Today I leave you with this thought
Copyright Picture by Lady Beltane
We need to remember as the sands of time move onward to take time out for ourselves during the hustle and bustle of of every day life.
Blessed be dear Sisters, Brothers, and Guests.
This is a semi-guided meditation to help you clear the negativity from your mind and Spirit. You should not do this at a time that you will get relaxed and fall asleep before the end of the mediation. This is to relax your mind and body as it helps you to get rid of negativity you may be holding inside. There will be times your subconscious will bring up things you were not even aware of bothering you.
Do not light a candle for this meditation because you eyes will be closed and it could be unsafe.
To do this meditation, pick a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed by anyone or anything for 30 to 45 minutes.
Put on some soft music preferably without words to distract you. I like Celtic Bagpipe and drums or Native American Flutes or Whale songs mixed with classical music or plain classical music depending on the mood I am in.
Light one of these incense sticks of Jasmine or Sandalwood (which can be used as a substitution for any other incenses or essential oil) Any of these will help with mediation and cleaning of negative energy while bring in purification.
After you turn on your music and get in a very comfortable position; find one you so won’t have to readjust yourself to get comfortable once you start. I usually wait for a minute or to two to start after I think I am comfortable just in case my body has other ideas. Once you have that accomplished, take three long, slow, deep breaths it should take a slow count of six or seven as you inhale and a minimum of ten as you exhale. About half way through exhaling each time pick a word to use to help you clear your mind of everyday thoughts which will help you relax. I use the word relax, it is simple, but it tells myself what I am trying to accomplish. Let every part of your body relax completely. I feel myself kind of melting into whatever I am meditating on my bed or Lazyboy with the footrest up of course. Many people think all meditation should be done sitting up as straight as possible within “Indian” style position (leg folded at the knee in front of you) with hands resting palm up on legs. Again pick a position most comfortable for you to meditate in but not fall asleep during it.
After you feel yourself relax, picture yourself approaching a bridge over a river running rather swiftly with a handful of stones and something to write on them with. Walk to the middle of the bridge then one by one throw the stones into the river. Each stone have something that is bothering is you written on it. As you throw the stones into the river one by one think of the thing that is written on it that you are throwing away. Watch as the river takes the stone and your problem along with it as it rushes away from you under the bridge. After throwing the stone into the river try to not think about what you are trying to let go of anymore. Know that it is now in the hands of the Universe and it will take care of it for you.
After you have thrown the last stone in for this mediation again take three slow, deep breaths allowing yourself to come back to the “real” world slowly. Do not attempt to immediately get up from where you chose to meditate, give yourself a couple of minutes to enjoy the light feeling of riding yourself of negativity. This can be done as often as you feel a need to do it. Also have a glass of water by you and drink it before standing up.
You now need to fill the voids from where the negativity resided in you. To do this ask the Universe or a God and/or Goddess to fill the space with positive, loving energy.
Do not be discouraged or think it won’t work if you have trouble keeping yourself focused on the imagery the first few times you try it as it takes a little practice and patience to do this. Once you can get yourself to the point of not letting the things you have let go back into your mind you will begin to feel more grounded and better in general.
Copyright 2013 by Lady Beltane
June 17, 2021
01:00 pm GMT 8:00 AM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)
True Lunar Node:10 Gemini 38 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:09 Gemini 59 Rx
Lilith (Black Moon):26 Taurus 35
Chiron:12 Aries 35
Ceres:15 Taurus 18
Pallas:25 Pisces 56
Juno:14 Sagittarius 01 Rx
Vesta:17 Virgo 51
Eris:24 Aries 42
If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link
To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link
Today the Moon will be in a Waxing Crescent Phase. A Waxing Crescent is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon’s surface. During this phase the Moon can be seen in the wester sky after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.
Visit the June 2021 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.
Waxing Crescent Phase
The Waxing Crescent on June 17 has an illumination of 43%. This is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun. The illumination is constantly changing and can vary up to 10% a day. On June 17 the Moon is 6.7 days old. This refers to how many days it has been since the last New Moon. It takes 29.53 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth and go through the lunar cycle of all 8 Moon phases.
From Moongiant.com
You can use this link to go forward or backward in time for Moon phase information. If you are curious you can even find out what phase the Moon was in when you or anyone else, you know was on the date the person was born.
