Out of the dark and turmoils of January emerges the first light of 2026 – my offering for Imbolc:
Box, lasered with the image of the reborn goddess carrying the sun, surrounded by the first flowers of the season, while Lupercalia are lurking in the distance…
Soon it is time to sow the new seeds.
The box includes: -handmade sweetgrass doll – white cloth blessed under the February full moon – Ametrine, rutilated quartz (venus hair quartz), moss and tree agate – Imbolc incense – 3 beeswax candles – birch bark, for drawing spells upon – witch hazel phytograph (nature print) with Imbolc seal drawn on the backside
“As someone who has studied these things for all of my life, I really loved and appreciated this writing. I was still able to learn some new things and see some new angles that she explored that I hadn’t yet myself. The writing arrives at the same conclusions that I myself have in many things but often arrives there through different references than what I had used. She also adds a lot of regional German and older secular references that were new to me.
The only possible criticism that I could dare to offer is that her extensive attention to detail and references could come across as thick to some. Then I re-read my last piece and realized I do the same thing but somehow worse.
~Hangedman’s Seed”
Part 1 of my winter essays is now up for download!
“Winter I” is a summary of the natural and supernatural phenomena that occur during the cold and dark half of the year.
Content:
❄️Hunters in the Black of Night and White of Day: birds of prey, overwintering birds, subterreanean life, hair ice ❄️Celtic calendar, Samhain, Winter Solstice, Mutternacht ❄️Time of Taboos and Dark Folklore: household taboos, Perchta/Frau Holle, Spillaholle, Irish Phuca, Raunächte ❄️Elusive White Deer of the Otherworld: Arthur, Pwyll Pen Annwfn, St. Eustache, St. Hubert ❄️Of Hunting and Haunting: black huntsmen, wild hunt, cursed hunters, Herne ❄️Ancient God of the Wild: Cernnunos ❄️Hunting Goddesses and Hunters: Artemis, Actaeon, Orion ❄️The Wrath of Winter: Wendigo
These two healthy mandrake roots are now available in the shop.
Bodhi (to the right) is named so for its posture and serene appearance, radiating ease of mind and inner peace. It is currently thriving with lots of strong green leaves.
Likewise is Rahda Juggernaut (to the left). A dear colleague suggested the name and I could not think of any better title. Though not quite as big, it appears massive and has dozens of root tendrils (a sign of its health). A juggernaut was an Indian temple wagon, but later became associated with something mosntrous and unstoppable, perhaps because once the wagon was set into motion, it could not be stopped anymore. At the same time this root has something gentle and giving about it, hence I added the surname Rhada.
Over the years I have sent many mandrakes with their portraits to new homes and together we experienced wonders and transformations, all tied to these powerfull root allies. It is thus a tradition that we keep alive by fostering and caring for the mandrake.
By purchasing this root and artwork you agree to care for the root and handle the art according to the standards outlined in my form for purchasing original art from me.
Ships with DHL Express. Please e-mail me at info @ teufelskunst.com for exact shipping cost.
As this year’s circle is about to come to a closure, and with Samhain approaching, I felt inspired to write a summary of my research on the wheel of the year.
The wheel of the year is based on the nature observations of our ancestors. It follows natural cycles* and fixed times, such as the solstices and equinoxes, which devide the annual circle into four quarters. Together they form a solar cross, in which the four arms mark the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter (which are characteristic for Europe, as it was once covered in rainforests resulting in a relatively stable climate). This solar cross can be devided further into four lunar cross-quarter events: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. These in-between times were considered magical and as doorways to and for the spirits. They fall on the respective full moon of the months of February, May, August and November. For convenience today it is usually on the 1st of these months, when official celebrations of these liminal times take place. The magician may utilize both the full and the new moon, and partake in social activities on the fixed dates.
The celebrations surrounding the solstices are sometimes helt over the cause of 12 sacred nights. The Celts considered Samhain as the beginning of the new year. In Norse religion it is the dark half of the year when the motion of the annual wheel slows down and finally stands still on the winter solstice. It then takes the strength of the golden boar Gullinborsti, who by the end of the Rauhnächte slowly sets the wheel of the year into motion again.
The appearance of the sun cross in Bronze Age religions coincided with the introduction of the spoked wheel. As part of the solar chariot it replaced the solar barge. This sun wheel bears resemblance to the medicine wheel petroforms of native American people as well as the dharmachakra of Indian religions. In his books W.D. Storl refers to it as the European Medicine wheel and links it to our sylvan Celtic origins.
The first appearance of spoked wheels dates to 2000 BCE: Caucasian horsepeople, who travelled with spoked-wheel war chariots deep into the Greek peninsula, joined the mediterranean peoples living there and eventually helped form classical Greece. Celtic people enhanced the spoked wheel with an iron rim in 1000 BCE. Likely, spoked wheels were introduced to China from the West between 2000-1500 BCE.
