September Totems: Chicken

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. September's totems are Pig, Vine, and Chicken.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Swine (Torc/Muc) – hunt, search, nourishment, putting up a fight
Vine (Muin) – prophesy, prediction, rebirth, and omens
Chicken (Cearc) - fertility, battle, sexuality, watchfulness

September is a month of sacrifice, blood, and feasting. All of the totemic beings for this month are associated with food (vine = wine), and they have an underlying association with death and rebirth.  Their blood is the "sea of blood" that surrounds the Castle Perilous, and theirs is the blood/wine of the Holy Grail that is the treasure of this Castle.

Chicken 

Fowl have been domesticated for over 8000 years and have a long history with man as a provider of both meat and eggs. They originated in Thailand and Vietnam and were descended from a wild bird species called the red jungle fowl.

Chickens are diurnal creatures, and while the crowing of a rooster is synonymous with daybreak, any farmer will be happy to tell you that his roosters crow all day long.

Chickens are very social and have complex hierarchies within their groups. Pair bonding is unheard of,. Yet despite this abundant promiscuity, there is tremendous territoriality and rivalry between two roosters as to who gets to mate with whom. The same applies for the hens. Both hens and roosters will get quite aggressive in defending their exclusive right to mate with whomever they deem "best." These aggressive qualities can be violent in the extreme, and farmers have to take precautions to keep adult roosters away from each other, least one kill the other.

This aggression has been exploited by the sport known as "cock-fighting." Indeed, etymologically, the use of the terms "cock" and "cocky" to describe an arrogant and aggressive male -- or his penis -- is due to the proud strutting and arching confidence of the rooster.

It is no wonder that the rooster has been seen as a mythical symbol of courage throughout many civilizations in the world. The Romans associated chickens with Mars, the god of war, owing to this aggressive and territorial behavior.In Greek myth, Ares (Mars) took advantage of the rooster's watchfulness and aggression by setting him as a guard to watch over Aphrodite while she slept, that none might disturb her.

The "mother hen" is a different sort of archetype associated with this fowl. Brooding and clucking over her young, the female chicken is a significantly maternal animal, particularly associated with the fecundity of spring -- although, in fairness, hens lay eggs all year round. She is the quintessential "nesting mother," though even she has a dark and cold side. Chickens, like pigs, are known to eat practically any organic thing that is put before them. It is common practice to feed baked and ground eggshells back to the chickens who produced them. Sometimes, though, the hens start eating their own eggs (often due to accidentally puncturing one, mistakenly eating it, and then developing a habit).

Cerridwen, who is the Silver Queen of the Castle Perilous, transformed into a hen to devour Gwion Bach when he became a grain of corn to escape her.  Cerridwen later gave birth to the bard Taliesin, who was Gwion reborn.  Because Cerridwen is both the great sow and the devouring hen, these two animals are sacred to her and the month that she reigns over in our tradition.

The Red Meal: The Housle

It is a common part of many religious traditions to partake in a small, sacrificial meal at the end of the rite or ceremony. We, too, participate in a Eucharistic tradition of imbibing en-spirited wine and consuming en-spirited grain as representations of sacrifice needed for the magic we have performed.

In many witchcraft traditions, this meal is called "Cakes and Ale" or "Cakes and Wine." We call it the Housle, or Red Meal, and base it in part on a ritual created by fellow walker of the crooked path, Robin Artisson.

Here follows our own rite of the Housle.

Preparation

When the compass is first laid, place the following items in the Castle Perilous (southwest corner): Dark bread in a bowl (or lipped dish) and Red Wine in Silver Quaich or Chalice.  In the Spiral Castle (center, near the stang) will be placed the Red Knife.

Ritual

1. The sacrificial meal is brought from Castle Perilous to the Spiral Castle by the Witch.
2. Tread the Mill widdershins three times while singing the Housle Song. (see below)
3. Say, “For our Ancestors, our Gods, and Ourselves, we do this.”
4. Bless the bread by saying: “Here is bread, flesh of the Earth, blessed to give us life and strength. I consecrate it in the name of the Old Ones.”
5. Kill the bread by saying: “I take its life and give it to Them.” Cut it with the red knife.
6. Bless the wine by saying: “Here is wine, blood of the Earth, blessed to give us joy and abundance. I consecrate it in the name of the Old Ones.”
7. Kill the wine by saying: “I take its life and give it to Them.” Slide the knife over the top of the quaich/chalice to cut its throat.
8. Each person eats and drinks of the Meal, making whatever personal offerings they like into the bowl.
9. The remainder of the wine is poured into the bread bowl, and each person dips their finger in and anoints themselves. This can also be used for blessing tools, etc.
10. The Meal is either given to the ground now (if outside) or later (if inside) with the following Declaration:
“As some is taken, so is this given
By the sons and daughters of the family of the Old Faith.
I give it to the Ground.
I give it to the Old Ones
That above and below will become one.
For what is taken is truly given,
And what is given is truly taken.
The day and night are wed
As the living and the dead.
Here is shown a Mystery.”

The Housle Song
To the tune of Greensleeves

To Housle now we walk the wheel
We kill tonight the blood red meal
A leftward tread of magic's mill
To feed the Gods and work our Will.

Red! Red is the wine we drink!
Red! Red are the cords we wear!
Red! Red is the blood of God!
And red is the shade of the Housle.

In October of 2013, three of us recorded ourselves singing the chant and posted it to YouTube.

The LBRP for AFW Witches

In the late winter and early spring of  2013, Glaux and I began adapting the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram for use within the American Folkloric Witchcraft model. With the help of our coven sister, the Pythia, we wrote the ritual below and published it on this site on 3/25/2013.

Our variation of the LBRP is influenced by Aleister Crowley's Star Ruby ritual (itself an adaptation of the LBRP).  It uses forms of the Red God (the Witchfather) and the Black and White Goddess (the Witchmother) in place of the traditional Hebrew names of God.  It also replaces the Archangel guardians with the four Watchtowers or Arthurian Castles that are incorporated into this Tradition.

The purpose of the LBRP is to banish all undesired or unwanted forces from oneself and the local area and to create Sacred Space. Many magicians practice the LBRP as a daily magical exercise to discipline the mind and create internal and external peace.

We offered this variation three and a half years ago (as of the time of this update). I have to admit that while we really enjoyed creating this ritual as an intellectual exercise, and we got good results when using it before ritual to banish negative energies, neither of us made it a daily practice (at least not for long).

Have any of our readers used this ritual consistently? What have your results been? Share your experiences in the comments below. If anyone wants to join me for some magical experiments related to this ritual, share a comment or write to me at laurelei@asteriabooks.com. I'm going to make the AFW-LBRP part of my morning routine before I go to work this autumn and winter to see what sort of results I get. I'll post an update in the late winter or early spring about my results. It is also my hope to film a video of me or one of the members of Coven Caer Sidhe performing this ritual.

