Lithemonath
june
June is the sixth month of the year and is believed
that the month is named after the Roman Goddess Juno, who is the wife of
Jupiter and is also equivalent to the Greek Goddess Hera. It is considered good
luck to get married in this month. June’s birth flower is the rose or the
honeysuckle. The birthstones are the pearl, the moonstone, and the alexandrite
which all symbolize health and longevity. The zodiac signs for the month of
June are Gemini (until June 21) and Cancer (June 22 onwards).
It is the month of Litha, the summer solstice. The
summer solstice was second only to Yule in importance to the ancient Northman.
This was the traditional time for holding the Althing in ancient times, also
dedicated to Tyr, the God of Justice and Order. It is the month that has the
most amount of daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and
shortest amount of daylight hours in the Southern hemisphere. As we pass
through the longest day and the shortest night of the year, it is also
appropriate to meditate on the good things of life.
Cweorth or Eoh for q ᛢ (Fire, action, power). Cweorth is the Fire of purification and
destruction. The Fire element is a
purifying, masculine energy, associated with the South, and connected to strong
will and energy. Sowilo or sæwelo is the
name of the s-rune, meaning sun s. Sowulo is the rune of potential and success,
sun, energy and expansion. The Teiwaz
t-rune t is named after God Tyr,
justice and honor. It is a rune of
justice, strengths, warriors and order.
The Sixth Hall is about day to day life. This time
also rules daily life, health, hygiene, food, work, employees, service, skills,
servants, small animals, clothing and sickness. It is about the service you
give and your habits. Other keywords include: daily routine, working
environment, skills, pets, animals and service.
As the largest object in the sky, the Sun is the source of light, heat
and life. The energy of sunlight
supports almost all life on Earth by photosynthesis and drives Earth's climate
and weather. It can also be a symbol of destructive power. To the Norse, the Sun was known as Sunna or
Sol and was considered feminine. Now is
when the sun energy is the strongest.
The
Moon gives off no light of its own but reflects sunlight from its rocky
surface. What we call moonshine is actually sunshine reflected by the Moon.
Plan a ritual to balance your spiritual and physical desires.
With your soothing rays of light,
wipe away the lines that
worries have etched on to my face.
Accept my troubles
and transform them into wonders.
2 Baldur's Day
Sacrifice
something beautiful today in a way that gives benefit to others. Balder (also
Baldr, Baldur) is a God of light and purity in Norse mythology, and a son of
the God Odin and the Goddess Frigg. He
has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Vali.
Balder's wife is Nanna and their son is Forseti. He is so fair of feature, and so bright, that
light shines from him. He had a good
character, was friendly, wise and eloquent.
He had a dream of his own death and his mother had
the same dreams. Since dreams were
usually prophetic, this depressed him, so his mother Frigg made every object in
every realm vow never to hurt Balder.
All objects made this vow except mistletoe. Frigg had thought it too unimportant and
nonthreatening to bother asking it to make the vow.
Balder was ceremonially burnt upon his ship,
Hringhorni, the largest of all ships after his death. Nanna, Balder's wife, died of grief and was
burned with him. Balder's horse, with
all its trappings, was also burned on the pyre.
Blameless Balder,
shining God,
let your goodness
and your reconciliation smooth my path on
Earth. When my days here are over, light up death's
darkness
with the promise
of rebirth. Help me to avoid evil and
seek the
good. Inspired by you, I will keep my reputation
spotless, that my
life will be proclaimed
a victory of the spirit, and my leaving it, a
tragedy.
4 Clean Air Day
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases
surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by
absorbing solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention, and
reducing temperature extremes between day and night. Nearly all Earth beings need air to live,
both animals and plants.
Clean Air Day aims to increase public awareness of
two key environmental priorities: clean air and climate change, as well as to
encourage the public to take action in these sectors. The day is a chance to celebrate our
environment by keeping our air clean, to share walking safety skills with
children, to bring safety to our neighborhoods and reduce crime, to address
traffic congestion, pollution and speed around our schools, and to spend
valuable time with one another. Go for a
Nature Walk. Quit Smoking. Bike to Work.
