european folk magic and traditions

a sideblog of #rowegreentree

[grotesque-grimoire]

I wish people understood that "folk magic" isn't just another homogenous flavor or type of magic, it's literally unique and different depending upon where you are in the world. Every culture and belief system will have folk magic and practices. They aren't 1:1. Some will have similar or overlapping elements, sure, but they're unique to where they come from and who they're practiced by, to the degree that two different individuals in the same area from the same culture could have completely different practices and methods. Often they lack larger structures and systems.

[michaelnordeman]

Cold, crystal clear groundwater bubbling up through the sand. This is Uhrilähde (”sacrifice spring”) in Jämijärvi, Finland. These natural springs create an almost hypnotic movement beneath the surface. The water remains remarkably clear and cool year round as it filters through layers of sand and gravel left behind by the Ice Age. 

Uhrilähde, Jämijärvi, Finland (22 May 2026). 

[aleck-le-mec]

“Where are your pagan gods now?”

Gardening

Comforting your abandoned dead

Reclaiming

Rerooting

[arianeka]

Isle of Mull, 2025.

[michaelnordeman]

Song Thrush/taltrast. Värmland, Sweden (September 17, 2017).

[akkifuar]

"Имболк был временем надежды и тихой, внутренней радости. Он отмечался не шумными гуляньями, но тихими домашними ритуалами, наполненными благодарным ожиданием. Это был момент, когда, несмотря на мороз и снег за окном, в доме и в сердце уже теплилась уверенность: зима отступит, земля проснётся, и цикл жизни продолжится. Праздник напоминал, что после самых тёмных и холодных дней всегда рождается обновлённый свет"

[more-than-ideas]

warmth of the holidays

[dionysianivy]

𝐈𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐜

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What is Imbolc?

Imbolc is a festival that marks the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, occurring around February 1-2. Known as Brigid’s Day or Candlemas, it celebrates the first stirrings of spring and the return of light. The name Imbolc translates to “in the belly,” symbolizing new life, growth, and the creative potential that is awakening within the earth. It is a time of purification and renewal, where the energy of the earth begins to rise, bringing warmth and vitality to the whole world.

Imbolc is often dedicated to Brigid, the goddess of fire, healing, poetry, and craftsmanship. Brigid is associated with both the hearth and the forge, embodying the transformative powers of fire and light. As the days grow longer and the sun strengthens, we honor her influence in bringing fertility and growth to the land. The first signs of spring, such as the lactation of ewes and the appearance of snowdrops, are seen as blessings from Brigid, signaling that life is returning.

Imbolc is also a festival of light, a time to celebrate the increasing daylight through the lighting of candles, bonfires, and lanterns. As the earth begins to thaw and the seeds of spring stir beneath the soil, Imbolc offers a space for spiritual growth and creative awakening. It is a perfect time to clear away the stagnant energies of winter, refresh the soul, and prepare for the vibrant months to come. The act of lighting candles not only honors the growing light but also serves as a reminder of the inner light within us all, waiting to shine brightly in the coming seasons.

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Goddess Brigid

Brigid, one of the most revered deities in the Celtic pantheon, is also known as Lady of the Sacred Flame. She is the goddess of healing, fire, smithcraft, creativity, animals, hearth and poetry, Imbolc is her Sabbat, a time dedicated to honoring her influence on creativity and new beginnings. Her symbols are fire, poetry, lambs and fertility. Brigid is often depicted with a flame emerging from her head or a serpent coiled around her, representing the powerful energy she brings. She is also a goddess of protection, childbirth, women, blacksmithing and life.

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The Return of Light and the First Signs of Spring

Imbolc marks the shift from winter to the first signs of spring. Days start to get longer, and you can feel the earth beginning to wake up, even though winter isn’t completely gone. It’s the time when the sun starts to grow stronger, and we begin to see early signs of new life. During Imbolc, many light candles or bonfires in Brigid's honor, celebrating the return of light and the growing strength of the sun as the days grow longer.

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Brigid's Cross

A traditional symbol of Imbolc, Brigid’s Cross is woven from reeds or straw and represents both protection and blessings. It’s believed to offer protection from fire and lightning, making it an essential symbol of Brigid’s influence. In Ireland, it was common to hang Brigid’s Cross on the rafters of homes to invoke her protective energy.

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Brigid's Flame

According to legend, Brigid lit a flame on the hill of Kildare, pledging to keep it burning in her honor. This flame was said to burn continuously, symbolizing her eternal presence and influence over the cycles of life. The fire became a sacred symbol, tended by the Brigidine Sisters for centuries, representing not just physical warmth, but the power of creativity and healing.

