Celtic Tree Month of Hawthorn begins today

Today starts the month of the Hawthorn tree on the Celtic calender. It goes from May 13 - June 9. This is a great time for magic concerning peace, prosperity, protection, fertility and marriage.

The Hawthorn tree can be seen in variations of trees and shrubs. The druids were said to use it's leaves and flowers to make medicinal teas. And the wood from the Hawthorn was known to provide the hottest fire. The Greeks and Romans saw the Hawthorn as a symbol of marriage. Although in Medieval Europe, the Hawthorn was associated with witchcraft, and was therefore seen as unlucky.

In Ireland, Hawthorns covered in "clootie" prayer strips guard sacred wells. These are little strips of cloth blessed in the well, and then tied to the tree with a prayer. This magical little tree is also associated with the faeries. It is said that a Hawthorn growing on a hill near a sacred well is a marker for the faery realm.

To celebrate the Hawthorn tree, pray to the Goddess Cardea, for the Hawthorn was her sacred tree. She is known as the Goddess who protects the home, put a piece of Hawthorn over any windows or doors in your home for protection from this Hawthorn Goddess.

For more information on the Hawthorn tree, check out : Dutchie.org

For more information on the Goddess Cardea, check out : ThaliaTook.com


Blessings )O(



Photo courtesy of TypesofFlowers.org

Samothrace, Sacred Island of the Great Mother

I found the story behind this ancient island to be truly fascinating. Samothrace is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. The myth behind it involves the Amazon Queen Myrine.
It is said that the queen of the Amazons wanted to settle in some of the islands in the Aegean. On her quest to conquer these islands, she and her crew got caught in a violent storm. In the chaos, she prayed for safety to the Mother of the Gods. She was then carried to one of these uninhabited islands, and decided to make this place sacred to the Goddess, and set up great altars and shrines. She then named the island Samothrace, which in Greek means "Sacred Island".

This island was known for its mystery religious cult. Here they performed secret ceremonies and initiations. The pantheon of Gods they worshiped were primarily chthonic deities, with focus on one central figure, The Great Mother. People from all over came to this island to partake in sacred ceremonies and rituals. Some of the Goddesses they were said to have worshiped here, were variations of Cybele, Hecate and Demeter.

The Amazons were known to be warrior women who worshiped female deities. They defended their territory quite successfully, like they're neighboring male dominated societies. On the island of Samothrace, they worshiped their Great Mother at sacred rocks, here they made great sacrifices to her. Archaeologists have found inscriptions on some of these rocks in characters of an unknown language. It is said that this was the sacred language of the Samothracian Mysteries. Some say that the Amazons were just a myth, some believe otherwise. There has been some evidence found, of a possible female warrior society. Whether the interpretation of these findings is correct remains to be seen. I don't think it would be so outrageous to think that there could have been an all female warrior society.

For more information on the island of Samothrace and its sacred temple complex check out Wikipedia

For more information regarding the story of the Amazons on the island of Samothrace, check out this great article: Amazon Research Network Article

Also if you are interested in learning more about the Amazons check out the Amazon Research Network Website


Blessings )O(



Photo courtesy of Old Vagabond

Beltane, Spring Festival of Fertility

Beltane is the last of the three spring fire festivals. Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into two primary seasons, winter and summer. As Samhain is about honoring death, Beltane is about honoring life. This is also a time when the veils between worlds is thin, as it is at Samhain. It is a time to connect with the faeries and other nature spirits. A time to celebrate life, rebirth and sexuality.

At Beltane, we honor Blodeuwedd, the flower maiden. Blodeuwedd was created from the flowers of oak, broom and meadowseet, and was known as a flower Goddess. The purpose of her creation, was to be the bride of Llew, the son of Arianrhod. For the Goddess Arianrhod deems her son shall never marry a mortal woman. Soon after they are married, Blodeuwedd falls in love with another man, and has her husband killed. Since her husband is immortal, he doesnt die and turns Blodeuwedd into an owl as punishment.

Some people say that the meaning behind Blodeuwedd being turned into an owl, symbolizes her transformation into the wise crone. There are many things to do to celebrate Beltane and Blodeuwedd. You could make a tiara of flowers to wear at your ritual, or you could make a May basket. I chose to make the latter of the two. You could decorate your basket with ribbons, and fill it with picked flowers. Or, if you can't pick wild flowers for this, just purchase some from your grocery store.

Fire is another big part of this sabbat. Bonfires were very popular in the ancient pagan days on this holiday. Since many of us today cannot have bonfires, a candle will do.

There is a poem about Blodeuwedd that was featured in Robert Graves book "The White Goddess"

~Hanes Blodeuwedd

I am formed from nine blossoms,
Nine buds of various kinds,
From primroses of the mountains,
Broom, meadow sweet and cockle,
Together intertwined,
From the bean in its shade bearing,
A special white army
Of earth, of earthly kind,
From the blossoms of the nettle,
Oak, thorn and bashful chestnut,
Nine powers of nine flowers,
Nine powers in me combine,
Nine buds of plant and tree,
Long and white are my fingers,
As the ninth wave of the sea.

Have a blessed Beltane!


Blessings )O(



This amazing drawing courtesy of Fine Art America

Earth Day, Celebrate our Mother Gaia

On Earth Day, we honor mother nature and give thanks for her bounty. As followers of the Goddess, most of us already honor our Great Mother. For it is through her that we were created. The Goddess of the Earth, Gaia, was the beginning of it all. She is considered to be the divine personification of the earth. She is the mountains and trees, the forests and hills, the soil of the earth and the blooming spring flowers.

There are many simple ways to honor our Mother Gaia. Plant a seed in her honor, nurture it and watch it grow. You will see her magic in action right before your eyes! Watching a seed sprout into a beautiful plant is still something that always amazes me. Gaia has the power to transform our world, and your life.

Other ways to connect with our Mother Gaia, is through some simple folk magic. The following two folk spells, were taken from Scott Cunningham's book Earth Power

To lose your troubles:
Take a handful of dirt and gaze into it, pour into it all your problems. Outline, in minute detail, all of those problems that plague you. When you are finished, throw the dirt behind you and walk away from it, not turning back.

A Variation
In a pot or a plot of prepared land, sow the seeds of an appropriate plant in the form of a symbol or rune representative of your need. Tend to the plant. When the seedlings first pop up, draw a circle around the symbol in the earth with the forefinger of your power hand. Stand in quite contemplation of the growing, living symbol of your need. As it has sprung into existence, so too shall your need.

Enjoy honoring our Great Mother Gaia on this Earth Day!

Blessings )O(



Photo courtesy of Squidoo.com

Celtic Tree Month of Willow Begins Today

Today starts the month of the Willow tree on the Celtic calendar. It goes from April 15 - May 12. This is a great time for magic concerning the moon, romance, fertility and intuition. The Willow tree, known by the Celts as Saille, is associated with the moon, and since they grow in swampy marshy areas, they are also associated with the earthly feminine, and the feminine cycles. The Willow can also bring dreams and night visions.

The Willow tree was sacred to the triple goddess in Celtic Myth, and associated with the Cailleac, a crone figure. The crone represents the spirit of wisdom, and the Willow was seen as a tree of wisdom in the Celtic world. The Druids cultivated parts of the Willow for usage in herbal medicines. This has always been known as a tree of enchantment.

To honor the Willow tree, and receive some of its sacred wisdom, celebrate Beltane on May 1. The ancient fire festival of fertility.

Blessings )O(



Image courtesy of : Willow Tree Yoga

Goddess Resources

There are lots of great Goddess resources out there. There are so many, that I decided to do a blog on some of them. The following is a small list of my favorite Goddess resources on the net and off. Enjoy!

Temple of Cybele:
This is a virtual temple dedicated to the ancient Goddess Cybele. This website is rich in information about ancient Goddess worship. You can join the temple, with their approval, and actually become an ordained priest or priestess. The Temple of Cybele is run by Priestess Jean, a lovely woman. She is extremely knowledgeable and very dedicated to the Goddess. She is currently offering a free dvd about the history of the Goddess in the ancient world. All you have to do is email her with your information and she will send it to you free of charge. Its a great documentary on the Goddess, and I highly recommend it. Check out the temple and join their mailing list if you wish for updates.

Lady of the Labyrinth:
This is a collection of small Goddess documentaries on you tube. There are 3 episodes which give you a brief history of ancient Goddess worship. These mini documentaries are very well done. With lots of pictures and beautiful music playing that will surely take you back to the days of ancient Goddess worship. Maria is the creator of these wonderful little showings, and she is planing on having a full documentary out hopefully sometime in the summer. Check these out I know you will love them!

Karen Tate :
Karen Tate is a strong voice for the Goddess today. She has an information filled website, along with some free downloadable meditations. You can find these in the Goddess gift shop. I have tried all of these meditations and they are wonderful. I just download them to my ipod, or if you like you can make a small cd. She also has a channel on you tube, Karen Tate.

Sage Woman Magazine:
This is by far my favorite magazine ever! In any category! A magazine dedicated solely to the Goddess, what more could we ask for? This magazine is filled with articles written by all different kinds of Goddess followers. It is a quarterly subscription, so you get one 4 times a year. I am always so excited when I get my new issue of Sage Woman. This magazine is so filled with great information from celebrating the sabbats, to herbalism, to short stories, to book reviews and much more. I strongly suggest that you try this out. If you dont want to get a subscription, they sell each issue individually as well, even all they're back issues!

Goddess Download
GoddessDownload.com is a place where you can purchase and download meditations or rituals for a very small fee. They have everything from sabbat rituals to moon rituals. You can download these to your ipod, or make a small cd. Try out the new moon ritual for the coming up new moon on the 14th.

Goddess Alive Online Magazine:
This is an online magazine dedicated to all things Goddess. You can get a subscription, or you can get individual issues as well. They will take articles if you are interested in submitting one just contact them with an outline of your article. Check it out there is some really great information about Goddess spirituality from all corners of the world.

Enjoy exploring your new resources. I hope these will help you on your path to the Goddess!

Blessings )O(



Image courtesy of Emily Balivet

Selene, Goddess of the Moon

Selene was the Greek Goddess of the moon, or the moon personified into a divine being. She was daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister to Helios and Eos. She was often depicted as a woman on a horse or a horse drawn chariot. Her lunar crescent was depicted as a crown upon her head. There was a number of Goddesses associated with the moon, but Selene was the only one who was thought to be the moons divine incarnate.

In the Greek calendar, each month began with the new moon, and was divided into three ten day periods between the moons cycles. The first ten days were presided over by the waxing moon, the next ten the near full and full moon, and the last ten by the waning moon. Festivals and rituals were measured in the cycles of the moon.

Homeric Hymn to Selene:
"Long-winged Selene . . . at eventime in the mid-month : then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men."

Hymn from Sappho to Selene:
"Selene (the Moon) was coming in to view in her fullness, and when the women took their position round the altar."

These among many other hymns describe Selene in her moon form, and how she affects people and activities throughout the month. Many ancient cultures lived their lives around the phases of the moon. As many Goddess worshipers and witches do today.

To celebrate Selene, call on her on the full moon. Feel her ancient bright light shining down on you, absorb its sacred feminine energies.

The following is a prayer to Selene, you can pray to her with white lit candles and sandalwood incense burning (the scent of the moon).

The gleaming stars all about the shining moon
Hide their bright faces, when full-orbed and splendid
In the sky she floats, flooding the shadowed earth
With clear silver light.

Now rose the moon, full and silver,
While round stood the maidens, as at a shrine.
Thus sometimes, the women, tender footed,
Dance in measure round the fair altar,
Crushing the fine bloom of the grass.

Come hither moon goddess, Selene, come,
And in golden goblets pour richest nectar
All mixed in most ethereal perfection,
Thus to delight us.

Blessings )O(



Image courtesy of : Josephine Wall