Dedicant - Home Shrine

This is my home shrine, and since I've created it, it's become a cornerstone of my practice. I have a shrine each to the gods, ancestors, and spirits, however, those are purely votive and not really suited to personal work, or more 'bigger picture' devotions.

By way of a short explanation of the shrine; the tree has a bowl at its base that serves as the 'well', the votive candle is the 'fire', and the green leaf bowl is for purifying myself before ritual. The two novena candles serve for illumination and are lit when I'm just praying. The black bowl at the back is for offerings, and the black bowl at the front is for the waters. Behind the offering bowls is my tin that I carry various items that are sacred to me when I'm away from home. It's a 'port-a-grove' of sorts in that there is a tree representation, a candle, and a receptacle for water. I also have a Garanus 'ada spirit', and a felted Frige. I pray at my shrine almost every day – there is an adapted Lorica prayer I say, and a house-blessing adapted from the Carmina Gadelica.

In terms of future plans, I want to eventually get a post like those from the Magical Druid, and I'd like to also pick up one of the ancestor 'ada spirits'. In terms of space and placement, I don't like that it's not really the kind of shrine that I can sit at, but I don't think there's anything I can do about that given our current living situation.

Words = 267

Dedicant - The Two Powers Meditation

The first time I did the Two Powers meditation, I found it very similar to what I was already doing to ground and centre, but with some key differences:

* I would visualise myself standing with my back against Yggdrasil as opposed to essentially 'being the tree' myself.
* My 'roots' would follow the roots of Yggdrasil down and the 'water' they pulled up was experienced only as energy as opposed to having a temperature (cool) associated with it.
* My branches would reach up to the heavens and pull down energy from a non-specific source; this energy also had no further characteristics associated with it.

In comparison with my previous method, I now find the Two Powers meditation to be more refined and efficient.

The dark, primeval waters of life and creation that lie in the Earth are experienced as cool, and the energy of the stars is experienced as a warm, electric energy ( I always experience it more as a hot firey energy). We bring those energies into our bodies and let them combine, thus making ourselves a bridge.

In a sense, I feel we recreate the cosmos within ourselves, making ourselves the sacred centre. To my mind, this is what makes other excercises carried out in the 'Other', such as the 'Passing the Mist' exercise, not only possible but effective. I find a parallel there with the recreation of the cosmos and establishment of the sacred centre that allows us to stand in that place between that allows us communication with the Kindreds in ritual.

Another way in which the Two Powers is more efficient in comparison to what I did before, is that by making oneself the tree as opposed to standing back to the tree, rooted to the watery earth current and connected to the stars, you cannot help but be grounded and centred.

The first time I did the Two Powers meditation, not only did I feel grounded and centred, but I felt a 'generative' energy there as the cool water energy mingled with the hot fire energy, much in the same way that heat and water produces steam and steam can then be used to power engines. Since then, I have used the Two Powers meditation before ritual in order to not only ground and centre myself, but to call up/down energy to direct towards ritual.

Dedicant - Mental Discipline Essay

When I think about the dedicant path and what I'm finding the hardest, this requirement is easily the hardest for me to fulfill in terms of extraneous issues interfering with my ability to do so. It would seem that for a new mom, the simple task of finding some quiet time in which one can meditate can be one of the hardest things to do. Between the near constant tiredness and the seemingly never ending list of tasks, finding that time and staying awake enough to actually meditate in some form without falling asleep can be a challenge. However, this requirement has also been the most insightful and rewarding for me, and from it, I have developed a system that I believe works for me.

The first time I attempted this requirement, I wasn't particularly prepared for how difficult it would be to find the time, or how certain adjustments in approach would have to be made depending on how family life was going that week, and so when a bout of serious illness hit my little family, I found myself completely unprepared and so 'fell off the meditation wagon' (so to speak).

The second time, I decided to diversify my methodology to not only take into account the times I'm so exhausted I can barely see, but to integrate meditation into my life as a part of it as opposed to being apart from it. To this end, I downloaded several meditation mp3s that would hopefully keep my brain active enough to stay awake to meditate on the days that I'm tired, and I also incorporated more active forms of meditation as well as trance journeying. This was on top of the basic mindfulness meditation.

On average, I meditated about twice a week, but sometimes that could be as much as four times a week, and as little as once, and I began my second attempt on the week ending the 1st of November (finishing on the 1st of April).

Methods

As someone that has attended meditation classes before, I had a few techniques already at my disposal, however they were all from within a very Buddhist worldview. For example, 'Lovingkindness meditation', while a valuable exercise in reminding oneself of the connectedness of all beings on the planet and the necessity of compassion for all those things, is not something which I feel really speaks to my worldview too well, and so one of the personal goals I had for this requirement was to develop or find a kind of meditation that gave me the same sense of connectedness and care as Lovingkindness meditation, but from the standpoint of a more Druidic or Pagan worldview.

