Tag: Samhain

Witch Works: Spells and Rituals for Every Season

Witch Works: Spells and Rituals for Every Season
By: Banshee, White Moon School
 
It’s Samhain once again! The Wheel of the Year has come full circle. Be sure to take a few moments this Samhain and give thanks for all your many blessings. That being said, it almost goes without saying that Samhain is the best sabbat for divination. The veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, making communication with the other side easier. I feel that Samhain is also an excellent time to make the divination tools you will use for years, particularly, the scrying mirror.
 
Making a Scrying Mirror
The first step in this process is to select a frame that speaks to you. Preferably, the frame would be oval, but it does not have to be. The only requirement on the frame is that it must have real glass, not plastic.
 
You will also need black paint. Oil-based enamel will work the best for this project. I personally prefer the glossy paint, but matte is fine too. Disassemble the frame and physically clean the glass with soap and water. Do not use cleaning solution such as Windex, as this can cause the paint to break down over time. If you want to spiritually cleanse the pieces that would be fine as well. Paint the glass black on one side. Several coats will be needed. You will know you have used enough paint when no light passes through the glass.
 
If you purchase or make a plain frame and would like to decorate it with symbols, now would be the time to do that. Place the glass into the frame so that the painted side is to the back of the frame. This will make the darkness appear deeper. Assemble the rest of the frame. If the frame does not have a leg on it so that it can free stand, you will need to purchase a stand for the mirror.
The mirror is now finished! Perform a ritual to cleanse and consecrate the mirror. I do not suggest trying to make the mirror inside of a magick circle. The processes of painting the glass can be quite messy and long. Once the glass is painted though, all the other parts of creation, decoration, and assembly could be performed in a ritual.
 
It has been my experience that “tools” created on Samhain are more powerful than most. Recharge your mirror every Samhain and see what the other side of the veil reveals to you!
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Have a blessed and safe Samhain!
 
About the Author: Banshee is a solitary practitioner from theMidwest. She is currently a student at The White Moon School, studying to become a High Priestess. Banshee has been a practicing witch for 4 years and performs tarot readings and long distance energy work via the Internet.

Samhain: An Underworld Tarot Ritual

Samhain: An Underworld Tarot Ritual

article

by Yasmine Galenorn

November 1, Samhain — the Festival of the Dead. The year is waning, venturing towards the winter solstice, the darkest night of the year. Leaves lay crisp on the ground, their burnished reds and bronzes a reminder of the fallow fields of autumn. It is the time of spirits, the time of witches, the time of crackling bonfires around which we dance to the thundering pulse of the drum.

On Samhain we not only remember our ancestors, but we seek a better understanding of our psyches. The veil between the worlds of spirit and of mortal-kind is at its thinnest, and we can now see into the darkness of the void, into the shadows of our own self. We seek understanding, we ask for guidance, we remember our roots.

Late on Samhain Eve — October 31, near to the witching hour, set up your scrying altar. Cover it with a black cloth, preferably velvet, and in the center, prop up a magick mirror so that you can easily see into it. On one side of the mirror set an orange candle, on the other a white candle. In back of the mirror, raised so that you can see it, place a black candle. Prepare music (such as Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors) for your evening’s work. Set your tarot cards in front of the mirror. Light a stick of copal or myrrh incense and smudge the area. Cast a circle, light the candles, turn on the music and invoke the elements of fire and ice:

“Spirit of the Flame, you who are the passion of the bonfire, you who are transformation, come to me. Light my way into this, the night of the dead, that I might see beyond the veil into myself, into the corners of my psyche.”

“Spirit of the ice, you who are the chill of the mists, you who are illumination and clarity, come to me. Freeze-frame those images which I need to see, on this, the night of the dead, that I might understand and come to self-knowledge.”

Spend a little time in a meditation and lower yourself into trance. Then, take your place in front of the altar. Hold your cards as you look into the mirror at your own image. Keep your eyes focused about an inch above your head in the mirror so that you don’t strain them.

Take three deep breaths and knock three times on your cards. Ask aloud:

“What are the karmic lessons I need to learn in this cycle of growth?” Shuffle three times and remove three cards from the deck, set them face down on the altar.

Again, knock three times and ask:

“What are the strengths which I possess that will aid me in my growth?” Shuffle three times and remove three cards from the deck, place them above the first three.

Once again, knock three times and ask:

“What are the obstacles I face in my current cycle of growth?” Shuffle three times and remove three cards from the deck, place them above the second line of cards.

Knock three times and ask:

“What guidance will aid me in my journey?” Shuffle three times and remove three cards from the deck, place them above the third tier.

Lastly, knock three times and ask:

“What is the overall nature of the energy that I am working with this cycle?” Shuffle three times and remove one card, and place it at top-center of the third tier.

Now set the rest of the deck aside and turn over the cards 1 – 3. Meditate on them. These will show you the lessons you are supposed to learn in this current cycle. Cards 4 – 6 will tell you the strengths that you possess in order to meet the life lessons you are learning. If a card seems negative, you will want to look for ways in which the attributes might be blessings in disguise. Cards 7 – 9 will warn you of obstacles forthcoming, so that you can either avoid them or lessen their impact. Cards 10 – 12 will provide guidance. Card 13 is the summation card, providing a summary of what this cycle is all about.

When you are finished, you may wish to record the reading in your journal or Book of Shadows. Extinguish the candles, thank the elements of fire and ice for being with you, and open your circle. It would be a good idea to watch your dreams carefully over the next few days for messages and omens.

Bright blessings this Samhain, and may you walk between the worlds with caution and with brilliance.

13 Ideas for Samhain

13 Ideas for Samhain

by Heather Evenstar Osterman

 

Let’s face it; Halloween is a major commercialized holiday. So how do you find something meaningful to pull out of all the mainstream commercialism for your Sabbat celebrations? What do you do when most of the people around your family don’t understand the ancient traditions they unconsciously uphold?

Take a close look at the history behind the holiday, then create new traditions for your family to enjoy year after year. You don’t have to reject the mainstream; just teach your children why modern practices exist.

Samhain (also known as the Festival of the Dead or All Hallows’ Eve) is a time for us to release the spirits of those who have died during the previous year and for us to honor our ancestors. It is customary to set an extra place at your supper table on Samhain Eve in honor of the departed. This is not a scary time, rather a time when the veil is thin and we can spend time with the spirits in warmth and love. Here are some activities to try out with your family:

  1. Volunteer to talk to your child’s class about the origins of Halloween and how Wiccans really celebrate Samhain.
  2. Together as a family, create an altar honoring your family’s beloved dead (including pets). Use photos, mementos, keepsakes or anything that seems right.
  3. Make candleholders out of apples, turnips, gourds and small pumpkins by hollowing out deep holes in the tops. Make sure the candles are well-secured in the bases.
  4. Put candles in the windows to guide spirit travelers on their way.
  5. Eat dinner by candlelight, setting a place at the table for your beloved dead. If your children are older, try having a Dumb Supper where the meal is eaten in silence so the spirits are not frightened away.
  6. Bob for apples in your cauldron!
  7. Carve jack-o-lanterns to protect your home from malicious spirits. Have your children help make up a spell of protection to enforce the scary jack-o-lantern faces.
  8. Plant flower bulbs in your yard or somewhere special. Think of this as a special promise for spring, a secret the earth will keep.
  9. Take a walk and observe animals (like squirrels and geese) prepare for winter. At home, prepare for winter in your own way.
  10. Make a family tree on poster board. Let the kids draw pictures of each of the people on your tree.
  11. Snack on seeds and nuts (try toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds). Or try making skull-shaped popcorn balls.
  12. Tell your children stories of when they where younger. Then encourage them to make up stories of their lives in the future.
  13. Why should kids have all the fun? The whole family should make costumes and go trick-or-treating!

Goddess Of The Month

DEMETER

Goddess of grain and agriculture, pure Nourisher of youth and the green earth, health-giving cycle of life and death, and preserver of both marital fertility and the Sacred Law.

