Recent devotions. Offerings left for my allies. #folkmagic #catholicism #witchcraft #scotland #scottishfolkwitch #constructinganimism
These popped up in the woods overnight. I absolutely adore snowdrops as they remind me of my grandparents (my granda planted snowdrops on my grandmother’s grave, and snowdrops were my French Grandfather’s favourite flower). I am very tempted to start some guerrilla gardening and scatter British woodland wildflower seeds in the woods (think foxgloves) and plant some British wood anemomes. Think that would be a suitable gift for the land spirits. #flowers #spring #britishflowers #nativeflowers #wildflowers #guerillagardening #nature #scotland #fosteringaconnectuontotheland #landspirits #scottishfolkwitch #witchesofscotland #folkwitchesofscotland #thebarefootwitch
In 2019, thanks to one incredibly problematic “Scottish folk practitioner”, the world learnt the term “saining”. Saining has since been peddled as “a Celtic alternative to smudging” and a way for the disapora to feel like they’re not appropriating a culture. This is not only incorrect, it’s complete bullshit. Saining is not celtic. It is uniquely Scottish. Scottish folk practice is a semi closed, land based practice, and saining falls under the closed part of our semi closed practice. You need to be taught these practices by one of a handful of Scottish folk practitioners that know what they’re doing and live on the land, whilst you yourself are on the land. If you don’t live in Scotland and you claim to be saining, you are in fact appropriating a culture. There’s also more to saining than just wafting some juniper branches around. A LOT MORE. Saining is not just “smoke cleansing””. To Sain doesn’t mean “to cleanse”. The problem here is the vast amounts of misinformation that is now floating about the internet, like so many turds, because of this one creator and their massive NEED to be the spokesperson for Scottish folk practice. Beware of people who are very willing to teach or sell off pieces of a semi closed or closed practice. Their motives are often not pure, and you’ll often find that they’re not that well liked within that community as their information is false. This product is sold on Etsy by a Canadian; so as much as it’s probably a pleasant botanical room spray, that’s all it is. It’s not a Saining blend. #saining #thetruthaboutsaining #scottishfolkpractice #semiclosedpractice #stopappropriatingmyculture #mycultureisnotforsale #scottishfolkwitch #scottishfolkwitches #folkwitchesofscotland #thebarefootwitch
As we’re coming into the “season of the witch”, let’s clear up some misinformation about Scottish witchcraft that I’ve seen floating around the internet in the last year; 1. Saining IS a semi closed practice with oral rites and rituals that have never been written down, you need to be taught by a Scottish person living in Scotland. It’s also NOT done to cleanse. To Sain is to bless. 2. The Cailleach is not and a “nuturing Mother Earth Goddess”. She’s thought to be a creator Goddess, and possibly the mother of all other Scottish Goddesses, but please stop acting like she’s the Scottish Gaia. She’s the bitter old Hag of Winter, she brings storms and fights the spring. 3. The Fae are NOT your friends; especially not the Scottish ones. Don’t leave offerings for the Nuckelavee. 4. Also don’t refer to them as “the Fae” they much prefer the term “the good folk”, and it’s safer for you to call them this. 5. Whilst we’re on the subject of the Scottish Fair folk, they are not, and have never been the spirits of our long dead ancestors in the burial mounds. Anyone who tells you this has completely misunderstood or twisted the belief that the Fair Folk lived in Fairy mounds (which are ancient burial mounds). 6. Leaving yer polycotton blend thong at a Clootie well isn’t gonna cure you of anything. 7. Scottish Folk practices are land based, that means that to connect with the spirits of the land (🏴) you have to be ON the land. Otherwise you’re not practicing Scottish folk magic. 8. No the spirits did not follow your Ancestors abroad. Again, they’re tied to the land. It’s the land they have a connection to; they’re not that bothered about you.
Carrying on from my last post about clooties; let’s talk about leaving items such as Clooties (Clootie is Scots for a rag or strip of cloth), and other offerings out in nature. The idea behind a Clootie is that as the strip of cloth rotted away; so did the person’s illness. Clootie trees have been a tradition in the UK (not just Scotland) long before the invention of plastics and man made fibers. Nowadays there is plastic in almost everything and we have to be mindful of what we’re leaving. I’d advise you to check exactly what’s in the cloth you’re leaving and only leave natural materials. These could be cotton, wool (make sure it’s 100% natural wool), silk, jute, linen, hemp or leather. We also need to be mindful of the dyes used in these materials. Undyed and in as natural a state as possible is best. That Clootie well also sees a lot of coins placed into the well. I’d advise against the practice of leaving coins out in nature/water or hammering coins into trees; as these coins will, over time, leach harmful metals and chemicals into the local water/soil/environment. If you want to appease the spirits of the place and petition them for healing; do so respectfully and responsibly. #nature #naturalmaterials #naturalfibers #biodegradable #beresponsible #beresposibleinyourpractice #practiceresponsibility #clootie #clootiewell #environmentallyfriendly #scotland #witch #witches #witchesofscotland #scottishfolkmagic #scottishfolkpractice #scottishfolkwitch #scottishwitches #witchesofinstagram #witchesofinstagram🔮🌙 #thebarefootwitch