May Emerald Post

June's Emerald Post is being prepared to dispatch. It is inspired the ancient history of the Celtic Isles which can be experienced by visiting the ancient stone monuments dating as far back as the Neolithic & Bronze ages. It will include a watercolor of stone monuments, a print of an Irish Stone Circle among other treasures. Snatch up a June Emerald Post up HERE.

May's Emerald Post is still available, too. It included a 5x7 print of an Oak Stained Glass Panel in watercolor, a 4x6 print of an illuminated oak leaf, a botanical card for Hawthorn, and an ivy laden mini notecard.  Get a May issue HERE or you can purchase the Oak Panel individually HERE.

Hawthorn - Myth & Magic of the May Tree

Today I want to share some of the fascinating folklore surrounding the Hawthorn Tree which inspired this botanical card in the May Issue of Emerald Post (You can still get May's issue HERE)....

Folklore holds that Hawthorn trees possess magical properties and guard entrances to the Faery Realm. These often lone, gnarled and weathered trees stand sentinel at portals to the Otherworld. Across the verdant isles of Ireland and Great Britain you may notice the frequent presence of a single tree atop a barren hill, amid moorland or bog land, standing eerily alone. These are most often the well respected and revered Hawthorn Trees.

Hawthorn at Hound Tor, Dartmoor, Devon, England

Throughout Celtic lands, Hawthorns are found very near ancient standing stones and stone circles, sacred springs, and holy wells where visitors and pilgrims adorn the revered tree with ribbons, rags, cloth, or other offerings as they say a prayer, utter a wish, or offer gratitude. Referred to as Wishing Trees, Rag Trees, Faery Trees, or Clottie Trees, their branches hang low under the weight of wishes and prayers.

A Faerie Tree near Killary Harbour in Ireland

Though considered bad luck much of the time, Hawthorns can also bestow good luck and protection. Flowering in May, the Hawthorn has long been associated with May Day and the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane. The month of May is the only time one should take a sprig from a Hawthorn. A flowering branch was traditionally gathered on the eve of May 1st and placed on or above the threshold of the house to banish evil spirits and protect the household from misfortune, or caried by a maiden to attract a husband. Bathing in the May morning dew of hawthorn blossoms is said to bring health, beauty, good fortune, and even wealth.  A Hawthorn planted or growing near the home is said to protect it from lightning, storms, and, of course, witches.  

I’ve seen many a Hawthorn on my travels across Ireland and Great Britain. Almost always, there is one at the entrance to a stone circle and often draped with the offerings of visitors who’ve come before me. The places where the Hawthorns dwell, they do seem to hold a certain energy, a beauty, a clarity, and usually some peculiar weather like a harsh wind, a thick fog, or an eerie stillness. Perhaps it is only the landscape, specifically chosen by ancient peoples for such attributes or maybe, just maybe, it is the faeries.

Faery Hawthorn at Ballynoe Stone Circle - Ireland

Faery Hawthorn at Beaghmore Stone Circle, Ireland

Explore the world of Hawthorns and Folklore more :

Hawthorn Mythology

Hawthorn Folklore & Traditions

Learn more about Faery Wish Trees HERE.

The Blessings of Trees

Hill of Tara - Wish Tree

Mysterious Celtic Clootie Wells

Clootie Wells

Happy May Day! A Wee Bit Late

Ox Eye Daisy, Wild Hyacinth, Blooms from Rose Verbena, Leaves from Wild Bergamot.

With all the rain and storms that have washed over the Midwest of late, it didn't surprise me that I lost my internet for some time. That was the extent of damage from the storms that we faced. I'm quite fortunate that my hearth and home stayed dry unlike so many unfortunate folks who've faced recent flooding. So I've got some catching up to do here.

A week back was the 1st of May, May Day, or Beltane. On the old Celtic Calendar, which is wheel shaped rather than linear and based on the cycles and rhythms of the earth and plants, May 1st is the beginning of summer. It is a day to celebrate sunshine and blossoms, the return of the green, fertile earth. There are many folk traditions, such as bonfires, the May Pole and Jack in the Green, that still persist across Celtic lands, many are remnants from much older traditions. Below are a few sites that provide a lovely peak into the persistence of the old world in the modern day.

http://windling.typepad.com/blog/2013/05/wild-folklore.html

http://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2015/05/beltane.html

http://intothehermitage.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-rites-of-spring.html 

May Day Post from Traveling Chariot a few years ago HERE

You can read more about the old calendar wheel here:
Irish Central
Living Myths

Shadow of Spring - Irish Tradtions

Happy Groundhog's Day here in America. Happy St. Brigid's Day in Ireland. Happy Imbolc in Ancient Ireland - the first day of Spring according to the old wheel of the year. The beginning of February is steeped in old folklore, traditions, and religion, though many only know of the infamous Punxsutawney Phil.

Traditionally, if the groundhog emerges from his burrow and it is cloudy, thus seeing no shadow, spring will come early. If it is sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow, he will retreat back into his burrow and winter will persist for six more weeks. 

This tradition has trickled down from ancient times. February 1st is the Ancient Celtic Festival of Imbolc, which divides the winter from the spring, and honors the Celtic Goddess of fire and fertility, Brigit or Brigid. She dispelled the dark of winter and was "mistress of fertility"* to the land, animals and women, too. Later this day would be Christianized into St. Brigit's Day, the patron saint of mothers, cattle, and poets. Imbolc marked time to begin sowing seeds for Spring and reading the signs of nature to forecast spring weather. "An exceptionally fine day was regarded as an omen of poor weather to come."** Seeing a hedgehog was a good sign, because he would always return to the burrow if he sensed the coming of bad weather.** Traditionally, ancient civilizations also trusted the Badger to impart this important prediction because they lived beneath the earth where Spring might already be afoot. If the badger saw his shadow, winter would linger on. This tradition came over to America with German settlers and became the Groundhog Day we know today, once with a little more veneration.*

So many nearly forgotten or over-commercialized traditions are deeply rooted in the past. There is so much history in the transformation of traditions, from a Celtic Festival to Punxsutawney Phil, and much can be learned about our ancestors who settled this country and the places they left behind.

In Ireland, many traditions remain that are associated with both St. Brigit and her more ancient incarnation the Goddess Brigid such as making St. Brigid's Cross with rushes or straw, feasts, and visiting her holy wells. One fascinating tradition is to hang a piece of cloth outside for the day for the Saint to bless overnight. Throughout the year, this scrap of cloth could be used to treat headaches and other ailments.

Read more about St. Brigit's Day Traditions HERE or HERE .

*Dance of Time by Michael Judge

**A Year in Ireland by Kevin Danaher

Ireland of the Welcomes

Today I'd like to share on of my favorite magazines. Ireland of the Welcomes is one of the most exciting things to grace my mailbox. It's a treat that only arrives 6 times a year, but well worth the $33 (for US). This magazine is a gorgeous full color journey through Ireland's history, culture, & folklore as well as in depth pieces on the modern Ireland of today. The photographs are always gorgeous and the stories and articles top notch. Almost all content - only 6 pages of ads out of 65. You can read a free issue online HERE. And if you are so inclined, you can subscribe HERE.