Happy Lithasblot ... Norse Holiday

Instead of re-creating a wheel. Here's the link I posted last year in regards to this holiday. happy-lithasblot-norse-holiday-july-31.html

Full Moon Tonight ... Tuesday, May 17, 2011 ... Healing Circle

I am leading a spirit-tribe-healing circle tonight and wish all readers of Cyber Coven to feel included. As you light the candles on your respective altars - connect your flame to ours and know that the smoke from our respective incense will rise up and connect in the astral - communicating similar goals for healing and abundance. 


As we heal ourselves, our minds, bodies, and spirits, we are better able to heal the Earth. So mote it be.

Walpurgis NIght Begins Now Until May 1st

Norse Festival Of Darkness Starts Tonight: Walpurgis is celebrated 9 nights (Apr 22 - May 1) to remember Odin's sacrifice on Yggdrasil, the tree of life. On the ninth day, Odin saw the runes, died, and since all light left the world, at midnight, the bonfires are lit to celebrate the return of the light and Odin's rebirth.

Reiki - Shamanic Healing

A friend of mine, on Facebook, posted this video with the comment that it had made her cry. I also very deeply moved by it and wanted to share. See a wolf volunteer for a human's healing touch!

dogwork.com/healing2/

Futhark Runes Arranged In Order Of The Modern Alphabet

click on image to enlarge it

Tigers And Deity Who Love Them

TIGER GODDESSES AND HISTORICAL MYTHS:

• “Budhi Pallien,” a fearsome Goddess from North India, shape-shifts into a tiger and roams the jungle on four paws.
• “Waghai Devi,” another Tiger Goddess, belongs to the Gonds people. They leave offerings for her in the forest and ask her for protection against wild beasts.
• “Goddess Durga,” a Hindu Mother Goddess, rides a tiger while fighting for justice.
• Also in the Hindu tradition, “Goddess Kali” honors the tiger as sacred.
• In Japan, the tiger symbolizes courage.
• While China has many different tiger myths; quite often the tiger represents military might, as it also does in Japan.
• Some Taoists worship the white tiger for protection and to avoid bloodshed.
• Chinese believe “The Year of the Tiger” happens once every twelve years. A person born on such a year will have courageous and powerful personality traits; strongly influenced by the tiger.

ALL ABOUT TIGERS THEMSELVES:

In the jungles of Asia, where ferocious tigers roam, nobody is safe. That’s because the striped cats hunt with an almost supernatural ability. Typically they travel alone and stalk their prey silently. A single tiger can sneak up on a grazing animal and stay down-wind, where it will remain undetected.

Most often, the predator will crouch behind tall yellow grass or blend in with other vegetation while watching for the best hunting opportunity.  When that moment arises, she bursts forth, previously unnoticed, from one explosive pounce. Her extreme intelligence means the tiger wastes very little time to chase after her food. Although she can run up to 35 miles per hour, a single leap can launch her more than twenty feet forward. Yet, her best hunting asset is her magnificent agility and mental strategy.

A tiger’s night vision is six times greater than a human’s and since most animals can be caught unawares at a watering hole, most tigers start their hunt there; just as the sun goes down. With very sharp teeth, exceptional vision and perfect hearing, the carnivore uses her pointy-hooked-retractable-claws to capture her prey.

How the kill is made depends on the size of the target. Small to medium-sized animals will most likely be killed by a single bite at the base of their skull. {See this video to watch a tiger kill a crocodile: youtube.com/watch?v=D7dazPp20d8). Larger animals, such as a buffalo, will be pulled down by their throats, where the animal most often dies from suffocation. Either way, the tiger’s kill is done with determination and precision.

References:

Excellent Tiger Facts: .andymcdermott.com/tiger_facts.htm

How Tigers hunt - including White Tigers in Zoos (theoretically) natureobservers.com/snowtiger/hunting.htm

Tiger’s diet and eating habits: zooschool.ecsd.net/Tiger.htm

Tigers as man-eaters: lairweb.org.nz/tiger/maneating11.html

Year of the Tiger: c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/tiger.htm

Tiger mythology: Animal Magick, by D. J. Conway

Tiger mythology: Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.

