Why is 8th August the luckiest day of the year? – What is The Lions Gate Portal

It’s the 8/8 which means it’s the Lions Gate Portal! Here is how to use it to super charge your manifestations.

Top Level:

Key Date: 8th August 2022 is considered the Peak of The Lions Gate Portal.
Magick: Is a great time to manifest your goals dreams – if using the moon is the moon phase will be Waxing Gibbous in the sign of Sagittarius. (Also see spells below)
Ends:12th August ends.

What is The Lions Gate Portal?

Put simply, The Lions Gate Portal is considered one of the strongest magickal periods of the annual astrological calendar. It celebrates the alignment of Earth, The Sun in Leo, Sirius (The dog star, the brightest star in the sky and not the Harry Potter Character but he does have the star as his namesake) and the constellation Orions belt. This alignment happens every year and at the same time, from 28th July to 12th August.

The activation happens on the 8th of August and is believed to be when the period is at its peak for manifesting and spell work. Yey!

*Featured top image credit: Hubble Peers into the Mouth of Leo A by NASA Goddard Photo and Video

Why is The Lions Gate portal important to witches and spiritual practitioners?

We can use this energy to empower our manifesttaions and spell work. 8th August can often be refered to as the luckiest day of year, so it’s a perfect time to try your luck by going large with your manifestations. Dream house? Go for it. Perfect job change? Make it happen. Want love? Attract that energy to you.

The key to this period is keeping that energy up and truly believe that anything is posible and making sure you’re intent and desires are clearly expressed. Don’t chase, attract, honey!

Astrology:

The Sun is the ruler of Leo, therefore when The Sun enters Leo every year to mark Leo season, this creates really positive and powerful energy which is hypercharged during the Lion’s Gate Portal period.
Leo is a sign of ‘self’: ego, of understanding yourself on the inside and how you present outwardly, self-confidence, confidence and bravery. Basically, it’s a perfect time for manifesting the dreams and desires that are associated with you and your goals. Go big or go home is certainly an apt phrase for Leos and their approach to life and also this period energetically. Therefore, it’s a great period to manifest career or life goals.
Locate where Leo is in your birth chart and what house it is in, this will guide you in where you should be focusing your attention when it comes to manifesting goals during this period.

Numerology:

8/8 is considered a very powerful number in numerology meaning: Abundance, luck and growth. The number 8 is considered lucky and powerful in cultures throughout the world.

Symbology:

The infinity symbol ∞ equals 8 and is considered the symbol for manifestation. As above, so below.

How can I use it for my magick?

Some start from the 28th July and build up (like me!) but the peak period is considered to be the 8th of August (8/8) to use this energy in spell work is very simple, so for those just starting out below is a simply but effective way to manifest your desires.

Perfect for beginners:

The Everyday Extra Empowerment:

Meditating in the Sun – and visualising what you desire in detail is fabulous way to use that strong the Sun in Leo energy.
Journaling – every morning with prompts to help progress you towards your goal.
Affirmations – choose 8 affirmations that present what you wish to achieve over the next year and say them to your self in the mirror. I recommend doing an affirmation in mirror every morning anyway.

Simple Manifestaion practice on the day:

The Diary Method:

What you will need:

Pen or pencil..hey, why not even use a quill, add some drama!
Paper (or parchment…you see where I am going here!)

Method:

What is your dream life? No really, what is your dream life and if you were to live your dream life what would you be doing in a day of that desired existense, say, in a years time? Really visualise this and do not hold back. This is your absolute dream. Really think about it and visualise the reality of living it for a few minutes. This will help setup your vibration and help you performed the next step:

Get your paper or note book and write the date as a year from now: 8th August 2023

Under the date begin to write a diary entry as if you were living your dream life on that day in a years time. Be detailed, the more detail the better.

Once completed, release the intention of what you have just written into the universe, speak out loud or silently to yourself that you are accepting it as done and thank the universe for sending that desire to you.

Seal up the letter if not in a notebook and store somewhere safe and don’t open/read for a year.

Open in a year and see how much as come true – honestly, I have done this a few times and have aways been surprised!

If you like this method you can regularly keep up entries in your books of spells, grimore or similar. I personally keep a separate manifestation journal which keep writing in to help me maintain focus on my goals and allow me to look back at my progress.

“diary writing” by freddie boy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Ritual for those who want a side of ‘ceremony’:

Some of us love to use ingredients in our spell craft , or we just like a bit of drama, some of us it’s both…I certainly love to make things ceremoinial! The Lions Gate Portal is a perfect time to make to add extra ingredients to your usual manifestation methods such as candle, herb and craft magick. The below if simple but effective way to use fire (Leo’s element family) in your manifestion practices.

