Water l Mind is Divine
West, Waning Moon (Third
Quarter) T, Autumn, September,
October, November, Autumn Equinox (Winter Finding), Samhain (Winter Nights),
Dusk (Sunset), Temperance, Truth, Blue, Ice, Blood, Fog, Heart, Harvest,
Concerns, Rain
Crab
Crone
Goddess
Dog
Dragonfly
Fish
Hela
Helheim
Sage God
Manni
Niflheim
Njord
Sif
Skaldi
Vanaheim
Water is a chemical compound with the chemical formula H2O.
Water is a liquid at standard ambient temperature and pressure, but it
often co-exists on Earth with its solid state ice and gaseous state water vapor
or steam. Water covers 70% of the
Earth's surface and is vital for all known forms of life.
The Ancient Greek
philosopher Empedocles held that water is one of the four classical elements,
along with fire, earth and air, and was regarded as the basic substance of the
universe. The classical element of water
was also one of the five elements in traditional Chinese philosophy, along with
earth, fire, wood and metal.
Water is considered a
purifier in most religions. Many major
faiths incorporate ritual washing including Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism
and Wicca. Immersion of a person in
water is a central sacrament of Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism. In addition, a ritual bath in pure water is
performed for the dead in many religions including Islam and Judaism.
The waters of life run
through our bodies in our blood, which is as salty as the oceans. For many Norse dead, they were cremated on a
funeral pyre together with all their belongings. The ashes were to be spread
either at sea or on the ground. Some
higher ranked Norse, were honored with a sea burial.
Many cultures feature
water spirits as part of their folklore and mythology. To the Greeks, a water
spirit known as a naiad often presided over a spring or stream. The Romans had
a similar entity found in the Camenae. For
residents of the British Isles, many local bodies of water such as streams and
wells were host to water spirits - and often these took on the role of local
deity.
Many of these cultures
also have several country folklore that goes along with the tales. An English rural custom says that a woman who
splashes too much water around as she does laundry or washes dishes will be
cursed with a husband who drinks to excess.
In the Viking Age, water was sprinkled on the nine day old baby, it was
named and thus admitted into the family.
According to Norse
mythology, Ice was one of the two Primordial Elements. In the beginning, before
the world was created, there existed only the great yawning void of Ginnungagap. On either side of the void was Muspelheim,
the primordial fire, and Nifelheim, the primordial ice. it was only when these
two came into contact that the world was created.
The moon is tied to the
ebb and flow of tides around the world. A phenomenon known as lunar tide occurs
during the full and new moon phases - during these phases, the gravitational
forces create a very high tide, and a very low tide.
Water is often
associated with emotions, art, time and especially healing and
philosophy. In rituals, it is represented in the forms of
pouring water over objects, cups, brew making, healing spells, ritual bathing,
and tossing objects into of water. The manifestations of
the element of water are rivers, oceans, lakes, wells, snow, streams and all drinks.
Animals, especially the seal, dolphin, frog
and all types of fish are also thought to personify the water element.
Water is a feminine
energy and highly connected with the aspects of the Goddess. Used for healing, cleansing, and
purification, water is related to the West, the color blue, and associated with
passion and emotion. In many spiritual
paths, including Catholicism, consecrated water can be found – holy water is
just regular water with salt added to it, and usually a blessing or invocation
is said above it. In Wiccan covens, such
water is used to consecrate the circle and all the tools within it.
On its most basic level, the whooshing sound of water literally
drowns out all background noises. By
washing away our distractions, water gives us the space to become more serene, more
peaceful. Water opens us up to the possibility of receiving
love. Water flushes away our peripheral
concerns and helps us in focusing on our work.
Water releases us from pain and removes harmful influences in our lives.
As do all the elements, water
has a shadowy side we need to be aware of. Too much water in our magical lives
puts us in the hands of our emotions, possibly causing our actions to be
erratic, undisciplined and unfocused. Water
can also make us too sensitive, too easily impressed and too easily upset.
The Mind is Divine. It has been estimated that the
average person has sixty thousand separate thoughts a day. It is noisy and busy, with a new visiting thoughts
every second or so. The sage, Yogananda says that the mind is like an unruly
child. Each and every day many of
yesterday’s thoughts cycle back around, as do thoughts about tomorrow or
anything else about the future. You need
to vigilantly care take these thoughts regularly, clearing negative energies,
sweeping up unworthy behaviors, cleaning insecure ideas and throwing out
self-centered thought-moguls that prevent you from loving and serving
unconditionally. It puts thoughts and things
in perspective and order. This allows
your mind to find refuge in the Divine.
Mead is a
type of ale brewed from honey and water and thought to be the nectar of the Gods.
It is the celebrated drink of Beowulf, made from fermented honey. In certain European countries, mead is still a
popular home-brewed drink and is very simple to concoct.
Mimir's Well is
the source wisdom and intelligence, This
well lies under the roots of Yggdrasil and is guarded by the head of Mimir.
Odin came there and asked for a single drink from the spring, but he did not
get it until he had given one of his eyes to MÃmir.
Njord is the God of seafaring. His most famous children are Freyr and Freya.
He had eight more daughters. He was briefly married to Giantess Skadi who
picked him for his beautiful feet, by mistake, thinking he was Balder. Njord
and Skadi could not agree on where to live. She didn't like his home and he
didn't like hers, so they split up.
Jormungand is the World Serpent, who is extremely formidable
but an essential part of the world's structure, and cannot be removed. Odin, fearing evil intent, flung the serpent
into the sea, where it grew so large that it surrounded the Earth biting its
own tail.
Hagalaz is the name of the h-rune h, meaning hail, precipitation, transformation. The Elder Futhark letter has two variants,
single-barred h and double-barred h. The double-barred variant is found in continental inscriptions while
Scandinavian inscriptions have the single-barred variant. The Hagalaz rune, above all others,
represents the concept of balance; yin/yang,
male/female, positive/negative, black/white.
A hailstorm, may seem daunting and scary at first, but if you catch a
hailstone you will realize that it is only water and is not to be feared.
Isaz is the name of the i-rune i, meaning ice, lack of motion, blockage. In Ancient times, ice was a constant factor
in the day to day lives of the Norse. It
threatened their crops, their ships and their livelihoods, almost throughout
the entire year. To the people though,
it also served as a symbol of creation from which all life eventually springs
forth.
Laguz is the name of the l-rune l, water, lake, flow, inner strength. To the ancient Norse, water of all kinds
including the ocean, lakes, streams and rivers were considered a source of
wealth and fertility. The Aegir, the
Gods and Goddesses of the sea in Norse mythology, both gave and took life and
offered fertility and wealth.
Water
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
The water
understands
Civilization
well;
It wets my
foot, but prettily,
It chills
my life, but wittily,
It is not
disconcerted,
It is not
broken-hearted:
Well used,
it decketh joy,
Adorneth,
doubleth joy:
Ill used,
it will destroy,
In perfect
time and measure
With a
face of golden pleasure
Elegantly
destroy.
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