Focus On Gratitude - Looking Inward - Getting Back To One's Roots

In the United States, the cold months are now changing the landscape and it's the time of year when all of nature draws its energy inward. The trees pull resources from their leaves and send nutrition and sustenance down into their roots. Annual flowers begin to wither and return to seed. The focus of everything in the outdoors seems to be on survival.

Those of us who practice an Earth-centered spirituality, also begin to look inward. It's how we reconnect with our "roots" and by that I mean I am looking at my life critically and I'm asking myself: "have I accomplished everything I wanted to by this time in my life?" "Am I living according to my life purpose?" 

As I focus my attention within, I realize that I have been feeling stuck, as though I've been pushing against a huge wall. I haven't made progress as easily as I had hoped. So now I'm realizing it might be a good time to do spell work to change what energy I attract. This is still the harvest season - Thanksgiving being just this upcoming week - so when my coven mates and I gather on this next full moon we will be inviting all the helpful energies in the Universe to magnetize the resources we need and life will then flow a little more easily.

To that end, instead of rewriting spells that others have already posted on the internet, I'm just going to provide hyperlinks here for each of you to pick and choose what sort of abundance you'd like to draw into your life. My physical coven and I will be doing our work this Sunday, November 21st, on the night of the Full Moon. When you light your candles, realize we are all connected. We can pull positive change to each other, as we work together.

• A spell for greater psychic clarity: http://www.open-sesame.com/SSW2.html
• Cat spells for spiritual growth: http://www.pagan-world.com/paganinfo/spells/A_Cat_Spell_for_Spiritual_Growth.html
• Prosperity spell: http://www.witchschool.com/group/ritualclub/forum/topics/candle-tarot-card-spell-to?commentId=2738669%3AComment%3A73753&xg_source=activity&groupId=2738669%3AGroup%3A11235
• Money prosperity spell: http://www.tarotforum.net/library/5/2003-05/money-prosperity-spell-20030512.shtml
• Prosperity spell with Tarot cards http://www.suite101.com/content/prosperity-spells-that-work-a307770
• Spell to remember a past life: http://www.spells4free.com/Article/SPELL-TO-REMEMBER-YOUR-PAST-LIFE/961
• Spell to increase business:
• Spell to increase what's in your cash register: http://www.elovemagic.com/luck%20spells10.html
• Drawing down the moon: http://www.paganlibrary.com/rituals_spells/drawing_down_moon.php
• Make your own incense to improve business: http://www.spellcentral.com/spell-184/good-business-powder.html
• Gypsy magic to increase business phone calls: http://www.gypsyadvice.com/gypsymagic/labels/Money.html

Many more spells are available just by searching the topic you desire with the words "spell" or "spellwork."


Richest blessings in all the good work you do!

~ SunTiger

WHEN THE WORST THING HAPPENS . . .

Life has taught me that when you or I go through difficult times it's because there's an "ah-ha" moment about to come. We're on the cusp of learning something more powerful and maybe when we look back we'll have a greater sense of "why" this needed to happen. These depressed feelings I experience today are just growing pains.

I've spent the last two days visiting someone dear in the hospital and attempting to offer comfort whichever way I could. Amazingly, because the situation was so dire, I was allowed to perform Reiki and reflexology to the feet. One huge blessing from this situation (which feels tragic) is being able to demonstrate, in a tangible and obvious way, how very healing human touch can be.

With the patient having a frighteningly high heart rate (i.e., 130 beats per minute) and him being hooked up to all sorts of monitors, we could watch the equipment for changes. Each and every time one of us put our hands on him his heart rate went down two or three beats per minute. He might even be asleep and touch made a visible difference.

