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Imbolc 2020
Feb. 1st, 2020 09:45 amHappy Imbolc to all celebrating. To everyone, I wish you happiness!
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the time of Lammas/Lughnasadh, which is the first of the harvest holidays.
Imbolc, also known/celebrated as Imbolg, Oimelc, Candlemas, (St) Brigid's Day, Groundhog Day, and the Festival of Nut, takes place around the 1st/2nd of February and is a festival marking a cross-quarter day in the wheel of the year, the halfway point of the spring equinox, heralding the first signs of spring.
This is a festival particularly associated with Brighid (Brigit, Bride, or Brigid), goddess of healing, smith craft, and poetry. She shares many aspects, some going so far as to say she was Christianised as St Brigid of Kildare.
You can read more about Imbolc at my previous Imbolc posts
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the time of Lammas/Lughnasadh, which is the first of the harvest holidays.
Imbolc, also known/celebrated as Imbolg, Oimelc, Candlemas, (St) Brigid's Day, Groundhog Day, and the Festival of Nut, takes place around the 1st/2nd of February and is a festival marking a cross-quarter day in the wheel of the year, the halfway point of the spring equinox, heralding the first signs of spring.
This is a festival particularly associated with Brighid (Brigit, Bride, or Brigid), goddess of healing, smith craft, and poetry. She shares many aspects, some going so far as to say she was Christianised as St Brigid of Kildare.
You can read more about Imbolc at my previous Imbolc posts
Celebrated at the 21st or 22nd of December Yule marks the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemipshere while Litha is celebrated as the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. It is of course close to Christmas Day while that is also the feast day of Frau Holle, a Scandinavian spirit who is honoured as the embodiment of nature and the woods. There's an article at that site on the History Of Yule and the various global celebrations held on or near the solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere it is the time of the Summer Solstice, Litha.
"The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere will fall on Sunday December 22 this year. It marks the first time in four years it hasn’t fallen on December 21, its most common date. The Winter Solstice will occur around 4.19am in the UK and there’ll be just seven hours, 49 minutes and 43 seconds of daylight in London – around nine hours less than in the summer solstice."
source
Read more about Holly Kings, Yule Goats, and more winter customs
This is a repost of last year's entry complete with that first line:
Posting early because I'll be away next week!
~Magickal Graphics~
Happy Halloween and a blessed Samhain, or All Soul's Night, to those celebrating.
Samhain also known as Halloween, Hallowe'en, All Hallows Eve, Lá Samhna and Allhelgona amongst others. It takes place on the last day of October. It is the end of summer, where only summer and winter are recognised as seasons. In certain traditions this is the start of the new year. Samhain is celebrated as the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico (Day of the Dead--usually held on November 1) and All Saints Day (also on November 1) by the Catholic church.
It is the last of the harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year. Across the world, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is Beltane, a fire festival full of fertility symbolism – the time of Brighid rather than the Cailleach.
It is believed that the Veil between the worlds is at its thinnest at this time and so it is both a time to be wary of spirits – hence the jack'o'lanterns to scare away evil spirits. Pumpkins are carved into lanterns, though any squash can be used, and before the American influence of pumpkins took over, the more traditional turnips and beets prevailed. This article Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips discusses the original folklore behind the carving of gourds.
It's also a time for remembering ancestors or those who have passed on. Some people hold a dumb supper at which their loved ones who have passed over are welcome at. Livejournal member![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
munanna introduced me to Allhelgona; the Swedish version of All Hallow's Eve - full name Alla Helgons Dag which translated to English would be "All Saints Day". For the protestants of the Swedish Church it's the time to go put flowers and little white candles on the graves of their loved ones.
Samhain is an idea time for divination, be it through tarot cards, runes, scrying, or other means. Other themes and workings include reflecting on the past, release of bad habits/banishing, candle magic, protection spells, manifesting transformation, knowledge, death & rebirth/new beginning.
Apples are traditional for this festival, plain for apple bobbing, and covered in caramel as toffee apples/candy apples. Other foods and drink associated with the festival includes gourds, cranberries, baked potatoes, pork and other meats, soups, mulled cider/mead/red wine, nuts, sweets, pomegranates, dark breads, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds.
Colours include black, orange, grey, deep blue, deep purple, gold, silver, and burgundy. Stones like obsidian, haematite, jet, onyx, and amethyst are appropriate for October.
