This is an extract from an article on Beltane from the latest issue of the Raven Newsletter:
This is the time of year when flowers and trees burst into life. It is no wonder that the Saxons named the month of May Thrimilch, which means Three Milk, in other words the pastures are so lush, rich and verdant that cows could be milked three times a day, instead of the usual twice a day.
The Green Man is the symbol of this green fertility. He is the spirit in the trees, the rising of the sap, the filling of the forest.
Beltane is one of the times of traditional folk festivals, which includes dancing around a flower be-decked Maypole, and the appearance of the magical Morris Men. The Morris Men dance out evil and dance in good. They are often accompanied by strange creatures from both christian and Pagan myths. There is St George and the Dragon - St George's Day 23rd April has acquired many traditions originally associated with Beltane - there is the Green Man or the Fuzzy Man, who can be hidden in a costume of greenery, or covered in prickly burdock burrs. And in some places there are the strange mares, the horses which may be a horses skull on a pole, which lunges and snaps as it passes by. Or it may be a strange, drum shaped creature which swoops and swirls through the crowd. These are creatures of our native Dreamtime, the mare of nightmares, the steed of the Lord of the Dead, Arawn who may be the King of the Fairies, or Lord of the Underworld.
At Beltane the doors between the worlds grows thin because this is one of those occasions when worlds and times collide.
What is dream, what is nightmare, what is Fairy what is spirit, what is ghost? What is night, what is day, what is now, what is then, what is yet to come?
These are the magical cracks between the worlds, these are the places where Witches live and work, this is a time when magic is nigh
Happy Beltane !
Showing posts with label Green Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Man. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
Thursday, 18 June 2015
This Week
Well so far this has been an interesting week.
On Monday I had a grand ordering session. Not something that happens very often, but we are updating our Main catalogue, Magical Curiosities, which will be sent out for the next year, and there are a lot of changes to be made. Stuff to come out and new stuff to go in.
Of course before we even get to the ordering stage, there is a period of heavy wrangling between Graham and myself deciding which new items to include, and which we will have to take out to make room for them. So we wrangled over the previous weekend and had come up with a list of stuff to order.
We had also decided the dogs could do with a bath - not a task we undertake lightly with two large and very hairy rough collies. So Tuesday morning we rolled up sleeves, took off quite a lot of clothing (everything is going to get very wet) and set about the first dog, Maeve. I had just got her out of the bath and was attempting to fend her into the back garden for a shake, when there was a knock at the door. Graham was by this time dealing with China in the bath.
It was Barry, the mechanic to pick up our car for its MOT. So I gave him the car keys and he took the car - and Maeve thought 'Whoopee!' and headed upstairs to attempt to dry herself on our bed.
With a little persuasion - ok there was shouting involved - Maeve was directed out into the back garden, rubbed with a large towel and had several invigorating shakes.
After China had been dealt with in the same way, we did our normal routine: sorted the post, picked orders. But Tuesday was a beautiful day, the first sunny and properly warm day of the year, so we decided to have the afternoon off and for the first time since last year, sat out in the garden, with books and dogs. It was blissful and felt like a holiday. The birds were busy swooping through the garden, swallows chattering high overhead, catching insects. The cotoneaster buzzing with lots of tiny bees, its flowers are barely worth a mention, but the bees love them.
Wednesday we continued with our normal routine, processing orders, blending oils, collecting ready made items, printing books and fact sheets. There was a call from the garage telling us that the car would be returned either Wednesday or Thursday.
At tea time the work phone handset died. No warning, just totally dead. We had to hastily find another phone and plug it in, but of course this phone I can't take the handset with me round the house and I am working mainly upstairs today (Thursday).
So tomorrow will be even more interesting. We have to visit our paper supplier, then go buy Graham some shoes, go find a new phone, and hope that we don't miss a delivery while we are out and about.
I am looking forward to getting the next catalogue out. We have had a delivery of hand dipped colourful candles already - including some gorgeous beeswax ones. Oh and a box of altar cloths has just arrived, we have some more Green Man ones.
Oh and then the Book Shop is being updated too, I have two new titles completed, and just in their finishing stages. One on Issobell Gowdie and the other Folk Witchery for Beginners, based on my Blog posts. We have also sent for a selection of Tarot and oracle cards, so lots to look forward to.
If you want to be sure you get a copy of our catalogues you can always message me your address through facebook - sorry we can only supply UK and EU.
On Monday I had a grand ordering session. Not something that happens very often, but we are updating our Main catalogue, Magical Curiosities, which will be sent out for the next year, and there are a lot of changes to be made. Stuff to come out and new stuff to go in.
Of course before we even get to the ordering stage, there is a period of heavy wrangling between Graham and myself deciding which new items to include, and which we will have to take out to make room for them. So we wrangled over the previous weekend and had come up with a list of stuff to order.
We had also decided the dogs could do with a bath - not a task we undertake lightly with two large and very hairy rough collies. So Tuesday morning we rolled up sleeves, took off quite a lot of clothing (everything is going to get very wet) and set about the first dog, Maeve. I had just got her out of the bath and was attempting to fend her into the back garden for a shake, when there was a knock at the door. Graham was by this time dealing with China in the bath.
It was Barry, the mechanic to pick up our car for its MOT. So I gave him the car keys and he took the car - and Maeve thought 'Whoopee!' and headed upstairs to attempt to dry herself on our bed.
With a little persuasion - ok there was shouting involved - Maeve was directed out into the back garden, rubbed with a large towel and had several invigorating shakes.
After China had been dealt with in the same way, we did our normal routine: sorted the post, picked orders. But Tuesday was a beautiful day, the first sunny and properly warm day of the year, so we decided to have the afternoon off and for the first time since last year, sat out in the garden, with books and dogs. It was blissful and felt like a holiday. The birds were busy swooping through the garden, swallows chattering high overhead, catching insects. The cotoneaster buzzing with lots of tiny bees, its flowers are barely worth a mention, but the bees love them.
Wednesday we continued with our normal routine, processing orders, blending oils, collecting ready made items, printing books and fact sheets. There was a call from the garage telling us that the car would be returned either Wednesday or Thursday.
At tea time the work phone handset died. No warning, just totally dead. We had to hastily find another phone and plug it in, but of course this phone I can't take the handset with me round the house and I am working mainly upstairs today (Thursday).
So tomorrow will be even more interesting. We have to visit our paper supplier, then go buy Graham some shoes, go find a new phone, and hope that we don't miss a delivery while we are out and about.
I am looking forward to getting the next catalogue out. We have had a delivery of hand dipped colourful candles already - including some gorgeous beeswax ones. Oh and a box of altar cloths has just arrived, we have some more Green Man ones.
Oh and then the Book Shop is being updated too, I have two new titles completed, and just in their finishing stages. One on Issobell Gowdie and the other Folk Witchery for Beginners, based on my Blog posts. We have also sent for a selection of Tarot and oracle cards, so lots to look forward to.
If you want to be sure you get a copy of our catalogues you can always message me your address through facebook - sorry we can only supply UK and EU.
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
God Knows - Lugh
Here are a couple of articles which have appeared in the Raven Newsletter and are appropriate to the season and festival of Lughnassadh. The first is from a couple of years ago:
God Knows - Lugh
At the end of July, August Eve is the feast of Lughnassadh, also known as Lammas. Most of us know that this is the feast of the first grain harvests, the first bread, or Loaf-mass, but who is Lugh?
His name appears in several different forms through the British Isles: in Ireland he is Lugh Longhand; in Wales, Lleu Llaw Gyffes; in place names he can be Lud, Lug or simply Lu.
His epithets are many, and reflect his attributes. He is perhaps the Celtic equivalent of Horus, the sun god son of the Dagda (the Great Father). His names mean Light or Lion, he is called Blond of Bright Haired, God of the Mighty Blows, Long-Hand (Master of all skills and crafts). He was mighty in battle and also carried messages from humanity to the other gods.
His weapon was a spear, which was an empowered sun beam. As Lleu, he killed his wife Bloddeuwedd's lover Gronwy by hurling his spear straight through a boulder and killing Gronwy where he hid behind it, showing the power of the sun which nothing can be hidden from.
He was also a sacrificial god, deing and rising again. When he was killed by his wife and her lover, his soul rose from his body like a great eagle (another solar symbol) and escaped into the sky. He is identified with the golden grain which captures the spirit of the summer sun and is cut down in its prime. Bread is his gift and his sacrifice.
As the Old Gods were diminished and their influence waned, so they grew older and retreated to caves and burial mounds. Lugh the bright, golden haired young god became old Lug Chromain 'Bent Light' (the rainbow is one of his symbols), and it is said that the fairy name Leprechaun is derived from his name. Which may be why these fairies hide within the earth guarding their ancient crock full of gold - the golden sun god preserved and hidden now within the earth
This second piece is an extract from a longer article on the Green Man:
John Barleycorn
In English folklore, John Barleycorn is a character who represents the crop of barley harvested each autumn. Equally as important, he symbolises the wonderful drinks which can be made from barley - beer and whiskey - and their effects. In the traditional folksong John Barleycorn, the character of John Barleycorn endures all kinds of indignities, most of which correspond to the cyclic nature of planting, growing harvesting and then death. This in essence is the same tale as the Green Man retold.