It seems like a small victory amidst so much uncertainty and concern yet it's a victory nonetheless. People I love are no longer looking at me (with all the healing modalities I've presented to them) as just being silly nonsense. They've seen the monitors themselves and practiced touching themselves. They've had tangible, visible, scientific proof that we can make the world a little bit better, through touch.

Blessed be.

~ SunTiger

Beautiful Faerie Witchcraft

A fabulously intellectual woman whom I first met at a writer's convention (felt energetically drawn to sit by her) has a most fabulous blog on faerie witchcraft. It feels rather authentic for me to read her work so I thought to post a link to her pages here. Please visit: http://www.winterspells.com/


You won't be sorry.


Love and light,
~ SunTiger

Christian Mythology Has Greek Faith For DNA

In ancient Greek religions, people dressed up with animal heads for costumes and believed that most animals had definite human characteristics and emotions. Many of their deity back then were depicted as having visible beaks, talongs, fangs and/or claws. Greek deity, such as Zeus, were capable of changing into any animal form, at will (because they were shape shifters).

In the Christian Bible as well, there are many human-animal stories that go well beyond the tale of Baalam talking to (and understanding the audible replies of) his donkey. Amazingly, Baalam, who was utterly clueless, continually beat the donkey each time it saved Baalam from the angel of death.

In the New Testament we read that the Holy Spirit shapeshifted into a dove before it descended upon John the Baptist. Christian myths also depicted Satan as having cloven hooves. Reportedly the devil  travels about "like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Here's another Biblical reference where a wealthy man grew a tail and began eating grass like a cow or ox: Job 40:15

"Behold now Behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together."

Reverting back to that reference to Satan (aka Christian devil) many historians say that the creation of this evil character was Christianity's means for mocking the Greek God Pan. (What better way to crush one's enemy, emotionally, than to use ridicule against what others hold sacred and dear?)

So you see? Greek stories and practices drammatically influenced modern religion and that makes me wonder why Greek traditions are often referered to as "mythology" today when the Christian teachings presents equally fantastical beliefs but are not regularly characterized as "myth." In many instances, Christianity seems to have borrowed Greek stories in their entirety and merely changed the names of the main characters; as if plagiarizing Greek tales could better legitimize what the Jews believed.

Similar to the stories of Jesus, son of the Christian God, and how he reportedly healed the sick, in Greek mythology  Asclepius, son of the most powerful God Apolo, was widely worshipped as the greatest healer of all. What's more, Chiron, another Greek icon, was the famed as the "wounded healer."

Besides changing the names of Greek Gods or making a mockery of them, Christianity also copied or ridiculed other Pagan beliefs as well. Ancient spiritual people regularly practiced spiritual healing and divination techniques; even delved into various means of fortune telling. And while the Bible condemns fortune tellers, the Israelites are recorded as regularly "casting lots" (a divination tool that sounds amazingly similar to the Nordic Runes). From those cast lots, the Jews foretold future events and solved criminal mysteries.

Yet while King Saul (Old Testament) consulted a witch for the purpose of fortune telling, the Bible declares that witches (just like the Greek God Pan and all other Pagan gods) are evil.

That last fact seems to make Christians (and their Bible) look very two-faced; especially when you consider how they wildly condemned the Sepharvites for burning their children in the fire (2 Kings 17:30-31), as they should have done, but then turned right in a very hypocritical manner to fully applaud Abraham for his willingness to murder his only son Isaac on an altar for the Christian's deity (Genesis 22:1-19).

To those who are quick to be judgmental, I would quote their own sacred text: (Luke 6:41) "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

I'll even quote Jesus: (Matthew 23:15) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are."

And again: Here's Jesus speaking on such divisive behavior even further: (Matthew 23:27) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean."

