Ozark Gods of May Day

The full flourishing of spring has come to the Ozarks, “High Spring” as some call it; May Day. Of all the flowers and fauna of the region, I would say that the Dogwood bloom embodies the season best, though we’re seeing the last of that flowering, as we roll up the path to summer’s door. Of course, we know that the Dogwood is the flower of Snawfus— our Forest King has ever-blooming Dogwood branches in place of antlers. 

In looking at similar gods in cultures related to ours, we find Buschmops/Waldmops, the “Forest Dwarf” of Pennsylvania Dutch lore. He can turn himself into a white deer with gold antlers. He is also associated with snakes; a large horntail snake is his protector, and like our legend of the hoop snake, it curls around like an ouroboros and rolls to chase away intruders. I used to think this legend was unique to the Ozarks, but in Deitsch lore, a snake of this description defends their Forest King. Perhaps there is a lost connection to our Deer God as well.

In historical depictions, Cernunnos is depicted holding a snake in one hand. We don’t have original mythology for Cernunnos, nor even his actual name. His roles and symbols may have been absorbed by gods such as Lúgh and Odin. Elsewhere, he carried on in so many regional forest fairy traditions, scattered far and wide.

The consort of the Buschmops is a Fairy Queen named Schlangefraa, the Snake Lady. She is a healing goddess who uses herbs and plants. She carries a snake in her apron pocket and wields it like a wand to cast spells. The folklore also credits her with giving Brauchers (who were called Power Doctors in the Ozarks) their healing power. In her stories, she can transform into a rabbit and rise into the sky to become the morning star. Her fairy children were said to be born out of blue or green-shelled eggs.

Many of these traits may point to her origins as the Celtic Sironâ, a goddess depicted with a snake coiled around her arm and holding a plate of eggs, symbols of healing, regeneration, and rebirth. Evidence of her worship has been found mainly in Gaul and Germanic areas of Europe, so the legends of Schlangefraa may be a cultural memory of Sironâ. Her temples were constructed around thermal springs or wells; waters of healing. In our Ozarks culture, we find this idea of healing waters reflected in the custom of collecting May water and dew for healing and magic.

It seems fitting for the “Snake Lady” to fill a missing piece in an Ozark pantheon. Is it strange that it seems to me like she has always been there? Perhaps I’m thinking of the statue of Mary “Lady of the Smile” at that little old church in Brentwood. Though the depictions of Mary with a snake all have the snake under her feet like she’s defeating it. However, when you look closely at some of these, the snake doesn’t seem harmed at all. There’s also stars around her head, adding more of the Snake Goddess imagery. I think there’s something to the idea that the Romans intentionally created Christianity, to make a universal religion (but also for peace, control…), and it’s true that Gnostic traditions used a lot of snake symbolism. I suppose Schlangefraa could also be associated with the Gnostic goddess Sophia. Either way, she belongs here.

So on May Day, as we wash in May morning dew (or collect it in a handkerchief) may we thank the ancient Snake Goddess for its powers, and as we set out toward the woods, may we know our Forest King carries on a powerful presence that echoes into a far distant past.

May we honor these, our own Fairy King and Queen and all their Nature Spirit kin– for healing, for love, for joy and connection– in this and every season.

Lady and Her Cats

St. Gertrude’s Day on March 17th is celebrated in Urglaawe as Frouwasege, a holiday for Frouwa (another name for Freya, which means “Lady”). So March 17th is also Grumbieredaag– Potato Day. It’s a day to plant potatoes and also make a potato bread called Datsch. This isn’t just any potato bread though. You’re supposed to include ingredients for what you want to grow in your garden, also including something black, something green, and something white for her cat. Crumbs from this bread are then sprinkled in the four corners of the garden while invoking die Gleene Leit (the Little People who live in the corners of the garden), and calling down help from above. There’s more to it, and linked with fairy lore, and is a relevant supplement to our fairy tradition here in the Ozarks. For more on the folklore surrounding this custom and other fairy lore, I highly recommend Folk Tales of the Pennsylvania Dutch by William Woys Weaver.  

But back to Frouwa/Freya… The idea is that the veneration of St. Gertrude may have been the continuation of Freya worship, in the sense that many of Freya’s qualities are there. St. Gertrude was the patroness of gardens, cats, and travelers and shows up in Pennsylvania fairy lore. Freya is associated with cats as well, as it is two cats who pull her chariot.

It was debated early on in Urglaawe whether it should actually be Freid (Frigg) honored at this holiday. After all, it was the Norse, not the Germanic peoples who had Freya in their pantheon. Most scholars believe that Frigg and Freya are one goddess. This isn’t just part of that tendency of lumping all goddesses together- there’s actually a lot of evidence that these two goddesses, in particular, having been one goddess– evolved from the earlier Germanic goddess Frija. (To learn more, see the article titled Frigg on the website Norse Mythology for Smart People.)

However, regardless of whether Freya and Frigg are or were one goddess, they are experienced as individual deities by so many of their worshipers. It reminds me of the Holle and Perchta pairing as sisters who rule over the light and dark halves of the year. Freya could represent wild feminine power and Frigga that of domestic majesty. 

