Garden Witchery

by Ellen Dugan

  My children were less than thrilled. There was that coolness factor to be considered, after all. They were too old to believe in the Easter bunny. My husband and I had to watch them carefully that year, to make sure that they didn’t make any comments about how colored eggs and the white rabbit were actually archaic symbols for the Goddess of Spring. Some Pagan kids hit that age and are ready to tell anybody who will listen what those Christian holidays are actually based on. (You know, just to prove to others how smart they really are.) Well, at the time, all three of mine were going through that phase.

  So we loaded up the troops and off we went to the hotel where my brother and his fiancée both worked. The troops consisted of the parents, my sister, her infant son, and my brood, who were about eleven, eight, and six years old at the time. When we arrived at the hotel, it was packed. My dad scouted out my brother quickly enough and, in a few moments, what to my wondering eyes should appear but my future sister-in-law in a white, furry bunny costume, complete with ears.

  She had to be miserably hot, as it was one of those costumes that has a full head and you look out through the mouth. My daughter, who was to be their flower girl that May, thought it was pretty funny. Kat was six years old at the time, and she thought she was way beyond the Easter bunny thing. She had helped dye eggs that year for the first time—why, she was practically an adult. My mom wanted to make sure the new baby could see the bunny. My nephew was only about a month old, he was completely oblivious.

  My two boys were just praying no one that they knew would see them there, talking to the Easter bunny. Thankfully we didn’t stay too long, and before we left, my brother in one of his usual moves gave the Easter bunny a big dramatic dip and kiss. My brother is about six foot four, so it was pretty funny to see him dip a five-foot-tall white rabbit.

  As we loaded the kids up into the car, I looked over at my husband and told him that I could just hear the kids on the psychiatrist’s couch now . . .

  “No, really, doctor, you don’t understand. My mom is a witch and my uncle married the Easter bunny.”

  Our families are important to us. We want to share our beliefs with our children and make them a part of our celebrations. The majority of us were not raised Pagan, but if your parents, siblings, and now their children are practicing Christians, you may find yourself walking a very slippery road. Religion can be a sticky subject for some families. It doesn’t have to be. I am a firm believer in possessing a good sense of humor. Laugh, dammit! It’s okay to look at things from the lighter side.

  When our children were small, my husband and I were both concerned with the kids feeling left out of the rest of the families’ holiday celebrations. In an effort to blend in, we started to celebrate double holidays twice a year, at Ostara/Easter and Yule/Christmas. The kids made out like bandits and they loved it. It also taught them to respect their grandparents’ beliefs. We made the effort to teach them how their grandparents’ beliefs were similar or different from our own, so that they would know. Information is always a good thing.

  The biggest problem that I usually had was on Easter Sunday. That was when they traditionally show the movie The Ten Commandments on TV. We have Easter dinner over at the in-laws’ and the TV is normally left on. My husband’s family is huge, so when the kids were small I figured anything unusual they said probably would be drowned out in the roar of the crowd. Still, I knew my kids . . . so it made me nervous anyway.

  Now, I happen to adore that old movie—great costumes, big sets, tons of extras, and melodramatic acting. (Yul Brynner as Rameses was such a hottie!) The problems began when my kids would get upset at the Passover scene when “they killed all the poor Egyptians.”

  My daughter used to cry every time. When the pharaoh lays his son’s body at the temple, my middle son shouted out, “Hey, Mom! Isn’t that Anubis?” My in-laws all turned to look suspiciously at me. What is a witch supposed to do? I just smiled and said, “Yes, it is.” After a few moments, conversation resumed. By the Goddess, aren’t kids great?

  We celebrate Yule quietly at our home by lighting the Yule log and having the kids do their gift exchange with each other on that night. We make a special dinner or sometimes go out to eat. Yule has become our night for just us. It’s quiet and a nice way to spend some quality time together. At our house, gifts come from Santa on the morning of the twenty-fifth.