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Magic Correspondences

Planets: Sun, Moon, Venus

Season: Midpoint between Winter and Spring

Element: Earth, Fire

Time of Day: Dawn

Tarot: The Star, The Empress, The Ace of Wands

Colors: White, Light Yellow, Green, Gold, Silver, Lilac, Pale Pink, Purple

Herbs: Chamomile, Clover, Angelica, Heather, Basil, Bay Laurel, Willow, Rosemary, Milk Thistle, Coltsfut, Lavender,

Fruits: Orange, Lemon, Pomegranate, Apple, Pear, Blackberry (Brigid's favorite fruit)

Vegetables: Leek, Potato, Carrot, Turnips, Garlic

Runes: Sowilo, Berkano, Algiz, Kenaz

Crystals: Carnelian, Amethyst, Garnet, Onyx, Ruby, Citrine, Clear Quartz, Milk Quartz

Trees: Rowan, Willow, Birch

Goddesses: Brigid, Demeter, Hestia, Vesta, Aphrodite, Ceres, Venus, Arianrhod, Cerridwen, Gaia, Aradia, Athena, Minerva

Gods: Faunus, Eros, Pan, Cupid, Aenghus Og

Dragon: Fafnir

Flowers: Snowdrops, Crocus, Daisy, Dandelion, Chicory

Animals: Lamb, Sheep, Cow, Deer, Groundhog, Hedgehog, Snake, Swan, Wolf, Bear, Boar

Magical Powers: Purification, Renewal, Creativity, Fertility, Awakening, New Beginnings, Hearth and Home, Healing, Hope, Inspiration, Cleansing, Protection

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Activities To Do:

🐑 Light candles or a bonfire to honor the return of the sun.

🐑 Make an Imbolc altar.

🐑 Rest and enjoy the midwinter season doing cozy activities.

🐑 Wear the colors of the season.

🐑 Cook or bake seasonal dishes, especially fresh bread, cheese, or other dairy products.

🐑 Make Brigid's cross.

🐑 Take a walk in nature and collect branches and stones to add to your altar.

🐑 Donate to animal shelters or send wishes for the animals born during this season, especially lambs.

🐑 Eat fresh bread or drink milk

🐑 Clean your house to invite new positive energy.

🐑 CREATE ANYTHING!! whether it’s art, crafts, edits or poetry.

🐑 Write the sigil of Imbolc somewhere visible to attract its energy( I usually do this on a piece of paper that I put on my altar or on my arm)

🐑 Take a bath with lavender or cinnamon essential oil

🐑 Read about the goddess Brigid

🐑 If it’s a sunny day, celebrate the festival of light by spending time outdoors and letting the sun purify you.

🐑 Do offerings for your deities

🐑 Dance to festive music, feel the joy of the season, and let your inner fire shine :D

🐑 Try spinning or crafting with wool to honor traditional Imbolc crafts.

🐑 Look for seasonal flowers like snowdrops or crocus and bring some into your home for decoration.

🐑 Plant seeds if the weather allows, symbolizing new beginnings and growth.

🐑 Do spells for fresh starts and set intentions

🐑 Worship Goddess Brigid or any deities you feel connected to during this time.

🐑 Read poetry to celebrate the creative energy of the season.

🐑 Make an Imbolc Magick Spell Jar

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Food and Drinks:

Dairy products (or vegetarian alternatives), like milk, cheese, and yogurt, freshly baked bread, muffins, waffles, blackberry jam, blackberry cakes (anything with blackberries), lemon cake, poppy seed cakes, biscuits coated in sesame seeds, dishes with bold spices, seeds such as sunflower, poppy, and sesame (for Imbolc seeds are very meaningdul), red cabbage, oats, butter, honey, garlic, scones, pancakes, crepes, pickles, cheese pie, oatcakes, bannock, mashed potatoes, colcannon, chili peppers, eggs, apple tarts, spiced nuts, roasted vegetables, hearty soups, grain-based salads, and citrus fruits, such as orange, lemon or pomelo). Don’t forget to make a wish while flipping your pancakes on Imbolc! <3

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useful sources: Wicca: A Modern Guide To Witchcraft & Magick; Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World by Judika Illes

gifs credit: Pinterest

Tip Jar🌲

[grand-zammy]

🕯️Happy Imbolc/Brigid's Day/Candlemas🌱

[optimalmastery]

Imbolc Traditions: A Journey Through Light and Lore

Occurring on February 1st and 2nd, Imbolc marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox with a festival of light, renewal, and inspiration. Rooted in ancient Celtic traditions, Imbolc is a time to honor the growing presence of the sun, the stirring of new life beneath the soil, and the creative spark that fuels our personal and spiritual growth. For many, Imbolc is…

Imbolc Traditions: A Journey Through Light and Lore

[aleck-le-mec]

“Where are your pagan gods now?”

