Welcome to my juicy five part series covering the 25 Top Feminist Anthems. I just read and listened to the article posted yesterday on Billboard.com today 11/09/2017. The piece is by Allison Stubblebine . I am breaking the list of 25 down into 5 videos per blog. I will include comments on the videos. I will also comment on my opinion of the music. This should be enjoyable.
I hear the lake water lapping with the low sounds by the shore;
WB Yeats age 23 living in London heard “One day on the strand I heard a little tinkle of water, so on a shop window a little jet of water balancing a ball on top. It was an advertisement of cooling drinks. It set me thinking of Slego and lake water. ” The inspiration for the finest of Irish poems
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
All images borrowed from the internet and all videos are linked to YouTube.
And finally
a unified copy of…
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
by WB Yeats
Red Squirrel (Acorn Thrower) in an Irish Glade
I do so ever hope that your reading of this Irish Masterwork was enhanced by my images and videos. – Acorn Thrower
If you have liked any of Throwing Down Acorns blog images, individual blogs, or thoughts, then please subscribe to my blog. Please like the individual blogs. Please comment. Please post queries. Thanks.
One of my favorite images
Thank you for taking your time to read my blog
I really like these sewn sugar skulls.
I will be posting weekly inspirations, as I am flying off to my writing corner to work on writing my book.
“What’s …Día de los Muertos…?
Día de los Muertos — also known as “Día de Muertos,” or “Day of the Dead” in English — is a holiday with Mexican origins that is celebrated on November 1 – 2. … Día de los Muertos is a day to celebrate death — or, more specifically, the deceased —… Día de los Muertos has both indigenous origins from the Aztec festival for Mictecacihuatl, The Lady of The Dead, and Catholic origins from the Spanish conquistadors’ All Saints and All Souls Day.
Wait, it’s a two-day Holiday?
Yes, the original Aztec holiday was actually a month long event, but when the Spanish conquistadores arrived and turned Mexico Catholic, the celebration became intertwined with All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2). Traditionally, Nov. 1 is when you welcome the souls of children that have passed away, known as Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) or Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels). Nov. 2 is when the adult souls arrive.
How do you celebrate the dead?
Those who celebrate Día de los Muertos will usually put up altars honoring those members of the family who have passed away. They decorate the altars with candles, sugar skulls, marigolds, food, beverages and clothes. These offerings, or “ofrendas,” are gifts for the dead and are usually a combination of his or her favorite things. Like the holiday itself, the altar also has mixed imagery of both indigenous and Catholic background. The graves of the deceased are also visited and honored with offerings as well as vigils.
Would you have to go to Mexico to see these celebrations?
No, although Día de los Muertos is a Mexican National Holiday it is actually celebrated in other countries as well such as Guatemala, Brazil and Spain. It is also becoming more and more popular in the U.S. due to the large number of Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans.
…Skulls?
Skulls are everywhere during Día de los Muertos. The origins trace back to the pre-Hispanic era, when they were kept as trophies and used during rituals.
The most recognized skull on Dia de los Muertos is the Calavera Catrina. The image as we know it today originated with José Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican Artist who depicted a fancy female skeleton as a dig against the Europhile Mexican elite during the Porfirio Díaz dictatorship. It became an iconic image of the Mexican Revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century.
But the actual Catrina is said to have originated thanks to the Aztec tale of Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead.”
“Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.
The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos may be the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. Calacas and calaveras are almost always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations.”
“In many parts of Mexico, participants in Dia de los Muertos festivities wear shells or other noisemakers on their clothing and jewelry. Why?
Answers will vary! Consider the culture of the festival:
• The dead are a part of the community, but invisible to the living. Shells and noisemakers will wake the dead from their sleep, and keep them close during the festivities.
• Many of the dead were musicians or enjoyed music and dancing.
• Dia de los Muertos is a celebration, and music is an important part of the joyous atmosphere.”
“A Dia de los Muertos altar for Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, created by Amparo de Jesús Rincón Pérez, of the National Council for Culture and Arts in Mexico City, and officials from the Dallas Mexican Consulate, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.
Isabel Montemayor, assistant professor and research associate for the Center of Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, said it is not as common for places in northern Mexico to celebrate, compared with southern Mexico in states such as Michoacan, Oaxaca and Veracruz.
It’s not a depressing holiday.
Montemayor said it’s a misunderstanding that the tradition is somber because death is involved. It’s quite the opposite, actually.
“It’s a celebration of life. That’s why you see the bright colors and music. Yes, there’s some solemnity about it, but at the same time it’s a celebration of the individuals who lived,” Montemayor said.
It’s not a shrine; it’s a very symbolic altar.
Shrines are usually sacred structures for a specific deity. Altars used for Dia de los Muertos are the centerpieces for the holiday.
Rincón said the altars can vary in levels, but they are typically three-tiered to symbolize heaven, purgatory and earth.
The bread is round for a reason.
Pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, may sound off-putting. But it’s a common treat made at panaderias, or Hispanic bakeries, for the holiday. The pastry is round to symbolize the circle of life, Rincón said.
What is la ofrenda?
You may see prepared meals, cigarettes or even a bottle of tequila on some altars. Those items are a part of la ofrenda, or the offering, which is a gift for the dead. It’s usually items that the deceased enjoyed the most. During the holiday, it’s believed the dead can savor their favorite things again.
The holiday coincides with the end of the agricultural cycle. Indigenous pueblos in Mexico saw it as a time to give thanks for the year’s harvest and honor their ancestors.” …dallasnews.com
For more on Día de los Muertos celebrations and traditionaround the worldgo to Wikipedia.
Día de los Muertos a woman dressed as a Caballero
Calavera Catrina on a deck of playing cards.
Honoring the ancestors
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More stunning calavera face painting
Let these fellas play us out
One final ancestor to honor
Images scoured from the internet. The images belong to the photograhers or source holders. All source material has a link in the body of the text. All rights reserved to original publications. Thank you for allowing me to share your words and work.
Will post at 6PM tomorrow. I got home from the Interfaith Dinner Dialogues a bit later than was planned. I need to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight. I am in process to reset my body to an earlier rise time. Thank you for your patience.
All Saints day originally went my a different name, dedication Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres, based upon the pagan celebration of Lemuria both were held on May 13. “Some liturgiologists base the idea that this Lemuria festival was the origin of that of All Saints on their identical dates and on the similar theme of “all the dead”.” (Wikipedia All Saints Day) Pope Gregory III in the mid-eighth century dedicated a day to the saints and their relics, November 1.
“The choice of the day may have been intended to co-opt the pagan holiday “Feast of the Lamures,” a day which pagans used to placate the restless spirits of the dead. In Ireland All Saints Day is celebrated on April 20th. November 1 is all Saints Day, Tomorrow is All Souls Day. I will cover both in this Blog as I will post it in the morning on All Souls day.
Weeping Angel in Holy Light
Weeping Angel During Day
A classic Depiction of “All Saints”
100 points if you can name them all. I have a friend. Maria B. who can name them all.
I am going to start with and bit of Truth, as it is what the fundamental beleif of my faith, Druid. Though I have been in a Roman Catholic Church in the past year. Long ago I converted from Roman Catholiscism to Druid. I have released all of my past knowledge of the religion that no longer lightened my soul. Thus there will be numerous instanaces of exerpting from other sources. As I have been researching this topic I have fallen utterly in love with the pictures of lights to honor the dead.
“The Catholic practice celebrates all those who have entered heaven, including saints who are recognized by the Church and those who are not.” Catholic.org
Of Course where you have a room full of a christians you will have a similar number of perspectives on what a holy day means, as well as how to celebrate the holy day.
“According to Mark Wood at Christian Today many evangelical protestants are uncomfortable with saints as it seems to rank some Christians more highly than others.
Thus many Christians extend the celebration of All Saints Day to everyone who is a Christian. ‘We are all saints, in a biblical sense,’ he writes.
‘So All Saints Day is a time to be thankful for all those Christians who have lived before us, whether they are officially saints or not. Some are the great teachers ad prophets from history.
Some are those who’ve taught and inspired us personally. ‘Some are our friends and family. We can thank God for their witness, and for the way they have transmitted the faith down the generations. We can learn from their lives. We can take time to be grateful for what we’ve received, and to recommit ourselves to follow in their footsteps.’
Kenya Sinclair, a writer at Catholic Online, echoes this sentiment saying All Saints Day is a ‘call to live as saints’.” Metro.co.uk
All Saints’ Day is represented by paintings and images of many saints together. The saints may surround or look towards a figure representing Jesus and be accompanied by angels. Saints are often represented with a golden halo above or behind their heads.
Two or more candle wicks dipped in wax and wrapped around a cone-shaped form
Newweling preburning
Newweling Burning
In some areas of Germany, a Newweling symbolizes All Saints’ Day. A Newweling is made of two or more candle wicks dipped in wax and wrapped around a cone shaped form. The form is removed before the candle is lit. Traditionally, each candle wick is dipped in red, white, blue, yellow or green wax and two or more different colors are used for each candle.