And that brings to mind one of the theories as to why these were one goddess split into two– the theory that Christianity caused a separation of accepted qualities from ones that were too wild for the new religion, so what was once was a complex and nuanced deity became a wife/whore dichotomy.

I recall one of Freya’s myths in which she wanders all over the earth looking for her lost husband, and as she goes, she assumes different names and guises in the various places she goes. Perhaps this myth is what started the idea of all goddesses being one. 

Lest we fall into the calamity of reducing every goddess into oblivion– another way of looking at it could be that She is a spiritual entity that can divide herself into many, into multitudes– sisters, daughters, valkyries, angels, other selves… Or perhaps She is simply part of a big family of similar beings. All these goddesses that are described as shining, and as ruling over matters of life and death, well there would have to be many of them, if you think about it, because there are so many of us. –I’ve heard it said that there are probably more than three Norns as well.

However you think of them, it seems fitting to treat Freya and Frigg as separate goddesses in worship, especially when worshiping out in community with others. It takes nothing away from our own beliefs to do so, making it the most inclusive approach and thus the one that is orthopraxic.

Idise: Our Clan Mothers

In Heathen traditions, not only is a hearth goddess honored around this time of year, but also often the Idise of the family or kindred. (Though some kindreds honor the Idise in the Autumn.)

The Idise (of Germanic tradition) or Disir (of Norse tradition) are simply put; the ancestral Mothers and other feminine spirits who watch over us. For Ozark Pagans, a more familiar term might be Clan Mothers, though it’s not just Mothers in the mix. These are the feminine spirits and goddesses who are attached to us, and are not limited to blood kin. 

The comfort of knowing one’s Idise are watching over in times of need, is a great comfort that can only be compared to say, guardian angels in the more mainstream traditions. 

In other Pagan traditions I’ve been in, there wasn’t really a comparable category of beings. In Druidry, we had the Three Kindred: Deities, Ancestors, and Nature Spirits, though those categories could get a bit fuzzy in definition, and as time went on I began to question who exactly were included in these categories. As I wrote in “Guardian Kindred & Other Spirits”, the Druidic terms seemed to be all-inclusive, and might include beings or powers that may not exactly be in our corner. That led me to creating the term “Guardian Kindred” to denote those beings who were inclined to be in our favor. 

However, in this, my second foray into Heathenry, I’ve realized that in order for a deceased forebear to be an “Ancestor” they have to be evolved, and thus benevolent. In Urglaawe, Himmelgegend is the realm of spiritually advanced ancestors. So I think that this is where our prayers to the Ancestors go. I’ve known a lot of people who have issues with the Ancestor veneration aspect of Heathenry/Paganism, because of trauma and dysfunction they had with their parents or grandparents. This type of ancestor has to undergo a lot of soul work with Mother Holle, and may be awaiting reincarnation in Unnergegend, or are being transformed in Her great Mill, which grinds the soul into all its separate parts. Because of this, they are not available nor ready to be venerated as an Ancestor, but I think getting to that point is the goal, and is something Mother Holle and her kin are working with us to bring about. 

So rest assured, the Idise are a category of being that we can freely pray to and share our lives with. One might even find it easier than reaching out to the deities. How? Just start talking to them, pour them libations, and reach out to them through our hearts, and with our minds through meditation.

Hearth Goddess Folklore

The Winter Thermstice is drawing closer, and there are so many names for this holiday and so many ways to commemorate it. When I followed a solely Celtic path, I called it Imbolc. In my first jaunt into Heathenry, I called it Dísablót or Disting. Now that I’m exploring Urglaawe, there are many new names to consider, as it’s a multi-part holiday in that tradition. I like the idea of honoring both a hearth goddess and the Dísir/Idis (matriarchal spirits) at this time of year. The Urglaawe celebration of Entschtanning (emerging) includes both those components, which seems to me to be syncretic. That holiday has a lot of other things going on; travelers returning from the Wild Hunt, Groundhogs bringing news of the Underworld, and beginning preparations for building a magical scarecrow golem– But right now my focus is the Hearth Goddess…

Freid is the Deitsch goddess of this holiday. She is usually compared to the Norse goddess Frigg, but I find it interesting that the name Freid looks a whole lot like a Welsh name I’ve seen for the Celtic hearth goddess Brigid.

She is also called Haerdfraa, which means Hearth Lady. Here we have another example of a deity being named for their main role. Just as there may be a single spirit for each hearth, might one consider the Hearth Lady the Goddess of All Hearths? Or we could go with the idea that there are multiple Hearth Ladies…

To bring in an Ozark/Appalachian perspective, we could recall the story of Ashpet– the part where she has to go and get fire from the old witch…

Now, in case you didn’t know, Ashpet is an Appalachian Cinderella story. (A written version of it can be found in Grandfather Tales by Richard Chase.) Ashpet is mistreated, covered in ashes from hearthkeeping, and made to do all the work, just like her Cinderella counterpart. However, there are quite a few things about this particular tale that makes it a bit different from that of Cinderella. For one thing, Ashpet is not related to the two older girls in the household- not even by marriage. Ashpet is hired help. For another thing, there is no “fairy godmother”, but an “old witch” whom the whole community is afraid of. Everyone, that is, except Ashpet.

