A Walk Around Britain

According to legend, the Scythian king, Fenius Farsa (or Fenius Farsaidh), visited the Tower of Babel shortly after its failure, only to find that that the builders of the tower had already dispersed.

Babel?

Fenius stayed at the tower, but sent out seventy-two scholars to study each of the seventy-two languages that were now spoken by the builders of the tower. After ten years the scholars returned, and Fenius took the best parts of each language in order to create a “selected language”, which he named Goidelic after his companion Goídel mac Ethéoir. Fenius is also reputed to have discovered four writing systems, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Ogham, and as Ogham was the most perfect of the four it was chosen for writing the Goidelic (i.e. Irish) language.

The fact that there are different languages is the most sinister fact in the world. It means that there are different names for the same things.

All linguistics hides the striving to reduce all languages back to one. The tale of the Tower of Babel is the tale of the second Fall of Man. After losing their innocence and eternal life, human beings wanted to grow artificially to the heavens.

First they had tasted of the wrong tree, now they had mastered its ways and grew straight up. In return, they lost what they had managed to retain after the First Fall: the unity of names.

(Elais Canetti)

Agrimony – under the pillow, you won’t awaken until it is removed – it cleanses the goblins of the unconscious.

Alder – a tree of unity – Eaidor (Chief). For syeing, a fairy green from the flowers, brown from the twigs, and red from the bark. Sacred to the defeated, but still Bran.

Amaranth – flowers into a wreath for invisibility. Take the whole plant on a Friday full moon, and leave an offering. Wrap it in white cloth, and wear it against your chest, to be bullet-proof.

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Clouds flying in different directions, at different speeds and heights, foretell heavy rain.

Clouds sailing against the wind = rain

Clouds descending over hills = rain.

Clouds rising over hills = dry.

Rooks flying low = rain.

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The room fumigated by burning the fruit and leaves of bramble.

Verbena, Marjoram, Meadowsweet, Mint, Thyme, Valerian and Violet – sacred to Venus

Basil and Broom – sacred to Mars

Use the 4th finger of the left hand to stir pot pourri

Perfume sheets with Marjoram

Put Verbena in pillows

Mandrake at the bed-head

MAGPIE COUNTING: 1 for sorrow, 2 for mirth, 3 for a wedding, 4 for a birth, 5 for silver, 6 for gold, 7 for a secret that has never been told.

FOUR LEAF CLOVER: 1 leaf for fame, 1 for wealth, 1 for a faithful lover, 1 to bring you glorious health, and all in 4 leaf clover.

A poem, a song, a crib of useful lore.
This is a series of wood fire poems, detailing the properties of the different trees on the fire. Many versions exist, and most highlight Ash as the best wood to burn.

The Wood Fire – version 1

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year;
Oaken logs burn steadily
If the wood be old and dry;
But ash dry or ash green
Makes a fire fit for a queen.

Logs of birchwood burn too fast,
There’s a fire that will not last;
Chestnut’s only good they say
If for long it’s laid away;
But ash new or ash old
Is fit for a queen with a crown of gold.

Poplar makes a bitter smoke
Fills your eyes and makes you choke;
It is by the Irish said
Hawthorn makes the sweetest bread;
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with a golden crown

Elmwood burns with a churchyard mould,
E’en the very flames are cold;
Apple logs will fill your room
With an incense like perfume;
But ash wet or ash dry
For a queen to warm her slippers by.

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February to April

Gathered in PFAF library, in Cornwall, 2007.

February: the whirling month; the month of purity; the month of lambs; the severe time; the season of purification.
2 February – Imbolc – Candles, fires, tapers burned for Brigid, to illuminate the underworld hunt of Ceres for Persephone

Imbolc – A cake of crescent or circle to Artemis, Isis and Ashteroth

Snowdrop – blossoms to cleanse house of winter ills and malevolence

Lesser celendine + pigfat + treacle = for problems of the fundament

2 February – Candlemas day – Christian alternative for Imbolc.

Candlemas Day! Candlemas Day!
Half our fire and half our hay.

If Candlemas day is fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
But if Candlemas day brings clouds and rain
Winter is gone and won’t come again

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