Toussaint
“All Saints’ Day in France is locally known as “Toussaint” which is the contraction of “Tous les Saints”, meaning “All the Saints” in English. The solemnity takes place in Autumn on the 1st November and is a Catholic tradition of honouring the dead.
French people commemorate their dead on the 1st of November. The catholic tradition makes a distinction between Toussaint (All Saints’ Day, on the 1st of November) from the “Commémoration des fidèles défunts” (All Soul’s day, on the 2nd of November). Dead relatives are supposed to be commemorated on the 2nd of November, but since Toussaint is a public holiday, French people honour their dead on the 1st of November. Members of a family usually gather to go to the cemetery together.
They put chrysanthemum flowers on the grave and light candles to symbolise happiness in the afterlife.
They can also attend special church services.
Toussaint can be a very important moment for families. They can spend a day together in a respectful atmosphere which generally excludes usual family fights, even though regrets and sorrow can be a source of tension. Toussaint is an opportunity to strengthen family links spending a nice day together or expressing common grief.
Many different countries blur the lines of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, the Filipinos are another one of these nationalities.
Undas or Undras
“Most Filipinos go to the cemetery to visit the graves of deceased relatives and friends. Some prefer to go on Oct. 31st or Nov. 1st, while some go to the cemetery for three straight days. Others would spend the night at their loved ones mausoleum. Once we arrive, we clean the tombs, light up candles, offer flowers, and say a prayer for the souls of the departed.”
“During this time, schools are on their semester break so it is also an opportunity for families to spend time together. Children would play with their cousins as the adults would exchange stories and play cards or mahjong (a game that originated in China). Back in the 80s, flying kites and catching dragonflies were favorite activities among the young. Filipinos, known for their love of singing, also bring guitars to serve as a means of entertainment while at the cemetery.
As lunchtime approaches, everyone sets the table for the various dishes cooked for that day. It usually includes the deceased loved one’s favorite dish. We place a plate of food in front of the tomb or grave as offering for the soul of our relatives and friends. Priests would also go around the cemetery to offer prayers and bless graves.”
“Many people go back to their home provinces for All Souls’ Day. If they can’t, they go to the church to light candles. Special masses are also held in memory of the departed.”
“Aside from honoring the dead, Filipinos also use this time to unwind. “
Polish and Hungarian Catholics also seem to blur the lines of the two holidays.
PolishWszystkich Swietych
“All Saints’ Day is celebrated solemnly in Poland. The first of November is a bank holiday during which people visit cemeteries and gather round their family graves, laying flowers and lighting candles.
“The Roman Catholic tradition (Festum Omnium Sanctorum) honouring all saints, both known and unknown, is one of the most important Polish holidays. It was also recognized by the communist authorities of the Polish People’s Republic. They renamed it the “Day of the Dead” and treated it as a day of remembrance for the deceased.
…
People used to believe that on 1 November, the day the Church traditionally received offerings from believers to celebrate mass in memory of the dead, souls stuck in purgatory would roam around among the living.
Pagan beliefs and celebrations have survived to the present day in the Podlasie Voivodeship, historically part of the eastern Slavic lands. Forefathers’s Eve, a tradition pre-dating Christianity commemorating restless souls, is still celebrated in some regions. In many villages, food, drink and prayers are still offered to the souls that have to atone for their sins, to help ease their anger and make their journey to heaven more comfortable. The tradition of a feast during which bread, eggs and honey are consumed has also been preserved. According to one superstition, a spoon which falls to the ground should not be picked up as it is thought to have been snatched by a dead soul searching for food.
CHLEB SZWAJCARSKI aka. “bread of the dead”
In some villages in southern Poland, people continue to bake the “bread of the dead,” marked with a cross and prepared early enough so as not to torture souls which, it was believed, used ovens and chimneys as the shortest way to heaven. People used to share the “bread of the dead” with priests and beggars who would say a prayer for the dead.
All Saints’ Day is followed by the All Souls’ Day (Commemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum – Commemoration of All Deceased Believers). It was introduced by Odilio, an abbot from Cluny, in 993 to replace the pagan celebrations for the dead. Nowadays, on All Souls’ Day, Roman Catholics remember the dead and pray for their souls. The second of November is not a bank holiday in Poland, but practising Roman Catholics go to mass on that day.
On 1 and 2 November Polish cemeteries are alight with hundreds of thousands of candles. The flower traditionally associated with All Saints’ Day in Poland is chrysanthemum.”
“All Souls’ Day is a Catholic tradition in which churches commemorate the dead by praying for their souls. Rituals include visiting family graves and remembering deceased relatives. However, this Christian holiday combines some rituals from the Pagan holiday Samhain as well as ancient Mexican traditions used to celebrate and remember dead ancestors.”
“Altars are set up in homes to honor dead relatives. These are adorned with food and drinks (ofrendas), photos, candles, flowers, and candy skulls inscribed with the name of the deceased. Incense sticks are lit to help the departed find their way.”
Catholics take on All Souls Day
“What Is All Souls Day (Commemoration of the Faithful Departed)?
All Souls Day History, Information, Prayers, Meaning, Traditions, & More
What is All Souls Day? It is when the Church commemorates and prays for the souls in Purgatory, who are undergoing purification before entering heaven. All Souls Day is celebrated on November 2nd, the day after All Saints Day. Prayers: All Souls Day Prayers
‘Just the facts’
Liturgical Color(s): Black, White, or Violet
Type of Holiday: A Special Class; Ranked With Solemnities because it takes precedence over a Sunday
Time of Year: November 2 (West), Eve of Pentecost (East)
Duration: One Day
Celebrates/Symbolizes: All the faithful departed
Alternate Names: Commemoration of the Faithful Departed; Commemoratio omnium Fidelium Defunctorum
Scriptural References: 2 Maccabees 12:44-45; Matthew 12:31-32; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Timothy 1:16-18; 1 Peter 3:18-20
Data Points
All Souls Day directly follows All Saints Day, and commemorates the faithful departed, those individuals who die in God’s grace. Catholics believe that not everyone who is destined for heaven is immediately ready for the “Beatific vision,” i.e. the direct experience of God and his perfect nature in heaven, so they must be purified of “lesser faults,” and the effects of sin.
The Catholic Church calls this purification “purgatory.” The Catholic teaching on Purgatory essentially requires belief in two realities: 1. that there will be a purification of the souls of believers prior to entering heaven and 2. that the prayers and masses of the faithful in some way benefit those in the state of purification.
As to the duration, place, and exact nature of this purification, the Church has no official teaching or dogma, although Saint Augustine and others used fire as a way to explain the nature of the purification.
Many faithful Catholics, including Pope Benedict XVI, understand that Purgatory may be best thought of as an “existential state” as opposed to a temporal place (see Benedict’s Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life 230-231).
In other words, because Purgatory is outside created time and space, it is not necessarily accurate to speak of a location or duration of Purgatory. Nonetheless, the prayers and Masses of the faithful do have an impact on the purification that the faithful are undergoing in Purgatory. Many non-Catholics, including C.S. Lewis, have believed in Purgatory, and the official dogma of Purgatory is hardly offensive, even if the popular understanding of it has led to confusion. As a more everyday explanation, many liken Purgatory to a place or state where one gets “cleaned up” before entering into the presence of Almighty God.
The Church prays for, and remembers, the faithful departed throughout the entire year. However, All Souls is the general, solemn, day of commemoration, when the Church remembers, prays for, and offers requiem masses up for the faithful departed in the state of purification. Typically Christians will take this day to offer prayers up on behalf of their departed relatives and friends. Others may remember influential individuals that they never knew personally, such as presidents, musicians, etc. This may be done in the form of the Office of the Dead (Defunctorum officium), i.e. a prayer service offered in memory of departed loved ones. Often this office is prayed on the anniversary (or eve) of the death of a loved one, or on All Souls’ Day.
There are many customs associated with All Souls Day, and these vary greatly from culture to culture. In Mexico they celebrate All Souls Day as el dia de los muertos, or “the day of the dead.” Customs include going to a graveyard to have a picnic, eating skull-shaped candy, and leaving food out for dead relatives. The practice of leaving food out for dead relatives is interesting, but not exactly Catholic Theology. If all of this seems a little morbid, remember that all cultures deal with death in different manners. The Western aversion to anything related to death is not present in other cultures.
In the Philippines, they celebrate “Memorial Day” based loosely on All Souls Day. Customs include praying novenas for the holy souls, and ornately decorating relatives’ graves. On the eve of All Souls (i.e. the evening of All Saints Day), partiers go door-to-door, requesting gifts and singing a traditional verse representing the liberation of holy souls from purgatory. In Hungary the day is known as Halottak Napja, “the day of the dead,” and a common custom is inviting orphans into the family and giving them food, clothes, and toys. In rural Poland, a legend developed that at midnight on All Souls Day a great light shone on the local parish. This light was said to be the holy souls of departed parishioners gathered to pray for their release from Purgatory at the altars of their former earthly parishes. After this, the souls were said to return to scenes from their earthly life and work, visiting homes and other places. As a sign of welcome, Poles leave their windows and doors ajar on the night of All Souls Day. All of these customs show the wide variety of traditions related to All Souls Day.
