I was told this a while back, by an Ytene traveller. Sat quiet, like it weren’t meant for everyone. They said around the cross quarter days, the fire festivals, and Beltane. You don’t just watch the fires, you watch the people around them. There’s something about shadows. Most folk cast them ordinarily enough. Firelight catches them, throws them long across the ground, same as it should. That’s how it’s meant to be. A body in the light leaves its mark. But not all do. They sa

Patch of wild ramsons in the woodland It's ramsons season here in the UK - wild garlic. When you stumble across a patch of it in the middle of the woods, the unmistakeable scent will soon let you know. It's a native plant here, and an indicator of ancient woodland. Soon, globes of white starry flowers will appear, which pack a hot garlic-tasting punch to salads but, for now, they're just a thick carpet of rich green leaves. Of all the foraged foods, I think ramsons are probab

The Niðstöng. A Pole of Scorn. In the Saxon and Viking Age, one of the harshest acts of hostility was the raising of a niðstöng, a “pole of scorn.” In Egil’s Saga, Egil Skalla-Grímsson sets a pole in the earth, fixes a horse’s head upon it, carves runes, and turns it toward his enemies’ land. He calls on the landvættir, land-wights, to drive them out and deny them peace. This was not something done slyly or on the quiet, it was very much an open magick. It was a public declar

Fire cider is a traditional kitchen remedy made by infusing roots, herbs and spice in raw apple cider vinegar. It’s taken in small doses to support digestion, circulation and immune resilience, particularly during winter. It’s sharp, warming and deliberately strong. Fire Cider, made in a 2-litre Kilner jar Fire cider is one of those old kitchen remedies that sits somewhere between the hedge and the kitchen cupboard. Sharp as fook when it's brewed properly and if you swig too