Thursday, October 15, 2015

Lunar Mani

Lunar Deity
 
Long ago, according to legend, there was a giant named Mundilfari who was called the Turner of Time. His children Sunna, Mani, and Sinthgunt became the deities of Sun, Moon, and Twilight. An ancient giantess, Nott, joined the House of Mundilfari and became the goddess of Night, the herald of Mani. Nott's son Daeg (by a red elf named Delling) became the god of Day, Sunna's herald. Mundilfari's family and House gives us our sense of Time, every day of our lives.
sunnane-48587335693.jpgIn the more northerly parts of Scandinavia, around the summer solstice, the light doesn't completely fade from the sky. Friends who've traveled there at that time report that they felt happy, almost euphoric, and that the native Scandinavians seemed to react with equal energy. On the other hand, around the winter solstice, the dark doesn't completely leave either. Melancholia, depression, substance abuse, and violence may all increase then. Some Scandinavians install banks of full spectrum lighting in their homes to counteract the loss of light.
This Sun/Moon connection is glimpsed in the Norse myth about a mortal man of our world whose name was Mundilfari. He fathered a son and a daughter who were so lovely that he called the boy Moon and the girl Sun. Angered by this hubris, the chief Norse God, Odin, and the Gods known as Aesir, stole the children and assigned them to guide the chariots of the Sun and the Moon through the sky. The boy was to lead the Moon, and the girl was to follow, leading the Sun. Wolves would hotly pursue both of them, the wolf Hati chasing the Moon, and the wolf Skoll chasing the Sun. In the beginning of Ragnarok-the period during which the doom of the Gods and the destruction of life on Midgard (Earth) would take place-the wolves would catch the Sun and Moon and devour them.
 
Mani, the Moon God, is quieter and more reflective; he has been known to wander off course in order to watch over people and is especially fond of the humans of Midgard. One of his major tales has him rescuing children and taking them to Asgard. He has a compassionate heart, and is struck by seeing those in need, especially children who are being abused, and he is often prayed to in order to protect specific children. He is known to have rescued two children, Bil and Hjuki, snatching them up from the earth and sending them to live in Asgard. (Their names seem to be the foundation of the "Jack and Jill" rhyme.) He is also a God of calendars, mathematics, and other rational thought that requires counting and numbers. He plays a flute as he walks, and is those who work with Mani say that his moon-cart is pulled not by horses, but by large dogs.
manniimagesCAG8WWMA.jpgTo begin with Mani, the facts, as we know them, are few. Basically, Mani is the personification of the moon; He is a God of the moon. He steers the moon on its course, determining the time of its waxing and waning. As the moon reflects the light of the Sun, so Mani can be said to, in His ever-subtle way, reflect the light and might of Sunna’s power, which is not to say He has none of His own.
Mani doesn’t travel alone; He has two companions on His nightly journey: 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 came to steal them away. They now accompany and assist Him on His nightly journey. Our moon God is also pursued by a wolf, Hati, who makes sure that He doesn’t stray from His assigned course. According to the shared UPG (unverified personal gnosis) of many in the community, there is some likelihood of this for Mani truly likes humanity and likes to watch over those He cares for, even if only from afar. Many of us conjectured that His personality changes somewhat with the moon phase.
Hati has the difficult job of keeping the moon punctually on course. Of course, according to the surviving lore, at Ragnarok, the wolf will capture the moon and devour Him, plunging the night into unbroken darkness.
 
Gifts of Mani: Sleep. Good dreams. Prophetic dreams. Healing. Blessings on travelers. Protection of children and the mentally ill.
Symbols: anything shaped like the moon or with the moon on it, hour glasses, old watch, knots, musical scores, beaded necklaces, mirrors
Colors: blues, silver, black, purple/lavender, pale white.
Rune: Dagaz, Ehwaz
Stones: moonstone, labradorite, selenite, quartz, amethyst.
Food and drink: Sambuca, cookies (especially ones with marshmallow or odd shapes), angel food cake, water, peppermint flavored sweets.
Other Offerings: jasmine, night-blooming flowers, highly aromatic flowers, any volunteer work or donations that benefit abused children or the mentally ill.
Things not to do:  harm or abuse a child in any way; mock the mentally ill.
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C   First Sighting   C
Hail to Mani, sliver of silver,
glimpsed in this luminal time
as the light of day is dawning (or waning).
You who rise with your sister
and follow Her to your silver-gold home.
On this night (or day) of all nights,
look down on me with blessings just beginning.
Hail to Mani, brilliant sickle of the sky.
 
F   Waxing   F
Hail to Mani, silver crescent,
beautiful jewel of the morning (or evening),
hanging in the cerulean sky.
You who grow greater each rising,
and later each day, heavy with light.
On this night (or day) of all nights,
look down on me with blessings growing.
Hail to Mani, brilliant sickle of the sky.
 
H   First Quarter   H
Hail to Mani, now half full,
half of the day and half of the night,
God of the spaces in-between.
You who are highest as the day wanes,
Half in light and half in dark,
On this night (or day) of all nights,
Look down on me with blessings budding.
Hail to Mani, half-full light of the sky.
 
J   Gibbous   J
Hail to Mani, beaming silver,
growing great in the darkness,
shining among the stars.
You who grow greater each rising,
and later each day, heavy with light.
On this night (or day) of all nights,
look down on me with blessings blooming.
Hail to Mani, gleaming globe of the sky.
 
M   Full   M
Hail to Mani, shimmering silver,
flooding the dark night
with white light blazing brilliant.
You who appear in the evening,
whole and holy on the horizon.
On this night (or day) of all nights,
look down on me with blessings full and finished.
Hail to Mani, perfect pearl of the sky.
 
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P   Waning   P




Hail to Mani, beaming silver,
great globe in the darkness,
shining among the stars.
You who leave lesser each setting,
and later each day, shedding your light.
On this night (or day) of all nights,
look down on me as troubles wane.
Hail to Mani, gleaming globe of the sky.
 
S   Last Quarter   S
Hail to Mani, now half empty,
half of the day and half of the night,
God of the spaces in-between.
You who are highest as the day dawns,
Half in light and half in dark,
On this night (or day) of all nights,
Look down on me as troubles decline.
Hail to Mani, half-empty light of the sky.
 
X   Slivering   X
Hail to Mani, silver crescent,
beautiful jewel of the morning (or evening),
hanging in the cerulean sky.
You who leave lesser each setting,
and later each day, shedding your light.
On this night (or day) of all nights,
look down on me as troubles fade.
Hail to Mani, brilliant sickle of the sky.
 
m   Dark of the Moon   m
Hail to Mani, hiding your face,
secret silver disk of the day,
lost in your sister’s golden glow.
You who are dark and distant,
living in the sun’s great light,
On this day (or night) of all days,
look down on me with blessings waiting.
Hail to Mani, silent wanderer in the sky.
 
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/heathenatheart/2015/06/a-prayer-to-mani-god-of-the-moon/
https://www.forrestastrology.com/resources/articles/norse-mythology/36-solar-deities-in-norse-mythology
 
 
 
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