Pagan Children

A Child’s Libation

A cup, the wine
A plate, the bread
A drop, A crumb
The Earth is fed
By Janna

When my daughter was about 5 years old, I calligraphied and illustrated this chant to hang on her bedroom wall. Now she's a 32 year old mother who's passed it on to her three children.

We've found it's simple for little ones to memorize and having it be “their job” to leave an offering in the garden is one way to help small children feel part of the family rituals.

Another is to have the child be responsible for ringing the bell three times to establish “Sacred Time” at the beginning of ritual and then again at the end to signal the close of Sacred Time. A chant to go with this:

“Three times the bell has rung,
Sacred time has now begun.”

and to close:

“Three times the bell has rung,
Sacred time now is done.”

To Soothe a Sleepless Child:

Sew some of the mother’s hair along with some dill and lavender into a small white bag using white cotton thread and place under the child’s pillow. Sew some of the mother’s hair into the bedclothes as near as possible to the heart.

Also:
Crush ripe elderberries to extract the juice; add to catnip tea along with some honey and give to the child to drink. (Old gypsy spells)

Unicorn Milk

Another that my grandmother used on me and was always effective with my daughters:
Warm a mug of whole milk and steep with star anise; add a bit of maple syrup (not too sweet, now!). Strain and give to the child to drink during a bedtime story. Works like Magic!

To Invoke
the
Dream Fairies

On the table by the bedside place a single yellow rose and, beside this, a golden vase with a sparkler in it. At bedtime light the sparkler and, while it is lit, have the child gently pull the petals from the rose and place them about her pillow and over the covers. (Remain with her until the sparkler is out, then take it with you when you leave the room.)

A Spell for Sleep:

You will need seven golden candles and a dish of fine sand (and perhaps a drop cloth!) Light the candles and then sprinkle sand over the child’s bare feet while saying:

“Bubbles in prisms of sparkling waterfalls,
And maple-sugar fountains and amethyst stars
Cut out of sheep's down and cream satin Coalesce,
Like rainbow beads of raindrops on
a tiny fairy's wand. Soft, silver violins
Send shimmering warbling to a downy wren
Puffed on a green budded bush
And then,
All is candlelight and Christmas tinsel
Spread across a warm, glittered heaven."

Blow out the candles softly, one by one.
Sweet Dreams.

A Sleep Pillow for Babies:

Make an open ended bag of plain cotton fabric measuring roughly 9 by 11 inches. Stuff lightly with cotton batting (not too full!). Then combine a handful of dill, a handful of lavender buds, a handful of lemon balm leaves and a pinch of elder flowers and put that in the bag too. Sew up the end of the bag and make a soft flannel pillow case for it. This may be embroidered with the baby’s name, astrological sign, various protection symbols, and so forth however you wish. Let the pillow be with the baby only at “sleep time”.

To Protect a Child from Bad Influences:

Gather a bunch of seashells and wrap them in an article of the child’s clothing. Pluck a few strands of your hair and braid them together with a silken thread. Wrap the braided thread around the clothing and shells until you have a tight bundle.

Keep this hidden in the room where your family spends the most time. As long as it’s there, your child will never forget the rules of conduct you’ve taught her.

To Protect a Child from Physical Harm for a Day:

Throw a handful of cornmeal after your children as they leave your home, but don’t let them see you do it! Old tradition is that this has the power to form a protective shield around children until darkness falls.

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