A Dreamy Litha: Summer Solstice Rituals

“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.” – Hafiz of Shiraz

Midsummer has arrived in the Australian Alps, and the high heat of the sun is beginning to paint the landscape in a palette of shimmering gold and hazy pink. The faeries are calling me down to the meadows of dandelion and daisy, and the weather is now warm enough to seek out solitude in quiet corners of the sweetwater river. Here I can seek out a little rockpool, pretending I’m a water nymph, and listen to the sound of the healing waters rushing by, cleansing my soul and refreshing my spirit. The long days have taken on a lazy, dreamy energy, and I find myself contemplating the meaning of Litha, and found this quote to be the perfect companion to my thoughts at this time of year – “I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.” 

Litha marks the summer solstice, the point on the wheel of the year when the day is the longest, and to me, it really feels like a festival of the sun. Also known as Midsummer, it is a time when the veil is thin and the fae folk come out of the shadows to dance in the light. These pagan holidays are rich with symbolism that predate the world religions and find meaning in the rhythm and cycles of nature.

This year, in the Southern Hemisphere, Litha falls on the 22nd of December, and I must admit, it can all be a little overwhelming when we are also celebrating Yule a few days later with our brothers and sisters in the North. So, I often refer to this holiday as Litha-mas and intend to take it slow and, in true hedgewitch style, I like to do things a little differently. So, in this episode, you’ll see how I blend the traditions of both festivals into one magical celebration of light, love, and hope. And, I’m letting the faeries guide me and inspire me to fill this day with flowers, fruits and sunshine, and things to delight my inner child. Litha is, after all, about that youthful energy that summer brings, providing so much scope for the imagination!

If you would like to join me, in my latest episode of ‘The Rambling Rose’, I’ll be celebrating by making a lovely peach and lemonbalm iced tea to enjoy with a book in the shade. I’ll also take a little dip in the Sweetwater River, make a flower altar to the goddess Freya, and paint a chapter header for my new book ‘Wild Faerie Magick’. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Watch the full episode here:

Sweet Beltane: A Romantic Witch's Self Love Rituals

We’re supposed to be in the height of Spring here in Australia, our skin being kissed each day by the warmth of the sun, and the bright fire being ignited as the wheel turns towards Summer... but, unbelievably, it has been snowing, and this little rose needs full sun to blossom. 

And so, this Beltane, I’ll celebrate by treating myself to the most romantic and relaxing day ever, embodying both the god and the goddess, and spoiling myself as I would a lover. I’ll start with a long, lazy morning baking a scrumptious breakfast in bed, lots of cuddles with my beloved furry companion, and an indulgent herbal bathing ritual in my outdoor tub. I’ll paint just a single page for my new book ‘Wild Faerie Magick’ and light a Beltane fire in my moon garden to burn away any stagnant energy and invoke the bright new beginnings of the season ahead.

If you’ve been following me for some time, you might have noticed what a hopeless romantic I am. And I couldn’t think of anything more perfect than luscious Sweet Strawberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting. Strawberries are, of course, an aphrodisiac. Named so after the goddess Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, fertility and sensuality, who I’ll be invoking in all of my rituals throughout this day.

As a Taurus Sun, Pisces Moon and Libra Rising, it is no surprise that Aphrodite is my favourite goddess, and I work with her often in my spellwork. According to mythology, when Aphrodite rushed to the side of her dying lover, her tears mingled with his blood. Wherever this tincture of her tragic heartbreak fell to the earth, strawberries grew. (I will share the strawberry rolls recipe as a printable page for my beloved ‘Wild Roses’ over on Patreon).

My date for Beltane this year is my beautiful white wolf, Noah. And, since we’re all in such a romantic mood, I thought I’d share the inspiration behind his name. Firstly, it reminds me of the rainbow that appeared after that fabled ocean of tears that threatened to drown the earth. Just like that rainbow, Noah appeared in my darkest hour, and I will always love him for that.