In Greek mythology, Demeter (Greek: “mother-earth” or possibly “distribution-mother” from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth) is the goddess of grain and agriculture, the pure nourisher of youth and the green earth, the health-giving cycle of life and death, and preserver of both marital fertility and the sacred law. She is invoked as the “bringer of seasons” in the Homeric hymn, a subtle sign that she was worshiped long before the Olympians arrived. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter has been dated to sometime around the seventh century B.C.E. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which also predate the Olympian pantheon. The Roman equivalent is Ceres, from whom the word “cereal” is derived.

Demeter is easily confused with Gaia or Rhea, and with Cybele. The goddess’ epithets reveal the span of her functions in Greek life. Demeter and Kore (“the maiden”) are usually invoked as to theo (‘”The Two Goddesses”), and they appear in that form in Linear B graffiti at Mycenaean Pylos in pre-classical times. A connection with the goddess-cults of Minoan Crete is quite possible.

According to the Athenian rhetorician Isocrates, the greatest gifts that Demeter gave were cereal, which set humans apart from wild animals, and the mysteries, which give humankind higher hopes in this life and the next.

The Eleusinian Mysteries

Without a doubt, the most important role of Demeter was as a goddess of the Elusinian mystery religion. In this capacity, her primary function was to provide the cultic adherents with hope for eternal life (or a pleasant afterlife). Though little is known of the specifics of worship, it appears that it involved a hidden knowledge (gnosis) being shared by the participants:

The object of the [mystery] is to place the [participant] in a peculiarly close and privileged relation with the divinity or the deified spirit…. all of the members of the city, gens or household could freely join in the cult, if they were in the ordinary condition or ritualistic cleanliness; and the sacrifice that the priest performed for the state might be repeated by the individual, if he chose to do so, for his own purposes at his own house-altar. Both in the public and in the mystic service a sacrifice of some sort was requisite, and as far as we can see the religious conception of the sacrifice might be the same in both. But in the former the sacrifice with the prayer was the chief act in the ceremony, in the latter it was something besides the sacrifice that was of the essence of the rite; something was shown to the eyes of the initiated, something was done: thus the mystery[.]

These rites are one of the most compelling enigmas in human religious history, as the vow of secrecy that all participants were obliged to take has remained largely unbroken—meaning that many elements of these practices have been lost to the mists of time.

Demeter and Poseidon

Demeter and Poseidon’s names are linked in the earliest scratched notes in Linear B found at Mycenaean Pylos, where they appear as PO-SE-DA-WO-NE and DA-MA-TE in the context of sacralized lot-casting. The ‘DA‘ element in each of their names is seemingly connected to an Proto-Indo-European root relating to distribution of land and honors (compare Latin dare “to give”). Poseidon (his name seems to signify “consort of the distributor”) once pursued Demeter, in her archaic form as a mare-goddess. She resisted the sea king’s advances, but she could not disguise her divinity among the horses of King Onkios. Poseidon became a stallion and “covered” (read: violated) her. Demeter was literally furious (“Demeter Erinys”) at the assault, but washed away her anger in the River Ladon (“Demeter Lousia”). She bore to Poseidon a daughter, whose name could not be uttered outside the Eleusinian Mysteries, and a steed named Arion, with a black mane. In Arcadia, Demeter was worshiped as a horse-headed deity into historical times:

The second mountain, Mt. Elaios, is about 30 stades from Phigaleia, and has a cave sacred to Demeter Melaine [“Black”]… the Phigalians say, they accounted the cave sacred to Demeter, and set up a wooden image in it. The image was made in the following fashion: it was seated on a rock, and was like a woman in all respects save the head. She had the head and hair of a horse, and serpents and other beasts grew out of her head. Her chiton reached right to her feet, and she held a dolphin in one hand, a dove in the other. Why they made the xoanon like this should be clear to any intelligent man who is versed in tradition. They say they named her Black because the goddess wore black clothing. However, they cannot remember who made this xoanon or how it caught fire; but when it was destroyed the Phigalians gave no new image to the goddess and largely neglected her festivals and sacrifices, until finally barrenness fell upon the land.

Demeter, Persephone and the Eleusinian Mysteries

The central myth of Demeter, which is at the heart of the Eleusinian Mysteries, is her relationship with Persephone, her daughter through a dalliance with Zeus. In the tale, Persephone becomes the unwilling consort of Hades (Roman Pluto, the underworld god of wealth) and is taken from her mother’s side into her new spouse’s dusky kingdom. Demeter, distraught over the loss of her precious daughter, devoted the entirety of her time and attention to seeking her, which had the consequence of halting the progression of seasons. During her search, she had many additional adventures, though none of them were sufficient to distract her from her maternal concerns. Eventually, the situation on Earth grew so dire that Zeus found it necessary to intercede directly, imploring his brother to return Persephone to her mother. Before she was released, however, Hades tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return to his realm for six months each year. When Demeter and her daughter were together, the earth flourished with vegetation. But for six months each year, when Persephone returned to the underworld, the earth once again became a barren realm. This myth, in addition to providing an aetiological explanation for the progression of the seasons, also explain the connection between Demeter/Persephone and the Eleusinian Mysteries (which were centered around the achievement of eternal life).

Demeter’s stay at Eleusis

While Demeter was searching for her daughter Persephone, she found it expedient to adopt the guise of an old woman (Doso). In this form, she received a hospitable welcome from Celeus, the king of Eleusis in Attica (and also Phytalus). He asked her to nurse Demophon and Triptolemus, his sons by Metanira.

As a gift to Celeus (in thanks for his hospitality), Demeter planned to make Demophon as a god, which was achieved by coating and anointing him with Ambrosia, breathing gently upon him while holding him in her arms and bosom, and by burning away his mortal spirit in the family hearth every night. Unfortunately, Demeter was unable to complete the ritual because one night Metanira (the child’s mother) walked in and saw her son in the fire and screamed in fright. This angered the fertility goddess, who lamented that foolish mortals did not understand the power of her ritual.

Instead of making Demophon immortal, Demeter chose instead to repay her host’s generosity by teaching Triptolemus the art of agriculture. From him, the rest of Greece learned to plant and reap crops.

Portrayals of Demeter

  • Demeter is usually portrayed on a chariot, is frequently associated with images of the harvest, including flowers, fruit, and grain. She was also sometimes pictured with Persephone.
  • Demeter is not generally portrayed with a consort, though the exception is Iasion, the youth of Crete who lay with the goddess in a thrice-ploughed field and was sacrificed afterwards.
  • Demeter placed Aethon, the god of famine, in Erysichthon’s gut, making him permanently famished. This was a punishment for cutting down trees in a sacred grove.

Reference:

New World Encyclopedia

Samhain Oils – Protection Oil

PROTECTION OIL

Protection Oils are used to anoint any manner of objects in order to
enhance the purity of spiritual vibrations. This 1 is best made on The Dark of the Moon.

* 1 dram-sized bottle
* 1/2 dram Sweet Almond Oil
* 3 drops Amber Oil
* 1 drop Jasmine Oil
* 7 drops Dark Musk Oil (Plain Musk may be substituted)
* 5 drops Rue Oil
* 3 small pieces Dragon’s Blood Resin
* 1 pinch coarse Sea Salt

Add the ingredients and shake, to mix well, after each addition.

“Samhain Dream”

“Samhain Dream”
by Myria/Brighid October 1999

It is Samhain …The Night of Shadows. The Circle is cast around the fire, And through the darkness, we glance, For the veils are thin, in this sacred night! Ancient voices around us, Whispering old and forgotten songs, While we dance the Spiral Dance, To meet Her. And there She comes, The Lady of the Gate! Power and compassion evolving us, As a dark but comforting wave. Beautiful Queen of the Dark Night! With Her mantle of raven’s feathers, And eyes deep with wisdom. Cerridwenn! She opens Her arms, in a welcoming embrace, We feel around us the flow of love, Of Her Eternal Grace. And then we hear Her voice, Melodious and grave, That speaks from inside our soul, As an echo in a cave. Blessed Daughters of My Heart, I hear your prayers from afar. And that is why I came tonight! Do not despair when the times are hard! Do not abandon the Path you found! For time has come for My return, And you, Loved Ones, shall open the way, Singing my name as the ancient bards. I am always with you, do never doubt that! I am the Old and the Young One! I am the Keeper of the Gate! I am the Master of Time! I am the Dark Goddess of Death! I am the Bright Goddess of Dawn! I am The One! I am Cerridwenn!

