A TASTE OF BELTANE HISTORY

Other names: Valpurga, Mean Earraigh, Bealteinne, Beltaine, Beltainne, Calin Mai.
Date: April 30 / May 1; or when the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus
Meaning of the word: Beltane means bright fire or lucky fire
Primary Ritual Focus: Appareance of the matured Horned God, fertility, protection of animals and gardens, leaping the fire for a fortunate summer, love magicks.
Age of Holiday: said to be the oldest known holiday, Celtic in orgin
Popular mythos: Maypole dancing, tenuous link to the Celtic Belenus (sun God).
Astrological Sign: 15 degrees Taurus; earth; fixed
Planetary Ruler: Venus

(from Solitary Witch by Silver Raven Wolf) Of the seasonal european festivals, Beltane and Samhain, the two great fire festivals, seem to have held the most cultural and religious focus. May Day observances are thought to be drawn from 2 sources: the fire rites from Celtic tradition, and the flower rite from the Roman Floralia. In Celtic tradition, the night before Beltane (April 30), all fires in the land were doused. A little before dawn the people would gather the nine sacred woods:

• Birch - The Goddess, or female energy
• Oak - The God, or male energy
• Hazel - Knowledge and wisdom
• Rowan (Mountain Ash) - Life
• Hawthorne - Purity and fairy magick
• Willow - Death, sacred to Hecate
• Fir - Birth and rebirth
• Apple - Love and family
• Vine - Joy and happiness

and would prpare them for the birthing of the new fire, which was thought to purify the air of all evil forces. As the people watched, the fires were kindled at the raising of thesun, and as the flames leapt, the people walked doesil around the bonfire 3 times. In some areas of Europe people would leap over the flames of a small May Day fire to purify them (cure them of curses or sickness). Torches lit from the Beltane fire were taken home ti light the new fire of the year. Libations of milk, butter, eggs and bread (bonnach Bealltain) were offered to the fire with incantations and prayers in the hopes that the growing season would be a good one.

European practices included tying a wand of rowan and hanging it above the door, and collecting ashes from the Beltane fire and placing them on the forehead to purify the body and bring good luck. Water collected from wells or cupped stones to catch the morning dew, called May Dew, was believed especially powerful for holy water, and was sprinkled about the home to ensure good fortune, health and happiness. Today, in some rituals, the sacred fire is made to dance in a doesil spiral in honor of the Beltane purification rite.

BELTANE: Its History and Modern Celebration in Wicca in America
by Rowan Moonstone (Found at http://www.tryskelion.com/beltfaq.htm)

