Monday, May 28, 2012

Pagan Blog Project- J is for my JOURNEY so far

Pagan Blog Project- J is for my JOURNEY so far
Earlier in the project I wrote about how I discovered my path. Today I would like to expand on that subject and how my journey is going so far. Since finding this path, I have literally become a better and happier person. My mother, who is a born again Christian, has said many times how much happier I seem since that few years. Of course, she doesn¡¦t at this time know fully that I am pagan. We don¡¦t use the P word or the W words. But she knows that I no longer follow the Catholic path, and that I am still a happier person. Finding the goddess has opened up a whole new world for me. It is so nice to have so many new friends who I can talk with about my path and share my faith with. The most important
thing that has happened, by far, is that my family- my husband and grown children- also embrace my faith. I know many people who are not so lucky.

On this journey I have been taught formally as well as on my own. I try to learn something new as often as possible. I feel that I am always a student of life and will always have something that I can learn, even from the newest novice. In 2007 I was ordained as a legal Wiccan minister and KOTH became a legal not for profit temple. At this time KOTH also became a physical temple. Before it was only an internet presence. A way for my sister and I to connect and share our faith (she lives in a different state).

Over the years I have made new friends and lost old ones. I have had found faith and freedom but also made my share of mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them ļ.

As a part of my journey, I feel it is very important to connect with my faith/path. I do this my finding things I can do to relate to each season and sabbat. And since Litha is on its way, I thought I would share some of what I am doing this year.

Summer is a great time for camping and being outdoors. Those who have met me, probably would not think that I was an outdoors type of person, but I am. I guess my extremely ¡§white¡¨ coloring gives the wrong impression. LOL. It doesn¡¦t matter how long I spend in the sun, I burn, peel and become white again. This has always been my life and I am resigned to the fact that it will always be so. It is just my genetics I guess. But back to the subject. My family loves camping. This year we are fortunate to be able to go
back to PSG-Pagan Spirit Gathering, which is a week-long camping event/retreat held by Selena Fox and Circle Sanctuary. I can¡¦t think of a better way to charge my pagan battery than this trip. It has been a few years since we have attended, and I am soooo looking forward to it. Especially because most of our coven is able to join us!!

Being a Wiccan, balance is very important to me: Male and Female, yin and yang, fire and water. So I try to focus on keeping balance within the season. One way I do this is to honor both fire and water. Fire can be honored through nighttime fires shared with loved ones and friends enjoying each other¡¦s company. I also honor fire through the sun, specifically honoring Ra. I work with the Egyptian pantheon and Ra is certainly a central figure. As dawn comes around, Ra emerges into the sky, shining in all his glory. I often offer prayers to the sun god. At night Ra descends into the other world to battle Apohsis, his deadly enemy who will do anything to keep the sun from rising again in the morning. I honor water by trying to do activities in water, such as meditating in a swimming pool. We also make tubing an annual outing for my family and coven. It is extremely soothing just floating down the river in an inner tube. It is also a great time for meditation as well or reflecting on what is happening in your life. Both of these activities encompass both the fire and water: fire from the sun above and water from the pool or from a body of water such as a river.

I also enjoy preparing and eating foods from our area that are in season during the summer months: melon
s, berries, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms are among some of my favorites. I also enjoy grilling outdoors as well. Not to mention homemade ice cream. Nothing says summer like a wonderful bowl or cone of ice cream.

As a child we would often go to my uncle¡¦s camp during the summer. This place was a haven for blackberries. I really enjoyed picking them and eating them right off the plants. I am hoping to bring this activity back as an annual family and coven event.

The fairies are very important to me at this time of year as well. Offerings of bread and honey or other sweets are often left out in the fairy garden, hoping to entice them to bless us with their presence.

These are just a few things I enjoy doing while walking this path, especially during this season of summer and Litha.
I hope you have a wonderfully magical journey while you walk your path.