About Samhain: A Guide to the Sabbat’s Symbolism

About Samhain: A Guide to the Sabbat’s Symbolism

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

 

Date: October 31.

Alternative names: All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween, the Witches’ New Year, Third Festival of Harvest.

Primary meaning: Samhain, pronounced “sow-en” — not “sam hain” — marks the beginning of the cold months or winter; it is the Day Between the Years. Primary elements to contemplate are endings and beginnings, change, reflection and reincarnation. Celebrations honor the dead, ancestors, the wisdom of the Crone and the death of the God.

Symbols: Cauldrons, jack o’ lanterns, masks, balefires, besoms (brooms), bats, owls, ravens and the ever-present witch and black cat.

Colors: Orange, black, brown, golden yellow and red.

Gemstones: Carnelian, jet, obsidian and onyx.

Herbs: Aborvitae (yellow cedar), acorn, allspice, apple, autumn flowers, catnip, corn, chrysanthemums, dittany of Crete, fall leaves (especially oak), ferns, flax, fumitory, gourds, grains, hazel, heather, mandrake, mugwort, mullein, nightshade, pear, pumpkin, sage, straw, thistle, turnip, wormwood.

Gods and goddesses: Crone goddesses, the Father or dying gods, gods of the underworld or death including Arawn, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, the Dagdha, Dis Pater, Hades, Hecate, Hel, Inanna, Ishtar, Kali, Lilith, Macha, Mari, the Morrigan, Osiris, Pomona, Psyche, Rhiannon, Samana, Sekhmet, Teutates and Taranis.

Customs and myths: In England, it formerly was the custom to go “a-souling” on this night, asking for little “soul cakes” and offering prayers for the dead in return.

In the British Isles, lanterns carved out of turnips (in the New World pumpkins) were at one time used to provide light on a night when bale fires were lit, and all households let their fires go out so they could be rekindled from the new fire.

Another custom was the Dumb Supper, in which an extra plate was laid for the dead and the meal was eaten in silence. Bobbing for apples, roasting nuts in the fire and baking cakes that contained tokens of luck are ancient methods of telling the future now. Ducking for apples was a divination for marriage. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.

In Scotland, people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be destined to die during the coming year.

Now I Am Going To Do Things Just A Little Different….

Samhain Comments & Graphics

~Magickal Graphics~ 

 

I thought today I might change things up just a tad. I get tired of the same old same old, don’t you? Anyway today, I am going to give you a closer looker at some of the Goddesses, Gods, incense, recipes, crystals and etc., associated with Samhain. I know Samhain is still a couple of weeks off, but I hate to wait to the last-minute to do anything. Besides Samhain is our highest holy day, why not get familiar with the things associated with it?  I hope you enjoy!

Encounter with an Ancient God

Encounter with an Ancient God

 

by Janice Van Cleve

As Samhain night approaches, our Women of the Goddess circle quickens into high gear. We collect old mattresses, blankets and cushions. We buy cases of garbage bags and rolls of duct tape. Don’t forget the red candles! We haul, we clean, we make architectural decisions on the fly. For this is the time of the year when we transform a simple basement into the Underworld.

We are so excited! On Samhain night we gather in silence, black-robed and -caped, in the living room. No lights shine nor music plays. No conversation passes between us. One candle only illuminates the room as we wait in nervous anticipation. At the stroke of the hour, the hostess rises to lock the door. Then she bids us line up at the head of the stairs and descend, one by one, as we are called.

Save for flickering votives in colored glass strategically placed here or there, the narrow passages of the Underworld are pitch black. Garbage bags by day become unearthly living walls at night. As we carefully feel our way through the maze, we encounter the Dark Goddess in several of her forms. She may appear to us as Hecate, Kali, Baba Yaga or Erishkigal. She may appear as the Fates, the Norns or as sorceresses and witches. Each challenges us before she admits us past her portal. At last, we all arrive in the Underworld chamber and conduct our rites, thankful for the cushions and other items that give us some comfort from the cold stone floor.

I am as excited as the rest, but my appreciation of the Samhain rites this year will be undeniably affected by an encounter I had in another underworld last month in faraway Peru. I was in Peru for an archeological expedition to various Inca and pre-Inca sites. One of many we visited was Chavin de Huantar, a mysterious temple complex hidden in a steep valley on the Amazon side of the Andes. The Chavin culture exerted enormous influence throughout the region of Peru about 400 BCE, around the time that Rome was just beginning. In the Americas, the Chavin invented the weaving of cotton and wool, engineering with stone and massive architecture. The complex itself is a combination of huge three-story block buildings and large sunken courtyards. The exterior of the buildings was originally decorated with carved heads and painted red. However, it was the interiors that I found most fascinating.

Inside the solid mass of stone were corridors, passageways and rooms in a series of underworld labyrinths. They were ingeniously constructed so that water was drained out and fresh air circulated in through small vents that tunneled through the rock to the outside wall. Linking the rooms were galleries with modern fanciful names such as Gallery of the Captives, Gallery of the Bats and Gallery of the Madman. Just enough electric lighting is installed to present the outlines of the chambers without taking away from their shadowy quality. It was in one of these underworld corridors that I encountered The Lanzon.

The Lanzon is an imposing idol of carved stone some 15 feet tall. It stands in a narrow chamber barely large enough to hold it. Passages less high extend in all four directions from the midpoint of this chamber so the viewer can see only the head and midsection of the idol. A gate prevents visitors from approaching too close. Light filters in from cleverly contrived roof openings above the statue, bathing it in a surreal glow.

The idol itself is a curiously rendered icon, etched into a smooth, wedge-shaped granite prism whose angle faces the viewer. The figure is of an anthropoid being with snakes for hair and fat smiling lips that display a proud set of finely spaced teeth and two fanged incisors. Long sharp fingernails grace its hands; the left one hanging at its side and the right raised as if in greeting. On its head is a tall crown of feline heads, and from its ears hang huge round pendants. Set edge-on to the visitor, the whole work cannot be appreciated at once, but only the portion in view from the corridor. From that position, one or other of the idol’s baleful eyes looks directly at you.

“It’s just an old stone,” I said to myself. But it wasn’t. It was a real idol. To it had been sacrificed human lives, their blood splattered all over the corridor where I stood. Into it had been fused human energy and power, and these I could still feel from it even after all the intervening centuries. It was strange and eerie to be aware of this undead presence, to acknowledge it and yet not be part of it. The Lanzon was the god of a people long past, not my god, yet worthy and real for the human potency with which they imbued it. It disquieted me, yet I felt a respect for it that was different from my own traditions, but for all that no less valid.

So as I approach this Samhain and prepare to enter the Underworld we will create, I am a bit more aware that there are deities and beings in the darkness beyond my ken. They are different. I don’t understand them. I don’t even know them. Yet they do exist, and as the veil between the worlds draws thin this night, I realize my view must be broader and open to the unexpected. No matter how many times I celebrate these rituals and how many roles I take, they still present a mystery. And now, because of my encounter with The Lanzon in its own underworld, I can appreciate the mystery of my own that much more.

Welcome, Darkest Night

Welcome, Darkest Night

by Janice Van Cleve

I love this season of growing dark. The night starts earlier to cast its blanket of quiet and peace upon the land and calls me to wrap up what I am doing. Early darkness coaxes me to sit down to supper at six o’clock instead of nine, so I can digest properly before I go to sleep. Longer nights delay the prodding light of morning, so I can grab a few more winks. It encourages me to work more efficiently with the daylight that I do have. The dark time of the year is a healthy time for me.