The celebration of May 1st, or Beltane as it is known in Wicca Circles, is one of the most important festivals of our religious year. I will attempt here to answer some of the most often asked questions about this holiday. An extensive bibliography follows the article so that the interested reader can do further research.
1. Where does the festival of Beltane originate?
Beltane, as practiced by modern day Witches and Pagans, has its origins among the Celtic peoples of Western Europe and the British Isles, particularly Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
2. What does the word Beltane mean?
Dr. Proinsias MacCana defines the word as follows: "... the Irish name for May Day is Beltane, of which the second element, `tene', is the word for fire, and the first, `bel', probably means `shining or brilliant'."(1) The festival was known by other names in other Celtic countries. Beltaine in Ireland, Bealtunn in Scotland, Shenn do Boaldyn on the Isle of Mann, and Galan Mae in Wales.(2)
3. What was the significance of this holiday to the ancients?
To the ancient Celts, it symbolized the coming of spring. It was the time of year when the crops began to sprout, the animals bore their young, and the people could begin to get out of the houses where they had been cooped up during the long dark cold winter months. Keep in mind that the people in those days had no electric lights or heat, and that the Celtic counties are at a much more northerly latitude than many of us are used to. At that latitude, spring comes much later, and winter lasts much longer than in most of the US. The coming of fair weather and longer daylight hours would be most welcome after a long cold and dark winter.
4. How did the ancient Celts celebrate this festival?
The most ancient way of observing this day is with fire. Beltane, along with Samhain (Nov. 1), Imbolc (Feb. 1), and Lughnassadh (Aug. 1), was one of the four great "fire festivals" which marked the turning points of the Celtic year. The most ancient records tell us that the people would extinguish all the hearth fires in the country and then relight them from the "need fires" lit by the druids (who used friction as a means of ignition). In many areas, the cattle were driven between two great bonfires to protect them from disease during the coming year. It is my personal belief, although I have no documentation to back up the assumption, that certain herbs would have been burnt in the fires, thus producing smoke which would help destroy parasites which might make cattle and other livestock ill.
5. In what other ways was this festival celebrated?
One of the most beautiful customs associated with this festival was "bringing in the May." The young people of the villages and towns would go out into the fields and forests at Midnight on April 30th and gather flowers with which to bedeck themselves, their families, and their homes. They would process back into the villages, stopping at each home to leave flowers, and to receive the best of food and drink that the home had to offer. This custom is somewhat similar to "trick or treat" at Samhain and was very significant to the ancients. John Williamson, in his study, The Oak King, the Holly King, and the Unicorn, writes, "These revelers were messengers of the renewal of vegetation, and they assumed the right to punish the niggardly, because avarice (as opposed to generosity) was dangerous to the community's hope for the abundance of nature. At an important time like the coming of summer, food, the substance of life must be ritually circulated generously within the community in order that the cosmic circuit of life's substance may be kept in motion (trees, flocks, harvests, etc.)."(3) These revelers would bless the fields and flocks of those who were generous and wish ill harvests on those who withheld their bounty.
6. What about maypoles?
The maypole was an adjunct to the festival of bringing in the May. It is a phallic symbol, and as such represented fertility to the participants in the festival. In olden days, the revelers who went into the woods would cut a tree and bring it into town, decking it with flowers and greenery and dance around it, clockwise (also called deosil, meaning "sun-wise", the direction of the sun's apparent travel across the face of the Earth) to bring fertility and good luck. The ribbons which we associate with the maypole today were a later addition.
7. Why was fertility important?
The people who originated this custom lived in close connection with the land. If the flocks and fields were fertile, they were ableto eat; if there was famine or drought, they went hungry. It is hard for us today to relate to this concept, but to the ancients, it was literally a life and death matter. The Celts were a very close tribal people, and fertility of their women literally meant continuity of the tribe.
8. How is the maypole connected with fertility?
Many scholars see the maypole as a phallic symbol. In this aspect, it is a very powerful symbol of the fertility of nature and spring.
9. How did these ancient customs come down to us?
When Christianity came to the British Isles, many of the ancient holy sites were taken over by the new religion and converted to Christian sites. Many of the old Gods and Goddesses became Christian saints, and many of the customs were appropriated. Charles Squire says," An ingenious theory was invented after the introduction of Christianity, with the purpose of allowing such ancient rites to continue with a changed meaning. The passing of persons and cattle through flame or smoke was explained as a practice which interposed a magic protection between them and the powers of evil." (4) This is precisely what the original festival was intended to do; only the definition of "evil" had changed. These old customs continued to be practiced in many areas for centuries. "In Scotland in 1282, John, the priest in Iverkething, led the young girls of his parish in a phallic dance of decidedly obscene character during Easter week. For this, penance was laid upon him, but his punishment was not severe, and he was allowed to retain his benefice."(5)
10. Were sacrifices practiced during this festival?
Scholars are divided in their opinions of this. There is no surviving account of sacrifices in the legends and mythology which have come down to us. As these were originally set down on paper by Christian monks, one would think that if such a thing had been regularly practiced, the good brothers would most certainly have recorded it, if for no other reason than to make the pagans look more depraved. There are, however, some surviving folk customs which point to a person representing the gloom and ill fortune of winter being ostracized and forced to jump through the fires. Some scholars see this as a survival of ancient human sacrificial practices. The notion that animals were sacrificed during this time doesn't make sense from a practical standpoint. The animals which had been retained a breeding stock through the winter would either be lean and hungry from winter feed, or would be mothers nursing young, which could not be spared.
11. How do modern day pagans observe this day?
Modern day pagan observances of Beltane include the maypole dances, bringing in the May, and jumping the cauldron for fertility. Many couples wishing to conceive children will jump the cauldron together at this time. Fertility of imagination and other varieties of fertility are invoked along with sexual fertility. In Wiccan and other Pagan circles, this is a joyous day, full of laughter and good times.
12. What about Walpurgisnacht? Is this the same thing as Beltane?
Walpurgisnacht comes from an Eastern European background, and has little in common with the Celtic practices. I have not studied the folklore from that region and do not consider myself qualified to write about it. As the vast majority of Wiccan traditions today stem from Celtic roots, I have confined myself to research in those areas.
FOOTNOTES
(1) MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, London, 1970, p.32.
(2) Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth and Legend, Poetry and Romance, Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CA, 1975, p.408.
(3) Williamson, John, The Oak King, the Holly King, and the Unicorn, Harper & Row, NY, 1986, p.126.
(4) Squire, p.411.
(5) Hole, Christina, Witchcraft In England, Rowman & Littlefield, Totowa, NJ, 1977, p.36.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bord, Janet & Colin, Earth Rites, Fertility Practices in Pre-Industrial Britain, Granada, London, 1982.
Danaher, Kevin, The Year in Ireland, The Mercier Press, Cork, 1972.
Hole, Christina, Witchcraft in England, Rowman & Littlefield, Totowa NJ,1977.
MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., London, 1970.
MacCulloch, J.A. Religion of the Ancient Celts, Folcroft Library Editions, London, 1977.
Powell, T.G.E. The Celts, Thames & Hudson, New York, 1980.
Sharkey, John, Celtic Mysteries, the Ancient Religion, Thames & Hudson, New York, 1979.
Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth, Legend, Poetry, and Romance, Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CA, 1975.
Williamson, John, The Oak King, The Holly King, and the Unicorn, Harper & Row, New York, 1986.
Wood-Martin, W.G., Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Kennikat Press, Port Washington, NY, 1902.

Beltane Lore
One of the two great fire festivals, May Eve was always very Bacchanalian in content. As I have remarked, country people are very earthy and close to nature; May Eve epitomised these rural qualities.
The Circle was 18 feet, and the hay stooks were placed around the outside at the Quarters. Green branches were laid to form a pathway to the Circle. A fire burned in its centre as well as on the hilltops all around.
That year's May Queen was not present. She would be crowned the following morning and had to be what is politely called a "maiden". It was thought that if she went to the Belfire, she might not be "virgo intacta" the next day. So she had to stay at home!
Garlands were set up on the May pole during the daylight hours in readiness for the next day; the garlands the May Queen's attendants would wear were also made at this time. May Eve and May Day are very busy times from a Craft point of view.
The Sabbat cakes were special: round, not crescent shaped and we ate sponge finger-type cakes as well. We wore our green robes.
Flowers were abundant, and both Tines were decorated with many blossoms. Sometimes pets were brought in to be blessed by the Elements.
We cast the Circle and called the Quarters in the normal way, and immediately afterwards, the Cakes and Wine ceremony was held, whereupon spiral and back to back dances were performed--all very jolly!
Sometimes we jumped the fire, and if a couple leaped together they were considered betrothed. If a single girl jumped alone, it was believed she would be fertile, not a very desirable attribute at Beltane!
When the fire started to die down, or when everyone thought it time, a doorway was cut into the circle, and all the young ones went off "a-maying." They returned at dawn, bringing fresh greenery for May Day. The girls all bathed their faces with dew. Then, the stooks were moved to the green where the May pole was, and all went home to get a few hours of sleep before the May Day festivities began.
I would like to make one small comment on this very modern attitude towards young people and their morals during Beltane celebrations. When I was a young girl, I never saw a farmhand marry until his girlfriend was pregnant. In later years I asked my mother about this; she said that the idea seemed to be that a girl had to prove herself fertile before marriage. Because country people needed children during those days (country children worked very hard), a man and a girl needed to assure themselves of a family before the married.
From West Country Wicca, A Journal of the Old Religion, Rhiannon Ryall)