The date in ( ) is because of us posting this from the Northern Hemisphere. So this post goes live at 8:00 AM AEST on the date before the month. The date inside the ( ) is the date we have to use to get the timing right for you. That is also why the GMT time that shows at 10:00 PM.
17 June (16) 2021
10:00 pm GMT 8:00 AM AEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)
True Lunar Node:10 Gemini 38 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:10 Gemini 01 Rx
Lilith (Black Moon):26 Taurus 31
Chiron:12 Aries 35
Ceres:15 Taurus 05
Pallas:25 Pisces 51
Juno:14 Sagittarius 09 Rx
Vesta:17 Virgo 38
Eris:24 Aries 41
If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link Currentplanetarypositions.com
To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link
If you look at how the human body is made you will see we are walking, taking pentagrams. Our head is Spirit, the left arm is Air, the left leg is Earth, the right leg is Fire, and the right arm is Water. We represent our spiritual walk of life every day and do not even have to wear religious inspired jewelry to show we are proud Pagans.
Blessed be my dear Sisters, Brothers and Guests
This is a good spell if you or someone close to you us having a problem sleeping peacefully. Fill in blank with person’s name. No need for a circle or even a sacred space, just cast the spell over a person when they are ready for bed.
Repeat spell three times. Say last line only once.
Help ________ sleep,
in a sleep that is so deep.
He/She will not awake,
until the time they are suppose to be awake.
So mote it be.
Copyright 2010 Lady Beltane
The time for the Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The date in ( ) is because of us posting this from the Northern Hemisphere. So this post goes live at 12:00 PM AEST on the date before the month. The date inside the ( ) is the date we have to use to get the timing right for you. That is also why the GMT time that shows at 2:00 AM.
16 June (16) 2021
02:00 am GMT 12:00 PM AEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)Sun:25 Gemini 10
Moon:29 Leo 27
Mercury:17 Gemini 45 Rx
Venus:16 Cancer 30
Mars:02 Leo 47
Jupiter:02 Pisces 09
Saturn:13 Aquarius 04 Rx
Uranus:13 Taurus 10
Neptune:23 Pisces 10
Pluto:26 Capricorn 17 Rx
True Lunar Node:10 Gemini 39 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:10 Gemini 04 Rx
Lilith (Black Moon):26 Taurus 25
Chiron:12 Aries 33
Ceres:14 Taurus 46
Pallas:25 Pisces 45
Juno:14 Sagittarius 20 Rx
Vesta:17 Virgo 21
Eris:24 Aries 41
Fire:5
Earth:5
Air:5
Water:4Cardinal:4
Fixed:6
Mutable:9
If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link Currentplanetarypositions.com
To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link
Today the Moon will be in a Waxing Crescent Phase. A Waxing Crescent is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon’s surface. During this phase the Moon can be seen in the wester sky after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.
Visit the June 2021 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.
The Waxing Crescent on June 16 has an illumination of 32%. This is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun. The illumination is constantly changing and can vary up to 10% a day. On June 16 the Moon is 5.7 days old. This refers to how many days it has been since the last New Moon. It takes 29.53 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth and go through the lunar cycle of all 8 Moon phases.
From Moongiant.com
You can use this link to go forward or backward in time for Moon phase information. If you are curious you can even find out what phase the Moon was in when you or anyone else, you know was on the date the person was born.
From Moongiant.com
You can use this link to go forward or backward in time for Moon phase information. If you are curious you can even find out what phase the Moon was in when you or anyone else, you know was on the date the person was born.
Many witches feel that the phases of the Triple Goddess and the names corresponding to the Moon phases are only parts of a female witch’s lifetime. While this is the traditional meaning I feel with more males becoming witches that they too should have titles to go with the Moon phases and their life phases.
Remember male or female we come into this world from our mother’s. Put there by combining female eggs and Male sperm that sets off a miracle that has been happening since couples started procreating. We all, female and male are babies and children with the same basic make up in hormones until reaching puberty. That is when we start showing the differences in how we see the opposite gender and usually see ourselves in a different way. I want to add in here that people sometimes are born into the wrong body type and now because of science and starting to be accepted somewhat better can have surgeries to correct this mistake. They can start feeling and looking as the gender they always felt they should be. There are also people who start looking at the same gender as themselves differently than more then just a friend to hang out with. We at Coven Lifee embrace all pagans/witches as equals and are happy to accept them into our Covenand school. We the Elders welcome diversity with in our community.
