MoonScape Issue. 1

About MoonScape

MoonScape is the official Moon Books magazine. It is published twice a year in June and December. Moon Books is the Pagan / Shaman imprint of John Hunt Publishing.

The opinions expressed in MoonScape by contributors are not necessarily those of Moon Books or its editorial staff. All articles remain the copyright of the author. Moon Books retains typographical copyright on all content typeset by Moon Books or its editorial staff. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced except for short passages for criticism or review without written permission from Moon Books.

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Hi Everyone!

I’m

Trevor Greenfield, Publisher of Moon Books and the Editor of MoonScape.

Welcome to the first edition of MoonScape, the official ezine of Moon Books. We will be publishing MoonScape twice a year, in June and December and we hope very much you will enjoy them and become regular readers. All the contributions in this edition are from writers who are already Moon Books authors, although we would be delighted to take submissions from those of you interested in contributing… if you want more information feel free to contact me by email at trevor.greenfield@ jhpbooks.com

Since Moon Books started publishing back in 2012, one of the guiding principles has been that of ‘community’, be it our community of authors, the community of writers who contribute to our anthologies, our communities of online followers or our community of readers. If you are familiar with Moon Books you will know many of the authors that have contributed to this ezine. If you are new to us, then I invite you to dive in and discover some of the best Pagan / Shaman writing around.

If you enjoy the magazine please share the link with your friends and followers and be sure to check out our website and social media pages and channels. And if you’ve got feedback or a question, I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Solstice, Trevor Greenfield

Books PuBlishing

Vicky Hartley Managing Director

Trevor Greenfield Publisher, Publicist, MoonScape Editor

Matty Greenfield Social Media Manager, Designer Readers

Rachel Paterson, Morgan Daimler, Maria Moloney

Moon

WelcoMe By Trevor greenfield

Summer is here and the merry month of June, the month we celebrate the Summer Solstice, or Alban Hefin, is thought to be named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth. Juno is a complicated figure. Equated with the Greek goddess Hera, goddess of marriage, women and family, she became much more multifaceted to the Romans and was associated with, amongst other things, vitality, positive energy, youthfulness, sovereignty and war.

Juno was one of the Capitoline Triad, along with Jupiter, her husband - and brother - and Minerva, goddess of wisdom and knowledge. Minerva was Jupiter’s daughter born not from Juno but from Jupiter’s head as Athena was born from Zeus’ in Greek mythology. Juno had a bit of a raw deal with Jupiter who wasn’t the ideal husband. She was so upset by Minerva’s birth that she sought the help of Flora, the goddess of flowering plants. Flora helped her become pregnant by giving her a magic flower. The child she then bore was Mars, God of War.

Juno had diverse names and titles signifying different aspects and roles of the goddess. Different aspects of Juno were celebrated at different times of the year. The Matronalia was held every year, on the first of March, in honour of Juno Lucina. Juno Moneta was honoured on 1 June and the festival of Juno Regina was held on 1 September.

The Matronalia celebrated Juno’s aspect as goddess of motherhood and childbirth. When married women could literally let their hair down (Roman custom was to wear it up) and go to the temple to participate in rituals. Women were also honoured on this day and given gifts from their husbands and daughters. In turn they had to prepare a feast for the female slaves in their household.

It was, in fact, a kind of [Roman]

mothers’ day when their daughters, and also their husbands, gave them presents (even lovers offered gifts to their mistresses, as if in anticipation …) Women brought flowers to Juno and wore circlets on their heads to invoke her in her sanctuary on the Esquiline. But sacrifices were also offered in every home for the good fortune of the household, and mothers treated their slaves as their husbands did at the time of Saturnalia. The festival thus sanctified conjugal, parental and domestic cohesiveness, with this simple and Roman concept that family life formed an indivisible whole within the State

Juno Moneta was the warrior aspect of the goddess associated with funds to wage war and was honoured in June. We get the word money from the Latin word moneo, which actually means ‘to warn’. Her temple was on the Capitoline Hill and the first Roman mint was built next to it producing coins showing the head of Juno Moneta on the face. As Juno Regina, Juno was queen of the gods and the sovereign goddess of Rome overseeing all matters of state.

Sarah-Beth Watkins is the author of The Five-Minute Druid - Connection Made Easy

Perhaps the most familiar Norse goddess is Freya, a deity who is known across mythology and folklore and into popular culture, a goddess who is surrounded by stories old and new. To some she is the goddess of love, to others a goddess of battle, but in truth she can’t easily be reduced to any one simple thing. She is always a complicated and complex deity and one who deserves to be understood with all her nuances.

Freya appears across a range of Nordic cultures under various versions of the name, including Freyja and Frouwa, which all mean Lady. There is confusion sometimes about whether Freya and Frigga are different goddesses or a single goddess under two names, and while there are vehement opinions on both sides scholars haven’t reached a consensus. For our

purposes here we will be treating them as separate individuals. Beyond that confusion Freya also has at least 9 by-names, or other names that she’s known by. These range from Valfreya meaning ‘lady of the slain’ to Gef, meaning giver. These names each reflect a portion of who Freya is, but none captures all of it.

One of the Vanir, a group of deities separate from the Aesir, Freya arrives in Asgard (home of the Aesir) with her father Njord and brother Freyr. The other two are peace hostages in an agreement to end a war between the Vanir and the Aesir but Freya seems to go of her own free will. There has long been speculation by both scholars and followers of Norse spirituality that Freya, in the guise of Gullveig, may have been the catalyst for the war, which may explain why she chose to go with her

family. Gullveig had gone to the Aesir and they had impaled her and thrown her three times into a fire, from which she emerged as Heidr; the account has been compared to an initiation rite. After the war ended and Freya joined the Aesir she was counted among the goddesses there, indicating that she had taken up permanent residence,

Freya receives

something further confirmed by the location of her hall in Asgard.