Leaves scurry up
and down your clear highways
and thoughts with
black feathers rise cawing,
a stream of thick smoke
carries up.
Today I opened my
mouth,
and out flew your
song.
I learned to ride
on the rafts of wind,
send my thoughts
spiraling up to your place,
where every breath
is a blessing,
every breeze is a
song.
So may it be.
6 Garden Day
Exercise the body is one of the thirteen goals of a Witch,
along with breathe, meditate and eat correctly.
This is a difficult goal for many people but it is an important
one. Our bodies are wondrous things that
the God and Goddess have blessed us with.
We should respect the bodies we have been given and keep them in
shape. A healthy body feels better both
physically and emotionally. We also live
longer and are less encumbered during mundane activities and magical ones as
well. To exercise the body is to honor
the Divine Friends.
National Gardening Exercise Day is celebrated each year on
June 6. This is a good day to get away from your desk or out of your
house, go outdoors to work in the garden and at the same time get some nice
exercise.
Many of us do not realize the amount of good exercise that
we can get while working outside in the garden. It involves a lot of
walking back and forth as well as bending up and down along with other things.
Being outside in the fresh air and sunshine are also an added benefit.
Children's Day is recognized on various days in many places
around the world, to honor children globally. Feed a homeless child. Aid a disabled child. Or just take some children on a hike, telling
stories about things you see along the way.
Children's Day was proclaimed by President Bill Clinton to be held on
October 11, 1998, in response to a letter written by a six year old boy
inquiring if he would make a Children's Day for him. "National Child's
Day" was proclaimed by President George W. Bush as June 3, 2001 and in
subsequent years on the first Sunday in June.
Bush said: "Every child in every neighborhood has
unique gifts to offer. We must nurture our children's dreams, help them develop
their talents and abilities, and ensure their healthy development so that they
may reach their full potential. Our success in this vital endeavor will affect
the direction of their lives and the future strength and vitality of our
Nation."
Strength and
wholeness. I shall run and not be weary. I shall
walk and not faint.
Come Divine Friends, With light and comfort
from above. Be our
Guardian, Our Guide, Stay close by every
child's side. So may it be!
9 Wane Moon
This is a time of personal
reflection and inner guidance. Soon the light of the God will fade completely
before the cycle will begin again.
Hail Manni, God of the Moon!
Forever pursued but never caught,
You turn through the night,
and ward us as we sleep,
Hail Manni God of the Moon!
13 Gerald Gardner Birthday
Gerald Brousseau Gardner (1884 – 1964), who
sometimes used the craft name Scire, was an influential English Wiccan, as well as an amateur anthropologist
and archaeologist, writer, weaponry expert and occultist.
He was instrumental in bringing the Neopagan
religion of Wicca to public attention in Britain and wrote some of its
definitive religious texts. He himself typically referred to the faith as
"witchcraft" or "the witch-cult", its adherents "the
Wica", and he claimed that it was the survival of a pre-Christian Pagan Witch cult.
Several years after Gardner's death, the Wiccan High
Priestess Eleanor Bone visited North Africa and went looking for Gardner's grave. She discovered that the
cemetery he was interned in was to be redeveloped, and so she raised enough
money for his body to be moved to another cemetery in Tunis, where it currently remains. In
2007, a new plaque was attached to his grave, describing him as being
"Father of Modern Wicca. Beloved of the Great Goddess".
16 New Moon
This is the time when the Sage is transformed into
the Warrior. It is a time of renewal and new beginnings.
As the tides flow, and the Moon rises
above,
we are thankful that he has returned.
He watches over us, ever constant,
yet always changing,
and we are thankful for his light.
Bring us your wisdom, your guidance,
your protection, in the coming month.
You are behind me at every step,
watching and guiding me,
and I am thankful.
21 Odin's Day
In many traditions of Wicca and Paganism, there is a
great deal of focus on the Goddess.
Sometimes, there's so much attention to the feminine that the masculine
aspects get overlooked. By welcoming the
God of your tradition, you can honor the men who have impacted your life -
whether they raised you, loved you or are being brought up by you.