You will need:

Bayleaf – you can get this fresh but store brought is fine, and the one we mainy use at Digital Coven (We should invest in stocks the amount we use it to be fair)
A Candle (lighter or matches if you don’t have a candle to hand..all witches run out!)
Fireproof bowl or Cauldron

How to Manifest on The Lion Gate Portal:

I personallylike to do these spells in the moon light and outside if posible. I have also lived in a flat and shared houses so rest assured, if you can do either of the things, your magick will be just as potent – this is all about your intent and belief of course…you’re the main ingredient for this spell!

“Bay Leaf, Fresh and Dried” by Clint__Budd is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Get a Bay leaf and hold it close, envision the intention/dream/desire that you wish to attract
You have to visualise this as if it has already happened making sure to really envision how you will feel when you receive this desire and all the things that you will do with it.
Write your intention onto the Bay leaf and burn in the fireprool bowl (or cauldron) . You can use any colour pen but if you have Silver or Gold marker I would recommend using this to further highlight your goals.
Release your intention into the universe and give thanks to universe for it abundance. Then, wait and trust the process (it works quicker than you think!)

For more info on using Bayleaf, check out my post on why Baeleaf is Bae and if you’re planning on doing moonwork for these spells then, AJ goes in-depth on her Witchcraft for beginners post here.

For those working with the moon specifically, the moon phase will be Waxing Gibbous in the sign of Sagittarius.

So Coven, hopefully we’ve got you all excited about the Lions Gate Portal? If so,will you be using the Lions Gate Portal to manifest your dreams and goals this year? Let us know below or on our social channels.

Happy practising, darlings…may your dreams come to pass ❤

Love, Emma

What is the Wheel of the Year? An introduction to the Sabbats

If you’re new to the craft you may have started spotting new celebrations you have never heard of starting to appear on your News Feeds, especially on TikTok. Don’t be fooled by thinking the Wheel of the Year is something only used by Wiccans but also, if you don’t want to follow the Wheel of the Year, you don’t have to either. Everyone’s practice is personal.

As you’re here at Digital Coven to learn and discover, it would have been remiss of us to not at least introduce you to the sabbats. As a caveat before we get into the nitty and gritty, the dates I’ll be using are for the Northern Hemisphere as that is where I am and is what I know and I wouldn’t want to get anything wrong.

The Wheel of the Year, is a medley of fire festivals, chief solar events, equinoxes and solstices. Almost a calendar for the working pagan / witch / Spiritual Person™ . The Sabbats and a lot of Magic is seasonal and an easy way to connect to your path as a beginner, especially if you’re still not open about your craft yet.

This post in particular is more of a ‘starting point’ or a snapshot to the sabbats and the Wheel of the Year, throughout the year we will include more detailed posts for you so you can learn as much as you can in one place.

Now, let’s get cracking.

Yule – 21st December

Everyone knows this one. Associated with Christmas, the Wild Hunt, the deep midwinter. It’s actually a 12 day long celebration too so no need to worry if you miss the first day.

SHE'S A WITCH!! Hiding in the shadows we see a witch shrouded in darkness, mystery and, most importantly, black velvet.

She seems older than her years yet her hands are still that of a maiden. She holds a bare wreath in her hands but you get a feeling that this isn't just a standard wreath. It is 'more' in capital letters. Something powerful.

In front of our witchy friend is a red candle glowing which is the only colour in the image.

Beside the candle is a christmassy reindeer which feels out of place. Out of place but belonging. — Witch making a wreath and Yule

Here are a couple of starters for ten in terms of rituals and celebrations:

Bring green into the home. If you’re still in the broom closet that can simply be a wee christmas tree. At this point of the year, there is little to no natural growth so bring that life inside to encourage a healthy winter. Also, some pagan traditions suggest that by bringing in a tree to your home, you’re providing somewhere warm for the woodland spirits during the winter and they will thank you with abundance in the spring.

Personally, I like to gather local holly and hang it through my home.
Welcome back the sun. As Yule starts on the Winter Solstice, this is the beginning of the astrological winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the point where the nights can reach their darkest.

Light candles, hang fairy lights, I like to light a candle as I cook.
Yule Log: There are actually a couple of variations of this.

If you have an open fireplace, you can burn a specially chosen log on Christmas eve. You can ‘scent’ with cinnamon as well for the vibes and protective qualities.