Please keep in mind the above paragraphs while reading the rest of this article. I will not delete any negative comments about the topic of this article unless they use foul language and/or are very negative in their wording. I have zero tolerance for anyone bashing the LGTB persons as they are children of our Lord and Lady also.
The Triple Goddess goes by many names depending on path of The Craft you follow and/or the country you live in.. The different titles of the Moon tie in with every months Moon phases . Just as the different titles for each of our life times goes with the changes in our bodies and the phase our life is in.
First here is the traditional titles and corrspponsmding Moon phases. After a girl has her first blood the next waxing Moon she will come to us as a Maiden. The waxing monthly moon phase is also the Maideb. When a woman has her first child or comes to us around 25 to 30 she is the Mother when the Moon is full. During the monthly Moon phase the full Moon is know as the Mother phase. Finally when the cessation of a monthly blood by any way happens, she has the wisdom built up over many years, and wants to she becomes the Crone or Elder
come during the waning Moon of this lifetime. The monthly warning Moon is known as The Crone phase.
For male witches Young Man is the title for the waxing Moon phase starts as you see physical changes in your body, the Father phase happens when your first child is born, and. After your children are grown up or when you feel you have much winsome to share with younger people you become known as an Elder.
As I said in the beginning this is my way of looking at the titles for our different life phases. Let me know what you think about Male witches also having a title for different phases of their lifetimes.
Copyright 2018 by Lady Beltane
The Moon moves through the twelve signs of the zodiac each month, spending about two and a half days in each sign and taking on the sign’s characteristics while there. Moon sign astrology is an ancient tradition and holds a significant place in folklore and magic. In addition to using the waxing and waning phases of the Moon in daily life, it is important to know which Moon signs can be helpful to the job at hand and which will work against you. Here is a description of how the Moon behaves in each of the twelve signs.
Aries
Aries is a cardinal fire sign that is ruled by the planet Mars. When the Moon is here, it is time for starting new ventures, particularly financial or medical. Don’t plant seeds for your garden, though. This Moon is about the self and the ego and anything ruled by Mars – knives, sharp things, strength, daring, courage, and lust. Use this moon for quick results, not for things that will drag out. People will be enthusiastic during this time, and also headstrong and rash. If you fall, you’ll land on your head.
Taurus
Taurus is a fixed earth sign that is ruled by Venus. The Moon exalted in Taurus which means that it is very happy here and can be used for anything associated with love the arts. Taurus is about values, possessions, money, fertility, and Mother Earth. This is a good time for gardening and anything requiring hard work and steady progress. People be cautious and protective of what they have. You’ll think your voice sounds especially lyrical in the shower now.
Gemini
Gemini is a mutable air sign ruled by the Mercury; it is also a dual sign, which means you can do two things at once, or perhaps not be able to make up your mind. You may feel restless and changeable, but it is also a good time to write, study, or communicate with your family. Be careful of what you say or ask for; you may mean it for only as long as it takes you to say it. Practice your sleight of hand or juggling, as your fingers are very nibble now.
Cancer
Cancer is a cardinal water sign and the home of the Moon herself. When the Moon is here, she is at her most powerful, so use her for working important magic and divination. This is the most fertile of signs, good for planting any seeds. The Moon rules the home, children, the emotions, cooking, eating, and all nurturing. Prepare your favorite comfort food, but don’t overeat! Do kitchen magic and be careful not to hurt anyone’s feelings.
LEO
Leo is a fixed fire sign, and King Lion is ruled by the SUn. It is the most barren sign and the only garden job it is good for is weeding. Leo loves to be appreciated and looked up to. Use this Moon to work with your stocks and bonds, creative arts, pets, hobbies, and romance, Throw a dinner party with a drama flair – make barbecue or serve flaming brochettes, in honor of the Sun. Be generous and kind; don’t behave like a sulky child.
VIRGO
Virgo is a mutable earth sign, and it too is ruled by Mercury, which lends abstract thought and a keen critical intellect to the Virgin. Pay attention to details and all matters concerning health and healing, nutrition, herbs, crafts, ethics, service to others, volunteering, and communication needs. Use this Moon’s energy to thoroughly clean house.
