News From the Oracle Oct 2022

News from the

Boblig Witch Trial Story of Goddess Hecate

The Story of

Feature Story Reincarnation

Shared By: High Priestess, RavensThorn Morrigan

linear. Multiple religions, philosophies and movements adopted this belief in cyclic life, or reincarnation.

Reincarnation, also called transmigration or metempsychosis, is the concept that the soul, or some aspect of the soul, is reborn into new lives.

maybe even a little strange. That’s because Christianity, Judaism and Islam conceive of time linearly. Life is simply a short step that determines the quality of an afterlife.

Natural life is cyclical. Day fades into night and turns back into day as the sun rises. One season gradually gives way to the next. Over the passage of time, new generations are born and old ones die. The continuous succession of birth, death and rebirth permeates nature even though our own lives seem linear.

So it’s no surprise that some ancient observers looked at the seeming linearity of human existence and decided that life, like the natural world, might actually be more cyclical than

Depending on the religion or philosophy, the soul can appear incarnate in humans, animals or plants as it works its way toward an eventual escape from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Most religions that believe in reincarnation consid er it the path to purity and salvation.

Reincarnation is widely accepted by the major Eastern religions -- most prominently Hinduism and Buddhism. It also has a history in ancient Greek philosophy. However, for people more familiar with the major monotheistic religions -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam -- the idea of reincarnation seems foreign and

For those who believe in only one life followed by an eternal afterlife, reincarnation is like an unwieldy marathon run by relay instead of a short, concise sprint.

The Goddess Lakshmi and the Parasitic Twin

In November 2007, a 2-year-old Indian girl born with four arms and four legs underwent surgery to remove her extra limbs. As a fetus, the girl absorbed her nondeveloping twin -taking on its appendages and kidneys. Some villagers believed the child was a reincarnation of the four-armed Hindu goddess Lakshmi, after whom she was named [source: AP].

Reincarnation in Hinduism

The Hindu religion is vast and varied. Its adherents worship an array of gods

Feature Story Reincarnation

and celebrate diverse traditions. Yet Hinduism, the world’s oldest surviving religion, is unified by its acceptance of samsara, a chain of births and deaths linked by reincarnation. Controlling samsara is the law of karma.

Hindus believe that all individuals accumulate karma over the course of a lifetime. Good actions create good karma and evil actions create negative karma. Karma is not assigned or regulated by any god; it’s simply earned by an individual and passed down through subsequent lives.

But while good karma can eventually earn a person a higher place in the caste system in a future life, the ultimate goal of any Hindu adherent is moksha, or salvation from samsara. Moksha is the final of four primary Hindu goals. The first three -- kama, artha and dharma -- concern earthly pursuits like pleasure, power or well-being and virtue.

Ironically, to achieve moksha, you must make a deliberate effort to not want it. Salvation comes only after a person has abandoned all pursuits and desires and accepts that the individual soul is the same as Brahman, the universal soul or god. By exiting the cycle, an individual no longer endures the pain and suffering of earthly existence performed countless times over.

The belief in reincarnation is also predominant in two prevalent religions from India: Jainism and Sikhism.

Jain adherents believe the soul accumulates karma as an actual physical substance, unlike the conceptual Hindu idea of karmic law. As long as the soul is burdened by karmic particles, it must bind with a body, initiating a series of rebirths. Only when a soul is free from all karma can it exit the cycle of reincarnation and join other disembodied souls in a state of perfection.

However, because Jain followers believe that deliverance is currently impossible, devoted adherents simply pursue purification.

Sikhism also teaches reincarnation. Like Hinduism, the law of karma influences the quality of Sikh life. For Sikhs to exit the cycle of birth and rebirth, they must achieve complete knowledge and become one with God.

Feature Story Reincarnation

The Wheel is Turning Jains compare time to a wheel with six spokes. The wheel’s first three spokes represent Jainism’s golden age; the final three spokes represent the religion’s decline and eventual extinction before rebirth. Because we are currently in the period of decline -- between the fifth and sixth spokes -- Jain adherents believe that it is currently impossible to reach enlightenment.

Reincarnation in Buddhism

When Buddhism was established 2,500 years ago, it incorporated the Hindu belief in reincarnation. Although Buddhism has two major subdivisions and countless variations in regional practices, most Buddhists believe in samsara or the cycle of rebirth.

Samsara is governed by the law of karma: Good conduct produces good karma and bad conduct produces evil karma. Buddhists believe that the soul’s karma transmigrates between bodies and becomes a “germ of

consciousness” in the womb [source: Encyclopaedia Britannica].

Periods of afterlife, sometimes called “the between,” punctuate samsara, coming after death and before rebirth [source: NPR].

Like Hindus, Buddhists see unenlightened samsara as a state of suffering. We suffer because we desire the transient. Only when we achieve a state of total passiveness and free ourselves from all desire can we escape samsara and achieve nirvana, or salvation.

Many Buddhists believe an individual can end the cycle of reincarnation by following the Eightfold Path, or middle way. An enlightened being embodies the directives of the Eightfold Path: correct view, correct intention, correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood, correct effort, correct mindfulness and correct concentration.

The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama taught the

Eightfold Path in his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. Siddhartha, who was born around 563 B.C. near modern-day Nepal, had an extravagant and privileged youth.

As a young man, he began to question his spiritual state amid such luxury and reverted to the life of an extreme ascetic. When his hermitic life brought him no closer to enlightenment, Siddhartha decided to pursue the middle way -- a state of existence between excess and selfdeprivation. Shortly thereafter, Siddhartha reached enlightenment.

Feature Story Reincarnation

Reincarnation in the Ancient Western World

Although belief in reincarnation is a predominant element of many Eastern religions, it also was taught in the ancient Western world.

Mystery religions, which sometimes transformed into secularized social clubs or fraternities, espoused a wide range of reincarnation ceremonies and beliefs. Some of these early Greco-Roman religions eventually influenced the philosophy of famous thinkers like Plato.

Orphism was a popular mystery religion beginning in the sixth or seventh century B.C. Its followers studied the supposed writings of Orpheus, a legendary musical figure.

They believed in a soul that withstood death and could appear incarnate in human or mammalian form. Orphics thought the soul was divine and was imprisoned by the body. By leading a correct life and abstaining from meat, wine and sex, a

soul could go to Elysium, a paradise after death; an evil soul would suffer punishments in hell. But neither afterlife was eternal and after a time, the soul would be reborn into a new body. Only after passing through three good Orphic lives could a soul end the cycle of reincarnation.

The Orphic interest in death and the afterlife influenced the Pythagorean brotherhood, another mystery society based in southern Italy. The philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, who is associated with the brotherhood, believed the soul could appear incarnate in a human or animal’s body.

This belief led to his espousal of vegetarianism. The fraternity taught that the soul originated among the stars but fell to earth and joined with the human body. Pythagorean followers combined their religious theorizing with the studies of astronomy, music and, of course, geometry.

The philosopher Plato also believed that the soul was repeatedly reincarnated. Plato suspected that seven planetary spheres and an eighth sphere of fixed stars surrounded the Earth. The divine lay beyond the eighth sphere and set the universe into motion. Souls came from the planets, descended to earth, united with bodies and then tried to free themselves and reascend to the stars.

Feature Story Reincarnation

Don’t Look Back

The mythological figure of Orpheus possessed immense musical talent. His poems and songs could charm people, animals and even trees and other inanimate objects. But when his wife Eurydice was killed by a snake, Orpheus’s desire to bring her back from the dead made him set out to charm a god. He descended into the underworld, played for Hades and pleased the god with his music. Hades allowed Eurydice to return to life but set one condition: As Orpheus led Eurydice out of the underworld, he could not look back. As the couple reached the surface, Orpheus turned for a glimpse of his wife, only to see her tumbling back into the world of the dead.

Reincarnation in Science

Although reincarnation seems conventional to the more than 1.25 billion practitioners of Hinduism and Buddhism, it’s not widely accepted by those outside of Eastern religion.

The Western skepticism of reincarnation is tied to monotheistic religions’ focus on a single life, a single soul and an active God who does not rely on karmic law. And with sporadic believers announcing they’re Cleopatra or Elvis reincarnate, it’s not surprising many people remain extremely skeptical of the soul’s ability to return repeatedly.

However, this general skepticism has not prevented researchers from exploring the potential for reincarnation. Dr. Ian Stevenson, an academic psychiatrist, led the study of reincarnation in the United States until his death in 2007.

Stevenson founded the Division of Personality Studies under the University of Virginia’s department of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences. The lab, which later became known as the Division of Perceptual Studies, focuses on examining children who remember former lives,

near-death experiences, apparitions and afterdeath communications, out-of-body experiences and deathbed visions.

Stevenson, who often called reincarnation the “survival of personality after death,” saw the existence of past lives as a potential explanation for the differences in human condition [source: New York Times].

He believed past experiences plus genetics and the environment could help elucidate gender dysphoria, phobias and other unexplained personality traits.

Stevenson’s reincarnation studies focused on young children, usually between the ages of 2 and 5, who had inexplicable phobias or detailed memories about a previous life.

Stevenson would attempt to corroborate the facts the child presented with the details of a deceased person’s life. He sometimes made startling connections between memories and lives.

Feature Story Reincarnation

One Lebanese boy studied by Stevenson not only knew where a deceased stranger tied his dog but also that the man had been quarantined in his room -- a fact the family attributed to his pulmonary tuberculosis.

Stevenson studied 2,500 cases over the course of about four decades and published technical books and articles. He claimed he merely wanted to suggest reincarnation was plausible, not to prove it absolutely.

Despite Stevenson’s caveat, his work was largely rejected by the scientific community.

The potential for piecing two lives together with coincidences rather than facts and the inability to perform control experiments opened his research to criticism.

https://people.howstuffworks.com/ reincarnation.htm

A Challenge from Beyond

Although Stevenson never publicly stated a personal belief in reincarnation, he did express his desire to communicate after death. Nearly 40 years ago, the psychiatrist purchased a combination lock and set the code himself with a mnemonic device. He sequestered the lock in a file cabinet and placed it in the Division of Perceptual Studies. He reportedly told colleagues that after death, he would attempt to pass on the mnemonic device. Since Stevenson’s death in February 2007, the lock has not been opened.

Power Items Animal- Dog

Dog Symbolism & Meaning

An excellent way of honoring the Animal Spirits that enter your life is by learning more about them. When a Dog chooses to act as a spiritual guide or an aid, you can trust in it for protection, alertness, bravery, devotion, and constancy. This symbolic value for Dog isn’t surprising. This creature has barked at the heels of humankind for so long that no one knows for sure when they were first domesticated.

Do you need support in leading your pack at home or work?

Trying to decide whether to bark or actually bite?

Dog, as a Spirit, Totem, and Power Animal, can help! Dog teaches the importance of loyalty and position within a group. Delve deeply in Dog symbolism and meaning to find out how this Animal Spirit Guide can support, guide, and motivate you.

Many people believe that Dogs have souls and will reunite with their human counterparts in the afterlife. In other words, all Dogs do indeed go to heaven!

The ancient Egyptians used Dog symbolism regularly. The city of Cynopolis translates as “Dog” . In this region, it was actually a law that the people of the city care for all Dogs diligently. They also worshipped the Dog Star (Sirius) because its position in the sky predicted the flooding of the Nile.

This marked the New Year. This predictability of the Dog spirit equated to faithfulness and also gives Dog an additional metaphysical relationship with prognostication.

It seems everywhere you looked in the ancient world, and indeed modern times, Dog spirit is there with more bark than bite. Leaders in Babylon and Assyria both have numerous Dogs mentioned in their chronicles, along with the concept that Dogs have psychic vision and see ghosts or imperceptible dangers. They use this mystical ability to protect their owners not only in this life but the next.

This ability to see-true may be why the Greeks choose a three-headed Dog image (Cerberus) as the guardian of the dead. In this position, the Dog spirit again acts as a guide and even becomes an obedient intermediary for human souls. This protective element parallels with the Norse Garmr, a Dog that stands at the gates of the

Is it time to truly understand unconditional love?

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underworld. It is said that Garmr will only howl if the end of the world is nigh. In this way, we see the Dog animal spirit again as a visionary and prognosticator.

Time and time again mythology portrays the sacred Dog as being brave, powerful and vigilant. The hunter Orion of Greek mythology was always accompanied by his faithful Dog, Sirius. The Goddess Artemis is also depicted with divine hunting Dogs. In South Africa, we see this creature portrayed as an Ancestor spirit that gives humankind fire, and in Japan, the images of Dogs often stand guard at temple doors.

With all this in mind, it’s not surprising when a Dog spirit guide chooses to bless your life. They are exactly where they wish to be, close to a human heart who will cherish them. As a side note, an actual living Dog can be a Divine messenger and helpmate too. Some people believe that Angels can turn themselves into Dogs for the purpose of

safeguarding a person or family and offering aid in times of trouble.

Dog Spirit Animal

When the Dog Spirit Animal chooses you, you will have a best friend in the etheric plane probably for the remainder of your years on this planet.

Dog cannot be deterred easily and is particularly drawn to humans who show service and loyalty generously to others. This animal spirit guide also

comes when a soul calls out for aid, akin to the St. Bernard arriving just in the nick of time. If Dog spirit keeps nudging you, be aware. There may be problems afoot that you cannot immediately see. Let your Dog’s nose sniff out the problem.

Additionally, Dog spirit always reminds you to maintain your integrity and faithfulness with all the gentle souls that

Power Items Animal- Dog

share your life, both human and animal. This bit of animal medicine is true for self too – you cannot be a good friend to others without having the same relationship with yourself.As a spiritual companion Dog builds an intense sense of devotion with all your relations.

Should your proverbial tribe come into times of trouble, Dog spirit will not run with his tail between his legs but stand firm by your side. Just one word of caution: if your Dog animal guide feels you abuse trust and devotion, it will nip you firmly. Heed the warning

Dog Totem Animal

If you find yourself attracted to a Dog totem it says a lot about your ability to give and receive love. It also reflects a person who serves quietly in the backdrop, leaving others in the spotlight while you support success. From this position, you can see everything that’s going on more clearly and stand watch for any trouble.

A Dog totem symbolizes the ability to devote oneself to a spiritual path or personal ethic no matter the situation. It is not surprising to find many ministers and metaphysical teachers having a Dog totem. There is no need for a leash here – the dedication is already apparent and it would take a major crisis for you to abandon your faith.

Dog as a Totem Animal also embodies the social self. People with this Animal Spirit Guide ally never stray far from their inner circle of friends and family. When life becomes harsh, a Dog totem comes close and nuzzles us with unconditional love. He will lie at your feet and keep watch until the storms pass.

When working with this totem, remember that your patience for mean people or those who willfully hurt others’ feelings will be very low.

There’s a tendency toward “chewing” them out in no uncertain terms, which may be exactly what they need.

Dog Power Animal

Dog people are fiercely devoted, loving and protective. Invoke Dog as your Power Animal when you need support staying strong in your drive to serve humankind. Burnout is no fun and Dog energy teaches us that it’s OK to stop and chase a Frisbee every once in a while.

Call in Dog medicine when your social calendar gets overwhelming. It’s fine to have lots of friends in your pack and you are the kind of person everyone else wants as a

Power Items Animal- Dog

depends heavily on this creature (in real or other forms) being properly treated. Where people took care of Dogs, blessings ensued, but where people harmed or disrespected the Dog spirit, calamity follows.

Dog as a Celtic Animal Symbol

companion. You always seem to know just how to welcome friends with a happiness and healing energy that feeds people to their very soul. But you cannot save everyone and your own well-being is a priority.

Dog as a Power Animal encourages us to be the most giving and altruistic as possible. In some instances, this Being asks us to carry messages from the spirit world or even from the Divine, often words that lift an ailing soul and provide hope.

Listen carefully to that guidance and deliver your missive faithfully but be sure you are protected,

too. Remember, you can’t help serve when your own mind, body, and spirit are energetically depleted.

Native American Dog Symbolic Meanings

Many Native American tribes had Dog companions that acted as a guide and guard who barked out warnings.

Some of its symbolism intertwines with coyote as the inventor of fire, a spirit that brings and an intermediary between the Great Spirit and humankind that is friendly and loyal.

As with most global folklore, the aid of a Dog animal spirit in Native American tradition

Dogs were very important to hunting in the Celtic world. As such we often see the great heroes, Gods and Goddesses being accompanied by hounds. The stories of Dogs regularly focus on them as guides to the underworld, and guardians of the crossroads where they keep a spirit safe and guide it toward a new life. This again reflects the Dog spirit as one that’s a loyal and honorable companion.

Dog Dreams

Dogs barking in your dreams indicate trouble and may warn of betrayal from someone close to you. Single Dogs in dreams often represent the dreamer’s overall sense of loyalty and generosity in daily life.

Power Items Animal- Dog

A Dog with pups refers to your ability to cultivate or nurture people and situations.

Dog in Astrology & Zodiac Signs

Dog Symbolic Meanings Key

Power Items Bird-Owl

truly seeing things from a spiritual perspective; This refreshing vantage point allows you to open doorways into other realms and connect with the Devas, Ancestors, Angels, and the Divine.

Owl has a strong connection with the element of air. Travel with Owl Spirit to the heavens and soar through the halls of the Akashic records.

Owl Symbolism & Meaning

From time to time, we all need help summoning the courage to see the truth.

Do you need to discover what is really being said?

Owl as a Spirit, Totem, and Power Animal can help! Owl Spirit teaches you how to harness the strength needed to open your eyes and look into the shadows. Delve deeply in Owl symbolism and meaning to find out how this animal spirit guide can illuminate, assist, and educate you.

When you seek out Owl, it is a way of reaching your Higher Self and

Owl will show you things that might otherwise remain hidden to you, so be open to seeing things in a whole new way.

You cannot deceive Owl, which is why this Spirit Animal reminds us to remain true to ourselves, our voice, and our vision. Owl does not tolerate illusion or secrets. If there are skeletons in the closet, you can trust that Owl will find them and start house cleaning.

It is no surprise that the Goddess Athena held Owls as sacred. Athena is beyond doubt, one of the most complex Deities in history, and Her attributes included wisdom and

strategy – so Owl Spirit became the perfect companion. In Greek tradition, Owl was also a protector. It was believed that an Owl flying over a soldier or army portended victory because Owl would remain watchful.

As a creature of the night, the Celts and Egyptians regarded Owl as a gatekeeper to other realms, particularly the souls of the dead. In some stories, this bird actually accompanies a soul, so it doesn’t get lost on its journey.

In Native American tradition, Owl represents sacred knOwledge. When you begin studying the mysteries, this Spirit Animal Guide is an amazing helpmate and mentor.

Overall, Owl is a symbol of being able to navigate any darkness in our life; this Spirit brings clarity, prophetic inklings, and a strong connection with the mystical world.

Power Items Bird-Owl

Owl Spirit Animal

When Owl wings its way into your life, you have the opportunity to become far more observant. Settle down on that tree limb and watch. You’ll be amazed at how much life goes by when you’re not running around so much.

In fact, you’ll notice a lot of important details that previously eluded you. The world is filled with layers of symbolism and meaning, and the Owl gives you “new” eyes with which to see those.

How?

An Owl’s eyes adjust in an instant from telescopic to microscopic. With Owl energy surrounding your soul, you can look into the past, present, and future with uncanny accuracy.

We are aware that as a Spirit Animal, Owl often calls on us to release the past and put down burdens that hold us back. You have to face your shadows and fears, then move beyond them to find true happiness.

Owls don’t just honor us with the ability of “Second Sight” . These majestic birds have hearing that is quite literally “perfect stereo” . Their ears are not symmetrical as one is higher than the other; this allows sound to be heard separately in the individual ear.

Owl as a Spirit Animal Guide can aid you in hearing what is really being said despite the words and emotions coming from the messenger.

Owl Totem Animal

When you know Owl as a Totem Animal, you’ll find your connection with the Yin of the Universe growing stronger, as will your awareness of lunar cycles. Embrace the inner Goddess, weave your spells by the light of a full moon, and really listen to your inner voice.

Owl, as a Totem Animal, opens the doorway to seeing the spiritual beings inside the human bodies that house them. You will know things

about people that are sometimes awkward or uncomfortable, but you see TRUE. Many people who have Owl totems discover their clairvoyance growing by leaps and bounds.

The Owl totem is one of discernment. Let this Spirit guide you during confusing situations. Start trusting your spiritual radar about people and use the beauty of the night to inspire your creativity.

Owl Spirit has mastered silence and finds its strength there. With Owl as your Totem Animal, you will not waste precious energy by speaking with no purpose.

Power Items Bird-Owl

Remember, you have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. Seeing and hearing should occur four times more than speaking. In this, you’ll be able to glean wisdom others miss because they are too busy chattering their minds away.

Owl Power Animal Invoke Owl as a Power Animal when you are opening a doorway to hidden realms. In the quiet of the night, you’ll find solace as the voice of the Divine becomes more clear.

Owl flies quietly in our lives but always ask the question, “WHO?” So, prepare for selfactualization when partnering with this spiritual being.

Owl Medicine can help support you when the time to speak your truth has arrived. Remember, Owls are birds of prey, and little stops them when they set their sites on “the prize.”

What or whom do you have your heart set on?

Focus, patience, and stillness can win the day.

Invoke Owl Energy when you need to see all the details of what or who is coming toward you and what is right in front of you.

Native American Owl Symbolic Meanings

Native Americans refer to the Owl as a Night Eagle because of its keen vision. They regard the Owl as a conjuror who is silent and fierce, and who foretells the oncoming of death.

The Owl is a harbinger of truth, particularly to self, and a creature that brings magic on its wings.

Owl as a Celtic Animal Symbol

In Celtic mythology, Owls knew the way to the underworld and were fierce defenders of truth and honor. Owl has no tolerance for deception, even when we are deceiving ourselves.

The Celtic Owl was tied closely to the ancient Goddess of fertility. It frequently appears in

knotwork and bestiaries, being revered for its ability to see in the dark and acting as a messenger between humans and the Divine.

Owl Dreams

Dreaming of Owls may be a warning from your higher self to be wary of a situation or person that is not as it appears. It may also be an omen of figurative or literal death, or hooting out a message from the Ancestors or dearly departed.

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Bird-Owl

Owl in Astrology & Zodiac Signs

In Native American Zodiac & Astrology, people born May 21 – June 21 (Southern Hemisphere) & November 22 –December 21 (Northern Hemisphere) are born under the sign of the Owl. Owl people are extraordinary communicators, particularly when it comes to the great Mysteries. You have a quick mind, high standards, and a strong sense of honor.

Those with the Owl Native American Zodiac & Astrology Sign may be misunderstood because of their uncanny ability to move quietly and effectively through figurative or literal darkness. You are also fast on your feet, making it hard for people to keep up with you.

