Hi Little Village,
I don’t know why, but all this festive holiday cheer seemed to steer me toward a darker story to cap off the year. Winter has never been gentle, and neither were the traditions people once used to move through it.
So as we stand here in the depths of the season, I wanted to evoke what an ancient Celtic version of this custom might have been like. And, well, it turned out a little spooky.
I hope it invites you to meet the wild darkness in your own life with a bit more courage and curiosity, as we slowly ease our way back toward the light.
Sending love,
Jess
Episode Show Notes:
As the year draws to a close, there is a stretch of winter when time feels suspended. The space after holiday celebrations have ended, but before the light truly begins to return. In this episode of Wild Kin, we step into that liminal time, when spirits were once believed to roam freely, and the wild came knocking at the door.
Resources:
National Museum Wales: Christmas Traditions: The Mari Lwyd
English Heritage: Uffington White Horse
Journal of the Royal Anthropoligical Institute: Rethinking ritual: how rituals made our world and how they could save it