You can create a Yule Log display for your altar / space. Find a log, decorate it how you feel with candles, greenery runes and sigils.

Eat a chocolate Yule log, great if you’re still not open with your craft.

Imbolc – 1st February

Meaning ‘in the belly’, imbolc is a celtic festival originating in Ireland and represents the stirring of new life. This is where the earliest signs of rebirth appear, sometimes in the form of new leaves and buds. The world is getting ready to wake up again.

White and green snowdrops sit on the mossy ground. They're open but pointed downwards as though they are hats on invisible fairies. — Snowdrops on the mossy ground

Imbolc is also associated with the Goddess Brigit / Brigid/ /Brighid Bríg. Some may already know her as St Brigit. Brigid is a fire goddess and often associated with protection, healing, smithcraft, and poetry.

In the Christian calendar, this date is also marked by Candelmas so some of the traditions may be the same or similar.

Things you can do to celebrate imbolc:

EAT: As with all festivals of the Wheel of the Year, this is a time to feast. Foods associated with imbolc are those that would traditionally be available when it was still winter. Dairy products like milk, cream and butter as this would be the time of the ‘first milk’ since winter, baked goods, dried foods. What you would have been able to store in your pantry to get through until spring.

Bake bread, pies and cakes and look for foods that are associated with sun and rebirth, eggs are a nice easy one if you’re low on energy you can just scramble an egg in the microwave as a way to honour the festival.
Leave an offering for Brigid: traditionally the first milk would have been poured on the ground for Brigid.

When it comes to food offerings, especially in the current climate where the cost of living is soaring, this may not be the most practical. Instead, pour yourself a glass of milk (plant based counts too), or make some buttery toast. Toast Bridgid before you consume instead of leaving out / pouring away. This way she has been thanked and you have been nourished at the same time.
Plant seeds: This is the time to start sewing your seeds (but do look at an Almanac to be sure depending on what you’re planting). If you’re like me and don’t have access to an outside space,I treat myself to a herb plant around this time or try and regrow things from scraps (leeks, ginger and garlic are really easy to do this with).

Beltane – 1st May

Beltane is the first Fire Festival of the year and where celebrations really start to begin. Beltane originates in Ireland from the celtic god Bel. Traditionally, bonfires would be lit to honour Bel and also to celebrate the return of the sun and spring with longer days coming ahead. You may also be thinking May Day and May pole and you’d be correct!

Flower crowns, ribbons, white dresses. It's pure spring party vibes right here as children surround the maypole. — Maypole dancers gather around the Maypole

Beltane is around the time of year where everything has really sprung to life and as such is also associated with fertility and the idea of ‘everlasting’.

The bonfires lit for Beltane were often public bonfires that people would ‘jump’ for protection and fertility and before they were extinguished, the people would take some of the fire with them to light their hearths.

Things you can do for Beltane:

Have a BBQ / Bonfire if you have the space: You can’t really have a fire festival without fire, can you? If this isn’t possible for you, lighting a candle works just as well.
Dress in Beltane colours: Green, red, white. Green for regrowth, fertility and abundance, red for passion and vitality, white for cleansing and clearing of negative energy. Now’s the perfect time to practice your colour magic.
Make a flower crown: Even a simple daisy chain will do!

Summer Solstice: 21st June

Probably the most famous solstice, the one you see on the telly every year where people flock to Stonehenge to take in the vibes. This is Midsummer (like Yule is midwinter) and also the longest day of the year. Many will make a pilgrimage to Stonehenge or other spiritual sites, but if this is not possible for you, there is plenty you can do at home too.

Stonehenge is standing proud with the Milky Way above. The Milky Way almost looks like magic itself but there is no up or down. Is the magic flowing into Stonehenge or is the magic radiating from it? — Stonehenge at night with starry milky way sky on winter solstice.

Sunrise and Sunset: As the longest day, we celebrate the sun. Watching both the sunrise and sunset means you can experience the most of the day. To be honest, even opening your curtains and staying in bed can work too if it’s not possible for you to be up and about at this time.
Sun Symbols: a simmer pot or even food made from lemons and oranges as we honour the return of the sun. I make an orange drizzle cake (mostly because i don’t really like the taste of lemon!) and you can easily buy things like lemon cakes if you can’t make them.
Colour Magic: dress, display or even use coloured candles in your rituals. Yellow for the sun, green for the earth and blue for the sky.

