The Sacred Glen
Volume #3 Issue #2
Beltaine 2009
The Sacred Glen is a publication of Daughters of the Greening online school. All articles within this ezine are written by students of the school and are their own personal property, unless otherwise credited. Daughters of the Greening is dedicated to teaching about the sacredness of all life and offers classes in Sacred Ecology, Holistic Healing, Discovering Past Lives, Faery Magic and Women's Spirituality. The school is open to anyone who is 18 years of age or older.
The Sacred Glen Council
Morgana Ravenwings
Dragonfly
Susan
Arlais
Spiralotus
RedJadeBird
In this issue:
Sacred Days of the Ancestors
The Goddess Speaks
Plant Medicine
Sacred Holidays
Songs of the Muse
Sit a Spell
Garden of Eatin'
Harvests from the Printing Press
Spider Woman's Web
Sacred Days of the Ancestors
Holy Days
All Gods and Goddesses are aspects of the One Deity. Deity is both male and female and yet genderless. Deity is all forms and yet formless. Deity is within all. Deity is beyond all. Deity is all embracing love. With all that is known by all the world's sages, with all that is written in all sacred books, with all that is experienced in all spiritual traditions, we still cannot know the unknowable--
Deity is Mystery
May 2009...
4/21 to 5/2: Ridvan.
4/26 to 5/3: Mayan Rain Festival.
4/28 eve to 5/3 eve: Floralia.
4/30 eve to 5/2 eve: Beltaine--Old Celtic/Welsh feast of Blodeuwedd (Goddess of Flowers) and Llew (the Oak King - God of the waxing Sun).
4/30 to 5/4: Zoroastrian celebration of Divine Spirit Khshathra Vairya, creator and protector of the Sky. Zoroastrians worship the one transcendent and immanent Deity Ahura Mazda, who is symbolized by a sacred fire.
4/30 eve to 5/5 eve: Mid-Spring/May Day/Walpurgis--Celebrates sacred love and the flowering vegetation by gathering flowers and dancing around a Maypole.
5/1: Christian feast celebrating the sacred marriage of Blessed Mary and St. Joseph.
5/1 to 5/4: Zuni Green Corn Dance--welcoming back the Corn Maidens, who flee the land during the Winter.
5/2: Mindfulness Day--Zen Buddhist day for being mindful that everything you do, or fail to do, affects all sentient beings.
5/2 eve to 5/3 eve: Feast of God Poseidon, Goddess Amphritrite, and all Old Greek Gods and Goddesses of the seas.
5/2 eve to 5/6 eve (5/4 peak): Eta Aquarid Meteor Showers.
5/4: Dakas’ Day--Day Tantric Buddhists make offerings to Father Tantra; day to unite will and power to manifest positive social change and environmental healing.
5/5: Cinco de Mayo--Day celebrating Mexico’s struggle for independence; day to mourn Hispanic victims of exploitation (past and present), make peace, and celebrate empowerment of Hispanic Americans.
5/6: Shepherd’s Day--Day to meditate on Deity as Lord of Animals - God as Dumuzi (Old Sumerian), Osiris (Old Egyptian), Pan (Old Greek), Veles (Old Slavic) & Shiva Pasupati (Hindu).
5/7: National Day of Prayer--Day to pray for freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and separation of religion and government throughout the world.
5/9 (12:01 a.m. EDT): Full Moon (Flower/Corn-Planting Moon).
5/9 eve: Vigil for lost mothers; night of mourning and healing.
5/10: Mothers’ Day--Day to give love and thanks to all mothers; day for all mothers to celebrate motherhood and contemplate their sacred duty to provide for the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of their children.
5/15: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Ochossi, Orisha of Animals.
5/17: Baha’i feast honoring the one Deity as ‘Azamat - Grandeur. Baha’is believe in the oneness of all religions.
5/18: Feast of Old Greek God Pan, who represents the masculine in Nature and protects men throughout their lives.
5/19: Dakinis’ Day--Day Tantric Buddhists make offerings to Mother Tantra; day to unite will and power to manifest positive social change and environmental healing.
5/19: Old Celtic/Irish feast in which sacred healing wells and springs were adorned with flowers in honor of Goddess Brigid, daughter of Mother Goddess Danu and Father God Dagda.
5/21: Beginning of Gemini (the Twins/Lovers/Partners).
5/21 (OC 5/28): Ascension Day--Christian feast marking Lord Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. * 5/21: Death day of Jane Addams (1935), social worker, feminist, and peace advocate.
5/24 (8:11 a.m. EDT): New Moon.
