Thinking In The Dark : Rain

It’s been raining now for six days. (Though as I type this, it’s starting to peter out and the sun is shouting ‘HERE I AM!’ Typical.) The grass and the flowers and the worms are loving it, and the birds are singing their hearts out until the witching hour. It’s a welcome relief from the scorching weather of the previous weeks.

I love the rain. Most of the time. I love it especially when I’m on a long car journey and it’s getting on in the day. I cuddle into the special atmosphere it gives (you know the one I mean?) and try not to think about when I’ll need to get out into it…

I love the gloom of a rainy day and wet pearls it leaves behind, delicate and fleeting on windows, spider webs and tree branches, flower petals, and grass.

I love the rain when I have nowhere to be, and I can potter around in the warmth of the house, listening to it beat against the roof and walls. I love autumn rain most of all. The smells that emerge from the countryside during a rainstorm and when the storm has past are gorgeous enough that I want to bottle them.

I know I’m not alone with this ‘loving the smell of rain.’ As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who’s not admitted to loving its smell. Some scientists believe that we actually inherited our love for the smell of rain from our ancestors, who relied on it for survival. Another interesting thing to ponder on is the oudor of ‘petrichor.’ It’s the scent that emerges after a long dry spell. The term was coined back in the 1960s by two Australian scientists who were studying the smells of wet weather.

What happens is that some plants secrete oils when it’s dry weather, and then, when it rains, these oils are released into the air. A second reaction happens when chemicals produced by soil-dwelling bacteria are released. These compounds combine and create that ‘petrichor’ scent when rain hits the ground.

While there are many people who relish the long, dry days of high summer, after a while, they’ll start to notice that, actually, they’re not feeling so great. It’s because without rain we suffer emotionally and spiritually. Let’s not forget that our bodies are 60% water, and so, naturally, we’re going to be naturally drawn to it eventually.

A reason why we love the sound of rain so much is because our spirit responds to its rhythmic sound. It reawakens the primal energy that’s within all of us. Rain is also the opportunity for a second chance. It can clear away the ‘debris’ that’s holding you back.

Practising witches know that rainy and stormy days are perfect for undertaking weather magick, with unexpected thunderstorms being particularly powerful times to perform important magick.

Witches also collect rain and stormwater for use in spells. Depending on how heavy the rain was when it was collected will determine it’s symbolism. For example, the rain that’s been collected during a storm will carry the energy of the storm and should be used for empowering spells. The rain that’s fallen during a gentle shower, on the other hand, should be used for tranquility spells.

If this summer is as ferocious as last year, I encourage you to join me in performing some weather magick to call upon the rain!