March Hares

 It seems to have been a long and short winter all at the same time, the last couple of days of spring like weather have been very welcome, and what a glorious full moon so clear and bright.  

To celebrate March and spring I am offering 15% off in my new website, enter MadMarch21spend £20 or over and claim your discount.  Jewellery items arrive gift boxed, so easy for giving, Mothering Sunday is on the 14th ;0)

Of course March wouldn't be the same without hares, and Ostara/Spring Equinox isn't far of either, with hares on my mind I've engraved a bracelet with three hares running around it and there are a couple of Triskeles on it as well.  

These bracelets, I have a few different designs in my shop, can be personalised with a hidden message on the inside to make them even more special.

A link to my blog post a few years back about maybe why white rabbits on the first of March.  Do you have an idea of why white rabbits on the first of March?

Derbyshire Pagans Lammas Camp & a brief what happens in case you were wondering

Lammas Camp

​Time spent in a field with marvellous views of the Derbyshire countryside with a like minded bunch of folk is never wasted.  When you’ve had enough of sitting around relaxing soaking up the atmosphere and having a brew or two (or whatever’s your tipple), there are workshops to learn something new or swap ideas in, crafts to create and drums to beat.

​The central sacred fire is kept going throughout the weekend and is a good place to sit around, drum and chat or dance around as the night gets cooler.  It has the ashes of many other sacred fires, from far away and this country, sprinkled into it to lend their energies to our camp, as our fires ashes will be collected by those who like to to lend the energies of this camp to their own fires.​

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​The ‘Beating of the Bounds’ starts off Lammas Camp Thursday evening, when we go round the field beating our drums and clearing the space ready for the weekend, please join in and if you don’t have a drum clap your hands or just walk with us to where the fire is to be lit with an Opening Fire Ceremony.

Friday evening let your hair down and show your moves off in the dance temple, well marquee ;0)  There’s likely to be entertainment before hand as well to get you in the mood.  And of course you can dance round the fire other nights if the drummers get a good beat going ;0), we do have an 11 o'clock drum curfew to keep the neighbours happy though.

Saturday is the Lammas Camp Ritual, if this is your first Pagan camp don’t worry we don’t get naked or anything ;0)

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We've had quite a few lovely Handfastings at Lammas Camp (I've not got photos of all of them but here's a few) and there is to one this year as well, on Friday, which I'm sure will be wonderful :0)

If you'd rather relax than spend time cooking and washing up take a look at the food menu which is next to the ticket forms, very good prices, they cater for vegetarians and vegans too, and have snacks as well as main meals, ice cream, hot chocolate …
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Remember to have a browse round the stalls and treat yourself something different and individual to the normal stuff :0)  Have a look in my shop on here as well, if you see something interesting let me know and I can bring it with me.

The camp site it’s self has archaeological interest with barrows dating back 4000 years – take a look here.
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In the mean time here's some more photos of past years camps to remind me/us of lovely times shared in the Lammas field, come and join us and make some memories :0)  

Tickets can be found on my Morning Star Craft website

Willow Pentagram Wreaths

 Last autumn I collected pieces of Willow from the tree that grows happily in my garden to make Pentagrams with, they are especially popular at Yule time.  

I am creating some now for Spring Equinox/Ostara, hopefully come spring the Willow tree will be ready to let me have some more of her wood to keep me going through the summer making Pentagram wreaths and Pentacle wreaths to decorate alters and walls.

They are all woven in a traditional under and over way rather than one spoke just been placed on top of the other and are about 9" across.

Here's a little gallery of past ones and a couple that are for sale now, message me if you would like something similar 😊🥚🐰

Element coloured Lucite flowers with a Dreamcatcher style centre and a little Dragonfly on it.

You can find these two Willow Pentagrams for sale on my MorningStarCraft website

Flower Goddess Pentacle.

Paper flowers and moss decorate the circle of the Pentacle and at the centre is a Flower Goddess.  

A selection of Willow Beaded, Suncatcher, Flower, Element Pentacles and Pentagrams for all seasons. 

Imbolc

Spring is stirring and bring hope of better times with longer brighter daylight time, new growth pushing it's way up from the soil and catkins on the Hazel getting longer.  It's time to start sewing early seeds and planning what the year might bring.

One of the goddess mostly associated with this time of year, the comping of spring/tale end of winter with more fertile times coming is Brigid Brid Bride Brigantia Bridgit.or however you choose to spell her name, usually pronounced Breed Brigg-id or Bree-id. 

Artwork - Jo Jayson

A great mother goddess, she was one of the most widely worshipped across Britain and Ireland.  It’s quite possible that the Northern British Tribe, the Brigantes derived their name from her.

Brigid is a Fire, Sun Goddess, Goddess of the Dawn.
She is also the Goddess of the Well and the Waters. There are healing wells still dedicated to her in Ireland.