Lammas / Lughnassadh – 1st August

Lammas literally translates as ‘loaf mass’ and is the time we celebrate the first grain harvest (basically, the first of many harvest festivals). Lammas is also known as Lughnassadgh and Lugnasad.

A single chunk of bread lies on a worn wooden table next to some chestnuts in a dark and moody room. The bread has been picked up so there are a few crumbs around. Was this from a midnight snack? Or could this be an offering for unknown spirits. — bread on a wooden table

As with many dates on the wheel of the year, particularly those that follow Lammas. This is a time where we give thanks for the harvest and feast as well as honouring Lammas, our harvest queen.

Things you can do for Lammas:

Eat bread: Whether you have baked it or bought it, just… bread.
Make a corn dolly / mother: these are traditionally made out of wheat but this isn’t always easy to come by, especially if you live in a big city. If you can’t access wheat you can use straw, which you can find in pet shops, or even draw one for your altar.
Colour Magic: Dress in oranges golds and yellows to represent the harvest

Autumn Equinox / Mabon – September 19th – 22nd

Another transitory time where the days start getting colder and shorter. The leaves are starting to turn red and orange, occasionally there will be a little bite in the air… Autumn in my favourite.

The sun is rising, mist and an eery glow. Bare, shadowy trees frame the sun. It's beautiful, cold and warm at the same time, with an almost haunted feel — Misty wood

The Autumn Equinox is also known to some as Mabon, you’ll see this more often in American Wicca or witchcraft practices. This is the time of Mid-Harvest, particularly for fruit. As the seasons change we would traditionally start preserving food for the winter and long night ahead.

Things you can do for the Autumn Equinox:

Jam: like to go to my nearest woods to gather blackberries around this time and make jam with them. I like to plan the foraging and making around the full moon where I can as well. If you don’t have access to blackberries, buy the fruit you like and make some from that. If you can’t make jam, get some jam for jam on toast… Say jam again.
Decorate your altar: Basically lots of Autumn-y things! Acorns, pine cones, leaves, the colours of autumn! Also, if you happen to find an acorn during this time… save it for Imbolc and plant it under the first tree that blossoms.
Stew and Kitchen Witchery: Autumn is the time the Kitchen witch THRIVES. Making stews with seasonally appropriate food, ‘canning’ for the winter and basically living our best lives. I have previously shared my ‘mabon’ casserole on TikTok, and Emma has her own go-to stock recipe that can be utilised at this time. Anything hearty and warming. As you cook, you can include your intentions and wishes for the season too.

Samhain / Hallowe’en – 31st October

Also known as AJ’s Christmas… Samhain is the point where the nights are at their darkest, the veil is thin and spirits can wonder again, not only that… it’s the Witches’ New Year.

Any Scorpios here, this is where you are at your most intuitive. Some of us feel the energies of the spirits as they come and go, we can celebrate the cycle of life and death as the Witches’ year and the nature around us has ‘passed’.

Samhain has its roots in Celtic practices, particularly in Ireland. We have the legend of Stingy Jack and how he lead to the creation of the Jack-O-Lantern, bonfires would be lit and costumes would be worn to ward off unwanted spirits.

Anyway, surely you know a lot about Samhain / Hallowe’en so let’s get down to what you can do…

Jack – O – Lanterns: It would be remis of me not to include these, sure they seem a little obvious but let’s remember they have been used for centuries as a way to light the path home for family spirits and also to ward off unwanted energies. As you carve your pumpkin, you could make it a ritual. I like to ‘set a vibe’ with incense and music as I turn my pumpkin into a protective ward for the evening. No energy or ability to carve a pumpkin? That’s OK. I have a collection of Pumpkin tealight holders that work just as well, they’re only £1 from Poundland!
Soul Cakes: Soul Cakes are generally a gift for the spirits and can be left as offerings on Samhain night. I have used my own amended version of this recipe for a couple of years now. Baking not possible for you? Get yourself your favourite cookies or biscuits. You can even get some of those little icing pens and add sigils to them or even names for the dearly departed you’re leaving them for.

So, there we go. A little snapshot into the Sabbats, be sure to add them to your diaries and celebrate the old ways with us.

If you want to follow Aj check out her fabulous social accounts:

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Until next time!

Event: 3 Wishes Fairy Festival

Exciting news from Karen Kay, aka The Fairy Lady & founder of the 3 Wishes Fairy Festival

COME AWAY WITH THE FAIRIES TO MAGICAL CORNWALL!

