Month: March 2014

Spirit and Character

Spirit and Character

Author:   Rhys Chisnall 

There is a growing belief in modern paganism in literal spirits. A casual look through of Pagan magazines such as Pagan Dawn or looking at pagan websites such as that of the Association of Polytheistic Traditions reveals that more and more pagans believe that spirits are literal entities in their own right. However to someone blessed with a modern mind and an admittedly incomplete understanding of the universe as revealed through evidence and scientific method it is impossible to believe in invisible entities (with agency) made of a different kind of stuff floating around us or existing on some other kind of literal plane of existence. Surely such a thing would then be a fact, an objective thing that would be subject to evidence and proof empirical rather than a matter of interpretation. If there were such a thing as literal spirits then it would be possible to prove their existence through evidence.

I hope to show that even though I believe there is no such thing as literal spirit (or spirits) it is still possible to relate to and have a relationship with it (or them) and that such a relationship is a natural outcome of having the kind of minds we have evolved with. This essay also argues that if we don’t take the existence of such beings literally, then what we mean by spirits is the same thing as characters. However of course, as always, it is up to the individual reader to make up their own minds on the literal existence of spirits but this essay serves to provide us non believers with a use for the concept of spirit, which is inferred rather than stated.

To avoid equivocation by spirit I mean the idea of an immaterial entity with agency that are seen as once being human such as the ancestors of traditional people or ghost, or those things thought never to have been human such as God, Gods, angels and demons. I am also using the term to describe the subjective experience of a particular place or time, such as the spirit of Christmas of the spirit of a place. I am also extending the term spirit to describe the animistic experience of spirits as the characters of tree and plants. People often describe their experiences of spirituality in the relationship that they have with such spiritual beings. For example they may talk about their relationship with God, their ancestors or the spirit of the land around them. It is what these people are having these spiritual relationships with which interests us.

There is no doubt that people have genuine experiences of spirits and it seems to me a little bit intellectually dishonest to dismiss them as just delusion or wishful thinking. I have spoken to people at pagan conventions who have the genuine belief that they have a personal relationship with some god or other that they often see as powerful spirit. Like George W Bush being told by the Christian God to invade Iraq, they too feel they get messages from their gods. While it should be noted that they never seem to get useful strategic information like this week’s lottery numbers or where the nearest Anglo Saxon treasure hoard is buried, they do claim to get instruction on behaviour and action. They feel that they are in a genuine two-way relationship with the deity. Therefore there need to be adequate explanations for these genuine experiences.

Anthropologists and cognitive and evolutionary psychologists suggest that the explanation has to do with our evolutionary heritage and the way our cognitive systems work. The French psychologist and anthropologist, Pascal Boyer, agrees that for many people the existence of spirits is a non controversial and unquestioned part of everyday life just as the existence of cars, plates and spoon are for us. He argues that this is due to complex reasons associated with the marvellous way that the human mind processes strategic social information, none of which is a clincher in itself but they all add up to create the kind of mind that forms relationships with what people perceive as spirits. Like most cognitive systems in the mind this occurs below the level of conscious awareness. We are unaware of the doings of most of the machinery of our minds.

Boyer argues that people have an overdeveloped sense of agency inference. By this I mean that we sometimes see or infer purpose in things where there is none. Think about it like this; imagine that you are in the forests of Africa deep in Paleolithic times. You are busy gathering your fruits when out of the corner of your eye you notice a branch move in the trees above. Evolution has programmed us in such a way that we are likely to infer the presence of some predator, a leopard perhaps, and infer that its purpose is to eat us for its supper. This is because those individuals who did infer a predator took evasive action and went on to survive and have more children who also had these predator inference capabilities thus avoiding getting eaten themselves.

In evolutionary terms, the cost of running away when we infer a predator where there is none is much lower than not inferring and not running away where there was one ready to pounce. In other words it is better to run from nine tigers that are not there, than not run from one tiger that is. The upshot of this is that evolution has given us an overdeveloped tendency to infer agency, a purpose, even when there is none. Perhaps this accounts for some of the people who claim to be psychics claiming they can sense a presence in dark spooky places.

We have evolved as a social species. Our individual survival depends on representing the minds of other people in our own minds; what the anthropologist and philosopher Dan Sperber calls meta-representation. As with theory of mind we are able to have some idea of what is going on in other people’s minds and infer from it their beliefs, emotions, intentions and motivations. If you think about it, theory of mind is a huge advantage, if we never had it, as the evolutionary psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen suggests, we would not be able to lie or cheat, or detect liars and cheaters, we would not be able to co-operate or predict other people’s actions, nor empathise, nor teach people as we would have no idea of what they already knew. In other words, we can hold an idea of another person’s mind, beliefs, emotions etc. within our own mind and from this we make inferences about them. Though I should add that this does not mean that the representation we have of another person’s mind need be correct.

We are even able to do this with the mind of people who are not really there, like distant cousins, dead ancestors or spirits, and infer what we think they are likely to believe, remember, perceive, communicate or approve of. We reason that despite being invisible spirits can act, think and believe as humans do, with purposes, interests and specialist knowledge. We hold a representation of the mind of the spirit within our own minds and from this, we infer the entities motivations, intentions, personality, behaviours, etc. From these inferences people can form relationships with them despite them not being real. It is even possible to have relationship with spirits without believing that they literally exist, which explains some of the experiences of modern mystics.

My argument is based on the idea that spirit is the same thing as character. For example Boyer suggests that we don’t need to be to be told much about a spirit’s character before we can infer things about it. If we are told simply that dearly departed Aunt Agatha was a miserable old battle-axe, we can imply all sorts of things about her character. We would be able to infer that she is bad tempered, that she has a dogmatic puritanical view of morality, that she would be a busy body, somewhat scary, liked writing letters of complaint etc., etc. It would not be hard to infer what her opinions and beliefs are. From this scant information we would be able to infer what dear Aunt Agatha would think of our actions and opinions and I dare say that she would not approve.

