Cinnamon, Myrrh & Spikenard

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is the last day of the season of Carnival which traditionally kicks off on Epiphany (January 6). It's celebrated mainly in Catholic-predominant countries and communities as a period of debauchery, gluttony, excess, and subversion of social norms before the austere fasting of Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday- the first week of March . Christian lore considers the origins of this holiday period an attempt by church reformers to help congregations purge their sinful urges so they can maintain abstinence of prohibited activities and substances during Lent. While this is partly true, a little digging reveals the season of festivities actually have pagan origins.

Before there was Carnival (latin etymology meaning farewell to flesh"- signifying the practice of abstaining from meat during lent), there was Saturnalia. Celebrated in December, this Roman festival was like a cross between christmas and carnival, and touted a lot of the traditions we currently associate with carnival and mardi gras: gaudy and often obscene costumes and masks, chaotic street revelry, music, images of "fools" and gesters, the electing of a "king of chaos" (king cakes and the lord of misrule custom), feasts and rich foods, and wanton sexuality(we may no longer be allowed to have sex in the streets, but i've seen my share of boobs-for-beads). The purpose of this festival was to celebrate the return of light - marked by the winter solstice, and to give a legally sanctioned time for people- especially the underclasses - to release their pent up frustrations and have merrymaking before the hardships of winter could really be felt.

These festivities were done away with officially in the 4th century thanks to Emperor constantine and the councils of nicea. saturnalia was replaced with christmas, but Roman officials were so concerned about what would happen if society did away with the yearly blow-off-steam parties, they decided to absorb them and move the peak of debauchery to just before Lent.

For contemporary pagans and witches, Mardi Gras may be divorced from its religious roman origins. But for those of us who feel swayed by its licentious charms, is there a way to connect to the holiday beyond parties and paczkis? Is carnival really just a church approved tool of social control, or does it have magickal and subversive potential?

I think it's not only relevant, but powerful. Mardi gras/ carnival is dark and dangerous. Its the time when the lord if misrule holds sway, and our deepest, darkest desires bubble to the surface. Like the liminal time of Halloween, which marks the beginning of winter, its a chance for us to wear a mask and transform into the stuff of fantasy. Mardi gras is our "last chance" moment to explore the dark and cthonic energies of the season before spring's light and warmth take over. It is, in short, a great time to get to know your shadow self so that your shadows do not rule you... or to surface a part of yourself that has been shamed and needs to heal and be proud. And what, dear p&ws, is more subversive that a self empowered, self-mastered individual?

Some ideas for celebrating Mardi Gras that dont (necessarily) involve bead throwing, boobs, and beer:

😈shadow self meditations and shadow work

😈journal about fear and desire

😈make art, music, poetry etc that is cathartic

😈purge what is no longer useful

😈make a mask that represents a hidden part of your personality, or the real you thats hidden and needs some light and love.

[B]Sources:

📖Article "9 Things You May Not Know About Mardi Gras" - jesse greenspan,

history.com

📖[Bread lust- berkeley article|https://news.berkeley.edu/2016/02/09/bead-lust-mardi-gras-and-its-pagan-roots/]

📖The Origins of Carnival - and the special traditions of Dominican Carnaval - Lynne Guitar, Ph.D

📖Article: Pre-christian origins of Italian Popular Religion - shawn daggett, Harvard school of divinity

📖 [Article online: council of nicea and pagan festivals|http://www.carnaval.com/lent/]

This post has been written for transfolk, but it can also be read by cisfolk who struggle with body issues.

Dear Self,

There is a mirror in my mind that reflects the person i am told i should be, but when i look into an actual mirror, i see someone else. There was a time i tried to BE that inner mirror and to reflect the "perfect stranger" in it. I tried to reflect the world's distorted expectations of me, but got little more than pain and confusion for my efforts. See, my angles and lines and chaotic forms dont frame neatly into a box shape: not a pink framed box, nor a blue. I'm not the kind of package you can market and the world doesnt know how to value me. so, i didnt know how to value myself. i cashed my self worth in at single digits.

