Archive for December, 2008

The Quickening!

December 26, 2008 at 1:23 pm · Filed under The Turning of the Year ·Tagged , , , , ,

Well the year is a quickening and I can feel it in my bones already!

Hurrah!

The day is bright and full of energy and the sun’s heat, is already a little stronger and the days longer!  

A light breeze blows away the dross of the last few days of panic en mass out there in the world of muggledom, and that world now returns to a more staid pace? What would have been a pause, a catching of breath, a time of family togetherness, before the next round of celebration for the new year began, in times past, now there’s the Boxing day sales, where you can go and see what you’ve just bought loved ones for Xmas, now at half price!!!

Madness!!!!

The New Year has already begun for some of us who follow the Old Ways, no matter what path we may chose to walk. Some see All Hallows/Samhuin as the Celtic New Year, but for me the Solstice Dawn heralded the New Year and it is a waxing strongly now, with the days lengthening out before us. Candlemas is just a few weeks away, and beyond that in the far distant future, the Summer Solstice, when the year will once again turn and wane, ’till the Midwinter. What the time in between will bring is up to us. Some things can clearly seen and planed for; others are hidden behind the veil. But here, plans for the coming year are afoot, as I appraise the past twelve months or so!

The Yahoo mailing list I created is nearly a year old and in that year much has been birthed, and indeed, hived from it! Powyspagans now has a monthly Walking Moot, and we have visited many wonderful Sacred Sites this last year; mostly in the rain, I admit, but even the weather has not put fellow pagans off from joining in! New friendships have been forged, both on and off list. New groups and new moots. The growth continues with a south Powyspagans Walking Moot hiving off and beginning in Febuary ‘09.

My new home and garden have nourished me both spiritually and physically, presenting many challenges and successes. Yesterday I feasted off produce grown magicakly by my own hand. With the helps of my Beloved, we have created a wonderful organic garden, full of life and promise yet to come. Herbs and veg abound. Even the Mandrake has lifted his sleepy head to see the Return.

The year has seen the Coven grow and evolve, and as Magistra, I feel great hope for the future. The depth at which we have worked is amazing and this is of course down to the individuals involved and the fertile energies, we as a whole create, as well as our Ancient Parents who watch over us, guiding us as we grow towards our ultimate destiny.

And the successful growth continues: this year I not only celebrate the Coming of The Light and the birth of my Child, (29 years ago on the 25th), the many successes of Powyspagans, and it’s members, but the arrival of The Spicy Cauldron Award, for my piece Sleeper Awake. My first award for this blog!

So as the Light shines brighter, and the Year Turns, I raise a glass to you all, my Gods, my family, my coven, my friends, my readers, to all of you who have inspired and believed in me to become more than I am, to put down my roots and GROW; to you all I say thank you to you all and WASSAIL!!!!

 

© Cymraes 2008

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The Time of Misrule…

December 18, 2008 at 4:38 pm · Filed under Musings ·Tagged , , ,

We are shifting, drifting into the Time of Misrule.

At night dreams come to me unbidden, hidden from sight; I am left with a vagueness, comprehension just out of reach.  

The weather has changed once again to warm stormy rain; blustery gusts cascading through the old Scots Pine cause the branches to dance and sing; birds struggling to fly, find a momentary perch within the sanctuary of the branches, blown this way and that. Pine cones falling, hitting my roof with a thud, a crack, a bang.

Outside night falls and I think of Maeshowe, how the view through my window reminds me of Hoy, as seen from Brodgar, and I feel at home.

Settled.

But this is the time of Misrule and the moment shifts once again. I am disjointed, as always ay this time. I gave birth at this time. I’ve lost loved ones at this time. I’ve nursed the sick, at this time. Chaos, this is the time of Chaos. Echoing in my life once more.

I have had some of my content on my Facebook profile stolen and posted on another forum. Plagiarism words, messages, a photo. Attributed to me, but taken with out my knowledge or permission. Not good.

I have informed FB; the forum; and got rid of the so called friend.

I am waiting to see what the out come will be, and licking my wounds. Biding my while before confronting the culprit. I’m lucky to have found out-so often many of these things go astray un-noticed!

I have found Copyscape ! 

I watch rain fall on the near by hills, so reminiscent of Hoy. The wind chimes still, as the wind abates, slightly. I loose my self in thought.