It is a healthy time for plants and animals as well. Perennials focus on building up their root systems during the dark time, and annuals spread their seeds. Leaves fall to the ground to be leached and composted into next year ‘s soil. Animals feast on the yield of crops and orchards and store up surplus to see them through the winter and spring. In the dark time, all nature refocuses on renewing itself, sloughing off that which is no longer necessary and nurturing the best for the new year.

For northern tribes who lived where night falls longest and deepest, the dark time of the year was a time of great creativity. Bards honed their songs and added new verses for the entertainment and education of their audiences. Farmers turned to woodworking to fashion furniture or to decorate the interiors of their homes. Tradespeople made cloth, tools, jewelry, clothes and other goods to sell the merchants when they returned in the spring. Cooks became more and more inventive as the darkness lingered and the variety in the larder grew more limited. Even today, most school and university classes are scheduled for the winter months. In the business world, new product releases from software to movies to automobiles are debuted during this time.

In short, the dark time of the year is a busy, industrious and very creative time for nature and for human activity. So why in modern society does it get such a bad rap? The ancients certainly figured out that spring followed winter every year, and they used their skills to create solstice calculators like Stonehenge to predict how much more winter they had left. Were they really immobilized in fear of the dark, waiting for solstice to give them hope of spring? Or, on the other hand, did they grumble at solstice that they only had a few more months to play, eat, sing and finish their carvings before they had to get back out and work the farm again? Ancient peoples, after all, did not create surpluses for profit or a year-round global economy. They simply raised enough to sustain themselves so they could devote their time to crafts and play.

Perhaps it was the new religion of Christianity that tried to separate light from dark, exalting the former and disparaging the latter. Perhaps it was Christians’ idea to create fear of the dark so they could make light seem like a sort of salvation. However, nature doesn’t seem to need saving from anything, except from human greed. Nature goes on, year after year, with summer and winter alternating appropriate to the latitude. Nature values the dark time as much as the light and uses both to its advantage. The dark time is healthy and wholesome. It is as necessary for life as rain and sun, decay and bacteria.

And so it is appropriate that our pagan new year starts with Samhain, the beginning of the darkest time of the year. We rest before we work. We focus inwardly before we focus on the wider world. We sleep, we feast, we meditate, and we renew ourselves so that when spring’s light returns and calls us to next year’s work we can respond with new health and strength. These are gifts of the dark time. We are fortunate to have them!

Bring Out Your Dead: Celebrate and Grieve at Samhain

Bring Out Your Dead: Celebrate and Grieve at Samhain

by Freya Ray

Sometimes it seems the past is this great labyrinthine thing, infecting, affecting, even overshadowing the present. When you’re “doing your work,” it’s easy to get stuck in process hell, reliving the painful events of your past. If, on the other hand, you’re busily pretending your past is no longer affecting you, the serpentine tentacles of old behaviors and fears reach out from your subconscious, pushing you to recreate your pain until it can finally be healed.

Quite frankly, both of these extremes suck.

We all have pasts, we all have old pain that needs to be healed. We have all lost friends, loved ones, cherished places and times. We have all had things that brought us joy that are no longer part of our lives. All of us.

Bring out your dead!

There is a middle ground. I don’t mean “therapy light,” or giving lip service to your “issues.” I mean truly honoring and grieving the things you have lost, in their time, and then moving on.

There is a saying that I’m going to mangle, something to the effect that the deeper our pain, the deeper it carves the channels for our joy. Samhain is not the time of year that encourages you to continue in a shallow, placid existence. Samhain is not big on denial or avoidance. Samhain is the time of the dead. The time when the doors between the worlds open.

This is not a trivial moment! It is a spectacular opportunity to bring out your dead. Bring them out! Celebrate their lives, their passings. Honor the good and the bad of what there was. Grieve, rage, and celebrate. All together.

For the worlds are mingling on All Hallows Eve. The worlds are closer, all this month.

Feel the presence of those who have gone, and take this moment to celebrate their passage through your life.

Celebrate.

Grieve.

It is all one; both are the path to truth and beauty. You must explore both of these extremes to be at peace with your past.

To be at peace with what has gone.

Your dead need not be physically dead. They can be dead to you, the relationship shattered. They can be an active part of your life, but some aspect of your relationship is no longer possible. When you think of what you have lost, it may be your innocence, or your childhood home, your first love, your soulmate you’ve never met, the eighties, dependence or independence, being part of a family or a lost pet.

No matter. We have all lost things that were precious.

We move through our lives, full of “I’m fine” and “No big deal.” Or we relive it over and over, complaining about it to anyone who will listen, paying therapists to be our guaranteed audience.

Three things must happen: grieving, celebrating and moving on.

Leave out one of this magical trinity, and it loses its power. You must admit the feelings of pain and loss to get them out of your body. Unshed tears form a wall around your heart like a moat. I can see them when I look at people’s auras. They stay there until you move them out of your body, flowing toward release on your tears.

Celebration cannot be neglected. If you don’t honor the good things brought to your life by something gone, you cannot understand the pain. You cannot embrace the experience as a gift, a lesson. You disempower yourself if you choose to ignore the gifts of any experience in your life. “Poor me, that sucked” is a weak stance. “Yes, that hurt, what a pain in the ass that I had to go through that loss, and yes at the same time I am grateful for the gifts the experience has brought me” is a powerful stance.

“It was my experience, you cannot take it from me. You cannot convince me that I am a lesser person for having lost that thing I cherished. I made no mistakes. I chose my path, as the best path for my growth.”

And then moving on. That’s why we have the seasons, the cyclic energies of the planet. The larger forces that surround us are here to aid us in releasing that which no longer serves us. The energies will be building, coming to a peak. October 31 is a beautiful night for ritual, for honoring, grieving and releasing that which is gone. That which is dead.

Bring out your dead.

Bring them out! Create an altar honoring those who are gone. Put pictures or mementos of your ancestors on it. Arrange photos of family or friends who have passed. Draw representations of things you have lost — pictures of your feelings about hope vanished, possibility eradicated, love lost, opportunities gone. Bring it all up, let it all out. Put it all there, together, where you can see it.

When you’re done crying…

Stand there and love it. Love it! Love them all, all the things you’ve let go of. Love yourself for being a living, breathing being standing there loving what’s gone. Love the gifts of memory that allow you to cherish beings who no longer have physical form. Love all of life, which teaches us with pain as well as joy.

Love. Decorate your altar with offerings. Choose items from your heritage to honor your ancestors, or borrow freely if you resonate more with another culture. Burn sage, offer pollen or cornmeal, put out cups of whiskey or tea, light a cigar, give chocolate or rice or sweet cakes or honey, arrange fresh flowers.

Allow this altar to be a part of your life for a few days, bringing the lost into your consciousness.

When it is time, let it go. Burn offerings or painful reminders. Burn your drawings of your pain. Send prayers of gratitude and good wishes for the departed off wherever prayers go. Send your ex your blessings.

Release, release, release.

When your tears are done, when the time of grieving and celebrating the past is done, let it go. Dismantle your altar, putting photos back where they belong, giving the offerings to the earth, getting rid of that which no longer serves you.

Release, release, release.

Then bring your attention back to you. Still standing, you. Still breathing, you. Still loving. Take your attention and your power back inside your own body, and embrace this moment. This one moment, when all power is yours. When all choice is yours.

And move forward with the living.

Freya Ray is a professional psychic, shaman, writer, and teacher.

Samhain Verse

Samhain Verse

Dionysus
by Pat Califia

The grapes must be cut down
Or no one but the bees
Will be drunk next summer.
They are full of juice,
Tight-skinned like the testicles
Of a boy with his first shadowed chin.

The harvesters move, row by row,
Unburdening the vines
And making the bees angry.
The grapes are trampled, then put away
While the darkness works its magic.