LIBRA
Libra is a cardinal air sign and also ruled by Venus. When the Moon is here it is time for partnership matters, legal affairs, socializing, and planting flowers. Balance and harmony are the Venusian theme to this Moon time, so use it to accomplish things with another person. MAgic can be done with a partner, and it’s definitely time for romance, sprinkle rose petals in the incense burner, but don’t overimbibe; your kidneys will give you a headache.
SAGITTARIUS
Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, under the domain of Jupiter. Go with your current mood of warmhearted friendliness and take your mother-in-law to lunch and a lecture at the museum. Schedule a trip to Malta or Avebury Plain for an independent journey. Be Philosophical about your restlessness and mail your manuscript to the publishers. Use intuitive gifts to work some divination magic. Harvest fruits and vegetables. Be careful not to injure your hip when you fall over the pattern in the linoleum. (I think the last line was put here just for me since I can trip over my own feet…lol)
CAPRICORN
Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign dominated by the lesser master, Saturn. This is good planting and graphing time, but when the Moon is here everybody wants to be the boss, so hold back on the autocratic orders. This sign is a gateway to the land of magic and very powerful in obtaining what you need. In this Moon, you will find the crone and profound wisdom, so don’t let negativity and depression get you down, However, the Moon is not happy here and tends to be ruthless with other’s feelings. Try bending at the knee for a little humility.
AQUARIUS
Aquarius is a fixed air sign ruled by traditional Saturn and transpersonal Uranus. This Moon is happy working for the common good of all, so use this time for coven matters or working magic for others. Selfish independence is a problem with this imperial Moon, as personal magic can boomerang with scattered thinking. Garden chores should be limited to weeding and clean up. It’s ok now to dress a little weirdly and express your off-the-wall thoughts. Stay out of your in-line skates if you have weak ankles.
PISCES
Pisces is a feminine mutable water sign traditionally ruled by Jupiter and by the modern Neptune. Another very fertile sign, it is good planting all seeds. This is the Moon that rules magic itself, so it is very powerful for prophecy, dreams, and deep psychic work. Use it to explore past lives and all secrets; you can find things you’ve lost or mix potent ritual elixirs and perfumes. You don’t need to polish off the cooking sherry to make music and dance or find your spiritual roots. Avoid getting lost in the fantasy; keep your feet on the ground.
Copyright by K. D. Spitzer in Llewellyn’s 1999 Witches’ Datebook Pages 14-17
Today’s focus is safety and shadow side, stagnation. This chakra helps us cultivate the foundation necessary to survive and thrive, and without this stable base, it’s challenging to manifest what we need. We might feel as if we’re one step forward and two steps back, never able to gain a solid footing. On the flip side, we can become so attached to stability and supports that they become constraints, preventing us from evolving and remaining flexible. Today, get curious about where you feel safe or unsafe (physically, emotionally, spiritually, or intellectually) and where you feel stuck. If you imagined breaking free from stagnation, what might that look like, and what thoughts and feelings arise?
Color: Red
Location: Base of the spine
Crystal: (wear, carry, or meditate with): Garnet, hematite, red calcite, jasper
Food and Drink: Red potatoes, red beans or lentils, radishes, beets, rooibos or hibiscus tea, dandelion root for deep grounding
Copyright Melissa Tipton Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2020 Pages 11 to 15.
Today’s focus is responsibility versus control and the interesting, often inverse, relationship between the two. Controlling behavior whether directed at ourselves or others, often conceals unconscious responsibilities that must be owned if the controlling patterns are to be healed. For example, if you struggle with micromanaging your diet, this could conceal a need to own your own emotions and embodied experiences. It can feel easier to hyperfocus on controllable factors, like what to eat and how much, instead of exploring the messier emotions surrounding those food choices. Today, get curious about aspects of your life that feel controlled or overly rule-bound. What feelings come up when you ponder lose reins? Can you take responsibility being fully present with the feelings, and if they reveal a need for change, how can you take the next step in that direction?
Color: Yellow
Location: Upper abdomen
Crystals: Citrine, topaz, yellow tiger’s eye, sunstone
Food and Drink: Bananas, melons, olive oil, cinnamon, rosemary, chamomile tea, water with lemon juice
Copyright Melissa Tipton Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2020 Pages 11 to 15.
