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Tag: Pagan History
For Your Viewing Pleasure – Lammas
Flashback 2022 – Lughnasadh/Lammas
Lughnasadh Bone Charm
Lughnasadh falls opposite of Imbolc on the Wheel of the Year. While Imbolc is widely considered a sabbat of the divine feminine, many consider Lughnasadh a celebration of the divine masculine. Being the first of three harvest festivals, we can mark the occasion with plentiful gratitude for not only the flora and fauna that feeds us physically on a daily basis, but also gratitude for the fact that the harvest allows us to survive and thrive, thereby increasing our positive spiritual influence in the world.
Simply acquire any bones to which your intuition leads. Yes, humanely and sustainably sourced chicken or cow bones are okay! Ensure that the bones are dry, and use a permanent marker to draw symbols and words related to the harvest, satisfaction, and sustenance onto them. Consider tying stalks of wheat or any grain to the bones once you are finished decorating. Hang these in your home (especially inside or outside the front door) to encourage a plentiful life and to honor the earth now and forever.
Raven Digitals Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2022 Page 107
For Your Viewing Pleasure – Imbolc
Imbolc Lore and Rituals
Celebrating the Seasons by Selena Fox
Imbolc, also known as Candlemas and Groundhog’s Day, occurs at the beginning of February. It marks the middle of Winter and holds the promise of Spring. The Goddess manifests as the Maiden and Brigid. The Groundhog is a manifestation of the God. Colors are White, and sometimes Red. It is a festival of spiritual purification and dedication.
Thoroughly clean your altar and/or temple room. Do a self purification rite with Elemental tools — cleanse your body with salt (Earth), your thoughts with incense (Air), your will with a candle flame (Fire), your emotions with water (Water), and your spiritual body with a healing crystal (Spirit). Bless candles that you will be using for rituals throughout the year. Invoke Brigid for creative inspiration. Take a Nature walk and look for the first signs of Spring. Reflect upon/reaffirm spiritual vows and commitments you have made.
Resources
- Nineteen Ways to Celebrate Imbolc by Selena Fox
- Imbolc Customs and Lore by Selena Fox
- Litany of the Five Elements by Selena Fox
- Brigid Chants by Selena Fox
- Brigid Healing Ritual by Selena Fox
Click here to read the rest of this article about Imbolc from www.circlesanctuary.org
Pagan Holidays Lughnasadh Lammas | Everything You Need To Know
The Lughnasadh and Lammas Pagan holidays celebrates the Wheel of the Year and the arrival of the late summer season!
The days are sticky hot and you spend your time finding ways to cool down. Gardens and farmlands are ripe with veggies in shades of dark green and yellow. This is the beginning of the first harvest and primarily involves grain and corn. Although the sun is strong and hot, you’ll notice the days are beginning to shorten.
This season is lush and abundant, but Nature is already beginning to sense the coming of colder Winter days. So begins the days of preparation: gathering seeds to plant next Spring, harvesting herbs, canning jams and jellies, and baking bread to store for those cold days ahead.
It’s important to also understand that there is so much more to Lughnasadh and not just the literal interpretation of harvesting because you may not be farming your own fields.
This is a time for gratitude, personal growth, and renewal. The energy and intentions of Lughnasadh are still prevalent in the day to day lives of those who live a nature spirituality based life.
Many Pagans, Witches, and those interested in Nature Spirituality celebrate the seasonal cycles. Sometimes referred to as the Wheel of the Year, and consisting of eight celebrations. Four of these festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain) are rooted in Celtic history and origins. The other four (Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice) represent the sun’s location. I created a complete guide to each season, including history, traditions, symbols, correspondences, ritual ideas, and how you can celebrate.
Table of Contents:
What is the Difference Between Pagan Holidays Lammas and Lughnasadh?