Exciting news from Karen Kay, aka The Fairy Lady & founder of the 3 Wishes Fairy Festival

We couldn’t be more excited here at Digital Coven as we love a good festival! The 3 Wishes Fairy Festival, dubbed the UK’s most magical event, returns to Cornwall in June after a two year pandemic absence.

The family and pet friendly event takes place from Friday June 17 to Sunday June 19 at Mount Edgcumbe country estate, near Torpoint and will feature 100s of workshops, talks and performances, a big top circus and music among its attractions (all included in the ticket price).

Alongside the entertainment many festival-goers will be embracing their inner ‘fairies’ or ‘elves’ creating a fun and colourful experience for everyone. Ahhhhh, we are so there, Bunnybunny (Emma) has always been partial to dressing like a fairy!

Woman dressed as a fairy — Emma still has the outfit and is willing to get it out with little notice

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to bring the festival back to Celtic Cornwall, the home of fairies, for the first time since 2019. This year, we’ve got music, activities, great vegan food, workshops, circus shows, special guests, meet and greets, and so much more. We even have a magical mermaid grotto with ‘real’ mermaids. There will be more magic than you can shake a fairy wand at,” Karen Kay said.

Visitors to previous festivals have described the experience as ‘like stepping into a real-life fairy land’, and this year’s event promises to be even more magical with fantasy creatures such as gnomes, mermaids, elves, pixies and fairies wandering the site and fairy tea parties celebrating the festival’s 16th birthday. You has us at gnomes to be honest but ended strong on fairy tea pary, we can’t lie.

The festival was founded by the former BBC journalist in 2007. Karen, who lives near Truro, is a fairy author and is known as The Fairy Lady. She was guided to create a Midsummer gathering by the fairies she has been communicating with since she was a child.

***‘The Fairy Lady’ Karen Kay who is founder of The 3 Wishes Fairy Festival***

She said: “I first saw fairies when I was a little girl, around the age of five or six. I would help my grandmother as she pruned the roses in her garden, and I would gather up the rose petals to make perfume for the flower fairies! I’d leave the concoction (rose water) out overnight for my fairy friends, and when I’d check in the morning, the perfume would be gone!

“My fairy friends appear as tiny vibrant lights and have stayed with me since childhood and into my adult life, and I can honestly say, there’s never a dull moment when the fairies come out to play!

For three days and nights, the grounds of Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park on the outskirts of Torpoint will be transformed. Day tickets for the festival are available, yet for those wishing to stay, the event accommodates tents, caravans and campervans and there’s also a glamping option to rent bell tents, ‘shire’ homes and traditional caravans. A camping area is also available for disabled festival-goers which does need to be booked in advance.

***Picture by Danniella-Jaine who specialises in ‘fairy’ photography – https://www.danniellajaine.com***

The 3 Wishes Fairy Festival is the first UK fairy festival to be totally vegan, with all food on-site provided by vegan caterers, with gluten-free options available.

Ticket prices have been held at early bird prices until the end of April with a three-day ticket at £100, day tickets £40 for adults and £20 for children with free admittance for children under the age of seven. For more information visit www.fairyfestival.co.uk

Will you getting a ticket? If so let us know below or via our digital channels, as we want to know and we really, really want to see your outfits!

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Until Next time, Coven!

Love, love,

Witchcraft Around The World: 30th April -Walpurgis Night

Witchcraft Around The World: The fabulous Tanja, shares her insight into Walpurgis Night.

We love learning about all different type of Witchcraft here at Digital Coven and today we have the fabulous Tanja, sharing her insight into Walpurgis Night.

Take it away, Tanja!

Greetings fellow witches! You may or may not be prepping to celebrate Beltane this weekend, so I thought I would make you familiar with what I like to call its “German goth counterpart”, – Walpurgisnacht, or the Night of the Witches, which takes place on the night of the 30^th of April.

About Beltane

As you may know, Beltane is the pagan festival held halfway between the spring and summer equinox, celebrating the blossoming of trees and flowers and the days getting warmer. It takes place between 30^th of April and 1^st of May and therefore traditionally includes May Day celebrations which span across many different cultures – Celtic, German, Hawaiian and Greek, to name a few. They include dancing around a May Pole, making flower crowns and crowning a May queen (not to be confused with the customs of Midsommar – neither the Swedish festival nor Ari Aster’s horror masterpiece).

“Children perform the Maypole Dance at the 2010 Downton Cuckoo Festival, Wiltshire” by Anguskirk is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The Fire Festival

Beltane, from the Gaelic Bealtaine, can be roughly translated to “bright fire”. On the eve of May 1st, Pagans would gather to light bonfires and dance around them – since fire typically stands for purification and new beginnings, this ties in with Beltane’s themes of renewal and summer returning.

