Sunday Surprise - Midsummer's Eve or St. John's Eve

Midsummer's Eve or St. John's Eve

Taken in it's entirety from The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes.

Midsummer's Eve was originally intended to coincide with the summer solstice, the day when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer, the astrological sign that belongs to the moon, and Earth's magical forces are at their height. Midsummer's Eve is a major holiday for witches and those who love them. Because fixed calendars came into existence, Midsummer's Eve, especially in its guise as the Feast of John the Baptist, does not necessarily correspond exactly with the solstice. (The solstice moves; the Feast doesn't.) Modern Neo-Pagans, however, frequently coordinate Midsummer's Eve with the solstice and so this festival may be celebrated anytime, depending upon place, traditions, and participants, from approximately June 20 through the 24th. A wild anarchic joyous festival, the ancients would have had no objection to it lingering for three or four days.

Midsummer's Eve is a fire and a water festival characterized by ritual baths and bonfires. Bonfires are built upon carefully selected magical wood with special aromatic herbs thrown into the fires. The ashes are later preserved as amulets. Bonfires are built on the shores of lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. Just as livestock is driven between or around bonfires, so the were once driven into the sea to be buffeted by spiritually cleansing and magically empowering waves.

Midsummer's marks the convergence of Sun and Moon. The sun is at its zenith but the zodiac has entered the watery sign of Cancer, the only sign ruled by the Moon.  Children born during this 30-day period are known as Moon Children. Lunar deities like Artemis, Diana, and Hecate have powerful associations with fire and water as well as botanical magic.

Midsummer's Eve is considered the absolute optimal moment for harvesting magical and medicinal plants. Plants are ideally picked at midnight or when the first dew forms. (Rolling in the dew is believed beneficial for people, too.) Special, unique plants such as the fern seed that provides invisibility are available only on the night. Witch-hunters claimed that this was the night witches rode off to join Satan; witches, on the other hand, claimed that this was the night they congregated to celebrate the Earth and to harvest botanicals for the coming year's spells. According to the tenets of Russian witchcraft, the most powerful botanicals in the world are ritually harvested on Midsummer's Eve atop Bald Mountain.

This is the time to stay out all night reveling and then gather plants before calling it a night. It is a magical time for divination, communing with the spirits, and finding true love - or at the very least romance, flirtation, and fun.

Although Midsummer's Eve was Christianized as St John's Eve, this is perhaps the church holiday with the thinnest veneer. In Siberia a popular name for St John's Day id Ivan Travnik (John the Herbalist) or Ivan Koldovnik (John the Magician.)

In Denmark, Midsummer's Eve has been celebrated since at least the time of the Vikings and is associated with Odin. Healers gathered their botanical supplies for the year on this night. Bonfires were lit, a tradition that survives today, however, visits to the healing springs were once incorporated into the festival as well. Bonfires are still sometimes built on beaches, In Scandinavia, "maypoles" are sometimes erected at Midsummer's instead.

Midsummer's Eve bonfires and water celebrations were particularly beloved in Mediterranean regions. Midsummer's Eve pre-dates Christianity and Islam, and although the later associations have diverged from each other (on the Mediterranean's southern shore, in Muslim Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, the festival is identified with Fatima, the Prophet's daughter rather than with John the Baptist,) the rituals and associated botanicals are virtually identical on either side of the sea.

John the Baptist is much venerated by Freemasons. There is a tremendous Masonic component in Vodoun. In Haiti, John the Baptist is considered among the Iwa; his feast day is celebrated with bonfires, ritual bathing and ceremonial. Whether these celebrations arrived in Louisiana from Haiti, directly from France or even perhaps directly from Africa are unknown.

The most important annual New Orleans ceremonial during Marie Laveau's time was held on St John's Eve at the Bayou St John, the natural waterway which once connected Lake Pontchartrain, popularly known as St John's Lake, with the Mississippi River ant the heart of the Vieux Carre. When these ceremonials began is unknown. Marie Laveau presided over St John's Eve ceremonials at the Bayou St John for years. (See Hall of Fame: Marie Laveau) Celebrations included bonfires, ritual bathing, ancient snake rites, drumming, dancing, singing, and a communal meal. Once secret and forbidden, the festival's reputation (and remember, ostensibly at least this is an official Church-sanctioned feast, although certain practices - those snakes! - were consistently condemned) spread and by 1831, the Pontchartrain Railroad began running special cars to the lake for the festivities for tourists and spectators, not for the participants.

Eventually St John's Eve Voodoo celebrations became a tourist attraction. Tourists, non-practitioners, and observers came to watch, not to participate. Eventually tourist shows began to be staged for which fees were charged. Once again, it became necessary to hold true ceremonials in private. Post Civil War, the tourist fascination with Voodoo culture waned, resulting in periods of great oppression. By the late 1890s, private ceremonies as well as St John's Eve celebrations at Lake Pontchartrain were routinely broken up by the police.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Friday Form A Circle - The Omen Quest Divination Ritual

The Omen Quest
Divination Ritual
Source Unknown

The Omen Quest is based on the folk traditions of Scotland and other Celtic countries and is described and detailed in some of Tom Cowan's books on shamanism and Celtic shamanism. To the Celts, the places that were betwixt and between were doorways into the unseen world and the careful observer could tap into the magic of such places and receive information. Omens are observations of the everyday world around you. The positioning of a tree branch or the reflection of the sun on a puddle, suddenly take on new significance.