This story takes place in a time before matches and lighters, a time when starting a new fire was a difficult task. And so, if your hearthfire went out, the most sensible thing to do was to go and “borrow fire” from a neighbor. It was probably considered a bit of bad luck if the fire in your hearth was allowed to go out. But as Ashpet was held responsible for the entirety of the household chores, it’s no wonder it went out.

Because Ashpet was never allowed to leave the house, the older two girls, one at a time in turn, are sent to get fire from an old scary witch. She was their closest neighbor, but still a fair walking distance from their house. The two girls were reluctant to go inside, expecting the old woman to fetch it for them and hand it through the door. The old witch asks them each to comb out her hair in exchange for the fire, but each of them behaves very rudely and won’t even come into the house, and so, they are both turned away.

Finally, they get desperate, and Ashpet is sent over. She walks right into the old witch’s house like an old friend, greets her politely, and asks for some fire from her hearth. The witch agrees, but only if Ashpet will comb out her hair. Ashpet gladly combs out the old woman’s hair. I bet right about now you’re thinking, “what’s the big idea about combing hair?”. Well, in an earlier version of this story, the old woman is actually asking the girls to comb out nits and lice from her hair. So… not only is she thought to be an ancient and powerful witch (and thus very scary to most people), but she also has a contagious parasitic infection. Ashpet isn’t afraid of any of this. Where the other girls showed fear, disgust, and rudeness, Ashpet demonstrated bravery, kindness, and friendship. It’s easy to view the old woman’s request as a test of bravery or non-squeamishness, but she actually needed help.

I feel that there’s quite a bit of symbolism and meaning to this story. The old witch is definitely a Crone goddess, and often when a story has three sisters, the youngest seems to fit the role of a Maiden Goddess. Since this maiden figure also tends a fire as her main duty, though she seems to have no magical powers of her own, I think she might also be a cultural memory of a Hearth Goddess (such as Brigit or Freid). Could it be? Downgraded, and downtrodden though she is, I think it may be so. All ash-covered, kind, and beautiful. 

As you may well know, the Crone’s domain is winter and darkness. What is reborn out of winter and darkness? Light. The sun is reborn on the longest night, in the depths of winter. So of course one would need to go to the Crone’s realm to fetch back the fire of the sun. Who better to do it than the Fire Maiden- Ashpet? 

When I first read this story, it made me think of another myth- that of Brigit and the Cailleach. Only in that story, it is the Crone who oppresses the Maiden, and breaking free from her confinement, Brigit defeats or escapes the Cailleach so that spring may return. Their relationship is much different from that of Ashpet and the witch, who actually work together in friendship and cooperation. 

✨In the past year or so, I’ve come to realize that in stories like this, the Crone is actually a lot more like Mother Holle than the Cailleach. Something that Mother Holle does is ask for help, then reward those who do so, often with gold or silver.✨

So from this Crone figure (whom I like to think is a fragmented cultural memory of Fraa Holle), Ashpet receives three burning coals on a shelf mushroom  (a symbol of life and fertility- especially magical since it grows on a tree, between earth and sky) for transporting them to the other hearth. Here, I’m reminded of when another Crone gave Youngest Daughter (a later version of the story names her Nell) a magical treasure of three golden nuts in the story Whitebear Whittington. Those too, could be seen as representing the sun. 

Soon after, in both stories, a magical washing occurs. In the story of Ashpet, this happens when the Crone comes over and has the dishes magically wash themselves in the river (and the pots and pans wash themselves in sand) so that Ashpet can dress up and go to Sunday Meeting. In Whitebear Whittington, it is the point in the story in which Nell goes to clean Whitebear’s shirt in a river, and the blood stains instantly wash away.

Later, Ashpet finds her love, and Nell wakes the Bear King, but in the seasonal symbolism of these stories, I see those events happening at the Spring Equinox. It is now, in the quickening of the year, that I dwell in the part of the story that gives us little fires/suns and river washings.

“I kindle this flame in the way of the Fire Maidens;
light of the Sun, light of the Hearth, light of Life.
As you emerge from the Grandmother’s sacred realm of darkness,
shine brightly for us here.
Oh Golden Maidens, light our way.
Bless and hallow all, and deepen within us.
May you be our hope and shelter,
as you bless us with warmth and renewal on this day,
in this turning season, and always.”

Themes of an Ozark Summer Thermstice

Celebrating the Cross-Quarter Day of Summer Thermstice (Lúnasa) in America is different from in the Old Countries. There is a lack of continuity in tradition for it; unlike the Halloween and May Day traditions that held on throughout those ancestors’ New World immigrations. Yet, there remains a seasonal event to commemorate. 

Here, corn (maize) is the prominent grain. Though the harvest start times can vary widely in this country, there is a corn harvest starting around mid-August for Arkansas and Oklahoma. Around the first weekend in August, there is a grape festival held in Tontitown Arkansas. So we see those same themes of first fruit and grain, but in quite a different context.

