Summer solstice activities among neo-pagans vary greatly depending on region and hearth inspiration. In general, most neo-pagan summer solstice activities focus on celebrating the power of the sun. Outdoor activities (swimming, picnicing, camping, bonfires) are common. A popular name for the summer solstice among contemporary pagans, Litha, is based on an Anglo-Saxon calendar term.
Mid-summer celebrations were common in most Indo-European pre-Christian cultures. While actual observances varied greatly from region to region, the most common traditions include bonfires and specific rituals for unmarried girls and women.
In Slavic cultures the great festival known as Kupala (both Kupala day and Kupala night) typically occur around June 23rd. Historically, this holiday was association with fire and water and included rituals for both purification and fertility. Bonfires were lit, sometimes on the tops of hills, and celebrations around the fire lasted through the night until dawn. This was a time for ritual bathing in rivers and lakes, as the powers of the trickster water spirits were viewed to be their weakest. A tradition that survives to this day is that of wianki (literally, "wreaths"). Unmarried girls and women create lavish head wreaths out of flowers and greenery. A lit candle is placed on the wreath, which is then let loose to float in a river or lake. Tradition holds that a young man will find the wreath and fall in love with the maiden who made it.
Friday, January 10, 2014
High Day Essay: Second Cross-Quarter
Beltane is a neo-pagan holiday that is typically identified/recognized by non-pagans due to it's accessibility and joyous nature. Named after the Gaelic festival of the same calendar period, modern neo-pagan Beltane observances run the gammut from the historically-inspired (bonfires, May poles) to the (for most) socially deviant (public nudity and sex).
The ancient festival of Beltane is attested to in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. This day marked the beginning of summer and was tied to many important mythological stories. Beltane also marked the beginning of the pastoral season, when livestock were sent out to the fields, not to return until the end of autumn. Bonfires were lit and both the people and livestock passed either between the fires or around the fires in an act of ritual purification and protection. In some areas ritual foods, such as grain-cakes, were cooked over the bonfires and shared within the community. Flowers (particularly yellow flowers) were used to adorn houses, people and livestock.
What we now refer to as May poles were more common in pre-Christian Germanic communities. However, their usage was not necessarily tied to observances at the second cross-quarter holidays.
Not all Indo-European cultures have such festivals. In fact, Beltane-esque festivities seem more prominent in cultures with strong pastoral traditions, rather than farming. For example, there is no evidence of a comparable Slavic holiday at the second cross-quarter, although some Slavic neo-pagans now observe a holiday honoring ancestors on or near the same date.
The ancient festival of Beltane is attested to in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. This day marked the beginning of summer and was tied to many important mythological stories. Beltane also marked the beginning of the pastoral season, when livestock were sent out to the fields, not to return until the end of autumn. Bonfires were lit and both the people and livestock passed either between the fires or around the fires in an act of ritual purification and protection. In some areas ritual foods, such as grain-cakes, were cooked over the bonfires and shared within the community. Flowers (particularly yellow flowers) were used to adorn houses, people and livestock.
What we now refer to as May poles were more common in pre-Christian Germanic communities. However, their usage was not necessarily tied to observances at the second cross-quarter holidays.
Not all Indo-European cultures have such festivals. In fact, Beltane-esque festivities seem more prominent in cultures with strong pastoral traditions, rather than farming. For example, there is no evidence of a comparable Slavic holiday at the second cross-quarter, although some Slavic neo-pagans now observe a holiday honoring ancestors on or near the same date.
High Day Essay: Spring (Vernal) Equinox
To many neo-pagans the festivities associated with the spring equinox are related to the fertility and greening of the earth at this time of year. In many neo-pagan circles this holiday is referred to as Ostara, in reference to an apocryphal Germanic goddess of spring and fertility. During this holiday many neo-pagans prepare foods associated with fertility (such as eggs) and those few garden goods that may be harvested at the beginning of spring (such as mesclun and asparagus). Many also chose to plant herbs or frost-hard vegetation on this date.
Like many Indo-European cultures, Slavic traditions around the vernal equinox focus on the ripening earth and the end of winter. In Bulgaria, bracelets of red and white thread are woven and distributed to friends and family in early March; the bracelet is then transferred to the branch of a newly budded tree later in the month. This practice most likely stems from similar practices in pre-Christian times. In most Slavic countries the tradition of burning or drowning an effigy of Marzenna, the goddess of winter and death, remains popular to this day. Special meals of cheese, butter and honey are common at this time - the later reflects the emergence of bears from hibernation. Folk customs in many Slavic cultures held that it was forbidden to strike or plow the earth before this date.