Another goal of mine with this in terms of concrete development was to do more work on the core meditation skills utilised in the practice of Seidr. Seidr is something which I have practiced for years but let slide during my pregnancy because of a personal geas regarding magical practice and pregnancy.
As I mentioned above, I utilised mp3s (specifically Ian Corrigan's 'Two Powers Meditation', Phillip Carr-Gomm's 'Journey to the Healing World of the Ovates', some binaural music, and trance drumming), I used active forms of meditation (mostly meditating while walking or doing tasks mindfully), I used mindfulness meditation, and I used more 'pathworking' types of meditation (specifically the Two Powers and the 'Five Souls' meditations). Some of those types morphed into another type over the course of the five months, for example, as I became more used to the format of the Two Powers meditation, I dropped the mp3 and it moved more into my 'pathworking' category. Other types eventually came to cross over in practice, eg walking meditation while listening to trance drumming.



Looking back, I realise that some of that was a fear of failure and wanting to be prepared, but the vast majority of that was my monkey brain finding sneakier ways of gaining distraction.

Even though I started out with so many different methods, as time went on, I found that they eventually became narrowed down to about four main methods of meditation:

*Mindfulness

*Fire and Water Balancing (From 'Our Own Druidry')

*Walking meditation

*The 'Three Doors' Meditation (own, see additional notes)

Furthermore, I came to categorise them into my own system which focuses on developing three areas:

*Connection with the Kindreds

*Connection with the natural world

*Mental discipline

To explain my categories a little; 'Three Doors Meditation' is how I practice and develop connectedness with the Kindreds; walking meditation is how I develop a sense of connectedness with the world around me; and mindfulness and Fire and Water balancing is how I develop my mental discipline. The mental discipline category makes possible the other two. In future, I would like to expand the section about connecting with the Kindreds by developing pathworking meditations that allow a person to engage with the creation of the cosmos and different parts of common IE cosmology. I would also like to include some 'lectio divina' (a form of meditative contemplation taken from Catholic tradition) in my work connecting with the natural world, but instead of focusing on the Bible like the Catholics do, on something natural instead (such as a tree, for example).

Insights and Reflexion

As I said at the beginning of this essay, this requirement has been the hardest but also the most insightful for me, and I have had several key realisations about this work.

The first is that simpler seems to be better, and that the sheer variety of meditative practices out there can sometimes only serve as yet another distraction for a particularly monkey-like brain. It took a few months to happen, but eventually my brain 'buckled down' to the work at hand.

Secondly, I've realised just how monkey-like my brain is and how integral meditation has become as a form of self maintainance. Before meditating regularly, I found it extremely hard to concentrate enough to read books, and that lack of concentration is something that definitely rears its head if I don't meditate enough. In all honesty, I'm considering seeking assessment for ADD, because this has really underscored how poor my concentration level is when I'm not proactively working on it.

Thirdly, I've realised that I have to be careful when using my breath to enter trance as I find the 'fourfold breath' somewhat panic-inducing, I know that this is down to past experience, and I know that I need to work on it.

In spite of these challenges though, this has been the most rewarding aspect of the DP, and I hope to continue this practice in the future. I spoke of rewards earlier, I feel like this practice has positively affected my whole life. A large reward for me has been the ability to read again without being too distracted to get past the first few pages. It's also made entering a ritual mindset far easier. But the biggest reward by far is that I've also found myself changing in that I've realised where I'm lacking, where my spirituality is lacking, and that I absolutely want to grow as an individual to be of service to the Kindreds, family, and community.


Words: 1195


The Three Doors Meditation

Begin by breathing deeply....Become aware of your breath as it enters your lungs filling them, and again as it leaves....Let this breath fill the whole of your awareness....Feel your eyes getting heavier...And heavier...Until they close....Breathe in, and out...If you're having any stray thoughts, see them as clouds, and allow them to float by...Simply observing without engaging....As your mind becomes clearer, you notice something in the darkness....The clearer your mind becomes, the closer this thing becomes.....The clearer your mind becomes, you notice that there are three things.....Coming closer....With clear mind, you see these three doors before you....Notice how they look to you, and remember....