Blessed be,
Autumn

Pagan Blog Project- J is for Juno

Pagan Blog Project-J is for Juno
Juno, the main Roman Goddess was also known as Queen of the Gods, Protector of Women and Children and a believer in holy matrimony. She was the epitome of the “traditional” roles of woman and mothers (as perhaps seen in the 1950’s to 1970’s). She ruled all aspects of Roman life and especially that of women.

She was usually pictured with peacocks and may have been armed. She is usually wearing a goatskin cloak. She has the look and presence of authority, a true matroness.

Juno is co
nsidered to be the equivalent of the Greek Hera. So they have many attributes in common. In the earlier times, the Romans did not see the need to have stories or myths about their gods. Most were simply indoctrinated from the Greek Pantheon and just renamed. So when you read a story about Hera, it is also a story the Romans would associate with Juno. This is especially evident in the stories of Juno (and Hera’s) problem with infidelity. She did not approve of this type of behavior and would frequently cause problems for the lovers and bastard children of her husband.

The goddess Juno was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea and sister/wife of Jupiter. Her children include Mars, Vulcan and Juevntas. My readings have also produced the name of Hebe. Her siblings are Neptune, Pluto, Vesta and Ceres. She was also a part of the ruling body known as the Capitoline triad with Jupiter and Minerva.

As a patron goddess of women, Juno was always there for them. It was said that each women had a -“juno”- a female spirit who would watch over women from birth to death. Perhaps this can also be associated with a guardian angel.

The first days of each month are dedicated to Juno
. Other important dates include the Feast of Matronalia which was celebrated on March 1st and the Nonae Caprotinae which is celebrated on July 7th. And of course the entire month of June is sacred to her, as it was named after her. This is one reason that so many people like to be married in June. It is thought that Juno would bless the union.

Matronalia is the festival of women in honor of Juno Luciana. During this celebration, gifts were exchanged and women in general were treated with honor. It is thought that this day eventually turned into Mother’s day in Europe. This was also the time when men and women would give praise to Juno to strengthen their relationships.

Correspondences:
Day- Thursday
Planet- Jupiter
Zodiac- Sagittarius
Colors- deep blue, royal purple
Elements- fire, air
Sacred symbols- geese, peacocks, wild fig tree, white cow
Moon- Full moon
Archetype- Mother Goddess
Plants- lily, lotus, anise, balm, blood root, borage, clover, dandelion, hyssop, juniper, mint, mistletoe, nutmeg, sage
Stones- amethyst, sapphire, turquoise

Her positive attributes include leadership, loyalty, authoritative, protector, companionship, supportive. Her n
egative attributes can include jealousy, vindictiveness, arrogance, controller, aggressive, betrayal and identity loss. As in all things, there is a balance in attributes. If someone is capable of being loyal, they are also capable of being jealous and vindictive as an example.

To work with Juno today, pray to her, make her an altar and offer her a gift (such as those form her correspondences). Ritual work can include those involving childbirth, marriage problems or the strengthening of marital vows or violence against women. Any issue dealing with women can be addressed by working with Juno. Speak to her, she will hear you.

May Juno bless you always. Blessed Be,
Autumn

Pagan Blog Project-I is for Intentions

Pagan Blog Project- I is for intentions
Struggling this week with my second "I" post. The only thing coming to mind is intentions. So just a short post on this subject.

The online version of American Heritage dictionary shows:

"NOUN:

A course of action that one intends to follow.

An aim that guides action; an objective.

intentions Purpose with respect to marriage: honorable intentions.

Medicine The process by which or the manner in which a wound heals.