Like many Indo-European cultures, Slavic traditions around the vernal equinox focus on the ripening earth and the end of winter. In Bulgaria, bracelets of red and white thread are woven and distributed to friends and family in early March; the bracelet is then transferred to the branch of a newly budded tree later in the month. This practice most likely stems from similar practices in pre-Christian times. In most Slavic countries the tradition of burning or drowning an effigy of Marzenna, the goddess of winter and death, remains popular to this day. Special meals of cheese, butter and honey are common at this time - the later reflects the emergence of bears from hibernation. Folk customs in many Slavic cultures held that it was forbidden to strike or plow the earth before this date.
High Day Essay: First Cross-Quarter
The modern pagan holiday of the first cross-quarter of the year is commonly referred to by its Gaelic name - Imbolc. The name itself references the pregnancy and lactation of livestock (such as sheep and goats) and ties the holiday to the waxing presence of life and fertility as the days continue to grow longer and winter falls behind. There is no common denominator that unites neo-pagan practices for Imbolc; in fact, for many it is a holiday that is barely acknowledged. For Celtic Reconstructionist and those following a similar path, Imbolc observances are rooted in historical descriptions.
There are historical reports of Imbolc being celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. These festivities marked the end of winter and ushered in a period of purification, fire and divination. There is considerable documentation attesting to the importance of the goddess Brighid during Imbolc observances. Up until the 19th century is was not unusual for rural communities to show hospitality to Brighid by making her special foods (particularly those with dairy-based ingredients), beds and trinkets during Imbolc.
The celebration of the first cross-quarter seems to not be universal among Indo-European cultures. There is no equivalent celebration in Slavic cultures, although it is possible that certain traditions (such as meals focusing on butter and cheese) now observed during the week prior to Lent may have their origins in such a holiday.
There are historical reports of Imbolc being celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. These festivities marked the end of winter and ushered in a period of purification, fire and divination. There is considerable documentation attesting to the importance of the goddess Brighid during Imbolc observances. Up until the 19th century is was not unusual for rural communities to show hospitality to Brighid by making her special foods (particularly those with dairy-based ingredients), beds and trinkets during Imbolc.
The celebration of the first cross-quarter seems to not be universal among Indo-European cultures. There is no equivalent celebration in Slavic cultures, although it is possible that certain traditions (such as meals focusing on butter and cheese) now observed during the week prior to Lent may have their origins in such a holiday.
High Day Essay: Winter Solstice
The winter solstice celebration among neo-pagans is most often referred to as Yule. Based upon descriptions of pre-Christian Germanic and Norse winter festivities, there are a variety of ways that Yule is observed today. Most practices include the lighting of a special candle or log, symbolic meals and gift-giving. For some, Yule begins on the winter solstice itself; for others the celebration begins a day or two prior. The length of the Yule celebration can vary, typically lasting anywhere from one to twelve days.
Descriptions of ancient Yule celebrations are available in sagas and other historical accounts dating to as early as the 4th century. These accounts sometimes contain conflicting information but generally agree on the elements of celebratory feasts, multiple toasts and sacrifices. A summary of historical texts suggests that Yule celebrations lasted at least three days and may have been focused on the god Odin (specifically, his psychopompic aspects).
Slavic cultures lack the depth of pre-Christian historical accounts of pagan observances that are available to Germanic and Norse scholars. There are, however, several texts which describe aspects of winter festivals in ancient Slavic lands. In Poland, these winter festivities are known as Dziady (literally, "Grandfathers"). In it's most archaic form, Dziady was a festival in honor of the ancestors and Veles, the Slavic god of the underworld and the shepherd of souls. The time preceding the solstice was seen as one of increasing chaos which allowed the gates between the living and dead to open. Dadźbóg, the god responsible for shuttling the sun across the daytime sky and through the underworld at night, was perceived as crippled or hindered at this time. Bonfires were lit and ritual meals were consumed. Children and teens roamed from house to house, singing songs that the performers hoped prophesied good luck in the coming year. It was not unusual for some of the young men to don animal skins and headgear supporting horns, appearing in the image of Veles himself. This time of liminality ended with the return of the sun and Dadźbóg's strength. Several scholars suggest that the winter solstice may have originally been the start of the new year in some pre-Christian Slavic cultures.