A goddess of both love and battle, Freya receives her choice of half the battledead, picking the warriors before Odin and bringing them back to her hall. She is associated with love, although her own stories on the subject may be sad, such as the well-known tale of her endless quest to find her missing husband Od. We are told in the Eddas that she is ideal to pray to in matters of love, and we also see examples of Freya’s connection to fertility. She is often named as a prize along with the sun and moon when giants attack Asgard or want payment for something. She is also a deity associated with a specific type of magic called seidhr, which she taught to Odin and to mortal women. It is a type of magic that involves both oracular work and also manipulative magic which can effect a person’s mind and perceptions.

One intriguing question that is occasionally brought up relates to how Freya connects to the álfar. It is said that her brother, Freyr, is the lord of the Ljossalfar having been given the kingdom of the light elves as a gift. The Vanic gods in general are strongly associated with the álfar as well

and some people have theorized that the two groups are related or possibly even overlap. While we might not go so far as to say Freya is herself one of the Álfar (historically all male although seen as more diverse now) we’d be safe to say she has a strong link with them and to the things they were known to be connected to such as fertility.

of

Freya remains popular today and will be, I think, popular in the future precisely because her stories are so wide ranging and her appeal so universal. She speaks to people as strongly now as ever and has woven herself into both modern spirituality and popular culture, a goddess of power and potential who travels the world in the shape of a falcon or in a chariot pulled by wild cats. Freya is the last breath of the dying warrior and the joy of conceiving new life, the magic that envisions the future and the wisdom which seeks the past. And as long as humans love, war and magic, Freya will have a place in this world.

A blogger, witch, poet, teacher of esoteric subjects and priestess of the Daoine Maithe, Morgan Daimler is the author of more than two dozen books including Freya, Odin, Thor and A New Dictionary of Fairies

her choice

half the battle-dead, picking the warriors before Odin and bringing them back to her hall.

freya By Morgan daiMler

Working with the power of the moon is perhaps one of the most common pathways for Pagans and there is a good reason, the moon is incredibly powerful.

Each month brings a different moon energy just as each moon phase brings its own magic. I sometimes think we associate moon magic more with the darker autumn and winter months but it is just as powerful during the spring and summer too.

Living, playing and working in tune with the ebb and flow of the moon phases and the energy of each month can change your life and the way that you look at the world. She can help you connect with her magic but also your own. She has the power to transform your life and you have the power within you to do the same thing.

The summer months of June, July and August bring some powerful magical

energies. June is full of abundance in all forms, it showcases the beauty of nature and all that our planet supplies for us. June also heralds the summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night. Connect with the summer solstice by stopping still whilst the sky is still dark, look to the darkness and the energy of the moon for insight. This is an in between moment, a liminal

You start with water (unsurprisingly) and it is your choice whether you use filtered, spring, tap water or collected rain water. If you are worried about using tap water and all the icky stuff that is supposed to be in it, you can boil it first and allow it to cool. Then you need to put it in a container, I find that a glass jar works very well. At this point if you feel the urge you could

space in time to just stand still and be. Look at your achievements and celebrate them, no matter how small. Acknowledge any failures, make sense of your words and actions and learn from them. As soon as the sun rises above the horizon look forward, focus on plans, new ventures, anything you want to achieve in the coming months. Draw on the rising sun energy to shine light onto your thoughts and plans.

July is full on summer and the moon energy for this month brings relaxation. Spend time this month working with the moon phases for preparations, divination and meditating on your goals. Definitely get outside and connect with nature because she is singing full on opera at this time of the year!

Onto August and we begin the harvests. The moon energy for this month is all about being thankful for the Earth and the bounty it provides. Focus the lunar energy into your magic to harvest, gather and appreciate what you have. This is a time for good health, friendships and to count your blessings.

Magical Solstice Moon Water

Blessed, charged or magical water – whatever you want to call it is super simple to make. Blessed water can be used for all sorts of things such as anointing (yourself, candles or magical tools), for consecrating and cleansing tools, adding to spell workings, ritual baths or even to drink.

charge and cleanse the water by holding your hand over the top and sending your intent into the water or you could waft some sage or incense over the top. Then you need to place the jar in the light of the Moon, you can put it outside but I would put a lid on the jar. However, you can also sit it indoors on a window sill, it just needs to be able to catch the light of the Moon. The full Moon works well for this, but you could put water out in each phase of the Moon and then you have different types for different spell workings. However, as we have the magic of the summer solstice I love to create solstice moon water. Pop your jar of water out under the moon the night before the solstice, leave it out until after the sun has risen. This solstice moon water will be full of magic for communication, intuition, inspiration, movement, creativity, transformation and manifesting to reach your goals. You can also create moon water for each month, pop the jar out under the full moon on each month, don’t forget to label it.

Rachel Patterson is a witch & has been for a very long time. A High Priestess of the Kitchen Witch Coven & an Elder at the online Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchcraft. Author of Kitchen Witchcraft: Garden Magic, Animal Magic, Moon Magic, & other titles.

June moon energy is about transitions, decision making and taking responsibility. Celebrate the solstice, reflect, focus and nurture new ideas.

suMMer Moon Magic By rachel PaTTerson

Iadmit that even though I’m a longstanding fan of Brendan Myers, I delayed picking up a review copy of his latest book The Circle of Life Is Broken. I didn’t think I could bear it. Like many Pagans, my heart is long since broken by what human greed and madness is doing to our beautiful planet. When I got in there, I was glad I’d made the choice to read this title. Increasingly, the hard thing to do is to push past the grief and fear to look at what we might be able to do. But, if we don’t engage, and we don’t try, there’s no hope at all.

I’ve been following the Moon Books Earth Spirit series as a reviewer primarily, and every book I’ve reviewed so far has given me hope, and ideas. I’ve

needed that inspiration to help me avoid a slide into apathy and feelings of powerlessness. So much media content encourages us to feel like there’s no point trying, and that the inevitable march of human progress and profit has to dominate even if it eventually destroys us as a species. But it doesn’t have

or salvage is worth saving. Any good we can do is worth trying for. Being isolated in a state of despair is a soul-destroying thing. However, when we come together to try, it is easier to hang on to hope, and to get more done. Individual action isn’t going to solve the climate crisis, or deal with any of the political choices fuelling it.

to be like that. There are still many things we can do, many extinctions that can be prevented. There are ecosystems to save. Beyond that, there is still hope for restoration, for regeneration and for something better.