Owl Symbolic Meanings Key

True Seeing

Watchfulness

Discretion

& Learning

Wisdom

of Silence

to Details

the

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

powerful stone for those who want to wear a constant cloak of protection. Potent, inky black, and with strong grounding forces, this jet colored stone is known for being a swallower of negative energies. It effectively helps the wearer be absolved of dark feelings, turning these anxious vibrations into a positive spin that nurtures the soul.

What is Black Tourmaline?

Black Tourmaline is part of the Tourmaline family. It is also known as Schorl and is a style of silicate crystal. It is commonly found in trigonal crystal systems and is made up of Sodium Iron Aluminum Borate Silicate. The stone is black. Black Tourmaline means grounding and protection.

Begone, Negative Energy! An inky black stone Swallows negative energy

Transforms anxious feelings

Found in Saxon Germany in the year 1400

While Black Tourmaline may seem stripped of any color, it’s a hugely

Black Tourmaline is deeply connected to the base chakras, those earthly roots that help you to feel safe and secure in your place upon this earth. When your root chakras are beautifully balanced and in check, this grants you that deep-seated selfconfidence to embrace who you are, speak your truth, and set upon your own path to spiritual healing. And Black Tourmaline can pave the way.

Hailing from the far-flung corners of the globe, Black Tourmaline can be found in the lush jungles of Brazil’s Amazon, the

soaring mountains that split Pakistan and even beside the salt whipped waves of Maine. The first piece of Black Tourmaline was found back in the year 1400, deep in the rugged heart of Saxony, Germany where the dreamy piece of darkness was picked up close to an old tin mine. Since those days, Black Tourmaline has traveled a long way in our consciousness, and these unique properties make up the protective stone known for keeping bad energy away.

As dark as night, Black Tourmaline looks like someone took a sledgehammer to a volcano. Cool to the touch, but with ridges and furrows, it’s not a stone that needs a smooth appearance to make its point. Black Tourmaline is of the earth and every piece is perfectly unique.

Yet, all hold the inky shade of black, sometimes when held in the light, the darkness seems to capture wispy grey veins or appear almost blue and deeply iridescent.

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

Common formations of Tourmaline are Dravite and Schorl.

Dravite tends to be a browner shade, earthly and rich whereas Schorl is as the inky midnight shade of onyx.

Black Tourmaline Meaning: There are many shades of Tourmaline, but none that hold the protective powers associated with Black Tourmaline. Formed where steamy waters and minerals move through pockets of the earth, this stone is deeply enriched with iron and manganese, both of which help grant Black Tourmaline the charging and magnetic properties that make it such a vital tool in your grounding box.

Feeling grounded is one of the most fundamental ingredients for those of us on a personal journey. Without the joy of being gorgeously grounded, we may find ourselves feeling lost, adrift, unmotivated and unconnected to any deeper sense of self. It’s also important to feel protected, and this again

is where Black Tourmaline comes in.

Physical Healing Properties Blocks EMFs Boosts metabolism

Perhaps the most famed benefit of the Black Tourmaline stone has to be its mighty protective properties. This is a stone so well versed at keeping you in the clear from toxic energies, that you can step out without a worry. Whether dealing with a dose of negativity from another person, or blocking EMF’s and worrying environmental factors, wearing Black Tourmaline is akin to always carrying a shield which cannot help but add a swagger of positive energy every time you step out.

Black Tourmaline has plenty of physical benefits for those whose bodies could use an extra dose of toughness. Helping circulation, reducing the negative imprint of lung problems, boosting metabolism, and effectively cutting down on muscle aches and pains

are just a few things that Black Tourmaline can do. As a wonderful supporter of all organ systems and the immune system, you can expect Black Tourmaline to pick up the pace when it comes to swift and smooth healing.

If you find yourself a sensitive soul when it comes to electromagnetic forces, then Black Tourmaline can be the stone you need. Laptops, phones, TV – these all give off a smog that can cause chaos in those

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

who are prone to EMF sensitivity. Fortunately, Black Tourmaline can stop EMF in its tracks, forming a protective barrier and soaking up the smog.

Emotional Healing Properties

Strong grounding forces Cuts through anxious thoughts

Potent, inky black, and with strong grounding forces, this jet colored stone is known for being a swallower of negative energies. It effectively helps the wearer be absolved of dark feelings, turning these anxious vibrations into a positive spin that nurtures the soul.

We already mentioned how great of a grounding force Black Tourmaline can be. Keeping you tethered at all times is an amazing way to keep your root chakra ready and clear, meaning that you can bask in the brilliance of self-confidence, feel connected to those around you, and make decisions based on need, not fear.

Another incredible benefit of Black Tourmaline is its ability to swap out detrimental patterns for positive ones. If you have old habits that aren’t serving you well, then Black Tourmaline will use its incredible frequencies to take all that energy and transform it into something pure and positive, helping you to consistently be on your best game and to achieve all that you can.

If you tend to lose your head or feel like the world is falling in on you, Black Tourmaline

can truly transform your potential for staying calm and collected. By cutting through anxious thoughts, protecting you from the negative energies of others, and helping you stay connected, you can say farewell to debilitating levels of stress and anxiety. When you welcome positive energy, you also pave the way for good luck to flow towards you.

Metaphysical Properties Connected to the root chakra

Encourages confidence and truth seeking

Black Tourmaline is deeply connected to the base chakras, those earthly roots that help you to feel safe and secure in your place upon this earth. When your root chakras are beautifully balanced and in check, this grants you that deep-seated selfconfidence to embrace who you are, speak your truth, and set upon your own path to spiritual healing. And Black Tourmaline can pave the way.

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

Providing a cloak of protection, this stone doesn’t leave you naked and exposed to energy vampires and psychic attacks. Boundaries are beautiful, and when we have some form of protection in place, we can move through the world without feeling consumed by the need to ‘watch our back’. It opens us up to be trusting, loving, and ready to learn as we have faith that we are tethered and protected no matter what.

Black Tourmaline As a Zodiac Birthstone

A birthstone for Libra and Scorpio Good for Capricorns

Black Tourmaline is associated with the birthstone that represents the dark nights closing in. As an October birthstone, Black Tourmaline is a match for Libras and Scorpios but is also incredibly well suited to Capricorns. Librans are charming and balanced, but they do tend to flee from facing conflict.

Black Tourmaline helps Librans to stay strong and feeling protected inviting them a secure space in which to share their thoughts and ideas when needed. Black Tourmaline is a stress dissolver for the Libra star sign.

For Scorpios, Black Tourmaline can also help them with their indecisive and conflict avoidance traits too.

Capricorns are known for their ambitious and disciplined nature, but too much time tethered to the computer and all that technology can be detrimental on both mental and physical health. Black Tourmaline can swoop in to soak up those EMF’s.

Capricorns pride themselves in being complete and unflinching realists, but this can be read as being a little too pessimistic. Whenever a new idea to put on the table, a Capricorn won’t hesitate to count the flaws in the plan before they even show a hint of excitement.

Another amazing trait of Black Tourmaline is its ability to bring a muchneeded dose of positivity and to push that negative vibes a little further to the background. This doesn’t mean that the dark-colored stone invites you to be a fake but actually entices you to pay attention a little bit more to the positive side.

As Capricorns can also steer a little more to the sensitive side, Black

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

Tourmaline may help you to grow a little bit of a thicker skin. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being sensitive but if you find it is getting in the way of your selfconfidence, esteem levels, and ability to ease up in social settings, then this obsidian like gemstone can help you shrug off those jokes like water on a ducks back.

Using Black Tourmaline for Crystal Healing Wear jewelry for protection Welcome into the home to fend off EMF’s

To make the most of its protective nature, Black Tourmaline should strike up a close-knit bond with all that want to soak up the truly potent benefits of her strength. Here are our tips on how to use Black Tourmaline and gemstone jewelry to your best advantage…

For those who feel vulnerable to the world or who have high empath issues, Black Tourmaline is best worn on the body in the form of jewelry. By

wearing Black Tourmaline it is akin to putting a cloak on or carrying a shield as it will always be there, forming a guard against unwanted energies and emotional attacks. Having Black Tourmaline jewelry is one of the most effective ways to drape this cape around your shoulders as using gemstones for direct skin contact ensures that your body is able to effectively soak up and transmute those healing vibrations.

For those stones that marry well with Black Tourmaline, you can look to Amethyst to balance out protection and instill an even deeper sense of calm. Hematite is another fiercely protective stone which is sure to make your arsenal against electromagnetic radiation even stronger.

Clear Quartz can balance out the midnight hues to become the moon. You can also look towards other members of the tourmaline family to match your Black Tourmaline. Pink Tourmaline is as pretty as

a picture, and like many of the rose-hued stones, it encourages gentle love, joy and endless compassion. One of the most beautiful styles of Pink Tourmaline is known as Watermelon Tourmaline thanks to its pink center edged with green.

Green Tourmaline also brings masculine energy to the more feminine style of the rosy stone. This stone is sublime to the eye and stands out in its sheer splendor when place next to the midnight shades of black crystals. Agate, Kyanite, Fluorite, and Rose Quartz also make excellent intuitive partners to the Black Tourmaline crystal.

If you want to cleanse your aura, clear out worries, and fall into the wonderful bliss of a good night’s sleep, then take a piece of Black Tourmaline and place it beneath your pillow. Having it close will help its nature to soothe aches and pains that plague your sleep, meaning you will wake up refreshed and ready to face another day.

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

Home and Office

If you want to place an EMF protective forcefield around your home, then take four small pieces of Black Tourmaline and create a grid by placing one in each of the four corners. This protective grid will ensure that your home remains a sanctuary, protected against any detrimental energies that try to enter your space.

How to Cleanse Black Tourmaline woman in boat on a lake Cleanse with water Charge by smudging Because Black Tourmaline works like a sponge, soaking up all those negative energies whizzing around, it’s important to keep your stone emotionally cleansed on a regular basis.

Black Tourmaline has an appetite and while it will easily digest toxic vibes, you do want to keep it purified to stop its potent powers getting blocked. You can opt to smudge the stone to clear away the bad juju.

Another way of ensuring your Black Tourmaline piece is clear is by soaking it. Simply place it in a bowl of bright and clear spring water and let it soak for a short while to ensure that every ripple of doubt has flowed away.

Final Thoughts on Black Tourmaline

For those who want to call on the natural powers of protection, Black Tourmaline is your ideal secret weapon. It’s impeccable powers and its ability to transmute negative energies into something positive make it a must for your toolbox of crystals that beautifully serve and protect.

If you struggle to feel safe in your root chakra, find yourself feeling lost and vulnerable in this world, and often feel like your own emotions are spinning out of control, then Black Tourmaline can be the friend you need to bring yourself back to grounding.

Can Black Tourmaline go in water?

Black Tourmaline is a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale which means that it is considered to be water safe. However, like with all crystals, you should avoid leaving Black Tourmaline exposed to water for long periods of time. Black tourmaline can also be washed in salt water but again, shouldn’t be exposed for too long.

What is Black Tourmaline good for?

Black Tourmaline is a stone often used for protection. It’s a great stone for soaking up negative energies and blocks EMF’s. It is also a good stone for opening the root chakra and making sure that you stay grounded. Black

What are your thoughts on Black Tourmaline?

Does its inky nature call to you or are you more drawn to the brighter gemstones?

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

Tourmaline can help with anxiety, stress, and a good sleep.

How to charge Black Tourmaline?

As an absorber of negative energy it is essential that you keep your Black Tourmaline cleansed and charged as regularly as needed. One of the best ways of charging up your Black Tourmaline is to place it in sunlight for twenty minutes. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving it in the sun you can also place it in moonlight or even in the earth for a few hours.

How to tell if Black Tourmaline is real?

Black Tourmaline is a hard stone that shouldn’t suffer damage when being scratched by a knife. As it scores a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale you should be able to perform a scratch test. If the stone stays intact and doesn’t display scratch marks from a knife or steel nail then it’s probably the real deal. You can also check the gem for long vertical lines and in the case of tumbled Black Tourmaline

you should still be able to feel cracks and fissures.

How to use Black Tourmaline?

One of the best ways to use Black Tourmaline is to wear it. Inviting your healing gemstones to have direct contact with the skin can keep you synced to positive vibrations and can ensure you carry that healing energy with you. Wearing it will also invoke the tradition of it being a protective amulet which also helps to keep negative energies and EMFs at bay. If you want to use Black Tourmaline to clear the root chakra, you can place the stone on that area of the body during meditation. You can also place Black Tourmaline at entryways of your home to keep harmful energy far from your door.

Can Black Tourmaline be in the sun?

Yes, Black Tourmaline can be placed in the sun and in fact, it’s a great way to charge and cleanse your stone. However, as with all crystals, you want to avoid prolonged exposure

to sunshine as this could impact the coloring of the gem. Leave it for less than an hour to play it safe and avoid any sun exposure fading.

What chakra is Black Tourmaline?

Black Tourmaline is connected to the root chakra. Like all dark and dreamy stones, this gem helps you to get grounded. The root chakra is one of our most foundational chakras and is the root of how we feel safe and secure in this world. When our root chakra is balanced we can enjoy heightened confidence and a sense of balance.

What is Black Tourmaline stone?

Black Tourmaline also goes by the name of Schorl. It is a member of the tourmaline family and made up of sodium iron aluminum borate silicate. It has a trigonal crystal system and usually a vitreous luster. As the name suggests, this gemstone is normally a deep black color.

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

What does it mean when Black Tourmaline breaks?

Crystals can break when they have had an energetic breakthrough.

As Black Tourmaline is a powerful protection gem, a breakage could mean that it came up against a big force of negative energy and used all its might in keeping that bad energy at bay.

Where to place Black Tourmaline in the house?

If you want your Black Tourmaline to protect you EMFs you can place it on your desk or close to wherever you work most with technology. Creating a safety field around your house can also be achieved by placing Black Tourmaline stones in each of the four corners. For those who need to boost their sleep, keep the gem in the bedroom.

Is Black Tourmaline toxic?

Black Tourmaline is not considered to be a toxic gemstone and is completely safe to use.

What does Black Tourmaline look like?

You can recognize a Black Tourmaline due to its pitch black coloring and the appearance of vertical lines on the stone. This gemstone comes stripped of color, and boasts a textured surface with ridges, furrows, and lines.

Where is Black Tourmaline found?

Black Tourmaline is found across the world, but some of its main mining spots are in African countries such as Tanzania, Madagascar, Namibia, Mozambique, Kenya, and Nigeria among others. Black Tourmaline is also found in Brazil and other spots too.

How do you use Black Tourmaline?

One of the best ways to use Black Tourmaline is to simply keep it on your person. Wear it in jewelry form, pack it in your purse or pocket, sleep with it under your pillow or do whatever you can to stay present and connected. You can also work with Black Tourmaline in reiki

healing or hold the stone when meditating to stay grounded and protected at all times.

Is Black Tourmaline radioactive?

Black Tourmaline is not radioactive, in fact it is widely believed to be a protective gemstone that helps to ward off radiation, EMFs, and any kind of toxicity or negative energy in the air. This is why people who are sensitive to EMFs keep Black Tourmaline close by.

Can Black Tourmaline make you sick?

All crystals have the possibility of contrasting with your own energy or being too strong at first.

If your Black Tourmaline is making you feel sick or light headed, you can give it a good cleanse to rid it of any energy build up. You can also try keeping it close by or in nearby proximity but not on the body until you have built up a good tolerance to its energy.

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

How to program Black Tourmaline?

One of the best ways to program Black Tourmaline is to hold it in your receiving hand and sit comfortably. You can clear your mind and focus on what you want from the gemstone - whether its complete protection, grounding, balance, or anything else.. Speak your intention outloud and concentrate on how it would feel. Hold the stone to your heart and thank it. Now, keep the gem close for some time so it syncs with your own energy.

How to wear Black Tourmaline bracelet?

If you want to make the most of your Black Tourmaline bracelet, you can wear it on your left wrist. Your left wrist is your receiving hand which means that you will receive all the protection this gemstone has to offer. If you want to send protection out to those you love and care for, you can also wear it on the right hand (your giving hand).

Who should not wear Black Tourmaline?

Black Tourmaline is a truly grounding stone and it can help alleviate a lot of suffering or feelings of insecurity in many people. However, some people may be sensitive to its deep grounding energy and may find it a heavy stone or may be sensitive to its strong energy. If you are experiencing heaviness, nausea, or light headedness you may want to work up to wearing it and start with just keeping it close by or limiting your exposure to the stone at the beginning.

How do you cleanse Black Tourmaline?

One of the easiest ways to cleanse Black Tourmaline is to hold it under running water for a few seconds to let any energetic build up discharge. If you want to cleanse it in a less invasive way, you can also smudge your stone or use sound baths to help it clear any energy away.

Is shungite the same as Black Tourmaline?

Black Tourmaline is a silicate mineral whereas Shungite doesn’t share this crystal structure. Shungite is mostly made up of carbon so they don’t share the same make up at all. However, they do share some similarities in terms of being black stones that are commonly called on for their protective powers.

What are the benefits of Black Tourmaline?

There are many benefits to welcoming Black Tourmaline into your world. This gemstone is a great stone for getting you grounded and cleansing the root chakra so you can feel safe and stable and brimming with confidence. It also helps to keep you free from the side effects that come from EMFs and other toxic energies. Black Tourmaline is one of the best protective gemstones.

What does Black Tourmaline symbolize?

Black Tourmaline symbolizes safety, grounding, and

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

protection. It has the symbolic energy of throwing an invisibility cloak over you when it comes to negative energy. It also helps to keep your body buzzing at the highest frequency possible, ensuring that those negative vibes stay well away.

What is the spiritual meaning of Black Tourmaline?

Black Tourmaline is an anchor for the soul in all the best ways. As a beautiful grounding stone, this dark and dreamy gem clears the root chakra so you can always keep your feet on the ground. It also surrounds you with an aura of protection, meaning that any bad vibes will struggle to break through.

Is Black Tourmaline the same as obsidian?

Black Tourmaline is in the mineral class whereas Obsidian is considered to be a volcanic glass. Both share similar energies in terms of protection and grounding but Black Tourmaline is known to be a dab hand at keeping

negative energies at bay. Obsidian also has a smoother texture than Black Tourmaline.

Where can I buy Black Tourmaline near me?

As Black Tourmaline is one of the most popular gemstones out there, you shouldn’t have any issue picking it up from a gemstone retailer. Always make sure that your crystal seller is reputable so that the crystals you bring into your life are the real deal and ethically sourced if possible.

Where to put Black Tourmaline on your body?

Wearing Black Tourmaline on the body in terms of gemstone jewelry will help you to surround yourself in protective energy. You can wear it as a bracelet on your left side to keep yourself shielded from negative energy. You can wear it as a pendant or earrings or even as a stone in your ring so it works as a protective amulet.

If you want to use it to cleanse the root chakra then place it on your

lower body - around your pelvic floor or base of the spine.

Can you sleep with Black Tourmaline?

Anyone who struggles with sleep will fall head over heels for Black Tourmaline. As a gemstone connected with safety, security, and protection, you can rest easy knowing that Black Tourmaline has your back. It helps ease tension and anxiety, keeps you safe from nightmares, and protects you from electromagnetic smog that can seep into your sleep space too.

Does Black Tourmaline protect against emf? Yes, as a powerful protective stone Black Tourmaline can help to protect against EMFs and other environmental factors. Electromagnetic smog can come from all kinds of electronics and those who are sensitive to it may find that they are more susceptible to headaches, sleeplessness, anxiety, and other issues. Having a Black Tourmaline close by can

Power Items Stone-Tourmaline

help to ensure that you stay protected and keep any toxic or negative energies at bay.

Does the size of Black Tourmaline matter?

When it comes to crystal healing on the body, the size of the Black Tourmaline stone shouldn’t matter. However, when it comes to attempting to energetically cleanse the room or protect your physical space, a larger stone or crystal tower or sphere may work better.

How to wear Black Tourmaline stone?

Wear your Black Tourmaline stone in the form of jewelry to carry its protective and healing powers with you wherever you go. Wearing it as a bracelet on your left hand (your receiving hand) keeps you protected from negative energy. You can also wear an amulet around your neck. If you want to lend protection to your third eye or crown chakra you can also wear these gemstones in earring form.

Is Black Tourmaline good for sleep?

Yes, Black Tourmaline is a great stone for sleep. Not only does this dark and dreamy gem keep bad dreams at bay but it also helps you to create a safe haven for getting to sleep in the first place.

Black Tourmaline eases anxiety, helps you to settle, and makes sure that no negative energies (including EMFs) can enter your space.

Is Black Tourmaline magnetic?

Yes, of all the gemstones, tourmaline and indeed Black Tourmaline have

the highest magnetic properties thanks to the concentration of iron or manganese. It is also said to become electrically charged when heating or rubbing it.

Make no mistake, this gemstone is soaked in power and charged to the max.

Tourmaline Amethyst is a good gem for balancing out the grounding power of this foundational stone. Clear Quartz also balances in terms of energy and shade.

Pink Tourmaline brings love and energy all while

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Stone-Tourmaline

the black keeps you protected. Rose Quartz, Agate, Fluorite, and Kunzite can also be matches made in heaven.

Who should wear Black Tourmaline?

Those who are sensitive to EMFs and other environmental factors would do well to wear Black Tourmaline. As Black Tourmaline protects against EMFs and all kinds of harmful energy, wearing this gemstone will ensure that any negative effects are kept at bay.

You can also wear Black Tourmaline if you feel unsteady or unsafe in this world as the stone can help you get grounded and raise your confidence right up.

Can I sleep with Black Tourmaline?

Yes, Black Tourmaline is a great stone to carry to bed with you. As it’s a gemstone of protection, it can help to keep nightmares and intrusive thoughts at bay. For those who struggle with letting go of the day or who often fight to relax into a sweet sleep, Black Tourmaline can be a perfect part of your bedtime routine.

Delphi

recognition to Tiny Rituals Blog

Power Items Flower-Calendula

used calendula to rejuvenate their skin. The Greeks and Romans used it as a culinary garnish. In ancient as well as modern India, Calendula is often strung into garlands for weddings and religious rituals. Powers of protection and prophecy have been attributed to calendula.

what doesn’t belong, and he helps warm the whole system, urging the body toward healthy circulation. Calendula offers us an opportunity to move that which has stagnated in our lives.

While Calendula’s origins are somewhat disputed, there is no question as to how important this garden flower has been in more recent history.

Europeans and early American colonists relied on calendula’s sunny disposition and gentle immune boosting properties for protection against the damp, cold of winter. It was a common pot herb, meaning it was often used in soups and stews, as well as a regular ingredient in daily herbal infusions and beauty treatments.

Calendula has been revered as a magical medicinal for centuries as well. Ancient Egyptians

Strewing calendula under your bed was said to offer you protection from robbers and thieves and to induce prophetic dreams if you had been robbed, helping you to identify the culprit.

When dealing with legal matters, it was considered wise to carry a bit of calendula in your pocket to ensure a positive outcome. Bathing in calendula infusion was thought to give one a healthy, sunny glow that would draw admiration and respect from one’s community.

