Winterfyllith
EctEber
October is the tenth month of the year. The month
kept its original name from the Roman calendar in which octo means
“eight” in Latin, marking it the eighth month of the year. October was named
during a time when the calendar year began with March, which is why its name no
longer corresponds with its placement in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
October's birth flower is the marigold. The birthstone is the tourmaline and
opal. The zodiac signs are Libra (until October 22) or Scorpio (October 23
onwards).
It is a time when it starts to feel like winter.
This is the month of Hunting and Winter Nights. Winter Nights also celebrates
the bounty of the now completed harvest, but more importantly, honors the Alfs,
Disir and Huldfolk. Libations of ale, milk, or mead are traditionally poured
onto the earth as an offering.
Kalc is used for kk (chalice) K. Kalc is a useful rune for preparing to give
something of great value in a ceremony, it can also be a good rune for
dedicating oneself to a cause or to one’s Path. Pertho p is the rune denoting the sound p. Pertho is a rune that says that deep
transformative powers are at work, feminine or hidden talents. Yr for y (bow) y. A
finely crafted weapon stands out as a symbol of pride, attention, skill, care
and magic.
The Tenth Hall is about your public life. This time
also rules fame, notoriety, occupation, career, ambition, government, military,
mother, chief executives, business life, goals, ranks, political position,
status, standing in the public eye, position in society. It shows your standing
in the community and social status. It can reflect your attitude to parenting.
Other keywords include honor, authority and profession, life direction,
achievement, mastery and hierarchy.
4 Wane Moon T
This aspect of the God is
Winter, night, wisdom, counsel, the gateway to death and reincarnation, the
Waning Moon.
O beautiful Moon waning in light,
nothing compares to your beauty this
night,
I ask thee fair sage to take away
things that do not serve me in a
positive way.
Take the things that stop my growth,
so I can serve thee, it is my oath.
Remove the things I no longer need,
so I can prepare anew, for this I
plead.
Make me new for the dark Moon phase.
I ask this great sage for the coming
days.
5 Fire Prevention
National
Fire
Prevention Week is observed in the United States and Canada,
during the week (from Sunday to Saturday) in which October 9 falls. In the United States, the first Presidential
proclamation of Fire Prevention Week was made in 1925 by President Calvin
Coolidge. The National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) continues to be the international sponsor of the week.
Many bedroom fires are
caused by misuse or poor maintenance of electrical devices, careless use of
candles, smoking in bed, and children playing with matches and lighters. Most potential hazards can be addressed with
a little common sense. Be sure to keep
flammable items like bedding, clothes and curtains at least three feet away from
portable heaters or lit candles and never smoke in bed. Also, items like appliances or electric
blankets should not be operated if they have frayed power cords and electrical
outlets should never be overloaded.
As Pagans, we often use
bonfires and candles in our rites and gatherings. In rituals, fire is represented in the forms of
burning objects, love spells, baking and lighting candles or fires. The manifestations of the element are found
in the sun, candles, volcanoes, ash, lava and all forms of light. But as we use this element, keep in mind
safety.
Leif Erikson Day honors a
Viking explorer known as Leif Erikson. He is believed to be the first recorded
Nordic person to have visited North America. It is believed that he visited
places such as Baffin Island and Labrador around 1000 CE. October 9 was chosen
because it is the anniversary of the day that the ship Restauration arrived in
New York from Stavanger, Norway.
In 1963, archaeologists
found ruins of a Viking-type settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows, in northern
Newfoundland, which correspond to Leif's description of Vinland. Serve up a hearty Viking feast of roasted
meats, potatoes, lutefisk (fish), lefse (flatbread) and some traditional
Scandinavian desserts like krumkaker (cookies).
The
dragonhead of single masted longboats
Lead
the Norsemen to American shores
From
the bitter cold of Greenland
To
the plush pastures of Vineland
They
came.
They
did not come for slaves
They
did not come for riches
They
committed no genocide
They
did not murder in the name of God
They
came to find a better life.
The
2015 Draconid meteor shower are expected to peak on October 9. A new Moon on
October 13, 2015 will create idea conditions for those in the Northern
Hemisphere to view the meteors. The best time to see the shower is right before
nightfall.