Gardening

Comforting your abandoned dead

Reclaiming

Rerooting

[arianeka]

Isle of Mull, 2025.

[thelanternsglow]

The Oak and Holly King; Crowned in Shadow, Crowned in Light.

🌿 The Oak King and the Holly King

Guardians of the Turning Year

The Oak King and the Holly King are not true enemies, but two necessary halves of the same ancient rhythm. They are twin powers of the turning year, bound in a ritual struggle that keeps the seasons moving and the world in balance. Their story is most often told at the solstices, especially at Yule, when the wheel of the year reaches its deepest, darkest point and begins to turn once more.

At its heart, this is a solar myth. It speaks of the waxing and waning of the sun, the long descent into darkness, and the quiet, faithful return of the light. Yet it is also a deeply human story, about endurance, patience, and learning to trust that change is already underway, even when it cannot yet be seen 🌒➡️🌔

The Oak King rules the light half of the year. He is crowned at the winter solstice, when the nights are longest but the promise of growth is reborn. From Yule onward, his strength increases day by day as the light slowly returns. He is bound to the oak tree, long honoured as a symbol of protection, wisdom, and deep-rooted strength. Oaks do not hurry. They grow steadily, year after year, standing firm through storm and drought alike. The Oak King carries this same energy. He governs spring and summer, the time of planting, growth, warmth, and outward life 🌱☀️

The Holly King rules the dark half of the year. He rises at the summer solstice, when the sun stands at its height and the days begin, almost imperceptibly at first, to shorten. Holly, with its sharp leaves and bright berries, remains green through frost and snow, thriving when other trees have shed their leaves. The Holly King is not merely a figure of decay or loss. He embodies resilience, protection, boundaries, and the knowledge of how to endure. He governs autumn and winter, the seasons of harvest, withdrawal, rest, and inward turning ❄️🍂

Their battle is not a sudden clash but a slow, ceremonial contest that unfolds across the year. At Midsummer, the Holly King defeats the Oak King, marking the moment when the light begins to wane. At Yule, the Oak King overcomes the Holly King in return, reclaiming his crown and beginning the slow return of the sun. Neither victory is permanent. Each king must fall so the other may rise. This is not a tale of domination, but of balance ⚖️

Historically, the Oak King and Holly King as named figures are a modern reconstruction, shaped most strongly by the work of Sir James Frazer in The Golden Bough, and later embraced and developed within modern Pagan traditions, particularly Wicca and Druidry. Yet the ideas behind them are far older. Across pre-Christian Europe, people marked the solstices with fire, evergreen boughs, and stories of dying and reborn solar powers. The names may be recent, but the roots of the myth run deep into ancient soil 🌳

Both oak and holly held profound significance in British and Celtic folklore. Oak was sacred, associated with kingship, thunder gods, and holy groves. The word druid itself is often linked to the oak. Holly was a plant of protection, brought indoors during midwinter to ward off misfortune and hostile spirits. Its evergreen nature made it a living symbol of life persisting through hardship.

At Yule, the struggle reaches its turning point. The Holly King, who has ruled through the long descent into darkness, steps aside. The Oak King is born or reborn, often imagined as a young king or child of light rising from the depths of winter. This moment is quiet rather than triumphant. The cold still holds the land. The nights are still long. Yet the direction has changed. From this point on, the light grows, minute by minute, breath by breath 🕯️

Spiritually, Yule teaches patience and trust. It does not promise immediate warmth or abundance. Instead, it offers reassurance. Change is already happening, even if it is hidden beneath frost and soil. The Oak King’s return reminds us that growth begins in the dark, and that what is forming out of sight is no less real for being unseen.

The Oak King and Holly King also mirror the balance within ourselves. The Oak King speaks to action, creativity, confidence, and engagement with the world. The Holly King speaks to rest, reflection, boundary-setting, and the wisdom of knowing when to stop pushing. At Yule, the story tells us that rest has done its work, and now, gently and without hurry, it is time to begin again 🌒🌿

This is not a story of loud victory or final endings. It is about timing. About honouring what has carried us through the dark, and welcoming what is ready to grow. Winter is not a punishment, and light does not need to rush.

At Yule, we thank the Holly King for his guardianship through the long nights, and we welcome the Oak King with quiet gratitude. A candle lit. A branch of green brought indoors. A moment of stillness to acknowledge that the wheel has turned, and the return has begun.

🕯️ A Yule Blessing

May the Oak King rise gently in your life,

bringing steady strength rather than haste.

