Blessed Samhain and Tamala.

 Dear Reader,

I am just about over this damned bronchitis. I didn't do anything big and fancy for Samhain (which also is the first day of the Filianic holy time of Tamala). I did wear jewelry that invoked deceased friends for their company as I took my sons out trick or treating for the first time in over a decade. It just has been nothing but bad weather and people being sick this time of year for a very long stretch. So, when the weather was merely cloudy and everyone was mostly healthy, we did it.

The kids didn't get a big haul of candy but they had a great time wishing everyone along the street a happy Halloween. (We took the approach that the houses with their front light on and no candy were the 'trick' portion of trick-or-treat and cheerfully wished them a good evening.) There was a brief scare as a very nervous little dog rushed out someone's door towards my youngest son, but that ended well. He was of the opinion that the little dog was naughty and still learning how to be good after he got past the ZOMG IS IT GOING TO NIP ME!?!

Today is the second day of Tamala, the Filianic festival of the united body of believers both living and deceased. Yesterday was the day of invitation for them to come to us and take part in the celebration. Today is the day of celebration and prayer for gratitude for the community of believers. I also mark today as the day to invoke my ancestors (both familial and otherwise) to honor them and ask their blessing over my family. If I can manage it, I'll be doing something like a Dumb Supper for them. The challenge there is that mice are beginning to get into the apartment. It makes leaving a food offering out over night a tricky proposition.

Tomorrow is the third day of Tamala. On this day, we bid farewell to our guests who have come to visit us through this celebration, provision them for their journeys off to their respective residences in the spiritual world at this time, and celebrate the union of all within Déa. It is not a 'good bye' but a 'see you again soon' and a joyful time where we take comfort that all are one within Déa and not even death may separate us from all whom we love and all who love Déa.

Chelanya/First Harvest

 Dear Reader,

Yesterday was the holiday of Chelanya, the Golden Festival of grain and nature's bounty. The holy mystery of it, for the Filianic and Déanic communities, is the death and resurrection of the Daughter. In some ways, the cycle of mysteries associated with the harvest season mirror those of the Eastre cycle. In the Eastre cycle, we celebrate the life of the Daughter and her taking on of Fate (and mortality), we follow her journey into the Netherworld, and mourn her death before celebrating her arising from the abyss of absolute death by virtue of her Mother's tears and love.

In the harvest season, we approach the death of the Daughter with holy awe for she has arisen from the abyss of death like the grain springs up from the earth. We celebrate the bounty of the earth, more specifically the grain's bounty, as a reminder of the perpetual life that we find in union with Our Lady and her Mother after we have passed through the gates of death ourselves. This is the celebration of Chelanya.

The next harvest celebration, Cuivanya, comes and we celebrate the fertile earth and it's bounty in all things. It is a day of joyful abudance and embracing the life we have in this world by way of the benevolent gifts of the Bright Mother. The third harvest celebration corresponds with Tamala. With this third harvest celebration, we honor the Dark Mother, who is the ground of all being, and the one whom all souls return to in union at the end of days.

First Harvest is also celebrated within the Wiccan community as Lammas, the celebration of the bounty of the grain and the holy mysteries of the death of the god of the grain. It is, in many ways, like the celebration of the holy mysteries of the death of Freyr within Heathenry. The first harvest marks the beginning of the season where all produce is gathered in and prepared for the long winter.

Freyr, as the grain-lord and patron of the harvest, dies in ritual sacrifice so that the earth remains fertile and he arises a new in the spring with the sprouting grain to the joy of Gerða, his wife. He spend the winter within the halls of Helheim, just as the winter wheat planted at the end of the season spends the earth in fallow ground. When the snows of winter gives way and the season warms, the winter wheat springs up and Freyr returns. This is much like the story of the grain god of the Wiccan belief system. (There are some who theorize that the God of Wicca is a folk memory of the god Freyr of the Anglo-Saxons.)

In either way, First Harvest is a holy day. In my personal practice, First Harvest is a day dedicated to work. I wanted to spend time in meditation but life persisted in refocusing me on work that needed done. I dedicated my efforts to the High Ones and did my best to give thanks for the bounty in my life.

Moura Day

 Dear Reader,

Today is the first day of Moura. Moura is the fifth season of the Filianic calendar and the final month of the year. It is set aside from 'ordinary' time as a season of purification, prayer, and preparation for the high holiday of Eastre. There are as many different observances of this holy day as there are practitioners of the Fililianic and Déanic faiths. Within the early Madrian tradition, Moura Day was a solemn occasion observed with a full fast and acts of penance.

