in the sacred sexual union known as the Sacred Marriage. The green man can still be seen as Robin Hood, the Green Knight, and the goddess as Maid Marion, the Lady Fair.

Bel fires were lit on hilltops and the young people jumped over the ashes to bring them husbands or wives, insure safe journeys, and bring ease in childbirth. Sometimes two fires were lit, and cattle were driven between them for good milk yield. (For a wonderful gallery of Bel Fire photos click here. )

The May Pole, the god’s phallus, was planted in the Earth’s womb with singing and dancing, while colored ribbons were wrapped around it as a form of adoration of the Sacred Union.

Another Northern European tradition was May Riding, featuring a Queen and King as representatives of the Goddess and God, riding into the woods and fields and followed by couples for the purpose of merry-making. As Guenevere sings in the musical, Camelot: “Tra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May! That lovely month when ev’ryone goes blissfully astray!”