This would be reinforced further if you actually knew her, bringing memory of her character into the equation making inferences more accurate to how she was perceived. Just because she is dead it does not mean that her character is not represented in your mind and it can still influence your actions. For example, you may be about to head off to the pub for a quick pint, but then remember that dear Aunt Agatha disapproves of all alcohol with the exception of large sherry at Christmas. You may think again about that pint or you may go anyway to spite the old dragon. We represent her as still having a character.

This is reflected in societies that practise ancestor worship. Boyer again claims when a person dies their opinions and character are only remembered and acted upon while that person remains within the living memory of the survivors. After the last survivors who remembered them have passed into ancestor-hood themselves, that original person becomes part of the generic dead; they become one of the faceless ancestors and believed to act in a general ‘ancestorish’ way. It can be the same for Gods; we can take what the American philosopher Daniel Dennett calls an intentional stance about them. If you are told that Odin is the king of the Gods it is easy to make inferences about his character and what he approves and disapproves of and the cultural forces in which the god is situated in turn influence these.

For example knowing the Odin came from a Nordic Viking society means that we can imply all sorts of things about his character. We may see him as a warrior ready to fight, as a wise but not always trustworthy king, a political and somewhat Machiavellian intriguer. The Vikings themselves would have made inferences about him based on their cultural schemas and the experiences of their own lives. Living in harsh environments where death and hardship are common tends to produce harsh and pragmatic gods. This is perhaps why Californian New Age spirituality and myth has little to say about the ‘inevitabilities’ of life

There is a two way process between these personal experiences of spirits and the mythology that informs their characters. Mythologies are archetypal stories whose function according to the mythologist Joseph Campbell is to inspire a sense of the wonder at the mystical, to explain the shape of the universe, justify social systems and teach people about life. Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, authors of several popular books on science, have suggested that Human beings are the story telling ape, a view shared by social-constructionists and discursive psychologists. We tend to see the world in terms of stories and we make up stories all the time about the world, other people and ourselves.

If you are talking about your boss you will tell it as a story, when you think about your last holiday, any event that occurred will be seen in the context of the story of you holiday. When we think about the origins of the universe we communicate this in the story of the big bang, when children tell their parents what they did at school, this will be told as a story. Stories are fundamental to how we see the world and mythology are in essence stories. They are stories about the way the world is and explanations for natural events, they support the status quo of society and they teach us how to live a fulfilling human life and how to face up to adversity.

Like all good stories, myths require characters and these are often in the form of gods and spirits. They fulfill archetypal roles within the narrative. Archetypes are originating patterns found according to the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung within the collective unconscious. This is the unconscious part of every person that contains universal themes common to us all. For example we all have the experience of mother and father, although how we view these concepts will be different to us all. It is these archetypes that underpin the characters within stories, including mythology. You can go anywhere in the world, to the remotest un-contacted tribe in the Amazon basin and they will still have the concept of mother and father, wise man, hero etc.

The movie producer Chris Vogler in his book, The Writers journey: Mythic Structures for Writers suggest that archetypal characters perform certain narrative functions within myths and stories. For example stories and myths contain heroes, villains, tricksters, henchman, allies, mentors, love interests (what Jung would call the anima/animus- the contra sexual archetype) etc. These functions are performed in the sacred stories of mythology by god, spirits, monsters and heroes and while their characters inform these stories their characters are also informed by the stories and the roles they play; a two way process.

This interplay between personal experience (through inference) and myth builds up the representation of the god or spirit in the mind. We can form a relationship with an entity that does not literally exist; it is metaphorical yet we can represent its character. Within especially religious or spiritual people this can be enhanced through altered states of consciousness. In such cases internal speech, which is generated in Brocca’s and Wernicke’s area within the brain, can be mistaken for the voice of the Gods while within deep prayer, meditation or the speaking of speaking in tongues. Something similar occurs when people are under the possession of Loa’s in Voodoo.

Therefore despite there being no literal spirits or gods inferences made about them are perfectly natural functions of the type of mind that we have. This also implies as we have seen that they can have a definite influence on our behaviour. As such it makes them a social force to be reckoned with.

So when we are talking about spirit we are talking about the same thing as character. In a sense Odin is a character, the various Loas of Voodoo are characters, Satan is a character as is Jesus and good old dearly departed Aunt Agatha. All of these through Sperber’s meta-representation can be represented in our minds and we can make inferences about them.

Therefore it seems to me that spirits are the same things as character, when we talk of spirits we are talking about characters and these can be represented in the human mind. From a personal perspective it is difficult for me based on the evidence of modern science and philosophy to accept the literal existence of spirits. However, science and philosophy do offer explanations into why people do believe in and experience spirits.

This article has shown that spirits are inferred characters with whom people enter into relationships. In other words when we talk of spirits we mean the same thing as character. These relationships have profound influences on people’s lives as people infer how to behave from what they believe are the wishes of the spirits (behave against or in accordance with) based on the cognitive processes of how their minds work. The relationships can be deepened and made even more real by the belief structures of people, their mythologies and their schemas that they use to interpret the experiences in their lives as the results of the activities of spirits. This in turn makes spirits a force to be reckoned with.

We have the kind of mind that believes in spirits and makes spirits a fundamental part of many people’s lives, but when looking at the evidence it is up to you decide whether they have literal reality or not. For those who have had experience of spirits, it is not about dismissing those genuine and precious experiences; rather it is about offering an alternative explanation.

The Happy Side of Magick

The Happy Side of Magick

Author:   Poppaea Holmes 

I have never really used many spells or chants, and when I have it is often at a time when I feel I can do nothing else… one of those ‘may as well try it’ approaches. I understand the mechanics of spell casting, how it works and how the desired effect is achieved, the problem I find with it though is that I was brought up with fairy tales and stories about Witches who cast elaborate spells with confounding results, and I find because of this upbringing that spell casting is intrinsically linked, in my mind, to fanatical stories and make believe lands.