‘A bit of History’
Christians have been praying for their departed brothers and sisters since the earliest days of Christianity. Early liturgies and inscriptions on catacomb walls attest to the ancientness of prayers for the dead, even if the Church needed more time to develop a substantial theology behind the practice. Praying for the dead is actually borrowed from Judaism, as indicated in 2 Maccabees 12:41-42. In the New Testament, St Paul prays for mercy for his departed friend Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:18). Early Christian writers Tertullian and St. Cyprian testify to the regular practice of praying for the souls of the departed. Tertullian justified the practice based on custom and Tradition, and not on explicit scriptural teaching. This demonstrates that Christians believed that their prayers could somehow have a positive effect on the souls of departed believers. Closely connected to the ancient practice of praying for the dead is the belief in an explicit state called purgatory. The New Testament hints at a purification of believers after death. For example, Saint Paul speaks of being saved, “but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). Over time, many Church Fathers, including St. Augustine, e.g. in Enchiridion of Faith, Hope, and Love and City of God, further developed the concept of a purgation of sins through fire after death.
‘A bit More History’
In the early Church, departed Christians’ names were placed on diptychs. In the sixth century, Benedictine communities held commemorations for the departed on the feast of Pentecost. All Souls’ Day became a universal festival largely on account of the influence of Odilo of Cluny in AD 998, when he commanded its annual celebration in the Benedictine houses of his congregation. This soon spread to the Carthusian congregations as well. The day was celebrated on various days, including October 15th in 12th century Milan. Today all Western Catholics celebrate All Souls’ Day on November 2, as do many Anglicans, Lutherans, and other Christians. Initially many Protestant reformers rejected All Souls’ Day because of the theology behind the feast (Purgatory and prayers/masses for the dead), but the feast is now being celebrated in many Protestant communities, in many cases with a sub-Catholic theology of Purgatory. Some Protestants even pray for the dead; many Anglican liturgies include such prayers. While the Eastern Churches lack a clearly defined doctrine of Purgatory, they still regularly pray for the departed. …”
Hand made paper machete lantern
An All Souls Day Festival
The Dearly Departed watching over the families who have come to visit
I saw this and had to share her with you! Quiet the Trickster.
You will be next my furry friend!
Nom Nom Nom!
Squirrel Performing a Lobotomy
Gods it sucks when my skin shrinks off of my skull, ….. soooo PAinFul!
Though not as bad a being conscious during a lobotomy?
Man it is better than Chthulu breaking out of your skin.
Or turning into a demon
This interaction eventually became a superb news article, …err photo opp.
Here is the haunting news picture.
Almost as scary as the zombie squirrel is this lion squirrel.
Though this Zombie squirrel is Terrifying maybe more so than the lion.
I thought this was Spooky Cool.
Many perspectives exist on Halloween’s formidable and sacred history. Honestly as a Druid the one that feels the most true in my bones is from “Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival” by John Gilroy excerpted by newgrange.com. Here is part of the article that is on Newgrange.com
”
Tlachtga where the Great Fire Festival at Samhain was celebrated.
As millions of children and adults participate in the fun of Halloween on the night of October 31st, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival. In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through.
The family’s ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into a communal fire, household fires were extinguished and started again from the bonfire. Food was prepared for the living and the dead, food for the ancestors who were in no position it eat it, was ritually shared with the less well off.
Christianity incorporated the honouring of the dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints (All Hallows) on November 1st, followed by All Souls on November 2nd. The wearing of costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits survived as Halloween customs. The Irish emigrated to America in great numbers during the 19th century especially around the time of famine in Ireland during the 1840’s. The Irish carried their Halloween traditions to America, where today it is one of the major holidays of the year. Through time other traditions have blended into Halloween, for example the American harvest time tradition of carving pumpkins.
Two hills in the Boyne Valley were associated with Samhain in Celtic Ireland, Tlachtga and Tara. Tlachtga was the location of the Great Fire Festival which begun on the eve of Samhain (Halloween). Tara was also associated with Samhain, however it was secondary to Tlachtga in this respect.
The entrance passage to the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is aligned with the rising sun around Samhain. The Mound of the Hostages is 4,500 to 5000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before the first Celts arrived in Ireland about 2,500 years ago.
Celtic Earth Works on the Hill of Tara
The Diwali Festival
The Hindu Diwali (Divali, Deepavali) Festival known as the Festival of Lights occurs about the same time as Samhain. Diwali marks the Hindu New Year just as Samhain marks the Celtic New Year, could it be that Diwali and Samhain have a common root in antiquity?
The Festival of Samhain marked the end of the Celtic year and the beginning of the new one and as such can be seen to the equivalent of New Year’s Eve. We have seen how the Celts believed that night preceded day and so the festivities took place on the Eve of Samhain. There is no doubt that that this festival was the most important of the four Celtic Festivals. Samhain was a crucial time of year, loaded with symbolic significance for the pre-Christian Irish. The celebrations at Tlachtga may have had their origins in a fertility rite on the hill but it gathered to itself a corpus of other beliefs which crystallised at the great Fire Festival.
The perceptible, and apparent, decline in the strength of the sun at this time of year was a source of anxiety for early man and the lighting of the Winter Fires here symbolised mans attempt to assist the sun on its journey across the skies. Fire is the earthly counterpart of the sun and is a powerful and appropriate symbol to express mans helplessness in the face of the overwhelming sense of the decay of nature as the winter sets in.
Now the sun has descended into the realm of the underworld, the forces of the underworld were in the ascendency. The lord of the underworld, unfettered from the control of the sun, now walked the earth and with him travelled all those other creatures from the abode of the dead. Ghosts, fairies and a host of other non-descript creatures went with him. The Lord of the Dead in Celtic mythology can be identified as Donn.
Mythology tells us that when the invaders of Ireland known as the Miliseans landed at the Boyne, they made their way to Tara. Once there, they were advised by the Druids that they should return to their ships and sail off the shore to the length of nine waves. When they were on the sea a great storm arose which scattered their fleet. The commander of one of the ships was Donn. His ship was broken to pieces in the storm and he himself drowned along with twenty four of his comrades. He was buried on the Skellig Islands off the coast of Kerry.
Thanks and many blessings too Newgrange.com for providing this profound article.
Spiorad na Samhna — Origins of Halloween
This short Irish film traces origins of Ireland’s biggest Halloween Carnival in Derry back to troubled years of 1980s. It also traces origins of Halloween to the Celtic festival of Samhain.
