Messages In This Digest (14 Messages)
- 1.1.
- Today's Quote From: Lady Nightshayde
- 2.
- Fun Friday--Paraprosdokian From: Lady Nightshayde
- 3.1.
- Elder's Meditation of the Day From: Lady Nightshayde
- 4.
- Do It Anyway! From: Lady Nightshayde
- 5.
- Cutting Cords From: Lady Nightshayde
- 6.
- Great Quotes from Steve Jobs From: Lady Nightshayde
- 7a.
- My Other Broomstick From: Lady Nightshayde
- 8a.
- Thought for Today From: Lady Nightshayde
- 9.
- Samhain--Harken Now, the Darkness Comes From: Lady Nightshayde
- 10.
- Fun Friday, 10/7/2011, 12:00 am From: 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
- 11.
- How to Honor the Ancestors at Samhain From: Lady Nightshayde
- 12a.
- Samhain: Season of Death and Renewal From: Lady Nightshayde
- 13.
- Survey about me From: purplesage
- 14.
- Cosmic Calendar Oct 7 From: LadyHawk_Jax
Messages
- 1.1.
-
Today's Quote
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:23 pm (PDT)
It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the
treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your
treasure.
--Joseph Campbell
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 2.
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Fun Friday--Paraprosdokian
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:23 pm (PDT)
Paraprosdokian
"Experience can be a tough teacher. You get the test first and the lesson later."
Paraprosdokian: "Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising
or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation."
"Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.
1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.
3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.
12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'
13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut,
scratching their crotch, and still think they are sexy.
15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman
16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
17. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.
18. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
19. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery a hell of a lot easier to live with.
20. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
21. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.
22. You're never too old to vote for something stupid.
23. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
24. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
25. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
26. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
27. A diplomat is someone who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.
28. Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.
29. When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.
30. The only way to fight the government is to vote all the idiots out.
Words of Wisdom "The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 3.1.
-
Elder's Meditation of the Day
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:24 pm (PDT)
Elder's Meditation of the Day
"The dances are prayers."
-- Pop Chalee, TAOS PUEBLO
When we dance to the drum we pray to the Creator and attract the heartbeat of the earth. We never dance without reason; every dance has a purpose. We dance for rain; we dance for healing; we dance for seasons; we dance for joy; we dance for our children; we dance for the people; we dance for courage. The drum plays to the beat of the heart, to the beat of the Earth. The drum connects us to the Earth while we dance our prayers.
Oh, Great One, let my dance and prayer be heard by You.
from www.whitebison.org
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 4.
-
Do It Anyway!
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:24 pm (PDT)
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 5.
-
Cutting Cords
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:30 pm (PDT)
Cutting Cords
If you spend any time at all pursuing spiritual knowledge to implement into your life, you may realize that while you are growing, some negative things keep popping up--often things that you had thought you ended of perhaps are having trouble ending properly. What is really happening here? It very well may be that you need to perform a "cord-cutting" ritual for yourself. While it may sound fluffy bunny and new-agey, the logic behind it is sound.
Very simply explained, we are spiritual beings with energetic bodies, as well as physical bodies. When we create relationships, two types of bonds, bridges, or ties are also created. Connections, often called spiritual bonds or ties--are light, energetic cords based on balance, compassion, unconditional love, and respecting boundaries while allowing both parties to feel energized, happy, and uplifted. These cords are most often found in the upper chakras--the heart and above--and are more beneficial if they remain there. (Chakra resources listed at the end of this article.)
Attachments, however, are not based on unconditional love and equal exchange. Because we live in a world that is programmed to be in a constant state of conscious or subconscious fear, many ties of the "attachment" nature are imbalanced, unhealthy, and sometimes abusive--leaving one or both parties feeling drained, overwhelmed, and even controlled, suppressed, or violated. This can also be accompanied by a range of unpleasant emotions like guilt, shame, repulsion, anger, abandonment, betrayal, or any act of self-devaluation. In nearly all cases, these attachments can feel like something that overly dominates your thoughts and even unduly influences your actions.
As you can imagine, ties with our sexual and romantic partners, as well as family members (especially as a parent-child) are among our strongest cords--these bonds remain even if both parties are not alive anymore. Other situations that can prove difficult are with friends, teachers, bosses, clients, students, employees--or even something more collective like a corporation, a community, a religion, a philosophy, an idea, or even any aspect of the law or military. It can also be a situation, event, experience, a memory, or a contract. And conscious or not, it even could have been from a past life that may not even apply to your life now.
In fact, we sometimes carry ancestral contracts that are not of our making (and often inapplicable), but if we don't take care of the issue, it could keep getting passed down in the family. It is not something you can run away from either, since attempting a drastic end to a relationship without cutting the cord (like moving across the country and ending contact) will probably attract a new person to live out the cord pattern instead.
Because attachments are based on levels of fear, it is natural to find most of these cords in the lower three chakras, with particular emphasis to the solar plexus. In fact, when an incident happens and the cord is still active, many people feel a sensation like being punched in the stomach. Our personal power is represented by the solar plexus chakra (yellow), while our nurturing and creative abilities are in our sacral chakra (orange), and our physical survival drive is in the root chakra (red). Sometimes attachment cords are in the higher chakras--as an example, cords of religious organizations tend to be located in the crown chakra (purple) and the third eye chakra (indigo). Or, cords of someone or something wanting you to keep your mouth shut may be on the throat chakra (blue). If the heart chakra has attachments, they are likely also in one of the lower chakras (think unconditional love).
How do cords of attachment differ from cords of connection? The cords of connection are light, beautiful, and feel like nothing is wrong with them--they belong. Cords of attachment can appear or feel dark, murky, heavy, and even sticky. Some rather strong ones may appear to have a life of their own sometimes, since it has been described by some shamanic healers that upon removal, they can be like wrestling with an oversized worm with huge, sharp teeth! This would particularly be the case for the rare conscious cord creator (including, but not limited to, using manipulative magic). However, most cords are made subconsciously, and as such, do not rise to that level. If you do not have third eye sight (clairvoyance), you can still tell the difference by how it "feels." Or, even better, take note of your actions (and the other party if you can), including unhealthy cravings and anything else you can observe.
How To Cut Cords of Attachment
You may wish to do this more than once, since cutting all cords of attachment can be very disconcerting--and may not even be safe. Your spiritual higher-self will know how much you can handle, so trust in your process. You may wish to obtain an object to help you focus your intention and be an energetic help to you--like a protective and repelling piece of black tourmaline. Smudge with sage before using.
