Words by Rosie Mahoney
She exhales mist, but there is still warmth. Behind the veiled darkness, buds swell, and seasons stir. She is both ending and beginning; the liminal goddess of death and rebirth.
Morana is a pagan Slavic goddess tied to the great seasonal rites of death and renewal. She embodies winter in all its dark power, but also carries the inevitability of its end. It is through her passing that spring arrives.
Each year at the spring equinox, communities marked her transition with ritual. Effigies of Morana were woven from straw and cloth, then burned or drowned in rivers to symbolise her departure. In this act, the cold months were released, and the fertile season of growth and light was invited in.
As Spring’s Muse, she reminds us that endings feed beginnings, that the death of winter is not destruction but preparation, the ground from which rebirth emerges.
SYMBOLISM
Fire – death of winter, release, transition
Wreaths & Garlands – cycles of life, death, and rebirth
Water – cleansing, renewal, flow of life
Apple Tree – fertility, awakening, seasonal return
A RITUAL FOR MORANA: SMOKE & SEED
In Slavic tradition, Morana’s effigy was burned or drowned at the spring equinox to mark the death of winter. Fire and water carried her away, clearing the path for spring’s renewal. Here in Australia, across areas prone to bushfire, around 400 plant species have evolved to detect when a fire has passed and it is safe to germinate. Some awaken only after the heat of flames, while others respond to the chemical residues of smoke in soil or on their seeds. Fire signals that destruction has passed, and now is the moment for life to return.
By creating smoke water and using it to germinate seeds, we can honour Morana’s passing and embody the eternal rhythm of death and rebirth.
You’ll need:
- A fireproof dish or tin
- A handful of dry twigs or leaves (preferably native)
- A bowl or jar of water
- Native seeds (see below)
- A pot or patch of soil
Instructions:
- Carefully burn your twigs and leaves in the dish until reduced to ash
- Once cooled, collect the ash and soak it in water for 24 hours.
- Soak your seeds in the prepared water for 6–24 hours, or until swollen.
-
Sow (according to plant varieties instructions) immediately for best results
Seeds that respond well to smoke treatment include:
- Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos)
- Flannel Flower (Actinotus helianthi)
- Everlasting Daisy (Xerochrysum bracteatum)
- Wattles (Acacia species)
- Grevillea (Grevillea species)
- Banksia (Banksia species)
In the renewing spirit of Morana & Spring, we’ve chosen the Banish Oil Burner Blend and Clarity Balm to embody this seasonal shift in our Spring Bundle (save 15%). Perfect for clearing and focus, making space for spring’s return.