Not all harvests are so orderly
Comes a day when chaos pours out
Along with the blood of the grape.
Threshing ground and trampling vat
Are abandoned for a wilder dance
In the green meadows, high on the hills.
Where the elder trees of the forest
Still remember their sisters,
Who once cast their leaves and shadows
Upon the floor of the valley.
The plow may subdue the earth, for now.
But the wilderness remembers its ancient boundaries.

And as the sun goes down, Dionysus appears
To dance among his feral women,
His own life safe
Only as long as they can sieze and rend
Anything else athwart their path –
And the wine holds out.
The dance as if they were trampling
The fruit of the vine,
But the red stain has crept
Much higher than their ankles.
They wear golden bells and the skins of leopards.
The hunt has made them happy at last.

If the women cannot kill the god
Who pretends to direct them,
They will take the head of any man
Who struggles to remain upright
When madness has become a virtue
And everything forbidden is permitted.
Backs straight as if they had forgotten.

A lifetime of toiling over field and stove,
The prancing shrieking women dress
Their fores in ivy and demand
They bend their knees or hit the ground
To service what can never be tamed altogether.

The darkness works its magic.
The grapes must be cut down.
A plowshare may be hammered
From a sword,
And just as easily turned
Once more into a weapon
With enough force, enough heat, and
Hard punches from a hammer.
Women are so dangerous
When they become overheated.

Only the profligate might survive this night
And waken eager to drink
Still more of the grape god’s blood,
To help them forget the fences
That were so easily trampled down
Within the walls of this temperate town.

(Reprinted with permission from Pat Califia’s newest book, Diesel Fuel. Pat Califia’s WWW page address is http://www.patcalifia.com)

The Broom Closet

The Broom Closet
By Ezevia Rose

My friends have brooms
I have one too
They sweep with theirs
I do too

My friends have knives
I have one too
They use it to cut
I do too

My friends have goblets
I have one too
They drink their wine
I do too

My friends have tables
I have one too
They gather round
As I do too

Now they wonder what makes me different?
If they only knew!

My broom’s a besom
My knife an athame
My goblet a chalice
My table an altar

I use them for ritual
I use them each day
I pray to Goddess
Every day

Now you know I am a Witch
They do not
Can they accept it?
Sometimes I fear not

I wish they would
Let me sweep my own way
And say prayers the Matriarch way
The Earth could be happy
And we could be too
This Samhain Night
I pray for them too

By Ezevia Rose

About the Author: Ezevia Rose, 51 is a wife of 28 years, mother of a son 24 and daughter 26 and a grandmother of a 7 1/2 year old, who she says is the spark of her life as are her children. She is also a teacher of young children and owns her own school,(23 years in business and growing) which, she says is not only her livelihood but her life. She is also a singer and an artist, with a B.A. degree in Elem. Ed and Art Ed., she loves animals, reading and gardening, and says musical instruments and books are her vices.

Living a Magickal Life

I ran across the following article several days ago. I have been aiming to share it with you but got busy updating the blog. The article first caught my eye, which is unusual because I seldom read short ones. Then I got to reading it, the article really touched my heart and soul as Samhain approaches. I hope you enjoy it……..

Living a Magickal Life
By Lotus Moonwise

It might seem strange to tell a story about Beltane in an issue about Samhain, but the two go hand in hand. Beltane is about manifesting the Goddess externally, through union with others and the World around us. Samhain is about manifesting Her internally, by going within, connecting with the deepest parts of yourself, and allowing Her messages to come to you
from across the thin veil.

Last Beltane, I was just coming down from an intense “expansion” phase, working hard, making major changes in my life and was feeling uncentered, caught up in a frantic, unnatural pace. I felt like I was going around and around in circles in my mind, feeling so overwhelmed with all I had to get done that I couldn’t get anything done and was beginning to feel more and
more paralyzed and disconnected from my Spirit. I wondered how I was going to find the energy to organize a big Beltane celebration, like I do every year. The more I thought about it, the more I felt sure, I just didn’t have it in me this year. So I threw my hands up in surrender and made the decision to “skip” the Sabbat.

On the Thursday afternoon before the weekend of Beltane, my husband came home and told me he’d gotten a surprise bonus at work. That same day, my friend called and said she was in a jam and needed some money and offered to watch my three kids for the weekend in exchange for the cash she needed. Everything was suddenly in place for a quiet weekend away.

I wanted something in the mountains, near a river. I found this place that looked perfect and I called up the reservation company. It was booked, but they had just had someone call earlier that day to cancel, so had an opening for another house. It was in the mountains, down a dead end dirt road, at the point where two rivers meet. They call it Two Rivers Cottage. We booked it on the spot. What followed was two days and nights of intense, deep quiet, cradled by the one I love with the forest surrounding us like a blanket. We made love by the huge stone hearth, cooked a feast for two, and enjoyed the fullness of silence, together.

As I sat near the hearth, with my tarot cards laid out, Hecate kept coming up – showing me the crossroads. And it hit me when I looked at the image. The two roads… the two rivers….they were just outside my door. I put on my coat and walked outside. I stood at the point where the two rivers converge into one, and heard the message She whispered in my ear : it doesn’t matter which path you choose, it’s all leading you home. I heard the words of a song flow through my heart…”there’s no need for turning back, for all roads lead to where we stand, and I believe we walk them all, no matter what we may have planned.” I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I could relax. I didn’t have to figure everything out right now. It was enough to just be here, in this space with Her, loving myself and loving the moment.

The weekend was magickal. And even though I hadn’t planned anything for this holy day –the Goddess had planned something for me. A weekend of pure, loving union between the God and Goddess, embodied within us and expressed through us in the most natural and effortless way possible.

As Samhain approaches, I reflect on the magick in my life, the gifts from the Goddess, and the sense of trust and allowing that has become the cornerstone of my faith. This time of year, especially, I am reminded how to live a magickal life, day in and day out. Living a magickal life is about allowing the Universe to express itself through you. As you pay attention to the subtle clues She leaves along the way, a path of possibilities is paved. Every question is answered before it’s asked. In the moment of need, all things are already there, in your life, placed there by your Goddess self before you even knew you needed them.

Blessed Samhain to all…….

(Song lyrics by Don McLean)

About The Author: Lotus Moonwise is a High Priestess and leader of a small family circle. She walks a wise woman path, recognizing the union of the spiritual world with the physical. She considers herself an eclectic hearth witch, honoring her home, family and circle of community as the central focus of her service to the Goddess. She is a massage therapist, Reiki
master, writer, and artist and lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, three children and three cats.

Learning to be a Pagan

Learning to be a Pagan

Author: Lanterna

I don’t call myself a Wiccan. And I don’t consider myself a Witch either, because I’ve just started walking the path of the Ancient Gods, though I have nurtured the love for magick since I was 11 or 12. It was on Samhain (I called it Halloween at the time) afternoon, and I felt like a huge, powerful, green energy filling my body and soul. I had no religion at the time, and I did not want to belong to any religious group: too many “must dos” and taboos and guilt feelings and intolerance. But an interest in spirituality grew and I got involved in a more or less spiritual movement that proved to be quite disastrous for my mental health. But I did not give up my “quest”.

I’m scared of labels. I’m scared of spiritual masters. I had a bad experience with one of them once. But, honestly, I don’t know how to become a “good” Pagan, if there are any ‘good’ or ‘wrong’ ways to be a Pagan. I just know I am honestly in love with the Earth. I like the divine breeze I can breathe in when I open my window at night, the magick of the roses and the grass in that moment, when everything is quiet, when there is none or very little human activity.

It would be presumptuous of me to say I’m a Witch. Do I serve the Gods well? Do I respect the Earth enough? Do I use my magic tools well enough? I’d like to meet guides but I’m leery of meeting people who are shallow or intolerant or manipulative. I’m tempted to learn on my own, through books (I would not believe everything that is written; I would think carefully about it first) , through Pagan forums or websites.

I think what matters most is the genuine love you feel for the Gods. Nobody can tell you what is the best way to serve Them, worship Them, or how to be an Authentic Pagan. Where there is a will, there is a way, and I’m sure Magick will show me the best path. Maybe I will make wonderful encounters here or somewhere else.