Any difference is worth making. Anything that we can repair

However, people acting collectively can have an impact.

One of the recurring themes across the Earth Spirit books is that care for the planet and care for ourselves are the same thing. We’re all suffering from what capitalism does to us. Meaningless work, relentless commuting,

Finding ways to meaningfully connect with each other is vital right now.

pressure to consume, and alienation from wildness damages us all. Human suffering and the climate crisis are the same issues. Poverty, war, famine, displacement of peoples and all the other ills impacting on us globally are both human issues and climate crisis issues.

Criticism of pro-planet choices revolves around the idea that we’re doing ourselves a disservice if we go ‘green’. This simply isn’t true and I think much of it comes from a fear of change. For the people who think they’re winning at the moment, the idea of having less will seem scary and threatening. However, what we have isn’t making us happy. Spend a little while on Twitter and it becomes rapidly

obvious Elon Musk is an unhappy person. Watch videos from angry climate crisis deniers and you won’t see evidence of people living

change. And yes, change can be terrifying, but it’s hardly like the current state of the world is happy or comfortable. We have so much more to gain than we stand to lose at a personal level.

joyful lives. Read the comments of the people who get angry with Greta Thunberg and you won’t see much you’d want to emulate. The people in favour of trashing the world for profit aren’t happy in their choices either, they’re just terrified of what change could mean.

When we square up to the climate crisis, we also have to square up to the mess we’re in as a species. That isn’t comfortable, but it is liberating. Admitting to the problem is a necessary first step towards making meaningful

My own contribution to this series looks explicitly at what we have to gain. I am confident that living gentler, lower carbon and more sustainable lives means living happier, richer and more rewarding lives. It isn’t all doom and gloom, and we can seek our own greatest benefit while better serving the planet that is our home.

Nimue Brown is the author of Earth Spirit: Beyond Sustainability

The answers to the climate crisis and to human suffering are the same answers.

Dear...Northertn Hemisphere Folx

This is a letter, penned in love, from a cousin in the other half of the world, on the occasion of the solstice. Yes - I write from the southern hemisphere. It does truly exist! You may have heard it referred to as ‘down under’ or ‘the other half’ or even seen it on maps. Just joking – I know some of you have travelled here or were born here, and that all of you understand the earth, sun, moon and stars are just as real here as they are there. Because – and this is important – these hemispheres are two halves of the one thing, our beloved planet Earth.

Herein lies one of the great mysteries. Although we are part of the same planet things happen differently here. The sun still rises in the east, as Earth lovingly falls towards the embrace of sunlight each day but then it crosses through our sky to the north, before setting in the west. This is not such a great mystery when we consider the equator, and that basically when one is on Earth, the midday sun is high in the sky in the direction of the equator, wherever you are. It does mean that when we cast a circle we usually (most of us, most of the time) cast it in the opposite direction than you would, following our local direction of the sun and moon through the sky. Still sunwise, but the opposite way than for you.

But the mysteries don’t cease there… our seasons are the opposite of yours. While you are in the depths of winter we are at the heights of summer – often battling bushfires and drought, at least where I live. Although sometimes it’s floods. But you get the picture. While you are preparing to pass through the veils at Samhain, we’re dancing in the fields for Beltaine. And when you gather to celebrate the longest day, it’s actually the longest night for us. The Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere is the same day as the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere.

And the depth of this mystery is thus: for

by Jane Meredith

the earth both are true, equally, in the same moment. The opposites of longest night and longest day are simultaneous, twice a year. This makes perfect sense logically but it can be hard to wrap our brains around it. Both are true! At the same moment! Every time! This Earth has some serious magical stuff going on. From a Pagan perspective when we peer a little deeper past our amazement we can find the seeds of each festival in its opposite. The sun is reborn at the Winter Solstice – holding within it the promise of the fulfillment of the Summer Solstice. The fertility and sex of Beltaine show up the edge of that night of death and the spirits. Spring plantings contain the promise of autumn harvests. The more we work with this the more we find the double-truth – solstices are (both) moments of extreme.

Apparently only 10% of earth’s human population reside in the southern hemisphere. That could be an argument for generally ignoring the inconvenient fact that we’re always having a different festival. But – and this is a big but – it’s still half of the entire earth. As well as humans there are mountains and forests, birds and insects and animals, oceans and all that live there, weather systems and an entire half of this living planet. For Earth – and as earth-centred Pagans – both festivals are equal, and are equally true and real.

Happy Winter Solstice to all (just saying).

Happy Solstice to each and all, everywhere at this great pivot moment in our beloved EarthSun revolution. Summer and winter, both, at the same time.

Jane Meredith is an author and ritualist. She is the author of Journey to the Dark Goddess, Aphrodite's Magic and many more...

Before the Storm A Summer SolStice

By lucya sTarza

One of my most amazing Summer Solstice Eves was at Chanctonbury Ring on the South Downs, just months before the circle of beech trees was devastated in the Great Storm of 1987.

The trees encircled the earth banks of a prehistoric hill fort on Chanctonbury Hill. Archaeologists have found evidence of two pagan temples there, one Roman and one Romano-British. That Solstice it certainly seemed a place where ancient gods might rest and, just perhaps, the gates to the Otherworld might open.

Over the summer we were blessed with sunny days and clear skies. The sun shone and butterflies fluttered through banks of wild flowers as my partner and I climbed the steep, grassy slopes to the summit of the hill late in the afternoon. When we reached the cool shade of the trees, we found we weren’t the only ones there to watch the sun set, but it wasn’t crowded. Everyone felt a sense of peace and calm, a shared reverence for nature, and the desire to honour the Solstice night.

Slowly the sun set red-gold as it lowered in a sky of pinks and purples and darkest blue. People sat and meditated in private or conducted quiet rituals in hushed voices. Some passed around chalices of wine or mead. We shared unspoken understanding that this was a moment of quiet awe.

Later, tiny spots of light from the glow of fireflies in the sea of grass on the slopes

below us seemed to mirror the twinkling stars overhead. The night was warm, although my partner and I wrapped a blanket around us as we sat and listened to the sounds of the night and gave silent prayers to the spirits of the place and the ancient gods. After a while, I slept briefly. My partner prodded me awake while it was still dark. In silence we stood and watched the sky lighten and the sun rise in splendour on the Solstice morning.

