IN OUR ONENESS...KNOW THY SELF

Each month there is a spirit that goes forth and walks by night;  There spirits that walk by night must be appeased; For the external influences act on man, in accordance with the stars. Kawang-Tchu, Treatise on Wandering Influences

May 9  - First day of Lemuria, a Roman festival of the dead; this festival was probably borrowed from the Etruscans and is one possible ancestor of our modren Halloween. (Etruscan civilization - highest civilization in Italy before the rise of Rome)  

Souls of the Dead who sometimes returned to the world to reunite themselves with their bodies.  Plato spoke of them in Paedra.  The Etruscans and the Romans thought that lemurs attached themselves to the living in order to torment them.  Less frightening than the larvae (lemures) but less honorable than the manes.  

*Larvae (1) The Romans believed them to be the ghosts of criminals or men who had died tragically.  They had the appearance of horrible specters or skeletons. 

(2) In the Middle Ages the Larvae became the terrifying spirits who brought great sadness and epileptic diseases to man. 

 (3) The Larvae were really elemental spirits used by black magicians to obsess their enemies.  For Paracelsus and some Cabalists, the Larvae were the children of Adam's solitude, born in filth and squalor during the night.  They entered men's blood or into some living tissue.  They could be extracted by using a sharp instrument and by fumigation with perfumes with a base of henbane, mandragora and poppy.  

* Manes (Shades) to the Romans, they were the deified souls of their ancestors, or di manes.  In the month of February holidays were celebrated in their honor (the Parentalis and the Fetlia).  They were offered sacrifices to appease them.
 
(2) In the wide sense, the world sometimes designates the gods of the Underworld (chthonian gods) as opposed to the gods of the Sky (uranian gods) called the de superi.  

The Etruscans and Romans tried to appease them by conducting strange ceremonies known as the Lemuria, held every May.  The father of the family would offer black beans to the demons.  Because they appeared in the form of specters or animals, some occultists compared them, incorrectly, to vampires.

 May 9, 2011 is a sacred date. This day will correspond to the day when the visible and material world is in harmony with the spiritual world. This will be the night when the spirits of Nature come into contact with those with a pure heart and who have prepared for their arrival. During this spiritual contact, spirits will flood the lives of these people with "magical" energy, thus enabling luck and good fortune if the people’s conduct is unselfishly motivated.

In the ancient tradition which dates from the dawn of time, the magical night is an exceptional night. It is a cosmic night when the visible and material world is in harmony with the spiritual world. In other words, an ideal night for communicating with the spiritual forces which surround us. These supernatural forces are able to help people who request them to. This ancient practice-several thousand years old-symbolises the confidence and wisdom of that our ancestors had in the supernatural and cosmic forces bringing happiness on earth. Of course, for the spiritual forces to be able to work, the person requesting their help needs to be doing so only for good.

On that night, you will be able to approach the night’s invisible and beneficial forces and request their help. It has been so for millennia, and still today, the beneficial forces can help you.

Winter will not mark the end. Rather, it will be the beginning of a completely new and richer life. We will meet are family, friends and loved ones again.  The heart and home will call out and we will be drawn together from East and West and from the North and South. 

  The words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem, "Ringing Out, Wild Bells".

  RING OUT WILD BELLS, TO THE WILD SKY, THE FLYING CLOUD, THE FROSTY LIGHT. THE YEAR IS CLOSING IN THE NIGHT; RING OUT, WILD BELLS AND LET HIM DIE.

  RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW, RING, HAPPY BELLS, ACROSS THE SNOW; THE YEAR IS GOING, LET HIM GO; RING OUT THE FALSE, RING IN THE TRUE.

  RING OUT THE GRIEF THAT SAPS THE MIND, FOR THOSE THAT HERE WE SEE NO MORE; RING OUT THE FEUD OF RICH AND POOR, RING IN THE REDNESS TO ALL MANKIND.

  RING OUT A SLOWLY DYING CAUSE, AND ANCIENT FORMS OF PARTY STRIFE; RING IN THE NOBLER MODES OF LIFE, WITH SWEETER MANNERS, PURER LAWS,

  RING OUT THE WANT, THE CARE, THE SIN, THE FAITHLESS COLDNESS OF THE TIMES; RING OUT, RING OUT MY MOURNFUL RHYMES, BUT RING THE FULLER MINSTREL IN.

  RING OUT FALSE PRIDE IN PLACE AND BLOOD, THE CIVIC SLANDER AND THE SPITE; RING IN THE LOVE OF TRUTH AND RIGHT, RING IN THE COMMON LOVE OF GOOD.

  RING OUT OLD SHAPES OF FOUL DISEASE; RING OUT THE NARROWING LUST OF GOLD; RING OUT THE THOUSAND WARS OF OLD, RING IN THE THOUSAND YEARS OF PEACE.