The light has all but faded now, the rolling hills a dark shadow against a navy sky. I rise to draw the curtains shut and stack more logs on the woodburner. The cat, curled in his usual spot, ignores me and I sit watching the flames lick the logs and ponder as the rain taps on the window pains and night draws in. The time of change over, the time of not day and not night.

The Chaos between the Order… this is the time of Misrule.

 

UPDATE! (22nd December)

 

Late last night I logged on to the internet and did the usual checking of emails etc and then took a look at the site where my stuff had been posted. Facebook had been of no help at all, and I had no real hope for this other site helping either. BUT, all (but one message) of my stuff had been removed! The photo; gone, the comment to a good friend; gone, in fact the WHOLE thread this person had started around that comment, GONE!  Hurrah! What is left up there is the message I sent to this person, about a matter he tackled me about on FB, and I’m quite happy for it to stay there too. I intend to send this person a message via this forum about the whole sordid thing. Not to re-enflame the situation, but simply to let them know what I’VE done to counteract their theft of my words. Who knows who else they might steal from… and that will be the end of it.

Oh! and on a final note the forum has highlighted, in red, the statement everyone has to agree to when signing up, that nothing may be posted to the forum without the copyright holders permission. 

Victory!

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The Balefire.

December 13, 2008 at 3:55 pm · Filed under Practical things, Witchcraft ·Tagged , , , , ,

ss851624

“Oak logs will warm you well,

That are old and dry.

Logs of pine will sweetly smell 

But the sparks will fly.

Birch logs will burn too fast,

Chestnut scarce at all;

Hawthorne logs are good to last-

Cut them in the fall.

Holly logs will burn like wax,

You may burn them green;

Elm logs like smoldering flax,

No flame to be seen.

Beech logs for winter time,

Yew logs as well;

Green elder logs it is a crime

For any man to sell.

Pear logs and apple logs,

They will scent your room;

Cherry logs across the dogs

Smell like flowers of broom.

Ash logs, smooth and grey,

Burn them green or old,

Buy up all that come your way-

Worth their weight in gold.”


 

So says an old Dartmoor verse*.

Nothing quite like a Balefire in the centre of your Sacred Space when working ritually outside. Traditionally, a Balefire is made up of nine different woods; with the addition of  poplar, dogwood, sandalwood, cedar, and juniper to the ones listed above. But fire can add warmth and focus to a ritual, and I think that no matter what wood it’s made from, it is sacred. I have a dedicated fire pit, surrounded by stones in my garden. Many a good night has been spent around it and I cook on it too, when the occasion calls. I’m lucky enough to have a tripod and cauldron made by my beloved, essential items for any Witch with space for a fire in her garden.

I like to collect thistle heads, birch bark and dry grasses to light my Sacred fires with. This I do in autumn and keep them tinder dry till needed. A small amount will soon flare up under a spark from a tinder-strike, the eagerly licking flames consume the twigs and small sticks laid on top of it, and as the flames grow higher the larger sticks catch fire and the fire is well and truly lit when the logs catch fire. It has a life of it’s own, and I love to scry in the flames, embers and smoke. 

There is something wonderfully mysterious about making fires this way; my actions seem to echo those of my Ancestors, and this leads to an awareness of how important fire was to them. We in our warm centrally heated homes with our modern cookers and microwaves, can often forget how easy it is for us to keep warm and cook our food.

© Cymraes 2008 – except *From Paul Husons excellent Mastering Witchcraft.

 

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Yes I know…

December 9, 2008 at 10:42 pm · Filed under Memories, The Turning of the Year ·Tagged , , ,

…it’s snowing on my blog! 

Well even I have moments of lightness! *;^)

There was a time, not long ago, when the world was changing and I was in love. We had decided to go away with friends to the sea this Christmas day-friends we celebrated the Turning of the Year with; our Spiritual Family.

We planed the day and arranged to call each other when we left our respective homes, determined to leave behind the usual turkey and sprouts, sherry and mince pies and unwanted presents syndrome behind us, and forge a new way to celebrate Yule  with like minded people.

When we woke, early that Christmas morn, my beloved rose to draw the curtains and it was a new day indeed! The whole land was covered with deep white fresh snow!

So beautiful in the early sunshine!

Our day spoiled; we were snowed in!

We stayed in bed, calling our friends, opening presents and making love, then rose to share mulled wine with neighbours; roast turkey and sprouts, sherry and mince pies of our own came later. 