Walking back down the hill later, through grass heavy with dew, I knew I’d been present at a special time, one that would never quite be repeated. I was right. On the night of 15 to 16 October 1987, a hurricane-force storm swept across Southern England, destroying property and ancient woodland alike. The beautiful ring of beeches on Chanctonbury Hill was no more.

I was so upset when I heard about the devastation that I couldn't bear to return to Chanctonbury Ring for 25 years. But, when I did go there again, I saw trees planted after the disaster had grown tall and the site is now nearly how I remember it on that glorious Summer Solstice Eve before the storm.

It’s a reminder that life is a cycle, and nature can recover if helped to do so.

Lucya Starza has two forthcoming books: Pagan Portals – Rounding the Wheel of the Year and Erosion, a magical novel set in the year of the Great Storm.

Solstice Hymn to Hera

Hera, Goddess of Midsummer

Queen of Heaven and Earth the same.

Crown of Stars about her head and shoulders

Power, love and truth are in her name.

She control's Earth's destiny, Sets its lords and masters. Brings them down and sets us free. Falsehoods do not prosper.

Hera, Woman of Full Power. Hebe, Theoi, Juno are her names.

Crown of Cities on her head and shoulders. Priestess, Goddess, Matriarch regained.

dorothy aBraMs

solsTice herBs

solsTice herBs By sTeve andreWs

Many herbs are at their most potent, so at the stage at which they are best for gathering, around the time of the Summer Solstice. One of the most well-known is St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum). Traditionally it is collected on St. John’s Eve. The herb has associations with the Sun and its bright golden-yellow flowers fit this association well, as does its star-like petals. The Sun is, of course, a star itself. St John’s Wort has been used as a herbal Prozac and one of its alternative names is “Sunshine Herb.” It treats depression and is a remedy for anxiety and nervous tension. The herbalist and astrologer Nicholas Culpeper described the herb this way: “A tincture of the flowers in spirit of wine is commended against the melancholy and madness.“ I always think that even just seeing the bright sunny appearance of St. John’s Wort in full bloom is enough to lift the spirits.

St. John’s Wort is named after John the Baptist because it was believed that the reddish juice from the plant’s crushed flowers resembled the blood of the Biblical saint. Amongst the superstitions this herb has attracted is the belief that hanging bunches of St. John’s Wort at midsummer will repel any evil forces, as well as a protection against lightning.

This herb of midsummer also has antiinflammatory and antiseptic properties. It is taken as an infusion, as well as being on sale in the form of capsules and tablets.The main active ingredient in it is a substance known as hypericin. However, it should not be used by pregnant women, and it can cause photosensitivity and skin rashes.

Solstice herbs are not only ones that thrive in the Midsummer sunshine. In December there is the Winter Solstice, and although there is not much growing at this time in the year, an evergreen herb does and is very much associated with this important date in the seasonal calendar.

St.John’s Wort is found growing in grassy places in the UK, Europe and elsewhere in the world.

I am speaking of Mistletoe (Viscum album), a sacred herb of the Druids, who traditionally gathered it using a golden sickle after locating the plant on an Oak tree. This weird plant is semi-parasitic and feeds on nutrients it sucks from its host’s branches. It is easy to spot in winter when trees have lost their leaves, but although it grows on Apple, Poplar and other trees, Mistletoe from the Oak was held to be the most magical and sacred. Its association with the Sun is because of when it is gathered. Mistletoe was the: "Golden Bough” of the Druids. It was thought of as a panacea and was also known as “All Heal.” The herb is actually potentially toxic so should not be used without supervision by a trained medical herbalist. Its white berries were thought to resemble semen, so the herb became strongly linked with love and fertility. Today the custom of kissing under the Mistletoe at Yuletide reflects this belief about it.

Steve Andrews is a man of many talents. He is a writer, a journalist, a singer-songwriter, poet and naturalist. Also known as the Bard of Ely and Green Bard, he is the author of Pagan Portals - Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets.

The forgoTTen irish influence on BriTish neo-druidry

Much of what is referred to as the Druid Revival, which started in late 17th century England and began to take shape in the early18th century is attributed to 3 main figures – the antiquarian John Aubrey (1626-1697), William Stukeley (1687-1765), who was much influenced by the former, and lastly by Edward Williams (Iolo Morganwg 1747-1826).

These 3 eccentrics were English, apart from Williams, who was Welsh, a ‘scholar’, collector of literature, master forger and laudanum addict who spent several years in debtors’ prison and became best known for founding the modern Gorsedd society and establishing the Eisteddford (Bardic competitions) revival, as well as his fraudulent book Barddas. John Aubrey, somewhat less disreputable, was a pioneer of archaeology (Avebury and Stonehenge), antiquarian and folklorirst (known for his book Monumenta Britannica), who none-the-less lost his fortune and large estates he inherited through a series of law suits.

Meanwhile, William Stukeley, again more reputable that either Williams or Aubrey, was both a medic and an Anglican clergyman, and graduate of Cambridge University, who continued Aubrey’s investigations of Avebury and Stonehenge. He is largely credited with the main influence on romantic, revival Druidism/Druidry, possessing fanciful ideas about Druid origins in Pheonicia and links to Biblical pseudo-history, while also styling himself ‘The Druid Chyndonax’. Having become a Freemason in 1721 and soon after, a Master of a Masonic Lodge, he was greatly influential on the Masonic interest in Druidism that persisted throughout the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Much of his ideas, often conjecture, have made their way into modern Neo-Druidic thought and practice.

However, another figure, less mentioned, looms large in the history of the Druid Revival, but is mostly briefly mentioned merely as founder of the first known revival group ‘The Druid Circle of the Universal Bond’, in London, in 1717 – one

John Toland. He is also credited as first Chosen Chief of The Most Ancient Order Of Druids (1717-1722) by the modern order (TDO). Despite these landmark moments, Toland (1670-1722) is largely forgotten or ignored, despite having by far the best pedigree - as an academic, philosopher and historian of his time.