5/24 eve: Old European feast of the Triple Goddess (Goddess of the Moon and the Seasons), marking the transformation of the Virgin into the Mother.
5/24 to 5/27: Iroquois Strawberry Ceremony--in thanksgiving for the strawberry harvest. Iroquois consider themselves kin to all of Nature.
5/27 eve to 5/28 eve: Feast of Old Greek Deities Aphrodite and Eros--Day to honor love and passion.
5/28 eve to 5/30 eve: Shavuot/Feast of First Fruits--Jewish festival of thanksgiving for the first fruits of the grain harvest. Originally, loaves of bread were offered to Elohim. Also commemorates Moses’ receipt of the Ten Commandments.
5/31 (OC 6/7): Pentecost/Whitsunday Christian feast celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the male and female disciples of Lord Jesus; honors Her as the Paraclete, Grace, Wisdom, Justice, and Providence.
5/31 eve: Vigil for lost spouses/partners; night of mourning and healing.
June 2009...
6/5: World Environment Day--Day to mourn the harm done to Mother Earth (past and present), make reparation, and celebrate Her beauty.
6/6: Mindfulness Day--Zen Buddhist day for mindfully seeing the interdependence of all things at all times.
6/6: First appearance of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Compassionate Mother who answers all pleas (France 1830).
6/7 (2:12 p.m. EDT): Full Moon (Rose/Berry Moon).
6/7 (Ch B 5/2, Th B 5/9): Saga Dawa Duchen--Tibetan Buddhist festival celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE).
6/7: Trinity Sunday--Christian celebration of the one universal Deity as Holy Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit Mother, and Holy Christ Child.
6/7 to 6/15: Vestalia--Old Roman festival honoring Goddess Vesta. Women made food offerings at the sacred hearths of home and temple.
6/13 (A 7/24): Old Egyptian feast of Neteret Hathor, Goddess of Love and Fertility.
6/15: Suijin Matsuri--Shinto rite honoring the Kami of Water.
6/17: Day to celebrate Starhawk’s work in reclaiming the Goddess and raising Goddess-consciousness. She teaches an eco-egalitarian form of Wicca.
6/20: Old Slavic Kupala--Goddess Morana/Lada and God Jarilo/Lado marry, bringing peace and ensuring a good harvest.
6/20 eve: Vigil for lost fathers; night of mourning and healing.
6/20 to 6/21: Inti Rayni--Inca festival honoring Sun God Inti.
6/20 to 6/21: Feast of the Great Spirit/Great Mystery that encompasses Mother Earth and Father Sky - honoring Deity as Orenda (Iroquois), Asgaya Galun Lati (Cherokee), Wakan Tanka (Lakota) & Awonawilona (Zuni).
6/20 to 6/23: Lakota Sun Dance--Festival of prayer, fasting, dancing, and healing in honor of Sun God Wi; offerings are also made to Maka/Mother Earth and Haokah/Father Sky. Lakotas believe all Deities are aspects of Creator Takuskanskan.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Permission to use and distribute these excerpts is granted for non-commercial purposes, provided the following information is included:
Excerpted from
THE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2009
A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality
© 2008 Page Two, Inc.
info@WheeloftheYear.com
www.WheeloftheYear.com
The Goddess Speaks
By Morgana
On the surface, Blodeuwedd appears to be a simple Goddess from Welsh lore whose
name means both 'flowerface' and 'owl'. Her story goes like this:
Arianrhod had a son named Llew Llaw whom she cursed, saying that he would never
marry a human wife. Destined to be a king, two magicians decided to get around
her curse by making a wife for Llew Llaw out of nine flowers, including
meadowsweet, primrose, oak, broom, cockle and hawthorn. Once created,
Blodeuwedd played the wife for Llew, but secretly hated having to marry a man
whom she had never met, nor for whom she felt any love. One day, while Llew was
away, hunters went past their cabin and Blodeuwedd fell in love with one of
them. The two began to plot the death of Llew, who had a magical safeguard of
only being able to die under certain conditions which were most unlikely to ever
be met. These included being in a bath under a thatched roof by the side of a
river over a cauldron while having one foot on the ground and one foot on a
deer. Blodeuwedd tricked Llew, who trusted her completely, into standing in
this pose, and while he did, her lover shot him. Eventually, Blodeuwedd was
discovered, and the magicians who created her changed her into an owl.