Lammas Meaning, Traditions, and Why We Celebrate Pagan Holidays
How To Celebrate Lammas and Lughnasadh
PRESERVE FOODS AND MAKE JAMS/JELLIES
DONATE TO YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK
Simple Ritual Ideas For Lughnasadh and Lammas Pagan Holidays
MEDITATE WITH CANDLES AND CRYSTALS
Lughnasadh and Lammas Correspondences
Lughnasadh and Lammas Pagan Holidays Journal Prompt Ideas
Click here to read the rest of the article Source: thepeculiarbrunette.com
Imbolc – History, Traditions, Correspondences, and Simple Ritual Ideas
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Many Pagans, Witches, and those interested in Nature Spirituality celebrate the seasonal cycles. Sometimes referred to as the Wheel of the Year, and consisting of eight celebrations. Four of these festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain) are rooted in Celtic history and origins. The other four (Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice) represent the sun’s location. I created a complete guide to each season, including history, traditions, symbols, correspondences, ritual ideas, and how you can celebrate.
Imbolc is a fire festival that celebrates the home and the halfway point between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is quite literally Midwinter and while the days continue to grow lighter it is still dark and cold outside. Cabin fever has set in and we are all yearning to unburden ourselves from the long dark days. This can be an especially difficult time for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and is a BIG reason why a celebration is so lovely right now!
After months of self-reflection, planning, and goal setting, aspiration and ambition are beginning to stir. The tiniest bits of enthusiasm is starting to awaken beneath the surface. Goals and dreams that you’ve created over the long cold nights are now being lit from the flames of Midwinter. Let your creativity and imagination help manifest these dreams!
Table of Contents
Spiritual / Magickal Intentions
Botanicals, Herbs, and Greenery
Take a walk outside to connect with the sun
How to Celebrate Imbolc and Activities
Light candles or make your own
Bake some cinnamon treats (cinnamon rolls, bread, pies, cakes, cookies, etc)
Start a new craft project or hobby
Spend time with loved ones or host a potluck
Click here to read more of this article Source: thepeculiarbrunette.com
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Wednesday
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WEDNESDAY CORRESPONDENCES
Mercury/Neptune/Air/North/West/Southwest/Female/Male/Gemini/Virgo
Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear, Loss, Travel, Money Matters
Color: black, light blue, brown, gray, green, magenta, orange, peach, purple, red, silver, turquoise, violet, white, yellow; orange is the primary color
Number: 3, 5
Metal: mercury
Charm: distaff, rod, runes, staff, iridescent garments
Stone: moss agate, amethyst, bloodstone, emerald, hematite, lapis lazuli, lodestone, pearl, ruby, sapphire, sodalite, all blue stones
Animal: bear, dog, fox, magpie, swan, weasel
Plant: almond, bayberry, chamomile, cherry, cinnamon, cinquefoil, clove, coltsfoot, ginger, hazel, hazelnut, jasmine, lavender, millet, oak, peppermint, periwinkle, rosemary, sage, St. John’s wort, sweet pea, tamarind, lemon verbena, violet
Incense: cassia, cedar, cinnamon, clove, frankincense, jasmine, lavender, mastic, mint, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, storax, dried and powdered citrus peel, and all incense made from aromatic bark, wood, and seeds
Goddess: Carmenta, Hecate (Queen of Crossroads), Hel, Ishtar, Ma’at, the Morrigan, Nike
God: Anubis, Bragi, Elath-Iahu. Enki, Garuda, Hermes, Maximon (Black Magician), Mercury, Nebo (Wise God of Wednesday), Odin, Shango, Ullr, Vishnu, Wayland, Woden
Evocation: Agrat Bat Mahalat, Michael, Miel, Raphael, Seraphiel, Tiriel
Wednesday Source: whitewitchgrimoire.com
Planet: Mercury
Colors: The Color Purple ….you sho is ugly (if you get that movie reference, you are my new bff and henceforth must send me good vibes. I do not make these rules, but I live by them)
Wednesday is just a lucky day. When doing money work, I love to do it on a Wednesday. I enchanted my own website using geomantic glyphs during a waxing moon on a what? A Wednesday. Acquisitio and Conjunctio. Mercury is a quick little dude with those wings on his shoes. Travel, luck, focus, communication are all good on a Wednesday. I also like to divine with cards and charms on this day and have heard it’s also great for runes. Another thing about this day and an interesting note is that if you are doing any kind of spell to distract, hide or mislead, this is the day for such fuckery. Mercury is a sneaky little dude. Play the lottery or lay some tricks. See what happens. I don’t judge and most likely wanna hear all about these things anyway. Great day to say what the fuck you really mean.
