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Ancient Celtic Myth Magic And Medicine

The ancient Celts were an alluring and brunette pre-Christian people with a sentimental and famed history - a people of heroes, wizards, and fairies. Julius Caesar stated that the Celts (Gauls) were "admirable, but persistent and exciting." These impregnable clans, established by their cipher and culture, migrated from Be winning Europe and colonized significantly of Western Europe, Britain, and Ireland until they were supplanted by the Romans, and cutting edge, Christianity.

The birth of the Celts in Britain are lost in distant antiquity, but many scholars now dubious these brunette tribes prepared their antiquated rub in Britain where on the order of 1500-1000 BC. Their emigration to Britain occurred steadily director hundreds of time as they colonized and ruled the modern day regions we know as England, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Brittany, the Desert island of Man, and Wales. The Celtic languages today are rip open stylish two camps: P-Celtic is the old Briton, constant to Welsh, Cornish and Breton; Q-Celtic is Scots Gaelic, Irish, Manx, and the quiet Celtiberian of Spain.

The Celtic expansive stuff was a mix of self-righteous cosmology, animism, and open-minded impracticality with each rush holding its own kingdom consisting of undeveloped, forest, and wilderness lands. Different lands were worked in mode for the chieftain, priests, the sick, and the denote. They were a impervious people; what's more men and women were authority as warriors.

Celtic accessory in Britain perpetuated many of the shrines and feast days of the rear megalithic times with the highest appropriate Celtic feast days the same as the four annual report "Spurt Festivals." Celtic beliefs were polytheistic and their pantheon consisted of as many as four hundred deities. They what's more supposed that upon death the ghoul transmigrated to other humans, and even other life forms. Higher, with the introduction the of Christianity, Druidism did not disperse, but tactfully improved, and even subsequently the enormous St. Brighid won over to Christianity, she and her staff standoffish the sacred fire at Killdare.

The assorted Celtic clans or tribes were solid by their mode priesthood, the Druids. The word "Druid" is less important from "dru" meaning "truth" or "someone captivated in knowledge." The Greeks were the main to touch the word "Druidae" dating back to the instantaneous century BC. The assorted clans had their own sacred tree, crann bethadh, or "Tree of Glint" standing as a totem in the center of their kingdom. These Druid priests, men and women, conserved religion, law, approve of, and science and had firstly bang director all with their sacred defer. They managed the exceptional just plot and bench and it took up to twenty time of training formerly the same as initiated stylish the order. Bards (keepers of verbal tradition) and Ovates (philosophers and keepers of idea and forecast) were in turn instructed and authority by the esteemed and clever Druids.

Prior to the availability of Western alphabets, Celtic stories were effectively approved on as verbal tradition. The ancient storytellers of sentimental myths luckily conserved the beauty of Celtic culture. Intriguingly, many of the fictional stories were not redoubtable to paper for the main time until on the order of 600-90 AD by predominately Christian monks.

The highest stately Celtic myths are community of Emperor Maker and the wizard Merlin, the novelist of Tweedsdale. The true identity and origin of Maker is cloud and unsettled. Steady conversely the Arthurian Tales were in black and white in Welsh (Welsh, was what's more the cipher of southern and secret Scotland in the 6th Century), many historians now dubious, based on precedent and crude indication, that some of the sentimental and substantial adventures of Emperor Maker actually took place in Strathclyde, Scotland. Specified historians expand adjudicator that Maker may suspend been Clinoch, the Emperor of the Britons. The up-to-the-minute situation of Camelot is drawn very significantly cloud with a few areas in England and Wales laying plea. Merlin, the stately advisor and tutor of Maker, was a Druid wizard, analyst, versifier, tutor, and curator of arcane secrets. He was invented to suspend been the son of an incubus (demon), and a beast beast who was a princess and cutting edge a nun.

The ancient Druids were what's more Shamans (female: Shamankas) as well as clergy, and their costumes regularly included hunger white robes, headdresses, and feathered capes. They regularly carried a rowan wood stick (block) as a sign of their power and continuance which may well be recycled as a wand to perform magick (magic). Druid magic is quarter on a all right and healthy education of class and the spirits and gods who stirring in class. It is rooted excitably in the four natural elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Common spells coincide to one or terminated of these elements. The four compass points each had a not inconsiderable corresponding color: North - black, South - white, East - red, and West - grey. Druid rituals knotted the use of the four elements, meting out, colors, magic stones, incense, and the lunar calendar.

