Samhain - the Journey inward and into the Underworld

Samhain altar

On the eve of 30 April those of us south of the equator pause in silent contemplation and remembrance of our ancestors.  Following on the heels of Anzac Day (the day when those fallen in combat from Australia and New Zealand are remembered as well as the increasing number of victims of war), the timing for the Southern Samhain could not really be any better.

It was the Celtic peoples from whom this name and festival originated, having divided the year into two parts.  In the "Tochmarc Emer", an Irish hero tale dating back to the 11th century, Irish hero CuChulain is recorded saying: "For two divisions were formerly on the year, namely, summer from Bealtaine the first of May, and winter from Samuin to Bealtaine", with "Samuin" having evolved into the modern day spelling of Samhain.

ANZAC Day

The 25th April is a special day for Australia and New Zealand for this is Anzac Day (an acronym standing to "Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), the day which marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by these two countries during the First World War.

When the First World War broke out in 1914, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula (Turkey), under a plan by British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill in order to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies.

“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.”

        ("For the Fallen" by  Laurence Binyon )

Other People's Agendas - Appreciating Suggestions

Other people may have their own agenda for our life;

we can value their input but we do not have to take it to heart.

As children, our parents had dreams for us. They wanted us to do well in school, and to do whatever was necessary to reach our highest potential. Later in life, friends may try to set us up with their idea of the perfect partner or the perfect job. Spouses may have agendas for us, too. People close to us may have ideas about how we should live our lives, ideas that usually come from love and the desire for us to be happy.

Other times, they come from a place of need within them, whether it is the parent who wants us to live out his or her dreams or the friend or spouse who wants us to play an already-defined role. Whatever the case, we can appreciate and consider those people's input, but ultimately we must follow our own inner guidance.

The Halloween Wytch

As the Wheel of the Year turns, 30 April marks the time of Samhain here in the Southern Hemisphere, the time of the year when we gather together to remember our ancestors of both kith and kin.

The following usually makes itself known on the internet at the end of October, the time of Samhain, or Halloween, in the Northern Hemisphere and serves as a timely reminder of the possible truth behind the characters that grace our front doors after candy.

As the Southern Samhain falls around ANZAC Day (which stands for "Australian and New Zealand Army Corps"), the day on which many Australians and New Zealanders pause to remember those who have given their lives in the many global conflicts.

On a lighter night, this year, 2011, the Broadway musical, "Wicked" is in town around the Southern Samhain - seemingly perfect timing to honour the inner "Wytch".

The Myth of the Easter Bunny

In the Northern Hemisphere of course Easter and the Spring Equinox occur around the same time - unlike here in the Southern Hemisphere, however as much of the symbolism used in the Christian festival actually stem from this older Pagan festival, this rather lengthy article investigates the origins of such rather fully.

 

The Myth of the Easter Bunny

by Joan Katherine Webster

Rabbits dont lay eggs. Particularly male rabbits, the traditional gender of the Easter Bunny. Yet every Easter we buy bunnies with eggs. We send children to find hidden eggs laid by the Easter Bunny. Why?

Underneath the noise - hear the whisper

Sometimes it is the softness of a whisper that is needed the most.

You may have noticed that if you want to speak to someone in a noisy, crowded room, the best thing to do is lean close and whisper. Yelling in an attempt to be louder than the room’s noise generally only hurts your throat and adds to the chaos. Similarly, that still, small voice within each of us does not try to compete with the mental chatter on the surface of our minds, nor does it attempt to overpower the volume of the raucous world outside.

If we want to hear it, no matter what is going on around us or even inside us, we can always tune in to that soft voice underneath the surrounding noise.

Stepping Stones - One Day at a Time

Our lives are made of stepping stones,

one experience after another in perfect and divine order.

The years of our life do not arrive all at once; they greet us day by day. With the descent of each setting sun, we are able to rest our heads and let the world take care of itself for a while. We may rest assured throughout the night, knowing that the dawn will bring with it a chance to meet our lives anew, donning fresh perspectives and dream-inspired hopes.

The hours that follow, before we return to sleep once more, are for us to decide how we want to live and learn, laugh and grow. Our lives are sweeter and more manageable because we must experience them this way: one day at a time.

Apathy

The following is taken from Zsuzsanna Budapest's wonderful book Grandmother Moon that is now back in print.

Apathy

The death of the soul is apathy. When you have been beaten so long and so much that you can no longer fight back, "they" have got you. "They" in this case are whoever would benefit from your lack of participation in real life.

Pattern of the Trestleboard

The "Pattern on the Trestleboard" is said to be a most startling set of positive statements relating to the ten Divine Emanations of the Qabalistic Tree. The following comes from the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.):


The Pattern on the Trestleboard

This is Truth about the Self

Invaluable Sense Awareness Techniques

When you are just setting out on your spiritual/magickal path, there are a few "basic" exercises that whilst may seem pointless at first to learn, later on down your path, their true benefit often becomes clear. They are referred to as "basic" not because of their simplicity - but because they form part of a solid foundation or building block upon which you can base your work.

Even for a more seasoned practitioner, it is always recommended to return to these exericses every now and then .. this is because often shortcuts are taken and sometimes well, bad habits do tend to creep into one's practice if you are not disciplined enough .. and I know I'm certainly not disciplined all the time.

The Importance of Protection - part III

Following on from recent postings about psychic protection, I thought I would focus this section on what is a psychic attack.  I also include magickal attacks in here as well as often the effects are relatively similar.

The first point I would like to make clear is that such attacks are actually rarer that what most people believe they are. Any bit of bad luck or misfortune is not necessary an "attack" - it may simply be the way things are. However, in saying this, I do not mean to imply that attacks (regardless of whether they are psychic, magickal or otherwise) do not happen .. because they do. It is important, especially for the novice, to ascertain what exactly is happening, and in particular where the energy is coming from .. the source of the latter may actually result in a surprise.