The legend of the Violet

Today in the woods I saw the first violet of spring, truely a gift from the Gods.

This fragile flower comes into our awareness via the Roman God, Attis, a story with a familiar Christian theme, albeit it predates Christianity by several hundred years.

Attis was born of a human virgin called Nana and sacrificed his own life to save mankind. He was crucified on a pine tree and, where his blood fell to earth the first violets were said to have sprung.

These flowers are often seen as a symbol of both sacrifice and regeneration. They are said to protect against evil spirits, calm frayed nerves and encourage peaceful sleep. It is worth remembering however that they are a protected species in the UK and therefore best admired and left in the wild.

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers' by Carole Carlton.

The Binding

Fresh on the wings

Of a March wind

You run.....

Wild and free

Yet bound,

With knowing

Yet unsure.

Feel the blood of life

Coursing through your veins.

Feel the animal passion

Rising in your loins.

Run, run, wild and free

For She is but a whisper away...

Know

That when you gaze upon Her face,

Her beauty will bind;

Your destiny beckon.

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers' by Carole Carlton

Click on Amazon link atthe top of the page.

The Spring Equinox

Today marks the Spring Equinox, a time when day and night are equal, but from which point we journey joyfully into the light of a northern summer, as daylight hours begin to exceed those of darkness.

This is a time when the Horned God of the wildwood and the maiden Goddess meet and she becomes pregnant with the Solstice child, hence the cycle of life begins again.

This is a time of joyous celebrations and so, as the moon still hangs full in the sky tonight, sit beneath it around a fire and toast the warmth and light that is to come.

The Super Moon

Today marks the time of the full moon at one of its closest perigees to earth since 1993. It is being called a 'super moon' and its gravitational pull on the earth will be very strong possibly leading to extreme levels of tidal waters known as the 'Proxigean Tide'.

The full moon is in the sign of Virgo at 18.10 but moonrise will begin at 18.23 GMT. A Virgo moon indicates a time of dealing with employment, health, diet, business and the law, in fact anything which is earthly by nature.

For more information on all aspects of the moon click on the Amazon link to buy 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

The Ides of March

Today is the 'Ides of March', the day upon which Julius Caesar was murdered in 44BC. Caesar was said to have visited fortune teller on his way to the theatre of Pompey and was told that harm would not come to him later than the Ides of March. Caesar laughed and said the Ides had already come, to which the seer replied that they may have come but they were not yet over. This was an occasion famously captured by Shakespeare in his play, where Caesar is told, 'Beware the Ides of March'.

In actual fact the Ides simply referred to a monthly date which was sacred to the Roman God of War, Mars upon which a military parade was held. The Ides fell on the 15th day of the months of March, May, July and October, whilst the remainder of the year's Ides fell on the 13th.

The Sumatra Earthquake and the Full Moon

As discussed in the previous blog entry there is much evidence to suggest that the moon has the power to affect not only our tidal waters but also the earth itself and that many natural disaters such as earthquakes, volcanic erruptions and tsunamis occur around the time of the full or new moon or when the moon is closest (perigee) or furthest (apogee) away from the moon.

On 26 December 2004, the day of the full moon, the most powerful earthquake recorded for over 40 years occured off the north west coast of Sumatra, measuring over 9 points on the Richter scale and causing the planet to wobble on its axis. It had the enery of 23,000 atomic bombs.

The tectonic plate of India slipped 15 metres beneath the Eurasian plate causing a rupture in the earth's surface of some 1,200 kilometres below the sea. This resulted in 30 square kilometres of seawater being displaced leading to a tsunami that claimed 150,000 lives, with the worst country affected being Sri Lanka.

Can life ever be looked at in the same way again after experiencing nature in one of her most formidable moods?

For fascinating information on the moon and the elements click the link to Amazon at the top of the page to buy 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries' and 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

Earth Tides and the Moon

Next Saturday sees the Moon in its full phase moving as close to earth as it has been for 18 years at a distance of only 356,577 km. This is known as being in perigee, from the Greek 'peri' meaning near and 'ge' meaning earth.

It is a known fact that when the moon is full, it has a dramtic effect on our tidal waters and this is accentuated when the moon is in perigee. What many fail to realise however is that the moon also pulls the earth and its tectonic plates, posing the question as to whether today's earthquake in Japan is the result of the moon's increasing closeness too the earth, albeit it is not yet full.

Opinions are divided amongst scientists, but surely it is more than coincidental that the 7th largest earthquake ever recorded has happened at this particular time?

Today reminds us that the power of Mother Nature is a formidable force and reminds us just how fragile humankind is. May the people of Japan find strength and courage in the days to come.

For more explanations of the moon, Her phases and effects on the earth buy 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries by clicking on the Amazon link at the top of the page.

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!

Spring Cleaning

Between the festivals of Imbolc and the Vernal Equinox, the time honoured ritual of spring cleaning was performed by our ancestors and still continues today in many homes around the world.

Today the strengthening sun makes us think of our spring wardrobe and so we tend to throw out our old winter clothes in favour of something lighter and more colourful. It is also a time when our thoughts turn towards decorating and gardening, two occupations which lend themselves to cleaning and tidying up.

For our ancestors however, the spring clean was to ensure that absolutely nothing was left in the house from the winter solstice celebrations. Anything that was found would be burned, which acted as a safeguard against hauntings in the year to come and also ensured that the house was ready to greet the spring.

Happy cleaning!

Well Dressing

The origins of well dressing have been lost in the mists of time, however it has been suggested that it is a continuation of the Celtic practice of making offerings to the Gods, in exchange for answering a request or providing a blessing.

In Tissington in Derbyshire the wells are still dressed to this day, a tradition which stems back to 1350. At this time the plague had swept through Derbyshire, killing 50% of the population, however the people of Tissington remained healthy, a fact attributed to the pure well water and from that time the wells were dressed as a form of thanksgiving.