Honouring the Lent Lily

This is the season of the daffodil or Lent Lily & although it is the most cheerful of flowers it does have some rather sinister undertones.
If the first daffodils you see hang their heads toward you then the year will be one of misfortune, whilst if you have laying hens then they will not provide many eggs if you bring daffodils into the house before the 1st March and if a bunch is less than 13 in number.
The Roman writer Pliny said that daffodils grew on the banks of the Acheron river & delighted the spirits of the dead who called then 'asphodel', which later derived into daffodil.
You are now safe to bring a huge bunch of daffodils into your home to honour the forthcoming festival of Ostara on the day of the April full moon.
Read more: 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

Nicky Nan Night

This coming Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian calandar,with Shrove Tuesday or 'Pancake Day' as it is now more popularly known being the last day upon which the faithful can eat sweet and fatty foods until Easter Sunday.

A 150 years ago howeverit was a rowdy festival at which cock fights, horse racing and dancing often took place, whilst in 1868 it is recorded as 'Blackamoor Night' where little boys blackened their faces and went from door to door begging for sweets.

A lesser known Cornish festival however used to be celebrated on theMonday before Shrove Tuesday and was known as 'Nicky Nan Night', where young men roamed the streets causing mischief and mayhem. A procession carried a burning straw figure which was said to be the Queen of the Cornish piskies, Joan the Wad, following which a meal of pea soup was served.

Whether you choose pancakes or pea soup this week, spare the burning of Joan & enjoy.

Mother's Day and the Lent Lilly

Today is Mother's Day, an occasion when in times past servents were given this day off in order to journey home and attend a church service with their mother. It was the only highlight for many in what was the long and sombre period of Lent. Today it has become a serious money making day, just as the majority of our well known festivals have.

I am not objecting to honouring our precious Mum's, but surely this is something we should do on a regular basis rather than on one day of the year when florists, card producers, and a whole host of other commercial outlets selling and producing feminine gifts put their prices up in order to cash in on the fact that we feel obliged to spend money.

Mum's are special and as such they often don't desire a fortune to be spent on them and a token gesture would be just as welcome. In this respect a bunch of daffodils or a pot of primroses are most appropriate, for both are said to represent and attract love.

Daffodils are also known as the 'Lent Lilly' and a vase of them in the bedroom are said to assist with conception difficulties, although do ensure that there are a minimum of 13!

Enjoy mother's day and just telling your Mum how much she means to you will be more precious to her than any expensive gift.

I'm just looking across at my Mum's photograph surrounded by daffodils and remembering how lucky I was to have her as my Mum.

A Pagan take on Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent for those who follow the Christian faith and is probably one of the most depressing occasions in the church calender. It was a day upon which the 'Rite of Ashing' took place, where burned ashes (usually obtained from last year's palm crosses) were sprinkled onto the head or forehead in the form of a cross, whilst the body was covered with sack cloth. It was supposed to remind man that from dust he came and to dust he will return.

The custom of ashing however, predates Christian times for an occasion of ashing is described in the Old Testament where Job covers himself in ashes and says, 'I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.'

In 1548 Edward V1 decided to abolish the ritual, but replaced it with what could be described as an even more depressing church ceremony, where the priest would read sentences from the book of Deuteronomy, especially the bit where God curses sinners and states that he will take revenge upon obstinate sinners, such as the unmerciful fornicators, idolators, slanderers, drunkards etc. Following this tirade of abuse everyone was expected to kneel and repeat the psalm, 'Lord have mercy upon me O God.'

It is little wonder that we have trouble loving ourselves if we have been brought up within this regime of self hatred. I jokingly asked my husband what he intended to give up for Lent and his answer was that he intended to give up denying himself pleasure! Now there's a good Pagan soul!

The return of the Maiden

The month of February is often looked upon as being the worst of the winter months as far as the weather is concerned. It does however have several high spots by way of ancient festivals, many of which are associated with new beginnings and all of which we can still celebrate in our own individual ways today.

The Celtic fetsival of Imbolc was always celebrated with the birth of the first lamb, which heralded a much welcomed event for our ancestors especially when they were still in the grips of a harsh winter. For today's Pagans the commemoration of this occasion normally runs from sunset on the 1st, to sunset on the 2nd february. It is a time when the return of the Goddess in her maiden form is celebrated and is often associated with the Irish Celtic Goddess Bride (Bridget), the patron of healing, smiths and poets.

In your celebrations drink white wine, elerflower cordial or milk and eat white meats or treat yourself to a creamy sweet treat. Reinvent the Maiden aspect of yourself by doing something that makes you feel young and acknowledge Bride by writing poetry or indulging in craft work.

We are of course all familiar with the romantic St Valentine's Day on the 14th February, but less is known about the following day which marked the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia.

To the Romans the month of February was named after the Latin word 'februa' meaning 'purification' and on the 15th February that is exactly what the festival of Lupercalia entailed. Here the lusty priests of the Goat footed God, Pan, would run around the streets whipping maidens with their goat skin thongs in order that they might become both purified and fertile.

If you feel the need to celebrate this festival then please be at liberty to do so as you wish, although a public display of goatskin thong thrashing is probably not the way to go!

In the Christian calendar, the beginning of the period of Lent normally falls during February, a time associated with resistance from pleasure until Easter Sunday. If therefore you intend to adhere to a period of abstinance during this time, the tempting delights of pancakes with the most sumptuous of fillings is a must on Shrove Tuesday.

The Return

Deep within the earth She sleeps,
Dreaming dreams of her awakening.

Deep within the earth She calls,
The snowdrops from their slumber.

Deep within the earth She breathes,
The frosted breath of morning.

Deep within our soul She lights
The spark which sets us free.

(From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers' )