The Sacred Glen
Volume #2 Issue #2
February 2008
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
Dryw
Stephanie Mayfield
Carole
Belou
Susan Allen
In this issue:
Sacred Days of the Ancestors
The Goddess Speaks
Animal Medicine (Double Feature)
Sacred Holidays: Lupercalia
Garden of Eatin'
Morgana’s Musings
Spider Woman's Web
Sacred Days of the Ancestors
Holy Days, February 2008
1/31 eve to 2/2 eve: Imbolc/St. Brigid's Day– Old Celtic/Irish feast of Goddess Brigid; merged with the Christian feast of St. Brigid.Fires were lit to welcome Her as She traveled about blessing fields,animals, and people.
1/31 eve to 2/4 eve: Mid-Winter/Groundhog's Day/Candlemas– Festivalmarking the transformation from death to life--the beginning of theagricultural year, awakening of hibernating animals, and return of migrating birds and fish. Observed with a candlelight procession to bless fields and seeds, recognition of newborns, and contemplation of life.
2/1 to 2/14: Old Greek festival of God Dionysos- in which vines were pruned and sprinkled with wine, accompanied by ritual singing and dancing.
2/1 to 2/29: February dedicated to Old Roman God-Goddess Februus-Februa--purifier and protector of the home. Homes were cleaned and blessed, offerings of reparation were given, and peace was made.
2/1 to 2/29: Ethnic Equality Month– Time to honor all peoples and their positive traditions; time to meditate on the equality of allpeoples, on the respect due to them, and on God-Goddess manifesting as African, Asian, Oceanic, Middle Eastern, European, Hispanic, and Native American.
2/2: Mindfulness Day– Zen Buddhist day for being mindful that you, and all that is, are in the process of transformation.
2/2: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Oya, Orisha of Death and Rebirth. Yorubas/Santeros believe the Orishas are emanations and messengers of the one Deity, Olodumare.
2/2: Death day of Marija Gimbutas (1994), archeologist who studied Old European Goddess-God spirituality.
2/3: Setsuban-Sai– Shinto rite in which good fortune is invoked and evil exorcised.
2/4: Vigil for peace, religious tolerance, and equal rights for all in Sri Lanka--now in the throes of civil war.
2/5: Sojong Day– Tibetan Buddhist day of fasting, confession, and reparation for harm done. Forms of Buddhism include Theravada, Tantra (Tibetan), and Mahayana (Zen and Pure Land).
2/5 eve to 2/8 eve: Old European Lunar New Year– Celebration of the Triple Goddess (Goddess of the Moon and the Seasons) being transformed from the Crone into the Virgin; celebrated with ritual bathing of divine images.
2/6 (10:44 p.m. EST): New Moon.
2/6: Day to mourn all the women and children who have been subjected to female genital mutilation.
2/6 to 3/20 (OC 3/10 to 4/19): Ash Wednesday (fast day) and Lent– Christian time of purification by self-reflection, peace-making,reparation for harm done, and helping those in need.
2/7: Baha'i feast honoring the one Deity as Mulk--Sacred Dominion. Baha'is believe in the oneness of all humanity.
2/7: Birthday of Frederick Douglass (1817), non-violent advocate for the rights of African Americans.
2/7 to 2/10: Hsih Nien/Suhl/Tet– Chinese and East Asian Lunar New Year(Year 4706: the Rat).
2/7 to 2/21: Losar/Tibetan Buddhist New Year (Year 2135: the Earth Rat) & Monlam Chenmo/Great Prayer Festival– Commemorates miracles performed by the Buddha. Rituals, dances, and sculptures are offered to drive out evil spirits and to protect and benefit all sentient beings.
2/10 to 2/18: Iroquois Mid-Winter Ceremony– for continuation of all life-sustaining things; celebrated with tobacco offerings, confession of offenses, singing, drumming, dancing, name-giving, and dream-telling. Iroquois believe Awenhai/Sky Woman created the Sun, Moon, and Stars from Her body.
2/11: Sarasvati Puja– Hindu festival honoring Goddess Sarasvati, who represents wisdom, intellect, and knowledge, as well as inspiration, arts, and music. Hindus believe all Gods and Goddesses are aspects of the one Great God-Goddess Maha Deva-Maha Devi.
