 |
|
Reply
| |
History of Imbolc Spring is Coming!: Imbolc is a holiday with a variety of names, depending on which culture and location you’re looking at. In the Irish Gaelic, it’s called Oimelc, which translates to “ewe’s milk.�?It’s a precursor to the end of winter when the ewes are nursing their newly born lambs. Spring and the planting season are right around the corner. The Romans Celebrate: To the Romans, this time of year halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox was known as Lupercalia. For them, it was a purification ritual in which a goat was sacrificed and a scourge made of its hide. Thong-clad men ran through the city, whacking people with bits of hide. Those who were struck considered themselves fortunate indeed. This is one of the few Roman celebrations that is not associated with a particular temple or deity. Instead, it focuses on the founding of the city of Rome, by twins Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf -- in a cave known as the "Lupercale". The Feast of Nut: The ancient Egyptians celebrated this time of year as the Feast of Nut, whose birthday falls on February 2 (Gregorian calendar). According to the Book of the Dead, Nut was seen as a mother-figure to the sun god Ra, who at sunrise was known as Khepera and took the form of a scarab beetle. Christian Conversion of a Pagan Celebration: When Ireland converted to Christianity, it was hard to convince people to get rid of their old gods, so the church allowed them to worship the goddess Brighid as a saint -- thus the creation of St. Brigid's Day. Today, there are many churches around the world which bear her name. Purification and Light: For Christians, February 2nd continues to be celebrated as Candelmas, the feast of purification of the Virgin. By Jewish law, it took forty days after a birth for a woman to be cleansed following the birth of a son. Forty days after Christmas �?the birth of Jesus �?is February 2nd. Candles were blessed, there was much feasting to be had, and the drab days of February suddenly seemed a little brighter. Love & Courtship: February is known as a month when love begins anew, in part to to the widespread celebration of Valentine's Day. In some parts of Europe, there was a belief that February 14th was the day that birds and animals began their annual hunt for a mate. Valentine's Day is named for the Christian priest who defied Emperor Claudius II's edict banning young soldiers from marrying. In secret, Valentine "tied the knot" for many young couples. Eventually, he was captured and executed on Feb. 14, 269 C.E. Before his death, he smuggled a message to a girl he had befriended while imprisoned -- the first Valentine's Day card. A Celtic Connection: Serpents in the Spring Although Imbolc isn't even mentioned in non-Gaelic Celtic traditions, it's still a time rich in folklore and history. According to the Carmina Gadelica, the Celts celebrated an early version of Groundhog Day on Imbolc too �?only with a serpent, singing this poem: Thig an nathair as an toll
(The serpent will come from the hole)
la donn Bride
(on the brown day of Bride (Brighid)
Ged robh tri traighean dh’an
(though there may be three feet of snow)
Air leachd an lair
(On the surface of the ground.) Among agricultural societies, this time of year was marked by the lactating of the ewes, in preparation for the spring lambing. At Neolithic sites in Ireland, underground chambers align perfectly with the rising sun on Imbolc. The Goddess Brighid Like many Pagan holidays, Imbolc has a Celtic connection as well, although it wasn’t celebrated in non-Gaelic Celtic societies. The Irish goddess Brighid is the keeper of the sacred flame, the guardian of home and hearth. To honor her, purification and cleaning are a wonderful way to get ready for the coming of Spring. In addition to fire, she is a goddess connected to inspiration and creativity. Brighid is known as one of the Celtic "triune" goddesses -- meaning that she is one and three simultaneously. The early Celts celebrated a purification festival by honoring Brighid, or Brid, whose name meant "bright one." In some parts of the Scottish Highlands, Brighid was viewed as Cailleach Bheur, a woman with mystical powers who was older than the land itself. Brighid was also a warlike figure, Brigantia, in the Brigantes tribe near Yorkshire, England. The Christian St. Brigid was the daughter of a Pictish slave who was baptised by St. Patrick, and founded a community of nuns at Kildare, Ireland. In modern Wicca and Paganism, Brighid is viewed as the maiden aspect of the maiden/mother/crone cycle. She walks the earth on the eve of her day, and before going to bed each member of the household should leave a piece of clothing outside for Brighid to bless. Smoor your fire as the last thing you do that night, and rake the ashes smooth. When you get up in the morning, look for a mark on the ashes, a sign that Brighid has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes are brought inside, and now have powers of healing and protection thanks to Brighid. http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/imbolcfebruary2/p/Imbolc_History.htm?nl=1 |
|
 First
Previous
2-16 of 16
Next
Last
|
|
Reply
| |
| | Mystical Months February 'Oh, long, long
The snow has possessed the mountains. The deer have come down and the big-horn,
They have followed the sun to the south
To feed on the mesquite pods and the bunch grass.
Loud are the thunder drums in the tents of the mountains.
Oh, long, long
Have we eaten chia seeds
and dried deer's flesh of the summer killing.
