Spring Equinox

Blessed Spring Equinox under the Waxing Moon!  The temperature warmed up to 6 degrees this afternoon and the daffodils are starting to show through the snow.  Some spring cleaning is done and the alter is re-set with Thor watching over it now.  Summer should be here in a few months.  Enjoy the sunlight.

 

Hail, and welcome!
Green life returns to the earth
blooming and blossoming
once more from the soil.
We welcome you,
Goddesses of Spring,
Eostre, Persephone, Idunn, Freya,
in the trees,
in the soil,
in the flowers,
in the rains,
and we are grateful
for your presence.

 

So may it be!

 

Colored Eggs

Earth Day

Spring Blessed

Spring Equinox

 

Prayer

Do you own any sentimental object (wedding ring or family heirloom) - objects that value more than an identical duplicate?  That is magical thinking.  Do you feel that what goes around comes around?  That's magical thinking.  Do you yell at your laptop when it erases your files?  That's magical thinking.  Do you hope to leave a legacy after you die?  Magical thinking.  Do you believe that certain events were meant to happen?  Magical thinking.  Do you shout out 'Oh God' when you're stuck in traffic?  Magical thinking.

Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with a deity, an object of worship or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication. Prayer can be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words, movement, objects, photos or song.

Some Christians bow their heads and fold their hands. Some Native Americans regard dancing as a form of prayer. Some Sufis whirl. Wiccan prayers can include meditation, rituals and/or incantations.  Hindus chant mantras. Jewish prayer may involve swaying back and forth and bowing.  Quakers keep silent.  Some pray according to standardized rituals, while others prefer impromptu prayers and spells. 

Our ancestors prayed to their Gods. Their pleas and offerings are documented in the hieroglyphs that adorn the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, in the carvings and inscriptions left for us to read by the philosophers and teachers of ancient Greece and Rome. Later on, as Christianity moved in and replaced many of the old Pagan cultures, Irish monks wrote down stories, illuminating their manuscripts with vivid and colorful artwork.   The Old Norse people didn't seem to use prayer beads but many Modern Neopagans enjoy using them.

You can pray to anyone you like. You can pray to a God, a Goddess, your Ancestors or the Grand High Poobah of the Toaster Oven. Pray to whoever -- or whatever -- is most likely to take an interest in your dilemma or thanks. If you're working on protection of your home, for example, you may wish to call upon Vesta or Brighid, both guardians of the Earth. If you're about to enter into a nasty conflict, perhaps Mars, the god of war, would be willing to step in for a bit of fun.  Some people pray simply to spirits -- spirits of the Earth, of the sky, of the sea, etc.  Erik Wikstrom recommends that we pay attention to the form of prayer rather than the content – focus on the how rather than to whom.

Prayer beads is one tool that can be used.  Prayer Beads are used by members of various religious traditions such as Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Anglicanism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Wiccan and Baha'i Faith to count the repetitions of prayers, meditation, chants, magical focus or devotions, such as the rosary in Christianity, worry beads in Greek and dhikr (remembrance of God) in Islam. 

The first beads were grooved pebbles, bones and teeth -- made over 40,000 years ago -- and had talismanic and symbolic connotations from the beginning. Beads are among the earliest human ornaments and ostrich shell beads in Africa date to 10,000 BC. Over the centuries various cultures have made beads from a variety of materials from stone and shells to clay.  Beads have always had a spiritual significance to Native Americans; neck medallions as early as A.D. 800 served as talismans against threat.  The English word bead derives from the Old English noun bede which means a prayer. The exact origins of prayer beads remain uncertain, but their earliest use probably traces to Hindu prayers in India. 

The number of beads also vary depending on the different religions, Islamic prayer beads Tesbih usually have either ninety nine or thirty three beads, Buddhists and Hindu use Japa Mala usually consisting 27 bead malas. Sikhs use a Mala with 108 beads. Greek komboloi has an odd number of beads usually one more than a multiple of four. Roman Catholics use the Rosary with 54 beads whereas Eastern Orthodox Christians use rosary with 100 knots, although prayer ropes with 50 or 33 knots can also be used.