Toland was born, in Ardagh, Co. Donegal, Ireland, just 60 years after the collapse of the Gaelic Order, following the flight of the Earls in 1607. The old Gaelic Order was a system of culture, government, nobility and royalty stretching continuously back into the Pagan era, that survived fairly intact until the end of the Elizabethan conquest. Toland, a Catholic, would undoubtedly have spoken Gaeilge (Irish) as did over 80% of Irish people at the time, but he also knew English.

At the age of 16 he converted to Protestantism in order to attend university in Glasgow (it was illegal for Catholics to attend higher education) and thus he began an illustrious career (mostly in England, Germany and Netherlands) as a rationalist philosopher and freethinker, author of some 100 books, as well as myriad pamphlets and papers. Toland’s major historical work History of the Celtic Religion and Learning Containing an Account of the Druids was published 4 years after his death in 1726, largely forgotten until a revised version was published in 1815 as Toland’s History Of The Druids, which is also largely forgotten today.

Toland’s work was based on a deep understanding of history and philosophy,

not least of the country of his birth, where the Bardic culture and Druidic remains had been snuffed out only one generation or so before his birth. Unlike the usual suspects of eccentric British Druidism – his knowledge was based in a genuine and recently extinguished Gaelic past, still remembered, rather far more questionable ideas.

Toland was considered quite scandalous in his time, too progressive, too modern, heretical at times - infuriating senior clergy in both Ireland and Britain. He also wrote and spoke extensively on politics, proposing then radical ideas supported by Robert Harley, head of the English Country Party. His idea that neither ecclesiastical or monarchic governments were inherently good, or divinely sanctioned, was considered outrageous by many, but (to me at least) many of his ideas are influenced by early Irish Gaelic literature such as The Wisdom of Cormac

Why then is such a luminary ignored or forgotten by the Druids and Druidic establishment of our own day? Now recognized in philosophy and academia as a man ahead of his time, he has yet to be acknowledged for his role in Neo-Druidism or insights into Irish Druidism - both have largely been ignored, even to this day. Isn’t it time that John Toland was given his due, in the light of his unique position in the history of Neo-Druidism?

Luke Eastwood is an RHS trained Horticulturist, who studied at Dublin School of Horticulture. He is the author of The Druid Garden, The Druid's Primer and The Journey

Each season of the year has particular energies, spirits and deities that are protagonists of that very season. Although in the summer solstice we are somehow celebrating the culmination of the days of light and the beginning of the descent into the shadows, no one can deny that the protagonist of summer is the sun. The sun as a source of light but also of heat. It is the sun that ripens the fruit, the grain, the sun invites us to spend time outside, to socialize and celebrate. Summer is also the time to let the cattle graze, in several cultures herds were moved to the summer pastures. There are a multitude of deities that are honored in the summer months, solar deities, deities related to the harvest, summer spirits... These are months to reap what is sown, to thank the gods for their generosity, harvests were very important for our ancestors. While looking at the past, searching for the origin of spirituality, we can easily find it around life and death, the Goddess who is life giving. We also find the afterlife was incredibly

important. But with the rise of agriculture, a multitude of agrarian deities arise.

We find in ancient Sumer, the first references to gods related to agriculture, for example Dumuzid, also known as Tammuz. Dumuzid is a king/ god, consort of the well-known Inanna. He is a sheep herder although he is also associated with agriculture and his sister, Geshtinanna, is considered a deity of agriculture, also associated with fertility. His job as a shepherd is clearly related to activities that revolve around agriculture and pastures in summer. In Greece we find his equivalent in Adonis. Although perhaps less known or overshadowed by her many attributes, Inanna is also somewhat of a Goddess related to agriculture in that in myths, we find her linked to the creation of the first date tree and is known as "the one who makes the dates full of abundance”. In the Arab world, even at the present time, dates are considered symbols of abundance. In a hostile environment like the desert, dates are a sweet gift. We also find this association with Ishtar/Astarte and also the Goddess Mylitta. We also find in the East, Shapash, the Canaanite Goddess of the Sun. It is curious, but in ancient Mesopotamia, Summer

was not a season of celebration, rather to lament or mourn the fading of light. Moving towards Anatolia, we meet the great Goddess Cybele, in my opinion one of the great Goddesses of the Levant and her cult spread to Greece and lasted throughout the length and breadth of the Roman Empire. In Greece we find the goddess Demeter, great Goddess of the harvest, mother of Persephone. She is an extremely important goddess, goddess of grain, therefore of bread, without her hard work there would be nothing to collect, that is why her cult spread so easily, the Romans called her Ceres. In Greece we find two famous solar gods, Helios and Apollo. Helios is literally the personification of the sun, Sol Invictus for the Romans. Apollo however is perhaps more important, or his cult was. There are references to Apollo wearing the crown of Helios, so in some way it would be syncretism between the two, but while Helios is the Sun, Apollo has other attributes, since he is the god of prophecy, also of dance, and archery. among other things. Some find his relationship with the sun, as the specific representation of sunlight, not the star itself. We have to remember that Helios is a Titan, I think he was second generation, while Apollo is just one God, also much younger. Despite this, his cult became more significant, perhaps because of his relationship with prophecy as well, we cannot forget that he was the main God of the Sanctuary of Delphi.

In ancient Egypt, we have several deities related to agriculture and the sun. If I had to start with a solar deity, perhaps I would name Hathor, as her Priestess. The Solar goddess carries the solar disc between her horns, like the Goddess Sekhmet who is also crowned by the

sun and is considered the daughter of the god Ra, the male solar deity in Egypt par excellence. We cannot forget the god Aton, who's cult was established by King Akhenaten as the one and only god, causing a real stir in Egypt at the time. We might also find that Goddess Bastet is also considered a solar goddess, but she would also be considered a goddess of agriculture, due to the importance of cats to the Egyptians, also as guardians of crops and grain, cats being the enemies of mice. Although if we have to talk about an important god related to agriculture in Egypt, we have to perhaps put Osiris at the top of the list. But Osiris would not have been the only one, since we also find the God Min, a predynastic god related to crops, as well as the Goddess Renenutet, a Cobra Goddess. She is also the mother of Neper or Nepri, God of grain, although the transcription of his name would be more related to food, as if he were the grain that feeds.