We have many traditions surrounding corn. Cornmeal is a traditional land spirit offering here, and it’s used many different ways in our breads, often combined with wheat flour. It is also used as the base ingredient in herbal powders used for magic. In Appalachia, fodder of corn stalks is placed about the home as a magical charm to ensure the family always has food. Red corn necklaces are made to help with fevers and bleeding. Dried corn cobs are attached above the doorway to the house, so that haints, or evil spirits, have to count each hole in the cob before entering. In the Ozarks, dried corn cobs are used in a similar way to feather and egg sweeping traditions; it is rubbed over the body then burned to destroy sickness. When you talk about “corn dollies” here, people’s first thought is of corn husk dolls, not the grain dollies of Europe. Cornsilk is prized for its many herbal and magical uses as well, as it is used much like Irish moss in prosperity spells, and as hair for poppet dolls.

Mid-august is also when pawpaws are beginning to ripen, though this sacred food may not be fully ready until the next harvest holiday. This is also the time to see if the incredibly delicious muscadine grapes are ready for harvest.

The days here in August are the hottest, as we’re in the middle of the dog days of summer. It’s much hotter here than in the countries our ancestors came from. Many Southern Pagans celebrate this holiday with an emphasis on water, for without it, an outdoor gathering would be unbearable in our August heat. Yet this is in keeping with some of the lesser known Lúnasa traditions which symbolized a quenching of the now oppressive sun.

Looking to the realm of folklore, we have our Summer Thermstice theme there as well. The Appalachian story “Old Fire Dragaman” has some parallels with Lúgh’s story: there is the symbolism of securing the land against (a Fomorian-like) force of nature, to claim the land itself, and to secure a harvest. Jack is like Lúgh in many ways. He is small and crafty; a triumphant underdog figure. Jack may not be as bold as Lúgh, but he is sneakily clever. Unlike Lúgh, Jack returns to ordinary life after every adventure. 

Following the symbolism of the story of Whitebear Whittington as a cyclical seasonal narrative, we find ourselves at the point in the story where Whitebear and his wife have three children. These three children can be seen as symbolic of the three harvests of the year. 

Also, in the latter part of the story of Ashpet, she is held prisoner by a Wild Man figure, who may represent a chaotic or Fomorian element of Nature, threatening to take back sovereignty. Like the goddess Bloddewydd, she learns her captor’s weaknesses, and relays them to her rescuer so that she may rejoin her true love. But unlike Bloddewydd, Ashpet then returns to civilization and resumes her happy ending. 

(Note: I include a lot of Appalachian lore in my Ozark Paganism because they are linked, often overlapping, and can inform and fill in the gaps for a more fleshed out tradition. We are, after all, a part of “Greater Appalachia”.)

So what might an Ozark Summer Thermstice look like? A trip to a harvest festival such as the Tontitown Grape Festival, or a “pick your own” berry farm (if not from your own garden), or maybe a trip to a favorite swimming hole may be just the thing. It’s a time to enjoy regional foods of the season; like cornbread casserole, Arkansas tomatoes, and for dessert- Ozark berry cobbler or gooseberry pie. It may also be a time for corn magic, and for ritual, one of the aforementioned tales could be played out, and/or the themes displayed in arts & crafts or altars of the day.

Bonus: a playlist!

•Dawn Chorus by Maiden Radio
•Rise Sun by The Infamous Stringdusters
•Summertime by Billy Strings
•Ozark Summer by Jed Melton Band
•Snakes and Waterfalls by Nick Shoulders
•Sweet Sunny South by Maiden Radio
•Mighty River by Railroad Earth
•Meet Me at the Creek by Billy Strings
•There Is a Time by Whiskey Shivers
•Thunderbolt’s Goodnight by Josh Ritter

Fire Magic

Now that we have arrived at the longest day of the year, I thought I might write a bit about fire magic; some practicalities of it, as well as how fire is used in magic in my neck of the woods.

Of course, there is candle magic, and most of us modern Pagans have a sense of what candle colors are used for this or that need. However, it is more traditional in the Ozarks and Appalachians to just use a plain white candle. Whether its a taper or glass encased candle is often a practical matter of availability and affordability. Also, nuances of the working can’t always be narrowed down to a color theme. Working with a small glass-encased candle has the added benefit of being a little less of a fire hazard, and no dripped wax. Whereas one would carve the name of who the spell is for on a taper candle, with a glass-encased candle the name could be marked with a grease pencil or marked in cloth and tied to the candle, or marked on pure paper (brown paper bag) and pasted to the glass. For a taper candle, one would anoint it with oil while rolling it toward oneself for increase, or away from oneself for a spell of decrease. For a glass-encased candle, a bit of oil can be placed on top of the wax.

Then there’s the issue of whether you adhere to the notion of letting a spell candle burn all the way down. If you are in a position to keep an eye on your candle for long periods of time, this may not be an issue. Otherwise, you may want to either set a certain time interval to burn it and call it finished, burn it in stages (snuffing the flame between intervals, not blowing it out), or choose a fast burning candle to get your magics did and done. A chime candle can take two and a half hours to burn all the way down, a (3 inch) Hanukkah candle takes 30 to 40 minutes, and the average birthday candle takes a little over 14 minutes. You can use a shot glass or a votive holder to encase a birthday candle. Find a small raised washer that fits the end of the candle. Fasten it to the end and you can just stand the candle up in the middle of the glass. Of course, birthday candles may be too small to carve something on, but you could still put something on the glass, or put a small spell paper under the glass. You could also surround a picture or symbol with candles for your working, three or four around it are traditional.

