Dark Goddess, Crone

and October journal pages for paid subscribers

Ink-Stained Compass is the newsletter of poet and witch Caitlin Gemmell. It is for seekers of stories and magic. Welcome to the Samhain edition! If you enjoy this post, please like and/or share it so it can reach more people. Thank you so much. My next newsletter drops on Monday and is a Muse Monday feature with an artist I can’t wait for you to meet.

Hi lovely,

With Halloween, Hallowmas Eve, All Hallows Eve, Samhain etc. just around the corner, it’s truly the time of year of the dark goddess. According to Greek mythology, Persephone has eaten the pomegranate seeds to keep her in the underworld where she is no longer goddess of springtime. Now, she is Queen of the Underworld. She is living in her dark goddess energy.

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash

Other dark goddesses, or crones that are associated with this time of year in the northern hemisphere are Hekate who plays a significant role in the story of Persephone, Hulda or Mother Holle, Baba Yaga, The Morrigan, Maeve, Kali, Hel, Moran Le Fay, Blodeuwedd, and Cailleach.

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash

And these are just a handful of the many goddesses from cultures all around the world that can be honored during the dark half of the year.

Have you heard of the Cailleach? There are many stories of this great and powerful goddess. Watch the short video below of a master storyteller sharing fascinating folklore of Cailleach which ties into the legend of place and creation myths.

How to Connect with the Dark Goddess

1. Create an altar with symbols representing the dark goddess or the theme of death and rebirth, such as a pomegranate.

2. Go on a meditative nature walk, especially at night. As you walk, reflect on the cycles of life, death, and rebirth that the Dark Goddess oversees. Collect nature items from this walk to add to your altar, or nature table.

3. Engage in shadow work by journaling about your fears and aspects of yourself that you’d like to change.

4. Share myths and stories about some of the dark goddesses or create your own.

5. Go on a guided journey to meet the Dark Goddess and ask for insight into a particular situation.

6. Create an altar in honor of your ancestors and ask that the Dark Goddess guide them through the veil at Samhain, easing their passage.

7. Take a ritual bath with herbs associated with your Dark Goddess of choice. Mugwort, rosemary, and lavender are good choices for protection and healing.

Can you think of any other ideas? Before I share journal pages with my paid subscribers, here are a few announcements/reminders…

Poetry Offerings

I am creating bespoke poems based on your prompts. Reply to this email if you are reading this through your inbox or send me a DM if you read via the Substack app to get started. Until the end of December, digital versions are $5 and handwritten poems tied with ribbon and charmed with sealing wax that will be mailed to you are $12 if you are in the US and $15 if international. They make a lovely Yuletide/Christmas/etc. gift for a loved one.

Second Newsletter

I am now writing a second newsletter, called Wild Rose Witchery. This one is for those who want to embrace the divine feminine and who need Reiki healing and/or wish to learn about Reiki and energy work. If you are interested in receiving these newsletters, you will need to subscribe as I have it set up as a separate newsletter from this one.

My website can be found here, in case you want to book a distance Reiki session or are curious about becoming attuned to Reiki Level One. I’ll offer Reiki Level Two and Reiki Master attunements starting next year, but for now I have only completed the Reiki Level One manual and course to share.

Published Work

I am slowly updating my list of publications to include the most recent ones. Two of my poems were longlisted for a poetry prize and were published in an anthology and another poem was accepted by a poetry press in the UK. I’m really excited about this one and can’t wait to share more soon. In the meantime, keep your eyes on this page if you want to know where you can find my published writing.