We are tired of our huts
and the smoky smell of our clothing. We are sick with the desire for the sun
And the grass on the mountain. Paiute Late Winter Song The name February is believed to have derived from the name 'Februa' taken from the Roman 'Festival of Purification'. The root 'februo' meaning to 'I purify by sacrifice'. As part of the seasonal calendar February is the time of the 'Ice Moon' according to Pagan beliefs, and the period described as the 'Moon of the Dark Red Calf' by Black Elk (Black Elk Speaks, Neihardt). February has also been known as 'Sprout-kale' by the Anglo-Saxons in relation to the time the kale and cabbage was edible. It is a time when favourable colours to improve personal healing are amethyst, white and blue-violet (the colour of crocus flowers). These are the colours often associated with winter whilst the delicate crocus and snowdrops, along with the scented carnation lend beauty and a glimpse of the fine weather to come in spring to a time of austerity. The herbs and produce of the woodland too are closely connected, with nuts and cones, musk, marjoram and mimosa lending sweetness.. As the second month of the winter calendar the holy thistle too reminds us of the link with winters rule and faith tested in times of extreme hardships. The fox and its brother on a distant shore the coyote find the ability to retrieve food in the harshest of environments. As we approach spring birds too are seen to be remembered with January, with the pheasant appearing from the hedgerow and the jay (and the blue-jay) taking to the wing as a sign of the skies and earth giving hope of insect life and nesting materials. Metaphorical associations between the gospel writer 'Mark' and this period in the Celtic calendar known as 'Imbolc' which continues through to April. Mark was considered to be an ordinary man with incredible powers of communication evidenced in his writing which was thought of as colourful and exciting. The move between each story in the bible was seen to be swift and therefore was equated to the raging speed of the winds experienced at this time of the year. February is the first month of Imbolc, with the length of the day increases and with it the warmth and power of the sun, and the festival of 'Candlemas' (2 February) is central to both the Celtic and Christian beliefs. The rhythms of nature are embodied in the woman, together with the ability to bring forth life. So the feast is associated with the potential fertility of the land, the preparation. In the Celtic church it is 'Brigid' (1 February) and in the Christian 'St. Brigit' (2 February) who personify these qualities. Both are associated with 'Mary and motherhood', 'Gaia and the earth goddess', the 'motherhood of God'. This should be considered in connection with the astrological calendar, as here we see the symbol of the circle complete in 'Pisces' and the hope of life anew as we approach 'Aries', the end and the beginning, the old and the new, the death and the life. All indicate a higher spiritual awareness and growth. As a result the fish and the ram are important in animal mythology, although birds too have great significance as we approach the period of Easter. As part of the astrological calendar, February has many associations. This is the month of the house of Aquarius (20 January - February 19) and the house of Pisces (20 February - March 20). 'Crystalline brother of the belt of heaven,
Aquarius! To whom King Jove has given
Two liquid pulse streams 'stead of feathered wings.' John Keats <STRONGAquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac and depicted as 'Ganymede', a youthful male water carrier, also known as the 'God with Two Streams'. Ganymede became cup-bearer to the 'Olympian Gods', ruled over by 'Zeus', and borne to 'Mount Olympus' on the back of an eagle. Out of the carrier springs new wisdom, for the good of humanity. The 'Age of Aquarius', generally thought to commence around 2000 AD, is foreseen as one which will embody these qualities. It is also the subject of many predictions, some of which indicate Armageddon, the Second Coming of Christ, one of major natural cataclysmic occurrences, and a shift in the earth's axis. Yet the New Age is also the subject of excitement not because as it has been suggested the beginning of Aquarius will prelude either the weakening or strengthening of Christianity, but that with the new era comes a religion will be wholly embraced. So far this has been deemed to be one based on the now famous statement 'Make love not war'. A desire to move away from materialism and violence is predicted to surface. There has, however, been extreme concern shown on the place of drugs in all this with some predicting that the New Age will signal no more than the beginning of a period not of reawakening but of sleep dictated by a drug induced delirium. 'Uranus' is the ruling planet of Aquarius bringing with it the qualities of revolution, change, unpredictability and disruption. Aquarius is a fixed and positive air sign associated with the statement 'I am the embodiment of all that society needs or desires', 'I universalise', and 'I will change'. It rules the circulation and ankles. It is associated with the Ash, Birch, Cherry, Elder, Fig, Plum, and the Rowan, and with the flowers Apple, Lemon & Peach Blossom and Orchid. Colours associated with Aquarius are aquamarine, electric blue and turquoise tones. The main stone associated with Aquarius is Aquamarine. Lucky number is four, lucky day Saturday. Metals associated are aluminium and uranium. 'There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.' Pisces is the twelfth sign of the zodiac, symbolised by the 'Fish' and the Roman 'God Neptune', also known as 'The Mystic'. The 'Age of Pisces' witnessed the birth of Christ and the glyph more often associated with the Christian religion was, for the first five to six hundred years, the fish. This period is generally taken to have started before the birth of Christ, approximately 200 BC. The duration of the Age of Pisces has been calculated to be one-twelfth of 25,725 years, working out to 2,143. The figure most usually referred to though for calculating the length of the Equinox is 2,160 years. The 'Age of Aquarius' which follows Pisces in the precession of the Equinoxes is generally thought to start at the beginning for the new millennium, around 2000 AD. There is dispute over he exact date of the dawn of the New Age. We can be sure that before Pisces was the Age of Aries, and before this the Age of Taurus, thought to be around 4000 - 2000 BC. The progress of the Ages follows the opposite path to the one most associate with the annual path of the zodiac. Within each period it is also clear that the symbol of the house has held much influence and importance, for example in ancient Egyptian mythology, the God Apis was highly revered during the Age of Taurus, with many cult groups taking the glyph of the bull to symbolise belief, obedience and respect. The influence of Neptune is clear in the house of Pisces possessing the qualities of spiritual development, romance, lyricism, dreaminess, caring, perception and intuition. 'Jupiter' is the ruling planet of Pisces bringing with it a belief in the highest most positive powers of the universe. As the last house before 'Aries', Pisces strives to find peace before death with the cosmos, which must be achieved in order to move on, hence the extraordinary evolution that can occur as the month progresses. It is seen to represent the last stage of life and the ability to approach imminent change with ease, as of course Pisces represents the ability to progress from the material to the spiritual world. Pisces is a mutable and negative water sign associated with the statement 'I am in harmony, in unison with the mysteries of the universe'. It rules the feet. Pisces is associated with Angelica, Iris, Orchids, Violets and Water Lilies, as well as Mosses, Ferns, and Seaweed. Pisces is further associated with any tree that grows close to the water's edge, including the Weeping Willow and also the Alder, Ash, Dogwood and Fig. Colours associated with Pisces are silver, sea greens, mauve, purple and violet. The main stone associated with Pisces is the Amethyst, whilst the man stone associated with the month of February is the Aquamarine . Lucky number is seven, lucky day Thursday. Metals associated are germanium and strontium. 'Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep.' William Shakespeare, Henry VI Part 2, Act III, Scene 1 This page was brought to you by Mystical World Wide Web
"http://www.mystical-www.co.uk" Assembled by "loznan "
@ DiamondGirls
| | | | | | | | | |
|
Reply
| |
| 
Groundhog Day Every February second is Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day reminds us that spring is near. Farmers know when it's Groundhog Day if
half their hay is gone. "Half the hay, Groundhog Day," is what they say. People come from all over to Punxsutawaney, Pennsylvania to watch the groundhog on Groundhog Day. When the groundhog awakens from his sleep on Groundhog Day, he emerges out of his hole in the ground.