Like on Halloween (Samheim) and Midsummer, the veil between the realms of the living, dead and spirits is supposed to be especially thin this time of year. It is therefore no wonder the night became associated with witchcraft, its literal Dutch translation being “Heksennacht”, the night of the witches, which in German folklore became associated with a night where evil witches gather to plan their mischievous schemes.

“File:Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival 2012 – Procession.JPG” by Stefan Schäfer, Lich is marked with CC BY-SA 3.0.

The History of Walpurgis Night

For this negative association, we can thank the Catholic Church – as pagan beliefs did not fit in with the Christian religious ideals, during the Middle Ages they attempted to stamp out any other religion’s customs, including those of Beltane, throughout Europe. Walpurgisnacht i.e. “Walpurgis Night” derives its name from the Catholic missionary turned Saint Walpurga, who was celebrated for succeeding at putting an end to “pagan sorcery”.

Ironically, the image I associated with Walpurga until researching this date stems from a popular German children’s cartoon about a teenage witch – In this, she is the leader of the coven and looks like this:

Walpurgia | Bibi Blocksberg Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia — Image Souce

As someone who grew up Catholic, that doesn’t look very pious to me, which goes to show that Walpurga today is associated way more with witches than she would have liked. Sorry, gal!

To give her credit, Walpurga actually did see to it that the pagan rituals didn’t completely die out: She was canonised on the 1^st of May, and therefore, likely by accident, Christian and Pagan customs became entwined. Pagans could continue their celebrations without fear of being condemned, by doing it under the guise of honouring Saint Walpurga (article).

So, these practices could be continued quite freely in Medieval Germany, until the 16^th century, which saw a massive hysteria about witchcraft followed by one of the most gruesome and bloody witch hunts in history taking place in Germany.

During that time, hysteria led people to believe that witches would gather on Mount Brocken, the highest peak in Germany’s Harz Mountains, to have orgies, dance, and meet with Satan to discuss how they could bring the most mischief and evil to the coming year (no, really).

Ein Bild, das Text, Zeichnung enthält.

Automatisch generierte Beschreibung — The actual Saint Walpurga

According to some legends, witches would gather in the valley and then ride up to the mountain’s peak – not just on broomsticks, but even on cats or goats!

In an attempt to protect themselves from evil spirits and witches, locals would gather on April 30^th to light bonfires, burn straw men and make loud noises to chase away evil. The joyous pagan rituals for fertility and summer returning therefore morphed into a gathering driven by fear. Well done, Catholic Church!

Die Nacht, in der Hexen auf Besen reiten — “Witches going to their Sabbath” (1878) by Luis Ricardo Falero

Luckily, those superstitions began to gradually die out and Walpurgis Night celebrations carried on but became more light-hearted, as people would gather around the fire, celebrate, and sing folk songs. The festival might not still be part of the German Zeitgeist today had it not been for Goethe’s famous poem Faust, published in the 19^th century, which sees the protagonist travelling to Mount Brocken and taking part in the witches’ celebrations.

This poem, loathed by German highschoolers throughout the country, re-popularised Walpurgisnacht and is likely to thank for why it is still popular today.

Modern Day celebrations

Today, Walpurgisnacht remains part of German popular culture, with many other stories about the Witches’ mountain gatherings having sprung up in the century following Goethe’s Faust.

As for the celebrations, most that remains of them is the lighting of and gathering around bonfires, although this is now being celebrated under the new motto of Tanz in den Mai – “Dance into May”. Turns out, pagans, legendary witches and normal human beings alike love a bit of revelry and dancing around a fire! Due to the first of May being a bank holiday, Labour Day, people still traditionally like to go dancing at clubs which do “Tanz in den Mai” themed nights. I have taken part in many of these club nights and regardless of alcohol levels, the night has always felt special to me. Maybe there is something to the veil between the worlds being more permeable. Or maybe I just feel very seen as a witch on this holiday which is, in a way, dedicated to us.

Thanks, Tanja!

You can stay in touch with Tanja and find her shitposting and creating other digital content about drag, queer and witchy stuff on Instagram @tanjaktx and Tiktok @tanjatix

If you wish to write an article for Digital Coven please get in touch on our contact page or just pop an email over to us on digitalcovenuk@gmail.com or you can always reach out via our social channels:

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Until next time,

Love,