From Livescience.comHistory of Halloween by Benjamin Radford, Live Science Contributor | September 18, 2017 10:40pm ETHalloween is the season for little ghosts and goblins to take to the streets, asking for candy and scaring one another silly. Spooky stories are told around fires, scary movies appear in theaters and pumpkins are expertly (and not-so-expertly) carved into jack-o’-lanterns.Recently, creepy clowns seem to be doing some real terrorizing: In August of 2016, locals in Greenville, South Carolina, reported a clown who was allegedly trying to lure children into the woods; then in September, a teen reported a knife-wielding clown in Summitville, Tennessee. Local and state officials in many areas urged people to report suspicious clown sightings. And in South Florida, some stores pulled clown costumes from their shelves and Broward County police advised people not to dress up as the masked grinners, according to the Miami Herald.In 2017, the clowning continued. A movie based on the classic Steven King story “It” was remade and released in the United States on Sept. 8. In the movie, a demon that takes the form of a clown lures children into the sewer with a red balloon. In Lititz, Pennsylvania, police responded to reports of over 20 red balloons tied to sewer grates, according to CBS News. People dressing as clowns remains a popular way to scare. Children in North Dakota, for example, were targeted in May by a knife-wielding clown with a boa constrictor and in September, Australia saw an increase of clown sightings before Halloween.Amid the silly and scary antics, Halloween is much more than just costumes and candy; in fact, the holiday has a rich and interesting history.SamhainHalloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, can be traced back about 2,000 years to a pre-Christian Celtic festival held around Nov. 1 called Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”), which means “summer’s end” in Gaelic, according to the Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries. [13 Halloween Superstitions & Traditions Explained]Because ancient records are sparse and fragmentary, the exact nature of Samhain is not fully understood, but it was an annual communal meeting at the end of the harvest year, a time to gather resources for the winter months and bring animals back from the pastures. Samhain is also thought to have been a time of communing with the dead, according to folklorist John Santino.”There was a belief that it was a day when spirits of the dead would cross over into the other world,” Santino told Live Science. Such moments of transition in the year have always been thought to be special and supernatural, he added.Halloween provides a safe way to play with the concept of death, Santino said. People dress up as the living dead, and fake gravestones adorn front lawns — activities that wouldn’t be tolerated at other times of the year, he said.But according to Nicholas Rogers, a history professor at York University in Toronto and author of “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night” (Oxford University Press, 2003), “there is no hard evidence that Samhain was specifically devoted to the dead or to ancestor worship.”According to the ancient sagas, Samhain was the time when tribal peoples paid tribute to their conquerors and when the sidh [ancient mounds] might reveal the magnificent palaces of the gods of the underworld,” Rogers wrote. Samhain was less about death or evil than about the changing of seasons and preparing for the dormancy (and rebirth) of nature as summer turned to winter, he said.Though a direct connection between Halloween and Samhain has never been proven, many scholars believe that because All Saints’ Day (or All Hallows’ Mass, celebrated on Nov. 1) and Samhain, are so close together on the calendar that they influenced each other and later combined into the celebration now called Halloween.Costumes and trick-or-treatingThe tradition of dressing in costumes and trick-or-treating may go back to the practice of “mumming” and “guising,” in which people would disguise themselves and go door-to-door, asking for food, Santino said. Early costumes were usually disguises, often woven out of straw, he said, and sometimes people wore costumes to perform in plays or skits.The practice may also be related to the medieval custom of “souling” in Britain and Ireland, when poor people would knock on doors on Hallowmas (Nov. 1), asking for food in exchange for prayers for the dead.Trick-or-treating didn’t start in the United States until World War II, but American kids were known to go out on Thanksgiving and ask for food — a practice known as Thanksgiving begging, Santino said.”Mass solicitation rituals are pretty common, and are usually associated with winter holidays,” Santino said. While one tradition didn’t necessarily cause the others, they were “similar and parallel,” he said.Tricks and gamesThese days, the “trick” part of the phrase “trick or treat” is mostly an empty threat, but pranks have long been a part of the holiday.By the late 1800s, the tradition of playing tricks on Halloween was well established. In the United States and Canada, the pranks included tipping over outhouses, opening farmers’ gates and egging houses. But by the 1920s and ’30s, the celebrations more closely resembled an unruly block party, and the acts of vandalism got more serious.Some people believe that because pranking was starting to get dangerous and out of hand, parents and town leaders began to encourage dressing up and trick-or-treating as a safe alternative to doing pranks, Santino said.However, Halloween was as much a time for festivities and games as it was for playing tricks or asking for treats. Apples are associated with Halloween, both as a treat and in the game of bobbing for apples, a game that since the colonial era in America was used for fortune-telling. Legend has it that the first person to pluck an apple from the water-filled bucket without using his or her hands would be the first to marry, …read moreChristian/Irish InfluenceSome evangelical Christians have expressed concern that Halloween is somehow satanic because of its roots in pagan ritual. However, ancient Celts did not worship anything resembling the Christian devil and had no concept of it. In fact, the Samhain festival had long since vanished by the time the Catholic Church began persecuting witches in its search for satanic cabals. And, of course, black cats do not need to have any association with witchcraft to be considered evil — simply crossing their path is considered bad luck any time of year.As for modern Halloween, Santino, writing in “American Folklore: An Encyclopedia” (Garland, 1996), noted that “Halloween beliefs and customs were brought to North America with the earliest Irish immigrants, then by the great waves of Irish immigrants fleeing the famines of the first half of the nineteenth century. …read moreAuthor BioBenjamin Radford, Live Science ContributorBenjamin Radford is the Bad Science columnist for Live Science. He covers pseudoscience, psychology, urban legends and the science behind “unexplained” or mysterious phenomenon. Ben has a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and has written, edited or contributed to more than 20 books, including “Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries,” “Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore” and “Investigating Ghosts: The Scientific Search for Spirits,” out in fall 2017. His website is http://www.BenjaminRadford.com.
Jack O’ Lantern Cake
A powerful cadre of Nutty Wizards and Witches
Something Wicked this Way Comes
Hopefully this Jack o’Lantern will scare the Wickedness away
Should the Pumpkin Fail then how about we go to a more traditional spirit ward?
So recently, as in a few days ago, I fell in love with the most magnificent tiny black cat I have ever beheld. In honor of said cat I bring you my black cats of Halloween favored images
In Honor of the Best and ONLY Cat I will ever feel is Awesomamazing
I love Ravens
A little more squirrelly magic!
Wizard really getting into her work.
A Batty Pumpkin
Frankenpumpkin
Someone Took his Broom and Hat away! RUN! ……… no Really RUUUUUUN!
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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
A beautifully illustrated Halloween story book with animals
Better Watch out for Spirits
Or Werewitches passing as Squirrels
Be sure to wear your costume to go undetected by EeVIL Spirits
So that you can go seeking treats in Safety
May your Halloween be filled with Magic
And be Happily Haunted
The Multifaith perspective on Halloween is under development as a new blog post.
A Druid Samhain… About My the symbol of my faith (Part 1 of 2) and my favorite holy day, Samhain (Part 2 of 2)
Part 2 of 2
Lets get right down to the Good Stuff
Harvest Image is from the North American Region of the Globe
pumpkins are not native to Europe.
Turnips were carved into lanterns for much the same purpose as pumpkins are carved and lit today.
*”Turnip lanterns,” and eventually pumpkins, “usually represented supernatural beings and, were used to chase evil spirits. Guisers” , children going about protected by costume used to deceive malevolent spirits and protect the children seeking treats or if no treats were given then the children would carry “used them to scare people, while in some cases they were set on windowsills to guard homes against evil.”
*”This term is also used for lanterns. The first stories about a trickster that was banned” from moving on to the afterlife. “His full name, Sean na Gealai, means “John of the little moon” or, with some modifications, “Jack of the Lantern.”
*from the Vintage News article Turnip-o’-lantern: Turnips were the original Halloween decorations Boban Docevski
There are a number of different Druid Religious branches or in the more common vernacular denomination (if you are more Jedeo-christian) or tradition if yours lean pagan. There is signifigant variance in the branches of Druid ritual practices, as well as elemental relation. To that end I have found online copies of Druid Samhain rites and Nematons. I will share them with you. I will also link t o their pages so that you can get more information on their particuar branch of the Druid Faith.
Squirrel so heavy with knowledge his weight felled a tree.
The altar is set up, food is laid and the fire prepared. Incense may be lit, music played and introductionsmade. The circle is laid out using the nearby natural resources, whether it bestones, twigs, leaves, etc. The ritual leader then casts the circle.
THE GUARDIANS
Here we ask the guardian spirits of the place and time their permission to work our ritual in their area-
Hail Guardian Spirits of this place! We come here in peace and with clear intent. We come here to celebrate Samhain. We ask, with respect, that you accept our presence. Hail Guardian Spirits ofthis place!
THE CALL FOR PEACE
May there be peace in theNorth! May there be peace in the South! May there be peace in the West! Maythere be peace in the East!
(each call for peace to be madeby the person who will be calling the quarter. If done in this order, the callfor peace will flow along the lines of the pre-Christian equal armed cross,also recognised by the Native Americans for their medicine wheels).
We who are gathered here, wecall for peace in this land. We call for peace in our hearts and minds andtowards our fellow beings.
THE CIRCLE CASTING
Sacred Ones, spirits of the birch and rowan, fir and ivy, honeysuckle and rosemary, dryads and devas, allyou who have heard our intention, we ask with respect that you encircle us know, branch reaching branch, leaf touching leaf, roots beneath our feetentangling, that our Circle may be strong, a nemeton of inspiration, reverence and learning, in the name of the Gods whose power we both breathe, we ask that this be so.
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(A moment is given to allow the devas and dryads to form the circle)
We give our energy to this circle, mingling and communing with those of the spirits of nature to create a sanctuary of peace.
(Energy is pushed out from theparticipants to mix and strengthen the circle).
Let all here draw their mindsinto the presence of their bodies, that thoughts may be melded with flesh,blood and bones, that the spirits of those gathered may be blended in onepurpose, one voice and one sacred space. Soul to soul, we weave our circle,spirit to spirit, that none may enter this sacred space but those who come intune with our intention and in peace. Soul to soul, spirit to spirit, we askthat this may be so.
CONSECRATION
The circle is consecrated by taking incense and water around the circle.
CALLING THE QUARTERS
I call upon the Spirit of the North, the Earth Mother, the Great Bear, to be with us in our sacred rite.
I call upon the Spirit of the East, the Skyfather, the Great Eagle, to be withus in our sacred rite.
I call upon the Spirit of the South, the Firebrother, the Great Dragon, to bewith us in our sacred rite.
I call upon the Spirit of the West, the Rainsister, the Great Whale, to be with us in our sacred rite.
THE SPIRITS OF PLACE
We call to the spirits ofplace, to those of Land, Sea and Sky, to those of the three worlds to be withus in our sacred rite.
CALLING THE ANCESTORS
We call to the ancestors of body, mind and spirit to be with us in our sacred rite. To our ancestors whosetears and blood, joy and happiness have been felt upon this land, whose songscourse through our blood, and whose spirit lives on through our celebrations,we call to you to be with us in our sacred rite.
CALLING THE GODDESS AND GOD
I call upon my lady of thestars and moon
To the Bringer of dreams andtwilight
I call upon my lady of the loom
The Weaver of fates in thenight
I call upon the Lady of theLady
The Singer of the Evensong
I call upon the maiden motherand Crone
The Goddess alive and strong
I call upon the Lord of the Sun
The Rider in the sky
I call upon the Lord of theWinds
To the Eagle as he flies
I call upon the King Stag
To the son, lover and sacrifice
I call upon the Lord of theWildwood
The God laughing, free and wise
THE DECLARATION
‘We come to celebrate Samhain, the most sacred of nights, when the veil between the worlds is thin.We give thanks for all that we have, and we honour our ancestors and the deadat this time. Let us now say a prayer for our dead, that they may journey tothe Otherworld safely, and that we might know them again some day.