Descriptions of ancient Yule celebrations are available in sagas and other historical accounts dating to as early as the 4th century. These accounts sometimes contain conflicting information but generally agree on the elements of celebratory feasts, multiple toasts and sacrifices. A summary of historical texts suggests that Yule celebrations lasted at least three days and may have been focused on the god Odin (specifically, his psychopompic aspects).
Slavic cultures lack the depth of pre-Christian historical accounts of pagan observances that are available to Germanic and Norse scholars. There are, however, several texts which describe aspects of winter festivals in ancient Slavic lands. In Poland, these winter festivities are known as Dziady (literally, "Grandfathers"). In it's most archaic form, Dziady was a festival in honor of the ancestors and Veles, the Slavic god of the underworld and the shepherd of souls. The time preceding the solstice was seen as one of increasing chaos which allowed the gates between the living and dead to open. Dadźbóg, the god responsible for shuttling the sun across the daytime sky and through the underworld at night, was perceived as crippled or hindered at this time. Bonfires were lit and ritual meals were consumed. Children and teens roamed from house to house, singing songs that the performers hoped prophesied good luck in the coming year. It was not unusual for some of the young men to don animal skins and headgear supporting horns, appearing in the image of Veles himself. This time of liminality ended with the return of the sun and Dadźbóg's strength. Several scholars suggest that the winter solstice may have originally been the start of the new year in some pre-Christian Slavic cultures.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
High Day Essay: Fourth Cross-Quarter
The fourth cross-quarter High Day, commonly referred to in the neo-pagan community as Samhain, falls roughly midway between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. Loosely based on pre-Christian Celtic festivals, most modern observances of Samhain emphasize the honoring of ancestors during this liminal time when the veil between the three realms is perceived to be lifted. Many reconstructionist neo-pagans also view this as the pagan New Year, although their is little evidence for such a historical precedent.
Many of the more common practices of the modern secular celebration of Halloween do have historical bases in the recorded festivities of the ancient Celts, including those of Brittany, Scotland and Wales. These include costumed performers traveling door-to-door in exchange for food, fortune-telling, communion with the departed and lanterns made from carved vegetables.
In non-Celtic traditions, such as the Slavic cultures, this time of year contains the festivals known as Dziady and Zaduszki. Dziady (literally, "Grandfathers") is an ancient tradition which honors the ancestors and is performed several times a year (the exact number varies by region). Dziady involves a solemn, evening ritual meal to which the ancestors are invited. Related to Dziady is Zaduszki, which is the Slavicized Christian observance known as All Souls' Days. Zaduszki traditions, such as beautifying graves, ritual meals and leaving household items out overnight for the deceased to use, are based upon ancient customs that pre-date the Christianization of the Slavs.
Many of the more common practices of the modern secular celebration of Halloween do have historical bases in the recorded festivities of the ancient Celts, including those of Brittany, Scotland and Wales. These include costumed performers traveling door-to-door in exchange for food, fortune-telling, communion with the departed and lanterns made from carved vegetables.
In non-Celtic traditions, such as the Slavic cultures, this time of year contains the festivals known as Dziady and Zaduszki. Dziady (literally, "Grandfathers") is an ancient tradition which honors the ancestors and is performed several times a year (the exact number varies by region). Dziady involves a solemn, evening ritual meal to which the ancestors are invited. Related to Dziady is Zaduszki, which is the Slavicized Christian observance known as All Souls' Days. Zaduszki traditions, such as beautifying graves, ritual meals and leaving household items out overnight for the deceased to use, are based upon ancient customs that pre-date the Christianization of the Slavs.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Two Powers Meditation Essay
The Two Powers meditation, as described in the ADF publication Our Own Druidry, is "...a basic meditation intended to link the Druid's spirit and flesh to the currents of Earth and Sky."1 In this working, the dedicant visualizes roots which emerge from the feet and penetrate deep into the Earth. Through these roots the dark currents under the Earth are drawn up into the body. Above the body is a bright star, whose light illuminates and charges the overflowing water which trickles down the dedicant's limbs. Intermingled, these powers of the Earth and Sky are balanced in the dedicant.
My own experience with the Two Powers meditation began prior to my involvement with ADF. An ADF member introduced me to the Two Powers meditation as a way to calm pre-surgery nerves in January of 2012. Although she did not label the meditation as such, she utilized the Two Powers meditation as a centering/grounding exercise before an extended guided imagery sequence. I encountered the Two Powers meditation yet again during the first several Ad Astra (Proto-)Grove rituals I attended. Again, the meditation was not named but often used. When I finally joined ADF and began reading through the Dedicant Path requirements I immediately recognized the frequently-used meditation.