To do the omen quest, form a question that you would like answered. This is not the time for yes or no questions, something more complicated. The Summer Solstice is the time when our planting and planning of Imbolc, Ostara, and Beltane should becoming manifest. Once you have your question, go outside. Being in a natural place is always better, but there's no reason not to do it in a city. Spirit is everywhere. When your outside, find a betwixt and between place. Betwixt and Between is a border where you are neither in one place or another. Here are some examples:

• The Solstice - We are on the border of the growing light and the growing dark time of the year.
• Dawn/Dusk - The border of day and night - more importantly, not day or night.
• In A Doorway - neither in the house nor out of the house
• With Clothes On But No Shoes - neither dressed nor undressed
• In A Gate - neither in nor out
• On The Curb - neither in the street nor on the sidewalk
• In The Shadow Of A Tree - not beneath the tree but under the tree
• Shadows Of Any Kind - in the sun, not in the sun
• Edge Of The Water/In The Surf - neither on land nor in the water

Find your betwixt and between place. The more betwixt and between, the better. Take some deep breaths and ground and center. The reports in folklore ask you to "say your prayers and charms." So call on the help of the powers that are important to you, spirit guides, guardian angels, Gods, Goddesses, ancestors etc...

Think of your question. With that in mind turn to the East, close your eyes and ask - Where am I? Wait with your eyes closed until you feel a signal or an urge to open them. What is the first thing you see/experience? This is your omen. Now, the omens are simple every day things like:

• oak tree
• bird flying
• bird flying south
• sound of a hammer banging
• golden glow on the horizon
• woman in red dress approaching

Write down your first impressions with appropriate adjectives:

• dying oak tree
• knobby oak tree
• young oak tree
• oak tree with two trunks

If you write down an omen that sounds like: yellow 1954 Volkswagen beetle with flat tire. Crying woman with bleached blond hair sitting inside. Child on skateboard passing car on sidewalk heading S-SW on boulevard as hot dog man shouts, "Get 'em while their hot!" You missed it. Probably only one of those things is the first thing you saw. So keep that in mind. Write it down and move into the other three directions doing the same.

Turn to the South, close your eyes and ask - What is my strength?

Turn to the West, close your eyes and ask - Where am I going?

Turn to the North, close your eyes and ask - What is my power?

These are questions about your main question, what is my power in this situation/problem/change of life? Thank the powers and guardians you asked to help you.

Now is the time to interpret your omens. Some will be obvious to you. Remember, these were given to you and were chosen, because you would be able to know what they mean. So if you see lavender waving in the breeze, don't grab every herb lore book to find out what lavender means, what does it mean to you? Some will not be so obvious. I was once given an omen of a young oak waving in the breeze for my strength. To interpret it, I did a meditation and saw myself becoming the young oak. By shape-shifting into the oak, I saw the world through its eyes and its relationship to the rest of the forest. I realized that the message it was trying to give me was about living in community. My strength was community. Some other things may be confusing because you can't tell what you're seeing. I spotted a rock at the base of a tree as an omen. I went closer to the rock and it had painted on it "Believe". So, I think the omen in this case was not the rock, but the message "believe". Tom Cowan gives the example of the "golden glow." On further investigation, it turned out to be the sun reflecting on a yellow pool cover. Based on the person he was questing for and their discussions, they decided the omen had to do with the golden glow and not a pool cover. So, think on your omens. Journal and meditate on them. In the end, they will give you answers.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Thursday This Is Your Spell - A Smattering of Midsummer Spells

A Smattering of Midsummer Spells
Melanie Fire Salamander, at Widdershins

 

As a pagan, you may well light a bonfire Midsummer night and jump it, for Litha is a fire festival. Likewise, you may stay up to greet the Midsummer dawn. If you do, keep a pair of garden shears handy. Midsummer's Eve at midnight, Midsummer's Day at dawn and Midsummer noon are prime times to collect plants sacred to the sun or special to the fey. In fact, any magical herb plucked at Midsummer is said to prove doubly effective and keep better. Divining rods cut on Midsummer's Eve are said to be more infallible, too. You can charge your charms, depending on their purpose, at midnight, noon or in dawn's first light.

 

Charms traditional at Litha include those for courage, dream divination, fertility, invisibility, love, luck, protection, wealth, the restoration of sight and the ability to see the fey. Midsummer is a fey time, both by tradition and observation. The scent of the air is thick, green and juicy; it's lost its spring astringency and is simply lush. The whole world is stretching its limbs and frolicking. The fey are big on that. Especially for charms of love, gardening and magical abilities, the fey are a great help in herb collecting. In exchange, they like gifts of milk and honey, cookies, sweet liqueurs, or any sweet food, drink or liquor. They also like baubles, particularly pretty or shiny. Or cold hard cash - but in coin, not paper, and it's best if shiny. To stay in good with the fey and the herbs you collect from, leave enough of the plant or other plants of the type that the herb survives in the spot collected from. Remember too to always ask the plant before taking a cutting, and to wait for an answer. A quid pro quo usually works: a shiny dime, some fertilizer, or a bit of your hair or clothing - whatever you think the plant most wants.

Courage: Tuscans use erba della paura (stachys) collected on Midsummer's Day as a wash against fear. Steep the herb in hot but not boiling water, then rinse the limbs with long strokes moving outward from the torso. You might substitute wood betony, a relative more common in North America.

Dream Divination: Litha is a good time for foretelling things in dreams. Specifically, to induce dreams of love and ensure them coming true, lay a bunch of flowers under your pillow on Midsummer Eve. That's what the  girls of old Scandinavia did. For effective dream divination, remember to keep a notebook beside your bed. At bedtime, relax, ground and center, then clearly define your question. Meditate on that question until it's firm in your mind, and assure yourself you will remember your dream on waking. Then go to sleep. As soon as you wake, record your dream. One trick is to set an alarm clock so you're wakened artificially, which can help dream recollection. Dreams dreamed on Midsummer's Eve are said to be more likely to come true.