Then, move towards the door on the left, feel the handle in your hand, and turn... See the purple light begin to spill out as you open the door fully. ..The light fills the darkness around you, dazzling you.. This is the door to the Shining Ones....Take a moment to feel the energy of the Shining Ones...Moving to the next door, open the door, once more taking the time to feel the handle in your hand and notice every detail you can. This time when you open it, there is blackness inside, but an illuminated blackness that is different from the darkness around you. This blackness is more that of a passageway or a cave rather than that of a void. This is the door to the Mighty Dead....Take a moment to feel the energy of the Mighty Dead......Move to the third and final door....and open as you did the other two. This time, green light spills out. Beautiful, verdant, and inviting....This is the door to the Noble spirits, the spirits of nature, or indeed any spirits that inhabit the world around us. ….Take a moment to feel the energy of the Noble Spirits.....Stand back and regard these doors.....which do you feel the most drawn to?..... Do you hear anything?....Do you feel called to speak prayers into any doors?.... Do any of these doors make you feel uncomfortable in any way?...... Why?.....Remember these reflexions....

When you feel you are done....simply speak thanks into each door...close them, and bring yourself back to consciousness as you would after any other meditation. Write your impressions in your journal. I find this useful to do during ritual too after creating the sacred centre and installing these doors in the sacred centre as part of the 'inner work' of the ritual.

Words: 450

Dedicant - Nature Work

When I was a kid, growing up in the foothills of the West Pennine Moors in Northwest England, one of my favourite pastimes was to pack some food and go hiking. There was always something interesting to find as it is the kind of area where one might find a bronze age burial mound just as easily as an old farmstead. Over the years of exploring and learning, I came to know where each plant and each tree grew, which bogs to avoid and how to judge solid ground by the types of grass that grew. I learned how to judge wind direction and speed during fire season, how to find clean water, and which places to avoid.

However, due to the limited modernization of my hometown, I also learned a more hidden side to those moors. Older stories about unseen beings like fairies, boggarts, and big black dogs were not uncommon, and we used to amuse ourselves as children with telling scary stories about things like the tarn (moorland pool) where 'Granny Greenteeth' is said to live, or the trees that move on their own. It was an environment in which most people have a far more casual attitude towards the unseen than in many other places I've lived in. Often though, those same people that discussed things like house brownies while out shopping with friends were regular church-goers.


When I came to the United States though, for the first time in my life, I had such a sense of disconnectedness that it was almost like the land was 'empty' (at least where I was), and this was compounded by my growing culture shock. During my second year here, I felt a little less 'foreign', but my 'turnaround' came when we moved to where we live now. The Noble Ones are so much more 'present' in this area. It helps that I walk the local area every day with my dog, and I give offerings every two or so weeks of milk and oats that I bring to the tree line and leave on a rock. I'm still learning the flora here, but I have a good general idea of a good percentage of the trees and plants in my vicinity, enough that I can go out looking for incense supplies now.

Since being here, I've actually seen a group of the Good Folk climb a hill in two or three jumps to a labyrinth that lies on church property where they seemed to dance. I've dreamed of them being angry, only to wake up and find that trees were being felled in the woodland area across from their apartment. There was a period that I saw a buck every time I worked on liturgy linked to the Noble Ones, and not only did I see it, but I was within ten yards of this buck. I feel privileged to have seen these things, more than that, I feel whole again. Before coming to the United States and having to work on what had come so easily in my native moorland, the idea of being disconnected from the land and having to work for a connection was quite strange to me. This process has really given me an appreciation of just how important and whole-making that connection is.

In terms of how an awareness of the natural world has affected my lifestyle, we recycle and have done for years. We are a one car family, have a very fuel efficient car, and when feasible, we use public transportation for family days out. I've transitioned most of our cleaning products to homemade or green products, and incorporate purifying and protective herbs into my homemade products. In this way, I'm cleansing the house in more ways than one. I only use all natural bathing products that are ethically sourced, and while we are far from perfect, we do try to reuse and repair as much as we can. I'm a fan of reusable menstrual cups, and would love to be able to use cloth diapers for my daughter, but we simply can't afford the laundry costs in our complex or a diaper service.

I try to show reverence and respect for nature and the Noble Ones whenever I can, something which I've found to be especially important here in the United States where, depending on place, the wights seem to be quite wary of people. When camping or building something, I make offerings before pitching a tent, or building something. When my husband's wedding ring went missing when we last went camping, I promised the Noble Ones an offering of milk and cornmeal if they helped us to find it. It turned up next to the car, in an area that we'd previously searched. Generally, if we're mobbed by insects, but they're not stinging, I take it that the Noble Ones of that place are not happy, and so make more offerings or leave. When we leave a place, we always make sure to leave it as we found it, and leave parting offerings so that we might be welcome again. I feel that a healthy land in which humans live well and peacefully with the Land Spirits is one of the keys to human health and happiness. When that connection isn't there, or there is abuse of the land (which I believe offends the Spirits), then ill health and bad luck permeates.

I still have a lot to learn about this area in which I currently find myself, it's not 'home', but I feel welcome and connected here all the same.