One Way to Consecrate Magickal Tools
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One Way to Consecrate Magickal Tools
Any object you will be using on your altar during rituals or when doing spells should be an object used just for magickal workings. These objects become Magickal Tools after being consecrated to be used just for rituals.
To consecrate an object first cleanse it of all energy that it holds or is sticking to it from other people handling it.
After the objects are cleansed cast a sacred circle. Lay all items in a row on the surface you are using as an altar. Each item should be blessed and consecrated individually.
Call upon either the God and Goddess you feel the most comfortable working with or Hecate (Goddess of Witches, Home and Hearth, one name for the Triple Goddess) and the Horned God. The Horned Gods to aspects are the Oak King who reigns between the Summer and Winter Solstices or the Oak King who reigns between Winter and Summer Solstices.
While making the sign of the pentagram above each object a simple incantation will work such as:
I call upon ______ and ______ to bless and consecrate this _________
to be used to in any magick I work and/or ritual I perform.
I ask Spirit, Air, Water, Fire and Earth to bless and consecrate this _________
to be used in any magick and/or ritual I perform.
So mote it be.
Copyright by Lady Carla Beltane 2014 All rights reserved. This post cannot be reblogged or copy and pasted or in any other way be reproduced for commercial purpose without express written permission from Lady Carla Beltane. It may be printed out for personal use only.
Let’s Have Some Fun – 9 Summer Solstice Crafts & Recipes for a Magical Litha
Source: moodymoons.com
Foraged Fairy Ladder/Trellis
It’s the season of fairies, and nothing delights the inner child more than playing with the woodland spirits.
This one is so easy, it’s almost self-explanatory.
Literally: Glue some sticks together. Yup. That’s it. I used hot glue for the one above.
If you want to get fancy, add little bits of (affiliate link —–>) sheet moss to get that aged-in-the-garden feel.
You can even train roses or herbs to grow on it.
Contents
THE ORIGIN OF FRIDAY THE 13TH AS AN UNLUCKY DAY
Being wary of Friday the 13th is much more than a quaint superstition observed by a few uneducated people in distant, unreachable towns and hamlets. In the United States alone, it is estimated that between 17 and 21 million people dread that date to the extent that it can be officially classified as a phobia.
So why is Friday the 13th considered such an “evil” day?
The origins aren’t perfectly clear, but we do know that both Friday and, separately, the number 13 have long been considered unlucky and it was around the late 19th century that the first documented instances started popping up of people putting the two together to form the unluckiest day of all.
Click here to read this rest of this article Source: todayifoundout.com
The Magical History Of Yule, The Pagan Winter Solstice Celebration
On December 21 (or 22nd some years) we encounter the longest night of the year and the shortest day of the year. After that, the days grow longer until the Summer solstice. In various spiritual and pagan traditions, this seasonal cross-quarter is also known as Yule and is celebrated as a holiday.
In modern times, we typically celebrate Christmas, but long, long ago, Yule was celebrated by the Ancient Celts and various other Pagan religions. Perhaps one of the oldest winter celebrations in the entire world, ancient hunters and gatherers would mark their years based on the different seasons. And each seasonal cross-quarter, including the equinoxes and solstices, was thought to have spiritual significance.
According to Almanac.com, Yule comes from the old English word ‘Geol’ which is the equivalent of the old Norse word, jol. Both of which referred to the winter festivals that took place in celebration of the halfway point of winter.
Long before Christianity, the Ancient Celts and ancient British pagans would celebrate Yule, but when Christianity and…
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Celebrating Litha, the Summer Solstice The Midsummer Sabbat: Celebrate the Power of the Sun!
Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Litha, but the focus is nearly always on celebrating the power of the sun. It’s the time of year when the crops are growing heartily and the earth has warmed up. We can spend long sunny afternoons enjoying the outdoors, and getting back to nature under the long daylight hours.
Are you headed to the beach this summer? Take advantage of all of the magic it has to offer, with Seven Ways to Use Beach Magic. If you have little Pagans in your family, you can get them involved in the festivities too, with these 5 Fun Ways to Celebrate Litha with Kids. Finally, if you’re not sure how to get started celebrating Litha, try these Ten Great Ways to Celebrate Litha.
