r e m Ha m e n o t S &
VOL 2 No 1
Litha— Litha— Summer Solstice Living
Living Within Mother Earth - Reducing Your Water Impact
Nearly every agricultural society has marked the high point of northern hemisphere summer in some way, shape or form. On this date – usually around June 21 or 22 – the sun reaches its zenith in the sky. It is the longest day of the year, and the point at which the sun seems to just hang there without moving – in fact, the word “solstice” is from the Latin word solstitium, which literally translates to “sun stands still.” The travels of the sun were marked and recorded. Stone circles such as Stonehenge were oriented to highlight the rising of the sun on the day of the summer solstice. In our time, Solstice is often called the first day of summer because for many parts of the northern hemisphere there has not been enough time for more than the earliest of crops to grow. However at this appointed time the Deities that look to the Sun as their sign to us on earth have reached the moment of their greatest strength. In American Paganism this is often portrayed as the God Seated on his greenwood throne, the lord of the forests, his face is even seen in Christian church architecture peering from countless foliate masks. Midsummer Night's Eve is also special for adherents of the Faerie faith. The alternative fixed calendar date of June 25 (Old
Verdant, Sacred, Benevolent; when I go looking for images of Mother Earth or Gaia these are the key words that seem to come to many a pagan or other alternative path travelers mind. I think this view point is a comforting one because it allows us to feel good about our own spiritual choices and it can provide a shield both conscious and unconscious from the personal aspects of our lives that maybe lacking. However, to view our planet, mother earth, Gaia, or any other name you choose to give short changes and excludes much of the beauty around us and many of the limitations. Being pragmatic about the specific climate that you live in will lead you to walking close more instep with the rhythms of your land. Humans pride ourselves in our ability to change our environment, hell it used to be one of my motto's "Change your environment a bit each day to expand your world." The though behind this motto was that if you stay stagnant (Continued on page 2)
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A Zine of Muskegon Liberal, Pagan, Alt. & free thinkers
The Summer of Life Pagan Festivals In the Mid-West •
LITHA June 19, 2009 to June 21, 2009 – Splendor Hollow near Sevierville, TN
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Pagan Families and Friends of West Michigan presents... June 19, 2009 at 3pm to June 22, 2009 at 10am – Pigeon Creek Park on Stanton Road in West Olive
Reducing Your Water Impact (Continued from page 1)
and habit bound then you loose your ability to enjoy life. Since I have started writing my series on living within Mother Earth I have made a subtle but very important correction to my motto, "Adapt to your environment a bit more each to expand your world." Active still but I hope inclusive of the idea and ideal that we are living within a system and not outside of or on top of a system. Adaptation through control has failed us as a species, it has always been mostly fictional anyway as we attempt to modify our living spaces. How many pagan's out there have the vision of the Elysium fields, green Ireland, Stonehenge at high summer, deep cool forests, or some tropical setting as our ideal scared spaces? Now, compare that to the 29.2 percent of the world that is land; deserts, mountains, frozen tundra, marshes, swamps, and now urban sprawl make up much of what exists. It is estimated that only one eighth of the surface of the Earth is suitable for humans to live on and half of the land area is either desert (14%), high mountains (27%), or other less suitable terrain. So you thought this article was about reducing your impact on water? Well it is! But doing something out of context seldom
leads to a successful change in habit so I wanted to water conservation on a bit of a grander scale. I hope that its clear now that humans are packed on to a very small portion of land, and through that small portion of land must flow all the water that we use. Because we all live in different climates I don't feel I can really give you a detailed "how-to" that will meet all your needs but I can give you a list of good public information that can act as a menu for you. The items in my menu can vary from a little investment to a large investment sometimes in money sometimes in sweat-equity. Reducing Outdoor Water Impact I would like you to consider is the use of native plants. For those of you in the USA try www.plantnative.org as a starting resource in finding what belongs and will grow best in your local climate. Now that I have you thinking about native plants I would like you to think of Rain Gardens. These are generally a lower cost DIY project that can keep the water that falls on your property from leaving your property. Rain Gardens are not the only way to make use of the water that falls on your property. Each of us may have different water needs and a good basic way to start with rain water harvesting is the good old fashioned rail barrel. There are really all kinds of water storage containers out there to expand beyond just the 55 gallons you get with a rain barrel with many being just as cheap. Search (Continued on page 6)