  There is no reason why a Wiccan/Pagan child can’t enjoy Santa . . . who is, after all, a very magickal guy. He hangs out with elves. He has eight—count ’em, eight—magick flying reindeer. We could stretch that a bit and say he has a reindeer for every sabbat. Of course, that would play hell with the rhyming of the traditional poem “The Night Before Christmas,” so . . . let’s not.

  There are so many different versions of Santa from around the world that it makes Santa a multicultural folk figure. Have you ever taken a good look at all the different varieties of decorative Santas that are available at stores? There are woodland Santas surrounded by animals and the English Father Christmas in a long green robe, wearing a wreath of holly. He reminds me of the Holly King. Papa Frost from Russia, attired in white, silver, and ice blue, makes a good choice. I even found a Santa that looked like Merlin all done up in celestial robes of gold and royal blue. Perfect for the solstice. You bet I bought him! Any of those characters make a great Pagan-friendly Santa, if you ask me.

  Most Pagans and Wiccans have holiday wreaths, a decorated tree, and lights on their houses, and we all know where the traditional holiday decorations originated from, so why not enjoy? In all the rush and excitement of opening presents with the family, hauling your kids to Grandma’s house and assorted other family homes, why worry? Just savor the season.

  This rest of this chapter will be divided up into eight sections, one for each sabbat. Included are natural decorations and suggestions for relaxing sabbat celebrations for your family.

  If Candlemas day be fair and bright,

  Winter will have another flight.

  If Candlemas day be gray and rain,

  Winter is gone, and will not come again.

  E. Holden

  Candlemas/Imbolc

  Candlemas is celebrated on February 1 or 2, depending on the tradition. This is the cross-quarter day between the winter solstice and the vernal (spring) equinox, and is also known as Imbolc and Brigit’s or Bride’s Day. Here in the States we know this as Groundhog Day. This is the day of the Virgin Maiden Goddess. The Crone has cast off her shroud and has renewed herself as the Maiden, even though winter is still holding the garden in its grip. But if you look closely, you will see signs of the garden and nature renewing itself. The days are getting longer, but some of our fiercest winter storms happen now.

  Usually by this time of year I’ve been driving myself crazy looking at all the seed catalogs. I start to work my seed list down to a workable amount. I pacify myself by purchasing a blooming cyclamen plant or African violets. They come in handy for holiday decorations.

  For household decorations, the colors of white and purple seem appropriate to me. I decorate with a few African violets or other blooming plants, and candles. Lots and lots of candles. I like to keep my Candlemas decor simple; several white candles and a blooming plant or two.

  A short, sweet, and simple way to observe Brigit’s Day, the sabbat of Candlemas, is to try going outdoors to watch the sunrise. Even if you are only outside for a few moments because of inclement weather, make the attempt to get outside anyway. Light a small tealight, place it in a fireproof jar or candle holder, and nestle it down into the snow. Fill up the bird food in the feeder, hang up some suet for the birds, or leave out some crusts of bread for the animals. Greet the sun as it rises and ask for Brigit’s blessings. If you absolutely cannot make it outside, then light a fire in the fireplace or light a new white pillar candle and ask for Brigit’s protection for your home and family. Allow the candle to burn until it goes out on
its own.

  Even though it is winter, get outdoors and have an outing. Celebrate nature, no matter what her season. Perhaps you could ski or go sledding. Check with your local conservation department and see what’s happening with the wildlife in your neck of the woods.

  In my part of the country, the bald eagles are returning to their winter home along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. If you want a crash course in “brisk wind,” try standing on the banks of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers in early February with binoculars to watch the eagles.

  My family drives over to Illinois for the day, and takes a drive down the great river road. We pack a lunch, load up the crew (who really enjoy fighting over the binoculars), and off we go for the afternoon to do some eagle watching.

  And in green underwood and cover

  Blossom by blossom the spring begins.

