Once, in a tiny German town, now lost to the ages, there was a little hausfrau. The neighbors spoke of her in hushed tones, for it was rumored she spoke to the animals and they understood her. Still, as she never said an unkind word about anyone, they left her to her own devices.
Well, the wheel of the year turned toward winter, when Jack Frost flies the air and the snow fairies dance their delicate ballet to blanket the Earth in Her comforter of snow. The hausfrau bundled herself in her little house and lit the hearth-fire to ward off the chill. Hours passed and above the wailing of the wild winter wind, she heard the thinnest cry. It seemed like the woeful wail of a child, but softer. Opening the door, she saw a small spider nearly frozen and near death from the cold night. Carefully picking up the small creature, she brought it inside and gently placed it on the table.
She lit a candle and began to minister her little friend back to health in that peculiar way known only to those that follow the ancient magick. Noticing the spider’s exhaustion, she bundled up to brave the cold and go out to gather some tiny fragrant and soft evergreen boughs to make a small bed for her guest.
It stayed with her days and days, but never got any better. Finally it was Yule Eve and during the hausfrau’s ritual to honor the Sabbat, she sent a prayer to the Great Goddess and her newly reborn Son for the spider to be healed. That night, while she was sleeping, the Lord and Lady appeared and honored her prayer request.
To reward the hausfrau for her kindness, the little spider went out into the cold. This time he remembered to put on the jacket and boots(all eight) that the kindly hausfrau had made for him. He found the same evergreen tree that the hausfrau had chosen to take the sweet smelling boughs from and make his bed. The spider worked all night covering the tree in layer after layer of gray web. As dawn broke, he wove one last web. One of magick….
The hausfrau awoke on Yule morn to find her friend’s bed empty and the little spider nowhere to be seen. Noticing his little boots and jacket also missing, she ran to the door to go out and find him.Throwing open the door she found a wondrous sight. The magick of the little spider’s spell had turned the webs on the tree to shining strands of sparkling silver. In the light of the rising Yule sun, the littlest Christmas Tree shone like a star in it’s glory.
The neighbors had gathered to gape at the marvelous tree and greeted the hausfrau warmly with loving arms outreached. This was also the magick of the web. Born of love, it made all who saw it love everyone in return. This little ones is why tinsel adorns Yule trees to this very day; so a little of the spider’s spell of love will find it’s way into your heart.
Blessed Be.