Words = 931

Kindreds Essays

The Gods/Shining Ones

Indo-European cultures are replete with gods, and unsurprisingly each culture boasted its own pantheon in the Pagan period. Sometimes the gods of those pantheons overlap, and sometimes they're different cultural expressions of the same root deity (e.g., Perkwunos – Perkun – Taranis – Thor). Generally speaking, Indo-European deities are dimorphic, although finds such as the Aphroditus statues may call that into question, and it's generally easier to track the provenance of the gods than it is for a lot of the goddesses¹. Scholars theorise that at least some goddesses were adopted in from other cultures at various points in time².

The relationships we have with our gods are reciprocal in nature and based on layers of gifting built over time. As the king and subject exchange service and duty for protection and favour, so we exchange offerings and service for luck from the gods.

The old myths often tell us that the gods created the world, that they maintain the boundaries of this world, and that they also created us. Some of those myths also indicate our gods have their own gods to pray to. For example, in Norse myth, we're told that the gods themselves erected shrines and temples at Ithavoll³. Unlike the god of Abraham, our gods are not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient, are are all the more closer to us for it.

The gods are typically associated with the 'above world', or the realm of sky, and are gifted to via the medium of fire. In Indo-European traditions, fire is a sacred medium, through which our gifts are transformed and conveyed to the gods. Prayer may also be conveyed to the Shining Ones through fire. However, historically speaking, there is a subsection of (mostly) goddesses (perhaps of non-IE origin that were later adopted in) that are connected to and offered to via the medium of water.The Wights/Land Spirits

As human beings, we inhabit what might be known as 'the around world', a realm that we share with all manner of flora and fauna. However, for all Indo-European descendant cultures, this sharing goes further. There is, what might be termed as, an 'Unseen' type of inhabitant too. Known by various names in the various cultures, collectively they might be referred to as 'Land Spirits'⁴.

In a lot of ways, the Land Spirits are a lot more immediate to us than the gods because of our shared inhabitation of the land, however, some of them might also be considered as lesser gods. They are our neighbours in the around world, in both countryside and urban areas, often choosing a physical place such as a tree, pool, or rock as their domain or home⁵.

At times, Land Spirits have been depicted as being capricious, or harmful even, and with a hatred and distrust of humans. In some cases, it is possible to placate these Spirits with offerings, but it's important to remember that this is not always the case⁶.

Fortunately, Land Spirits are very diverse, and might be considered to have their own cultures, traditions, and ideas of etiquette. Land Spirits of the same 'nationality' will have varying personalities, and while there are many that want nothing to do with humankind, there are also many that are open to building reciprocal relationships with humans that acknowledge their existence and treat them with respect⁷.

In building reciprocal relatioships with these Noble Spirits of the around world, these 'Good Neighbours', we hope to make both of our lives easier through our mutual cooperation and gifts of items and aid. If we initiate and maintain good gifting relationships with the Land Spirits, then we might find things going better for us in life.The Mighty Dead

Human life has very few certainties, except for the fact that we are all born, and we all eventually die. From the perspective of the greater Indo European worldview though, death is not necessarily the absolute end. Like many cultures around the globe, the descendant cultures of the Indo Europeans practiced ancestor veneration⁸.

Whereas the Shining Ones are our allies, and some of the Noble Ones our potential allies, the Mighty Dead are our kin, the 'Dead of the Clan of Mortals'⁹. During their lives they worked, fought, sacrificed, and died that the next generation might advance, they have a vested interest in seeing us do well as we work, fight, sacrifice, and die to advance the lot of our own children. Through our own travails we can understand what they ultimately did for us, and one day, we'll be welcomed among their number to watch over our descendants.
In some of the Indo European descendant traditions, some members of the Mighty Dead are more like lesser deities (eg the 'matronae' among the Gauls, Romans, and Germans)¹⁰, in other cases, members of the Mighty Dead become conflated with the Noble Spirits (such as in the case of some elves)¹¹.

The Ancestors are often connected with the medium of water, some cultures held that the dead went to an island in the west, the burial rites of others connected the ship with the journey to the otherworld, and pollen analysis has shown that the ditches around some of the burial mounds in Scandinavia were designed to fill with water, thus rendering the mound a literal island¹².

Our dead watch over us, they have magic and knowledge beyond what we humans can have, they may protect us, or influence our lives in ways they believe to be beneficial. They deserve nothing less than our love, reverence, and offerings in return.

Words = 958 total.

1Serith, Ceisiwr ( ). Deep Ancestors: Practicing the Religion of the Proto-Indo-Europeans

2Ibid.

3Völuspá, stanza 7, H.A Bellows Trans.