I say this only to give you, as a reader, some sense of understanding how much effort had already been applied before I decided to cast a love spell. It was not a compulsion spell, merely creating a cosmic attraction field. I do understand that there are differing views on the appropriate use of love spells, of any kind, ranging from never-to-be-used to ‘use all the time, everyday!’ However I am not writing to discuss the pros and cons of casting a love spell, nor even, to some extent, the morals that must be thought through before one is cast, I am simply writing to explain and inform how mine worked, and how I would recommend it to anyone in the same situation, or any situation.

As previously stated, I was in pretty dire straits when I preformed this spell, (I know some would not consider that an appropriate term for being out of love, which some deem as a trivial matter. I believe it is a very apt description.) and as such, was not expecting any results. At the time, I had become rather disenchanted with Wicca. I cannot pinpoint exactly why as no major life events had occurred to make me believe that the Goddess was absent. It was more just a lack of connection, which is probably part of the reason I believed the spell would fail.

It was one of those long term/ three months spells, which meant that I wasn’t too fussed when nothing appeared after a few weeks. So I promptly forgot about the spell due to an influx in collage coursework and activities, and was asked on a date. To me this had never happened, and so I was, understandably I believe, rather surprised. He asked me over text, which I later found out his friend had actually composed, and we met up six days later.

I have to admit I had no idea who he was. Even after finding him on Facebook, I had difficulty in pinning him as the guy who was in my quiz team, Never the less, we started talking, and despite his apparent obsession with football and The Killers (who are a fine band, just not my style) , I agreed to a second date, and a third, and so on.

Now it was around the fifth date that I remembered about the spell I had cast, mainly by finding it whilst looking through my Wicca box. I didn’t connect the spell with my newfound boyfriend as I was having what I believe to be a bit of a slow day. I had become captivated with Wicca once again mere weeks after casting the aforementioned love spell. I proceeded to look through the ‘requirements’ for the person I wished to meet and found, to my surprise, that my recently obtained boyfriend met every criteria… and not in a vague ‘well I suppose’ sense, more in a height/weight/age/exact personality sense! I was literally speechless. I think I should mention now that the spell cast was for a soul-mate (I know, I just jump right in to it!) not just general love. I can say now, with our year anniversary just gone, that it has definitely worked.

I know some of you may be sitting there scoffing at my perhaps pitiful year long relationship, but to me, it is a success… especially considering that for the last three months he has been away at Canterbury, which is a good five hour train journey from where I live, making the relationship harder.

I didn’t really put off telling my boyfriend about my religion, more it just never actively came up. He informed me from the start that he was ‘devout’ atheist, and indeed some of our more interesting conversations have been on the concepts of souls and deities. However, I believe him knowing my religion made our relationship better. But I would not recommend the way in which he found out.

I am afraid I am going to diverge slightly, and I apologize if any view it as an unwanted interruption. I feel that what occurred was a breach of trust, and really just a show of a lack of morality in some people. My boyfriend found out about my religion through one of his friends, who happened to be a sergeant at the cadets I attended and a devout Christian. “At cadets”, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the dress code, we were allowed to wear necklaces as long as they were hidden and for religious purposes.

I wore a plain silver pentagram at the time, and the chain occasionally showed, causing questions at least once a week. Usually I could just say it is a religious necklace (as trying to explain it to people who aren’t listening and are just desperate to be told you summon the devil is tedious) . However this time he walked a little way, turned as though an afterthought and asked “Yeah, what religion?” I answered, “I’m Wiccan” and we carried on our separate ways.

I thought nothing of this until I got a call from my boyfriend asking if I was a Witch. I was a bit bemused by how he had come to that conclusion, as, like spell casting, the word brings to mind Grimm’s fairy tale type characters and so I do not use the word. I answered that no, I wasn’t a Witch but I was Wiccan… and how did he come to hear of this information? It transpired that at the first possible chance this Christian friend, who I still believe had gained this information in an environment that did not warrant outside gossiping, had run to him at the first chance and said “Do you know your girlfriend is Wiccan?” We both believe it was to try and drive a wedge between us for reasons only known to him. Anyhow, this rant is almost over, and I shall end it and resume back to my original purpose by saying that I believe it was extremely ill-mannered and uncouth to divulge this information. I have always been raised to not speak of other religions or beliefs unless with express permission or belief that the knowledge would be useful in some way and that the person to whom is being referred does not mind.

I suppose what I am trying to get across with this article, is that magick does work. If you believe in something and you are prepared to go that little extra, it will change your life in wondrous awe-inspiring ways. I think it cannot be expressed better than through love of something else. I suppose it is also partially about dis-enchantment of Wicca (which I overcame by a sudden realization that I was still actively talking to the Goddess when I got really stressed) .

I am not trying to actively express feelings either for or against love spells, as I believe that, as with all magick, it depends entirely on the intentions of the caster. But I know that even in dark and desperate moments, magick and belief and everything joyous in Paganism can just seep in, lift you up and make everything just a little bit better.

Thank you for reading this article. I hoped you got some enjoyment, or really anything, from it, and to feel free to email me if you wish.

Blessed be
Poppy

Setting Up Your Ostara Altar

Setting Up Your Ostara Altar

By , About.com

It’s Ostara, and it’s a time of year in which many Wiccans and Pagans choose celebrate the balance of light and dark that heralds the beginning of spring. It’s a time to celebrate new life and rebirth — not only the physical embodiment of renewal, but the spiritual as well. Try some — or all — of these ideas to ready your altar for Ostara.