 

Fertility For Your Garden: For a lush garden, mix ashes from the Midsummer bonfire with any seeds yet to plant. (You still have time to plant cosmos and a handful of fall-blooming flowers.) Likewise, for fertility sprinkle bonfire ashes on any flowers or vegetables you have growing.

Fey Charms: To see the fey, pick flowers from a patch of wild thyme where the little folk live and place the flowers on your eyes. A four-leafed clover not only grants you a wish but also, carried in your pocket or a charm, gives you the power to see fairies dancing in rings. A good place to look is by oaks, said in Germany to be a favorite place for fey dances. To penetrate fey glamour, make and wear an ointment including four leaved clovers. St. John's Wort, also known as ragwort, has a strong connection to the fey and transportation. You might add it to charms to travel quickly. The Irish call the plant the fairy's horse, and the fey are said to ride it through the air. But beware: The Manx say if you step on a ragwort plant on Midsummer's Eve after sunset, a fairy horse springs out of the earth and carries you off till sunrise, leaving you wherever you happen to be when the sun comes up.

Invisibility: Collect fern seed on Midsummer's Eve for use in charms of invisibility. To become invisible, wear or swallow the seed (that is, the spores) you have collected. Such spores also put you under the  protection of spirits. The fern is said to bloom at midnight on Midsummer's Eve, either a sapphire blue or golden yellow depending on your source.

Love: Plant two orpine starts (Sedum telephium) together on Midsummer Eve, one to represent yourself, one to represent your lover. If one withers, the person represented will die. But if both flourish and grow leaning together, you and your lover will marry.

Luck and Human Fertility: As at Beltaine, leap the Midsummer bonfire for fertility and luck.

Protection: Herbs traditional to Litha (also know as St. John's Day) in England include St. John's Wort, Hawkweed, Orpine, Vervain, Mullein, Wormwood and Mistletoe. Plucked either at Midsummer's Eve on midnight or noon Midsummer Day and hung in the house, they protect it from fire and lightning. Worn in a charm on your body, they protect you from disease, disaster and the workings of your enemies.

Sight: Dew gathered Midsummer Eve is said to restore sight.

Wealth: The fern also has a connection with wealth. Sprinkle fern seed in your savings to keep them from decreasing. The alleged golden-yellow fern flower, plucked on Midsummer's Eve at midnight, can be used as a dowsing tool to lead to golden treasure. Alternatively (the Russian version), you throw the flower in the air, and it lands on buried treasure. Or, if you're Bohemian, you pluck the flower and on the same Midsummer Night climb a mountain with blossom in hand. On the mountain, you'll find gold or have it revealed in a vision. If you wait patiently till midnight on Midsummer Eve and see no such golden fern flower, perhaps invisibility will have to do.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Wednesday Whatever - Ceromancy or How To Tell Fortunes With Wax

Ceromancy or How To Tell Fortunes With Wax
From The Realm Of White Magic

To know the future by a candle's flame is covered quite adequately in this little poem from an unknown poet:

Touch a light to the little wick,
Watch it burn to the candlestick.
Study with care the little blaze;
Fortunes are told in its tiny rays.
If an unseen power makes it weak and low,
For you it foretells a tale of woe.
If that same power makes a blaze bright and healthy,
You'll be happy and wise, be good and wealthy.

For those who wish to pursue ceromancy, which is divination from forms produced by dropping melted wax in water, it is simple enough for anyone to try. Use any color candle, though the darker hues will show up best. It

takes only a bit of imagination on the part of the magician to "see" the images which emerge from a bit of hot wax allowed to drop into a bowl of cold water.

• Airplane - a trip of a disappointment
• Anchor - your loved one is true
• Baby - troubles are coming
• Ball or balloon - your problem will not last very long
• Beans - money difficulties
• Bed - a vacation would be good for you
• Bells - a wedding
• Bird - news will reach you soon
• Bridge - take a chance
• Broom - make a change
• Candle - spiritual growth
• Cat - a friend is untrue
• Chain - go ahead with your plans
• Circle - reconciliation
• Cloud - something or someone threatens you
• Cross - do not fear for you are protected
• Crown - sickness
• Cup - bitter quarrel with a friend
• Dog - your self-esteem is too low
• Ear - be alert for an opportunity to advance in your work
• Egg - new developments soon
• Fan - a surprise is in store for you
• Feather - the problem will be solved
• Fish - someone will betray you
• Ghost - someone from the past is looking for you
• Grass - good fortune is approaching
• Hat - a change of location is indicated
• Heart - a friendship will turn into love
• House - better times are coming
• Key - a setback in plans should be expected
• Kite - your wish will come to naught
• Ladder - take steps to change your attitude toward an old friend
• Leaf or leaves - things will be changing soon
• Lion - an unpleasant situation is developing
• Moon - indicates more money
• Mountain - good friends are willing to help you
• Pants - you will be tempted
• Pen - expect a letter from a relative
• Pin - your lover may be attracted to another
• Pipe - peace and comfort
• Ring - marriage may be possible in the near future
• Scissors - separation
• Shoe - be suspicious of a new acquaintance
• Snake - be on guard against an enemy
• Spider web - pleasant happenings
• Star - happiness
• Sun - good fortune
• Table - an abundance of blessings
• Tree - a good time for new undertakings
• Umbrella - trouble is coming
• Walking stick - get out of the house and visit friends
• Wheel - one who has been away will return soon
• Witch - danger will pass you by
• Worm - business troubles ahead if you are not careful

FAIR USE NOTICE:
This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from `this blog.

