Tag: Old English

Celebrating Legends, Folklore & Spirituality 365 Days A Year – Midvintersblot/Saint Hilary’s Day

Blessed Be

January 14th

 

Midvintersblot/Saint Hilary’s Day

Midvintersblot or Midwinter’s offering, often called Tiugunde Day in Old English, was sacred to Tiu, the ancient Teutonic chief God and ruler of the year. The festival falls 20 days after Yule and is when the runic half-month of Peorth commences.

This day was christianized as Saint Hilary’s day (for Hilary of Poitiers), the patron of backward children, who was invoked against snake bites. This time is traditionally the coldest point of the year and marks the time when marriages were once again permitted after the Christmas season.

Today Is Wednesday – Woden’s Day

Today Is Wednesday – Woden’s Day

“Wodanesdag” (Germanic)
“Wodensdag” (Old English)
“Othinnsdagr” ( Old Norse)
“Onsdag” (Danish)
“Wednesday” (English)

Odin/Woden is the Norse God of magic, battle fury, protection, inspiration, shaman ecstasy, consciousness and communication.

If men can accept their female side as Odin/Woden did, women can surely accept their male side. This day is the “hump day” or “half past the week day.” It is a day of balancing physically, mentally and spiritually.

You can accept Odin/Woden as the All-father and the Omnipotent God when you realize that he became more balanced by accepting the intuitiveness, emotions, sensitivity and the wisdom of women. He also considered Frija/Frigg as his equal and consulted her on all important matters. Her advise always weighed heavily in his decisions. Women in Norse mythology, although not as much is written about them as men, were considered equal with men in property, warring, and decisions. Romanization (getting conquered by the Romans) changed the status of women later on. We are still healing from the effects of the Romanization!

The Rune of choice for this day is Ethel (OE), Othala (G), or Othal (ON). This Rune represents the hearth, the home, justice and honoring our ancestors.

Today is Thursday, Thor’s Day

Today is Thursday, Thor’s Day

“Thor’s Day” or “Thorsdagar” in Old Norse (Thursday), was named for a huge and hearty Norse God who was a defender against the world of chaos with his hammer, referred to as Mjollnir, the Destroyer.

Thor’s hammer was said to be made of stone and to have fallen from the heavens as a meteorite. Ancient alchemists believed there were two kinds of meteorites: Glass and the Irons. Moldavite, which is an extraterrestrial kind of peridot, is just one of many kinds of Glass meteorites that reach the Earth’s surface. The other kind of meteorite, The Irons, includes metals such as copper, nickel and iron. It was thought the Mjollnir was an iron and nickel alloy meteorite forged by Sindri the dwarf, an alchemist and smith of magical and mysterious metals.

Thor’s hammer obeyed his every command doing his bidding and returning to his hand once thrown. Thor commanded the thunderbolts, and could sling them at his foes. Known as a Storm God, Thor was easily irritated. He would roar like thunder and sling thunderbolts when angered. On the other hand, he could be benevolent and a strong friend to peasants and yeoman bringing rain when needed, stilling a storm, and above all as their protector and defender.

A Rune to use on this day is Thurisaz (Germanic), Thuith (Gothic), Thorn (Old English), Thurse (Old Norse). A real thorn can be tiny, but irritating. Problems may appear bigger than they really are. Thorn helps to put them in perspective, especially when an important decision must be made. The advice of what was needed can result in a very successful outcome. Problems and fears can then be encountered as creative challenges. Ask for advice and help when needed, especially on this day!

Today Is Wednesday, Woden’s Day

Today Is Wednesday, Woden’s Day

　

“Wodanesdag” (Germanic)
“Wodensdag” (Old English)
“Othinnsdagr” ( Old Norse)
“Onsdag” (Danish)
“Wednesday” (English)

Odin/Woden is the Norse God of magic, battle fury, protection, inspiration, shaman ecstasy, consciousness and communication.