May the light return to you in its own good time,

finding you rested enough to receive it.

May what has endured the dark be honoured,

and may what is ready to grow be given space.

May your roots hold firm through winter,

and your hopes warm quietly, like embers under ash 🔥

Blessed be the turning of the year,

the promise held within the longest night,

and the soft, faithful return of the sun ☀️✨

Follow The Lantern’s

Glow

[justforbooks]

The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg

From the devilish Krampus legend to a spot of disembowelment, the author takes us on a scary romp through Europe’s most disturbing festive folklore

Shaggy figures with snarling masks and metre-long horns, scenes of wild drunkenness, random assaults on strangers, witches winding your intestines out on a stick, a giant “Yule Cat” who will eat you if you’ve failed to put on new clothes for the day – no, it’s not your annual family get-together, at least I hope not. It’s a compendium of European seasonal lore from the dark side, as explored in this excellent short book by historian and folklorist Sarah Clegg. She combines a trove of good stories with a serious critique of earlier mythographers’ ideas about them, and also takes us on adventures ranging from pre-dawn graveyard walks to the terrors of Salzburg’s pre-Christmas “Krampus night”, named for the monstrous masked figures who prowl its streets on 5 December.

Clegg approaches Christmas by a broad avenue, so we get chapters on Venice’s carnival, Saturnalia festivals in ancient Rome, the witchy shenanigans of Epiphany Eve (also known as Twelfth Night), and the wassails of January, in which good health is wished to apple trees by waving horses’ skulls at them. What all these celebrations share is a mood of maniacal excess and social exuberance. Practices include “guising”, or putting on animal disguises; “mumming”, or enacting plays; and “knocking” – going around banging on doors, asking for treats, and even dragging out unwilling residents to join the merriment. The mayhem can spill over into violence, especially in the town of Matrei in Austria, where the Krampus-like “Klaubauf” figures barge into houses and fight in the streets, to the extent that local authorities advise tourists to stay away and the hospital’s emergency department prepares for an influx of injured people. Even Clegg does not venture to Matrei, but the Krampus night she attends in Salzburg is only slightly less extreme. As she strolls amid the usual market scenes of fairy lights and glühwein stands, she is set upon by a Krampus who whacks her with two sticks. It’s all good festive fun – except that she still has the bruises and welts far into January.

Krampus is traditionally an assistant to Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, and even the white-bearded chuckling one himself can be less pleasant than we might think. His punitive side now survives mainly in the idea that he will bring no gifts if you’ve been naughty. That’s nothing compared with the punishments inflicted by other characters in the winter-festival tradition. In northern Europe, Saint Lucy is usually visualised as a gentle, white-clad maiden with a feast day on 13 December. But she can turn from sweetness to savagery in an instant if she catches you going to work instead of celebrating on that day, or if you have forgotten to put out snacks for her and her friends. She is the one who likes winching out your intestines, but for variety she sometimes also seizes children, removes their internal organs, stuffs them with straw, and sews them up again.

In the 19th century, a shift took place towards more polite Christmas behaviour, especially in Victorian Britain. Santa Claus became portly and took to riding around with reindeer. The feasting became less about chaotic public drinking sessions and more about a family dinner presided over by the master of the house: it affirmed the hierarchy rather than upending it. The topsy-turvy elements of the season were transferred to other celebrations such as carnivals and pantomimes, and door-to-door knocking and treating became more associated with Halloween. In England today, the tradition of raucous Christmas home intrusions survives only in the (slightly) less scary form of doorstep carol singers.

Where the wilder rituals remain, they have become more self-consciously folkloric. Clegg introduces us to the wassailers of Chepstow, with their horses’ skulls on poles, and the Marshfield Mummers of Gloucestershire, who dress up like giant ragged mops and put on a play. These events are well-attended, suggesting a revival of interest; Krampus runs have even become popular in parts of the US. Clegg suggests that this might reflect an increasing disenchantment with the tame, Victorian-style Christmas, especially now that it’s so commercialised. The frenzies of last-minute gift shopping or trying to get a train or plane ticket home can’t compete with the frenzy of running around with an animal head.

If so, these mixed feelings about the 19th-century family Christmas were there from the start. Clegg notes that the century that created that kind of Christmas also created a new kind of historian, keen to find dark and ghastly “pagan” rituals lurking behind the politer ones. In 1890, James Frazer’s The Golden Bough sought a key to all mythologies in a supposed long-lost midwinter rite, during which a king was killed so as to be reborn as a new king in spring. The idea was exciting, and the book became a bestseller. The problem, says Clegg, is that there was no good reason to think any such rite ever existed. The book was “a collection of wild, unsubstantiated statements”, built upon a titillating fantasy of “primitive” fertility rituals.