** Judgmental and dogmatic behaviors that we have all witnessed (acted against us) are exactly why so many of us are now claiming to be "spiritual" and not "religious."  Dogma clearly separates and divides tribes of people. In contrast, spirituality unites us all. **

Blessed be.
~ Tami Jackson
(aka "SunTiger")

It's Time: New Private Group Forming

Privately, I'm starting a new study and spiritual group to meet in my home (for starters) and I'm really excited about it. For these past five years I've been gardening to please all Earth spirits and have sacred space established for Goddess Hecate (among others) in my yard. This outdoor ritual space is fully mature and ready to be utilized now. So far, four other incredible women have expressed their eagerness to begin doing healing energy work with me (I am being very selective about who participates).

As I begin this group (in person) I will begin to post more here at Cyber Coven (reenergizing this blog). I hope many of my readers will begin to participate here, on-line, as I share the wisdom that comes through study and practice.


For now, I'll just post a calendar of the upcoming FULL MOON dates, as they fall on the months that remain in this year.

• Thursday, 23 September 2010
• Saturday, 23 October 2010
• Sunday, 21 November 2010
• Tuesday, 21 December 2010

Love and Light,
~ SunTiger

No Nonsense Goddess Kali

Today's artwork is borrowed from Wikimedia. This beautiful drawing photograph (see comment below by photographer) is by Piyal Kundu. To see it in its original large context, go to:

wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
f/f1/Goddess_Kali_By_Piyal_Kundu1.jpg

I have a very strong affinity with Goddess Kali. Often, when I'm hired to do a house clearing for someone, I call upon her for protection and wisdom. I always feel safe when walking with HER as she's a great protector! (I also call upon Hecate, on such occasions, but that's another blog entry altogether! Hecate just wanted to be mentioned!)

NO NONSENSE COMMUNICATIONS: WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

(Not to be confused: healthy fun and joyous frivolity are quite unlike "nonsense." The former mentioned actions create happiness and are to be encouraged!)

While I'm very openly and comfortably Pagan, I grew up in a Seventhday Adventist (SDA) home. I even attended church school in that ultra-conservative religious community. To this day I associate with some of my former classmates (mostly on-line) even while they remain deeply involved in the SDA church ...

One of them, I'll refer to as "Bubba," posted something on Facebook the other day that made my eyebrows furrow. He wrote that he adored Mr. Touchy-Feely (not his real name -- but a former teacher of ours who was often touching the girls in gymnastics class, excessively). What caused me to feel curious was how Bubba wrote: "He was was "one of my favorite teachers!"

To think that Bubba could have actually liked Mr. Touchy-feely (who ridiculed non-jocks like Bubba), well, it seemed so highly unlikely. I decided to write Bubba a PRIVATE message to see if he might enlighten me and my perception of his past. So I asked: "Really? You honestly liked Mr. Touchy-feely? Share a positive memory you have of him because I'm really curious!"

See: Mr. Touchy-feely disliked anyone who couldn't do fifty push-ups very quickly and while I was very much into sports myself, I personally loathed Mr. Touchy-feely. For one thing, he made me do sit-ups while I had to wear a back brace (so I bruised my ribs, terribly). In spite of my spine's deformity, I was highly competitive, athletic, and desperately wanted straight A's so I worked out very hard in his gym class. I even ran extra laps for extra credit. So you can imagine my disappointment when he gave me a "C" grade. When I approached him to ask why I had not earned an "A" he just said: "Because I am the TEACHER that's why!" (I always felt it was because I wasn't petite like the gymnasts AND I wore that damn body brace).

When Bubba finally replied to my letter, he said something about how we all need to be FORGIVING of others; even of Mr. Touchy-feely. (This is a common perception of many adult SDAs -- that people don't need to be held accountable, just forgiven.) I could certainly agree to that idea of forgiveness because holding onto negative thoughts and/or feelings can definitely be harmful to someone's health. At the same time, it seems dishonest to FORGET wrongs done to the point of lying about what happened from the past.

Not only that? But Mr. Touchy-feely has never ASKED to be forgiven (isn't that a needed requirement of forgiveness?). [I realize this point could be ARGUED ... but if you want to have a healthy relationship with someone, the perpetrator of some wrong really needs to ASK for forgiveness before you just forgive him/her. Otherwise, the perpetrator continues with irregular behavior and further dysfunction or abuse evolves in your relationship.]