It is best to schedule this during a waning or dark Moon on a Saturday or a Tuesday, which allows you to take advantage of the energies of Saturn (staying) and Mars (moving). It may be helpful to taker a psychic cleansing bath before your cord-cutting ritual--bathe 15 to 30 minutes in water with two cups of vinegar in the bath water. You may wish to add baking soda, sea salt, Epsom salts, or even some purifying and spiritual essential oils.
Design and make your sacred space--intend and visualize through-and-through protection in the best way for you. Call in Spirit, your spirit guides, and any strong and fiercely protective deity(ies) you wish. As an example, some prefer the archangel Michael for his strength and warrior abilities. Some would ask for Buddha or Jesus; some would ask for Odin, Brighid, Hecate, Ogun, Isis, Ganesha; and still others rely on their spiritual higher-selves- -all are acceptable, as long as it resonates strongly and empowers you.
Create your intention for cord-cutting that cuts all attachments, known and unknown, that you are spiritually ready to cut. Rest assured, you will not accidentally cut any cords that are to remain as connections or accidentally cancel a soul contract that is for your learning and highest good--these will remain intact.
Now, develop a cutting tool or device that you visualize yourself using to sever the cords. For instance, some visualize a blue flaming sword, while others may see a shining pair of golden scissors--be guided by what feels empowering to you. You can use a prop here like a kitchen knife if you so desire, but even your fingers will work. It is the intention, focus, and visualization that matters.
Visualize a shield of a lightweight astral "armor" around your entire body that has a slippery surface that will cauterize anything that doesn't belong--this will prepare you for cutting the attachment cords so that they do not reattach. The healing will come later, as this is meant as a temporary measure to get you to the next stage in a smoother fashion than otherwise possible.
Now take your cutting device and visualize you cutting the cords--go to each chakra, starting at the crown and working down to the root--and if you desire, cut around your legs and feet, too. If you do not have clairvoyance, ask to be guided, or make a complete cutting gesture on each chakra with the intention of cutting and completely severing any attachment cords. Even if you don't see them, I bet you will feel something. However, even if you don't feel it, know without a doubt in your heart that they indeed are completely severed. If you so desire, throw each cord away from you, or ask the cut cord to dissolve and disintegrate. During this process, know that you are love and that you are loved! When cutting is complete and any other spiritual work is done, thank the energies present in a fashion that seems fit, and if needed, close down the spiritual sacred space in your usual way. You are emerging as a new person.
Healing Process
Now that you are free of attachments, you may wish to observe some things. First, notice if a person entirely disappears from your life--or the other extreme, calls or texts you twenty times in a row on your cell phone and then comes to your door. Believe it or not, both of these are signs that the cord-cutting was successful--both indicate a change in the relationship.
In the case of the latter, it is more difficult to avoid contact, but do your best to keep it utterly minimal. While it is often best if there is none, sometimes avoidance can make it worse--you be the judge. If communication must happen, you may notice that you are now being more assertive and feeling nonattached and non manipulated. Wrap up the business at hand in an empowering, loving way (loving to you first, then to them) and in a way that expresses healthy boundaries.
Do not engage in any fear-based behavior pattern that you cut away, or you may inadvertently reattach the cord, despite your temporary astral armor. If you find you still choose a fear-based way to handle a situation, perhaps you were not ready to cut that cord yet, and need to learn a lesson. You can ask Spirit for guidance in this area, and keep your observations open--you may be surprised.
If the person you cut a cord with still needs to remain in your life (i.e., a spouse, boss, employee), as long as you act from a space of love, you will see your relationship change--or either they will leave or you will leave. When you affirm that (for example) you get along with your boss, dynamics will reveal themselves so that your affirmation will manifest. So you will (a) begin to get along with your boss miraculously, (b) your boss will be removed and you will receive a new boss that you get along with, or (c) you will be removed--hopefully to a better place and right away--and still receive a boss with which you get along. No one can say which option will happen, since your boss has free will. So allow Spirit to work for you and let go of the way everything will happen--just keep focused and clear on what you want, not how you will get it.
Eventually, when you arrive in a space and can express loving empowerment, the astral armor you made yourself becomes irrelevant. But it is useful when transitioning, since it can be pretty disconcerting when long-term, even lifetime, attachments are suddenly not there.
Repeat this ritual when you feel the need, or when you notice some symptoms that you had when doing your first ritual. While the cords you severed may not have reattached, others may have surfaced that are ready to be cut now. You will find that as you evolve spiritually and heal yourself, you will let go of more and more attachment cords, and create more and more connection cords! The more connection cords you have, without attachments, the more energy you have to live fully and purposeful. May you be free of attachment and connected to Spirit through love!
For Further Study
Mumford, Dr. John A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook: Psycho-Spiritual Techniques for Health, Rejuvenation, Psychic Powers and Spiritual Realization. St. Paul, MN, Llewellyn Publications, 2002.
Sherwood, Keith. Chakra Healing and Karmic Awareness. Woodbury, MN, Llewellyn Publications, 2005.
by Calantirniel
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 6.
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Great Quotes from Steve Jobs
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:37 pm (PDT)
Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me...Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful...that's what matters to me.
--Steve Jobs, The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
--Steve Jobs, Stanford commencement speech, June 2005
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 7a.
-
My Other Broomstick
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:40 pm (PDT)
My Other Broomstick
Wrap yourself in your magical garb, gather your sacred tools, and get going. Whether you are off to a ritual, community gathering, or sacred circle, you have to get there somehow. While broomstick may be your vehicle of choice, these days most of us use automobiles.
Even if you are traveling in a mundane piece of metal, you can imbue your vehicle with magical intention--banish unwanted energy, bless the vehicle to instill the power and protection of the gods and goddesses, and cast a protective spell around the vehicle.
We all spend a good deal of time in vehicles as drivers and passengers. With the rise in incidents of road rage and vehicular aggression, many Pagans practice magic while in the car and on the move. Spiritual and psychic protection can minimize common concerns and positively influence conditions and situations that arise while traveling.
Included are some ideas to help you to magically bless your other broomstick.
Cleansing Your Other Broomstick
Cleansing, or banishing, is done to remove old, unwanted energy. Whether you drive a new or used car, it is good to conduct a regular cleansing to remove energetic accumulation. Generally, the elements of earth, air, fire, and water are used to cleanse. With a vehicle, you could mindfully wash your car (water), wipe it dry (air), admire it in the sunlight (fire), and check the tires (your vehicle's connection with the earth).
As you do this, consciously cleanse the vehicle of any old unwanted energy it may still hold, asking the elements to take it away and neutralize it.