Calendula Magic

Calendula’s medicinal affinity is for moving that which has stagnated in our defense system. He isolates and quarantines

He helps us warm and dry the emotional-energetic pools we’ve ignored or not quite noticed. Calendula magic offers us an opportunity to reclaim our boundaries and to make full use of the energy we already possess. Calendula magic is the magic of recognizing and using our wealth.

Calendula’s flowers follow the sun, gathering in those gentle, fiery, nourishing energies. His magic is warming, coaxing us into a brighter disposition and offering us a glimpse into the sunny possibilities even when we’re feeling mired in the dark of winter.

He asks us to seek similar energies in our lives and to use them to bring ourselves and our work into blossom. Calendula magic is the magic of

Power Items Flower-Calendula

nurturing potential. As a hearty plant, Calendula is able to live in a wide variety of climates and soils, self-seeding and thriving on minimal care. Calendula magic is the magic of universal opportunity.

He shows us that bounty, prosperity, and wealth are available to all of us, no matter our socioeconomic situation, should we choose to focus on the bright, nourishing elements in our lives.

“You have all you need to flourish,”

he seems to counsel. Calendula magic is the magic of wealth, its potential, its attitude, and its beauty. Blooming from early spring into late fall and even winter, Calendula has much to teach about sustaining wealth. As a mentor and wise companion on your journey, Calendula can show you how to recognize and create the conditions within which true wealth can come into blossom repeatedly.

If Calendula has come into your life, look

forward the many beautiful ways in which wealth can blossom for you and be ready to make all the adjustments necessary to maintain the conditions that best support those blossoms. Calendula magic is the magic of sustaining wealth.

In astrology, Calendula is considered a masculine plant and is governed by the Sun. His element is Fire.

https://thepracticalherbalist.com/ advanced-herbalism/calendula-mythand-magic/

Power Items Herb-Basil

childbirth to promote blood circulation, and to start the flow of breast milk

What are the side effects of basil?

cell structures as well as chromosomes from radiation and oxygenbased damage.

ANTI-BACTERIAL PROPERTIES:

Basil, also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae. It is a tender plant and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term “basil” refers to the variety also known as sweet basil or Genovese basil. Basil is native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia.

What is the herb basil good for?

Basil is used for stomach spasms, loss of appetite, intestinal gas, kidney conditions, fluid retention, head colds, warts, and worm infections. It is also used to treat snake and insect bites. Women sometimes use basil before and after

Basil contains a chemical, estragole, which has caused liver cancer in laboratory mice. Bleeding disorders: Basil oils and extracts might slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding in people with bleeding disorders.

Low blood pressure: Basil extracts might lower blood pressure.

Basil is a nutrient powerhouse as it is an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese; a very good source of copper, vitamin A in the form of carotenoids such as betacarotene and vitamin C; calcium, iron, folate, magnesium and omega -3 fatty acids makes this herb nutrient rich!

DNA Protection:

Flavonoids found in basil provide protection at the cellular level. Orientin and vicenin are two flavonoids that protect

Basil has been shown to provide protection against unwanted bacterial growth. These anti-bacterial properties are associated with its volatile oils, which have been shown to protect against a wide variety of bacteria.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS:

Basil’s volatile oils have been shown in studies to have anti-inflammatory properties by blocking the activity of an enzyme in the body called cyclooxygenase (COX) .

Many over the counter pain relieving medicines work in the same manner as COX. Therefore, basil can be an important food for individuals with inflammatory health problems like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel conditions.

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HOW TO USE BASIL:

Basil is easy to use and because of its versatility, can be added to many different types of dishes, as well as waters and even teas. Here are a few easy and simple ways to get more basil in your diet:

Dried basil still has many of the health benefits listed, but your best bet is fresh. Try growing in a garden or even in a pot year round because it is very easy to grow.

Because of its antibacterial properties, it’s always a good idea to add to your salad greens. Simply take a few leaves, chop them up and add them to a salad.

Combine fresh chopped basil with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese to make fresh, delicious pesto. Pesto can top a variety of dishes including pasta, fish, vegetables and bruschetta, just to name a few. It also freezes well so you can keep it all year long.

Make refreshing basil water by adding some leaves to a pitcher of water and letting sit for a while.

You can even enjoy a warm cup of basil tea by steeping chopped basil leaves in boiling water for a few minutes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil https://www.seattlesutton.com/blog/the-4-unknown-health-benefits-of-basil/

Power Items Futhark Runes-Uruz

through the symbolism of the aurochs and the drinking horn. Although I have found no traditional connection, for me, this rune also has strong lunar qualities. This may be because of associations in the Western magical tradition between the shape of the crescent moon and the horns of the bull but I think it goes deeper than that.

predecessor represents pure force and energy, Uruz is form and structure.

Uruz is the rune of the aurochs; a great beast similar to the modern day bison that roamed Europe, Asia and North Africa. These powerful, primal creatures are now extinct but nature has provided many other immensely powerful examples for us to work with when connecting with the energy of Uruz.

Think of the blue whale, the grand canyon or any other aspect of the natural world that makes you forget yourself in the contemplation of the vastness and power of creation. Both the elements of earth and water are associated with Uruz

Like Uruz, the moon speaks of purity, of peace and solitude, but also of power and of the deep currents that govern life on Earth.

Carbuncles (garnet or other deep red gems) are the most common mineral associated with Uruz. They were thought to give off their own light and to protect against disease and wounding. The red of the carbuncle evokes the fiercer aspect of Uruz, the aurochs defending itself or its herd.

Uruz is often worn as an amulet to promote health and well-being. It is a truly elemental rune. Where Fehu, its

This is another reason why these two runes are both excellent for healing practice. At a physical level Uruz is associated with the skeleton and muscles whilst at a purely energetic level it builds strength, stamina and promotes deep physical replenishment and regeneration.

If you draw the Uruz rune its message can sometimes be as simple as reminding you to ground yourself effectively. Its shape is solid and stable, resting upon the earth.

I find that placing my hands and feet upon the ground – either while sitting or crouching –and singing ‘Uruz’ while visualising the excess energy flowing down into the earth, is effective.

The sound ‘oooooo’ can also be used at a fairly low pitch as is most comfortable for you. Imagine that the ‘source’ of the sound

Power Items Futhark Runes-Uruz

is deep down in the pit of your stomach and the energy you are drawing upon is deeper still – way down within the earth. If it helps you can visualise the sound expanding outwards from the source as vibrant green or pure white light. You could also use use your song while meditating on the symbolism and meaning of the rune.

Old English Rune Poem: ūr meaning aurochs (a large species of wild cattle, now extinct).

flow of Wyrd and, over time, are shaped by it. The later rune poems bring out associations with the cycles of water and the mysteries of the deep earth. Water and ice carve and shape the surface of our earth just as much as the hot fires burning beneath us.

For these reasons Uruz is not just the aurochs upon the land, it is the earth itself. It speaks to me powerfully of cause and effect. In our hunt for the aurochs we brought it to extinction. We have not yet learned how to tread more gently and respectfully upon our planet and the aurochs rage is there still, in the bones of the earth.

Literal meanings: Aurochs, ox, slag (an element in the northern tradition) ,drizzle

Rich meanings: Strength, purity, primal power, endurance, healing https://www.maginrose.com/runes/exploring-the-runes/uruz/

At a mystical level it represents orlog (‘law’ or ‘that which is written’) . I see this as runes carved upon the great world tree but also as the river beds and roots which guide the

Aurochs is fearless and greatly horned a very fierce beast, it fights with its horns, a famous roamer on the moor it is a courageous animal.

Translated by Thorsson, Runelore

Power Items Tree-Reed

Folk Names: Sweet flag, myrtle grass, norfolk reed

Reed has served as a floor covering, roofing, and room deodorizer. The powdered root was used as an insecticide against fleas.

Phragmites communis

12th month of Celtic Tree calendar, October 28November 24

12th letter of the Ogham alphabet - nGetal

Stone: Black Obsidian

Color: Crimson Bird: Geese, Kingfisher

Deity: Coventina, Morrigan, Rhiannon, Manannan Mac Lir, Poseidon, Pwyll

Soaked in fat the stalks made a cheap alternative to candles. Other uses include arrow shafts and writing pens. Reed flutes were a subject of legend; it is rumored that the Pied Piper’s magical flute was made of reed, and Pan’s flute may also have been made from reed.

Today reed is used in wood-wind instruments. Medicinally the plant was used to treat eye problems.

Dreaming of Reed means not all your friends are true. Handling them in dreams mean that you may be deceived in business.

The Celts have long-honored these most unique of plants which make music in the wind and most gracefully bend.

Use reed with your favorite spell for balance and harmony. Reed is used to make flutes, and a small piece from the reed can be used symbolically to invite sweet harmony

“Watchers of the Wetlands” by Scott B. Stewart

The family of reeds watch over the wetlands. Standing-tall sentries of rivers, lakes and ponds blessed by the omnipresent hands of our dear Goddess, who cares for them all: her reeds, rushes and cattails which thrive along swamps.

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into your life. Sing your incantation to it and then place it where you will see it often.

Whispers from the Woods, by Sandra Kynes

had searched for all these years. Firing arrows off into the unknown is an expression of the desire to search out basic truths.

Choosing this card indicates that you are aware of the great outside that surrounds us all. You are capable of finding order where others find only chaos.

Help me to see my whole self

THE CELTIC TREE ORACLE by Liz and Colin Murray

Thin and slender is the Reed. He stands in clumps at the edge of the river and between his feet hides the swift pike awaiting an unsuspecting minnow to come his way.

In his thin-ness the reed resembles arrows that fly, silver-tipped, up into the unknown air to land at the very source that one

If you loose off without direction, the place of landing will be random. If the firing off is carried out with the correct conviction, determination and sense of purpose, then the act becomes secondary to the event that comes both before and after the moment.

Your results are as sure as the intentions with which you started. You progress by continually keeping your aim in sight.

Choosing the Reed gives you the capacity to make spiritual weapons, just as the bowman has first to make and find his bow, then he has to make the arrows and tip them with a point. The flights, or feathers, at the base of the arrow give direction and prevent the arrow twisting and changing direction in flight.

In the same way, with the Reed you are able to find direction and to give meaning and purpose to your journey that started at the beginning of the year in November, according to the old calendar.

Once the journey has been entered upon, then

Call to Reed - nGetal Reed, Mother Protector Lead my conscious awareness

The sight of the world in change and the door of the inner consciousness That guides my transformation And heals my soul.Faces of WomanSpiri t

Power Items Tree-Reed

surprise encounters and upsets are only to be expected. The skills to overcome these shortlived troubles are as important and essential as making the journey in the first place.

The reed gives you that all-important skill and direction. If chosen reversed, it shows that you still have some way to go before your sight and skill is polished enough to embark upon the journey, the results of which may be as yet unknown.

The Great Goddess Rhiannon

As a Celtic Goddess of the underworld and the dead, she possessed the gift of shape shifting. She also knew every plant and every tree and was often found dancing with the branches and playing with butterflies. She is closely interwoven with all life on earth.

Rhiannon teaches us to accept what is ours, and trust that our deepest desires will come to us without much effort.

Just shift your attention and change the shape of your image of the world. You can see yourself mirrored in every life-form just like the Goddess. This is the great art of life.

Celtic Moon sign - Reed Moon

The roots of the reed go deeply into the water from which it takes its nourishment. These roots are the strongest part of the reed, in fact - so its true strength is doubly hidden, both beneath the water and the floor of the pond or lake where it grows.

If you were born under this sign, you, too, have secret strength, and perhaps secret motivations, as well.

Your challenge is to use your “detective abilities” wisely, not to undermine others or find their weaknesses, but to evolve into a deeply perceptive individual whose wisdom can be used to teach others.

Written by Kim Rogers-Gallagher, and Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2000

Power Items Tree-Magnolia

terms of preventing/ treating leukaemia and colon cancer.” –https://www.organicfacts.net

– as well as a regular supplementary form of Magnolia is shown to help reduce weight by suppressing appetite.. however, as always, see a health care professional before adding Magnolia in any form to your diet.

The Magnolia is a perfect Mother Goddess tree. But that is my opinion and not really what most literature indicates.

Magnolia not only heals her children physically, but she also soothes their anxiety and depression giving spiritual healing as well.

The wood bark of the Magnolia Tree has long been associated with all forms of healing, including spiritual healing. In physical healing, Magnolia has been attributed with prevention of, and/or healing of, everything from cancer to being overweight.

“One of the active compounds in magnolia, magnolol, is able to prevent the spread or increase of prostate cancer cells. Although research is in its early stages, many experts believe that magnolia bark extracts can also exert beneficial effects in

Every tree is a powerful source of spiritual healing that can help your own immune system to fight any illness or sorrow. Magnolia trees (Magnoliaceae) are an ancient species, arising before bees, they do not produce nectar, but carry a medicinal energy and essence.

They are pollinated mostly by beetles. Over 200 species in the world, and often known as “Champa“ , this tree bestows blessings of feminine strength and faith in our deepest ideals, as we open our heart and remember to stay true to ourself no matter how much pressure is placed upon us.

The bark of Magnolia oficinalis has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to address anxiety and nervous tension and to promote sleep.

Some researchers believe honokiol, a chemical in magnolia bark, is what makes this happen.

Without knowing what the dosage requirements and side-effects, if any, are involved, I don’t recommend brewing up a kettle of Magnolia bark tea and drinking it, although it probably wouldn’t do any great harm. There are other ways in which to use Magnolia bark without ingesting it which I find, are very beneficial.

One of the ways I use the bark is in healing

Power Items Tree-Magnolia

and anxiety prevention poppets. For instance, in a poppet for a good night’s sleep I would add the bark along with other sleep-inducing herbs and flowers.

It is also wonderful as a base for loose incense if you are doing a healing spell. But one of my favourite ways of using Magnolia is our Magnolia anti-anxiety pendants. I leave the bark intact where it will be against the skin. Any time I feel particularly anxious, I simply rub the pendant between my fingertips and feel much calmer.

Magnolia is also said to increase feeling of love and loyalty; reduces the power of addictions and obsessions, especially smoking; helps skin problems; restores strength after a long illness. Promotes psychic development – a reason why I like to create dowsing pendulums with this wonderful wood. It aids meditation and spiritual opening; promotes harmony, peace, tranquillity.

Magnolia helps learning from past experiences and clarifies true identity. It eases restlessness and confusion and helps to maintain balance during difficult changes. Magnolia promotes a sense of freedom and relaxation. It really is a perfect wood for healing, spirituality, and mental health.

• Gender-Feminine -

• Planetary Association: Venus; secondary-Uranus

• Element-Water; secondary-Earth

• Zodiac Associations-Taurus and Libra

https://speakingofwitchwands.net/2017/06/13/the-magickal-magnolia-tree/

Power Items Symbol-Triple Moon

What is the Triple Moon?

The Triple Moon is a Pagan and Wiccan symbol long associated with the Divine feminine, the Goddess, Priestesses, and witches. The Triple Moon is often known as the Triple Goddess or Triple Moon Goddess.

Let’s explore the Triple Moon symbol meaning in more detail as I explain what this powerful feminine symbol means and how you can work with it in your own sacred practice.

Remember, it’s okay if you don’t identify as a Pagan or a witch—you can still enjoy the magic of the Divine feminine and infuse ritual into your world.

What does the Triple Moon symbol mean? The Triple Moon symbol is inextricably intertwined with the Divine feminine and associated with energies of intuition, creativity, empathy, nurturing, wisdom and mystery.

The triple moon symbol is made up of a circle in the middle, cushioned on either side by two crescents. These shapes represent three different moon phases of the lunar cycle:

The left crescent = the waxing moon

The circle = the full moon

The right crescent = the waning moon

These shapes mirror the shape of the moon visible to us in the sky during the waxing, full, and waning moon phases.

Each of these moon phases also links to one of the maiden mother crone feminine archetypes:

The left crescent = the waxing moon = the maiden

The circle = the full moon = the mother

The right crescent = the waning moon = the crone

The maiden mother crone archetypes represent the three main phases a woman will cycle through in her lifetime. These archetypes can also be linked to a phase in the menstrual cycle.

The Triple Moon is often referred to as the Triple Goddess. In ancient cultures worldwide, a Goddess would represent all the three moon phases and archetypes. For example, the Greek

Power Items Symbol-Triple Moon

Goddess Hera was a girl, woman, and widow. Others see each of the Triple Deity aspects coming from different Goddesses across cultures.

For example, Roman Goddess Diana (maiden), Egyptian Goddess Isis (mother) , and Hindu Goddess Kali (crone) .

The maiden

The maiden is linked to the waxing moon phase of the lunar cycle. She represents youth, innocence, fresh starts, and new possibilities. If she were a season, it would be Spring.

The maiden is bursting with new life, energy, and creativity. She is independent, confident, and optimistic. Her energy can help you get started on a new project or heart desire, live a more authentic life and reconnect with your true self.

The mother

The mother archetype symbolizes fertility, nurturing, expansiveness and self-love, just like a full moon. Even if you

are childless, you still embody this archetype in the way you nurture friends, family, your sacred projects and give birth to new creations. Every woman is a mother in her own way.

Who Is The Triple Goddess & How To Invoke Her

This archetype is all about learning to receive and give love in equal measure. Practice selfcare so that you pour back into your own cup. Be there to care for and support the people and projects you care about.

The crone

The final phase of a woman’s life is symbolized by the crone archetype, which is mirrored in how the moon wanes towards the end of the lunar cycle. But although this marks the end of one cycle, a new one looms just on the horizon. This is the eternal life, death, rebirth cycle that we embody as women through our menstrual cycle.

The crone encourages us to transform all of our lessons and experiences

into wisdom, let go of anything that feels heavy from the past, and create space for deep reflection.

Using the Triple Moon symbol

Since this is a powerful, potent symbol for us as women, having this symbol near you can help you activate the Divine feminine energies and act as a gentle reminder of the sacred cycle you journey through each moon cycle.

Many women will wear a piece of jewelry with this Triple Moon symbol or place a representation of it on their altar to support their ritual work. Immerse yourself in learning about the maiden mother crone archetypes and see which one you’re currently channeling.

Is there one you feel more aligned with or one you don’t identify with?

Think about how you can work with all three of these archetypes to live a fuller, richer life.

If you’re new to ritual work, attend a new moon

Power Items Symbol-Triple Moon

ritual or a full moon ritual, or have a go at creating your own. Get to know the moon phases and track what phase Grandmumma moon is currently in where you live. Explore the magic of your menstrual cycle and how this mirrors the moon. Start living in harmony with the natural energy available to you each day of your cycle.

Whenever you see the Triple Moon symbol, let this be your reminder that you possess great power to co-create with the Divine, manifest your deepest desires, and connect with your womb wisdom.

special recognition to Revoloon

Triple Goddess Symbol –What Does It Mean?

The Triple Goddess is a deity with significance in many spiritual and Neopagan groups. The symbol is often featured on the headdresses

of High Priestesses and is revered for its associations with the divine feminine and the stages of life.

endless cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth.

What is the Triple Goddess Symbol?

Triple moon symbol

The triple moon symbol, also called the triple goddess symbol, is represented by two crescent moons flanking a full moon.

The left side of the symbol features a waxing moon, the center features a full moon, while the right side depicts a waning moon. The symbol is a representation of the changing phases of the moon which also correspond with the stages of womanhood. It can also symbolize the

The moon can be seen as a representation of the Triple Goddess and the three phases of womanhood: the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. As the symbol suggests, women share the same rhythm as the moon, with the female body typically corresponding to a 28-day cycle. Likewise, the three main phases of a woman’s life correspond with the three phases of the moon.

Triple moon symbol

The Maiden –this is represented by the waxing moon. The Maiden is a symbol of youth, purity, pleasure, new beginnings, wildness, freedom and innocence.

As a spiritual symbol, the Maiden is an invitation to explore spirituality and desires.

The Mother –the mother is represented by the full moon. The Mother symbolizes

Power Items Symbol-Triple Moon

love, fertility, maturity, sexuality, abundance growth and creativity.

The Crone –this is the wise woman, represented by the waning moon. This phase embodies both the previous stages, including courage, independence, freedom, sexuality, fertility, creative energy and culmination.

The crone represents the fulness of a lived life, embodying the wisdom gathered by living through both the ups and the downs of life.

When Did the Triple Goddess Symbol Originate?

There have been instances of triple goddesses, i.e. a single goddess appearing in groupings of three, in ancient cultures.

Some examples include Horae, Moirai and Stymphalos of Hellenistic origins. However, the most significant Triple Goddess of ancient times is Diana, also known as Hecate in the underworld.

In the 3rd century AD, the philosopher Porphyry

mentions that the three aspects of Diana (Diana as Huntress, Diana as the moon, and Diana of the underworld) represent the three phases of the moon, marking the first time that this association was made.

The term Triple Goddess was popularised by the poet Robert Graves in the mid-20th century, who claimed this triplicity to be Maiden, Mother and Crone in his book The White Goddess. The modern view of the Triple Goddess emerged from this work.

The Triple Moon in Jewelry

The triple moon is a popular design in jewelry, and is often crafted into pendants, rings and charms. Sometimes it’s set with a moonstone to strengthen its association with the moon. For those who believe in the power of this symbol, the moonstone is believed to enhance its magical properties.

However, you don’t have to be a Wiccan or Neopagan to enjoy the triple moon symbol.

It’s often worn as a

representation of the divine feminine or as a reminder of the cycle of life.

Is the triple moon symbol good for tattoos?

The triple moon tattoo is a popular design, especially by those following the Wiccan faith. It can be stylized in a number of ways, with different images filling up the outline.

Power Items Symbol-Triple Moon

Is the triple goddess a positive or negative symbol?

The Triple Goddess symbolizes many positive aspects of femininity and the life cycle, however, for those unfamiliar with the symbol, it may appear mystical or even threatening. It’s revered as a sacred and positive symbol in Neopagan and Wiccan groups.

How old is the triple moon symbol?

While the reverence of the Triple Goddess has its origins in the 20th century, there are many ancient deities that were revered in groups of three. However, placing an exact date for the origin of the symbol is impossible to do.

How do you honor the Triple Goddess?

The symbol is used in rituals such as the Drawing Down of the Moon or in other workings that involve the lunar goddesses.

Additionally, those who worship the Triple Goddess, often make

offerings of natural items, such as seashells, flowers, fruits and milk.

Can I wear the triple moon symbol?

Yes, no single group can claim the triple moon symbol for itself. It’s a universal symbol that represents various triplicities, including lifecycles, the phases of the moon or the phases of a woman’s life.

Wrapping Up

The Triple Goddess, or the triple moon, is an ancient symbol that’s recently found renewed interest and popularity. To learn more about other similar symbols, check out our related articles.

special recognition to Revoloon and Dani Rhys

Power Items Color-Pink

The color pink is gentle and feminine and evokes the scent of apple blossoms and the laughter of little girls. Pink is calming and energetic all at once.