While the diversity of pagan religions is too great to accept any one style of prayer, spell and ritual work, there is several resources and general guidelines to help you start.  They can be based on the Sabbats, Triple Goddess, Witches' Ladder, Elements, Ancestors Rope or other magical themes.  Sacred numbers (3, 7, 9, 13) are incorporated in the design as well as circles and spirals (signifying wholeness, community, the universe, creation and cyclic change).  Gemstones have attracted people with their colors and charming gloss since ancient times. Since then, each stone has a special meaning. 

For example: The moon cycle prayer beads are based on the days of the naturally occurring moon's cycle. They are configured of 4 sets of 7 beads signifying each quarter, 1 marker bead for the full or new moon, to complete the 29 day cycle.  The bead representing the full moon is larger than the others, and is white, moonstone or pearl.  The white bead represent the moon when it is full or nearly full, silver beads represent the moon at about half phase, and black beads represent the crescent or new moon.   Quick and easy to twist together with silver wire under the full moon. 

You can make up your own meditation on the moon beads but a simple mantra might be:

               Oh, silver moon, fill me with your sparkling light.
               Teach me to sail serenely through the dark and the storm.

Repeat the two sentences on each bead, while picturing the moon going through its phases, and trying to capture the calmness of a moonlit night. 

A similar design can be used for the Sun, use morning, noon, afternoon and evening in place of the four phases of the moon.  The largest stone would be red, sunstone or volcanic rock.  And just keep building out from there or use other themes that speak to you.

Ultimately, a prayer or a spell is a very personal thing.  If one form doesn't work, try another.  It is a practice that may take some research, experiment and time.  You can do it out loud or silently, in a church or backyard or forest or at a kitchen table. Pray when you need to and say what you wish to say (help, thank you, guidance, hello).  Chances are good that someone is listening.

 

                “Eagle Poem”

To pray you open your whole self

To sky, to Earth, to sun, to moon

To one whole voice that is you.

And know there is more

That you can’t see, can’t hear

Can’t know except in moments

Steadily growing, and in languages

That aren’t always sound but other

Circles of motion.

Like eagle that Sunday morning

Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky

In wind, swept our hearts clean

With sacred wings.

We see you, see ourselves and know

That we must take the utmost care

And kindness in all things.

Breathe in, knowing we are made of

All this, and breathe, knowing

We are truly blessed because we

Were born, and die soon, within a

True circle of motion,

Like eagle rounding out the morning

Inside us.

We pray that it will be done

In beauty.

 

 

Centering

Embrace the Divine

Grounding

Meditation

Prayer

Prayer Bead

Prayer Bead

 

One Norse Wiccan Prayer Bead

 

 

Air: Spirit is Enchanted

Air                                                                                                             Spirit is Enchanted

East, Waxing Moon (First Quarter) G, Spring, March, April, May, Spring Equinox (Summer Finding), Beltane (May Day), Dawn (Sunrise), Wisdom, Dignity, Planting, Yellow, Incense, Hope, Wind, Breath

Alfheim

Bear

Bee

Eagle

Goat

Heimdall z

Idunn

Maiden Goddess

Jotunheim

Odin a

Raven

Warrior God

Rooster

Thor  x

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.  Like Earth, the air is slowly filling with pollutes and toxins.  But our spoken words are still carried on the winds.

Air is one of the four classical elements in ancient philosophy and science.   Air is often seen as a universal power or pure substance.  It's supposed fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and spirit, all derived from the Latin spirare.  Invisible, unpredictable, unreliable, playful, soothing, destructive, inspiring and life giving: the element of air or wind is all these things and much more.

Invisible, air can not be seen, but its influence can be clearly felt.  Air in motion is wind, moving things across the land unseen but felt.  One cannot see the wind, nor hold it in their hands, wind cannot be captured, and wind cannot be tamed.  Instead what we can see is the ripple upon the waters, the fallen leaves dancing in a circle, dust swirling across the path, or see it invisible as it plays with a young girl’s hair.  Air can also be motionless and when wind is absent air can no longer be as much as felt as detected.  We breathe air even if it does not move as wind, and it surrounds us even still as an invisible force upon our lives. Contrary to the other elements that together form the basic elements of the world, wind is the one element that seems to be less physical than spiritual.