I’m sure some of you who read this article will think that I’m not an “Authentic Pagan” or that it’s just a fad or I do not truly want to get involved in Magick. It’s not true. As I said before, I am genuine. I’m just careful about spiritual movements: I don’t know everything about Paganism, and maybe there are, let’s say, dogmas, opinions, beliefs that I don’t agree with in my very core. I will have to find out.

One of the things that attracted me at first, in Paganism, is that it seems that followers are not judgmental of other faiths. “An’ Ye harm none, do what Ye wilt”. That sounds very wise to me. I try not to harm anyone, and I even try to help and / or comfort people when I can. And yet I am always doubting myself: in what way am I really a Pagan / a Witch? Do you ask yourself the same question? Do you sometimes look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: Do I deserve to call myself a Witch?

What does it mean to be a Witch?

This is why I have a hard time labeling myself, getting involved in a movement, belonging to a Coven or whatever. I’m a Truth seeker, and I want to be authentic. I am afraid of people telling me, “You’re doing it the wrong way” or “that’s not what a Pagan should do”. I am afraid of narrow-mindedness or people leading me on a dangerous path, as this happened once before.

Don’t get me wrong, if I spend a lot of time reading, thinking, and experimenting before calling myself a Witch and getting involved in Magick 100%. I think that’s what we should do in all religions: read, think over, experiment and then finally decide. We should also trust the signs when they are very strong: like that huge, powerful energy I felt on Halloween day 15 years ago. Or the bliss induced by a Pagan song. Where there is positive energy, bliss, ecstasy, there must be some truth. And it is likely the same thing when we sense that we have “abilities”. It is surely a sign.

I am also sure that when the Gods want something from us, they know how to get our attention. That’s why I try to be very attentive when I perform a ritual, when I pray, or simply when I feel the presence of the Divine sometime in the day.

So to sum up, I think it is not safe to call yourself a Wiccan or a Witch when you have not had a long experience of being into Paganism BUT it does not mean you’re not trying your best to be a genuine, faithful Pagan. It just means you need to take your time, to think this it over, to ask yourself if you are, or can be, a good Pagan before considering calling yourself something as solemn and serious as Witch.

But if you feel strongly attracted to Paganism, if you feel like you are “being called”, it sure means you have to dig in that way before you eventually realize you are (or are not) fit for this spiritual way of life. It’s not like getting a new haircut or getting a tattoo; it is something that will make you rethink your life and it demands involvement and honesty. You want to be sure you understand everything being a Witch implies so that you can walk the path with honor.

A Samhain Meditation for your Ancestors

A Samhain Meditation for your Ancestors

A journey of Memory and what it means to face Death..

We’re going on a journey, that you may find difficult. If at any time, you feel you do not wish to continue, please wait quietly, then turn to the south, and you will see a path leading back to the safety of your grove.

Make yourself comfortable, and breathe slowly from your stomach, and clear your mind of all disturbing thoughts.

Enter your sacred grove and stand in the EAST, for you are beginning a journey of memory. Allow yourself to absorb the peace and tranquillity of your space. You hear a beating of wings and feel the touch of cold air on your face. A Raven flies around you, leading you NORTH-WEST, where it alights on a gate and waits, its coal black eyes watching you. Walk towards the gate and stop. Do not fear the Raven, for it is another aspect of the Cailleach. She comes to you now, to guide you. Put your hand on the gate and open it. As you walk through, cast back in your memory to when you were a baby, a young child and remember something good about that time.

Walk through. There is nothing before you but a black, empty void. Do not be afraid. The Raven flies ahead of you, drawing you on.

As the gate closes behind you, remember when you were at school. As you remember, follow the Raven into the darkness until you come to another gate. Place your hand on this gate, and remember the good times of your school days, and when you were a teenager.

Open the gate, and walk through. There is nothing before you, but a black, empty void. Do not be afraid. Allow the Raven to be your guide.

As the gate closes behind you, remember your first job, your first love. Walk slowly forward into the darkness, remembering the feeling that you had when you left your home for the first time. The Raven circles you and leads you to another gate. Place your hand upon this gate and remember the agony of your first love, the apprehension you felt on your first day at work.

Open the gate and walk through. Before you is dark, a black empty void. Do not be afraid. Let the Raven guide you, for you are not alone.

As the gate closes behind you, remember the first little sparrow that you ever saw; the first notes of a blackbird’s song in the twilight; the first buttercup that you held beneath your chin; the first drop of rain on your face, and the first breath of wind in your hair. Remember the blue sky and the golden sun, the silvery moon and the cotton wool clouds skimming overhead. Walk slowly forward into the darkness, hearing the beat of the Raven’s wings, until you come to another gate.

Place your hand upon this gate and remember the seasons as they changed throughout your life; how each season affected your moods and your emotions; how the snows covered the earth, and the frost killed off the autumn flowers.

The Raven sits on the gate, looking at you. Now you will know and understand that Death is all around us. The death of a bird from the scattered feathers on a lawn, the dying breeze as the clouds move onwards. The Death of the sun as it sinks in the West and its re-birth each morning in the East. Seeds planted to bring new Life, yet they come from the death of the flower or nut. Death is in the seasons, as each gives way to the next. Death is part of Life, as the old gives way to the new.

Open the gate and walk through. Before you is dark, a black empty void. Do not be afraid, for the Raven flies beside you.

In the distance you see a door, of shimmering colours. STOP! Do not touch it. Do not open it. Do not approach it at this time, for this is the final gateway that each of us will pass through, when our time comes. It is not yet.

Now turn around slowly, and gaze back through the gates that you have opened and passed through. You will see a silvery line of footprints that mark your journey through life. And if you look past the very first gate, you will see other silvery lines, footprints that belong to your ancestors. Each gate was a death. An ending of a way of life for you, and each gate was the beginning. Think about Death, not in a morbid way, but as a positive beginning that we must all face. Each has a purpose in Life, and each will have a purpose in Death. Live your Life to its fullest because your Ancestors made it possible. And when your time comes, know that it is not the end, but the beginning of a new existence.

When you are able to accept this, then the Cailleach will be able to give you her wisdom and help you through Life. When you can face Death with a free will, then you will be able to live Life to its fullest, for you will be free of Death’s burden.

Look around for the Raven, it is flying SOUTH, where you see a sunlit path leading back to your grove. If you have stopped along the way at any point, do not worry, for you will now see a sunlit path leading SOUTH back to the safety of your Sacred Grove.

When you are comfortably back in your Grove, relax, become aware of your surroundings. As you return to the present time, think about your memories, and consider whether there is anything you should have done. Something that needs finished; perhaps a quarrel that needs to be mended; or saying thank you to someone who has done a kindness. Life is there to be lived, but remember, none of us knows how many gates we will be allowed to open, before we reach the Door beyond. Only the Cailleach knows these things.

 
by Ailim, 2003
 
This article comes from Raven Moonlight Book of Shadows
http://ravenmoonlight.com/bos

 

What is Druidry to Me?

What is Druidry to Me?

Author: Ashley Rose

I started down the Druid path a few years ago. Since then I have spent most of my free time reading through articles, websites, and books. I have also spent lots of time out in nature, or my outdoor sanctuary. I took a lot of time to figure out who I was and just how I was going to wonder down the Druid path.

I had started a binder of interesting things I found and of things I wrote. I started to split them up into sections. There is a Druid/Christianity section that has helped me out a lot to defend my religion against my evil step-mom and my father. I put in here anything that I could find about Christo-Druidry or stuff that used bible verses to help prove my points. There is also a HUGE section on the history of Druidry and breakdowns of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.

Over the past few years I have been working on reports for each of the eight Sabbats; they have their own divider. Along with these are sections on: sacred sites, pantheons, and other interesting articles. There are also two other ‘volumes’ that I have made.