If he sees his shadow, he goes back into his hole to sleep for six more weeks of winter.
If he doesn't see his shadow, he stays out to play. | | | | Assembled By Claire | |
|
Reply
| |
Amber: Sun Essence
Many people first became aware of amber because of the movie Jurassic Park, in which scientists extracted DNA from fossilized in order to create dinosaurs. This process has yet to be repeated in reality, but amber serves to connect us to the ancient past in other ways.
Some of it is as old as 400 million years. Found in Russia, Poland, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and other countries around the world, it may have been the first gem worn by our ancestors and the first used as a magical and healing tool.
Amber has evolved from the resin of extinct evergreen trees. Although it is commonly called sap, they serve different functions Sap might be compared loosely to blood in that it flows through the branches and leaves of trees. Resin has a more specific purpose. A tree exudes it in response to injury or disease. Among other functions, it heals insect damage and wounds caused by broken branches.
Resin becomes amber after it's deposited in areas where oxygen can't interact with it, such as places with a lot of sand or clay. Lack of oxygen means the resin doesn't decay. Instead, it undergoes a process of hardening. The result is a material that's light and soft enough to carve or drill.
As a physical healer, amber has, in the ancient and medieval past, been used to cure disorders as diverse as gout, jaundice, asthma, and sexual problems. Over the millennia, people have also used it for psychic and emotional work. Zuni artists still carve fetishes in amber, and it has often been used for psychic protection. Alchemists employed it in their potions, and tribal leaders made it part of ceremonies and rituals.
A Piece of Sunlight
In contemporary times, we can experience amber as a partner in the restoration of emotional balance. Although Greek gods and heroes cried "tears of amber," it is generally considered to relate to a feeling of happiness. By partnering with it, we have the opportunity to address a variety of emotions that work against feeling happy.
Depression
This is a profound state of disconnection from well being. When we're in this state, we usually have trouble creating anything but more depression. Though this mood can feel as if it totally blankets your being, if you can manage even a small increase in cheerfulness you can open the way to more positive emotions.
Holding a piece of amber while meditating and visualizing golden, cheering energy flowing through your being can shine some sunlight through those dark clouds. I would recommend also taking the Bach Flower Remedy Mustard (a sunny golden flower), an essence for relieving depression of unknown origin. If your depression has a known cause, choose instead Gentian (BFR).
Chakra Balancing
Unlike clear quartz, amber tends to find areas of least resistance and flow through them, thus gradually dismantling a blockage. Although for purposes of chakra balancing, it is usually placed on the navel area it can be placed at any point where you feel that you need to be gently revitalized.
Self-Esteem
Shades of yellow and gold relate to the third chakra, whose key issues are self-esteem, personal empowerment, and manifestation. Amber has a natural connection to these issues. While it doesn't address them directly, it does address related emotions that can block our ability to manifest.
When we're loving and taking good care of ourselves, we tend not to get overwhelmed by anger and stress. Anger tells us clearly that we're blocking our self-esteem and creative powers. Stress indicates that we're not taking good care of ourselves. Clearing up these issues is often a necessary first step to wholeness.
Wearing Amber
Early people often wore amber. I recommend continuing this ancient practice. If you are feeling a desire for overall rebalancing or if you have a particular emotional wound, wearing amber (especially if you remind yourself why you're wearing it), can be a cheering experience.
Learning Healing from Trees
I find it wonderful that trees know how to heal themselves, sending resin to insect-damaged areas, sealing off the wounds from broken branches, and closing the spaces between growth rings. Imagine applying this energy to your life.
When you feel that people are poking at you emotionally and/or verbally, you may be left feeling battered and perhaps ready to poke back. The psychic salve I like to apply when that happens to me is to think, "They do what they do because of who they are not because of me." Thinking this in no way prevents one from requesting the poker to cease and desist, but once the peck marks are healing, I can do that in a calmer way.
Broken branches may symbolize the loss of beloved friends or family members. Here the salve consists of reminding oneself that they will always be present in your blessed memories and, depending on your beliefs, not extinguished, but available in other realms of existence.
The sealing of spaces between growth rings makes me think of what's called "growing pains." Though this term is usually applied to adolescents, accelerated change can be painful for people of any age if they don't go with it. I think of the emotional resin of closing the gaps and of being able to see change not as creating an unbridgeable gap, but as part of a journey begun long ago.
In each of these situations, meditating with and/or wearing amber can greatly ease the process of rebalancing. While meditating, imagine that, like a tree, your being has the ability to identify imbalance and to effortlessly correct it. Rather than focusing on the areas you think are out of alignment, allow your greater wisdom to send balancing forces according to its own design. Simply visualize a golden glow circulating through you, filling you, and returning you to wholeness.
|
|
Reply
| |
| Unlucky February Dates 8. 10. 17. 26. 27. 28. According to the English historian Richard Grafton these certain dates of the month were unlucky as published in the 'Manual' in 1565. Days throughout the year were identified and of course could have related to any day of the week. The date was the most important point to consider. The work was reputed to have some credence with support given by astronomers of the day. Exactly why these dates are unlucky is unclear today but by looking at the calendar of days an idea of the major occurrences can be seen. This page was brought to you by Mystical World Wide Web
"http://www.mystical-www.co.uk"
Assembled By Kajal @ Diamond Girls
| | | | | | |
|
Reply
| |
Celebrating the Circle
by Wolfe and Sue Woodbury We celebrate a circle of air,
Living breath of our planet so fair,
From your home in the east,
Come and witness our feast,
As we celebrate the Circle of Life. We celebrate a circle of Fire
The flames that give warmth and inspire
From your home in the South,
Come and bless every house,
As we celebrate the Circle of Life. We celebrate a circle of water
Living womb for each son and each daughter
From your home in the West,
Give life to our quest,
As we celebrate the Circle of Life. We celebrate a circle of Earth
The body that gave us our birth
From you home in the North,
Give us strength to go forth,
As we celebrate the Circle of Life. We celebrate the circle we share
Earth, Water, Fire and Air
From below as above,
What we share is our love,
As we celebrate the Circle of Life.
And we celebrate the Circle of Life. http://forums.delphiforums.com/herbalmusings/messages/?msg=13140 |
|
Reply
| |
The History of St. Patrick’s Day
This is a brief overview of the meaning and history behind Saint Patrick’s Day.