Archaic Import; meaning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English entencioun, from Old French intention, from Latin intenti, intentin-, from intentus, intent, from past participle of intendere, to direct attention ; see intend

SYNONYMS:
intention, intent, purpose, goal, end, aim, object, objective"

Let me start by saying that I do consider myself Wiccan. I think the Wiccan Rede is a good idea. I don't however think it is a law that I must follow every second of every minute of every day. So I guess some die hard fanatic Wiccans would disagree that I am Wiccan. It is just impossible to weigh every single thought or decision you make against the rede. So for me it all boils down to Intentions. Do I intend to hurt others with whatever action or thought I make. If the answer is no, then I do what I need to do. If of course I can not answer honestly "no", then I would weigh my thoughts and actions more closely to the rede. I feel if you don't intend to do harm, then you are in the clear. Each person has to decide for themselves what "harm none" means. And each person needs to also learn to let others decide for themselves and not judge them if their beliefs are not exactly the same as others.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Beltane week. May the love and fertility of the gods be with you all.

Blessed be,
Autumn

Pagan Blog Project-I is for Isis

Pagan Blog Project- I is for Isis
Isis/As/Aset/Eset/Tait

Isis is probably the most loved and known of all the Egyptian Gods. Over time she has absorbed just about every female god in the Egyptian pantheon as well as others abroad such as Demeter and Aphrodite. She shares many of the same attributes as the other goddesses.

She is usually depicted as a woman wearing a long sheath dress with a throne symbol on her crown. Isis has also been depicted wearing the cow horns and solar disk of Hathor. She may also be holding the ankh or lotus flower and is also shown in other statues as nursing her son Osiris (or sometimes interpreted as the current pharaoh). In animal form, she may be shown as a bird, a kite in particular, due to the myth of Osiris in which she is said to hover above his dead body as a kite.

The people loved her so because she took the time to get to know them and live among them. She taught them agriculture: how to grind and grow corn, make bread, grow other crops, spin and weave cloth as well as how to read and write. It is also said she taught them medicine. Because of the love and attention she gave her worshipers, she was greatly loved throughout Egypt as well as other countries.

Her many titles include: Queen of Heaven, Mother of the Gods, One Who is All, Lady of the Green Crops, Brilliant One in the Sky, Star of the Sea, Great Lady of Magic, Mistress of the House of Life, Lady of Words and Power and She of Ten
Thousand Names. These are just a few of her titles.

Isis is probably most known for her archetypes of Mother and Witch/Magician. As mother, she is the nurturer of her children as depicted in her statue. She offers unconditional love to her children and teaches them life lessons. Although she is a loving mother, she can also be overbearing and controlling in her ways. She only wants the best for her family and sometimes goes to extremes to get it (for example, as in the Legend of Ra, where she curses an illness on Ra then tricks him into giving her his power so she can heal him). This legend also gives credence as to her archetype of Magician (Witch). Ra was the most powerful god of all, but by using her intelligence and wit, Isis was able to defeat him and thereby gain the title of All Powerful Magician for herself. She understood the power of words and using your brain instead of brawn to make things happen.

Isis is the child of Geb (the earth) and Nut (the sky). She has four siblings: Osiris (who is also her husband/consort), Set, Horus the elder and Neptune. She is the mother of Horus and the stepmother of Annubis. This goddess was born on the 4th enterclary day.

Her name means "of the throne" and a throne is the symbol used as her hieroglyph. The head dress or crown she wears is also a throne which lends credence to her association as mother of the king or pharaoh. It is said that the pharaoh sits on the throne of Isis, making an association that the goddess is the rulers "parent" and that the ruler is of divine origins. It is a representation of power and legitimacy to the divine and the throne.

Isis is a great goddess of magic and is often seen in the funerary texts. She is a protector of the dead and guards the canopic jar that holds the liver and is representative of Imsety.

It is said that the tears she shed over the death of Osiris are the waters that flood the Nile each year. There is still a yearly event to celebrate this time called the Night of the Drop.

There is the Knot of Isis which is symbolic of the goddess. Knots are considered magical things. It is also called tiet or tyet, buckle of Isis or blood of Isis. The knot resembles the ankh except that the arms are pointed down and not across or side to side. This symbol is often used as a funerary amulet and it is usually made from red wood, stone or glass.

The star Sopdet or Sirius is also associated with Isis. Its appearance in the Egyptian sky signals the new year and the induation of the Nile River. Without the flooding if the Nile every year, the people would not survive; there would be no water for crops or for watering the animals. This time of year is a time of rebirth and so the goddess is seen as a goddess of death (funerals ) and reincarnation . Other evidence to support these attributes or titles is the myth of how she searched and found the dismembered body of Osiris and brought him back to life in order to concieve her son Horus.

As a goddess, she has many attributes including those of strength
in femininity, strong relationships, creation, source of sustenance and nurturing, protection, magician, teacher, mother and healer to name a few. She also has attributes of humans that may not seem very nice. Such as her ability to trick and manipulate to get what she wants (again seen in the Legend of Ra).

She can be seen in the four elements of life. She is the fertile earth (the crops she taught her people to farm in order to survive), the air (she is associated with the north wind), fire (in her defeat of Ra, she became an important solar deity, maker of sunrise, brilliant one in the sky) and water (as in her associations with the flooding of the Nile).

Isis was worshiped all over the globe, including Egypt, Rome, Greece, Gaul, Spain, Germany, Arabia, Asia Minor, Portugal and Britain. She was worshiped as a mother goddess and matron of magic and nature. All peoples worshiped her, both rich and poor.

She is often confused with Hathor or Mut and most of the Egyptian Goddess (she has absorbed most of their attributes as her own). She is also associated with Demeter (Greek), Astarte (Middle Eastern/Babylonian) , Aphrodite (Greek), and the Arabian goddess Al-Ozza.

The main cult center of Isis was in Philae, Abydos, with temples also in Behbeit El-Hagar in the Nile Delta. The temple at Philae was the last of the ancient temples to be closed due to the rise of Christianity. The first temples were erected in the early pre dynastic times, prior to 3100BC at Sebennyton in the North Delta. The cult of Isis consisted of both male priests and female priestesses. Both sexes conducted rites at temples. The priests were known to be healers, dream interpreters and magicians of weather magic. Today, we can still see evidence of Isis worship in groups such as the Golden Dawn and Kemetic Wiccan Groups.

Correspondences:
Cult Center – Philae and throughout Egypt
Birthday – Dec 30 or July 17 (depends on which calendar you use), July 17th is also called Night of the Cradle
Chief Festival – December 30
Main festivals –
Feast of Lights of Isis – January 25;
Feasts – June 4, June 21 and 22; Festivals – September 4,
Festival of Lamentations- October 3 (Mourning of Isis over Osiris)
Mysteries of Isis- November 12th- Isis searches for Osiris
November 13th- Isis grieves for her lost
November 14th- Isis finds Osiris
Night of the Drop/Rising of the Nile- July 18th or there abouts
Isidis Navigatum-March 3- Blessing of the Fleets
Statue – a woman crowned with the representation of her name, a throne. Sometimes she is pictured with wings.
Symbol – the star Sirius (Sothis)
Family – Daughter of Nut and Geb, Sister/Wife of Osiris, Sister of Set and Nephthys, Mother of Horus.
Cardinal Point – North
Element - Earth
Herbs – Apple, Bean, Cypress, Dandelion, Dock, Gardenia, Garlic, Heather, Iris, Jasmine, Juniper, Lily, Mandrake, Mint, Myrrh, Oak, Onion, Orris, Pennyroyal, Pine, Rose, Spearmint, Thyme, Willow
Crystals – Ammonite, Apache Tears, Aventurine, Azurite
, Bloodstone, Blue Lace Agate, Calcite, Carnelian, Citrine, Elestials, Emerald, Flint, Galena, Garnet, Geodes, Gypsum, Herkimer Diamond, Infinite, Kunzite, Labradorite, Lepidolite, Moldavite, Moonstone, Obsidian, Quartz, Pearl, Peridot, Petrified Wood, Pyrite, Rose Quartz, Sapphire, Sodalite, Tanzanite, Tektite, Tourmaline,
Metal – Copper. Silver
Wood – Cherry, Ebony, Willow
Color – White, Blue
Incense – Apple, Bay, Cedar, Cinnamon, Jasmine, Rose
Day(s) – Monday
Time(s) – All
Season - All

