Mythology of True Blood and The Sookie Books

[justify]Table of Contents

Essay Title / Page Number

The Norse Calendar of Feasts- Aolani 1
Ouroboros 1
What the Hell 1
Sleep and Death are Brothers 1
The Power of Ritual 1
Irish Olgham Alphabet - Val 1
Celtic Gods and Goddesses pI- Val 1
Celtic Gods and Goddesses pII- Val 1
Bite Me- Sweet and Wild 1
Runes of America 1
Norse Runes, the Norse Runes and Zodiac 1
Norse Pantheon 1
Ravens 2
Owls 2
Celtic and Norse Art 2
Origins of Christmas 2
Christianizing Yule 2
Pagan and Christian Connection to Yule 2
Angels 2
Which Witch is Which- Aolani 2
Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble 2
Vou Dou 2
Witchcraft: An Essay 2
VooDoo Tomb: Marie Laveau- Aolani 2
Crone Stones 2
Tarot 2
The Oracles 2
Into the Summerland and Death of a Faerie 3
Shape Shifters of the Native Americans 3
Vampires, Werewolves and Faeries and the
Bonny Vampires of Scotland 3
The Gypsies 3
Vampires/Werewolves in America 3
Vlad Tepes 3
Femme Fatale 3
The Great Debate: Vampires vs Zombies 3
Fangs 3
Vampires and their Makers 3
The Sanguine Fetish 3
Science Fiction? Vampires and Werewolves 3
Psychic Vampires 3
Healing and Vampire Blood 3
Requiet In Pacem 3
Having my Baby: Vampires and Reproduction 4
Intimations on Immortality 4
RN Renfield: The first Fangbanger 4
Vampire Hunter/Killing a Vampire 4
The Ankh 4
Greek and Roman Tattooing 4
Angel of Death 4
That Viking Vampire 4
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream I & II 4
Explanations for Vampirism 4
Shaking Up 4
The Tracks of my Tears 4
Cannibalism 4
Back in Black: Gothic and Vampire subculture 4
Reflections of a Vampire 4
Vampires and Werewolves in the movies 5
The Blood is the Life 5
The Inquisition 5
Native American Myths of Vampires and Werewolves 5
The Crossroads 5
Hands Proclaim the Man 5
Maenads- Mike Crowley, Muvee Junkee, and Cevin 5
Vampires, Love and Sex 5
The Mother Goddess 5
Pan, Minotaur, and the Horned God 5
What's your Daemon?/The Devil Inside 5
Lycanthropes of the Middle East 5
Lupercalia and Bacchanalia 5
Juniper, Wolfbane and Nettles 5
Repository of Souls 5
Sign of the Werewolf 6
Children of the Night and the Graphic Novel 6
Wild Child 6
Fenrir the Wolf 6
Werewolves from the Pulpit 6
Earliest Werewolf Tale 6
Peter Stumpf: A Famous Werewolf Case 6
Jekyll and Hyde 6
Sirius Black 6
Beauty and the Beast 6
The Loup Garoux Ball 6
Good Doggie: The Dogs of God 6
The Moon Led 6
Red Riding Hood 6
Weres and the Third Reich 6
Berserker 7
Love and Werewolves 7
Faery Faith in Celtic Lands 7
The World of Faery 7
Faery Tribes and Clans I, II, & III 7
Devas- Aolani 7
Vampires, Werewolves and Animals 7
Vampire Poem 7
Vampires of the Far East 7
Vampires, Werewolves and Violent Crime 7
Living Werewolf and Vampire 7
Power of Chant 7
Masks and Costumes in Religious Ritual 8
Food of the Gods: The Human Heart 8
Wicker Man and the Green Man 8
Goblins 8
Faerie Love 8
Hecate- Aolani 8
How to Make a Vampire 8
What is Shape Shifting 8
Letting the Right One in 8
Silver, Vampires and Werewolves 8
Upon the Altar 8
Explanations for Lycanthropy 8
Kung Lu 8
Changeling Child 8
Necromancy 9
Bram Stoker's Real Dracula 9
Telepathy 9
Samhain I, II, III, & IV 9
Faerie Sciences 9
Kali, the Vampire Goddess 9
Carmilla the Vampiress 10
Who was Montague Summers? 10
Psychological Perspectives on Vampire Myth 10
Who was St. Patrick by Aolani 10
The Celts by Aolani 10
More on Faeries and Elves by Aolani 10
Easter/Ostara by Aolani 10
The Triquetra 10
Auras by John Ravenwind sub by Aslinn 10
The Wolfsangel Rune 10
Witchcraft and Vampires 11
You May be a Vampire If..... 11
Desperately Seeking Vampires 11
It's all Greek to Me 11
Hitler and the Occult 11
HBO's Short Feature "Vampire Mythology" and "Shifter Mythology" sub by Raki 11
Jason's Dream 11
Werewolves of the Innu 12
Gilles De Rais: The Werewolf Murderer 12
Sawney Beane (Research by Barrister) 12
Afraid of the Dark 12
Santeria and Paoulo Mayombe 12
Who was Goody Osbourne 12
Lafayette's Prayer 12
Near Death Experience 12
The Water of Life 13
What are the Druids 13
Celtic Astrology 13
Dream Walking 13
The Wiccan Rede : Witch's Ethics 13
Black Cohosh and the Use of Herbs in Witchcraft - Aolani 13
What is a Brujo- Aolani 14
Wands 14
Original Fairy Tales 14
Thor's Hammer 14
Mythology and Astrology 14
Vampire Physiology 14
Purgatory 15
Queen Mab 15
Vampires: The Dark Mirror of Christianity? by Peggy Fletcher Stack: The Salt Lake Tribune 15
The Jaguar15
Elion/Elyion15
In a time of Plague 16
The Season of the Witch by Aslinn and Aolani 16
Karma, Sacrifice and Magik By Aolani 16
Godric's Runes 16
Give Me a Head with Hair: Hypertrichosis16
Devil's Brood 17
Something about Covens 17
Magikal Properties of Salt 17
Magikal Circles 17
Faerie Food 17
Luna's Tale: A conflict of Mythologies by Aslinn and Body Guard 17
Marnie's Spell By Aslinn, Barrister, Aolani and Body Guard17
Wiccan Etiquette by Aolani17
Through a glass darkly 18
Aegir and Ran 18
Books of Witchcraft 18
Blessed Be 18
Lethe 18
Essay on the Burning Times 18
Hell Hounds, Werewolves and the Germanic World-Alby Stone 18
Ghoulies, Ghosties and Three legged Beasties 18
Yemaya and Santeria- By Aolani- 18
Something Fishy in the State of Logrono- 18
From The Sookie Companion 19

This is going to be a good place for it.

Norse Calendar of Holidays By Aolani
Norse Holidays and Festivals
I thought it would be interesting to look at the year in terms of how Eric might see it. Given his age, I am all too sure he is aware of Christianity and how most people in the Western Hemisphere spend their holidays. The Swedish Holidays of today are also Christianized. Of course many of the Christianized versions had their roots in Paganism. Eric came from the time of the Vikings tho and so for him that would have meant Norse Holidays.