Today’s focus is productive dialogue versus monologue, bot internally and with others. Dialogue invites new perspectives and requires flexibility, while monologue sticks to the script and is immune to change. Our thoughts can remain open and curious or resist new perspectives. In conversation, we can allow ourselves to be surprised, to truly listen and be present, or we can wait our turn to resume or monologue. Notice how dialogue builds on the previous chakra: for example, we’re more apt to welcome change and surprises when we feel safe (root), and we’re less likely to make negative assumptions when we fell connected (heart). Both fellings foster healthy dialogue over fearful, rigid monologue, Today, practice being present and curious in conversations, whether they are happening internally or with others. When your mind is certain, say, “I wonder what other possibilities exist — I’m open to perceiving them.” Be fully present in the conversation. Don’t worry about what you are going to say next; simply savor the details, said and unsaid.
Copyright Melissa Tipton Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2020 Pages 11 to 15.
Today’s focus is surrender versus escapism. The Divine works through us, not for us; we must serve a responsible cocreators of our life. Too often surrender is interpreted as a come-what-may approach, but there’s more nuance to healthy surrender. What must be released are the ridge plans of the ego in favor of trusting that taking the next step is enough. Once that step is initiated, we will be given the next, but we won’t be shown the entire map before we agree to leave the house, nor can we escape the responsibility of taking action in the absence of complete knowledge. This is the dance of surrender. Today, explore your plans and goals. Do you have any? Are they set in stone? Pare it down to just the next step, asking for guidance and allowing your intuition to inform you[r] actions. If you’re guided to follow- up step that deviates from the ego’s plan, can you surrender, taking action with openness and curiosity?
Color: White or purple
Location: At or just above the top of the head
Crystals: Herkimer diamond, quartz, selenite, moonstone
Food and Drink: Yogurt and kefir, nuts and seeds, especially almond and sesame, sea salt; lavender or lotus tea
Copyright Melissa Tipton Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2020 Pages 11 to 15.
What days of the year are most important to you? Are you making a place for them in your practice, or are you by-passing them altogether? What makes your year go’ round? These are important points to consider when finding your life rhythm and setting a sacred schedule for your own Wheel of the Year.
All too frequently, new practitioners approach this path and feel they must absorb a whole new system directed by a book. That includes celebrating the Wheel of the Year down to the letter, even if it doesn’t make sense for your location, background, beliefs, myths, real life experiences, and so on. This approach can leave you feeling out of touch with what’s happening around you or even make you wonder if you’re doing witchery all wrong.
But there are very few hard and fast rules in Witchcraft — instead, they’re are many suggestions and recommended guidelines. The Wheel of the Year model, as it appears in most books over the last fifty years, is a relatively new construction pieced together from different traditions, I’m not pointing out this fact to knock the system — it does work well for many people. Yet it can be all to easy to forget that the Wheel of the Year is a guideline, not a rule to be adhered to religiously or exclusively. The intention behind its information is to give modern Pagans a cycle they can connect with. How you mark or celebrate the seasons, mythic changes, and important dates will depend heavily on the foundation of your personal practice.
Take into consideration that the popular version of the Wheel of the Year is heavily steeped in Celtic myth. What if you wish to delve into your Slavic, Japanese, or Brazilian heritage? Every culture has its own vibrant collection of myths and sacred days. Sometimes they overlap with the eight sabbats, similarly landing on solstices, equinoxes, or the cross-quarter days, but sometimes they don’t. For example, the Slavic/Russian sun-oriented fest of Kupala occurs in early July while Obon, a Japanese festival that honors the dead falls in mid-August.
There’s also the problematic trappings of culture that insists on separating the sacred from the secular. Big festivals and fest days help bring a community together, but that doesn’t mean they are more special or powerful than days that have a deep personal meaning in your own life. When we are able to see the correlations between the big moments and our day-to-day lives, we enhance our ability to connect with the world around us. The more we can honor and celebrate the seawsons in our own lives, the deeper our practic becomes.
Copyright by Laura Tempst Zakroof Llewellyn;s Witches’ Datebook 2020 Pages 20 to 23
Family and Familiar Feasts
Is there a particular occasion that has been long celebrated in your family or has a speical place in your heart? Carry on that tradition then! Even if it is tied to a religious tradition that you no longer follow or is completely secular in origin, consider what makes that day special to you. Is the meaning rooted in who was in attendance, the time of year, or what meal was always served? Think about what spiritual or magical context that feast has for you now. Traditions survive through a healthy mixture of both preservation and change.
