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Seasonal Celebrations Home Page
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Next Holiday: Ostara or Spring Equinox Now comes the vernal equinox, and the season of spring reaches its apex, halfway through its journey from Candlemas to Beltane. Once again, night and day stand in perfect balance, with the powers of light on the ascendancy. The God of Light now wins a victory over his twin, the God of Darkness. In The Mabinogion myth reconstruction that I have proposed, this is the day on which the restored Llew takes his vengeance on Goronwy by piercing him with the sunlight spear. For Llew was restored/reborn at the winter solstice and is now well/old enough to vanquish his rival/twin and mate with his lover/ mother. And the Great Mother Goddess, who has returned to her Virgin aspect at Candlemas, welcomes the young Sun God’s embraces and conceives a child. The child will be born nine months from now, at the next winter solstice. And so the cycle closes at last. For the rest of Mike Nichols' article on Ostara click here. |
Link Read a brand new article by Link called |
Your Own Celebrations of Winter by Link Can you feel the chill in your bones? In the coldest, darkest of times, perhaps that’s when we enjoy warmth the most. Winter’s Chill From Autumn’s gentle cool, we turn to the extreme of Winter. Winter sorts out those things which are strong enough to survive the harsh cruel times, to sow their seeds again in Spring. After the new birth of Spring, the growth of Summer, and the fruition of Autumn -- Winter brings a cold dark sleep to the busy Earth. Likewise, our own lives “chill out” a bit during Winter, as we put away our Summer toys. We turn inward; we renew our love affair with hearth and home. In Winter, we need to make our own warmth and light, rather than merely find it in the Summer sun. We proactively create warmth in our home. Blankets and boots, sweaters and scarves, heaters and hot cocoa – these are the magical tools of Winter, with which we evoke the warmth that we crave. Whether you use a wood-burning fire place, or modern-day furnace, you invite the powers of fire to enter your home. To make an analogy, for food we can hunt and gather what is already available, or we can farm -- and actually create the food that we eat. Likewise, in Winter, we create the “fires” we need to survive, warmth that otherwise would not be there. Creating something is one of the most magical events we ever do. How do you create fire and warmth? How do you relate to the warmth-making tools you use, year over year? Celebrate the people, places and things which keep you warm when you need it most. See them as a magical part of your life, and honor them for the gifts that they give. Say a few special words each time you light your flame, set your thermostat, or prepare your warm wooly clothes. Read Links' Article by clicking here. |
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Taylor Ellwood |
The Samhain Elemental Ritual by Taylor Ellwood Traditionally, Samhain is considered to be the day when the
dead and living can mingle. The veils of the world are at their thinnest and
there is a sense of liminal space in the air. Liminal space is border space,
the in between place, where anything can happen. Other Samhain Articles new for Samhain 2006 |