The connection between air and the soul is reflected in many languages and cultures.  For example, in Greek tradition, who considered Aêr the first principle of everything, said that it is the stuff of breath and soul, and therefore the principle of life, sensation and reaction.  Also, the Pythagorean identified the soul with warm (and therefore active, moving) air and said, "People and other animals live by breathing air, and this is for them both soul and intelligence."

What makes the soul enchanted is its very engagement with the world. Sufi tradition tells of the soul given an opportunity to dance in the human body and, liking it so much, it did not want to leave. This is exactly your sentiment with the world. Your soul is attracted to beauty, affection, connection, and celebration; it is severely wounded by rejection, alienation, violence, and ugliness.

Elemental air is also the playful wind. The summer breeze plays with foliage and makes each tree sing its own tune. It plays with my hair and strokes my cheek. It makes plastic bags dance in city streets.  Air plays and dances with us. And it carries the scent of sunlight on young foliage, or of trees blossoming.  And sometimes, around the Equinoxes especially, the wind can turn destructive. It sweeps clean the Earth, ready for the new season.

Doves and birds are connected to the element of wind. They represent peace, tranquility, and the calm that wind can bring.  Willow boughs are also used as symbols of the air; their supple nature and slender, wind-blown leaves seem fitting to represent the gentle supple motion of the wind.  Flutes and other wind music, with their high pitching notes that often sound like the whining of the wind in the branches of trees, is often used to depict the wind.

Air has a masculine energy, or yang.  Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are all air signs in the zodiac.  Incense is used both as a symbol of wind and a religious object. As a symbol of air, the perfumed smells of incense is often soothing reminding one of the genteel dreams given to us by the wind. Although the wind is invisible, and therefore colourless, white, yellow and silver are usually associated with the element of wind/air.

As soon as we call to mind the air element within the body — the air in our lungs and other body cavities, even the gases dissolved in our blood — we’re immediately aware of the breathing, aware that air is flowing rhythmically in and out of the body.  So almost simultaneously we recall the air element outside of us — the air surrounding us and touching the skin in this very moment, the winds and clouds and breezes that we see and hear moving branches and grasses. In truth your life is a sacred gift of enchantment to this Earth.  Having this direct sense of interconnectedness is enlivening and empowering, I’m no longer separate and small, but an intimate part of the vast cycle of the elements. 

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.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsPoXydsSpk
 

 

Air: Spirit is Enchanted

Your Spirit is Enchanted

Clean Air Day

Earth is Home

Earth Day

Elements Table

Fire: Body is a Temple

Your Body is a Temple

Fire Prevention

Water: Mind is Divine

Your Mind is Divine

World Water

Dwarf

A dwarf is a mythical creature.  Humanoid in form, but short and stocky, they are connected with the Earth and are often said to be miners, engineers, and craftsmen. The dwarf is common in mythologies, fairy tales, fantasy fiction, and role-playing games, and recently were made popular by the collective works of twentieth century fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien.

 

Dwarfs are small creatures made from the maggots in the giants Ymir dead body.  They generally look like old men with long beards or are sometimes ugly or misshapen.  The dwarves were said to inhabit Svartalheim, one of the Nine Worlds created by the Gods, though they also seemed to live in Midgard as well, the world of men.  They live in caves or in holes under the ground and sometimes in hollow trees.  Like dark elves, some dwarves also fear the sun light.  Though usually associated with Scandinavian mythology, dwarfs and elves appear in the myths of many cultures, along with similar creatures such as fairies, gnomes, pixies, and leprechauns.

Dwarfs are sometimes represented as helpful creatures or wise advisers as, for example, in the fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. More commonly, though, they are unpleasant, stubborn, and distrustful with an air of mystery about them. They may act in deceitful ways, or they may be openly hostile.  In some stories, dwarfs steal food or carry off children and beautiful maidens.

Dvalin is the ruler of the dwarves.  He is one of the most powerful dwarves. He was also a skilled smith and able to read runes before any other dwarf.

Dwarfs and elves of the mountains are highly skilled metalworkers and artisans who have supernatural powers and make special gifts for the Gods, such as a magic spear for Odin, the king of the Gods; a ship for Freyja, the Goddess of love and beauty; and a hammer for Thor, the God of thunder.  Four dwarves, Nordri, Sudri, Austri and Vestri, hold up the sky.   But dwarfs and elves of the mines, who keep guard over underground stores of gold and precious stones, are unpredictable and spiteful. This association of dwarfs and elves with mining and precious metals exists in many legends and fairy tales.

