Thursday, February 4, 2010

Is Imbolc over? Did I miss it?


Short answer...No.
Depending on your sources Imbolc might be celebrated on February 1st, which is sort of traditional in North America. Or it might be celebrated on February 2nd, which is Candlemas Day, a Christian version of Imbolc. Or if you look at some astronomical data you might find that it is on February 4th. info found here
A friend of mine says her coven celebrated on the 2nd, according to their astrological data.
Many people, out of practicality, celebrate the Sabbats on their day off work, regardless of the actual date.

So, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about my personal take on the Sabbats.
Many of us follow the Celtic calendar, more or less. Also known as the Wheel of the Year, this calendar shows us 8 Sabbats. Four of them are Sun Festivals, sometimes called the major Sabbats. These are the solstices and equinoxes. In my practice, the exact day and time that these fall on is important.

Some might say that modern science can pinpoint the exact moment of these occurrences, but how could ancient peoples have done this? So why should it be important?
All over the world are carved stones and piles of rock and carved crevices and holes in stone that line up precisely at the moment of these astronomical events. How they did this is not as important to me as the idea that they felt it was important to know the exact moment and mark it.
I try to mark these days on the exact moment also. A formal ritual on the day, if not at the exact time, has special meaning for me.

The other four Sabbats are known as the Fire Festivals or cross quarters.
In my practice the exact dates and times of these festivals are not as important as observing them.

In my thinking, the Sun Festivals are about what goes on in the heavens and the Fire Festivals are about what goes on here on the earth. The Fire Festivals are about celebrating the actual changes in the seasons and it is more important to fully appreciate these changes than it is to celebrate on a particular day.

Imbolc is an old Gaelic term that translates as 'ewe's milk' and refers to the beginning of the lambing season. This runs through mid-February and for the ancient Celts was the first tangible sign that spring was actually on its way.
Spring, the fertility of the flock, the turn of the wheel all were worthy of a celebration or Fire Festival.

In celebrating this day Brigid is often honored. Brigid is a Fire Goddess. She brings spring by breathing fire into the frozen earth.
Fire is the Element of creativity and passion. This is a good day to organize a ritual around creativity.
Do you need a boost in the area of creativity? Could you use her help in freeing up some creative feelings? Would you like to thank her for the creativity that you have and enjoy? Are you starting a new project/job that would benefit from a boost in creativity? Try your own variation of this:

Cast a circle, call the Elements to stand guard, light candles dedicated to Brigid.
Call on her and ask her to be present.
Take a few minutes and think about Brigid and her roles of shepherdess, fire goddess, healer and warrior. Think about where your own creative abilities or aspirations lay.
Make an offering to Brigid.
Sing, dance, draw, paint,write, cook, care for your plants, visualize the perfect fashion outfit, the perfectly decorated room, the abundant garden..... offer her, physically or mentally the best of your creative talents.
Now ask her to continue to bless your abilities and help you to find ways to grow. Meditate on this, visualize what you want to do, be receptive to any suggestions about how to grow and improve.
Thank Brigid for coming, put out the candles, let the Elements go and disperse your circle.

Happy Imbolc.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Full Moon and Brigid


With a Full Moon and Imbolc so close together I am planning to connect the two. I want to ask Brigid for her blessing on Imbolc, as this day is dedicated to her. Since I don't normally work with Brigid I thought it would be nice (and polite) to introduce myself first by honoring her at the Full Moon.
Brigid is known by many names; Brigid, Bride, Brig, Brigantia, St. Brigid. She is a Celtic goddess of fire, a triple goddess. The Irish honored her fiery sword and the Scots honored her fire of home and hearth. She brings spring by breathing fire into the frozen winter earth and she is the shepherdess that delivers the first lambs of spring. Imbolc is dedicated to her and candles are used to represent her fire spirit. Christians named her St. Brigid and renamed Imbolc as Candlemas Day. But regardless of the name, the day was dedicated to asking the Fire Goddess for her blessings in the form of light and warmth.

Honor Brigid on the Full Moon with a simple candle ritual.
Connect with the Moon and the Earth in whatever way you wish. Meditation, music, dance, being outside in the light of the Full Moon are all great ways to celebrate the moment.

Anoint the candle with an oil that makes you think of Brigid. You may pick the oil you wish. Think of her various roles as warrior, guardian of hearth and home, healer, goddess of spring. Pick the oil for the association that helps you connect to the aspect of Brigid that calls to you.

Light the candle and mediate on the fire aspect of Brigid, ask her to be present with you at this time.
Make an offering the the form of a poem, song, blessing or prayer.

(This one is from Goddess Alive by Michele Sky)

I thank you Brigid, for you presence here in my home,
For giving me warmth of heart and hearth.
As the sisters of old, I have honored you in the traditional way.
May my love for you be felt through time and space,
Across the universe, upon the earth and under the sea.
Although the light of this candle goes out,
I carry your flame in my breast.

Most Blessed Brigid,
living light,
bright arrow,
sudden blaze,
Goddess of the sun
and of the eternal fire
I guard your flame.

***

That's all you need to do. Do more if you wish, but this is a respectful way to introduce yourself and the Full Moon is always a special day to connect with goddess.
Put the candle out and set it aside. You will want to use candles on Imbolc and this one can be relit and rededicated to her at that time.

Full Moon is Friday night/Saturday morning January 29/30 1:18am EST

image found here

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Brigid, Imbolc and the Full Moon

image found here
Friday is Full Moon and next week is Imbolc, dedicated to the goddess Brigid (Bride). I think we need a Full Moon Ritual dedicated to Brigid. I will work on this today and tomorrow, any input is welcome. The calendar date for Imbolc is February 2, the astrological date this year is February 4. Either day is fine to celebrate this festival.

We are all sick of this winter, in many places the weather has been unusually harsh and Imbolc is the traditional day to celebrate the return of spring. But this can depend on the whims of Brigid who breathes warm spring breath back into the frozen earth, so I will be doing something to honor this goddess.
More later.

ps
All the thoughtful comments and emails have been much appreciated. We have a nice blogger community here, I am glad to be part of it.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Hello everyone!


Sorry to have been away for so long. My mother passed away in late December. It was not unexpected, she was 85 and had cancer and she died in her sleep. We should all be so lucky.
But it certainly does throw a wrench in the works and many things get put aside.
I am back to a somewhat normal routine and looking forward to getting back to blogging and chatting with all of you.

And I especially apologize to those of you waiting for Blue Moon information. But I am not going to post about that now...I will wait for the next Blue Moon.
I hope you all had great holidays and are thoroughly sick of winter, because I am ready to start looking forward to and planning for spring and that is the direction I will be going.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy the holiday with your family and friends and I will be back on Saturday to talk with you about the Blue Moon coming up on December 31.
Brightest Blessings to you all!
Celestite

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

the drumming


Drumming Up the Sun was well worth attending. There was a cloud bank along the eastern horizon so there was no dramatic moment of sudden sunlight, instead a gradual light increasing and lighting the clouds, turning them from grey to pink to white. The weather was mild and comfortable. My sister went with me and we sat with some friends. The drumming was fun. Everyone sort of doing their own thing until the sunrise got close and then the beat synchronized and the sound grew.

Just sitting there, watching the light and listening to the drums, I thought about how people have been gathering on this day for thousands of years to do this.
And even now, when we have scientific explanations for everything, it is still magickal.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

December New Moon

If you are thinking about doing a ritual or casting a spell this month and just haven't gotten around to it, think about this.
This month there are two full moons, a new moon and the winter solstice. Think about all the like minded people in the world celebrating these events and using their energy in a positive way. Think of the flow of that energy out into the universe and back. How could there be a better time to join in that energy and participate?
Don't think about it, do it.