Although written versions of the song date back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there is evidence that it predates her reign considerably. There are a number of different versions, but the most well known one is the Robert Burns version, in which John Barleycorn is portrayed as an almost Christ like figure suffering greatly before finally dying so that others may live.
Ultimately the character of John Barleycorn is a metaphor for the spirit of the grain, grown hearty and hale during the summer, chopped down and slaughtered in his prime then transformed into beer and whiskey so that he can live once more.
His character also seems to have been appropriated and incorporated into the christian 'Lord of the Dance'
they cut me down but I leap up high,
for I am the life that will never, never die
And finally a spell from the same Newsletter:
Summer Seaside Love Spell
Go down to the shore while the tide is coming in and just beyond the incoming waves draw the outline of a man or woman - this represents the one you desire. On the chest draw a heart shape and write their initials. Then with a little stick pierce the heart and say:
With love's sweet dart
I pierce the heart
Of he/she who does not love me
Lady of the Waters deep
Hear me cry, see me weep
Give me my lover unto me
Know that your prayers have been heard and will be answered, when the incoming tide washes your drawing away.
God Knows - Lugh
At the end of July, August Eve is the feast of Lughnassadh, also known as Lammas. Most of us know that this is the feast of the first grain harvests, the first bread, or Loaf-mass, but who is Lugh?
His name appears in several different forms through the British Isles: in Ireland he is Lugh Longhand; in Wales, Lleu Llaw Gyffes; in place names he can be Lud, Lug or simply Lu.
His epithets are many, and reflect his attributes. He is perhaps the Celtic equivalent of Horus, the sun god son of the Dagda (the Great Father). His names mean Light or Lion, he is called Blond of Bright Haired, God of the Mighty Blows, Long-Hand (Master of all skills and crafts). He was mighty in battle and also carried messages from humanity to the other gods.
His weapon was a spear, which was an empowered sun beam. As Lleu, he killed his wife Bloddeuwedd's lover Gronwy by hurling his spear straight through a boulder and killing Gronwy where he hid behind it, showing the power of the sun which nothing can be hidden from.
He was also a sacrificial god, deing and rising again. When he was killed by his wife and her lover, his soul rose from his body like a great eagle (another solar symbol) and escaped into the sky. He is identified with the golden grain which captures the spirit of the summer sun and is cut down in its prime. Bread is his gift and his sacrifice.
As the Old Gods were diminished and their influence waned, so they grew older and retreated to caves and burial mounds. Lugh the bright, golden haired young god became old Lug Chromain 'Bent Light' (the rainbow is one of his symbols), and it is said that the fairy name Leprechaun is derived from his name. Which may be why these fairies hide within the earth guarding their ancient crock full of gold - the golden sun god preserved and hidden now within the earth
This second piece is an extract from a longer article on the Green Man:
John Barleycorn
In English folklore, John Barleycorn is a character who represents the crop of barley harvested each autumn. Equally as important, he symbolises the wonderful drinks which can be made from barley - beer and whiskey - and their effects. In the traditional folksong John Barleycorn, the character of John Barleycorn endures all kinds of indignities, most of which correspond to the cyclic nature of planting, growing harvesting and then death. This in essence is the same tale as the Green Man retold.
Although written versions of the song date back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there is evidence that it predates her reign considerably. There are a number of different versions, but the most well known one is the Robert Burns version, in which John Barleycorn is portrayed as an almost Christ like figure suffering greatly before finally dying so that others may live.
Ultimately the character of John Barleycorn is a metaphor for the spirit of the grain, grown hearty and hale during the summer, chopped down and slaughtered in his prime then transformed into beer and whiskey so that he can live once more.
His character also seems to have been appropriated and incorporated into the christian 'Lord of the Dance'
they cut me down but I leap up high,
for I am the life that will never, never die
And finally a spell from the same Newsletter:
Summer Seaside Love Spell
Go down to the shore while the tide is coming in and just beyond the incoming waves draw the outline of a man or woman - this represents the one you desire. On the chest draw a heart shape and write their initials. Then with a little stick pierce the heart and say:
With love's sweet dart
I pierce the heart
Of he/she who does not love me
Lady of the Waters deep
Hear me cry, see me weep
Give me my lover unto me
Know that your prayers have been heard and will be answered, when the incoming tide washes your drawing away.
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