Nose Holidays centered on the Wheel of the Year. This meant based on the sun, the ability to provide crops, and things that gave life. The year was divided into two seasons: Summer and Winter.

Jul
20 - 31 December
Celebration of the Norse New Year; a festival of 12 nights. This is the most important of all the Norse holidays. On the night of December 20, the god Ingvi Freyr rides over the earth on the back of his shining boar, bringing Light and Love back into the World. In later years, after the influence of Christianity, the god Baldur, then Jesus, was reborn at this festival. Jul signifies the beginning and end of all things; the darkest time (shortest hour of daylight) during the year and the brightest hope re-entering the world. During this festival, the Wild Hunt is at its greatest fervor, and the dead are said to range the Earth in its retinue. The god Wotan (Odin) is the leader of this Wild Ride; charging across the sky on his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir; a very awe-inspiring vision. In ancient times, Germanic and Norse children would leave their boots out by the hearth on Solstice Eve, filled with hay and sugar, for Sleipnir's journey. In return, Wotan would leave them a gift for their kindness. In modern times, Sleipnir was changed to a reindeer and the grey-bearded Wotan became the kindly Santa Claus (Father Christmas).

Thurseblot
(Thor's Feast: Full Moon of January)
This minor festival honors the god, Thor, the protector of Midgard. . It is Thor who is responsible for the coming of Spring. During this time, the height of the Storm season, Thor's power is invoked to drive back the frost Jotuns (frost giants) so that Spring may return to Midgard.


Disting
2 February
Festival of the Idises, when the effects of Winter are beginning to lessen and the world prepares itself for Spring. Corresponds to the pagan holiday of Imbolc. Disting is characterized by preparing the land for planting. In ancient times, Disting was the time when the cattle were counted and one's wealth was tallied; thus making it a festival of finance as well. It was said that new calves born during Disting were a sign of great prosperity for the coming year. The land is preparing for spring and growth. Part of the ritual was to celebrate the abundance that you have by checking your finances. The fields are blessed and prepared for planting.

Valisblot
14 February
Many modern Asatruar celebrate Valisblot, or Vali's Feast, even though there is no historical precedent for associating Odin's youngest son with this festival; other than the name Vali associated with "Valentine." The hero Svenfjotli, son of Sigimund, was reputed to have been born at this time, and often blots are drunk to him as well.

Ostara
20-21 March
Festival of Ostara (Eostre), the Spring Goddess. This is a festival of renewal, rejoicing and fertility, although for most of the Northern People, the forces of Winter are still at full sway. In ancient times, the gift of colored eggs to one's friends and loved ones was a way of wishing them well for the coming season; a magical ritual of prosperity and fecundity. The rabbit was the symbol of this festival as well because of it's re-emergence during this season, and for its reproductive ability. These two rituals have survived into the modern holiday of Easter (which derives its name from Eostre) as Easter eggs and the Easter bunny. Like most ancient heathen rituals, they are relegated into the world of children; held for naught among adults; but the race memory lingers on.


Walpurgis/
Thrimilci
22 April - 1 May
The festival of Walpurgis, a night both of revelry and darkness. The nine nights of April 22 (interestingly enough, the modern festival of Earth Day) to April 30 are venerated as rememberance of the AllFather's self-sacrifice upon the World Tree Yggdrasil. It was on the ninth night (April 30, Walpurgisnacht) that he beheld the Runes, grasped them, and ritually died for an instant. At that moment, all the Light in the 9 worlds is extinguished, and utter Chaos reigns. At the final stroke of midnight, the Light returns in dazzling brilliance, and the bale-fires are lit. On Walpurgisnacht, the dead have full sway upon the earth; it is the ending night of the Wild Hunt. May 1 is the festival of Thrimilci; the beginning of Summer. Thrimilci is a festival of joy and fertility, much like Ostara; however, most of the Northern World is finally escaping from the snow at this time. For the Norse, the dead are present in the world throughout the winter months. This celebrations is similar in feeling to Halloween. The dead rule the night.
May 1st is the festival of Thrimilci which is about joy and fertility. In May, the weather of the north actually feels like spring.


Einherjar
30 May
Minor modern Asatru festival honoring the warriors who fell during battle and who asceded to Valhalla's halls. Corresponds with the modern American holiday of Memorial Day.


Sigurdsblot
9 June
Minor festival honoring Sigurd (Sigifrith or Siegfreid), the great hero who slayed the dragon Fafnir and won back the treasure of the Rhine.


Midsummer
20-21 June
Midsummer is the celebration of the summer solstice (June 20-21). This is the longest day of the year and the sun is at its most powerful. This is a very important time for cultures in the north. It is a time for trading, feasting, and activity. It was also at this time that most foreign trade was conducted, as well as shipping, fishing expeditions, and raiding. In Norse culture, there is always a fatalistic or pessimistic side. Even though the sun is at its height, this is the time that the sun's power begins its decline until Jul. Thus, Midsummer was the festival of power and activity. It was not without its dark side as well. Midsummer was recognized as the longest day of the year; thus, the year began to age after this time and the days grow progressively shorter. The god Baldur is said to have been sacrificed at this time, but is reborn at Jul; the hero Sigurd was also said to have been slain by treachery at Midsummer by his blood-brothers Hagan and Gunthur (Gundahar).


Lithasblot
31 July - 1 August
The harvest festival; giving thanks to Urda (Ertha) for her bounty. A Blot is an offering to the gods. It can take the form of animal, food, or other goods. In Norse rituals, the people accept and eat the offering. Therefore, a feast is usually associated with a Blot. At this time of year, thanks is given to the earth for the harvest. The abundance is shared and money and food will be given to the poor. Often alms are given to the unfortunate at this time, or loaves in the shape of the fylfot (the Sun-wheel, which fell into regrettable disrepute during the dark times of the second World War when the symbol was perverted as a symbol of chaos and darkeness). Interestingly, Lithasblot 1941 was allegedly the time when the magical lodges of England performed rituals to keep the Nazi forces from invading their country; which may have worked, since Hitler eventually abandoned plans to invade Great Britain. Lithasblot has long been associated with ceremonial magic and magical workings. Ceremonial magic is common at this time.


Harvest End
(Mabon)
22-23 September
Mabon is a minor blot acknowledging the end of the Harvest Season, also associate with vintage and mead-making. Most people held off the full celebration of this holiday, though, until the main festival of Winternights.


Winternights
29 October -
2 November
The beginning of the winter season for the Northern folk. Rememberances of the dead and one's ancestors were made during this feast. Winternights was a ceremony of wild abandon; much like the Carnivale season in the Mediterranean countries, and it marked the end of the summer season of commerce and travel and the beginning of the winter season of hunting. Much divination was done during Winternights to foretell the fates of those entering the coming year. It was said that if one sat on a barrow-mound (grave) all night long on Winternights, one would have full divinatory, shamanic (galdr and seith), and bardic (skaldr) powers . . . that is, if one retained one's sanity! Winternights marked the beginning of the Wild Hunt, which would continue until Walpurgisnacht. This festival corresponds roughly to the Celtic Samhain, and the modern American festival of Halloween, although the darker aspects of the festival are not as pronounced among the Norse people. (The Norse festival of darkness was Walpurgis, a full 6 months away).


Now that one can have somewhat of an understanding of Norse Holidays, it brings up many new questions for me. For example, the Norse celebrated the Sun and Light as a way of survival. The Undead have the night tho, so I wonder of this might somehow get reversed for them or if it would stay the same out of Tradition. I wonder how creative they can be? For example the fertility celebrations. Vampires are not fertile in the normal sense, but I wonder if they stop and consider the fruitions of their hopes , dreams, aspirations and plans? Or even the offspring he has created? Prosperity is another thing. We might count money and I am QUITE certain Eric would too with his love of business. I have to wonder tho if he considers the non material things as wealth? Friends, family he has created, and those he cares for. I have no doubt that Eric would love the celebrations of Thor and all that entailed. I even think that the easy acceptance of magick back in those times perhaps made it easier to accept the things that were to come for Eric and the things of the supernatural that he would see.


Overall I think that Eric has a very rich and wonderful culture to have come from and he gets my full credit for being as adaptive as he has been. Still, I wonder if he ever gets lonely for the celebrations of his past and wishes he had someone to share those experiences with that would understand. Especially since January 30th is the Full Moon and so that is Thurseblot followed almost immediately by Disting on February 2and. The our own TB Anonymous meetings on Wednesday. Sounds like he will have quite the week!


Sources:
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Ourobouros
Ouroborus- The Snake

As some of you have noted, Eric wears a belt buckle with a double headed snake, so I thought I would bring you some of the mythology around the Ouroborus.

First you have to know what the snake is to many of the ancient cultures and today's cultures. Quickly, many people associate the snake with evil and betrayal and the Devil. In Judeo-Christian and Islamic trads, the snake is the one who tempts the first woman, Eve, to eat of the fruit of Good and Evil, thus sending man into his downward spiral and eventual separation from God.

In the ancient world, however, the snake has the image of renewal, rebirth, and immortality. To many ancient cultures, the snake represented the female goddess, the symbol of mother earth. She is a lunar symbol and associated with reproduction. Many earth goddesses are depicted holding, embracing, even nursing snakes to their breasts.

In the time of the Gnostics, the snake changes gender and become masculine. This is where we get the symbol of the Ouroborus, the snake biting its tail (or other head) forming a circle which is unversally accepted as a symbol of eternity, never ending and never beginning. It is also a symbol of great power and magik and sorcery.

Alchemy is associated with the snake. It symbolizes the cyclical passage of time. It is also thought to be a symbol of the underworld and of the dead. It is also a symbol of healing. Even today, the caduceus, the priaptic wand entwined by twin snakes symbolize the world of medicine.

Among the Norse, the snake is one of the three children of Loki and Angrboda and he sleeps entwined around the roots of the great tree. In Medieval times, the snake was a sexual allegory, suggesting the male sexual organ.

Sources: Dictionary of Symbols- Hans Beiderman, The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures- John and Caitlin Matthews, and The Witch Book by Raymond Buckland

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What the Hell
What the Hell: Exploring the world of the dead and the damned

In its most basic understanding, hell is thought of as the place of punishment for evil and the unbelieving and every religion has a form of hell, even if it is merely separation from life. It is where no crime goes unpunished and no one makes it out. And it is ruled by the allegorical opposite of the creator.

In the Judeo/Christian/Islamic tradition, hell begins as a place called Sheol. Sheol was the world of the dead, much like the Greek and Roman Hades. Sheol is a desolate place where the spiritually lost go. It is said to be in the bowels of the earth, the grave, where all are judged for their transgressions. The faithful went to Abraham's bosom, a place not quite heaven, but where the faithful go to rest and await the final Judgment. In Christian thought, when Christ died and lay in the grave for three days, he went first to Sheol, to preach and convert, then brought the redeemed souls to Abraham's bosom to wait for Judgment. Abraham's bosom then becomes purgatory, or to some Christians, "Sleeping in Christ" and this is where the faithful rest until the end of days.

Hades was sort of the same. Hades was the underworld, and was ruled by the god Hades. It was a place of separation for souls who could not go on to Elysium, the Greek and Roman Idyll or Heaven. There are gads of tales about people going to Hades to be rescued by their lovers and the gods because this was a lonely place, a place that was barren, ruled by a heartless god.

Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation. While the notion of Hell is more abstract, they believe that each and every soul is always looking for enlightenment and until they reach enlightenment, they are reborn. The better a person you are, the closer you get to the One, the spirit of all creation, and you can finally join the universe and go to your next incarnation and never return to earth. If you do not search for enlightenment, then you will return over and over again. If you are an evil or thoughtless person with no compassion, you may return to earth as an animal or an insect or even disease and from there you must climb the celestial ladder to try to reach enlightenment and make it possible to transcend your life. This process can be torture thus, you are in a hell of a sorts.

Native Americans believe in a Creator in heaven (and heaven can be a mountain peak or the sky) and they believe that if you live a righteous life in balance, you will go there and be an ancestor and help guard your people. If you are not a good person, you are lost and you will walk on earth and never be a part of the warmth of your people and you will suffer hunger and loneliness (uodi in Cherokee) and then you become dangerous. You become a night walker, a ghost.

The Norse believed in Nifelheim and this is where you went when you betrayed the gods, the people or were cowards in war. It was ruled by Loki, who was the trickster and guarded by the wolf Fenrir. In the Norse end of the world, Nifelheim will be opened up and the gods will go to war with one another and with the damned of Nifelheim and Ragnok, the end of the world will happen

Sources: The Book of Hell by Robert Davis, Traditions of the Buddhists by Suzuki, The Ways of the American Indian by Jean Christian and The Edith Hamilton's Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology by Edith Hamilton and Norse Ways by Herbert Long

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Sleep and Death are Brothers
The Case for the Vampire Soul

Philosophers have been discussing for centuries the correlations between sleep and death. In Greek philosophy, sleep and death are brothers, having the same shared characteristics and providing us with the same experiences save one: earthly sleep is transitory; it relinquishes its hold on us when we wake and death is forever physical sleep, unbreakable except that while the body remains in death sleep, the soul moves on to its next plane of existence.

The seer and mystic Edgar Cayce wrote volumes about the notion of sleep and the soul. He believed that in sleep, the soul leaves the body and has a life all its own, independent from the physical body. We remember this life beyond our consciousness through our dreams. In sleep, our souls are anchored to our bodies by something like an umbilical. Only in final sleep (death) is the cord severed, and our souls truly free. He believed that we all had two selves, the corporeal self and the astral self. It was through his astral self that Cayce went into the future to make his prophecies and find cures for people. He was, in fact called the Sleeping Prophet.

