winter solstice blessing poem

Witch tarot card depictions have become increasingly popular in recent years, as more people find themselves drawn to the mysticism and magic associated with witches. These depictions can vary widely, depending on the artist and the specific deck they are creating. However, there are a few common themes that tend to appear in many witch tarot card designs. One common motif in witch tarot card depictions is the use of traditional witchcraft symbols and tools. This can include things like broomsticks, cauldrons, and pentagrams. These symbols are often seen as representing the power and knowledge that witches possess, and they can add a sense of mystery and intrigue to the cards.

con le toppe alla sottana:

Enough with the similarities already, if you fancy a true taste of La Befana celebrations in full flow, her spiritual home is Urbania in Le Marche region. From Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza and creative partner Dan Murphy comes the long lost tale of the Christmas Witch, Santa Claus s much misunderstood twin sister.

These symbols are often seen as representing the power and knowledge that witches possess, and they can add a sense of mystery and intrigue to the cards. Another recurring theme in witch tarot card designs is the presence of magical creatures. This can include familiar animals like cats and owls, as well as mythical creatures like dragons and unicorns.

Why Iceland’s Christmas Witch Is Much Cooler (and Scarier) Than Krampus

Those who prefer the darker side of the holiday season have had it pretty good lately, thanks to the fast-growing popularity of Krampus. Once a mythological character on the fringes of Christmas lore, the horned and hoofed Germanic monster has gone mainstream in the U.S. There are Krampus Parades taking over the streets of major cities, an influx of merchandise bearing his long-tongued creepiness, and a horror-comedy film about him starring Adam Scott and Toni Collette.

While Krampus may be king of holiday scares, his fans may be overlooking an equally nasty, much more formidable queen—a Christmas monster who lives further north, in the frigid climes of Iceland who goes by the name Grýla, the Christmas witch. This tough ogress lives in a cave in Iceland’s hinterlands, the matriarch of a family of strange creatures, launching attacks on nearby townships, snatching up misbehaving children, and turning them into delicious stew.

“You don’t mess with Grýla,” says Terry Gunnell, the head of the Folkloristics Department at the University of Iceland. “She rules the roost up in the mountains.”

Tales of the ogress began as oral accounts, with the earliest written references found in the 13th century, in historic sagas and poems throughout the region. One reads, “Here comes Grýla, down in the field, / with fifteen tails on her,” while another describes, “Down comes Grýla from the outer fields / With forty tails / A bag on her back, a sword/knife in her hand, / Coming to carve out the stomachs of the children / Who cry for meat during Lent.”

In Iceland, the midwinter holiday known as jól—a version of the Old English and Old Germanic word Yule, which describes this time of gathering together, feasting and celebrating and which evolved into modern Christmas—is generally darker than in the U.S. (and not just because the sun barely comes out during that time of year). According to Gunnell, the earliest celebrations of the season were viewed as a time not only to bring together relatives, living and deceased, but also elves, trolls and other magical and spooky creatures believed to inhabit the landscape. Sometimes these figures would visit in the flesh, as masked figures going around to farms and houses during the season.

Grýla, whose name translates loosely to “growler,” would be among these, showing up with a horned tail and a bag into which she would toss naughty children.

“She was certainly around in about 1300, not directly associated with Christmas, but associated with a threat that lives in the mountains. You never knew exactly where she was,” says Gunnell. Long poems were written about her and a husband, but he didn’t last long, as Gunnell explains. “She ate one of her husbands when she got bored with him. In some ways, she’s the first feminist in Iceland.”

Other bits of folklore describe a second, troll-like husband and a giant man-eating Yule Cat known to target anybody who doesn’t have on new clothes—making a new pair of socks or long underwear an imperative for any Icelandic holiday shopper. Filling out what Gunnell calls “this highly dysfunctional family” are Grýla’s mob of large, adult sons: the 13 Yule Lads.

Each of these troublemakers visits Icelandic households on specific days throughout December, unleashing their individual types of pestering—Hurðaskellir is partial to slamming doors, Pottaskefill eats any leftovers from pots and pans, and Bjúgnakrækir lives up to his nickname of "sausage swiper."

Grýla did not get connected to Christmas until around the early 19th -century, when poems began to associate her with the holiday. It was also about this time when the Yule Lads and Yule Cat—which had been standalone Christmas characters with no connection to the Christmas witch—then became part of her big creepy family.

Prior to that, she was “really a personification of the winter and the darkness and the snow getting closer and taking over the land again,” according to Gunnell. Not only did she represent the threat of winter, she was seen as actually controlling the landscape. Gunnell explains that the Icelandic people understood themselves to be more like tenants of their harsh environment (where glaciers, volcanoes, and earthquakes dominate), and would view mythical creatures like Grýla as the ones who were really running the show. Krampus only wishes he had such power.

“Grýla is the archetypal villain, and the fact that she’s a matriarch makes her somehow more frightening,” says Brian Pilkington, an illustrator who has drawn some of the definitive depictions of Grýla and the Yule Lads.

And here it’s not impossible to imagine that it might be in the pagan’s interest to offer the old soothsayer gifts to ensure that they are, in turn, gifted with wellbeing for the new year. It’s also worth mentioning that La Befana's name could also be a derivative of ‘Bastrina’, the word for gifts directly associated with those given to Strenua (or Strenia) the Roman goddess of the new year and wellbeing, who had her shrine at the top of Via Sacra, the man street of ancient Rome, which led to/from Capitoline Hill…

These creatures are often seen as a representation of the connection between the human and spiritual realms, and they can add a whimsical and fantastical element to the cards. Many witch tarot card depictions also feature images of witches themselves. These witches can be depicted in a variety of ways, from traditional haggard crones to beautiful and glamorous enchantresses. The portrayal of witches in these cards can vary depending on the deck and the artist's intention, but they often represent feminine power, wisdom, and intuition. Finally, it is important to note that witch tarot card depictions are not limited to a specific aesthetic or style. Some decks may feature more traditional or realistic images, while others may take a more modern or abstract approach. The variety of styles and interpretations in witch tarot card designs allows for personalization and the ability to choose a deck that resonates with the reader's unique sensibilities and beliefs. In conclusion, witch tarot card depictions are varied and diverse, offering a range of symbols, creatures, and witches themselves. These cards can add an element of magic, mystery, and feminine power to tarot readings, and their popularity continues to grow as people are drawn to the allure of the witchcraft aesthetic..

Reviews for "winter solstice blessing poem"

winter solstice blessing poem