(Prayers and thanks are said,either out loud or internally during this time of prayer).
Let us now cast off the worries and fears that shackle us to the previous year. For behold! A new year is uponus. With the blessing and strength of the Crone of Winter, we come forth tounburden ourselves to her, in preparation for the long winter ahead. We willneed our strength and conviction to see the winter through, and with herblessing it will be done.
(The Crone of Winter, The Cailleach will stand at the northwest part of the circle, before a cauldron. She lifts the cauldron and holds it between her hands. Members of the circle come beforeThe Cailleach and cast off their ties to the old world, figuratively orliterally throwing something into the cauldron Note: This should be flammable,if literally casting something into the flames, and non-toxic when burned. Ifsimply pushing energy, feelings or emotions into the cauldron, simply standbefore it and push them away from you, letting the Crone take them into thecauldron. When finished, simply walk away, without looking back until you areback at your place.)
The Cailleach then throws thecontents of the cauldron onto the fire. The chant begins:
“The Wheel turns, the fireburns” .
The Cailleach confirms that it has been done, and all are then invited to feast.
The Gundsdrp Cauldron of Plenty
A Samhain Feast Table
The Gundsdrp Cauldron of Plenty
THE FEAST
The food and drink is blessed.
The ale/mead/wine/juice isblessed.
Goddess, bountiful EarthMother, bless this and suffuse it with your love.
The bread is blessed.
God, powerful Sky Father, bless this and may it lend strength to us.
The drink is held high abovethe head. Thanks be to the land! The cup is then passed to the next person, whothe toasts and passes the cup to the next person. When all have drunk the firstperson takes the cup and pours a measure onto the ground or lake. Thanks be tothe Goddess!
The bread is held out before.Thanks be to the land! The bread is then broken and passed in similar fashion.A measure of bread is then laid out. Thanks be to the God!
Everyone raises their hands tothe sky – Free the spirit, free the land!
The food comes out and everyoneis invited to celebrate! NOTE: A SPECIAL SECTION OF FOOD IS TO BE LAID OUT FOR THE DEAD ON THEIR WAY TO THE SUMMERLAND, WHICH WILL REMAIN IN THE RITUAL SITEUNTIL MORNING WHERE IT WILL THEN BE COMPOSTED, SHOULD ANYTHING REMAIN.
Poetry, artwork and music should then be shared round the circle by those who have been inspired by thismoon and this festival.
When the feasting is done,honour and respect are paid to the Goddess and God, the spirits of land, seaand sky, the ancestors, the four quarters (those who called the quarters nowbid them hail and farewell in much the same manner as they were called), thespirits of the heath and of the oak and to each other. The circle is thenclosed-
We now return the energy that we have spent in creating this circle back to our bodies and souls and the landwhich sustains us, in peace and with the blessings of the God and Goddess. (Amoment is taken to release the personal power put into the circle.)
THE CLOSING
May the Spirits of this Placehave been nourished as much as their presence has nourished us. GuardianSpirit, we give you thanks. This celebration ends in peace as it began. May the blessings we have received go with us all as we depart this place, to nourish,strengthen and sustain us until we meet again. So may it be!
The rite has ended!”
Guardian Squirrel on the look out for spiritual interlopers.
I truely wish I could provide to you a sample of an OBOD Samhain rite. OBOD celebrates eight religious festivals as per the wheel of the year. I cannot find one anywhere and I spent four hours searching. Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD)
OBOD is in its 52 year as an international organization. I believe they provided a Druid to provide the opening blessing and invocation for the 2012 para olympics. The ritual of Fire was profound and amazing. I have a deep and abiding respect for this organization, even though our beliefs do vary.
The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids is a worldwide group of over twenty thousand members in fifty countries, dedicated to practising, teaching, and developing Druidry as a valuable and inspiring spirituality.
The Order was founded in Britain over 50 years ago by the historian and poet Ross Nichols, aided by the writer and founder of the Tolkien Society Vera Chapman, and fellow members of the Ancient Druid Order, which developed during the early years of the last century out of the Druid Revival which began about three hundred years ago. Read more
OBAD has a Facebook page 52,560 followers! That is quiet a bit more that their reported twenty thousand members.
I suspect that OBOD has no video, nor print medium for their Samhain, due to the fact Samhain is the holiest of holy days.
A total Blackout of a squirrel for OBOD Samhain rite!
Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship is a very different branch of Druid. The functional english translation of Ár nDraíocht Féin is “Our own brand of Druidism” They too regard the wheel to celebrate their holy days. Ár nDraíocht Féin has a different perspective on the Sacred profundity of Samhain, thus many rituals are published online.
We gather here on the Feast of Samhain, the End and Beginning of the Sacred Year, the Time of Turning when the Dark Time begins. This is the Last Harvest. The fields lie empty, sinking into Winter^s Sleep and our larders hold what gain we have reaped from our labors.
As our forebearers did, so do we do now, and so may our descendants do in time to come. We are here to offer worship to the Lord of the House of the Dead and to the Queen of Phantoms; to the Gods, the Dead and the Sidhe; and especially to our honored dead here on the Feast of the Dead.
We offer to Donn the Dark One, the Antlered God who offers hospitality and peace to those bound for the Ancestors’ Country. We offer to Morrigan, the Great Queen of Battle and Sorcery; the Old Woman of Death and the Cauldron of Rebirth.
In this Season of Death we honor the Holy Dead as the ancients did, and we seek the Seed that will wait in the Womb of Winter. Now let us open the Ways Between…
B: Honoring the Patron Deities
To the Gods, the Dead and the Sidhe we offer welcome. All you Spirits who gather here with us, join now to honor the Patrons of our rite.
On the Night of the Scythe and the Skull, the honor-feast of Summer’s End, let us worship the Dark One and the Great Queen.
The Invocation of Donn
In the season of darkening, the Lord of the House of Death receives the Spirits in his Hall. He is Donn the Dark One, called Cernunnos the Horned One. He is the First Ancestor, the Torc Bearer, The Guardian of the Cauldron of Plenty.Hear us now, Horned One, Dark one, Receiver of the Dead, Granter of Rest, Patron of the Feast in the Land of the Dead. We your children pray you to come in, to let your gaze fall upon this Sacred Ground, to indwell our rite and give us your blessing.
We make due offering to you. We give you…
(offering made into shaft or offering bowl.)
Silver, that you grant the wealth of the Underworld, Source of All Potential.
(offering made to the Fire)
Oil, that the richness of the Land be renewed as our own lives are renewed.
(offering placed at the foot of the Tree)
Horn, that the beings who know you may bless us in the Season of Hunting.
Be welcome among us, Donn; Dark One, accept our sacrifice!
Donn
The Invocation of Morrigan
As the Earth falls into sleep the Queen of Spirits is choosing those who will go to the Cauldron of Rebirth. She is Morrigan, the Great Queen of Phantoms, the Chooser of the Slain. She is the Battle Raven, the Red Woman, Mistress of the Cauldron.
Hear us now, Red One, Great Queen, Lady of the Reaping, Cauldron-Witch of Sorcery and Prophecy. We your children pray that you be with us, that you look kindly upon our holy rite, that you come into our Grove and give us your blessing.
We give due offering to you. We give you…
(Shaft)
Precious stone, that the Bones of the Earth may be clothed again in life.
(Fire)
Whiskey, that the Waters of Life May flow in us and Spirit indwell flesh.
(Tree)
Feathers, that your raven Eye watch over us in the Season of Sleep.
Be welcome among us Morrigan; Great Queen, accept our sacrifice!
On the feast of Samhain the veils between the worlds are thin. We call to our Beloved Dead, the blessed Ancestors, to join our feast and receive due offering.
Come to the Gates, honored ones; hear our call, we your children who remember. We offer you our worship, our reverence and our love.
You who fill the empty womb, you who cause the seed to spring to spring, you who fill the breast with milk, receive now these offerings, made in your honor:
Apples, the Fruit of Life and Death.
Pork, the flesh of the Sacred Sow.
Hazel nuts, concentrated meat of wisdom.
We offer these…
(some of each offering made to the shaft)
To the ancient heroes of the Pagan World; those men and women who did the bidding of the Gods for the good of the folk.
(offering made)
To the honored Dead of the passed year; those women and men of our folk who inspired and guided our whole world.
(offerings made)
To our own Beloved Dead, Grandmothers-and-Fathers, family and friends who have gone ahead, we honor you and grieve for you. (offering made)
To all of you we give these fruits and meats that you may feast in joy in the Land of the Dead.
While the Praise Offerings are made, a wreath is passed among the people and all who wish tie a black ribbon onto the wreath in commemoration of their own dead. This wreath is then given to the fire at the Prayer of Sacrifice.