Tuesday Try A New Taste - Dandelions

Dandelions – they’re everywhere these days! Largely considered a weed by homeowners, this much maligned plant has remarkable nutritional value and is safe for consumption from root to flower. Dandelions can be gathered and cooked like any other green, such as turnip for a tasty, healthy addition to meals. Medicinally effective both internally and externally for a variety of ailments. Dandelions can be used for salads, wine, teas, as a remedy for many things. They are associated with divination, wishes, and calling spirits. A tea of the roots was drunk for heartburn by the Pillager Ojibwas. Mohegans drank a tea of the leaves for a tonic. Magically, they can be sewn tightly in a red flannel bag and worn around the neck to make wishes come true.

Pretty good for a “damned ole weed,” huh..? :) For today’s Try A New Taste, I present a couple of recipes made using dandelions…

Dandelion Salad
Found at Mountain Breeze

Ingredients:

• 4 c chopped dandelion leaves
• 3 Strips of bacon
• 3 Eggs, hard boiled

Dressing:

• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 1½ Tbsp Flour
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 c Vinegar
• 2 c Water

Wash, drain, and cut up tender dandelion leaves. Brown bacon; remove drippings and crumble

For dressing, mix together flour and salt. Add the egg, vinegar & water, stirring until blended. Add to the bacon drippings in the pan and cook until thickened. Cool slightly and pour over the dandelion leaves, mixing lightly. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs & bacon pieces. Serve immediately.

Dandelion Jelly
Found at Mountain Breeze

Ingredients:

• 1 qt dandelion flowers
• 1 qt water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 box Sure-Jell
• 4½ c. sugar

Cook the flowers & water together for three minutes, then strain & put the juice aside. Follow the directions on the Sure-Jell box, using the dandelion water you had put aside. Bring to a boil then add 4½ cups sugar & lemon-juice.

Dandelion Greens with Sausage
Found at Mountain Breeze

Ingredients:

• 1 gal dandelions greens
• 1 lb smoked sausage
• 3 small potatoes, cut & diced
• 2 Tbsp rice
• 4 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 to 1½ qt water
• 1 tsp salt

Wash & cut the dandelion greens and put in the bottom of a medium sized pot. Cut the sausage into pieces and add. Put more dandelion greens on top of the sausage, then put the potatoes on top of this layer of greens. Sprinkle rice over the potatoes. Boil 40 min* adding vinegar before serving.

*if starts to boil dry, add more water

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from `this blog.

Saturday Something – Tarot Reading Tips & History

Tarot Reading Tips & History

The exact origin of the tarot is not known, but it is thought that they originated from somewhere around India and were brought to Europe with the Gypsies. The earliest known deck seems to have appeared around the fourteenth century. During the Renaissance, the tarot was a part of a growing interest in the studies of the mystic arts, such as Qabbalah and alchemy. The tarot saw a revival in the nineteenth century and has been enjoying popularity ever since.

The modern day deck of playing cards is believed to have come from the tarot The face cards of the tarot deck are the King, Queen, Knight, and Page(where in some decks, the Knight and Page are known as the Prince and Princess, respectively). As the modern day playing card deck began to evolve the Knight was dropped and the Page became the Jack. The suits of the tarot are related to the suits of playing cards. The suit of spades is equivalent to the tarot suit of swords, and diamonds corresponds to pentacles. The clubs equals the tarot suit of wands or staves and the hearts corresponds to cups in the tarot deck.

Choosing your own tarot deck is a very personal thing; every deck "feels" different to every person. You should choose the deck whose images really speak to you. For me, I have only found one deck that “speaks” to me, and in turn through me. I have tried many different decks, but have ended up giving them away. That’s another thing – you will find a deck to be much more “effective” when it comes as a gift. If you want to become a collector of decks, then by all means purchase all you want. But you will find that for use, a gift deck will be what you want to use.

I have also found FOR ME that for my deck to be mine, it can only be handled by me. Ever. When I read for someone, I shuffle the deck while they focus on their question. I’ve had it remarked that this would make it harder to achieve accuracy, but for me that just hasn’t been the case. So far, my readings have seemed to be pretty accurate. In addition, when I read for someone, I prefer they not tell me their question until after the reading. If I know what they are looking for it tends to color my readings. The cards may be trying to tell this person something that will be overlooked or misinterpreted if I am only looking for information relating to say love or finances.

After I do the reading of what I see, I then inquire about their specific question, and look deeper, for alternate meaning relating to their question. While there are specific associations for each card, each card can also have numerous meanings. As can the meanings of cards vary in relation to each other. The same exact fall of cards can have drastically different meanings for different people.

I use the picture on each card - I rely on the information gained by doing so quite heavily, which may be part of the reason I only use a specific deck. I dunno – I’ve had some beautiful decks, but just couldn’t “read” them. A good way to pick your own deck is to find a website that carries many different decks. A good one, and a site I shop frequently is Capricorn’s Lair. Go to the site & find decks you like. Then go to search engine like Google and type in the name. You should be able to find examples of the artwork, pictures of the cards. Once you’ve narrowed the selection somewhat, then go find a store in your area that sells many different decks, and see if they have the ones on your list. New Age and metaphysical bookstores are more likely to have a good selection on hand, although many chain bookstores do carry the more popular ones, such as the Rider-Waite, and will be glad to special order any of the other decks. When you visit the store, ask if they will let you look at a deck from the box, but I have a warning note here: if you do not know much about the tarot, you may not think this is a big deal, but many tarot readers will not buy a deck that has been handled by others. A deck is a personal thing, and many tarot readers believe that their decks take on something of themselves. Personally, I would never buy an unsealed deck – even with cleansing, I prefer a few hands as possible to have touched them.

