May NewsLetter 2010

[Neamhain Riona]

May 2010

Well, it is a fact that May Day, which the children do enjoy with all vibes, is not an overly prominent holiday in America. Yet, it does have a long and notable history as one of the world's principal festivals. The origin of the May Day as a day for celebration dates back to the days, even before the birth of Christ. And like many ancient festivals it too has a Pagan connection.

For the Druids of the British Isles, May 1 was the second most important holiday of the year. Because, it was when the festival of Beltane held. It was thought that the day divides the year into half. The other half was to be ended with the Samhain on November 1. Those days the May Day custom was the setting of new fire. It was one of those ancient New Year rites performed throughout the world. And the fire itself was thought to lend life to the burgeoning springtime sun. Cattle were driven through the fire to purify them. Men, with their sweethearts, passed through the smoke for seeing good luck.

Then the Romans came to occupy the British Isles. The beginning of May was a very popular feast time for the Romans. It was devoted primarily to the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers. It was in her honor a five day celebration, called the Floralia, was held. The five day festival would start from April 28 and end on May 2. The Romans brought in the rituals of the Floralia festival in the British Isles. And gradually the rituals of the Floralia were added to those of the Beltane. And many of today's customs on the May Day bear a stark similarity with those combined traditions.

May day observance was discouraged during the Puritans. Though, it was relived when the Puritans lost power in England, it didn't have the same robust force. Gradually, it came to be regarded more as a day of joy and merriment for the kids, rather than a day of observing the ancient fertility rights.

The tradition of Maypole and greeneries:
By the Middle Ages every English village had its Maypole. The bringing in of the Maypole from the woods was a great occasion and was accompanied by much rejoicing and merrymaking. The Maypoles were of all sizes. And one village would vie with another to show who could produce the tallest Maypole. Maypoles were usually set up for the day in small towns, but in London and the larger towns they were erected permanently.

The Maypole tradition suffered a setback for about a couple of decades since the Puritan Long Parliament stopped it in 1644. However, with the return of the Stuarts, the Maypole reappeared and the festivities of May Day were again enjoyed. One of the great Maypoles, was
The changes brought about by the Reformation included attempts to do away with practices that were obviously of pagan origin. But the Maypole, or, May tree, was not issued in practice at the behest of the second Stuart.

Although they succeeded in doing this, Maypole with most of the other traditions, many still survived. And Maypole is one of them. In France it merely changed its name. In Perigord and elsewhere, the May Tree became the "Tree of Liberty" and was the symbol of the French Revolution. Despite the new nomenclature, the peasants treated the tree in the same traditional spirit. And they would dance around it the same way as their forefathers had always done.

Maypoles and trees:
Trees have been linked to a part of celebration, perhaps, to the days ancient New Year rites. The association of trees to this celebration has come riding on the back of the spring festival in ancient Europe. Trees have always been the symbol of the great vitality and fertility of nature and were often used at the spring festivals of antiquity. The anthropologist E. O. James finds a strong relationship between the ancient tree related traditions of the British and the Romans. According to James' description, as a part of the May Day celebration, the youths in old Europe cut down a tree, lopped off the branches leaving a few at the top. They then wrapped it round with violets like the figure of the Attis, the ancient Roman god. At sunrise, they used to take it back to their villages by blowing horns and flutes. In a similar manner, the sacred pine tree representing the god Attis was carried in procession to the temple of Cybele on Rome's Palatine Hill during the Spring Festival of March 22.

Roots of May Day celebration in America:
The Puritans frowned on May Day, so the day has never been celebrated with as much enthusiasm in the United States as in Great Britain. But the tradition of celebrating May Day by dancing and singing around a maypole, tied with colorful streamers or ribbons, survived as a part of the English tradition. The kids celebrating the day by moving back and forth around the pole with the the streamers, choosing of May queen, and hanging of May baskets on the doorknobs of folks -- are all the leftovers of the old European traditions.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Herb of the Month : Jasmine



Jasmine flowers have been used to flavor tea for centuries. It is most common to consume jasmine flavored tea with meals or right after meals, as the flowers are considered a digestive aid. It is also believed that they help clear out turbidity in the blood from consuming overly rich and fatty foods. It is also taken after strong tasting foods, to cleanse the palate and freshen the breath. Some people simply like the taste, and consume this tea at any time.