Blessing Your Other Broomstick
A blessing usually follows a cleansing and instills the vehicle with the power and protection of the gods and goddesses, imbuing it with positive, magical energy.
Blessings can be done after the regular cleansing, and every time that you get into the vehicle. It is possible to anoint your vehicle with essential oils from herbs having magical protection qualities such as comfrey root and mint. Or, you can make up your own protection spell for regular use in combination with a blessing.
As I buckle my daughter into her seat, I envision protective white light surrounding her. For good measure, I always kiss her before closing the door. Walking around to the driver's side, I envision a larger orb surrounding the car, invoking protection.
Sliding into my seat, I place both hands on the dashboard and utter out loud: "I bless this car with love and light." reaching up for the shoulder belt, I envision the protective light surrounding me as I do up the buckle.
Make protection blessings a regular part of getting into your vehicle, and instill this magic as a regular practice. Let it become part of what you do, every day, every drive.
A quick ritual such as this serves two purposes: it helps us to pause, take note and become focused and fully present to the task of driving, and it invokes good energy around us, making negative interactions less likely. When we hold a negative charge, we are far more likely to attract negative energy to us than if we hold a positive charge.
So take a moment, bless yourself and bless your broomstick. Then move consciously and deliberately into the operation of your vehicle before every trip.
Blessing the Journey
In addition to protective blessings of the vehicle and passengers, you can bless the journey. Petition the gods and goddesses to watch over your excursion. Visualize yourself arriving safely at your destination. And later, when you do arrive, give thanks to the gods and goddesses.
Or call in the elements, invoking their powers. Make up your own invocation, or borrow mine:
Earth, air, fire, water
Please protect me and my daughter.
The simple task of chanting, incanting, influences our energy and elevates our spirit.
Auto Altars to Go
Create a small sacred space in your vehicle to keep your magical objects. If you are traveling in someone else's car you may have to satisfy yourself with keeping the sacred objects in your pocket or pack.
One of the most common forms of protection is the talisman. People from many spiritual practices carry talismans, an image of a protector, or a sacred object or item. Whether you have a large sticker with a protective maternal face affixed to the dashboard, a Happy Face ball smiling merrily on the antenna, or crystals covertly sitting in the glove compartment, these objects can be imbued with the energy of protective safety, and carried with you throughout your journey.
Many crystals and minerals are known for their protective powers. Those crystals and minerals that are dark in color, like smoky quartz, jet quartz, bloodstone, moonstone, and garnet, are thought to make you less visible to hostile people.
If you have children, consider which simple toys can be charged with energy. An angel affixed to the window, a protective mama bear dangling over the car seat, or a bunny ballerina with a crystal hoop hanging from the rearview mirror can be charged with the tasks of magical protection.
To the untrained eye, the sacred objects will appear mundane, not magical. They may seem interesting, but will rarely draw attention or raise questions. These are your personal magic talismans.
Whatever objects you choose as protective talismans, take the time to charge them, imbuing them with magical power. Tell them what you want of them, what their work will be in the world, and thank them and bless them for what they do.
source unknown
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 8a.
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Thought for Today
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:40 pm (PDT)
People cry not because they are weak, but because they have been strong for so long.
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 9.
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Samhain--Harken Now, the Darkness Comes
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:43 pm (PDT)
Samhain - Hearken Now, The Darkness Comes
Mists gather in the valleys and pour down the ancient riverbeds to the darkening sea. Gone the fires of autumn's glory, lost to the legions of cloud-swept days and chilling rains. Gone the wild geese flying southward, gone the last of summer's bounty. Mornings rimed with silver frost, evenings gathering gloom for sitting round the hearthfires glow.
Hearken now, the darkness comes!
In the vale under the moor, the village speeds it's frantic pace. Thatcher's finish repairs on thick round roofs to hold out the snows of winter. Children bring in the last of the nuts and withered fruits from the woods. The wheat is threshed and winnowed on the chilly breeze. Woodsmoke rises from the hearthfires and axes ring in the clear air. Down from the moors come the cattle and sheep to the winter fields, come too the pigs from the forest glades. The smell of blood is thick in upon the air as those animals chosen for the slaughter are slain and cured against the winter's needs. The planting begun at Beltane is now the harvest.
Hearken now, the darkness comes!
In the great forests that lie across the land, the leaves form a thick carpet upon the ground upon which treads the King Stag, velvet gone from his crown of horn, challenging all with his trumpeting cries. The bear and the fat squirrels seek their dens. The wolves stir in the cold, and their voices rise in songs to the moon. Now is the time of the Hunter. His shadow flies across the midnight sky, His horn sounds in the wind like thunder, His red-eyed hounds fly on before.
Hearken now, the darkness comes!
She who stands guardian now is no longer the soft Maiden of spring, nor yet the fecund Mother full of the heat of summer. It is Cerridwen now, the Crone, the Hag, who stands without. In dreams and trance you see her, holding the cauldron into which all that live must go. Holding the cauldron that is Death. Gone too the young Lord of Spring, the Summer King. Now is the time of Herne the Hunter, wild master of the Winter's night. Harsh he is and full of fire, Lord of Death made manifest. Hear and now, the darkness comes!
And in the turning of the year, the walls of time and space become as air, until life and death are as one and departed souls walk again among the living. Here on this most sacred night, as the old year died and the new was born, around the fires the people gathered in celebration. There was wine and cider from the vines and groves, bread from the fields of winnowed wheat, and meat steaming from the slaughter. A great feast and celebration of life to take into the darkness.
Hearken now, the darkness comes!
And as the earth moved onward into the darkness, the veil between the worlds grew thin, and strange beings walked upon the land. See now the pooka shake his tangled mane, the sidhe come forth from out the hollow hills, listen as the bean sidhe sings forth her terrible cry. And against this army of eldritch power, men did wield a greater weapon as fires sprang forth upon the hilltops and lit the standing stones and village greens. Dancing, swirling, leaping past the fires, the people held back the powers of the night with light and music until the dawn came once more.
Yet still the darkness comes!
Turn and turn again the Earth did in its endless dance among the stars. Gone now the villages that lay beneath the downs and among the woods. Gone the straight track and winding sheep path. Gone the King Stag and the shaggy bear. Yet still we hear an echo of that time and place as we sit to honor our blessed dead, as our children dress as monsters and play in the shadows. We hear the whisper of the Goddess in our hearts, and sometimes, late at night we hearken to the cry of the Hunt high in our crowded skies.
Hearken, for the darkness comes!
And we, the spirit children of that ancient age, we remember. Though we labor not in the fields of waving grain, yet do we too now bring in our harvest. We gather to ourselves the fruits of our projects begun in the spring of the year and ready ourselves for a time of rest and introspection. We unburden ourselves with that which is no longer needful for our survival through the winter of the year.