You can also purchase carrying/storage cases for cards, either from a webstore or an actual store, but I personally made mine. Granted I am somewhat skilled at sewing, so it was only natural for me to do so, but making a bag is extremely easy. All you need is a piece of silk the width of your deck plus 2 1/2 inches, by the length of your deck plus 2 1/2 inches. Fold it in half long-ways, right sides together, and stitch up the sides. Fold over the top about 3/4 of an inch, and stitch it where the edge of the fabric meets the rest of it, leaving an opening you can run a piece of leather or a ribbon thru and tie it closed. Again, making your own limits the energies going into it. Place your cards in your case, and put them under your pillow, leaving them there for a couple of nights, to absorb your energy.  

There are many good sites out there in cyberspace. There are also many charlatans. One of the ones I have found that I like is ifate. It shows several layouts, and what each card position represents. It will also allow you to receive a reading, and the one time I did it came back fairly accurate in a generic sort of way : ).

There is however, more to reading the tarot than card meanings and positions. A large number of one type of card can add insight and greater depth to your readings. Here are some examples and their suggested meanings:

• A large number of Major Arcana indicate an important time in the querent’s life. The decisions made and the actions taken will have long term consequences. The Major Arcana holds sway over our spiritual life, matters of our inner being.
• If the cards are predominantly Minor Arcana, the querent’s question is of a mundane matter. Despite how important it may seem at the time, it will have little effect in the long run. Our character or nature will remain as it is.
• A large percentage of Wands can indicate growth and energy. A large percentage of Court Cards that are Wands indicate business transactions.
• An excess of Cups can indicate that the question has to do with love, children or pleasure. An excess of Cup Court Cards indicate delightful company.
• A great deal of Swords suggests aggressive ambition or destructive activities. A great deal of Sword Court Cards indicate conflict.
• Many Pentacles would indicate that the querent’s question revolves around money, goods or material gain. Many Court Cards that are Pentacles indicate politics or high finance.
• Specific Court Cards or numbers have their meanings as well. A large number of Court Cards can indicate the influence of a great many people. A situation that is almost beyond the control of the querent.
• A large number of Kings relate to honors and meetings of those of high rank.
• A large number of Queens can indicate powerful friends and influence.
• Many Knights can foretell haste and unexpected meetings.
• A great deal of Pages denote news and other messages.
• Many Aces indicate power, force and success. They are often the cards of beginnings as well.
• Twos in number reflect partnerships and important conversation.
• Many Threes reflect determination, but one must beware of the truth being bent.
• A large number of Fours represents rest earned through good planning and hard work.
• A great deal of Fives almost always indicates quarrels and difficulties.
• Many Sixes represent gain and pleasure.
• Sevens in number indicate agreements as well as possible disappointments.
• Many Eights can represent news or journeys.
• Nines in number warn of added responsibilities.
• A great deal of Tens can indicate heavy responsibility, commerce and anxiety.

Taken in part from:

The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages by Paul Foster Case
A Complete Guide to the Tarot by Eden Gray

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions / recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog

Sunday Surprise - Frith: A Scottish Augury

Frith: A Scottish Augury
by Jon Keeyes; (the link I had is dead…)

Since ancient times, the people of the Celtic culture have sought to know the portents of the future. Mythological and classical literature make reference to many forms of divination, but there is one that is often overlooked. In Scotland, there exists an augury called frith which was still in widespread practice even through the last half of the nineteenth century when Alexander Carmichael scoured the lands seeking the lore for his Carmina Gadelica. Most scholars will agree that Carmichael is responsible for the lasting knowledge of frith as nearly every source on the subject uses Carmichael as reference concerning the augury.

As related in the Carmina Gadelica, frith is translated as meaning augury although divination is perhaps better. Frith is a means of divining the future which allows the fritheir, or augerer, to see the unseen. A belief was held by some in Scotland that the gift of fritheireachd was inherited through the family line. Sometimes the ability appeared in one member of the family, and at other times disappeared, only to reappear in the next generation. Those who are born into a line that has held notable seers are called Clann an Fritheir which means children of the seer. Through evidence, which shall be discussed later, it appears that there were two types of frithier. One being a person who used the second sight as a tool of their frith, and others who simply interpreted the portents of what they saw in the world around them. In either case, frith became a valued gift used at special times.

The people of Scotland held to their old pagan beliefs that there were times of the year when it was proper to seek vision of what the future held. For some, such omens were important in aiding the sick, for others it gave insight into the welfare of the family and home, while for others it gave them guidance in future courses of action. Noragh Jones writes,

"It was fitting to assess whether the tides of fortune in every sphere of life were flowing in favor or dragging against."

Ms. Jones later continues with,

"Augury or the seeing of the unseen was primarily a means of working out the right times for actions and schemes (and for inaction equally) in the affairs of all God's creatures."

The art of frith was only practiced at certain times of the year or under very special circumstances. The Scottish held the belief that frith could only be performed at sunrise on the first Monday following a fire festival, called Quarter Days, or when a person or valuable object was missing. It is not surprising that the frith is associated with the Quarter Days. Such times of sacredness marked shifts in livelihoods as the stages of the year shifted through seasons. Its timing of Mondays is related to the Christian importance of the Sunday Sabbath, but in older times was, in all likelihood, done the sunrise of the Quarter Day itself. The necessity of the frith being performed at sunrise also holds importance to the Celtic belief of "in between places" and "in between times". As the sun rises, the world is "in between" night and day, sunlight and darkness, order and chaos; a time when the border between the physical world and the Otherworld is broken. Sunrise auguries were favored for it allowed the fritheir to see into the Otherworld and receive its messages. The importance of "in betweens" is furthered by the need for the frith to be performed in a door way, "in between" the inside and the outside world.

Frith, and its profound accuracy, can be found throughout folktales in abundance. Stories about the auguries made for finding missing persons or objects are still told with a pride that speaks of the achievements of the Scottish seers and augurers. Carmichael makes claim that frith originated through Celtic Christian lore for it was said that frith was created by Saint Brigid. Says Anne Ross,

"One Gaelic legend has it that when Christ was missing, Mary found out that he was in the temple by means of augury."

As the tale relates, Brigid discovered, through her frith, that Jesus was in a temple arguing with the rabbis. When Mary and Joseph journeyed to the temple, they found Jesus just as Brigid had seen. The tale continues at a later time when Jesus comes about missing once more. Mary had Brigid perform another frith of which Brigid saw Jesus sitting on the rim of a well teaching his disciples. And, when Mary and Joseph went looking, he was discovered just as Brigid had told. These tales have remained alive in Scottish folklore through prayers and poetry. One augury prayer honoring Brigid goes like this:

The augury Brigid made for her Foster-son,
She made a pipe within her palms;
TìI see the Foster-son by the well’s side,
Teaching the people assuredly.
I set the augury towards the well,
And truly that righteous work,
The King of kings teaching the people,
Yonder see I Christ assuredly.

As Christianity and Paganism in Scotland have become as intertwined as Celtic knotwork, it is impossible to determine the true origins of frith. However, in various collections of folklore, many highlanders hold firm to the belief that frith originated with the second sight long before St. Columba had brought Christianity to their land.

Though Brigid is considered the first fritheir she is by far not the only fritheir for folklore abounds with such feats of seeing the unseen. Among Carmichael’s collection he relates the story of a man who had journeyed to Australia seeking his fortune. When his family had not heard from him in three years, the wife went to a fritheir. The fritheir saw the husband safe but poor and said that he would now write of his plight. Within three months the family received his letter. Another tale speaks of four men from Lewis who had been lost at see amidst a storm. Friends had searched unsuccessfully for them and found no signs of the ships wreckage. Through the augury of Duncan MacInnes, it was told that the men were in St. Kilda and would return in March when the bitter winter had receded. As foretold, come March the men arrived home safely.

There is an interesting element which appears in these tales. Such evidence relates that fritheirs maintained a belief in the importance of omens when performing their auguries. Yet, these fritheir simply went into a trance and, upon their return to the waking world, related the events. It appears that the art of frith, for finding lost people and objects, is closely entangled with the second sight for in most of these accounts omens were not utilized. From these tales, it can be determined that there are two forms of frith; one which employs the second sight, and a second which is determined by a persons ability to interpret omens.

It is this second form of frith that the majority of specifics can be discovered. The Quarter Day frith was performed across Scotland, the method used being almost universal. Says Noragh Jones,

"The formal rules urged that divination should be done on the first Monday of the quarter, bare-footed and bareheaded, before or at sunrise, while fasting".

The fritheir begins by circling the hearth in the center of the home three times in a sunwise direction. As the fritheir circles the flame they are to recite the Hymn of the Frith (which can easily be altered by replacing "God" with "the Gods" for those seeking a stronger pagan theme):

I am going without
To the doorstep of my house
In the name of God
Stronger of sight than all
I go out in the name of God,
I come in the name of the Son
I walking in the path, O God,
Thou O God, upon my doorstep
God before me, God behind me,
God over me, God beneath me,
God within me, God without me,
The God of marvels leading me.

Once the hymn is spoken, the fritheir proceeds to the door of their home with eyes shut or blindfolded. As the door is opened, the fritheir places one hand upon each jamb. Calling once more to the Gods for the ability to "see" the fritheir flings their eyes open and takes in the sight of all that lies before them. It is from this sight that the Quarter's future is foretold (see "Omens" at the end of this article). There are two additional methods that folklore includes depending upon the regions of Scotland. One addition relates that rather than simply standing in the doorway, the fritheir walks sunwise around the home with their gaze held firmly forward. They divine their omens based upon all that is seen in this walk. The second method reveals that the sight is taken in through the means of a "tube". The fritheir holds a stone with a hole in its center to their eye, or forms a tube out of their fingers, and looks through this. The augury of Brigid states that she used this tube to "see Christ" but it is unknown whether this second method derives from her story or vice versa. It is John and Caitlin Matthews opinion that these "seeing tubes" were "widespread in Irish Gaelic usage, where the palms are used to provide a seeing-space or tabula rasa, to block out the light or focus the seer."

Modern folk walking the Celtic path can use the Quarter Day frith as the tool of their fire festival divinations. For those living in the country, this method can remain unchanged as the omens are derived from country folk and their rural landscape. But those living in the city may need to discover new ways, and in some cases new omens, based upon their environment. Having lived in dense, urban areas, I have found several alternate forms which have functioned quite well. In one apartment I lived in, to look out the front door meant staring at a wall three feet away. But my back window looked out across a park. This window became my "door" for seeing the omens. Another alternate method is to actually leave the home and go to an outdoor "in-between" place. This is a location where two opposites meet each other. A popular "in-between" place to the Celtic people (also mentioned by Carmichael as an alternative) is where water meets a shore. This can be found at a nearby lake, stream, pond or the ocean. The fritheir can take a candle, walk three times deosil about it, then proceed to this "in-between" spot. In seeking new places, when city life prevents following the old ways, it is important to maintain the elements of the "in-between time" and the "in-between" place. It is in this otherworldly spot that the future is held in precious balance, allowing the fritheir to see into the unseen.

OMENS

"The signs are many and varied, and only some examples of them can be given. They are called rathadach and rosadach, lucky and unlucky, fortunate and mischievous"

The Carmina Gadelica

• It is a good sign if someone is walking towards you.
• It is a bad sign if someone is walking away from you.
• To see a man or animal rising means good health or a quick recovery from sickness.
• To see a man lying down mean sickness to come or a continuance of sickness.
• It was a good sign if a man is looking at the seer.
• A woman standing up is a good sign.
• A woman walking away means misfortune.
• To see a red haired woman is unlucky.
• To see a black haired woman is lucky.
• To see a brown haired woman is even luckier.
• A bird flying towards the seer means news is coming soon.
• To see a bird flying is a fairly good omen.
• To see a bird flying in a straight line from left to right is a very good sign.
• To see a totem animal is a very lucky sign.
• It means good luck if an animal was rising.
• It means bad luck if an animal is lying.
• If a trip is planned, to see a duck is good.
• If a trip is planned, to see a goat is bad.
• If a sea journey is planned, ducks flying is an especially good sign.
• If a land trip is planned, sheep rising is a good sign.
• To have three sparrows singing near the house is bad and can mean a death.
• If a rooster is crowing at dawn, things will be good.
• If a rooster crows before the light of dawn, sickness is coming.
• A cock coming towards, or looking at the seer, means excellent things to come.
• To see a rook approaching means harm is coming.
• An eagle or a hawk flying deosil means good things to come.
• To see a fox with pups is means fortune is coming soon.
• To see seven swans means peace and prosperity.
• To see a dog or a horse is a good sign.
• To see a black cat is a good sign especially if it crosses before you.
• To see a raven means a death is coming.
• A pig facing away is a bad sign for all except a Campbell.

Note: In divining based upon omens, new omens will need to be discovered for those people not in the country. Keep a record of what you see, listen within for their meanings, and pay attention to how the Quarter runs. Within a year, you will have created new sets of omens for your frith.

Bibliography:

Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations by Alexander Carmichael; Floris Books, Edinburgh, 1994 (link is to online book)

Power of Raven, Wisdom of Serpent by Noragh Jones; Floris Books, Edinburgh, 1994 (link to online book)

The Folklore of the Scottish Highlands by Anne Ross; Barnes & Noble Books, New York, 1993

The Silver Bough by F. Marion MacNeill; Edinburgh, 1982

The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom by Caitlin & John Matthews; Barnes & Noble Books, New York, 1993

Celtic Heritage by Alwyn & Brinley Rees; Thames & Hudson, New York, 1994

Scottish Lore and Folklore compiled by Ronald Douglas; Bonanza Books, New York, 1982

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Wednesday Whatever – Dream Magic From Different Cultures

Author: Bia' Aletheia
Posted: January 11th. 2009

Dream Magic not only encompasses dream interpretation but it helps the dreamer to understand his or her personal symbols and messages that are being revealed to them in an altered state. It has been argued by many scientists, philosophers and people from various cultural perspectives that dreams are indeed messages from the Gods or spirit guides. These gods or guides are trying to reveal a much-needed path that should be taken, or things we may need to change to achieve spiritual growth. Often ‘journeying or astral travel’ occurs in the realm of dreams.

Dream Magic is the ability to manipulate our dreaming in order to fulfill some specific goal or intent. It is much like that of performing a magic/ spell, which has to have a goal in mind. Dream Magic can be used for many purposes, to achieve certain goals like prophecy, predict the future or communicate with the Gods and/or spirit guides.

Dream Magic can be used to communicate with loved ones passed on or help us become more in tune with our ‘inner desires’, referred to as our shadows. It is another method of seeking answers to specific questions we may have. Dream Magic can be used for healing and transformation. Because dreams can reveal so much to us, learning how to interpret them is very important.

Actual dream interpretations dates back to 3000-4000 B.C., where they were documented in clay

tablets. It is said that people in primal societies were unable to distinguish between the dream world and reality. They not only saw the dream world as an extension of reality, but the dream realm was a more powerful world.

Back in the Greek and Roman era, dream interpreters accompanied military leaders into battle. Dreams were extremely significant and often seen as messages from the gods. They were seen in a religious context and in Egypt, priests also acted as dream interpreters. The Egyptians recorded their dreams in hieroglyphics. People with particularly vivid and significant dreams were believed to be blessed and were considered special. People who had the power to interpret dreams were looked up to and seen as divinely gifted. In the bible, there are over seven hundred mentions of dreams. Tracing back to these ancient cultures, people had always had an inclination to interpret dreams.

Dreams were also seen as prophetic. People often looked to their dreams for signs of warning and advice. It was an oracle or omen from outside spirits, whether it was a message from a deity, from the dead or even the works of a demon. Dreams often dictated the actions of political and military leaders and aided in diagnosis for the medicine men. Dreams were a vital clue for healers in what was wrong with the dreamer and they used them to make a diagnosis. People in ancient Greece and ancient China looked to their dreams for their next course of action [1].
Dreaming can be seen as an actual place that your spirit and soul leaves every night to go and visit. The Chinese believed that the soul leaves the body to go into this world. However, if they should be suddenly awakened, their soul may fail to return to the body. For this reason, some Chinese today, are wary of alarm clocks.

Some Native American tribes and Mexican civilizations share this same notion of a distinct dream dimension. They believed that their ancestors lived in their dreams and take on non-human forms like plants. They see that dreams are a way of visiting and having contact with their ancestors. Dreams also helped to point their mission or role in life.

In the early 19th century, dreams were dismissed as stemming from anxiety, a household noise or even indigestion. Hence there was really no meaning to it. Later on in the 19th century, Sigmund Freud revived the importance of dreams and its significance and need for interpretation. He revolutionized the study of dreams. Dreams have long exercised a fascination over the human imaginations. So what are dreams? And more importantly what significance, if any, do they have for the dreamer [2].