While this story seems quite simple, the symbols in it are intriguing. Many
believe the story of Blodeuwedd to be the story of the patriarchy attempting to
make woman into an image that was acceptable to them.....beautiful, dainty,
graceful. However, in making woman into this image, they fail to take into
account the spirit of a woman. Whose spirit did they think entered Blodeuwedd
to give her life? Many believe it was the spirit of the ancient
Goddess, who is able to both give life and take it away.
Woman today, sadly, is still under similar circumstances. We are told by media
how we are to look, what to wear, what we should weigh, and even how to act.
But none of this takes into consideration that undying spirit that is woman.
We, as women, still have the power to create life. At the same time, we also
have the power to break
down the status quo, to metaphorically "kill" the prison we so often find
ourselves placed in and to break free from
the image imposed upon us by our culture. Perhaps Blodeuwedd became an owl
because her wisdom was recognized, but still feared. Perhaps it was a symbol of
her wisdom being forced 'into the night', the time when owls are out and about.
Or perhaps her being turned into an owl was prophetic, symbolizing a time when
women would be set free, reborn, and free to fly.
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
By Morgana
On June 6th, Catholics the world over will celebrate the first appearance of
Mary as Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal to France's Saint Catherine in 1830.
This story begins when Catherine was a novice in a community of Sisters in Paris
and she was awakened by a child asking her to go to the chapel. Once there, she
found the Virgin Mary and the two spoke for several hours, with Mary informing
Catherine that she had a mission to fulfill.
Through subsequent visits, Catherine was told that she was to design a medal
depicting Mary standing on a globe, crushing the head of a serpent with Her feet
(the serpent is representative of Satan, or all that keeps us from God, and Mary
standing on him is saying that he is helpless before Her.) and with Her arms
outstretched to mankind. From Her fingertips came rays of light, symbolic of
the grace and divine favor She is willing to bestow on those who ask. On the
reverse side are twelve stars encircling an "M" with a cross rising up out of
it. Beneath the "M" are two hearts---one encircled in thorns and the other
pierced by a sword. Mary promised that those who wore
this symbol around their neck would incur divine favor.
The first medals were made in 1832 and distributed by the Catholic church in
Paris. Almost immediately, people began reporting miracles and graces, and in
1836, the church declared the apparitions to have been genuine.
If any readers are interested in receiving a Miraculous Medal, the Association
of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville MO offers them for free to those who ask.
Their web address is:
http://www.amm.org/medal.asp
Plant Medicine
Lilac
By Morgana
When I was a child, I remember each spring the huge lilac bush that blossomed
beneath my bedroom window. My mother used to cut the flowers and bring them in
to our sunroom, filling the entire house with their beautiful fragrance. I
vowed that when I grew up and got my own house, I would have at least one lilac
bush outside my window, and true to my vow, I do.
Lilac is a small deciduous shrub that can actually grow up to twenty feet in
height. It has many shoots and leaves that are heart-shaped with flowers that
can be yellow, white, pink or purple. Lilac was used as an early treatment for
malaria, and has often been used to treat fever of any type. In some cultures
it has been substituted for aloe. It was brought to England around the time of
Henry the Eighth, and is a very popular plant among gardeners the world over.
Lilac flower essence is often used for posture, and for activating the chakras.
It eases tension and all energies of the spinal axis, enabling the individual to
fully receive and embody light energy. It promotes flexibility and ease of
grace, helping us to surrender more readily when it is a hard thing for us to
do, but necessary. Because it enables us to be flexible, it helps us to find a
path through complicated situations, and to restore order to chaos. It is a very
good essence for those who are fed up!
Lilacs have another lovely side to them that few are aware of. They are known
to kindle love in those who smell them, and because of this, it is under the
lilac bush that many a fae wedding has been held. As a matter of fact, the
scent of lilac will bring fae from near and far to your garden, and along with
them the blessings of nature galore. Lilac has long been associated with the
faery folk, and because of this it is also a protective plant for those who
plant it outside of their home. Fresh flowers can even be planted in a haunted
house to clear it!
With Beltaine coming up, lilac is a very important flower of the season.
Beltaine is one of the three Holy Days in the Wheel of the Year when it is
possible to for mortals to actually see the fae (the other two being Summer
Solstice and Samhain). Since the fae love the lilac so much, one way to increase
your chances of seeing them is by bathing in lilac flowers before going outside
at dusk or dawn (the tween times) to have a look. Another possibility is sitting
under a lilac bush at dusk, or rubbing a drop of lilac essential oil on your
eyelids and going to a place known to be frequented by the fae. (Of course, be
very careful not to get any oil in your eyes!)