My first binder (listed above) has a lot of 101/history/‘what is Druidry’ things in it. I decided that I needed to know the basics and really find out if this was the path that I wanted to go down. Then my second binder has a little harder/more complex things in it. Some of these are like: astrology, mythical creatures, tarot, runes, and other types of divination.

Then there comes my last binder. I do not know if I will even use some of this information; but it is there if I need it. Here you can find: spell work, herbology, and articles on magical healing. All of these come together to form the coarse work that I thought would help me out on my path the most.

I have now come to believe that some of these sections are coming to a close. I have lots of information to help me on my path or to reference things if I need to. So, I have set a goal that on Samhain this year (2009) I will dedicate myself to the Lord and Lady. And yes, I will be doing it in my own way. The way that feels right to me.

Now that I am ending my first phase of my studies, I wanted to put into my own words just what Druidry is to me. I have had lots of people ask me, “What is Druidry?” Sadly, I could never really put into words just what this religion is. It is more than a religion; it is a way of life for me. I could tell them just how much I was at peace and this is where I belonged. I also knew that I loved the freedom and diversity of the religion.

Druidry does not have a solid set of rules that one has to follow ‘or else they are going to hell’. I can practice the way I feel is right for me. It is also a religion that promotes creativity, allows divination, and encourages people to learn about their ancestors. Some of these things I have been doing and not even realizing that they fall into a religion that I would later follow.

I was raised catholic and never really felt like I fit in. Many Christians are taught to fear the Druid way of life. This is funny considering that their religion was formed from ours. Also, they are the ones who created the devil and sin, not Druids. The Christians tend to bash people because of their beliefs. They think that everyone should follow their religion or go to hell. Centuries ago Christians converted people over to their religion out of fear. The especially pried on the fear of things that people did not know. Christians box themselves into buildings when worshiping their divine. We seek ours outside in nature. Why not go out to what the divine has created instead of a manmade creation?

One of the biggest things in Druidry is the worship of nature. All Druids see nature as divine and something that is sacred (along with animals) . Many feel at home when in nature or even an oneness with it. Druids thrive to live with nature and not just on it. We are not superior to this planet; we are a part of it. Druidry encourages people to go out in nature and observe all that the divine has made.

Druids honor those who came before them. Life does continue after a person leaves this world. A strong understanding of each stage of life is common in this religion. This is important to me because my family has always been one to share stories of those who have come before. It is something I enjoy.

There are a few major things that Druids believe in. One of the biggest things is that all things are one and was created by a divine being. They also believe in other worlds, planes of life, and realms. The concept of reincarnation, and immortality of a soul, is a huge part of what Druids believe of the afterlife. Along with this comes karma. One thing that Druids do not believe in is sacrifices. One will not find a Druid standing over a virgin waiting to offer it to the gods. Druids are people of wisdom, creativity, and love.

The path of enlightenment is another strong focus. Druidry allows people to have free thought and to seek their own personal goals. This is a path that may change from person to person. One must also experience the nature of this religion first hand. It cannot be found in a book. Many use meditation to help them find this enlightenment. Druidry can be a path of self-transformation. It is one that encourages people to see the truth. Druidry works more on focusing internally and finding out who you are.

Another reason why I enjoy Druidry is because there is a “holiday” about every six weeks. This helps me to keep my life in check. Every six weeks I reflect on what has happened since the last Sabbat. I take time to contemplate what this Sabbat means to me, how the season has changed, and make plans/goals for the next six weeks. These practices help keep me whole. It is something I need for my soul.

In the practice of Druidry (as stated above) there are three different grades: Bards, Ovates, and Druids. These grades also go along with my studies. A person can receive help walking the path of these grades. However, it is something that one must experience for themselves. The practice of Druidry is not just something you can learn in a book. One must live it. These three grades help one accomplish this.

The first level is that of a bard. A bard is someone who studies literature; they are the storytellers of Druidry. We have learned a lot about ancient Druidry from what the bards learned and passed on. They learn songs, stories, and traditions of their people. This includes the bloodline of a tribe. Knowing about the gods, sacred lands, and our ancestors is another aspect of this grade. Bards are trained to use words as magick. Bards are encouraged to be creative and learn through some form of art. This can be through music, poetry, or even in an everyday aspect like raising a family. The use of elements (earth, air, fire, and water) is focused on by Bards. They use these to try and find enlightenment on a physical plane.

Next comes the Ovate grade. The Ovates are the prophets, seers, and healers of Druidry. They learn to work with the past, present, and future. They focus more on an unseen plane; not the physical one like a Bard. An Ovate will use the elements for: healing, divination, and tree lore. They also learn about different creatures such as: familiars, fairies, and totem animals. Along with this an Ovate may learn herbology, tree Ogham, an understanding of reincarnation, and how to walk between the worlds. They focus a lot on meditation to help accomplish these tasks. They also use what they learned as a bard to help heal people and to be councilors. Ovates help people keep their heart, mind, and body in tune with nature.

The last grade is that of a Druid. Druids are sometimes seen as a wise one. This could be due to the fact that it takes a long time to walk the path of a Bard and an Ovate. A Druid is known to possess great wisdom and to be a peace bringer. They are spiritual advisors, teachers, and judges. A Druid understands the gift of walking between worlds, shape shifting, and manipulating reality. They are well versed in: astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, and the power of the gods. A Druid should have a broad understanding of all aspects of this religion.

One of the last things I would like to say that even though I do practice some forms of Witchcraft along with Druidry, I do not call myself a witch. I am a Druid. One walking the path of enlightenment.

In conclusion I would like to sum up what Druidry is to me in just one hundred words. Druidry is more than just a religion; it is a way of life. One that allows people to practice the way that feels right to them alone. We worship this planet and try to live with nature, not just on it. Druids do not believe in the devil. We celebrate a holiday about every six weeks. These help us to observe the changes of the seasons and reflect back on our lives. It is also a religion that promotes creativity, allows divination, and encourages people to learn about their ancestors. We believe in reincarnation. And many druids seek enlightenment through meditation. This is how I see Druidry.

A Samhain Meditation for your Ancestors

A Samhain Meditation for your Ancestors

A journey of Memory and what it means to face Death..

We’re going on a journey, that you may find difficult. If at any time, you feel you do not wish to continue, please wait quietly, then turn to the south, and you will see a path leading back to the safety of your grove.

Make yourself comfortable, and breathe slowly from your stomach, and clear your mind of all disturbing thoughts.

Enter your sacred grove and stand in the EAST, for you are beginning a journey of memory. Allow yourself to absorb the peace and tranquillity of your space. You hear a beating of wings and feel the touch of cold air on your face. A Raven flies around you, leading you NORTH-WEST, where it alights on a gate and waits, its coal black eyes watching you. Walk towards the gate and stop. Do not fear the Raven, for it is another aspect of the Cailleach. She comes to you now, to guide you. Put your hand on the gate and open it. As you walk through, cast back in your memory to when you were a baby, a young child and remember something good about that time.

Walk through. There is nothing before you but a black, empty void. Do not be afraid. The Raven flies ahead of you, drawing you on.

As the gate closes behind you, remember when you were at school. As you remember, follow the Raven into the darkness until you come to another gate. Place your hand on this gate, and remember the good times of your school days, and when you were a teenager.

Open the gate, and walk through. There is nothing before you, but a black, empty void. Do not be afraid. Allow the Raven to be your guide.

As the gate closes behind you, remember your first job, your first love. Walk slowly forward into the darkness, remembering the feeling that you had when you left your home for the first time. The Raven circles you and leads you to another gate. Place your hand upon this gate and remember the agony of your first love, the apprehension you felt on your first day at work.

Open the gate and walk through. Before you is dark, a black empty void. Do not be afraid. Let the Raven guide you, for you are not alone.

As the gate closes behind you, remember the first little sparrow that you ever saw; the first notes of a blackbird’s song in the twilight; the first buttercup that you held beneath your chin; the first drop of rain on your face, and the first breath of wind in your hair. Remember the blue sky and the golden sun, the silvery moon and the cotton wool clouds skimming overhead. Walk slowly forward into the darkness, hearing the beat of the Raven’s wings, until you come to another gate.