The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Scotland about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn. Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.
He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity. Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God" meaning the Pagans of his time.
Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans.
While not the first to bring Christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites:
Patrick and his companions decided to celebrate Easter at Tara because this was the site of the Pagan feast. Pagan custom stated that no fire should be lit that night, until a fire appeared at the palace of Tara. In a field at the foot of the hill on which Loegaire reigned, Patrick lit the paschal fire. The heathen saw the flames and Loegaire set out to kill Patrick and extinguish his fire. Thus ensues a battle between the druids and Patrick, each testing the other's power. Patrick cursed one druid in the name of God, and he was risen up, then dropped back down, hitting his head on a rock, killing him. As the king was about to attack for this outrage, Patrick called on God, and an earthquake wreaked havoc on the pagans.
The final test of the truth in Christianity, where one of Patrick's followers, a boy named Benigus, would be placed in one half of a hut, made of dry wood, wearing the robes of the druid, while the druid was placed in the other half, made of green wood, wearing Patrick's chasuble. Fire was set to the hut, and shortly thereafter, Benigus came out unharmed, but the druid's robes were burned up. Nothing remained of the Druid except for the chasuble. Loegaire was angered, but upon being threatened with instant death, chose to believe in Patrick's God. His life endangered because he did not want to convert.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ireland was governed by paganism and, in many regions, by the Druids. The Druids understood the importance of organisation and were in the midst of pulling all regions and tribes of Ireland into one fold of religious belief, that of Paganism. Ireland is well known for having many Gods and Goddesses, many of which are the same deity, but known by different names in different regions of the country. The Druids were attempting, and doing so successfully, to bring all these mythologies under one roof to solidify not only a belief system, but a method of governing it's people. Which, in their thinking, would pull the many rival tribes together into one government. This would allow the Irish people to fight more successfully against it's invaders, such as the Romans, Brits and even the Christians.
Into the world of the Irish Celts entered a highly energetic and devoted Christian Priest named Patrick. Because he believed so strongly in the tenets of Christianity, he thought that anyone who was not Christian had to become one in order to be "saved". He came to Ireland to convert the Irish people to Christianity.
He noticed that the Druids were really the important people of the society. He thought that if he could convert the Druids to Christianity, the rest of the people would follow. Patrick's main problem was that the Druids were very comfortable with what they had already learned, and were not willing to change. Druids had spent their entire lives learning the ways of the people, and were the last people who were willing to change.
Patrick was not alone in his efforts. He had brought many people with him from Britain to establish the new religion. Patrick began to destroy the influence of the Druids by destroying the sacred sites of the people and building churches and monasteries where the Druids used to live and teach. Gradually, the might of the Druidic class was broken by a bitter campaign of attrition. Instead of hearing the teachings and advice of the Druids, the people began to hear the teachings of Rome. Because the Druids were the only ones who were taught to remember the history, with the Druids dead and their influence broken, the history was forgotten.
At the same time, the Christians were establishing their own foot holds in the emerald isle. St Patrick converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the Holy Wells, which still bear his name. In an attempt to convert the remaining Druids and their followers who practiced their beliefs in the face of these new 'laws', the Church took many pagan holidays and transformed them into Christian holidays or festivals. Many pagans followed along with this practice. Many of these Christian holidays and their pagan symbology still exist today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oral tradition has Patrick using the three-leaved Clover plant as a means of teaching the Holy Trinity, but actual use of the shamrock as a Saint Patrick's day tradition does not begin until the 17th Century. It has been tradition to overindulge in the "spirits" of the holiday, often dropping a clover into one's glass, and thereby "drowning the shamrock." The superstition of luck and the Irish date back much further, probably to pagan times and beliefs, where possessing a shamrock was thought to ward off the spells of witches, and protected travellers from faeries and banshees.
St. Patrick’s Day is on the 17th of March. The festival was designed to coincide, and it was hoped to replace, the pagan holiday known as Ostara (pagan holidays are called sabbats). This is the 2nd spring festival for pagans and occurs each year at the Spring Equinox.
St. Patrick helped rid the country of paganism, and many pagans used snake symbols in their religion, St. Patrick did, in a way, rid Ireland of snakes. The History Channel's Web site says that because many Irish pagans initially did not welcome Christianity, Patrick introduced another important pagan symbol to encourage their conversion: the sun with the Christian cross: hence, the Celtic Cross.
References.
Saint Patrick of Ireland: A Biography by Phillip Freeman.
