Saturday, September 28, 2013

Temperance


Temperance

Temperance and harmony protects the rhythm of daily life.
 


Temperance has been studied by religious thinkers, philosophers and psychologists.  It is considered a virtue, a core value that can be seen consistently across time and cultures.  It is considered one of the four cardinal virtues.  Temperance is generally defined by control over excess.

Is there a less sexy idea today than temperance?  Yet when Benjamin Franklin began his pursuit of the virtuous life, it was this virtue he chose to concentrate on first. The way in which Ben ordered his 13 virtues was deliberate.  He selected temperance to kick off his self-improvement program because:

"…it tends to procure that clearness of head, which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be kept up and guard maintained against the unremitting attraction of ancient habit, and the force of perpetual temptations."

In other words, first attaining self-discipline in the area of food and drink would make adherence to all of the other virtues easier.

Why is this? Hunger and thirst are some of the most primal of urges, and thus are some of the hardest to control. Therefore, when seeking to gain self-discipline, one must start with the most basic appetites and work up from there. A man must first harness his inward urges, before tackling the more external virtues. A clear mind and a healthy body are prerequisites to the pursuit of the virtuous life.

People today often try to numb themselves with food and alcohol to avoid dealing with their real problems. But manning up involves facing one’s issues head on. Gaining the self-discipline to moderate your intake of food and alcohol will give you the confidence to start making other improvements in your life.



Temperance (XIV) is the fourteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.  In addition to its literal meaning of temperance or moderation, the Temperance card is often interpreted as symbolizing the blending or synthesis of opposites.

Temperance is almost invariably depicted as a person pouring liquid from one receptacle into another. Historically, this was a standard symbol of the virtue temperance, one of the cardinal virtues, representing the dilution of wine with water. In many decks, the person is a winged person/angel, usually female or androgynous, and stands with one foot on water and one foot on land.


When we practice the virtue of temperance, we call it by different names, depending upon the desire that we are restraining.  The Eight Wiccan Virtues are listed in the line, "Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you."

Sometimes misunderstood, the virtue of humility doesn't mean to lack self-respect or dignity, or to engage in self-abasement. Contrarily, humility is recognizing both your strengths and your weaknesses, and then learning to cultivate your strengths and transform your weaknesses. Having true humility also means avoiding excessive pride because, to paraphrase an ancient Hebrew proverb, "Pride comes before the fall."

 

The Nine Noble Virtues represent the distilled wisdom and Ancient Nordic moral code gleaned from various ancient sources.

Self discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved. We must always be hardest on ourselves, to set the example. It is very easy to work at the level of do as I say, not as I do. But in this we dishonor ourselves and we dishonor others. Leading by example is what this is all about.

Self Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved not only for the individual, but also for the family, clan, tribe and nation. It is not a concept of denying ones interconnectedness with others, but of ensuring that one can take care of oneself first, then ones family and loved ones, then the extended family, the tribe and the nation.  By being self-reliant we can then share what we have with others and fulfill the duty of hospitality, the entire better.

 




Wunjo w represents joy. Joy, in the case of Wunjo, is finding a point of balance, a sense of fulfillment and transformation. It is to remain in harmony with the flow of events.  Wunjo brings comfort, joy and pleasure in its wake, along with the promise of prosperity, good fellowship and harmony.

Teiwaz t is the rune of the God Tyr.  It is a rune of justice, strengths, warriors and order.  The Teiwaz rune is one of the oldest runes in the Elder Futhark, having remained virtually unchanged from the earliest Bronze-age rock carvings, and it’s meanings and implications remain true.  Teiwaz focuses the attention and forces discipline.

The Ehwaz e rune symbolizes inner strength and fortitude. It is a rune of strength, will and determination to perform one’s duties diligently. Specifically, this is the rune of the Horse, or Horses. The Ehwaz rune represents ‘horse power’ and the ability to work hard and carry heavy loads.  Balance must be achieved to harness the power of the stallion and use it wisely.  Ehwaz promises harmony and teamwork, trust and loyalty.