Recipe for Lilac Floral Water
1 c distilled water
1/8 c vodka (80 to 100 proof works best)
20 drops of lilac oil
Shake vigorously and store in a tightly closed dark bottle.
Floral water can be used as an after shower splash, or put in a spray bottle and
misted on. To use as a toner, place on a cotton ball and pat all over your
face, being careful around the eyes.
Blessed Beltaine!
Fae-Friendly Gardening
By Morgana
This time of year, many of us are eager to get outside and get our hands dirty,
planting and making our yards beautiful. This year, how about planning and
planting with the intention of drawing the favor of the wee ones? Here are some
ideas to get you started!!
To attract the Fae to your home, make sure you have some of the following in
your garden, yard or in potted containers:
Anemone
Bluebells
Catnip
Carnation
Chamomile
Clover
Daisy **Especially strong. Great for beginners.
Foxglove (Faerie Lantern)
Lily
Marjoram
Milkweed
Orchid
Pansy
Passion Flower
Peony
Roses
Thyme
To help you to see and hear the Fae, plant some of the following around your
residence:
Cosmos
Gardenia
Honeysuckle
Iris
Jasmine
Marigold
Poppy
Saffron
Sage
Sunflowers
Vervain
Violet **Especially powerful.
The following plants and all of the above are known to have high Fae activity
associated with them:
Faerie Lantern
Lavender
Lilac
Lily
Orchid
Rosemary
The following trees have strong associations with the Fae:
Alder?a bridge to Faeryland, dreaming
Apple?attracts the Fae
Ash?aids in communication with the Fae
Bay Laurel?acts as a bridge to Faeryland, dreaming
Birch?a bridge to Faeryland, dreaming
Dogwood?attracts the Fae, enchantment
Elder?promotes contact with Elves
Elm?attracts the Fae, dreaming
Hawthorn?known as the Elf tree, promotes dreaming, aids communication with the
Fae
Holly?attracts the Fae, aids connection
Oak?a dwelling place for the Fae, a bridge to Faeryland, dreaming
Rowan?attracting, connecting dreaming. In several legends this tree is a gift
of the Fae.
Spruce?attracting, aids in seeing and hearing the Fae, dreaming
Willow?attracting, aids in seeing and hearing the Fae, enchantment, dreaming.
If you have one of these trees in your yard, try taking a nap under it or
meditating under it!! The results may amaze you?.
Happy Gardening!
Spirit of Lavender and Queen of Hungary Water
By Spiralotus
They say that the Gypsies developed these recipes and that they were used as a facial astringent, hair rinse, aftershave, and perfume. Queen of Hungary water was used by - you guessed it - the Queen of Hungary and it was attributed to her beauty. The following recipes come from Juliette de Bairacli Levy's "Traveler's Joy".
Spirit of Lavender Recipe-
2 Tbls. Dried Lavender flowers (Can use Rosemary, basil, or other aromatic herbs)
1 Tbls. Grated nutmeg or mace
2 tsps. Cinnamon (or 1 tsps of Cinnamon and 1 tsp. of clove)
1 Tbls. of Sweet Cecily (if available)
Pulverize and mix well, then add a quart of pure grain alcohol. Let steep in a warm spot such as a sunny window for two weeks shaking daily. When the spirit of lavender is ready strain off herbs and put in a bottle that you can cap tightly. Excellent on cold wet cloths to soothe headaches or fevers by placing on the forehead. Can also be placed on pulse points of wrist for fevers. This tonic can be used internally for mental depression and nervous ailments by taking internally on a sugar cube. (Levy, 1997).
Queen of Hungary Water-
Three Cups Spirit of Rosemary
One Cup Spirit of Lavender
Four ounces of Rose Water
Let stand in a warm place for several days. Then shake 15 minutes, bottle and cap tightly. Can be used for fevers, headaches or to soothe nerves. This is the recipe to the famous herbal. This is a wonderful skin toner for your face. (Levy, 1997).
Levy, J. (1994). Traveler’s Joy. Woodstock: Ash Tree Publishing.
Sacred Holidays
Musings on Beltaine from the High Desert
When I close my eyes and let my spirit fly into the time/space of Beltaine, I am frolicking on new, verdant, damp grass with someone who bears a striking resemblance to Viggo Mortensen. You remember him, Aragorn, soft and strong both, The Lord of the Rings. Sigh... We are in a land that has been called Inis Fail, Hibernia, Eire, Inis na bhfiodhbhadh and more. It is many hundreds of years ago, on what we might now call May Eve, at sunset. It has been a warm spring day and at our feet are early flowering branches of hawthorn gathered for our homes. The Beltane bonfires are being lit; Beltane begins now because for the old Celts, the day began and ended with sunset. This night the people of the community are coming together to "sit out the wake of the winter.” Viggo and I have other ideas of what to do on a night, when much like the Roman Floralia, rules around sensual expression are relaxed. Later in Ireland it became very unlucky to sleep outside this night, a whiff of Christian suppression of the body's delights, I suspect.