Their role during Ragnarok is not clear.

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

Dwarf

Midgard

Svartalheim

Thor's Hammer



Wolf

The wolf is a species of Canidae native to the wilderness and remote areas of North America, Eurasia and North Africa.  The largest member of its family, males average 43–45 kg (95–99 lb) and females 36–38 kg (79–85 lb).  They are similar in general appearance and proportions to a German shepherd, but has a larger head, narrower chest, longer legs, straighter tail and bigger paws.  Its winter fur is long and bushy, and predominantly a mottled gray in color, although nearly pure white, red, or brown to black also occur.

The gray wolf is one of the world's most well researched animals, with probably more books written about it than any other wildlife species.  It has a long history of association with humans, having been despised and hunted in most agricultural communities due to its attacks on livestock, while conversely being respected by some Native American tribes.  It is the sole ancestor of the dog, which was first domesticated about 500,000 years ago.

Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate.  The wolf is a common motif in the foundational mythologies and cosmologies of peoples throughout Eurasia and North America. The obvious attribute of the wolf is its nature of a predator, and correspondingly it is strongly associated with danger, destruction, making it the symbol of the warrior on one hand, and that of evil on the other.  In many cultures, the identification of the warrior with the wolf gave rise to the notion of Lycanthropy, the mythical or ritual identification of man and wolf.

Wolf moon is the name that the Native Americans gave to the full moon in January. Part of the reason the Native Americans chose this name was due to the howling wolves outside their villages this time of year.  The full moon is a time of great power.  This is a good time to work on magic related to protection, both physical and spiritual. Use this time to develop your inner self, and advance spiritually, becoming closer to the higher aspects of your deities.

Wolves feature prominently in Norse mythology, in particular the mythological wolves Fenrir, Skoll and Hati.  Fenrir, a son of Loki, served a dual role in Norse mythology; as the maimer of God Tyr, and as the killer of God Odin at Ragnarok.  The giant Fenrir wolf was feared and hated.  Fenrir is bound by the Gods, but is ultimately destined to grow too large for his bonds and devour Odin during the course of Ragnarok.  At that time, he will have grown so large that his upper jaw touches the sky while his lower touches the earth when he gapes.  He will be slain by Odin's son, Vidar, who will either stab him in the heart or rip his jaws asunder according to different accounts.  

Skoll was depicted in Gylfaginning as a wolf which pursued the setting sun, while Hati chased the moon.  Wolves that chase the horses that drag the chariot which contains the Sun and Moon through the sky, trying to eat them.  At Ragnarok, both Skoll and Hati will succeed in their quests. 

Other known wolves are Geri and Freki, who were the Norse God Odin's faithful pets who were reputed to be "of good omen."  It was once told that Odin and his brothers created the world. In loneliness while traveling, Odin created the First Wolves, Geri and Freki, to accompany him in his travels and to be partners in the hunt. The wolves became Odin's special companions. Wherever Odin went, the wolves went with him.  Odin was also a God a battle and wisdom, and encouraged his men to fight like wolves. This was due to Odin's admiration of wolves, who fought together as a team with strength and intellect.

The wolf has a reputation which is undeserved as a fearsome creature. Most of us grew up hearing stories about the "big, bad wolf." The fact is that wolves are not really all big or bad. Wolves are just animals trying to survive in the world, just like we are. They belong to the same family of animals as the dog you may have as a family pet.  There are many wolf organizations and government agencies working to both save wolves and educate people about them. 

This totem imparts learning, wisdom and access to communication.  Tame wolves tend to be less predictable and manageable than dogs, as they lack any alteration of their predatory behavior.  But with wolf populations in danger in some areas, or others living in a urban land, a domesticated dog does make a good symbol.  Both wolves and dogs are strong, loyal, protective, teamwork and have great senses. 

 

"I call to those who went before me for guidance to travel this days path I ask those who are yet to come what this holds for me of Wolf and Man is what I seek I ask for the Wolf to be at one with the Man and for the Man to walk beside the Wolf I offer this prayer to the Spirits above and humbly ask for their divine help to live my life to the fullest and bring honor to myself and my people."

 

 

Animals

Elements Table

Fenrir