The spark of inspiration, the muse of all creativity, Brigid is the Goddess of ...

• poets,
• musicians and singers,
• storytellers,
• scholars and teachers,
• artists, trades persons, and artisans, especially metalsmiths
• healers and herbalists,
• magick-workers,
• seers and prophets
• Midwives.

Brigid’s Cross is an ancient symbol for Brigid and is also known as a Celtic Sun Wheel or Solar Cross Solar Crosses are one of the most ancient of symbols and are found all over the world.

Brigid’s Crosses are traditionally made with rushes or straw and hung for protection, especially from fire but also from ill intent, mainly hung over the doorway but also by the fire for fertility
The intention could be whatever you want your Solar Cross to be for -- honouring the Sun Goddess, protection for your home, blessings and protection for your loved ones, etc.
It may also be given as a blessing and protection to someone you care about.
Another option is to offer it to the Goddess. You can hang it on a tree (particularly hawthorn) or leave it in nature somewhere, or burn it in a ritual fire (a bonfire or cauldron).  You could also hang it above your altar, to keep Brigid's presence near you all year long.

These are some I made at our moot last year from straw, reed and Willow.

The Demotion to Saint Brigid
In Ireland and other Celtic countries, Brigid was a primary Pagan Goddess. This didn't sit well when Christianity took over. But the people were unwavering in their devotion to this Goddess, and the Christian fathers couldn't eradicate Her worship.
So they did what has worked so well throughout the ages and around the globe: they incorporated Her into their own mythology.
In the 5th Century, She was remade as a Christian saint. She was given a fictitious history, and canonised. (Then in 1960, I guess the Church thought they'd made a mistake, and de-sainted Her! Or maybe they thought they could at last do away with this so-tenacious and beloved female deity.)

Love all the Brighid representations in this art work by Danielle Barlow, most of the Brighd symbols I knew but not how the serpent was linked to her. 

I did a bit of research and found that according to Celtic mythology an awakening hibernating serpent will emerged from it's lair at Imbolc, and by it's movements it was calculated how many more days of winter there would be, if it returned to it's lair then spring wold be a month or more in coming.  Although Brigid is a triple goddess she is mainly thought of as a spring goddess, so as she is to usher in spring this would be imported to know.  Serpents also represent new life and fertility, much like spring, as well as transformation, creativity and inspiration,
Paths of Earth energy, ley lines, were also called serpent paths and at Imbolc they are stirred from their slumber as the earth warms.

Derbyshire Pagans Lammas Camp 2019

1st - 4th August 2019

Kniveton, Derbyshire DE6 1JL

It's nearly time for Chesterfield Derbyshire Pagans Lammas Camp again, our 16th one this year.

It's a wonderful Celebration of Summer with Ritual, Dancing, Drumming and Fire as well as Workshops and Crafts.  

This year we have a Handfasting and Saining to celebrate as well.

We try to keep costs low so most can get together with other like minded spirits and enjoy time away sharing knowledge, experiences and friendship.  The total cost for the whole weekend per adult is £26, extra of course if you want to buy yourself something shiny from the Stalls, look out for mine ;0)   Our lovely caterers there again if you want to relax and forget about cooking and washing up.

Want to find out more about Lammas Camp?  

Check out my web page and click Lammas Camp in the menu.  

See you over there :0)

Derbyshire Pagans Lammas Camp - a few photos

Derbyshire Pagans Lammas Camp is fast approaching again and so I thought it would be a good to dig out some photos from previous years to remind me of the lovely times shared there while looking forward to this years camp.
We've had some wonderful handfastings over the years but unfortunately I can't find photos of them all now.  We have a lovely handfasting organised for this years Lammas Camp as well as and a Saining.
We have had some fantastic Fire Ceremonies and Lammas Rituals, great drumming, dancing and chanting around the fire and wonderful sunsets and sunrises and I think this years will be just as amazing.

Can't wait for this years Lammas Camp which will be the 1st - 4th August 2019
Tickets available from Morning Star Craft website click on the Lammas Camp tab for more info about the camp site and ticket form, see you in the field soon :0)

Have a look below for some fab photos of Lammas Camp

Summer time means flowers, right?

The lovely warm weather we've had has made me want to do things with flowers, no not just walking amongst the Bluebells that are out already, but messing with flower beads and twisting wire.

Trying to decide if it would look better on chain or cord, decisions decisions, best made over coffee.

In the end I went with chain, have a look at the photos below.  Right decision do you think?

I've made some other pieces from the flower beads as well but unfortunately forgot to photograph them.  I'm going to make some more so will make sure I do take some photos of them before they go.

Bluebells from my walk, just cos they smell lovely and welcome the spring :0)