The horse-drawn chariot, horses and wheels played a special part in Germanic and Slavic divination rituals (hippomancy). They believed their deity rode on the horse or drove the chariot and gave answer through the horses’ behaviour. For example Slavic people would let a blindfolded horse walk in a circle divided by wooden spokes or speersand it was observed whether it stepped on one. The sacred horses (often white, seldom black) were kept seperately.
Apart from being a milestone in the development of humans, the spoked wheel also has connections to deities of weaving and spinning, such as Frau Holle (Dame Hulda), who is the embodiment of an ancient omnipotent earth goddess. Her symbol is the spinning wheel, her sacred herbs and trees open up the realm to the world of the spirits all year round.
Due to the US cancelling international de-minimis contracts, the affordable “Warenpost” shipping option is no longer available to my loyal US customers. Frankly, it sucks. =(
From now on I can only offer the option to ship with DHL express. Any – new or old – custom fees and import taxes must be researched and paid by the customer.
For the time it takes to adjust the new shipping fees I am forced to temporarily remove shipping to the US from my shop.
If you plan to order from me, please email me and consider saving up for ordering wholesale or special items, which would justify the shipping fee. The advantages of having things shipped with DHL express are fast and save delivery to your door.
I am always trying to see the positive and turn bad into good. I put countless hours into my art. I hope some people out there will value this and still be able and willing to pay for what it’s worth. ✌️
The complete wheel of the year as incense blends. Each crafted individually, inspired by the seasons, their devas and their spirits. It’s been quite a journey. As so soften, I got lost in the details, rather than quickly writing up and following a concept. The ingredients are subject to change, as my perception of the annual cycles evolves and expands. This offer includes all 8 incense blends for the wheel of the year festivals, as well 1 baneful blend for the Rauhnächte. The bags contain approximately 30 ml of each blend. Printed instructions are included. For details please read the descriptions in the single listings.
🔥REMINDER: for receiving incense in time for Lughnasadh you have to order until Monday! Any orders placed after Monday will be handled and shipped in August, when we are back from the mountains.
Tomorrow I will be packing and shipping last orders before this much needed break.
This means there is still a narrow time window to order and receive our Summer Solstice incense et al!
Summer solstice traditions are manyfold and vary regionally. They include: dancing around and jumping naked over the fire, while wearing a girdle made of mugwort, sometimes also setting a wagon wheel on fire and pushing it down a hill, burning straw figures, burning wreaths made from weeds and scattering the ashes in the garden or field, collecting healing herbs (called Johanniskräuter) and passing them through the flames of the midsummer fire to be blessed by the fire god and increase their potency, lighting mullein torches, eating elder bread, drinking psychoactive beer, searching for the male fern’s seed.
The solstices mark important turning points in the annual cycle of the earth and the sun. In myth this is reflected in the killing of Baldur (the god of light) by Loki (Lugus) or the oak king (symbolic of the sun) being defeated by the holly king (symbolic of the dark season). While these are myths, the sacrifice of elderly priest kings on the solstice might have been a real practice among pre-celtic European people.
The summer solstice celebrations last for 12 nights, similar to the 12 nights following the winter solstice. With the arrival of Christianity, the veneration of Saint John the Baptist, who according to lore was beheaded on the summer solstice, substitutet the worship of the oak king and sun god, and the solstice celebration was replaced by St. John’s day. One of the most importrant healing herbs of Europe and even fireflies were thence re-named after the saint. Likewise, the once revered Bilwis (wise men or women who protected the fields and ensured their fertility) were turned into corn demons themselves.
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The Summer Solstice incense blend is dedicated to the rituals surrounding the summer solstice, when the sun reaches its annual zenith. The ophidian seal adorning the incense is inspired by the viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare) herb, which is typically blooming then and is an ingredient in nine-herbs-charms.
The ingredients for this blend are the herbs and flowers traditionally associated with the summer solstice. The incense blend evokes a vision of a blooming meadow at dusk: bushes of blue flowering viper’s bugloss cover the ground and transform into serpents. Plantain, thistle and St. John’s wort grow beside it. Fireflies begin their nocturnal wedding dance. Nearby, the fragrant yellow flowers of the evening primrose glow in the evening light and emit their sweet scent into the sweltry air, attracting the most wondrous kind of fairy folk, and their flowerheads turn into scaled dragons…
Use this blend for divination, purification and letting go of the old, for protection, renewal, celebrating the night, inspired dreaming and creativity. The blend can also aid in decision making and gaining deeper wisdom: cast out the serpent as a symbol of “evil” or embrace it as a bringer of wisdom and become a serpent yourself. The solsice is also a good occasion for consecrating a magical weapon, as well as exploring new systems of magic…
May 2025 starts directly with a new planting cycle and is blessed with two planting cycles as well as plenty of flower days! It’s great for sowing and planting outdoors all your favorite flowers.
Most auspicious and rooty looks that earth trigone paired with the new moon in Taurus (an earth sign) on May 27. Good time for Mandrake?
Times marked with —– are not good for any gardening activity and are best left out.