2/11: First appearance of Our Lady of Lourdes, Lady of healing waters (France 1858).
2/11: Day the first woman was consecrated an Episcopalian bishop in the U.S. (1989).
2/12 eve to 2/13 eve: Feast of Old Greek Goddess Artemis (Roman Diana/Slavic Diwitsa)--as creatrix, midwife of birthing creatures, protector of the young, and punisher of child abusers.
2/13 to 2/15: Lupercalia/St. Valentine's Day– Old Roman festival of God-Goddess Faunus-Fauna; merged with the Christian feast of St.Valentine--celebrating love of all kinds.
2/15: Nehan– Zen Buddhist celebration of the Buddha's paranirvana (483BCE). The Buddha taught an eight-fold path to enlightenment—right views, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation.
2/15: Birthday of Susan B. Anthony (1820), non-violent advocate for the rights of women and African Americans.
2/17: Toshigoi– Shinto rite honoring the Kami and offering prayers for a bountiful rice harvest. Shinto try to live in harmony with the cosmic forces of the Kami.
2/17 eve to 2/20 eve: Anthesteria– Old Greek festival honoring Dionysos as Plouton, God of the Dead, and welcoming the visiting dead from Elysium.
2/18: Birthday of Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836), Hindu mystic who fervently loved Great Goddess Maha Devi--Mother of God, Mother of Nature, Elemental Matter, and Cosmic Power. He recognized Her immanence in all, and knew Her to be a manifestation of the one universal Deity.
2/18 to 2/19 (A 3/30 to 3/31): Old Egyptian festival of Neteret Bastet, Cat Goddess who fosters domestic harmony.
2/19: Beginning of Pisces (the Fishes).
2/19: Day the President ordered the internment of loyal Japanese Americans during World War II (1942); day to mourn Asian victims of internment and exclusion (past and present), make peace, and celebrate empowerment of Asian Americans.
2/20 (10:31 p.m. EST): Full Moon (leaf/Seedling Moon).
2/20 (7:36 p.m. EST) to 2/21 (1:15 a.m. EST): Total Lunar Eclipse (visible in North America).
2/20 to 2/28: Navajo Sing– Festival in which fields are blessed in preparation for planting.
2/22: Caristia– Old Roman festival for renewing family ties and patching up quarrels.
2/23 eve: Vigil for lost children; night of mourning and healing.
2/24: Children's Day– Day to give love and thanks to all children; day for all children to celebrate their youth and contemplate their sacred duty to learn all they can, to aid their parents whenever needed, and to become responsible adults.
2/26 eve to 3/4 eve: Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries– Old Greek festival celebrating the marriage of Goddess Kore and God Dionysos, following their return from Elysium.
2/29: Leap year day--make it special!
Parts Excerpted from:
THE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2007
A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality
© 2006 Page Two, Inc.
info@WheeloftheYear.com
www.WheeloftheYear.com
The Goddess Speaks
Psyche
By Morgana
The story is Psyche is one of the union of the male and female within each of us, and of how sometimes we must just accept things as they are and not try to figure everything out....for then we may lose everything that we are trying to understand. Balance, both within and without are the key to happiness.
Psyche is a mortal woman who is taken to a mysterious castle to be married to a ferocious beast. Her husband, who is really the God Eros, comes to her each night in the darkness, and she falls deeply in love with him. However, he tells her that their love will only continue as long as she does nothing to try and see him in the dark.
Psyche, however, lets her desire to know, her curiosity, overrun her and brings a lantern into the room. Alas, a drop of oil from the lantern falls on Eros while he sleeps. He awakens, and leaves....never to return. Psyche is heart-broken and roams all over trying to find him. Finally she approaches his mother, Aphrodite, who gives her a series of tasks to complete. Each of the tasks is next to impossible. But as she completes each one, she comes closer and closer to being reunited with her lover. The tasks include things
such as sorting a roomful of seeds overnight, catching the fleece of the sun's sheep and going to the Underworld to retrieve Persephone's beauty ointment. Psyche completes each of the tasks assigned, but when she is returning with Persephone's ointment, once again, curiosity overcomes her and she opens the box. She falls into unconsciousness and nearly dies, but her beloved persuades his mother that she had paid a full enough price. As a result, she is reunited with her lover and gives birth to two children---Love and Delight.
Twice Psyche let her need to know overpower her and she nearly lost all that was dear to her---first her husband, and second her life.
What is this thing called curiosity that we mortals share? It is something that we know is not so good for us or we would not claim that it kills the cat! Webster's Dictionary defines curiosity as "1. eager to know 2. prying or meddlesome". There is nothing wrong with being eager to know something, eager to learn. But prying and meddlesome? There is a thin line between the two. Curiosity in this sense is based on fear. It is a fear of the unknown, a fear that the world is a chaotic place and we must control it, and a fear that the Divine doesn't know what is going on in our lives and cannot/will not help us.
In the story of Psyche, all was wonderful. She was in love, her husband came to her each night and she was happy. However, always lurking in the back of her mind is the fact that she was told that she was going to the castle to marry a fearsome beast. She could not see her husband. How fearsome was he? Because of her lack of trust in the Divine plan for her life, curiosity set in telling her that she needed to know that which was not granted for her to know. Perhaps if she could just know, then all would be well. She would have some sense of control. Actually all she was showing was a lack of faith and trust. Because of that lack, her curiosity brought even more lack. But her desire was strong, and she completed all the tasks that Aphrodite gave her....all of them that is, except the last. Then, even though one would think that she had grown by leaps and bounds by completing all of these tests, once again, curiosity overcame her and she almost lost her life. Ah, but her story has a happy ending. It begins with Psyche being in balance, united within and without, and it ends in the same manner.
Why? Certainly not because of anything that Psyche did! Instead it is because of a little thing called Divine Intervention. Yes, sometimes, the Goddess, the Gods, must step in and take over when we of little faith are constantly screwing things up. The moral of the story is that we don't need to always understand why things are the way they are....we just need to trust and accept. We are where we need to be right now. We are who we need to be right now. We are safe. There is a plan. Sometimes, knowing is not always best. Sometimes, we just need to let go and let Goddess.
Animal Medicine
Horse
By Morgana
The Horse is a friendly, intelligent, elegant animal that is associated with inspiration, travel, poetry and adventures. In Hindu mythology, Horses are also associated with fertility and sexuality (particularly stallions). In many other cultures, the Horse is associated with travel to the Otherworld in both shamanic journeys and in death. The Horse is an animal that has served humankind well for many, many years and in turn should be and usually is very deeply honored. It has served us in travel, war and agriculture, enabling us
to explore, to plant and to overcome enemies.
The Horse is also believed to be an omen of magic and to possess the ability to see and hear spirit. Therefore it is often a totem of shamans and witches. It is a symbol of wind, and of freedom and adventure. Often when Horse shows up, you will soon learn to ride in new directions and to overcome difficult things. Horse helps us to be free and to discover our own power. People who carry this medicine are often free spirits who cannot be broken. They have little tolerance for anyone or anything that tries to limit their freedom. They are leaders, who stand strong in their convictions. They do not seek out people to follow them. Rather, people flock to them because they sense that strong medicine that Horse people carry.
Call on Horse if you need strength in your life. Ask for help in any journey that you wish to take, whether physical or spiritual. Horse is there, waiting to assist.
Power Animal: Butterfly
By Belou
Butterflies' medicine includes courage, joy, and transformation.
" Butterfly, reveal my inner beauty. Guide me in the transformation of my soul.
With my new wings I raise above the clouds."
The Butterfly represents change more so then any other power animal: a symbol of the soul in earlier times. The Greek work "psyche" meant both ”soul" and "butterfly". It was believed that when a person died, their soul became a butterfly.
A butterfly person loves to dance. The dance of the Butterfly is full of joy, bliss, and power.
The Butterfly will come to you at a point in your life when you are undergoing a change which requires courage. You are coming out of your own cocoon, and that takes a lot of bravery, going to face something you have never face before. When a Butterfly comes to you, examine what changes you are going through. The Butterfly will give you the chance to make your transformation a beautiful experience. Once transformation is complete, your possibilities will have greatly expanded. Nothing can stop you as long as you use your wonderful new wings and fly.