Thinking this way ... I replied to Bubba that I was concerned he would label this teacher a "favorite" when he could not remember one positive encounter with Mr. Touchy-feely. Certainly we had some good teachers who would be deserving of such accolades. The trouble with saying nice things when you don't really mean them is that others who hear what you say must then question how sincere are the other things you have said.

Personal realization? I will not applaud, tip or compliment rude, lazy or disruptive behavior. I will let my "yes" mean "yes" and my "no" mean "no." When I give a compliment, or say that I like a book, person, or food item, it will be because I genuinely like such and genuinely want to share such positive experiences with my friends. When it comes to tipping (tips are very much like compliments) I'm very generous providing I received great service. I take pleasure in rewarding awesome behavior, after all, but I refuse to tip for NON service (why reward negative behavior)?

Complimenting a bad teacher is like giving a standing ovation to some performance where the musicians, actors or comedian never practiced much and failed to put their heart into their work. After giving a standing ovation to such a low quality act, how do you reward the following act when that performer(s) really put their "all" into making you happy and entertained beautifully?

The world would certainly become a much easier place to navigate through if we could all take everyone else's word at face value. It would also be a nicer if we all received our just reward for hard work exerted. (Tipping a rude server, for example, just diminishes the the valuable tips that a good server makes. Hard workers must wonder: if you can make tips by being lazy, what motivation is there for working HARD?)

The Goddess of Death, Kali, reminds me that irresponsible behavior and foolishness needs to die. There's a time for everything under the Sun, a time to laugh, a time to compliment and a time to curse. When we receive a thoughtful gift, it's probably an appropriate time to say "thank you." Yet saying "thank you" when we have been insulted or given physical injuries -- to compliment THAT sort of harm -- it just really makes the speaker of compliments seem insane.

Posted by SunTiger.

home: SunTigerMOJO.com

virtual office:

New Podcast For Pagans!

SunTiger MOJO's debut podcast with host Tami Jackson presents "how to" information about wild bats. This podcast compares bat anatomy to Pagan body parts in a very humorous manner (so it's not appropriate for small children).

Podcast home page: SunTigerMOJO.blogspot.com or SunTigerMOJO.com

Something Pagans Need To Know About Volunteer Emergency Response Efforts

Almost two years ago, I attended a state-run critical incident response training event over on the Peninsula along with a plethora of Christian chaplains. All of us were offered continuing education credits that qualified us to counsel people in times of deep crisis. An issue of concern arose for me when this government-funded group repeatedly promoted one religion; exclusively. I realized, after hearing many public prayers to a deity that not even the Jews acknowledge (as the son of their deity) that many citizens in our communities would not feel comforted by having a devout Christian attempting to counsel them; especially not if they were already enduring some serious environmental crisis. (Indigenous cultures, for one example, have historically been grossly oppressed by the Christian communities.)

Naturally, I asked the trainers why there was no representation (on this state level) from other religious communities. There were no Jewish leaders, nobody from the Muslim faith. No Atheists or agnostics. As far as I could tell (and classroom discussion seemed to confirm this) I represented the only alternative religion there.

The Christian chaplains obviously saw no issue with this -- not even after I explained that the communities we live in and serve are very diverse. Disregarding anything I had to say on the topic, the chaplains kept insisting they were open-minded enough to counsel anybody.

Meanwhile, they kept offering up their public prayers and one particularly vocal chaplain cornered me at break time. He told me a story I will never forget. Seems he had met a Wiccan {just once}!

His story droned on to sadly explain that the witch refused to give him entry into her house when he responded to an emergency call that he had heard over the fire station's radio. "I'm sorry you had a negative experience," I admitted, sincerely. Then the chaplain went on to explain that the woman was a total nut-job who had just killed her mother. {That story clearly defined what he thought about Pagans.}

While many different stories of Christian ministers who molest children came to my mind, I bit my tongue and excused myself from divulging such undesirable information. After all, it would not have helped me make friends in that environment. Meanwhile, my experiences were to the point where I realized that I had better start a revolution. That's why I began making contact with the governing powers that be and learned they would welcome outside groups with open arms. I’m hoping, desperately, that we as Pagans can work together as one unit in this regard. To form a phone tree, an email broadcast effort perhaps – just get better connected with one another to show we really do care about our community.