E: The Blessing
The Ale of Blessing flows in us, filling us with the magic of Morrigan and Donn. As the year turns, let us welcome the quiet of the Dark. Let the stillness of the land calm and satisfy our spirits, allowing us to receive the Harvest’s Bounty. Let the gain of the passing year be ours, to fill our lives with contentment. Let us welcome the Dead who wish to return to the living world, even as we remember those who depart. May we rest content as we pass the threshold of new beginnings.
The Death Song
(Repaganized from the Carmina Gadelica)
You go home this night to your home of winter,
To your home of fall, of spring, of summer,
You go home this night to the Turning House,
To your pleasant rest in the Land of Joy.
Rest you, rest, and away with sorrow,
Rest this night in the Mother’s Breast,
Rest you, rest, and away with sorrow,
Rest, O beloved, with the Mother’s Kiss.
In the Many Colored Land;
In the Land of the Dead;
In the Plain of Joy;
In the Land Beneath the Wave;
In the Land of Youth;
In the Land of the Ever-Living;
In the Revolving Castle, the House of Donn.
Rest in seven lights, beloved,
Rest in seven joys, beloved,
Rest in seven sleeps, beloved,
In the Grove of the Cauldron, Morrigan’s Shrine.
The shadow of death is on your face, beloved
But the Cauldron of Rebirth awaits you,
The threefold turning of your Fate,
When your rest has given you your peace.
So rest in the calm of all calms,
Rest in the wisdom of all wisdoms,
Rest in the love of all loves,
Rest in the Lord of Life and Death,
Rest in the Lady of Life and Death,
Till the Season of Turning
Till the Time of Returning
Till the Mystery of the Cauldron
Written by Kami Landy of Shining Lakes Grove (SLG), with revisions by Rev. John “Fox” Adelmann and Rob Henderson.
Outline
Fire, allies, tree fire well/opening
Consecrate grounds
Briefing-at parking lot: censing and apple
Bonfire- Bardic & informal intro (call for stories)
Final story with “statement of purpose”
Fox’s warning about the night
Remove Fox – Outsiders…
Ana, Nature Spirits and Deities
Invite people to enjoy journey
Manannan, procession
Offerings- food, etc.
Ancestor invitation
Fox blows horn for dead
Dead blow horn and come in
Praise offerings
Dead lead dance. End by burning offering.
Divination- Lisa: nut hulls
Return- shared feast.
Cauldron blessing
Go back up hill- sing “Blood of the Ancients”
Ana- returning thanks
Build up the fire
Collective thank you to Nature Spirits, deities
Reconnecting meditation
Final hug, “Walk with Wisdom”
Parts
Greeter
Purifiers- one smudging, one offering apples
Storyteller/Bard
Seanfhear (old man)
People to call: Earth Mother, Nature Spirits, Deities, Manannan
Servers for the dead
Manannan
3 or 4 “dead”
Drummers or musicians
Materials
9 woods for the fire such as: yew, pine, oak, birch, willow, rowan, apple, holly, grapevine.
silver for the well
20-30 luminaria lining the paths to the upper fire and to the Nemeton
Incense for purification: a mix of mugwort, sage and myrrh. Censer
Apple slices dipped in lemon juice (or salt water)
Lantern and bells for Manannan, conch for calling him
Horn for the dead to blow
Half-masks for the dead
Throne for Manannan, draped in silver/grey and blue/aqua.
Blanket, seats, etc. for the “feasthall” of the dead
A low table near them, for folks to place momentos of their own dead
Food, drink, etc. for the dead, in nice containers and with lovely tableware. Perhaps an enclosed candle for the center of their area.
Cups and possibly plates for sharing the feast.
Thing to pass during praise offering and then burn: a basket of nuts and apples
Two or three people, possibly the “dead” (dressed in mundanes), need to go to the Arb and redirect people to Botsford, then *quietly* come to the woods near the Nemeton and wait to be called.
At Botsford’s at 7:30PM, the fire lit at sundown, the Nemeton fire and well opened and hallowed ahead of the rite, and the Allies (Native American spirits) welcomed and invited at that time.
There should be a person with a candle lantern greeting people in the parking area, telling them that the ritual begins at the upper fire, with storytelling as befits the season, so they should prepare themselves for an otherworldly journey and proceed to the fire. On the path, there will be one person smudging with incense something purifying, opening and warning, such as a mix of sage, mugwort and myrrh. Another person will offer them slices of apple dipped in salt water or lemon juice the otherworld feast, gift of Manannan.
At the fire, begin with the Bardic invocation. This will be offered by Richard MacKelley, who then gets people singing and telling stories.
Storytelling
(various people – encouraged by the bard, Richard MacKelley)
Centering
Come! Draw near the fire, draw in.
Take it within you, draw in.
Taste the fire of inspiration
That is the fire within the head,
The gift of the gods that warms the spirit. But look inside now, to the deep upwelling well of wisdom
Stilling you, touching you from deep within the earth.
The year turns to stillness,
Look within at the spark of warmth in your center,
The life which nurtured, rests at the heart of your self.
Follow it, to the sheltered cave of birth,
And the deep pool of vision that lies within it,
Giving knowledge of ancient ones returning,
And of lessons learned and time to come.
See there, a shadowed glimpse of the sun-lit land, the summer land
Where the blessed dead feast and love
And test their skills in endless rounds of pleasure,
A life more bright than life.
Who shall you see there?
Who will come to you,
To tell you of the wonders they know in that place of many wonders?
Which dear one holds you in memory,
As you hold them, and cares still for your welfare?
See them in your minds eye, in the eye of the pool of vision,
And share with them love and honor, laughter and tears of healing.
Peace and blessing be on them,
And on us who greet them with song and story,
Feast and dance this day.
Beckon to the one you have seen, to join us for this time,
To be with us in memory,
In the realm of life as we reach toward them in the land of youth.
And taking with you memory of the beloved dead,
Of those who have led the way, return to the cave of birth.
See yourself looking into that deep pool of vision
For the spark of life’s warmth, and now turning outwards once again,
We call to them,
Come! Draw near the fire.
Samhain Bonfires
How Manannan brought the gifts of invisibility and immortality to the Tuatha De Danann. (Kami)
It happened, long ago, when the gods retired to the sunlit lands and made the gateways through the hollow hills, leaving the changing realm of life to the sons of Mil, that Manannan mac Lir brought to them certain gifts, that they might live forever unchanging and move unseen among the sons of men.
Now, many and wondrous were the gifts that the Tuatha De Danann had brought with them to Erin’s shores, and some of those they left for the use of humanity. Among those were the Lia Fail, the stone of kingship, which sat until the days of our grandfathers upon the hill of Tara. The well of Segais, the well of wisdom, which rises at the bottom of the sea, became the source of the river Boyne, from which those who dared might drink their fill. Gifted to Finn macCumhal was the inexhaustible crane bag, made from the skin of the woman Aife when she had been transformed into the shape of that bird, which held all great and magical treasures.
Other great treasures were lost beyond all finding, gone into the mists of legend. But in that time of change, three new gifts they gained. First was the cloak of mist which enabled the Tuatha De Danann to walk unseen among men. Second was the silver apple branch of Emain Abhlach, the plain of apples, which banished all sorrow and fatigue. So sweet was its sound that it entertained all who heard it, better than the finest of music. Third was the “Feast of Age”. No one who ate of it grew old, for as often as they were eaten, the pigs which made up this feast were renewed in the morning, and those who had eaten of them likewise. In this way did Manannan, gracious host, keep the Tuatha De Danann in the land of promise, and this gift is shared with the blessed dead, who come to sit among the gods. There they have the sweetest of wine and the best of foods, fierce fighting and acts of valor by day and all wounds vanishing by night so that there may also be eloquence and words of gentle love in that hall. And in time, perhaps those who died in this world that they may be born there, die in that world and are reborn to this, for did not the druid say; “death is but the middle of a very long life?”
Songs
From far across this mortal plain,
Mothers and Fathers of old,
We ask that you return again,
Mothers and Fathers of old.
To share with us the mystery,
And secrets long untold,
Of the ancient ways we seek to reclaim,
Mothers and Fathers of old.
It’s the blood of the ancients
That runs through our veins
And the forms change,
But the circle of life remains.
[encourage people to tell stories of their relatives and ancestors]
Final story: How Cormac macAirt went to Tir na nOg (Kami)
When Cormac mac Airt was king of Ireland, he was a good king and wise, his people prospered and he was greatly loved. And if he was well loved, his children is wife was adored. And if his wife was adored, his children were cherished even moreso.
One day, as he walked upon the plain, he saw a youth playing. This youth had shining hair so fine it was like silver, and cheeks red as apples, his eyes flashed and his smile could bring an answering smile from a stone. In his hand he carried an apple branch, and upon it were nine silver apples. As he shook the branch, the sound of bells rang out, so sweet and pure that Cormac stood to listen, and found the cares and weariness of the day lifted from him.
So deep his peace and pleasure, he determined to have this branch to bring the same to his people, no matter what the cost. He asked the youth what he would take for this branch, and the youth said that he would have Cormac’s wife and son and daughter upon the following day. Well, this shocked and saddened Cormac, for his family were the sun and moon to him, but a bargain is a bargain and he could not take back his word. So Cormac returned to his hall and told the people what had happened. There was much wailing and crying out, for the people were loath to lose their queen and heirs, but Cormac shook the branch for them, and they were contented and set at peace.