Wear the color pink to evoke youthful energy and childlike joy. Pink can be used in magic for emotional love, tenderness, conception, babies, pregnancy, romance, youth, peace, emotional healing, inner harmony, femininity, and friendship. The action of the color pink is similar to that of the color red, but gentler and more muted.

Wear and decorate with the color pink, or burn pink candles to relax and energize, calm aggression and relieve stress. The color pink is also used to suppress the appetite.

In Japan, the color pink is associated with the spring blooming of the cherry blossoms (Sakura) which are associated with the souls of warriors fallen in battle.

Correspondences for the Color Pink

Element: fire Direction: South Planet(s): Venus Zodiac Sign(s): Aries, Chakra: heart Day of the Week: Friday Season: Spring Holiday: Beltane, Ostara, Spring Equinox, Imbolc Number: 1, 0 Feng Shui: The color pink brings soothing energy to a space, but excessive use of it can cause the inhabitants to lose touch with reality.

Magical Tools: wand, cauldron

Incense: sandalwood, lavender, ginger, sweetpea, tuberose, rose, apple blossom, gardenia, jasmine, strawberry, apricot

Minerals: pink sapphire, kunzite, rose quartz, pink diamond, pink spinel, pink garnet, peridot, aventurine

Plants: Cherry blossoms, apple blossoms

Animals: Pink iguana, flamingo, pig, pink dolphin

Tarot: sevens

Deities: Venus, Aphrodite, all God/desses of Love, Eros

Health: The color pink is associated with breast cancer research. The phrase “In the Pink” means to be healthy.

The Work Place: “Pink collar workers” are people in positions traditionally viewed as

Power Items Color-Pink

“women’s work” . In the work place, when you are laid off it may be said that you were given a “pink slip”

Politics:

“Code Pink:Women for Peace”, a feminist anti-war initiative in the US., and the Swedish “Feminist Initiative” both use pink as their signature color. “Pinko” is a derogatory term used to describe “watered down” communist or socialist politics – it’s not quite red.

Sexuality:

The color pink is used extensively to represent both femininity and the LGBT community. During Nazi occupation, homosexuals were forced to wear an upside down pink triangle to identify themselves. In the past, however, the color pink was associated with more with baby boys, a gentler form of red; a vibrant, energetic color considered too aggressive for women (a Scarlet Woman was an immoral woman) . Blue, on the other hand, was associated with Mary, modesty, and virtuous femininity.

https://witchipedia.com/book-of-shadows/the-color-pink/

Magical Poetry

Shared by High Priestess, RavensThorn Morrigan

Magical Poetry

Shared by Bella Bloodmoon

Magical Poetry

Shared By: High Priestess Brittanica Aoibhean

Delphi

Magical Poetry

Shared by High Priestess, Gloriana Danu

Magical Poetry

Shared By High Priestess, RavensThorn Morrigan

Magical Poetry

Shared by: Bella Bloodmoon

Magical Poetry

Shared by: High Priestess, Brittanica Aoibhean

Magical Poetry

Shared By: High Priestess, Gloriana Danu

Magical Poetry

Shared By: High Priestess, Ravensthorn Morrighan

Magical Poetry

Shared By: High Priestess, Bella Bloodmoon

Magical Poetry

Shared By: High Priestess, Brittanica Aoibheann

Magical Poetry

Shared by High Priestess Gloriana Danu

Magical Poetry

Shared By: High Priestess, RavensThorn Morrigan

Magical Poetry

Shared By: High Priestess, Gloriana Danu

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Recipes

Boxty Cakes

1 C. raw, grated potato

1 C. cooked mashed potatos (leftover is fine)

• 1 onion, minced fine (optional -- for savory boxty pancakes)

•

1 C. all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. salt

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 C. buttermilk

• 2 tbsp. butter

In a med. mixing bowl, combine the grated potato, onion (if using) , and buttermilk (this keeps the potato from discoloring) . In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add grated potato mixture, egg, and mashed potato. Mix well. Batter should be about the texture of thick pancake batter. Add additional flour or buttermilk if necessary. Melt butter in a heavy skillet or on a griddle.Over medium heat, drop large spoonfuls of boxty batter into skillet, making approximately 6” pancakes.

Brown well on both sides.

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Recipes

Colcannon

1 lb. of cabbage or kale, cooked

• 1 lb. potatoes, cubed and boiled until tender

2 leeks, cleaned well and chopped, or green onions

• 1 C. whole milk or light cream

• 1/2 C. butter, melted

salt and pepper, to taste

• pinch of ground mace (optional)

1. Boil kale or cabbage in lightly salted water until tender. Chop.

2. Bring milk or cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add leeks and cook until soft.

3. Drain potatoes, add salt and pepper to taste (and optional mace) . Beat until fluffy.

4. Return potatoes to pot over a low flame.

Add milk with leeks.

Beat in cooked kale or cabbage until green and fluffy.

Remove from heat and serve.

Optional:

Make a well in the middle of each portion and divide butter evenly among servings, filling each well.

Dip each bite of colcannon in butter before eating.

Recipes

Remembrance Cookies

These cookies can be made on Hallow’s Eve. They can be shaped like people and the herb rosemary is added to the dough as a symbol of remembrance. Some of the cookies are eaten while telling stories or attributes of special ancestors, reminding us that we still have access to their strengths--or perhaps a predisposition to their weaknesses. The rest of the cookies are left outside by a bonfire as an offering. This can be a solemn ritul, but it need not be.

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter or margarine (softened)

1 egg

2 t. vanilla

1 t. almond extract

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cream of tartar

1 1/2 T. chopped rosemary

Heat oven 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, almond extract, and rosemary until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture. Beat until dough forms and refrigerate for three hours. Divide dough into halves. Roll out one portion to 3/16 of an inch on a floured surface. Cut out with gingerbread women or men cutters and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat rolling and cutting with second portion. Bake for 5-7 minutes.

Spells

Spells

Spells

Witch Bottles to Always Have Good Luck

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

A large dark glass bottle with a cork;

Cinnamon powder;

2 tablespoons of honey;

Three four-leaf clover’s;

Three clovers;

Yellow rose petals;

Agate;

Green candle for sealing.

Procedure

Insert the yellow rose petals into the bottle.

Add honey

Add three four-leaf clovers

Add three clovers

Add cinnamon powder.

Insert agate

Corks a bottle and place it on a protected surface (A saucer, a box, anything you don’t mind ruining)

Light the green candle and wait for the wax to melt a little.

Being careful not to burn yourself, pour melted wax over the cat and seal your witch bottle.

Now your bottle is ready. Keep in mind that the auspicious day for Fortune spells is Thursday. So if possible It is preferable to do this working on Thursday to other days to consecrate your fortune bottle. Bury the bottle.

Spells

Spells

Spells

To Thine Self Be True

Purpose Of spell:

often times our friends and family struggle to be excepted for their authentic identities. Perform a spell when your friend or family member needs to heal from the pressure to be something they are not and feel good about themselves as they are.

Suggested timing:

The new moon

Items needed:

A round plate

A candle

A lighter

Magical ingredients:

1 cup dried lavender

7 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 clear quartz crystal

1 amethyst crystal

1 sodalite crystal

1 Green adventuring crystal

1 citrine crystal

1 carnelian crystal

1 Jasper crystal

1. Set the candle in the middle of the plate. Spread the lavender out evenly on the plate around the candle.

2. Wrap each stone and a sprig of thyme to amplify the strength of each crystals properties. Create a circle around the candle, atop the lavender bed, with the seven stones wrapped in thyme.

3. When ready, light the candle and incant: The seven parts of(Name) make them hole from mind and body, to spirit and soul. Quartz I bid thee power acceptance.

Amethyst I bid thee power knowledge.

Sodalite I bid thee power truth. Aventurine I bid thee power heart. Citrine I bid thee power self-esteem. Carnelian I bid thee power passion. Jasper I bid thee power sense of self. The seven parts of (Name) make them whole From mind and body to spirit and soul.”

4. Blow out the candle to send the energy of self-love and acceptance to its target.

Mythology

The Story of Hades

suitable name since Hades is the ruler of the invisible world. However, the Ancient Greeks rarely used this name – just like Christians rarely used the word “Hell” during the Middle Ages.

So, since minerals and precious metals are found underground, they often referred to Hades euphemistically as Plouton – namely, “The Wealth-Giver.” Unsurprisingly, Hades’ Roman equivalent is called Pluto as well.

Every so often he carries a scepter or holds the key to his kingdom. At a later stage, he became associated with his weapon of choice, the bident, a twopronged fork modeled after Poseidon’s trident. As Plouton, he was sometimes shown with a cornucopia, the horn of plenty.

Hades’ Epithets

Hades is the Ancient Greek god of the Underworld, the place where human souls go after death. In time, his name became synonymous with his realm. It has to be said unsurprisingly –since he barely left it.

Appropriately, the most significant myth related to Hades concerns one of the very few times he did – to abduct Demeter’s daughter, Persephone.

Hades’ Name

Hades means “The Unseen One” – a

Hades’ Portrayal and Symbolism

As the ruler of the dead, Hades was a grim and ghastly figure, inspiring awe and terror in everybody. Consequently, he was rarely depicted in art. When he was, he was most commonly portrayed with a beard, and a solemn, mournful look. He frequently wears a helmet, named the Helm of Darkness or the Cap of Invisibility. Cerberus, the three-headed dog which guarded the entrance to the Underworld, is usually beside him.

Among the Ancient Greeks, Hades was known as “the Other Zeus.” Homer even calls him “The Infernal Zeus,” in addition to “the grisly God.” He was also called “the host of many” or “the Attractor of Man” – since all men eventually went to serve him.

Hades’ Biography

Hades’ Birth Hades was the fourth child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea (after Hestia, Demeter, and Hera) , both the oldest and the youngest male sibling.

In other words, he was the first of the three brothers (Hades, Poseidon, Zeus) to be born and swallowed by

Mythology

The Story of Hades

his father, but the last one to be regurgitated.

Titanomachy and Hades

After being rescued by Zeus from the belly of Cronus, Hades joins him in the Titanomachy. Eventually, the decadelong war ends with a victory for the Olympians. Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus cast lots to decide who of the brothers will rule which domain. Hades gets the underworld.

Hades’ Wife

Since Hades was a fearsome deity who rarely left his kingdom, there are very few myths about him in Ancient Greek sources.

The Abduction of Persephone

By far the most important myth is Hades’ abduction of Persephone, Demeter’s daughter. That was one of the few times Hades traveled above ground.

The reason, naturally, was love: he fell for Persephone. However, Persephone didn’t want to give in easily, so Hades devised an ingenious ploy. As Persephone was gathering flowers

with her maidens at the Nysian plain, he caused an indescribably beautiful flower to suddenly bloom before her.

When Persephone reached out to pluck it, the ground under her opened and Hades appeared before her, all dreadful and majestic in his fourhorse golden chariot and took her with him to the Underworld.

Demeter, the goddess of fertility, was so distressed at the absence of her daughter, that she started fasting and wandering aimlessly. Finally, after nine days, Hecate told her what happened. After the All-Seeing Helios confirmed the event, Demeter left Olympus as an act of protest against the injustice done to her.

With her gone, the earth was as barren and infertile as a desert. One year passed, and the gods started worrying that the famine would wipe out humanity. So Zeus sent all the gods, one by one, to beg Demeter to come back, promising her all kinds of gifts and

functions. She wanted none; the only thing she wanted was to see her daughter once again.

So, Zeus had no choice but to send Hermes to Hades with the request that he return Persephone to Demeter. He complied, but only after making Persephone eat one pomegranate seed before leaving. This ensured that she would remain bound to his kingdom eternally.

Mythology

The Story of Hades

Winter and Spring

Now, both sides had no choice but to accept Zeus’ compromise: Persephone would spend two-thirds of the year with her mother, but one-third of it with Hades.

And this is the part of the year which corresponds with the winter months: they say that Demeter retreats from Olympus to her temple at Eleusis to grieve the absence of Persephone. Every spring Persephone would be reunited with her mother Demeter marking the season of rebirth.

It’s possible that Hades and Persephone didn’t have any children. However, some say that Zagreus may have been their son. Macaria is also claimed to have been Hades’ daughter – but no mother is mentioned.

Hades in the Bible

As the realm of the dead, Hades is mentioned ten times in the “New Testament” in its original Greek text.

Older translations – such as the King James Bible – invariably translate it as “hell.”

Source: https://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hades/hades.html

Mythology The Story of Tyr

in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, the works that form the backbone of Norse mythology, Tyr was best known for wrestling the monstrous hound Fenrir and losing his arm in the process.

Often associated with Norse mythology, Tyr actually originated as a Germanic deity during the early centuries of the common era.

This was the same root used in the names of Zeus, king of the Greek gods, and Jupiter, king of the Roman gods. Because this word was reserved for the most powerful of deities, scholars have speculated that Tyr once held such a position. By the time the first Norse epics were recorded, however, Tyr’s importance had declined significantly.

Attributes

Tyr was the Norse god of war and bloodshed, also renowned as a bringer of order and justice. He was best known for sacrificing his arm to Fenrir so that the gods could trap the giant wolf.

The one-armed god of the Norse pantheon, Tyr was a member of the Aesir tribe who represented war and bloodshed. Somewhat paradoxically, he was also known as a bringer of justice and order.

Tyr’s contradictory nature stems largely from a lack of information about him. Mentioned only sparingly

While he was a powerful figure in Germanic religion, by the Viking era his importance had waned. His former prominence among the Germanic peoples and the Norse, however, was attested by the use of his name for the letter “T” of the runic alphabet, as well as for the word Tuesday, which meant “Tyr’s day.”

Etymology

The name “Tyr,” meaning “a god” or even “the god,” stemmed from the Proto Indo-European dyeus-, by way of the Proto Germanic Tiwaz, meaning “god or deity.”

Tyr was a more than just a brave warrior—he was also a reliable source of wisdom and a champion of justice. These descriptions, admittedly, relied on brief mentions of the god in the Norse epics.

The most detailed description of the god was derived from the Gylfaginning, a book

How should Tyr be pronounced?

With a surprising number of options for such a short name, Tyr should be pronounced as “Tier,” such that the “-yr,” sounds like “ear.”

Mythology The Story of Tyr

of the Prose Edda by the thirteenth-century Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson. It read:

Yet remains that one of the Æsir who is called Týr: he is most daring, and best in stoutness of heart, and he has much authority over victory in battle; it is good for men of valor to invoke him. It is a proverb, that he is Týr-valiant, who surpasses other men and does not waver. He is wise, so that it is also said, that he that is wisest is Týr-prudent.

Tyr’s most notable attribute was his missing right hand (or arm) , generally depicted as being severed at the wrist or forearm. This missing

limb had been devoured by Fenrir, the ravenous giant wolf sired by Loki and the jötunn Angrboda. Fenrir would later play a central role in Ragnarök.

Family Tyr was either the son of Odin, the “All Father” and king of gods, or Hymir, a giant from an obscure section of the Poetic Edda called the Hymiskviða (the “Lay of Hymir”) . While the latter text omitted mention of Tyr’s mother, it identified his grandmother as a woman with nine hundred heads.

Most scholars have come to the consensus that Odin was Tyr’s true father. As Sturluson wrote in the Skáldskaparmál:

How should one periphrase Týr?

By calling him the Onehanded God, and Fosterer of the Wolf, God of Battles, Son of Odin.

By virtue of being Odin’s son, Tyr was a halfsibling to the chief members of the Aesir tribe. Tyr’s half-siblings

Which day was named for Tyr?

Like many of his fellow Norse gods, Tyr shared his name with a day of the week that became called “Tyr’s day,” which evolved into “Tuesday.”

consisted of some of the most prominent figures in Norse mythology, including Thor, Baldur, Váli, and Vidarr, as well as Heimdall, Hermod, Bragi, and Hodr.

Family Tree Parents Odin Siblings Baldur Heimdall Thor Váli Vidarr Bragi Hodr

Mythology

Tyr and the Kettle of Giants Tyr appeared as a central character in only two myths. He first appeared in the Hymiskvitha, an unfinished work, though he suddenly disappeared from the tale midnarration. The story

Mythology The Story of Tyr

concerned Thor’s search for a fabled kettle—one large enough to brew prodigious quantities of ale. Tyr claimed that the kettle was in the possession of Hymir, a giant whom Tyr identified as his father.

The two gods traveled to Hymir’s home and found that the giant was away. Tyr’s grandmother was there, however, and urged them to hide lest they incur Hymir’s wrath.

The gods found this to be sage advice, and took refuge in one of Hymir’s monstrous kettles. When Hymir finally arrived, he smashed a pillar where Tyr and Thor were hiding.

The kettles were scattered instantly, and the gods found themselves exposed. Hymir grew fearful at the sight of the mighty Thor, and called for three oxen to be cooked for his guests.

Thor ate two and took the other as bait, claiming he would use it when he went fishing with Tyr the next day.

At this point, Tyr disappears from the story.

Tyr, Fenrir, and Ragnarök Tyr was best known for losing his hand (or arm) to Fenrir, the giant wolf. This story, briefly recounted in the Gylfaginning, emphasized Tyr’s bravery, as well as his willingness to sacrifice for justice.

Fenrir grew up in Asgard and lived among the gods, though only Tyr was brave enough to approach him. Knowing that Fenrir would play a critical role in Ragnarök, the gods played a “game” in which they would try to ensnare him.

Fenrir always “won,” however, and broke his bonds each time. Seeking something that would confine Fenrir for good, the gods commissioned the crafty dwarves of Svartalfheim to construct a durable set of fetters, which they lovingly called Gleipnir.

With Gleipnir in hand, the gods sought to trap

the beast once more. The presented Gleipnir to Fenrir and challenged him to one final game.

When Fenrir saw how thin the bonds were, he grew suspicious, claiming that the gods were trying to deceive him. He only consented to the game after Tyr agreed to place an arm in his mouth.

With this makeshift insurance policy in place, Fenrir allowed the gods to bind him. The great wolf struggled against his bonds, and for the first time found that he could not break them. Realizing that the gods did not intend to release him, Fenrir bit down on Tyr’s hand:

When the Æsir enticed Fenrir-Wolf to take upon him the fetter Gleipnir, the wolf did not believe them, that they would loose him, until they laid

How was Tyr fated to die?

During Ragnarök, Tyr was destined to die in combat against the great wolf Garmr, whom he would slay at the same time.

Mythology

The Story of Tyr

Týr’s hand into his mouth as a pledge. But when the Æsir would not loose him, then he bit off the hand at the place now called ’the wolf’s joint;’ and Týr is one-handed, and is now called a reconciler of men.

The text also revealed Tyr’s fate during Ragnarök, the “twilight of the gods.”

When the final battle between gods and jötunn commenced, Tyr would both slay and be slain by the wolf Garmr: “Then shall the dog Garmr be loosed, which is bound before Gnipa’s Cave: he is the greatest monster; he shall do battle with Týr, and each become the other’s slayer.”

Pop Culture

The legacy of Tyr has been maintained in popular culture at least in part by the Faroese metal band Tyr.

The band has explored Norse myths and themes in their music, having released albums such as How Far to Asgaard

(2002) , Eric the Red (2003) , Ragnarok (2006) , and The Lay of Thrym (2011) .

Tyr’s greatest legacy, however, is the word “Tuesday.” Once known as “Tyr’s day,” the word has endured for centuries and is now more popular than ever.

https://mythopedia.com/topics/tyr

Mythology

The Story of Lord Samhain

Translated, Samhain means “Summer’s End” .

At this time, the hours of nighttime were growing significantly over the hours of sunlight. Hence, Lord Samhain reigned over the long winter months as the influence of the Sun god and the summer season (Beltaine or Beltane) preceded.

Samhain’s influence grows with the increase in the hours of darkness. He can only roam the earth during hours of darkness.

dead find their way and keep Lord Samhain away from taking them.

The Roots of Halloween

The Druid religion, dating back to about 200 BC, had priests and priestesses. These magicians (soothsayers or wizards) filled the most important roles in Celtic culture. As a result, they worshipped many things in nature as their gods. No Druid god was more powerful, nor more feared, than Lord Samhain.

Samhain was known in Ireland as the “Lord of Darkness” . The Druid religion was practiced by ancient Celtic tribes that populated Ireland and parts of Europe.

This religion worshipped Samhain, the Lord of Darkness. Some writings also speak of Samhain as the “Lord of the Dead” The Druid New Year began on November 1st. It is also known as the “Feast of Samhain” . The Celts only recognized summer and winter seasons.

The Druid’s New Year’s Eve was Hallow E’en, (also called Hallowmas) . The Druids believed that on this night, all of the people who died in the past year would rise up and search for the passageway to the netherworld.

On this night the passageway or “veil” between both worlds was its thinnest. Lord Samhain would roam the earth in search of these souls to capture them and take them to his world of darkness. To this day, some people put lights in their windows to help the

Pope Gregory II moved the Christian holiday of “All Hollows Eve” from May 13 to November 1st to coincide with the Feast of Samhain. All Hallows Eve honored the saints of the church. Moving the date of All Hallows Eve, was an attempt by the Roman Catholic church to downplay the pagan festival. The pagan festival continued to be celebrated, and Halloween evolved largely from it.

https://www.holidayinsights.com/ halloween/samhain.htm

Mythology The Story of Hecate

closely associated to the spiritual world, ghosts, and the dead. A shrine to Hecate was placed at the entrances of homes or even cities, hoping to protect them from the evil spirits that roamed the world.

Hecate helping Demeter

depicted holding two torches or a key.

Who were the parents of Hecate?

The parents of Hecate were Perses and Asteria.

https://www.greekmythology.com/ Other_Gods/Hecate/hecate.html

Hecate was a goddess in Greek mythology, considered to be the goddess of magic and witchcraft. She was often depicted holding two torches or a key. She was the daughter of the Titans Perses and Asteria, and she was honoured in the households as a protective goddess who brought prosperity.

Hecate’s Role

Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. She was also

She also helped goddess Demeter in her search for her daughter Persephone, when the latter was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld; after it was decided that Persephone would spend a third of a year in the underworld and the rest on earth, Hecate became Persephone’s companion to and from the underworld each year.

Hecate’s Portrayal

In art, she was initially depicted as being a single figure. However, in later periods, statues depicted her as three-fold, having three faces and three bodies united.

Who was Hecate?

Hecate was a goddess in Greek mythology, considered to be the goddess of magic and witchcraft. She was often

Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft.

Throughout history however, her sphere of influence also included the moon, night, crossroads, boundaries, ghosts and necromancy. Although Hecate was once considered to be a powerful Greek goddess of witchcraft, Hecate was not a major deity when compared, for instance, to the Twelve Olympians .

There are therefore few myths which revolve around this Greek goddess of magic. Nevertheless, the goddess Hecate plays a particularly important role in the Greek myth which relates the abduction of Persephone.