Deities: Cernunnus, Horned God, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Dis, Arawn, Erebos, Pluto, Iku, Eshu, Gywnn Ap Nudd (Welsh), The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Demeter, Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Santa Muerte (Mexican), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), All death and underworld/Otherworld Goddesses and gods.
A besom or broom is an appropriate decoration. Other correspondences include: skulls, bones, cauldrons, pumpkins, gourds, sickles, scythes, representations of your ancestors, cornucopia, root vegetables, dried leaves, acorns, elder flowers, mandrake, wolfsbane, sarsaparilla, allspice, mugwort, divination tools, bats, owls, crows and ravens, water, midnight. There's a list here and longer list here and some ideas on correspondeces and ways to celebrate here and here.
Some pagans worry about the more fun aspects of Halloween, like eating sweet foods, dressing up, and watching scary movies. The Thought.co Paganism and Wicca (previously about.com) guide puts it like this: Think of Samhain and Halloween like this - one is spiritual, one is secular. There's no reason they have to be mutually exclusive at all. You can still observe the fun and silliness of Halloween -- and pig out on candy, if you like -- while maintaining the more somber traditions of honoring the dead at Samhain. The reverse follows; there's nothing pagan about putting on a costume for fun, and paganism has no exclusivity on honouring ancestors.
Soul Cakes –Discworld readers are familiar with the Soul Cake Duck, and this is the origin of that reference. Soul cakes were traditionally baked as a gift for the spirits of the dead. In many European countries, the idea of "Souling" became an acceptable alternative for Christians. The cakes took many different names and shapes -- in some areas, they were simple shortbread, and in others they were baked as fruit-filled tarts. Still other regions made them of rice flour. Generally, a soul cake was made with whatever grain the community had available. That text comes this site which has four recipes if you want to try baking something for the festival.
Selected sources and further reading
Samhain by winter-elf-witch
Wheel of the Year: Samhain
Samhain names and correspondences
correspondences
Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips
This page gives ideas and links to ideas for decorations, recipes, and rituals.
Samhain History
Samhain Correspondences
Wheel of the Year: October
Halloween? It’s more than trick or treat
Soul Cake Duck
Posting early because I'll be away next week!
~Magickal Graphics~
Happy Halloween and a blessed Samhain, or All Soul's Night, to those celebrating.
All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, is the modern name in English for the great north European festival which signalled the end of the light and warm half of the year, and ushered in the cold and dark one, and so divided the season of autumn from that of winter in these northern lands. It was known in Irish as Samhain, summer’s end; in Welsh as Nos Galan Gaeaf, “winter’s eve”; in Anglo-Saxon as Blodmonath, “blood month”; and in Norse as the “winter nights”. As such it was one of the greatest religious festivals of the ancient northern pagan year - x
Samhain also known as Halloween, Hallowe'en, All Hallows Eve, Lá Samhna and Allhelgona amongst others. It takes place on the last day of October. It is the end of summer, where only summer and winter are recognised as seasons. In certain traditions this is the start of the new year. Samhain is celebrated as the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico (Day of the Dead--usually held on November 1) and All Saints Day (also on November 1) by the Catholic church.
It is the last of the harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year. Across the world, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is Beltane, a fire festival full of fertility symbolism – the time of Brighid rather than the Cailleach.
It is believed that the Veil between the worlds is at its thinnest at this time and so it is both a time to be wary of spirits – hence the jack'o'lanterns to scare away evil spirits. Pumpkins are carved into lanterns, though any squash can be used, and before the American influence of pumpkins took over, the more traditional turnips and beets prevailed. This article Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips discusses the original folklore behind the carving of gourds.
It's also a time for remembering ancestors or those who have passed on. Some people hold a dumb supper at which their loved ones who have passed over are welcome at. Livejournal member
munanna introduced me to Allhelgona; the Swedish version of All Hallow's Eve - full name Alla Helgons Dag which translated to English would be "All Saints Day". For the protestants of the Swedish Church it's the time to go put flowers and little white candles on the graves of their loved ones. Samhain is an idea time for divination, be it through tarot cards, runes, scrying, or other means. Other themes and workings include reflecting on the past, release of bad habits/banishing, candle magic, protection spells, manifesting transformation, knowledge, death & rebirth/new beginning.
Apples are traditional for this festival, plain for apple bobbing, and covered in caramel as toffee apples/candy apples. Other foods and drink associated with the festival includes gourds, cranberries, baked potatoes, pork and other meats, soups, mulled cider/mead/red wine, nuts, sweets, pomegranates, dark breads, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds.
Colours include black, orange, grey, deep blue, deep purple, gold, silver, and burgundy. Stones like obsidian, haematite, jet, onyx, and amethyst are appropriate for October.
Deities: Cernunnus, Horned God, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Dis, Arawn, Erebos, Pluto, Iku, Eshu, Gywnn Ap Nudd (Welsh), The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Demeter, Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Santa Muerte (Mexican), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), All death and underworld/Otherworld Goddesses and gods.
A besom or broom is an appropriate decoration. Other correspondences include: skulls, bones, cauldrons, pumpkins, gourds, sickles, scythes, representations of your ancestors, cornucopia, root vegetables, dried leaves, acorns, elder flowers, mandrake, wolfsbane, sarsaparilla, allspice, mugwort, divination tools, bats, owls, crows and ravens, water, midnight. There's a list here and longer list here and some ideas on correspondeces and ways to celebrate here and here.
Some pagans worry about the more fun aspects of Halloween, like eating sweet foods, dressing up, and watching scary movies. The Thought.co Paganism and Wicca (previously about.com) guide puts it like this: Think of Samhain and Halloween like this - one is spiritual, one is secular. There's no reason they have to be mutually exclusive at all. You can still observe the fun and silliness of Halloween -- and pig out on candy, if you like -- while maintaining the more somber traditions of honoring the dead at Samhain. The reverse follows; there's nothing pagan about putting on a costume for fun, and paganism has no exclusivity on honouring ancestors.
Soul Cakes –Discworld readers are familiar with the Soul Cake Duck, and this is the origin of that reference. Soul cakes were traditionally baked as a gift for the spirits of the dead. In many European countries, the idea of "Souling" became an acceptable alternative for Christians. The cakes took many different names and shapes -- in some areas, they were simple shortbread, and in others they were baked as fruit-filled tarts. Still other regions made them of rice flour. Generally, a soul cake was made with whatever grain the community had available. That text comes this site which has four recipes if you want to try baking something for the festival.
Selected sources and further reading
Samhain by winter-elf-witch
Wheel of the Year: Samhain
Samhain names and correspondences
correspondences
Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips
This page gives ideas and links to ideas for decorations, recipes, and rituals.
Samhain History
Samhain Correspondences
Wheel of the Year: October
Halloween? It’s more than trick or treat
Soul Cake Duck
~Magickal Graphics~
Mabon is the time of the autumnal equinox and marks the end of Summer. It occurs on or around September 21 – this year on the 23rd. Also known as/celebrated as the Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest/Festival of the Vine, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii)x, Michaelmas (Christian) and arguably in theme at least, the later held holiday of Thanksgiving (USA).
[Please note this is a repost a previous Mabon post]
( Read more... )
That photo is one I took the other day when we had sun rather than rainstorms, of my annual grain "crop". I replant an ear every year. This year the weather and my slightly late planting of the ear means the grain hasn't turned golden yet in time for Lammas.
Lammas occurs on the first or second of August. It is also celebrated as Lughnasadh. It is believed that Lammas comes from the Saxon phrase hlaf maesse, or "loaf mass."
Lammas is primarily a wheat harvest. It is a cross quarter day, falling between the midsummer solstice of Litha and the autumnal equinox of Mabon.
For those in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the time of Imbolc, a spring festival associated with the goddess Brigid.
Lughnassadh means “the commemoration of Lugh” and appears in variant spellings across the Celtic languages. The Lughnasadh festival is sometimes said to have been begun by the god Lugh, Lord of all the Arts, as a funeral feast and games commemorating his foster-mother, Tailtiu.
You can read more at my previous Lammas post which includes more about symbolism, celebration, and links to further reading.
And last year I posted original fic, Ficlet: Harvest Celebration inspired by some prompts at from one_sentence_only (Table 25b), a summer themed ficlet for Lammas/Lughnasagh/Lunasdagh, as a priestess prepares to lead the ritual for the harvest celebration.
As this is a festival related to Lugh, I'll also mention my Fiction: All the Arts post from December last year, a modern au featuring the Lord of All the Arts.
Magickal Graphics
Litha is also known as the Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Midsummer Night, Midsummer Night's Eve, Gathering Day, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, St. John's Day. In England, The Day of Cerridwen and Her Cauldron, in Ireland, dedicated to the faery goddess Aine of Knockaine; Day of the Green Man in Northern Europe.
Usually celebrated around June 21, the Summer Solstice marks the time when the sun is at the highest point before beginning its slide into darkness.
In the Southern Hemisphere today is Yule, the Winter Solstice.
[Please note this is an unedited repost of a previous entry]
( Read more... )</a
Writing Round up
May. 28th, 2019 10:08 amThis month's theme was double drabbles (200 words). 4 pieces posted to my original fic/writeblr blogs.
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~Magickal Graphics~
NOTE: This is a repost of a previous Beltaine post.
The start of May is celebrated as Beltaine (Beltane), May Day, Calan Mei, and Walpurgis Night. It is a cross quarter day, falling between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The UK public holiday May Day occurs on the first Monday of May each year.
May the 4th is known to many pop culture fans as Star Wars day!
'Sumer is icumen in', significant early English partsong, c1240 (Anon).
On the name:
[T]the origin of the name “Beltane” is disputed. The holiday was also known as “Roodmass” in England and “Walpurgisnacht” in Germany. Alternately spelled Bealtaine, Beltaine, and any number of Gaelic derived-spellings, it is also the Irish word for the month of May, and is said to mean anything from “Bel-fire” Feast of the god Bel” to “bright fire.” Janet and Stewart Farrar, in Eight Sabbats for Witches offer an excellent tracing of the holiday’s Irish roots, and particularly the European fire-god Belenus whom they believe this festival is named for (a name possible traced back to Baal, the bible’s only pagan god, whose name simply means “Lord”). Ronald Hutton states that since the Celtic word “bel” means bright or fortunate, this is adequate to explain the translation as being “lucky fire” or “bright fire.” (x)
Fire celebration and rituals are an important part of the Beltane festivities, to ensure that the warmth of the Sun's light brings successful growth to the crops. Other May rituals involve Maypole dancing and the Cornish festival in Padstow of the the 'Obby Oss.
Magpie Lane - May Song, A song inspired by the May Day celebrations at Padstow in Cornwall where an ancient "Obby 'Oss" has for centuries been paraded through town, rec'd by this article.
( read more about Beltaine and other May festivals )
And if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, it's time for Samhain aka Halloween.
~Magickal Graphics~
Ostara is the Spring or Vernal equinox when days and nights are once again equal in length. It is a time of renewal and rebirth. The name Ostara is believed to be derived from Eostre - the Teutonic lunar Goddess (see more on this below). Her chief symbols are the hare, which represents fertility, and the egg, which is a symbol of rebirth.
Ostara is close in symbolism to the Church festival of Easter, but Ostara is fixed at the equinox while Easter is a moveable feast decided by the phases of the moon. The Jewish holiday of Passover also falls during March or April, depending on the moon phases of each year.
Ostara also falls close to St Patrick's Day amongst other festivals – there's more detail in this article: Spring Traditions around the World.
Traditionally this day marks the start of Spring, and is a good time for cleaning in the physical, emotional, and spiritual sense.
This year, Ostara falls on the 20 March. It almost coincides with a supermoon due at 2am GMT: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/20/rare-super-worm-moon-will-loom-large-as-it-coincides-with-equinox
[note: the following is an unedited repost of last year's post]
( Read more... )
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is Mabon that this being celebrated today at the time, with the balance of daylight about to go in the opposite direction, from more daylight to less.
Crossposted to my wordpress blog
This is a slightly edited article to the one posted last year. It was also posted for #writingwednesday at the writing blogs yesterday:
wordpress ; tumblr;twitter;pinterest;facebook
Imbolc, also known/celebrated as Imbolg, Oimelc, Candlemas, (St) Brigid's Day, Groundhog Day, and the Festival of Nut, takes place around the 1st/2nd of February and is a festival marking a cross-quarter day in the wheel of the year, heralding the first signs of spring.
Banner by Magickal Graphics
This is a festival particularly associated with Brighid (Brigit, Bride, or Brigid), goddess of healing, smith craft, and poetry. She shares many aspects, some going so far as to say she was Christianised as St Brigid of Kildare.
Brighid of the sunrise, Rising in the morning, Rising with the springtime, Greening all the land Brighid's Kiss, La Lugh, lyrics here
Imbolc is a festival associated with candles, milk, new beginnings, and poetry. The emphasis is on warmth and light and burgeoning spring, being the halfway point between Yule and the Spring Exquinox.
A few ideas on how to celebrate Imbolc:
Make and drink a milkshake
Buy and plant some spring flowers, such as crocuses and early daffodils
Take a photo of something that signifies approaching spring to you
Write a poem
Clean part or all of your home
Scatter nuts, a sign of prosperity, in a garden
Make a candle - try making ice candles. Bless your candles. Burn a candle and think about what you're grateful for and what your plans are.
This article gives some background about the history of Imbolc and some of the other festivals taking place at this time.
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the time of Lammas/Lughnasadh, which is the first of the harvest holidays.
More about Imbolc, symbolism, and ways to celebrate, under the cut
( Read more... )
wordpress ; tumblr;twitter;pinterest;facebook
Imbolc, also known/celebrated as Imbolg, Oimelc, Candlemas, (St) Brigid's Day, Groundhog Day, and the Festival of Nut, takes place around the 1st/2nd of February and is a festival marking a cross-quarter day in the wheel of the year, heralding the first signs of spring.
Banner by Magickal Graphics
This is a festival particularly associated with Brighid (Brigit, Bride, or Brigid), goddess of healing, smith craft, and poetry. She shares many aspects, some going so far as to say she was Christianised as St Brigid of Kildare.
Brighid of the sunrise, Rising in the morning, Rising with the springtime, Greening all the land Brighid's Kiss, La Lugh, lyrics here
Imbolc is a festival associated with candles, milk, new beginnings, and poetry. The emphasis is on warmth and light and burgeoning spring, being the halfway point between Yule and the Spring Exquinox.
A few ideas on how to celebrate Imbolc:
Make and drink a milkshake
Buy and plant some spring flowers, such as crocuses and early daffodils
Take a photo of something that signifies approaching spring to you
Write a poem
Clean part or all of your home
Scatter nuts, a sign of prosperity, in a garden
Make a candle - try making ice candles. Bless your candles. Burn a candle and think about what you're grateful for and what your plans are.
This article gives some background about the history of Imbolc and some of the other festivals taking place at this time.
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the time of Lammas/Lughnasadh, which is the first of the harvest holidays.
More about Imbolc, symbolism, and ways to celebrate, under the cut
( Read more... )
Wordcount: 100
Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
100_tales 10 Wind
Also used for my #writingwednesday and posted and promoted to the professional writing blogs wordpress ; fic blog ; tumblr;twitter;pinterest;facebook
A gentle breeze stirred her hair, rustling the leaves of the chestnut tree she sat meditating beneath.
The wind could be a welcome draught to mitigate summer's heat, or an icy gust during winter. The helpful zephyrs that spread dandelion seeds, and dried laundry, were one aspect of the same element of air that had battered the coast last winter with hurricane force winds felling trees.
The absence of wind could leave ships without engines stranded on a becalmed sea, while fierce gales could whip up the waves to capsize a vessel.
Balance; that was the lesson she needed today,
Prompt:
100_tales 10 WindAlso used for my #writingwednesday and posted and promoted to the professional writing blogs wordpress ; fic blog ; tumblr;twitter;pinterest;facebook
A gentle breeze stirred her hair, rustling the leaves of the chestnut tree she sat meditating beneath.
The wind could be a welcome draught to mitigate summer's heat, or an icy gust during winter. The helpful zephyrs that spread dandelion seeds, and dried laundry, were one aspect of the same element of air that had battered the coast last winter with hurricane force winds felling trees.
The absence of wind could leave ships without engines stranded on a becalmed sea, while fierce gales could whip up the waves to capsize a vessel.
Balance; that was the lesson she needed today,
~Magickal Graphics~
Celebrated at the 21st or 22nd of December Yule marks the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemipshere while Litha is celebrated as the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. It is of course close to Christmas Day while that is also the feast day of Frau Holle, a Scandinavian spirit who is honoured as the embodiment of nature and the woods. There's an article at About.Com on the History Of Yule and the various global celebrations held on or near the solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere it is the time of the Summer Solstice, Litha.
This year the solstice occurs on Friday December 21st, with a full moon a few hours after the exact moment of the solstice, on the 22nd.
[note: This is an almost unedited repost of last year's Yule post]
( Holly Kings, Yule Goats, and more winter customs below the cut )
Posting early because I'll be away next week!
~Magickal Graphics~
Happy Halloween and a blessed Samhain, or All Soul's Night, to those celebrating.
Samhain also known as Halloween, Hallowe'en, All Hallows Eve, Lá Samhna and Allhelgona amongst others. It takes place on the last day of October. It is the end of summer, where only summer and winter are recognised as seasons. In certain traditions this is the start of the new year. Samhain is celebrated as the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico (Day of the Dead--usually held on November 1) and All Saints Day (also on November 1) by the Catholic church.
It is the last of the harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year. Across the world, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is Beltane, a fire festival full of fertility symbolism – the time of Brighid rather than the Cailleach.
It is believed that the Veil between the worlds is at its thinnest at this time and so it is both a time to be wary of spirits – hence the jack'o'lanterns to scare away evil spirits. Pumpkins are carved into lanterns, though any squash can be used, and before the American influence of pumpkins took over, the more traditional turnips and beets prevailed. This article Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips discusses the original folklore behind the carving of gourds.
It's also a time for remembering ancestors or those who have passed on. Some people hold a dumb supper at which their loved ones who have passed over are welcome at. Livejournal membermunanna introduced me to Allhelgona; the Swedish version of All Hallow's Eve - full name Alla Helgons Dag which translated to English would be "All Saints Day". For the protestants of the Swedish Church it's the time to go put flowers and little white candles on the graves of their loved ones.
Samhain is an idea time for divination, be it through tarot cards, runes, scrying, or other means. Other themes and workings include reflecting on the past, release of bad habits/banishing, candle magic, protection spells, manifesting transformation, knowledge, death & rebirth/new beginning.
Apples are traditional for this festival, plain for apple bobbing, and covered in caramel as toffee apples/candy apples. Other foods and drink associated with the festival includes gourds, cranberries, baked potatoes, pork and other meats, soups, mulled cider/mead/red wine, nuts, sweets, pomegranates, dark breads, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds.
Colours include black, orange, grey, deep blue, deep purple, gold, silver, and burgundy. Stones like obsidian, haematite, jet, onyx, and amethyst are appropriate for October.
Deities: Cernunnus, Horned God, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Dis, Arawn, Erebos, Pluto, Iku, Eshu, Gywnn Ap Nudd (Welsh), The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Demeter, Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Santa Muerte (Mexican), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), All death and underworld/Otherworld Goddesses and gods.
A besom or broom is an appropriate decoration. Other correspondences include: skulls, bones, cauldrons, pumpkins, gourds, sickles, scythes, representations of your ancestors, cornucopia, root vegetables, dried leaves, acorns, elder flowers, mandrake, wolfsbane, sarsaparilla, allspice, mugwort, divination tools, bats, owls, crows and ravens, water, midnight. There's a list here and longer list here and some ideas on correspondeces and ways to celebrate here and here.
Some pagans worry about the more fun aspects of Halloween, like eating sweet foods, dressing up, and watching scary movies. The Thought.co Paganism and Wicca (previously about.com) guide puts it like this: Think of Samhain and Halloween like this - one is spiritual, one is secular. There's no reason they have to be mutually exclusive at all. You can still observe the fun and silliness of Halloween -- and pig out on candy, if you like -- while maintaining the more somber traditions of honoring the dead at Samhain. The reverse follows; there's nothing pagan about putting on a costume for fun, and paganism has no exclusivity on honouring ancestors.
Soul Cakes –Discworld readers are familiar with the Soul Cake Duck, and this is the origin of that reference. Soul cakes were traditionally baked as a gift for the spirits of the dead. In many European countries, the idea of "Souling" became an acceptable alternative for Christians. The cakes took many different names and shapes -- in some areas, they were simple shortbread, and in others they were baked as fruit-filled tarts. Still other regions made them of rice flour. Generally, a soul cake was made with whatever grain the community had available. That text comes this site which has four recipes if you want to try baking something for the festival.
Selected sources and further reading
Samhain by winter-elf-witch
Wheel of the Year: Samhain
Samhain names and correspondences
correspondences
Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips
This page gives ideas and links to ideas for decorations, recipes, and rituals.
Samhain History
Samhain Correspondences
Wheel of the Year: October
Halloween? It’s more than trick or treat
Soul Cake Duck
~Magickal Graphics~
Happy Halloween and a blessed Samhain, or All Soul's Night, to those celebrating.
All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, is the modern name in English for the great north European festival which signalled the end of the light and warm half of the year, and ushered in the cold and dark one, and so divided the season of autumn from that of winter in these northern lands. It was known in Irish as Samhain, summer’s end; in Welsh as Nos Galan Gaeaf, “winter’s eve”; in Anglo-Saxon as Blodmonath, “blood month”; and in Norse as the “winter nights”. As such it was one of the greatest religious festivals of the ancient northern pagan year - x
Samhain also known as Halloween, Hallowe'en, All Hallows Eve, Lá Samhna and Allhelgona amongst others. It takes place on the last day of October. It is the end of summer, where only summer and winter are recognised as seasons. In certain traditions this is the start of the new year. Samhain is celebrated as the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico (Day of the Dead--usually held on November 1) and All Saints Day (also on November 1) by the Catholic church.
It is the last of the harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year. Across the world, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is Beltane, a fire festival full of fertility symbolism – the time of Brighid rather than the Cailleach.
It is believed that the Veil between the worlds is at its thinnest at this time and so it is both a time to be wary of spirits – hence the jack'o'lanterns to scare away evil spirits. Pumpkins are carved into lanterns, though any squash can be used, and before the American influence of pumpkins took over, the more traditional turnips and beets prevailed. This article Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips discusses the original folklore behind the carving of gourds.
It's also a time for remembering ancestors or those who have passed on. Some people hold a dumb supper at which their loved ones who have passed over are welcome at. Livejournal member
munanna introduced me to Allhelgona; the Swedish version of All Hallow's Eve - full name Alla Helgons Dag which translated to English would be "All Saints Day". For the protestants of the Swedish Church it's the time to go put flowers and little white candles on the graves of their loved ones. Samhain is an idea time for divination, be it through tarot cards, runes, scrying, or other means. Other themes and workings include reflecting on the past, release of bad habits/banishing, candle magic, protection spells, manifesting transformation, knowledge, death & rebirth/new beginning.
Apples are traditional for this festival, plain for apple bobbing, and covered in caramel as toffee apples/candy apples. Other foods and drink associated with the festival includes gourds, cranberries, baked potatoes, pork and other meats, soups, mulled cider/mead/red wine, nuts, sweets, pomegranates, dark breads, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds.
Colours include black, orange, grey, deep blue, deep purple, gold, silver, and burgundy. Stones like obsidian, haematite, jet, onyx, and amethyst are appropriate for October.
Deities: Cernunnus, Horned God, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Dis, Arawn, Erebos, Pluto, Iku, Eshu, Gywnn Ap Nudd (Welsh), The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Demeter, Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Santa Muerte (Mexican), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), All death and underworld/Otherworld Goddesses and gods.
A besom or broom is an appropriate decoration. Other correspondences include: skulls, bones, cauldrons, pumpkins, gourds, sickles, scythes, representations of your ancestors, cornucopia, root vegetables, dried leaves, acorns, elder flowers, mandrake, wolfsbane, sarsaparilla, allspice, mugwort, divination tools, bats, owls, crows and ravens, water, midnight. There's a list here and longer list here and some ideas on correspondeces and ways to celebrate here and here.
Some pagans worry about the more fun aspects of Halloween, like eating sweet foods, dressing up, and watching scary movies. The Thought.co Paganism and Wicca (previously about.com) guide puts it like this: Think of Samhain and Halloween like this - one is spiritual, one is secular. There's no reason they have to be mutually exclusive at all. You can still observe the fun and silliness of Halloween -- and pig out on candy, if you like -- while maintaining the more somber traditions of honoring the dead at Samhain. The reverse follows; there's nothing pagan about putting on a costume for fun, and paganism has no exclusivity on honouring ancestors.
Soul Cakes –Discworld readers are familiar with the Soul Cake Duck, and this is the origin of that reference. Soul cakes were traditionally baked as a gift for the spirits of the dead. In many European countries, the idea of "Souling" became an acceptable alternative for Christians. The cakes took many different names and shapes -- in some areas, they were simple shortbread, and in others they were baked as fruit-filled tarts. Still other regions made them of rice flour. Generally, a soul cake was made with whatever grain the community had available. That text comes this site which has four recipes if you want to try baking something for the festival.
Selected sources and further reading
Samhain by winter-elf-witch
Wheel of the Year: Samhain
Samhain names and correspondences
correspondences
Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns were truly terrifying and made of turnips
This page gives ideas and links to ideas for decorations, recipes, and rituals.
Samhain History
Samhain Correspondences
Wheel of the Year: October
Halloween? It’s more than trick or treat
Soul Cake Duck
[Please note this is a repost of last year's entry]
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Mabon is the time of the autumnal equinox and marks the end of Summer. It occurs on or around September 21 – this year on the 22nd. Also known as/celebrated as the Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest/Festival of the Vine, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii)x, Michaelmas (Christian) and arguably in theme at least, the later held holiday of Thanksgiving (USA).
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Mabon is the time of the autumnal equinox and marks the end of Summer. It occurs on or around September 21 – this year on the 22nd. Also known as/celebrated as the Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest/Festival of the Vine, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii)x, Michaelmas (Christian) and arguably in theme at least, the later held holiday of Thanksgiving (USA).
( Read more... )
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Lammas occurs on the first or second of August. It is also celebrated as Lughnasadh. It is believed that Lammas comes from the Saxon phrase hlaf maesse, or "loaf mass."
Lammas is primarily a wheat harvest. It is a cross quarter day, falling between the midsummer solstice of Litha and the autumnal equinox of Mabon.
For those in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the time of Imbolc, a spring festival associated with the goddess Brigid.
Lughnassadh means “the commemoration of Lugh” and appears in variant spellings across the Celtic languages. The Lughnasadh festival is sometimes said to have been begun by the god Lugh, Lord of all the Arts, as a funeral feast and games commemorating his foster-mother, Tailtiu.
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Litha is also known as the Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Midsummer Night, Midsummer Night's Eve, Gathering Day, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, St. John's Day. In England, The Day of Cerridwen and Her Cauldron, in Ireland, dedicated to the faery goddess Aine of Knockaine; Day of the Green Man in Northern Europe.
Usually celebrated around June 21, the Summer Solstice marks the time when the sun is at the highest point before beginning its slide into darkness.
In the Southern Hemisphere today is Yule, the Winter Solstice.
[PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN UNEDITED REPOST OF THE 2017 ENTRY]
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NOTE: This is a repost of the 2017 post
The start of May is celebrated as Beltaine (Beltane), May Day, Calan Mei, and Walpurgis Night. It is a cross quarter day, falling between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The UK public holiday May Day occurs on the first Monday of May each year.
May the 4th is known to many pop culture fans as Star Wars day!
'Sumer is icumen in', significant early English partsong, c1240 (Anon).
On the name:
[T]the origin of the name “Beltane” is disputed. The holiday was also known as “Roodmass” in England and “Walpurgisnacht” in Germany. Alternately spelled Bealtaine, Beltaine, and any number of Gaelic derived-spellings, it is also the Irish word for the month of May, and is said to mean anything from “Bel-fire” Feast of the god Bel” to “bright fire.” Janet and Stewart Farrar, in Eight Sabbats for Witches offer an excellent tracing of the holiday’s Irish roots, and particularly the European fire-god Belenus whom they believe this festival is named for (a name possible traced back to Baal, the bible’s only pagan god, whose name simply means “Lord”). Ronald Hutton states that since the Celtic word “bel” means bright or fortunate, this is adequate to explain the translation as being “lucky fire” or “bright fire.” (x)
Fire celebration and rituals are an important part of the Beltane festivities, to ensure that the warmth of the Sun's light brings successful growth to the crops. Other May rituals involve Maypole dancing and the Cornish festival in Padstow of the the 'Obby Oss.
Magpie Lane - May Song, A song inspired by the May Day celebrations at Padstow in Cornwall where an ancient "Obby 'Oss" has for centuries been paraded through town, rec'd by this article.
( read more about Beltaine and other May festivals )
And if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, it's time for Samhain aka Halloween.