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) A Tree Song fifth stanza.
“Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight
For he would call it a sin
But we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth-
Good news for cattle and corn
Now is the Sun come up from the South,
With Oak and Ash and Thorn”
A bit more on the date of Beltane: the astrological mid-point between solar events puts the day at 15 degrees of Taurus, this moves the day around some, but the mid-point would be closer to May 4th or 5th. Nice to have some leeway about when to celebrate this most important (according the Welsh) cross quarter day.
One of the moods of Beltane I don't hear discussed as often as others is that although this is a celebration of the coming summer, an end of scarcity and drabness, it is still a precarious time. Consequently the fire ritual encourages the warmth of the Sun and the increasing Light.
At this point in the cycle nothing can be taken for granted. New plants and baby animals are still vulnerable; also as in all transitional times, the veil between the worlds is more transparent. Protection is needed from winter's long reach, it could still steal away new life, and from the spirits of the Tuatha De Dannan who are rumored to linger in the land in the form of fairies. It is said that on this night the Queen of Fairies rides out and you may be captured and not returned for seven years should you meet her and be so bold as to look her in the eye.
From Mara Freeman is this evocative description of the evening.
“When the Druids and their successors raised the Beltaine fires on hilltops throughout the British Isles on May Eve, they were performing a real act of magic, for the fires were lit in order to bring the sun’s light down to earth. In Scotland, every fire in the household was extinguished, and the great fires were lit from the need-fire which was kindled by 3 times by 3 men using wood from the nine sacred trees. When the wood burst into flames, it proclaimed the triumph of the light over the dark half of the year.”
So, as we light the Bel-fire, we are helping to turn the Wheel, showing by example what we need more of, driving back the shadows of winter and hoping to ensure that all is protected from unwanted enchantment.
Still the image of a May Queen leading the flocks up to the pastures captures my imagination and heart, for I too am tired of looking at the endless brown of winter.
This description from Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912) the collector of oral tales in Scotland brings a smile to my face.
On the first day of May the people of the crofter townland are up betimes and busy as bees about to swarm. This is the day of migrating, bho baile gu beinn (from townland to moorland), from the winter homestead to the summer sheiling. The summer of their joy is come, the summer of the sheiling, the song, the pipe and the dance, when the people ascend the hill to the clustered bothies, overlooking the distant sea from among the fronded ferns and fragrant heather, where neighbour meets neighbour, and lover meets lover.
Ah! Fragrant heather, distant seas, the song, the pipe, the dance, neighbor and the lover--yes! Let's cavort in field and valley!
But when I open my eyes, a start—cholla, a particularly sharp and prolific cactus, rocks and many, many prickly plants discourage, in the main, a romp on this hill side. And then there's the weather-- it was 24 degrees last night, windy with snow squalls. I am imagining my partner's maypole might be a bit discouraged if we were to try to 'bless' our garden in the traditional ways. But a Bel-Fire, now that's an idea. Then I wonder what our neighbors will think seeing us in our sky clad elder-splendor jumping over the fire--and aren't outdoor fires illegal here? Gosh, this could end up in a chilly and difficult to explain visit from the authorities. Hmmm, aren't there some really cheap tickets to the Hill of Tara? Interested Viggo?
Sources:
Freeman, Mara “The Celtic Year, Beltaine” www.chalicecenter.net
Fitzgerald, Waverly “Celebrating May Day” www.schooloftheseasons.com
Belenus, Wikipedia www.wikipedia.com
Haggerty, Bridget “Beltane Bonfires and Nettle Soup” www.irishcultureandcustoms.com
Jenks, Kathleen “May Day, Beltane, Walpurgisnacht, Roodmas” www.mythinglinks.com
“Names of Ireland” Source: Part ll “History of Ireland”, Geoffrey Keating www.dedanaan.com
Nichols, Mike “A Celebration of May Day” www.paganlibrary.com
Sherer, Nancy “May Day Origins” www.salmonriver.com
Copyright 2009 Sondra Tudor
This document can be re-published only as long as no information is lost or changed, credit is given to the author, and it is provided or used without cost to others.