Within my tradition, it would be set aside for a full fast with exemptions made for children, the ill, and people who are medically unable to fulfill it. The fast begins at sunrise and lasts until sundown. A hearty meal before sunrise and an equally hearty one after sunset would bookend the day. Beverages would not have a restriction upon them (thus if one were to have a 'meal' shake to prevent problems from low blood sugar, it is permitted because it is a beverage of sorts).

I am medically unable to keep a full fast. I, however, have been forced by life circumstances into a restricted diet that resembles a partial fast. In this case, one would have smaller meals than usual and give up snacking through out the day. (As an aside, it is the intention that matters more than the act. If you are unable to keep a full fast but you can do a partial fast, you have met the ritual requirement for the day.)

The ritual purpose of the fast is to purify the body by setting aside the 'bread of tyrants' for the day. This act of abstinence purges some of the impurity associated with this. Some choose to refrain from sweets and other delights for the purpose of mild mortification of the flesh to force themselves to refocus upon the Spirit. This is a secondary result of fasting and not the primary focus of the fast. The primary focus of the fast is to put aside the transitory things of the world in a symbolic fashion so that we may better attend to the Spirit. (There are multiple ways to accomplish this goal but that moves beyond the scope of this post.)

Moura Day is also the day that I gather together my supplies and tools for deep cleaning my home. I invoke Déa's blessing upon them and the work that I will be doing to cast out the spiritual miasma that had built up in the home over the course of the year. This is similar to the act of banishing unhealthful spirits and sealing the home against them that is practiced on Sai Herthe's day. Indeed, such an act of banishment and sealing is proper in the course of cleansing and sanctifying the space.

I also begin what I call my 'Moura Protocol'. During the time of Moura, I wear dark colors that are associated with Sai Rhavë and the Dark Mother. I dress in a more modest fashion than usual (though my wardrobe is rather modest to begin with so it isn't much of a departure from usual). I make a point of veiling when ever I go out in public. (I had been veiling all the time but I am beginning to see thinning of my hair and some hair loss due to the fabric rubbing against my scalp. Thus, I only veil when necessary in accordance with my taboos and for the month of Moura.) Every time I wash my hands, wash my face, or otherwise attend to personal grooming, I focus on ritually cleansing myself of miasma that I have picked up and seek Déa's blessing upon me for it. 

I additionally spend time in meditation and prayer at sunrise and sundown as frequently as my schedule allows me. Ideally, as I am a priestess, I would be observing all the ritual hours of the day. Life has made that difficult because of the other responsibilities that I juggle. I make a point of invoking Déa's blessing and protection over my family during this month. I usually do this in the evening as I am preparing dinner. 

I use Moura's time of self-discipline to instill and strengthen good habits. Where others may give things up for Moura, I take things on. This year, I have the spiritual goal of praying the Rosary every day. I have the material goal of improving my physical health. And I have the mental goal of embracing and expressing my creative self more fully. I feel a bit like I'm cheating this year because I started on these goals shortly before Luciad, but if it gets results then it gets results.

The Feast of Lights (Lucaid)

 

Image courtesy of Markus Spiske at Pexels.com

Today is the Feast of Lights in the Filianic and Déanic community. It is a celebration of the light of the Daughter that is kindled within her as she steps onto the wheel of Fate and enters more directly into creation. It is considered to be the first of the Eastre feast days. It is also the final feast day of the season of Winter. Some Filianic traditions recognize this as the day that the Daughter is given governance over creation. In either case, the Daughter is honored this day as Princess of the World and Sacrificial Priestess. 

It is here that the journey into Moura begins. In my personal devotions, I say a rosary for Our Lady's blessing and protection of my household. I pour out wine for her and her Mother. I also invoke Déa's blessing upon the candles that I use through out the year so that their light may fully reflect her's in this world. I also spend some time in meditation upon the Scriptural passage that speaks of the Bright Mother giving her Daughter governance over creation and the Daughter's taking on of Fate.

I also begin the process of planning out what I will work on during Moura to strengthen my spiritual discipline and what I will give over to Déa in personal sacrifice for the month of Moura.

Wishing a blessed Epiphany to you.

