Magic Monday, Spring Cleaning

Spring is a time of renewal and new beginnings. It's a time to get rid of the old so that we may be able to welcome the new. Spring is also the perfect time to cleanse your house and yourself of any negative energies or clutter. Cleaning your home of its physical clutter goes hand in hand with clearing it of any energy clutter. The book Magical Housekeeping by Tess Whitehurst has some wonderful home cleansings so I decided to share one here.

A Thorough Space Clearing

Supplies:

• White tea light candle for every room
• Small plate for every room
• Sea salt
• Bundle of sage
• Optional: bell or chime

Once you've cleaned your home of any physical clutter, gather your supplies and say a quick prayer over them to empower them with your intention. Then place your candles on the small plates and place one in each room. Around each candle make a ring of salt on the plate, and light the candle. Go back to your first room and begin to clap loudly around the perimeter of the space, paying special attention to corners and dark spots.

Open the windows in the first room of your house. Then light your sage bundle and shake it until the flame goes out and it's smoking. Walk around the perimeter of the room with the smoke which will dissolve negative energy and lift vibrations. Do this for each room in your home and then extinguish the sage and close your windows. You may also wish to ring a bell in each room as well which will also clear the space and raise the vibrations.

If you are planning to stay home after this, let your tea lights burn down as much as possible, if not extinguish them. Pour the salt down the sink and then take a shower to cleanse yourself of any negative energies.

Now you and your home are clean, fresh and new! Happy spring cleaning!

Rhiannon, Welsh Goddess of Horses and Magic

Rhiannon is the Welsh Goddess of horses, creativity, inspiration, movement and sovereignty. Her name is said to be derived from the ancient Celtic Goddess Rigantona which means "Great Queen". Rhiannon is often depicted as a beautiful woman riding her otherworldly white mare with mystical birds that fly at her side. These birds sing songs of enchantment that are said to lull people into a peaceful sleep and wake the dead.

Her myth appears in the Mabinogion, which is a collection of Welsh/Celtic mythology. One such tale about Rhiannon involves her marriage to king Pwyll. One night, after a feast with his men, Pwyll decides to take a walk to the mound in the forest. Upon the mound he notices a woman in the distance riding a beautiful white mare. He sends one of his men after her so that they may speak but the man is never able to catch up to her. The next night Pwyll returns to the mound and again sees Rhiannon riding in the distance so he sends another one of his men after her and he also cannot seem to catch her. Pwyll suspects some sort of trickery or magic so the next night when he sees Rhiannon he rides after her himself. He also cannot catch her so he calls out to her to stop so that they may speak. She stops her horse and tells him he should have said that to her earlier. 

She tells Pwyll that she is here to marry him as she does not want to marry the man her father has chosen for her. After sometime the two are married and have a son named Pryderi. The couple hires women to watch over their child at night. One night the women all fall asleep and when they awake the cradle is empty and the child gone. Terrified that the king will kill them upon hearing this news the women decide to blame Rhiannon. They sneak into Rhiannon's room where she sleeps and smear blood over her face and body. They then tell Pwyll that Rhiannon murdered and ate her baby. Rhiannon is punished for this crime by having to sit by a horse mounting block and offer to carry visitors to the courts on her back. The boy was found by the stables by a man names Teyrnon and he and his wife raise him as their own. Years later when they realize that the boy belongs to the king, they return him home to Rhiannon and Pwyll.

In this myth we can see that Rhiannon has to carry the burden of blame even for something she did not actually do. Though she gets through it carrying the weight of it on her back and in the end when the truth prevails she is stronger because of it. This teaches us to always be true to ourselves and through this we achieve strength. To not be true to ourselves is a heavy and unnecessary burden to carry. Through truth we achieve freedom.

Rhiannon is a lunar Goddess and is also associated with the underworld. She rides her white mare while guiding souls back to the spirit world to ensure their safe passage. Both horses and birds are viewed as otherworldly creatures in Celtic myth.  Rhiannon is associated with the Gaulish Goddess Epona, also a horse Goddess, whom the Romans worshiped as well. She is also viewed as a faery Queen and has associations with the Lady of the Lake.

Rhiannon is a creative Goddess and can be called upon for any creative endeavors we are taking on. She can also be called on for those seeking to explore the magical realms. Let her guide you with her mystical white mare and sweet singing birds. Since she is connected with movement in general you may also call on her for any kind of travel. She can also help you on your path for self truth.





Art courtesy of Kim Dreyer

Winner of Spring Giveaway!

Thank you to all who entered! And the winner is........Candy Kelley! Congratulations! I really enjoyed hearing about everyone's plans for Ostara. I will be doing some Spring cleaning like most of you are doing as well. Thank you to everyone who entered and enjoy your altar tile Candy Kelley!

Giveaway! Triple Moon Hand Painted Altar Tile!

Spring is right around the corner so I decided to have a giveaway in it's honor. The item I'm giving away is my Triple Moon altar tile which I sell in my shop Sage Art. During spring we honor the Goddess in her maiden form as she represents the fertile earth. On this altar tile is a purple triple moon representing the maiden, mother and crone which has green vines circling around it to represent the growing and fertile earth. All of this is painted on a violet background. This altar tile would look great on an Ostara altar!

To enter simply leave a comment telling us what your plans are for the upcoming sabbat, Ostara. Please be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner! Good luck to everyone! I will announce the winner this Saturday.

