Letters from the North

The bear was never called by its name. To speak it was to summon it. Instead, they used hundreds of other names: Honey-paw. The golden king of the forest. The apple of the forest. The old man. The bear was feared. Never named directly. And yet it was respected, and part of everything. The rhythm of the year. The turning of seasons. The boundary between the human world and something older and larger. Hunters found the bear by circling. They would start wide, a vast area of forest and slowly,...

Dearest keeper of magic, If you haven't found a lover (or sweetheart) by Whitsun, Finnish folk wisdom says you won't find one all summer. (Jos ei heilaa helluntaina, ei heilaa koko kesänä.) Another source says that a maiden needs to sleep next to a boy on the night before Ascension Day (Helatorstai). If not, they would not find a suitor for the rest of the year either. For that belief, I am afraid, this love spell comes a little too late. That is, if you want to find one to begin with :) As...

Dearest keeper of magic, Finnish month names are interesting, because they describe the time of the year very well. Toukokuu (May) means the month (or moon) of sowing. This is the time of Beltane, and in Finland Vappu, Helka-celebration or Touko-celebration. Everyone will be sharing you rituals including dancing and bonfires. The rituals call for fertility, manifesting abundance, love and good harvest, or keep the evil spirits away. These are also familiar in Finland. I was considering which...