Just lie down on the ground
and look directly above and you are bound to see some meteors – astronomers
suggest locating the constellation's two brightest stars, Eltanin and Rastaban.
The meteor shower seems to emerge from the dragon’s head.
12 New Moon m
I bow to Thee Hecate, Diana, Manni and
thank
Thee for Thy blessing - the Cauldron of
Night
full of life, and death and life again;
Thy magic gives me wings.
Blessed Be.
12 Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous People's Day
(also known as Native American Day) is a secular holiday
celebrated in various localities in the United States, begun as a
counter-celebration to Columbus Day. Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to
fully understand the legacy of Christopher Columbus, just as it calls us to
respect and learn from indigenous peoples and support their struggles for
social justice and religious freedom.
In many Native American
mythologies, Father Sky and Mother Earth are important creative forces. We
notice that Mother Earth and Father Sky are objective reality. Father Sky in union with Mother Earth are our
true parents. Father Sky gives us energy for our lives and heats our bodies and
our lodges. We are all part of Mother
Earth, each rock, each four legged, each two legged, all creatures, plants and
minerals. We are all related. We respect our Mother Earth and protect her. 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.
O our
mother the earth, O our father the sky, Your
children are
we,
and with tired backs, We bring you the
gifts that you love.
Then
weave for us a garment of brightness; May the warp be the
white
lightning of morning, May the weft be
the red light of
evening,
May the fringes be the falling rain, May the border be
the
standing rainbow. Thus weave for us a
garment of
brightness.
That we may walk fittingly where grass
is green,
O our
mother the earth, O our father the sky.
15 White Cane Day
White Cane Safety Day is
celebrates blind and visually impaired people's achievements in the United
States on October 15 every year. It also reminds people about the how the white
cane is an important tool in helping the blind and the visually impaired live
with greater independence.
The white cane can be
perceived by many as a symbol of blindness or visual impairment. White canes
are recognized for providing the visually impaired with greater mobility,
allowing them to participate more within their communities. Blind and visually
impaired people have used canes as mobility tools for centuries but it was not
until after World War I that the white cane was properly introduced. In modern
times there are different varieties of this tool, each serving slightly varied
needs.
The blind
God Hod
of darkness and winter is the son of Odin and Frigg. When the Gods enjoyed
themselves by using his brother Balder as a target, Hod unintentionally killed
him by throwing a fig made of mistletoe, the only object that could harm
Balder. Hod was put to death for this deed by Vali, Odin's youngest son who was
born for revenge.
20 Wax Moon
Bring wanted things into
your life. A time to bring money and
prosperity to you.
Loving Goddess, Faithful God
Help
me to calm my mind and spirit
and
to consider my own strength as I travel in this world.
May
I walk the divine path you have created for me with grace
and
ease. Remind me that I am your
instrument
and
that regardless of what the situation looks like,
You
are in control and have my best interest at heart.
Blessed
Be.
20 Tyr's Day
Agree to a promise
that limits your convenience. Tyr is the God of oaths,
justice, law, courage and warfare in Germanic Mythology, portrayed as a one
handed man. He is
renowned for his great wisdom, is unrivalled in his sense of duty and
nerve.
Tysdagr
in Old Norse, receives its name from Tyr (Old English, Tiw, Tew or Tiu). Tyr is a God associated with battle and war,
but also with order, justice and law. Tuesday
is thus good for dealing with legal matters, and putting all kind of things in
order. Concentrate on the mystery of tiwaz
t. Remember how Tyr placed his hand in Fenrir’s
mouth, think deeply about the concepts of order and self-sacrifice—what they
are and what they mean to you.
Is your life generally ‘in
order’? What areas in your life and in
yourself you would like to reorganize? The t
rune is also the lot of troth (faith, loyalty, kinship). It is said that a man
who does not flinch and surpasses others is said to be “as brave as Tyr.” Spend time with your friends and family. Although it is important to plan things and to
work methodically, don’t forget to also take action, instead of just endlessly
planning. Follow Tyr and victory will be yours.
I ask thee, Lord
of Justice, to bring forth Justice. Take
action
against the one
who betrayed us, who broke oaths sworn to us.
We acted with
honor, and were met with dishonor. I ask
you,
Lord Tyr, grant us
justice, so that others may not be brought
down or brought
harm because of me.