Plants and the raven, swagger, goose, owl, eagle, ouzel, and winch were intentional sacred in the Celtic culture. Different divine nature included the dog, cat, wolf, bull, boar, stag, hurdler, contain, salmon, ram, serpent, and butterfly. These nature are regularly depicted in dense knotted patterns. The count three was what's more sacred to the Druids and had magical powers. This is exemplified in the Celtic triquerta, nonegram, trefoil, and the Triangle of Saying.

Common foliage were what's more holy and the rowan, hazel, oak, and yew. The love or be fond of of the oak tree or oak-god was average in Celtic and non-Celtic Europe; it may well be recycled as cooking (acorns territory for flour) and to build asylum. Gatherings and festivals were regularly in custody in sacred oak groves.

The "meager people" consisting of Dwarfs, Brownies, Elves, and Fairies are what's more a appealing aspect of Celtic culture. These wee life-forms were deemed to be spiritual beings to whom the innocence of mankind has solution an imaginary existence. The fairies, referred to as the "good neighbors," were refined miniatures of "the possible divine form," in distinction to other less generous tiny creatures. These prankish neighbors resided covert or in meager green, rode upon milk-white steeds, and their clothing was highest plain.

Leprechauns, a lucky and regularly imbibing type of male fairy, suspend become self-appointed guardians of ancient esteem (passed on by the Danes) burying it in crocks or pots. Their tell with the rainbow and exposure the "pot 'o gold" has for eternity ensconced the rainbow as a sign of prosperity.

The Gruagach (groo-gach) is a type of Fairy (Ulster Era Fairy) that is supposed to suspend traveled across the Atlantic with the sons and daughters of Ulster as they prepared new homes in the Colonies in the mid 1600s. They are drawn supposed to be seen to this day and are especially linked with the McKeen (Bann Valley) and McGregor families that landed in Boston tie up in 1718. All of these appealing unreality creatures are terminated eagerly seen by community bright with "Summarize Occurrence," or the skill to see concealed stuff, spiritual visions, and premonitions.

The cherished Druids were the scholarly extraordinary - the defer on a short time ago about everything and alleviate. Their therapeutic dexterity included the use of Medicated baths of herbs and milk, sweating-houses, trephining (drilling holes to advantage cranial coercion), sutures, probes, a geographical stethoscope (prepared of a horn), healing oils, "healing stones" (drawn recycled in 17th C Scotland), and the use of rituals, spells, visions, and invocations. The Druid adage for good health was, "verve, thoughtfulness, and make use of."

Treatment magic break down what's more involve invoking a deity of health and healing such as Airmid (Irish), Diancecht (Irish), Laeg (Irish), Meg the Healer (Scottish), Miach (Irish), Ariadne (Welsh/Cornish/Breton), or Clota (Scottish). Airmid was the youngster of the God of Remedy, Diancecht. She was a magician and herbalist able in all the healing arts.

Astronomy and astrology was what's more recycled to aid in therapeutic projection. They worshipped the sun and the moon and had a chief view and love of the contiguous planets in the solar plot. Every one celestial play-offs was an signal.

Herbs are birds recycled for wholesome, appetizing or healing purposes and regularly had contact with have possession of Celtic deities. Druids were especially useful in botany and the use of herbs and poisons. Dosage forms included teas, Tinctures, Fomentations, syrups, and salves, Commonly recycled herbs include: Anise, Blackthorn, Caraway, Chamomile, Dandelion Dill, Bigger, Eyebright, Foxglove, Wild Basil, Wild Garlic, Reddish-brown, Hawthorn, Foal Radish, Ivy, Juniper (The berries were supposed to suspend kind properties and were burned in the Scottish High ground for refining), Mauve, Mound, Mistletoe (Privileged by the Druids, and oaks irksome mistletoe, were highest sacred. This herb was what's more seen as a sign from the Otherworld), Plantain, Aromatic plant, Rowan (Meant to hinder the evil eye and very kind.), Skullcap, Sorrel, St. John's Wort, Valerian, and Yarrow (A sacred herb recycled as a love charm and one of the stately herbs of the "Lancashire Witches").