Just goes to show, somethings are best left as they are meant to be…

The first Yule with snow for nearly 40 years…

© Cymraes 2008

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Just a thought…

December 6, 2008 at 10:48 pm · Filed under The Turning of the Year, Yule ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

I’m thinking about the energies of Yule/Christmas… as an Ancient Pagan festival, far older than Christmas, do the Christians and Muggles who celebrate Christmas realise this? Do they, inadvertently, tap into these energies? The feasting, dressing of the tree and house, the celebration etc are after all, the more Pagan traditions of the festive season. As is, I suppose, midnight mass… which could be celebrated on a pre-Christian site, resulting in a timeless ritual down the thousands of years since the Midwinter Solstice celebration began… perhaps, just perhaps, this has been helpfull in keeping the Old Ways (pre-Wicca) alive, and the Old Gods with us.

Just a thought…

© Cymraes 2008

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Sleeper Awake!

December 4, 2008 at 1:14 pm · Filed under For the New Seekers of the Mysteries, The Turning of the Year, Yule ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

The weak winter sunlight is beginning to illuminate the tomb at Sunset now; slowly creeping along it, day by day, until the midwinter solstice sun shines directly along the low, long, passageway, trod by long forgotten feet, into the tomb, the womb, lighting the rear wall of the chamber, as it did in ancient times. 

Maeshowe, the finest of chambered tombs, lies at the heart of Neolithic Orkney, a reminder of the feats Neolithic Man was prepared to go to build monuments to their dead. What their Spiritual practises were, we will never know. But I speculate, that these tombs were for their Spiritual Leaders, Priests, Shamans, Witches, what ever name we, modern man wish to give them. Their lives faded away thousands of years ago, but some of the residual energy, left behind, must surely still exist, and those who are sensitive enough to tap into it, may find a link with the past which is powerful and life changing.

If it is true, (and I think it is) that we all have a little Witch Blood inside of us; that we are Spiritual Beings inside a Physical Body; that each of us has a Divine Spark within, and that this Witch Blood, Spirit, Divine Spark needs only to be woken for us to achieve all that we can be; to become our true-selves and awake from the Sleep that keeps us Spiritually unaware. Then can visits to such powerful places such as Maeshowe reawaken that Spark deep within and awaken the Sleeper?

I think it can.

Now is especially the time when we can be awakened.

For Midwinter is the time of rebirth. The time of the Return of the Light to the World.

A time when we go into our own Midwinter quite naturally, for whether or not we are aware of it, this is the time when our natural rhythms slow and we become retrospective and thoughtful. We become as the tomb, quiet, dark and brooding.

As I watch those, who at this time of year worship nothing but the Gods of the Cash Tills, rush hither and dither with the stress of the Festive Season, I wonder about the tomb they are building for themselves, and wonder if any illumination will find it’s way in to help them see what they have become. Or will they just brush such things aside as nonsense, too afraid of change, and carry on floundering in their sleep, seeing life as the eternal nightmare.

Is there any hope?

I think there is. Once I was asleep… but saw the Light and woke from the nightmare.

This Midwinter Solstice I will watch the Sunrise, from a Sacred Place. I will celebrate the lengthening days at Yule, (25th) with feasting and merriment. I will renew the connection with myself, my friends, my family, the Land and my God’s; I will during this time see my soul illuminated and once again reborn; for as the Wheel Turns and the year waxes, the increasing Light will shine on the Divine Spark with us, illuminating and enriching us, for we are all God’s and Goddess’s.

© Cymraes 2008

***This article has been written with the new Seeker in mind, the one who has just begun to wake, and finds themselves in a strange twilight world where, the real still seems unreal. But, as we all are awake on many different levels, I hope it may inspire others further along the path too, and I welcome comments, experiences, to be shared and discussed for I am well aware this is only my take on the subject and others may or may not agree.

***Maeshowe has a live feed directly into the tomb. I will be watching the light enter the tomb via this link. Having been there, I like to reconnect and witness this event, each Midwinter. Perhaps one year I will be lucky enough to actually be there, rather than watch it on the net. It is a most wonderful sight and never ceases to send shivers through my body and soul!

***”The Gods of the Cash Tills” is a phrase coined by my dear one Spike and I thank him, once again for such an insightful phrase. If you use it, please give him credit.

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