4ADF. Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ár nDraíocht Féin and the Druid Path. Tucson: ADF Publishing, 2009

5Ibid.

6Ibid.

7Ibid.

8Ibid.

9Ibid.

10Davidson, H.R Ellis. (1988). Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe. p. 108.

11Davidson, H.R.Ellis. (1988). Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe. p. 122.

12Heide, E. (2011). Holy Islands and the Otherworld: Places beyond Water (T. Jørgensen & G. Jaritz, Eds.). In Isolated islands in medieval nature, culture and mind (pp. 57-80). Budapest: Central European University Press.

Book Review - 'Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions' by H.R. Ellis Davidson

When I came to ADF, I came partly because there was something inside of me that was looking for a way to integrate Germanic with Celtic. After being entrenched in Germanic Heathenry for almost two decades, and with only private worship of some Celtic deities, I felt a great need to work with that side of myself some more. I felt like I was only watering half of my tree, so to speak, and so it was with this in mind that I chose 'Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe' to review.

I have to confess to having read it already back in 2008/2009, but I really don't think I absorbed all that much then. The thing (I find) about reading Davidson, is that she typically grabs you with one topic and then takes you hurtling breakneck speed through a myriad of other topics, which invariably sucks you in but also puts you in danger of not really retaining what you're reading anymore.

'Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe', if you can somehow avoid Davidson's siren song, is a comprehensive survey and comparison of aspects of Scandinavian and Celtic Pagan religions. It straddles both worlds quite comfortably, holding each religion against the other and further illuminating both in the process.

Beginning with an overview of peoples discussed and sources referred to, Davidson then moves onto a discussion about the places people considered holy, and the holy places that people built. Davidson weighs in on the conflicting records regarding the creation and worship of idols, and the connection between some of these holy sites and the selection or raising up of kings. I especially appreciated her discussion of the aspects of Heathen temples that potentially recreated cosmological order.

In some ways, I find Davidson's writing to be disorganised, especially in comparison with that of writers like Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson, or Erika Timm, however in other ways, there is a logical progression in how the chapters are ordered. Following her discussion on holy places with a discussion on feasting and sacrifice is extremely logical to me as those activities would have taken place in those holy places. What festivals were celebrated and when is an interesting discussion that Davidson tackles head on, sticking to what can be attested to rather than engaging in speculation. The discussion then moves on to ceremonial drinking, hospitality, sacrificial meals, and types of sacrifice. Here though, I really wish she'd devoted an entire section to the subject of horse symbolism and sacrifice.

From the section entitled 'Human Sacrifice', we merge into the chapter entitled 'Rites of Battle' and an excellent discussion of what has been called 'The Cult of the Head'. From dedicated warriors to a comparison of Odin and Lug, and what can only be an overview of a myriad of battle goddesses, this chapter does manage to cover a lot of oft-visited ground while examining facets of war that often remain undiscussed but useful. The discussion of Cú Chulainn's battle rage and the response of the warriors of Emain, I feel, holds potential for the creation of healing rituals for Pagan military dealing with PTSD issues.

It's at this point that Davidson's near flawless merging of topics of earlier chapters becomes less flawless, and more disjointed, moving from battle goddesses to Scandinavian land spirits. This aside, on the whole, the chapter does a good job of examining the various types of land spirit, and their intersections with ancestors and even gods (as in the case of the Tuatha De). I did like the discussion on rebirth, and Lucan's words to the Druids in Pharsalia, 'If we understand your hymns, death is halfway through a long life.' resonate long after reading.

The discussion on foreknowledge and destiny was really excellent, especially the section on divination as a way to find out what happened in the past as opposed to the future. To know the roots of a situation is to understand the situation and how it could develop in the future. This is far more logical to me than actually focusing on the future. Even better was the discussion of magic gaming boards, it's a subject that has become eminently fascinating to me. Again, as with the 'Beheading Game', there is this theme of games and life/death situations that is alien to us now.

The next chapter title, 'The Other World', feels like something of a misnomer, as much of it is dedicated to an exploration of the cosmology, as opposed to being purely an exploration of human interactions with the otherworldly. However, in my opinion, the next chapter more than makes up for the overall strangeness of this one. In 'The Ruling Powers', Davidson starts by engaging in some very much needed discussion of the problems of different scholarly approaches to mythology and folklore. Her points about remaining fluid when examining ideas and beliefs that remained constantly fluid over the course of time, and not trying to force them into schemata such as 'pantheon', or 'abode', or 'functions' are well taken. The rest of the chapter is a comparison of similar Germanic and Celtic gods, and the concluding chapter serves to tie her more detailed arguments into a more general potential overview of both cultures.

On the whole, in spite of the relatively minor issues with organisation, 'Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe' is a treasure trove of information, that is sadly often overlooked in favour of Davidson's 'Gods and Myths of Northern Europe'. I would most definitely recommend this book to others.