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What is Garlic? Other names: Allium sativum L; Poor Man's Treacle; Rocambole, Stinky Rose; Ail; Allium; Ajo; Eschalot; Suan; The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, being derived from gar (a spear) and lac (a plant), in reference to the shape of its leaves. The leaves are long, narrow and flat like grass. The bulb (the most commonly eaten part) is of a compound nature, consisting of numerous bulblets, known technically as 'cloves,' grouped together between the membranous scales and enclosed within a whitish skin, which holds them as in a sac. Lore/Background Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, it is a member of the same group of plants as the Onion. Garlic probably descended from the species Allium longicuspis and according to A.I. Vvdensky it is native to central Asia where it extends from mountainous Turkmenia north-eastwards in the Pamir-Alai and Tien Shan regions. De Candolle says that "The only country where garlic has been found in a wild state, with the certainty of its really being so, is the desert of the Kirghis of sungari," in the central Asian steppes. On the other hand, he says "Garlic has long been cultivated in China under the name of suan. It is written in Chinese by a single sign, which usually indicates a long known and even a wild species. The floras of Japando not mention, it whence I gather that the species was not wild in Eastern Siberia and Dahuria, but that the Mongols brought it into China." Dating at least as far back as the time that the Giza pyramids were built Garlic was noted in the Bible (Numbers 11:5) as part of the diet of the Israelites in Egypt and of the laborers employed by Khufu in constructing his pyramid. Garlic was placed by the ancient Greeks 3
(Theophrastus relates) on the piles of stones at cross-roads as a supper for Hecate, and according to Pliny garlic and onion were invocated as deities by the Egyptians at the taking of oaths. It was largely consumed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, as we may read in Virgil's Eclogues. Horace, however, records his detestation of Garlic, the smell of which, even in his days (as much later in Shakespeare's time), was accounted a sign of vulgarity. He calls it 'more poisonous than hemlock,' and relates how he was made ill by eating it at the table of Maecenas. Among the ancient Greeks, persons who partook of it were not allowed to enter the temples of Cybele. Homer, however, tells us that it was to the virtues of the 'Yellow Garlic' that Ulysses owed his escape from being changed by Circe into a pig, like each of his companions. Homer also makes Garlic part of the entertainment which Nestor served up to his guest Machaon. What's It Made Of? Garlic contains the compound Allyl methyl sulfide (AMS). AMS is a gas which is absorbed into the blood during the metabolism of garlic; from the blood it travels to the lungs (and from there to the mouth causing bad breath) and skin where it is exuded through skin pores. AMS is responsible for that garlicky breath or sweet pungent sweat odor for which it is commonly known. Organo sulfides are also found in (Continued on page 9)
An Introduction to the Tarot The history of the Tarot is something that deserves its own article and fortunately for you the reader there are many good articles out there. The Tarot what ever their origins seem to have come into common awareness in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe. However, my purpose in writing this article is to look to how the Tarot is used now by Pagan culture and how it can be used as a tool to both understand ourselves and others. On the market today you will find many types of card decks that are meant for use in divination. Some of these cards stay with the “classic” theme of historical Tarot and others wide vary as individuals have been inspired to try different paths and symbolism as their tools. If you own one of these decks of newer design I encourage you not to put them aside but to develop your personal usage of your chosen deck with the background I present here.
Divination The word divination comes loaded with its own personal history that you bring with you as you read this. It is an evocative word that brings on its own images of various ways of seeking that which is unknown. One definition of the word states “successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck”, but what is conjecture? “A conjecture is a statement which, although much evidence can be found to support it, has not been proved to be either true or false,” this concept is one we need to take in as we ponder the how divination applies to us. The path of divination takes us on is both an internal quest and a quest to understand the greater world and what truths experiencing it may reveal.
Understanding Yourself When you start to work with divination you are opening the door to your own soul and your point in reality as you perceive it. This is an important point that many people miss or 4
misunderstand because they are looking to hurriedly open the door for others. If you take this approach you miss one of the joys and ethical necessities of divination, self-control. How often do you see someone just get into a race car and be an expert driver? It’s pretty rare and divination when done properly requires all the focus and skill of the expert race car driver. Hopefully you now understand that it is critical to crawl before you walk. So how do you start to use the Tarot to understand yourself? The Tarot is the mirror of the human life and within it are the elements, images, and symbols you need to bond with to understand the forces at play in your life. Contained in the Tarot is the eternal story of discovery and transcendence, so let us together look at what this story is before we try to use it as a tool to reveal the story of your inner path and the paths of people you will read in the future.