Dear Reader,

I sincerely wish you and yours a blessed Epiphany day. And a happy New Year to all of you who are not celebrating Epiphany. Within Filianism, Epiphany is the day of the revelation of the Daughter in her Mother's arms. It is the final celebration of the Nativity season. It is also the Name Day of the Daughter, for the scriptures read that the Mother pronounces:

Her Name shall be called Inanna
For She shall be Lady of Heaven.

It has been a challenging season for myself and my family. Illness has been making the rounds and proving difficult to shake. At the same time, however, there has been a good deal of peace and calmness to our Nativity/Yule celebration that may have helped everyone get better a little faster.

Epiphany is a Greek word that means revelation of something that was hidden. In modern common usage within then English language, epiphany continues to retain that meaning but has also acquired the meaning of sudden insight and understanding. It is my hope that epiphany day has not only brought upon us the blessings of knowing Dea more fully through the Daughter but a sense of insight and understanding of the goodness within humanity through Dea. For the scriptures teach that the human heart is a microcosm of the universe and Dea is present within us as well. May it be that the light of epiphany allow us to see Dea's presence in others and honor her in all ways.

Full Moon Rite: Full Corn Moon/Full Barley Moon

First, I must apologize for this post being a week late. Things have been quite busy with the start of school and I simply have not had the time to get this finished by the last full moon (Sept. 6, 2017). This rite is one that could be used for pretty much any full moon during the harvest season. What I am presenting here is a fairly generic ritual that can be applied with minimal modification for other deities and faith practices that fall outside of the cultural norm of the USA (mostly Christian).

Like most of the other rituals and spells I present, I use a lay out that is similar to a recipe. Spells have a more focused 'ingredient' list and the steps taken are going to be different but the methodology is actually pretty close to the same for these. It is because I believe the more consistency we have in our magical and spiritual lives, the much easier it becomes to access this part of our lives at any given point in time.

For this ritual, it is best if it can be performed outdoors to take advantage of the last of the warm season's weather. Inclement weather will always demand safety of the participants (and comfort can be a big part of safety so don't count that out). If you are doing your rite indoors because it is cold and rainy, this is not a problem. (And may actually be an excellent time to acquire some rainwater for future ritual and spellcraft use.) The ritual has a central space for focus, this is the altar space. It can be a table dedicated for this use specifically. It can also be as simple as a coffee table in the living room. A cloth that evokes autumnal qualities is pleasant, but not vital. The rite can be performed with out an altar cloth of any sort or a table. As long as the altar space is visually designated as separate from the rest of the ritual space, that is all you really need here.

Candles are popular. In some cases, the old fashioned flame burning candles are not a good choice. I have found equal success with electric candles as I have with wax. (I do my best to use rechargable batteries with my electric candles to minimize the environmental impact of disposing of batteries. If I must throw my batteries away, I collect them in a safe container and then bring them to places where they are disposed of properly. If you ask your local electronics store or automotive store, they can usually tell you where they are collected for disposal.) At least one candle is dedicated to the deity(s) you are invoking.

In addition to candles on the altar, ritual tools for cleansing and purification are there. As are offerings and some manner of nourishment to be shared with the deity(s) and participants in the ritual. Breaking bread together has long been a blessed sacrament in countless faiths into antiquity as it is an expression of trust and community. If you can not make your own food stuffs for this rite, don't be troubled. Store bought is just as good (as a certain famous chef has said).

The Pre-Ritual Rites

Prior to this ritual, please make sure that the area is clean and easy to move through. This helps the ritual to proceed easily.

With the altar space clean and ready, place all tools, candles, icons, and food stuffs for the feasting portion of the rite. With the first tool for cleansing the space (I prefer to use incense of a floral nature with pine resin added in.), walk the perimeter of your ritual space. (If you are working in an established, permanent ritual space, the cleansing of the space via spirit is not a necessary step, though it may assist you in entering proper ritual mind set.) As you walk the perimeter, declare the intention that the space be cleansed of harmful and contrary energy to your goals. The first pass around the ritual area complete, place the first tool of cleansing on the altar and then repeat the process with the second tool (I asperge the space with blessed salt water.).

Ritual space established, if a candle is being used to signify the presence of spiritual allies, guardians, and guests, light said candle at this time. As you do so, make your invocation of these beings, making your invitation as specific as possible. This is an excellent time to request your spiritual allies and guardians to ward the ritual space and participant(s) from harm by way of malevolent and contrary spiritual beings that seek to disrupt or otherwise influence the ritual.