This really is a powerful opportunity to put our Pagan community in the municipal limelight. This Thursday is the first opportunity that’s arisen for showing up as a group. This is why I began sending out announcements to my community a few weeks ago. I'm asking for participation in a collective effort. I hope, if you cannot attend Thursday’s meeting, that you will at least send me your contact information so you can be called and made aware of future opportunities to serve our communities during times of crisis.

Please let me know if you would like to be added to that list. United we will change the way we are seen by local governments. Divided we will falter and fail. Lets network and get better connected. Please feel free to forward this message to any party you feel would benefit from the sharing.

NOTE: If you cannot attend Thursday but want to be added to a Pagan Emergency Response list, please send that information to me at SunTiger@usa.com.

MEETING INFORMATION

WHAT: a meeting entitled "How Can You Help: Preparing for the Upcoming Flood Season" HOSTED BY: the City of Auburn & the White River Valley Community organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)

WHEN: Thursday, October 22 from 4-6 PM WHERE: Auburn City Hall, City Council Chambers, 25 W Main St. *Note: I’ve reserved spots for our forming group. YOU are invited.

Richest blessings, ~ SunTiger

Western Washington Pagans In Emergency Response

PUGET SOUND PAGANS UNITE for providing the local communities with emergency response and preparedness.

This Thursday there will be a meeting designed for faith/community and non-profit organizations comprised of individuals willing to volunteer for emergency response. SunTiger is an active Community Emergency Response Team (trained) member willing to connect the forming Pagan effort with all the necessary contacts and multiple resources that she currently has at her fingertips. It is imperative that anyone who attends the following event participates collectively as a group. Therefore please contact SunTiger and meet just BEFORE the event to sit collectively as a group.

Reminder of meeting date and time:

HERE's HOW To GET InVolved THIS coming THURSDAY!

WHAT: a meeting entitled "How Can You Help: Preparing for the Upcoming Flood Season"

HOSTED BY: the City of Auburn & the White River Valley Community organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)

WHEN: Thursday, October 22 from 4-6 PM

WHERE: Auburn City Hall, City Council Chambers, 25 W Main St.

This meeting is designed for faith/community and non-profit organizations (not for individuals wanting to attend or volunteer on their own) therefore it is imperative that we attend collectively as a group. Contact SunTiger@usa.com if you need more info.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

* learn how we as collective Pagans can be of assistance during the upcoming flood season and to learn how to properly interface with the city's Emergency OperationsCenter in other times of disaster.

* a whole variety of volunteer opportunities will become available (opportunities for answering phones and giving evacuation advice to staffing heated meeting locations on the coldest days of winter to delivering sandbags as needed or -- should a large earthquake/volcano hit -- search and rescue work).

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT GROUP ACTIVITY: contact SunTiger: SunTiger@usa. com, 253.561. 3444

Goal: To become part of a Pagan group working to ease suffering during times of disaster . . .

[So far, only Christian groups have been participating -- it's time to step forward and

help better represent the diverse population being served]]

Stonehenge - Maryhill, Washington

Yesterday a couple of friends, Doug and I drove to Stonehenge in Maryhill, Washington. The drive took about four hours each direction. As you can see from the photos, the trip was well worth it! {Click on any photo to enlarge it.}

Here I am . . . looking pretty small by comparison to the artwork.

Check out these incredible views from just outside the monument!

How pertinent that Stonhenge (important to the Celtics with all their Earth-based spirituality) that Earth-friendly windmills dot the local hillside to generate CLEAN electricity.

Here's my Dougabuggins! . . .