Word count (without quotes) - 925

High Days - Samhain

Typically celebrated by modern Pagans as the 'Celtic New Year' on the 31st of October/1st of November ¹, and described by the heroine Emer as 'when the summer goes to its rest', Samhain is given as the first of the quarter days written about in the Tochmarc Emire².

As the time of year when 'the summer goes to its rest', Samhain was the time of year when all the winter preparations were finished and people were facing the uncertainty of the coming season. It was a time of endings, during which many legendary kings were slaughtered in Irish literature, and which Proinsius McCana referred to as 'a partial return to primordial chaos...the appropriate setting for myths which symbolise the dissolution of established order as a prelude to its recreation in a new period of time.'³

Furthermore, we can infer from the Serlige con Culaind and its description of the great feis, or gathering of the Ulstermen that lasted for seven days around the time of Samhain that feasting and merriment were a large part of marking Samhain⁴ - a practice that continues among modern Pagans.

Many modern Pagans consider Samhain to be the time of year when the 'veil between the worlds' is particularly thin, and this does have some support in the number of stories that are set around Samhain in which people are attacked or approached by otherworldly beings⁵. Because of this perceived 'thinning of the veil', folk customs and modern Pagan rites often centre around divination at this time of year, as well as honouring the Mighty Dead.

Words 268

1McColman, Carl. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism. P

2Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 361). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

3Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 362). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 361). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5Ibid.

High Days - Spring Equinox/Ostara

Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox takes place on the 21st of March, and for modern Pagans has come to signify the first day of Spring¹. Many Pagans, especially Germanic or Norse inspired Pagans, refer to the festival as 'Eostre', or Ostara.

Eostre is attested to by Bede as the name of the month during which a goddess of the same name would be honoured². It is unclear however, if there was one big festival, many festivals, or indeed if any of them took place during the Equinox. There is the possibility that Eostre herself is a dawn goddess, as her name has cognates in various other IE languages that refer to the dawn and goddesses of the dawn³.

Modern Pagans celebrate the Spring Equinox in a number of ways, as the beginning of spring, celebrations usually centre on ideas of growth, planting, renewal and new life⁴. Many Pagans also engage in egg decorating, which, although an ancient practice, is not necessarily one that can be attributed to any forms of IE Paganism (but has been practiced by Christians since very early on)⁵.

In my protogrove at this time of year, we honour Eostre as the dawn goddess, bringing the 'dawning of the light half of the year'. For us, it's a solar festival during which we try to entice the reluctant dawn goddess to bring her light and warmth back to the world.

Words - 243

1McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

2Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 180). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

3Ibid.

4McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

5Black, V. (2004). Welcome to the church year: An introduction to the seasons of the Episcopal Church (pp. 99-100). Harrisburg, Pa.: Morehouse Pub.

High Days - Imbolc

The festival of Imbolc is celebrated by modern Pagans on the 2nd of February. Pronounced 'imolk', the word 'Imbolc', although of uncertain translation, is suggestive of a connection to ewes and milk¹.

Imbolc is almost definitely a pre-Christian festival, albeit one that is lacking in Pagan period records², however given the strong association with 'St Brighid' (a figure far too similar to the goddess to be coincidental), there are many folk customs that were/are performed in her honour, and which have been adopted by a lot of modern Pagans.

One custom that Pagans might follow is to leave a piece of cloth (known as an brat Bride) out on the eve of Imbolc for Brighid to bless and that can be used for healing³. Another is to make a Brighid doll and a bed for her (known as a Brídeóg), and to show great hospitality to the goddess doll during the festival⁴. Pagans might also weave Brighid's crosses (críosog Bridghe) and hang them over their doors and windows as a sign of welcome for her⁵. Traditionally Brighid's crosses protect their homes from fire and other disasters⁶.

For some, Imbolc is also a time of purification, although it is not immediately clear where this aspect is derived from. It may be because of Brighid's long association with rivers (lending her name to river such as the Brent)⁷, or perhaps because of the Roman rituals of purification during the month of February (Februa)⁸.

Words – 258

1Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 134). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2Ibid.

3Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 135). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 136). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 135). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6St. Brigid's Crosses. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/kildare/saint-brigid/st.-brigids-crosses/

7Bitel, L. (2001). St. Brigit of Ireland: From Virgin Saint to Fertility Goddess. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://monasticmatrix.osu.edu/commentaria/st-brigit-ireland

8Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 139). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

High Days - Yule

Yule is a midwinter festival that takes place on the 21st of December (the midwinter solstice)¹, however, depending on which Pagan tradition is followed, Yule might also be celebrated on various dates around this time.