Ness Bosch is a Shamaness, Priestess, Witch & Independent Researcher. She is Head of The Goddess Temple Alba & the Covenant of the Waters.

We find Gods of agriculture and solar in many cultures and geographies, so many that it is impossible for me to talk about all of them, but if you want to continue exploring, perhaps you could look up Inti, the god of the Incas, or Ah Kin, the solar god of the Mayans, might be familiar to you. One of my favorite solar deities is the Japanese Goddess Amaterasu, her story is quite curious. Another sun god is the Hindu God Surya or the popular sun Goddess Sulis, the goddess of Aqvae Sulis. Also the Persian god Mithras and his cult were extremely important in antiquity, not only in the Levant. This summer, take a few moments to meditate on the importance of the sun and agriculture for our spirituality. You can even create a small solar and harvest altar, you don't have to do it on a certain date, remember that the sabbats are something relatively modern. If it is done with devotion, everything will be perfect for the gods.

Summer blessings.

suMMer gods and goddesses By ness Bosch

No matter what kind of witch or magick maker you might be, there’s a good chance you’ve followed the moon. You’ve looked up at the brilliant bright being in the night sky and took a deep breath. Perhaps you offered a moment of silence or you screamed into the fading light.

You may have a connection to that glowing orb that seems to follow the path of transformation and revealing. Know that you can follow the moon’s dance of bright to dark and back again.

New Moon

The moon allows us to see the cycles in our lives, the way things never stay still. Let’s begin with the new moon, the darkness of knowing that

something resides in the sky, even if it can’t be seen yet. Go outside and write on a piece of paper all the things you want to grow in your life. Hide the paper somewhere and don’t look at it until a few days after the New Moon. Take it out under the moon. Let the light shine down on the words. Take a breath into the possibility that growing takes time. Follow your heart with what needs to happen next. Perhaps the paper needs to be buried or burned or sit on an altar until the next New Moon.

Waxing Moon / Growing Moon

When I’m faced with things in life that are not here yet, but that I want, I know I will linger in the liminal. It is easy, even expected, to get

impatient and to wonder why things aren’t the way we want them to be. But because I’m looking so far ahead, I’m not seeing what IS happening – growth. Slow, even incremental, but still growth.

Collect offerings for an altar of gratitude. This might look like small stones or gems or other beautiful things. Clearly say out loud or in your mind that you are grateful for what is coming. Repeat as many times as you like.

Full Moon

And there are also times when I am fully in my power. There are moments when I feel my desires align with my actions and my life reveals all the things I wanted to see. But in the light are also the ways in which being fully seen is

a vulnerable moment. The vulnerability of becoming full is the place where we can also see the craters and the places that aren’t quite smooth yet. This moon asks me to remember that just because there is fullness now doesn’t mean that I will be satisfied. I might only long for more.

Make moon water to quench the thirst of all your desires and to toast the culmination of your efforts. Take a large bowl of water and place it in the light of the Full Moon. You can whisper to the water, sing to the water, drop spells into the water with your fingers, or just hold it until it feels full. Use

it to bless and anoint yourself.

Waning Moon/ Shrinking Moon

The liminal space between New and Full Moons is a space of questions. I often wonder what I need to remove or what I need to set aside because I don’t know what to do. I might use this time to simply rest after so much growing.

What do I need to let go of? Commitments? Expectations? What might I want to release and remove? What have I been afraid to untether from my heart?

Allow yourself to release

thoughts, those weights, and chains that feel like burdens. Create paper chains that you can hang over your body, imbuing them with any energy that holds you back. Notice the weight of these chains before you rip them apart. Break the chains, burn them, and do not look back once they are gone.

Not Just a Phase

Remember you can look to the moon for support, for the knowing that even when you can’t see what might happen next, change will always come. You can be held by the moon. You can be held by your magick.

Irisanya Moon is the author of several books, including; Aphrodite: Encountering the Goddess of Love & Beauty & Initiation,and many more. You can find out more on: www.irisanyamoon.com

laurie MarTin-gardner

In ancient Mesopotamia, the land that birthed civilization, a spirit was born in the imagination of our ancestors. Cloaked in wind and darkness, she arose from the towering storms and treacherous nights to haunt humankind. But, she was no ordinary spirit. She would not be lost to the unceasing passage of time like so many others of her kind. Instead, she would spend the next four millennia relentlessly clawing her way up the demonic ranks. She would transcend culture and religion to eventually become the first woman of Creation and even the consort of God himself. Not even a spot on the heavenly throne would stop her, however, and today she has emerged as a symbol of female equality and empowerment. Her name is Lilith, and hers is a story like no other.

Born of the Fertile Crescent, Lilith first appeared in the written record around 2400 BCE. Her name is recorded in the Sumerian kings list as the mother of Lugalbanda, father of the epic hero, Gilgamesh. In Sumer, she was a feared seductress, belonging to a group of incubisuccubae spirits known as “lilludemons.” She was also the sacred prostitute of the goddess Inanna, sent out to lead men astray. Later, in Assyria, Lilith became associated with the “lilitu,” a group of demons that preyed upon sleeping men, pregnant women, and newborn children. By the time Lilith’s influence spread beyond the boundaries of the Mesopotamian world, the essence of her nature had already been established. She was the long haired, beautiful tempter of men and the scourge of childbirth.

In the Judaic world, Lilith would reach unimaginable new heights. No longer a lowly storm demon, Jewish midrashic literature would place her at the dawn of creation alongside the first man, Adam. Midrash, an ancient and important practice within Judaism, is the tradition of making inferences based on Biblical scripture in an attempt to resolve conflicting passages. When faced with two seemingly different and contradictory accounts of the creation of woman (Genesis 1:27 and 2:22), Judaic scholars determined that there must have been another female created before Eve.

It wasn’t until sometime around the 8th-10th centuries that Lilith emerged as the ill-fated

first woman of the Biblical creation story. In a text called The Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith is introduced as the woman of Genesis 1:27 who was created with Adam from the dust of the earth. When Adam proclaimed his superiority over Lilith and tried to force her into the submissive position during sex, Lilith refused saying, “We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were created from the earth.” But Adam was relentless, and finally Lilith spoke the Ineffable Name of God and flew away from Adam and the Garden of Eden. She fled to the Red Sea where she became the mother of countless demons and claimed dominion over newborn babies.

Lilith would haunt the Judaic world as

the evil and inferior first wife of Adam until the 13th century when Kabbalistic Jews would transform her from lowly she-demon to the powerful wife of the demon king Samael and finally into the consort of God himself. For four thousand years Lilith remained the longhaired, nefarious seductress leading men to evil and stealing life from women and children. She was the embodiment of evil and destruction brought about by unrestrained sexuality, the antithesis of the loving mother goddesses of old, and the bane of all men that sought dominance over womankind. That is, until the modern era.

Today, Lilith has taken on a somewhat surprising new role. No longer feared as the child-killing succubus, Lilith has emerged as a symbol for feminism and equality. Drawing from the story recorded in The Alphabet of Ben Sira, women around the world celebrate Lilith’s brevity and refusal to accept submission. She has come to embody the inherent power of womankind along with the dark feminine aspects so long held at bay by a patriarchal society ruled by religious inclinations.

The evolution of Lilith is all but impossible to sum up in a few hundred words. It is possible, however, to say that perhaps no other demon in the history of mankind has ever experienced the kind of illustrious career that Lilith has enjoyed. Lilith is an unstoppable force, redefining herself again and again. And her story is far from over.

Read more about Lilith’s incredible story in Laurie Martin-Gardner’s book, The Hidden Goddess. And visit www.lauriemartingardner. com for updates on the upcoming title Pagan Portals - Lilith.

liliTh By laurie MarTin-gardner

a sWeaT lodge in snoWMass WiTh Wallace Black elk

It was the day before Thanksgiving 27 years ago and I was the only reporter at The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel without family in western Colorado, so I got the airport assignment.

“Go to Walker Field and find a coming-home story, people hugging at the airport,” the city editor told me. “Bring Brad (the photographer), he'll know what to do.”

“Right,” I said. “The spirit of Thanksgiving.”

Twenty minutes later Brad and I were sitting in the terminal at Walker Field Airport, snacking on Fritos and sharing a root beer along with dark remarks on whether we’d find anything remotely interesting. A plane arrived and clumps of people walked through the sliding doors, Brad took a picture of a little kid running to hug someone and suddenly a few seconds later there he was, an older Native American man with his hair in two long black braids walking slowly with a middle-aged Caucasian woman.

“You gotta be kidding,” said Brad.

“A real Thanksgiving story,” I said, dreading the inevitable irony of the encounter. Time slowed down. I couldn't just let them walk by could I? Finally they drew near and I stood up with hand extended.

“My name is Ben Gagnon and I work for the Sentinel, the local newspaper, this is Brad.” Everybody shook hands. He was Wallace Black Elk, she was Barbara.

“I have an assignment to talk to people who are coming home to Grand Junction for Thanksgiving and I’m sure you’re busy and everything and I can see that you’re uh, Native American, and uh, maybe there's mixed feelings about the holiday but I was wondering if maybe you're visiting family – I know that sounds kind of intrusive, but are you, um, celebrating Thanksgiving?”

As I reached the end of the interminable question I realized it was perhaps the longest one I'd ever asked, professionally or personally.

“I’m coming to see an old friend,” he said with a smile. “Yes, I know about Thanksgiving and I believe in giving thanks to my friends and family every day and askin’

for help and health.”

He started walking away, but I felt like this wasn't enough for a story so I nimbly tagged along and asked him something like what his favorite food was at this time of year and I was so sorry to bother him. Being a kind person, he stopped walking and turned around.

“I’m also here for a sweat lodge this weekend,” he said. “Would you like to come?”

“Yes,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Barbara can you give him the flyer?”

I took the flyer and thanked them both as they walked away. I wasn't about to go after them again.

Heading to the Mountains

The flyer described the Stone People Lodge Ceremony in Old Snowmass, about 10 miles west of Aspen – a two-hour drive and 2,300-foot climb in altitude from Grand Junction. The gathering was on a 957-acre property bought for conservation by John Denver and the Windstar Foundation in the late 1970s.

I'd never been to a sweat lodge, but that's pretty much what a fella from the East Coast comes out West for so I holstered my pen, breathed deeply and let out a sigh that turned into a burp. The damn root beer.

“Not bad,” said Brad.

A short and very forgettable Thanksgiving feature ran the next day with a photo at the bottom of the front page. The Internet was just revving up in 1995 and there was a lot that Wallace Black Elk didn't mention at the airport.

For example he was present at the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, was instrumental in the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978, served as the Native American representative to the United Nations and was co-author of Black Elk: The Sacred Ways of a Lakota (1990, HarperOne).

It wasn't until years later that I discovered he was spiritually mentored by Nicolas Black Elk, who survived Wounded Knee in 1890 and was the subject of John Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks (1932, William Morrow & Company). The book initially failed but after a 1961 reprint it was a counter-cultural bestseller. They practically gave out used copies on the street-corner in Cambridge and reading the book made a profound impression on me as a teenager in the 1970s.

Getting Ready

It was a sunny afternoon in late November and with reporter's notebook in hand I asked Black Elk some basic questions about Lakota beliefs as he casually oversaw the work of setting up the sweat lodge. He said the Lakota call the sun Umpawee, meaning man and woman, always together, always giving life.

“There is a force behind the flaming ball, there is fire, there is heat, then there is wind, there is sound and the sound shapes and forms life. We sit on grandmother’s lap, and she puts enough food on the table to feed everyone. The green is our carpet and our food. The ceiling is the stars and the moon is our night lamp.”

At the tender age of 30, I was sitting with a 74-year-old man looking over a beautiful landscape. Perhaps regretting the airport questioning, this time I didn't say a word.

“Sometimes I feel like the trees are dyin’, everybody's dyin’ and I’m going to kick the bucket. Then a little wind comes, just a little bitty gust and I smell pine. And another wind comes and I smell cedar and I get stronger inside.”

