Spinning Thread with Cailleach

... A cozy cottage lit by a warm lantern light hums with the rhythm of a spinning fiber. Three wise women work by the fire, moving their nimble fingers and hands as they twist the wool, spin the spindle, and wind the thread on a loom. The crackling hearth fire warms the room, and they whisper wisdom stories of their elders and ancient ancestors. All creatures and even the shadows of the cottage draw close to them to listen. Their sacred work unfolds as the rhythm of their hands gives a heartbeat to their stories. … Come and listen?

There are many ancient fairy tales that were born on winter nights by the fire while fiber was spun into thread. Today, I invite you to remember one that comes to us from Scottish folklore, the story spun from the tales of ‘Habetrot’. She was described in a 1901 tale as a fairy with long, thick lips, drawing out the thread as she basks in the sun. Her lips grew long because she constantly wet her fingers with them while spinning wool. Hmmm … the image seeks to make a picture in our mind, but also hides in it a symbolism older than old. Can you catch a glimpse of it? Habetrot once helped a girl spin seven heads of flax, but also protected her from having to spin flax into fine thread every day of her life. With her spinsters, she came as a guest to the girl’s wedding celebration when she was about to marry a prince who thought her ability to spin flax into fine thread could make his kingdom wealthy again. Habetrot and her spinsters terrified the young prince by their unusual appearance, leading him to believe his beautiful princess-to-be would look like them should she have to spin flax into thread for days on end. The prince vowed that the princess-to-be would never be forced to spin flax into thread again. This old fairy tale brings many transformative symbols and themes beckoning us to open our hearts and memories to the elders, wise women ancestors, and the realm of timeless goddesses.

This October, I am so excited for a number of us to gather for our Cailleach & the Magic of Yarrow class! The Cailleach herself, an ancient Gaelic crone who in many stories ushers in the season of winter, just might find us sitting by the fire spinning fiber while she spins the snow and frost that blankets the land. We will explore the themes in old stories, lore of folk magickal practices, and craft with our hands as we pick up threads laid down by ancestors.

In the meantime, here is an old protection charm from old books of fiber magic.

Habetrot’s Protection Thread

• A length of wool yarn (any color you like).

• A sprig of dried yarrow (for protection and healing).

  
  

Hold the yarn in both hands. Whisper your name and your intention or prayer for protection. Tie nine knots along the length of the yarn. As you tie each one, think of a quality you want to weave into your life (courage, clarity, rest, joy, etc.) that will empower and support your prayer or intention. As you tie the knots, either slip the yarrow through each knot or slip the dried yarrow sprig through the last knot. You can carry with you, or wear your Habetrot thread as a bracelet, or hang it above your doorway for protection.

If you live near Pathways in St Louis, Missouri, find them on Facebook to discover when and where our Cailleach & Magic of Yarrow class is happening.

See you soon, Where Fairy Tales Meet the Fiber Threads!