Some people like to use an oil lamp instead of candles. For this, you would wash out the basin of a lamp with saltwater and fill it with the herbs and spell items you’re using. You can even attach a spell paper to the wick with a clothespin before you pour in lamp oil. Whisper into the basin your prayer or spell and blow three breaths into it before placing the top on and continuing with it. Say your words of power again as you light the lamp, and adjust the flame to burn small. You’re never supposed to let a lamp burn out it’s oil, or let anything touch it’s chimney. 

Aside from candle or lamp magic, there’s the simple act of burning something. As I have mentioned before, a traditional Ozark curse-avert was to tangle up some yarn and throw it in the fireplace. Folks have tossed a bit of salt into a fire for the same purpose. Before there was reliable medicine to bring down a fever, Ozark healers used to burn some black feathers under the bed of a patient.

Burning something can be an act of symbolically ridding oneself of something or manifesting something. It can also be an act of offering or celebration, as when we burn sun symbols at the Solstice. If you don’t have a fireplace and can’t have an outdoor fire, a burn-pot may be just the thing. For mine, I used a small copper cauldron I found in a thrift store and filled it about halfway with sand. A votive candle goes in the middle and I use that to light my spell paper. Though brown (bag) paper is usually my preference for spell tokens, if I’m burning it indoors, I use a small square of really thin tissue paper (the kind of tissue paper that goes in the top of gift bags). And, whereas I would normally fold a spell token three times (toward myself for increase, away for decrease), in this case, I fold it accordion style and light the entire edge, letting it catch full well before dropping it in the sand. This material and this method seems to be the fastest burning with the least amount of smoke (plus, tissue paper can be snipped into neat little sun images and burned for the Solstice). The only thing faster I’ve found is flash paper, and I only get that for special occasions (like a burning bowl ceremony at my UU church), since it’s a bit too flammable to keep around all the time.

Speaking of which, with all fire spells, remember– never leave a flame unattended.

Happy Solstice!

The Bear King and the Goddess

When I was first exploring the Waincraft’s Lord of Plenty, it took me a while to truly understand what was meant in their description of this Power. Waincraft specifically describes him as a bear god, but in the deity names listed, he seems to be a bear in name etymology only (Mathgen, Math ap Mathonwy, Matunos…), for in the Celtic myths, I couldn’t find anything that described him the way that Waincraft does. 

Waincraft says of the Lord of Plenty; “Across ancient Europe, he was the Bear-King, ruler of the most noble, sacred and mysterious creature in the cultural imagination of the time. He is the protecting and preserving force that ameliorates the harshness of his brother’s realm.”

The parallel concept in Correllian traditions is the King archetype; “The King is the God passed from warrior to leader, nurturing family and community rather than merely himself.”

I came to think of the Lord of Plenty as a strong, kind, and generous King archetype, much like the character of the ghost of Christmas present in the Dickens story A Christmas Carol– but in the 1970 movie adaptation titled “Scrooge”.

And then I came across another bear connection quite by accident. I was looking up American folktales and found the story Whitebear Whittington from the book Grandfather Tales by Richard Chase. I immediately fell in love with this tale that is a cross between Beauty and the Beast and East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I was overwhelmed by the feeling that this is a sacred story full of metaphor- a deeply meaningful mythology disguised as a fairytale, and it opened up a deeper level of understanding for me.

I especially love the story Whitebear Whittington, perhaps partly because the story is a traditional Ozarks and Appalachian tale, so it feels very homey and personal with the imagery and the way it’s told. But I’ve also come to realize that a lot of other bear fairytales have the same kind of archetypal symbolism. In these stories, the bear is always a wealthy prince or a king- a figure of abundance and power. However, in Whitebear Whittington, he seemed to simply be a well-off guy– a strong and gentle man who is also a good provider. 

I think a lot of the abundance and comfort feeling of the character comes from the physicality of his bear aspect. On one hand, bears are big, powerful, and scary- so to have a bear as a protector would be very comforting. But bears are also big (abundant) and soft. I’m reminded of the story Snow White and Rose Red, in which the sisters’ mother lets a bear into their home to warm up by the fire. 

“The bear said: ‘Here, children, knock the snow out of my coat a little’; so they brought the broom and swept the bear’s hide clean; and he stretched himself by the fire and growled contentedly and comfortably. It was not long before they grew quite at home, and played tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his hair with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled him about…” –-Grimm’s Fairy Tales

So this image we have of the bear is that of strength and power, but also softness, gentleness, comfort, and abundance. He is a hibernating animal, a very earthy god- he sleeps when nature sleeps. He wakens with the spring. In the tales, he has a dual man/bear nature, until at last the enchantment is broken. If we were to think of these stories as a tale of the seasons, perhaps the spell would be broken in the spring- a peek from the cave at the Winter Thermstice (Imbolc), and full emergence at the Spring Equinox. Then the Bear King becomes a Young God- Hero/Lover- Maponos once again. 

In Whitebear Whittington, he tells his bride, “Now I got a spell on me and I can’t be a man but part of the time. From now on I can be a man of a night and stay with you here and be a bear of a day, or I can be a bear of a night and sleep under your bed and be a man of a day. Which had you rather I be?”