www.brownielocks.com/stpatrick.html
www.xanga.com/Child_of_the_Earth/577383277/why-pagans-dont-celebrate-st-patricks-day.html
http://www.history.com/
|
|
Reply
| |
Legends and Lore for March March, the third month of the current Gregorian calendar and the first month of Spring, derives its name from the ancient Roman war-god Mars, who also presided over the fertility of the land. The traditional birthstone of March are the aquamarine and the bloodstone; and the daffodil and the jonquil are the month's traditional flowers. March is shared by the astrological signs of Pisces the Two Fishes and Aries the Ram, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Eostre, the Green Goddess, the Lord of the Greenwood, Mars, and Ostara. During the month of March, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to the Vernal Equinox, on of the four Lesser Sabbats celebrated each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 1 On this date in the year 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (an influential Western occult order and secret society) was established. It offered teaching on ceremonial magick, divination, Kabbalah, and other occult-oriented sciences. Many of its rituals are still in use by modern-day practitioners of High Magick. Aleister Crowley (one of the Golden Dawn's most famous members) was initiated into the Order in the year 1898 but was later expelled. In ancient Rome, the sacred fire in the Temple of Vesta was rekindled by the Vestal Virgins on this day which, at one time, marked the beginning of the Roman year. The first day of Marc is celebrated in Bulgaria as Granny March's Day. (Granny-March is an old Witch-Goddess who presides over the month of March). It is believed throughout the country that if any woman works on this sacred day, Granny March becomes angry and uses her magickal powers to destroy the crops with storms. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 2 In various parts of Europe, women celebrate Mother March each year on this date. The Mother-Goddess who presides over the third month of the year is honored and a festive parade is held to commemorate all women who have created life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 3 The number three is the most magickal of all numbers; therefore the third day of the third month is believed to be a favorable time for Witches and practitioners of magick throughout the world. This day is sacred to all Triple Goddesses and deities of the Moon (which shows itself in three aspects: waxing, full, and waning). The magickal and healing power of pyramids is said to be strongest on this day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 4 On this day in Ireland and Wales, the annual Feast of Thiannon is celebrated by many Wiccans in honor of Rhiannon, the Celtic/Welsh Mother-Goddess who was originally known as Rigatona (the Great Queen) and identified with the Gaulish mare-goddess Epona. On this date in ancient Greece, an annual ritual called the Anthesteria was held to honor the souls of the dead (the Keres). The ritual lasted for three days. On this date in the year 1968, the Church of All Worlds (founded by Otter Zell) was formally chartered, thus becoming the first federally recognized church of Neo-Paganism. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 5 In parts of North Africa, the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis is honored on this date with an annual festival of music, dancing, and feasting. In Rome, Isis's opening of the seas to navigation was commemorated on this day with an annual ceremony called the Navigum Isidis (Blessing of the Vessel of Isis). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 6 According to an ancient book called Perillous Dayes of Every Month, the sixth and seventh days of March "shall come to no good end, and the dayes be full perillous for many things." On this date (approximately) in the year 1795, Count Alessandro Cagliostro died in prison. He was renowned as an alchemist, healer, psychic, and practitioner of wizardry before falling victim to the Catholic Church's Inquisition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 7 On this day in the year 1890, the poet William Butler Yeats was initiated into the Isis-Urania Temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. There, he studied the magickal arts and took the magickal name Daemon est Deus Inversus (which translates into "The Devil is God Reversed"). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 8 Mother Earth Day, a festival which honors the birthday of the Earth as a Mother Goddess, is celebrated annually on this day throughout China. The festival consists of street parades, the lighting of firecrackers, feasting and partying. "Birthday presents" (coins, flowers, incense, paper dolls, etc.) are placed in small holes in the ground, blessed, and then covered with soil. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 9 On this date, the annual Butter Lamp Festival is held by Buddhist monks in Tibet to render demons powerless and to secure the favor of the gods. Yak-butter sculptures of Buddhist heroes are paraded through the streets as sacred chants are recited. After the procession, the sculptures are then cast into the waters of a river. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 10 On this day in the year 1909, the famous Dutch clairvoyant and psychic healer Gerard Croiset was born in the Netherlands. Using his clairvoyant abilities, which manifested early in his childhood, Croiset healed hundreds of patients daily at this clinic. He also worked with various police departments as a psychic criminologist and solved crimes in more than half a dozen countries. His death occurred on July 20, 1980. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 11 Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Emplars, was burned alive at the stake on this date in the year 1314. Shortly before he died, he accurately predicted the death of King Philip IV of France within the year and the death of Pope Clement within forty days. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 12Babylonian Feast of Marduk On this day in the year 1873, psychic researcher and occultists Stewart Edward White was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He authored several books containing material obtained through his wife's spirit-channeling sessions, and he served as president of the American Society for Psychical Research in San Francisco, California. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 13 The thirteenth day of the third month is considered to be the luckiest day of the year for all Witches (especially if it should happen to fall on a Friday), as thirteen is the number associated with the traditional Witches' coven and three is a powerful magickal number. In Luxemborg, a Pagan fire festival known as Burgsonndeg is celebrated annually on this day with the lighting of great bonfires to welcome Spring and the rebirth of the Sun. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 14 The annual thirteen-day Ghanian New Year celebration begins on this date. A series of special ritual dances are traditionally performed on the first eleven days of the festival to dispel all evil spirits and honor the souls of the departed. The shrines of the beneficial spirits are ritually purified on the twelfth day, and a joyous celebration of the new year takes place on the thirteenth day. This day is sacred to Ua Zit, a serpent-goddess of the ancient Egyptian religion.
March 15 On this date in ancient Rome, the annual Festival of Attis and Cybele began with a procession of reed-bearers to commemorate the finding of the infant Attis among the reeds. The festival was followed by nine consecutive days of fasting and sexual abstinence. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 16 The annual Hindu festival of Holi is held in India on this date to celebrate Spring and to commemorate the burning death of the child-eating, she-demon known as Holika. On this date in the year 1946, J.Z. Knight, the famous spirit channeler for the ancient entity known as "Ramtha", was born in New Mexico. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 17 Saint Patrick's Day On this date in the year 1893, Eileen J. Garrett (a gifted medium, psychic, and founder of the Parapsychology Foundation) was born in Ireland. At a young age, she began experiencing visions of the dead. She was granted United States citizenship in 1947 and she founded her own publishing house (Creative Age Press) and magazine (Tomorrow, a journal of paranormal phenomena). She established the Parapsychology Foundation in 1951, and wrote numerous books under the pen name of Jean Lyttle. She died in France on September 15, 1970. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 18 In ancient times, the Pagan fertility-goddess known as Sheela-na-gig was honored annually on this date in Ireland. With the advent of Christianity, the identity of the goddess was altered from heathen deity with oversized genitalia to the consort or mother of Saint Patrick. On this day in the year 1877, psychic and "absent-healer" Edgar Cayce (also known as the Sleeping Prophet) was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. He was renowned for his psychic visions and miraculous ability to accurately diagnose illnesses and prescribe remedies while in a self-induced trance. He prophesied the Second coming of Christ in the year 1998, followed by cataclysmic changes of the planet. Edgar Cayce died on January 3, 1945. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 19 The Akitu, an annual Babylonian New Year festival celebrating the marriage of Heaven and Earth, begins on this date and lasts for ten consecutive days. In ancient times, Greek theatrical performances known as the Uban Dionysia began annually on this date in honor of the god Dionysus. They continued for five consecutive days. Also, a festival called the Lesser Panathenaea was held at this time. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Sitala, a goddess who reigns over smallpox and death, is honored on this day in India as part of the Hindu New Year ritual. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 20Rosicrucian New Year On this day, an annual Spring Harvest Festival was celebrated in ancient Egypt, along the banks of the River Nile, in honor of the Mother-Goddess and the enchantress, Isis. This day is sacred to the goddess Fortuna, the Morrigan, the Norns, the Three Fates, and the Three Mothers (Lakshmi, Parvati, and Sarasvati). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 21 On this date (approximately), the Sun enters the astrological sign of Aries. Persons born under the sign of the Ram are said to be courageous, intelligent, impulsive, and aggressive. Aries is a fire sign and is ruled by the planet Mars. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 22 On the first day of Spring (which normally occurs on or near this date) the Spring, or Vernal, Equinox is celebrated by Wiccans and Witches throughout the world. Spring Equinox (which is also known as Festival of the Trees, Alban Eilir, Ostara, and the Rite of Eostre) is a fertility rite celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth. On this sacred day, Witches light new fires at sunrise, rejoice, ring bells, and decorate hard-boiled eggs--an ancient Pagan custom associated with the Goddess of Fertility. The aspects of the Goddess invoked at this Sabbat are Eostre (the Saxon goddess of fertility) and Ostara (the German goddess of fertility); in some Wiccan traditions, the Green Goddess and the Lord of the Greenwood are worshipped on this day. Like most of the old Pagan festivals, Spring Equinox was Christianized by the Church into the religious holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this date in ancient Rome, uprooted pine trees were curried through the streets of the city by the devotees of the cult of Attis and taken to his sacred temple as part of an annual ritual (Procession of the Tree-Bearers) to mourn the god's demise. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 23 Dance of the Salii. On this date in ancient Rome, the gods Mars and Saturn were invoked each year by dancing priests brandishing spears and clashing holy shields. The evil spirits of Winter were thus expelled from the city, and the growth of crops and gardens was stimulated through sympathetic magick. In the Polish countryside, an old Pagan festival of Spring called the Marzenna is celebrated annually on this date with singing, dancing, and the "sacrifices" of straw effigies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 24 Day of Blood. In ancient Rome this was a time of deep mourning. It was an annual religious custom on this day for people to lacerate themselves with knives and for new priests to castrate themselves and spill their blood on the altar in the temple of the Mother-Goddess Cybele. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 25 The Hilaria (Festival of Joy) was celebrated annually on this date in ancient Rome. It was a joyous event which commemorated the triumph of day over night after the Vernal Equinox. The festivities were brought to a close with a "ceremony of washing" which was believed to promote fertility. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 26 Solitude Day. This is a time for Wiccans and Neo-Pagans to spend the day (or at least part of it) by themselves, meditate in solitude, and reconnect with their "inner-selves." Take a quiet walk in the woods or stroll down a deserted beach and listen to the music of the sea. Explore an old barn or write a Goddess-inspired poem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 27 In ancient Rome, the fertility and wine-god Liber Pater was honored annually on this date (and sometimes on the seventeenth of March). His festival, the Liberalia, was a time of feasting and drinking, and a day when young males entered into their manhood. Gauri, the goddess of marriage and abundance, is honored on this date in India with an annual women's festival and swinging ritual. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 28 The Eka Dasa Rudra (an eleven-week-long Balinese festival consisting of thirty ceremonies) is held on this date approximately once every one hundred years to restore the balance between the forces of good and evil. The festival, which is ancient in origin, reaches a climax when thousands of pilgrims gather at the volcano temple to observe animal sacrifices made to happease the god Rudra. In Taiwan, the birthday of the goddess Kwan Yin is celebrated annually on this date. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 29 The annual Festival of Ishtar is celebrated by many Wiccans on this day in honor of the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of love, fertility, and battle. As a Triple Goddess, Ishtar represents birth, death, and rebirth. On this day, an annual masquerade ritual is held by the Bobo people of Africa to restore the balance of Nature and to ward off evil spirits. Special prayers and offerings are made to the gods of rain and the gods of the harvest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 30 The annual Iranian New Year celebration begins on this date and continues for thirteen days. Bonfires are lit and sacred rituals involving eggs and mirrors are performed. A Pagan religious festival was held each year on this day in ancient Mesopotamia to celebrate the sacred union of the God and Goddess, and to give thanks for the creation of the human race. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 31 On this date in ancient Rome, the annual Feast of Luna was celebrated at moonrise in honor of the beautiful and powerful goddess of the Moon and lunar magick. On this date in the year 1848, the famous Fox Sisters supposedly made communication with the spirit world at Hydesville Cottage in upstate New York. Their famous seances gave birth to the popular spiritualist movement, which was all the rage in the United States and England from the mid-1880's to the early twentieth century. |
|
Reply
| |
| Evocation of the Witch | | I am one with the universe, | | I am no-thing and I am everything. | | I am the stars and the moon | | the seas and the storms | | the breath of life | | the alchemical change | | the living and the dead | | I am! | | I am the power and the joy. | | I am the spirit that dances. | | I am the magick and the priest | | the witch and the sorceress | | the angels and the elements | | omnipotent | | omnipresent | | I am! | | I am the past, the present and the future, | | I am the void | | and I am the manifestation of my desire. | | I am! | http://forums.delphiforums.com/herbalmusings/messages?msg=13118.1 |
|
Reply
| |
| May May, the fifth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the third month of Spring's rule, derives its name from the Roman Springtime goddess Maia, whose divine powers encouraged the growth of crops. The traditional birthstone amulets of May are the emerald and the agate, while the hawthorne and lily are the month's traditional flowers. May is shared by the astrological signs of Taurus the Bull and Gemini the Twins, and is sacred to Pagan deities such as Artemis, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Pan, and all gods and goddesses who preside over fertility. During the month of May, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to Beltane, one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated each year by Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches throughout the world. May 5 On this date in the year 2000, according to a group called the Lemurian Fellowship, the legendary lost continent of Mu will rise up from the Pacific Ocean. In various parts of Mexico and Central America, centuries-old rain ceremonies are performed every year on this day by shamanic priests and priestesses of the Old Faith. The ancient goddesses who preside over rain and fertility are honored and invoked with prayers and offerings. http://www.perfectlypagan.com/ Assembled by Shannon Tessier© html Maria @ DGS & MP2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Reply
| |
|
Pagan and Wiccan Festival Etiquette From Patti Wigington, How to Make Sure You're Invited Back Next Year It's no secret that Pagans and Wiccans love a good festival. At certain times of the year, there are public events all over the world for Pagans and Wiccans to attend. However, just because there's no set of Pagan rules doesn't mean there aren't a few basic guidelines you should follow when you attend a public event. After all, the organizers went to a lot of trouble to put this thing on -- the last thing they need is a bunch of people creating problems simply because common sense got left at home! Let's break it down into the Do and Don't categories. Naturally, some of these may be flexible, depending on the nature of the festival itself, but the bottom line is if you're in doubt about something, check with the organizers of the event. Festival Do's - If you're asked to do something by a festival or event coordinator, please do it.
