Witch Krafting with Kat

Welcome to another Witchy Wednesday......... Spring is definitely on it's way. Blackthorn blossom appearing in my garden. As I type this we are nearing the end of February and even though the weather hasn't been particularly lovely there are signs that the wheel is turning and Spring is definitely on it's way. In my little garden bulbs are starting to sprout little green shoots and my blackthorn hedge is starting to blossom with pretty white flowers. The Blackthorn is a magical plant and is often mentioned in books on Witches and Witchcraft. The thorns are often used for making Witches ladders, used in poppet magic, and the wood from the blackthorn is sometimes used for wand making.  Here is a really interesting article on blackthorn on The Heart of England and Forest website.   https://heartofenglandforest.org/news/benefits-blackthorn   More interesting links: https://wysewitchuk.wordpress.com/2018/03/28/the-flowering-blackthorn/ https://folkcustoms.co.uk/sloe-gin-t...

Today is a full moon also called a Snow Moon, other names include storm moon and wolf moon! The name comes from the ice cold often snowy weather that is typical at this time of year. Today Snow moon is also a micro moon.   A micromoon is a full moon that coincides with Earth's farthest point from the Moon in its orbit, called its apogee. This makes the moon appear smaller in the sky. A micromoon is the opposite of a supermoon, when the Earth and Moon are at the closest point in their orbit. In folklore stories the full moon is always a time that is most dangerous for travellers. It has been reported that Witches would be seen flying by the magic of the moon. That Pixie and fairies were often reported by local farmers to be dancing in their fields causing mischief and annoying the cattle!  And the most dangerous of all it was the time of werewolves! Reports of attacks on cattle and lonely travellers by large wolves or manlike beasts were often reported around and especiall...

This weeks Witchy Wednesday is about the very controversial and much hated figure that was Matthew Hopkins better known as The Witchfinder General.  To be honest I hate to give this man any of my blog space, my feelings on what he did to innocent men and women are of total revulsion and disgust!  Never the less it is really important to learn about the past which should include the good and the bad and to understand the Witch trials that happened in England Matthew Hopkin is a key part in doing so. The Horrifying True Story of the Witchfinder General by Dan Davis Please visit Dan's YouTube channel   https://youtube.com/@DanDavisHistory Article on Matthew Hopkins English witch-hunter by John S Morrill, A ssistant Master and Professor of History at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge. Consultant editor for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Matthew-Hopkins   One of Matthew's Hopkins's Trials Elizabeth Bradwe...

How Wales' ancient rainforests inspired folklore. I found this really interesting article on BBC News website. Please visit the link below to read.  Photo by DES CALLAGHAN https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales  

I had an email from The Stone Club this morning and thought I would share this event with you as I know a lot of you, like myself, find this subject of ancient stones very interesting.  Join us for a deep dive into the folklore of standing stones. We explore Sussex’s monuments old and new with David Bramwell and Philip Carr-Gomm. Katy Soar editor of Circles of Stone (British Library Tales of the Weird) and Strange Relics (Handheld Press) will take us on a journey into the ancient rites and sights of Pagan Britain, and Simon Costin of The Museum of British Folklore will discuss folk customs, costumes and preserving folk histories with Stone Club’s Matthew Shaw. Plus a 1953 Folk Film special.  Simon Costin is the founder and director of the Museum of British Folklore and the director of the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall. He is best known for his catwalk show designs for Alexander McQueen. Katy Soar is Senior Lecturer in Classical Archaeology at Winchester Univ...

  💕Happy Valentine's Day!💕 A love potion  ( latin  poculum amatorium )   is a magical  liquid which supposedly causes the drinker to develop feelings of love  towards the person who served it. The Love Potion (1903) by Evelyn De Morgan.  The love potion motif occurs in literature, mainly in fairy tales, and in paintings, drama, music and mythology. In the Middle Ages, extracts from nightshades were used as hallucinogens, and to make supposed love potions and flying ointments. Such plants may have included belladonna, angel's trumpets, jimsonweed, black henbane, European scopolia or autumn mandrake, which contain alkaloids (atropine and scopolamine, which are hallucinogenic in higher doses) characterized by a narrow therapeutic index. Some attempts to create love potions have led to overdose or death where the preparations were not standardized for the content of potent compounds. Other alleged aphrodisiacs include Spanish fly, lizard necks,...

  Whilst looking around the world wide web for pancake ideas for Tuesday I found these and had to share them. Tee hee they are spooky cute! https://www.forkandbeans.com/2016/10/07/halloween-pancakes/

  Best wishes to all of you who will be celebrating Chinese New Year today and across this weekend. Happiness, Heath & Peace.  Happy Chinese New Year  Fun present of a Dragon Scale label from me to you.  Please feel free to download and print and use as you like x 🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿 Some folklore stories and articles about History can be quite scary and disturbing and may have some adult content. So I would always advise visiting, reading and viewing any links before showing or reading to younger children.  🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿

Hannah Sanders returns for more fabulous Witchy Workshops. Join in live or watch with delayed viewing handy for those of us that have to weave in quiet time in between the chaos of a busy life.  Please visit this link to see all of Treadwell's upcoming events.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/events Treadwell's Bookshop 33 Store Street London,  WC1E 7BS United Kingdom  OPENING TIMES Monday to Saturday: 12-7pm Sunday: 12-6pm

Following on to my studies into werewolves and wolf like creatures here are some fabulous woodcut images I found on the British Museum. The British Museum is a wonderful place to do research either in person or by their online research facilities.  Please note that images from The British Library contain various copyrights. Please always  check the copyright ©️ before using any images for other uses other than academic. Please visit their website for more information on opening times and events. https://www.britishmuseum.org/ .. Asset number 4 48046001 Description Recto A creature, the right half the head of a young man, the left half the head of a wolf, standing in a landscape. 1585 Engraving © The Trustees of the British Museum Asset number  4 4 8090001 Description   A  standing figure with cloven feet, human arms and hands and the head of a woolf. 1585 Engraving Print made by: Giovanni Battista de' Cavalieri © The Trustees of the British Museum Asset number 4...

💕Love is in the air!!!💕 💕Valentine's day is not that far away and in the late Victoria early Edwardian book 'Nummits and Crummits' by Sarah Hewitt there is some 'Witchy' advice for the affairs of the heart! 💕💕💕💕💕 Illustrations and sections from 'Nummits and Crummits' by  Sarah Hewitt published in 1900. 💕A Valentine's Day gift from me to you! 💕 A Love Potion Number 9 label.  Please feel free to download and print and use as you like x 💕A Valentine's Day gift from me to you! 💕 Love's First Kiss label.  Please feel free to download and print and use as you like x Back soon ........ remember to pop by on Wednesdays for my Witchy Wednesday articles!  🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿 Some folklore stories and articles about History can be quite scary and disturbing and may have some adult content. So I would always advise visiting, reading and viewing any links before showing or reading to younger children.  🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/witchhunt Back soon ........ remember to pop by on Wednesday for my Witchy Wednesday articles!  🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸 Some folklore stories and articles about History can be quite scary and disturbing and may have some adult content. So I would always advise visiting, reading and viewing any links before showing or reading to younger children.  🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸

 Dragons, Giants and Witches! Animation from 1990.  Back soon ........ remember to pop by on Wednesday for my Witchy Wednesday articles!  🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿 Some folklore stories and articles about History can be quite scary and disturbing and may have some adult content. So I would always advise visiting, reading and viewing any links before showing or reading to younger children.  🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿

  This image copyright belongs to ©️ Jane Haselden of Five in the Nest 2023 Imbolc blessings to you all.  We are now in the mid way point between the Winter Solstice (Yule) and the upcoming Spring Equinox ( Ostara). Soon we shall have the joy of longer daylight hours and seeing the first buds and flowers bloom. To learn more about Imbolc and St Brigid's Day please visit this link. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc Please visit my sister in laws website for this fabulous tutorial on making an Imbolc Brigid's Cross. Also check out Jane's shop of beautiful handcrafted basketry and fibre art  This image copyright belongs to ©️ Jane Haselden of Five in the Nest 2023. https://fiveinthenest.com/how-to-make-a-brigids-cross-for-imbolc/ 🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿 Some folklore stories and articles about History can be quite scary and disturbing and may have some adult content. So I would always advise visiting, reading and viewing any links before showi...