Then Cayce goes on in his discussion: This would explain why the Vampire of legend and lore would possibly be able to exist. He says that when people sleep, their subconscious leaves the physical body and roams around and has a completely independent life from our waking life. We remember bits and pieces of this life through dreams. Our souls are still connected to our bodies during this dream time like an umbilical cord, which keeps body and soul together

Cayce said that the only time the soul is truly free is with death, because that is when the cord is broken and the soul is free from the restraints of the body. Vampires, if they exist, are haunted by their own souls. Their bodies are dead, but their souls are still attached by the umbilical, giving them half the freedom from their humanity, but no spiritual freedom. Perhaps, that is why they do not die properly...that is they still walk but their bodies are dead, their souls do not live in the body and because the body still functions, the soul is tied, perhaps unwillingly to the body, unable to get free. This may explain what makes the Vampire the way they are in legend and lore, the monsters they are Vampires are never truly dead for final earthly sleep, never truly alive for mortal life, and haunted by their soul that may torment them, like Godric, or leave them a little emotionally cold, like Eric and Liam and the Monroe Vampires or sad like Bill or angry like Jessica.

Madam Bladvadsky, the theosophist and mystic, believed in this theory. She wrote that Vampires in lore and legend are the truest form of ghost. They are corporeal and dead but still live among us. Because their bodies are dead, they seek life to fill them up and help them feel alive, so they seek the life’s blood. But this is transitory. Just as mortal hunger for food passes with the eating of a meal to leave us hungry again, so it is for the Vampire. Their feeling of life is temporary with the blood meal. They feel human and they feel rejoined with their souls. But as the meal is absorbed, they lose the feeling of life and must hunt.

This is the conundrum of the Vampire…to be human in appearance but to be essentially non human. Imagine desiring a reunion with their soul but to feel its pull away from its dead earthbound body, unable to truly inhabit it. And to see others as food when they remember, even if it is only through their dreams, the lives they had before. But this leads me to ask, when Vampires go to their daytime rest, do their souls travel and still enjoy another astral life, as they did when their physical bodies were alive?

I turned to my friend Montague Summers. In his book, Vampires and Vampirism, he suggests that even in their daytime sleep, the soul of the Vampire wanders, seeking if not the blood, the vital essence of life, taking the form of animals and even ghosts imitating our own beloved dead and calling their own astral selves into death. This explains the deathbed visions of loved ones coming to fetch the dying or melancholic from life to eternity, he writes, and this would suggest that the Vampire is not simply a Vampire in his physicality, but is a Vampire in his soul as well.

Sources: Edgar Cayce: Prophetic Dreamer and Seer by David Chernow and Life and Death and Afterlife by Madam Bladvadsky and Vampires and Vampirism by Montague Summers.

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The Power of Ritual
The Power of Ritual

Maryann tell Tara that she must never underestimate the power of ritual. But what is a ritual and what does it consist of?

Ritual is anything that you do which is repetitive and has a set sort of boundaries, that are designed to effect some level of change, and leads to an alteration of the body or the soul. For example, how many of you have a morning ritual? Mine is to get up, go to the loo, put on coffee. While the coffee cooks, I wash any dishes from the night before. I usually finish just as the coffee is ready. I sit down, watch the news for an hour or so, sipping my coffee, then check the forum and catch up with whatever may have happened before. The change is that I have my dishes done, catch up on the world events (history is made fresh everyday) and I wake the hell up.

Even as simple a thing as this is a ritual. Disturb this ritual and you feel out of sorts, off-footed, sour or crabby, a feeling like the day is just not going very well. Your intentions to the universe are skewed.

If you are a religious person, you may have daily rituals you do in the form of prayers. If you attend services, your services are set up in a basic, proscribed ritual. Each part of the ritual is designed to provoke responses from both the faithful and their God. For Maryann, that ritual was about creating an offering fit for her god to come and be among her and her minion.

One of the most important parts of ritual is intent: What do you want your ritual to do? What sort of symbols will you need to help you focus on your intent, and what are the signs your ritual has served its purpose? Will you need to repeat your ritual again and how often and how many times?

The number three is fairly familiar in most rituals. This corresponds with the triune nature of many gods and goddesses and of course the Holy Trinity of Christian religion. Seven is another number which seems to be attractive for ritual. Seven corresponds with the days of the week, with alchemical work, and with other forms of mysticism.

Clothing, colors, candles, scents, food and drink, water and oil make their appearance in many rituals. At all comes together to deliver a message, a desire, and if successfully rendered, the gods are appeased and your prayers are answered.

Sources: Creating Ritual by Amber K and Ritual Life by Deborah Linn

Monday, January 4, 2010
Irish Olgham Alphabet--By Burke
To segue from the Nordic rune post, here is the Olgham alphabet which was usually carved in stones or on wooden planks and later on stone bowls used by Druids to grind powders where they would carve the name of the God or Goddess they wished to invoke for protection or blessing, etc.... and then later Olgham can be found written on manuscript in a Romanized (horizontal) fashion. Regardless of what some sources may say, there are no Celtic runes like in the Nordic realm.... One of the Tuatha De Danaan (who we'll learn about collectively in the next installment), Ogma, was credited with this creation of Ogham calligraphy. Ogma was the most handsome of the Children of the Light, bearing long, curly hair in which the rays of the sun shone. He was known as grian-aineacg, or "Of the Sunny Countenance" and he had the gift of poetry and languages and was quite the smooth-talker.

The words and sentences were strung together along a line, and the line can be found running either horizontally or vertically. When found running vertically, the text should be read from bottom to top and left to right. When found running horizontally, the text is read from left to right. The feathers >- and -< were used to denote the beginning and ending of a sentence. Here is the Olgham alphabet in its Romanized (horizontal) form:


The letters were named after sacred trees, here's a guide:

Letter - Pronunciation - Tree - Alternate Names
(First Aicme)
B - Beath (BETH) - Birch - Beth, bedw (Welsh)
L - Luis (LWEESH) - Rowan - Learn, caorthann (Welsh)
F - Fearn (FAIR-n) - Alder - Fern, gwernen (Welsh)
S - Sail (SHAiLuh) - Willow - Suil, helygen (Welsh)
N - Nion (NEE-uhn) - Ash - Nuin, onnen (Welsh)

(Second Aicme)
H - hUath (OO-ah) - Hawthorne - Uath, draenen (Welsh)
D - Dair (DOO-r) - Oak - Duir, derwen/dâr (Welsh)
T - Tinne (CHIN-yuh) - Holly - Teine, derwen (Welsh)
C - Coll (CULL) - Hazel - Call, collen (Welsh)
Q - Quert (KWAIRT) - Apple - Cert, collen (Welsh)

(Third Aicme)
M - Muin (MUHN) - vine - afal (Welsh)
G - Gort (GORT) - Ivy - Gart, gwinwydden (Welsh)
nG - nGéatal (NYEH-dl) - Reed (broom) - nGeadal, eiddew (Welsh)
Z (st) - Straif (STRAHF) - Blackthorn - Straiff, eithen (Welsh)
R - Ruis (RWEESH) - Elder - draenen (Welsh)

(Fourth Aicme)
A - Ailm (AHL-m) - Silver Fir - Falm, ddu (Welsh)
O - Onn - (UHN) - Furze or Gorse - Oir, ysgawen (Welsh)
U - Úr (OO-r) - Heather - Ura, ùr ffynidwydden (Welsh)
E - Eadha (EH-yah) - Poplar - Eadad, eithen (Welsh)
I - Iodhadh (EE-yoh) - Yew - Idad, Idho

(Added/Fifth Aicme)
ea - Éabhadh (EHV-uh) - (No Tree Assoc) - Ébad
oi - Ór - (No Tree Assoc) - Oir
ui - Uilleann - (No Tree Assoc) - Uilen
ia - Ifín - (No Tree Assoc) - Iphín
ae - Eamhancholl - (No Tree Assoc) - Emancholl, Phagos





Sources:
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Celtic Myths and Legends by: Peter Berresford Ellis
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The Celtic Gods and Goddesses by Burke
Celtic Mythology
The Celtic Gods and Goddesses - Part I - The Beginning

With all things, we should start in the beginning. To cover the Celtic pantheon, we should first know what countries and regions make up the Celtic lands. The Celtic "nations" include Brittany, Cornwall, Galicia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, and Wales. (1) Just as Christianity has a monotheistic Supreme being, God; the Celtic pantheon has polytheistic origins, Danu and Bile. Because the Celtic mythology covers so many regions/nations/cultures, I'll try to give the alternate names or deity-equivalents when I know them.

As Celtic legend holds it, during the primordial times Earth was an arid desert covered in clouds of gases spawning from angry, bubbling volcanoes and was (in general) an inhabitable place with dark, reddened skies. There came into that desolation a trickle of water from the heavens. First, by a few drops, then another... until finally a torrent rushed the earth, quenching the dry ground and cooling the volcanoes. These divine waters turned the volcanoes to granite mountains and life sprang forth over the Earth and the skies turned blue. From the water-darkened soil, there grew a great tree, tall and strong. Danu, the Divine Waters, nourished and cherished the sacred oak, Bile.

Resulting from the meeting of Danu and Bile, two acorns dropped from the boughs of the Sacred Oak. The first Acorn was male and became The Dagda, "The Good God." and the second being female, became Brigantu, "The Exalted One". (2) We'll discuss these at a later date. Now let's finish up with Danu and Bile

Danu:

Matriarch of the Tuatha Dé Danann (meaning: Children of the Goddess Danu), The Mother of the Children of Light, The Mother of the Gods, The Earth Mother. Goddess of rivers, wells, prosperity, plenty, magic and wisdom. (3)

Etymology: "Fluvial Waters" (of or relating to Rivers), The European river Danube is named for the celtic word 'Danu' as are all other major rivers emptying into the Black Sea, such as the Don, Donets, Dnieper and Dniestr. (4)

Alternate Names/Equivalents: Anu (alternate name), Dôn (Welsh equivalent)

Bile:

The God of light and healing.

Etymology : "Bel", an alternate name for Bile, means "shining one". Or directly translated from Irish Gaelic, the name Bile means "sacred tree". Bel's festival is Beltane, one of two main Celtic fire festivals. Beltane celebrates the return of life and fertility to the world -- marking the beginning of Summer and the growing season. (5)

Alternate Names/Equivalents: Bel (alternate name), Belenus (Gaulish), Beli (Welsh)


Sources:
(1) Llewellyn's 2009 Magical Almanac
(2) Celtic Myths and Legends by: Peter Berresford Ellis
(3) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
(4) wikipedia
(5) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Celtic Gods and Goddesses Part Two by Burke
Celtic Mythology
The Celtic Gods and Goddesses - Part II - The Beginning

In the last installment, I told you how the primordial Earth was a dark, smog-covered desert that was transformed into a beautiful landscape by the 'Mother Goddess', Danu. We learned that this newly-created life on Earth also brought forth "The Sacred Tree", Bel. We also learned that the conjugation of Bel and Danu produced two acorns, one male and one female. The female acorn became Brigantu, or Brigid - "The Exalted One". The male acorn became The Dagda, "The Good God". Imagine their marvel upon seeing one another and at the tasks before them, for theirs were to bring order to Primordial Earth and to populate it with the Children of Danu, who are known as the Tuatha De Danaan.

Of course their first order of business was to name this vast river which had created them and so they named it after the Mother Goddess, calling it Danuvius, which is known today as the Danube. There upon the banks of the Danube, The Dagda and Brigantu settled and formed four great cites where they would raise their children, The Children of Light - which we'll learn more about next time. These four great, bright cities were called Falias, Gorias, Finias, and Murias which originally held the "Four Treasures of Ireland".

The Dagda and Brigantu were born of gods so they were gods themselves, ergo, their children were also gods. Naturally, The Dagda became known as "The Father of the Gods" and even "Allfather", but because of this moniker, he is oft-mistaken or ill-represented as both the son and the father of Danu. I like to think of the Dagda as a Triple God of F's. What's that you say? He liked Fighting, Feeding, and Fu.... well, you'll figure it out. The Dagda did have some pretty nifty tools he drug around with him, not the least of which was his mighty penis which was reputed to have dragged the ground. Penis aside, he had other useful tools to promise the success of Earth's new population such as the "Cauldron of Plenty" known as Undry, which never emptied although he could feed entire nations from its contents. The Dagda was known as the Good God because he protected the crops. One of the items that helped with this task was his magical living-oak harp, Uaithne, which could cause the seasons to change order. This harp also played three types of music: the music of Sorrow, Joy, and Dreaming. One of the last items that The Dagda literally drug around with him was a great eight-pronged war club which was fastened to a wheel and dragged behind him. This was, of course, no ordinary war club, for it's said that it took the strength of eight men to heft its weight and that one end of the club would kill the living while the other end could revive the dead. Wherever The Dagda went, his mighty, wheeled club would leave a scar in the Earth as deep as a territorial boundary and became known as "The Track of Dagda's Club". He was also reputed to have fruit trees which always bore fruit as well as owning two pigs, of which one was always growing and the other always roasting. The Dagda was often portrayed in a crude or humorous light, wearing a cape that barely covered his shoulders, a tunic that scarcely covered his rear, all the while dragging his mighty penis and war club along the ground where ever he went. Now this may be hard to imagine, but Dagda is known for his love of food and women, both of which threatened to get him in trouble at every turn. Despite his love for the more "earthy" pleasures in life and despite being portrayed frequently as a fat, lecherous S.O.B., The Dagda was a fierce warrior: feared, strong and mighty.

Brigantu, or Brigid, is also said to be Dagda's daughter, even though we know her to be the second acorn created to populate the Earth with the Tuatha De Danaan. Accuracy of parentage notwithstanding, The Dagda was said to be above her in the ranks of the Celtic pantheon, so - father or not - he out ranked her. Brigid was known for her love and pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. She took every opportunity to learn from Danu at the water's edge and from the 'Sacred Oak', Bel, and she taught her children that true wisdom was to be found at the water's edge. Those who learned as Brigid did, at the banks of the Danube, also paid their respects to Bel, the sacred oak. Since they were not allowed to speak the holy name of Bel directly, they instead called the oak 'draoi'. The intellects who studied with Brigid and obtained such knowledge were said to possess oak (dru) knowledge (uid) and so were called Druids. Brigid, we know, was known as 'The Exalted One', but she was also known as a Celtic Triple Goddess: a mother of healing, craftsmanship (blacksmithing), and poetry. Some folklore says that Brigid was one of triplets, also named Brigid and Brigid which is another hearkening to her Triple-Goddess nature. As the "exalted" portion of her name implies, she's often associated with things of high-dimensions such as high-rising flames, highlands, and upland areas, in addition to items of psychological high-dimension such as wisdom, excellence, perfection, eloquence, and intelligence. Brigid's festival in Gaelic culture is called Imbolc which is closely associated to, if not a pre-cursor of, the North American Groundhog Day. It's most commonly celebrated on February 2nd where the old tradition would have watchers waiting for the emergence of a snake or badger from its den to predict an early spring or a longer winter. Brigid, whose element is fire, is closely associated with flames so fire is an important ingredient in this festival of the hearth and home meant to celebrate the lengthening of the days and the early signs of spring. Now Brigid also has some things associated with her, although none so phallic as The Dagda: she was said to have made a whistle with which you could travel by or call to another in the dark of night. She was also said to have owned two royal oxen named Fea and Men for whom the plain of Feimhean was named as well as Torc Triath, the king of the boars. Upon the death of one of her sons, Brigid was also reputed to have done the first "keening*" ever heard upon the shores of Ireland.

Before we finish this installment, let us revisit the four great cities that were created for the Tuatha De Danaan upon the shores of the mighty Danube. As the Children of Danu increased their knowledge, each of the four cities prospered and carried the Four Treasures of Ireland. In Falias, they held a sacred stone called the Lia Fáil or Stone of Destiny which would cry out with joy when a righteous ruler set foot on it, in addition to being able to rejuvenate the king and ensure him a long reign. Lia Fáil also came to mean 'Stone of Ireland' which still stands to this day on the Hill of Tara in County Meath in Ireland. In Gorias, they had a mighty sword called Fragarach or the "Answerer" or the "Retaliator". This sword once belonged to Lugh Lamhfada (by far my favorite Celtic god) and was said to reveal the truth when held at any man's neck as they could not lie under its munitions. It was also said to give the one who wields it command over the wind and that it could cut through any shield or wall. In Finias, they had a magic spear called "The Red Javelin" which, once cast, would find any enemy, regardless of where he hid. Finally, in Murias, they held Undry, "The Cauldron of Plenty" which we learned The Dagda could feed masses until they were full and still never emptying.


*Keening: "Keen" as a noun or verb comes from the Irish term "caoineadh" (to cry) and references to it from the seventh, eighth and twelfth centuries are extensive. Written sources that refer to the practice in Ireland reappear from the sixteenth century on. It should be noted however that the principle of improvised vocal lament is in no way reserved to Ireland (the term keen is also used with reference to Scottish tradition) and that laments are documented from various cultures around the world.

The Irish tradition of keening over the body at the burial is distinct from the wake - the practice of watching over the corpse - which took place the night before the burial. The "keen" itself is thought to have been constituted of stock poetic elements (the listing of the genealogy of the deceased, praise for the deceased, emphasis on the woeful condition of those left behind etc.) set to vocal lament. While generally carried out by one or several women, a chorus may have been intoned by all present. Physical movements involving rocking, kneeling or clapping accompanied the keening woman ("bean caoinadh") who was often paid for her services.

After consistent opposition from the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland (Synods opposed the practice in 1631, 1748 and 1800) that went so far as to recommend excommunication for offenders, the practice became extinct; the Church's position is however unlikely to have been the sole cause. Although some recordings have been made and the practice has been documented up to recent times, it is generally considered to be extinct.* (wikipedia)


Sources:
Celtic Myths and Legends by: Peter Berresford Ellis
Wikipedia
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A Complete Guide to Faeries & Magical Beings by: Cassandra Eason

A good beginning

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Bite Me By Sweet and Wild of TBC
Bite Me. No, Really…

It is the middle of the night. There is a dark figure standing at your window. Upon further investigation you find that it is a European looking man/woman with pale skin, piercing eyes, and overall very attractive. The most striking feature? A pair of razor sharp fangs. With a toothy smile they ask to come in. How willing would you be to oblige? Years ago I would say that most people would be to terrified to breathe let alone give a response. With the recent vampire craze, however, I would not be surprised to find most people all too willing to let the creature of the night into their home. In recent years vampires have become a huge pop culture phenomenon. I never remember walking into a regular bookstore and finding an entire section of vampire novels. From the Anne Rice classics to the new age of vampire novels, there is something for everyone to bite into. The craze has not just been in literature either; HBO’s True Blood is their most successful show since The Sopranos. Along with HBO, the CW has just premiered The Vampire Diaries. From television to the big screen vampires seem to be taking over. Even in music there has been a huge rise in songs about the undead. Who knew Sting and Neil Young sang about vampires? So, why this obsession? Why is something that we always seem to fear all of the sudden something we find attractive and desirable?

The appearance of the vampire has changed dramatically over the years. Long gone are the days where a vampire appears with long fingernails, pointed ears, snow-white skin, and hideous looking fangs, like 1929’s Nosferatu (Downey). The idea of a more attractive vampire villain hit the screen in Todd Browning’s Dracula when Bela Lugosi portrayed a very suave, charming, attractive Dracula. Throughout the twentieth century the vampire seems to have become even more attractive. Anne Rice’s character Lestat made women swoon, only to become more popular when Tom Cruise portrayed him in the film version of Interview with the Vampire. The recent round of vampires in pop culture seems to be more like Romeo than vicious creatures of the night.

So why has society become obsessed with vampires? When did the idea of a vampire go from something we all feared to something that we are craving more than ever? Vampires often represent a great power. Vampires have the ability to dominate society without actually being a part of it. We as a society are enthralled with the idea of power. Everyday people strive for power; from trying to make their way up in the business world, to the simplest of things like passing cars on the freeway. Theses all give someone a sense of power, no matter the scale. So is it the intense power they seem to have that draws us in? Because vampires seem to have the highest of power among a society in which they do not belong.

Vampires and sexuality are often one in the same. It is believed that the idea of a vampire is simply a metaphor of sexuality. Is it that the bloodlust is simply lust? Along with the intense sexuality, it is the danger. Vampires are dangerous, especially in their sexuality (“Our Fascination…”). On some level we must be intrigued by the dangerous sexuality. People are obviously excited by danger; it is a huge adrenaline rush, mix that with the excitement of sex and of course people are going to be interested. Society, especially women seem to be smitten with the idea of being bitten by one said hunky vampire. Which sparks the question, do we all secretly have a sadomasochist side to us? On some level it makes sense. Think of all the things that people do that causes pain but also some kind of satisfaction. If people did not enjoy the pain of tattooing, why would they keep going back for more? Take exercising, most people exercise to the point of pain but at the same time it makes them feel good. The pain/pleasure complex has always been a part of society, whether they want to admit it or not. When it comes to vampires it is all about sex and violence, and for some reason that seems to have captured society.

Vampires are immortal, until they meet their final death by means of many folklore ends. The idea of immortality is obviously attractive. Most people would relish in the idea of being able to walk through the centuries and see the way the world changes. Along with the immortality come super strength, speed, enhanced senses, and other types of supernatural powers like flying and mind-reading. Are we so attracted to the idea of vampires because it’s something we can’t have, something we’ll never be able to come in contact with? Do we love them because we know they don’t actually exist?

That being said, what if vampires did exist? How would the public’s fascination with these mythical creatures changed if they actually walked among us? HBO’s True Blood explores exactly that. The vampires have “come out of the coffin” with the Japanese’s development of synthetic blood and now live among society. In our world would vampires be accepted if they were to reveal themselves? One can almost be positive that there would be some kind of religious backlash. Would churches protest their existence like on True Blood, with billboards and church marquees that say things like “God Hates Fangs!”? It is doubtful that if it was found that vampires were actually walking among us, that we would all be so gun-ho to get bitten. The idea of a vampire is a romantic notion but when the idea becomes a reality, vampires go back to something that we fear, rather than embrace.

Who knows why society had become infatuated with the undead. Perhaps it is a deep dark part of all of us that seek for something dangerous, something forbidden, something that’s everything you ever wanted and everything you ever feared all rolled into a charming, brooding, vampire. Most likely, people have their own ideas of why they have jumped on the vampire band-wagon but I am sure they all share the same rooted ideas. This craze could just be a simple fad but I think it is going to be more long-term. In the meantime, keep some garlic handy, and perhaps a wooden stake or two.

Works Cited
Downey, Michael. "Revamping the Vampire Myth." The Gazette. 2 Nov. 1999. LexisNexis. Web. 16 Sept. 2009.
"Our Fascination with Vampires." Newscoma. 13 Sept. 2009. Web. 16 Sept. 2009.

Note on the Runes of America
Here is an interesting thing to attach to Burke's entry. In the mountains of West Virginia, a rune stone was discovered, at first it was thought to have been a Norse Rune stone, but a linguist and forensic language professor at WV University found that they were indeed Celtic in the Ogram style, reading from top to bottom. The professors believe it to be authentic and suggest the runes were made around the same time the Norse were said to have been here. They postulate that the rune maker was probably a person of the Celtic culture who was traveling with the Norse as a slave or crewman with the Norse explorers. This would work because the Norse and the Celts shared a common relationship.

If all of the Rune stones are authentic, then this would be conclusive proof that the Native Americans contacted Europeans well before Columbus.

A further point, the Louis and Clark expedition came in contact with the Mandan Indians. Clark wrote in his journal that these people spoke of white people who were large, blond or red headed, who worse skins and worshipped a horned god. Clark fully intended to return to the Mandan and record more of their story but by the time they had returned four years later, the entire tribe had been killed by small pox. This entry in Clark's journal is the only record of the story and suggests that it was the first hint there were other settlers of the Americas before Columbus.

Sources: Archeology Department, West Virginia University and Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo

The Writing On the Wall
A Little Something about Runes

One of our forum members mentioned something about the fact that Godric, Eric's maker, had some tattoos on his right arm that looked like runes. Well, their eyes are far better than mine, but then again, I don't have great eye sight, I can't even tell the difference in HD and other sorts of imaging.

At any rate, I went on a search through my very eccentric library, the one the Inquisition would burn me at the stake for and found this information concerning runes for you reading pleasure and personal edification.

To define rune, it is simply an alphabet, in the cuniform style, which could be easily made with a small flat head stylus, very much like a tiny screwdriver. Runes and other forms of cuniform writing represent some of the first forms of human literacy and were used by many cultures, including Celts, Norse, Romans, Egyptians, and various peoples and cultures of the Middle East.

Messages and books were pricked into substances such as wax and clay tablets and in stone for their durability and erasablity. However, as people began to make paper and parchment (which was carefully bleached and extremely thinly pounded skins, usually of sheep) the cuniform style of writing began to fall out of favor for more stylized forms of writing done with pen and ink and lead stylus, similar to a pencil.

Runes are still used today in magikal circles and covens as teh vehicles for spells as a ritual alphabet. They are also used on small stones or small pieces of wood for divintory work as each rune has a specific meaning.


Sources: Magikal Alphabets and Symbols by Kyle Johnson, Writing of the Norsemen by Mark Waller and Letters to the Gods: Magikal Alphabets of Antiquity by Sharon Levi

More about the Norse Runes

According to the poetic Eddas, rune means secret or hidden. In German, the word is the root for raunen, to whisper. Carved rune stones dating from the 5th century reflected the world of the Norse Pantheon and Valhalla. Runes marked the death place of prominent Norse Warriors.

As well as sharing an alphabetical value, each Rune symbolized a concept, like the Tarot. To speak the name of a rune or carve it on a weapon like and ax or a sword was believed to call upon the power of the deity or spirit who commanded the rune. Among Neo-Pagans, the months of the Norse year have a rune value as well.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]January/Snow Moon "Is" pronounced eess, this is the rune of ice and refers to the fifth element in the Norse tradition. Ice is a bridge between the two worlds. It helps you face challenges and grow strong. If Eric was born in this month, this would be a good sign to have as a part of your personal talisman. It also seems to foreshadow his future as a creature between the world of the living and the dead. ISA: Ice Progress is temporarily frozen. Take comfort in patience, stillness and caution. The blockage is not inside you but around you. Do not, however, relax your concentration; remain alert enough to detect the early signs of thaw. This is the Rune of WAITING.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]February/ Horn Moon, Ur or Uruz, pronounced err is the rune of primal strength and is connected to the horned beasts and cattle that roamed the plains of Europe. They face and defeat obstacles and overcome hardship. Could be associated with the god Freyr. URUZ: Strength, Endurance. Pressures arise which tear away everything except your essential nature, revealing levels of instinctive strength and self-knowledge untapped in less stressful times. Psychic bedrock is struck; you must respond decisively from your core, or be wounded.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]March/ Mother Moon Beork or Berkana, pronounced bayork, or birch, it is the rune of rebirth, regeneration and creation and new personal discovery. BERKANA: Growth, Goddess. In each person, the adolescent must die to make way for the adult. Drawing this rune indicates that a rite of passage is at hand. Something within you must be sacrificed to allow the birth or creation of the new. Mysteriously, mourning and joy now coincide. This is the Rune of TRANSITION.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]April/Cuckoo Moon- Rad or Raido, pronounced rard, is the rune of change. Efforts are rewarded, this is the time to have a change of direction, to explore all options and take action. Bill was born in April and this rune seems significant to him as he is the man of change in his life...whether for the good or for the bad remains to be seen. RAIDO: Wagon; Journey A Rune of rhythm and order, Raido counsels strategy and persistence. A demanding journey, literal or metaphorical, lies before you. You must proceed step by step, aware that natural laws govern all motion and that no shortcut, however tempting, will do anything but lengthen the journey. This is the Rune of RIGHT ACTION.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]May/Merry Moon- Peorth or Pertho pronounced pay-orth is the rune of personal destiny and is associated with the Norns (the Fates of Norse Mythology) If you are born in this moon, you are brave and unique and admired. PERTHO: Fate, Secrets Although your circumstances may seem random, a group patterning beyond your comprehension is active in your life. You cannot grasp the flow of events because they involve the "Nornir"--the three Fates of past, present, and future--and because other lots than your own are being cast. This is the Rune of the WEB OF FATE.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]June/Sun Moon- Called Sigil or Sowelo, it is pronounced see-gul and represents boundless energy, creativity and thrive on action.SOWILU: Sunlight; Life Force Primal vitality is the issue now. The spark of life within you must be fanned and renewed. What feeds your spirit and your Self? What gives you joy and energy? Turn to those sources now, and restore your elemental enthusiasm for living. This is the Rune of WHOLENESS.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]July/Hay Moon- Daeg or Dagaz pronounced darg is dedicated to the God Daeg, the god of Day. He brings enlightenment, both mentally, spiritually, emotionally and sexually. He casts away gloom and despair. DAGAZ: Daylight, Dawn Night shifts into day; for a moment, opposites are reconciled, the paradox of spirit and flesh transcended. One liminal instant arises in which, if radical faith and intense willpower are fused, a leap can be taken which will forever alter the Pattern of your life. Be alert; recognize this moment, and seize it. This is the Rune of BREAKTHROUGH.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]August/Harvest Moon- Ger or Jera, pronounced Gair, this rune represents reward and how past actions effect present and future outcomes. In other words as you sow, so shall you reap. JERA: Harvest, Reaping You are in a cycle of events whose seasons must all be respected: sowing, cultivation and harvest. Well-planned right action, constancy and patience yield the best results and the most gentle evolution. This is the Rune of FRUITION.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]September/ Wood Moon Feoh or Fehu pronounced fay-och represents wealth and material comfort and to a certain extent, charity.
FEHU:Possessions, Manifestation You are invited to define the meaning of prosperity for yourself. Materially, this is a fortunate rune, if you don't abandon yourself to other people's definitions of success. What resources, inner and outer, do you need in order to thrive in your personal journey? Seize them at all cost, and discard the rest. This is Rune of RIGHT NOURISHMENT.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]October/Hunting Moon, EH or Ehwaz is the rune of the horse, the rune of harmony and balance. EHWAZ: Movement, Partnership As the leaping horseman must trust the mount, you too must now share your fate with some other force or person, leaping together across the abyss in a spirit of trusting self-abandonment. You and another power or entity face a common dilemma, resolvable only through the fusion of your alien natures and skills. This is the Rune of EFFECTIVE COOPERATION.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]November/ Fog Moon, Odal or Othila pronounced owed-al It is the rune of the home, it represents stability, domestic security and strong relationships. OTHALA: Retreat, Roots Charging headlong into impossibility is foolish. Circumstances now arise in which strategic withdrawal and timely assessment of your inner resources are the right actions. Rely now on your "fastnesses:" friends, family, power places, familiar spiritual practice. This is the Rune of REGROUPING.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]December/ Wolf Moon- Haegle or Hagalaz, it is the cosmic egg which is all things coming to fruition and the promise of spring, and new birth and happiness. HAGALAZ: Hail; Disruption Shock, too, is part of the great Pattern. Overwhelming events arise now, around you or within your unconscious, and demand radical responses. You must adjust your plans, perhaps change your course. Be wary of stubbornness; you cannot fight the Divine hand. Return to your spiritual center, let the dust settle, then refocus your will in the light of the new reality. This is the Rune of DISRUPTION.

Source The Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland and The Big Book of Magik by Cassandra Easson

The Norse Pantheon

A Little History:

The Norse culture was strongly a warrior culture. They depended on the numbers and fierceness of all their people to survive the harsh environments and competing clans. They were hunters, agriculturalists and sailors. The Norse colonized territories from Iceland down to Turkey, Greece and Russia and North Africa. They colonized Greenland and set up outposts in Labrador and made contact with Native Americans nearly four hundred years before Christopher Columbus. Their primary adversaries were the Saxons.

Norse Legends and tales and practices are still very present in our world. They contribute to the names of the days, our view of the world in military and warrior traditions, and continue to contribe to many of our seasonal traditions. Much of what we know about eh Norse come to us from the skalds, or bards of the Norse.

The Pantheon-

Odin/Woden- Sometimes thought of as the All Father of Norse mythology, Odin is depicted as a sad and often lonely god. He lives in Glasheim, his golden palace. Some legends say Gladsheim is in Valhalla. Others are think it was an earthly kingdom, now long since ascended to Valhalla. There, he sits on his throne. He has two wolves lying at his feet and two ravens sit on his shoulders, one being Hugin and the other being Munnin (Thought and Memory) who flies over the ends of the earth and brings back news to Odin. Odin’s primary function is to prepare for Ragnarock, the end of the world. Wednesday, or Woden’s day is his day. He sometimes appears in Norse mythology as a bear (Bjorn) and a falcon.

Valkyries- These are the servants of Odin and the goddess Freya. They are literally the seekers of the dead who bring the souls of the Norse brave into Valhalla.

Balder- The most beloved of the gods, his death heralded the end of the Norse world. He is murdered by Loki

Loki- Not a god but a giant who becomes something of a demi-god in Norse Mythology, acts as a Satan figure, described as being covered in hair and having fangs and being a deceiver. Loki turned mistletoe into a spear and put it in the hands of the blind god, Hod, to kill Balder.

Hel- The goddess of the dead, she rules over the Norse land of the dead called Niflhiem, the fog home, where the living cannot penetrate and the dead cannot return. The word Hell comes from the Germanic root word Hel.

Frigga- The wife Odin, she is the goddess of wisdom and magik. She also blesses marriages and women.

Thor- The thunder god and the blacksmith of Valhalla. His name contributes to the name of Thursday. He wields a hammer called Mjolnir which means “the pulverizer”. He is the god of strength and his hammer is used to bless marriages, women who are pregnant, and newly born babies. He rides a chariot that is pulled by goats. His hammer is engraved on amulets to ward off evil. The oak is sacred to Thor.

Freya- The goddess of love and beauty and the leader of the Valkyries. Friday is named for her. She is also looked to in matters of fertility, sensuality and erotic love. She protects women in marriage and childbirth, an expert of magik and a shape shifter. Her go to shift is a falcon. She is also associated with a boar and with the Linden tree. Freya is often depicted as riding a chariot pulled by black cats.

Freyr- The twin borther of Freya and god of fertility, success and hunting and sex, he is the Norse version of the horned god. He is often depicted riding a huge boar with golden bristles.

Tiu/Tyr- The god of courage and war, he is sometimes depicted as a woman. He was known to fight with the hell hound Garm and they kill each other, triggering the end of Ragnarok. He is associated with Tuesday.

Eostre- The goddess of spring and rejuvenation and reproduction. She also figures in Anglo-Saxon mythology.

Vidgar, Bragi, Balder, and Hoder/Hod- Thor’s brothers and the sons of Odin. Vidar was the god of the forests, Bragi was the god of poetry and the skalds, Balder was the god of spring and Hoder/Hod the blind god, was the god of darkness and gloom.

Ran- the Norse sea goddess used a net to capture men who drowned and made them her servants.

The Norns- The Norse Fates. Urd was the spinner, who spins out the cord of a man’s life. Verdandi winds the thread into a skein, and Skuld cuts it.

Sources: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton, Signs and Symbols by Mark O’Connell and Raje Airey, The Big Book of Magik by Cassandra Easson, Myths and Folklore by Henry I Christ, Dictionary of Symbols: Cultural Icons and the Meanings Behind Them by Hans Beiderman.