Yule Festivities Chesterfield, Derbyshire Pagans

Artwork Wendy Andrews

Well wow soon be Yule, can't wait for the sun to start regaining strength and for the evenings to be getting lighter longer again. Though it is nice to have candles on and snuggle up against the cold, lighter evenings are even better so that you can get more done.

As it is nearly Winter Solstice us Chesterfield Pagans crew are holding Yule Celebrations at Eyre Chapel again in Newbold, Chesterfield around the back of the Nags Head and all are invited.  It's a free event so no worries there, though some food and drink for the food share is welcome, just bring enough for yourself and a bit extra so we can all sample each others goodies.  Eyre Chapel is a lovely old building and where we hold our drum group every first Thursday of each month.

Ritual will most likely be inside this year rather than round the fire, hope we can squeeze everyone in, good job we're all friendly folk.  There is to be drumming in the ritual and afterwards as well if folk want, so if you have a drum bring it along and drum up that sun.

We are also looking for people to do a spot of entertainment/performance so if you have a talent you'd like to get into the open let us know (family friendly preferably), it doesn't have to be a long performance just wanting to get folk involved :0)  This is our facebook page Chesterfield, Derbyshire Pagans Page more event details can be found there.

Afterward there will be music to dance to, or jig around to, or bop along to, whichever your style is ;0)

So see ya there around half seven on Saturday 19th December?

Chesterfield, Derbyshire Pagans 11th Anniversary Moot

Gosh 11 years since our first ever moot!!  We had a change of pubs during those years to over the road at what was the New Inn, where we used the land at the back for many happy Hasfests and Samhain Celebrations, to now back where we started at the Telemere Lodge, still every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7.30ish.  There have been a change of faces as folk come and go but there are quite a few of the original people still there and new folk are always very welcome :0)

We had a visit from the Priest of Avalon this month to give a talk on Remembering our Local Goddesses and very interesting it was too.  He also runs the Nottingham Goddess Temple.  There was of course cake and other goodies as well as plenty of chat.

We've had some great talks and workshops this year, starting in January with wool spinning history and the connection spinning has with many goddesses especially Norse ones and sheepy facts. Uses of essential oils, herbs, incense making, chakra chanting, tree knowledge, dream catchers, shamanism and the medicine wheel and of course Lammas Camp planning and workshop talk.

Still to come this year, in November our regular Goblin Market where you can bring things of a spiritual/pagan nature that's still in good condition but you no longer have a need for to swap/sell/trade or your hand made goods of a spiritual/pagan nature to sell so that folk can get some individual unique items for Yule gifts. Then in December the ever popular twig twiddling :0)

If you're interested in coming to one of the moots please do come along they are open and free to all and held in the private back room of the Telemere Lodge, Hasland 2nd Tuesday of each month around 7.30 pm start.  See our facebook page for more info Chesterfield, DerbyshirePagans

If you have knowledge/skills you would like to share at one of the moots as a talk/demo/workshop please do let me know, we are all friendly and eager to learn new stuff :0)

We are holding Samhain Celebrations at Eyre Chapel in Newbold, Chesterfield on Friday 30th October around 7.30 start, bring a drum or rattle if you have one.  Ritual to start then party afterwards, food share, bring your own drinks x

Wolf Moon Tree of Life Pentagram

 


The Wolf Moon Tree of Life wire work I did placed in the center of a Willow Pentagram.  The Willow is from my garden and is still growing happily there.  The sticks of the pentagram have been woven up and over each other in the traditional way rather than just placed one on top of the other.  Off each points hangs a representation of the correspondence for each element, a free fallen feather for air, a found stone for earth, a sun charm for fire, a shell found on the beach for water and a spiral on the top point for spirit.

It would look great hanging in your room as decoration, especially if wolf has special meaning for you, animal totem perhaps or power animal or as a ritual item near your altar.

If you'd like a closer look please click on my website link Morning Star Craft There are other pentagrams/pentacles on there as well and more to be put on soon.

Willow Tree of Life, Elements Pentacle/Pentagram

This Pentagram is made from Willow out of my garden where it is growing very happily.  The struts of the Pentagram have been woven in and out, up and over of each other not just placed flat on the top of each other.  In the center I have wire worked a Tree of Life with copper wire and leaf shaped beads of various shades.  On each point is an elemental correspondence and a small bell - fire is a sun charm, earth a small stone, air a feather, water a shell and a Goddess charm for Spirit. It's for sale in my shop, take a look if you'd like it hanging in your home or as a gift.

I'm planning on doing some more pentacles similar to this one and the one in the post below which had lots of beads wired on to it.

I think of Pentacles as having the circle around the Pentagram shape to give order to chaos, and contain elements/thoughts for more focus, though some people think of them in different ways so never quite sure which way to label Pentagrams/Pentacles (labeling can cause conflict!)  Which way do you think of Pentacles and Pentagrams?

Post Camp and Willow Bead Pentacles

Hope those of you that went to our camp enjoyed yourselves and have good memories of it. Thank you to those of you that visited my stall :0)x  Must get on with making some more beady pentacle wall hangers, wish I'd taken better photos of them before they sold.

Twisted

All this time and this is the first time I've had a go at a Tree of Life, put a wolf and moon in there as well.  Got carried away twisting wire, thinking wow this is so good thin bits of wire getting more robus and combining different colours together as well.  Got to do more of this :0)  Have put some twisted copper wire round a pentacle I'm doing, it takes the bend quite well.

Spoon Ring, where's Uri Geller when you need him?

I had a lovely tea spoon with Oak Leaves on and thought it would make a lovely ring.  Took a lot longer than I bargained for!  Cutting the bowl off was easy enough but bending the thing was quite a struggle, think I need a bigger hammer and pliers!  It is indeed a sturdy spoon.  After doing a search it seems to be a Walker & Hall 1927 Oak Leaf Laurel spoon, wondering if I should have cut it up now, but it does make a good ring and has pattern both sides.

 It was really shiny before I put it in the patina, it does bring out the pattern better though.  I need to take better photos!

A couple of wire rings I've just finished as well, nicely aged ;0)