References:

Notes from Temple Ankh studies yahoo group, website at www.templeankh.com

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Richard Wilkerson

Gods and Goddesses edited by Elizabeth Hallan, 1996

Circle of Isis by Ellen Cannon Reed

New Book of Goddesses and Heroines by Patricia Monaghan

www.touregypt.com

How to bring Isis into your life:

Isis is a mother goddess, funerary goddess, creator goddess and goddess of magic. There are many times in life that one can connect with her.

If you are in need of mothering yourself or you need help in nurturing others, pray to her for guidance, she will hear you. If you are grieving, she is there for you. Grief has many forms, not just the death of a loved one. It can be the loss of a home, job material objects, pets, people, health, wealth, friendships etc.

If you need a little oomph added to your magic, Isis can help you there too.

Make an altar to Isis, burn lotus or jasmine incense, light blue candles to her. Offer libations of wine or grapes. Or choose any other correspondences listed above. Tell Isis your needs. She will help you.

Pagan Blog Project-H is for Hathor

Pagan Blog Project- H is for Hathor
Hathor, an Egyptian Goddess, ruled many domains. She was a fertility goddess, funerary goddess, sky goddess, moon goddess, sun goddess, goddess of agriculture & moisture, a mother goddess, goddess of beauty, love, music and dancing as well as a creator goddess. Evidence of her being a fertility goddess can be found in many Egyptian works of art (whether statues or wall paintings) that show Hathor nursing infant gods or pharaohs. They would later become known as the sons of Hathor.

As a funerary goddess her main function was to welcome the newly dead and offer them food and drink. She is represented as a lunar goddess by the horns she wears in which represent the horns of the crescent moon. Hathor was also known as the Mother of the Gods and Queen of the Heavens and was said to be “brought forth in primeval time herself, never having been created” thus also giving her the title as a creator goddess. Although Hathor is mainly seen as a nurturing goddess, she also has a dark side. Like Kali, she can drink the blood of gods and men who cross her and as Sekhmet; she is the destroyer of mankind. In the Story of Re, she was created by her father as Sekhmet, th
e destroyer of men, who were disobedient to him. He sent her down to earth to wreak havoc and punish man for this disobedience. Lather Re changed his mind, but he could not stop Sekhmet/Hathor from killing the humans. He then disguised beer as blood so she would drink the beer and become drunk. Once she drank too much, the killing stopped and she fell asleep. When she awoke, she was once more Hathor, goddess of love. Hathor is also known by Het Heret, Athor and Athyr.

Hathor has been represented in many ways. She has been portrayed as a cow goddess, a woman wearing a crown of cow horns with a solar disk or even as a woman with cow ears. The use of the cow symbol represents her as an earth mother, nurturing the world with milk. She is also often shown wearing turquoise or red dress. She may be carrying the “was” scepter and may hold a papyrus stem or sistrum. She has been presented as mother and daughter of the sun, lioness or cow and even sometimes a tree.

She has also been associated with many other goddesses worldwide including Aphrodite, Ishtar and Innana. She also has many of the same attributes as Isis and sometimes they are seen as each other. Both have been portrayed with cow horns and a solar disk. Her many titles include Mistress of Heaven, Lady of the West, The Vengeful Eye of Ra, Goddess of the Dead, Mistress of Life, Lady of Malachite, Lady of Turquoise and Great One of Many Names.

Hathor was worshipped by both royalty and commoners and the temple of the cult of Hathor was at Dendera. Here the columns of the temple are designed as sistrums to honor the goddess Hathor as a goddess of music, dance and love. On the first day of the New Year, the priestesses would climb to the roof and present her image to the rising sun. After returning from the roof top, the people would then have a big party with singing, dancing and drinking. The priest/esses of the temple would also let the sick stay there in mud brick cubicles, where they bathed in water from sacred lakes to promote healing. Thus Hathor was also represented as a healing goddess as well. Hathor’s temple was still used up to Greco-Roman period and is one of the best preserved. Unlike other temples, this temple faces north rather than east-west.

Her birthday is thought to be August 29th and she has many festivals which are attributed to her which occur March 2, May 12 and June 6 as feast days; Festivals on March 19, April 16 and July 7; the feast of Hathor as Sirius is November 29.

This goddess was worshiped in many different a
reas which included Egypt, Sinai Desert, West Asia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Libya, Byblos and Nubia. There is also evidence that she was also worshiped at one time in Israel. In the 11th century BC, at the holy city of Hazor, which the Old Testament says Joshua destroyed, in which relics and/or other evidence was found that she existed as a goddess here. Hathor is an ancient goddess, worshipped as early as the 2nd dynasty.

Hathor is also associated with the 7 Hathors. These women were holy midwives associated with the 7 heavenly spheres. It was said that when a child is born, the 7 Hathors came to his or her bedside to announce their fate. These women were believed to know the future and the moment of death for every Egyptian. A person’s destiny depended on the hour of their death and the luck of ill fortune was connected with it. It was believed that the Hathors would exchange a prince born to ill fortune with a more fortunate child, therefore protecting the dynasty and the nation. They were shown as a group of young women playing tambourines and wearing the horn disks of Hathor. During the Ptolemaic times (when the Greeks ruled over Egypt), they were identified with the Pleiades. The 7 Hathors were Hathor of Thebes, Hathor of Heliopolis, Hathor of Aphroditopolis, Hathor of Sinai, Hathor of Momemphis or Ammu, Hathor of Herakleopolis and Hathor of Keset.

Hathor is considered the daughter of Ra and later said to be his wife or mother. It is also said she could be the daughter of Nut, of whom she also has many of the same attributes as especially as a sky goddess. This goddess is personified as the female principle; she is primitive, fruitful, creative and nourishing. Other sources show Hathor as wife of Horus and mother of Ihy. It is also said she was the wife of Thoth (she absorbed the attributes of Shesat).

Her cardinal point is South, her element is fire, her special days are Sunday and Friday and her season is summer. Other correspondences include:

Herbs: anise, apple, banana, cypress, dandelion, dill, feverfew, hibiscus, jasmine, lemon, mandrake, rose, willow

Incense: myrrh, cedar, dragons blood, jasmine, myrrh, rose

Crystals: amber, angelite, celestite, diamond, emerald, fluorite, galena, garnet, granite, jade, lodestone, malachite, moonstone, opal, pearl, rose quarts, turquoise.

Metal: gold, copper

Wood: maple,

Color: red, yellow, black, orange, turquoise
(This is certainly not a complete list**)

Hathor is the goddess of beauty, love, music and dance. So by bringing thes
e qualities into your life you can bring Hathor into your life as well. For example: appreciating beautiful things like art, music, flowers, etc. If you feel you need Hathor’s energy try singing to her or dancing to arouse her spirit. She is also a fertility goddess, so if you are trying to conceive whether it is a child or idea, pray to Hathor for guidance, she will hear you. Hathor is also a mother goddess, so if you need nurturing for yourself or help in giving nurturing to others, pray to Hathor, offer her libations or gifts. She will acknowledge you and help you with your needs. As a funerary goddess her main function is to welcome the dead and offer them food and drink. Hathor can also help those grieving for loved ones by offering them comfort as well. These are just a few ideas of how to bring Hathor into your life. When all else fails, just simply pray or talk honestly to her, she will hear you.

Reference list:
www.egyptartsite.com/hathor.html
www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/hathor2.htm
www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/hathor.html
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/goddesses/p/hathor.htm
www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hathor/html
Gods and Goddesses, edited by Elizabeth Hallam 1996
The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myth and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker 1983
Legends of the Earth, Sea and Sky-An Encyclopedia of Nature Myths by Tamera Andrews 1998