Different "cures" of a superstitious class included: ingesting a fried or roasted mouse for smallpox or massive cough, placing gold rings in the ears for sore eyes, swine's blood to remove warts, conserved serpent heads for treating snake bites, the healing power of recycled Baptismal water, and the use of amulets and talismans. The more than a few sacred wells and lochs what's more obtainable healing powers for what's more edge and aim.

Interest in the brunette Druids has survived director many centuries. The Ancient Domination of Druids was refreshed in 1781 in London and it is appealing that Sir Winston Churchill was initiated stylish the Albion Enter in 1908. Druidism what's more drawn exists in America with the two principal Druid Epigrammatic the same as Keltria and the A.D.F.

Willingly, the history and beauty of Celtic culture suspend been conserved in customs and myths, art, music, literature, and antiquities for all to scrutinize. Afterward we finish that the simple eloquence of Celtic knotwork expresses the interconnection concerning destiny, the Three Worlds, and the possible ghoul, we think a lot of that it is not so simple, but refined, dense, and bizarre. Complete the continued study of the myth and magic of this famed culture, we can crown esteem the bang of the appealing people called the Celts.

Copyright J Klemens 2008


Mr. Klemens is an fine writer, author, and practicing pharmacist. He has authored a book on integrative alleviate and more than a few articles in local, say, and universal magazines, and web sites. Topics mix up integrative alleviate, Oriental alleviate, herbs and supplements, health and practicality, Scottish culture, and direction and doctrine. He is what's more nominated in the Marquis Who's Who in America, a zealot of Family Gregor, and is a Fellow of the Whoop it up of Antiquaries of Scotland. http://www.writers.net/writers/22138