This is another reason I like this particular version of the bear fairytale. Whitebear does not try to hide his enchantment, his dual nature, from his bride. She is given quite a bit of choice in the nature of it even. Neither is she held there in fear, for upon arriving at their home, he says, “This house and everything in it belongs to you now, and there’s nothing here to hurt you.”

The bride is never named in this particular tale, but we know her well. She is Youngest Daughter of three sisters. As the story begins, she is a Maiden. As the story progresses, she becomes a Mother. When the story takes a turn, she visits, and wins the favor of; the Crone.

At some point in many of the hero myths, the hero often sees the colors white, red, and black, (such as red blood on white snow, and a raven feather) and decides his future bride must have those colors. 

Now white is a symbol for purity, but also for light, and youthful deities of the light half of the year, such as the Maiden. Black symbolizes death and the Crone, but also the substance of decay which creates the fertile conditions for new life to grow, and the dark half of the year. Red symbolizes life blood and fertility and is often a symbol of deities of the ripening season, and the Mother. 

This ancient color symbolism is often repeated in fairy tales as well, but more so just red and white, and sometimes dark green is in the place of black. There’s three sisters and the color symbolism is frequently present in the dresses they choose. In Whitebear Whittington, those colors are attached to Whitebear himself. (An earlier telling included the color symbolism of black as well; it was a crow that dropped feathers to lead Youngest Daughter to Whitebear. Chase changed it in the book to a white bird with red speckled feathers.) Then there’s the three drops of blood that were shed on his white fur. These colors indicate that this is a story of the mysteries of light, darkness, and the life in-between. This is Youngest Daughter’s blood, and it marks Whitebear as her own. He is hers and she must reclaim him, awaken him from his enchantment. 

Returning again to imagining the story of Whitebear as a seasonal narrative; one could conclude that it could serve as a year-round story. (Though in the actual tale, as it’s told, the events happen one after another and the time of year is unspecified.) But imagine… you could say the white rose was picked on Spring Equitherm/May Day (a time when mates are chosen), then Youngest Daughter was taken as Whitebear’s wife at Summer Solstice (June- a traditional time to get married). Their three children symbolize the harvests of the year. Whitebear’s wife leaves to visit family sometime after Autumn Equitherm/Hallows Eve and soon realizes Whitebear is gone. It would be at Winter Solstice that she receives three golden magical nuts (perhaps symbolizing a Winter Solstice triple sunrise, or their three children & three harvests of the year) from the Crone (out of the darkness, light). At Winter Thermstice/Imbolc (the time of ritual cleansing) she spots him and washes the blood from his shirt, but does not yet have him back. Then finally she finds and wakes him from his slumber and enchantment at the Spring Equinox.

Snawfus & the Dogwood Tree

The Ozarks is home to a giant white deer-like creature with blooming dogwood branches growing from his head instead of antlers. The blue haze that hangs over the Ozark Mountains in the early mornings, and especially in fall and winter, is his spiraling exhalations. 

The Snawfus is also said to have the ability to fly and leap into the trees. In a lot of the lore, it’s not because he has wings, but more like he has the agility of a primate. Because of this, the Snawfus is sometimes depicted as a tall man with a deer head (though I’ve rarely come across this depiction– it may be a later idea). 

Crossing paths with the Snawfus is considered a token (sign) of imminent death. But most likely, you will never see him. He will run in circles around you, just out of sight, as you walk through the woods. You may hear the birdsong in his branches, or even catch a glimpse of a dogwood petal, but you won’t see him unless he wants you to. And you may be encircled in the haze of his blue misty breath until you see nothing else.

In Ozark lore, white animals are regarded as an ominous omen. I think that this may have been a cultural memory of the caution and respect afforded to Otherworld creatures. In Celtic lore, Otherworldly creatures are white with red or pink ears, and sometimes red or pink eyes. There is nothing in the lore about the Snawfus having red or pink ears or eyes, but the dogwood flower is either pink or white with gradient pink toward the center. It’s not unrealistic to think that this may be a continuation of Celtic pagan belief, as many of early Ozark settlers were descendants of immigrants from the British isles. Though converted to Christianity hundreds of years ago, it’s no secret that many of the old beliefs held fast. It has been well documented that Ozarkers believed in “Little People” inhabiting stones and hills, and held other animistic beliefs as well.

Thinking along these lines, I ponder if the legend of the Snawfus could also be a local manifestation of the god Cernunnos. Both are antlered and associated with death. The Lord of the Otherworld god-type has manifested in different ways in Celtic myth through the ages- with and without the antlers. Just as those entities once revered as gods or powerful nature spirits became the Little People, so too might such a timeless entity as Cernunnos manifest for his people who traversed so from their origins as well, into a form in which he can be remembered anew.

I’m not alone in this pondering of the divinity of the Snawfus… I’ve come across writings of modern admirers (or should I say followers?) of the Snawfus, that call his blue mist exhalations the “breath of awen”, and regard him as the Spirit of Nature.