Mythology

The Story of Hecate

It is also from this myth that the quintessential representation of Hecate, as a goddess holding a flaming torch in each hand, is derived.

The Powers of Hecate, the Greek Goddess of Witchcraft It is generally believed that the goddess Hecate was the daughter of Perses and Asteria, both of whom were from the second generation of Titans. Nevertheless, some have claimed that she was the daughter of Zeus and either Hera or Pheraea. Yet others have stated that she was a daughter either of Leto or of Tartarus.

In any case, it is widely accepted that Hecate the goddess was not originally a member of the Greek pantheon . In fact, her cult is said to have originated in ancient Thrace, or perhaps in Caria, Anatolia.

The original worshippers of Hecate believed that the goddess had power over heaven, earth, and the seas, thus making her an incredibly powerful goddess.

Hecate, whose name came from the Greek word hekatos meaning “worker from afar,” had the power not only to bestow upon those she favored wealth, good fortune, and wisdom, but also to withhold these gifts from those she perceived as unworthy.

She was honored by all the gods, including Zeus. As she sided with the Olympians during the Titanomachy, she was the only member of the old regime who retained her powers following the defeat of the Titans.

Within ancient Greek religion Hecate had many different roles, as goddess not just of witchcraft, but also of magic, spells, the night, ghosts, light, necromancy, and even the moon. She was also seen as a goddess of oikos, meaning the household and family, and doorways. Some have even connected her to Artemis, who was portrayed in a similar style, with boots, torches and dogs.

Due to her extensive powers, Hecate has been confused and identified with several other deities throughout history. For instance, as a goddess of nature, she was identified with Demeter, whilst as a moon goddess, she has been identified with Persephone.

Mythology

The Story of Hecate

“I am she that is the natural mother of all things, mistress and governess of all the elements, the initial progeny of worlds, chief of powers divine, Queen of heaven, the principal of the Gods celestial, the light of the goddesses: at my will the planets of the air, the wholesome winds of the Seas, and the silences of hell be disposed; my name, my divinity is adored throughout all the world in divers manners, in variable customs and in many names, [...] Some call me Juno, others Bellona of the Battles, and still others Hecate. Principally the Ethiopians which dwell in the Orient, and the Egyptians which are excellent in all kind of ancient doctrine, and by their proper ceremonies accustomed to worship me, do call me Queen Isis.”

(Lucius Apuleius in The Golden Ass )

Who is Hecate within Greek Mythology?

“Hecate, whom Zeus son of Kronos honored above all others, granting her magnificent privileges: a share of both the earth and of the undraining sea. From the starry heaven too she has a portion .” (Hesiod - Theogony)

Unfortunately, there are not many Greek myths about the goddess Hecate. She was first mentioned within Hesiod’s 8th century Theogony. Since there was little mention of her before Theogony, some academics have argued that the ancient Greek poet was from a town where Hecate had a substantial following and that his writing helped to promote her cult.

The Greek goddess Hecate is also mentioned in the myth of Persephone’s abduction by Hades . In fact, she plays an important role in this tale. Hecate is mentioned in Homer’s version of the myth, which is known as the Homeric

Hymn to Demeter , her most famous literary manifestation which was written in 600 BC.

According to the poet Homer, Hecate was the only deity, apart from the sun god Helios, who witnessed the abduction of Persephone. Therefore, when Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and Persephone’s mother, began the search for her daughter, Hecate accompanied her with a flaming torch in each hand.

After Persephone was found, Hecate became her companion and attendant. During the time of the Greek tragedians, the notion that Hecate was a chthonic, or underworld, deity due to her association with Persephone became common.

Hecate is also included in Greek mythology related to the Gigantomachy. Here legend had it that she fought alongside the Olympians and killed Clytius the giant using her famed torches.

Mythology

The Story of Hecate

This story was so much entrenched within collective consciousness that the goddess Hecate is depicted fighting against Clytius alongside Artemis on the Pergamon Altar, within the Gigantomachy frieze.

In another legend, Hecate was associated with a black dog said to have once been the Trojan queen Hecuba. The wife of the Trojan king Priam at the time of the Trojan War , she ended up going mad and leaping into the sea when she was taken as a slave. The story claims that the goddess Hecate took pity on her and tuned her into a dog who then became her companion.

The Goddess Hecate in Art

It was due to this myth that the typical image of Hecate in artwork was formed. Initially, she was represented as a singleformed goddess in a long robe.

In each of her hands, the goddess held a flaming torch, a clear reference to the role she played in the myth of Persephone’s

abduction. While she is most frequently portrayed holding a pair of torches, she is often depicted with snakes, a key, or even with dogs.

The earliest representation of the goddess Hecate discovered so far dates back to the late 6th century BC and was discovered in Athens.

Inscribed with the words “Aigon dedicates this to Hekate,” this small, 20 cm (7.87 in) terracotta votive statue portrayed Hecate as a seated woman wearing a crown.

Later on, however, she was represented as a triple-formed goddess. In these depictions, Hecate has three bodies that stood back-to-back, and it has been speculated that this was meant to allow the goddess to look in all three directions simultaneously. This concurs with her role as a deity in charge of crossroads or boundaries.

In fact, Hecate was protector of all “in between” spaces, ranging from city walls and territorial borders to doorways.

It is also due to this role that pillars, or large Hekataions, were erected at crossroads and city gates. One was even included at a crossroads near the Acropolis. Such pillars also stood at doorways and likely served an

Mythology

The Story of Hecate

apotropaic function, with the power to ward off evil. On earlier pillars, the goddess Hecate was depicted wearing a long robe and holding her habitual torches.

Experts believe that this symbolized her ability to keep away evil spirits. On later pillars she was triple-formed, and often accompanied by dogs, allowing her to see in all directions at the same time. Ritual offerings of food known as deipna were left for the goddess Hecate on the last night of the lunar month at crossroads, in the hope of appeasing the goddess and any restless dead accompanying her.

Some accounts record dogs were also sacrificed to Hecate.

As an in-betweener, she also played a role at the border between life and death. In many depictions she is shown with keys, used to unlock the gates that divided the two realms. Hecate’s Grove was a term used by Virgil to describe the entrance to hell, while the Greek

Magical Papyri claimed that Hecate held the keys to Tartaros in the underworld. This was an exceptionally powerful role, as a goddess able to move between the living and the dead and control the destiny of others.

Hecate’s power was eventually reduced and her sphere of influence became far more specific. Over time, her role as a protector morphed until she was represented more clearly as a triple-bodied goddess of magic and witches, haunting crossroads alongside her hellhounds, believed in some accounts to be restless souls.

As a result, she is best remembered as a mystical Greek goddess of witchcraft associated with magic and sorcery. This transformation of Hecate has been traced to 5th century Athens. These days the goddess Hecate, or the Triple Goddess, has become an archetype within the pantheon of modern-day Neopagans.

In the works of the 4th century tragedians Sophocles and Euripides, Hecate was depicted as a goddess of witchcraft, whilst just a century earlier, she was depicted as a much more powerful and amplified goddess, as seen in the works of Aeschylus. Her role is further reinforced by the fact that she is the goddess who is mentioned most frequently in magical texts, for instance, the Greek Magical Papyri , as well as on ancient Greek curse tablets .

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/hecate-0010707

Mythology The Story of Morrighan

about Celtic Gods and Goddesses, however, few stories had us on the edges of our seats like the tales of the Goddess Morrigan. The mysterious Morrigan Celtic queen as kids growing up in Ireland. Like all stories from Irish and Celtic Folklore, the tales were colourful, magical and, in this case, featured many a battle.

The other two Goddesses were Macha and Neman.

Although the name by which she is called tends to change depending on who is telling the story, she often referred to by several different names:

• The Morrigan Goddess

• The Celtic Goddess of Death

• Morrígu

Out of the many mythical characters in Irish folklore, the Morrigan is arguably one of the best known. The Morrigan is one of the many prominent figures to feature in Irish mythology and is primarily associated with war / battle, fate and death.

She is a gifted shape shifter and is known to favour changing into the crow. The Morrigan was one of the Tuatha De Danann, who were the folk of the Goddess Danu.

The Morrigan Goddess

As kids, we were frequently told stories

The Phantom Queen/ Morrigan mythology is one of the most popular there is, which is likely due to the incredible stories that revolve around her.

It’s said that the name ‘Morrigan’ roughly translates to ‘The Phantom Queen’ .

Like the Puca, she was a shapeshifter yet, unlike the Puca, she was associated with war, death and destiny.

Who is the Morrigan in Celtic mythology?

If you’re not familiar with the warrior queen, she was one of three war Goddesses that featured in Irish mythology.

• The Celtic Goddess Morrigan

•

Great Queen Goddess Morrigan

• The Morrighan

•

•

The Morrigan Celtic Goddess

The Great Queen

• The Queen of the Triple Goddesses

What is Morrigan the goddess of?

The Morrigan Goddess is also known as what’s called a ‘Triple Goddess ’. At times, she appears alongside her two sisters (Badb and Macha) .

She is primarily known as the Goddess of war. In a book from 1870 called ‘The Ancient Irish Goddess of War’ , the Morrigan is described

Mythology

The Story of Morrighan

as being able to predict the death of warriors in battle, which she used to influence the outcome of war.

According to legend, she delivered this message after she appeared as a crow (often mistaken for a raven) and flew overhead during a war. It’s said that her appearance would either terrify those fighting or inspire them to fight for their life.

The Goddess Morrígan and Cuchulainn

One of the stories about the Morrigan that I recall being told as a child was about an encounter with the mighty warrior Cu Chulainn.

The Goddess Morrigan first appeared to encounter Cu Chulainn while he was defending the province of Ulster from Queen Maeve and her army.

The story goes that the Morrigan fell in love with Cuchulainn and that she tried to seduce him one day before he entered battle, but for one reason

or another, he said no, despite the Goddesses immense beauty.

And then, a mighty battle began Outraged, the Morrigan Goddess used her ability to shape shift to transform from a woman into an eel. This allowed her to swim up to Cu Chulainn as he made his way through a fjord and trip him.

He punched at the eel and managed to hurt it, though just temporarily. It then managed to transform itself into a huge wolf. The wolf ran at a herd of cattle and drove them at Cu Chulainn.

He managed to grab his famous sling-shot in time and used it to fire a stone into the eye of the Morrigan Goddess, who was temporarily blinded.

The Goddess quickly transformed again, this time taking the appearance of a cow. The cow riled up the others in the herd and managed to get them to stampede towards Cu Chulainn.

However, he managed to dodge the herd of cows and hit the Goddess Morrigan with a stone that broke her leg and forced her to accept defeat.

The old woman, the Morrigan Celtic Goddess and the cow Cu Chullain made his way back to his base after winning the battle. Along the way, he met an elderly lady sat on a little stool milking a cow.

Mythology

The Story of Morrighan

Now, Cu Chullain was weary from battle and he wasn’t paying enough attention. If he was, he would have noticed that this woman was blind in one eye and that her leg was recently injured.

Not sensing the danger that he was in, Cu Chullain stopped to speak to the old woman.

Apparently thankful for his company, the old woman offered him a drink of milk.

After finishing his drink, he blessed the woman, not realising that, upon doing so, he cured the Morrigan Goddess of all of her injuries and restored the Goddess to her full strength.

However, the Morrigan did not attempt to engage Cu Chullain in battle – she had already outsmarted him and tricked him into healing her.

The Crow and the death of Cuchulainn

The Goddess Morrigan and Cu Chulainn met once before the great

warrior’s death. Cu Chulainn was en route to another great battle when he encountered a woman scrubbing battle armour covered in blood.

This was seen as a very bad omen to encounter before entering battle. Cuchulainn passed the woman and continued to confront his enemy.

It was during this battle that he was mortally wounded. With his last bit of energy, he used some sturdy twine to tie himself upright to a nearby boulder, in an attempt to frighten off any other enemies closeby.

Then a crow landed on his shoulder and he is said to have finally drifted off to sleep for good.

Now, the Morrigan was known to transform into a crow… was it her that had the final laugh? Who knows!

The Morrigan Symbol

The Morrigan Goddess was a shape-shifter

and thus tends to be associated with a number of symbols and Celtic creatures.

She is most notably associated with the crow, but you’ll also see her associated with ravens, too.

FAQs About This Celtic Goddess Who is the Morrigan? She was one of three war Goddesses from Irish mythology (the others were, of course, Macha and Neman).

What is she the Goddess of? Known as a ‘Triple Goddess’, the Morrigan was the Goddess of war and it is believed that she was able to predict the death of warriors in battle.

What is the Morrigan symbol?

As this Celtic Goddess appeared as a crow (often mistaken for a raven) , many associate this animal as her true symbol.

https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/themorrigan/

Mythology The Story of Dike

The Athenians are credited with creating the world’s first democracy and the first system of courts with a trial by jury. These ideas, which were later adapted by the Romans, form the basis for our legal system to this day.

The Greek believed that one goddess was responsible for overseeing this human system of justice. While Themis concerned herself with divine law, Dike was the goddess of human law.

The Greek people were so concerned with justice that they had more than one goddess devoted to it.

Ancient Greek culture passed on many ideas and values that are still part of Western society today. In mathematics, literature, art, and philosophy their ideas remain influential.

Many people, however, believe that the greatest contribution the ancient Greeks made to the modern world was their concept of law and justice.

Although she was a minor goddess, Dike was one of the most influential members of the Greek pantheon. By overseeing and maintaining human law, she kept society stable and structured.

The Goddess of Justice and Her Family Dike was one of the daimones, a group of minor deities in Greek mythology. She personified the idea of justice.

Unlike many daimones, however, Dike had a personality that extended

beyond just the execution of her duties. The goddess of justice was highly involved in and affected by the affairs of the world.

She was one of the daughters of Zeus and his second constort, the Titaness Themis. As both of her parents were deities of law and the natural order, she was closely aligned with them.

Dike was most often associated with two of her sisters. Eirene was the goddess of peace and Eunomia was the goddess of order.

Together, the three sisters personified the states that were necessary for a society to function properly. Justice had to be maintained and peace assured for order to exist.

If all of these things were in place, the Greek people believed, society would be prosperous and pleasing to the gods.

In Athens and a few other cities, the goddess of justice and her sisters were particularly

Mythology

The Story of Dike

revered. They were given the role of the Horae, the goddesses of the hours and the proper progression of time.

Dike’s mother was also a Greek goddess of justice, but the two ruled over different forms of the concept.

Themis was the goddess of divine justice, enforcing the rules of the gods and the natural laws of the world. Dike, meanwhile, was more representative of human laws.

Dike spent her time watching the actions of human judges, lawmakers, rulers, and cities. In Athens, she was associated with their judicial system of trials in court.

She was often described as the associate or attendant of her father, Zeus. As the king of the gods he represented not only divine law but the models of leadership and lawfulness that other rulers should aspire to.

According to one source, Dike was particularly impacted when she saw injustice. One writer said that she threw herself before her father’s throne in tears when she witnessed a corrupt judge pervert justice.

Dike was not specifically a goddess of punishment, although she could bring consequences to those who did not act justly. She also rewarded those who upheld the law and acted with virtue.

Although she was typically an orderly and peaceful goddess, even being said by some to personify purity, Dike was violent on occasion. One popular representation of her in Greek art showed the goddess of justice beating her opposite, Adikia, the personification of injustice.

My Modern Interpretation

Although Dike was a daimone, she was a major force in Greek culture. In urban areas particularly, her influence was vital.

Greek society valued law, order, and stability above almost all else. Everything from the class structure to property issues were thought to be ordered by both natural and human law.

When these laws were in conflict with one another, divine natural law took precedence. It was therefore one of Dike’s roles to ensure that human law followed the laws of the gods as closely as possible.

Mythology

The Story of Dike

If either of these sets of laws were to break down, the Greek people believed, chaos would ensue. Violations of natural law, in particular, could be disruptive enough to threaten the stability of the entire universe.

By aligning natural law and human law as closely as possible, therefore, Dike was one of the major protective deities of the ancient world.

As a goddess of justice she helped to ensure that society, and therefore the entire world, functioned in a stable and orderly way. The importance of Dike can be seen, in part, by her epithet. The goddess of justice was sometimes called Astraea, “The Lady of the Stars.”

The constellation Libra, the scales, represented both Dike and Themis. The balanced scales of justice represented the stability that these goddesses brought. Dike was also important enough to influence modern ideas of justice.

The personification of Lady Justice is still based on the image of Dike, which was very similar to that of her mother as well. The goddess of justice was usually shown as a slender young woman in a long gown who held the balancing scales.

Unlike her mother, Dike did not typically carry a sword in her imagery.

Images of justice that are based on Themis often hold a sword at their side. This does not represent violence, but the goddess’s ability to slice through matters to separate truth from fiction.

Themis had this ability as the goddess of natural law. As a goddess of human law, however, Dike sometimes had trouble separating the two.

Although modern legal imagery is based on the iconography of Dike, there is one significant difference. In ancient Greece art, the goddess of justice did not wear a blindfold. The idea of blind justice is a modern

one, and the blindfold was added to Lady Justice iconography relatively recently.

In Greek culture, justice was based partially on social class, gender, and age. Because the ordering of society was part of natural law, Dike’s human justice had to take into account a person’s place in the structure of society.

Mythology

The Story of Dike

In Summary

In Greek mythology, Dike was the personification of justice. She was particularly associated with justice in human affairs, while Themis was associated with divine and natural law.

She was one of the daughters of Zeus and Themis who had domain over order, law, and stability. Along with the goddesses of order and peace, she kept human society stable and prosperous.

She and her sisters were particularly important in Athens and other cities, where the rule of law was paramount to keeping urban society functioning. There, they were called the Horae, the goddesses who ensured the proper ordering of time.

By keeping human society stable and aligning human law with that of nature, Dike was a protective goddess. Protecting justice and rewarding those who upheld it kept the fabric of society, and the world at large, from unravelling. Dike was far more influential than most other minor goddesses. This can be seen in the ways her iconography has been passed down to the modern world with the imagery of the scales of justice and the classical-looking personification of it.

https://mythologysource.com/dike-greek-goddess-justice/

History Of October

Shared By: High Priestess, Gloriana Danu

October (the eighth month) , November, and December. Martius, Maius, Quintilis, and October contained 31 days, while the other months had 30, for a total of 304 days. In winter, the days were not counted for two lunar cycles.

This month’s name stems from Latin octo, “eight,” because this was the eighth month of the early Roman calendar. When the Romans converted to a 12-month calendar, the name October stuck despite that fact that it’s now the 10th month!

The early Roman calendar, thought to have been introduced by Rome’s first king, Romulus (around 753 b.c) was a lunar calendar.

This ancient timekeeping system contained these 10 months: Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Iunius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September,

It wasn’t until about 713 b.c. that a calendar reform, attributed to the second Roman king, Numa Pompilius, added the months Ianuarius and Februarius.

Some historians think that both months were placed at the end of the year, while others believe that Ianuarius became the first month and Februarius the last.

Later reforms organized the months as they are arranged today in the Gregorian calendar, whereby October became the 10th month in spite of its name.

Elaine Goodale Eastman

October Calendar

• October 4 marks the start of Yom Kippur, at sundown.

• October 9 is Leif Eriksson Day.

• October 10 is a busy day, with three holidays packed into it:

• Canadian Thanksgiving. This holiday shares many similarities with its American equivalent.

However, there are a number of things that set the Canadian Thanksgiving apart!

• Columbus Day (U.S.) , a federal holiday, is observed on the second Monday in October.

It was on October 12, 1492, that Christopher Columbus landed on a small island in the

October glows on every cheek, October shines in every eye, While up the hill and down the dale Her crimson banners fly.

History Of October

Bahamas, convinced that he had reached Asia. Read more about Columbus Day.

• Indigenous Peoples’ Day (U.S.) —a holiday that celebrates the history and cultures of indigenous peoples native to what is today the United States.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated in cities and states across the country, often alongside or in lieu of Columbus Day.

• October 18 is St. Luke’s Little Summer. This is a date steeped in folklore. Traditionally, around Saint Luke’s feast day, there is a period brief period of calm, dry weather.

• October 24 is United Nations Day, which aims to bring awareness to the work of the United Nations across the world.

• October 31 is Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) !

“Just for Fun” Dates in October

• Oct. 4: International Ships-in-Bottles Day

• Oct. 6: National Noodle Day

• Oct. 12: National Fossil Day

• Oct: 24–Nov. 11: World Origami Days

• Oct. 28: Frankenstein Friday

October Astronomy and the Moon

October is a great time for stargazing.

The Full Hunter’s Moon October’s full Moon, known as the Hunter’s Moon, arrives on Sunday, October 9. Like September’s Harvest Moon, the Hunter’s Moon is closely tied to the autumnal equinox.

October Meteor Showers Also keep an eye out for the Draconid meteor shower in the late evening of October 9, and the Orionid meteor shower in the predawn hours of October 21–22.

The Leaves They Are a-Changin’

With the autumnal equinox in late September, foliage season has officially begun across much of the United States.

Why do leaves change colors?

Did you know that fall’s vivid colors are actually hidden underneath summer’s green?

The main reason for the color change is not autumn’s chilly weather, but light—or rather, the lack of it. The green color of leaves disappears when photosynthesis (from sunlight) slows down and the chlorophyll breaks down. Trees with a lot of direct sunlight will produce red leaves, while other trees may turn yellow, orange, or brown.

History Of October

October Gardening

October is all about ending the harvest and storing your crops.

Fall is the best time to plant garlic and bulbs for spring flowers. Do these tasks soon if you haven’t yet!

October Birth Flowers

October’s birth flowers are the cosmos and the calendula or marigold. Cosmos is a symbol of joy in life and love and of peace. The calendula (aka garden, English, or pot marigold) represents winning grace, grief, or chagrin in the language of flowers.

October Birthstone

The October birthstone is the opal, which symbolizes faithfulness and confidence.

Gem-quality opals are known for their play of color, caused by the diffraction of light. They are available in several types, including black, fire, and white opals. Common opals do not shimmer.

Opals symbolize hope and purity and were once thought to improve eyesight or enhance intuition. Throughout history, the gem’s reputation has oscillated between standing for luck and standing for lack of luck. According to some, those born in October are immune from any possible negative effects.

Folklore for the Season

• When deer are in a gray coat in October, expect a hard winter.

• Much rain in October, much wind in December.

• A warm October means a cold February.

• In October dung your field, and your land its wealth shall yield.

• Good October, a good blast,

• To blow the hog acorn and mast. [tree fruit upon which wild animals feed]

https://www.almanac.com/content/month-october-holidays-fun-facts-folklore

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

Gourds were one of the earliest plant species, domesticated by humans around 10,000 years ago, mostly cultivated for their carving potential –for kitchen tools, dishes, musical instruments, toys, furniture and more. Maoris began carving them for lanterns 700 years ago – the Maori word for “gourd” and “lampshade” are actually the same.