Although a popular festival among many modern Pagans, the evidence for this festival from the ancient world doesn't exactly align with neo-Pagan Yule. For example, the Roman holiday of Saturnalia (a high day instituted by the emperor Aurelian as part of his state cult), while a time of feasting and merriment, was celebrated on the 17th of December.²

Another festival around this time which was recorded by Bede was 'Modraniht' (Mothers' Night) and it was celebrated on the 25th of December. The Icelandic sources however, tell of a Yule sacrifice/feast that lasted for three nights from midwinter.³

In some ways, it is not hard to see where modern Pagan Yule traditions have their origins, and many are simply the contiuation of the more pagan aspects of Christmas, such as tree decorating and gift-giving. Some Pagans (mostly Germanic and Norse) associate Yule with the Wild Hunt, the Dead, and include the offerings to ancestral Mothers in their feasting. When Pagans are able, many try to make it to an ancient site to hold an overnight vigil to watch the sun come up again.

Indeed, the ancient sites such as Newgrange, Maes Howe, and Long Meg (which align with the winter solstice) are potentially some of our strongest evidence that the midwinter festival was indeed one of importance to the ancients. Unlike historical accounts, they are an enduring testament of what was once perhaps an expression of solar cultic activity focused on the darkest point of the year and its renewal⁴.

Words - 290

1McColman, C. (2002). The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

2Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (Pp. 1-2). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

3Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 7). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 4-5). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

High Days - Autumn Equinox

Of all the High Days, the Autumn Equinox is perhaps the most problematic to link to ancient Pagan custom. For while Bede referred to the month of Septmber as 'Haleg-monath' or 'Holy Month' (a name suggestive of religious observance)¹, and there is record of harvest customs aplenty, t there is no evidence the equinox (which falls on the 21st of September )² was ever marked as an event in its own right. In my opinion, this is probably because the time taken to complete harvest would have depended on the size of the crop.

Because of this, many modern Pagans look towards harvest customs, and the theme of shorter days and harvesting in their celebrations, and there is a theme of giving thanks for what one has. As few Pagans now are farmers and have no experience of harvest in the literal sense, the harvest that is referred to here is often of a more abstract quality ie 'What have I harvested in life'?³. Many modern Pagans also refer to this festival as 'Mabon', after the Welsh god by the same name⁴. This is one of the least celebrated festivals by Pagans and is usually a time of giving thanks⁵.

There are some who consider the naming and cutting of the last sheaf as being potentially indicative of origins in fertility rites. In some places, the last sheaf is named 'Cailleach', in others, 'the Witch', and so on⁶. There is a wide variety of names depending on location, and the method for the treatment of that final sheaf varied too, with some people fearing cutting the sheaf and so throwing their sickles from a distance⁷.

Words - 290

1Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 332). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

3McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

4Ibid.

5Autumn Equinox. (2006, June 7). Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/autumnequinox.shtml

6Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 336). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

7Ibid.

High Days - Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh, or the festival of the god Lugh, falls on the first of August, a time when the first fruits of the harvest are being brought back from the fields¹. As the feast of Lugh, Lughnasadh is the only Irish feast named after a deity², however, the festival also carries the name 'Bron Trogain' in the Tochmarc Emire and is referred to as 'earth's sorrowing in autumn'³.

Many traditions around Lughnasadh (both ancient and modern) involve rituals such as cutting the first corn and offering it to the deity by burying it in a high place, sacrificing a bull, ritual plays telling stories of Lugh, ritual battles in which a person representing Lugh wins⁴, and games in honour of Lugh's foster-mother, Tailtiu⁵.

In stark contrast with the other Celtic festivals, most notably Beltane, Lughnasadh is comparatively devoid of ritual fires as part of its festivities⁶.

Also taking place on the first day of August is the Old English festival of hlæf-mass, from which the word 'Lammas' is derived⁷. While Lammas focuses on the first fruits of the harvest, the argument can be made that it was potentially taken from Lughnasadh as no parallels to Lammas exist among the Germanic tribes on the continent⁸.

In some traditions of modern Paganism, Lughnasadh is the time of year when the god is sacrificed as 'Corn King' in order to feed the children of the goddess. For those that follow these traditions, this is a time of year to remember that sacrifice, to bake bread, and give thanks for what you have⁹.



Words - 277

1Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 327). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2Ibid.

3Ibid.

4Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 327-328). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5Part 6. The Very Basics of Ritual. (2009). In Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

6Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 329). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

7Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 330). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

8

9McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

High Days - Midsummer

The marking of Midsummer, the longest day of the year when the sun is at its strongest, is an ancient practice that can potentially be traced back almost two millenia into the past¹. However, many of those midsummer customs did not take place on the soltice itself ( 21st of June), but on St John's feast day on the 24th of June². On a personal note, I wonder if the celebration itself was preserved, but simply moved to a far less Pagan date.

The earliest mention of a midsummer celebration can be attributed to the Acts of St Vincent in the 4th century which described the practice of the Pagans of Aquitaine rolling a flaming wheel downhill to a river. Afterwards, St Vincent records that the wheel pieces were reassembled in the temple of a 'sky god'³. The long tradition of the spoked wheel being used as a symbol of the sun in Northern European folklore, only serves to further underline the solar focus of this festival⁴.

Midsummer was also associated with divination in folk custom⁵, and certain types of plant that are collected on Midsummer are ascribed greater powers⁶. The feast of St John was also typically marked by the lighting and jumping of fires, however, these fires are believed to have been of Germanic/Scandinavian cultural origin as opposed to Celtic. Like their flamey Celtic counterparts though, these more Germanic fires were also jumped for purification⁷.

According to Pagan author, Carl McColman, for modern Pagans, Midsummer is when the Goddess is swollen with pregnancy (here symbolising crops), and when the Oak King is at the height of his power. Pagans often adopt older midsummer traditions for their more modern celebrations⁸.



Words - 298

1Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 320). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2Ibid.

3Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 311). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Ibid.

5Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 312). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6Ibid.

7Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 319-320). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

8McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

Virtues - Courage

Courage: The ability to act appropriately in the face of danger.¹




Courage

noun \ˈkər-ij, ˈkə-rij\ : mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty ²




In 1929, a scholar by the name of Georges Dumézil posited a theory that would prove both influential


and controversial to scholars and neo-pagan religionists alike. The theory was that of the trifunctionality


of Proto-Indo-European society and according to Dumézil, there was a priestly class, a warrior class,

and a producer class³. Regardless of whether or not you agree with Dumézil though, one thing that is


clear from archaeological, mythological, and historical evidence from across the various Indo-European


cultures, is that the figure of the courageous warrior, is worthy of respect.



However, courage is not the sole domain of warriors, or a warrior class, and it is something to laud in


all cases. I believe that like all other virtues, courage can be developed by the individual; for to develop


the virtue of courage, is to develop the ability to not only aspire to greater things, but to serve your


community, and in turn make your ancestors and community proud of you. Courage can be a hard


virtue to develop, but one thing I've noticed from my very varied life, is that courage can be developed


like any other habit, with each courageous act, no matter how small, providing the basis for more


courageous acts. Unfortunately however, in the same way, cowardice or apathy can also become


habits.




I find it extremely positive that ADF has not only set down courage as a virtue, but that that idea of


courage is a real, every day one, as opposed to one bound to notions of fake warriorhood.

1 Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courage

3Woudhuizen, Fred C. (2010). Reflections of a Trifunctional Religious Ideology among Indo-European Population Groups of the 3^rd and 2^nd Millenia BC.

Virtues - Fertility

Fertility: bounty of mind, body and spirit, involving creativity, production of objects, food, works of art,

etc,. an appreciation of the physical, sensual, nurturing.


Fertility

noun [uncountable] /fɜrˈtɪləti/

1. ability of the soil to produce a lot of good crops or plants.
2. a woman's ability to have babies.
a. used about traditions and ceremonies that encourage fertility.
3. someone's ability to have good ideas or produce good work.¹

Fertility of crops, the propagation of the new generation, descendants to keep your name and offer to you when you've passed. These are the traditional ideas of fertility, these were the kinds of fertility valued by our IE ancestors.

However, we now live in far easier times. We no longer count our age in the number of winters survived, and gone are the days when people would have children with the expectation that half of them would die. The family unit itself has changed too, and is no longer confined to the traditional 'man + woman + 2.4 children' formula of previous years. Thankfully, as a woman, my social worth is no longer bound up in my ability to produce a son.

On a personal level, I have felt the pain of infertility and pregnancy loss and although I'm finally a mother, I am so very glad that ADF defines fertility far more widely than it was defined historically. I've seen communities that operate by and emphasize the more traditional fertility of body, and I've seen the hurt that happens when (usually) women are 'othered' because of infertility issues in those communities, and I think it's the most unhealthy way to run a community. We all have our different skills and talents, our varied ways of contributing to our communities and all should be valued. Moreover, psychologists have found a strong correlation between curiosity of mind (which leads to curiosity), and positive mental health outcomes², which I think only serves to further underline the wisdom of the ADF definition of fertility.

1 Fertility American English definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/fertility

2  TALENT DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES : Articles. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://talentdevelop.com/articlelive/articles/901/1/Curiosity-an-Engine-of-Well-being-An-Interview-with-Todd-Kashdan/Page1.html