Tommorow on KickbuttMama is in Charge

• I'll be investigating the history of Beltane - what does this Sabbat celebrate, how do people mark the passing of this important day. What rituals & energies re best performed on this day, etc.
• Learning about the seasons for homeschooling toddlers
• Shannon's love spell (all you need is love!)
• The Celtic Pantheon - who did what?
• Exercise - Plank

SPELL OF THE DAY

Power Expansion

Solitary Power Exercise - Silvers Secret

Based on ritual by: Silver RavenWolf (Referenced in Solitary Witch p. 112)

The following exercise can be used in any ritual, spell, or in daily life. It is an exercise of the mind that, once practiced, will bring you health, happiness and prosperity -- but you must BELIEVE it. [You can also use this exercise to improve your psychic focus, increase your empathy, your inner sight, etc.]Make the name your own - ie. Shannon's Secret, Beb's Secret, etc. [It can also be your magickal name, for instance mine would be RedWolf's Secret.] A little pizzaz never hurt anybody.

ONE: Choose what you will work for. This si the planning phase. All the doubts, worries, ideas and possible solutions should be removed from your mind. The only thing left over should be your desire.

TWO: Cloe your eyes. This allows you to shut out the world around you and focus on the exercise. In time, you will be able to use your secret with your eyes open.

THREE: Take three deep breaths. This brings in more oxygen to the brain and other areas of thebody, relieves stress, urges relaxation of the muscles, and helps to put you in the "alpha" state.

FOUR: Let go of time and space. Say "Release" as you breathe out. When your eyes are closed, it is easy to forget that time and space even exist. Spirit does not need time and space to perform miricles, and neither do you when you mentally release those thoughts of restraint and tough deity energy, which is the next step. If it helps, think of opening your hands (or physically allow your hands to slowly open) while you say the word "Release".

FIVE: Touch deity energy. Say the word "Unity". In the Craft we teach that you and deity are one, and that you share creative force with every manifestation of energy in the universe. This is a given. Of course, you haveto acknowledge this fact, which isn't easy for everyone to do. When you speak the word "Unity", you are affirming that we are all one and that you have the power to become one with everything. If you don't believe this, the secret won't work. If it helps, as you say the word "Unity" think of yourself moving into your conception of god/dess --losing for a moment, your conscious thought of separateness.

SIX: Conceive the form. Visualize the thing. Say the word out loud. For instance, if you are striving for health visualize youself healthy, say the word "Heath" and surround this vision in a white light. For some, this will be the most difficult part of the exercise. You can substitute a vision of a person, place or thing with a feeling as well. Try to hold this visualization - your desire - sharply defined and encased in white light - for at least a count of five....the longer the better.

SEVEN: Accept success. This is important. If you don't mentally accept success, your "secret" will bomb. You must want it and welcome it!

EIGHT: Know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this will be done. Suspend disbelief. This is also difficult - before performing the exercise, analyze how you feel when something is a certainty. [For instance, you love your children. You do not doubt that love. Feel the confidence and serenity associated with the lack of doubt and stipulations we place on so many things in life.] Remember, you are only having to hold this certainty (along with the visualization) for several seconds.

NINE: Reject any thoughts of failure, now and in the future. Will your mind to think of only success. Fear will ruin your ritual, spell, goal, or focused thought, whether your fear is frivolous or has logic behind it. If Spirit thinks that your request is not precisely in harmony with your life path, Spirit will accomodate your choices as long as you legitimately feel you are working in harmony with the universe and not intentionally trying to hurt others. So, if you cant trust in yourself and your desires, trust Spirit.

TEN: Keep your mouth shut. When you tell others about magick, especially those who don't believe in the process, you are allowing that persons energy to work against you - causing your subconscious buttons to be pushed, instilling that sliver of doubt which will make your goal fail.

YOUR SECRET SUCCESS FORMULA

To Dare

To Release

To Connect

To Conceive

To Accept

To Know

To Believe

To Will

To Be Silent

Essentially the Witch's Pyramid. You can even get a little creative with it. Drumming or a beat will help it become instilled in your soul - After you are grounded chant the following as you go through the steps of the above - release, conect, visualize, etc.:

One, let go!(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)

Two, I am!(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)

Three, I conceive!(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!) Four, I accept!(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)

Five, I accept!(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)

Six, I believe!(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)

So mote it be!(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know believe!)

You can drum or you can tie a not at each step: Let go! (tie the not as you chant or drum) I am (tie the not or drum), etc

Spell / Ritual Preparation

Circle Casting / Quarter Calling / Invoking Deity

Casting the Circle: Stand at your altar (or the North point of your circle. Ground & center- take 3 deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Using your forefinger of your right hand (or a magickal tool such as a wand or athame) pointed toward the ground at the center of your area, begin walking the circle in a clock-wise ( called deosil) fashion. You will walk the circle 1 to 3 times while reciting a verval invocation**. Visualize the circle as a bubble becoming a hardened shell to prevent negative energies from entering with each pass. Once the passes are complete and you are back where you started say;

"As above, so below -- this circle is sealed. So mote it be!"

Stomp your foot to indicate the seal has been activated.

Releasing the Circle: Once all magickal practices are complete. Walk the circle 1 time in a counter clockwise (widdershins) fashion. Visualize drawing all excess energy into a tool or your hands. Some will also pass the energy into their altar. Oncethe circle has been walked one time say: "The circle is open, but never broken. Meery meet and merry part until we merry meet again. So mote it be!"

Again stomp your foot one time to indicate the circle is now open.

The Triple Circlecasting invocation by: Lady MorningStar(Recite as you walk the first time around your circle)"In this place, this circle roundI consencrate the sacred groundwith golden light this place surroundall power here contained and bound."(Recite as you walk the second time)"From earth, the things that manifestfrom air, the things of mindfrom fire, the things that motivatefrom water, the souls refined."(Recite as you walk the third time)"And yet no place and time there bebetween the worlds, my word and mewelcome, Ancient Ones, and seethis place is sealed, So mote it be!"

Calling the Quarters: Although quarter calls can have a variety of connotations, they are basically linked to the 4 directions and 4 elements. The following is completed after the circle has been cast. You start at the North is you are practicing more traditional Wicca or the East for a more ceremonial flavor. You are essentially opening a door in your circle to allow this specific energy into it. For a smoother transition of energy, stand facing the direction, with the center of your circle at your back. Place your feet apart and cross your arms over your chest, and bow your head - this is the "God" Position. As you say your quarter call slowly raise your head and open your arms overhead into a Y (the "Goddess"Position). Visualize a portal opening through which what you have called can enter - nothing else will be able to) - visualize your concept of the 4 elements entering your circle. Standard colors for the Quarters: Green=North, Yellow=East, Red=South, Blue=West.

Stand at the North candle/Quarter & light the candle: "Hail guardians of the north, element of earth,and all ye in the realm of Faery; I, (say your name),do summon, stir, and call you forth towitness this rite and protect this sacred space.So mote it be."

Stand at the East candle/Quarter & light the candle: "Hail guardians of the East, element of air,and all ye in the realm of Faery, I, (say your name), do summon, stir, and call you forth to witness this rite and protect this sacred space. So mote it be!"

Stand at the South candle/Quarter & light the candle:"Hail guardians of the south, element of fire, and all ye in the land of Faery; I, (say your name) do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite and protect this sacred space. So mote it be."

Stand at the West candle/Quarter & light the candle: "Hail guardians of the west, element of water, and all ye in the land of Faery; I, (say your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite and protect this sacred space. So mote it be."

Closing the Quarters: Once you are finished with your magick/ritual, before opening your circle, this is essentially the reverse of the above process. Start with your arms in the Goddess position visualizing a portal for the energy to leave your circle slowly releasing into a God pose as you again seal the portal. Start your releasing at the last Quarter you called and work in a counter-clockwise manner.This is the standard Quarter Release to match the above Calling - you can also find specific types of quarter calls - angelic, dagon, etc) and the release that matches it.Start at hte West and work your way in reverse to the North."Guardians of the (direction), element of (element), thank you for participating in my circle this night / day. Go if you must, stay if you like. Hail and farewell."

Invoking Deity: This is to call a deity into your body to help focus your power and lend her own to whatever working you are doing. When celebrating a Sabbat (holiday) I use a much longer and more specific invocation

"I call the down, O my great Queen (name of Goddess) to enter my body and commune with my spirit. Be with me now as I fulfill my destiny and work magick in accordance with your will. So mote it be."

Wiccan Definition of the Day

What Traditions I follow: Celtic Wicca & Druidry
definitions from Wikipedia

Celtic Wicca is a current of Wiccan neopaganism, loosely syncretized with elements of Celtic mythology, mostly, as noted by authors including Hutton, Kelly, Greer and Cooper, by way of the Romanticist Celtic Revival. Raeburn (2001) is aware of the ahistoricity of "Celtic Wicca", establishing "a firm distinction between historical Celtic inspiration and modern Wiccan practice". Followers practice meditation, divination, nature mysticism and "magickal herbalism". Emphasis is placed on the Celtic pantheon, history, traditions, food, and music. Celtic Wiccans occasionally call themselves "druids", putting themselves close to Neo-Druidism, which is likewise an outgrowth of the 19th century Celtic Revival. Wicca, as established by Gerald Gardner in the 1940s, contained a few Celtic elements, along with elements from many other cultures (Greer and Cooper, Hutton, Kelly); Celtic Wicca can be seen as emphasizing such Celtic elements as there are to be found in Gardnerian Wicca while de-emphasizing the non-Celtic elements.
Neo-druidism or neo-druidry is an attempt to construct a modern spirituality based on the ancient religion of the Celts, as presided over by the priestly caste of druids. A fundamental difference between ancient druidism and modern, or neo-druidism, is that present-day druids do not hold the prominent place in society that was enjoyed by druids in pre-Roman times. In general, Neo-druids promote the peace, preservation and harmony of nature. The original ceremonies of the neo-druids involved gathering in a wooded place periodically (usually weekly, but some groups used astrology to calculate meeting times), for the ritual consumption of "spirits" (Scotch or Irish whiskey blended with water) called "the water of life" (uisce beatha, or whiskey), the singing of religious songs, the performance of ceremonial chanting, and, occasionally, a sermon.
The written RDNA liturgy calls for a "sacrifice of life", reflecting the core of the Reform, namely plant rather than animal sacrifices, and (for the ordination of a priest) an outdoor vigil.
Specifically in the Mother Grove, the use of Scotch rather than Irish whiskey has been an ironic tradition dating from the first ceremony, at which a partial bottle of Scotch whisky had been at hand, left unfinished at the end of a party the previous night. The major holy days are the quarter days (solstices and equinoxes) and the solar festivals (approximately half way in between the quarter days, these are: Beltane, Lughnasadh, Samhain and Imbolc). These are celebrated with (usually outdoor) parties with a religious theme, much singing of religious songs, dancing in circles, etc. Various individuals will also have their own private ceremonies. Often, small groups will break off, and perform their own separated ceremonies before rejoining the general group - these groups are often split along initiatory lines as those of higher degree work their own ceremonies. Individual choice is a major theme. So is ecology, though more in the sense of being sensitive to it and living lightly on the land than in the sense of a study of the interrelationship of lives at various scales.
The major gods are, in RDNA liturgy, the Earth-Mother (addressed as "our Mother"), seen as the personification of all material reality, Béal, the personification of nonmaterial essence, and Dalon Ap Landu, the Lord of Groves. The first two are sometimes referred to as the Earth and the Sun (named in Gaelic). Some individuals prefer to devote most of their praise, however, to other gods, like Health or Music (usually also named in Gaelic). And "A Druid Fellowship" has various scholastic posts and honors, though usually in the arts as devoted to religious praise rather than as formal studies. ADF's liturgy is considerably more complex than that of the RDNA, though its roots in the older group are obvious, based on Bonewits's theories of a common pattern to Indo-European worship.
Neo-druidism is considered a neo-pagan religion. It is important, however, to realize that the founders of RDNA intended it to complement or supplement "organized" religion, not to supplant it; most of the founders were practicing Christians. They were very surprised when RDNA continued after the college repealed the religious attendance requirement. As someone put it, "Apparently our disorganized religion appealed to those who couldn't stomach organized religion!" Present-day adherents range from those who are exclusively Druids to those for whom it is, indeed, a complement to another faith.

Druidry: In Celtic polytheism the word druid denotes the priestly class in ancient Celtic societies, which existed through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles until they were supplanted by Roman government and, later, Christianity. Druidic practices were part of the culture of all the tribal peoples called "Keltoi" and "Galatai" by Greeks and "Celtae" and "Galli" by Romans, which evolved into modern English "Celtic" and "Gaulish". They combined the duties of priest, arbitrator, healer, scholar, and magistrate. The Druids were polytheists (worshiped morthan one god/dess), but also deified elements of nature[1], such as the sun, the moon, and the stars, looking to them for "signs and seasons". They also venerated other natural elements, such as the oak, certain groves, tops of hills, streams, lakes and even plants, especially mistletoe and holly. Fire was regarded as a symbol of several divinities and was associated with the sun and cleansing. Their calendar year was governed by the lunar, solar, and vegetative cycles. Archaeological evidence suggests that ceremonies were conducted to celebrate the two solstices and two equinoxes every year. These festivals would have been governed by the position and motions of the Sun alone. In addition to these, four holidays were celebrated according to the lunar and vegetative cycles. These include Imbolc (Imbolg) to denote the first signs of spring, Beltane (Beltain) to recognize the fullness of life after spring, Lughnasadh to celebrate the power of the Solar deity Lugh, and Samhain to recognize the lowering of the barrier between the world of the living and that of the dead. The timing for these latter four festivals would have been determined by the presence of a full moon and the signs of life implied by the above. Imbolg would thus be celebrated at a full moon roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox, Beltane between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice, Lughnasadh between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, and Samhain between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. This is contrary to popular "New Age" beliefs about Druidism that celebrate a given holiday according to the Julian calendar, which of course did not exist at the time of the formulation of these holidays. In modern times, Imbolg has been transformed into Groundhog Day, elements of Beltane have been absorbed into Easter, and Samhain has become Halloween (or All Hallows' Eve or All Saint's Day).
Modern attempts at reconstructing or reinventing Druidism are called Neo-druidism.

WICCAN DEFINITION OF THE DAY

Wicca as a magical religion - Traditional & Solitary (from Wikipedia)
As practiced by lineaged initiates, Wicca is a variety of witchcraft founded on religious and magical concepts, and most of its adherents identify as witches. As such it is distinguished not only by its religious beliefs, but by its initiatory system, organisational structure, secrecy, and practice of magic.[5] Lineaged Wiccans generally will not proselytise,[citation needed] and may even deny membership to some individuals, since once initiated a person is considered to be a priest or priestess and is expected to develop the skills and responsibility that that entails.[5] Wicca is only one variety of witchcraft, with specific beliefs and practices. Initiates worship a goddess and a god; they observe the festivals of the eight Sabbats of the year and the full-moon Esbats, using distinctive ritual forms; and they attempt to live by a code of ethics. This distinguishes the religion from other forms of witchcraft which may or may not have specific religious, ethical or ritual elements, and which are practiced by people of many religions, as well as by some atheists.[verification needed] In the Eclectic Wiccan movement there is much more variation in religious beliefs, and secrecy and organisational structure play a less important role. Generally, Eclectic Wiccans will adopt similar ritual structures and ethical principles to initiates. A few Eclectic Wiccans neither consider themselves witches nor practice magic. Many Wiccans, though not all, call themselves Pagans, though the umbrella term Paganism encompasses many faiths that have nothing to do with Wicca or witchcraft.

Wiccan views on divinity
Wicca as a religion is primarily concerned with the priestess or priest's relationship to the Goddess and God. The Lady and Lord (as they are often called) are seen as primal cosmic beings, the source of limitless power, yet they are also familiar figures who comfort and nurture their children, and often challenge or even reprimand them. According to Gerald Gardner the gods of Wicca are ancient gods of the British Isles: a Horned God of hunting, death and magic who rules over an after-world paradise (Often referred to as The Summerland), and a goddess, the Great Mother (who is simultaneously the Eternal Virgin and the Primordial Enchantress), who gives regeneration and rebirth to souls of the dead and love to the living.[6] Gardner's explanation aside, individual interpretations of the exact natures of the gods differ significantly, since priests and priestesses develop their own relationships with the gods through intense personal work and revelation. Many have a duotheistic conception of deity as a Goddess (of Moon, Earth and sea) and a God (of forest, hunting and the animal realm). This concept is often extended into a kind of polytheism by the belief that the gods and goddesses of all cultures are aspects of this pair (or of the Goddess alone). Others hold the various gods and goddesses to be separate and distinct. Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have observed that Wicca is becoming more polytheistic as it matures, and embracing a more traditional pagan worldview.[8] Many groups and individuals are drawn to particular deities from a variety of pantheons (often Celtic, Greek, or from elsewhere in Europe), whom they honour specifically. Some Wiccans, particularly in feminist traditions, have a monotheistic belief in the Goddess as One. Still others do not believe in the gods as real personalities, yet attempt to have a relationship with them as personifications of universal principles or as Jungian archetypes.[9] Some Wiccans conceive deities as akin to thoughtforms. A unified supreme godhead (the "Prime Mover") is also acknowledged by some groups, referred to by Scott Cunningham as "The One";[10] Patricia Crowther has called it Dryghten.[11] According to current Gardnerian Wiccans, the exact names of the Goddess and God of traditional Wicca remain an initiatory secret, and they are not given in Gardner's books about witchcraft.[2] For most Wiccans, the Lord and Lady are seen as complementary polarities: male and female, force and form, comprehending all in their union; the tension and interplay between them is the basis of all creation. The God and Goddess are sometimes symbolised as the Sun and Moon, and from her lunar associations the Goddess becomes a Triple Goddess with aspects of "Maiden", "Mother" and "Crone" corresponding to the Moon's waxing, full and waning phases. Some Wiccans hold the Goddess to be pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all (Gaea or Mother Earth is one of her more commonly revered aspects); the God, commonly described as the Horned God or the Divine Child, is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child. This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven, which is led by a High Priestess and High Priest in partnership, with the High Priestess having the final word. In some traditions, notably Feminist branches of Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is seen as complete unto herself, and the God is not worshipped at all. Since the Goddess is said to conceive and contain all life within her, all beings are held to be divine. This is a key understanding conveyed in the Charge of the Goddess, one of the most important texts of Wicca, and is very similar to the Hermetic understanding that "God" contains all things, and in truth is all things.[13] For some Wiccans, this idea also involves elements of animism, and plants, rivers, rocks (and, importantly, ritual tools) are seen as spiritual beings, facets of a single life. A key belief in Wicca is that the gods are able to manifest in personal form, either through dreams, as physical manifestations, or through the bodies of Priestesses and Priests. The latter kind of manifestation is the purpose of the ritual of Drawing down the Moon (or Drawing down the Sun), whereby the Goddess is called to descend into the body of the Priestess (or the God into the Priest) to effect divine possession.

The elements
The classical elements are a key feature of the Wiccan world-view. Every manifest force or form is seen to express one of the four archetypal elements — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — or several in combination.There is no consensus as to the exact nature of these elements. Some[attribution needed] hold to the ancient Greek conception of the elements corresponding to matter (earth) and energy (fire), with the mediating elements (water, air) relating to the phases of matter (fire/earth mixtures). Other exponents of the system[attribution needed] add a fifth or quintessential element, spirit (aether, akasha). The five points of the frequently worn pentagram symbolise, among other things, the four elements with spirit presiding at the top.[14] The pentagram is the symbol most commonly associated with Wicca in modern times. It is often circumscribed — depicted within a circle — and is usually (though not exclusively) shown with a single point upward. The inverse pentagram, with two points up, is a symbol of the second degree initiation rite of traditional Wicca; some Wiccans have alternatively been known to associate the inverted pentagram with evil.[15] In geometry, the pentagram is an elegant expression of the golden ratio phi which is popularly connected with ideal beauty and was considered by the Pythagoreans to express truths about the hidden nature of existence. In the casting of a magic circle, the four cardinal elements are visualised as contributing their influence from the four cardinal directions: Air in the east, Fire in the south, Water in the west and Earth in the north. There may be variations between groups though, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, since these attributions are symbolic of (amongst other things) the path of the sun through the daytime sky. For example, in southern latitudes the sun reaches its hottest point in the northern part of the sky, and north is the direction of the Tropics, so this is commonly the direction given to Fire.[16] Some Wiccan groups also modify the religious calendar to reflect local seasonal changes; for instance, most Southern Hemisphere covens celebrate Samhain on April 30th and Beltane on October 31st, reflecting the southern hemisphere's autumn and spring seasons.[17]

Morality
Wiccan morality is summarised in a brief statement found within a text called the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what you will." ("An" is an archaic word meaning "if".) The Rede differs from some other well-known moral codes (such as Christian or Islamic notion of sin) in that, while it does contain a prohibition, it is largely an encouragement to act freely. It is normally considered that the prohibition against harm also covers self-harm.[18][19] It is also worth noting that "Rede" means advice, as such it is not so much a law that must be followed as advice that it is recommended one follows - not following it would be considered folly more than rule-breaking, though for a group that calls itself "Wise" it follows that such folly would be strongly avoided.
Many Wiccans also promote the Law of Threefold Return, a belief that anything that one does will be returned to them threefold. In other words, good deeds are magnified in like form back to the doer, and so are ill deeds. Many lineaged Wiccans also follow, or at least consider, a set of 161 laws, commonly called the Ardanes. Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned in Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess,[27] these being mirth, reverence, honour, humility, strength, beauty, power and compassion. In Valiente's poem they are ordered in pairs of complementary opposites, reflecting a dualism that is common throughout Wiccan philosophy. A common belief amongst Wiccans is that no magic, even of a beneficent nature, should be performed on any other person without that person's direct informed consent. This stems from the understanding that it would interfere with that person's free will and thus constitute "harm" in violation of the Rede. This especially applies to love spells.
History Origins
The history of Wicca is much debated. Gardner claimed that the religion was a survival of matriarchal Pagan religions of pre-historic Europe, taught to him by a woman known either as "Dafo" or "Old Dorothy". Doreen Valiente identified these as a single person, Dorothy Clutterbuck,[31] however modern researchers such as Philip Heselton have theorised that Dafo and Clutterbuck were two separate individuals.[32] It has been posited by authors such as Aidan Kelly and Francis X. King that Gardner himself invented it, rewriting the rituals of an older witchcraft tradition according to his own whim,[33] and incorporating elements from the thesis of Dr. Margaret Murray, sources such as Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland[34] and practices of ceremonial magic.[35] While Clutterbuck certainly existed, Ronald Hutton concluded that there was no evidence for her involvement in Gardner's Craft activities.[36] Heselton, citing more recent evidence, concludes that she probably was involved, and that while Gardner may have been mistaken about the ancient origins of the religion, his statements about it were largely made in good faith. Gardner's account is as follows: After retiring from adventuring around the globe, Gardner encountered Clutterbuck and her New Forest coven in the region, and was initiated into the coven in 1939, where he stayed for years until England's witchcraft laws were repealed. At this point, and later claiming to fear that the Craft would die out,[37] he worked on his book Witchcraft Today, releasing it in 1954, followed by The Meaning of Witchcraft in 1960. It is from these books that much of modern Wicca is derived. While the ritual format of Wicca is undeniably styled after late Victorian era occultism (even co-founder Doreen Valiente admits seeing influence from Aleister Crowley), the spiritual content is inspired by older Pagan faiths, with Buddhist and Hindu influences. Margot Adler puts it in Drawing Down the Moon.) He notes that all the Crowley material that is found in the Wiccan rituals can be found in a single book, The Equinox vol 3 no. 1 or Blue Equinox. Gardner is not known to have owned or had access to a copy of this book, although it is certain that he met Crowley towards the end of the latter’s life. Gardner admitted "the rituals he received from Old Dorothy's coven were very fragmentary, and in order to make them workable, he had to supplement them with other material."[39] Some, such as Isaac Bonewits, have argued that Valiente and Heselton's evidence points to an early 20th century revival predating Gardner, rather than an intact old Pagan religion. The argument points to historical claims of Gardner's that agree with scholarship of a certain time period and contradict later scholarship. Bonewits writes, "Somewhere between 1920 and 1925 in England some folklorists appear to have gotten together with some Golden Dawn Rosicrucians and a few supposed Fam-Trads to produce the first modern covens in England; grabbing eclectically from any source they could find in order to try and reconstruct the shards of their Pagan past." Crowley published the aforementioned Blue Equinox in 1919. The idea of primitive matriarchal religions, deriving ultimately from studies by Johann Jakob Bachofen, was popular in Gardner's day, both among academics (e.g., Erich Neumann, Margaret Murray) and amateurs such as Robert Graves. Later academics (e.g. Carl Jung and Marija Gimbutas) continued research in this area, and later still Joseph Campbell, Ashley Montagu and others became fans of Gimbutas' theories of matriarchies in Old Europe. The idea of a supreme Mother Goddess was common in Victorian and Edwardian literature: the concept of a Horned God — especially related to the gods Pan or Faunus — was less common, but still significant.[40] Both of these ideas were widely accepted in academic literature and the popular press at the time.[41]
Secrecy and initiation
Some practitioners of lineaged initiatory Wicca consider that the term 'Wicca' correctly applies only to an initiate of a traditional branch of the religion (Gardnerian or Alexandrian Wicca, or their offshoots such as Seax-Wica) because eclectic Wicca is different in practice from the religion established by Gardner.[5] However, the term has increasingly come to be adopted by people who are not initiates of a traditional lineaged coven.[29] Eclectic Wiccans may undertake rituals of self-dedication, and generally work alone as solitary practitioners or in casual groups, rather than in organised covens. Thus eclectic Wicca shares some of the basic religious principles, ethics and the ritual system of traditional, lineaged Wicca, but not the organisational structure, or the belief that Wiccan initiation requires a transferral of power from an initiator. Therefore, some lineaged Wiccans have adopted the term 'British Traditional Wicca' to differentiate themselves from this movement.[29] Within traditional forms of Wicca there are three degrees of initiation. First degree is required to become a witch and gain membership of a coven; those who aspire to teach may eventually undergo second and third degree initiations, conferring the title of "High Priest" or "High Priestess" and allowing them to establish new covens.[5]

Organisation within Wicca
Lineaged Wicca is organised into covens of initiated priests and priestesses. Covens are autonomous, and are generally headed by a High Priest and a High Priestess working in partnership, being a couple who have each been through their first, second and third degrees of initiation. Occasionally the leaders of a coven are only second-degree initiates, in which case they come under the rule of the parent coven. Initiation and training of new priesthood is most often performed within a coven environment, but this is not a necessity, and a few initiated Wiccans are unaffiliated with any coven.
In contrast, Eclectic Wiccans are more often than not solitary practitioners. Some of these "solitaries" do, however, attend gatherings and other community events, but reserve their spiritual practices (Sabbats, Esbats, spell-casting, worship, magical work, etc.) for when they are alone. Some solitary Wiccans also choose to study for a year and a day before their self-dedication to the religion.

Ritual Tools
Many Wiccans use a special set of altar tools in their rituals; these can include a broom (besom), cauldron, chalice, wand, Book of Shadows, altar cloth, athame (a knife used in rituals to channel energy), boline (or a knife for cutting things in the physical world), candles, crystals, pentacle and/or incense. Representations of the God/Goddess are often displayed. The tools themselves are just that — tools — and have no innate powers of their own, though they are usually dedicated or charged with a particular purpose, and used only in that context. For this reason, it is rude to touch another's tools without permission.

Ritual occasions
Wiccans typically mark each full moon (and in some cases new moons) with a ritual called an Esbat. They also celebrate eight main holidays called Sabbats. Four of these, the cross-quarter days, are greater festivals, coinciding with old Celtic fire festivals. These are Samhain, May Eve or Beltane, Imbolc and Lammas (or Lughnasadh). The four lesser festivals are the Summer Solstice (or Litha) and Winter Solstice (or Yule), and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, sometimes called Ostara and Mabon. See also the Wheel of the Year. The names of these holidays are often taken from Germanic pagan and Celtic polytheistic holidays. Ritual observations may display cultural influence from the holidays from which they take their name as well as influence from other unrelated cultures. Wiccan weddings can be "bondings", "joinings", or "eclipses"[citation needed] but are most commonly called "handfastings". Some Wiccans observe the practice of a trial marriage for a year and a day, which some traditions hold should be contracted on Lammas (Lughnasadh), as this was the traditional time for trial, "Telltown marriages" among the Irish. This practice is documented in the fourth and fifth volumes of the Brehon law texts, which are compilations of the opinions and judgements of the Brehon class of Druids (in this case, Irish). The texts as a whole deal with a copious amount of detail for the Insular Celts.[30] Some perform a ritual called a Wiccaning, analogous to a Christening for an infant, the purpose of which is to present the infant to the God and Goddess for protection. Despite this, in accordance with the importance put on free will in Wicca, the child is not necessarily expected or required to follow a Pagan path should they not wish to do so when they get older.[citation needed]




DIFFERNT TRADITIONS OF WITCHCRAFT

Another well-known magical practice is divination, which seeks to reveal information about the past, present or future. Varieties of divination include: Astrology, Augury, Cartomancy, Chiromancy, Dowsing, Fortune telling, Geomancy, I Ching, Omens, Scrying and Tarot.Magical traditions
Another method of classifying magic is by "traditions," which in this context typically refer to complexes of magical belief and practice associated with various cultural groups and lineages of transmission. Some of these traditions are highly specific and culturally circumscribed. Others are more eclectic and syncretistic. These traditions can compass both divination and spells.
When dealing with magic in terms of "traditions," it is a common misconception for outsiders to treat any religion in which clergy members make amulets and talismans for their congregants as a "tradition of magic," even though what is being named is actually an organized religion with clergy, laity, and an order of liturgical service. This is most notably the case when Voodoo, Palo, Santeria, Taoism, Wicca, and other contemporary religions and folk religions are mischaracterized as forms of "magic" or even "sorcery."
Examples of magical, folk-magical, and religio-magical traditions include:
Alchemy
Animism
Bonpo
Ceremonial Magic
Chaos Magic
Catholicism (Exorcism)
Druidry
Hermeticism
Mantrik Hinduism
Hoodoo, Conjure, Rootwork
Huna
Jewish Witchcraft
Kabbalistic magic, Practical Kabbalah
Nagualism
New Age
Obeah
Onmyodo
Palo Monte
Pow-Wow, Brauche
Psychonautics
Quimbanda
Reiki
Santería
Satanism
Seid
Seven Rays
Shamanism
Shinto
Thelema
Taoism
Vodun
Voodoo
Wicca

SPELL OF THE DAY

FOCUS RATTLE SPELL

This spell is designed to help you focus - to clear you mind. SO, if you have a project, problem, or difficulty..but you cant cut through the drama to focus on what the solution might be....try this procedure.

SUPPLIES: 1/2 oz of un-popped popcorn kernels/ beads / dried beans / or a collection of seeds (your choice); one plastic or glass spice jar with smooth sides; 1/4 tsp mint (dried).

INSTRUCTIONS: Cast your circle, call the quarters and invoke deity. Cleanse & empower all supplies. Pour mint & kernals into jar. Hold hands over jar - Ground & Center. Visualize the Jar filling with pure, white light. Cap the jar tightly. Thank Deity; Thank & Dismiss Quarters, close circle.

USAGE: When ready to use. Sit in a comfortable chair with feet flat on the flor. Take 3 deep/cleansing breathes. Ground & center. Smoothly roll the jar back & forth between our palms, allow your mind to drift to the clanking of the beads.

Chant: "The magick is the Witch, the Witch is the magick, I am the Witch. I rist above my problems, and my problems dissolve."
**note: use your "magick voice" - deep in your throat using little air

The more ou practice with the rattle the better yo'll get at clearing the clutter of an issue out of your mind.

BLESSED BE!!