"We have to learn to live in the harmony and peace with each other and with nature.  That is not just a dream, but a necessity." - Dalai Lama Lhamo Dondrub


Sunday, September 22, 2013

Winter Finding


Winter Finding

And Merry Mabon!  Sunrise was 6:41 am.  Sunset was 6:40 pm.  Balanced.  And the moon is waning from the Harvest Moon.  A beautiful autumn day.  The garden was pruned, swept and cleaned.  I took a moment to walk through a set of prayer beads.  Offering some Dragon Milk to the Earth as a thanks afterwards. 

The temperatures are starting to drop and the night is starting to become longer.  Winter is coming. 

Blessed Be!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Autumn Equinox

Autumn Equinox
 
It is the time of the Autumn Equinox or Mabon and the harvest is winding down.  The fields are nearly empty, because the crops have been plucked and stored for the coming winter.  Mabon is the mid-harvest festival and it is when we take a few moments to honor the changing seasons and celebrate the second harvest.  On or around September 21, for many Pagan and Wiccan traditions it is a time of giving thanks for the things we have, whether it is abundant crops or other blessings.
For the Nordic, it is time for a Winter Finding ceremony to bid farewell to the passing summer and to prepare for the rigors of winter. The Norse, like the other pre-industrial societies of Europe, depended heavily on a successful harvest in the fall to make it through the winter and so they took this time to thank the Gods for all that had been given during the harvest and to ask their protection during the cold of winter.   
In some Germanic countries, people worried about the fate of their grain harvest.  If there was a great deal of wind during the harvesting season, it could be because Odin wanted a share of the crop. To keep him happy, a few spare sacks of flour were emptied into the wind.
Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Mabon, but typically the focus is on either the harvest aspect or the balance between light and dark.  While we celebrate the gifts of the Earth, we also accept that the soil is dying. We have food to eat, but the crops are brown and going dormant.  Warmth is behind us, cold lies ahead.
 
Find Some Balance
Mabon is a time of balance, when there are equal hours of darkness and light and that can affect people in different ways.  For some, it's a season to honor the darker aspects of the Goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light.  For others, it's a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest.  Try a ritual to bring balance and harmony to your home.






Veterans
Veterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans.   A holiday celebrated by Nordic groups around the world is Einjerhar or the feast of the fallen. This is held on November 11, Armistice or Veterans Day, and honors those who have fallen in battle and joined Odin's warriors in Valhalla.  Generally some hold a quiet ritual and honor the ancestors and relatives who have died in war or served.  They also honor those who have given their lives for our country.
 
Honor the Darkness
Without darkness, there is no light.  Without night, there can be no day.  Despite a basic human need to overlook the dark, there are many positive aspects to embracing the dark side, if it's just for a short time.  After all, it was Demeter's love for her daughter Persephone that led her to wander the world, mourning for six months at a time, bringing us the death of the soil each fall.  In some paths, Mabon is the time of year that celebrates the Crone aspect of a the Goddess.  Celebrate a ritual that honors that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge.  Call upon the Gods and Goddesses of the dark night and ask for their blessings this time of year.






Get Back to Nature
Fall is here, and that means the weather is bearable once more. The nights are becoming crisp and cool and there's a chill in the air. Take your family on a nature walk and enjoy the changing sights and sounds of the outdoors.  Listen for geese honking in the sky above you, check the trees for changing colors of the leaves and watch the ground for dropped items like acorns, nuts and seed pods.  If you live in an area that doesn't have any restrictions on removing natural items from park property, take a small bag with you and fill it up with the things you discover along the way.  Collect with respect and honor.  Bring your goodies home for your family's altar.  If you are prohibited from removing natural items, fill your bag with trash and clean up the outdoors!  Recycle what you find.
 
