Starting the Craft

Trigger warning for Nazis and antisemitism.

I came across the above image being shared by a friend, and I would like to point out some problems with this simplistic approach.

For context, I am a Jewish man, I read and write elder Futhark fluently, I am familiar with runic divination, and I have MANY close Norse neopagan friends: even my sister is a Norse pagan. This post is not an attack on the pagan community. It is a reminder that we MUST address reality, not fantasy.

I understand the sentiment this image is trying to convey, and if you are a Norse pagan, you should resent and defy Nazis for abusing something that is important to you.

However, the reality is that symbols carry meanings given to them by humans, and Nazis have given hateful meanings to Germanic symbols, beginning under the third Reich and continuing to this day. Those symbols include the Futhark runic alphabets, specifically odal and sowilo, as well as symbols like the equal armed cross, the valknut, vegvisir, and mjolnir. These symbols have carried deeply hateful antisemitic meanings since before you, and most of your parents, were born. You CANNOT ignore that, or make it go away.

It would be blind to assert that the swastika does not belong to Nazis, has no antisemitic and evil meaning, and is not tainted by their use of it. Indigenous people groups who value that symbol in their own cultures have reacted differently. For example, some Desi cultures still use it, but the Navajo people do not, because of the Nazi implications it now irrevocably carries. If you are white, you DO NOT get to "reclaim" the swastika, no matter how much you love other cultures.

While I understand that these symbols and others are important to my pagan and wiccan friends, you can't deny the darker meanings that they carry. If you are going to be using them, you are accepting upon yourself an obligation to educate people about their meanings - ALL their meanings - and to make it abundantly clear that you are an ally of the Jewish people.

Unfortunately, when I see people wearing or using Germanic symbols, I WILL think "I wonder if they're a Nazi" every single time. Every time. It is an inescapable reality that these symbols are being used as silent dog whistles for hatred of Jewish people and other "non-whites."

If you don't want people to suspect you of being a Nazi, you have ONLY two options.

1: Don't use Germanic symbols

2: Make it FIERCELY evident that you are an ally to Jews, POC, and queer people

Gentiles, you are invited to reblog this post.

It is done! The Modern Male Witch: Kitchen is here! :D

He is a bit messy, but he can always find what he’s looking for, even when some things in his kitchen get a mind of their own. There’s a different fragrance in the air every day

This is the third piece in my Modern Male Witch Project.

Imbolc is one of the sabbats of the Wheel of the Year celebrated from February 1st to February 2nd. Imbolc is also known as Candlemas and Brighid’s Day.

Imbolc is one of the four fire festivals. The other fire festivals are: Beltaine, Litha, and Samhain. For Celtic pagans, Imbolc is a celebration that honours the deity, Brighid/Brigid, but for non-Celtic pagans, Imbolc is a response to Yule. Where Yule was the darkest day of the year, Imbolc is the celebration of light and the darker days of the year coming to an end. It’s the welcoming of spring.

Other names for Imbolc include Brighid’s Day, Oimelc, and Candlemas. In Norse paganism/heathenry, you can celebrate Imbolc as Disablót, which thewitchofthenorse talks about in this post.

Note: In the Catholic tradition, Imbolc is called Candlemas and honours the St. Bridget. I am not Catholic and this is the sum of my Catholic knowledge. I’m sure there are other resources on Catholicism’s take on Imbolc on Google and I don’t want to do a disservice to Catholocism by claiming to know information I don’t.

Now with that disclaimer, Imbolc is a sabbat about renewal and cleansing, bringing the light back in our lives as we turn to spring. Imbolc was traditionally a festival surrounding fertility and livestock breeding.

Brighid/Brigid

In Celtic polytheism, Brigid is a goddess who we saw in fertility rites and oversaw poetry, childbirth, healing, crafts, and prophecy. She was the daughter of the Dagda and the oldest god in the Tuatha du Danaan. She also had two sisters named Brigid. Sources that Brigid appears in are the Cath Maige Tuired and the Lebor Gabála Érenn. Brigid is associated with fire, milk, and grain.

Ways to Celebrate Imbolc

🧹 Spring cleaning! 🔥  Fire scrying! 🧶 Make a Brigid’s Cross! You can hang the cross above your front door! I know Pagans who have used the cross as a form of protection! 🍳 Cook a meal with foods associated with Imbolc! Milk and breads are two of those. I’ll be posting an Imbolc pancake mix in the coming days as well which I’ll link to after I do some recipe testing! 🎆 Set up an Imbolc altar! Use colours like green, red, white, gold! You could also print off some poetry (maybe Gaelic?) or write a poem that you can dedicate to Brigid! You could also decorate with some flowers, like crocuses, daffodils, and snowdrops. I also read an article where someone crafted a small flower crown that imitates Brigid’s crown and combine it with fireless candles or some fairy lights! 🍞 Bake some bread! I personally practice a lot of kitchen witchcraft and baking bread is one of the ways that I celebrate sabbats.

Correspondences of Imbolc

Animals: Bears, deer, groundhogs, sheep and lambs.

Colours: White, green, red, gold, blue.

Herbs and Spices: Chamomile, lavender, poppyseed, acorns, rosemary, frankincense, jasmine, cinnamon, nutmeg.

Other Deities: Demeter, Gaia, Hestia, Vesta. I’ve also seen sources say Persephone, Proserpina, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, Eros, Osiris, and Pan.

Foods: Eggs, milk, grains and breads, white meats, cheese, oats, honey, brandy or whiskey (or other liquors), spiced wine, spicy foods, scones.

Crystals: Fluorite, Tiger’s Eye, Black Tourmaline, Sodalite, Citrine, Amethyst, Onyx, Bloodstone, Icelandic Feldspar.

Witchy Gifts for New Parents

Most of the time, child birth is a very exciting time, especially when it is a friend or loved one giving birth. I don’t know about y’all but, even though children are delightful, I have no plans to have a child and I do not want to bring a child into this world that I am not willing to give more than 100% of myself to. However, I am extremely excited and looking forward to spoiling and doting on a future godchild or niece or nephew. 

Being a witch means that I have a wider array of potential creative gifts for the new parents and baby!* So, here are some wonderful gift ideas:

If you know how to knit, a blanket charmed so that the child feels a parent’s love when wrapped in it

A mobile charmed to repel negative energy from the child

Lavender incense or candles for the mom(s) and/or dad(s) to burn when things get a bit stressful**

A rose quartz to help the mother with any blow to self-confidence when it comes to their beautiful stretch marks

Scented epsom salts for any muscle pains or stress-induced aches

Custom wards to ward off illnesses or SIDS

An offering to your deity of motherhood/parenthood of choice (in my case it would be Leto) to look over the new family

A custom spell to bring abundance to the child or household (perhaps have it embroidered or engraved on a wooden tablet?)

Yummy recipes for the parents that are full of wholesome correspondences***

A stuffed animal (bonus points if you create it yourself) to be a loving companion that is charmed to help the child not feel lonely when they are older. 

*Please receive the parents’ consent before doing anything witchy on their behalf

**Never burn incense in the same room as an infant as it can compromise their lungs. Burn it in a separate room with tons of circulation such as an open window or outside

**A new mother should always consult their doctor for any potential food they should avoid post-natal