If men can accept their female side as Odin/Woden did, women can surely accept their male side. This day is the “hump day” or “half past the week day.” It is a day of balancing physically, mentally and spiritually.

You can accept Odin/Woden as the All-father and the Omnipotent God when you realize that he became more balanced by accepting the intuitiveness, emotions, sensitivity and the wisdom of women. He also considered Frija/Frigg as his equal and consulted her on all important matters. Her advise always weighed heavily in his decisions. Women in Norse mythology, although not as much is written about them as men, were considered equal with men in property, warring, and decisions. Romanization (getting conquered by the Romans) changed the status of women later on. We are still healing from the effects of the Romanization!

The Rune of choice for this day is Ethel (OE), Othala (G), or Othal (ON). This Rune represents the hearth, the home, justice and honoring our ancestors.

Today is Wednesday, Woden’s Day

Today is Woden’s Day

“Wodanesdag” (Germanic)
“Wodensdag” (Old English)
“Othinnsdagr” ( Old Norse)
“Onsdag” (Danish)
“Wednesday” (English)

Odin/Woden is the Norse God of magic, battle fury, protection, inspiration, shaman ecstasy, consciousness and communication.

If men can accept their female side as Odin/Woden did, women can surely accept their male side. This day is the “hump day” or “half past the week day.” It is a day of balancing physically, mentally and spiritually.

You can accept Odin/Woden as the All-father and the Omnipotent God when you realize that he became more balanced by accepting the intuitiveness, emotions, sensitivity and the wisdom of women. He also considered Frija/Frigg as his equal and consulted her on all important matters. Her advise always weighed heavily in his decisions. Women in Norse mythology, although not as much is written about them as men, were considered equal with men in property, warring, and decisions. Romanization (getting conquered by the Romans) changed the status of women later on. We are still healing from the effects of the Romanization!

The Rune of choice for this day is Ethel (OE), Othala (G), or Othal (ON). This Rune represents the hearth, the home, justice and honoring our ancestors.

Today’s Tarot Card for September 9 is The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

This Tarot Deck: Old English

 

General Meaning: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.

This represents a good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from such an experience.

Today’s Tarot Card for July 31 is The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

This Tarot Deck: Old English

General Meaning: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.

This represents a good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from such an experience.

All About Thursday

Thursday is the fourth day of the week according to the ISO 8601 international standard adopted in most western countries. In countries that use the Sunday-first convention and in the Judeo-Christian calendar it is the fifth day of the week. It falls between Wednesday and Friday. The name is derived from Old English Þūnresdæg and Middle English Thuresday, which means “Thor’s day”.

Cultural practices involving Thursday

In Australia, most cinema movies premieres are held on Thursdays. Also, most Australians are paid on a Thursday, either weekly or fortnightly. Shopping Malls see this as an opportunity to open longer than usual, generally until 9 pm, as most pay cheques are cleared by Thursday morning.

In Norway, Thursday has also traditionally been the day when most shops and malls are open later than on the other weekdays, although the majority of shopping malls now are open until 8 pm or 9 pm every weekday.

In the United States, Thursday nights are held for prime time television broadcasts of college and NFL professional football games.

Thirsty Thursday

For college and university students, Thursday is sometimes referred to as the new Friday. There are often fewer classes on Fridays and more opportunities to hold parties on Thursday night and sleep in on Friday. As a consequence, some call Thursday “thirstday” or “thirsty Thursday”.