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. 
Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.   Mabon is the Pagan's Thanksgiving, a time to appreciate and give thanks to the Goddess for her bounty and to share in the joys of the harvest.  A magical Mabon beverage: hot apple cider.  Apples rules the heart, cider alone is a self-love potion.  By spicing it with cinnamon, ruled by the Sun, we are in essence, ingesting the sunlight.

 
Mabon Balance Prayer
Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate
the balance of Mabon,
and ask the Gods to bless us.
For all that is bad, there is good.
For that which is despair, there is hope.
For the moments of pain, there are moments of love.
For all that falls, there is the chance to rise again.
May we find balance in our lives
as we find it in our hearts.
 
 
Temperance and harmony protects the rhythm of daily life.

 


 
 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Mani


Mani

mAni

Appeal: Tides, Night, Emotions, Dreams, Mystery


In mythology, a lunar deity is a God or Goddess associated with or symbolizing the Moon.  These deities can have a variety of functions and traditions depending upon the culture, but they are often related to or an enemy of the solar deity.  Even though they may be related, they are distinct from the solar deity.  Lunar deities can be either male or female, and are usually held to be of the opposite sex of the corresponding solar deity.  Male lunar deities are somewhat more common worldwide, although female deities are better known in modern times due to the influence of classical Greek and Roman mythology, which held the Moon to be female.

The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth.  Its prominence in the sky and its regular cycle of phases have, since ancient times, made the Moon an important cultural influence on language, calendars, art and mythology.  The Moon's gravitational influence produces the ocean tides and the minute lengthening of the day.  In Norse mythology, Mani (Manni, d) was the man who drove the chariot that carried the Moon across the sky.  He is the brother of Sunna the Sun and the son of Mundilfari.

Mundilfari named his children Mani and Sunna because he thought they out shown all other things in creation except those two celestial bodies.  A girl who was blonde of hair with golden curls that looked like rays of sunshine.  A boy with raven black hair and silvery eyes who seemed to prefer the night, the girl was always pleasant and kind as was her brother and they played contently as children.  The Gods were not pleased with his boasting and they took his children and placed them in giant carts to guild the sun and the moon on their courses.  Mani flies through the night sky in his horse-driven chariot, chased by a wolf Hati.  Whenever the wolf gets too close, a lunar eclipse takes place.





Mani lights the way for the hunters at night illuminating the forest with his silvery eyes.  He doesn’t travel on his nightly journeys alone.  He has two companions, a girl named Bil and a boy named Hjuki. These children are brother and sister and once had a very cruel father.  Mani observed them being mistreated and moved by compassion, came to steal them away.  They now accompany and assist him on his nightly journey. 


The tale of Hjuki and Bil is said to be the origin of the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill. 



At Ragnarok, the wolf will capture the Moon and devour him plunging the night into unbroken darkness.
 

The Man in the Moon refers to any of several images of a human face, head or body that certain traditions recognize in the disc of the full Moon.  Scholarly theories have been proposed about Mani's potential connection to the Northern European notion of the Man in the Moon and a potentially otherwise unattested story regarding Mani.
 

Monday is the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday.  The name of Monday is derived from Old English Mōnandæg and Middle English Monenday, which means "moon day".

 

There really is no Ancient Rune for Manni or the Moon.  Many use d as a sign for Moon, freedom or passion.  There are also different phases to the moon - G Waxing Moon, m New Moon, M Full Moon or T Waning Moon.

There is also a blue moon - Most years have twelve full Moons that occur approximately monthly.  Every two or three years, there is an extra full Moon.

A black moon - A black moon occurs when there are two dark cycles of the moon in any given calendar month.

And each month's full Moon has a name, depending on the culture. 





 

Hail Mani, God of the Moon,

I thank you for your luminous light,

In our darkest hours.

I acknowledge your power,

Over our earth and seas

I praise you for your promise of,

Magic and mystery.

I honor your breath taking beauty

On your nightly journey.

Hail Mani, God of the Moon.