A Cottage Witch's Gift Guide: The Art of Frugal Hedonism
“No one has ever become poor by giving” – Anne Frank
Summer has arrived here in Australia, and the days are getting warmer and longer in my sleepy little valley. Each morning I wake to the sound of magpies, fairy wrens and bower birds, happily chirping as the first rays of the sun spill out across the mountains. It’s easy to forget the outside world here sometimes, and, to be honest, I prefer to do so... A handful of friends and I, refer to this town as ‘The Shire’ sometimes, and I certainly feel like a harfoot at heart, wandering barefoot in my garden searching for berries, talking to faeries and following dragonflies along forest trails. But, adopting a slower pace and opting out of the modern world, requires some adjustments, and as the holiday season draws near, I’m reminded that one of those is developing the practice of frugal hedonism.
Simply put, it is the art of spending less, while enjoying everything more. Instead of trading your time and energy for money, ending up stressed and exhausted, with very little time to enjoy life, you can take back those precious hours of your life, and get creative with what you already have, rediscovering the incredible amount of free, and low cost, resources around you.
When we begin to recognise that the myth of ‘more’ is not in the best interest of human biology, we can slowly start to say ‘no’ to the cult of consumerism, and ‘yes’ to the abundance of the natural world, and to the generousity of loving, conscious community. We can slow down, heal our tired, tender bodies, and focus on what we truly need to be happy.
With a global recession looming, it seems many of us are tightening our purse strings even more this Christmas and so, I thought I’d share some ideas for delightful handmade gifts that you can make with materials found around the home, in the garden, or at your local thrift store.
A SWEET PET PORTRAIT – My first handmade gift idea, of course, is for the arty witches out there. Whether you are a painter like me, a photographer, or gifted with another creative talent, I thought to myself, what could be more special than a sweet pet portrait!? Pets are our beautiful, furry family, and our loyal familiars, so, I decided to gift one dear friend a painting of her beloved cat Forest. I will share a photo of Forest with my patrons on Patreon, so you can see how I did capturing his likeness.
SCENTED CHARM BAGS – My second thrifty gift idea is for all the skilled seamstress witches! It’s an easy little sewing project whether by hand, or machine. And you know, even my sewing machine and kit are thrifted! Since it’s high summer, the rose goddess garden I shared with you in the last episode is in full bloom, so we’ll be using the petals to create a heavenly scented charm bag. With a pinch of glamour magick. I’ll need to dry these petals first, but don’t worry, I have some dried ones saved up from last season. Now I only took up sewing again recently, and in true rambling rose style, I totally winged it with this pattern: I made quite a few mistakes, which is no surprise when you don’t even measure first! But I promise to write it up perfectly for my Wild Roses on Patreon, so you don’t have that feeling of ridiculousness when you realise it’s all inside out and upside down.
CHOC MINT TRUFFLES – My third homemade gift idea is for the kitchen witches, using any ingredients you have on hand to make a yummy edible gift. Now, I’ve got peppermint growing every which way in my garden this summer, even underneath my steps - let’s give them a quick sweep on the way to the herb garden shall we? I thought I’d use this voracious peppermint, along with some other ingredients in my pantry, to make choc mint truffles. I’ll pop the truffles in gorgeous tin from – you guessed it – the Op Shop! And i think they’ll make a lovely gift.
MINI FAERIE GARDEN – My fourth frugal gift idea is for the green thumbs, the garden fairies that just have a gift with plants, and it all started with a cutting from this beautiful spotted begonia. So, with an old painted pot that I previously repurposed, I thought I’d make a miniature fairy garden with this begonia cutting. With my own gift wrap and some more thrifted ribbon, in a charming bow, this gift cost next to nothing… and I feel like any garden faerie would adore it!
SUGAR SCRUB BARS – My final thrifty gift idea is for the green witches, the lovers of potions and lotions, and it uses another ingredient that’s growing in abundance this summer. Calendula! This magical flower stimulates collagen production, and will make your skin so youthful and bright. Along with some other ingredients in my home apothecary, we’ll be making some luscious sugar scrub bars for radiant, glowing skin. I think they look like the golden sun itself, don’t you? Beaming away in the garden. Once again, this recipe will be shared in detail with my Wild Roses on Patreon later this week, but they are quick and easy to make, and cost next to nothing.
Watch the full episode here…
A Winter Solstice Ritual
At the winter solstice, the face of the goddess, Gaia, hides from the sun to allow deep rest and introversion to replenish her spirit. It is a time of deep wintering, the longest night of the year. As creatures of the earth, we are guided to go within our body temple for silent reflection and contemplation. It is a time of profound revelation, deep healing and spiritual transformation. In goddess devotion, winter is personified by the crone archetype – the wise old mystic. She is the epitome of the darkness, death and rebirth, and this is the time of the year when her energy can be felt most strongly.
The pagan Wheel of the Year symbolises the continuous turning of time and mirrors nature’s cycles of death and rebirth. As a wildling, a gardener, and a lover of all things folklore and magic, I have found that living in tune with this natural calendar helps me feel like I’m one with nature herself. It has been healing to live my life in accordance with these rhythms; it feels joyful and creative (and utterly enchanted!) to celebrate the turning of the wheel and acknowledge the passage of time with reverence and wonder.
Wildlings and witches in the Southern Hemisphere will celebrate the Winter Solstice today – on June 21. This date also marks the beginning of the Midwinter, or Yule, celebrations for those of us in the lands ‘down under’. The origin of the name ‘Yule’, some say, comes courtesy of the Norse god Odin, for this was the time of his ‘Wild Hunt’ when he would fly through the night sky on his magical flying horse Sleipnir. The 12 days of Yule festivities begin tonight and celebrate the lengthening days and the return of the light. It is a time for flickering candles, mesmerising bonfires and twinkling stars on a clear winter’s night.
I felt this Winter Solstice was the perfect time to begin a series of posts on simple spell casting and rituals centred around The Wheel of The Year. I do hope you’ll delight in these posts throughout the year as we take this magical journey together, and I dare say, your ancestors will be thrilled to see that you are returning to the old ways; to know that we haven’t forgotten our sacred roots.
So, for all you beginner witches out there, here’s a simple ritual you can do to celebrate this year’s midwinter festival and call in the most wonderful, enchanted year.
Cleanse yourself by taking a salt bath and burn rosemary to cleanse the air
Build an altar – place natural objects found on walks in nature, like pine cones (symbolising the spiral dance of life), seashells with a spiral pattern (if you’re a sea witch), crystals like moss agate (to symbolise the new growth of living things) and citrine (to call back in the blessed light of the sun)
Burn a white candle and as your candle burns, meditate on the year that has passed and set your intentions for the new year and the return of the sun
Take your favourite oracle or tarot deck and lay out a 3-card spread. Ask the cards what to leave behind from the year that has passed, to reveal a gift hidden in plain sight, and what will grow in the new year
If it’s your first time ever celebrating solstice, know that your first time is your rebirth. You are stepping onto the wheel, and you’re stepping into that liminal space between time, between worlds. Let this be the beginning of your rebirth and let it be meaningful. Blessed be, dear souls xx