Original Irish Jack-oLanterns made of turnips were truly terrifying

The Jack-O-Lantern story comes from Irish folklore, and the original was a far cry from the cute friendly Halloween decoration we know today!

A far cry from the grinning pumpkins of Halloween today, the original folklore version of Jack-o-Lanterns, named for Jack O’Lantern of the Irish myth, were actually quite terrifying. They were carved from turnips or beets rather than festive orange pumpkins and were intended to ward off unwanted visitors.

According to Irish folklore, a man called Jack O’Lantern was sentenced to roam the earth for eternity. A ghostly figure of the night, O’Lantern walks with a burning coal inside of a carved-out turnip to light his way.

The Jack-o-Lantern story in Irish folklore

As the tale goes, a man called Stingy Jack invited the devil for a drink and convinced him to shape-shift into a coin to pay with.

When the devil obliged, Jack decided he wanted the coin for other purposes and kept it in his pocket alongside a

small, silver cross to prevent it from turning back into the devil.

Jack eventually freed the devil under the condition that he wouldn’t bother Jack for one year, and wouldn’t claim Jack’s soul once he died.

The next year, Jack tricked the devil once more by convincing him to climb up a tree to fetch a piece of fruit. When he was up in the tree, Jack carved a cross into the trunk so the devil couldn’t come down until he swore he wouldn’t bother Stingy Jack for another ten years.

When Jack died, God wouldn’t allow him into heaven and the devil wouldn’t allow him into hell. He was instead sent into the eternal night, with a burning coal inside a carved-out turnip to light his way. He’s been roaming the earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to this spooky figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” which then became “Jack O’Lantern.”

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

What was the original purpose for the use of the Jack-o-Lantern at Halloween?

This legend is why people in Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions of Jack’s lantern by carving grotesque faces into turnips, mangelwurzels, potatoes, and beets, placing them beside their homes to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits and travelers.

Once this became a Halloween tradition, Jack-o-Lanterns were used as guides for people dressed in costume on Samhain (Oct 31 – Nov 1) , a traditional Gaelic version of Halloween, seen as a night when the divide between the worlds of the living and the dead is especially thin. The Samhain festival marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, the “darker half” of the year.

When the Irish and Scots immigrated to America, bringing the tradition with them, they found that pumpkins, native to America, made perfect

fruits for carving. Pumpkin Jack-o-Lanterns have been an integral part of Halloween festivities ever since.

Some believe that the Jack-o-Lanterns originated with All Saints’ Day, and represent Christian souls in purgatory. Roaming Stingy Jack is in, after all, what would be considered purgatory.

Was the Jack-o-Lantern really an Irish tradition?

Although the idea that the myth of the Jacko-Lanterns is Irish is widely held, there is no scholarly research into Irish customs and

mythology that proves it so. There is also evidence of turnips being used for what was called a “Hoberdy’s Lantern” in Worcestershire, England at the end of the 18th Century. Hoberdy’s Lanterns had carved-out faces in turnips and the stump of a candle within.

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/ history/jack-o-lantern-turnips-ireland

The Irish Origins of the Jack-O’-Lantern Listen, my children, and you shall hear, of the midnight meddling of Stingy Jack, from whom the jack-o’-lantern derives its name. Or so the story goes. Here’s the most common version of the 18th-century Irish folktale:

A grumpy bastard of a blacksmith by the name of Stingy Jack invites the devil for a drink but refuses to pay (hence, the “stingy” descriptor) . He convinces the devil to shape-shift into a coin to cover the tab.

But when the devil obliges, Jack sticks the

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

coin in his pocket. And much to the devil-coin’s dismay, there is a silver cross in that pocket, preventing him from returning to his original form. A deal is struck.

Jack sets the devil free and, in return, the devil agrees

• A) to bar Jack from entering hell when he dies, and • B) to leave Jack alone for a year.

A quick aside: This seems like a bad deal. And it is a bad deal — because guess what? A year later, the devil comes back to mess with Jack. Only Jack is ready for him.

He convinces the devil to climb a tree so he might enjoy a delicious piece of fruit. Once the devil is up in the tree, Jack carves a cross into the trunk. The devil can’t come down. Another (bad ) deal is struck, although this one does have the advantage of being slightly less bad than the previous one.

Jack frees the devil in exchange for ten years of peace.

Jack dies. (Don’t be sad. He was an asshole.) The devil, true to his word, refuses to let Jack into hell. God, meanwhile, refuses to let Jack into heaven.

So, what is Jack’s fate?

To wander forever in eternal darkness, of course. But because the devil is not totally heartless (wait…) , he tosses Jack a lump of burning coal from hell so he can have a bit of light. Jack carves out a turnip and sticks the coal inside, creating a lantern. Hence, “Jack of the Lantern,” which is later shortened to “Jack O’Lantern.”

The rest, as they say, is folklore. By which I mean: There’s a lot more to the story.

For starters, there’s the beginning of the story, which most sources (the Irish Times notwithstanding) neglect. In it, Jack, acting out of character, helps an old man on the side of the road.

Twist! The old man is an angel in disguise. The angel, who is clearly a fan of One Thousand and One Nights, grants Jack three wishes. And this is where Jack’s true colors (and lack of imagination) begin to shine through.

• Wish #1: anyone who sits in Jack’s chair will be stuck to the spot.

• Wish #2: anyone who takes a bough from Jack’s sycamore tree will be stuck to the spot.

• Wish #3: anyone who borrows Jack’s tools will be stuck to the spot.

The angel reluctantly grants these wishes, but he makes a mental note that this Jack fellow,

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

How are we supposed to feel about Stingy Jack?

Should we be satisfied that this mean-spirited blacksmith got his comeuppance?

soften the heart of stone to see him as I once did, the poor old dunawn, his feet blistered and bleeding, his poneens (rags) all flying about him, and the rains of heaven beating on his ould white head.

Details: The Original Meaning of “Jack-O’Lantern”

when the time comes, should not be allowed into heaven. Eventually, the devil comes to claim Jack, but as we already know, that plan does not go swimmingly. Granted, things don’t turn out too swell for ole Jackie boy either. To quote the Irish Times:

It’s fitting that a character trapped in an earthly purgatory should become the lasting symbol of Halloween, a time when people are as wont to offer a “trick” as a “treat”. The character of Jack, a figure who doesn’t fit into heaven or hell, is unusually complex for a figure from a folk tale. This begs the question:

Or, like the talkative Irish uncle quoted in an 1836 issue of the Dublin Penny Journal — a man who claims to have seen Jack with his own eyes — should we pity the jack-o’-lantern’s namesake?

If you knew the sufferings of that forsaken craythur, since the time the poor sowl was doomed to wandher, with a lanthern in his hand, on this cowld earth, without rest for his foot, or shelter for his head, until the day of judgment… oh, it ‘ud

So, case closed, right?

We carve scary faces into vegetables on Halloween because an 18th-century Irish folk antihero once shoved a hell-coal into a turnip. Makes perfect sense. The jack-o’-lantern is a symbol of Stingy Jack’s suffering. It’s the perfect decoration for commemorating this awful, crafty man. Or…not.

Because another interpretation holds that the purpose of creating jack-o’-lanterns is not to celebrate Stingy Jack, but to protect oneself from him. To quote journalist Kayla Hertz (writing for IrishCentral):

This legend is why people

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

in Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions of Jack’s lantern by carving grotesque faces into turnips, mangelwurzels, potatoes, and beets, placing them beside their homes to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits and travelers.

If both of these explanations feel a bit tenuous, it’s because… they are. The truth is, the story of Stingy Jack was not invented to explain the origin of carved vegetable lanterns (which, as we’ll explore later, go back thousands of years).

Instead, the story was invented to explain a different phenomenon altogether: ignis fatuus.

Also known as will-o’the-wisps, fairy lights, fool’s fire, and — yes — jack-o’-lanterns, ignis fatuus refers to the incredibly eerie (but entirely natural) flickering of lights that occurs over peat bogs and marshlands. It’s caused by the combustion of gases that are released from decomposing organic matter.

If you were to try to follow the light, you could go into a sinkhole or bog, or drown. People thought it was Jack of the Lantern, a lost soul, or a ghost.

He told his Stingy Jack story while gazing out at a peat bog, observing the ignis fatuus. That’s the explanation he gave for what he was seeing. And at the time, it was a common one.

According to Nathan Mannion, senior curator of Dublin’s Irish Emigration Museum, the ignis fatuus often seemed like “a floating flame that would move away from travelers.” He goes on to say:

To make matters even more convoluted, there is another possible origin for the term “jacko’-lantern,” one that eschews ghosts and devils and flaming bog farts and replaces them with something far more mundane: night watchmen. You see, in 17th-century Britain, “Jack” was a common catch-all for someone whose name you didn’t know (sort of like the “John Doe” of its time) . So an anonymous night watchman would sometimes be called a “Jack of the Lantern,” or “Jack O’Lantern.”

Add to this the 18thcentury tradition out of Worcestershire, England known as the “Hoberdy’s Lantern,” which could be made by hollowing out a turnip, carving a face on the outside, and sticking a candle inside, and it’s

Remember that talkative Irish uncle quoted in the previous section?

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

possible that the jacko’-lantern is actually a British innovation. That being said, the Irish origin for the jack-o’lantern is still widely held by scholars and historians. And the main reason for that has to do with the Emerald Isle’s Celtic history.

The Celtic Connection: Samhain and the Cult of the Head

In Celtic enclaves of northern Europe (e.g. Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Brittany ) the carving of human faces into round fruits and vegetables has been going on for thousands of years.

It is a tradition, according to our pal Mannion of the Irish Emigration Museum, that likely evolved from the Celtic custom of head veneration, wherein the severed heads of one’s enemies were taken as war trophies.

One needs only to peruse the myths of ancient Ireland to see the significance that was placed on heads. (Not, like, literally placed on top of heads… you

know what I mean.) For example, there’s the story of the Ulster hero Cúchulainn, the Hound of Culann, who returned from his first-ever battle with three heads hanging from his chariot, as well as “nine heads in one hand and ten in the other, and these he brandished at the hosts in token of his valor and prowess.”

Meanwhile, in “The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel,” the warrior Conall pours water into the mouth of the High King of Ireland Conaire Mór’s severed head — and the head thanks him.

History confirms this Celtic obsession with the head. Ancient historians Livy and Diodorus Siculus both recount instances of Celtic warriors hanging the severed heads of their slain foes from the necks of their horses.

Siculus further notes that especially distinguished foes were given the royal treatment: their heads were embalmed in cedar oil and displayed with pride to visitors.

This practice is also reflected in the ancient Irish tradition of creating “brain-balls,” wherein the brains of enemies were hardened with lime and used as slingshot projectiles. Lovely.

So why were heads so important to ancient Celtic peoples, including the Irish?

To quote historian Peter Berresford Ellis, author of A Dictionary of Irish Mythology and The Celtic Empire:

The ancient Irish revered the human head as, indeed, did all ancient

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

effort to ward off restless souls.

Celtic societies. It was in the head and not in the heart that they seemed to locate the souls of men and women… Archaeological finds give full corroboration to this cult.

During the Celtic festival of Samhain, when it was believed that souls from the Otherworld were able to cross over to the land of the living, the cult of the head reached a fever pitch.

Armed with a plethora of root vegetables from the recent harvest (as Samhain marked the end of one pastoral year and the beginning of the next) , ancient peoples carved frightening faces in an

There was also a fire element to the festival of Samhain. On the night of October 31st, when the festival began, all fires burning across Ireland and other Celtic countries were supposed to be extinguished, and could only be rekindled thereafter from a ceremonial fire lit by druids.

To facilitate this practice, a good deal of lanterns were needed to transport the coals. Hence, those carved root vegetables ended up serving a practical purpose in addition to a symbolic one. To quote Mannion:

Metal lanterns were quite expensive, so people would hollow out root vegetables. Over time people started to carve faces and designs to allow light to shine through the holes without extinguishing the ember.

Of course, now we’re faced with a chicken and the egg problem:

It’s hard to say. But what I can tell you definitively is that when the Christians arrived on the scene, they hijacked the festival of Samhain for their own purposes, turning November 1st into “All Saints’ Day” a.k.a. “All Hallows.” Hence, the evening prior became known as “All Hallows Eve,” which is celebrated today as Halloween. The Celtic cult of the head was largely forgotten, and the vegetable lanterns with their frightening faces were reinterpreted, by some, as representations of Christian souls in purgatory.

The aforementioned Stingy Jack, of course, a man forever stuck

Did the ancient Irish turn their carved faces into lanterns, as I suggested earlier, or did they carve faces into their lanterns, as Mannion asserts?

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

between heaven and hell, fits that Christian interpretation to a T.

So in addition to being used to explain the phenomenon of ignis fatuus and, later, to explain the origins of the jack-o’-lantern, the story of Jack was employed “as a cautionary tale, a morality tale,” according to Mannion, who elaborates: “Jack was a soul trapped between two worlds, and if you behaved like he did you could end up like that, too.”

The Americanization of the Jack-O’-Lantern: From Turnips to Pumpkins

If the history of the jacko’-lantern wasn’t already convoluted enough for ya, we have a whole ‘nother era to explore — arguably the jack-o’-lantern’s golden age:

The Age of Pumpkins. In the midst of and in the decades following the Great Famine, millions of Irish immigrants fled to North America, and with them they brought their ancient Samhain/

Halloween tradition of vegetable carving.

While originally accustomed to using turnips, beets, and potatoes as their canvases, these Irish immigrants easily adapted their art to the more rotund and versatile pumpkin — a gourd native to the New World.

The first mention of the pumpkin jack-o’-lantern ostensibly appears in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1835 short story, The Great Carbuncle, in which a band of adventurers seeks out a legendary gem. To quote Hawthorne: Hide it under thy cloak, say’st thou? Why, it will gleam through the holes, and make thee look like a jack-o’-lantern.

Given that The Great Carbuncle was written before the massive influx of Irish immigrants to North America, however, it is possible

that Hawthorne is not actually referencing a pumpkin jack-o’-lantern in this passage, but the phenomenon of ignis fatuus. (Remember, that was the original meaning of the word.)

That’s not to say, however, that an earlier group of Irish immigrants couldn’t have introduced the “carved vegetable lantern” meaning of jack-o’-lantern to Hawthorne. The matter is up for debate.

According to the Irish Times, the first definitive reference to a pumpkin

History Of The Jack-O-Lantern

1867 issue of Harper’s Weekly. It was published alongside an article titled “A Pumpkin Effigy,” but — and this is an important but — the article did not refer to the carved gourd as a “jacko’-lantern,” nor did it reference Halloween.

By the turn of the century, the pumpkin jack-o’lantern had become the symbol of Halloween in North America.

jack-o’-lantern carved in celebration of Halloween occurred in 1886, when a Canadian newspaper, the Daily News, reported the following:

The old time custom of keeping up Hallowe’en was not forgotten last night by the youngsters of the city […]There was a great sacrifice of pumpkins from which to make transparent heads and face, lighted up by the unfailing two inches of tallow candle.

However, it should be noted that the first image of a pumpkin jack-o’lantern appeared nearly two decades before this in the November 23,

While once intended to scare off unwanted nocturnal visitors, these incandescent decorations are now most frequently used (despite their often grotesque appearances) to welcome visitors and convey a sense of joviality and community.

To quote Cindy Ott, author of Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon:

Final Thought: The Neverending Story

The jack-o’-lantern is an art form that has multiple possible origins (re: Celtic head veneration, an Irish folktale about an asshole, anonymous English night watchmen) , multiple symbolic meanings (re: it represents the lantern of a notorious trickster, or the fires of Samhain, or Christian souls stuck in purgatory) , and multiple functional purposes (re: transporting sacred coals, warding off evil spirits, welcoming guests) .

At Halloween, you don’t go up to someone’s house unless they have a jack-o’-lantern. It’s about cementing

a community, projecting good values, neighborliness. The pumpkin and jack-o’-lantern take on those meanings, too.

History Of

Traditions Of Halloween/Samhain

Halloween originated in Ireland as the Celtic festival of Samhain, which is why so many Halloween traditions – regardless of where you are in the world – are Irish!

The Celts believed that on the eve of Halloween, dead spirits would visit the mortal world. They lit bonfires to keep evil spirits away and dressed in disguises.

Although our Halloween is less about dead spirits and more about having fun and dressing up, there are some traditional aspects of an Irish Halloween that we have kept going.

Here’s a list of some ancient, and some more recent, Halloween traditions from Ireland that have stuck over the years:

The Bonfire

Samhain was seen as the end of summer but also the beginning of another year. It was also the one day of the year when spirits could walk the earth. The community would gather together

and light huge fires to ward off bad fortune for the coming year and any evil spirits.

Some believe that people extinguished their fires in the hearth at home before they left and would reignite them using an ember from the bonfire, for good luck. The day after the bonfire the ashes were spread across the fields to further ward off bad luck for the farmers for the coming year.

It was also traditionally believed that the bonfire encouraged dreams, especially of your future husband or wife. It was said that if you drop a

cutting of your hair into the embers of the fire the identity of your first husband would be revealed.

Jack-o-lanterns

There are two schools of thought on why the Irish carried Jack-o-lantern. One is that the tradition is an ancient Celtic tradition. In order to carry home an ember from the communal bonfire, the people would hollow out a turnip so they could walk home with the fire still burning.

The other version is a little more spooky. The other story is that Jack-olanterns date back to the 18th century. It is named after an Irish blacksmith, called Jack, who colluded with the Devil and was denied entry into Heaven.

Jack was condemned to walk the earth for eternity but asked the Devil for some light. He was given a burning coal that burnt into a turnip that he had hollowed out. Some Irish believe that hanging a lantern in their front window would keep Jack’s wandering

Traditions Of Halloween/Samhain

soul away. When the Scot-Irish emigrated to America, they adapted the tradition and used pumpkins instead as it is more difficult to find turnips.

Costumes

The community would gather around the bonfire and many would be dressed up in elaborate animal skins and heads. The idea was that the evil spirits would be scared off by the fires. Then if the spirits happened to be wandering the earth and bumped into one of the Celts they might they were spirits themselves, because of their disguises, and let them go free. This is where our tradition of dressing up comes from.

Trick or Treating

Trick or treat originated centuries ago. In Ireland, the poor would go from door to door to rich people’s homes and ask for food, kindling, or money. They would then use what they collected for their celebrations on Halloween.

Colcannon

This is the traditional dinner to have on Halloween night before you head out for an evening of fun and mischief. It is a simple dish made with boiled potatoes, curly kale (a type of cabbage) , and raw onions.

Traditionally coins were wrapped in pieces of clean paper and slipped into children’s colcannon for them to find and keep. Sometimes people also hide a ring in the colcannon. Whoever finds the ring will be married within the year.

Halloween Colcannon Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 tbsp. milk or unsweetened/plain soy milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 cups chopped cabbage or kale

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped onions or green onions

Method:

Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender. Drain, reserving water. Place the hot potatoes in a large bowl.

Traditions Of Halloween/Samhain

Add chopped cabbage to the reserved potato water. Cook 6-8 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, fry the onions in the butter or margarine. When they are cool enough to handle, mash potatoes with a hand masher or fork. Add the fried onions and cabbage. Add milk, salt, and pepper and beat until fluffy.

Barmbrack

From the Irish name “Bairín Breac,” this is a traditional Irish Halloween cake which essentially a sweet bread with fruit through it as well as some other treats. Shop-bought barmbracks still contain and ring but if you make it at home and add your own treats it’s even more fun. Each member of the family gets a slice and each prize has a different meaning:

•

The rag – your financial future is doubtful

• The coin – you will have a prosperous year

• The ring – impending romance or continued happiness

• The thimble – you’ll never marry

Halloween Barmbrack Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups chopped dried mixed fruit

• 1 1/2 cups hot brewed tea

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1/4 cup lemon marmalade

• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Method: Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea for 2 hours, then drain and gently squeeze out excess tea. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) . Grease a 9 inch Bundt pan. Stir together the flour cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda; set aside. Beat the egg, sugar, marmalade, orange zest, and tea-soaked fruit until well combined. Gently fold in the flour until just combined, then pour into the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until the top

of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool in the pan for 2 hours before removing. Continue to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Press the objects of choice into the cake through the bottom before serving.

Snap apple

There are many games that are played on Halloween night and snap apple or bobbing for apples is one of them.

Tarot Traditions Of Halloween/Samhain

An apple is suspended from a string and the children are blindfolded and their arms tied behind their backs. The first child to get a decent bite of the apple gets a prize. Bobbing for apples is when some apples are dropped into a basin of water and the children have to go in headfirst and try to get a bite.

The apples are associated with love and fertility. It is said that whoever gets the first bite will be first to marry. It was also thought that if the girls put the apple they bit, while bobbing, under their pillow that night, they would dream of their future lover.

Shaving the friar

This old game was particularly popular in County Meath. A pile of ash was put down in the shape of a cone with a piece of wood sticking out of the top.

Then each player takes turns trying to digger the largest amount of ash without the pile collapsing. All the while competitors chant:

Blind-folded cabbage picking

Blindfolded local girls would go out into the field and pull up the first cabbage they stumbled upon. If the cabbage had a lot of clay attached to the roots their future lover would have money. If the girl ate the cabbage the nature of their future husband would be revealed, bitter or sweet.

Anti-Fairy Measures

Fairies and goblins were believed to collect souls as they trawl the earth on Halloween night. The story goes that if you threw dust from under your feet at the fairy they would release any souls they kept captive. However, over the years this legend was changed. Farm animals would be anointed with holy water to keep them safe through the night. If animals showed ill health on Halloween they would be spat at to try to ward off the evil spirits.

“Shave the poor Friar to make him a liar; Cut off his beard to make him afeard; If the Friar will fall, my poor back pays for all!”

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/irish-traditions-halloween

The Devil Keywords UPRIGHT:

Shadow self, attachment, addiction, restriction, sexuality

REVERSED:

Releasing limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, detachment

THE DEVIL DESCRIPTION

The Devil card shows Baphomet, or the Horned Goat of Mendes, a creature that is half man, half goat. Baphomet originally represented the balance between good and evil, male and female, and human and animal;

Tarot The Devil

however, recently, this figure has been linked to the occult and has become a scapegoat for all things considered ‘evil’ .

The Devil has the wings of a vampire bat, an animal that sucks the lifeblood out of its prey, symbolic of what happens when you give in to your raw desires.

He has a hypnotic stare which ‘magnetizes’ and entrances those who come near him, bringing them under his power.

Above him is an inverted pentagram – a sign of the darker side of magic and occultism. He raises his right hand in the Vulcan Salute – a Jewish blessing, later made famous by the film series, Star Trek. In his left hand, he holds a lit torch.