We the children of this ancient age remember too our honored dead who speak to us again as the walls of this world grow thin. We pass the Cup of Remembrance as we think upon one who has gone before. We remember the good times and the bright things we treasure from their memories, and we allow them to fly free. We make our peace with She who waits for all.
We remember the fears of the darkness, and in our masquerade and games, we come to terms with Death and with change. For such is the meaning at the heart of the feast.
So prepare you now as the darkness comes. Ready the harvest of your hopes and dreams. Light the fires against ignorance and fear. For remember also, that the darkness is but one turn upon the Wheel, it is the darkness of the womb. And the Death we all must face is merely the doorway to the Life to come.
copyright by Lark 1997
http://www.tangledmoon.org/samhain. htm
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 10.
-
Fun Friday, 10/7/2011, 12:00 am
Posted by: "13Witches@yahoogroups.com" 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:43 pm (PDT)
Reminder from: 13Witches Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/ cal
Fun Friday
Friday October 7, 2011
12:00 am - 12:00 pm
(This event repeats every week.)
Notes:
Send in something funny to get the weekend started on a great note.
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- 11.
-
How to Honor the Ancestors at Samhain
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:44 pm (PDT)
How To Honor the Ancestors at Samhain
From Patti Wigington,
For many modern Pagans and Wiccans, there has been a resurgence of interest in our family histories. We want to know where we came from and whose blood runs through our veins. Although ancestor worship has traditionally been found more in Africa and Asia, many Pagans with European heritage are beginning to feel the call of their ancestry. This rite can be performed either by itself, or on the third night of Samhain, following the End of Harvest celebration and the Honoring of the Animals.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varied
Here's How:
First, decorate your altar table -- you may have already gotten it set up during the End of Harvest rite or for the Ritual for Animals. Decorate your altar with family photos and heirlooms. If you have a family tree chart, place that on there as well. Add postcards, flags, and other symbols of the country your ancestors came from. If you're lucky enough to live near where your family members are buried, make a grave rubbing and add that as well. In this case, a cluttered altar is perfectly acceptable -- after all, each of us is a blend of many different people and cultures.
Have a meal standing by to eat with the ritual. Include lots of dark bread, apples, fall vegetables, and a jug of cider or wine. Set your dinner table, with a place for each family member, and one extra plate for the ancestors. You may want to bake some Soul Cakes.
If your family has household guardians, include statues or masks of them on your altar. Finally, if a relative has died this year, place a candle for them on the altar. Light candles for other relatives, and as you do so, say the person's name aloud. It's a good idea to use tealights for this, particularly if you have a lot of relatives to honor.
Once all the candles have been lit, the entire family should circle the altar. The oldest adult present leads the ritual. Say:
This is the night when the gateway between
our world and the spirit world is thinnest.
Tonight is a night to call out those who came before us.
Tonight we honor our ancestors.
Spirits of our ancestors, we call to you,
and we welcome you to join us for this night.
We know you watch over us always,
protecting us and guiding us,
and tonight we thank you.
We invite you to join us and share our meal.
The oldest family member then serves everyone else a helping of whatever dishes have been prepared, except for the wine or cider. A serving of each food goes on the ancestors' plate before the other family members recieve it. During the meal, share stories of ancestors who are no longer among the living -- this is the time to remember Grandpa's war stories he told you as a child, tell about when Aunt Millie used salt instead of sugar in the cake, or reminisce about summers spent at the family homestead in the mountains.
When everyone has finished eating, clear away all the dishes, except for the ancestors' plate. Pour the cider or wine in a cup, and pass it around the circle (it should end at the ancestor's place). As each person recieves the cup, they recite their genealogy, like so:
I am Susan, daughter of Joyce, the daughter of Malcolm, son of Jonathan...
and so forth. Feel free to add in place names if you like, but be sure to include at least one generation that is deceased. For younger family members, you may wish to have them only recite back to their grandparents, just because otherwise they can get confused.
Go back as many generations as you can, or (in the case of people who have done a lot of genealogy research) as many as you can remember. You may be able to trace your family back to William the Conqueror, but that doesn't mean you have it memorized. After each person recites their ancestry, they drink from the cider cup and pass it to the next person.
A quick note here -- many people are adopted. If you are one them, you are fortunate enough to be able to choose whether you wish to honor your adoptive family, your biological family, or a combination of the two. If you don't know the names of your birth parents or their ancestry, there's nothing wrong with saying, "Daughter of a family unknown." It's entirely up to you. The spirits of your ancestors know who you are, even if you don't know them yet.
After the cup has made its way around the table, place it in front of the ancestors' plate. This time, a younger person in the family takes over, saying:
This is the cup of remembrance.
We remember all of you.
You are dead but never forgotten,
and you live on within us.
Take some time to meditate on the value of family, how fortunate we are to be able to know the connections of kin and clan, and the value of heritage. If your family has a tradition of music or folktales, share those as a way to wrap up the ritual. Otherwise, allow the candles to burn out on their own. Leave the plate and cup on the altar overnight.
Tips:
If you didn't do a separate ritual for animals, you can add photos and candles for deceased pets to your family altar.
If you like, you may wish to follow this ritual with a Seance.
What You Need:
Items to represent your family members
A meal to eat
A cup of cider or wine to drink
Candles
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
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Samhain: Season of Death and Renewal
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:46 pm (PDT)
Samhain: Season of Death and Renewal
As the nights lengthen and the leaves take on their autumn colours, many of
our cities prepare for a seasonal festival dominated by dark and frightening
imagery. Ghosts, skeletons, hags, nocturnal creatures such as cats and
bats, and grinning monster faces peer out at us from shop windows. Much of
it is just commercialism, yet there is no denying that the atmosphere of the
holiday still has a profound effect on the modern psyche -- as we can see
from the spontaneous outrageousness of Hallowe'en parades, the creative
expressions of death-related themes, and the general surge in
mischief-making. All these customs, however, are a diffuse reflection of
the beliefs and practices of the Celtic populations of Europe, for whom
this feast was a crucial turning-point in the flow of time.
