May the Leprechaun Bring you good luck And good cheer And a heart full of happiness All through the year. Ninety and nine treasure crocks From times of old Guarded by him; Each of them fill'd full to the brim ... with Gold! Limerick from a Porcelain Decanter from the Stitzel Weller Distillery, 1972 Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017
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Yesterday I saw a lovely lady about to purchase an umbrella. To my horror ... and before I could get to her - she opened it inside! I quickly informed her of the bad luck of her actions and she closed it rather confusedly. It was a funny moment when I realized that we didn't speak the same language ... in more than one way! But the message got across and we laughed. She had never heard of the superstition and I told her not to worry, that she would of course be okay. (I felt sure the gods would smile on her since she hadn't been aware of her transgression!) But it got me to thinking...where did this superstition come from? While I found some reference to parasols being used in ancient Egypt for protection from the sun, and the anger Ra would feel if they were opened indoors (being a Sun God and all) - I think it is more likely to have stemmed from Merrie Old England. In London (an indisputably wet town), in the 18th century, the umbrellas were very large, of heavy construction and with seriously serious metal spokes. When these unwieldy beauties opened ... WATCH OUT!! They could cause injuries to anyone standing too close ... not to mention knocking over items in small hallways before they could be safely closed. The fairies in Meadow Sweet Grove inform me that they have witnessed the damage opening an umbrella in their small abodes can cause. They tend to avoid the practice. Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 This bit of magic comes from Derbyshire, England. On St. Valentine's Day eve, walk in a clockwise circle around your local church, scattering a handful of hempseed behind you. Whilst scattering, make sure you chant: "I sow a hempseed, Hempseed I sow. He who loves me best, Come after and mow." Run home quickly now and look over your shoulder. If a man begins to follow the path you made ... you will be married within the year. Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 / edited 2022 Well, apparently our Groundhog in the Grove must have seen his shadow on February 2nd and scurried back for six more weeks of sleep ... judging by all the snow we got that day ... and still have! But other Groundhogs are reporting that they didn't see their shadows and are declaring an early Spring. I guess the next few weeks ... maybe days will tell. Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017
Anyone familiar with Aesop's Fables will remember how the carefree grasshopper sang her summer away (summertime and the living is easy right?) while meantime, the clever ants were preparing for their needs in the winter to come. A summary of the fable goes as follows: The ants were employing a fine winter's day in busily drying some grain which had got rather damp in storage. A grasshopper approached them, and earnestly begged for a few grains, as she said 'I'm simply starving.' The ants asked of her, 'Why did you not store up some food for the winter?' The grasshopper replied, 'Fact is; I was so busy singing that I simply didn't have the time.' The ants chuckled and replied, 'Well, then, if you were foolish enough to sing all summer; you might just as well dance all winter.' Moral: Work comes before play, Plan ahead, Put something away for hard times There are some harsh but easy-to-understand, simple truths in Aesop's Fables; and many I believe are worth revisiting and reincorporating into today's world; where common sense is sometimes shown lacking. What was true and authentic and "penned" more than 2,000 years ago is still true today, because the human condition is constant. The ants teach us to treasure self-reliance, while the grasshopper shows us the danger of prioritizing play to the exclusion of all else. We can learn from the ants in many ways: plant a small garden, preserve our harvest, reuse and re-purpose items, learn a new skill that helps save money around the home, think ahead and plan for future needs, and put aside a little money if at all possible ... all these will serve us well when winter comes. Bibliography: Aesop's Fables, Arthur Rackham, Pan Books, 1975 Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 / edited 2019 & 2020
Winter Solstice is such an incredible time. The fairies in the Grove are abuzz with excitement! One of their favourite activities is making a Winter Solstice Tree for all the hungry little woodland creatures - this is most enjoyed by the chickadees, blue jays, bush tits, juncos, woodpeckers and yes, even the squirrels. How to make a Winter Solstice Tree
Watch and enjoy your little visitors from a quiet place! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2016 / edited 2019 The Meadow Sweet Grove fairies are getting ready to deck their little halls with boughs of holly. And why not? "Deck the Halls" is such a quintessential Christmas song. There have been several different versions over time, but they all fully encompass the true gaiety and spirit of the winter celebrations. The happiness and joy of being warm and snug and safe during the cold winter nights, with lots of good food and drink to share with family, friends and neighbours . . . now that's a reason to celebrate! Everything about Deck the Halls resonates joy and good spirits - from decorating the home with symbols of everlasting life to passing the torch of new life along to the "lads and lasses" - all rejoicing and good-natured enjoying the abundance of "more than enough to go around"; with a fond nod to the ancientness of man's celebrations at this time of year. Even the replacement of: "Fill the mead cup, drain the barrel" with "Don we now our gay apparel" retains the essence of the message and illustrates clear understanding. Yule is a time to fully enjoy the abundance you are blessed with . . . whether it be with an ample amount of good drink . . . or by dressing in all your finest clothes! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2016 / edited 2021
When you decorate with holly, Remember: It is bad luck to bring holly inside the house before Christmas Eve! Only decorate outside - doorway, stairs, windows or porches. I'm not sure the reason for this superstition, however, it is very practical. Cut Holly shrinks up and dries pretty quickly if brought to the warmth inside. Outside, it stays alive and fresh for the whole Christmas season. Also, since the berries are poisonous, perhaps, in the days when households were full of many little children, it was easier to monitor if the holly was only in the house for a short duration!
Well, actually he isn't - he's just sleeping. Your leaves are resting on the ground and all your acorns have been 'squirreled' away. Sleep well Oak King - time for the reign of the Holly King! Hello Holly King! Those light green berries that grew in silence all summer are now a brilliant red. You are the obvious winner ... for now. The ancient Celts apparently enjoyed telling tales of the never-ending battle between the Oak King and the Holly King. At Yule, it is clear that the evergreen Holly sporting fruit is victorious, however, as the darkest time of the year ends, and the sun returns a little bit more each day, the Oak King will silently start his cycle again of growing new leaves and nuts ... nature is beautiful!
Last week, I wrote about Brownies, but have you ever heard of a Boggart? Unlike the helpful Brownie, the Boggart is a rather grumpy house fairy who generally causes a bit of mischief around the home. If you have one that is not too ornery, the most he will usually do is hide your things. This can still be very frustrating! The best thing to do is to stop wasting time and energy looking for the item and remember that 9 times out of 10, the Boggart will tire of his game and return the object. If you want to hurry the process along though, you can leave out another trinket in exchange that you think he might enjoy more; or better still, a little offering of bread and honey - especially if you suspect that he is really just a Brownie who, long ago, lost his way. Just remember: never, never say "thank you" when he returns the item. Boggarts really don't like that .... Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan, 2016, edited 2020 & 2021
The Brownie is a helpful fairy to have about your house. In Scotland and northern England, they attach themselves to one household and are happy to perform all kinds of chores while the owners sleep. Remember the Brownie motto - "Lend a Hand" - well, they surely do! They are also very elusive - and in fact, I found it hard to find a picture of one! But their little Danish cousins were caught in 1908 helping out in a barn on Christmas Eve. You must be very careful not to offend your Brownie and never, ever offer them clothes unless you want them to disappear forever. Remember the shoemakers elves and Dobby in Harry Potter? Unlike poor Dobby, most Brownies really enjoy their tasks - if well-treated. If you are fortunate enough to have a lovely Brownie attach him/herself to your home, you can (and should!) show your appreciation with a little bowl of milk.
Pumpkins (or Jack o' Lanterns) are such a big part of Samhain (sow-hin), Hallowe'en and Thanksgiving/harvest celebrations. Originally the Celts carved and lit turnips in Ireland and Britain, there being no pumpkins to be had, as pumpkins are considered to be indigenous to the Americas. I suspect that the European settlers, enjoying pumpkins in the New World, sent back seeds to be cultivated in Europe. Because we read that Cinderella's coach was created from a pumpkin and Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, kept his wife in a pumpkin shell in Mother Goose. The pumpkin would certainly help in dating those fairy tales and nursery rhymes...but perhaps not. The stories might be much older and were altered over time. It is a fantastic chase to uncover older and older versions of fairy tales and to try to decipher the old nursery rhymes - like the one above!
Just make sure to say it three times in a row; for "three times the charm" as you know. Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2016 / edited 2019 & 2020
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