Aine, Celtic Goddess of Love

Aine is the Celtic Goddess of love, the sun, fertility, water, summer and sovereignty. She is honored for her ability to grant abundance and fertility over the land. Being a Goddess of the sun Aine is said to have been given the nickname "bright". Aine is also known as a Faery Queen and was honored as such in the province of Munster, Ireland. It is said in myth that Aine made love to many humans which created a magical race of faery people. Some people today are said to be related to this race. Daughter to Egobail, a member of the Tuatha De Danann, and sister to Aillen and Fennen, Aine is also honored as a lunar deity. She is said to have been able to shape-shift into "The Red Mare", the horse who could never be outrun.
 
In Celctic myth Aine was almost raped by King Ailill Aulom of Munster. This ended with Aine biting off the king's ear which gave the him the name "Aulom" which means "one-eared". Because of this Aine saw the king unfit to rule and took away his sovereignty over the land. There is another tale in which Aine did not get out so lucky. While bathing, Aine was approached by Gerald, Earl of Desmond. She was not able to protect herself from being raped this time. Aine became pregnant and gave birth to a son, the second Earl of Desmond. It is said that she did indeed make Gerald pay for what he did by turning him into a goose.
 
ine is honored at Mid-Summer when the land and animals are at their peak of abundance and fertility. She is also celebrated at Lughnasadh. Aine is a nature Goddess and is associated with all the animals, flowers and the land. Aine was worshiped in the province of Munster and in county Limerick there is a hill that is sacred to her called Knockainey Hill. She is also associated with lakes and rivers.
 
Call on Aine to invoke your passions, manifest your dreams and follow your heart. She teaches us to take risks and to pursue our true desires. She represents the burning fire of the sun and the burning fire of our passions. Aine teaches us that life is something to be experienced and lived. She tells us to not worry about making the wrong decision, but about making no decision at all.





Art courtesy of Caroline Evans

Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Fire

Today is Imbolc the Celtic holiday marking the coming of Spring in which the Goddess Brigid is honored. Brigid is a crucial deity on this sacred day as she is the representation of fire and the coming sun. She is also a Goddess of poetry, healing, smith craft and creative energy. Daughter to the Dagda, Celtic God of wisdom, Brigid is seen as a triple Goddess. Referred to as "Exalted One" Brigid is sometimes associated with the Roman Goddess Minerva. Brigid's name is often spelled in many different ways such as Brighid, Bridget, and Bride to name a few.
 
During Imbolc Brigid is honored as a Goddess of the sun and fire as she gives hope for the suns quick return at Spring. As a Goddess of fire she represents life and creative energy. Her role as a healing Goddess is represented all over Ireland in the form of sacred wells. One of these is located in Kildare and another is in Liscannore. People have made pilgrimages here to make offerings and ask for wishes to be granted. It is said that people wash their hands in the well and then tie a piece of cloth or ribbon to a tree. These are known as "clootie trees" or "clootie wells". I had the pleasure of visiting the sacred well in Liscannore and the picture below is of the well and its enclosure which is covered in ribbons, prayers, statuettes, coins and more.

Brigid was such an important and powerful figure to the ancient Celts and Druids that in order for Christians to attain converts they made Brigid into a saint. She is still honored today in the churches of Ireland. At her sanctuary in Kildare her fire burns year round and is tended by the nuns there. This sacred fire burned brightly until about the 16th century when it was extinguished by radical Christians. It was then re-lit in 1993 and is now housed in a protective sculpture. It is said that the nuns still tend the flame and they refer to themselves as "The Brigidine Sisters"

Brigid as a Goddess of creative energy represents igniting the creative fire within each of us. She can help to guide you along whichever creative path you choose. She is also associated with writing poetry as well as divination and prophecy. Honor Brigid on her sacred day of Imbolc or when you are working on something creative. She can also be called on for personal healing.

Wishing everyone many Imbolc blessings! 




Painting courtesy of Emily Balivet

Magic Monday, Brigid's Wheel Tarot Spread

Imbolc is only a week away so I wanted to share a tarot spread in honor of this season of new growth. Imbolc represents the coming of spring and new possibilities. At this point in the year it has been about a month since those New Year's resolutions have been made and a great time to check in and see where you're at. After a time of rest, introspection and purging of the old during the months of winter, this is a great time to ready ourselves for the creative energy and rebirth at spring.

This spread is in the shape of a circle and is referred to as "Brigid's Wheel". I like to think of it as representing the sun which will soon shine down again to create new growth in the coming months.
 
Representations of each card:
 
Card 1: This card represents strength. It shows where you are strong in life. It could also be strength acquired after going through a painful and difficult experience. In essence it represents your inner strength.
 
Card 2: This card represents your desires. Ask yourself what is it that you desire. What are your dreams? This could signify that it is time to live your dreams and start on making those dreams a reality.
 
Card 3: This card represents healing. It will help you to pinpoint an area of your life that needs healing in order for your strength to continue to grow. It can also help to give you advice about a situation you're currently dealing with.
 
Card 4: This card represents creative inspiration. Once we've learned what to do in order to heal ourselves, now we must get our creative juices flowing. This card will help you ignite your creative spark.
 
Card 5: This card represents making plans. Now that your creativity is going its time to figure out exactly how to go about making progress and continue moving forward. Look for consistencies with the cards you've pulled already as they may relate to one another.
 
Card 6: This card represents new growth. With spring comes new growth. Not only on the earth but also within ourselves. Now that we've started working on making our dreams a reality, we will start to experience growth in our own lives. This card will show us how that might look.
 
I found this spread in the book Tarot for all Seasons. You can perform this spread on the day or eve of Imbolc or any point in the year that you'd like to check on your progress.