Tag: Holda

Deity of the Day – Diana

Deity of the Day – Diana


The classical moon goddess, Diana, is still worshipped by neopagans today. Long after Christianity’s triumph over classical paganism, her worship is still going strong.

Diana was the personification of the positive aspects of lunar forces. She was also believed to have led groups of nightriders (known as the “Wild Hunt” or the “Furious Horde”) who flew through the air. The “Wild Hunt” was comprised of “people taken by death before their time, children snatched away at an early age, victims of a violent end.” The goddess would accompany her followers as they wandered at night among the houses of the well-to-do. Whenever they would arrive at a home that was particularly well-kept, Diana would bestow her blessings upon it.

Diana was intrinsically linked with several other witch deities, including Abonde, Abundia, Aradia, Hecate, Herodias, Holda, Perchta, Satia, and Venus.

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Deity of the Day – Holda

Deity of the Day – Holda

Also known as Fraw Holt, Holda became virtually synonymous with Abonde, Diana, and Perchta. Originally, Holda had been a Germanic goddess of vegetation and fertility, much like Perchta. Holda was also the goddess of spinning and weaving.

She, like her other manifestations, was the leader of the “Furious Horde” or “Wild Hunt” (Wütischend Heer, Wilde Jagd, Mesnie Sauvage)–“namely of the ranks of those who had died prematurely and passed through village streets at night, unrelenting and terrible, while the inhabitants barricaded their doors for protection.”

Holda had two forms, that of a beautiful girl dressed all in white, and that of a hideous crone with fangs, a hooked nose, and long, tangled grey hair. In the latter form, she looked just like the stereotypical image of a witch or the evil stepmother of fairy tales. As the White Lady, she was a fertility goddess who granted prosperity to home, family, and field. As the Hag, she offered those who ignored or insulted her death, illness, and misfortune. In this form, she was responsible for fog and snow.

Calendar of the Sun for November 17th

Calendar of the Sun

17 Blutmonath
Holda’s Blot

Colors: Brown and white
Element: Earth
Altar: On cloth of white and brown lay a spindle full of spun wool, a basket of white goose-feathers, two white candles, a needle and thread, a horn of mead, and a dish of honey-cakes.
Lean a broom against the altar.
Offerings: Cakes buried under the earth. Organize and clean the house.
Daily Meal: Hearty stew with root vegetables. Wholegrain bread.

Invocation to Holda

Frau Holle, good Lady
Of the Land Under The Earth,
Who we reach through
The well into the deep places,
You who reward each
As to the temper of the work
They accomplish each day,
You who have eternal patience
And yet no patience at all
With lazy fools who will not
Lift their hands in another’s need.
Lady of the hearth, the loom,
The spindle and the wheel,
The needle and the cooking pot,
These things that so many
Take simply for granted,
They are your kingdom
And your warm domain,
And if they should be removed,
We would sorely miss them,
Much more than we could guess.

Chant: Snow is coming
Feathers on the wind
Mother Holda
Winter will begin…

(All approach the altar, seize handfuls of the goose feathers, and fling them into the air so that they fall like snow. Each then takes a turn with the broom, sweeping them up. The mead is shared and then poured as a libation.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Where Did All The Myths About the Besom Come From?

Where Did All The Myths About the Besom Come From?

Some authors claim that the oldest known source of witches flying on broomsticks is a manuscript called Le Champion des Dames by Martin Lefranc, 1440. This might be one of the oldest images representing a hag on a broomstick, but it is certainly not the first. A wall painting from the 12th century in Schleswig Cathedral (Germany) shows the Norse deity Frigg riding her staff.

If we really dig a bit deeper into history, we’ll find that from the Roman world
there are reports that mention witches flying on broomsticks as well as having
used ointments, as early as the first century. They were called Straigae (Barnowl) and the Lamiae from Greek culture had similar characteristics. Later in Roman history, the goddess Diana was the leader of the Wild Hunt:

“It is also not to be omitted that some wicked women, perverted by the Devil,
seduced by illusions and phantasm of demons, believe and profess themselves in
the hours of the night to ride upon certain beasts with Diana, the goddess of
pagans, and an innumerable multitude of women, and in the silence of the dead of the night to traverse great spaces of earth, and to obey her commands as of
their mistress, and to be summoned to her service on certain nights”.

Similar beliefs existed in many parts of Europe. From Norse mythology, we know
that the army of women, lead by Odin (Wodan), called the Valkyries, was said to
ride through the skies on horses, collecting the souls of the dead. In continental Germanic areas, the goddess Holda or Holle was also said to lead the Wild Hunt and is connected to chimneys and witchcraft. Berchta or Perchita, another Germanic goddess, which can be identified with Holda, has similar characteristics.