Invitations made to those upon the spiritual realms that you desire to have present or witness your ritual, it is now time to invoke your household and personal deities. (In my case, I would be requesting the presence of Ingvi-Freyr; Anna, the Priestess of the World; Mother Marya; and Deam Mysterium.) At the time of requesting the presence of the deities, it is good to state what the purpose of your ritual is and ask their blessing upon it.

The Ritual

The Full Moon rites of Wicca, and related faith traditions, are generally ones of thanksgiving when they are not focused upon magical work. The ritual I present to you today is based in the Wiccan ritual format, as this is how I was trained initially in ritual practices. The Full Corn Moon / Full Barley Moon is the harvest celebration that is closest to the Autumnal Equinox and when the harvest celebration of Mabon (one of the major celebrations of Wicca and related faiths) happens.

[...]

Alright folks, I need some help here.

I'm looking this post over and I feel like I am just going on and on. I'm going to take another swing at this, but before I do, I would love some feedback.

Where do you think the strengths of this style of post are? What do you feel is missing? (Other than the other half of how to do this ritual.) I don't want to be boring you. I worry that this post's high level of verbage is taking away from the really purpose and goals of this post - to be informative and making knowledge accessible to pretty much anyone.

So, please, take a look at this draft. I've been trying to fix it because I have the distinct feeling something is wrong with it. I just can't place what it could be.

Please post your comments, suggestions, and recommendations in the comments below. Thank you so much for your time and your help. I want to make this the best little blog I can. I need a bit of help to do so.

Amity Day: Love is Love is Love.

Today is commonly known as Valentine's Day. It is the feast day of the Catholic saint named Valentinus. The stories surrounding this saint all agree that his death was decidedly unpleasant (one variation included his being beaten with clubs and beheaded before getting dumped into a shallow grave before being disinterred and reinterred elsewhere by the Christian faithful). The general reasons for this man's death usually are cited as performing marriages for Roman soldiers who had been forbidden from marrying and his association with Christians. Precise details about this era are not as strong as one would like because there are multiple individuals known as Valentinus who died for approximately the same reasons. This is additionally confused with the very varied writings that made up medieval hagiography.

Within the Filianic/Déanic communities, February 14th (also known as Brighe 23rd according to the sacred calendar of these faiths) has become known as Amity day. This is the day where love is celebrated in its many splendid forms. Where as the secular over-culture that we are generally aware of focuses upon romantic love (of a very specific variety) on this day, the Filianic/Déanic communities have a broader perspective. Indeed, it is often found that a focus upon Platonic and familial love in these communities. It is not that romantic love is unimportant as much as Platonic and familial relationships more closely mirror the ideal relationship between worshipers and Dea.

There are many in the wider pagan community that honor this as the feast of Lupercalia. Lupercalia is an ancient fertility festival that is reckoned to have been celebrated at approximately the same time of the year. The festival is historically associated with wolves and the deity known as Faunus (who is considered a Roman cognate to the Hellenic deity Pan). The focus of this festival has historically been the celebration of fertility, the appeasement of unfriendly spirits, the increase of health and vitality in the community, and purification of the city. One would only presume that along with the focus upon purification of the city, there was perhaps a parallel focus upon purification within one's own home.

Today, the 14th of February is treated as a day of sanctioned debauchery along certain lines. The indulgence of people in extravagant purchases to display their affection, in having sweet treats, and physical displays of affection is so heavily entrenched in the over-culture of the United States that it seems some sort of strange irony considering how many people are judgmental of others for such indulgences at other times of the year. The ideas that there is a certain standard of behavior that is required to observe this day properly creates an incredible amount of stress and anxiety for many, many people.

There are people who are extremely upset that they do not have a lover to dote upon them. There are people who are extremely anxious that their displays of affection are not extravagant. The combination of the stereotypes of what a 'good Valentine's day' looks like and the general lack of reasonable allowances for people to express their affections in a manner that is most comfortable for them turns a day that could have been one for deep spiritual and emotional connection in to a day of anxiety, stress, and general misery for many people.

Thus, one is encouraged to focus more upon love as a concept at large rather than a specific manifestation, with the exception of how those manifestations enrich one's life. Taking time on amity day to focus upon acts of self care as healthy self love is just as valid as taking one's sweetheart out to dinner. Some would dare say that that moment of self care is even more important right now. Focus upon love as that all encompassing wonder that moves through the world.