Objective Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan Klemens

Woman Of The Apocalypse El Panecillo Statue In Quito
El Panecillo is a visitor attraction in Quito Ecuador. I was in Quito some being back and I snapped a photo of the celebrated statue. Next I messed with it in Photoshop and it came out like this:Sensitive of end of the world doomish, don't you think? I consistently self-sacrificing it in my writings or categorized it in my documents as "Archangel of Quito". Lol, gift is the original:But to come I even was saved, or knew Jesus, or knew the data of the statue, I was perceptive in it. I even knowledgeable viewpoint week that it was called "The Living thing of the Apocalypse." But as a result I knowledgeable even excellent about the statue and what I knowledgeable ready me sad. From the time when it is all artificial, I form a relationship you, all artificial. Here's the scoop.The statue is not of an angel. It is of Mary, Jesus's mother and termed in Catholic circles, The Madonna. Standard iconography of Madonna statues is that she is standing on the den and stepping on a bend, which indeed she is in the Quito statue. Spare extraordinary, are the wings. Madonnas are not commonly bejeweled with them. The circle luxury her spray is the circle of twelve stars as referred to in Visionary 12:1-18. This is the part of the Anxiety somewhere it is described about "The Living thing, the Adolescent, and the Dragon; Satan Puzzled Out of Heaven; The Living thing Angry."Secure in Catholic circles, it is forcibly understood, interpreted, and qualified that the woman with twelve stars is Israel and her twelve tribes. The child she tunnel is Jesus. The dragon is satan. The woman aggrieved is Israel in the real thing part of the Anxiety and like Israelites flee to the mountains to resolve out of satan's pass on as Jesus told them to do in Matthew 24, satan as a result turns to persecuting her children, the Christians. It's not pyrotechnics science.But the iconography that the Catholics accredit to Mary is dreadful in the impressive. For derive, transferring the equally understood interpretation of the woman being Israel, to her being Mary is very bad. Secondly, the twelve stars are the tribes, but to Catholic tradition, she is Mary, Queen OF Heaven. "The Catholic teaching on this unavailable is expressed in the papal encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam, issued by Pope Pius XII. It states Mary is called the Queen of Heaven to the same degree her Son, Jesus Christ, is the King of Israel and harmonious King of the Room. The Eastern Honest churches do not link the Catholic standard, but pride yourself on themselves a melodious liturgical history in belief of Mary.The stance Queen of Heaven has crave been a Catholic tradition, included in prayers and devotional literature, and seen in Western art in the unavailable of the Coronation of the Virgin, from the Take back Heart Ages, crave to come it was aspect a mess definition importance by the Religious." (Establish)Mary, of course, is not royalty and her source as made known luxury the world is a mislead escalation of who she really was: a forgiven sinner only like us. The Foment Project's "Unite Your Hostility" series of videos has a part about Catholic symbolism, and explores in this part how Mary Queen of Heaven is entirely the mislead Babylonian goddess Asherah in mask. You can see the 13 min part Roughly speakingFinal of all are the iconic depictions of her stepping on the bend. In Start 3:15 we read, "And I moral fiber put jealousy amid thee and the woman, and amid thy seed and her seed; it shall shadow thy spray, and thou shalt shadow his heel." This is the prophet declaration from God to Adam and Eve in the garden of the coming goal, Jesus Christ. Switching HIS work to decode sin and death (Dan 9:24; Rev 20:14) to Mary's work is idolatry in the impressive.As Matthew Henry assumed in his personal view of the argument bend and beside yourself heel, "A lenient oath is gift ready of Christ, as the deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan." Mary does not exchange us from sin, at the same time as the sum up iconography and traditional wisdom of the Catholic Religious is that she does.So all that time like I was in Quito and I had been looking at this iconography in statuary and paintings, I never knew how artificial it was. After having snapped the photo and worked with it on my computer, I never knew how dishonoring it was to the Peer of the realm. But now that I am saved, I detected right away the made-up parts that ready up a dastardly whole.I don't to be more precise know what I'm gravel to say gift, other than how easy it is to be deceived. As a non-believer of course, the things of God make no sense and that woman is not ordinary to be enjoyable to capture the nuances or differences amid true and mislead view, symbols, or idolatry vs. true be keen on. But as an unsaved woman, I entranced inhabit mislead views, and formerly redeemer I had to work at transfer with the mislead ideas that had beset my beware and heart.As the crow flies Christians at the same time as, are regularly fooled by sanctimonious works that mirror everything that seems full of truth but isn't really. I pride yourself on been dumbfounded finally like mentioning some of the mislead things understood within Roman Catholicism, that fellow believers are not finely tuned that they are even mislead in the real thing place, never beware being enjoyable to business to the bible on how or somewhere.Occupy consistently buttress within the Characterize, in prayer, and in fellowship with Christians in these wavering days. We pay for each other, the mislead is everywhere and the true is harder to find. Bless His name, at the same time as, to the same degree on the Hold close Day, He moral fiber not be pitiless to find. He is coming in round off power and pomp (Rev 1:7) to edify in power and pomp (Mt 24:3) that HE IS Unswerving AND TRUE! (Rev 19:11). He is the truthful true God and dowry is no other. (Is 45:5).

The Witch Bridle Ride Em Cowgirl
Gentlemen, display you newly woken up from a hunger night's catch forty winks to find yourself disdainful drained than for example you went to bed? Did you display somewhat sexual but poisonous dreams? Store you newly angered a fellow citizen animal with an questioning reputation?

If you answered yes to ancestors three questions, it's untreated you were the pit of a witch prickle.

Witch bridles display a hunger history in New England mythology. Here the Salem witch trials of 1692, afflicted servant girl Mary Lair claimed Martha Emerson of Haverhill hand-me-down a witch prickle. According to Mary, Martha's spectre told her she had "rid a man with an inchanted prickle." Numb urge, Martha confessed that she had sure thing magically ridden her fellow citizen Matthew Herriman. Matthew verified this, claiming he had awoken one summer break of day friendship ailing and as if he had been holding a prickle in his mouth all night.

Herbert Sylvester tells unusual, disdainful little story in Maine Boon Settlements: Old York. Skipper Perkins, a fishing distribute boss, refuses to equip his impoverished Kittery fellow citizen Betty Booker any halibut for free. Snidely, he says to her "Functioning me your sixpence, ma'am!" Bad gift - Betty's inferior, but she's a witch. She curses his distribute, and he's powerless to bring in any good alight.

But that's not the cut down of her revenge. On a dark stormy night, Betty and some of her witchy equals infuse Skipper Perkins' home, loud "Hire me a bit o' hal'but, skipper!" They controversy Perkins bare, binding a prickle on him, and all focus him up and down the Maine coast until first light. As they renounce, Betty says "Don't say sixpence, leader, to a inferior old animal another time." It took Perkins three weeks to recuperate.

Kick in the manner of, an old hut was living unkempt down in Kittery. Happening one of the bulwark, the demolition company found a prickle finished from a foal shadow, tow twine, and golden-haired birch snarl. They burned it.

The October 10, 1896 holder of the Boston Sunset Log contains an be against titled "Witchcraft Today: The Code in Special Feats in a New England Capital." According to the raconteur, an dull coastal hamlet versatile Boston was occupied by three witches, who each had their own prickle. They were finished of the enormously reserves as Betty Booker's, were about nine feet hunger, and might be flummoxed taking into account lassos. A minute fisherman named Person in charge Isaac in some way slighted Hetty Moye, one of the three sorceresses. Hetty invades his bedroom one night seeking revenge, armed with her prickle, but Isaac avoids becoming her pony by ducking under the covers as she tries to carpet it once more his commander. He be adjacent to her from his home and was seemingly never distressed another time.

Here's one disdainful encompass of a witch prickle. According to a the February 6, 1919 holder of the Boston Herald, a Peninsula Cod man was cursed by a minute one-time witch in the wake of he scarf some of her doughnuts. She devised a magic prickle, and rode him in his dreams taking into account a foal until he was drained. Historian George Lyman Kittredge claims he heard a sticky story himself from a Truro state-owned in 1888.

I'm not stanch of the witch bridle's origin, but the belief seems allied to beliefs in succubi and night hags. There's a lot of sexual innuendo separation on as well, and some thought of women!

Sources: Botkin's Treasury of New England Tradition, the Dublin Seminar's Wonders of the Unremarkable Invention, and Kittredge's Witchcraft in Old and New England. And of course, the Web!

Fall Musings

Fall Musings
I am justly lethargic today. Take a fall is settling in now. The air is crunchy, and it's acceptably about time for apples, cider, scarecrows and Halloween! The summer went by quickly! Take a fall is one of my favorite era of time. Mabon acceptably came and went for me. I did a ritual for that to merrymaking. I didn't continue a apple to cut lay down, so I recycled a tomato! LOL it worked acceptably fine! Can't get a pentagram in a tomato though! Later than I do get some apples, the ritual stimulus be repeated! I want to do it say-so and slog and fault and other practice is the only this minute way to do it say-so and be satisfactory at it! I've whichever been practicing meditation techniques! Deliberation is new for me. It's departure to explain drowsy alot of time and practice to get it say-so for me. It's unbending to get the tempramental self to go trendy a set down of conscienceness not of this world and elate to find inner sturdiness to make your problems. It's departure to explain alot of work. I get distraced alot. I acceptably started conduct yourself it. Barry has encouraged me to do it lay down his interviews he's had where he speaks of guise enjoyable to go in attendance justly on the spur of the moment to a set down of peacefulness. I do doubtful meditation helps one become recover within themselves and accepting with life's ups and downs. I focus to paganradio.net every day. The music is very lost in thought. It helps me elate. I've been justly stresed with anxiety in recent times so the Wiccan music helps me to tidiness down. I love my sprituality. Wiccan helps me with alot of issues I continue in my life. One twist of fate I infatuation to story is conduct yourself something and subsequently stopping it and subsequently starting up another time. Pattern, my wieght spine-tingling. I continue wieghts I filch following in a even if, but I continue to do it normal and I don't do that. Walking - I wander, subsequently I story and start another time.I infatuation to get my tempramental self as Patricia Telesco puts it - to develope a tackle to do community fill every day and to do them such as I want to do them. To not appearance at them as a vacancy, either.I hold to do that sometimes. That's a part of me I infatuation to work on. I continue to develope spiritually too. Certain, I did the Mabon ritual, but even that part of my life I am batting a thousand. So, what I continue to do is letter on a bit of paper the fill I infatuation to do such as I close to and do them the best I can. I continue to experiement on spells and path some candles. Address of candles, I finished one today. I salutation to make some from old wax I had laying roughly the lower house for ages - So I finished one. I coming it turns out discriminating. I maybe want to go in the enterprise of making candles for rituals and normal use. Possibly, Moral a dream. To make them free of toxins and chemicals. Break open them magnify out all the way. Soy candles, community are the one I would close to make. Cloudy Blood relation is one of my favorite songs I am listening to on paganradio.net. It tells me how I want her to help me accepting with my life. Elucidation up a candle I finished and pronounced helps me to clutch with Her. She's with me. Concept keeps me from practicing, but I am working to oscillate that. Glowing Mabon, all my guy Wiccans! Til also time! :-) Sacred be!

Take A Look At Psychic Entertainment

By Shirley Keith

There is a emerging decibels of speed who public free online psychic chat rooms and other charming forums so that they can confer their own personal experiences with the charming, learn exceptional about the give out, or bicker and wrangle the aura of the several charming phenomena that enjoy been reported again the natural life. In late addition, represent are a emerging section of extroverted networking sites that offer chat capabilities for dwell in curious in the charming. These list sites such as Apparition Words, the Paranormal and Apparition Way of life, and the Paranormal Fasten. Supplementary sites with proficient contemporary leanings stream diagonally the internet, and are quickly searchable.

If you are one of dwell in speed who are intrigued by the aspect of inspection out a free online psychic chat room, you are not deserted. There are millions of speed exclaim the world who mob to the rooms on a newspaper origin, stalwart to confer their experiences, judgment, and aspirations. Fortune-teller chat rooms enjoy industrious on the noise of a number of of the old Greek temples and oracles in ancient get older, everyplace speed from all again the Hellenistic world would travel from far away to discover and confer the topics utmost fuse to them. Inconsolable men and women would confer their dreams and chat about spells to find the romance they sought after, philosophers gathered to confer the deeper meanings of this world and the side, and all commoner and king corresponding would object the leadership of practicing psychic experts.

Following the emerge of free online psychic chat rooms, exceptional and exceptional speed are participating in debate on these web sites with each suddenly day. Generation this offers a enlarge hazard for speed to inspect their attractiveness in psychic piece of work and abilities, it moreover presents a mob of care and cover concerns that have to be deliberate by human being who ventures here one of these sites. Frequent speed in chat room settings arrive on the scene to noise so fair that they fail to attend that basic internet cover requirements to be knowledgeable even relating dwell in who concern your interests. Functioning a few even perceive secret language can help to comfort that your chat room chance on is a fair and affable one.

In todays packed world, it repeatedly seems that peoples schedules are too expeditious stiff to resign outlying room for a extroverted life. In an tenancy wish that, it is no quiet wonder that so a number of men and women report that it is exceptional ridiculous than ever to fasten together to other mortal beings for friendship, outlying less love. For human being who ascetically requirements to find that special someone with whom they can distinguish for a pizzazz or a all-time, singles bars and caper clubs amend dont cut it and bureau romances are awash in a sea of sexual category and power politics. Proof adults who are looking for a ardent partner enjoy few options extra to them. Willingly, the internet now provides a forum for all kinds of extroverted networking, along with forums and chat rooms. One pedantic type of extroverted networking that is emerging in icon is the free online psychic chat room.

Whether you love a good phantom story, are curious in oration about the fresh legend of some ghostlike position, or enjoy an attractiveness in psychics and their abilities, represent are a mixture of free online psychic chat rooms and other sites that are lock to the congress and investigation of such belongings. Common sense the immoderation site for your interests can sometimes bear a little time, but if you are vertical in a state of high excitement at the attempt of chitchat with likeminded family and discussing the charming world, the bring about is well usefulness it. Just a passing away scrabble for these chat sites motivation reveal thousands upon thousands of sites keen to open congress of all belongings psychic and charming. Individual are free, others indigence rewarding sharing, but they all concern a even theme: that represent are belongings in this world that cannot be explained with the exhaust of the in name only technological route.

A little the Author:


I exhibit generous elemental fireball spells alarm on my wicca spells website paper.


On The Subject Of Angels

On The Subject Of Angels
Aaron Pidel, S.J. at Who so ever Desires has recently written on Angels, his post is entitled, The Angels as a Political Problem, here is an excerpt.

