While the Witch is often depicted as riding a staff or broomstick this was not always the case. In many cases the witches would ride their spirit animals or "familiars" as the church would end up calling them. They would ride them through the sky, not as literally flying but as the spirit placed outside themselves. A form of casting ones soul while asleep. They would often participate in nightly rides with gods such as Holda, Frau Hera, Diana, and many more. They would learn and spend time with their patron god, but also partook in what people have termed "Night Battles" where they would defend people and crops from more mischievous or predatory spirits. The latter of protecting crops from disease or cold spirits were very common in agrarian cults well into the middle ages.-TLK

In case you missed it here was our YouTube stream on the archetype of the wanderer. https://youtu.be/21u6lYoJYzo

Another aspect of witches riding a broom was one with sexual connotations! The broom (the word being a masculine noun in Old English) was also seen as a phallic object. It was certainly documented (as early as the 14th century) that salves made with Deadly Nightshade and Henbane were smeared onto the broom handle, then absorbed into the body via the witches genitals. These herbs were hallucinogenic and many users thought they were flying!

an investigation into witchcraft from 1324:

In rifleing the closet of the ladie, they found a pipe of oyntment, wherewith she greased a staffe, upon which she ambled and galloped through thick and thin.

Witches were known to use salves as a means of "travel" this appears in regards to brooms, staffs, but also chairs, and even tubs. In many cases applied directly rather than via the outside object. Interestingly there are some other conceptions as to the origins of the broom. One argument is it is a memory of the Völva's staff that they are often depicted with, while another argues it is symbolic of the world tree/tree of life. Effectively a method of traveling the world tree. In regards to the phallic object idea, several cults had.. "Phallic objects" that were used for female masturbation, these include dildo's in the shape of Priapus, and likely statues or artificial penises that were likely stand ins for the godhead, as the "Devil" of the witch cult is often described as cold, combining these two bits of information implies an artificial phallus or statue. Whether this was spiritual or simply for pleasure is up for debate.-TLK

So, one of my favourite contemporary artists, Andreas Rocha, inspired me to take a fresh look at landscape painting by employing his painting techniques. Anyway, I purchased a few of his packages - including tutorials, guides, brushes and step-by-step instructions to achieve his style of painting. Well, so far this is the result of my first attempt. I'm using one of his paintings as a guide (which i presume is permissible as part of the package). It's a mountainscape with a treacherous pathway to a plateau on which a fortress sits. Once I perfect this technique, I am going full-drive on fantasy/pagan artwork.

One other possible origin of the Witches Broom is the distaff, this is especially important as spinning is often tied into witches, "The Good Women" are often identified with the Norns or Fates, or females ancestors, etc. The word witch actually derives from an older Germanic word that implied spinning or weaving, a reference to the weaving of Wyrd. Many Seeresses and Witches in lore would hold a distaff, and this symbol was often used as a symbol of prominent goddesses such as Dame Holda, Berthe, Frigg, Mokosh, and many more. Though a notable exception in regards to a witch being associated with a distaff, staff, broom, or animal spirit stead, is that of Baba Yaga who instead rides a Mortar and Pestle, which many take as a reference to the divine connection of the masculine and feminine, with Baba Yaga being an important deity who was related to trials and rites of passage for both men and women, as well as a guardian of liminal spaces.-TLK

It's two months before Halloween and we've got 4 different channels talking witches 🎃🧹👻. I am not unhappy about this. -TLK

Queen Berthe Instructing Girls to Spin Flax on Spindles Using Distaffs by Albert Anker 1888

Russian Distaffs (Prialka) differ from other distaffs by their ornate designs, they were often used as dowry, or as indicators of a woman's wealth or ability, spinning rooms were akin to places of men's work and community places like hunting, war, farming, fishing, etc. Functioning as important meeting places, and where oral tradition carried on, Russian women would throw parties to show off their distaffs and men would show up to find a bride, the distaff served as a signify of the woman's wealth or capability, a woman could keep their distaff their entire life and even bring it forward as a family heirloom, nowadays they are sought after as folk art, which is understandable as they are a beautiful example of what a simple everyday item can become when effort is placed to make it with quality in mind.-TLK

Some examples of Russian Distaffs in a folk museum at Ferapontov Monastery in Russia.

New Podcast- Creatures of Extremes:

Hello to all those out there in the Wastelands of Modernity. Today we spoke of our nature as a people of extremes, false binaries, false tribalism, our brutal yet kind disposition and much more.
https://anchor.fm/hyperborean-radio/episodes/Creatures-of-Extremes-e15e4tm

An interesting bit of folklore is that many gods would take forms that would be more familiar to the people, and help them blend in. Gods that would take the form of monks include Wode and Rubezahl, and notably the Mountain Monk and Mine-Monk. While others may appear as kindly old grannies such as Frau Holda. There are also the myriad of deities appearing as huntsmen or in animal form throughout various aspects of folklore and fairy tales. The idea that deities were somehow frozen into their forms in the tribal era, while aesthetically pleasing is simply inaccurate. Greek gods for instance were depicted either naked (as they personified perfection in bodily form) or in a toga, which was a symbol of their station. While I'm not about to argue that the gods should be depicted in suits and sundresses, I do think it pertinent to acknowledge that the continuation of the lore indicates their forms and disguises changed with the times, in many cases gods did not have specified forms, or physical descriptions.-TLK

In Scandinavian folk tradition,
there are two types of night riders in pertaining to the Wild Hunt:

The hunter and his dogs pursuing a woman, and the host flying through the air.
This is especially prevalent during Yule season.
In Norway, this host is usually called oskorei (procession of beings)
or jolareidi (Christmas or Yule riders).

“I’d rather be ruled by inbred monarchs that live hundreds of miles away that would kill me for hunting in my local woodland, gluttonous paedo bishops that assure me I’ll be rewarded in heaven for giving them all my money and accepting being a slave, and stuck-up urbanite intellectuals that have never worked a day in their lives and despise me and my customs for being backwards and primitive”.

So many people wishing to oppressed by the tyrants of the past just because they had better aesthetics and were “appointed by God” or some shit.

I’d rather live as a free man with a willing duty towards my local community and be rid of all these wankers, be they kings and popes or bureaucracy, academics and technoindustrialist billionaires.