  RING OUT THE VALIANT MAN AND FREE, THE LARGER HEART, THE KINDLIER HAND; RING OUT THE DARKNESS OF THE LAND, RING IN THE 'LIGHT' THAT IS TO BE.

 

Let us open our eyes and our hearts today and look at the wonders around us for the first time. Reach forth unto those things which are before us. 

 
EACH DAY'S A NEW BEGINNING,
SO START WITH A SMILE;
ENJOY THE ART OF LIVING,
DO THINGS THAT ARE WORTHWHILE,
LIKE LOVING AND FORGIVING,
AND HAVING TIME TO SPARE,
TO MAKE SOME PERSON HAPPY,
BY SHOWING THAT YOU CARE

Yule, is a magical time - no matter how many years pass by. It is a season to be merry and to make merry. There is love and good fellowship all around.  

It is governed by a wealth of witchcraft traditions and superstitions that are followed throughout the night.  TheThe Yule trees shine bright with lit firey bulbs and the glistening ornaments. Some feverishly dance around the bonefire.  Kids toboggan or are outdoor skating.  A few will ski across the open country, while others scatter ashes from the Yule logs to ensure bounty in the coming year. Green boughs and birch twigs are firmly placed over the doorways to prevent negative influences from entering.  The large, potted, red and white poinsettas create a festive atmosphere.  Ashwood burns in the fireplace to attract prosperity, and mistletoe hang to ensure blessings.  Nuts are offered to attract harmony.  When a nut shell is cracked and two nuts are found inside is a sign of luck in love. 

Herbs, in hand sewn magical bags are given to enhance dreams and add a wonderful fragrance to the room.  An oak Yule log, with candles two inches apart, nestle in boughs to evergreen, pinecones, red and green ribbons to symbolize the new born sun, burn bright on the mantle.   

December 21st, the longest night and the shortest day of the witch's year, marks Winter Solstice.  A time of re-birth and change.  The light from the Sun is born and grows stronger to slowly warm the cold days of winter.  There is a feeling of connection as all celebrate the longest night and shortest day of the year. 

After tonight the Sun will rise earlier and earlier, then stay longer spreading its light to create life at the Dawning Time.   

Just as autumn yields to winter, so does winter recede to to the awakening of spring.   

Witches with the turning of the seasonal wheel graduate into the next phase of human development.  We gained knowledge over the past year to manage our lives while guided by Spirit.  We gain character and demension, depth and strength to our personal individuality.    

Some see Merlin as a madman when he isolated himself from people to live in the woods.  I think maybe he no longer  wanted to live in a world full of so many non-truths; war, anger, greed, and lust. 

I believe he became a wizard who loved living with the world of nature.  He had power in his hands and voice to harness the wind, rain, sun and storms. He could conjure spells and illusions which could fool the wisest.  The energy from his palms had the ability to cure disease of the human and animal body.
 
  Legends states there came a time Merlin, in his heart could no longer carry the cruelties of war: the actions humans did to one another.  He left the kingdom to go into the forest to live among the beasts.  Sometimes he would be seen wearing a cloak of feathers. 

When his sister Gwendydd, who ruled Cambra with her husband King Ryddrach, heard of her brother's departure, she sent message promising him great riches if he would return to her court.  Merlin denied her request. 

Again Gwendydd sent a message, this time telling Merlin that since he abandoned his wife she was living with great heartache.  Merlin returned, only wanting to visit and explain his reasoning to his bride. 

His sister had him chained to a post.   While chained Merlin broke into a fit of laughter watching King Ryddrach fawning over his wife.  "My sister is untrue to you, she spends the mid-sun with her lover among the groves," he said to the king. 

Gwendydd knew what her brother said was a fact and released the wizard, declaring him mad.  

Merlin living in the deep woods once again, received word from his sister that his wife would like to wed another.  Merlin gave permission as long as he never had to see her new husband.  

Merlin rode into the kingdom on a mighty stag, on his ex-wife's wedding day.  He saw the bride and called out to her.  Behind him, he heard the groom snicker.  Furious for his lack of respect, Merlin took the groom's life force by breaking an antler from the stag and driving it deep within.  

Gwendyyd, fearing her brother's safety, commanded her men to build a fortress inside the largest oak tree they could find.  She wanted seventy windows and seventy doors constructed, so he could spend his days mapping the stars and observing nature's laws. 

When his sister returned to her kingdom, her husband had died.  After mourning her mate, she joined her brother in the oak tree and spent her days observing the patterns of the heavens, learning all of Merlin's magical gifts.  She soon outgrew the teacher.  Being a seer, Merlin already knew that his sister would carry on the prophetic wisdom.

Yule, is one of the four lesser Witches Sabbats, takes place each year on the Winter Solstice, which occurs on or about December 21. 