Copyright by Laura Tempst Zakroof Llewellyn;s Witches’ Datebook 2020 Pages 20 to 23
Follow, Your Roots
Not only is it important to acknowledge the patterns of the land where you live, but you may also find exploring your roots very inspiring. Where are your ancestors from? What traditions and celebrations did they observe historically? You probably won’t find books on these subjects in the New Age section of the library or bookstore — instead you’ll want to wander over to anthropology and folklore sections. If a particular tradition or day really resonates, consider how you can sincerely explore it. Are the people who live in that area today still observing it? Can you find videos online of the festivities? It might be worth a trip to immerse yourself more and see what you can discover about your roots.
Copyright by Laura Tempst Zakroof Llewellyn;s Witches’ Datebook 2020 Pages 20 to 23
When I was a little girl, my sister and I would celebrate the first of May by making little paper baskets and filling them with candy. We would then sneak around the neighborhood to our friend’s houses, leave them on the doorsteps, ring the bells, and run away, screaming with laughter. The trick was never to reveal your identity to the recipient of the gift. Little did I know at the time that we were celebrating an old custom that harkened back to ancient times.
Like any celebration based on ancient agricultural practices, it is impossible to know the exact origin of out May Day. Celebrations of spring are found in cultures all over the world, with similar themes of renewal, planting and growth, the gathering of flowers, and playful celebrations.
However, much of the meaning behind modern Pagan custom can be traced to Celtic origins, or at least with attribute to the Celts. We know that they divided the year into two seasons: summer and winter, the dark and life halves of the year. Within this they honored four major turning points, Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh, with fire festivals.
These festivals coincided astrologically with the Sun at 15 degrees Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus, and Leo, respectively. This made these pivotal points each a type of “moveable” feast originally, like the solstices and equinoxes, which vary by a day or two from year to year. But due to changes in calendars over time, eventually the first day of the months of November, February, May, and August were earmarked for these festivals, evolving into what Witches call the Great Sabbats, with the celebrations commencing at sunset the eve before.
The flexibility in the actual date is followed by some Pagans today, and May Day, or Beltane, celebrations calculated this way are called “Old Beltane.” This explains the custom in ancient Ireland of celebrating the first day of summer on May 6. This day was given to Inghean Bhuidhe, the Yellow-Haired Girl, one of the three sister-goddesses who brought in the seasons: the First of Spring, the First of Summer, and the First Harvest.
The return of the light was called Cetsamhain (“opposite Samhain”) or Beltaine in Ireland, Galan-Mai in Wales, and in Scotland, Beaultiunn, on the Isle of Man, it was known as Day of Summer and in Germany, Walpurgisnatch. The medieval church renamed the holiday Roodmas, hoping to shift the emphasis from the phallic Maypole to the Holy Rood, or Cross, and celebrations once marked by Pagan frivolity were usurped by festivities held in churchyards.
Copyright Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2001 Pages21 to25
The month of May takes its name from the goddess Maia, who appears in both Greek and Roman mythologies. In Greece, she was “grandmother,” “midwife,” or “wise one” and she was known as the mother of Hermes. The Romans associated her with their fire goddess of the same name who, along with Flora and Feronia, ruled growth and warmth, including sexual desire. Maia’s day was the first of May, and the associations with growth can still be seen in the Christian dedication of the month to Mary, Queen of Flowers.
When Romans came to Britain, they brought with them their own ancient spring rites. The goddess Flora was worshiped as the embodiment of the flowering of all of nature, including human. She was the queen of plants, the goddess of flowers, and the patron of Roman prostitutes. Flora was honored during a week-long festival from April 28–May 3. The Floralia included the gathering of flowers, used in processions, dances, and games. Young raced to see who could be the first to hang a wreath on Flora’s statue, and wrap garlands around the columns of her temple. The female body was especially6 honored at this time. Graphic, erotic medallions were distributed, and public orgies celebrated the fruitfulness of the earth. The “festival of nude women” was celebrates until the third century CE, when Roman authorities demanded the celebrants be clothed. The sense of unrestrained freedom was even enjoyed by Roman slaves on this day, with the stipulation that they return to their mater’s houses that night.
Copyright Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2001 Pages 21 to 25
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