Songs of the Muse
In Praise of May
(Ascribed to Fionn Mac Cumhaill.)
By T. W. Rolleston (Translated)
May day! Delightful day!
Bright colours play the vale along.
Now wakes at morning's slender ray
Wild and gay the blackbird's song.
Now comes the bird of dusty hue,
The loud cuckoo, the summer-lover;
Branchy trees are thick with leaves;
The bitter, evil time is over…
Swift horses gather nigh
Where half dry the river goes;
Tufted heather clothes the height;
Weak and white the bogdown blows.
Corncrake sings from eve to morn,
Deep in corn, a strenuous bard!
Sings the virgin waterfall,
White and tall, her one sweet word.
Loaded bees with puny power
Goodly flower-harvest win;
Cattle roam with muddy flanks;
Busy ants go out and in.
Through the wild harp of the wood
Making music roars the gale --
Now it settles without motion,
On the ocean sleeps the sail.
Men grow mighty in the May,
Proud and gay the maidens grow;
Fair is every wooded heights;
Fair and bright the plain below…
A bright shaft has smit the streams,
With gold gleams the water-flag;
Leaps the fish, and on the hills
Ardor thrills the leaping stag.
Loudly carols the lark on high,
Small and shy his tireless lay,
Singing in wildest, merriest mood,
Delicate-hued, delightful May.
Sit a Spell
A Beltane Ritual
By Arlais
Welcome to the celebration of Beltane.
Beltane was a Celtic festival which marked the beginning of the summer farming
season when the livestock were taken to the summer pastures and upland grazing.
Beltane is a greater Sabbat and is a cross quarter day marking the midpoint of
the sun's progress from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice (Ostara to
Litha).
It celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. The Goddess
manifests as the May Queen and Flora and the God emerges as the May King and
Jack in the Green. The dancing around the Maypole represents Their unity, with
the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess.
Let us start with a grounding meditation.
Visualise yourself standing by a blazing fire on the top of a sea cliff in
England. It is dusk, the last rays of sun are reflected on the sea which is
smooth and calm. The evening is chilly but with the fire you are warm. Around
you the birds are still singing and the night animals are starting to stir. A
group of bats flit overhead, whirling and sweeping as the last calls of the
seagulls fade away. You hear the strange call of the nightjar, that most
secretive of birds. You sit on the cliff and look out across the sea, lulled by
the gentle movement of the waves. Around you night closes in and you feel safe
in its embrace. It is the start of summer, the time of new birth for all the
creatures of the Mother, the time of growth, flowering and fruiting for the
plants. You rejoice in the end of winter and welcome the new season in your
heart and give thanks to the Mother. You can feel the life pulse of Mother Earth
beneath you. Concentrate on this energy, feel you connect to it and be part of
it. Feel the beat of the Mother's heart as if it were your own. Feel yourself
become one with the Mother, and draw fresh strength and energy from Her by Her
grace. Feel this energy fill you. Feel it dispel all stale and negative energy
leaving you refreshed and energised. Turn your attention inwards, becoming one
with the energy flowing through your body, centring yourself as we move forwards
to our rite.
Move now and take the hands of those on either side forming a ring.
Let the circle arise by our will and our love. By earth, by air, by fire, by
water, the circle is cast. We stand together in sacred space.
Please call the quarters:
Guardians of the East and the element of Air, blowing forth the warm winds of
thought and understanding, we call to you this Beltane night and invite you into
our circle. With love and trust we bid you Hail and welcome!"
"Guardians of the south and the element of Fire, dancing with the flames of
transformation through destruction and change, we call to you this Beltane night
and invite you into our circle. With love and trust we bid you Hail and
welcome!"
Guardians of the West and the element of Water, riding along the waves of
renewal and rebirth, we call to you this Beltane night and invite you into our
circle. With love and trust we bid you Hail and welcome!"
"Guardians of the North and the element of Earth, deep within your protective
caves, finding our way through the dark, we call to you this Beltane night and
invite you into our circle. With love and trust we bid you Hail and welcome
"Great Mother Rhiannon, Lady of love, and birth who has given life to all things
and who sustains us with Her bounty. We invite you to join us this night to
celebrate your festival of the burning fires and the approaching summer. We bid
you Hail and Welcome!"
"Lord Herne, Divine Lover and Holy Consort of the Mother, Lord of strength and
vitality, we invite you to join us this night to celebrate our Lady's festival
of the burning fires and the approaching summer. We bid you Hail and Welcome!"