Again in Celtic Traditions, the Horned God Cernuous, and/or Herne the Hunter
was leader of the Wild Hunt and the Scottish Witch Goddess Nineveh was also
said to fly through the night with her followers. Eastern Europe sources also
have a wealth of folklore about witches flying through the air. So flying
through the air, evidently, was a deeply rooted mythological theme, associated
with the free roaming of the spirit, the separation of soul and body.

Calendar of the Sun for December 23

Calendar of the Sun

23 Yulmonath

Saturnalia Day 7: Day of the Mothers

Hail to Gaea, the Great Earth,
Green and rich, Mother of us all!
Hail to Rhea and Hera, gracious Queens,
Mothers of the height of Olympus!
Hail to Demeter, Mourning Lady,
Mother of the Seasons!
Hail to Cybele, Lady of Lions,
Mother of Anatolia!
Hail to Juno, to Tellus Mater,
To Ceres of the grain and to Ops,
Mothers of the Romans!
Hail to Danu and to Macha,
To Cerridwen of the cauldron,
Mothers of the Western Isles!
Hail to Frigga, Queen of Asgard,
Mother of the Aesir!
Hail to Nerthus, to Holda, to Nehallenia,
Mothers of the Vanir!
Hail to Laufey, to Sigyn, to Angrboda,
Mothers of the Rokkr!
Hail to Mielikki, Mother of forests! Hail to Parvati, Mother of the Upanishads!
Hail to Kali Ma, Mother of the Void! Hail to Tiamat, Mother of the Primal Ocean!
Hail to Yemaya, Mother of the Orisha!
Hail to Nuit, the overarching one,
To Isis and Nephthys, sisters light and dark,
Mothers of the desert lands!
Hail to Sophia, Mother of Wisdom!
May you all enfold us in your arms
And protect us from all harm that may befall.
We beseech you, Mothers of the Universe,
And we honor on this your day of Glory.

Song: Ancient Mother

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Deity of the Day for November 21 – Diana

Deity of the Day

Diana

 

The classical moon goddess, Diana, is still worshipped by neopagans today. Long after Christianity’s triumph over classical paganism, her worship is still going strong. St. Kilian, a Celtic missionary to the pagan Franks, was martyred when he attempted to persuaded the peasants to abandon their worship of this goddess. A writing on the life of St. Caesarius offhandedly mentions “a demon whom simple folk call Diana.”

Diana was the personification of the positive aspects of lunar forces. She was also believed to have led groups of nightriders (known as the “Wild Hunt” or the “Furious Horde”) who flew through the air. The “Wild Hunt” was comprised of “people taken by death before their time, children snatched away at an early age, victims of a violent end.” The goddess would accompany her followers as they wandered at night among the houses of the well-to-do. Whenever they would arrive at a home that was particularly well-kept, Diana would bestow her blessings upon it.

Many benandanti (from the Italian for “those who go well” or “good-doers”) were followers of Diana. The benandanti were members of a fertility cult who were basically anti-witches and practicers of white magic. Nonetheless, they were tortured by the Inquisitors just the same as practicers of the black arts were.

Diana was intrinsically linked with several other witch deities, including Abonde, Abundia, Aradia, Hecate, Herodias, Holda, Perchta, Satia, and Venus.

Bibliography. (Ginzburg 40-46) Bibliography. (King 24)

Calendar of the Sun for November 17th

Calendar of the Sun

17 Blutmonath

Holda’s Blot

Colors: Brown and white
Element: Earth
Altar: On cloth of white and brown lay a spindle full of spun wool, a basket of white goose-feathers, two white candles, a needle and thread, a horn of mead, and a dish of honey-cakes.
Lean a broom against the altar.
Offerings: Cakes buried under the earth. Organize and clean the house.
Daily Meal: Hearty stew with root vegetables. Wholegrain bread.

Invocation to Holda

Frau Holle, good Lady
Of the Land Under The Earth,
Who we reach through
The well into the deep places,
You who reward each
As to the temper of the work
They accomplish each day,
You who have eternal patience
And yet no patience at all
With lazy fools who will not
Lift their hands in another’s need.
Lady of the hearth, the loom,
The spindle and the wheel,
The needle and the cooking pot,
These things that so many
Take simply for granted,
They are your kingdom
And your warm domain,
And if they should be removed,
We would sorely miss them,
Much more than we could guess.

Chant:

Snow is coming
Feathers on the wind
Mother Holda
Winter will begin…

(All approach the altar, seize handfuls of the goose feathers, and fling them into the air so that they fall like snow. Each then takes a turn with the broom, sweeping them up. The mead is shared and then poured as a libation.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Deity of the Day for November 7th – DIANA

Goddess Comments & Graphics

DIANA

The classical moon goddess, Diana, is still worshipped by NeoPagans today. Long after Christianity’s triumph over classical paganism, her worship is still going strong.  St. Kilian, a Celtic missionary to the pagan Franks, was martyred when he attempted to persuaded the peasants to abandon their worship of this goddess.  A writing on the life of St. Caesarius offhandedly mentions “a demon whom simple folk call Diana.”

