Discovering the Goddess Brigid

I have known Brigid for a very long time but since Imbolc is around the corner I've decided to get to know her more intimately than before. While perusing the books as this neat metaphysical shop down the street from me, I came across a book with a blaring title that made me have to buy it. Now mind you I'm a very big fan of used books so I rarely buy them brand new, but this one called to me so loudly that I could not ignore it. The book is called Tending Brigid's Flame by Lunaea Weatherstone. I've basically dived into it and I'm learning quite a lot about Brigid not only the Goddess but also the Saint.

At first, I wasn't too thrilled to be reading about the Christianized version of my beloved Goddess but then I realized that her saintly aspect is an important part of who she is. Whether Brigid was an actual person or not, the idea of her is what is so magical. In Celtic times, she was considered to be a threefold Goddess. She had three sisters all of the same name but representing different aspects. She's the keeper of the flame within the hearth. She adores generosity and hospitality to all who are looking for an ounce of kindness. She is an Earth Goddess grounded in the warmth of the home. She is a water Goddess who watches over the sacred wells. She is a fire Goddess. She is a patroness of poetry, metalcrafting, livestock, medicine, the arts and much more! Really, there isn't anything this Goddess can't do.

She is considered the daughter of the Dagda and one of the Tuatha De Denann. She has even been said to resemble Athena and Minerva for her cunning wisdom and her craft. Imbolc is her Sabbat and her fire festival. It is also known as St. Brigid's Day and is celebrated on February 1st. She is truly a Goddess to study and can be found ingrained in the Celtic tradition. Upon this Imbolc, take time to get to know her and how you can honor her in your life. Invite her into your home where she opens doors between worlds. You'll be able to feel the warmth radiating throughout your home.

Using Energies From Esbats and Sabbats

Everyone knows that Full Moons, New Moons, and Sabbats are great times for ritual and spell work. These days hold immense amounts of energies that can be used to our Will and directed towards a common purpose. However, there has been some debate about when these energies mature enough to the point to be effective, especially in regards to Full Moons and Sabbats. Certain traditions in Wicca and Witchcraft have a time limit on when these energies can be tapped into, if you will. To some this may sound ignorant since there is energy all around us just waiting to be utilized everyday but to others this is a legitimate concern.

I believe there is energy all around us. The term I like to use for it is Prana which is a sanskrit term for "life force" which is from Hinduism. I remember when I was reading a book about 6 years ago when I first discovered this term and a meditation for it (something I'll probably blog about later) and thinking to myself wow, that makes so much sense! However, I consider this universal energy that can be tapped into at any time. Full Moons and Sabbats have a certain special energy, to me at least.

Full Moons are filled with the divine feminine energy from the Goddess. These are Her nights and I expect most would agree with me on this. The Moon belongs to the Goddess in all her forms and give off immense amounts of psychic and spiritual energy that can be used specifically for divination, candle magick, psychic development, astral projection, and a ton of other stuff. Since most of my training is in the Celtic Witchcraft Tradition, I tend to stick to my rule of when it is appropriate and effective to harness this kind of energy for my rituals and spell. In short, I was taught that with Full Moons you can harness this energy up to 3 days before the Full Moon and up to 3 days after the Full Moon. This is because the energy has almost reached it's peak 3 days prior and the residual energy 3 days after is still strong enough to use as well. The moonlight given off reflects the energy in a way.

This is the general rule in my tradition which I'm sure it varies across the board in other sects and traditions. But, if you ever wondered about it, this is what I go by. Now as for Sabbats, they're a little different.

So Sabbats are basically Wiccan Holy Days. They reflect the Wheel of the Year. What I was taught, was that you can celebrate a Sabbat 3 days prior to that Sabbat but never after. Celebrating a Sabbat after the Sabbat has already passed is basically void. They depict certain astrological occurrences that happen on those days as well as the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It would be like going to watch a meteor shower the day after it happened. You're not going to see anything. Also, to celebrate a Sabbat after it has already occurred disrupts the cycle, You wouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving on Christmas so why would you celebrate the death of the God on Yule when he's being reborn? If you miss a Sabbat it's not the end of the world. Just move on to the next chapter just as life does.

I understand this may be absurd to some people but to me, it's just what I stick to. I understand people have busy lives and may be too tired to do anything on a Sabbat and therefore want to do it later; that's cool, whatever floats your boat. To me, Sabbat days are significant for a reason and I believe that reason to be that that's when the energy has peaked. Anything after it starts to wane so I try my best to harness it when I can.

History of Samhain

In Paganism and Wicca, Samhain is celebrated as a major Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year. It is from October 31st to November 1st and is marked as the time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest making it an opportune time to connect and contact ancestors that have passed on. It is also seen as the Witches' New Year because it marks the final Harvest and the beginning of winter where the Earth slips into darkness and things begin to die so they can be reborn. The term "Samhain" comes from the Gaelic word "Samhuin" and is pronounced "sow-in" or "sow-ween" (sow rhyming with cow).

The festival itself signifies the old saying "out with the old and in with the new." It's time to set new goals for the New Year and to cast spells to bring those goals to fruition. I suggest to make a list of goals and list solutions to reaching those goals to help put you on the right track. Invoke the God and Goddess to assist you on the path to reaching your goals or any other spirits, faeries, animal guides who are allies to you.

It's also a good time to honor your ancestors on this date and remember them. One of the main aspects of this festival was to invite ancestors who have passed into your Circle to aid you with your upcoming goals. I usually end the ceremony with a Feast of the Dead to use as offerings to those souls and since it is the last Harvest I believe it to be appropriate to show your bounty and your appreciation for it.

For more about the History of Samhain, which truly is extensive in many countries, try visiting these links:

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhainoctober31/p/Samhain_History.htm

http://www.paganspath.com/magik/samhain-history.htm

http://www.newgrange.com/samhain.htm

Wheel of the Year

So I thought it would be easier to show the Wheel of the Year rather than trying to explain it, dates, and so on. There will be information on each of these Sabbats, both major and minor, when the time approaches.

Mabon: Story of Demeter and Persephone

"The Return of Persephone"

Painting by artist Frederic Leighton

1891

I know that everyone is just as excited about Halloween as much as I am but before we can get started on our pumpkin carvings and decorating we have another important date coming up. September 23rd otherwise known as Mabon, the second Harvest Festival and the Autumn Equinox.

Usually Mabon is between the dates of the 21st and the 24th. This year it will be on the 23rd. This day marks the descent of the Goddess into the Underworld. There are many mythological stories that tell this tale but the one that resonates with me the most is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter is the Goddess of the Earth and Grain and with her brother Zeus, gave birth to Persephone. Persephone is taken by Hades into the Underworld with the intention of marriage while Demeter is left to search for her missing daughter and try to restore her to the light.

She searched for nine days and with the help of Hekate and Helios she soon discovered that Zeus had given Persephone to Hades for marriage. Her rage soon turned to sorrow and despair which impaired her from doing her work of bringing in the harvest. She went through many trials to find her daughter and while she was sorrowful, grain would not grow from the Earth. Eventually, Zeus told Hades to give Persephone back to Demeter but Hades offered her a meal beforehand. She ate the seeds of a pomegranate and therefore was doomed to return back to the Underworld and to Hades for the last four months of the year. Demeter agreed to this and in return food grew from the Earth once again during the time Persephone was safe at home with her mother.

So on Mabon, in honor of this story, I eat pomegranate and offer the seeds to Demeter along with grains and wheat. I decorate in fall colors such as reds, browns, and golds. You can choose to honor Mabon in different ways with any of the stories associated with it and with any God(s) and Goddess(es).

Yule Wassail Recipe

Wassail is a traditional yuletide drink. In olden times it was drunk during wassailing, an ancient drinking ritual, to ensure a bountiful apple harvest for the next year. Wassail in Old English literally means "be you healthy" and through wassailing promotes the health of the trees. It's main purpose was to scare away evil spirits from the cider apple trees so that they may grow and thrive.

Traditionally, the drink was made with a base of cider and topped with pieces of toast. However, modernized wassail drink recipes now have a base of ale, fruit juice, or wine and include apple and/or orange slices.

Here's a traditional carol about wassailing:

Gloucestershire Wassail

    Wassail, wassail all over the town
    Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown
    Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree
    With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek
Pray God send our master a good piece of beef
And a good piece of beef that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

And here is to Dobbin and to his right eye
Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie
A good Christmas pie that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

So here is to Broad Mary and to her broad horn
May God send our master a good crop of corn
And a good crop of corn that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear
Pray God send our master a happy New Year
And a happy New Year as e'er he did see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

And here is to Colly and to her long tail
Pray God send our master he never may fail
A bowl of strong beer! I pray you draw near
And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear

Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best
Then we hope that your soul in heaven may rest
But if you do draw us a bowl of the small
Then down shall go butler, bowl and all

Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin
For to let these jolly wassailers in.

Reference:Gloucestershire Wassail

Yule Wassail Recipe

From: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulecooking/r/Wassail.htm

By: Patti Wigington

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Gallon apple cider
2 C. cranberry juice
1/2 C honey
1/2 C sugar
2 oranges
Whole cloves
1 apple, peeled and diced
Allspice
Ginger
Nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
1/2 C - 1 C brandy (optional)


Preparation:


Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they'll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste -- usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.

Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.

Ideas for Lammas

The sabbat of Lammas or otherwise known as Lughnasadh is upon us. In the Northern Hemisphere, Lammas is typically celebrated on August 1st although I know of some people that tend to start celebrating on July 31st. It is a major Sabbat representing the first Harvest Festival. Some traditions include baking a loaf of wheat bread made from the first wheat of the harvest and making corn husk dolls in the image of a woman.

Lammas is the time to celebrate the Celtic Sun God, Lugh. His rays shine down upon the fields instilling life and strength into our harvest. He lives within the harvest and we take in his essence when we eat of the bread we create with the flour ground from the wheat we've harvested. Ceres and Demeter are also celebrated on this Sabbat as they are Goddesses of the Grain. This Sabbat can be thought of as Thanksgiving.

We thank the Earth for providing the soil and nutrients for the food we eat to give our body sustenance and we revere the sun for providing light for the seed to strive toward from out of the ground. It truly is a Sabbat where all the elements are represented in harmony and the cycle of life is clearly defined.

Some simple things you can do in celebration of this Sabbat is a 20 minute meditation on the cycle of life and the interconnectedness of all things. You may also bake a simple bread that can be used as a ritual sacrifice and offering to the Gods and Goddesses of the Harvest. For a simple and creative bread recipe try this recipe here. For some directions on how to create your own corn husk doll to decorate your alter with, click here.

Remember to stay safe on the Sabbat and have fun!!

Lammas Song

Song: Lammas Song

Artist: Lisa Thiel

Album: Circle of the Seasons