Colors

To get an idea of what colors are appropriate for spring, all you really have to do is look outside. Notice the yellows of the forsythia blooming behind your house, the pale purples of lilacs, the green of new leaves appearing in the melting snow. Pastels are often considered spring colors as well, so feel free to add some pinks and blues into the mix if the idea strikes you. Decorate your altar in any of these colors — try a pale green altar cloth with some purples and blues draped across it, and add some yellow or pink candles to carry the color up.

The Balance of the Equinox

Altar decor can reflect the theme of the Sabbat. Ostara is a time of balance between light and dark, so symbols of this polarity can be used. Use a god and goddess statue, a white candle and a black one, a sun and moon, even a yin/yang symbol.

New Life

Ostara is also a time of new growth and life — add potted plants such as new crocuses, daffodils, lilies, and other magical spring flowers. This is the time of year when animals are bringing forth new life too — put a basket of eggs on your altar, or figures of new lambs, rabbits, calves, etc. Add a chalice of milk or honey — milk represents the lactating animals who have just given birth, and honey is long known as a symbol of abundance.

Other Symbols of the Season

  • Seeds and bulbs
  • Caterpillars, ladybugs, bumblebees
  • Symbols of nature deities — Herne, Flora, Gaia, Attis, etc.
  • Gemstones and crystals such as aquamarine, rose quartz, and moonstone
  • Ritual fires in a cauldron or brazier

Natural Ostara Eggs

Natural Ostara Eggs

Natural egg-dying is like recycling.  It takes a li’l bit longer to do, but gives you that  Oh-Im-soooooo-WC  (witchly correct)  feeling.

Cover your plant material (see list below) with about 3 inches of water, bring to a boil, and simmer until the color looks good. You’ll probably have to let the eggs sit in the dye overnight, so if you’re planning more than one color per egg, start this a few day before Oestara.  Experimenting is half the fun, but here are some hints to get you started:
Yellows- daffodil petals, saffron, turmeric, onion skins
Blues- blueberries, red cabbage leaves & vinegar
Greens-broccoli, coltsfoot
Pinks- cochineal, madder root
Browns –  walnut shells, tea, coffee

Wanna get fancy?  Gather some small leaves, ferns, flowers and grasses.  Dip them in water (to help them stick) and press them onto your eggs.  Wrap each egg in a piece of cut up pantyhose and secure it with a twist tie before dyeing. When you remove the flower or leaf, it’s design will appear (either in white or in your first dye-color).  Rub your finished eggs with a tiny bit of vegetable oil on a soft cloth to shine them.

Too hard?? No hosiery???  Okay, try using crayons to draw spirals and pentagrams on the eggs before dying them.

Now,  plan a fertility ritual for your garden.  Bury an Oestara egg in the east corner of your garden, or one egg for each direction, or dig an entire circle for them (depends on how much you hate egg-salad).

Ostara Lore

OSTARA  LORE

A traditional Vernal Equinox pastime: go to a field and randomly collect wildflowers [Thank  the flowers for their sacrifice before picking them, using a collection formula such as can be found in “An Herbal Grimoire”].  Or buy some from a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Then bring them home and divine their magickal meanings by the use of books, your own intuition, a pendulum or by other  means. The flowers you’ve chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions.

It is important at this time of renewed life to plan a walk (or a ride) through gardens, a  park, woodlands, forest and other green places. This is not simply exercise, and you should be on no other mission. It isn’t even just an appreciation of nature. Make your walk celebratory, a ritual for nature itself.

Other traditional activities include planting seeds, working on magickal gardens and  practicing all forms of herb work – magickal, medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and artistic.

Foods in tune with this day (linking your meals with the seasons is a fine way of attuning  with nature) include those made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts.

Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables. Flower dishes such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes also find their place here. [Find a book of flower cooking or simply make spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation  petal on each cupcake.  Stuff nasturtium blossoms with a mixture made with cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.]

Ostara

Ostara Comments

Winter’s barrenness has subsided,
From the death of Winter
Spring’s new life.

Spring is coming to the land,
The days grow longer,
Warm breezes begin to stir.

All around us we see signs –
The growing things are beginning anew.

It’s the resurrection of the dance of life.
The dance of the stems and stalks
As they push forth from the Earth.

It is the season of creation.
Growth has turned outward,
The land has become fertile again.

The Earth is caressed by
The loving touch of the Mother,
Where her hand passes.

Atoms twine together to create growth.
Buds burst open.
Leaves and vines unfurl.

She creates a vision of the green beauty.
Beauty so breath-taking after
The dark solitude of Winter.

It is this vision that we celebrate
On her day of Ostara
The world recreating itself–

Returning from the death of Winter,
Into the new life of Spring
Through the love of the Goddess.

Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox

Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox
by Mike Nichols

Now comes the Vernal Equinox, and the season of Spring reaches it’s apex, halfway  through its journey from Candlemas to Beltane. Once again, night and day stand in perfect  balance, with the powers of light on the ascendancy.  The god of light now wins a victory  over his twin, the god of darkness.  In the Mabinogion myth reconstruction which I have  proposed, this is the day on which the restored Llew takes his vengeance on Goronwy by  piercing him with the sunlight spear.  For Llew was restored/reborn at the Winter Solstice  and is now well/old enough to vanquish his rival/twin and mate with his lover/mother.  And  the great Mother Goddess, who has returned to her Virgin aspect at Candlemas, welcomes the  young sun god’s embraces and conceives a child.  The child will be born nine months from  now, at the next Winter Solstice.  And so the cycle closes at last.

We think that the customs surrounding the celebration of the spring equinox were  imported from Mediterranean lands, although there can be no doubt that the first  inhabitants of the British Isles observed it, as evidence from megalithic sites shows.  But  it was certainly more popular to the south, where people celebrated the holiday as New  Year’s Day, and claimed it as the first day of the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries.   However you look at it, it is certainly a time of new beginnings, as a simple glance at  Nature will prove.

