Blog changes

In an effort to get this blog back on track I have simplified it, deleted some of the attached one-topic blogs
and focused on Sabbats and Esbats, which was the original intent.
Other writings will be in 'stumbling upon the path of the goddess'
and the Borrowed Book of Charms is still active.
Links in the right hand column.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Lughnasadh and Lammas

..Lugh..
Although they are both celebrated here on August 1 and many of us say "Lughnasadh or Lammas" as if they are one and the same, they are not.
Lughnasadh (don't even try the nuances of the Gaelic pronunciation just stick with LOO-nus-uh) is a harvest feast and games held at the order of the Celtic god Lugh to honor his foster mother Tailtiu. Tailtiu may have been a mother earth goddess.  She died at the harvest and told her followers to remember her by holding games in her honor.  Lugh carried out these wishes and the festivities and competitions that help to celebrate the harvest are named after him. Athletic competitions, music and dance, eating and drinking are all part of Lughnasadh.

Lugh was the god of all skills and arts and honored even today as the patron of blacksmiths.
The earliest mention of him describes him as a King of the Tuatha de Danann and the master of many arts.  Later stories refer to him as the god of all skills and relate many stories about these skills.  Still later, because of the harvest festival and games that were held at his order, he became associated primarily with the harvest.
His heritage, like many of the early Celtic gods, was complicated.  Wikipedia does a good job of condensing it into a few lines:
Much of the early history of Ireland is recorded in the Book of Invasions, which recounts the many times Ireland was conquered by foreign enemies. According to this chronicle, Lugh was the grandson of one of the Fomorians, a monstrous race that were the enemy of the Tuatha de Danann. Lugh's grandfather, Balor of the Evil Eye, had been told he would be murdered by a grandson, so he imprisoned his only daughter in a cave. One of the Tuatha seduced her, and she gave birth to triplets. Balor drowned two of them, but Lugh survived and was raised by a smith. He later led the Tuatha in battle, and indeed killed Balor.

More information on Lugh can be found at Magic of Mythology 
image found at PaganNews.com

Lammas, on the other hand, is a Christian celebration of the first wheat harvest.  Farmers would take a loaf of fresh bread made from the current wheat harvest to church to offer as thanks and to ask for a blessing for the rest of the harvest.  It was also called the Feast of the First Fruits and celebrated with bread and apples.  This may a case of  "if you can't beat em, join em" and a way to de-paganize a celebration without causing too much resistance.  But this is primarily an Anglo-Saxon tradition and may only be related to Lughnasadh by coincidence.  All farming cultures celebrate the harvest and these appear to be two separate celebrations by two different cultures at two different times in history.
I don't know how the two terms came to be interchangeable in neo-Pagan circles, but there is a distinct difference in their history.
Nowadays I think we are doing well to remember to celebrate the harvest at all (unless you happen to be a farmer) so I suppose the name is not all that important, but it is nice to know the origins of these things.

Celebrate by offering thanks for our abundant earth.  Light candles of orange and yellow, burn incense of rose or sandalwood.  Prepare a meal of lamb, wheat bread, apples and wine and offer it to Lugh or whichever deity you owe some thanks to.  Don't forget to include some fun in the day including some games or competitions.  photo found here

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

I am going to do it.



And I am putting this on my blogs, FB, everywhere just so I don't stick it in a drawer and forget about it.
The Artist's Way is a 12 week project to free your creativity. 

The first chapter includes a written commitment to follow through for the full 12 weeks.  I am starting it tonight.
There is a website that has good information for anyone who is interested at The Artist's Way

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

seeker blog

I am trying to get my blogs up and running again.  While I have been on hiatus from blogging, I have been acquiring lots of info to share and want to get to it.
The Seeker blog is semi active again and needs your input.  We had some discussions going and I dropped the ball.
I want it to be a good resource and I have decided to add a bloglist for each of the methods of divination  listed on the page.  I started with some Tarot bloggers.  I have more, I will put them up later today or tomorrow.  If you have or know of a good divination blog of almost any kind please let me know.
So stop in and visit and leave comments and information at Seeker.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

July Full Moon, Mead Moon

The Full Moon is July 25 at 9:37pm EDT



The Moon card from the Sacred Circle Tarot

Mead is the nectar of the gods. Now is the time to celebrate the fruits of the earth. The early harvest is nearly ready. The earth is in full bloom. Enjoy your life. Gather your herbs and do a spell for prosperity. Share your mead with the gods. Celebrate what you have accomplished.

Friday, July 23, 2010

smudging

The Full Moon is coming up this weekend. Do you have any tools, cards, etc that you would like to smudge in time for ritual, but it takes forever to cleanse tools properly in the smoke of an incense burner?
Here is a way to do it fast and create a lot of smoke, so either do it outside or throw open the windows and doors.



Take a large flower pot, the big terracotta pots or something that shape works the best and a small baker's cooling rack.  If there are holes in the bottom of the pot, cover them securely. Place a layer an inch or two deep of sand or fine gravel, like aquarium gravel, in the bottom. Place your incense charcoal in the bottom and light. Add your smudging incense or herbs. I like sage, not everybody likes the smell. Sandalwood is another good cleansing incense. Place the cooling rack on the top of the pot. Lay your tools or cards on the rack. The smoke will swirl deep in the pot and come out in a large cloud instead of a drifting spiral and it will fill the opening, covering whatever is on the rack.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Strength




I did a guided meditation a couple of days ago and was told to pay attention to the Tarot card "Strength" This is the Shadowscapes Tarot.