The next day, the youth came and took Cormac’s wife and son and daughter away, and the people began to wail again, but once more Cormac shook the apple branch and the people were quieted. So they continued on for a year. The work went faster, for whenever Cormac shook the branch all fatigue was swept away. There were fewer quarrels, for whenever tempers flared Cormac shook the branch and people calmed.
There was peace and prosperity among all the people at Tara, but after a year, Cormac was no longer contented. He missed his family more than the branch could soothe. So one misty Autumn morning he left his high seat and walked away Westward, following the path his family had taken.
After a day and a night and a day, Cormac found himself in an unfamiliar land. Bright were the colors, soft the grass, tall the trees, and the sound of birds was like sweet speech to his ears. As he walked, he came to places of wonder. First, he saw a group of men thatching a house with feathers. No sooner had they got one side done, but they saw that they were out of feathers and began to hunt for more. And while they sought more feathers, those of the first half of the roof would blow away, so that the task was never done. Cormac watched, but said nothing, for he could see no sense in this task.
Again he journeyed on, until he came to a place where a fire was lit for making charcoal, and a woodsman was dragging up immense trees. He brought one, and laid it on the fire, but in the time it took him to go for the second tree, the first was all consumed, so that he could never sit to warm himself. Once again, Cormac watched a while but said nothing, then journeyed on.
Next he came to a barren plain whereon he saw a giant head. Into the skull poured one great stream, and from the eyes and ears and mouth flowed five smaller ones, in all directions. He wondered at this marvel, and traveled on across the plain to where he saw a brightly lit and welcoming house.
The door was opened by a fine lady who welcomed him in with the cup of blessing and wash water for his feet. A table was set for feasting, and a grand lord sat in the high seat. On the hearth a pig was roasting, yet it showed no sign of being cooked at all. The lord said to him; “Be welcome to my house, Cormac macAirt, king of Ireland. Come, let me show you a marvel. You see that pig, roasting on the spit? Well it has this quality- that if four truths are told while turning it, it will be fully cooked.”
The warrior, his wife, a servant each told a tale, and their fourths were cooked, and then Cormac told how he lost his family, and the feast was ready. Then the warrior showed Cormac the golden cup with which he had been greeted and said; “You see this cup, well it has the property that, when three lies are told near it, it will break, and three truths told near it will make it whole again.”
They demonstrated it’s property by means of some nonsense, and when it was said to Cormac; “neither your wife nor your daughter has been unfaithful, nor has your son slept with any woman,” it came back together.
Then the warrior revealed himself as Manannan macLir and asked whether he and his people had been happy in the last year. Cormac told him truthfully that the people had been contented, peaceful and productive, yet missed their royal family almost as much as Cormac himself had missed them.
So Manannan told Cormac that they would soon be with him once more and said; “Many times have I visited your realm, seen and unseen. Many times have I invited you to visit me in mine. Not until now have I prevailed upon you to accept my hospitality.”
Then through an inner door came the most beautiful sight ever to meet the eyes of Cormac macAirt – his wife and daughter and son, smiling in joy to greet him. Together they laughed and wept and hugged, looked at one another long and deeply to see that all were well, and then they sat at last to the feasting. As the dined, Cormac told of the marvels he had seen while crossing the plane. Manannan explained them; the thatching of feathers were the words of poets, who gain no fame nor give any great thought to their words, so that they are all blown away and the world left unchanged. The log that burned before the man could cook his supper, was the work of those who labor for another’s gain, not gaining pride nor sustenance from their efforts. And the great skull was the well of wisdom, flowing into the head and being expressed by the senses.
A gracious host was Manannan mac Lir, and the best of companions his wife, and the night passed pleasantly indeed, but as the sky began to pale, Manannan made a gift to Cormac of the apple branch and the cup of truth, and sent the family off to bed. When they awoke, they were once more upon the plane of Tara, and a year had passed since Cormac’s leaving. Great was the rejoicing when they returned to the hall. And that is how Cormac mac Airt won the silver branch of soothing from Manannan mac Lir.
Fox, coming in as the seanfhear – the old man:
[wanders around the fire, muttering at people, then turns and tosses in some flash powder]
Hear me, children of this earthly realm;
Beware your words this night,
Beware of those who hear unseen,
Beware of hidden ways between
The world of the living and
The sunlit summer land.
It is a night of death,
The ending of the year,
The dying of the light,
The dimming of the sun’s great fire.
Do you not fear the darkness?
See shadows move within the forest;
Which is yet more fearsome. The
dark itself, or what is faintly seen in darkness,
Shadows and mysteries of past and time to come?
So have a care not to wander off your well-marked paths,
Nor speak lightly now of ones long gone,
For they may be among you at this turning of the year.
Beware!
Outsiders Invocation (Rob):
Begone, old man! You bring a note of confusion and discord to our ritual this night. We have not need of your scare-stories here. Leave the ordered circle of our firelight and do not return!
Seanfhear:
Ignore my warning at your peril. I have spoken to you, what comes after, none may say. I say to you again- go home, where it is safe and warm and bright, and do not trouble the wandering spirits with your foolishness. [leaves]
Call to Ana (Kore):
We’re the children of the earth, what have we to fear from any creature, living or dead? Trust the earth to continue, our River Mother Ana to preserve us in our place upon the earth, as she has always done. As long as we flow along with her, what have we to fear from the turning of time or any spirits out of time? They, too have belonged to the earth. Ana! Mother, You are with us this night, as every other, and we take joy in your fluid grace, slowing now and peaceful with the coming of the time of sleep. Share our journeys, as we journey on with you.
Call to Nature spirits (Matt): [a voice speaks up from around the fire]
You call us children of the earth. Then look to the first children of the earth, bear and deer and tree and salmon, eagle and raccoon and squirrel: hunters and hunted. They know well the cycles of life and death, and meet them without fear, for though there is an ending in death, yet there is in time a return. So let us be led by their wisdom, to take joy in life and adventure in death, to honor change and the steadfastness of life’s return. The spirits of nature shall lead and join us on our journeys. We welcome them among us. Hail to you who know the wisdom of the earth! Beannachai agaibh!
Deities (Raven): [standing up, addressing the fire]
And I call to the gods of our people, who instruct and protect us in all things. They will go before us to show the way, and guard us that our steps be sure and strong. We are a people of courage, of wisdom, of vision and adventure as our gods themselves. Therefore, I call to Lugh our father, Bile’ and Danu the first ones, Brid of the hearthfire, Ar’n the lusty and the Stag God who leaps in splendor unnamed, to be welcome in our rites and on our journeys, in this sacred day and time and place. Beannachai agaibh!
Rob: It is indeed a night of mystery. Let us call to Manannan to guide us, lest we be lost in the mists of change.
[hand out bells to people around fire]
Call to Manannan (Rob):
[blow conch]
Manannan comes, he comes
Even to our fire he comes.
From beyond the sea’s nine waves he comes,
From beyond the isle of Donn he comes,
Lighting the moonlit path of mist he comes,
Showing us hidden gates he comes,
Guiding his sacred guests he comes,
Leading the longed-for dead he comes,
To our calling,
to our greeting,
to our blessing
to our welcome,
[all ring bells]
To the feasting of the night of Samhain he comes,
[Pause. Wait for him to arrive.]
[Manannan (Marae) steps forward silently, lantern in hand]
Welcome, Manannan, honored lord, hallowed guest, high one, Failte romhat! Grey one, what would you have of us this night?
[Manannan gestures to everyone to rise and follow him]
Manannan Mac Lir
[begin procession, ringing bells for Manannan]
[Upon arriving at the Nemeton, people are quietly directed to bring food-offerings to the work altar, opposite the place of the dead. These ushers will sit to the right of the dead and be willing to help serve them.]
[people call to their beloved dead, led by Rob]
Seanfhear (Fox):
Come ancient ones from days long past, come you whose feet knew clay in recent years, come you who gave flesh to your children and you who give loan of this place, and you who teach the paths of spirit. Come, ancestors well-loved and long-remembered, Come! You who have been called by name, come and share in the feast.
[Fox blows horn for dead. Victor blows the horn of the dead.]
[The dead come and take their seats]
Wait! You call this a feast? Where are the offerings of hospitality?
[3 or 4 servers carry food to the dead]
Praise offerings (Rob begins):
We are honored to be here with you. I have brought an offering, a token of esteem, to convey love and blessing.
[does own praise offering, passes the basket]
[pass the basket, each person may make an offering as it comes to them, or merely add energy to it and pass it on. When it gets to the ushers. one of them carries it past the dead, Manannan and the Seanfhear to the next person. When the basket gets back to Rob, he will take it and place it before the dead. This is the signal to begin the final offering.]
Final offering: [The dead take up the basket and lead us in a snake dance – Fox begins the drumming for it.]
Song
You who dwell in the summer land,
Honored dead, join us in the dance.
By our side receive our love today,
Dance with us on this holy day.