Diana was the personification of the positive aspects of lunar forces.  She was
also believed to have led groups of nightriders (known as the “Wild Hunt” or the “Furious Horde”) who flew through the air.  The “Wild Hunt” was comprised of  “people taken by death before their time, children snatched away at an early age, victims of a violent end.” The goddess would accompany her followers as they wandered at night among the houses of the well-to-do.  Whenever they would arrive at a home that was particularly well-kept, Diana would bestow her blessings upon it.

Many benandanti (from the Italian for “those who go well” or “good-doers”) were followers of Diana.  The benandanti were members of a fertility cult who were basically anti-witches and practitioners of white magic. Nonetheless, they were  tortured by the Inquisitors just the same as practitioners of the black arts were.

Diana was intrinsically linked with several other witch deities, including
Abonde, Abundia, Aradia, Hecate, Herodias, Holda, Perchta, Satia, and Venus.
Bibliography.  (Ginsburg 40-46)                Bibliography.  (King 24)



~Magickal Graphics~

Calendar of the Moon for August 1

Calendar of the Moon

1 Tinne/Hekatombaion

Day of the Holly Tree

Color: Iron-grey
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon an iron-grey cloth set a vase of holly branches, a single grey candle, a pot of soil, seeds, a bowl of water, and a bell.
Offerings: Plant seeds. Arm yourself mentally for a conflict.
Daily Meal: Vegan

Invocation to the Green Man of the Holly Tree

Hail, Green Man of the Summer!
Holly tree of sharpest leaves
Like spearpoints in the forest,
With berries like drops of drawn blood,
You are the tree of weaponry,
The prick of an iron spear,
A swinging sword, the Green Knight’s club
Which is a whole holly-bush.
Charmed by Holda, whose tests
And trials in the underground world
Show the measure of our honor
And the length of our compassion.
Every warrior must have his rules
And bindings, else he turn rabid
And fall on those he protects,
And lose his vision of the humanity
Of other, lesser souls.
You teach us this lesson,
Tree whose color is beaten iron,
Tree of courage, of hellbent rush,
Flock of starlings that swarm as one
And seek their foe; executioner
Of the Oak King in his time.
We hail you, sacred Holly King,
Green Man of the Summer,
In this your time of greatest valor.

Song: Cold Iron
(Each comes forward and plants a seed in the pot of soil, saying, “Hail Green Man of the Earth!” Water is poured onto the pot, and then the rest is poured out as a libation. Ring bell and dismiss.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

The Wicca Book of Days for July 10 – Hello, Holla!

The Wicca Book of Days for July 10th

Hello, Holla!

 

It is a Wiccan tradition to pay tribute today to the underworld Goddesses called Holla (or Holda) among the Germanic peoples, and Hel (or Hella) by Scandinavians, Northern European Goddesses who can be equated with the Greek Hecate and the Goddess in her Crone aspect. In Norse mythology, the repulsive Hel, the daughter of the trickster Loki and the giantess Angurboda, ruled over Helheim, the realm of those who had not died as warriors. The Germanic Holla had redeeming features, such as the power to infuse newborns with souls released from her dark land.

 

The Silvery Moon

Look up at a clear night sky and you’ll see why the color that corresponds to the moon is silver. The qualities associated with silver are therefore lunar such as dreamy intuition and mystical insight. Develop these characteristics within yourself today by wearing silvery hues.

Pagan Book Of Hours for April 24th

Calendar of the Sun
24 Eostremonath

Walpurgisnacht Day II

Color: Black
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a black cloth set the candle from the previous day plus a second one (each day of Walpurgisnacht adds another candle), a broom, a sheaf of grain, and the figure of a dog.
Offerings: The exercise for Gymnastika shall be running.
Daily Meal: Grain and greens.

Walpurgisnacht Invocation II

On this night the White Lady runs.
On this day she flees the Wild Hunt
In the guise of a white deer,
Her hoofprints flee along the track,
For she is Spring’s creature, and the Winter
Is far behind, chasing her, trying to bring her down.
But we will not let her fall,
We will not let her be caught,
We will not let ourselves be trapped
In the winter’s sadness,
For all things must come to an end,
And the green season is upon us.
Sheaf of grain in her hand,
She rides her broom like a steed,
Sweeping the winter away before her,
While the Wild Hunt bays at her heels,
Until the very dogs of the Hunt turn aside
And run instead at her side,
Whining for her attention,
Putting their noses into her hand,
And she has conquered them
As she will conquer the year.
Hail, Lady of the unknown name,
Waelbyrga, Waluburg, Holda’s child,
We who have run from our foes
And yet found that the best defense
Is to turn them into friends,
We salute you!

(The broom should be passed from person to person, and every room of the house should be swept with it, as a purification. Each chants wordlessly, or with any simple chant, during this.)

Calendar of the Moon

Willow Tree Month

Colors: Yellow, silver, and pale willow-green
Element: Water
Altar: Upon cloth of yellow, silver, and pale willow-green place three white candles, wreaths of willow-branches, a large clay bowl of water, flowers if they are available, and a silver moon.
Offerings: Contemplate an emotion, and how you use it, and how it uses you.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian, preferably cold food. Fruits. Only spring water to drink.

Saille Invocation

Call: Now is the time of the Willow Goddess.
Response: Now is the time of the Green Man’s courting.
Call: Now is the time when leaves are full.
Response: Now is the time when gold gives way to silver.
Call: Now is the time when Sun gives way to Moon.
Response: Now is the time when Lord gives way to Lady.
Call: Now is the time of the search and the quest.
Response: Now is the time of magic dew on the fields.
Call: Now is the time of the phallus rising.
Response: He seeks the doorway that is wet with spring rains.
Call: He seeks the moon in the river.
Response: He seeks the fishes in the winnowing basket.
Call: He seeks the fruit of Persephone.
Response: He seeks the mountain of the Muses.
Call: We crown his head with flowers….
Response: That he may reach the sky.
Call: We crown his head with ribbons….
Response: That he may touch the earth.
Call: We bring forth the pole from earth to sky.
Response: We lay the line from earth to sky.
Call: We blow like the wind from earth to sky.
Response: We fall like the rain from sky to earth.
Call: We descend like the sunlight from sky to earth.
Response: We climb like the trees from sky to earth.
Call: We are the children of earth and sky.
Response: We are beloved of sky and earth.

Chant:
We all come from the Goddess, and to Her we shall return,
Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for April 23rd

Calendar of the Sun
24 Eostremonath

Walpurgisnacht Day II

Color: Black
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a black cloth set the candle from the previous day plus a second one (each day of Walpurgisnacht adds another candle), a broom, a sheaf of grain, and the figure of a dog.
Offerings: The exercise for Gymnastika shall be running.
Daily Meal: Grain and greens.

Walpurgisnacht Invocation II

On this night the White Lady runs.
On this day she flees the Wild Hunt
In the guise of a white deer,
Her hoofprints flee along the track,
For she is Spring’s creature, and the Winter
Is far behind, chasing her, trying to bring her down.
But we will not let her fall,
We will not let her be caught,
We will not let ourselves be trapped
In the winter’s sadness,
For all things must come to an end,
And the green season is upon us.
Sheaf of grain in her hand,
She rides her broom like a steed,
Sweeping the winter away before her,
While the Wild Hunt bays at her heels,
Until the very dogs of the Hunt turn aside
And run instead at her side,
Whining for her attention,
Putting their noses into her hand,
And she has conquered them
As she will conquer the year.
Hail, Lady of the unknown name,
Waelbyrga, Waluburg, Holda’s child,
We who have run from our foes
And yet found that the best defense
Is to turn them into friends,
We salute you!

(The broom should be passed from person to person, and every room of the house should be swept with it, as a purification. Each chants wordlessly, or with any simple chant, during this.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Earth Correspondences

Earth Correspondences

 

 

ZODIAC

Capricorn: Beginning and structure

Taurus: Saving and fixed

Virgo: Changing (mutable) and review oriented

COLOR ASSOCIATION

Yellow or green, depending on the tradition you practice. Yellow for ceremonial Wicca and green for shamanic Wicca.

WICCAN TOOL

Cauldron or pentacle

ANGELS/GUARDIANS

Abundance: Barbelo

Agriculture: Rismuch

Alchemy: Och

Animals: Thegri, Mtniel, Hehiel, Hayyal

Commerce: Anauel

Creeping Things: Orifiel

Dust: Suphlatus

Earthquakes: Sui’el, Rashiel

Farming Sofiel

Fertility: Samandiriel, Yushamin

Food: Manna

Gaia: Michael, Jehoel, Metatron, Mammon

Gardens: Cathetel

Nourishment: Isda

Forests: Zuphlas

Fruition: Anahita

Mountains: Mehabiah

Plants: Sachluph

Trees: Maktiel, Zuphlas

Vegetables: Sealiah, Sofiel

Wild Birds: Trgiaob

DEITIES

African: Earth Mother, Divine Queen, Nimba, Oshun, Tenga

Egypt: (Female) Anatha, Bast, Isis, Mehueret, (Male) Min, Geb

Greek/Roman: (Female) Atlantia, Clonia, Flora, Hestia, (Male) Fauna, Pan

Norse: (Female) Frigga, Holda, Nanna, She-Wolf.

Celtic: (Female) Aine, Anu, Blodeuwedd, Cailleach Beara, Magog, Rosemerta