High Holidays: Filianic

Eastre

Florimaia

Exaultation

Rosa Mundi

• Blessed Solstice & Rosa Mundi 2016

Chelayna

• Autumn:Harvest and Creation 2018

Cuviyana

• Autumn: Harvest and Creation 2018

Tamala

• Tamala/Samhain 2018
• A Shrine for the Beloved Dead 2014

Nativity

• Yuletide 2015
• Advent Begins 2015

Lucaid

Amity Day

• Love is Love is Love 2017

Moura Day

• The Season of Moura 2018
• Moura Day 2016
• Moura Eve 2016

Kala

• Eve of Kala Thoughts 2018

Hiatus

• Hiatus and Equinox 2017

This page will be updated as the relevant posts are collated and put here.

Hiatus & Equinox.

Hiatus is the time of non-time in the Filianic calendar. At this time, the holy Daughter, who was slain on Kala (the day before, and the final day of the month of Moura), hangs upon the pillar that passes through all worlds. It could be likened to the time of mourning that Christians observe in honor of the time that Jesus hung upon the cross and then was laid in the tomb before his resurrection. This traditionally in the Filianic and Déanic communities is a time of deep reflection and a moment when all things come to a brief halt to await the resurrection of the Daughter. (This year, it comes on the day after the Equinox. Other years, it is the day of the Equinox, but it always falls on the 21st of March in the Northern Hemisphere and on the 21st of September in the Southern Hemisphere.)

Thinking about the future and discussing future events is generally considered taboo in this religious tradition. As someone who practices a blended faith, I try to adhere to this taboo, but there are things that simply force me to break it. A fine example is the fact that I have mundane things such as doctor's appointments and bills that I need to address. This requires some future planning. So, I focus my efforts on attending to only matters that require my attention at this time, so if future planning is done it is only what is most essential. Like others of the Filianic faith tradition, I cover my icons of the Daughter with a veil. I use a dark blue cloth, as it is the color associated with Moura and mourning. Technically, this is a time for mourning the death of the Daughter. I also try to keep my clothing simple and I generally go with darker colors.

It is also the Equinox, which is celebrated in Wicca and much of the Norse/Germanic based faith traditions as Ostara. Rituals are done to honor Ostara, the goddess of Spring and fertility. It is also considered the time when Freyr returns to the lands of the living after having been slain at the time of the autumn harvest. From this perspective, today is an auspicious day. Though there is snow on the ground right now, the sap is running through the trees and I have heard robins out singing when I was taking a walk this morning.

I sit here pulled in two very different directions today. The blessing here is the fact that the celebration of Ostara is not tied to a specific date on the calendar and the astronomical equinox does not fall on the same date every year (because precession is a thing and such), so I am not bound by a hard and fast date to observe Ostara and the equinox. I am going to use this to my advantage this year. I am spending time today treating life as though seeds are germinating beneath the soil and I am in a sacred period of waiting. Tomorrow, when the Filianic celebration of Eastre comes, I will celebrate Ostara at the same time. I am going to give my children some sweets for the day. I got that ball started early today with some donuts. I will also be invoking blessings on my seeds and such.

Today, I am going to prepare my 'soil' and wait. I am going to do my best to focus on what I need right now and address that. While I had wanted to have a few projects done by today, I recognize that life chose otherwise. And today I must accept this. Tomorrow, things will begin anew. I will be renewed. So, today, I will tidy things up and do my best to be as focused on the present and my needs as I can be. This day is a day of necessity and addressing what I must let go to proceed forward into a healthy new year.

Regardless of what ever festivals you celebrate at this time, may your and yours be blessed with happiness and health.

♥

Eastre & Equinox = Renewal & New Beginning

The Vernal Equinox is the time when Spring officially begins. It is also the (approximate) date of the celebrations of Eastre and Ostara. Eastre is not to be confused with the Christian celebration of Easter. While the two holidays share the name and similar themes, the Filianic holiday of Eastre is different from the Christian holiday of Easter. Ostara is celebrated within the pagan community by many different faiths. It is well known in the Wiccan community and derived from the ancient Germanic pagan holiday of the same name. I celebrate Eastre and Ostara around the time of the Equinox, though I am considering moving my observance of Ostara to coincide with the Christian celebration of Easter for the sake of ease.