Place your hand upon this gate and remember the seasons as they changed throughout your life; how each season affected your moods and your emotions; how the snows covered the earth, and the frost killed off the autumn flowers.

The Raven sits on the gate, looking at you. Now you will know and understand that Death is all around us. The death of a bird from the scattered feathers on a lawn, the dying breeze as the clouds move onwards. The Death of the sun as it sinks in the West and its re-birth each morning in the East. Seeds planted to bring new Life, yet they come from the death of the flower or nut. Death is in the seasons, as each gives way to the next. Death is part of Life, as the old gives way to the new.

Open the gate and walk through. Before you is dark, a black empty void. Do not be afraid, for the Raven flies beside you.

In the distance you see a door, of shimmering colours. STOP! Do not touch it. Do not open it. Do not approach it at this time, for this is the final gateway that each of us will pass through, when our time comes. It is not yet.

Now turn around slowly, and gaze back through the gates that you have opened and passed through. You will see a silvery line of footprints that mark your journey through life. And if you look past the very first gate, you will see other silvery lines, footprints that belong to your ancestors. Each gate was a death. An ending of a way of life for you, and each gate was the beginning. Think about Death, not in a morbid way, but as a positive beginning that we must all face. Each has a purpose in Life, and each will have a purpose in Death. Live your Life to its fullest because your Ancestors made it possible. And when your time comes, know that it is not the end, but the beginning of a new existence.

When you are able to accept this, then the Cailleach will be able to give you her wisdom and help you through Life. When you can face Death with a free will, then you will be able to live Life to its fullest, for you will be free of Death’s burden.

Look around for the Raven, it is flying SOUTH, where you see a sunlit path leading back to your grove. If you have stopped along the way at any point, do not worry, for you will now see a sunlit path leading SOUTH back to the safety of your Sacred Grove.

When you are comfortably back in your Grove, relax, become aware of your surroundings. As you return to the present time, think about your memories, and consider whether there is anything you should have done. Something that needs finished; perhaps a quarrel that needs to be mended; or saying thank you to someone who has done a kindness. Life is there to be lived, but remember, none of us knows how many gates we will be allowed to open, before we reach the Door beyond. Only the Cailleach knows these things.

 
by Ailim, 2003
 
This article comes from Raven Moonlight Book of Shadows
http://ravenmoonlight.com/bos

The Modern Coven: Importance of Documentation

The Modern Coven: Importance of Documentation

Author: RedHawk

After a ritual with my coven sometime ago, it occurred to me that we’d all had a really good time, gotten a lot out of it, but alas, had nothing of the physical realm to show for it. Then it hit me. I am a military-trained videographer with an HD camera I wasn’t using NEARLY as much as I thought I would. How fortuitous is that? Two problems were solving each other.

Beautiful. It’s like they used to say on the old TV show “the A Team”: I love it when a plan comes together. Now all I had to do was sell it to my High Priestess.

I tossed my sales pitch around in my head for hours…. what I’d say, how I’d say it. What could I do to convince her we needed to start producing an audiovisual representation of how we did things? After all, it could potentially have a significant impact on later generations of Dragonstone (our coven) and ourselves when we wound up doing our AAR (Sorry, a military term: After Action Review) .

I guess my biggest concern in photographing rituals was that these are sacred, religious rites and even in the process of documenting them, sanctity needed to be preserved. Then again, I’ve photographed lots of weddings, baptisms, and confirmations, and this has never been an issue in the past.

Much to my surprise, it took little more than the mere suggestion. My HPS had always considered our group a modern coven with a forward-thinking attitude. For her, to be anything less is to become obsolete.

Honoring decorum and tradition is paramount. Clinging to it to the point of spiritual stagnation, however, inhibits the growth of the people within. I’m paraphrasing, of course, but you get the idea.

So as of now, I am the considered the coven’s “documentarian.” Since we have a highly organized structure in the coven, we have what are referred to as “points of service.” It’s our way of serving the various needs and functions within the group.

For instance, some may help keep the herb closet stocked, others may help out with the website. I was now the person in charge of keeping an audiovisual record of the coven’s goings on.

There would, of course, be issues.

I should state up front, that we are not, by virtue of our tradition, a skyclad coven—so that would never be an issue. But what about people who were uncomfortable with being photographed?

Personally, I hate being photographed. That’s why I always volunteer to be the one taking pictures. If it were an open ritual, whoever was joining us would also have to consent to being photographed. These were just the beginning of a host of potential things to be ironed out.

But most importantly for me, I’m still a part of the coven…and I need to be involved and an active part of the ritual or event taking place. Fortunately, these issues aren’t as complicated as they appear to be on the surface. As a rule, you really don’t need consent from someone to photograph him or her for personal use. Or in the strictest sense here—for coven-related purposes only.

As long as it’s not going to be used to sell something (commercial purposes) or mass distribution (i.e. YouTube) , you’re usually good. However, anyone from the outside, joining the ritual, needs to understand (well in advance) that you are photographing the ritual for archival purposes. Giving them advance notice, allows them a chance to opt out if they don’t want to be photographed.

As for the members of your coven who don’t want to be photographed, this is where the HPS needs to step in and smooth things out. In short, that’s why they’re the High Priestess.

As for my coven, they’re a pretty shameless bunch. So most love getting face time, the rest put up with it. I’m neither here nor there about it. I view it as a necessary part of keeping a true record of the coven’s history and practice.

Now…what to photograph?

This is the real beauty of it and what makes it stunningly practical and ruthlessly efficient. Technically you can photograph ANYTHING!! And we do! I’ve yet to photograph a ritual per se. But that little omission is just a week away from being a reality (i.e. this upcoming Samhain) .

Another use we’ve found for documentation is classwork. We have members in different states (some thousands of miles away) who simply aren’t able to take part in coven rituals and classes on a regular basis. Therefore, documenting the class gives them a chance to take part (in an after-the-fact sense) from far away.

Also keep in mind, with technology as consumer-based as it has become, it’s quite simple to ‘burn copies’ of any recorded event for all of those involved. This would especially come in handy for rituals such as handfasting for which you KNOW multiple copies will need to be made.

Sometimes we just get together for grins and giggles. You know summer picnics and the like. Having a visual reminder of just how silly and giddy everyone got, makes me smile. Much better than just a few still pictures.

These are just a couple of ideas on how to incorporate video into coven workings. These uses are as infinite as the variety of rituals you can do.

In closing, this method of record keeping was never meant to be a replacement for a Book of Shadows or a Grimoire. Consider it merely a supplemental. But it’s a position worth considering in larger groups, particularly if the group is expected to continue long into the future. (Sure, it requires someone to purchase a video camera, but they’re so cheap and common these days and usually someone within the coven is likely to already have one.)

Imagine what the covens of old would’ve done if they’d had this technology at their disposal. Now…. imagine what WE could’ve have learned from them if they had.

Staff

Staff 

Today’s staff is either chosen in accordance with your height, or by how it feels when used as a walking stick. Where some Witches perfer a shorter staff, others like the extended length. Of all the wooden tools, the staff is often seen as a symbol of honor and authority, and is normally decorated with magical symbols, talismans, bells, amulets, and trinkets given as gifts to the bearer tied with leather strips or sturdy cord and other unusual magickal bits that relate to its owner. In a group environment the staff of the high priest or high priestess may have symbols that relate to how many covens they have under their direction and how many members they have initiated. Like the wand and the rod, the staff is used to direct magickal current, often out-of-doors, but also used indoors if space permits. In more shamanic groups, the staff has replaced the sword. A staff carved with knobs and topped with a wooden replica of a human skull is specifically used at Samhain to honor the dead, or in other rituals where ancestors play a pivotal role: a duo derivation from Canadian Indians tribes and Haitian Voudou traditions, through ancient Celts did put the heads of their enemies on poles to capture their power and honor their valor. Obviously the Witches of today don’t carry reconstructionism that far.