Using Tarot as a Tool Part 1 Because we use the Tarot for spiritual exploration it is relevant both to the Now and to any of the possible futures that it charts for us. Depending on whether you are a person that believes in Fate or one that believes the future is but a dance in which the steps can be varied by the force of will you will find with time that the Tarot when used without ego will show you what you need to know, not what you wish to know. This distinction I believe is core to the understanding of your individuality. How often has anyone of us looked into the mirror and seen someone they find full of flaws and on the same day with a different glance find something that is attractive? Facing both of these sets of truths is what will lead you to be a successful reader of the Tarot. Most of us spend a good portion of the day in judgment. We declare to ourselves that I like this food, I dislike that person’s hat or shirt, wow dogs are noisy and annoying, I am so not in the hot persons “class”. This “I” centric view is one that is with us from our earliest days of childhood when our life focused on “feed me”, “hold me”, “love me” parts of survival so that the rest of the time we could drink in (Continued on page 6)
Pagan Festivals In the Mid-West STARWOOD FESTIVAL July 21, 2009 to July 26, 2009 – Brushwood Folklore Center, Sherman, NY •
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Pagan Pride Detroit 2009 August 8, 2009 from 11am to 6pm –
Green Acres Park in Hazel Park •
Kalamazoo Pagan Pride August 30, 2009 from 11am to 7pm
Milham Park
Summer Night Streams of gold shining down Basking in summer's bright light Body rests among sand and waves Before sun sets into the night Tepid shower water pulses Glistening droplets on skin Washing away sand and salt Body glowing from within..
By Laurie White
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for "Portable Tanks, Pillow tanks, or Cisterns if you want to expand your water storage and use. Adding Decorative elements like rain chains or small water features can help bring a bit of the sacred back to the practical uses of this element. I always encourage you to bring the sacred into all the works you do and keeping water from the sky is a blessing, and offering back, and something to be thankful for.
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reality and begin to make story for ourselves on how it will play out. But now as adults (young or old) we have settled into certain patterns of judgment, which some call taste, which put us on autopilot for much of the day and make us involuntarily miss many important truths. When coming to the Tarot and choosing Reducing Indoor Water Usage to use it as a tool the This really is a topic unto itself but I good and the bad of wanted to make sure I snuck in a couple of judgment needs to be recourses for you incase all of the above is a tempered by achieving an bit much to do on pagan time. inner stillness of your From the Northwest comes a useful mind and body. To use and cute resource from King County Washingthe Tarot when you are ton - “Bert the Salmon's tips for saving waangry, upset, worried, or ter�. ecstatic will change both From Australia comes the mother load the cards that appear and of water saving and replacement ideas, savehow you interrupt the story they are showing water.com.au. Don't be put off by the fact you. Working in divination no matter what the that much of what they talk about is available tool is should be a meditative act, one in which only "down under", I found that most if not all you leave as much of life’s distractions aside as items and ideas can be found or recreated in you can. To be an honest conduit I really North America with little effort. recommend practicing detachment and awareness as part of your learning process with your deck. As you can see I am stressing what may seem like many background things that you many not agree apply to reading Tarot cards. Indeed you can ignore what I have said so far and find a how-to website and lay your cards out for your first reading. However, I will ask you this, how satisfying was that reading? Or how satisfying do you think it will be? When we rush forward with something, eager to delve into the mystery and power we anticipate most often we find confusion, disappointment, and maybe a little anger. I know I did when I got my first deck long ago. I actually walked away from reading a long time before I felt I was ready and could take a deep breath learn how to read. In Part 2 of Working with the Tarot I will attempt to retell the story of the Major Arcana and lay the setting from which your 6 understand and skill with the cards will grow.
Tao Te Ching
Midsummer Joys
Written by Lao-tzu From a translation by S. Mitchell
by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr. Give me the joys of summer, Of SUMMER QUEEN so fair, With wealth of lovely flowers And fruits and sun-kissed air!
Chapter 2 When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad.
Talk not to me of winter With ice and frost and snow, Nor changing spring and autumn When howling winds will blow.
Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other.
No, I will take the joys Of SUMMER every time, So to this Queen of Seasons I dedicate my rhyme.
Artist: Lisa Hunt http://lisahuntart.com/blog/
Oberon speaking to Puck Act 2 Scene 1 lines 249-56
"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania some time of the night, Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in."
Therefore the Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying anything. Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn't possess, acts but doesn't expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever.
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Apollo Sun God
Litha) is sometimes employed by Covens. The name Beltane is sometimes incorrectly assigned to this holiday by some modern traditions of Wicca, even though Beltane is the Gaelic word for May. For contemporary Wiccans and Pagans, this is a day of inner power and brightness. Find yourself a quiet spot and meditate on the darkness and the light both in the world and in your personal life. Celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year with fire and water, night and day, and other symbols of the triumph of light over darkness. Litha is a great time to celebrate outdoors if you have children. Take them swimming or just turn on the sprinkler to run through, and then have a bonfire or barbeque at the end of the day. Let them stay up late to say goodnight to the sun, and celebrate nightfall with sparklers, storytelling, and music. This is also an ideal Sabbat to do some love magic or celebrate a handfasting, since June is the month of marriages and family. •
Traditional Foods: Garden fresh berries,
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greens, mushrooms, early veggies like peas are all staples of this times foods. Herbs and Flowers: Mugwort, Vervain, Chamomile, Rose, Honeysuckle, Lily, Oak, Lavender, Ivy, Yarrow, Fern, Elder, Wild Thyme, Daisy, Carnation. Incense: Lemon, Myrrh, Pine, Rose, Wisteria. Woods Burned: Oak Sacred Gemstone: Emerald Special Activities: An Ideal time to reaffirm your vows to the Lord and Lady or your dedication to following the old traditions.
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garlic and many seem to consist of Alliin, isoalliin, methiin, cycloalliin, gamma-l-glutamyl-Smethyl-l-cysteine, gamma-l-Glutamyl-S-(2propenyl)-l-cysteine, and gamma-l-glutamyl-S(trans-1-propenyl)-l-cysteine.
yellow candle and a short black candle
shortest night of the year. A flowerflower-scented incense is good to burn while you intone the words below:
Brother Sun and Mother Moon, Day is longest now. Energies of the brilliant Sun Aid all at work or having fun. Longest day, a blessing is, From rise to set supreme is the Sun. Fueling growth and passions bright, Strong and true is the solar light. Bounty grows and river flows, As Earth is warmed and lighted. Creative energy reaches zenith on this day of shortest night. Crops grow high and excitement grows, with each new ray of Sun. Every day, all creatures play and hail the mighty Sun.
Medical Uses Once again Garlic as so many traditional and modern medicinal uses that whole books have been written on the topic and as research continues this plant is sure to produce benefits that have not yet been discovered. I encourage you to do exhaustive research on your own and talk to your physician before going on any garlic based medicinal program.
Ancient solstice, fires burning, Honor the Sun and feed the light. Druid, Indian, Norse, and Celt all danced on Summer Solstice, joyously felt. Solar winds and solar flares Wash away our hunger and our cares. Mighty Sun, King of warmth, Makes humans to frolic and bees to swarm.
Drugs.com - Garlic Garlic: An Herb Society of America Guide Gardens Ablase - Garlic Natural Herb Guide - Garlic
Precautions Uncommonly, allergic reactions to garlic have been reported. Stop taking garlic and seek emergency medical attention if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives.
year. At first light, take a tall white or
outside; light them to symbolize the longest day and
Cultivation The soil may be sandy, loam or clay, though Garlic flourishes best in a rich, moist, sandy soil. Dig over well, freeing the ground from all lumps and dig some lime into it. Tread firmly. Divide the bulbs into their component 'cloves' each fair-sized bulb will divide into ten or twelve cloves - put in the cloves separately, about 2 inches deep and about 6 inches apart, leaving about 1 foot between the rows. Garlic beds should be in a sunny spot. They must be kept thoroughly free from weeds and the soil gathered up round the roots with a hoe from time to time. Whenplanted early in the spring, in February or March, the bulbs should be ready for lifting in August, when the leaves will be beginning to wither. Should the summer have been wet and cold, they may probably not be ready till nearly the middle of September.