At Eastre, within the Filianic faiths, we observe the death and resurrection of God¹ the Daughter. The Festival of Eastre is a multiple day event. It begins on the last day of the month/season Moura. This day is named for the destroyer face of the angel² Werde, Kala. Kala is the last day of the liturgical year. It is also the day where the Daughter is slain by the Dark Queen. This is a day that is inauspicious for beginning new activities and planning future events. After Kala is a period that is not part of the liturgical year, as it is considered to be a time outside of time called Hiatus. Hiatus is one day (except during leap years, then it is two) out of the Julian calendar and is the time where the Daughter hangs upon the pillar of the Nether World in absolute death.

At Hiatus, the world is considered to be ended by most Filianic communities and it is a time of mourning. Prayers are made to God the Mother for the return of God the Daughter and the renewal of the world. Hiatus is a time where a taboo is extended for the worshiper of Filianic faiths to not consider the future because technically there is no future at this time. Starting at Kala and through Hiatus, all icons and statues of God the Daughter are veiled to reflect her absence from the world and her death. In my observance of Kala and Hiatus, I veil my icons of the Daughter and extinguish the light that I have for her presence in the world.

This light remains darkened for the totality of this observance to reflect that the Daughter is dead and gone out of the world. I also make a point of not burning any new offering candles during this period. Because I still feel that I should give offerings and candles is one of the few things I can readily afford, I use one big pillar or jarred candle that will last me through out the final week of Moura and into Hiatus. I keep my candles in the liturgical colors for Moura (purple/black). At Eastre proper, the icons are revealed and I dispose of the candle that I had been burning through Moura and Hiatus. I replace it with something in a 'spring' color and I try to find one that is floral in scent. (This year a sunny yellow that smells of honeysuckle.)

I also relight my candle/light for the Daughter's presence in the world because at Eastre, the Mother rescues and revives the Daughter, thus returning her to the world. With the resurrection of the Daughter, all of the world is considered to be renewed. This day is the first day of the liturgical year and a day of celebration.
Eastre does not fall technically on the equinox but it is within the time frame that the equinox happens. Just as spring begins in the solar year and in the Julian calendar, spring in the Filianic calendar begins with Eastre. It is considered an especially auspicious day for starting things.

Ostara comes from the ancient Germanic holiday of the same name. It is a time where the goddess for which this holiday is named brings spring's renewal into the world. She is accompanied by her sacred animals (the rabbit and birds) and brings warmth and new life with her. At Ostara, I not only honor this ancient goddess but I also celebrate the return of Freyr. During the winter months, he is often considered to be residing in the realm of the dead following his slaying during the autumn harvest. With the renewal of the 'life' of plants, I consider it to be when he returns from that time.

For Ostara, I put fresh flowers on the altar and ask that my gardening efforts and houseplants be blessed by both Ostara and Freyr. (I also ask for Gerda's blessing for good measure as well.) I also give offerings of sweet things, bread, and alcohol. This is also when I do my own little version of the charming of the plough. While the Asatru community celebrates this holiday in February, I observe it at the time of the equinox because this is when farmers in my area are actively preparing for the ploughing and planting of the fields. While I haven't a plough to bless, I bless my gardening tools (usually one in representative of all) for healthy plants and good harvest.

It is good to note that Eastre, Ostara, and Easter all come from the same linguistic origin. They all are derived from the ancient goddess Ostara (spelled differently for different regions) who was celebrated at this time. When Christianity was in the midst of overtaking native religions in the Germanic regions, the name of this celebration was taken to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Several ancient practices (such as the egg hunt) were tolerated because they were so deeply ingrained into the culture's identity.