Our act of power this night is a variant on the axis blessing. Visualise before
us in the circle a maypole decked with many ribbons, ribbons of all colours of
the spectrum. Concentrate on this vision and make it real. Send your energy into
the Maypole. See it become clearer and more vibrant, see it glow with energy.
At this time of year we celebrate the loving union of the Goddess and God, the
union of yin and yang, of spirit and matter, of essence and motion, the union
that creates and sustains our world, that gives us the air to breate, the food
to eat and our bodies and minds with which to experience this world. Although we
are surrounded by new life and love, we should not forget that the world is
weary, and that it needs our love and healing energy. The gifts of the Goddess
should not be one-sided, we should give back as well. And so, let us show our
appreciation and love for the Goddess and God, for Earth and Sky. Let us
remember that one ritual alone cannot be enough to heal the earth, but every
ritual will contribute a little. We are witches and healers, let us take this
time to heal that which is important to us, but more importantly, let us
continue to do this over the weeks and months to come. Let us use Beltane to
make a vow to the Earth and all life upon it.
Concentrate please on your heart chakra. See it as a glowing ball of green light
in your chest, see it spinning and radiating this loving light within you. Now
send a beam of this light into our axis, into the May Pole, and in that light
send healing energy and love, healing for the Earth and all its creatures that
the Mother may use as she needs for she knows where help is most needed.
See the axis fill with energy, see it begin to glow, see the energy extend
beyond the axis, extending up to the sky and down into the Earth itself, see the
axis become a column of light. See the column rise up to join the stars and sink
deep into the very heart of the Mother. See the column fill with green light,
and within that light are shining, glittering golden stars. See these stars
dance and twirl, multiplying over and over until there are millions, until the
light is more gold than green. As you watch, a jet of pure energy shoots into
our Beltane fire, filling it with the glittering stars. Two more jets of energy
shoot from the fire along the coast, both targeting the next Beltane fires in
the coastal chain. The process is repeated until our entire coastline is
encircled by a river of energy. Raise your consciousness for a moment and view
this as if from afar. The energy fires again, linking in with the Beltane fires
in other countries, until the river of fire encircles the planet carrying with
it both healing and love. Now see the gold/green light within the pole shoot
high into the sky, and deep into the Earth, filling the sky above and the Earth
below with healing energy.
Let us increase that energy a little more. Step forward now and take a ribbon.
Begin to dance around the maypole. Ladies moving deosil; gentlemen tuathil, and
then switch directions, moving back and forth. Feel the energy increase with the
power of our dance. See the Lord and Lady smile with pleasure as they watch our
celebrations. See them aid our efforts as they add more energy to our maypole.
Pause now to catch breath and see this energy do its work, see the Earth
restored. Hold this image in your minds for a few moments more and know it will
be so. Then, slowly, let the image fade.
Lady Rhiannon, Lord Herne, Mother Earth and Father Sky, we ask you to accept
this healing energy given in love.
So mote it be!
Let us now thank the Goddess and the God with the ritual gift of mead, and ask
that they accept this as a symbol of our thanks and love.
"Blessed be!"
I shall now begin to close this ritual
"Great Father Herne, Lord of strength and vitality, you have graced our circle
with your presence this night and we thank you. Till we meet again, in love and
trust we bid you hail and farewell!"
"Great Mother Rhiannon, Lady of love and birth, you have brought your strength
and love to our circle this night and we thank you. Till we meet again, in love
and trust we bid you hail and farewell!"
"Guardians of Earth, we give you our thanks as we bid you part. As the seed
grows within so shall it grow without. Till we meet again, in love and trust we
bid you hail and farewell!"
"Guardians of Water, we give you thanks as we bid you part. With pure love
within so shall it be without. Till we meet again, in love and trust we bid you
hail and farewell!"
"Guardians of Fire, we give you thanks as we bid you part. With burning light
within, so shall it be seen without. Till we meet again, in love and trust we
bid you hail and farewell!"
"Guardians of Air, we give you thanks as we bid you part. With the wind of
change blowing within so shall it be without. Till we meet again, in love and
trust we bid you hail and farewell!"
Around us the mists start to dissipate, and we can look across the moonlit lake
with the light of the moon reflecting on the still waters.
"As Above, So Below! As the Universe, So the Soul! As Within, So Without! May
the Circle be Open, but never Broken! Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet
again!"
"Blessed be!"
Remember to ground and release excess energy.
Garden of Eatin'
New Potato and Asparagus Salad
Serves Four
4 medium red new potatoes - (abt 17 oz) halved lengthwise
2 pound asparagus trimmed
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling water until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold water.
