Dvoeverie-stitches

Master Post

Peasant girl in heather with sickle and basket. 1900 painting by Emil Zschimmer

Though this blog started as a place to showcase my devotional stitching to honor my ancestresses, over the last few years the babky (my Moravian grannies) have been pulling me in all sorts of directions. I’ve never really called myself a witch, though I think it is assumed by a lot of my readers because of the work I do, and I’ve gotten kind of lazy and use it as shorthand a lot (especially in tags) because it’s easy, but I tend to think of myself as a cunning woman and over the last couple of years a novice kořenářka (simplest definition would be root/herb woman, but so much more).

Antos Frolka (1877-1935)

My practice revolves around foraging and preserving wild plants, honoring the animals that I share the land with, honoring the calendar customs and folk Catholicism (that is often only a mask over older pagan customs) of my Moravian ancestresses, and YES—I still stitch! It all falls under the overarching umbrella of ancestor veneration.

Kroatische Stickerin, 1920, Othmar Růžička

Who were the Kořenářky?

Foraging on these Four Acres 2025

My Herbal — Mostly print sources on plants I forage. Includes medicinal, magical, and culinary info. You can also find recipes from my bioregional apothecary, these are from my particular region and are meant to inspire as well as document my own research. Note: I’m beginning to add pages from my kořenářka journal.

My observation of Moravian Calendar Customs from 2022 to the present

2025 Stitching Projects

Moravian Embroidery Patterns

A repeat of the above patterns, but I recently found this somewhat different version:

Červenec/July Devotional Calendar

Reverse glass painting likely of Czech, Slovak, or Bohemian origin dating between 1890 and 1930.

It is believed that the person of St. Margaret was invented, but nevertheless she became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. According to legend, Saint Margaret came from Antioch (Turkey). She is mentioned by two names. The reason is that the original name Marina is given in the Greek text as Margaret. Under that name she is known in the Czech lands as the saint of the 14 helpers, who, with an earlier monument on 13. 7. with a legendary pranostika, commemorated the beginning of her.

She grew up without a mother, so her father, a pagan priest, entrusted her to the care of a nanny who was a secret Christian. She raised his daughter in the Christian faith, and when Margaret refused to worship pagan gods, her father threw her out of the house. She went to the mountains, where she contentedly grazed her cattle until a powerful ruler fell in love with her.

She confessed to him that she was a Christian and had not renounced her faith. He therefore had her tortured and thrown into prison, where the devil appeared to her in the form of a hideous dragon. However, Margaret drove him away with a Christian cross and miraculously all her wounds healed overnight. The next day, on the orders of the ruler, Margaret was beheaded (around 305 or 282).

How St. Margaret became the protector of pregnant women, legend:

Just before her death, she promised that pregnant women who would pray to her would ensure that their children would come into the world safely. The truth is that St. Margaret became the protector of pregnant women. Perhaps this was also connected with the experience that St. Margaret had with the dragon: the dragon - the devil swallowed the girl, but then spit her out after a while, because her long hair caused unbearable scratching in his throat. Then the girl rejected him with the sign of the cross and the dragon fell - according to today's tradition, into hell. The fact that St. Margaret is the patron saint of pregnant women can also be symbolic in connection with the harvest and a rich harvest.

Folk superstition:

It was customary to light and sacrifice "Margaret's candle" during childbirth to protect the family. As long as it was burning, it was believed that the woman was protected. The pains of childbirth were eased by "Margaret's belt"

She is the patron saint of farmers, nurses, girls, mothers and wives, a helper in difficult childbirth, against infertility, facial diseases and wounds, an intercessor for the fulfillment of all wishes. She is usually depicted with a cross in her hand and a dragon - a symbol of evil or the devil - lies at her feet, sometimes it sits on her hand. Other attributes are: a cross on her crown, a sword, a palm tree, a pearl and the already mentioned dragon.

Art:

Right after leaving Mother Mary an offering this evening at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Altus, I found a hagstone/čarodějný kámen in the gravel right before her.

This is one of my favorite Instagram accounts and newsletters.

Working on a thing!

Few plants can bring as much joy as a strawberry. The first red fruit plucked straight from the bed tastes of the sun, childhood and summer. And the best part is that even a complete beginner can grow their own strawberries. But few people know that its leaves also have healing powers. Our grandmothers used to collect strawberry leaves for tea for diarrhea, urinary tract infections or to purify the blood. In the Hořice region, strawberry was one of the St. John's herbs. People put it in the "crib" that they prepared for St. John the Baptist on the night of June 23rd to 24th. The strawberry is a great example of a plant that combines benefit and health. It is beautiful, tasty and also healing.

Folk superstitions show that strawberries do not grow only for people. They also belong to supernatural beings – the souls of deceased children, angels and some saints, especially the Virgin Mary. Ethnographer Sobotka mentions a similar superstition: “When children go into the forest to pick strawberries, they must sacrifice the first three they find on a tree stump to the Virgin Mary or to the little souls. If a strawberry falls, they are not allowed to pick it up, because it belongs to the Mother of God.” Another superstition comes from the Krkonoše Mountains: “In the Krkonoše Mountains, children, when going to pick strawberries, give the first three strawberries on a tree stump for the powerful spirit and king of the mountains – Krakonoš; because Krakonoše gladly accepts such an offering and is often richly rewarded for it.”

The strange thing is that no one can ever get enough of strawberries. Why this is so, explains the legend of the Virgin Mary: "Once upon a time, a child was carrying strawberries from the forest, and he met the Mother of God, who knew that the child had strawberries in a jug, but wanted to test whether the child was good, charitable and generous. And she asked: "What are you carrying, dear son, in a jug? If you have anything for refreshment, give it to the poor woman, tired from a long walk, so that her mouth does not go dry for good." But the little son rebelliously replied: "I am carrying nothing!" and went on, ignoring the Mother of God. The Virgin was saddened by these impudent words, she was saddened by the boy's stingy heart, and as a warning for all time, she exclaimed: "You, stingy people, will be able to pick strawberries wherever you please, but you will never and never be satisfied with the strawberries you have picked!" Having exclaimed this, she disappeared. Since then, no one has been able to get enough strawberries, even if they have eaten more than they need." (1888)

Medicinal effects and uses:

In official medicine, the leaves are used, but not from garden-grown strawberry varieties, but only from wild, forest strawberries! The infusion from the leaves can also be drunk as a substitute for black tea, and is also excellent mixed with raspberry and blackcurrant leaves. In addition to their delicious taste, they also have medicinal effects - they have a beneficial effect on the liver, digestion and kidneys, and generally purify the blood and the whole body. For regular (non-medicinal) drinking, it is advisable to ferment the leaves, which will give them a black color and taste much closer to real black tea. (source)

When growing strawberries, "suitable neighbors" are recommended: Onions, garlic, chives and leeks protect strawberries against mold; a few plants can be planted directly in the bed between the strawberries. Borage (also directly in the bed between strawberries) improves their growth and the taste of the fruits. They also don't mind spinach, radishes and beans. Unsuitable neighbors:

Original Czech language article:

And jarred dried herbs from the first.

My neck and shoulders are now killing me, but I have a huge sense of accomplishment.