Traditions, Folklore and Customs
Interested in learning about some of the history behind Litha? Here’s some background on Midsummer celebrations—learn who the gods and goddesses of summer are, how they’ve been honored throughout the centuries, and about the magic of stone circles! Let’s start with a quick look at the history behind the celebrations of the summer solstice, as well as some of the customs and traditions of Litha.
There’s a ton of solar magic and myths and legends out there, and many cultures have worshiped the sun as part of religious practice throughout time. In Native American spirituality, the Sun Dance is an important part of ritual.
The summer solstice is also associated with festivals such as the Vestalia, in ancient Rome, and with ancient structures like the stone circles found all over the world.
Handfasting Season is Here
June is a traditional time for weddings, but if you’re Pagan or Wiccan, a Handfasting ceremony may be more appropriate. Find out the origins of this custom, how you can have a fantastic ceremony, selecting a cake, and some great ideas on gifts for your guests!
In a historical context, handfasting is an old tradition that has seen a resurgence in popularity lately. There are plenty of ways to have a magical ceremony that celebrates your spirituality as part of your special day. You may even want to invite some of the deities of love and marriage to be part of your ceremony!
If you’re not sure about how to have a handfasting, make sure you’ve got someone who is legally able to perform it, especially if you’re looking for a state-licensed marriage. You can use a basic handfasting ceremony template as a structure for your ceremony, and you might want to consider a Pagan-friendly custom like broom-jumping as part of your celebration.
Don’t forget, you’ll need a cake! Keep a few simple tips in mind when you’re selecting your handfasting cake.
Crafts and Creations
As Litha approaches, you can decorate your home (and keep your kids entertained) with a number of easy craft projects. Celebrate the sun’s energy with an elemental garden, a fiery incense blend, and a magic staff to use in ritual! You can make magical items as well, like a set of Ogham staves for some summer divination. Want to keep your home decor simple? Whip up a Litha blessing besom to hang on your door as a welcome to your summer guests.
Feasting and Food
No Pagan celebration is complete without a meal to go along with it. For Litha, celebrate with foods that honor the fire and energy of the sun, and a tasty batch of Midsummer mead.
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Saturday
Saturday Source: Otherwordly Oracle
Saturday is named after the planet and god Saturn. Therefore everything Saturn rules is appropriate for magick on Saturdays including self improvement and transformation, knowledge-seeking, time, evaluating one’s personal values, banishing negativity and bad habits, etc.
Saturday Magic Correspondences:
Magical Intentions: knowledge, values/morals, time, banishing, self transformation, psychic defense, meditation, locating lost items or people, self defense, liberation
Crystals/stones: onyx, obsidian, smokey quartz, jet, pumice
Herbs: myrrh, moss, thyme, basil, hemlock, nettle, peppermint, pomegranate, hyacinth, mallow, juniper
Gods/Goddesses: Saturn, The Norns, Oshun, Yemaya, Set, Cronus
Saturday Source: flyingthehedge.com
Deriving its name from the god Saturn, this is a great day to use divination and psychic abilities. Furthermore, its energies will aid in magic concerning the elderly, end-of-life issues, death, and binding spells.
Color: Black, dark purple
Planet: Saturn
Deities: Hecate, Saturn,
Crystals: Apache tear, obsidian, hematite
Herbs: Thyme, mullein, cypress
Associations: banishing, protection, wisdom, cleansing, spirituality
Spell for Today – New Moon Wish Spell
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New Moon Wish Spell
Items Needed:
Piece of paper
Candle – chose the color based on your wish
Spell
Write your wish on a piece of paper. Then light your candle.
While looking at the new moon chant the below three times.
“New moon so dark in the night sky. That cannot be seen with a naked eye. Grant me your dark energy to see. The new and good coming to me. Grant me the power of dreams so true so I can start my life anew. Grant me strength day by day. Mistress of darkness, show me the way. Grant me love in my life. Take away trouble and strife. Grant me peace I ask of you. On bad times help me through. O’ Goddess of Night so divine. If you have heard me show me a sign.”
Burn the paper in the flame, imagine your wish and look into the night sky.
Spell For Thursday – EGG WISH SPELL FOR FERTILITY
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[Fertility spells are good for other things besides having a baby. I have tweaked them to use for a project to be fruitful. I even used one for WOTC to be give birth to my way of doing this website when I took it over in 2019 as well as other websites I have designed for other people.]