Then something began to change. i started to understand that as long as i was letting others frame my perceptions of myself and define my worth- and how i expressed myself - i would always be miserable. It didnt matter how much the surface reflected the expectation, because the person behind that gender-framed, hetero-normative reflecting box-shaped prison just doesnt fit.

This realization wasnt an instantaneous or easy change. i didnt wake up one day and find myself free and comfortable with my true reflection. Sometimes i still cave with pressure. I have difficulty sorting my own truth from what's expected and what's reactive . i polish mySelf up and I still have trouble dealing with other people throwing their gender-framed projections onto me.

But today, i choose to value my own reflection. i accept every quirk, every crease, every shape and angle. i wear the things that bring me the most joy and comfort. l affirm that my gender identity and my personal expression of gender is valid, that i am supported and loved, and that i am more than my assigned sex. i accept that i have value as a non-binary person, even if i dont quite look like Ruby Rose.

~❤Phoenix

Today, in the spirit of soul love and acceptance, I invite my trans and enbie sibs to do a little simple mirror magick with me.

Sit in front of a full length mirror and look at yourself. what parts of yourself, if any, are difficult to look at? Why? Notice when judgemental thoughts start to arise

Notice them, acknowledge them, and let them pass instead of holding on to the thought. start to stretch and move your body in ways that feel good. Try bringing yourself pleasure in simple ways: breathing on the tender flesh of your wrist, running your fingers behind your knee caps, massaging a part of your body that feels stiff, etc.

Praise the parts of your body that dont get much attention or who dont get much positive attention for the work they do keeping you alive. Talk to yourself like a lover.

It might feel silly and uncomfortable at first. But the more you sit with yourself lovingly, the more you begin to shatter the funhouse distortions you see when you look into an actual mirror, and the less you feel the need to mirror cis people's notions of attractiveness and value.

In preparation for Valentines Day, I'm posting a love spell inspired by the movie Practical Magic.

In Practical Magic, one of the protagonists Sally decides to cast a love spell to find an idealized lover she thinks can't possibly exist, to prevent herself from dying of a broken heart.

But her spell ends up manifesting anyway🌙❤

Looking for an ideal partner? Why not try a real-life witch's version of this spell?! Only, it might serve you well to learn from Sally and not try to conjure an impossible love as a semi or subconscious effort to make yourself emotionally unavailable from a fear of loss.... just sayin ;)

The spell works best on a friday, on the hours of either venus or mercury. Full or waxing moon.

To begin, write a list of everything you want in a partner. Be sure to ask yourself honestly why you seek those qualities. Also, it goes without saying that imagining or describing a particular individual is a very. bad. idea! Take your time, and ask yourself what you really want.

Now get yourself some roses. You may want to choose roses whose color corresponds to the nature of your desired love. do you want something lusty and passionate? Go for red. sweet and tender lovin'? Try pink. Are you ace and want more of a platonic love? White or yellow may be more your schtick.

For each of the qualities you seek in a partner, pluck a petal. Name it for your desire. gather them into a chalice. If you're not squeamish, adding a drop of your blood to the bouquet of rose petals is a powerful way to lend energy to the spell, to give an offering to spirits who assist you, and to link your essence to who you' re calling forth.

When you have finished, take the chalice to a windy place. A bridge near water is ideal.

Invoke your gods, guiding spirits, etc if you have them. Gather the petals in your hand and say 6x:

"Before (set a reasonable end date for when the spell should manifest. i stress reasonable, but you want to set an end date so you're not waiting as long as Sally),

As roses surely grow and as tempests surely blow,

My love shall hither come.

I shall know (pronoun) when (pr.) Is near

By (a sign to look out for that the spell is manifesting) that

The spell is neatly spun.

By rising moon and setting sun,

This is my will, it must be done. "

Hold your palm out and let the wind carry your petals off. Make sure to pay attention to the direction the wind is blowing so the petals go where you want them to go. Be patient and let them go off. if they refuse to budge, it could mean wait, do some divination and self work, and try again later.