In the Roman Catholic Church, there are two holidays which get mixed up with the Vernal  Equinox.  The first, occurring on the fixed calendar day of March 25th in the old  liturgical calendar, is called the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or  B.V.M., as she was typically abbreviated in Catholic Missals).  ‘Annunciation’ means an  announcement.  This is the day that the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was ‘in  the family way’.  Naturally, this had to be announced since Mary, being still a virgin,  would have no other means of knowing it.  (Quit scoffing, O ye of little faith!) Why did  the Church pick the Vernal Equinox for the commemoration of this event?  Because it was  necessary to have Mary conceive the child Jesus a full nine months before his birth at the  Winter Solstice (i.e., Christmas, celebrated on the fixed calendar date of December 25).   Mary’s pregnancy would take the natural nine months to complete, even if the conception was  a bit unorthodox.

As mentioned before, the older Pagan equivalent of this scene focuses on the joyous  process of natural conception, when the young virgin Goddess (in this case, ‘virgin’ in the  original sense of meaning ‘unmarried’) mates with the young solar God, who has just  displaced his rival.  This is probably not their first mating, however.  In the mythical  sense, the couple may have been lovers since Candlemas, when the young God reached puberty.  But the young Goddess was recently a mother (at the Winter Solstice) and is probably still  nursing her new child.  Therefore, conception is naturally delayed for six weeks or so and,  despite earlier matings with the God, She does not conceive until (surprise!) the Vernal  Equinox.  This may also be their Hand-fasting, a sacred marriage between God and Goddess  called a Hierogamy, the ultimate Great Rite.  Probably the nicest study of this theme  occurs in M. Esther Harding’s book, ‘Woman’s Mysteries’. Probably the nicest description of  it occurs in M. Z. Bradley’s ‘Mists of Avalon’, in the scene where Morgan and Arthur  assume the sacred roles.  (Bradley follows the British custom of transferring the episode  to Beltane, when the climate is more suited to its outdoor celebration.)

The other Christian holiday which gets mixed up in this is Easter. Easter, too,  celebrates the victory of a god of light (Jesus) over darkness (death), so it makes sense  to place it at this season. Ironically, the name ‘Easter’ was taken from the name of a  Teutonic lunar Goddess, Eostre (from whence we also get the name of the female hormone,  estrogen).  Her chief symbols were the bunny (both for fertility and because her worshipers  saw a hare in the full moon) and the egg (symbolic of the cosmic egg of creation), images  which Christians have been hard pressed to explain.  Her holiday, the Eostara, was held on  the Vernal Equinox Full Moon.  Of course, the Church doesn’t celebrate full moons, even if  they do calculate by them, so they planted their Easter on the following Sunday.  Thus,  Easter is always the first Sunday, after the first Full Moon, after the Vernal Equinox.  If  you’ve ever wondered why Easter moved all around the calendar, now you know.  (By the way,  the Catholic Church was so adamant about not incorporating lunar Goddess symbolism  that  they added a further calculation: if Easter Sunday were to fall on the Full Moon itself,  then Easter was postponed to the following Sunday instead.)

Incidentally, this raises another point: recently, some Pagan traditions began referring  to the Vernal Equinox as Eostara. Historically, this is incorrect.  Eostara is a lunar  holiday, honoring a lunar Goddess, at the Vernal Full Moon.  Hence, the name ‘Eostara’ is  best reserved to the nearest Esbat, rather than the Sabbat itself. How this happened is  difficult to say.  However, it is notable that some of the same groups misappropriated the  term ‘Lady Day’ for Beltane, which left no good folk name for the Equinox.  Thus, Eostara  was misappropriated for it, completing a chain-reaction of displacement.  Needless to say,  the old and accepted folk name for the Vernal Equinox is ‘Lady Day’.  Christians sometimes  insist that the title is in honor of Mary and her Annunciation, but Pagans will smile  knowingly.

Another mythological motif which must surely arrest our attention at this time of year  is that of the descent of the God or Goddess into the Underworld.  Perhaps we see this most  clearly in the Christian tradition.  Beginning with his death on the cross on Good Friday,  it is said that Jesus ‘descended into hell’ for the three days that his body lay entombed.   But on the third day (that is, Easter Sunday), his body and soul rejoined, he arose from  the dead and ascended into heaven.  By a strange ‘coincidence’, most ancient Pagan  religions speak of the Goddess descending into the Underworld, also for a period of three  days.

Why three days?  If we remember that we are here dealing with the lunar aspect of the  Goddess, the reason should be obvious.  As the text of one Book of Shadows gives it, ‘…as  the moon waxes and wanes, and walks three nights in darkness, so the Goddess once spent  three nights in the Kingdom of Death.’  In our modern world, alienated as it is from  nature, we tend to mark the time of the New Moon (when no moon is visible) as a single date  on a calendar.  We tend to forget that the moon is also hidden from our view on the day  before and the day after our calendar date.  But this did not go unnoticed by our  ancestors, who always speak of the Goddess’s sojourn into the land of Death as lasting for  three days.  Is it any wonder then, that we celebrate the next Full Moon (the Eostara) as  the return of the Goddess from chthonic regions?

Naturally, this is the season to celebrate the victory of life over death, as any  nature-lover will affirm.  And the Christian religion was not misguided by celebrating  Christ’s victory over death at this same season.  Nor is Christ the only solar hero to  journey into the underworld.  King Arthur, for example, does the same thing when he sets  sail in his magical ship, Prydwen, to bring back precious gifts (i.e. the gifts of life)  from the Land of the Dead, as we are told in the ‘Mabinogi’.  Welsh triads allude to  Gwydion and Amaethon doing much the same thing.  In fact, this theme is so universal that  mythologists refer to it by a common phrase, ‘the harrowing of hell’.

However, one might conjecture that the descent into hell, or the land of the dead, was  originally accomplished, not by a solar male deity, but by a lunar female deity.  It is  Nature Herself who, in Spring, returns from the Underworld with her gift of abundant life.  Solar heroes may have laid claim to this theme much later.  The very fact that we are  dealing with a three-day period of absence should tell us we are dealing with a lunar, not  solar, theme.  (Although one must make exception for those occasional male lunar  deities,  such as the Assyrian god, Sin.)  At any rate, one of the nicest modern renditions of the  harrowing of hell appears in many Books of Shadows as ‘The Descent of the Goddess’.  Lady  Day may be especially appropriate for the celebration of this theme, whether by  storytelling, reading, or dramatic re-enactment.

For modern Witches, Lady Day is one of the Lesser Sabbats or Low Holidays of the year,  one of the four quarter-days.  And what date will Witches choose to celebrate?  They may  choose the traditional folk ‘fixed’ date of March 25th, starting on its Eve.  Or they may  choose the actual equinox point, when the Sun crosses the Equator and enters the  astrological sign of Aries.  This year (1988), that will occur at 3:39 am CST on March 20th.

A Little Humor for Your Day – Kissing By The Signs

Kissing By The Signs

Wondering how to satisfy your lover’s ardent feelings? Keep reading for insight into the passionate nature of the Signs and then take the Kissing Style Quiz to discover what your liplocks reveal about you and your romantic destiny!

Aries Your kisses are quick and passionate fits of lustful pleasure that are there and then gone.

Taurus Your kisses linger; they are deliberate, heartfelt and they can go on and on and on…

Gemini Your kisses are interrupted by spasms of giggles, smiles and funny observations.

Cancer Your kisses are warm and tender, and you never want to let them go.

Leo Your kisses are wild and uninhibited, biting and clawing; you expect applause for your performance.

Virgo Your kisses are so subtle and tidy, your lover only notices them once you’ve finished.

Libra You’re too busy worrying about your breath to really get into your kisses.

Scorpio You skip the kiss and get to straight to … whatever comes next for you.

Sagittarius Your kisses are surprising, spontaneous affairs that leave the kissed wanting more.

Capricorn Your kisses are intense moments of sublime relief from the stress of your day.

Aquarius Your kisses are wet and messy, and you tend to keep your eyes open.

Pisces Your kisses are starry-eyed, amorous and long-lasting.

Daily Feng Shui News for March 13 – ‘World Kidney Day’

Let’s take a look at an alternative way to fight kidney infection on ‘World Kidney Day.’ After you have consulted a qualified professional, you may want to consider an ages-old holistic remedy of drinking flaxseed tea to treat this ailment. You can prepare the tea by steeping one tablespoon of flaxseed in one pint of freshly boiled water. After ten minutes, strain out the flaxseed and drink two cups of the tea. Do this daily until the infection has completely cleared.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Your Charm for Thursday, March 13th is The Serpent

Your Charm for Today

 

The Serpent

Today’s Meaning:

This aspect will be affected by someone’s illness being shed. Their healing will cause positive changes within this aspect for you.

General Description:

In primeval days the Serpent deeply appealed to man’s imagination, and owing to its length of life was used as the emblem for wisdom and eternity. It was a household god in ancient Rome, and sacred to their god of medicine. The Romans believed that the Serpent renewed its youth by casting its skin, and it became their symbol for long life and vitality. In India the Serpent symbolizes the infinite duration of time and wisdom. Serpent rings were worn to ensure health, strength, and long life. The rings were also believed to possess great protective and enduring virtues. The Serpent was a mark of royalty in Egypt, and worn as a head dress or UR.AEUS.

Your Animal Spirit for March 13th is The Otter

Your Animal Spirit for Today
March 13, 2014

Otter

Otter represents one of the most playful feminine energies on earth—and she has swum over into your reading to bring a message of joyful play. If life has been difficult or challenges overwhelming, relax a little—Otter is here to remind you that play is just as important as work—and NOT competitive play, but rather the kind you loved as a child. Hopscotch anyone?

Your Ancient Symbol Card for March 13th is The Sun

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Sun

The Sun is our Cosmic Nurturer. Life flourishes under its radiant beams. It provides the illumination to find Truths and lights one’s path so we do not get lost. To stand in the rays of The Sun is to shine. To absorb its energy promotes growth, exceptional physical and mental health, and good fortune. The Sun is empowering, elevating and fills those who bask in it with confidence and sense of self-worth. While The Sun certainly doesn’t promise a life’s path without some bumps in the road, The Sun indicates all will be well.

As a daily card, The Sun indicates a time when you should be at your zenith. At moments like this all should be very clear to you. Solutions to dilemmas that have confounded you will become obvious. The opportunity to take giant steps towards attaining your goals is upon you.

Your I Ching Hexagram for March 13th is 2: The Receptive

2: The Receptive

Thursday, Mar 13th, 2014

hexagram09

 

 

 

 

 

Great receptivity attracts exceptional results. The natural responsiveness of pure Yin energy brings about success through support and perseverance, rather than through bold action. Thus, the wise person demonstrates strength like a powerful but gentle mare. This hexagram, consisting of all yin lines, represents a power of the feminine principle no longer honored in our modern world, but such receptivity is most auspicious.

The receptive force is sensual as well as powerful, and it can be missed by too much talk and planning. When spring comes, does the grass plan to grow? This is a time to concentrate on realities rather than potentials — how to respond to a situation rather than how to direct it. A mature mare lets herself be guided, and is skilled at graceful acceptance. In a strong spiritual way, her quiet contribution is most effective and brings success.

Do not be too assertive at this time, for if you try to direct things, you are liable to become confused or alienated. Take your time. Draw strength from carefulness and you will be doubly fortunate. Focus more on feeling than on action. Be broad and deep in your attitudes so that you can accept everything that comes your way with grace and equanimity. Be receptive and spacious like the ocean; let the river of changing developments flow to you. Allow others to take the lead for now. Strive for a natural responsiveness that is based on inner strength rather than outer show

Today’s Tarot Card for March 13th is Justice

Justice

Thursday, Mar 13th, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditionally, what has been known as the Justice card has to do with moral sensitivity and that which gives rise to empathy, compassion and a sense of fairness. Since the time of Solomon, this image has represented a standard for the humane and fair-minded treatment of other beings.

Often including the image of a fulcrum which helps to balance competing needs against the greater good, and a two-edged sword to symbolize the precision needed to make clear judgments, this card reminds us to be careful to attend to important details. It’s a mistake to overlook or minimize anything where this card is concerned. The law of Karma is represented here — what goes around comes around

Your Daily Horoscopes for Tuesday, March 13th

We may be confused by mixed cosmic messages today, but we still get to decide how to respond to circumstances, no matter how crazy our lives seem. The proud Leo Moon emboldens us with confidence while the imaginative Pisces Sun fuels our fantasies. An expansive Mercury-Jupiter alignment further inflates our optimism. However, we are restrained by more practical limitations as the Sun trines realistic Saturn, pulling us back down to Earth.

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Focusing on the present moment is challenging today because you may be so concerned about your future. Ironically, a recollection of something in your past might be more of a problem than whatever actually happens next. Thankfully, this confusing detour down Memory Lane can be a significant learning experience. Trust in the intelligence of now, rather than obsessing on unresolved feelings left over from your sentimental journey.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

You may grow so preoccupied with one single idea that it’s nearly impossible for anyone to get you to talk about anything else. Nevertheless, following others is a smart move now since they will lead you in a positive direction. Voluntarily minimizing the importance of your own thoughts is a wise tactic today and makes you more accessible to your friends and coworkers. You currently gain more through cooperation than you possibly can on your own.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

You’re willing to let go of your worries and dream your troubles away today, but you are also concerned about leaving loose ends untied. Unfortunately, your lack of responsibility may be an all-too-familiar theme for you. Nevertheless, this is a great opportunity to learn from your past mistakes. Forget about recreational activities until you wrap up your unfinished business. It’s much easier to enjoy yourself once you have done the right thing and demonstrated your dependability

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

The power of positive thought gets you off to a great start today, but you must follow up with good old-fashioned hard work. Complete all of your chores so you’re able to fully enjoy the pleasures that you so richly deserve. Even if you plan a quiet evening at home, give yourself the time and space to imagine the positive changes that you want to experience in the near future. There aren’t many reasons to restrain your creative vision now; if you can visualize it, chances are you can make it happen.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You thought that you would be ready to make a major move today, but instead you grow more contemplative as the day wears on. You know that you should be thankful for the stable ground in your life these days, but you also are aware of those obstacles that block your progress. Nevertheless, there’s no need to focus on what’s wrong; concentrate on all those things that you could be doing to continue your personal growth. Slow and steady change wins out in the long run.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You might try to hide your true intentions today. Even if you’re sure about your feelings, you still don’t like the idea of others knowing your secrets. However, withholding information could be a serious waste of energy now, especially since your peers probably know more than you realize. Including your inner circle in your plans isn’t as much of a risk as it seems. In fact, if you are willing to listen to the feedback offered, you may receive valuable advice from an unexpected source.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

You’re tempted to express yourself in an outrageous manner today, but your common sense ultimately prevents you from going too far. If you feel resistance to your efforts to do your own thing, go ahead and fall back on your charm and grace. Be true to yourself now while also keeping your mind open to different perspectives. Relinquish your control for a little while and go along with others for the sake of group harmony.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

If you keep to yourself today, you may end up wishing you took a more social route. Breaking out of your shell requires extra effort on your part; but once you push past your own resistance, you might truly enjoy the company of others. Luckily, there’s no need to hide your emotions or temper your desires now. Trust your instincts to pick just the right moment to share your feelings. Timing is everything when it comes to matters of the heart.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

If you’re buzzing around like a busy bee today, you might be too distracted to fully appreciate the camaraderie of your friends and associates. Nevertheless, there’s a solid support system in place, ready to carry you to the next level if only you would let it. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable with those you trust can prove to be the exact catalyst you need. Slow down and smell the flowers right in your own backyard.

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You are taking your responsibilities quite seriously now as the Sun trines your ruling planet, somber Saturn. It may feel as if you’re immersed in projects, yet you’re also eager to face the new challenges ahead. Nevertheless, you’re still committed to finishing the jobs you have already started. Be patient as you build on your accomplishments and wait for the opportunities to reap the rewards. Your work ethic is a shining inspiration to everyone around you.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Other people may motivate you to start something new now, but you need to be willing to change and grow so you can maximize the current opportunities. This transformational process becomes a lot more challenging if you’re unable to let go of the past. Don’t cling too tightly to the status quo or you won’t be able to take advantage of the amazing possibilities that are right in front of you. Open your mind and embrace the future

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You can learn a valuable lesson today by stopping to reevaluate your recent history. Paradoxically, your review process might also stimulate your anticipation of the future. Your life begins to take on a greater meaning as you see social systems bending under the pressure of change. Meanwhile, you’re committed to finding stability in the midst of transition, even if you don’t yet know how you will manage it. Don’t worry too much about the details; you can’t get lost if you follow your intuition.

Mars Retrograde: The Cosmic Chill Pill

Mars Retrograde: The Cosmic Chill Pill

The benefits of slowing down

Maria DeSimone Maria DeSimone on the topics of mars retrograde, mars, blogs, astrology
It’s that time again folks. Once every two years Mars, the planet that rules our motivation and ambition, turns retrograde for about a 2 1/2-month stretch. On March 1, 2014, Mars began this retrograde phase in partnership-oriented Libra, and will remain backpedaling until May 19. You’ve undoubtedly read all of the warnings about Mars Retrograde by now, and they are indeed accurate. Since Mars is the planet of initiation, you must have a strong and direct Mars if you ever want your endeavor to succeed. This is why astrologers advise against starting vital projects during this phase.

The “oomph” factor is missing or lessened somehow when Mars is retrograde. Often, we feel a sense of frustration during Mars Retrograde because we want to press forward in a certain area of our lives but feel as if our efforts to progress are futile. The universe demands that we fortify what’s happening in that area already rather than break new ground.  As long as you remember that simple rule you’ll be fine. Mars Retrograde won’t be your downfall.

When Mars is your ruler

If you’re ruled by Mars however, either by having the Sun or Ascendant in Aries or Scorpio, then you belong to the VIP Mars club. Mars, as our ruling planet, has a special emphasis in our lives. When this planet moves direct we’re enlivened and embroiled. We’re full of vim and vigor. When retrograde however, we are forced into a cosmic time out. The universe doesn’t ask, but rather orders us to take a chill pill.

I, for one, am relieved.

That’s right, I said it. When Mars turns retrograde I know that for at least a few weeks I’ll have time to fully inhale and exhale. You see, being ruled by Mars and having Mars heavily aspected in my chart (the apex of a T-square with it square Venus, conjunct Saturn, square Pluto as well as trine Jupiter) you can say that I am a high strung, an on-the-go person. I live this high octane existence and rarely give myself any down time. So when Mars turns retrograde every couple of years I might experience a bout of frustration if I’m trying to get something off the ground, but even so, I tend to be secretly thankful. Why? Because at the very least, I can count on a BREAK!

As soon as Mars enters his cave for hibernation I feel the endless anxiety begin to lift. I realize that I’ve got time to relax. There’s an almost unhurried vibration in my energy field that is foreign to me most of the time. But it allows my “fight or flight” tendency to diminish just enough to stop, sit down and smell the roses.

Mars Retrograde in Libra

During this particular retrograde in Libra, Mars Retrograde urges us to revise our current strategy of how we use our energy to pursue and cultivate close partnerships. It’ll help us to stop pushing so hard and learn to let our relationships proceed organically for once, the way they’re meant to. As a result, this retrograde, in particular, is giving me a reprieve from any of the usual partnership anxieties. Trying to make a relationship into what it isn’t, pushing for a certain collaboration when someone isn’t ready … all of these partnership themes now have a giant “pause” button on them.

And I’m grateful. For the next couple of months, I get to simply BE in my relationships rather than try to direct them. So do you. What a refreshing change of pace! And an opportunity to learn how to truly relate.

As you can see, Mars Retrograde doesn’t have to be an endless cycle of frustration. It can actually be an invitation to reduce a great deal of your everyday anxiety and frustration. So go ahead and swallow the cosmic chill pill will ya? Don’t fight it. Open wide and just say “Ahhhh.” There. That wasn’t so bad now, was it?

Calendar of the Moon for March 13th

Calendar of the Moon

 
13 Fearn/Elaphebolion

Dionysia Polis V

Color: Purple
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a purple cloth lay a chalice of red wine, grapevines, a fawnskin, masks, and the thyrsus of Dionysus.
Offering: A mystery play on some instructive subject should be rehearsed during these five days, and on the fifth day it should be performed for some outside audience, whether invited in or taken elsewhere.
Daily Meal: Wine. Grapes. Goat meat. Figs. Dates. Lentils. Meat or rice wrapped in grapeleaves.

Invocation to Dionysos

IO Dionysos, Lord of the Vine,
We call upon the Womanly One,
child of Zeus and Semele.
We drink from your cup and join
The maenad train, O Lord of Masks
That teach the truth. In your cup we gain
Escape from care and ecstasy in the vine,
Your blessing under which
The sacred and profane became one
And the gods’ wedding party never ends.
Twice-born, we will give thanks,
We’ll tell our stories again and again
Of running with maenads
Of the secrets of the earth
And the heavens, and all that lies between,
Of fate, and time, and how to slip
Beyond their confines into immortality.
We’ll teach your mysteries,
Which teach other mysteries,
To all who will listen.
We’ll testify

To the gift of the Womanly One
Dionysos.

Chant: Io Dionysos Io Dionysos

(Pass around the chalice of wine and then pour the rest out as a libation. All should then go to make ready for  the mystery play, to be performed in his honor later that night.)

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for March 13 – Day of Oath to the Earth

Calendar of the Sun

 

13 Hrethemonath

Day of Oath to the Earth

Color: Green
Element: Earth
Altar: On a green cloth lay branches, flowers, stones, twigs, figures of animals and birds, a special pot of good soil, and a small globe.
Offerings: Clean up or protect a natural environment.
Daily Meal: Vegan.

(Each person present stands forth and takes this oath to the Earth:)

By seeds of all beginnings, I make this oath.
By roots of all depths, I swear to protect the purity of your soil.
By stem and trunk that reaches for the sky, I swear to respect your cycle of growth.
By bud that grows, I swear to respect all those who live in that cycle.
By leaf that catches the rain, I swear to protect the air we breathe.
By flower that opens to the dawn, I swear to always see your beauty.
By fruit that gives forth sweetness, I swear to remember where my nourishment comes from.
By seed within the fruit that grows the tree anew,
I swear to try again and again to fulfill this oath,
As many times as the Gods shall decree.
By life and death, by Lord and Lady, by hand and eye, by heart and spirit,
This I do swear here before the Fates
And mark my soul forever with this promise.
As all green things grow, so shall you live and survive,
And your memory be carried forever beneath the feet
Of a thousand generations to come.

Chant:
The Earth is our mother,
We must take care of her,
The Earth is our mother,
We must take care of her.
Hey and a ho and a ho la la
Hey and a ho and a ho la la

(After each person has taken the oath, all place their hands over the pot of soil and concentrate on charging it. Let it remain before the altar until Hesperis the following day, at which time it shall be planted with seeds of a rare and special healing herb, to be kept in the house and cared for and cherished.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]