Both Eastre and Ostara are important parts of my calendar. It is at this time that I celebrate the renewal of the world with the beginning of spring. It is also when I set out to begin changes in my life. Where most people in the secular world begin at the first day of the Julian calendar, I begin at the first day of the Filianic calendar because I wish to ride the magical tide that comes with the equinox and draw to me the blessings of the season as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~
1. This is a direct reference to how the Filianic/Déanic community as reflected by www.mother-god.com refers to the goddess whom I follow known in her three aspects as Mother (Marya), Daugher (Anna/Inanna), and Dark Mother (Deam Mysterium). The conflict over the terms god/goddess will be addressed in another post.

2. I use the term angel rather then the term janya (pl. janyati) because it is more familiar to the community at large. While the terms are not completely interchangeable, it is close enough for my purposes.

Hiatus/Ostara 2015

Moura came to a close yesterday with the holy day of Kala. It is the day where the Daughter is slain by the Dark Queen. At Kala, icons of the Daughter are veiled to represent her death and absence from the world of the living. Today is a day that is not part of the liturgical calendar of Filianism and related beliefs. Hiatus is the time where the Daughter hangs upon the pillar at the center of the Nether World. It is a time where we are called to not think of the future and do our best to focus upon the appeal to the Mother to rescue her Daughter from the realm of death and restore her to life.

Kala was a quiet day at my home, for the most part. While I did not keep a full fast, as many would, I did fast from meat during daylight hours and did my best to refrain from having sweets during that time frame. As I veiled my icons of the Daughter and quenched the light that I have for her on my altar, I tried to release the troubles that had been bothering me over the last year and, in some minor and symbolic sense, die to the past. As today is a time outside of time, I refrained from magical working and focused my prayers towards the person of the Mother.

My prayers were focused upon three things. I prayed for the return of the Daughter and the renewal of the world. I prayed that the evil within the world be transformed through the Daughter's death and resurrection into good. And I prayed that I might shed that which hinders me and 'die' to the unhealthy and harmful things of my past. The candle that I burned through Moura remains lit upon my altar.

As I have burned that candle, I have meditated upon the Daughter's descent and death. It is apt that this candle is nearly fully used at this time. After tonight's burning, I will dispose of the candle (in an ecologically responsible fashion). Tomorrow, I will relight the light that I have for the Daughter on my altar and take the covering off of the icons. I will replace the somber indigo colored altar cloth with the cobalt blue one that I made prior to Moura and replace the devotional candle with one that is yellow. This yellow candle is symbolic of the new light of spring and the renewal of the world.

Where the candle for Moura was very plain and austere, this yellow candle is elaborately carved and pleasantly scented. I will offer it up not only for Dea but to the gods of the Nordic pantheon that I follow. While I have kept the rigors of Filianic 'lent' as best I could, I also spent time focusing on what I needed to do to prepare myself for the spring and a renewal in my devotional relationship with them as well. The response to this has been general approval. Loki strongly exhorts me to burn something more then a candle for the transition of the season. Fortunately, I have some incense that I can light. Freyr has felt much more 'present' over the last few weeks.

He has been giving me direction for how to proceed in several things. I anticipate the taboo that was placed upon my writing will be lifted soon. Freyr has been talking about things he wants to see me work on in my professional arenas. He has also been encouraging me to take my gardening endeavors much more seriously. As such, I have begun the work of getting the pots of old soil dumped out in the new flower bed that I have been attempting to establish (which is much easier with them being more or less frozen right now). He has been making comments that I should focus more on herbs and flowers this year. Freyr has also been firmly instructing me to begin making a decisive effort to improve my health and focus upon building more happiness in my life.

Thus with the beginning of the new liturgical year tomorrow, I have many new tasks ahead of me that I will attempt to share with you as I progress forward. I will also be resuming my writing on Tuesdays and Sundays. I sincerely hope that the holiday has brought blessings into your life, for those who celebrate Ostara today, and that the day of Hiatus has not been too agonizing for those who observe it.