Summerland where King Arthur awaits his return
[At the dance’s conclusion, the basket is taken to Manannan; an offering from the dead to their lord. He takes it, makes a gesture of acceptance, and passes it to the seer.]
Divination (Lisa): [The basket of nuts and apples is tossed in the fire and scried into for the message of the ancestors and the direction of the coming year.]
Seanfhear: [One of the “dead” whispers in Fox’s ear, who says:]
Those you have called here are pleased with your offerings of hospitality. They bid you share in the feast.
Return: [sharing the feast. People may continue to bring offerings to the dead or to tell stories about their loved ones or to suggest songs.]
Cauldron blessing – Seanfhear:
We thank you for joining us. It is long since we have been so well treated. But now the feast is ended. The living cannot thrive and grow in the land of the ever-young, as the dead cannot live anymore in the realm of time. Leave now, return to your proper place, and do not forget what can happen when you venture abroad on the night when the year turns to winter. Take with you as you go, your memory, and also if you dare, a blessing from the cauldron of health, wealth and wisdom, for you have shown honor as befits a good guest.
[Manannan will hand the cauldron to one of the “dead”, who will hold it by the gate out of the Nemeton so people can take what they need as they leave.]
[process back up hill]
Song
It’s the blood of the ancients
That runs through our veins
And the forms change
But the circle of life remains.
Ana – return and thanks (Kore):
We who have journeyed far from familiar ways, we thank you for keeping our place in the world we know. You have held for us a place upon the earth, the realm of life, and we rejoice now to greet you with love and honor, Ana, our mother, daughter of this ancient land. Though we may leave this place and return to our homes, you are ever in our hearts for you are the river of life to us and we do not leave your presence, within this world.
[build up the upper fire, we’re all freezing!]
Thanks to spirits and deities who journeyed with us (Matt): First children of the earth, ancient high and shining ones, you spirits and deities who have joined us on this journey, for your guidance and protection, your joyful awesome presence on this journey, no less for all the blessings you bring to our lives, we give you thanks and blessing and honor this day that marks the boundary- time of the year. Slan leibh!
Reconnecting Meditation (Kami):
So- we have journeyed far, within ourselves and between realms. Now we return to ourselves, to the ways and world we know, wiser perhaps, and comforted by contact with loved ones from across the endless sea. The gate now is closed, forms are firm, each place is but itself. And yet all realms adjoin; pass through the mists or the archway or cave, the twilight and shoreline, the boundary and wasteland can be the gate. All worlds are here. And so are we.
How I was taught to honor the Druid Sacred Times. Three Holy Days, Samhain, The Festival of Bridgit (Spring Cleaning’s origins), and Beltane, as well as One blessing of the (Festival of First Harvest, test of champions, and handfastening time, known as Lughnasdh or rather the Taltian Games)
Druids Harvesting Mistletoe on the New Year
A Celtic New Year triquetra honoring the fact that we as Druids begin in the season of Winter as our day begins at Sunset.
In darkness and silence wisdom is more easily garnered. Our cycle of Life begins with Death, for the land is made fecund as decomposition of materials occur.
The Celtic Year begins at Samhain on the Third Day, November 1.
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Next comes the Festival of Brigit, a three day Hearth Festival that is spent cleaning, clearing, and purifying of Hearth and Home. I prefer to call it Lady’s Day. The First, Second, and Third of February, when we find out if more Winter will remain or skirt away on a pleasant warming breeze.
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Next comes Beltane beginning on April 30, May 1, and May 2.
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Then we swing round to the week long festival honoring the sacrifice of the harvest Goddess Taltiu and her games presented to honor her life by her foster son Lugh the Long Hand. This is the festival of First harvest and the Taltian Games (the Celtic competitive games. The name of the competition has changed to honor Celtic Heritage, because many who now compete no longer honor the old ways. The Festival is now called the Highland Games. It sadly no longer coincides with the Festival of Taltiu. Druids would come and give a blessing to open the games and the First Harvest.
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The Harvest Foods from an American Samhain.
Now we complete the year. The final harvest is reaped, stored, and blessed to assure lasting through Winter and the lean times. The feast table is laid out. The Feasting occurs as we close out the Celtic Year. Today’s Calendar this is celebrated on the 30th of October. Then with bellies full we go to sleep and rise to the day that is in between.
We set out a place at the table with our loved one’s favorite foods and celebrate their lives. This is the day we specifically honor those who have died this year. We also honor the ancestors during this time of contemplation and honoring.
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Candles can be lit in the windows to aid in guiding the spirits on their journey if they wish to return for a visit. Be sure to empower the candles to invite specific spirits, as the veil is thin as to avoid spiritual lurkers. The day of honoring our ancestors is October 31st. We are grateful that they have moved on after learning the lessons they needed to learn. We honor their wisdom, their humor, and their love.
It is always good to hang a series of Spirit Ward Turnips or Gourds on the 31st of October for extra protection.
Much like the OBAD I do not publish my rites online. I do observe Moon Cycles, as that energy is very useful. I call and honor Land (all things manifest from sub atomic particles to planets and everything in between) Land is represented by the World Tree and the staff carry. I call and honor Sea which is represented by the calling out to the nine waves, beyond which the divine lives, the ancestors also reside across the Sea. I symbolically represent this by a simple bowl of water. I call and honor Sky which is represented by the Sacred Fire into which messages are incinerated and rise to permeate and join with the consciousness of the Divine Oneness. Land incorporates the traditional Wiccan elements, I do not call them, unless I am performing a Wiccan Circle.
A Druid Samhain…. About My the symbol of my faith and my favorite holy days. Part 1 of 2
Though not all druids are from the same branch of the oak tree. I will talk about the other druids of different branches our faith, in a later blog post in an effort to “get er dun’ “as it were. Druids as a people of faith tend to have more group participation and much more focus on maintaining heritage of their faith. There are under 10 branches of Druidry or Druid faith branches globally to my knowledge, but in the interest of brevity and getting on with the focus topic I will cover the symbol of my faith, how Druids honor Samhain, and what it means to us.
This is my tree spirit peeking out at you.
I love squirrels. They are forest tenders.
I will quickly do my best to speak quickly to the one symbol of my faith. I will have to continue writing on Tuesday next week and post on Wednesday morn.
Triskelion
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Ancient Triskelions from the Celts of Gallia
Raven Tatoo Triskelion Design
Line Art Triskelion
Copper Jewelry Triskelion
Graphic Art Decal Triskelion 1
Graphic Art Decal Triskelion 2
Pride Triskelion Tattoo
Custom Designed Triskelion
Modern Triskelion
The Triskelion as a 5 pound in circulation 2017 coin of the realm
Triskelion on a water wheel on the Isle of Skye
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Triskelion on Churches across Great Britain.
Most of these churches were erected on sites holy to the Druids
The Triskelion was easy to adopt into the Christian faith to represent the Trinity, thus subsuming the locals religion and converting the Celts to a new faith.
My symbol, the druidic symbol has two names the Triskelion and Triquetra. Triskelion means “three-legged” A being with three legs always must be in motion, in action. This is the founding concept of my faith, as it is the faith of the Natural world. The natural world is always in motion. Always dying, seeding, growing, birthing, blooming, striving, flying, germinating, thriving, harvesting, seeding, and dying again and again, and again…. eternally turning the cycle of life or you may know the Latin phrase ad infinitum or in Gaulish it would be said infinitamente. All life begins and ends with death. Death is what fuels the next cycle, it provides fecundity of the materials that nourish the Earth.
Triquetra – the Trinity Knot
“Also known as The Trinity Knot. Like all Celtic knots the triquetra is constructed of one continuous line interweaving around itself symbolising no beginning or end, an eternal spiritual life.
The Celts favoured the idea that everything important in the world came in threes; three stages of life, three elements, three domains; earth, sea and sky, past, present and future. The triquetra is sometimes drawn weaving around a circle, symbolising the unity of the three parts.”
Though I was taught the three domains are Land, Sea, and Sky. I am unsure as to the awareness of the ancien Celtic people’s perception of Earth rather than Land, even though Druids were noted astronomers.
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Triquetra
The Public Face of the Triquetra
The Triquetra has been used in the media to portray Witches as Good, though it has nothing to do with Wicca or Witchcraft.
The Triquetra were used instead of a Pentacle, because the Pentacle is associated with the devil and evil. The Witches in the Charmed series were good characters who did Hollywood magic.
The Charmed Book of Shadows
(A tome that Witches and Wiccans keep the records of their spell research, spells, and rituals)
Symbols that regularly get mistaken for Triquetra or Triskelion
A Tribal Valknut not to be confused with a Triskelion
Traditional Germanic Valknut, A symbol of the Asatru Belief
A Migi Mitsudomoe sp?
A Shinto “Fire Wheel”, another symbol that gets mistaken for a Triskelion.
A Druid Samhain…. About my faith and my favorite holy days.
Raven Tatoo Triskelion Design
A taste in image of what is to come in the next 24 hours
I am choosing to be kind to myself and get to bed at a decent hour; as I have a huge event on Sunday to prepare for as well as a blog to complete as promised.
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Deities (Raven): [standing up, addressing the fire]
Throwing Down Acorns 