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and
celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in
society. Many countries celebrate it on
the third Sunday of June, though it is also celebrated widely on other
days. Typically, families gather to
celebrate the father figures in their lives.
In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting
greeting cards and traditionally masculine gifts such as electronics and tools. Schools and other children's programs commonly
have activities to make Father's Day gifts.
Celebration
of masculine energy within the Earth community. Do something in a leadership
position, especially if it is difficult. Odin is a chief God in Norse mythology
and the ruler of Asgard. He was called
the Alfadir (All-father), for he is the creator of the Germanic Peoples and the
father of many important, powerful Gods and human heroes. Odin has only one
eye, which blazes like the sun. He is
often pictured as an older man wearing a floppy hat and a blue-grey cloak. His role, like that of many of the Norse
Gods, is complex. He is associated with
war, victory and death, but also wisdom, magic, learning, sky, poetry and the hunt.
Odensdagr in Old Norse, Wodnesdaeg in Old English,
is the day of the Germanic God Woden, more commonly known as Odin. Speech is
the appropriate word for Woden’s Day. On Wednesday, dwell deeply in the mystery
of ansuz a and see where that leads you.
On some future Wednesday, I also recommend that you
undertake the following Working—be intensely conscious of what you say, how you
speak, and be aware of what others say and what they really mean as well. Try
to say what you mean and mean what you say, but also learn to use words
creatively, according to your Will and goals. Hone your skills in the use of
language(s) but avoid the inane, unconscious, babble that only degrades your
very being.
Allfather who art in Asgard, Hallowed
be
thy name, thy Kingdome com, the Norns
fate be done, on Midgard as it is done
in Asgard.
Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive not
those who trespass against us, lead us
into blind confidence and deliver us
unto your wisdom.
In Divine Friends Names, So may it be.
21 Midsummer
A day for the Sun and Fathers. Open the House to others to share the ritual,
or take it elsewhere. Like all the great high holidays, this ritual should be
shared with the greater community. The gardens are blooming and summer is in
full swing. Fire up the barbeque, turn
on the sprinkler and enjoy the celebrations of Midsummer! Also called Litha, this Summer Solstice
Sabbath honors the longest day of the year. In ancient times, the Sun was
believed to be the center of the universe, the core of existence. Take advantage of the extra 
hours
of daylight and spend as much time as you can outdoors.
hours
of daylight and spend as much time as you can outdoors.
The Summer Solstice or Midsummer
was second only to Yule in importance to the ancient Northman. It is a time for general laughter, bonfires,
food and dances. The day is dedicated to Baldur, God of Light and in honor of
Sunna, Goddess of the Sun. A fire is lit
in honor of a solar deity and the Sun, jumping through the flames will purify
and renew energies. As we pass through the longest days and the shortest night
of the year, it is appropriate to meditate on the good things of life.
The Sun is one of many objects in the sky that has
been used in Wicca practices. Early
people believed the Sun was a symbol of the divine force that gave us life on
Earth. To physically feel the power of
the Sun beating down on our skin, warming us, have it determine the length of
the day and provide the light we need to survive under has made it an
influential force. It is also a time for general merriment, meditations on the
good things in life, food and dances.
The tent is raised,
a cry goes up. She comes a radiant Sun
rejoicing, presiding, her day.
From end to end of the universe her
progress.
No creature, no least being but catches
fire from her.
For love, passion and energy for all.
Unfortunately we know little about Viking music. In ancient times, common Vikings didn't
posses the technology of writing on vellum or paper. What little we know about
the Vikings and their music has been passed down through the generations from
outside observers. The information
indicates that music was used for a variety of reasons. Sombre chants were used for sermons and
sacrifices, while a livelier tune were played at festivities; then there were
the bawdy tunes sang while drinking mead.
In attempting to reconstruct this music, modern
scholars look to traditions in Iceland for further guides. Iceland remained remote and maintained the
language of the Vikings almost unchanged up to the present day, though there is
no solid evidence of any unbroken musical traditions. Viking musical instruments are very rarely
preserved, because they would generally be constructed of wood or other
perishable materials. Archaeological
digs have revealed quite a variety of instruments dating back to Viking times:
pan flutes, horn pipes, lyre and lur.