- These people are volunteers, and if one of them asks you to watch children for an hour or carry a bag of trash to a dumpster, help out and take care of it. It will free them up to do what they're supposed to be doing - coordinating.
- Bring your own supplies. If you know ahead of time you're going to be attending a workshop or class, bring your own craft supplies, magical tools, divination materials or notebook/pencil when possible.
- Be respectful of presenters. If you're attending a seminar or lecture, bear in mind that the presenters often are giving their time as a donation -- or that the organizers had to shell out a good amount of money to book them -- and many drive long distances to come share their knowledge with you. Don't monopolize their time, and don't talk during their class. Save the chit-chat for afterwards.
- Make a love offering. Nearly every Pagan and Wiccan festival is put on by non-profit groups, which means they have to pay for the site rental, food, entertainment, and presenters all out of donations. If you have a chance to toss a few dollars in a pot, do so.
- If you're attending a multi-day event, be sure you bring enough food for yourself. No one wants to have to go around begging the last three days of a campout because they've run short. The bigger problem is that other people will have enough for themselves, but if they share with you, then THEY run short. Plan ahead and bring a little more than you think you'll need.
- Pay attention to rules regarding nudity. Some events are clothing-optional, and if they are, they'll say so. However, just as many festivals take place in locations that forbid nudity, such as public parks or beachs. Also, in many cases organizers don't want any nudity because they're trying to promote a "family friendly" atmosphere. While there's nothing wrong with nudity, not everyone wants their child to see total strangers naked.
- Be respectful of others' beliefs. You may be pretty certain that your version of Wicca is the best one, but you don't have to belittle the beliefs of other paths in the process. That includes being respectful of non-Pagan paths such as Christianity.
- Do practice safe sex. If you're going to hook up with someone you met at a festival, please do so responsibly.
- If you bring your children, please keep an eye on them. It may be difficult and you may have to miss a couple of workshops, but they're your kids. If you can't watch them at the event, find a sitter.
-
Festival Don'ts - Do NOT take pictures of someone without their permission. Many Pagans and Wiccans are still in the broom closet, and that's their choice. If you want to take a photo of a friend, make sure there's no one in the background who can be idenitified, unless you've checked to make sure it's okay first.
- Don't touch other people's stuff. Most Pagans and Wiccans are very particular about the handling of their magical tools. To pick up someone's wand or athame and gush about how nice it is... well, it's a HUGE breach of protocol. Ask permission before touching anything.
- Don't argue with vendors about the worth of their merchandise. Believe me, there's nothing worse than knowing a person spent literally weeks crafting a beautiful object, and then seeing someone haggle because they don't think it's worth it. It's one thing if you're short on cash, but don't ever tell an artisan that their time and skill is valueless.
- Be on time. Unfortunately, the notion of Pagan Standard Time has become more and more of an issue -- the idea that all Pagans show up twenty minutes late. That's unacceptable if you're attending a scheduled workshop or class. When a presenter is in the middle of a session and half the group saunters in late, it's practically a guarantee that the organizers won't get that person back next year.
- Don't throw anything into a ritual fire unless you are specifically invited to do so. It's not a place for you to toss your trash, and certain herbs can cause allergic reaction in some people. If there's something you'd like to add to a fire, ask one of the fire handlers to do it for you.
- Don't complain about a lack of volunteer personnel. Volunteers are just that -- volunteers! If an event is short of them, then it's because not enough people were willing to donate their time and energy. Instead of complaining, offer to help out with future events.
- Don't interrupt people who want privacy. It's not uncommon to see someone meditating, alone, at a huge festival. If you stumble across such a person, don't bother them. Respect their need for solitude.
- Don't show up intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. If an event is held in a public place, you could find yourself ejected for disruptive behavior. Remember, you're entitled to have a good time, but you're not entitled to ruin everyone else's fun. So there you have it -- a few simple, common-sense guidelines that will not only allow you to have a great time at a festival, but that will also allow others to enjoy it as much as you. Now go forth, go to your event, and may it be a wonderful experience for you!
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccaandpaganismbasics/a/Fest_Etiquette.htm Assembled by Shannon
@ Diamond Girls
Tiles Courtesy of SKPawPrintz | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Reply
| |
| Today We Honor Anubis Anubis
Judge of the Dead
Pantheon: Egyptian
Element: Earth
Sphere of Influence: Judgement and Death
Preferred colors: Green, Black
Associated symbol: Black Jackal, Number 9
Animals associated with: Jackal , Dog
Best day to work with: Wednesday
Strongest around Samhain
Suitable offerings: Green Feldspar
Associated Planet: Mercury
The souls of the dead are protected on their journey to the halls of judgement by Anubis, son of Osiris and Nepthys. He is the guardian of cemeteries and sacred places. http://forums.delphiforums.com/herbalmusings/messages?msg=14177.1
| | | | | | | |
|
Reply
| |
Make Your Own Runes
Some people are particular about their runes and do not loan them out
or let anyone touch them. Runes are traditionally made from wood and
bone. These materials were the easiest to make Rune staves with.
I have a set of runes also made from non-traditional ceramic, glass,
oak, shells, and stone! My favorite set is made of cherry wood. I
scanned my personal cherry set of Runes and use them throughout my
entire site. The set above is oak cut from a 1 1/8" dowel.
The cherry wood set was cut from leftover cherry wood from furniture
building by my husband. They were cut into small rectangular 1" by 3/4"
pieces on which I burned the Rune symbol with an electric wood burning
tool. While burning each Rune, I did a meditation while learning each
one and it turned into a Rune Ritual and a period of self empowerment.
If you want your Runes to be traditional, use wood from trees or bone,
ivory, or deer antlers. Runes can also be made out of sea shells, clay
dried and/or fired, glass, stones collected from sacred places such as
the Mississippi River (like my friend Kris plans on doing), or wood
from any of the sacred trees. I always use discarded branches and deer
naturally molt their antlers every year. Rune sets can also be
purchased from metaphysical stores, festivals and independent vendors.