  Charles Algernon Swinburne

  Ostara/Spring Equinox

  Ostara is a movable festival. It is celebrated on the day of the spring equinox. This usually falls around March 21. This is the festival of the Goddess Eostre. Eostre is the Norse/German goddess of the spring and the sunrise. Her symbols include the white rabbit, flowers, and, of course, colored eggs.

  You could hang decorative eggs from your trees to celebrate on the morning of Ostara. I accidentally started a trend in my neighborhood by doing just that. I used to go out at sunrise on the morning of Ostara and hang a dozen pastel-colored plastic eggs from ribbons on the bottom limbs of the oak tree in the front yard. Usually, by the end of the day, many neighbors had done the same. In the garden, the snowdrops and the crocus should be up and blooming by now, as well as the earlier varieties of daffodils.

  Dyeing eggs with your family is one of the many pleasures of the spring equinox. The night before the equinox, I pick up some egg dye from the grocery store (they put out holiday stuff so early these days). Yes, I know, it blows my image not to be using natural egg dye, but sometimes you have to be practical.

  There are many recipes for natural egg dyes, some complicated and others not. One of the best and easiest that I’ve found is to boil the eggs with purple cabbage leaves. After boiling for ten to fifteen minutes, move off the heat and let the eggs sit in the pan, covered by the liquid and the leaves, overnight. In the morning the eggs will be a bright robin’s egg blue. But the color is fragile and scratches off easily, so handle them carefully.

  So choose your dyes, natural or storebought. Cover the counters with paper and turn the kids loose. At our house we boil up a couple dozen eggs. The kids dig out a white crayon and mark the eggs with suns, butterflies, our names, stars, and crescent moons. They elbow each other out of the way and fight over the purple egg dye. My three teens tease each other unmercifully and have a great time razzing each other about their egg-coloring skills.

  On the morning of Ostara, I make cinnamon rolls to celebrate, and when the kids were small, the bunny hid their eggs. The traditional egg hunt was completed first thing in the morning.

  Now I serve up breakfast and hand out the presents. It amazes me just how fast a “cool” teenager reverts to childhood when faced with chocolate. “Mine!” is usually the battle cry.

  Now that my kids are older I may give the boys gift certificates to a video store or jumbo packages of gum, and they all get a big candy bar. My daughter usually requests a Beanie Baby or a pair of earrings for her basket. (She still insists upon using her old purple basket.) The boys are happy with their gifts in a gift bag. It’s a guy thing.

  A few days before Ostara, my spring wreath goes up, along with a block set I made that spells out “Happy Ostara.” This is displayed on a shelf in the living room. Check out your hometown craft store and purchase precut two-inch wooden blocks. Paint them white and then, using an alphabet stencil, choose a pastel-colored paint and stencil on the letters to spell out your message. Tip: Make your block set reversible and stencil a different greeting on the reverse side, like “Happy Beltane.”

  A nice spring display for your mantle or table would be decorated eggs, topiaries, ceramic white rabbits, bird’s nests, and fresh flowers. Clip some daffodils and tulips from your yard, put them in an old canning jar or vase, and work in some twigs of blooming forsythia or pussy willow for a casual homemade arrangement. Try lining an old stoneware or wooden bowl with moss and fill it up with artificial eggs. Save the eggs and reuse them every year.

  Check out the florist or garden center for pansies and violas, you can plant these now. I love pansies in containers and window boxes. Pansies will tolerate most cold weather, though if the cold swings back into extreme temperatures, you may have to cover them up for a night or two.

  Also at this time of year, hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils in gift containers become available. Blooming bulbs in baskets or wrapped pots would make a nice centerpiece for your table. And you can jazz it up a little. Cover the soil with sheet moss and then tuck some pastel eggs into the moss for a delightful display. Happy spring!

  O’Brignal banks are wild and fair

  And Greeta woods are green,

  And you may gather garlands there

  Would grace a summer queen.

  Sir Walter Scott

  May Day/Beltane

  As I write this, it is Beltane day, May 1. The mantle is decorated with moss-covered topiaries, a bird’s nest, and birdhouses. The wood-burning stove has been cleaned out for the summer, and my big old cauldron is on the hearth, filled with a trailing ivy.