EGG WISH SPELL FOR FERTILITY
“On an egg whose shell is brown or pink,
Write these signs in grass-green ink.
[a simple sun, a male symbol, an encircled equilateral cross, a female sign,
then an upside-down 5-pointed star]
Bury it deep in an earth-filled pot,
Let this stand where the sun is hot;
Sow on its surface seeds of grass,
Water them well while nine weeks pass
Gather the crop, bind it with thread
Let it hang always above your bed or put it on your altar for fertility/prosperity or anything besides pregnancy
The History Of Modern Day Witchcraft In A Nutshell
The roots of Modern Day Witchcraft (like Wicca) have roots back to 25,000 BC. Female figurines, images, and pictures of been discovered throughout Europe… all supporting a theory of a “Great Mother Cult”.
Throughout the centuries there have been many attempts to put an end to worship of the Goddess… all in vain. Goddess worship has stood the test of time.
Witchcraft has gradually evolved over time… and will continue to do so. Throughout the ages the term “Witch” has labeled healers, medicine men, seers, and every mystical practitioner in between. Not all “Witches” worship the Goddess, as witches are labeled as such in many areas, religions, and traditions of the world.
Up until around 1020 AD, “Witches” were seen in a positive light… healers…wise ones… seers. Many of them also understood how to use plants and nature for
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Thursday
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Thursday (Thor’s day)
Planet: Jupiter
Colors: Purple, Deep Blue
Crystals: Amethyst, Lepidolite, Sugilite, Tin
Aroma: Melissa, Clove, Oakmoss, Jupiter Oil, Cinnamon, Musk, Nutmeg, and Sage
Herb: Cinquefoil Ruled by the planet Jupiter and dedicated to Thor, god of thunder and agricultural work. His parallels in various European Traditions include Zeus, Taranis, Perun, and Perkunas.
Magical aspects: controlled optimism, energetic growth, physical well-being, material success, expansion, money/wealth, prosperity, leadership, and generosity.
Thursday is the day of Jupiter, the largest of the planets and said to be the most powerful. Spellcasters would be wise to use this day for attempting wealth, success and prosperity spells.
Thursday is also associated (in Greek mythology) to Thor – Thor’s day – and some even say that Jupiter and Thor are one in the same. Both are strong and powerful, yet wise and just. Try a small prayer to Jupiter before commencing any ritual on Thursday as a sign of respect. This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving luck, happiness, health, legal matters, male fertility, treasure, wealth, honour, riches, clothing, money, desires, business, group pursuits, joy, laughter, and expansion
13 Fascinating Winter Solstice Traditions Around the World
Just when you think December has enough to celebrate between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the impending New Year, there’s yet another reason to gather with your loved ones and celebrate: the winter solstice. You might be more familiar with the winter solstice as the day with the shortest amount of sunlight. But around the world, many cultures still celebrate the longest night of the year with unique winter solstice traditions. Read on to find out what they are. Then learn when the winter solstice is this year and what the 2021 winter solstice means for your zodiac.
Winter solstice traditions: Saint Lucia Day, Scandinavia
As with many modern celebrations, ancient festivals observing the winter solstice merged with newer traditions to create the holiday season as we know it today. In Scandinavia…
Click here to read the rest of this article
Difference Between the Winter and Summer Solstices?
To understand the difference between summer and winter solstices, we need to have a clear understanding of the word solstice. We know that earth revolves around sun in an elliptical orbit, but it also spins around its own axis. This is an imaginary line going right across the planet from North Pole to South Pole. Fortunately for our planet, this axis is not perpendicular but tilted about 23.5 degrees and it is this tilt that gives us seasons on earth. This tilt makes one half of earth receive more direct rays from sun than the other half which remains away from earth.
The axis, when it tilts towards the sun, it makes northern hemisphere receive more direct rays from the sun than southern hemisphere. This phenomenon occurs between June and September and thus this is the period when it is summer season in the northern hemisphere. Again, this axis tilts away from the sun between December and March which is why we have winter season in the northern hemisphere during this period. While it is summers in northern hemisphere as it receives more direct rays from the sun, it is winter in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa in winters.
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