The earliest record we have of the festival of Samhain in the Celtic world
comes from the Coligny Calendar, a native Celtic lunar calendar inscribed
onbronze tablets and discovered in eastern France a hundred years ago. The
calendar -- dated, through epigraphic evidence, to the 1st century CE -- is
written in the Latin alphabet and was found in conjunction with a
Roman-style statue (identified by some writers as Apollo, by others as
Mars), but the language used is Gaulish and the dating system itself bears
little resemblance to Roman models, implying that it represents the survival
of an indigenous tradition maintained by native clergy. A detailed
discussion of the calendar lies outside the scope of this article, but for
our purposes it will be enough to point out that its year consists of twelve
regularly recurring months that fall naturally into two groups, one headed
by the month that is labeled SAMON (for Samonios) and the other by the month
GIAMON (for Giamonios), and that the names of these two months are clearly
related to the terms samos "summer" and giamos "winter" (cf. Gaelic
samh(radh) "summer", geamh(radh) "winter"; Welsh haf "summer",
gaeaf"winter"). The date of SAMON- xvii is identified as TRINVX SAMO
SINDIV, which can be readily interpreted as an abbreviation of Trinouxtion
Samonii sindiu ("The three-night-period of Samonios [is] today"). This is
one of the very few dates in the calendar that is given a specific name,
testifying to its importance as a festival; and since Samoni- is obviously
the origin of the modern name Samhain, it is reasonable to equate the
Trinouxtion Samonii with the feast that is still one of the most important
dates in the Celtic ritual year.
We should note, however, that since the Coligny Calendar gives no indication
of how its months relate to those of the Roman calendar, we have no
conclusive evidence that would allow us to fit it into the framework of our
own year, and scholars are still very much divided on the issue. The most
confusing element, of course, is that Samon- refers to summer, and so would
naturally lead one to think that a month with that name would head the
summer half of the year; and many of the earlier interpretations of the
Coligny Calendar take this for granted. In living Celtic tradition,
however, the festival of Samhain, despite its name, is definitely the
beginning of winter. Though such evidence doesn't necessarily exclude the
possibility that Continental Druids used a completely different terminology,
many scholars now accept the authority of the living tradition and place the
Samonios month in October/November.
What does the name of the festival mean, however? Here, again,we run into
controversy. The traditional interpretation -- first put forward in the
Mediaeval glossaries and still held to by native speakers -- is that it
means "summer's end", being a combination of samh "summer" and fuin "ending,
concealment". This is obviously a folk etymology, since we know that the
earliest form of the word (Samoni-) had a different structure, but its
importance to the living tradition should make us wary of dismissing it too
lightly. Although philologists have been unable to find a plausible
Indo-European explanation for a suffix -oni- meaning "end of" (the suffix,
by the way, occurs in at least three of the other Coligny months), this is
not conclusive in itself: there are quite a few other derivational suffixes
attested in Old Celtic that resist an easy Indo-European etymology, although
their meanings are uncontroversial. What should be kept in mind is that in
the ritual context of the Celtic Year, Samhain is strongly identified with
the "end" or "concealment" of Summer, the Light Half of the year. In the
modern Gaelic languages the festival is called Samhain (Irish), Samhuinn
(Scots Gaelic), and Sauin (Manx). The night on which it begins (OÃche
Shamhna in Irish, Oidhche Shamhna in Scots Gaelic, Oie Houney in Manx) is
the primary focus of the celebration. The Brythonic languages call the
feast by a name meaning "first of Winter", borrowing the Latin term
calendawhich designates the first day of a month (Welsh Calan Gaeaf, Breton
Kala-Goañv, Cornish Kalann Gwav), but the beliefs and practices associated
with it are consistent with what we find in the Gaelic countries, and will
help us discover a pan-Celtic theology of Samhain.
The Coligny Calendar's division of the year into two halves associated with
summer and winter is still very strongly reflected in Celtic folk practice,
where the yearly cycle consists of a dark half beginning on Samhain
(November 1st), mirrored by a light half beginning on Bealtaine (May 1st).
The rituals surrounding Samhain and Bealtaine are closely related to each
other and make it clear that the two festivals are linked, but also that
they deal with opposite energies within the unfolding of the year. What is
explicit and active in one is implicit and dormant in the other, and vice
versa. This is often expressed as the notion that what disappears in our
world at once becomes present in the Otherworld, and it has even been
suggested, on this basis, that Samhain's "summery" name was originally
intended to designate the beginning of an Otherworld summer! Whether this
is plausible or not, it remains certain that while Samhain began one kind of
yearly cycle, Bealtaine began another, and both could be construed as a kind
of "New Year". In ancient Ireland the High King inaugurated the year on
Samhain for his household (and, symbolically, for all the people of Ireland)
with the famous ritual of Tara, but in nearby Uisneach, the sacred centre
held by the druids in complementary opposition to Tara, it was on Bealtaine
that the main ritual cycle was begun. In both cases sacred fires were
extinguished and re-lit, though this happened at sunset on Samhain and at
dawn on Bealtaine. Bealtaine was a time of opening and expansion, Samhain a
time of gathering-in and shutting, and for herd-owners like the Celts this
was expressed with particular vividness by the release of cattle into upland
pastures on Bealtaine and their return to the safety of the byres on
Samhain.
Which of these two dates, then, should we think of primarily as the "Celtic
New Year"? Although both deal with the beginning of a cycle, Samhain begins
it in darkness, and there is no doubt about the pre-eminence of darkness in
Celtic tradition. In De Bello Gallico Julius Caesar notes that the Celts
began their daily cycle with sunset (spatia omnis temporis non numero
dierum, sed noctium finiunt; dies natales et mensum et annorum initia sic
obseruant, ut noctem dies subsequatur -- "they define all amounts of time
not by the number of days, but by the number of nights; they celebrate
birthdays and the beginnings of months and years in such a way that the day
is made to follow the night"), and this is confirmed by later Celtic
practice. Darkness comes before light, because life appears in the darkness
of the womb, all things have their beginning in the fertile chaos that is
hidden from the rational mind. Thus the year begins with its dark half,
holding the bright half in gestation as the seeds lie in apparent death
underground, although the forces of growth are already at work in
Otherworldly invisibility. The moment of death -- the passing into the
concealing darkness -- is itself the first step in the renewal of life.