The card speaks of perseverance, having confidence and unshakable resolve. There are many kinds of strength; strength is adaptive and passionate but not uncontrolled.
This card also attaches the swan and cats to the central figures. The swan is a Celtic symbol of movement and success or glory. Cats have been seen in many cultures as symbols of freedom and creativity, in this context they might also be a distraction from the main goal.
As an outcome card Strength tells us to keep moving toward the goal and attain success. As an advice card Strength tell us not to let emotions run unchecked and distract us.
Strength can also be about courage and a reminder that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather taking action in the face of fear.

Friday, July 16, 2010

and ye harm none....

and ye harm none, do as thou will

I don't get all wrapped up in this.  Lots and lots of discussions about what this means.  I think you either have a moral compass or you don't and either way this is a simplistic, albeit confusing, directive.

I think Crowley proposed a more challenging way to think about this:
Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.  Love is the law, love under will.

And St. Augustine of Hippo phrased it slightly differently:
Love and do what thou wilt.

Monday, July 12, 2010

any energy to spare?

Send some good energy and do a little magick for me, would ya?

Here is the scenario, as short as I can make it.
A couple of years ago I started doing PR in the Horse Industry.  I am a competitor and instructor and I loved learning how to do this.  Made a fair living working for a marketing company.
A year and a half ago I quit to take care of my mother who had terminal cancer and passed away in December.  Since then I have been working part time and trying to get a PR business of my own up and running.  Part time with a long commute still eats up the day and I am sooooo unmotivated to work on this in the evening.
Fast forward to present.
I have my website up and looking as good as I can make it right now, I could dither and tweak it forever, but that doesn't help.
I have collected a list of companies that fit what I do and how I like to work.
Here is the kicker:
I took off a week (unpaid) from the part time job to jump start this endeavor.  I want at least 2 new clients by the end of the week.
And I hate this part.  I love doing the work and dealing with the clients and the media, but I hate selling myself to prospective clients.  I can find many many many reasons for procrastinating.
I am doing magick, I have a schedule that I have managed to stick to for, oh, half of the day, with progress on the other half.
If you have any energy to spare, even in the form of a kick in the pants it would be appreciated.
And if you have a little magick to send my way I would be eternally grateful.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Repeating New Moon Ritual

Sorry this is late, I was thinking the New Moon was on the 12th.

New Moon is July 11 at 3:40 pm EDT
the new moon is in Cancer


You will need:

One candle to honor the Goddess in her new moon, blue or white is nice, any color is fine. I have a large pale blue/green candle that I use for all moon rituals.

Incense or sage for cleansing the area.

A small unused notebook and a pen.

Four items to honor the elements.
I sometimes use:
a small bottle of sand for the element of earth
a feather for the element of air
a red candle for the element of fire
a small cup of water for the element of water

When I am in a candle mood I use candles for the elements:
brown or green for earth
yellow or pink for air
red or orange for fire
blue or white for water


Cleanse the area with incense or sage. I create sacred space by simply grounding and centering and visualizing an area around myself filled with energy, closed to random or chaotic spirits and open only to those I invite.

Call the Elements.
I start with Earth. If you are using candles, light them as you call each Element.
Calling them can be as simple as 'I call the Element of Earth to attend and add energy to this sacred space' or as elaborate as you wish.

After calling the Elements, take a moment to honor Goddess, ask her to look favorably on this ritual that you offer up to her and light the candle for her.

Take a few minutes to sit quietly. Reach out to the Elements for additional energy and power. Fill the space around you with their power and energy and reflect on the new moon as an opportunity for new beginnings. An opportunity that we are offered over and over again.

Take your notebook and write something along the lines of:
I will manifest these things that I desire and need in my life and I will do so without harm to anyone else.

Then begin to write down what you need to create in your life. It can be a few things or many. Large or small, tangible or not.

Concentrate on manifesting these things in your life without harming anyone else.

Release the energy that you have created with this work and send it out into the universe to do your bidding.

Thank the Goddess for her presence in your life and put out her candle.

Thank the Elements for loaning you their energy and ask them to return to their own realms, putting out their candles (if any).

Bring yourself back to normal time/space, ground the energy creating your sacred space.
_____________________________

On the full moon take your notebook and cross off any items that have manifested in your life since the new moon. On the next new moon create a new list, leaving off the things that have already arrived. Do not just cross off and add to the old list, each new moon write down the new list.

On her blog Liz has a cleansing ritual bath that would be a wonderful way to prepare for this ritual. Check it out at Lizzie's Logic.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Are you a witch?

Do you self identify as a witch, regardless of whether you ever use that term to describe yourself to others?

Why do you?  What makes you a witch?  Or why don't you?

Send  me your answer at pagantapestry@gmail.com
I want to print the answers I get as a group in a post.  I will remove all names except my own and I will give you my answer too.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

This looks like a very interesting book



Wicca, Magickal Beginnings
by
David Rankine, Sorita D'Este









I listened to an interview with David Rankine on Witchtalk (blogtalk radio) and I can't wait to read this book.  I plan to order it this week.

David talked about the origins of Wicca and Witchcraft, what we know and what we don't know.

He traces the idea of Witchcraft back through time through the contemporary writings.  References to witchcraft are continuous throughout history.   And if you reject the idea of a continuous cohesive history of witchcraft, what about the idea of a continuously emerging practice, reinventing itself?

In his interview David also talked about how Wicca today is not a distinct practice but an eclectic collection of ceremonial magic, folk magic and mythology.  I hope that he covers this in depth in the book also. 

If this book lives up to the interview it will be well worth reading.  I'll let you know.

OOPS...big correction....I originally listed this interview as being on Hex Education and it was not.  It was on Witchtalk....sorry bout that Kharagan!  You can listen HERE

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin