Ostara
So yesterday was Ostara, and as promised I will write a little blurb about that. It is the festival of the Vernal Equinox, where the periods of light and dark are equal, and it is officially the start of spring. Now last night it snowed here, so it may not seem very springlike, but one of the rituals I have witnessed on this occasion is “waking up the Earth”. Going around with drums, cymbals, anything noisy and yelling, singing and chanting, walking through the woods, to wake Mother Earth up. Also the symbols of Christian Easter owe their roots to Paganism, both Ostara and Beltaine, with fertility symbols of the eggs and the rabbit. The time of hibernation and sleep are over. Rest assured the warmer days are coming, life once more comes forth from hardship.
My dismay
I sit here on this Thursday evening, troubled. I have many thoughts travelling through my mind, kind of a chaotic jumble, as I sit like a vegetable on the couch, wrapped in a blanket that isn’t mine. I’m sitting at my son’s father’s house, where I have sat very similarly every night, for the last three weeks. Why, because I am homeless. I sit in clothes that i have worn for the last two weeks, and my waist long hair is in a messy loose bun, because it is the only way to protect it, as it gets further and further knotted and dreaded, because I have no comb to comb it with. Some would classify that as too much information, but to me it is the brutal truth, the candid honesty that is all too often missing in this life, replaced with a veil of secrets and lies, and we all wonder why the misery gets worse as we get older. Wisdom a common child has, but us rotting decayed adults have forgotten along with Joy and Trust.
I have many things to be troubled about these days. I broke up with my boyfriend of two years, who I am currently 4 months pregnant by, and he has no interest in helping me, he’s is only concerned about himself at this point. I quit my job, only to lose the next one I had lined up because I became ill. I lost my home, because I lost my job. In the span of a month, my car, my phone and my computer all broke beyond repair. I traded in my car that I couldn’t afford to fix for an RV, which has broken down more sinced i took over ownership of it than it has worked. I didn’t get paid for a month. I tried to stay at the Pagan retreat I am a member of, being initially told I could stay there for up to six weeks and then they turn around and tell me no, I can stay only a week, and I get accused of using them. My own family save my sister will not take me in because of my son and my three cats. So here I sit, wrapped in the blanket that isn’t mine, isolated by my own thoughts.
There is so much that has happened in the last four months, I couldn’t possibly get it all out here, or anywhere else for that matter. But as I sit, dumbfounded, something has occured to me, and it is enough to get me out of my stupor and write something halfway meaningful for the first time in a very long time. See I have been writing, but not because I have wanted to, and I am sure that it shows. I look back on the entries i did in 2007 and everything since pales in comparison. So what is my epiphany, that cuts through the murky mire that is my conciousness of late? Fellowship.
You see I am a person that has been moved around alot, just about every friendship I have ever had I have watched die, and after a while you get to a point where you lose the ability to be a friend, or make new ones or even know what is missing from your life. But even I can see something greviously wrong with the world around me, yes I have been treated appalingly in the last few months, but it didn’t dawn on me until I sat here today and watched one of my son’s father’s roommates move out because he’s sick of being taken advantage of. I question that. I know that on a few occasions, he has had to pay someone elses portion of the rent(there are four bachelors living in this house), but it really strikes me that he is abandoning his friends when they need him the most, and it triggered a chain reaction in my befuddled mind and what came out is that everyone is doing this right now.
I have seen in the last few months things, that have nothing to do with me, that truly speak to me that the world is coming unravelled. It’s little things like watching assinine commercials for Lexus’ or the like, when most people are so poor their lucky if they even have a car. The sheer absurdity of watching the dismal economic news on CNN, and then going to commercial and seeing ads that are so out of touch with what’s going on in this country is insane, literally. I get so lost in my everyday life, and think that everything that happens is my fault that sometimes I completely fail to see the big picture, and that what is going on in my life isn’t just me, it’s everybody. Fellowship is another one of those things. I have been being rebuked by everyone around me,a nd I take it personally thinking that maybe I deserve it, but the truth of it is, no, it is a sign of the times. As things get worse, people start to hoard and stockpile what they can, and cut off any excess burden, lest it drag them down too. But my friends that is the worst possible approach, and it must stop if we as a nation, or as a world are going to survive. We got in this mess because we stopped working together with our neighbors and our communities, and put our power in the hands of people that wanted it only for that end, their own aggrandisment and greed, and they left us with nothing. And now when we stand at a very crucial moment in our history as a nation and in the history of the world, what have we learned? To isolate ourselves even more, to hide behind our TV’s and SUV”s and computers (I realize that may sound hypocritical, but I do get out, I do try to have human contact, it’s kind of hard when everybody else is still hiding, asleep), and cut off like a gangrenous arm anyone who asks for help. Sure it’s just fine to stick a few dollars in the salvation army kettle at christmas, and pat yourself on the back for a good deed done, but then not even a month later turn your back on the homeless, hungry, downtrodden, neighbor, friend, relative, or even worse child that crosses your path in real life. Tell me, how does it feel, knowing you survived, when you think of those you had to turn away to do so. Kind of a hollow victory isn’t it?
Of course not everybody is like that, but out of all the people that I know, two were willing to help, and I know a lot of people. What particularly stings is the treatment I recieved from the pagan retreat I mentioned earlier, my church, and a place where one is supposed to find sanctuary. A place that prides itself on being community minded, and they cut me off, a member of their community. The shame of it is appalling. If we are to overcome the obstacles we face, we must change. We must learn to work together again, and to understand that a community is only as strong as it’s weakest member, and the solution is not to cut off the weak individual, but to heal them. To help them be able to stand on their own again. Blame and judgement are two of the most worthless concepts in all of humanity, and in truth they bely weakness on the part of those who would blame and judge, they are the ones who are sick, not the ones who have stumbled. For we all stumble from time to time, and he who has wisdom knows this. I humbly pray that we learn these lessons, and those who read this heed my words, for even though I will be fine, I will survive, there are those who will not be so fortunate as I.
Imbolc
So February 2nd was Imbolc. The year turns once again and we are blessed to stand witness to it. Imbolc is the start of the end for winter. It’s a time to step back, take stock and be like, “hey, we made it!!” From here on out, we can expect warmer days. Yes there is still going to be cold snaps and blizzards, but they are on the wane. In six weeks is the vernal equinox, and the official start of spring, so if you haven’t started planning your gardens, you might want to start. It is a time to gather with friends, and be thankful for your continued existence. I know I am, because the last few months have been extremely trying for me, surviving -20F temperatures in an RV with no heat that isn’t properly insulated is no joke, it sucks. Some Imbolc traditions are that it is a traditionally ascribed to the Goddess Brigid, of Celtic lore, friendship bread, the oath ring and others. It is also the time of years when sheep start having their babies, which for our most ancient ancestors was a definate blessing because it meant they had milk, which is another tradition of Imbolc, the associations with milk. So there you go, there is you’re extremely brief overview of Imbolc:)
Update to Mining/Rib Mountain
There’s one little tidbit of information that I stumbled across of late, and true to the form of the U.S. government, I have not been able to find any corroborating evidence. But I know that it is true because several people have confirmed it for me. Apparently Rib Mountain used to be host to a uranium mine. It’s been closed for many years now, but apparently the entrance lies close to the Queen’s chair in the state park section of it. I know of the quarries on the mountain, but I did not know of this.
All I have to say is more attention needs to be paid to the stuff that is done to the mountain. It’s bad enough it’s got a gigantic radio transmitter on top of it, but apparently it’s been violated for the sake of the abomination that is the nuclear program of this country. And for all you stupid zealots out there that are actually arrogant enough to think that nuclear weapons are a good thing I have only this to say, why don’t you round yourselves up and find out what is like to be blown up in nuclear fire first hand? You’d be doing the rest of us a big favor.
Rib Mountain is made of Quartzite, a mineral that magnifies any energy put into it. What has been done to the mountain is magnified by a 1000. I don’t know how many times I have to say it, but what we are doing is being reflected back on us, we’re only poisoning ourselves. I go up to the quarry on Rib Mountain and just look at what was done. It’s nuts. I have the idea of carving the rocks into something, likes Rameses’ Abu Simbel, something to atone for what was taken out of that mountain. Come on people, can’t we think about something greater than ourselves or money for once? I can only hope.
Yule
Yule (also known as Candlemas) is Winter Solstice and most of it’s mythos stem from this association. The solstice is the time when the days are shortest and the nights are longest, but it is the night where the sun is reborn if you will. Even though January is where you get those bitter cold snaps (as I’m sitting here writing we are going through one right now, it’s -23 F, and that’s before windchill) you can assume that as bad as it’s gotten before Yule will be how it will be for the rest of the winter. It is a time to share with others and gather together in friendship to survive the long cold. There is the ritual of the Yule log, something you decorate and invest with intents/”things” you would like to perish from the old year and hopes for the new. Save the ash if you like for other spells, or for Samhain or Yule of next year
Samhain
So it’s a little after the fact, but better late than never. Samhain is, for you muggles, Halloween. It is the day of the dead. It is the end of the pagan year and it is the time where the veil between the worlds is the thinnest, hence the legends about the witching hour at midnight where unwary travellers run the risk of being abducted by disgruntled spirits and ghosts. It is a day to remember those who have come, and gone, before.
Basic Spellwork
I guess the next order of business as I outlined before in the series I’m supposed to be writing is basic spellwork. I have no idea what tradition or whatever my practice most closely resembles, as far as I am concerned if it works who really cares, and I have not really much more than disdain for the purists who say if you don’t do something in a specific way it’s worthless, because what in essence they are saying is that the words are more important than the intent/spirit, which is bassackwards to say the least.
To do any kind of magical working you need to create sacred space. There are a few no brainers obviously such as have a clean working area, be clean yourself, have all distractions eliminated and make sure your in a centered calm state of mind. I cannot stress enough that you need to do stuff like this calmly, you’re peeling back the fabric of the universe and tinkering with it, it is all to easy to get more than you bargained for.
Once you’ve done all that you want to call the Watchtowers/Quarters. Watchtowers are Elementals, Earth Air Fire and Water, and they correspond to the four directions, North East South and West respectively. I start in the North (Earth) and go clockwise, calling each Watchtower. Usually I just say something to the effect of “Hail to the Watchtower of the North, Earth, I call you to this rite and ask your blessing” standing in the North of the circle, then I move to the East, repeat for East/Air, than move to the South and repeat for South/Fire, and then move to the West and repeat for West/Water. You can be more fancy with the invocations if you like, but the Elementals aren’t dumb, they’ll get it if you just stick to the basics. One you’ve done this the circle is open, you are standing in sacred space. I ususally pronounce it as such but I don’t think it is necessary as long as in your mind you recognize it as such. The next step is to purify the circle. I have a special powder made of herbs that I use for this purpose and I go around the circle clockwise, again starting in the North sprinkling it and saying while I am doing it “I purify this circle, only Love may enter, only Love may leave”. Now traditional Wiccans will purify the circle by the Elements, that is sprinkling salt for Earth, then waving a feather or something of the like for Air, incense for Fire and water for Water. Again it’s up to you to do what you want. Sometimes I also use bells to purify by sound. I especially like this method because if you meditate on it as you’re doing it, which you should be anyway, it’ll clear out your head. The next step after all of this is to purify yourself. I use either frankincense oil or a combo of violet and white musk (balancing to the crown chakra) for this purpose and I anoint my brow while saying, “I purify myself, may I be filled with love, purity and with bliss” Again I’m sure other people do it differently but whatever, as long as the intent is there, you’re good. At this point you’re ready to welcome the Lord and Lady to the rite. When I first started I looked at them as being a man and a woman like me, only invested with divine powers. As I have matured in my practice I now look at them as the primal forces of the cosmos, but I still have that kind of child talking to her parents relationship that I did when I dedicated myself. I have my own names for them, which I share with no one, just I have a name that only they know me by which I will also not mention. Either way, welcome them to your working, in whatever way you see fit. At this point do your spell/working, keeping in mind you are in the presence of the Divine and you stand between the worlds. It’s not going to feel really all that different, it’s not like you’re going to see all sorts of freaky stuff, at least not usually. When you’re really going to notice is after you’ve closed the circle, and you realize that you’ve been sitting there for twice if not triple the time you thought you were. I’m not joking when I say you are literally standing between the worlds, time has no meaning here.
Okay so you do whatever it is you wanted to do and you’re ready to close the circle. You do everything you did to open it (except purification) only backwards. Thank the Lord and Lady for their presence and blessing, I usually say “Lord and Lady, I thank you for your presence and blessing, I walk with you always”. Whatever you say be respectful, but don’t grovel. If you are doing this you are well on your way to becoming an adept, and those who serve the Gods eventually become the Gods themselves. After you’ve said your “farewell” to the God and Goddess, you then walk around the circle counterclockwise, starting in the West, dismissing the Watchtowers. I usually say “Watchtower of the West, Water, I release you and thank you for your blessing”, and the repeat the process for South, East and North. Once you’ve done that, you can pronounce the circle closed because it is, and there you go, you’ve done a spell. Some helpful hints, do not not discuss a spell for at least 24 hours after you’ve done it. Also the more you let go of it the better, ie don’t be looking for results, let them find you, trust me they will:)
I think the only other thing to cover is the pagan wheel of the year. There are 8 sabbats that mark the turning of time. Yule/Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Ostara/Vernal Equinox, Beltane, Midsummer/Summer Solstice, Lammas, Mabon/Autumn Equinox, and Samhain. Even though I haven’t been keeping up on it on my blog like I said I would I will go into details in the other posts specifically as to what each sabbat represents. What I will say here is that these are days of High Magick, meaning they are established Holy days and are more important than any personal spellwork. By observing these days you are centering yourself and aligning yourself with the energies of the Earth and of the Cosmos. You are also helping to keep the world glued together by helping will the “Wheel” to turn once again. Any sabbat observance is done in the same way as an ordinary ritual but instead of a spell, you meditate on the meaning of the particular sabbat and you make offerings as is appropriate. Like Lammas is a harvest holiday, the first one, so an appropriate offering would be first fruits from your garden if you have one, and if you don’t have a garden get something from your local farmer’s market and offer that. Also offer “cakes and ale” to the Lord and Lady at this point. This can be whatever you see fit, turth be told mine are usually a really big Little Debbie Zebra Cake and some Sangria table wine. You eat them (although pour and drop a little on the ground for the Divine and spirits etc). Other than that you do the same as you would for any other ritual work.
One thing you will notice I have omitted is ritual tools. They are omitted because when it comes down to it, they mean nothing. The magick comes from you and the universe, not your tools. I run into far too many pagans who get lost on not only the words and “procedures”, but on tools and such. They mean nothing everything comes from within. Yes I have tools, I have a staff, an athame(knife), a chalice, incense burners and candles, a consecrated altar and a consecrated statue of Ma’at sitting on said altar, but they are just ephemeral material things, nothing more. The most powerful magick I have done has been performed on Rib Mountain (which is made of quartzite so it serves to magnify Magickal energies times a million, and that’s not exaggerating) with nothing more than myself, some incense and some oil, with the ritual written down on some paper. More often than not tools are distractions to me.
So there you go, there is your crash course on basic ritual work. Blessed Be!
Mabon
The next Sabbat to mention is Mabon. Mabon is like Lammas in the sense that it is a harvest holiday, but Lammas is first fruits, Mabon is the main event if you will. It is also the autumn equinox, the day on the waning half of the year where the days and nights are of equal length. You better darn well be on your way to preparing for winter at this point, becauase there is only six weeks left in the pagan year.
Lammas
So I figured considering the next installment in my series has to do with ritual writing, and considering I said i would explain the sabbats as they came up, I would publish the ritual I just led this Lammas (Aug 1). I think the ritual will explain what Lammas is and it will give you a real example of spellwork. Enjoy:)
Lammas Lugnassadh-2008
Saturday Ritual
-Guardian of the Circle
Standing at entrance to circle with sword raised to participants, “It would be better to thrust yourself upon this sword, than enter the circle with fear in your heart”
-Anointing as entering circle
Frankincense in circle with cross pattern on forehead, “May you be filled with Love, with Purity and Bliss”
-Smudging
-Call Watchtowers
1.Hail to the Watchtower of the North, Earth, I call you to this rite and ask you for your blessing. Pillar of stone, guardian to the mysteries of rebirth, lend your energies to this working on this most holy day.
2. Hail to the Watchtower of the East, Air, I call you to this rite and ask you for your blessing. Pillar of Wind, guardian to the mysteries of the beginning of all things, lend your energies to this working on this most holy day.
3. Hail to the Watchtower of the South, Fire, I call you to this rite and ask your blessing. Pillar of Flame, guardian to the mysteries of the zenith, lend your energies to this working on this most holy day.
4. Hail to the Watchtower of the West, Water, I call you to this rite and ask your blessing. Pillar of sacred springs, guardian to the mysteries of the wane of all things, lend your energies to this working on this most holy day.
-“With that the circle is open”
Purification of Circle
-Purify circle by Earth(?) (herb mixture), while sprinkling circle in clockwise direction (starting at north), “I purify this circle by Earth, only love may enter, only love may leave”
-Purify circle by Air (?)(incense), While waving incense in air in clockwise direction around circle (starting at north), “I purify this circle by Air, only love may enter, only love may leave”
-Purify circle by Fire (?)(anthame), Pointing anthame at participants in clockwise direction (starting at north), “I purify this circle by fire, only love may enter, only love may leave”
-Purify circle by Water (?)(springwater), Using fingers to sprinkle water in clockwise direction around circle (starting at north), “ I purify this circle by water, only love may enter only love may leave”
-Purfy circle by Ether (intent) “As I will it so mote it be”
Welcome Primal Lord and Lady(me)
O Truth behind all the religions, the Eternal Unamable Duality of all things, the Two that become One, creators of all things, Eternal Lord, Eternal Lady, locked in the passionate embrace of forever, be here with us now. Master and Mistress of the cosmic dance of life and death, grace us with your presence. Preside over the workings of this most holy day. We come to you with open hearts and open minds. The great Wheel turns once again, towards the darkness, towards the wane of all things, towards rebirth. We come to honor this mystery today. Hail and Welcome.
Lammas commentary
Lammas is the first harvest holiday. It is the first sabbat of the dark half of the year. Even though the sun is still strong, the pendulum has begun swinging the other direction, from light to dark, from wax to wane. It is a time to begin contemplating the coming cold, to start the harvest and storing of the crops for winter. It is a time to offer the first fruits to the Gods and Spirits, to thank Them and to join together with each other in solidarity to survive the coming cold. It is a time to recognize a fundamental shift has occurred, we are no longer in the expansive spring and early summer months, we are entering the realm of the Underworld, the place of darkness that is the font of introspection, of gestation and the mysteries of rebirth. As always at this time of year, we are in the month of Leo, the sign of the Lion, king of all beasts. It is a sign of fire, a sign of kingship, it is a sign of the sun at it’s zenith, perhaps a little past, like the light of the afternoon sun; warm, strong, beneficent. This year the moon is the sign of Virgo, the sign of the virgin, a sign that is attentive to detail, feminine and dry. It is also a strong sign as it is of the unshakable earthen foundation on which we stand today.
The constellation Virgo is associated with the Egyptian God and Goddess, Osiris and Isis. Their greatest story and mystery is in keeping with the spirit of this sabbat, so it seems only fitting that we should honor them today. Osiris and Isis were the product of an intrigue between the Earth God Geb, and the sky goddess Nut. When the Sun God Ra perceived that his wife Nut had been unfaithful to him, he declared with a curse that she should be delivered of the child in no month and no year. He sent the great god of the pillars of light and the father of Geb and Nut, Shu, to separate them. He commanded them to part, which they did, and in doing so was the first act of creation. But the goddess Nut had another lover, the Moon God Thoth, or Tahuti, and he playing Checkers with the Moon won from her a seventy-second part of every day, and having compounded five whole days out of these parts he added them to the Egyptian year of three hundred and sixty days. This was the mythical origin of the five supplemental days which the Egyptians annually inserted at the end of every year in order to establish a harmony between lunar and solar time. On these five days, regarded as outside the year of twelve months, the curse of the sun god did not apply, and accordingly Osiris was born on the first of them. At his nativity a voice rang out proclaiming that the lord of all had come into the world. But Osiris was not the only child of his mother. On the second of the supplementary days she gave birth to the elder Horus, on the third to the God Set, on the fourth to Isis, and on the fifth to the goddess Nephthys. Afterwards Set married his sister Nephthys, and Osiris married Isis.
Orginally Osiris was a God of nature who symbolized the cycles of vegetation. In time however he became God of the Dead. Reigning as a king on earth, Osiris reclaimed the Egyptians from savagery, gave them laws, and taught them to worship the Gods. He oversaw the building of the first temples and statues to the gods. Before his time the Egyptians had been cannibals. But Isis discovered wheat and barley growing wild, and Osiris introduced the cultivation of these grains amongst his people. He is also said to have taught them how to grow corn. Moreover Osiris is said to have been the first to gather fruit from trees, to train the vine to poles, and to tread the grapes. He taught them to make bread and wine. Eager to communicate these beneficent discoveries to all mankind, he committed the whole government of Egypt to his wife Isis, who ruled wisely in his stead, and traveled over the world, diffusing the blessings of civilization and agriculture wherever he went. In countries where harsh climate or poor soil forbade the cultivaton of the vine, he taught the inhabitants to console themselves for the want of wine by brewing beer from barley. Loaded with the wealth that had been showered upon him by grateful nations, he returned to Egypt, and on account of the benefits he had conferred on mankind he was unanimously hailed and worshipped as a diety. Osiris symbolizes the regenerative powers of the natural world, as well as the threat posed by severe weather conditions to the well being of humanity.
Isis was the most famous of Egyptian goddesses. She was supreme in magical power, which was taught to her by Tahuti/Thoth, Lord of the measures, god of science and knowledge, patron god of scribes and of medicine. Although she was born as flesh, her powers rivaled those of the gods of spirit. She personified feminine creative power, and although she was worshipped as the beneficent mother of mankind she was worshipped as a virgin for “no mortal man had ever her unveiled” She was the faithful and loving wife of Osiris. Nephthys was her sister and athough she was the wife of Set, she always remained faithful to Isis. In fact it could be argued that they were different aspects of the same goddess, much as Innana and Ereshkigal in Sumeria and Kali and Parvati of India. She was oftened pictured with a throne upon her head and her name means stone seat. She is the throne of kingship, the archetypal land that grants dominion. Her lap is the throne of Egypt. And she is the mother of Egypt. She is depicted with huge sheltering wings. She helped Osiris civilize Egypt, in addition to discovering wild wheat and barley, she taught women how to grind corn as well as how to spin and weave. She also taught people how to cure illness and instituted the rite of marriage. She became so popular that in time she absorbed qualities of almost all the other goddesses. She was a great mother goddess, a bird goddess, a goddess of the underworld who brought life to the dead and a goddess of the primeval waters. Her following spread beyond Egypt to Greece and throughout the roman empire. She was worshipped for more than 3,000 years, from before 3000 B.C. to well into the Christian times. Her cult and many of her images, passed directly on to the figure of the Virgin Mary.
-Murder of Osiris
All five children of Nut were of the flesh. They could be killed by violent means, even though they were immortal. Osiris’ brother Set was jealous of his popularity, so he plotted against Osiris with seventy two co-cospiritors. Having taken the measure of his good brother’s body by stealth, the bad brother Set fashioned and highly decorated a coffer of the same size, and once when they were all drinking and making merry he brought in the coffer and jestingly promised to give it to the one whom it should fit exactly. Well, they all tried one after the other, but it fitted none of them. Last of all Osiris stepped into it and lay down. On that the conspirators ran and slammed the lid down on him, nailed it fast, soldered it with molten lead, and flung the coffer into the Nile. This happened on the seventeenth day of Athyr, when the sun is in the sign of the scorpion, and in the eighth and twentieth year of the reign or life of Osiris. When Isis heard of it she sheared off a lock of her hair, put on mourning attire, and wandered disconsolately up and down, seeking the body. The coffer containing the body of Osiris had floated down the river and away out to sea, till at last it drifted ashore in Byblos. Here a tamarisk tree, also known as salt cedar grew up around the coffin, enclosing it in it’s trunk. The king of the country, admiring the growth of the tree, had it cut down and made into a pillar of his house; but he did not know that the coffer with the dead Osiris was in it. Word of this came to Isis and she journeyed to Byblos, and sat down by their well, in humble guise, her face wet with tears. To none would she speak till the kings handmaidens came, and them she greeted kindly, and braided their hair, and breathed on them from her own divine body a wondrous perfume. But when the queen beheld the braids of her handmaidens hair and smelt the sweet smell that emanated from them, she sent for the stranger woman and took her into her house and made her the nurse of her child. But Isis gave the babe her finger instead of her breast to suck, and at night she began to burn all that was mortal of him away, while she herself in the likeness of a swallow fluttered round the pillar that contained her dead brother, twittering mournfully. But the queen spied what she was doing and shrieked out when she saw her child in flames, and thereby she hindered him from becoming immortal. Then the Goddess revealed herself and begged for the pillar of the roof, and they gave it to her, and she cut the coffer out of it, and fell upon it and embraced it and lamented so loud that the younger of the king’s children died of fright on the spot. But the trunk of the tree she wrapped in fine linen, and poured ointment on it, and gave it to the king and queen, and the wood stands in a temple of Isis and is worshipped by the people of Byblos to this day. And Isis put the coffer in a boat and took the eldest of the kings children with her and sailed away. As soon as they were alone, she opened the chest, and laying her face on the face of her brother she kissed him and wept. But the child came behind her softly and saw what she was about, and she turned and looked at him in anger, and the child could not bear her look and died. Isis hid the coffin in a swamp. Set however found the coffer, and knowing Isis had the power to resurrect the dead, he rent Osiris’ body into fifteen pieces and scattered them abroad. But Isis, with the help of her sister and Set’s wife Nephthys, sailed up and down the marshes and would not rest until they found all of Osiris’ body. She earned great respect from the people of Egypt when they saw just how devoted and faithful she was to him. They did recover all of him, except his male member which had been eaten by the fishes. Isis fashioned a replacement of wood and with the help Anubis, mummified Osiris. Isis was mistress of magic in Egyptian lore, the secrets being taught to her by Thoth. She made love to Osiris, and using her knowledge of magic revived him through sexual alchemy. At this point Osiris was so disillusioned with his brother than he chose to quit life and became Lord of the Underworld. For these reasons he is depicted as a mummy, green in color and bearded, holding the crook and flail of kingship.
He and Isis conceived a child though through this act of resurrection, Horus, who would later go on to destroy Set and avenge his father.
The murder of Osiris is a story that has a lot in common with tales from other cultures. The part about Isis in the court of the king of Byblos is almost identical to a part in the story of Demeter and Persephone, and I think it is safe to say that like all ancient wisdom it serves as an allegory to the fundamental truths that form the basis of our world. The story of Isis and Osiris serves to remind us of the cycle of life to which we all must submit, most specifically the rhythms of agriculture, of sowing, of growth, of harvest and of regeneration. Osiris was a God of vegetation and his most central story is almost the same as the cycle of farming. He grew to be a magnificent charismatic man, he spread blessings throughout the world, but he was cut down in his prime and if it were not for Isis saving the pieces of him, and literally taking within herself his seed, there would have been no next generation, no Horus to continue the cycle of life. Their story is the story that we honor today, of harvest, of cutting down the vegetation in it’s prime to survive the winter, and the storing of seeds that must occur if life is to continue the next year.
Invocation/Hymns to Isis and Osiris
I have banished the Unbalanced and Negative, From forth the Veil of Eternity, I call Isis and Osiris
Hymn to Isis
O goddess of mystery and Magic
Of secret and arcane knowledge
Of resurrection
Great mother of All
Thee I call.
O goddess who civilized us from beasts
Who is forever faithful
Yours is the throne of kingship
Thou that bear the cross of light and life
Thee I call
Possessor of the wisdom of the serpents
The font of immortality
The rite of sexual alchemy
The true meaning behind the Caduceaus wand
Goddess of healing and of love
Thee I call
Bridge between this world and the next
Eternal virgin
The uncatchable, unknowable woman
That no mortal man may ever unveil
The solid earthen foundation from which we all spring
And to which we must all return
Thee I call
Come though forth I say, come though forth
Be with us on this Lugnassadh Day
Bear witness to our proceedings
And bless and honor us
As we strive to honor you
Help us to a deeper understanding
Of the great mysteries and lessons of this life
And help us on our way, for this I pray
So mote it be
Hymn to Osiris
O God of Agriculture and civilization
Of grain mysteries,
And of sacrifice
Eternal Lord of all
Thee I call
O God who civilized us from beasts
Whose divine seed is the source of all life
Yours are the fields of heaven
Thou that bear the cross of light and life
Thee I call
Ruler of the seasons,
And of the might of the storm,
That both bestows the life giving rain
And the winds of detruction
God of vegetation and the vine
Thee I call
Martyred king
Ruler of the dead
The ultimate sacrifice
Whose blood fertilizes the corn
Whose death creates the new
And guardian to the mysteries of life from decay
Thee I call
Come thou forth I say, come thou forth
Be with us on this Lugnassadh Day
Bear witness to our proceedings
And bless and honor us
As we strive to honor you
Help us to a deeper understanding
Of the great mysteries and lessons of this life
And help us on our way, for this I pray
So mote it be
-Communal Cauldron, Ting tripod
-communal offerings(whoever has anything to offer)
-herbs for the occasion, add to cauldron
Intent
We live in very troubled times, everyday there is mention of the desruction and desecration of the Earth; the violent storms, the crop failures, global warming. There’s the mutilated and mutated animals that are raised for food. Our government is beyond evil for the things it has done. We are so frightened and confused as a race that there re those who cannot trust anymore, their fellow man or even themselves. We live in a time where medicine has become poison and justice has become oppression. Very troubled times indeed. But within even the darkest times there is always a small seed of light. Hope, Faith, Courage, Belief, Love. To these principles we must hold fast, if we let go of them, we are obliterated. Our standing here this evening is a testament to these virtues, not only that unity and belief do still exist, but also by our willing of the wheel to turn, our observance of Lammas, or any other sabbat or esbat, we hold the world together. By our beliefs and actions, we create the world. To most it is unconscious, but to us it is very conscious, very deliberate. We hold the power to change anything. And so, on this holy night of High Magick, let us put this power to use. All the problems I mentioned, let us will them to change. Put in your mind your heaven, visualize the world in harmony, in balance, in peace, ad will it to be. Believe that anything is possible, nothing is fixed, nothing is fated. As we begin harvesting the fruits of this year’s labor, let us be ever mindful of the world as it is and how it could be. Let us be mindful of the fact that change happens first in the individual, the collective comes after and let each on of us shine with this revelation and be a beacon of Hope, of Faith, of Courage, of belief, of Love. And the world will be healed.
Osiris, God of Storms, forgive us our transgressions and protect us as the climate further destabilizes. God of vegetation, bless us with an abundant harvets. Isis, mother Goddess, protect our hearts from the pain and suffering that our world is rife with. Heal us from the poisons we are infected and surrounded with. Goddess of Magick, teach us and aid us in our intentions and workings today.
-“Forge of creation,
Elixir of life,
Wind of the Storm,
Rock of Foundation,
Come thou forth, I say Come thou forth.
Hear our hearts on this Lugnasadh Day
So that every spirit of the firmament,
And of the Ether,
Upon the Earth,
And under the Earth.
On dry land,
And in the water,
Of whirling Air,
And rushing Fire,
All thoughts and manifestations of the Lord and Lady,
Shall once again be in Harmony
As I will it so mote it be
-Meditation-Moment of Silence
-Thank Lord and Lady
-Thank Watchtowers
-Pronouce circle closed
-Recessional
Triple Moon Goddess
This post is geared towards women, I would do a post on men’s mysteries except for the fact that I don’t have the right equipment, and to speak like I had any idea about what it was like to be a man, would be arrogant at best. So with that being said, in various cultures, the sun and moon are interchangebly associated with male or female dieties. Most of the time it’s a Sun God and a Moon Goddess, but sometimes it’s vice-versa, in Japan there is a Sun Goddess and The Ancient Egyptian Tehuti or Thoth was a Moon God. For my purposes though, we’re going to go with majority and discuss the correlation between the moon and the archtypal feminine.
There is a concept in paganism of the Triple Goddess. Her symbol is pictured above. Women are naturally aligned to the moon because of their mestrual cycles. A woman who spends enough time outdoors will naturally synch with the moon so that she is fertile during the full moon and bleeds during the new. The Triple Moon symbol speaks to the 4 phases of a woman’s life, maiden, mother, crone and then death. The waxing moon correlates with the Maiden, the young virginal woman, untouched by man, unfettered by children. The full Moon correlates with the Mother, a woman at the height of her strength, with the primal power to nourish and give things form. The Crone is associated then with the waning moon, and it symbolizing that yes her strength is waning, but her wisdom grows with each passing year. Finally there is the inevitable death, symbolized by the new moon and archetypally by the death crone, the hideous half rotted hag like the Norse Hel or Izanami of Japan, the Lady of Death who offers priceless wisdom to those who have the courage to look and face her, that priceless wisdom being that death is regeneration, rotting results in the fertile ground for the new. The cycle never ends, the cycle never breaks, death is the passage to the new. If one can learn to face this, death loses it’s sting, and that is priceless indeed.
In our culture, a woman’s period very often is viewed as an inconvience at best. This is especially disconcerting to me. You can hear it in the misogynist idiots who talk about not trusting something that bleeds for seven days and doesn’t die. In ancient times a woman’s “dark moon time” was viewed as the height of her power. The menstrual blood is viewed as regenerating in Sexual Alchemy traditions such as Tantra and across the board it is during this time that a woman’s powers of prophecy were considered to be at their greatest strength. Part of this is due to at the new moon, during a woman’s period she is closest to her “underworld” dark aspect, and dreams and oracular visions come from the under world. Bleeding every month is also a woman’s way of renewing herself, flushing out the month before so that at the end of her cycle she can emerge stronger. Woman need to stop trying to keep up with men during this time, and take the time to rest and sit in introspection. To hell with people who tell you you need to be able to keep on during your period, they are ignorant to say the least. You can actually damage yourself if you exert yourself too much during your moon time. You’re not a man, stop trying to be one.
Which brings me to my final point. Meditate on these mysteries as there is much more wisdom to be found than what is written on this page. Stop playing things on men’s terms. The greatest strength of a woman is her magnetism, implicit in this is gravity and magnetism at it’s extreme, black holes, which can crush anything that enters into them, not even solar masculine light can escape, stick that in you’re pipe and smoke it for awhile:) Our strength is also our ability to get along with other woman. Bond together, and bring men to us on our terms, instead of chasing after them, because no matter how good you are, you’re playing their game on their terms, you’re gonna lose. I said it in my previous post about “the roots of the subjugation of the feminine”, if we women would learn to band together and not give into men until our demands are met, demands like decent compensation for “woman’s” work, like being treated with dignity and respect, men would have now choice but to listen. Don’t try to go to them, make them come to you, use you’re receptive strength to it’s greatest potential. I realize this might make me sound like a ball-busting feminist. The truth is if a man comes to me with honor and respect, I will return it threefold, but if my love and affection are taken for granted and I am ridiculed, I know my power and I have no compunctions about using it. I believe in the equality of the sexes, one is not better than the other. We both need each other, but we need to learn to truly understand and respect the fact that we are different, and not be afraid of that fact. We were created that way for a reason. A woman’s moody seeming bipolarness, is the way she supposed to be, because we are equipped to dip down into that frightening underworld of death, of emotion, to regenerate ourselves, and those that have the courage to unite with us during that time. I think the truth is in those matriarchal prehistoric cultures men were treated as inferior, and that paved the way for the pendulum to swing back the other way so that woman are now treated as inferior. What goes around comes around, and unfortunately among the Goddess/Pagan circles I hang out in, there is definately the notion of male inferiority, which truly saddens me. We are equal, and we are different. We were created as such so we might feel the ecstacy of reuniting with each other.