This association of death with fertility provided the theological background
for a great number of end-of-harvest festivals celebrated by many cultures
across Eurasia. Like Samhain, these festivals (which, for example, included
the rituals of the Dyedy ("Ancestors") in the Slavic countries and the
Vetrarkvöld festival in Scandinavia) linked the successful resumption of the
agricultural cycle (after a period of apparent winter "death") to the
propitiation of the human community's dead. The dead have passed away from
the social concerns of this world to the primordial chaos of the Otherworld
where all fertility has its roots, but they are still bound to the living by
ties of kinship. It was hoped that, by strengthening these ties precisely
when the natural cycle seemed to be passing through its own moment of death,
the community of the living would be better able to profit from the energies
of increase that lead out of death back to life. Dead kin were the Tribe's
allies in the Otherworld, making it certain that the creative forces deep
within the Land were being directed to serve the needs of the human
community. They were, in Celtic terms, "humanising" factor within the
Whatever the specific elements had been that determined the proper date of
the end-of-harvest honouring of the dead in various places, by the ninth and
tenth centuries the unifying influence of the Church had led to
concentrating the rituals on November 1st and November 2nd. The first date
was All Hallows, when the most spiritually powerful of the Christian
community's dead (the Saints) were invoked to strengthen the living
community, in a way quite consistent with pre-Christian thought. The second
date, All Souls, was added on (first as a Benedictine practice, beginning
ca. 988) as an extension of this concept, enlarging it to include the dead
of families and local communities. Under the mantle of the specifically
Christian observances, however, older patterns of ancestor veneration were
preserved.
Most traditional Celtic communities maintain a year-round link of some sort
with their departed, making them a part of all significant occurrences in
the family, such as births, weddings and funerals. In areas of the Irish
Gaeltacht it is still not unusual for a household to have a seomra thiar
("western room"), a section of the house (often just a nook or alcove)
dedicated to the dead of the family. Objects that bring individual dead
relatives to mind (old photographs, pipes, jewelry, etc) are placed on a
shelf or mantlepiece, and as one contemplates them one faces the setting sun
and the vastness of the Atlantic, the direction the dead follow in their
journey to the Otherworld. The rituals of Samhain, however, involved a more
intense bonding with the dead, using the institution which, in Celtic
tradition, was used to cement social links in a sacred and durable manner:
the communal feast. Sharing food in a solemn context ("in the sight of gods
and mortals") placed common and mutual responsibilities on all participants.
Inviting the dead to such a feast encouraged the living to remember and
honour their ancestors, while the dead in return were encouraged to have an
interest in the welfare of their living kin.
On Samhain, the moment of the year's death, this world and the Otherworld
become equivalent to each other, classificatory boundaries are removed from
all categories, no barriers exist between the dead and the living, so both
can authentically come together in one place to share a ritual feast.
Individual Celtic communities have preserved a wealth of different customs
related to the way this feast was actually celebrated: one can still discern
some distorted elements of them in modern urban practices, such as
Hallowe'en parties and trick-or-treating. Most of the customs, however,
fall into two broad patterns. According to the first, a certain amount of
food was set aside for the exclusive consumption of the dead. The dead were
believed to be present as invisible entities; doors and windows were left
unlocked to facilitate their coming into the house. In some cases, a
specific type of food (usually cakes of some kind) was made solely for the
dead; in others, a portion of the same food that the living would eat was
set aside for them. The most classic example of this pattern (which is also
found in Ireland and Scotland) is the boued an Anaon ("food of the hosts of
the dead") custom in Brittany. The Anaon (the word appears to be the same
as Annwn, the Welsh Otherworld; it is certainly a pre-Christian term) are
the massed hosts of ancestral spirits, usually portrayed as hungry for
sustenance from the world of the living. A large amount of food was set
aside for their sole use, and had to remain untouched by any living hand for
the full duration of the ritual period. Eating the food of the dead (even
if one was desperately hungry) was considered to be a dreadful sacrilege: it
condemned one to becoming a hungry ghost after death, barred from sharing
the Samhain feast along with the rest of the Anaon. It was, in effect, a
particularly horrible form of excommunication.
The other pattern of Samhain custom, on the contrary, encourages the
recycling of the offered food into the community, thus strengthening social
bonds. The most classic example of this second pattern is the Welsh cennad
y meirw ("embassy of the dead") custom, although similar customs are found
elsewhere in the Celtic and ex-Celtic world. Here, while the wealthier
members of the community put together lavish Samhain feasts for their
households, the poor take on the collective identity of the community's
dead, and go from door to door to receive offerings in the name of the
ancestors. At each house they are given a portion of the food that has been
set aside for the dead. Originally the cenhadon would have been masked to
abolish their mundane social roles and allow them to represent the dead more
convincingly. To refuse food to the cenhadon for any reason at all was an
act of impiety and would invite retaliation in the form of destruction of
property -- retaliation that would go unpunished because of the holy nature
of the ritual period. We can here see one of the origins of the "trick"
aspect of our modern Hallowe'en customs, although nowadays it has largely
lost its moral dimension.
A communal feast, of course, involves more than just food. The dead would
not only have to be fed, they would have to be entertained. Games and
pastimes associated with Samhain feasting vary a great deal from community
to community, but they have certain themes in common. While the younger
people engage in the ritualised games, the elders will be gossiping,
reviewing all the notable events of the past year for the benefit of the
dead, who will then be encouraged to continue to take an interest in the
affairs of the living. The games themselves, in many cases, seem to have
specific links with the mythology of death and the afterlife. Many of them
involve apples -- in part, of course, because they are one of the last crops
to be brought in and are thus easily available, but also as a reflection of
the role apples play in beliefs about death: in Irish tradition the
Otherworld place where the dead gather at a feast is called Eamhain Abhlach
("paradise of apples"), and its Welsh equivalent is Afallon. Some of the
Scottish games in this context make use of parallel ordeals by water and
fire, the two main elements out of which the world is made. The water
ordeal is the familiar bobbing for apples, while the fire ordeal involves
trying to take a bite out of an apple attached to a hanging stick which also
bears a lit candle. This seems to be a reference to myths about the ordeals
faced by the dead on their journey to the Otherworld -- a body of beliefs we
unfortunately know only through fragments, although the basic concept of the
journey and the ordeals is well established. Sharing the experiences of the
dead was yet another way of affirming the solidarity between the dead and
the living, and of aligning the powers of renewal in the Otherworld with
this world's needs.
While the dead were brought closer to the living by the formal sharing of
food, other offerings had to be made to the Land-spirits to reward them for
their cooperation during the Harvest period, and to replenish their creative
energy as they prepared to enter into a new cycle. With Samhain, the period
of "truce" that had begun on Lúnasa was officially ended, and the fruits of
the soil (especially wild crops) could no longer be harvested with impunity.
Well within living memory, children in Celtic communities were warned not to
eat the late berries that might still be ripening on roadside bushes,
because "the fairies" or "the devil" had made them dangerous to consume.