Inside the sweat lodge it was pitch black and the smell of cedar mixed with waves of steam as Black Elk sprinkled water over hot stones in the center of a dozen cross-legged people. Black Elk described a sweat lodge “when I was a little kid” in 1943, when a visit from the spirits came.

“The fish people came in there and they wanted to know how well trained we were

to handle the power. We said we were only here for health and happiness and then a sound came from the mountain – WHOOM – and a big wave went over the lodge. A cold slippery spirit hit me on the forehead and on my chest and on my legs and every time one of us was hit with this cold slippery spirit, we said ‘ooh-wee!’ in surprise.

“There was a warbling, a chirping and a whistling from inside the rocks and I heard a voice from inside the rocks and the voice said, ‘We are fish people come here to tell you two-leggeds on the surface that they have taken the atom and dumped poison in the rivers and the lakes and the oceans and it will affect us fish people and it will affect the food and it will surface to the air and go all the way around the Earth, affecting the winged people and the four-leggeds and the two-leggeds.

“That was the first time I experienced something secret and sacred. The bomb had come from the fire of the sun and we had abused the fire, the rock, the water and the green. We are pitiful people and we have a lot to learn. We have to help one another.

“People have been terrorizin’ each other for long enough and we haven’t gotten anywhere. We have to help one another. This lodge is for health and help. Our grandmother and grandfather are waitin’ for us dirty little kids, waitin’ with open arms.”

Black Elk asked everyone to make a spoken prayer of thanks or help, smoke the tobacco pipe around the circle and send the prayers to the thunder beings. When lightning streaks the sky, he said, it answers prayers.

“The electrolytes come down and a little bitsy one falls in our head and touches our heart. Then we can touch someone else's heart, and place a kindness in their heart.” Every one of us spoke our prayer, we all passed the pipe and I'm pretty sure each one of us meant every word we said.

A few times during the sweat lodge as Black Elk or someone else was speaking I heard a single click, softer than a lighter, maybe two rocks lightly knocking together. At the same time I saw a tiny light in the blackness. No one called attention to it. The tiny light appeared in different places. If someone was clicking rocks together they were sneaking around and using flint.

When I crawled out of the lodge, I thought we'd been inside for about 90 minutes. After standing up and regaining my sense of balance I looked at my watch, which told me it had been close to three hours. I asked Black Elk what the soft clicking sounds and tiny lights were.

“Spirits,” he said.

Ben H. Gagnon is an award-winning journalist and author of Church of Birds: An Eco-History of Myth and Religion.

More information can be found at churchofbirds.godaddysites.com, which links to a YouTube video.

Dagaz, June Solstice, and Minding the Gap

By kelley harrell

When most folx work with the Elder Futhark runes, they cast, draw, or read them in some form of divination. Runes also were used in calendars, sometimes called runic almanacs or primstavs, as a means of tracking sacred stellar events. I work with Nigel Penick’s pan-Norse runic calendar, for which June Solstice falls in the half-month rune of Dagaz.

Dagaz means 'day,' as in, a full rotation of the Earth around the sun, placing great emphasis on light, darkness, and our relationship to both. Dagaz is often compared to its opposite on the seasonal wheel, which is Jera, which occurs in December Solstice. Meaning “year,”

Jera focuses on taking stock of harvest, the progression of the full year, what worked, what didn’t, discerning where attention is needed. I approach Dagaz similarly, though that inventory must be done in only one day. The way we can distill that assessment is to consider what gave meaning to our day.

Exploring Dagaz through the spectacle of June Solstice allows us the opportunity to explore meaning further. Regardless of our geographical location, June Solstice represents a suspension of time. In the north it's the day of most sunlight, least darkness, while in the south it’s the day of least sunlight, the longest darkness.

Because we track time by these light and dark opposites, we forget to be attentive to what exists between these polarities. We emphasize the length or shortness of day at Solstice, though what makes Solstice truly special is its emphasis on those protracted moments between light and darkness. It is a space of time-untime connecting our old relationship with timing to a new one. Thus, when we work with Dagaz as the rune for June Solstice, it encompasses not just the full spectrum of day, as in both extremes, but also neither, and something Other, all at once. That something Other is a gap between the known, with unique qualities we can tap into.

On a personal level, that bared space between extremes reminds us that we, too, are betwixt. Human-persons as souls in form are both matter and spirit. Like that interstitial moment between darkness and light, our lives are fully neither, some combination of both, and an expression beyond. We are liminal. We are the gap whose agency unites all possibilities. Dagaz asks us not just to honor that gap space, but to realize it’s where we stand all the time, and that we’re tasked to make use of the potential within it. We bear a responsibility by being in form to explore how our own light and dark are in relationship with each other.

June Solstice is a good time to get in step with the gap of extremes. It’s where the human-person center lives, and we have to be in relationship with it as much as we are with the extremes that hold it. As an animist, for me that means continually learning how the runes are actionable in everyday life. Dagaz at June Solstice reminds us to note the extremes in our lives, to explore where our inner extremes meet

and what meaning they hold in our lives. These extremes may be our own light and darkness, our shadow and sacred, or where our soul meets our form.

While Dagaz is an incredibly positive rune, the stillness and tension in that space between light and dark can be intense and disconcerting. It may bring up conflicting feelings that seem counter to the assumed sunniness of Summer for those in the north. For those in the south initiating into Midwinter, it may trigger a reluctance to embrace inner darkness. June Solstice has a way of exacerbating our discomfort with extremes, within and without. Consider that tension has been mounting around some life area. Perhaps Solstice reveals a problematic life area that needs attention. However it resonates, June Solstice is a great time to create sacred space and craft a ritual to harness the insight of the gap.

It is also worth mentioning that in this calendric ordering, Dagaz is the culmination of the runic year, thus exploring closure on dynamics the year brought is a good practice at June Solstice. What started early in the year that is now closing? What feels appropriate to begin, moving into new light? What feelings come up around completion, opening?

However June Solstice arrives, whatever mark it leaves, learning to allow comfort in the gap is a practice that serves us well to be carried throughout the year.

Kelley is an author of several books on animism, soul tending, and the runes. To learn more about her and working with runic calendars, visit soulintentarts.com

dagaz, June solsTice, and Minding The gaP By kelley harrell