Yet there is another aspect of the Snawfus to explore; the great tree that grows from his head. Some stories describe it as a plum tree, but most say it is a dogwood. There’s a legend or two on how it got there- the main one being that a hunter who was out of bullets shot him in the head with a plum pit. That story is just goofy since there is no way a gun would shoot a plum pit, plus it seems to ignore the fact that it is commonly taboo to kill a white deer.

What I am more interested in is the fact that the tree is a dogwood, and the lore and legends surrounding it. The dogwood tree is native to North America and Mexico. Despite where the actual tree originated, there has come to be a lot of Christian legends surrounding it… like it was Jesus’ favorite tree so it was chosen to be used for the cross he was crucified on. (My, they would have had to go a long way to get it…) This legend also states that since that time, the tree no longer grows as tall and straight and the flowers that bloom upon it are in the shape of a cross, with indentations and blood/rust “stains” on the ends where the nails would go. The stamens are supposed to represent the crown of thorns, and the red fruit represents his blood. (No doubt, these colors seen against dark branches, brings to mind the sacred color trinity of red, white, and black.) Add this imagery to the fact that the tree blooms around the time of Easter; from about mid-April to mid-May. There’s also the legend that the dogwood was Adam’s favorite tree and so the devil tried to climb over the wall of Eden to get at it and destroy it, but only managed to take a little bite out of the end of every flower petal. So, what all this tells me, is that Christian settlers perhaps considered the tree both sacred and cursed, as they created a lore that intertwined it in such a way with their beliefs.

Here, dogwood bark took the place of rowan (mountain ash) in the old rowan and red thread protective talismans from the Gaelic countries. Dogwood was used not only for home talismans, but portable ones as well. 

“Some woodcutters who live on Sugar Creek, in Benton county, Arkansas, believe that a mad dog never bites a man who carries a piece of dogwood in his pocket, according to an old gentleman I met in Bentonville.” –Vance Randolph, Ozark Magic and Folklore

Dogwood roots and twigs were also steeped in whisky or boiled into a tea as a remedy for colds and fevers, and the bark was believed to cure colic. Dogwood and redbud are also traditional Ozark ingredients in love spells. Blooming from mid-April to early May, the Dogwood is seen in the Ozarks as an indicator that Spring has arrived. In the old countries this would have been hawthorne, which is not as common here. 

And so, the link Snawfus has with the Dogwood seems to be a profound pairing. For anyone celebrating May Day (Spring Equitherm) in the Ozarks, I think this mythos, imagery, and symbolism are an important part of the season.

Naturalistic Terms for Pagan Holidays

Many of the most popular Neopagan terms for the holidays we commemorate are problematic. This is largely due to those specific names being popularized after being published in the Green Egg in the 1970’s. Don’t even get me started on why “Mabon” isn’t a good choice of naming for the Autumn Equinox. If you don’t already know, you can go see John Halstead’s article, the Worst Named Pagan Holiday. 

Many of these names have very cultural/mythological based themes. In the past, I am someone who has explored several of the cultures of my ancestors as inspiration for my Pagan practices. But in recent years, I’ve come to the realization that I need to turn my focus to my own here-and-now culture. No matter how much they inspire me, I will never be a part of those other cultures. I am separated from them by an ocean and by hundreds of years. 

My aim is to live the best aspects of my own culture, as much as possible. So I began using some of my culture’s names for holidays, but they’re incomplete, and sometimes Christianized. There are also instances in which there is no equivalent holiday in my culture, but I want there to be one to complete the seasonal narrative. (I mean, we have “Groundhog’s Day” but no equivalent of Lùnasa at the opposite end of the year? What’s that about?!)

Now I know there will be those who are quick to point out that there was never a single ancient culture that commemorated all eight holidays of the modern Neopagan “Wheel of the Year”. Yet, they are events in Nature. Having evenly placed commemorations in the cycle of seasons seems highly appropriate for a Nature-based spirituality (though I know not all Pagans are Nature-based). There is something in Nature to celebrate or commemorate at every turn of the cycle. If there are no outward signs of its marking in my culture, then that needs adjusting.

So my solution for the names I use for the holidays– for the solstices and equinoxes, it’s simple, as they have long established scientific names. But a little lesser known is that the Cross-Quarter days have similarly established naturalistic or scientific names. They are the thermstices and the equitherms.

So the solstices mark the extreme points of the daylight cycle for the year; Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night, and Summer Solstice is the longest day and shortest night. Then, the thermstices mark the extreme points of the thermal cycle for the year. This is because the thermal/heat cycle lags the daylight cycle- it takes a while to feel the effects of the solstices. So… Winter Therstice is the approximate coldest part of the year, and Summer Thermstice is the approximate hottest point of the year. 

It’s along similar lines for the equinoxes; the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes are times of equal day and night, but the Spring and Autumn Equitherms are when that equilibrium has caught up in terms of temperature, as days that are likely to feel truer to the season.