Having enabled the human community to survive by making the crops grow and
by standing aside to let the Harvest take place, the powers of the Fomorian
realm were now entitled to a gift of life-renewing blood; and Samhain was
the season when the cattle that would not be kept through the winter were
slaughtered. In historical times the date of the slaughter has specifically
been Martinmas (November 11), certainly in part because the name of the
saint suggested the Gaelic word mart ("cattle marked for slaughter"). As
late as the 1830's, when Amhlaoibh Ã" Súilleabháin discussed some of these
customs in his famous diary, the occasion was understood as a ritual
"shedding of blood", and other sources show that during the same period
blood sacrifices could even still be held indoors, to protect a house from
malignant "fairy" influences by sprinkling an offering of blood at each
corner.
Renewing social links with the dead and feeding the Land-spirits were both
ritual means of ensuring a safe future. While Samhain (and the phenomenon
of death which it celebrated) was obviously the end of a cycle, it was more
importantly the start of a new one. Because all true novelty springs from
the chaotic freedom and vitality of the Otherworld, a new cycle could be
inaugurated only by dissolving all of the structures of the old one -- just
as the moment of death dissolves our identity in this world, allowing the
fresh energies of the Otherworld to impel us towards new life. This meant
that, as happens in the feasts of renewal of many different cultures,
certain types of social disorder were actively encouraged during the period
of the festival, because they promoted the renewing influence of the
Otherworld at the point in the yearly cycle where it would be most
beneficial. Customs originating entirely in the world of cultural values --
such as those relating to social rank or gender-appropriate behaviour --
were the most likely to be violated. Disrespect could be shown to elders or
to members of the upper classes. Cross-dressing was one of the most
widespread and popular ways of expressing the dissolution of social
categories, and in parts of Wales groups of young men in female garb were
referred to as gwrachod ("hags" or "witches") as they wandered through the
countryside on Calan Gaeaf, indulging in all kinds of mischief.
But the disorder, of course, was only the prelude to the return of order in
a strengthened form. The structures that had been dissolved had to be
re-created in order to channel the new energy from the Otherworld in the
desired directions. While local communities would have had their own
diverse methods of accomplishing this ritually (often through the
extinguishing and re-kindling of household fires), more elaborate ceremonies
were conducted by religious specialists at the sacred centres of a
territory, in the name of the entire population. In pre-Christian Ireland
the ritual of Tara, focusing on the High King in his role as linchpin of the
social order, was the means for re-creating the world on Samhain. The
Middle Irish text entitled Suidigud Tellaig Temra (The Settling of the
Household of Tara) describes the essentials of the ritual and relates some
of the mythology that explains its symbolism (albeit with a somewhat
Christianised background), while Geoffrey Keating, the seventeenth-century
encyclopaedist of traditional Irish lore, provides us with additional
explanations of some of the elements. Since the Land itself, as a ritual
entity, was conceived of as a square, so was Tara, for the purposes of this
ceremony, seen as a four-sided space. Each of the directions was associated
with one of the three functional classes of society (and with the divinity
who was seen as the ruler of that function), the South being devoted
specifically to the power of the Land and to the goddess who gave energy to
the exercise of the social functions. The High King occupied the centre of
the ritual area, while around him, strictly ordered by social rank, were
representatives of the four provinces. Thus, when the New Year actually
dawned, the magical heart of Ireland would contain a model of the entire
social order of the country in miniature, engaged in the solemn feasting
whereby all social links were strengthened, and all parts of the country
would then benefit from the influence of this ritual. The actual inception
of the new cycle was signaled by the lighting of a fire, not at Tara but at
Tlachtga, which symbolically represented the southern province of Munster
within the High King's central realm. This was the place where Tlachtga,
the daughter of the mythological Druid Mug Ruith, died after being raped by
the "sons of Simon Magus" (who wanted to gain the knowledge and talents she
had inherited from her father) and after giving birth to three sons from
three different fathers. This myth is obviously garbled in its modern
version, yet one can still discern in it the figure of the Land-goddess and
her three "functional" consorts. The association of the festival with the
pre-eminently "female" southern quarter may explain why in some Welsh and
Scottish communities it is specified by custom that Samhain ritual
(preparation of the ceremonial food, etc.) must be overseen by nine women
(in contrast to the nine men who preside over Bealtaine).
What of the role of the gods in this crucial turning-point of the ritual
year? Since virtually all our knowledge of detailed ritual practices among
the Celts comes from Christianised communities, references to divinities who
were actually worshipped are, as one would expect, rare and indirect.
However, some of the stories preserved in both folklore and mediaeval
literature seem relevant to the theology of this feast. Images such as that
of the hero Diarmait killed by a boar after his romance with Fionn Mac
Cumhail's wife Gráinne; or that of wild Myrddin emerging from the forest
with a herd of stags to kill his wife's lover by piercing him with a pair of
antlers; or that of Gwyn ap Nudd ("White son of Mistmaker") fighting with
Gwythyr ap Greidawl ("Wrathful son of Hot") every Calan Mai (Bealtaine)
"until the day of Judgment" for the hand of their common love, Creiddylad;
and the notion of the Fianna living off the wilderness from Bealtaine to
Samhain and indoors from Samhain to Bealtaine all suggest a myth of certain
divinities changing their status in relation to the Land-goddess in response
to the change of seasons along the Samhain-Bealtaine axis. The common
denominator of these motifs seems to be the figure of the antlered god now
conventionally referred to as "Cernunnos", whose mythology has definite
links to the stories of the Fianna and whose attributes symbolise seasonal
change as well as the interface between nature and culture. Antlers are a
seasonal phenomenon: they drop off in winter and begin to reappear as velvet
at winter's end, returning to full glory in the spring. In Scots Gaelic
terminology, the month immediately preceding Samhain is called an Damhar
(damh-ghar, "stag-rut"), because it is when stags clash with each other
during the mating season, shortly before losing their antlers, as the
antlered god must undoubtedly lose his (which is why some "Cernunnos"
statues -- like the one from St. Germain -- apparently had holes for
removable antlers). Our sense of the seasonal importance of this event in
Celtic ritual symbolism is reinforced by the custom in southwestern Brittany
of baking appropriately shaped cakes called kornigoù ("little horns") to
celebrate the coming of winter. From the many versions of the myth one can
deduce that the antlered god is separated from his goddess-consort (who
takes another lover) during the light half of the year, when he must live as
a renunciate in the wilderness and wear his horns; but that with the coming
of the dark season his rival is eliminated and he can return to his
consort's embrace in the Otherworld -- abandoning, by the same token, the
"horns" of his cuckoldry. It is unlikely to be a coincidence that the
bonnag Samhna -- the Samhain cake prepared specifically for the ritual--
made by the women who preside over the Samhain feast in parts of Gaelic
Scotland is named after a cuckold in the community. And we find echoes of
the same motif (as we often do) at the other end of the Indo-European world,
in the ritual calendar of India, where on Divali (Dipâvali), the Feast of
Lights, which is usually celebrated very close to Samhain, Lakshmi, the
goddess of abundance and well-being, leaves her usual consort Vishnu (who
falls asleep at this time) to return temporarily to her first husband,
Kubera, the fat god of material riches.