To give you an idea what kind of wood you would like to use to make
your Runes out of, you can check out the meanings and myths associated
with the different kinds of trees.
Runes should be stored in either handmade or store bought bags with
draw strings. They should be large enough to hold all of the Runes plus
allow a hand to go into the bag to pull a Rune out. The bag used to
store the Runes can be made from natural materials like cotton,
leather,
wool, or silk. You can use manmade materials, too. I have made bags
from blue jean material, velvet, wool, and synthetics. The above bag is
made out of purple velvet.
The easiest way to get started in Rune divining it so ask a "yes" or
"no" question. An upright Rune is "yes" and an reversed Rune is "No."
Mix the Runes up in the Rune Bag and select one with the left hand,
usually referred to as the Pagan hand. One school of thought is that if
you are right-handed, the right hand is active and conscious, while the
left-hand is passive and subconscious. If you are left-handed, then the
left hand represents the active and subconscious, while the right hand
represents the passive and subconscious.
When using the traditional 24 Germanic, Anglo-Saxon or Fresian runes,
there are eight runes that when turned either way always read the same
and cannot be reversed. If you get one of these, place it back in the
bag and draw another. You can repeat the process three times and if you
still don't get a Rune that can be reversed take it as meaning it's not
time to get an answer to that particular question. Do not ask silly
questions or questions concerning death. These are questions of fate
and are not in our realm to know.
http://www.earth-dancing.com/makeyourownrunes.htm |
|
Reply
| |
Pentagram Cookies 1 cup almonds, finely ground
1 1/4 cup flour
3 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. cloves, ground
1/2 cup confectioner' s sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened If necessary, grind the almonds in a blender or food processor until
finely reduced. Combine almonds, flour, sugar, almond extract, and
ground cloves. Work in butter and egg yolks with the hands until well
blended. As you work, visualize glowing golden pentagrams entering
the dough. Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes or until cold, yet pliable.
While the dough is cooling, grease 2 cookie sheet. With a toothpick
or a small knife, lightly carve a pentagram on the cookie .Strongly
visualize as you draw. Repeat the entire process until the dough is
used up. For even cooking, ensure that all cookies are approximately
the same thickness.
Bake at 325 F. for about 10 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on
racks. Eat with power. |
|
Reply
| |
Witchcraft on the go
The latest fad in the realm of witchcraft publishing appears to be 'practicing witchcraft on the go'. At first, this may seem like a sign of the times but, looking back in history, witchcraft has nearly always been performed "on the go." Witches have always traveled to where they were needed, taking with them the barest essentials. There have also been times when witches were away from their home and they were summoned for immediate attendance. In such cases, all they could take with them was their knowledge of the craft. Everything else that they might need would have had to been acquired at the site. Do you, as a witch, have the ability to perform witchcraft at any given place without the need of a kit that you've brought from home? Test Yourself. The next time you are alone in the woods, look around. - If someone came to you asking for a spell of protection, would you be able to perform that spell using the items surrounding you?
- Do you know tree correspondences?
- Is there water nearby?
- Could you make a circle of rocks?
- Think through the spell you would perform.
Imagine yourself in a grassy summer meadow. Someone comes to you asking advice on their future. You have none of your oracle kits with you. - Would you be able to create an oracle from what the meadow has to offer?
- Does yarrow grow in the meadow?
- Do you know how to make an oracle from yarrow sticks?
- Are their pebbles on the ground?
- Do you know enough symbols to make an oracle from the stones using charcoal to mark them?
- Could you make unmarked oracles out of the stones?
- Can you interpret the meaning of the wild flowers growing there?
- What would you do to create the oracle needed to give advice on another's future?
Go and visit a friend or family member. If this person suddenly asked your help in ridding the house of a negative spirit, would you be able to rid the spirit using what is available to you in the house? Finally... The next time you are grocery shopping, go through the produce aisle. - Do you know the uses and correspondences of all the vegetables and fruits offered there?
- What spells or rituals would you use them in?
- Do the same in spice aisle.
The Need for Kits Is there a need to purchase an "on the go" witch kit? If you can pass the above tests, the answer is no. Everything you need is exactly where you are. The Universe does provide and what you cannot find on the outside, you will find that it is within you. Taped Symbols? On a whim, not so long ago, I grabbed a roll of thin, dark red tape and taped a five-pointed star shape onto my kitchen counter where I tend to do alot of my spellwork. I don't keep an altar in this area but it's where you can almost always fnd me, baking or doing dishes or sitting at the table to read. So naturally, this is where I light my candles so that I can keep an eye on them while they burn. When taping the star-shape, I noticed that the center or belly of the star is the perfect place to burn the candle and, depending on how big I made the star, I can also add a few other trinkets to the star-belly as well. This includes items that would be used in charm bags and talismans. I found that using the taped symbol works very strongly and have been using it with the top-point of the star facing the directional point of a desired outcome (N,S,E,W). I have also begun using other symbols and encircling the symbols with a corresponding herb to further empower my focus and the results have been great! Masking tape that is colored with a crayon almost has the same effect, although I've found that tape that is already the color you need works best. Author Unknown |
|
Reply
| |
| Ancestor Altar May 20th, 2008
Color of the day: Red
Incense of the day: Ylang-Ylang
Our ancestors are the root of who we are. One very special way to remember them and honor them is to create an ancestor altar. The ancestor altar can be a part of your personal altar or a separate one dedicated only to the ancestors. Gather pictures of the ancestors you wish to honor, as well as any little mementos of your loved ones you wish to add for an even deeper connection. Consider adding a doily crocheted by a loved grandmother for an altar cloth, a vase from an aunt’s dining room to hold flowers, or use a saucer from a cherished set of china for holding water. Assemble the altar with reverence and love, recalling fond memories of each of the ancestors you honor in this space. Continue to honor them with gifts of fresh flowers, incense, and candles, and thank them for the joy they brought to your life.
By: Winter Wren http://forums.delphiforums.com/herbalmusings/messages?msg=14311.1
Assembled by "janis" @ Daimond Girls
Tiles by WCW / html Maria @ MariasPages2 | | | | | | |
|
|
First
Previous
2-16 of 16
Next
Last
|
|
Return to All Message Boards