Cut potatoes into wedges. Cut asparagus into 1 ½-inch pieces. Toss vegetables together in large bowl.
Combine mustard and lemon juice in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Pour over vegetables. Add chives and toss to coat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve salad warm or at room temperature.
From: http://keyingredient.com/recipes/3698/new-potato-and-asparagus-salad/
Sesame Asparagus
1 ½ cup of asparagus, sliced into half-inches.
½ cup of beansprouts.
½ cup of red bell pepper.
1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds.
1 tablespoon of ginger, grated.
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced.
1 tablespoon of shallot, minced.
Juice of 1 freshly-squeezed lime.
In a frying pan, heat the sesame oil until it is smoking.
Quickly add the sesame seeds, asparagus, ginger, shallot, and garlic.
Stir-fry about 1 minute.
Add the beansprouts and red pepper.
Stir-fry for another minute.
Remove from heat and add soy sauce and lime juice.
Toss thoroughly.
From: http://www.asparagusrecipes.net/sesame-asparagus.html
Fried Honeycakes
These cakes are not unlike those made on the night before Beltane by women around the turn of the century. These cakes were left in the garden to please Faery visitors.
1/2 cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup honey
2/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Oil for frying
1/8 teaspoon salt
Beat the wine & egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey & nutmeg in a small bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into the honey.
Yield: 1 1/2 Dozen.
Elderflower Fritters
¼ cup flour
1 T warm water
Pinch of salt
1 egg
Unwashed flower heads of elder
Make a batter using the first 4 ingredients. Remove any bugs from the elder flowers, then hold the them by their stalks and dip into batter until thoroughly coated. Deep fry in very hot oil until golden brown. Serve hot, sprinkled with sugar.
Candied Violets
Violet flowers, at least 20 in excellent condition with stems still attached, untreated with chemicals
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
fine sugar for sprinkling
Wash the flowers very gently by using a gentle water spray with the violets sitting in a sieve. Leave the stems on. Lay on a paper towel to dry.
Heat the sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Add the extract at the time when you are dissolving the sugar.
Dip each flower in liquid sugar mixture with a pair of tweezers. Set on waxed paper and dust with extra-fine sugar. Make sure that each flower is well covered in sugar.
Remove the stems using scissors.
Lay the sugar-coated flowers out on wax paper in a cool, dry place to set.
Harvests from the Printing Press
Magical Herbalism
by Scott Cunningham
Llewellyn worldwide 2006. ISBN
0-87542-120-2
Like all Cunningham's books it is written in an easy style that holds
the readers attention. Despite its short length it is packed with
information and gives a good grounding in the use of herbs in magick
from practical know how to spells and incantations. My only criticism
is that it does seem something of a recipe book with spells covering
most eventualities and purposes, and I would prefer a little more
emphasis on the use of intuition and individual variation in
designing these.
The book begins with the background of herbal lore and the way it was
probably used in the past with the emphasis on how herb magick can
assist us in finding our earth roots and tapping into the power of
nature.. The following four chapters take us through the basics of
herbalism beginning with a description of the essential tools
required for effective practice. It continues with a short primer of
magick, covering the basic skills that will be applied later in the
book. The penultimate of the three introductory chapters explains the
sourcing, gathering, drying and storage of herbs. There is emphasis
on the value of collecting our own herbs rather than relying on shop-
bought material. The introduction finishes with a dictionary of the
terms used in magickal herbalism.
The book then proceeds to the main topic – the actual use of these
herbs and is set out very clearly in chapters which include herbs for
protection, for divination, for healing etc. These enable the user to
quickly access the relevant pages for any particular purpose. Each
chapter lists the main herbs and details how they might be used. For
example, in the chapter of protection, the principles behind the use
of herbs in this capacity are discussed, the best protective herbs
are listed and a purification ritual for a new home is given. There
is emphasis on ethical use and adherence to the Rede, and safety.
There is an interesting chapter on herbs and the elements including
the use of magickal fluid condensers; and this is followed by
chapters on the making and use of scented oils and incense and on
amulets. This section concludes with an alphabetic listing of 118 of
the main magickal herbs and is supplemented by appendices on magickal
names, sources and herbal sayings. The final section explains how
to create a herb garden, the perfect tool for a witch.
While the serious user of herbs will almost certainly want more
detailed herb references on their bookshelf, Cunningham's book is the
perfect introduction to the craft of magickal herbalism and contains
all the necessary information to introduce herbs into magickal
practice.
By Arlais
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