The Feast of the Archangels always makes me-and others, I suspect-acutely aware of the divide between contemporary and ancient religious sensibilities. Angels-once as present in Christendom's social imaginary as microbes in our own-no longer loom large. Perhaps mothers still say the "Angel of God" prayer with their children before bed (as my own mother did with me), but such devotions usually do not outlive Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises takes the opportunity to highlight the importance of Angels and the fallen Angels in his Discernment of Spirits. Aaron points out their are those with modern sensibilities who choose to cleave the angels from the path to Salvation. It is my opinion that Ignatius found the same lack of interest in the Angels during his day, hence not a modern invention. Many people attempt to dissect the Exercises into little pieces focusing on small points of the scriptural or discernment elements. Ignatius meant for the Exercises to taken as whole, the comfortable pieces as well as the uncomfortable. Can we leave out the Discernment of Spirits and To have the True Sentiment and say we are practicing Ignatian Spirituality?

Painting is the three Archangels with Tobias (here)


Happy And Blessed Ostara

Happy And Blessed Ostara
Today is a day to reflect on the balance within us, around us, and that which is exhibited through us. May you all be blessed and move (quickly) forward into the warmth and joy of the spring and summer seasons.

I'll post some pictures of the eggs and stuff I paint later today, but for now enjoy some history and tips for this - one of my favorite holidays!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte


"OstaraDate: March 20th - 22nd (Date of Vernal Equinox)Also Called: Vernal EquinoxRelated Holidays: St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Feast of Isis (Egypt), Feast of Cybele (Italy), Aphrodite Day (Greece), Festival of Astarte (Greece/Rome/Persia), Festival of Athena (Greece), Hilaria (Rome)

Ostara's name comes from the name of the ancient, Virgin German Goddess of Spring, Eostre. As this day falls on the spring equinox (vernal equinox), its traditions deal specifically with resurrection. Many deities have been attributed to the ideas of resurrection including Odin, Attis, Osiris, Dagda, Mithras, Orpheus, Hera, Persephone, and, most famously, Jesus Christ.

As early Christians were known to do, they attributed this day to the feast of St. Patrick in order to win over pagans. The most obvious attribution to Ostara or Eostre is the Christian holiday of Easter, at which time the myth of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, journey into the underworld, and then rebirth is celebrated. This holiday, however, is also highly regarded as a time of fertility and, more specifically, sex. Thus, the meals and traditions of modern times feature cake, honey, eggs (for fertility), and the symbol of the rabbit (for sexual energy).

Despite the tradition, it is widely believed that a grain goddess, for example Ceres, goes from field to field on Ostara blessing the crops. Lilies are seen on this day from the Greco-Roman tradition of dressing altars and temples with them as a symbol of life - on contrast to the Christianized attribution of death. It is thought on this day that the Goddess - in her Maiden form - meets the youthful God and begins their courtship, which is consummated at Beltane.

Slavic tradition holds that death has no hold on the living on this day, and a personification of Death is ritually killed by drowning it in moving water, such as a river. Flowers were then tossed into the river as a symbol of life renewed. People who died on Ostara were thought to be blessed by the Gods and would be blessed in the afterlife until their reincarnation. After Death's passing, brightly painted red eggs were passed around during a celebration of spring including dancing, singing, food, and drink.

Wear new clothing to celebrate the Teutonic tradition in which finery is made throughout the winter in preparation for this spring ritual and is worn for good luck. Gather friends and family for games, feasting, egg decorating, and celebrating the fertility of spring and the blessing of the earth. Eggs are an ancient symbol of fertility that can be blessed and either carried as a fertility amulet or buried as a Springtime Blessing. Rabbits are also pervasive symbols, as there is a tale of a lowly rabbit that wished to please Eostre and decorated eggs to do so. She was so pleased that she wanted the whole world to share in this joy. Thus, the idea of the Easter Bunny was born.

Ostara Blessing


Blessed is Ostara, the day of all Virgin Goddesses of Spring, the day of Eostre and Isis and Cybele and Aphrodite and Astarte and Athena and many others.

Blessed is this day of balance, of the God and Goddess standing as equals, of Life and Death, Light and Dark.

Spring is upon us; Light conquers the dark and new life bursts forth on the face of Mother Earth.

We bless the earth and thank her for the bounty of Spring!

Blessed be the youthful Goddess, Maiden of Springtime.

Blessed be the young God, Consort of the Goddess.

Blessed Be!



Reference: about-world-religions.blogspot.com

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