Make Music Day, held annually in June, is a global
celebration of music making. Taking place in more than 110 countries and 800
cities around the world, it is the perfect opportunity to meet and create new
music makers. Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is
open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician — young and old,
amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets,
parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and
strangers.
24 Wax Moon
Used
for attraction magic, inner love spells, protection for couples and healing
energy. This is a time for spells that attract,
that bring positive change, love, good luck and growth. Gaze at the Moon and
offer your love.
Take all that has to end, all that
must disappear and die with you,
into the darkness. I welcome your
peace, I welcome the stillness.
As you disappear into the dawn, so
I choose to go within.
Blessed be.
25 Freya's
& Freyr's Day
Ritual sex is appropriate on this day, or weather
magic. Freya (Freyja, Freia, Freja or
Lady) is a Goddess associated with love, sexuality, woman, beauty, fertility,
gold and death. She is the 'wild woman'
among the deities of the North. Freya is the owner of the necklace Brisingamen,
rides a chariot pulled by two cats, owns the boar Hildisvini and possesses a
cloak of falcon feathers. Freya’s home
is in Asgard, called Folkvang, “Field of the Folk”, and her hall is called
Sessrumnir, “a space with many seats”.
Along with her twin brother Freyr and her father Njord, she is a member
of the Vanir.
Freyr (Frey, Ing or Lord) is one of the most
important Gods of Norse paganism. He is described as being very
handsome, powerful, merciful and kind, and is called the 'God of the World'. Freyr was associated with sacral kingship,
virility and prosperity, with sunshine and fair weather, animals and was
pictured as a phallic fertility God. Freyr is presented as one of the Vanir,
the son of the sea God Njord, brother of the Goddess Freya. The Gods gave him
Alfheim, the realm of the Elves, as a teething present. He rides the shining
dwarf-made boar Gullinbursti and possesses the ship Skidbladnir which always
has a favorable breeze and can be folded together and carried in a pouch when
it is not being used.
Holy sister and
brother,
Lady and Lord of the
Vanir,
Golden of hair as
the fields of wheat
Who bring riches
of heart and hearth
To noble and
common folk alike
You are the
security wealth can buy
And the happiness
it cannot.
Lord Freyr, Corn
God
Warrior without a
weapon
Who gave his sword
for love,
You who make the
grain spring forth,
Show us faith in
every harvest.
Bless the bonds of
those whose love
Binds them to
land, to hearth,
To commitment of
permanence,
O God whose wedding
was cursed and blessed.
Lady Freya,
warrior woman,
Chooser of the
slain warriors,
Teacher of magic
and mysteries,
Mistress of Seidhr
and mother of jewels,
Love Goddess and
Lady of Springtime,
Flowers scattered
in your footsteps,
Unashamed of love
and pleasure,
Help us to
remember
That there are
many kinds of wealth.
Bless us, Freyr
and Freya,
Most precious gems
of Vanaheim,
With the gold of
next year's grain and sun.
The
skald was a historian, storyteller, poet and singer of songs. The skald was
highly respected in Viking society for his skills. They were common in both Scandinavian and Icelandic courts. Skaldic
poetry would be spoken not sung. Bragi is the God of poetry in Norse
mythology.
The primary feature which distinguishes Norse poetry
is probably the alliteration used. Alliteration means
words which begin with the same sound, as in song ... sword, board ... brand or
eagle .... Another important feature of
Norse poetry is the use of kennings. A kenning is a
riddling reference to one item or concept which does not name it directly, but
rather suggests it by the elliptical way in which the subject is spoken of,
which causes the listener or reader to visualize the intended concept. A simple kenning is found in the name Beowulf
or "bee-wolf": the wolf is a kenning for "thief" hence the
phrase becomes "bee-thief" which the Norse listener would understand
to be a bear, which steals honey from bees.
Today is a day for all poets to celebrate their
special talents and the vision that makes them so wonderful and dear. Poet's
Day is a time to share special thoughts about poets and poetry.
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