Sacred Holidays: Lupercalia
Lupercalia
By Dryw
The Lupercalia was a very ancient, possibly pre-Roman pastoral festival, observed on February 13 through February 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. The Lupercalia was believed in antiquity to have some connection with the Ancient Greek festival of the Arcadian Lycaea (from Ancient Greek: ????? – lykos, "wolf", Latin lupus) and the worship of Lycaean Pan, the Greek equivalent to Faunus, as instituted by Evander.
The celebration during the Late Republic and Empire, The Lupercalia festival was in honor of the She-Wolf who suckled the infant orphans, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Explaining the name of the festival, Lupercalia, which translates out into "Wolf Festival." The festival was celebrated near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine (one of the seven Roman hills), to expiate and purify new life in the Spring. The Lupercal cave, which had fallen into a state of decay, was rebuilt by Augustus; the celebration of the festival had been maintained, as we know from the famous occurrence of it in 44 BC. A highly decorated cavern 50 feet below Augustus' palace in the correct approximate location was discovered by archeologists in October 2007, that may prove to be the Lupercal cave when analyzed.
The religious ceremonies were directed by the Luperci, the "brothers of the wolf (lupus)", a corporation of priests of Faunus, dressed only in a goatskin, whose institution is attributed either to the Arcadian Evander, or to Romulus and Remus. The Luperci were divided into two collegia, called Quinctiliani (or Quinctiales) and Fabiani, from the gens Quinctilia (or Quinctia) viz. gens Fabia; at the head of each of these colleges was a magister. In 44 BC. a third college, Luperci Julii, was instituted in honor of Julius Caesar, the first magister of which was Mark Anthony. In imperial times the members were usually of equestrian standing.
The festival began with the sacrifice by the Luperci (or the flamen dialis) of two male goats and a dog. Next two patrician young Luperci were led to the altar, to be anointed on their foreheads with the sacrificial blood, which was wiped off the bloody knife with wool soaked in milk, after which they were expected to smile and laugh; the smearing of the forehead with blood probably refers to human sacrifice originally practised at the festival.
The sacrificial feast followed, after which the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the victims, which were called Februa, dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, in imitation of Lupercus, and ran round the walls of the old Palatine city, the line of which was marked with stones, with the thongs in their hands in two bands, striking the people who crowded near. Girls and young women would line up on their route to receive lashes from these whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility, prevent sterility in women and ease the pains of childbirth. This tradition itself may survive (Christianised, and shifted to Spring) in certain ritual Easter Monday whippings.
Source--Wikipedia
Garden of Eatin’
Meat or Veggie Sausage Gumbo
Makes 4 servings
1 cup frozen okra
16 ounces veggie ( or regular cooked) sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup celery, chopped
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
salt to taste (if desired)
Tabasco sauce to taste (if desired)
2 cups cooked rice
Fry the okra until lightly browned and set aside. Lightly fry the sausage pieces and set aside.
Combine flour and oil in a large pot, stirring constantly. Sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add okra, onion, pepper, garlic, thyme, and ground red pepper. Cook for 1 minute on medium heat, stirring frequently.
Stir in sausage, tomatoes, celery, vegetable or chicken stock, and cook 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add salt and Tabasco sauce if desired. Serve over rice.
Submitted by Dryw
Turkish Delight Lentil Soup
Serves 6-8 generously Prep. time: about 45 minutes
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped fine
6 large cloves garlic, chopped fine (about 2 Tbsp.)
4 medium carrots, cleaned and diced
pinch dried red pepper flakes
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. dried dill
1 lb. red lentils, rinsed
2 large cans chopped tomatoes (30 ounces total)
8 cups chicken stock
1 lemon, cut into thin slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh mint or cilantro
1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot or casserole on stove over medium flame. Add onions, garlic and carrots and cook, stirring, until onions are transparent, about seven minutes.
2. Add cumin, cinnamon, red pepper and dill and cook briefly, about one minute, to bring out the flavor
3. Add lentils, tomatoes and stock.
4. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water if necessary if the soup starts to get too thick.*
5. About five minutes before serving, add the lemon slices and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Ladle into bowls, topping each with a garnish of chopped mint or cilantro.
*A note of caution: Lentils tend to sink to the bottom of the pot and stick there, making a burned mess, so keep a close watch and remember to stir the soup from time to time. This is the only tricky part to an otherwise simple dish.
Submitted by Dryw
Morgana’s Musings
Honor Everyone
by Morgana
This month, the month of February, is known as Ethnic Equality Month
and is a time "to honor all peoples and their positive traditions; time to meditate on the equality of all peoples, on the respect due to them, and on God-Goddess manifesting as African, Asian, Oceanic, Middle Eastern, European, Hispanic, and Native American."1 While we here in the United States have come a long way since the days of Martin Luther King Jr. with regards to race relations, we still have a very, very long way to go. Racism is still rampant in our culture, in our institutions, in our schools, our government, and yes, even our religious institutions. Yet that is only the tip of the iceberg.
There are plenty of other 'isms' that run rampant through-out our culture that each of us needs to look at individually to see if we perpetuate them in our own little circle of influence. There is sexism (the intolerance of someone based on sex), ageism (based on age), classism (based on how much money they make), lookism (based on how they look), anti-semitism (based on if their heritage is Jewish), and ableism (based on being able-bodied). While all of these things differ greatly in the people that are affected by them, they all have several things in common. These are:
1. They are all a type of oppression that has been legislated and
enforced at one point or another in time.
2.They all include a target group, and a group of people who are
considered privileged. The people of privilege are the ones
Who identify the target group.
3. They all have a tendency to enforce the idea that those of
the privileged group are better people, causing self-
righteousness.
4.They are all built upon the premise that one group of people is
of more value than another.
5.They all believe in stereotypes of the devalued group.
6.The belief systems within each of the 'isms' is reinforced
constantly by family and friends, teachers, religious
institutions, cultural standards, etc.
All of these 'isms' create a prison, both for the people in the target group, and those in the valued group.
The target group grows up with oppression being a way of life. They quite often develop low self esteem, powerlessness, hopelessness, addictive behavior, violence, self-hate, self-doubt. The people of the valued group also suffer in that they harbor hatred in their hearts for no specific reasons, just because that is 'how it is', because they are the only ones who are 'right'. This in turn, not only affects their health in this life, but their karma, which in turn affects the many lives awaiting them as they move on from this one. Hatred is not something that comes without a price. It has a very steep price indeed.
One of the lovely things about the Goddess movement is it's striving to be an all inclusive faith. Women have for centuries had the 'pleasure' of being in the target group....and with the re-awakening of the Goddess have slowly been coming into their own power. Because of this, women have the ability to be more empathetic to the needs of others and this tends to flow over into religious ceremony. In many women’s circles, there is no set leader, all lead at one point or another. This is because of the basic tenet that all are one. All Goddesses are one Goddess. All women are faces of the Goddess. The
Great Goddess is not only beautiful Aphrodite, She is also dark and frightening Kali; She is young Artemis and ancient Callaich; She is Mexican, African, European, Asian, Indian, Native American and Polynesian, to name a few. She is found in every culture on the earth if one goes back far enough. But She does not end there. The Goddess is not only everywhere, but in everything. She is in you, and she is in me. She is in women and She is in men. She is in the trees, the plants, the rivers, the lakes, the seas, the stones, the ground, the wind, the storms, the insects, the animals. She is in all, and is all. Therefore we, as daughters of the Goddess, cannot in any way, shape or form, support any type of 'ism', and still be carrying out Her Divine plan for our lives. We must learn to inspect ourselves, to self-reflect, to uncover our habitual thinking, and to make changes. We must be the leaders in this effort to rid our world of prejudice and hatred. Together, it can be done.
This month, take some time to learn about someone from another path, another culture, another faith, another gender. Take some time to stand up for someone who is being oppressed. Take some time to self-reflect and see where you are lacking. Make some changes, walk with respect and honor those around you. This is the way of the Great Goddess. This is the path we are called to follow.
Spider Woman's Web
Here are some links we love!!
Andromeda’s Store!
http://www.trueilluminations.com/
A Witches Mall
For All of Your Metaphysical Needs, from herbs, to books, and altar
supplies
http://a-witches-mall.vstore.ca/
A beautiful gallery:
http://www.effusion.bz/
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