Also, as a note for readers who have followed the blog and are familiar with this ritual already, I have corrected some of the Latin in the text below. My apologies for the errors in the earlier version.

The Qabbalistic Cross

Imagine a ball of light above your head. Reach up with your right hand and grab the light. When you touch yourself with that hand, part of the light will go into you.
Touch your forehead as you say “Corona" (Crown). Let it fill with the light.
Touch your pelvis at the pubic bone and say “Serpens" (Serpent). Let it fill with light.
Touch your right shoulder and say “Clementia" (Mercy). Let it fill with light.
Touch your left shoulder and say “Severitas" (Severity). Let it fill with light.
Hold your hands in prayer over your heart and say “Benedictiones" (Blessings). Let it fill with light.
Feel your whole body fill with the cross of light.

The Pentagrams

Face East. Before you in the air, draw a giant pentagram using your right index finger (or if you prefer use the whole hand) in the direction shown in the illustration. Imagine that pentagram shining in front of you. Take a step forward with your left foot. Just the left. Leave your right one where it is. The size of the step will be determined by your space. At the same time that you step forward, thrust your open hands, side by side, palms  downwards, into the pentagram, as if you are diving in. This is called the "Sign of the Enterer." As you enter the pentagram you will say one of the names of the Witch God or Goddess.

Here, at the first pentagram you will shout “Lucifer."  Lucifer is the Light-Bringer, the Lord of Illumination of the World and the Mind.  He is called in the East as the bright aspect of Tubal Cain, and the lord of elemental Fire.  Lucifer is called with a jubilant shout to celebrate the rising of the sun in the East.

Step back with your left foot so it is once again beside your right foot. Touch your right index finger to your lips like you are making the “Shhh, no talking" gesture. Point your right index finger to the center of the pentagram and make a quarter turn to your right. As you do so, draw an imaginary arc of white light around to the next direction.

Draw a pentagram in South. Enter the pentagram while singing “Goda." Goda is the White Goddess, the Queen of the Seelie Court and Lady of Death-in-Life.  She rules the Southern quadrant, the place of elemental Earth.  Her name is sung for she is the Lady who shall "have music wherever She goes."

Make the “shhh" gesture and turn to the right, drawing an arc.

Draw a pentagram in West. Enter the pentagram intoning “Azazel" in a low voice. Azazel is the Lord of the West, the place of elemental Water.  He is Tubal Cain in his aspect as the Lord of the Dead, and is both the angel who taught magic to the daughters of man and the angel who collects our souls for their great rest.  The West is the place where the sun goes to die, and it is to the West that we all must travel upon death.  Azazel's name is intoned in a low voice of mourning and respect.

Make the “shhh" gesture and turn to the right, drawing an arc.

Draw a pentagram in North. Enter the pentagram whispering “Kolyo".  Kolyo is the Black Goddess, the Weaver of Fate and the Lady of Life-in-Death.  She rules the North, which is the home of elemental Air.  Her name is whispered for she is an ancient mystery.

Make the “shhh" gesture and turn to the right, drawing an arc. This final arc connects all four pentagrams into a single circle.

The Watchtowers

You are now standing in the center of a circle of white light. At each quarter there is a giant, glowing pentagram. Now we post a watchtower between each pentagram. Face the southeast and open up your arms. Stretch out like you are a cross: feet together, arms out at shoulder height. Call the watchtowers to their posts. Stand in the cross position and say:

“Before me stands the Castle of Stone. Behind me stands the Castle of Glass. On my right stands the Castle Perilous. On my left stands the Castle of Revelry."

These are four of the great castles of myth and legend.  The Castle of Stone is Caer Bannog, the Castle of Glass is Glastonbury, the Castle Perilous is the silvery Grail Castle, and the Castle of Revelry is the Golden Castle of the Beacon of Awen.

Spread your feet and lift your arms to stand in pentagram-position and say: “Around me flame the pentagrams. Above me shines a six-rayed star, and below me spins a three-armed triskle.  I stand within the Spiral Castle.  I am the World Tree." This declaration places you in all three realms, and allows you to traverse shamanic space.  It states that you are the World Tree, and that you ride the stang to other realms.

The Qabbalistic Cross  (Closing)

Now repeat the Qabbalistic Cross as you began.
Imagine a ball of light above your head. Reach up with your right hand and grab the light. When you touch yourself with that hand, part of the light will go into you.
Touch your forehead as you say “Corona" (Crown). Let it fill with the light.
Touch your pelvis at the pubic bone and say “Serpens" (Serpent). Let it fill with light.
Touch your right shoulder and say “Clementia" (Mercy). Let it fill with light.
Touch your left shoulder and say “Severitas" (Severity). Let it fill with light.
Hold your hands in prayer over your heart and say “Benedictiones" (Blessings). Let it fill with light.
Feel your whole body fill with the cross of light.

The Three Realms

Sky, land, and sea,

Three-in-one, one-in-three.

~Celtic prayer

In most traditional cultures, people have viewed both the outer world and the inner planes are corollary concepts, where the macrocosm is a reflection of the microcosm, and vice versa. A great many of these cultures, including the ones from which the American Folkloric Tradition draws spiritual nourishment, see the Universe (both the inner and outer planes) as divided into three distinct realms of experience, wisdom, healing, and magic.

Worldwide, the Three Realms can be said to incorporate an Upper Realm (heavenly, celestial sphere), a Middle Realm (earthly, terrestrial sphere), and a Lower Realm (infernal, underworldly sphere). The beneficence or maleficence associated with these realms is dependent on the culture. Each has its own dangers and its own rewards. Each is inhabitant by its own sort of people, guarded by its own warriors, and ruled by its own leaders.

American folkloric practices draw most heavily from Celtic lore and Druidic practice. The Upper Realm is called Ceugent (ky-gent) and is an airy sphere of intellect, ideas,and future-sight. The Middle Realm is earthy Gwyned, which is the here and now, consensus reality. The Lower Realm is called Abred, and it is a watery realm of the subconscious, emotion, memory, and the past.
 
These realms are accessed spiritually through the use of shamanic trance techniques that generally incorporate the image of a World Tree or a Holy Mountain. Both of these images represent a concept called the Axis Mundi, the cross of the world. It is a nearly universally perceived spiritual and energetic construct. Carl Jung described this phenomena as the Collective Unconscious. It is also called the Consciousness Unit. However we define or describe it, shamans and witches have been going to the Tree or the Mountain since time immemorial to tap into the wisdom, insight, and healing that can be found within.