The following photos were taken outside the Maryhill Museum . . .

ROAD TRIP: To Stonehenge, Washington (state)

Most of you are very familiar with Stonehenge, or what is now left of it, in England.

I'm now planning a full day's road trip with a gal pal and our mates. We're traveling to see the cement remake of the above pictured Stonhenge; located here in Washington state.

In honor of the Druid traditions [since many believe the ancient Celts and Druid Priests build the famous structure in England] we will be performing a ritual when we arrive.

While Washington's stonehenge was built for an entirely different reason than for Celtic magic (Washington's version serves as a memorial for all World War I veterans killed) the remake, which is a cement structure, is built to the exact scale of England's Stonehenge.

I have lived in Washington state for most of my life and this will be the first time I get to see it. While I'd prefer to be seeing the actual stones of Stonehenge, in England, this trip is going to serve as a much more convenient and affordable alternative.

In preparing for the upcoming ritual, I was searching for some Goddess chants and came across the following very fun website with some very familiar and other not-so-familiar chants and songs. Enjoy!http://www.witchscauldron.net/cauldron/chants.htm

Below is a picture of Washington's Stonehenge (click photo to see it in its original context)

Happy Mabon: For The Norse? "Last Harvest"

Happy Mabon! Today, Tuesday September 22, 2009, is celebrated historically as the "Last Day of Harvest For The Year." That's according to Norse traditions where this day is celebrated a bit like a Thanksgiving feast with fall decorations and good food. For NeoPagans? This day is referred to as "Mabon." Both daylight and darkness now consume an equal number of hours in this day's 24-hour cycle.

For our ancestors, this blot usually involved the collection of fruit (such as grapes) and honey to brew mead and wine. Considered a minor holiday, most of the new fermented drinks would be set aside for the larger festival at Midwinter, for Winternights and Yule.

Naturally, as with most Pagan holidays, there's a Christianized version of this event. The Medieval church declared that this Pagan harvest should be celebrated on September 25th and Priests relabeled it "Michaelmas" in honor of another one of their saints.

{Click on today's beautiful borrowed image to enlarge and see it in its original context}

For more information on Mabon:

• Here's ideas that Pumpkins and Toadstools recommended for "going on a walk and scavenging objects," etc. http://pumpkinsandtoadstools.blogspot.com/
• For an awesome CRAFT project (where you can find detailed instructions for making a cinnamon altar candle) visit Faeriely Odd Witches blog at http://faerielyoddwitches.blogspot.com/
• Want to know more about the history of Mabon? Read Beyond The Fields We Know at http://kerrdelune.blogspot.com/
• Got kids? Here's a fall apple-art project they might enjoy making to celebrate the fall season: Granny Smith (wrinkly old apple-heads) http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/article/granny-smith.html
  

Bessie Smith: Singing The Pagan Blues

Listen for the line: "you get a rabbit's foot to keep a waving hoodoo" (and more)

About the Artist: Blues Diva Bessie Smith was a powerful woman who lived a hard and fast lifestyle. She had a big, brassy and outspoken personality. "There ain't nothing I can do, or nothin' I can say, that folks don't criticize me," she said,... "But I'm going to do just as I want to anyway."

Bessie Smith became one of the worlds greatest performers: she was one of the most successful entertainers in the roaring 1920's. A car crash took her life at age 39. {{Feel the emotion in her song; below}}

Very Lucky Indeed

I have been so very lucky shopping at thrift stores and estate sales lately. Today I found two fancy and engraved daggars, a shadow-box displaying the Egyptian Pantheon and much more. May you, dear reader, also feel so lucky . . .

Beyond throwing salt over your shoulder (to dispel negativity) and more than just making a batch of "lucky rice" [see previous posting of that recipe, here at Cybercoven.blogspot.com] there are MANY "luck" recipes available on the web.

Meanwhile . . . many different herbs can also be used for generating luck.

St. John's Wart feels like a very lucky herb for me (it also can keep depression at bay when taken regularly as a medicine).