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Author: Abby Willowroot
olstice is one of the holiest days of the
Keep this day in memory bright, To warm you on long winter nights. May the rays of solstice keep us warm, All through the year. The Sun has kissed Flower field and tree, The Sun is supreme. So mote it be.
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Other less serious side effects have also been reported. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you experience burning of the mouth, throat, and stomach; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea; sweating; lightheadedness; and eczema or a rash. Possible Interactions Do not take garlic without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines; a medicine to control blood sugar levels such as insulin, glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Glynase, Diabeta, Micronase), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), tolbutamide (Orinase), tolazamide (Tolinase), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), repaglinide (Prandin), metformin (Glucophage), and others; a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) including ibuprofen naproxen, ketoprofen, indomethacin, etodolac, and others; a protease inhibitor such as amprenavir (Agenerase); warfarin (Coumadin); aspirin; or heparin.
braid of garlic in the kitchen to discourage troublesome visitors; use it as needed for cooking, and replace it every year. Zodiac Garlic is ruled by, or associated with, the planet Mars, which also governs the sign Aries and co-rules Scorpio. Mars was the Roman God of War, a brave warrior revered for his courage, strength and leadership. Consequently, the planet Mars is associated with will and ambition, and characterizes the energy required to turn ideas into action. The name Mars means “bright and burning one,” corresponding to this planet’s red, fiery color. Garlic certainly reflects this characteristic, as it can ignite both the mouth and stomach. Garlic’s therapeutic action is attributed to its array of potent phytochemicals. These compounds contain sulfur, a mineral that plays important roles in maintaining health. Coincidentally, sulfur is ruled by the planet Saturn, which governs Capricorn, the sign in which Mars is exalted(best expressed).
Magickal Uses Garlic has been regarded as a force for Gods Associations Mars (Aries), The Bear Goddess both good and evil. In Europe over its post Ro(Korean), Hekate (Hecate), Demeter and Perman Period, many cultures used garlic for prosephone, Shiva, Shakti, Angitia, and Mania. If tection or white magic, perhaps owing to its you know of others please feel free to share. reputation as a potent preventative medicine. Central European traditional beliefs considered garlic a powerful ward against demons, wereSeasonal Associations Late Summer, Autumn. wolves, and vampires. To ward off vampires, garlic could be worn, hung in windows, or rubbed on chimneys and keyholes.. The association of garlic to evil spirits may be based on the antibacterial, antiparasitic value of garlic, which could prevent infections that lead to delusions and other related mental illness symptoms. In both Hinduism and Jainism, garlic is considered to stimulate and warm the body and to increase one's desires. Hindus generally avoid using garlic and the related onion in the preparation of foods for religious festivities and events. Followers of the Jain religion avoid eating garlic and onion on a daily basis. As a Protective Plant, garlic is an ingredient in Four Thieves Vinegar and is added to scrub water when spiritually cleansing a building to rid it of evil or to keep the law away. Hang a 10
Share the Zen Nature’s Beauty A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous Zen temple. He had been given the job because he loved the flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the temple there was another, smaller temple where there lived a very old Zen master. One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long time meticulously raking up and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the temples. When he had finished, the priest stood back to admire his work. "Isn't it beautiful," he called out to the old master. "Yes," replied the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you." After hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near the center of the garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and shook it. Leaves showered down all over the garden. "There," said the old man, "you can put me back now."
No sound but a drunken coot Lurching home along river bank. Stars hung water-sunk, so a rank Of double star-eyes lit Boughs where those owls sat.
Faun By Syliva Plath
An arena of yellow eyes Watched the changing shape he cut, Saw hoof harden from foot, saw sprout Goat-horns. Marked how god rose And galloped woodward in that guise.
Haunched like a faun, he hooed From grove of moon-glint and fen-frost Until all owls in the twigged forest Flapped black to look and brood On the call this man made. 11
The Circles Opening Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know. When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed. With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend. Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart. (from the Wiccan Rede)
“Hammer & Stone� is published at will with the contributions of those who wish to build an uncommon community. Found on the internet at http://mypersonalvisions.net/ Or where ever you leave it.. Spread the word. Print a copy and leave it where you like to hang out.
Personal Visions Social A place to step on your first stone to make your personal journey, discuss what has been found, what has been understood and what still needs more exploration. On the web at: http://personalvisions.ning.com Powered By: 12