The Land-goddess, too, changes her appearance at this time: the fertile part
of her retreats to the Otherworld where she can join with her consort in
beginning the creative work of the new yearly cycle (in their summer, which
is our winter, as it were), but in our world only her "Fomorian" aspect
remains, making the land barren and hostile to human comfort. In the
Scottish Highlands this is the season of the Cailleach Bheura, the monstrous
hag who wanders in the hills bringing bad weather, while in Wales we hear of
the Hwch Ddu Gwta ("tailless black sow") who lurks menacingly in the
darkness. Yet these are all aspects of the same being, the multiform
Provider on whom we all depend, who must, like all things, replenish herself
through alternating periods of action and repose, and who touches -- as we
all must -- darkness and death to find the source of true renewal.
Fomorian realm.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Céitinn, Seathrún (Geoffrey Keating), (ed. by Padraig de Brún) Foras Feasa
ar Éirinn. Dublin, 1982.
Danaher, Kevin, The Year in Ireland. Cork, 1972.
MacNeill, Eoin, On the Notation and Chronology of the Calendar of Coligny,
Ériu 10 (1926).
McNeill, F. Marian, The Silver Branch. Glasgow, 1953-66.
Owen, Trefor M., Welsh Folk Customs. Cardiff, 1959.
Rees, Alwyn & Brinley, Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and
Wales. New York. 1961.
Sébillot, P. Y., Le Folklore de la Bretagne. Paris, 1968.
Suidigud Tellaig Temra (R.I. Best, ed. and trans.), Ériu 4 (1910).
by Alexei Kondratiev
http://www.imbas.org/samhain. htm
Copyright © 1997 Alexei Kondratiev
All Rights Reserved
May be reposted as long as the above attribution and copyright notice are retained.
[Originally published in An TrÃbhÃs Mhór: The IMBAS Journal of Celtic
Reconstructionism, volume 2, issue 1/2, Samhain 1997/Iombolg 1998.]
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
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- 13.
-
Survey about me
Posted by: "purplesage" purplesage12us@yahoo.com purplesage12us
Thu Oct 6, 2011 8:49 pm (PDT)
Name (real or otherwise): Pj or purplesage
Sex: male
Home: Queensbury, NY
Height: 62"
Eyes: Med Brown
Hair: blonde ( not by nature)
Magickal Practice: Eclectic Witch
Favorite Sabbat: Samhain
Favorite TV shows: The Simpsons, Weeds, The big C, Extreme Couponing,
Favorite magazine: I dont get them... waste of paper
Sun sign: Sagitarius
Moon Sign: Gemini
Favorite Color: Green,purple and black
Favorite Magickal Tool: Candles
Favorite Gemstones: to many to list..selenite ebing on the top and trickling down from there
Favorite Moon Phase: Full
Your Element: Fire
Your Birthstone: Turquoise Alternate Birthstones: Topaz, Beryl, Blue Topaz, Blue
Zircon, Ruby, Lapis Lazuli and Citrine
What do you think about Ouija boards? Havent used on since i was a kid... but not out of mind
What's on your mousepad? don't have one
Favorite Board Game: Not a game player
Worst feeling in the world: when your namde to feel completly wrong about who you are but society
Best feeling in the world: Love ,,,Enough said
Favorite Movie Soundtrack: usually anything showtunish
Do you get motion sickness: when on a boat
Children's names: None for me
Do you get along with your parents: Yes
Favorite Foods: Mexican,itailian. whatever supper love potion i come up with..lol
Favorite Thing To Do On Weekends: weekend..whats that?
Favorite smells: patchouli, california white sage
Roller Coasters--deadly or exciting: then..exciting...now..just scarey
Chocolate or Vanilla: CHOCOLATE!!
Croutons or bacon bits: Croutons
Do you like to drive: Yes
Thunderstorms--scary or cool: Energizing
Favorite alcoholic drinks: Beer
What is on the walls in your room: lots of witchy shwag
Favorite Movies: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Harry Potter, Halloween town... anything to do with halloween
Favorite Music: i love it all... except for the screaming hardcore stuff
Are you a righty, lefty, or ambidextrous: righty
What is under your bed: Nothing
Favorite Number: 3
Dream Car: i had it once... 1974 VW van
Favorite Sport to Watch: Sports...YUK
Favorite Hobby: cooking,gardening,crafting, sewing
Pen or Pencil: depends
How many rings before you answer the phone: i have ringtones... so whenever i get there to answer it i guess
Favorite Ice Cream: Peanut butter pandamonium
If you could choose to meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be? just one?..Janis Joplin is on the top of my list.. to many to name
*~*~*THIS EMAIL WAS MADE USING 100% RECYCLED ELECTRONS~*~*~*
- 14.
-
Cosmic Calendar Oct 7
Posted by: "LadyHawk_Jax" ladyhawk_jax@yahoo.com ladyhawk_jax
Fri Oct 7, 2011 4:14 am (PDT)
Healing forces are back on the march - thanks to a dynamic Sun-Chiron parallel (12:42AM PDT). This is enhanced shortly thereafter when the Moon parallels Venus (1:47AM PDT). However, some short-circuiting may occur regarding problem-solving as Venus in Libra squares off with Pallas in Capricorn (1:57AM PDT).
Tap into your pragmatic disposition and down-to-earth attitudes as the Sun parallels Saturn (7:37AM PDT). The fact that the Sun is connecting with both Chiron and Saturn reveals that it is now the Sun's turn to re-activate this past Monday's Saturn-Chiron parallel that added a twilight-zone component to this week's experiences.
Be more generous with hugs and kisses as the Moon in Aquarius trines Venus in Libra (3:00PM PDT) and immediately following when the Moon unites with Neptune (3:09PM PDT). However, this latter sky pattern - highly stimulating for your creative imagination and psychic sensitivity - also begins a void Moon uncertainty time-span that lasts until 6:14PM PDT when the Moon enters Piscean waters. It is wise to finish old business during the 3+ hour void time cycle, but wait until the Moon goes into Pisces before pushing ahead with new enterprises.
Once the Moon is in Pisces, you receive another healing lift as the lunar orb unites with Chiron (8:35PM PDT). Compassion and empathy for the plight of the truly disenfranchised are reinforced whenever the Moon takes up residence for 2+ days in the last sign of the zodiac.
Love, Light and Abundant Blessings,
LadyHawk
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