The winter solstice, 21 December

The Artisan, from the tarocchi · Master of the E-Series Tarocchi, before 1467 · Cleveland Museum of Art 1924.432.3

The Moon calendar comes first. The rest of Small magic is soon.

Offerings

Small magic

Oh, that’s so cathartic.

Melpomene, tragedy, from the tarocchi · Master of the E-Series Tarocchi, c. 1465 · Art Institute of Chicago 1924.39.10Katharsis was a doctor’s word for purging and a priest’s word for purifying, before Aristotle borrowed it for the theatre.When you’re furious, breathe out for longer than you breathe in, for one minute.

The Descent

Pluto means “giver of wealth”, for the grain that comes up out of the ground. It was also a politer name than Hades.Plant a bulb when your autumn comes, and mark the day it should come up.