Honouring the Cailleach

[goblin-queen]

Winters finally here (more or less  )! This time round I feel a strong pull to the Cailleach, I'm not sure about working with Her. But I feel the need for reverence. I honour Frau Holle by doing handicraft, keeping the flat clean, cozy and decorating it with greenery. 

But I'm stumped as how to honour the Cailleach. 

Two ideas that spring to mind are learning aeromancy and lithomancy.

Does anyone work alongside Her or include Her in your practice? Any ideas, suggestions etc. will be greatly welcomed! 

[Zlote Jablko]

Winters finally here (more or less  )! This time round I feel a strong pull to the Cailleach, I'm not sure about working with Her. But I feel the need for reverence. I honour Frau Holle by doing handicraft, keeping the flat clean, cozy and decorating it with greenery. 

But I'm stumped as how to honour the Cailleach. 

Two ideas that spring to mind are learning aeromancy and lithomancy.

Does anyone work alongside Her or include Her in your practice? Any ideas, suggestions etc. will be greatly welcomed! 

I actually have been reading up on Cailleach. I’ve been trying to understand the tradition of the Marzanna doll in Poland, where they create a straw figure and throw it into the river or burn it at winter. It seems a lot like the wheat dolls that were made for Cailleach.

Yet while Marzanna is called a personification of death and winter, she is also likened to Ceres. Her presumable Latvian counterpart Māra is an earth and fate Goddess. I’m coming around to accepting her as a complex deity with two sides. I think mother goddesses tend towards complexity because they are so all-encompassing.

Edit: For her, it seems like textiles, weaving-related rituals, corn dollies, and fruits of the earth would be appropriate offerings.

[goblin-queen]

I actually have been reading up on Cailleach.

Sweet! Do you have any sources? 

[Zlote Jablko]

Sweet! Do you have any sources? 

Well, ADF is my usual go to group for anything Celtic. I’m a former member, and they have good material if you want to look them up.

I also can across an interesting entry in google books. It’s Folklore volume 6, 1895, Joseph Jacobs.

[goblin-queen]

Well, ADF is my usual go to group for anything Celtic. I’m a former member, and they have good material if you want to look them up.

I also can across an interesting entry in google books. It’s Folklore volume 6, 1895, Joseph Jacobs.

That's super helpful, thanks!

I also found your associations interesting. For me, the Cailleach is one of a retinue of Winter deities; each with their own role. Hers is the bringer of darkness, poor weather but also encourages introspection. I read somewhere that She is also a 'washer at the ford' but the author didn't cite a source for this. I guess Her weather-bringing aspect does lend itself to knitting and crocheting.  I also read about the corn dolly - very interesting stuff!

[SunflowerP]

Winters finally here (more or less  )! This time round I feel a strong pull to the Cailleach, I'm not sure about working with Her. But I feel the need for reverence. I honour Frau Holle by doing handicraft, keeping the flat clean, cozy and decorating it with greenery. 

But I'm stumped as how to honour the Cailleach. 

Two ideas that spring to mind are learning aeromancy and lithomancy.

Does anyone work alongside Her or include Her in your practice? Any ideas, suggestions etc. will be greatly welcomed! 

You might find this (and other material on the Tairis site) useful.

Sunflower

[goblin-queen]

You might find this (and other material on the Tairis site) useful.

Sunflower

Ooh, brain food! Lovely! Thanks v much