Winter

Imbolc

Imbolc, pronounced EM-bolgk, is an ancient Irish festival marking the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Imbolc was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man on February 1st and 2nd, or when the ewes were lambing. It is one of the four Gaelic festivals: Samhain in autumn, Imbolc in winter, […]

Cookery: Mushroom Soup

This week, cook up a delicious soup, stew, or chili. If you have a pressure cooker, like an Instapot, you can leave it to cook while you are working and return to a delicious smelling house and a ready-to-eat meal. I made a big pot of creamy mushroom soup. Ingredients: 2 lbs mixed mushrooms (like […]

Hygge

“I first heard of the Danish concept hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) four years ago, and I was thrilled to put a name to the aesthetic that I had been creating in my own home since I first had a home. Hygge does not have a direct English translation; “cozy conviviality” is close, but it is more than that. Hygge is like […]

The Cailleach

Happy Solstice! Winter has officially begun in the Northern Hemisphere. And bringing the brutal winter winds and blankets of snow is the Cailleach, The Storm Hag. The goddess of winter and wilderness who creates tempests in the seas and covers the land in snow. Cailleach literally translates as “old woman” or “hag”, and comes from […]

Christmas Witches, Ogresses, and Monsters

Imagine a Christmas parade, up in hidden villages dotting the Alpine mountains of Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy. But instead of a jolly white-bearded man handing out presents, there are huge half-goat half-demons wearing chains and cowbells, stalking the streets, striking bad children with sticks, and threatening to carry them off and eat them. This […]