Frazer has been demolished many times before, but Clegg sees his ideas living on in our tendency, even now, to assume that modern practices are rooted in a timeless hinterland of mysterious, pagan antiquity. This is misleading in several ways, she argues. First, we know too little about what really went on in the undocumented past. Second, it casts the people of long-ago Europe as passive transmitters of tradition, rather than as active agents who reimagined and adapted their celebrations through time. “Never mistake folklore for something ancient and unvarying,” she writes. Like most of what humans do, it is “creative and dynamic”.

Also, the notion of solemn and ancient mysteries ignores the idea of having fun. When the fifth-century Bishop of Ravenna, Peter Chrysologus, inquired into local festivities, people assured him that it was all “just for fun”. He thought they were putting him off the scent of something more sinister. For Clegg, they were probably telling the truth. If people, given a day off work and a good excuse, choose to race around dressed as animals, drink a lot and bash each other with sticks, perhaps they do it because it’s a holiday and it’s a laugh.

I’m not surprised Clegg is so attuned to the possibility of fun as a major cultural force, because she has a strong sense of it herself. Her book is both thought-provoking and filled with amusing asides and quips. Like Gibbon, but with more brevity, she puts many of her best jokes in footnotes. We need all the fun we can get, because, as she reminds us in one of her own more serious moments at the end of the book, “beyond the glow of firelight, the shadows are waiting”.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[enemymine2000]

Don't know the context of what started that discussion, but I'm seeing "Krampus is an antisemitic dog-whistl/stereotype" on my dash, and just no. Stop!

Krampus is an alpine depiction of spirits/devils from an era before Christianity. Admittedly there are disputes about that and this figure might be from the 16th century. But the fact remains that thete are many similar figures in German (Swiss and Austrian included) folk tradition. We like our "devils", just read any number of folk tales (Brothers Grimm or not). And this particular "devil" comes during the dark season, nowadays basically as a helper figure to Saint Nikolaus, and punishes the naughty kids.

But he stands in the tradition of the Perchten, figures that drive away the darkness at the height of winter.

I don't care what Hollywood might have done to that figure in whatever horror movie it concocted, but not everything from German folklore is automatically antisemitic. Sometimes it's just something that might as well be a derivate of a belief system that predates written history in this part of Europe and helped countless generations to make it through long and hard winters.

[boop428-deactivated20260202]

“In folklore, the Wild Hunt is an entourage of supernatural beings heard at night, mainly during late autumn and winter and especially around Christmas and New Year. The motif is spread all over Europe with different names of the leaders of the hunt, often a god, goddess or some mythological figure – sometimes an ancient legendary king – accompanied by the souls of the dead. In the Germanic variant it is often Odin (Woden, Wotan) who leads the hunt, accompanied by fearsome ghostly dogs. Not infrequently, dead warriors appear as part of the hunting entourage, sometimes whole armies, and the leader of the hunt often appears as a warrior on horseback.”

- Anders Kaliff & Terje Oestigaard, Werewolves, Warriors and Winter Sacrifices (Unmasking Kivik and Indo-European Cosmology in Bronze Age Scandinavia)

[when-november-ends]

Krampus

The evil spirit that steals children.

December 6th

In Germany, December 6th is a special day for children. They will clean their shoes the night before, and put out some cookies for the nightly visitor: Saint Nicholas.

Saint Nicholas, according to Christian tradition, was once a bishop who was known to be very generous.

One time, he is said to have given a father money to pay for his daughters' dowries because he couldn't afford it. Saint Nicholas threw the money through their window, and it landed in their shoes.

Saint Nicholas died on December 6th in 346.

And to this day, children will find goods like oranges, nuts, chocolate and small gifts in their shoes on the morning of December 6th.

Who is Krampus?

Krampus is a figure who accompanies Saint Nicholas in the southern parts of Germany. Here, the children will come face to face with both of them.

While Saint Nicholas will reward the good children with small gifts, Krampus is said to hit bad children with a rod and stuff them into his sack that he carries over his shoulder.

There are various traditions associated with Krampus.

In some areas there are entire events just for this figure, like a Krampuslauf, where men will dress up as him en masse and parade through the city.

While Krampus is a strangely beloved part of the Christmas time here, people from other parts of the country often find it quite cruel and macabre.

As a child, I was a little scared of the people in costumes, despite knowing they just dressed up. But I did always appreciate the love they put into their costumes.

Dividers by @strangergraphics

[nocnitsa]

Castro Rivera- Invierno, 1900.