Another reason I named him Noah, was after that epic romance ‘The Notebook’. Do you remember how the main character, built his sweetheart the house of her dreams, a white house with blue shutters and a room overlooking the river so she could paint.

On the wheel of the year, Beltane marks the midway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s traditionally celebrated on the first of November, and in the north, the first of May. The exact date this year (2022), however, falls on the 7th, so there’s still time to plan your witchy celebrations. 

Beltane is the festival of passion, pleasure, fertility and love. The word translates to ‘bright fire’, and in earth-based traditions, represents the symbolic marriage of the God and Goddess, and their eternal embrace. But, with the endless winter here in Victoria, it has felt so much more like Samhain, or Halloween, than Beltane recently. There have been mushrooms growing in my garden, spooky stormy nights, cool winds and there are still leafless trees. I’ve even felt the veil thinning and ancestors walking beside me. It’s quite unnerving, and I fear that climate change is affecting the earth’s deep primordial rhythms, her heartbeat, and our ancient rituals, by unbalancing the wheel of the year. 

Perhaps because the seasons seem so jumbled this year, I’m not all feeling the customary energy boost of Spring’s peak. In fact, I’ve been feeling utterly exhausted, and so, I’ll turn to Aphrodite again, to make blissful herbal bath soak in her honour. I’ll provide the recipe over on Patreon, but you can also follow along via ‘The Rambling Rose’ vlog.

Watch the full episode here…

Six Senses Imbolc Altar

The next magical date on the fae-witch calendar is Imbolc, the cross quarter day between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, this day falls around the 1st of August and marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It’s when you see those wonderful signs of life in the garden emerging again, wildflowers burst into colour, and the sunlight returns. Also known as ‘The Feast of Torches’', ‘Candlemas’, or ‘Brigid’s Day’, Imbolc is a time of new beginnings, fresh starts, and cleaning out the old to welcome the new.

To fully grasp the significance of Imbolc, it is necessary to understand the life-and-death struggle represented by winter in any agrarian society. In a world lit only by fire, the snow, cold and ice of this season literally holds you in its grip, only relaxed with the arrival of spring. Although the Equinox does not arrive until later and spring is celebrated with Ostara and Beltane, Imbolc is the harbinger and the indication that better times are coming. For a sun lover like me, this pagan sabath brings relief from the dark days, and a glimmer of hope with every new wildflower I encounter on my chilly winter forest walks.

In Australia, yellow wattle flowers are a favourite decoration for the Imbolc altar, as well as other white, yellow and purple flowers like the gorgeous Warraburra. You can also collect gumnuts, and search in particular for ones that have a five pointed star on top. Imbolc signals the arrival of ‘Djilba’ season, named so by the original custodians of this great southern land. Djilba is a transitional time of the year that heralds a massive flowering explosion of yellow, white and striking violet blue wildflowers. As the days start to warm up, we start to see and hear the first of the baby animals appear. The woodland birds will still be nest bound, hence the swooping of the Koolbardi (Magpie) and even the Djidi Djidi (Willy Wag Tails) and the Chuck-a-luck (Wattle Birds). A walk through the wilderness at this time of year is a magical experience, filled with excitement as you spot signs of new growth and the arrival of spring.

Jumping back over to pagan traditions for a moment, I’d like to introduce Brigid, the goddess associated with Imbolc. Also long known as ‘The Mistress of the Mantle’, Brigid is a solar deity, blessing us with light, inspiration and fire. In the Celtic pantheon, the fires of inspiration, as demonstrated in poetry, and the fires of the home or forge, are seen as identical. Therefore, Brigid is celebrated as the traditional patroness of healing, poetry and smithcraft⁠⁠—a benefactress of vital energy, practical skills and creativity.

As the patroness of poetry, and filidhecht, the equivalent of bardic lore, Brigid, like ‘The Woman of the Fairy Hills,’ and the poet-seers of old, keeps our oral traditions alive. It is widely believed that those poets who have gone before inhabit the realms between the worlds, overlapping into ours so that the old songs and stories will be heard and repeated. Thus does Brigid keep these traditions alive by inspiring and encouraging us.

To celebrate Imbolc this year, I am planning to create an altar to Brigid, and I’d love it if you would join me! I invite you to take a ‘Sensory Journey’ into the forest to collect items to offer up to the goddess of Imbolc—one for each of the six senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing and intuition. Think of it like a wild treasure hunt or a game you can play with the faeries of the forest, and your inner child. For example, you might encounter some fluffy wattle blossoms for ‘touch’, wild violets for ‘smell’, or collect a feather to symbolise ‘hearing’ after listening to the enchanting birdsong on your walk. For ‘intuition’, simply search for something magical and curious that awakens your imagination… I found the most perfect witch’s broomstick in the form of a twisted, ghost gum branch that had fallen overnight in a wild storm.

Gather your items and create an altar to Brigid. On the night of Imbolc, you might like to light candles, burn essential oils of orange, frankincense, cedarwood, cinnamon or rose, and say this little prayer:

Mighty Brigid, keeper of the flame,
Sister of the faeries,
Daughter of the Tuatha de Danaan,
Blazing in the darkness of winter.

In autumn, the nights began to lengthen,
and the days grew shorter,
as the earth went to sleep.

Now, Brigid stokes her fire,
burning flames in the hearth,
bringing light back to us once more.
Winter is brief, but life is forever.
Blessed Brigid makes it so.

May your Imbolc celebrations be warm and wonderful, enchanted ones. And if you are in the Northern Hemisphere right now, you’ll be celebrating Lughnasadh (for which you could also create a Six Senses Altar). As The Wheel of the Year turns, I wish you all the most magical time exploring the faerie realms and the world between the worlds. I would also love for you to write to me in the comments below and share what you find on your ‘Sensory Journey’.

Blessed be xx

A Winter Solstice Ritual

At the winter solstice, the face of the goddess, Gaia, hides from the sun to allow deep rest and introversion to replenish her spirit. It is a time of deep wintering, the longest night of the year. As creatures of the earth, we are guided to go within our body temple for silent reflection and contemplation. It is a time of profound revelation, deep healing and spiritual transformation. In goddess devotion, winter is personified by the crone archetype – the wise old mystic. She is the epitome of the darkness, death and rebirth, and this is the time of the year when her energy can be felt most strongly.

The pagan Wheel of the Year symbolises the continuous turning of time and mirrors nature’s cycles of death and rebirth. As a wildling, a gardener, and a lover of all things folklore and magic, I have found that living in tune with this natural calendar helps me feel like I’m one with nature herself. It has been healing to live my life in accordance with these rhythms; it feels joyful and creative (and utterly enchanted!) to celebrate the turning of the wheel and acknowledge the passage of time with reverence and wonder.

Wildlings and witches in the Southern Hemisphere will celebrate the Winter Solstice today – on June 21. This date also marks the beginning of the Midwinter, or Yule, celebrations for those of us in the lands ‘down under’. The origin of the name ‘Yule’, some say, comes courtesy of the Norse god Odin, for this was the time of his ‘Wild Hunt’ when he would fly through the night sky on his magical flying horse Sleipnir. The 12 days of Yule festivities begin tonight and celebrate the lengthening days and the return of the light. It is a time for flickering candles, mesmerising bonfires and twinkling stars on a clear winter’s night.

I felt this Winter Solstice was the perfect time to begin a series of posts on simple spell casting and rituals centred around The Wheel of The Year. I do hope you’ll delight in these posts throughout the year as we take this magical journey together, and I dare say, your ancestors will be thrilled to see that you are returning to the old ways; to know that we haven’t forgotten our sacred roots.

So, for all you beginner witches out there, here’s a simple ritual you can do to celebrate this year’s midwinter festival and call in the most wonderful, enchanted year.

• Cleanse yourself by taking a salt bath and burn rosemary to cleanse the air

• Build an altar – place natural objects found on walks in nature, like pine cones (symbolising the spiral dance of life), seashells with a spiral pattern (if you’re a sea witch), crystals like moss agate (to symbolise the new growth of living things) and citrine (to call back in the blessed light of the sun)

• Burn a white candle and as your candle burns, meditate on the year that has passed and set your intentions for the new year and the return of the sun

• Take your favourite oracle or tarot deck and lay out a 3-card spread. Ask the cards what to leave behind from the year that has passed, to reveal a gift hidden in plain sight, and what will grow in the new year

If it’s your first time ever celebrating solstice, know that your first time is your rebirth. You are stepping onto the wheel, and you’re stepping into that liminal space between time, between worlds. Let this be the beginning of your rebirth and let it be meaningful. Blessed be, dear souls xx

Ancient Sanskrit Mantras

A “mantra” is a sacred utterance, a sound, a syllable, word or group of words believed by the ancient rishis (wise ones) to have psychological and spiritual powers.  The mantras that we will chant are in Sanskrit – the sacred language of ancient India. The mantras were created by the rishis as paths to awareness, using the power of particular sounds to create specific energy responses. In Sanskrit, ‘man’ means mind and ‘tra’ means ‘to free from’, so ‘mantra’ is literally a tool to free the mind.

The use of mantra, word, prayer, or affirmation is recommended by virtually all religions and meditative traditions around the world. And modern neuroscience is also beginning to discover the relationship between mental functioning and the way words are used. 

In ‘The Secret Life of the Brain’, by Richard Restak, the author points out that merely “thinking about the words of a mantra” engages the limbic area of the brain – responsible for thought, learning, perception, and emotion.

Yogis have intentionally stimulated this part of the brain for centuries, through the practices of mantra, meditation, and contemplation. Many practices recommend focusing the attention on this frontal part of the brain as well, the “ajna” or third eye chakra; the space between the eyebrows.

Traditionally, mantras are chanted in cycles of 108 repetitions. Why the number 108? According to the Vedic scriptures, our physical and subtle bodies contain 108 major nadis, or energy channels. When we chant a mantra 108 times, that sound vibration can fill all of the energy lines in our bodies and balance them. The more we chant one particular sound vibration, the more we tune ourselves to that vibration.

As we move deeper into the power of these ancient sound formulas, I also invite you to spend some time each day bathing in the silence that so naturally follows the chanting. These moments of silence lead us towards the most precious gift of inner peace.

"A mantra is something to let sink deep in your being, just as roots go deep into the earth. The deeper the roots go into the earth, the higher the tree will go into the sky." – Osho

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Gayatri Mantra

The Gayatri Mantra is one of the most known and beneficial of the ancient Sanskrit mantras. Gayatri is a mantra of physical, emotional, and mental healing, purifying the subtle karmas, protection from the onslaught of obstacles, and of spiritual awakening or self-realization. 

Om bhur bhuvas suvaha
Tat savitur vareynyam
Bhargo divasya dhimahi
Diyoyonah prachodayaat

On the absolute reality and its planes,
On that finest spiritual light,
We meditate, as remover of obstacles
That it may inspire and enlighten us. 

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Shanti Mantra

The Shanti Mantra is an ancient mantra often used as a prayer recited before studying sacred Hindu scriptures. It is a prayer for peace, and comes from the “Krishna Yajur Veda Taittiriya Upanishad.”

Om sahana vavatu
Saha nau bhunaktu
Saha viiryam karavaa vahai
Tejasvi nau vadhiitam astu 
Maa vidvissaa vahai
Om shanti shanti shanti



Let us together be protected
Let us together be nourished by heavenly blessings
May we work together with great energy for the benefit of all
May our study by luminous, filled with joy and purpose
Never let us be poisoned by the seeds of hatred
Let there be peace in me;
peace in my environment; 
and peace in the forces that act on me.

A Sacred Cacao Ceremony

Apart from being a superfood with a wealth of health properties, cacao (or raw “chocolate”) is a powerful plant medicine that has been used for centuries for her spiritual and energetic properties. Cacao’s scientific name (Theobroma cacao) translates to ‘food of the Gods’. And it has been used as a ritualistic medicine by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans for centuries. In the mythologies of these people, cacao is said to have come from the heavens and contain the spirit of the Goddess Cacao. Because cacao is a ‘heart opening’ medicine, she aids in any transformational shift you are working towards.

The full moon is a time when energy peaks, then releases, similar to that of a huge, cosmic sigh. So it’s the perfect time for a cacao ceremony. A ceremony is a declaration, which involves creating a sacred environment, setting an intention, and allowing an energetic process to unfold around that intention. Setting an intention is the most important part of cacao ceremony preparation. To identify your intention, answer one of the following questions: What do I want to release? What do I want to attract? What aspect of my healing journey am I honouring tonight? Sometimes the intention can be as general as ‘open my heart to feel what it needs to feel’. Sometimes the intention can be catered towards a specific goal such as expressing your soul through movement or healing a past trauma.

Create a Sacred Space

Your sacred space can be anywhere – in nature, in a quiet room in your home or any place you feel safe and able to connect with sacred energy. Start by clearing any residual energy. You may burn palo santo, sage, or any of the other sacred herbs. Next, you can increase the vibration of the space by chanting a mantra or playing music. Other ideas to promote the vibration of your intention within the space can include lighting candles, setting up an altar, placing crystals or misting the room with essential oil. Be creative and most importantly, trust your intuition and create your own definition of “sacred space”.

Prepare The Cacao

Take care to prepare your cacao mindfully, with loving intention. Play music, recite a mantra, and reflect on your intention for the ceremony as you make the sacred mixture.

Ingredients:
½ cup dessert tea (chocolate, almond or even chai)
4 tbsp raw cacao powder
3 tbsp coconut palm sugar
½ cup coconut milk
a few drops of vanilla
a pinch of cinnamon

Give Gratitude & Declare Your Intention

Giving gratitude is one of the most effective and immediate ways to enter the heart-space. It is also perhaps, the most powerful healer. Before drinking cacao I like to take the time to thank the rain and soil that cultivated the cacao plant, the hands that picked and dried the beans, the clean water which we have to drink, and so on. You could give gratitude for these things also and/or that which you are grateful for. After giving gratitude, reaffirm your intention by asking cacao to help you. For example: “Cacao, allow me to work through the deep pain I am holding onto in my heart” “Cacao, help me express myself authentically in my yoga practice“. Practice affirming your intentions out loud. Our voices are extremely powerful tools and you may notice energetic shifts as your words echo through your sacred space.

Drink The Cacao

Smell the aroma of the cacao before drinking it and then indulge in each sip, allowing the medicine to permeate through your body. You may feel the cacao immediately, or it may take around 20 minutes to begin feeling a buzz within your body. You will experience more blood flowing to your brain and your heart, and focus may become easier. Release expectations and listen to your body as energies begin to shift.

Activate Your Intention

Allow the energy of cacao and your intuition to take you where you need to go. If your intention is inner processing, you may find that you want to meditate, journal, or simply contemplate the clouds passing over the moon. If your intention is self-expression, you may want to sing, dance or go for a walk in the moonlight. There is no right way to access your soul. Allow cacao to enhance the experience that is meant for you.

What happens in my body when I drink Cacao?

Serotonin: induces the production in the brain of a substance called tryptophan linked to serotonin, creating sensations of tranquility and happiness.

Magnesium: helps improve your mood, especially during pre-menstrual depression.

Theobromine: acts as a diuretic and stimulates the renal system and central nervous system.

Carbohydrates and fats: induces various chemical processes after the amount of oxygen reaching the brain increases, which then results in greater mental fluency.

Anandamide: activates certain brain receptors, inducing a pleasant wellness feeling. Polyphenols: protect against heart disease and help prevent degenerative diseases and slow ageing.