At Yule most people have a fondness for natural trees. It is not incorrect to cut down our trees when we choose one from tree farms.  Trees at the the tree farms are considered a crop; renewed each year, contributing to the environmental wellness for a full ten years before they are harvested and replaced with seedlings to begin the cycle again.  

When you bring a tree home a fresh cut about a half inch is made at the base of the stump to open the pores so it can drink.  The water level needs to be checked on a daily basis and kept top up to keep it alive in its unnatural conditions.  

The boughs of the evergreen can be used to construct wreaths, garlands and door swags.  Berries, wintergreen, bells and pinecones can be added for a seasonal effect.  Silver bells to call the Fairies and spirits can be hung with care.  Popcorn and berries can be strung together to rest on the Yule tree to give a natural feel.  Gems and crystals will produce glitter. A Yule tree has the power to help brighten our spirits during the short days of winter.  

Kissing under the mistletoe is a Yule time tradition.  Kissing under the mistletoe some say is strictly Anglo Saxon.  The practise began around the middle of the eighteenth century.  Others believe that Holly, ivy and mistletoe,  are traditionally associated with the Yuletide season, sacred to the Druids, and linked to old Pagan folklore.  Kissing under the mistletoe will be good luck - Druidic fertility right.

The green, leafy and white-berried plant grows on, and is collected from, the sacred oak tree.  The mistletoe is a parasitic plant because it draws its nourishment from the host tree and saves it for itself.  For mistletoe to survive it must receive its nutrients from the tree.   

The materials extracted during harvest, from the plant, is for medicinal powers to act against cancer.  

According to England in the Middle Ages, superstition mistletoe should never be brought into the house prior to Yule Eve, to do so invites bad luck into your house.  The plant should be burned the morning after Twelfth Night.  To throw out or destroy in any other way is said to conjure the worst of ill luck.

Yule candles should be lit on the eve of the Winter Solstice and allowed to burn all night.  The candles are believed to bring good luck only if given as gifts and not bought for oneself.  It is considered unlucky to light before Yule Eve or to blow out its flame instead of using a snuffer.  Saving the stub of the candle is said to bring a person good luck throughout the coming year.

Yuletide is a festive season and most popular time for friends and family to come together.

People are important in life.  Our bond grows strong as result of giving and receiving love.  Friendships are forged through desire to help others; loving, caring people who offer support.   Some people in our lives leave for a long time and then return.  That's because true friendship never leaves forever.  It never does leave at all.  It is with you for eternity.   

Yule can be a sad time of year.  The absence of the close personal relationships can bring a sense of loss.  The loss is both a privilege and a necessity.  Some people in our lives leave never to return.  The absence of the close personal relationship can bring a sense of loss. 

We are meant to say goodbye to those we love.  Events in life occur for a reason.  Situations are meant to happen.  The loss of people allows us to appreciate the time shared.  The loss can inspire within to be a better to those who are still near.

Halloween orgins date back 2000 years ago to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (prodounced sow-in). Sunday October 31st is the Great Sabbat Samhain and fire festival.

Samhain means "end of summer" and is an ancient Celtic festival that celebrates the beginning of winter, marked by death and is considered to be the Witches' New Year.

In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honour saints and martyrs.

It is believed that the pope was attempting to replace Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called
All-hollowmas or(from Middle English Alholwesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually Halloween.

November 1, the Day of the Dead (also celebrated by some on November 2)the dead were thought to return to earth. People would leave food on the tables for them and for would usually stay indoors.

Apple tress that produce blossoms and fruit simultaneously were one of the features of the Celtic paradise. Avalon, the paradise to which King Arthur was called, was probably named after the Welsh word afal. meaning apple. The apple has always been particularly associated with love and marriage.

Several of the most widely known Halloween's divinationrituals related to apples.

If you want to know the initial of your true loves first name twist the stalk once for each letter of the alphabet: the stalk  will snap at the right letter.

Place a apple seed representing a potential partner in a hot fire while saying: 'If you love me, bounce and fly, if you dislike me, lie and die', and then observing what happens, might produce the required answer.

If a girl stands before a mirror while eating an apple and combing her hair at midnight, her future husband's image will be reflected in the glass over her left shoulder.

At midnight cut an apple into nine pieces, each of which must be stuck on the point of the knife and held over the left shoulder, her future husband's image will appear.

Peel an apple in one long piece, and toss the peel over the left shoulder or into a bowel of water, one will be able to read the first initial of their future partner's name in the the shape assumed by the discarded peel.

An apple peel hung on a nail by the front door and the initials of the first man to enter will be the same as those of the unknown lover.

The game of ducking apples: without using their hands, children attempt to take bites out of apples floating in a bowl of water or suspended on strings The child is fated to marry the owner of the apple they managed to bite. The chlidren take their apple to bed and sleeps with the apple under their pillow so as to receive a vision.