The Creation of Modern Witchcraft

The Creation of Modern Witchcraft

 
The Evolution of Labels

Before we can discuss how Witchcraft came to be, we need to come to a common perspective of the labels and titles used in this article.
This evolution in language is what etymology is all about. Etymology is the study of or branch of linguistics dealing with word origin and development. Where a word was created or formed and it’s development through history. Words evolve, that’s a given. Proof of this can be found in the twenty-volume Oxford English Dictionary (O.E.D.), which is known by scholars as the definitive resource for word origin and definition. A word that had definition 1 in 1492 will still hold that meaning; but it will also evolve into a new version or use of that meaning, creating definition 2. Both meanings are correct and the application of the definition of the word will depend on it’s usage in conversation or context.
When it comes to using a word as a label, we have to think about how the word was used when it originated and not just how it’s perceived today. Warlock is a good example of this. It’s origination was to define a liar, a traitor. But today many non-pagans use it as the title for a male witch. Which most witches don’t care for.
So let’s first define a common understanding of some of the labels used in the pagan community.
Old Latin (OL)
Low Latin (LL)
Latin (L)
Old English (OE)
Middle English (ME)
Modern English (E)
Classical Greek (CG)
The latin language used before 75 BC
Nonclassical Latin, esp. in the medieval period 600 – 1500 AD
Modern Latin, used since 1500 AD
Anglo-Saxon English used primarily between 400 – 1100 AD
English language used between 1100 – 1500 AD
English language used since the 1500 AD
Greek language used between 700 – 300 BC
Wicca
From LL – the Saxon wicca/wicce
1. Old English: An old Saxon noun with a masculine ending, pronounced “witch’-ah” (not “wick’-ah”). 1a. The feminine form “wicce”, pronounced “witch’-eh”.
2. Modern English: A modern label for the pagan tradition of Wicca, established by Gerald Gardner.
Witchcraft
From OE wiccecraeft, ME wicchecrafte
1. Old English: the power or practices of witches; black magik. The craft of the wise.
2. Middle English: A neopagan religious practice such as shamanism, wicca, voodoo, diabolism, diablerie, demonology, Satanism.
Pagan
From LL paganus, L pagus
1. A person who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew; (Any Abrahamic origin belief system)
2. Heathen: formerly, sometimes applied specifically. to a non-Christian by Christians
Neopagan
From CG neos, L paganus
1. Any group of nature based revival pagan religions.
From the old world, using wicca/wicce and witch interchangeably is correct. But in our society today; the creation of Gerald Gardner’s Wiccan tradition clouds the use of these words. In common conversation, when someone mentions Wicca they’re rarely referring to witch; and more often referring to the traditional practice of Gerald Gardner. Using these words in the old world communication creates confusion. Now while it’s technically accurate; thanks to good old Gerald, the word has evolved into something new with a stronger or more prevalent meaning.
In the old world Witchcraft was a practice, a craft of magik. Technically it’s the correct usage of the word prior to 1100-1200 AD. Today it is a label used to define a specific set of neo-pagan traditions. It’s not a new concept; it actually started during the 13th century and is thanks to the early Christian Church. But we’ll get into that later on.
Over time, the category of religions under Witchcraft has slowly returned to their own roots and stand on their own. In part due to the neopagan revivals. For instance, Satanism isn’t considered to be part of Witchcraft. They stand on their own as a pagan religion, but not related to Witchcraft. Part of the delineation comes from the attempts to revive the old pagan religions in the late 1700s.

Today’s Tarot Card for Jan. 13th is The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

This Tarot Deck: Old English

General Meaning: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.

This represents a good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from such an experience

Today’s Tarot Card for December 19th is The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

This Tarot Deck: Lord of the Rings

General Meaning: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.

This represents a good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from such an experience.

Today’s Tarot Card for October 20th is The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

This Tarot Deck: Old English

General Meaning: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.

This represents a good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from such an experience.

Today’s Tarot Card for Aug. 1st is The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

This Tarot Deck: Old English

General Meaning: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.

This represents a good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from such an experience.

Today’s Tarot Card for June 22 is The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

This Tarot Deck: Old English

General Meaning: Traditionally, the card known as the Hanged Man usually indicates a lack of ability to help oneself through independent action. This energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.

This represents a good time to be philosophical, to study and meditate upon the position you find yourself in, and form resolutions for the moment you become free again. Only those who possess wisdom, patience and optimism will be able to see through limitations, including possible humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lesson one can gain from such an experience.