Hail unto Tyr,
God of Justice.
21 Patrick
Stewart Birthday
Patrick D Stewart (1970 – 2005) was a soldier in the United States
Army. He died in combat in Afghanistan
when his helicopter was shot down by a grenade while returning to base. Patrick Stewart was a resident of Nevada and
a practicing Wiccan. After his death,
controversy ensued when the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initially
refused to imprint a Wiccan pentacle on his grave, to the dismay of his
widow. As part of a settlement in 2007,
the VA added the pentacle to the list of emblems allowed in national cemeteries
and on VA issued headstones, markers and plaques.
22 Aidan Kelly Birthday
Aidan Kelly (Author) is an American
academic, poet and influential figure in the Neopagan
religion of Wicca. He is an important figure in the creation of
the Covenant of the Goddess,
an organization designed to protect the civil rights of members of the Wiccan
community in the United States. He has also published academic work studying
the early development of Gardnerian Wiccan liturgy, primarily through his
controversial 1991 book Crafting the Art of Magic.
27 Full Hunters Moon
While in ancient times, hunting was necessary to
feed families, this is no longer the case for some. Still, it is a sacred ritual for many people.
As hunters, we take full responsibility for the life we harvest. We not only
eat the meat, but - just as our ancestors before us - make swift use of the
animal's other gifts, giving it immortality it might not otherwise have. A hide for a shirt. Or fur for warmth. Or a tooth necklace. Or even a memory of the hunt. A time for comfort, kitchens, hearths and
cleansing. Plan a ritual to work on
ridding yourself of negative thoughts and vibrations.
Sing of Manni´s
lustrous ray,
Incandescent light
sublime.
Nightly lantern,
Hati´s prey,
Nott´s companion,
counting time.
Manni, shine
throughout the heavens,
Manni, shine till
Sunna´s rise!
Mundilfari´s
silent son,
Shine until the
end of time.
To the Celts, time was circular rather than linear. This is reflected in
their commencing each day, and each festival, at dusk rather than dawn, a
custom comparable with that of the Jewish Sabbath. It is also reflected in
their year beginning with the festival of Samhain on 31 October, when nature
appears to be dying down. Tellingly, the first month of the Celtic year is Samonios, ‘Seed Fall’: in other words,
from death and darkness springs life and light.
At Samhain, cattle were brought in for the winter, and in Ireland the
warrior elite, the Fianna, gave up war until Beltane. It was a sacred time,
whose peace was normally broken only by the ritualized battle of board games
such as fidchell.
31 Samhain
A day of Hunt, Food and Death. Our modern Halloween stems from Samhain, and one explanation of the traditional pumpkin lanterns is that the
Celts once placed the skulls of ancestors outside their doors at this time. The
Christians took over the Celtic festival and turned it into All Saints Day.
Even the modern English celebration of Guy Fawkes Day has echoes of the ancient
fire festival.
For the Norse it is close to Winter Nights. In the old calendar, winter begins about
Mid-October; however this holiday may move about in the calendar depending on
your seasons, many match it with Samhain. It is a time to celebrate the
completed harvest and honor the ancestors.
It marked the beginning of a time of indoor work, thought and
craftsmanship.
To the ancient Germanic people, death was never far away and it was
viewed as a natural and necessary part of life.
Starting on this night, the great divisions between the worlds was
somewhat diminished, which can allow the forces of chaos to invade the realms
of order, the material world conjoining with the world of the dead. At this time began the Wild Hunt in which the
restless spirits of the dead walked amongst the living. The dead could return to the places where
they had lived and food was provided in their honor.
A time to honor the deceased, divining, the circle of life and
entertainment. Libations of ale, milk or
mead are traditionally poured onto the Earth as an offering. Apples may be offered to the fallen
ancestors. Hay may be left out for
Odin’s horse Sleipnir. Odin’s mighty
steed thus marks the kindred home as one of welcoming.
Lord and Lady,
Thank
you for the love in my life
Thank
you for the calm of my spirit, and for teaching me to trust
myself. You shower me with blessings every moment of
every day
and
I give thanks that I am able to recognize these gifts in all
their forms, and that I am able
to honor others with the
generosity
and love you have shown me. Blessed be.
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