Just as the dates of the solstices and equinoxes change from year to year, so do the Cross-Quarter dates of the thermstices and equitherms, and they’re often on different dates from what cultural customs dictate. The scientific method of determining the date can be more complicated than just finding the exact middle between two dates as it also takes into account local terrain shifts. You can find accurate Cross Quarter dates for your region, as well as the solstice and equinox dates for any given year- on the archaeoastronomy website.

hidden practice

Over the years I have had a few people tell me that they can’t practice their Pagan spirituality because of their circumstances. Usually it is because of living with a conservative family member. While I have never really experienced this myself, I do get the feeling it is a common problem that affects not just the young. For some folks, hiding their true spiritual beliefs may be a matter of survival if they are dependent on others for home and shelter. Whatever your reason for not being able to practice openly, I hope the following ideas and insights may be of help to you.

church
For those of you who not only are restricted from openly practicing Paganism, but are also required to attend a mainstream church, here are a couple of strategies for you…

Before entering the church, remember this silent prayer-

“Whatever way my words may stray, it is to the Old Gods I truly pray.”

Also, when reciting prayers or singing hymns, you can quietly, or in your mind, add an “s” to the end of words like god, spirit, and lord. Likewise, replace the word “one” with “the” in things you may have to recite such as the Nicene Creed… “We believe in the Gods, the Father, the Almighty, makers of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen…”

And if you go to a church where all kneel to pray, think “this I do not to submit myself, but to dwell closer to Mother Earth”.

Adopting some form of soft polytheistic viewpoint may help ease inner conflicts as well; thinking of saints and other figures as avatars/versions of older deities, for example. Adopting some form of Pagan Gnosticism as a world view may help resolve some issues as well. Some would consider Christianity but another form of Paganism.

If you’re expected to wear a cross, find one that incorporates a tree emblem, or get a Celtic or equal-armed cross, to make it more meaningful to you.

altar
Of course, one need not have any kind of altar to practice Paganism. A person could actually do everything mentally, visualizing devotionals, rituals, energy work, everything. However, it is beneficial to have some kind of touchstone in the physical world (especially if you can’t get out in nature as much as you’d like), to prevent a feeling of disconnect or “being in one’s head” all the time. If you have a small space to yourself, preferably the top of a bookshelf, then you can establish a discreet altar. You can use animal figurines to represent gods and goddesses, as most deities have animal associations. The Yule season is a great time to find altar items with a hidden meaning: a regal reindeer figure could represent Cernunnos or other antlered gods, you may find angel figurines that remind you of certain goddesses, and some rustic or unusual “Santa” figurines are reminiscent of Pagan gods.

You may even want to adopt Christian statuary for use on your altar. How can one not think of the Star Goddess when viewing one of those statues of Mary crowned with stars and standing on a globe?

daily devotions
If you don’t have a lot of privacy, you’ll have to get creative with how you commemorate even day to day devotions. There are Pagan prayers that can be used with a traditional rosary, and doing so can be a ritual in itself. Also, there are traditional rosaries that have a tree for the crucifix. Prayer for your Druid Beads by Sarva Antah is a very easily memorized set of song prayers that honors nature spirits, ancestors, and deities. Yes, doing the prayers silently counts, as does simply meditating on the spirits, and no one around you would be the wiser.

holidays
How lucky we are to live in a culture that still retains so many of the older Pagan customs. We can light candles on a Yule log or decorate an Easter egg, and no one bats an eye or even thinks about how these customs relate to Paganism. Relish the special meaning these things have for you, even as those around you give them little thought. When you light a candle, or enact any of these customs, quietly or in your mind say something like, “This I do, in honor of my gods.”
You may not have a space or privacy to give offerings, but you can eat symbolic foods as a way of showing honor. Quietly or in your mind, say this blessing:

“Spirits (or Kindreds/specific deities), taste as I taste,
and let this sacred food of (name of holiday) be as an offering to you, through me.”

Some simple ideas for symbolic foods that can be easily obtained to commemorate the holidays are: an apple slice for Samhain, gingerbread for Yule, nettles or other early spring greens for Imbolc, carrots for Ostara, a strawberry for May Day, an orange slice for Midsummer, bread or berries for Lammas, and fruit salad for Harvest Home.
magic
Here is where you may feel the most limited if you are of a mind to make magic a vital part of your lifestyle. Yet, it can be done. Use ordinary objects for your “tools”, and ordinary actions as your “works of magic”. Kitchen magic can be very subtle, using a wooden spoon as your wand and the entire contents of the kitchen as materials. Don’t forget about the subtle use of color magic and visualizations. You can simply send your energy out in accordance with your goal, and that requires no materials nor spoken words at all. Yes, every little thing you do (with intention) is magic! In your mind, dedicate whatever you’re doing, toward your goal.

divination
There are a number of divination methods that require no special tools. Divination of Nature requires only your observance and intuition and includes the interpretation of dreams. In bibliomancy, one flips open a book, and reads a randomly selected passage. It is possible to use an ordinary deck of playing cards for divination. Pendulum divination can be done with only a key on a string.

learning
If you are just starting out and seeking a way to learn all you need to know, I would recommend that you first learn all you can from trusted internet sources. (See my recommendations on book and internet resources.) Try to memorize what seems important, then clear your browser history. It may be tempting to obtain a lot of books, but if you have access to a good library, reading up on mythology and philosophy will give you a better foundation in the beginning. Some libraries will even order Pagan books if you put in a request. You can read them at the library if you feel it isn’t safe to bring them home.

If you are embarking on a hidden practice, take heart. Know that the circumstances holding you back are most likely temporary as are all things in life. You may even learn and grow from the experience.