  By Beltane the garden is really greening up, and the early blooming plants—such as lily of the valley, bleeding hearts, and columbine—are blooming prettily. The hostas are filling in and the astilbe are beginning to show color. The ferns are thickening up and growing taller. The two new hanging baskets that I planted last week are starting to fill in more, the snaps are taller, and the allysum is fuller. The pink and dark purple petunias are blooming well now, and smell terrific after sundown. My climbing roses, of the variety Zephrine Drouhin, are setting blooms, and in about two weeks they will put on a traffic-stopping performance in cerise pink.

  The pansies that I planted in March are really luxurious now. The peonies are showing color, and I find myself checking the garden to see how many plants need to be transplanted or thinned out. My husband is in his search-for-the-most-interesting-heirloom-tomato mode, and I can’t seem to make it past a flower stand or nursery without stopping, for just a quick peek.

  Ah, May. The time of year when the bugs aren’t too bad and you can enjoy a evening outdoors without the bug spray. Here in Missouri, it is now safe to plant those tender annuals like impatiens, begonias, and petunias. I find myself looking forward to the full moon in May; we call it the faery moon at my house. This is the night when I bless the garden and all of the herbs, flowers, plants, trees, and vegetables we care for in our yard. Both Beltane and the faery moon are magickal times for gardens and gardening.

  Beltane is a fertility festival. Opposite on the wheel of the year from Samhain, it is an in-between time. The boundaries between our world and the other realms are thinnest at Samhain and Beltane. For those who wish to commune with the faery realms, Beltane would be the time to try. Refer to chapter 7 for more faery information, and be careful! You just might get what you ask for.

  The maypole is a customary symbol of this day, as well as bright, ice-cream colors for its ribbons or, if you prefer, the more traditional red and white. May baskets hung on doors, stuffed full of flowers, are customary decorations, as well as flower garlands woven for the hair. Check those floral languages and leave someone an enchanted message bouquet.

  At my house, if the weather cooperates, we have a barbeque and eat our dinner outside. I usually serve strawberry shortcake for dessert.

  Later, after the kids go to bed and I have some alone time, I head outside to the garden for a chance to be alone with the Lord and Lady to thank them for their blessings
and maybe, just maybe, to catch a glimpse of the faeries.

  A noise like of a hidden brook

  In the leafy month of June,

  That to the sleeping woods all night

  Singeth a quiet tune.

  Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  Midsummer/Summer Solstice

  Midsummer or the summer solstice is on or around June 21, the longest day of the year and the shortest night. Decorating ideas are seashells and starfish arranged across your altar or mantle. You could really be subtle and go Americana—use architectural stars and folk art in country colors of blues and reds.

  Midsummer is celebrated at my house by barbequing, going to the pool, camping, or the occasional fishing trip. Some other ideas for celebrating the solstice are midsummer garden parties, going on a picnic, or taking a trip to the lake or beach.

  To create an inexpensive midsummer garden party, keep the menu fresh and light. Decorate a picnic table if you have one, or drag your kitchen table out to the garden. Use a tablecloth in any pretty pastel shade and either use floral theme paper plates or your good dishes. I like to mix and match glassware and plates for a more informal look. You might try picking up some plastic tumblers in bright shades of hot summer colors.

  How about creating individual tussie-mussies for your guests or, better yet, have everyone make their own while they are at the party? Put a pretty book on the table explaining the symbolism of the flowers, set out some supplies and flowers, and turn them loose.

  If you are having your magickal friends over, try a solstice/celestial theme: gold suns with blue and gold plates and napkins. Sprinkle some glittery stars and moon confetti on the tablecloth. If children are invited, you could make it a faery party. Let the little ones dress up as faeries—the adults, too, if they wish. Embellish place cards with glitter pens and floral, faery, or celestial stickers, depending on your theme.