For purposes of spiritual travel (or "witch flight"), we use the image of the Spiral Castle (Caer Sidhe) spinning around to open its gate to the different points of the wheel of the year.  Its spire reaches up to the North Star, and its caverns are home to the great forge and the cauldron.  The pole is symbolized literally in our circles by the raising of the stang. By its virtue we can "ride" the stang to any place in the realms, though we may also use our own personal riding-pole, or gandreigh, to do so. Read more about the Stang and World Tree here.

Here are some associations for each of the three realms.

First Realm
Ceugent
Upperworld, Upper Realm
Realm of Sky, Wind, Otherworld
Struggle and enlightenment
Preservation: the undying realm, absence of decay
Birth, beginnings
The mind
Breath
Expansion/expansiveness
Perspective
Movement, setting in motion (beginning)
First arm of the Triskle
Spire of the Spiral Castle
Entry through flight or climbing
Metacognition
Black Knife/Athame

Second Realm
Gwyned
Earth world, Center world, Realm of Land, Middle Earth
Day-to-day struggles and concerns
Consensus reality, the here and now
Physicality
Living bones and flesh
Harsh realities
Progress, action, doing
Going through something
Middles
Limits and limitations (perceived and real)
Second arm of Triskle
Place of the Doorway of the Spiral Castle (and the Tor on which the Castle sits)
No entry needed (already in this realm)
Manipulation of perception/changing one's reality/glamory
Consciousness
White Knife/Kerfane-Bolline

Third Realm
Abred
Underworld, Realm of the Sea
Barrows, carins, caves
Initiation/Dragon chamber beneath the Tor of the Castle
Deep mystery
Truth beyond substance or thought
Emotion
Healing the soul
Rest
Death and preparation
Empathy
Blood, birth fluids, menses, semen, sweat
Oceans, lakes, ponds, pools
Inner self
Subliminal, Unconscious, Subconcious
Entry through caves, wells, etc.
Springs and wells bring energy/life from the third realm to the second
Third leg of Triskle
Red Knife/Shelg

June Totems: Stag

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree.

June's totems are the Stag, the Robin, and the Oak. These symbols are each associated with the Oak King who falls in battle at Midsummer which is mid-June.  Also we associate Midsummer with Cernnunos, who we honor as the Oak King, Lord of the Castle of Stone.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Stag – nobility, culling the herd, call to adventure, pride, grace; Damh
Oak – security, steadfastness, primeval vigor, doorway, strength; Duir
Robin – growth, territoriality, fire; Spideog

The Stag

The Stag is the male aspect of the deer. As such, some discussion of the qualities of deer in general is helpful to understand Stag. Deer are associated with gentleness, innocence and a luring to new adventure. They are very adaptable, and they are native to every continent except Australia.

Many legends exist in which deer lure hunters and/or kings into the forest for adventures. One prominent example of this is the story of Gawain and the White Hart. Gawain followed the Hart willingly, though the pursuit ended in an unpleasant realization of Gawain’s own shortcomings. However, by following willingly and facing his darker nature, Gawain was able to confront his rage and learn to control it, making him one of the best Knights of the Round Table.

The Stag is a symbol of pride and independence. He is an example of grace, majesty, integrity, poise and dignity. These are indeed kingly qualities, so it is no wonder that there is a deer referred to as King Stag. In fact, this King Stag is associated in many ways with the Lord of the Wild Hunt, as both are responsible for protecting the herd and culling it of weaknesses.

The Stag is one of the five Oldest Animals in Welsh tradition. He leads a willing seeker deeper into the Mysteries and into the Otherworld. He is a guardian of the gateway between this plane and the Otherworld and delivers messages from that realm.

The Stag’s antlers are made of bone and shed every year for 5 years. (In some species, both the male and female have antlers). The antlers start to grow in early summer and are fully developed by rutting time (late Autumn). The Stag sheds antlers around Imbolc (before birth of young). The antlers are protective by nature, and they also represent higher levels of attunement.

The Stag is a symbol of fertility and rampant sexuality, which is also related to the Lord of the Hunt and the Horned Gods.

Mankind has honored the power of Stag for centuries. Images of Shamans dressed in antlers and deer skins are often found in folklore and legend. A famous example of this is the Gundestrup Cauldron, on which we find the most familiar image of Cernunnos as an Antlered Man. To this day, we dress in antlers and skins to portray the power and dignity of the Stag.

You can learn more about our tradition's wheel of the year through this link.

June Totems: Oak

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree.

June's totems are the Stag, the Robin, and the Oak. These symbols are each associated with the Oak King who falls in battle at Midsummer which is mid-June.  Also we associate Midsummer with Cernnunos, who we honor as the Oak King, Lord of the Castle of Stone.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Stag – nobility, culling the herd, call to adventure, pride, grace; Damh
Oak – security, steadfastness, primeval vigor, doorway, strength; Duir
Robin – growth, territoriality, fire; Spideog

Oak

The Oak is the King of the Trees. Ancient Celts observed the oak's massive growth and impressive expanse. They took this as a clear sign that the oak was to be honored for its endurance, and noble presence. Wearing oak leaves was a sign of special status among many ancient European peoples.

There are accounts that trace the name "druid" to duir, the Celtic term for the oak. The actual translation of duir is "door" and lore indicates that Witches can access the ethereal planes of higher thought by using the oak as a door into magical places.

The oak is a tree of protection and strength. It has a high tannin content that makes it resistant to fungus. The wood of the oak is used in making doors and boats.

Druids met in oak groves and ate their acorns to ingest the ancient knowledge contained in them. Because of their expansive growth, oak trees often attract lightning strikes, which confer greater mystical power to them. Mistletoe grows best on the Oak and is the most sacred herb of the Druids.

The oak is associated with security, steadfastness and primeval vigor. The elemental association with the Oak is fire, and the gender association is masculine.

You can learn more about our tradition's wheel of the year through this link.

Links:
Controverscial "In Worship of Trees": Oak
Wikipedia: Oak
About: Oak Symbolism

August Totems: Horse

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. August's totems are Horse, Apple, and Swan.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Horse (Each) – travel, power, freedom, civilization
Apple (Quert) – beauty, choices, love, inspiration
Swan (Eala) - shape-shifting, love, grace, beauty

Horse


The Horse is associated with the female Divine, the land, and travel both on the inner and outer planes. It is connected to the Sun and is a symbol of sexual desired. Furthermore, it is associated with power and freedom, divination, the spread of civilization, birth. Wind and sea foam often signify the power of the Horse.

The Horse’s skills for hauling, hunting and battle have made it an animal that has been a true partner to mankind in many respects. It has been connected to head hunting due to the fact that warriors would frequently hang the severed heads of defeated opponents about the necks of the horses. Horse gear and/or parts, like the teeth, as well as whole horses were often interred with their masters upon the human’s death. Horse bones found in the foundations of houses to bring good luck, like horse shoes today. These findings indicate a long history of the Horse in connection to the burial rites of the Celts and other cultures.

Epona, Rhiannon and Macha are all Celtic Horse-Goddesses. In some images a Mare holds a key to the Underworld or Otherworld. Rhiannon is seen riding out of the Otherworld on a white horse. A common activity at Samhain and Beltane is the riding hobbyhorses.  The Horse is often a phantom creature or provoker of nightmares, who get their name from her, as Mare is an Irish Goddess.

The Horse is associated with freedom because it allows us to move without restriction from place to place. However, this freedom often comes without proper restraints, which can lead to trouble for the rider. The connection to freedom is also echoed in the poets’ tendencies to liken horse-riding to flying.

Sovereignty is another aspect of the Horse. In Ireland the kings performed a symbolic marriage with the horse to secure their rule and connection to the land. The Horse was then slaughtered, its blood spilling upon the ground, and its meat eaten by those in attendance. This is a version of the Sacred Marriage.
   
You can learn more about our tradition's wheel of the year through this link.

August Totems: Apple

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. August's totems are Horse, Apple, and Swan.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Horse (Each) – travel, power, freedom, civilization
Apple (Quert) – beauty, choices, love, inspiration
Swan (Eala) - shape-shifting, love, grace, beauty

Apple


The Apple is a deciduous tree. The wild crab-apple is Britain’s only indigenous type. It is related to the rose family, along with Hawthorn, and so it develops thorns from spurs on its branches. It has gnarled trunks, often growing at crazy angles to “hide” amongst other trees. It’s leaves are almost heart-shaped, and its blossoms are deep pink with a scent similar to honeysuckle, which attracts bees. Some types of Apple trees can hold fruit on the branches throughout the winter.

This tree represents the choice between similar and equally attractive things. It is one of the “Seven Chieftain Trees” of the Celts. It’s fruit and bark are used in tanning.

The Apple is associated with love spells, likely due to its associations with Aphrodite. The “Gardens of the Hesperides” contained an especially sacred apple tree that granted immortality. The Hesperides ,nine beautiful maidens, representatives of Aphrodite, guarded this tree, and a serpent was coiled at its roots. The Greeks sometimes saw the sun as a crimson apple sinking into the sea, being replaced by Hesperus (Venus) the ‘star’ sacred to Aphrodite. An apple cut open crosswise reveals the sign of the pentagram, a symbol also associated with Aphrodite, due partially to the fact that the planet Venus, the heavenly embodiment of the Goddess, cut a perfect pentagram in the sky over the course of four years. The Apple’s association with Aphrodite is further strengthened by the golden apple, engraved with the words “For the Fairest,” that was awarded to her by Paris and which resulted in the beginning of the Trojan War.

The Apple has long been sacred to the Celts, as well. One of its sacred islands, Avalon, is named the “Isle of Apples.” Old apple trees are more likely than other types of trees to host mistletoe, making them sacred to Druids. Merlin also had a sacred apple orchard. Apple cider was said to be the most sacred drink of the Druids.

July Totems: Hound

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. July's totems are the Hound, the Eagle, and the Elm.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Hound (Cu) – loyalty, protection, guidance
Elm (Lemh) - elves, light, purification, wisdom
Eagle (Iolair) – light, renewal, loyalty, intelligence, courage

Hound

The Dog is animal of faithfulness, protection, guidance, loyalty and warning. It is an excellent companion and work-mate. Dogs have been used for herding, hunting and sporting for thousands of years, and several types are bred to accentuate these qualities.

In India, Dog is a symbol of all cast systems, indicating the small becoming great. In Greece, Dog is seen as a companion and a guardian to the places of the dead.

This association between Dog and places of dead is also evident in Celtic tradition. The Dog is seen as a Guardian of the Mysteries who fiercely defends that which we hold sacred. Dogs have often been guardians of animals, livestock, homes and people. However, they have also been guardians of road, crossroads and gateways, which links them with Mysteries and Underworld entrances. In fact, there is a phantom, Black Dog who presages death or patrols ancient places of transit. It is generally known as the Barghest, Black Shuck, Black Shag, Gytrash, Kludde, Shriker, Padfoot, Hooter, and other names. The Black Dog acts in his role to protect and guide the soul of the dead into the Underworld. Totemic hounds can also lead the living through difficult journeys into the Unconscious.

Fairy Dogs, variously known as the Cŵn Annwn, Gabriel Ratchets, or Yell Hounds, were the companions of Gwynn ap Nudd, Lord of the Wild Hunt. They are said to be white with red ears and sometimes have a spectral greenish glow. Their barking was likened to the sound of geese honking in the night sky, and it was said that whomever witnessed their passage would soon join them in the Underworld. According to Welsh folklore, their growling is loudest when they are at a distance, and as they draw nearer, it grows softer and softer.

The term Cu (Dog) was given to many chiefs, warriors, heroes and champions in Celtic lore. For example, Cu-Chulainn’s name means the Hound of Chulainn. Even certain kings were honored in this way. There were also many heroes who were accompanied by a Dog: Bran, Lugh, King Arthur, Tristan, Cu-Chulainn, and Fionn MacCumhaill (Bran and Sgeolan).

You can learn more about our tradition's wheel of the year through this link.

September Totems: Swine

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. August's totems are Swine, Vine, and Hawk.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Swine (Torc/Muc) – hunt, search, nourishment, putting up a fight
Vine (Muin) – prophesy, prediction and omens
Hawk (Seabhac) - visions, guardianship, messenger


Boar

The Boar is as symbol of the Warrior spirit, leadership, and direction. It is wild and powerful. The Boar calls you into forest to discover a secret about yourself. The Boar has a raw power that can be very destructive, but can be channeled.

There are ritual boar paths in Wales, Cornwall, Ireland and Scotland. These paths exist in the Inner Realms, too.

The Boar’s tusks and comb are significant and are frequently mentioned in lore. Furthermore, combs and mirrors depicted beside boars in Scottish rock-carvings. This animal’s image was often used as emblem on helmets and mouthpiece of battle-horns to terrify enemies and on swords and bronze shields to protect the warrior.

It is a secretly (inwardly) feminine symbol that is connected with healing as well as destruction. In Scotland, women would give birth at the Boar Stone, with their bare feet on the stone to absorb its power. In Celtic terms, hunting and healing seen as connected.

Sow

The sow is a symbol of nourishment, as swine are a particularly potent food source. Indeed, it is said that "everything but the oink" is used as food.  Just as the sow gives life as food, so does she take life away.  Any pig farmer can attest to the practice of sows eating their own piglets after birth.  The sow is therefore symbolic of the Goddess who is death-in-life and life-in-death.

The sow is especially associated with Cerridwen, whose name is sometimes translated as "white sow", making her association with September particularly potent.

September Totems: Vine

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. September's totems are Swine, Vine, and Hawk.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Swine (Torc/Muc) – hunt, search, nourishment, putting up a fight
Vine (Muin) – prophesy, prediction and omens
Hawk (Seabhac) - visions, guardianship, messenger


September's tree is the humble grapevine. While not actually a "tree," this sacred wood stands firmly amongst the grove of totemic trees. The fermented juice of the grape is wine, which appears in almost every Indo-European mythos at some point. From the sacred drink of the God Dionysos to the many aspects of wine in the life of Jesus, wine has played a part in most religious systems.

The vine is a symbol of prophecy and is the sacred wood of the harvest festivals, which celebrates the cutting and offering of fruits. The vine is also symbolic of the shedding of inhibitions, just as wine releases us from our everyday constraints.  The adage "In Vino Veritas", In wine truth, applies here and the vine often uncovers repressed truths and hidden information.

The vine stands for the release of prophecy, predictions and omens. Grapevines are used to make baskets, wreaths and magical tools. Wine is used in the Red Meal, or housle, and in the flying potion of our tradition.

October Totems: Hazel

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. October's totems are Salmon, Hazel, and Lapwing.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Salmon – (Bradan) oldest animal; wisdom, knowledge, inspiration
Hazel – (Coll) wisdom, intuition, creativity, divination, the source
Lapwing – (Curracag) resourcefulness, distraction, wisdom, divination

Hazel

The Hazel is deciduous and grows to the height of a small tree/large shrub – 12-20 feet tall. Hazels are plentiful in copses, oak woods, and hedgerows, and they thrive in damp places near ponds and streams. Their bark is smooth and light brown with lighter brown specks that are the pores of the tree. They have tough, elastic stems and slightly heart-shaped, asymmetrical leaves.

Hazel’s magical associations include fertility, wisdom, marriage, divination, healing, protection, intuition, dowsing wands, individuality, finding the hidden, luck and wishes. Hazel’s atmosphere brings exhilaration and inspiration, and it has been called the ‘Poet’s Tree.’ It has associations with faerie lore and entrance into faerie realms. It is aligned with the element of Air and with the feminine.

Hazel is one of the “Seven Chieftain Trees” of the Celts, and the unnecessary felling of hazel trees brought the death penalty in Ireland.

The Hazel is considered to be the Tree of knowledge for the Celts. Its nuts are ultimate receptacles of wisdom. Hazelnuts were considered the food of the Gods.

Hazel was used in combination with other woods (oak, apple and willow) for various magical purposes, and it has associations with love divinations and love wands (possibly due to the shape of the leaves).

Because it is plentiful near water, Hazel is associated with wells and springs. For example, nine hazels of “poetic art” surrounded Connla’s Well, the destination and home of the first salmon. Magically speaking, silver snakes and silvery fish dart around its roots, which signifies swift energy. Hazel brings speed through the air and water.

In Cornwall, it was used for dowsing (to find water, ley lines, thieves, murderers and treasure). In France, it was used for beating the bounds (to define the boundaries and make sure they didn’t fall into a state of neglect). In Wales, twigs were made into wishing caps.

Hazel’s healing qualities were used to cure fevers, diarrhea, and excessive menstrual flow. The kernels were used for clearing cough and head congestion. The nuts were used in divination rituals, especially concerning love.

Hazel wands or rods bring poetic and magical inspiration. They can also be used as “talking sticks” for order in large group discussions. The Druids also believed they could achieve invisibility from hazel rods fashioned in a certain manner.

October Totems: Salmon

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. October's totems are Salmon, Hazel, and Lapwing.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Salmon – (Bradan) oldest animal; wisdom, knowledge, inspiration
Hazel – (Coll) wisdom, intuition, creativity, divination, the source
Lapwing – (Curracag) resourcefulness, distraction, wisdom, divination

Salmon

The Salmon is the “Oldest Animal” in Welsh mythology and is critical in the search for Mabon. Salmon is a symbol of wisdom, inspiration and rejuvenation.

The Salmon will return to place of its own birth to mate (often with great difficulty) and is, therefore, a reminder that we need to journey back to our own beginnings to find wisdom. The Druid quest is for wisdom and knowledge, leading eventually to the Oldest Animal.

It swims in the well of wisdom (Connla’s Well) at the source of all life, a sacred pool that has 9 hazel trees growing around it. Fionn MacCumhaill received the wisdom of the salmon when he was cooking the fish for someone else. The juice splashed on his hand, and he got the knowledge of the fish when he sucked the burned spot.

Samhain Totems: Crane

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. Samhain's totems are Toad, Elder, and Crane

The totemic associations are as follows:

Toad – (Buaf) transformation, inner visions, death and rebirth, hidden power and beauty
Elder (Ruis) – death and rebirth, change and transition
Crane – (Corr) longevity, remembrance, past lives, secret knowledge, patience

Crane

The Crane is an ancient and powerful symbol to many cultures. To the Chinese, it is a solar symbol, one of justice. It is also a modern symbol of wildlife conservation (and a deeper spiritual practice, too, of recovering what is becoming extinct within the self). The Crane represents longevity and creation through focus. In Celtic lore, Cranes are often associated with the Underworld and are thought to be heralds of war and death.

Cranes are protective/secretive parents. They lay two eggs, but raise only one, which gives them the connection to focus and undivided attention. They are also associated with perseverance due to the fact that they will stand for hours looking into the water and waiting for the right time to strike at fish. The Crane can help us to concentrate without distractions. They also represent longevity of life span. There is a crane, for instance, on the island Inis Kea who has been there since the beginning of the world, and it will stay there until the world’s end.

The Crane symbolizes “secret knowledge” which is represented by the Ogham script of the Celts.  This form of text is said to be based on the shapes of the Crane’s legs as they fly, and one can say that learning the secret knowledge of the Crane is learning to read the “book of nature.” The phrase “Crane Knowledge” indicates the knowledge of the Ogham alphabet, but it also implies an understanding of the world that goes deeper and has connections to many Realms – including past-life knowledge, predicting rain storms, etc.

The Crane bag is the Druid’s medicine bag (in which he carried his Koelbren lots – or carved Ogham staves). The Crane Bag is a symbol of the fetal sac or womb and has connections to the things we carry from one life to another. Certain Gods are said to have carried a Crane Bag. Manannan’s contained his own shirt, a strip from a whale’s back, the King of Scotland’s shears, the King of Lochlain’s helmet, the bones of Assail’s swine and Goibne’s smith-hook.

The Crane is often a guide to the Underworld, whether at the time of death or during an inner journey. These birds are often shown in groups of threes. For instance, three cranes protect entrance to Annwn, three cranes appear on a bull’s back in several drawings, and three cranes guard Midhir’s castle. Furthermore, cranes are said to dance and fly in circles (and are, therefore, said to be the basis of the triskele symbol).

November Totems: Rowan

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. November's totems are Rowan, Raven, and Fox.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Fox – (Sionnach) trickster, invisibility, shape-shifting, diplomacy, wildness

Rowan – (Luis) protection against enchantment, psychic power, self-control

Raven – (Bran) underworld messenger, shape-shifting, trickster, initiation, protection

Rowan

The Rowan is sometimes referred to as the “Tree of Life” or the “Lady of the Mountain,” this tree is thought to protect against enchantment. The wood of this tree was often used for rune staves (sticks which are engraved with the Ogham or runs and used as a divinatory tool) and as a divining rod for metal.

Also used as a generally protective talisman, the branches of the Rowan Tree are hung over the doors of houses and barns to protect the inhabitants. It is planted in cemeteries in Wales to guard over the spirits of the dead. Babies’ cradles are often made of Rowan wood, as it is thought to keep death and harm away from the young. Some references claim that Rowan wood protects one from the Faery.

The Rowan berry has a pentagram in its center and is red in color. A necklace strung of the berries is said to protect the wearer from harm.

Rowan indicates an ability to contain control of your senses, provides protection from harm and a protection when engaged in battle. The element associated with the Rowan is Fire, and its gender association is male.

November Totems: Raven

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. November's totems are Rowan, Raven, and Fox.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Fox – (Sionnach) trickster, invisibility, shape-shifting, diplomacy, wildness

Rowan – (Luis) protection against enchantment, psychic power, self-control

Raven – (Bran) underworld messenger, shape-shifting, trickster, initiation, protection

Raven 

The Raven is the most sacred bird of the British Isles. Raven is a bird of magic and mysticism, shapeshifting, creation, birth and death, healing, initiation, protection and prophecy. Raven is great at vocalizations and can even be taught to speak. She can use tools, is not intimidated by others, is fast and wary, and does not make easy prey for other animals.

In the Near East, Raven is considered unclean, due to the fact that she is a scavenger. In Norse tradition, Odin had 2 Ravens as messengers (Thought and Memory). Furthermore, Odin was known to shape-shift as a Raven. In the Pacific Northwest, Raven was the bringer of life and order. She was the bringer of sunlight. Even in British tradition, Raven is seen sometimes as a bird of morning, sunlight and joy. In the tale of Beowulf, Raven helps Beowulf to victory.

Bran the Blessed, whose name means Raven, was sometimes known as the Raven King. He was beheaded in battle, and his head was buried in White Mount, which later became the hill on which the Tower of London was built. His head was placed to face the enemies and protect England from invasion. In fact, both London and Lyons had Raven totems. Furthermore, both cities were dedicated to Lugh who was warned of the approach of the Formorians by Ravens. Another legend claims that King Arthur became a Raven upon his death.

Ravens are often associated with death and the Underworld. The cries of Ravens are heard before death in battle, and Ravens are often said to bring messages from the Underworld. For this reason, they are bird of prophecy and divination. The Raven has the ability to see the past and the future, while living in the present.

In this way, the Raven is a bringer of Initiation, both little “i” and big “I.” Initiation is, after all, a death of one thing and the birth of another. 

Raven is strongly associated with Morrigan (and one of Her particular aspects, Badb). Morrigan appears on the battlefield as Raven (or Scald-Crow), bringing havoc and fear in the enemy. Linked to their presence at or proclamation of Death, they are associated with deep healing (the kind of healing that comes from radical confrontation with the hidden), the type of healing offered by the Morrigan. 

December Totems: Holly

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. December's totems are Goat, Holly, and Wren.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Goat – (Gabhar) surefooted, achievement, sensuality, sacrifice
Holly – (Tinne) protection, balance, unity, defense, battle
Wren – (Drui-En) resourcefulness, boldness, sacrifice

Holly

The Holly is a small tree/large shrub that grows to about 30-40 feet. It blooms in May, and its flower’s petals form an equal-armed “cross” which resembles a star. The berries are poisonous to all but birds.

The Holly is the strongest protective herb, offering protection against evil spirits, poisons, short-tempered or angry elementals, thunder and lighting, and uninvited spirits. As an evergreen it represents immortality and is said to bring luck and prosperity. It is also associated with dream magic, clear wisdom and courage.

In winter Celtic peoples took Holly into their homes to shelter elves and fairies, though it was critical to remove them before Imbolc Eve since faeryfolk couldn’t live peacefully with humans beyond this day. Long associated with Midwinter religious observances, its bright leaves and colorful berries lift the spirits and ward against depression, which is more likely to occur during the cold and dark winter months.

Holly branches shouldn’t be cut, but rather pulled free, as is usually the custom with sacred trees. It is said to be unlucky to burn or bury green-skinned holly branches. If a holly branch from the Yule decorations is hung on the door throughout the year it will protect against lightning. A Holly berry carried in a man’s pocket makes him more attractive to women.

Holly wands are said to have the strength to compel. The wood is used for making spear shafts, thus associating it with warrior pursuits

Entreaty Unto the Devil of the Hedge As the Lord of Holly

Holy, Holy, Holy:
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!

O Blessed Head on Hulver throne
I call thee by thy Names Unknown:
Father of Good Death, Lord of Bone;
Green-crown'd as Man-of-the-Wold,
Bejewel'd with the Year's own Blood,
And corpses of the Kings of old.

Now rouse the Rustic Army all
The Wild Host shall heed thy call,
And fight where all thy shadows fall:
Then go thou forth in battle brave,
Raise thy rugged Hollin-stave
And lay the sun-gods in their grave.
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!

Flesh and blood are born upon thee,
Flesh and blood grow upon thee,
Flesh and blood die upon thee,
Thou Holy Corpse of God.
For Redden'd is the thorn-thicket of Exile,
Blacken'd are the Bones of Sacrifice,
And Green'd the risen Skin of Man,
Mantle of the Sojourner,
Book of Wort-Magick Entire.

Holy, Holy, Holy:
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!

~Viridarium Umbris: The Pleasure Garden of Shadow by Daniel A. Schulke

December Totems: Goat

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. December's totems are Goat, Holly, and Wren.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Goat – (Gabhar) surefooted, achievement, sensuality, sacrifice
Holly – (Tinne) protection, balance, unity, defense, battle
Wren – (Drui-En) resourcefulness, boldness, sacrifice

Goat

The Goat was depicted in the zodiac through Capricorn – a time of year for culminating new moves or initiating them.

The Goat’s horns indicate an ability to perceive future and are also associated with weapons and defense. Its thick coat enables it to survive hostile conditions.

In Greece, Pan, Amalthea, and the horn of plenty are all connected to the Goat.

Another aspect of the goat is the mountain goat, who typifies sure-footedness and seeking new heights. It has thick wool and skeletal flexibility. Kids can stand almost immediately after birth, which shows their physical adeptness and strength.

The Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Originally denoting the goat that was slaughtered during the Germanic pagan festival of Yule, "Yule Goat" now typically refers to a goat-figure made of straw. It is also associated with the custom of wassailing, sometimes referred to as "going Yule Goat" in Scandinavia.

A Swedish custom that continued up to 1940–1960 in different parts of the country, was the Yule Sacrifice (Juleoffer) involving a person dressed as a goat which, after undergoing a mock-sacrifice, is resurrected. Sir James George Frazer described its performance as follows:

The actor, hidden by a coverlet made of skins and wearing a pair of formidable horns, is led into the room by two men, who make believe to slaughter him, while they sing verses referring to the mantles of various colors, red, blue, white, and yellow, which they laid on him, one after the other. At the conclusion of the song, the Yule Goat, after feigning death, jumps up and skips about to the amusement of the spectators.

December Totems: Wren

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. December's totems are Goat, Holly, and Wren.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Goat – (Gabhar) surefooted, achievement, sensuality, sacrifice
Holly – (Tinne) protection, balance, unity, defense, battle
Wren – (Drui-En) resourcefulness, boldness, sacrifice

Wren

Of all of the birds venerated by the Celtic peoples, and associated with the Druids, the humble wren is the most revered.  The wren was said to be crowned the king of the birds, after riding an eagle to the highest point in the sky, above all other birds, and then soaring above even the eagle!  The wren is noted for its cunning for this stunt, and for the trick of building many false nests to lead away hunters.

Breton Druids claimed that it was the wren who first brought down fire from heaven, forever singeing its tail feathers, causing the wren to have its distinctive blunt tail.

There is a Manx legend of a mermaid who transformed into a wren, causing sailors to wear wren feathers when at sea to protect them from drowning.

The wren, mighty king of the birds, dies a king's sacrificial death each year on St. Stephen's day (December 26) when it is hunted by the "Wren Boys".

Irish tradition holds that the wren symbolizes the old year (the Holly King), while the robin symbolizes the year to come (the Oak King, born as the newly risen sun at Yule).

Originally, groups of small boys would hunt for a wren, and then chase the bird until they either have caught it or it has died from exhaustion. The dead bird was tied to the top of a pole or holly bush, which was decorated with ribbons or colored paper.

Early in the morning of St. Stephen's Day, the wren was carried from house to house by the boys, who wore straw masks or blackened their faces with burnt cork, and dressed in old clothes. At each house, the boys sing the Wren Boys' song. Such as:

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Although he is little, his family is great,
I pray you, good landlady, give us a treat.

My box would speak, if it had but a tongue,
And two or three shillings, would do it not wrong,
Sing holly, sing ivy--sing ivy, sing holly,
A drop just to drink, it would drown melancholy.

And if you draw it of the best,
I hope in heaven your soul will rest;
But if you draw it of the small,
It won't agree with these wren boys at all.

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze;
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Pray give us a penny to bury the wren.

Sometimes those who gave money were given a feather from the wren for good luck. The money collected by the Wren Boys was used to hold a dance for the whole village, known as the "wren dance".

February Totems: Cat

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. February's totems are Cat, Willow, and Owl.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Cat – (Cath) mystery, magic, secrecy, independence, sensuality
Willow – (Saille) divination, lunar magic, healing, night
Owl – (Comhachag) wisdom, magic, night, inner visions, change

Cat

The Cat is an animal of mystery and magic, largely because she is more active and communicative at night. She is capable of observing multiple worlds (physical and non-physical) at one time without making decision or passing judgment. She is very independent, accepting affection on her own terms and warning of caution and respect. The Cat is also a symbol of guardianship, attachment and sensuality.

The Cat is shown in folk tales from around the world. In ancient Egypt, the Cat had special privilege. Bast was shown as a Cat or as having a Cat’s head. In Scandinavia, the Cat was associated with Freya (Goddess of fertility). Her chariot was pulled by the cats Bygul and Trjegul (Beegold/Honey & Treegold/Amber). Shasti (Hindu childbirth Goddess) was shown riding a Cat.

In Celtic world, warriors carried the skin of a wild Cat. The Cat’s qualities of curiosity, 9 lives, independence, cleverness, unpredictability and healing would have been helpful to a warrior.

Because Cat can see and work in spirit world (which lead to the Church torturing and killing thousands of cats in Britain and France) it was believed that witches could take form of Cats. This lead to the belief that a witch’s pet Cat was her familiar (spirit in the form of a Cat).

The Cat is associated with the Goddess and the feminine. Brighid had a cat as a companion. Cerridwen (as the great sow Henwen) gives birth to a wolf-cub, eagle, bee and kitten. The kitten grows into the Palug Cat – one of the 3 Plagues of Anglesey.

The Cat is a fierce guardian (guardian of Otherworldly treasure) in the immrama of Maelduin. And the Celts have many sightings of Cath Sith (Faery Cats), which are Big Cats.

February Totems: Willow

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. February's totems are Cat, Willow, and Owl.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Cat – (Cath) mystery, magic, secrecy, independence, sensuality
Willow – (Saille) divination, lunar magic, healing, night
Owl – (Comhachag) wisdom, magic, night, inner visions, change

Willow

    The willow has very feminine overtones. It is strongly lunar in its energy pattern. Willows are found at the edges of streams and lakes, giving them the elemental powers of both earth and water. The willow is a water-loving tree and responds to the lunar cycle.

The Anglo-Saxon welig (willow) means pliancy, and withy branches (or osiers) are cut from the willow to weave baskets, mend fences, and form frames for coracles. A coracle is a small keeless boat fashioned from a basket of willow withies and made waterproof by the addition of a tightly stretched hide.  No nails are used in the construction of a coracle, rather the entire boat is bound by weaving and plaiting.

    The willow is thought to have healing properties over diseases of a damp nature. It is considered as a symbol of fertility and the female cycle. A chemical called salicin is extracted from the bark of the willow and used for the treatment of pain and fever. It is similar in chemical construct to asprin.

    The willow can bring an awareness of your feminine side and is often associated with the Goddess Brighid because her festival of Imbolc falls within the influence of the willow tree.  In our tradition the willow, also known by its folk name "the tree of enchantment", is sacred to the Black Goddess.

As trees of enchantment, willow groves were used by poets, artists, musicians, priest and priestesses as places on meditation and inspiration.

Wands cut from willow are known as "willie wains" and are said to contain the powers of water and the moon.

To make a wish, tie a loose knot in a willow branch on a living tree, and state your wish, charging the knot.  When your wish comes true return to the willow, untie the knot, and make an offering of thanks for its aid.

Witches brooms are bound with willow, usually with birch twigs serving as the brush, and ash as the stave.  These three trees are the trees sacred to and surrounding the month of March, sacred to Hulda, mistress of the broom.

Magic mists are raised in folk tales by aid of the willow, and many stories tell of willows that uproot themselves at night to stalk unwary travellers.

March Totems: Hare

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. March's totems are Hare, Birch, and Goose.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Hare (Gearr) – lunar magic, fertility, sensitivity, swiftness, intuition
Birch (Beithe) – new beginnings, healing, cleansing
Goose (Geadh) - feminine power, springtime, questing, vigilance

Hare

Rabbits are notorious breeders, and are a symbol of the fertility of spring. The expression“mad as a March hare” comes from the rabbit's habit of fighting, courting, and mating during the early spring. The tradition of the “Easter bunny”, or Eostre rabbit, reflects this springtime symbolism.

Rabbits have always been associated with witchcraft.  They are sacred to Hecate and have the peculiar habit of gathering in a circle, the “hare's parliament”. Witches are often thought to be able to transform into a rabbit.

“I will go into a hare
with sorrow and sighing and mickle care,
and I will go in the Devil’s name,
aye ’til I be fetched hame
- Hare, take heed of a bitch greyhound
will harry thee all these fells around
for here come I in Our Lady’s name
all but for to fetch thee hame”

–Robert Graves, “The Allansford Pursuit” (which is based upon a shape-shifting incantation of Isobel Gowdie, a seventeenth century Scottish witch)

Many cultures perceive the form of a rabbit in the full moon, and thus the rabbit is associated with lunar magic. So associated with the moon and old goddesses of Europe is the hare that it was once forbidden to eat its flesh in Britain and Ireland.  In Kerry it is still said that to eat a hare is “to eat one's grandmother”.

Rabbits bring great fortune to those who associate with them, due to their fecundity, and perhaps to their association with witches. Thus it became lucky to carry a rabbit's foot, especially during games of chance.

Rabbits could curse as well.  It was considered very bad luck to even mention a rabbit when at sea, and pregnant women who had a rabbit cross their path were said to give birth to babies with a “hare lip”.

Rabbits are most active during dawn and dusk, the liminal times, and their burrows are sometimes said to be entryways to the underworld or fairie realm. “Going down the rabbit hole” is a metaphor for entering into trance consciousness.

Rabbits have an old association with cats.  They share the nicknames “pussy” (from the Latin lepus) and “malkin”.

March Totems: Birch

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. March's totems are Hare, Birch, and Goose.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Hare (Gearr) – lunar magic, fertility, sensitivity, swiftness, intuition
Birch (Beithe) – new beginnings, healing, cleansing
Goose (Geadh) - feminine power, springtime, questing, vigilance

Birch

The Birch Tree is the first tree of the New Year according to Robert Grave's Celtic tree calendar. It has a straight white colored trunk and branches, and its leaves are bright green. Birch Trees represent the Otherworld. This tree is the first to bud and is considered a sign that spring is just around the corner. The Birch is considered a protective wood for women, as it is associated with safe childbirth and protection from the Underworld.

    The Birch is the symbol of new beginnings, the start of new plans and taking significant steps in a forward direction. It is the wood most commonly used to kindle the magical fire. The Maypole is frequently made of Birch, with pagans in Wales preferring to use living, standing Birch Trees for their Maypoles. Birch is the wood burned for the Beltaine fire. It is also the wood used for correction or punishment. Until recently, canes and rods made of Birch were the instrument of choice for schoolmasters and law enforcement officials in the British Isles.

    Birch indicates fortune, change and good luck. The element associated with the Birch is water. Its gender association is female.

March Totems: Goose

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. March's totems are Hare, Birch, and Goose.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Hare (Gearr) – lunar magic, fertility, sensitivity, swiftness, intuition
Birch (Beithe) – new beginnings, healing, cleansing
Goose (Geadh) - feminine power, springtime, questing, vigilance

Goose

Frau Holt by Nigel Jackson

The goose is the companion of that ancient and powerful goddess, Hulda, as Mother Goose. The goose is a fierce defender of its family and territory, and many ancient gates and warrior's graves have been adorned with the motif of the goose. We often speak of “a wild goose chase” as geese are notoriously difficult to capture or kill.

Several goddesses and witches of folklore have been identified by their having a goose foot (La Reine Pedauque), and thus the goose is a symbol of defensive feminine power.

The call of the goose in flight is said to be the same as the baying of the Gabriel hounds of the Wild Hunt. Hulda, whose bed is made of goose feathers, is said to lead this ride.  When she shakes out her bed the snow falls from goose feathers.

The goose is a symbol of early springtime, as it denotes both snow and returning light.  The goose who lays the golden egg is laying the growing sun of spring.

Geese mate for life and are associated with marital fidelity. Geese are also known for their furious mating habits, and a “goose” is sometimes used as slang for a prostitute. Their feathers are often used in bedding to bestow blessings of fertility and fidelity on the couple who sleeps there.

Geese are the symbol of migration, and therefore represent both the changing of the seasons, and the call to quest.  It is unknown how geese navigate over long distances, returning year after year, but return they do. This is symbolic of the dedication of the initate to remain true to the path.

When flying geese travel in a V formation. This way of flying makes it easier to travel long distances without fatigue, as it puts the greatest strain on the leader who “cuts”  a path through the air for the followers to more easily travel behind. Thus, the goose can be a symbol of leadership.

April Totems: Ash

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. April's totems are Serpent, Ash, and Moth.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Serpent (Nathair) – resurrection, rebirth, initiation, wisdom, transformation
Ash (Nuin) – connections of past to present, spirit to earth, high and low
Moth (Lèomann) – transformation, seeking illumination, initiation

Ash

The Ash tree is the traditional Celtic and Norse World Tree. In Norse mythology, Odin hung from the great Ash tree Yggdrasil and endured an initiatory experience in which he discovered system of meaning in the roots of the great tree.  These were the Elder Futhark, or the runes. Ygddrasil’s branches were in the heavens, roots were in Hell, and Earth was around its center.

The Ash symbolizes connections – past & present, spiritual & earthly, lowest & highest, self & cosmos. It links you to all your pathways. It also represents divination, healing, inner conflicts, and general magic.

Ash wood is often used for healing and protection. Besom staffs, stang shafts and certain wands are examples of the protective qualities of the tree. In Greece, Nemesis, who represents the Fates, carried an Ash wand (a scourge) and dispensed justice with it when needed.

Ash's roots, which are human in shape, are excellent for healing.

The Ash attracts lightning and brings balance. It also brings light into the hearth at the winter solstice when used as a Yule log. The wassailing bowl used to toast trees at Yule is also made of Ash.

This tree can help us to understand itself and the other tress. It also helps us assimilate the knowledge gained into the Grove back into practicality.