As early as the fourth century B.C. Chuang-tzu, a Chinese philosopher, raised the following point regarding dream significance:

“While men are dreaming, they do not perceive that it is a dream. Some will have a dream in a dream, and only when they awake they know it was all a dream. And so, when the Great Awakening comes upon us, shall we know this life to be a great dream. Fools believe themselves to be awake now.
Once upon a time, I Chuang-tzu, dreamed I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of following my fancies as a butterfly, and was unconscious of my individuality as a butterfly. Suddenly I was awakened, and there I lay myself again. Now I do not know whether I was a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am a butterfly now dreaming I am a man”.

This brings up the interesting notion that perhaps the world as we ordinarily experience it is no more real than a dream.

Dreams often seem to be experiences of a confused parallel world. Reflecting on this experience, we may speculate that during dreams we travel to a real, alternate realm. It has been suggested that one of the principle sources of this idea - a spiritual world distinct from the physical - is a dream. If this hypothesis is true, even partially then dreams contribute to one of the basic notions of religion. It has also been hypothesized that dreams may be linked to the idea of a soul distinct from the body. During dreams, we have the experience of traveling to other realms, interacting with people, and doing various things - simultaneously, the physical body remains confined to our beds. While the dream realm is shadowy and even surreal, it nevertheless feels like a real place. Because the experience is so real, it easy to speculate that during dreams the conscious self somehow separates from the body. If we add to this the common experience of meeting departed friends and relatives in dreams, it is no great step to conclude that the same “soul” that separates from the body during dreams also survives the death of the body.

Yet another broad area of agreement among world cultures is that of communicating between this world and the other world - between gods and mortals, or between the living and the dead - is possible. Prophets, as well as the founders of new religious sects, often claim to receive privileged communications from the gods. If dreams constitute experiences with the realm of the spirit, then one possible model for divine - human communication is the dream state.

The New Age movement, which began in the late 1950’s, has also delved onto several aspects of dreams in contemporary culture. For example, new dream dictionaries, containing interpretations of specific dream images and symbols have been composed to aid in dream meaning exploration. Dream tools have also been developed or fine tuned with this emergence, to assist in transformation and healing. More specifically with a growing interest of lucid dreaming, the practice of becoming conscious during one’s dreams and learning to control their directions is viewed as a potential tool for healing and self-transformation.

Before we delve into the specifics on how to use Dream Magic it is pretty significant to discuss some cultural perspectives of dream lore so we may examine how Dream Magic evolved cross-culturally [3].

Babylonians: The Babylonians divided dreams into two categories. They believed the Gods sent good dreams. Bad dreams were sent by Demons. Their Goddess of dreams was Mamu.

Assyrians: The Assyrians believed in dreams as omens. For example, if a person flew in their dreams it indicated all would be lost.

Egyptians: The Egyptians believed that the Gods showed themselves in dreams. The Egyptians believed dreams were based on real things. The recording of dreams in Egypt may be traced back to 2000 B.C., where the Egyptians wrote their dreams on papyrus. They believed there were three main types of dreams. Those that happened as a result of ritual, dreams that contained warnings or dreams that were the Gods were demanding some type of action.

Greeks: When a person was sick a Priest would interpret the dream and then give advice on healing. They believed the Gods sent dreams. The Gods also sent prophecies to those who slept at shrines. The Greeks thought that the people in their dreams lived near the underworld.

Romans: The Romans had strong views on dreams. They believed dreams were messages from the Gods. Emperor Augustus ruled that anyone who had a dream about the state must proclaim it in the market place.

Hebrews: Hebrews believed their dreams were the voice of only one God; however bad dreams were the work of Demons. The Hebrews incubated dreams in order to receive divine revelation.

Hindus: The time when a prophetic dream occurred indicated when the event would take place.

Japanese: The Emperor’s palace contained a dream hall with an incubation bed. Japanese Emperors also incubated their dreams at a Shinto Temple at Usa on the southern island of Kyushu.

Muslims: In Mohammed’s sacred book a distinction is made between true dreams from God and false dreams. Rituals were used to create good dreams. Later on dream interpretation became associated with astrology.

Many Indian Tribes believed that dreams revealed the hidden wishes of the soul. I have included in this section, since we are discussing ‘Dream Lore’ culturally, different Tribes beliefs’ on Dreams for those who how are also interested in Shamanism [4].

The Cree: They regard dreams as a source of creative inspiration and spiritual guidance and it serves to connect with ordinary daily activities. For example, to dream of meeting a stranger of the opposite sex actually is a metaphor for what will occur during a hunt for a game animal.

The Hopi: Hopi society conveys much of its religious and recreational experience through a rich imagery derived from dramatic rituals that are frequently translated in dreams. Dreams are viewed as an attempt by the self to make statements about the individual’s present situation. The Hopi believe good dreams have to be held in the heart and can be told only after they are fulfilled, however, bad dreams need to be discussed because reporting them eliminates them.

The Iroquois: They believe that human souls have desires that are inborn and concealed and come from the depths of the soul. The soul makes these natural desires known by means of dreams. The Iroquois often rely on a ‘dream specialist’ to help interpret their dreams. A dream can reveal not only the wishes of the dreamer but also the desires of supernatural beings. The frustration of these desires may be dangerous, in that they can cause death of the dreamer or bring disaster.

The Navajo: Dreams to them are not discussed openly; they are regarded as warnings. Dream specialists are also consulted by them to discuss the cause of the dream. The diagnostician, often in a trance state, not only will discover the cause of the dream but will also reveal the dreamer’s sickness. Praying at sunrise is a ritual used to dispel bad dreams. If a Navajo dreams that he is dead, he interprets the meaning as he has just visited the spirit world of the dead. If the dreamer shakes hands with the dead it is believed to be an omen of death to the dreamer…

View the rest of the article here on Witchvox

 

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions / recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog