Samhain & the Full Blood Moon

The full blood moon graces our skies as Samhain approaches and for the Celts this signified a time of feasting, fires, honouring the ancestors & sacrifice.
The Gods were thought to draw near to the earth plane under this moon and kings would gather their tribes in order to make a human sacrifice to appease the Gods & keep everyone safe through the harsh winter to come. On occasions the sacrificial victim may be a beggar, whilsr on others an elderly king would give up his life.
Today gentler alternatives are preferred such as sacrificing a habit which no longer serves us or sacrificing the clothes which hang unworn in our wardrobes by giving them to a deserving cause. Afterall what better time to make new resolutions & clear out the clutter than at the beginning of the celtic new Year?
Read more 'Mrs Darley's pagan whispers'

Holy wells and springs

Watery places have always held a certain amount of fascination, especially natural springs and wells and, over thousands of years, have become sacred places of pilgrimage and sacrifice where the Gods who dwell beneath the depths ultimately decide the fate of man.

Both Bronze and Iron Age man saw water as having supernatural powers, whilst its mysterious depths were gateways to the underworld. As such, many offerings were made to appease the Gods as evidenced by archaeological finds of jewellery, plaques, coins and both human and animal remains. No doubt these places were the origin of today's wishing wells!

Discover more about these strange watery places in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The Season of Water

Ours is a world dominated by water, from soft rains and still lakes to iced glaciers and flowing rivers. None however can compare either in size or temperament to the wild untamed oceans that surround every outcrop of land.

These vast bodies of water once provided the beneficial environment in which life began to develop and even today support the greatest variety of living organisms on earth, from microscopic algae to the largest living creature - the blue whale.

It is little wonder then that these waters were revered as sacred, a fact which has led to many Gods and Goddesses becoming associated with our seas and oceans.

The oldest of the water Gods was Pontus, produced by Gaea herself at the very edge of time. Gaea's later union with Uranus produced Oceanus whose power was inferior to none but Zeus. As time passed however the Olympians stamped their authority over both the earth and the waters, with jurisdiction of these being given to Poseidon, whilst Oceanus was guided towards retirement.

Read more: 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

The Wine Moon

The waxing crescent should just be visible tonight in the sign of libra. The next two days are auspicious for performing magic in connection with the arts, justice, partnerships, emotional balance, peace and love.

This new moon is the wine moon which was believed to be the moon blessed by the Gods and under which, after consuming copius amounts of wine, the Celts practised various methods of divination.

Raise a glass of rich red tonight and toast Dionysus.

Wales and Mid West Pagan Conference

This weekend we visited the beautiful town of Crickhowell in South Wales, where the Wales and Mid West Pagan Conference was held. What a lovely place and what friendly people. Thank you to everyone who made us so welcome. This is a part of Wales with which, until now, we were unfamiliar but it is definitely somewhere we will be visiting again.

The conference itself made for a very interesting day spent with like minded people and some of the talks were fascinating on subjects such as training in the craft & the Gods of the Greek/Roman sorcerers. The open and closing rituals were also beautifully performed. Bee's (and many others I'm sure) hard work made the day a great success.

Will most certainly look forward to next year's conference.