If you are working the repeating new moon ritual, here is the link:
New Moon Ritual for New Beginnings

New Moon on December 16, 7:02 am EST

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Drumming Up the Sun at Solstice

I am so excited. I am going to the annual Drumming Up the Sun at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
I have never been before.
Drumming Up the Sun is an combined effort of pagan groups in the Denver Metro Area.
It's a BIG drum circle celebrating the dawn on the solstice. Red Rocks is a natural amphitheatre just outside of Denver in the foothills. It is hard to photograph because it is so big. In the photo that center space is the seating area. At the top of that area the lighter stripe is a row of small buildings and the darker red area at the bottom of the seating area is the stage. It has all been enhanced; seats, wings on the stage, lighting etc etc, but the basic area is a natural stage. You can sit in the top row and hear someone speak on the stage with no amplification. The enormous rock formations on both sides trap and carry the sound. Red Rocks is a site of concerts (I saw the Beatles there many many years ago) and is famous for the Easter Sunrise Service, a non-denominational celebration.
These sorts of celebrations are breathtaking as the seating faces east and you can see over the top of the Denver skyline. I think you can see Kansas from there.

It is a fabulous site for something like a solstice celebration. I just hope is it a little warmer than it has been lately. It has been below zero here in the mornings.....need to warm that up a bit to spend a couple of hours standing out in it.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

December Full Moon, Oak Moon, Cold Moon

image found here

In December our attention turns to the moon as its influence is spread over long hours and the sun retreats to the shortest days of the year. Your Full Moon ritual might include some expression of gratitude for the closure of the dark time and the return of the light at Solstice. Do not focus on the coming light just yet. This is a time to make sure that long term projects are completed before the Solstice. The is a time of closure, a time to let go of grievances that have affected the past year, a time of accounting for your goals and accomplishments. In preparation for the longer days just ahead, let go of the negative.
I find that meditation and ritual that include the Elements are wonderful for grounding and letting go of negativity. The Elements are here and now, not past, not future, they are the energy of now.

The Full Moon is on Wednesday December 2 at 2:30 am EST
Solstice is on December 21 at 12:47 pm EST
This is a powerful month for moon magick, the Blue Moon is on December 31 at 2:13 pm EST
More on the Blue Moon later

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

podcasts? a rant, be warned....


If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I regularly cruise around looking for and checking out new pagan podcasts. I love the pagan podcasts, such great thoughts, entertaining stories and good music. My current favorite is Witchtalk for the GREAT interviews with well known pagan authors and activists. Ariel is still my all time favorite, his stuff goes on disk so I don't ever lose it. Darkly Fey has switched to the light side with her new Spirits Cast. Mojo and Sparrow, of course, Tommy Elf, Odin, Greywolf and many many more who produce these wonderful podcasts and offer great insight and personal experience.

You know what all the good ones have in common? THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
While I love the fact that there are so many podcasts to chose from, we seem to be missing something lately.....namely, something to say!!

I just finished listening to 6, count em...SIX, new podcasts that have more than one episode out and shall remain nameless.
Here comes the nasty ole witch in me, but I just can't help it.....

A message to some wannabe podcasters....

That funny name we use for Halloween is not English, it is a Gaelic term for end of summer and it has a funny pronunciation....it is NOT sam-hane. Look it up, even wikipedia can get it right.

All pagans are not Wiccans.

All pagans are not dualists.

All pagans do not follow the Rede. (and by the way that overused quote is only one line out of a very long and thought provoking piece of writing)

Bashing Christians should be left to those with the wit and style to do it gracefully. A description of giving the bird to an elderly family member who is Christian does not make me like you.

If you can talk for two minutes and say nothing but....hmmmm, ummmm, ya know, like, whatever and f--k, without any thought whatsoever mixed in there, you may win some sort of award but it won't be for broadcasting.

Yelling and cursing repeatedly reminds me of being in junior high and hiding behind the gym to smoke and bitch....not a great endorsement for a podcast.

Announcing that you are eager to teach me how to be a pagan left me spitting coffee on the computer, but otherwise was not impressive.
I appreciate that you are eager to make a contribution to the community but there is a time to learn and a time to teach.
Try being quiet and listening for now.

So for now I have no new podcasts to add to the list. If you haven't checked out the podcast list, it is on the right hand column. Not all of those listed are on my ipod, not all are personal favorites but all have something to say.

Now I think I will go listen to Druidcast.
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