Because of this background I did not utilize a script when I began using the Two Powers meditation in my regular meditation/trance work. I immediately reconnected with the routine - the roots budding from my feet, traveling deep into the dark, moist reaches of the Earth, drawing up the sacred water with each breath, feeling the warmth of the bright star on my moistened skin.
What did surprise me was how much more productive my meditation/trance work was when I began the session with the Two Powers meditation, versus when I did not. Over time it has become clear that what I do during the Two Powers meditation isn't just an exercise to focus and shut out the everyday world; the Two Powers meditation actually serves as a gateway to the other world I was attempting with which I am attempting to connect.
When I feel my roots push downward into the damp darkness, I grow and reach out towards the sacred tomb of the ancestors. When I draw up the waters of the deep Earth my body becomes the vessel, the well, for the waters. When I feel the warmth of the star flash, hovering in the sky above me, I reach towards the Shining Ones in the heavens above. The electric charge of the light upon the water becomes the fire, the transformer. Balanced in between these forces I become the tree, the axis mundi, connecting the three realms and the three gates into one. Connecting with these forces, and passing through these gates, my meditation/trance work feels much more secure and substantial.
Because of this the Two Powers meditation is especially well suited to ADF-oriented paganism. During ADF ritual we bless the Triple Hallows (fire, well and tree) in order to re-create the sacred center and thus open the gates to these spiritual realms. In the Two Powers meditation, two of the Triple Hallows, fire and the well, are summoned in the visualization; by becoming the third Hallow (the tree), the practitioner completes a recreation of the cosmos. Through this manifestation of the sacred center within us, we allow the gates to open simultaneously between the cosmic planes. As stated in Our Own Druidry, when this happens, "...anything is possible."2
1. (2009) Our Own Druidry, ADF Publishing, Tuscon: p. 95.
2. ibid: p. 20.
My own experience with the Two Powers meditation began prior to my involvement with ADF. An ADF member introduced me to the Two Powers meditation as a way to calm pre-surgery nerves in January of 2012. Although she did not label the meditation as such, she utilized the Two Powers meditation as a centering/grounding exercise before an extended guided imagery sequence. I encountered the Two Powers meditation yet again during the first several Ad Astra (Proto-)Grove rituals I attended. Again, the meditation was not named but often used. When I finally joined ADF and began reading through the Dedicant Path requirements I immediately recognized the frequently-used meditation.
Because of this background I did not utilize a script when I began using the Two Powers meditation in my regular meditation/trance work. I immediately reconnected with the routine - the roots budding from my feet, traveling deep into the dark, moist reaches of the Earth, drawing up the sacred water with each breath, feeling the warmth of the bright star on my moistened skin.
What did surprise me was how much more productive my meditation/trance work was when I began the session with the Two Powers meditation, versus when I did not. Over time it has become clear that what I do during the Two Powers meditation isn't just an exercise to focus and shut out the everyday world; the Two Powers meditation actually serves as a gateway to the other world I was attempting with which I am attempting to connect.
When I feel my roots push downward into the damp darkness, I grow and reach out towards the sacred tomb of the ancestors. When I draw up the waters of the deep Earth my body becomes the vessel, the well, for the waters. When I feel the warmth of the star flash, hovering in the sky above me, I reach towards the Shining Ones in the heavens above. The electric charge of the light upon the water becomes the fire, the transformer. Balanced in between these forces I become the tree, the axis mundi, connecting the three realms and the three gates into one. Connecting with these forces, and passing through these gates, my meditation/trance work feels much more secure and substantial.
Because of this the Two Powers meditation is especially well suited to ADF-oriented paganism. During ADF ritual we bless the Triple Hallows (fire, well and tree) in order to re-create the sacred center and thus open the gates to these spiritual realms. In the Two Powers meditation, two of the Triple Hallows, fire and the well, are summoned in the visualization; by becoming the third Hallow (the tree), the practitioner completes a recreation of the cosmos. Through this manifestation of the sacred center within us, we allow the gates to open simultaneously between the cosmic planes. As stated in Our Own Druidry, when this happens, "...anything is possible."2
1. (2009) Our Own Druidry, ADF Publishing, Tuscon: p. 95.
2. ibid: p. 20.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)