At the foot of The Devil stand a man and a woman, both naked and chained to the podium on which The Devil sits. They appear to be held here against their will – but look closer, and you will notice that the chains around their necks are loose and could be

easily removed. Each has small horns on their head, like the devil’s, a sign that they are becoming increasingly like him the longer they stay here. Both have tails, a further symbol of their animalistic tendencies and raw instincts, and the grapes and the fire on their respective tails signify pleasure and lust.

The Devil Upright

The Devil card represents your shadow (or darker) side and the negative forces that constrain you and hold you back from being the best version of yourself. You may be at the effect of negative habits, dependencies, behaviors, thought patterns, relationships, and addictions.

You have found yourself trapped between the short-term pleasure you receive and the longerterm pain you experience. Just as the Lovers card speaks to duality and choice, so too does The Devil; however, with The Devil, you are choosing the path of instant gratification, even if it is at the expense of your

long-term well-being. In effect, you have sold your soul to the devil!

The Devil card often appears when you have been tricked into thinking you have no control over your shadow self or these negative forces, and that you can never break free from their hold. You believe you need it and you must have it, even if it means going against what you know to be right to obtain it. Deep down, though, you know it’s to your detriment, and you are only doing yourself (and often others) a disservice when you cave in to these lower needs and desires.

To break free of these negative patterns, you need to acknowledge the hold they have over you and the impact they are having on your life. For example, the first step of Alcoholics Anonymous is an admission: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable.”

Tarot

The Devil

When The Devil shows up in a Tarot reading, see it as an opportunity to bring these negative influences into your conscious awareness, so you can then take action to free yourself from their hold. Shine your light on the negative patterns that have been standing in your way for so long, and over time, you will loosen the grip they have on you.

Given that The Devil is a Major Arcana card, it is unlikely that you will be free from your addictions and dependencies overnight. It may be a recurring pattern for you, and it will take a tremendous amount of willpower and strength to free yourself from their influence. But know this: it IS possible, and it is up to you to make it happen.

On the positive side, The Devil can also show a powerful attachment between two people, such as a mum and her newborn, or a new romance still in its ‘honeymoon phase ’.

Be careful though, because with The Devil

card, this healthy attachment can turn into an unhealthy, codependent relationship if you lose connection with your inner guidance or don’t protect your personal boundaries.

The Devil can also represent sexuality and your wild side. You may be exploring bondage, fetishes and your deepest, darkest fantasies.

If you can do this within a safe, sacred space, it can be a very enriching experience. However, it has the potential to turn into something that may be unsafe or detrimental to your well-being in the long-term, so again, set clear boundaries, choose your partners wisely, and have your ‘safe words’ ready to go.

The Devil Reversed The Devil Reversed can often appear when you are on the verge of a break-through or an uplevelling. You are being called to your highest potential, but first, you must let go of any unhealthy attachments or limiting beliefs that may hold you back.

Often, when you are called to something ‘more’ , you must deal with your shadows before you can step into this new version of yourself. It may be an addiction, unhealthy relationships, or a disengaging career.

Let go of fear and release any self-imposed limiting beliefs standing in the way of your growth. It is

Tarot

The Devil

easier than you realize. The Devil Reversed calls on you to confront your inner fears and anxieties to free yourself from the chains that bind you to your limiting beliefs and unhealthy attachments. Eliminate those things you know are harmful to you and your inner psyche.

It may be about creating a healthier diet, watching less television, quitting smoking, spending more time with your loved

ones, or focusing more on your goals. Take this opportunity to bring about positive change in your life by staying focused on the ultimate goal of freedom.

The Devil card can also appear in a reversal when you are going into your deepest, darkest places – whether or not you are ready. When you take this path consciously, you do so with strength, confidence and courage. You seek to understand your innermost shadows so you can either release them or integrate them into your life in a more constructive way. When you do it unconsciously, or with resistance, it can be very confronting as you may begin to realize you are very different from who you thought you were.

You may enter a period of anxiety or depression, or experiencing dark thoughts you struggle to understand. If this resonates, then please seek out a trained therapist to help you work through this time.

The Devil Reversed may also be a sign you are hiding your deepest, darkest self from others, keeping it a secret. You may have thoughts, fantasies, addictions, or habits that you don’t want others to know because you feel embarrassed or ashamed.

But sometimes, holding onto the secrets can contribute to a growing level of guilt, and you may feel a sense of relief if you can share your darker self with at least one trusted individual.

There is also a need to accept who you are and forgive yourself for the thoughts you have. Of course, if you are at risk of harming yourself or others, please seek professional help immediately.

Finally, The Devil Reversed invites you to practice the Buddhist principle of detachment, a state in which you overcome your attachment to the desire for things, people or concepts of the world, and free yourself from any restrictions.

Tarot The Devil

It doesn’t mean you don’t care for people or things; you release your dependence on them. You may also find that a cord-cutting visualization helps to release any unhealthy attachments to others, especially when The Devil Reversed appears in a Tarot reading.

https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/major-arcana/devil/

Oracle

Shamans Dream

Completion

When the Closing Door shows up, it’s a call to recognize an ending—to terminate a relationship, job, task, or situation that has been dragging on far too long. Unlock the cage you have been trapped in, and shut the door behind you. This is not the time to worry about what others might think or feel. Instead, break with routine, consider what you think and how you feel, and be true to your heart’s calling.

It’s time to walk out the door. If you do not see a door but only a solid wall in front of you, ask for assistance. Muster the courage to say, “No more!” Remember as well that no one else needs to be “wrong” in order for you to do what you’ve known you needed to do for a long time.

If the door to a project or a relationship has been closed to you, stop knocking on it. You have tried that already, and no one answered—at least not in the way you would have liked. Take this as a gift, difficult and painful as it might be. Move on.

Every door that shuts is an invitation to find another way, another path, to your destination. Better to recognize this earlier rather than later.

How many of us leave a relationship or job years after we knew it was time to move on?

Stop wallowing in the pain and lingering on the reasons why things did not work. It is keeping you from your greater calling.

Bow deeply before that closed door, give thanks to the lessons, and set yourself free.

You’ll need:

Witchy DIY

•

Samhain Spirit Incense

2 parts Cinnamon

1 part ground cloves

1 part Dragon’s Blood resin

1 part Hyssop

1 part Patchouli

2 parts Rosemary

1 part Sage

A dash of sea salt

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or other items need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation. For example, if you were going to use your incense during a seance, you could use this:

The veil has thinned, the moon is bright and I blend this magic on Samhain night.

Celebrating life and death and rebirth with these herbs I’ve harvested from the earth. I send my intent by smoke in the air and call on those whose blood I share. I ask my ancestors to guide and watch over me, As I will, so it shall be.

Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

Witchy DIY

Make an Ancestor Altar Cloth

You’ll need:

•

A plain white or cream-colored tablecloth, or other piece of fabric

• Fabric pencil

•

Embroidery floss and hoop, or fabric markers

• A genealogy of your ancestors

As to your genealogy, you can keep it simple if you like, or if you’ve never done any genealogy research. You’ll need the names of your parents, of their parents, their grandparents, and so on. If you want to include your children, you can do that too.

Start by putting yourself in the center, and writing your name carefully with a lightweight fabric pencil — these wash or brush off easily when you’re done. Branch out, including your parents’ names above you, one on each side. Using lines to connect everyone, gradually add the names of your ancestors. You can even include dates of birth and death, or place names if you have the room.

It’s best to do all of this in pencil first — or better yet, use Post-It Notes, one for each ancestor’s name - to position people around the cloth. If you know the names of lots of ancestors on one side, but only a few on the other, it can start looking lopsided pretty quickly, unless you’re able to rearrange people (this is why sticky notes are great).

Once you’ve figured out everyone’s placement, add the names in fabric pencil until you’ve included as many people as you like. If you’re going to embroider the names, work from one side to the other, just to keep things simple — you may even want to do different branches of the family, or different generations, in alternating colors. If you opt to use fabric markers for the final work, be careful! Stitches can always be picked out, but markers are permanent.

Keep in mind that the very act of creation is a magical one, and you can utilize the crafting of this altar cloth as a ritual in and of itself. Particularly if you’re stitching, there’s a very meditative aspect to the creative process. After you’ve put everyone’s names on the fabric, use it as an altar cloth for rituals involving ancestor work.

Witchy DIY

Samhain Skull Garland

You’ll need the following:

• Felt in a variety of colors

• Embroidery floss

• Cotton balls

• 1/2” wide ribbon

Start by cutting out skull shapes from the felt. The ones in the photo are about two inches long and about an inch wide. You’ll need two pieces — a front and a back — for each skull you plan on making.

To make the faces, snip a pair of small circles for the eyes. Place a contrasting piece of felt behind the holes, and then use the embroidery floss to stitch them in place.

Once you’ve done that, add other features like noses or teeth. Get as creative as you like — add flowers, swirls, dots, etc., to your skulls.

Once you’ve decorate the face, place the backing piece of felt on, and stitch about 3/4 of the way around the edge of the skull. Stuff the inside with a pair of cotton balls, and then stitch closed.

After you’ve made all your skulls, measure out a length of ribbon. Use a whip stitch to anchor the skulls to the ribbon, about 8 - 10” apart. Hang your garland over your door or place it on your altar.

If you have cats, you can add a pinch of catnip to the skull stuffing before you stitch it closed. Do this with a pair of skulls, and tie them, along with a bell, to a piece of ribbon and a stick to create a cat toy - your favorite feline will thank you!

Celebrations Samhain

Shared By: High Priestess RavensThorne

Dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating are popular Halloween activities, but few probably associate these lighthearted fall traditions with their origins in Samhain, a three-day ancient Celtic pagan festival.

For the Celts, who lived during the Iron Age in what is now Ireland, Scotland, the U.K. and other parts of Northern Europe, Samhain (meaning literally, in modern Irish, “summer’s end”) marked the end of summer and kicked

off the Celtic new year. Ushering in a new year signaled a time of both death and rebirth, something that was doubly symbolic because it coincided with the end of a bountiful harvest season and the beginning of a cold and dark winter season that would present plenty of challenges.

According to historian Nicholas Rogers, author of Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, Samhain was a “time of stock-taking and perhaps sacrifice” — including probably animal sacrifice — during which

Rogers also notes that little is firmly known about the particulars of the holiday, since the limited sources available are either folkloric literature like the Celtic sagas and Roman authors who would have likely “trashed” the traditions of a culture with which they were often in conflict.

To understand what we do know about Samhain, it’s important to recognize how the structure of the year’s calendar affected the Celts’ religious practices. According to The Guardian, much of modern pagan practice is based on the wheel of the year, a major determining factor in Celtic worship.

The Celtic year was divided into two halves — light and dark, which were delineated by two of their four annual fire festivals. In between, rituals or ceremonies were celebrated marking

“pastoral communities [prepared] to survive the winter.”

Celebrations

Samhain

solstices (when night is either the shortest or longest) or equinoxes (when day and night are equal) . Samhain, the fire festival that marked the beginning of the dark half of the year, is situated between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.

Encyclopedia Britannica notes that, during this festival, the world of the gods “was believed to be made visible to humankind,” leading to supernatural tricks and trouble; ghosts of the dead and spirits from the Otherworld were also thought to return to the earth during Samhain.

To appease deities during this time, sacrifices (generally of crops and animals) were burned in bonfires as a protective measure from from evil otherworldly beings and offerings were left out for other visiting mischievous spirits. Tricks and pranks were often played, but blamed on fairies and spirits during the three-day period when the line between the two worlds blurred.

The spiritual undertones of the Samhain festival also lent themselves to looking to the future, an activity quite apropos to the start of the Celtic new year; History.com notes that Druids, or Celtic priests, thought that “the presence of otherworldly spirits made it easier…to make predictions about the future.”

At the bonfires of the festival, fortune-telling was done alongside sacrifices, and many participants also donned costumes, often masquerading as animals or beasts, in hopes of fooling spirits who might want to harm them.

The practices of this fire festival evolved over time — most notably with the spread of Christianity and the Catholic church, by 43 A.D., following Rome conquering most of the Celtic lands.

In Jack Santino’s Halloween in America:

Contemporary Customs and Performances, he explains how, during this time, many of Celtic traditions were

reframed with a Christian narrative in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the pagan practices while spreading the new religion. That reframing created many of the Halloween traditions that people still participate in today.

It was May 13 in the year 609 that Pope Boniface IV declared a celebration called All Saints’ Day, also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas in Middle English; the day before it was thus known as Allhallows’ Eve, as History. com explains.

Celebrations

Samhain

The festival was a day to honor Christian martyrs and saints. Later, in the mid-eighth century, Pope Gregory III strategically moved the celebration to November 1, coinciding with the time Samhain would have typically been held. The homage paid to martyrs and saints who passed closely paralleled the appeasement of ghosts of the dead during Samhain.

The church’s capitalization on Samhain traditions didn’t end there, however; participants in the new version of the holiday celebrated in much the same manner as their Celtic forebears had — with bonfires and costumes that reflected the spiritual and otherworldly.

The offerings of food and goods to protect themselves from spirits and ancestral ghosts became offerings of food and drink to the poor, displays of generosity and goodwill.

And the tricks and pranks attributed to otherworldly

and evil spirits manifested themselves in the spirit of the saints.

Eventually, All-hallows’ Eve evolved into Halloween, becoming more popular in secular culture than All Saints’ Day. The pagan-turned-Christian practices of dressing up in costume, playing pranks and handing out offerings have evolved into popular traditions even for those who may not believe in otherworldly spirits or saints.

However, whether Halloween celebrants know it or not, they’re following the legacy of the ancient Celts who, with the festival of Samhain, celebrated the inevitability of death and rebirth.

https://time.com/5434659/halloween-pagan-origins-in-samhain/

Celebrations Festival of Bacchus

Shared By: High Priestess Gloriana danu

men being forbidden from the priesthood by an old decree called the Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus.

The god was thought to possess his followers during the rituals and free them of their inhibitions and the shackles of social rules and norms. It involved dancing, music, and free sexual activity.

entheogens, dance, and music to encourage attendees to shrug off social constraints and return to their natural primal state.

The Roman festival of Bacchus, usually referred to as the Bacchanalia, was a series of feast days held in honor of Bacchus. This Roman god of wine, ecstasy, freedom, fruitfulness, and vegetation was always up for a party.

His Greek equivalent was Dionysus and preceded him by several hundred years. The priests of Bacchus were women,

The Bacchanalia were very popular, and there is evidence that they were well-organized events that took place throughout Italy. People saw the festival as an opportunity to throw off the shackles and inhibitions of everyday life in joyful and often inebriated celebrations.

THE HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL OF BACCHUS

When the Romans conquered Greece, they brought many Greek customs and beliefs into Roman culture. The Dionysian Mysteries were rituals that are believed to have used intoxicants,

Everyone could participate, even if they were slaves, outlaws, or non-citizens, and there was a mystical element to them. As its name suggests, it was a Mystery religion reserved for initiates, but the festivals were open to the general public.

The cult of Dionysus is ancient and believed to predate Greek civilization. It is thought that the intoxicants and the trance states during the rituals allowed the god to take possession of his followers and grant them ecstasy.

In the beginning, the wine, or sometimes Neolithic mead, combined with other herbs and entheogens, was traditionally consumed from a bull’s horn.

Celebrations Festival of Bacchus

Some scholars believe that the cult first emerged around 6000 BC when people were learning how to make beer and wine.

The Greek Eleusinian Mysteries and the Osirian Mysteries were parallels of the Dionysian ones.

The rites were usually held in the countryside and the mountains but sometimes in the Greek amphitheaters. Historians believe that they most likely arrived in Rome around 200 BC from Eretria and southern Italy.

Bacchus is a deity of the harvest, and celebrations in his honor usually take place in early October. However, secret rituals were also held in March on the Roman Aventine Hill.

THE BIRTH OF BACCHUS

Bacchus is the son of the god Jupiter and a human woman called Semele. In true Jupiterian fashion, their union was illicit because the god was already married to Juno. The latter did not take kindly to the affair and

tricked Semele into seeing Jupiter in his proper form.

Unfortunately, Semele was overwhelmed by seeing Jupiter’s power, and she was blasted with his thunderbolts and burned to ashes. Bacchus was still in his mother’s womb, so Jupiter took the fetus and sewed him into his thigh until he could be born.

Hermes, Mercury to the Romans, took Bacchus to the maenads of Nysa, and they brought him up.

THE CULT OF BACCHUS

The lavish rites in his honor were called orgia and won favor among the womenfolk, also called bacchantes. Men opposed them. Lycurgus of Thrace opposed Dionysus and became blind and mad.

Pentheus in Thebes opposed him and was torn to pieces by his followers. In Athens, men were rendered impotent for dishonoring the cult of Dionysus.

The bacchantes were believed to have occult powers and superhuman strength when under the

influence of their god. They also called him Bromios, which means Thunderer, and thought he incarnated in the bull they sacrificed to him. The cult of Bacchus was significant in art and literature, and Greek plays, tragedies, and comedies were performed as part of the festivals.

Bacchus wandered the earth sharing his secrets of winemaking with the women he met along the way. The consumption of wine has been a part of many rituals since ancient times. By the time of the Romans, viticulture was already an ancient practice with roots going

Celebrations Festival of Bacchus

back to ancient Iran and even China thousands of years prior.

THE MYSTERIES OF BACCHUS

Items associated with him are the thyrsus, an ivy wreath, and a sizeable two-handled goblet called the kantharos. The thyrsus was a giant fennel stalk topped by a pine cone resembling a spear and twined with grapevine leaves or ivy.

It is a symbol of prosperity, hedonism, and fertility. Celebrants drank wine from the kantharos during the rites.

In the dancing of the revelers, the thyrsus was tossed between them. But there was a deeper mystery associated with Bacchus, known only to initiates. The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “For many, as they say in the mysteries, are the thyrsus bearers, but few are the mystics” .

Some have speculated that the wine was more than just wine. It was laced with

herbs and plants that contained entheogens. Anthropologists have discovered that throughout the world, entheogens (psychoactive substances) have been used for thousands of years. They cause altered states of consciousness, mood, and behavior and were used for religious, shamanic, or spiritual purposes.

Entheogens were only used in sacred contexts and not abused as they are today.

ROME TRIED TO CONTROL BACCANALIA’’S

Very little is known of the rites of the Bacchanalia as the authorities of the time did not take kindly to them. What was written about them is mainly by outsiders who disapproved.

Rulers maintained that they threatened the state, which is why the Roman Senate in 186 BC attempted to control them through legislation in 186 BC.

The Roman god of

wine and fertility was originally called Liber Pater or the Free Father in Rome and was eventually assimilated into the cult of Bacchus.

The word Liberalia was used to describe his festivities and the word Liber eventually became associated with Bacchus. There is evidence that the cult of Bacchus/Dionysus lasted for centuries before the Romans tried to exterminate it, and even after that, it continued in a less obvious fashion.

The Roman authorities saw the Bacchanalia as an excuse to break moral,

Celebrations Festival of Bacchus

civil, and religious law and ended up suppressing the cult throughout Italy. It arrested some seven thousand people, many of whom were executed. As a result of this persecution, the cult went into hiding and had to conduct its rituals in secret. People were forbidden from discussing what went on there.

Dionysus is the opposite of Apollo, the Roman god of reason, individualism, and intellect. The Bacchanalia were about human emotion and chaos free of reason. Bacchus is often depicted as being accompanied by satyrs, goat-like men with prominent erections.

MODERN PAGAN CELEBRATIONS OF THE FESTIVAL OF BACCHUS

Some modern pagans usually celebrate the festival of Bacchus in October, but others celebrate it in March. Carnaval is a widespread festivity in many cultures that can be traced back to the Greco-Roman period of history and the festivals of Bacchus/Dionysus.

Think of the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, for instance. Perhaps the revelers wear masks not only to enrich the festivities but also to hide their identities from the authorities!

Those who have read the Chronicles of Narnia will be familiar with the person who led the celebrations when Aslan came to help the people of Narnia. CS Lewis describes him as “a youth dressed only in fawnskin, with vine -leaves in his curly hair. His face would have been almost too pretty for a boy’s if it had not looked so extremely wild.” His name was Bacchus!

The festival of Bacchus can be celebrated in privacy behind closed doors with a few good friends and a few bottles of wine or at parties within the pagan community. Offerings of honey, incense, olive oil, and fruit can be made.

Group dancing and music are essential. People from all walks of life come

together to forget their social status and mundane jobs and celebrate what it means to be simply a human being.

You can go a little crazy as long as you don’t attract unwelcome attention from the authorities. Putting on a play or playing games that make people put aside their dignity for a while is also a good idea. Lively discussions where people speak their minds openly and honestly are also part of the Bacchanalia.

https://www.celebratepaganholidays. com/fall/roman-festival-of-bacchus

Delphi

Mythical Creature Tsuchigumo

Shared By: High Priestess Ravensthorne morrighan

More often than not, though, illustrations of tsuchigumo will just show the creature as a gigantic monstrous spider.

Tsuchigumo are not benevolent beasts, and many Japanese folktales tell of how the creature would hunt people while they were travelling home through the countryside and devour them.

In illustrations, Jorōgumo is typically depicted with the top half of the body as a beautiful woman, and the bottom half as a spider.

Tsuchigumo is a giant spider yōkai that began to be depicted as large mythical spider-like beasts in the Japanese middle ages.

They are sometimes referred to as yatsukahagi or ōgumo. In Japanese, tsuchigumo translates literally as dirt or earth spider.

Tsuchigumo has been depicted in numerous fashions throughout history, but is commonly described as a beast with the limbs of a spider, the body of a tiger, and the face of a demon.

Tsuchigumo are most likely to be found in caves, forest, and mountains, and their diet consists of humans and pretty much any animal they can get their hands on.

Tsuchigumo and Jorōgumo

In Japanese folklore, tsuchigumo is strongly associated with another giant arachnid, Jorōgumo.

It is said that Jorōgumo is a mythical giant spider that can shapeshift into the form of a woman, and in many tales the creature also has the ability to breathe fire.

What is the most powerful Japanese Yōkai? There is no definitive answer to the question of the most powerful Yōkai in Japanese mythology, but it has been widely debated.

Many believe that the diminutive Nurarihyon is the most powerful. Despite appearing to be an old and feeble old man, their appearance is purposefully deceiving.

The knowledge and wisdom of the Nurarihyon is considered to be its most powerful asset.

Other contenders for the most powerful Yōkai include Shuten Doji, Tamamo No Mae, and Emperor Sutoku.

https://mythologyplanet.com/ tsuchigumo-yokai-japanese-mythology/

Mythical Creature Vetala

Shared By: Khaos Branwen

Description

In Hindu folklore, the vetala is an evil spirit who haunts cemeteries and takes demonic possession of corpses. They make their displeasure known by troubling humans. They can drive people mad, kill children, and cause miscarriages, but also guard villages.

of Betal, Vetal, Vetoba. Since Betal is said to be the brother of the goddess Shantadurga, there will be a temple dedicated in honour of Betal either within the temple complex of Shantadurga or somewhere in the sylvan surroundings.

A vetala or Betal is a Bhairava form of Shiva in Hindu mythology, usually defined as a knowledgeable (fortune telling) paranormal entity said to be dwelling at charnel grounds.

The vetala is comparable to the vampires of Western mythology. Reanimated corpses are used as vehicles by the spirits for movement, the corpse no longer decays while it is inhabited by a vetala. A vetala may possess and also leave a dead body at will.

They are hostile spirits of the dead trapped in the ‘twilight zone’ between life and afterlife. These creatures can be repelled by the chanting of mantras. One can free them from their ghostly existence by performing their funerary rites.

Being unaffected by the laws of space and time, they have an uncanny knowledge about the past, present, and future and a deep insight into human nature. Therefore many sorcerers seek to capture them and turn them into slaves.

There is also a strong Vetala cult in the Konkan region, under the names

There is a Betal temple in Amona, Goa. Betal is a form of Bhairava and is the head of all spirits and ghouls and vampires and all kinds of pisachas. He has another form which is a more potent and fiery form, that of Agni Vetal who is the sevak of the goddess Kalika.

Agni Vetal (Agya Vetal) has flames on his head and controls fire. Agni Vetal is used by Tantriks to perform evil black magic on people. But it isn’t Lord Agnivetal’s fault because the Tantriks misuse the powers given to them on propitiating Agnivetal (rather his Daityas which are at his feet-they are the ones who accept the blood sacrifices).

Mythical Creature Vetala

Literature

The Baital Pachisi or Vetala Tales is a collection of stories compiled no later than the 11th century. It features a frame story of a sorcerer who asked King Vikramaditya to capture a vetala who lived in a tree that stood in the middle of a cremation ground.

The only way to do that was by keeping silent. Every time Vikramaditya caught the vetala, the vetala would enchant the king with a story that would end with a question. No matter how hard he tried, Vikramaditya would not be able to resist answering the question. This would enable the vetala to escape and return to his tree.

In popular culture

Vikram Vetal, a 1986 Indian fantasy film directed by Shantilal Soni was based on the Baital Pachisi about King Vikramaditya and the Vetala.

Vikram Aur Betaal was a television programme based on the Baital

Pachisi produced by Ramanand Sagar and directed by his son Prem Sagar that aired on DD National channel. It was remade as Kahaniya Vikram aur Betaal Ki in 2009 and aired on Colors TV. Vikram Betaal Ki Rahasya Gatha, an Indian mythological serial based on Baital Pachisi aired on &TV. Indian animator Rajiv Chilaka directed Vikram Betal, a television film for Cartoon Network in 2004 which was produced by his Green Gold Animations. Vicky & Vetaal and Vicky Aur Vetaal, which aired on Disney Channel India, also featured Vetala as the main character.

Non-actual Vetala were also a part of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel and have appeared in television shows such as Supernatural season 7 episode 11, Adventures in Babysitting, Sleepy Hollow, Jekyll & Hyde, and a web series titled The Vetala released in 2009, written and directed by Damon Vignale. The series reveals a CGI vetala character in the final

episode. 2020 Indian zombie horror series Betaal also features a curse of Vetala.

The Vetala (Linda Leith Publishing, 2018) is a novel by Canadian author Phillip Ernest. It tells the story of Nada, a professor of Sanskrit, who finds herself face to face with the imaginative vetala, the subject of her lifelong study.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetala

Mythical Creature Basan

Shared By: High Priestess Gloriana danu

It is described as having a bright red cockscomb and spits an equally brilliant-hued fire. The fire is a cold fire, a glow, and it does not burn.

It usually lives in the bamboo groves of mountain recesses but sometimes materializes in human villages late at night. When the Basan flaps its wings, an eerie rustling (“basa basa”) sound can be heard.

Supposedly, if a human hears the sound and looks outside, the bird’s form will suddenly vanish. It is sometimes depicted with blue hackles and claws, green regimes and sickle feathers, and a red body. It is also sometimes called the “Fire Rooster” .

In Popular Culture

The Pokémon family of Torchic, Combusken, and Blaziken are based on the Basan, as well as Magmar.

The Basan, alternatively referred to as Basabasa or Inuhōō is a fowl-like bird with origins stemming from Japanese mythology and folklore and illustrated in Takehara Shunsen’s Ehon Hyaku Monogatari and the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō.

Mythology

It is said to live in the mountains of Iyo Province (today Ehime Prefecture) . According to the description on the illustration, it resembles a large chicken and breathes ghost-fire from its mouth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basan_(legendary_bird)

Folk Lore The Monarch Butterfly

Shared By:High Priestess, Gloriana Danu

butterflies flew out, enchanting the children who had never seen anything so beautiful.

Native American Legends of the Butterfly

My favorite legend is a story among some Pueblo tribes. According to this legend, the Creator felt sorry for the children when he realized that their destiny was to grow old and become wrinkled, fat, blind, and weak. Hence, he gathered beautiful colors from various sources such as sunlight, leaves, flowers, and the sky.

These colors were put into a magical bag and presented to the children. When the children opened the bag, colored

The butterflies sang which further delighted the children. However, songbirds complained to the Creator because they were jealous that butterflies were both so beautiful and could sing like birds. So the Creator withdrew the ability to sing from butterflies. And, accordingly, butterflies are so beautifully colored but are now silent.

For the Blackfeet, the butterfly was associated with sleeping and dreaming. They believed that butterflies delivered dreams. It was the custom for a Blackfoot woman to embroider the sign of a butterfly on a small piece of buckskin and tie this in her baby’s hair when she wishes it to go to sleep. At the same time, she sings to the child a lullaby in which the butterfly is asked to come flying about and put the child to sleep.

The butterfly was a prominent figure in the myth and ritual of the Hopi. This insect occurs frequently on prehistoric pottery and in the “Butterfly Dance” .

The Butterfly Dance, a traditional social dance of the Hopi, is held in August or September after the gathering of the harvest and presentation of the Snake Dance.

It is a thanksgiving ceremony for the harvest, chiefly for the corn crop. Like most Hopi ceremonies, the Butterfly Dance is a petition for rain, good health, and long life for all living things. The dance also recognizes the butterfly for its beauty and its contribution to pollinating plant life.

The spirit of the butterfly is also personified in Hopi Kachina figures. Kachinas are the spirit essence of everything in the real world. They represent game, plants, food, birds, insects, and even death itself is given a Kachina

Folk Lore

The Monarch Butterfly

form. Among the various insect Kachinas are three of butterfly origin.

If anyone desires a wish to come true, they must first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it.

Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly can not reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all.

In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom, the Great Spirit always grants the wish. So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted.

http://butterfly-lady.com/nativeamerican-legends-of-the-butterfly/

Monarch Butterfly Meaning and Symbolism

In a nod to their life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to butterfly, monarchs can represent

transformation and rebirth to some people. They might view a monarch sighting as a sign of upcoming change or a new direction in their life.

Perhaps due to their long (up to 3,000 miles!) migration journey, these butterflies may also be an inspirational sign of strength and endurance. If you see a hummingbird or a cardinal, those sightings have special meaning, too. Plus, we chatted with our field editors about what seeing a wren means to them.

Monarchs face a lot of challenges, including climate change and deforestation. Some sources indicate the butterflies are a symbol of hope and resilience.

Monarch Butterfly Spiritual Meaning

Monarch butterflies have significant meaning in the Mexican culture.

During the Day of the Dead holiday, the Mexican people see the arrival of monarchs as a spiritual symbol. Many believe the butterflies represent the

souls of their ancestors returning to visit and bring comfort to loved ones. Revelers may even dress up as monarch butterflies in parades and other celebrations. Due to the butterflies’ yearly migration between countries, images of monarchs are also are used to show support for immigrants.

https://www.birdsandblooms.com/ gardening/attracting-butterflies/ monarch-butterfly-meaning/

Legends

Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Shared By: High Priestess gloriana danu

Elizabeth Bradley, a historian at Historic Hudson Valley, says a likely source for Irving’s horseman can be found in Sir Walter Scott’s 1796 The Chase, which is a translation of the German poem The Wild Huntsman by Gottfried Bürger and likely based on Norse mythology.

Irving’s story takes place in the New York village of Sleepy Hollow, in Westchester County. In it, lanky newcomer and schoolmaster Ichabod Crane courts Katrina van Tassel, a young heiress who is also being pursued by the Dutchman Brom Bones.

Washington Irving’s 1820 tale of a headless horseman who terrorizes the real-life village of Sleepy Hollow is considered one of America’s first ghost stories—and one of its scariest. But Irving didn’t invent the idea of a headless rider. Tales of headless horsemen can be traced to the Middle Ages, including stories from the Brothers Grimm and the Dutch and Irish legend of the “Dullahan” or “Gan Ceann,” a Grim Reaperlike rider who carries his head.

“Irving had just met and become friends with Scott in 1817 so it’s very likely he was influenced by his new mentor’s work,” she says, “The poem is about a wicked hunter who is doomed to be hunted forever by the devil and the ‘dogs of hell’ as punishment for his crimes.”

According to the New York Historical Society, others believe Irving was inspired by “an actual Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball during the Battle of White Plains, around Halloween 1776.”

After being rebuffed by Katrina at a party at the van Tassel farm where ghost stories are shared, Ichabod is chased by a headless horseman (who may or may not be his rival) who hurls a pumpkin at the man, throwing Ichabod from his horse. The schoolmaster vanishes.

Irving may have drawn inspiration for his story while a teenager in the Tarrytown region. He moved to the area in 1798 to flee a yellow fever outbreak in New York City, according to the New York Historical Society.

https://www.history.com/news/legendsleepy-hollow-headless-horseman

Demons Belial

Shared By: High Priestess Gloriana Danu

word tends to be used to describe a class of people, for instance the sons of Belial. The New Testament introduces Satan as the ruler of evil, but prior to that, Belial was said to be his predecessor. In demonology, he is one of Satan’s most notable demons sources recount.

Sources

A powerful demon existed before Satan and pandered to the needs of the perverts, atheists, the worthless, occultists, or anyone with a disturbed soul. According to the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls, Belial, or the King of Evil, was responsible for bringing wickedness to man.

Who Is Belial?

Belial, also referred to as Beliar, is a demon. The word means worthless in Hebrew, and later came to represent the personification of the devil. In the Old Testament of the bible the

The term appears 27 times in the Masoretic Text, an authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text. The word is used, in a Hebrew context, to describe many debase concepts or persons such as those who support or encourage the worship of other gods, those who have committed sex crimes, or rabble-rousers.

In the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Angel of Light and the Angel of Darkness are mentioned. God is cited as the Angel of Light, and Belial the contrary. The demon was said to bring guilt and wickedness to man. The source also recounts a dream of Amram, the

father of Moses, where Belial is described as the King of Evil or Prince of Darkness. The Fragments of a Zadokite Work, texts contained within the Dead Sea Scrolls, speak of the three nets of Belial: fornication, wealth and pollution of the sanctuary. He is depicted as a rebel or an agent of divine punishment and is said to be the one who influenced the Egyptian sorcerers to oppose Moses. This text also classifies any of his followers as necromancers or wizards!

The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, one of the hidden scriptures linked to the Old Testament, depicts the demon as God’s adversary and places him in the role of the tempter. The texts cite that fornication brings man closer to Belial and separates him from God.

It also claims that when the soul is disturbed, it is Belial ruling over it. When Egypt leaves Israel, Belial will remain with the Egyptians in

darkness, the document further asserts. It also supports the view that the messiah will punish the demon and his followers on his return. Another apocryphal (hidden) text depicts him as the angel of lawlessness and the actual ruler of Earth.

The demon is also mentioned in John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Robert Browning’s Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister; both poets were considered freethinkers in their respective times.

Occult References

Various occult texts refer to Belial, including the 17th century grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon, Aleister Cowley’s Goetia, and the Satanic Bible.

In the Goetia, Belial is introduced as king of the demons and created second only to Lucifer. He is said to bring favors to magicians and appears as two angels standing in a chariot of fire.

In the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, he is listed as one of the top demons. He is described in the

Demons Belial

text as the seducer of all the fallen angels. He is also illustrated as being extremely deceitful and only offers truth if threatened.

Edgar Cayce, a Christian psychic and mystic, used the term sons of Belial in his deep trance reading sessions in 1937. He was popularly known as the sleeping prophet and gave over 2500 readings to those he induced a deep trance state in. He used the term in the Hebrew sense of worthlessness, but later used it to refer to opposing human forces.

Fifteen century noble Gilles de Rais was said to dabble in alchemy and the occult. Sources claim de Rais attempted to call on the demon using the body parts of his victims, possibly numbering in the hundreds, as a sacrifice. The Frenchman was branded a serial killer and put to death.

Modern References

Belial, furthermore, continues to appear in many modern books (Dean R Koontz’s Phantoms and Graham

Masterson’s Master of Lies) , films (Nosferatu, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Basket Case) and games (Vampire: the Requiem, Diablo) .

Belial is associated with the immoral, atheists, magicians, or perhaps anyone going against the grain, it seems. In today’s modern society, however, does the majority not tend towards aberration and diversion, in some form, from the status quo? Does the tendency to be self-aware and question previously accepted dogma make us all sons and daughters of Belial?

https://mythology.net/demons/belial/

Witch Trials

Boblig Witches

Shared By: High Priestess, Lady Gloriana Danu

during the Thirty Years’ War. There was also great opposition to the social oppression of farmers under the landlords. This caused rebellions, such as the one of 1659-1662 led by Kryštof Winter, Mikuláš Patzold and Jan Jaschke.

Bohemia and Moravia. The first witch trials occurred in Jeseník in 1622, when 4 women were executed.

Northern Moravia witch trials, also known as Boblig witch trials was a series of witch trials which occurred in the Jeseník and Šumperk area in the present-day Czech Republic, between 1622 and 1696. They are among the largest and most well known Czech witch trials.

Background

The Northern Moravian witch trials are considered to be part of the Catholic counterreformation. The Czechs were unwilling to abandon their Protestant religion after Czech lands had been taken by Austria

Jesuit priest Arnold Engel was the first person who had pointed out to the alleged witch practices in North Moravia. In order to draw attention of Emperor Leopold I, he wrote a special memorandum describing alleged public mocking of Catholics by Protestants.

In his pamphlet, Engel refers also to the “flourishing of the art of witchcraft and evil” . He notes, that “... so many dead men, who didn’t die in good faith, but had connections with the devil, are getting up from their graves, and cause heavy damages to both the residents and their livestock.”

Witch trials were otherwise uncommon in

In 1636, the first great hunt erupted and lasted until 1648; the number executed has been lost, but is considered to have been great. In 1651, 86 people were executed for witchcraft. 250 people are estimated to have been executed for this charge in the first period of 1622–1651.

In 1667, another 16 were burned in Ratibor. They occurred mainly in present-day Silesia and the Principality of Nisa.

The trials

At Easter 1678, Marie Schuhová from Vernířovice attended church, and during the mass, she was observed taking the bread of communion from her mouth into her prayer book. This was the starting point of the witch trials.

Witch Trials Boblig Witches

The local aristocrat, Countess Angelia Anna Sibyla of Galle, was advised to form a witch commission. Retired inquisition judge Jindřich František Boblig was recommended as the judge and head of the commission. Boblig was to become a well known witch hunter.

The countess did not initially approve of torture. By displaying the torture devices for Schuhová, she pointed out the midwife Dorota Grörová, who, in her turn, pointed out Dorota Davidová, who had wanted the communion to use for a spell which would give the cows more milk.

Boblig now convinced the countess that torture was necessary, and after this, torture was much used. The accused were stripped, the Devil’s mark were searched for.

In 1679, Marie Schuhová and three other women were burned at the stake; one, Davidová, had died in prison but her corpse was burned all the same.

Boblig and his commission continued his work, and was rumored to be driven by economic reasons. He turned to the town of Šumperk, where many wealthy families lived. Kašpar Sattler and his wife Marie were among those found guilty by him.

The trial of Lautner

In February 1680, five women were decapitated and burned.

Usually, those convicted by Boblig were sentenced execution by burning. In Velké Losiny, Marie Sattlerová was pointed out by some of them.

When four women were burned in September 1680, the crowd watching the execution cried for Jesus to forgive them. This made an impression on the priest Tomáš König.

Together with other priests, he protested against Boblig, saying that if the commission were allowed to continue,

then soon no one could be certain of their lives. Boblig reacted with gathering incriminating material against the critics which would suggest that they were witches as well.

König died in 1682, just avoiding an arrest, as Boblig was ready to present his witch charge against him.

Another of the critics was Kryštof Alois Lautner, vicar of Šumperk and a popular person because of his tolerance. The Sattler family belonged to the most known accused people of these trials.

Witch Trials Boblig Witches

They had come into an argument with members of the commission. Boblig had long planned to have them accused so that he could confiscate their property. An already arrested person was made to implicate them.

Kašpar Sattler, his wife Marie and daughter Lizl were arrested and tortured. They were made to implicate Zuzana Voglicková, the house keeper and mistress of Lautner. The accused were made to confess to have committed incest and sex with demons at the witches’ sabbath.

They implicated Lautner, who was arrested as well with permission from the bishop. Lautner, Voglicková and the Sattler family were burned at the stake in 1685.

The persecutions continued for eighteen years, until the death of Boblig in 1696. About one hundred people are estimated to have been executed in the 16781696 witch craze.

In fiction

Otakar Vávra’s film Kladivo na čarodějnice (Malleus Maleficarum, also translated as Witches’ Hammer or Witchhammer, 1969) is based on Václav Kaplický’s book Kladivo na čarodějnice (1963) , a novel about witch trials in Northern Moravia during the 1670s.

Delphi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Moravia_witch_trials

Zodiac Sign Libra

Shared by: High Priestess, Lady Gloriana

Libra is the 7th sign of the zodiac; one of the four cardinal signs (Aries – fire, Cancer – water, Libra – air, Capricorn – earth) , which are signs that indicate a change of season when the sun makes its annual passage into them.

meaning all living creatures) , related to one of the four elements: earth, air, fire and water and identified with twelve constellations, seen in the night sky at different times of the year.

September 23 – October 22

Represented by the scales; a symbol of justice and balance, Libra is the only sign of the zodiac not depicted by an animal or person.

In Greek mythology Libra is related to the Greek Goddess of Justice, Themis, whose daughter, Astraea went up to heaven and became the constellation of Virgo. Both goddesses carried the scales of justice, which became the symbol for Libra.

Ancient Greece and the twelve signs of the zodiac The mysterious night sky thrilled the ancient Greek astrologers who played a huge role in what we now know today about the shape and size of the Earth, the moon, the position of constellations and how they move, the orbital paths of planets and their correlation with the stars around them.

They were able to use this information to make detailed predictions, what we know of today as horoscopes.

In ancient Greece, each one of the twelve signs of the zodiac (the word zodiac comes from a Greek word meaning, “The circle of animals”

With the exception of Libra, each zodiac sign relates to a Greek myth concerning animals or humans, telling how each group of stars arrived in the heavens.

7th sign of the zodiac Symbol: Scales Element: Air A Cardinal sign Ruling planet: Venus

The ancient Greek myths surrounding the zodiac sign of Libra

The zodiac sign of Libra is known for its relation to law and the scales of justice, the origin of that connection though, is more about divine law, rather than the law of man.

Libra is associated with Themis, a Titan, the goddess of divine order and law, the ‘Lady of

Zodiac Sign Libra

good council’ and mother of the star goddess, Astraea, who is the maiden symbol of Virgo, both are portrayed carrying a pair of scales; a symbol for justice and balance.

Themis is often seen holding a sword, with which she cuts the truth from the lies.

Both Astrea and her mother Themis were goddesses of justice, upholding the balance of the seasons and living in harmony with nature.

Themis was also a prophetic goddess who reigned over the ancient oracle at Delphi before eventually handing the job over to Apollo.

It was in her role at Delphi that Themis first taught mankind the primal laws of justice and morality, and became known as a bringer of balance and righter of wrongs. Those who worshipped her at the temple of Delphi, prayed for justice to bring fairness to their lives.

Themis shows all the typical characteristics of a Libra; natural law through divine awareness, social grace and manners, awareness for the points of view of others, seeking what’s best for everyone and a desire for peacemaking and balance.

When her wishes or advice were ignored, Themis called in her fellow goddess, Nemesis, whose name, in Greek, means ‘to give what is due’, to punish those who dared to disobey the gods, they made a good team; Themis made the laws and Nemesis ensured they were not broken.

Themis was the second wife of Zeus, king of all Greek gods, their children included the three Horai and the three Moirai.

The Horai, or hours, goddesses of the seasons and time were three sisters named Dike, Eirene, and Eunomia, who later, as they were associated with the division of time, became goddesses of order and justice.

Dike, was the goddess of moral justice, Eunomia, the goddess of law and legislation, and Eirene, goddess of peace and wealth.

Zodiac Sign

Libra

The Moirai are referred to as the Fates, and like the Horai, were three sisters, Atropos, Clotho and Lachesis.

The Moirai were in charge of the life path of all mortals, even the gods were controlled by them.

Personality traits of Libra Libras; clever, pleasant and charming people, with outgoing natures, have a strong sense of justice and are passionate about making sure that things are balanced, which makes them fair people.

Positive Personality Traits of Libra Diplomatic

Libras are born peacemakers and are experts at being tactful and diplomatic. They think before they speak and try to find common ground with as many people as possible.

Fair

Libras have a strong sense of justice and are passionate about making sure that things are balanced.

Cheerful

Libras try to stay optimistic, look on the bright side and search for the best in people. They have the best intentions and come up with the best ideas, for starting new projects and learning new things.

Social Libra, the most extroverted sign of the zodiac! They love being with people, and love meeting new people, too. They bloom when surrounded by interesting people who can introduce them to new things.

Smart

Libras are imaginative, witty, smart, and are brilliant conversationalists, excellent company and sharp problem solvers.

Negative Personality Traits of Libras Indecisive

Libras’ love of balance is not always a positive trait, they can spend hours weighing the pros and cons of even the smallest decisions. They want to please everyone and have trouble

committing to one thing or another, even the most insignificant.

Compromising

Libras are peacemakers by nature. They are great at finding compromise within groups, whether it’s between friends or in business settings, but this means they also have trouble facing their problems and will put off difficult discussions for as long as they can.

Zodiac Sign Libra

Self-Pitying

Libras can become self-absorbed, focusing entirely on themselves.When things don’t go right for them, they feel as though it’s the end of the world and that no one is on their side.

Unreliable

Libras, though fun to be around, are not at their best when it comes to reliability, they make wonderful and loyal friends but don’t expect them to show up on time!

Conceited

Libras love beautiful things and that includes themselves, they are the Kings and Queens of selfies! They spend spending hours on their appearances, and have a tendency to make negative comments about how other people look and may even avoid associating with people who they think are less attractive.

https://greekerthanthegreeks.com/2020/10/libra-and-the-ancient-greek-myth-associated-with-this-zodiac-sign.html

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