 

[Underworld Priestess]

Beltane Ritual

Casting the Circle
(3x clockwise with athame and 1 time with sage)
Now the veils of worlds are thin;
To move out you must move in.
Let the Balefires now be made,
Mine the spark within them laid.
By the fire which burns within,
By my will, which stirs the elements,
Let nothing harmful in,
So mote it be.

Calling Quarters
East
Hail guardians of the watchtower of the East,
Breath of the ancestors,
I call upon thee and the element of Air
To join me in this sacred space.
Be welcome in my rite!
(light yellow candle and offer rose petals).
Blessed Be!

South
Hail guardians of the watchtower of the South,
Will of the ancestors,
I call upon thee and the element of Fire.
To join me in this sacred space.
Be welcome in my rite!
(light red candle and offer rose petals)
Blessed Be!

West
Hail guardians of the watchtower of the West,
Blood of the ancestors,
I call upon thee and the element of Water.
To join me in this sacred space.
Be welcome in my rite!
(light blue candle and offer rose petals)
Blessed Be!

North
Hail guardians of the watchtower of the North,
Bone of the ancestors,
I call upon thee and the element of Earth.
To join me in this sacred space.
Be welcome in my rite!
(light green candle and offer rose petals)
Blessed Be!

(Turn towards the altar)
Spirit of my ancestors,
I call thy name into the night!
Come, be welcome in this my rite.
Blessed Be.
(light white candle and offer rose petals)

Calling the Goddess and God
Goddess
Great Mother we call on thee tonight
By the flame that burneth bright,
O Great Mother!
I call thy name into the night!
O Great Mother!
Behold your daughter, strong and true
In thy honor, if it is thy will
Be welcome in my rite!
(light silver candle and offer rose petals)
Blessed Be
God
Great Father I call on thee tonight,
By the flame that burneth bright,
O Horned One!
We call thy name into the night,
O Horned One!
Behold your daughter, strong and true
In thy honor, if it is thy will
Be welcome in my rite!
(light gold candle and offer rose petals)
Blessed Be.

Grant O Spirits, Thy Protection and in Protection, Strength
And in Strength, Understanding and in Understanding Knowledge
And in knowledge, the Knowledge of Justice
And in the Knowledge of Justice, the Love of It
And in the Love of it, the Love of all Existence
And in the Love of All Existences, the Love of Spirit and All Goodness.
(Light Beltane incense)

To Increase Passion in your Marriage
You will need a pink candle and a piece of paper and pen.
(Light the pink candle)
Recite this 3 times:
By the fire that burns within
Let more passion in.
By my spirit that burns bright,
Let there be passion tonight.
(while writing it on a piece of paper, when you have finished writing it, fold the paper and seal it with the wax paper and put it under your pillow that night).

Blessing Cake and Ale
(offering cakes and wine)
We bless these cakes in the name of the Great Mother
Who provides sustenance that we may live
(said while one holds plate up in the air)
We bless this wine in the name of the Horned God
In honor of his essence which gave us life.
(said while holding glass in the air)

Farewell to the God and Goddess
Great Mother,
By the flame that burneth bright,
O Great Mother!
Thank your for being with me tonight
O Great Mother!
Behold your daughter, strong and true
May I retain your bounty and comfort.
(extinguish candle, offer the rose petals to the earth)
Farewell.

God
Great Father,
By the flame that burneth bright,
O Horned One!
Thank you for being with me tonight,
O Horned One!
Behold your daughter, strong and true
May I retain your strength and bravery
(extinguish candle and offer rose petals to the earth)
Farewell

Farewell to the Quarters
North
Farewell guardians of the watchtower of the North
Bone of the ancestors,
I thank thee and the element of earth
For your blessing and protecting my circle.
(extinguish candle and offer rose petals to the earth)

Farewell
West
Farewell guardians of the watchtower of the West
Blood of the ancestors,
I thank thee and the element of water
For your blessing and protecting my circle.
(extinguish candle and offer rose petals to the earth)

Farewell
South
Farewell guardians of the watchtower of the South,
Will of the ancestors,
I thank thee and the element of fire
For your blessing and protecting my circle.
(extinguish candle and offer rose petals to the earth)

Farewell
East
Farewell guardians of the watchtower of the East,
Breath of the ancestors,
I thank thee and the element of air
For your blessing and protecting my circle.
(extinguish candle and offer rose petals to the earth)

Farewell
Opening the Circle
3x with athame wider shins
May the circle be open but never broken
May the Goddess and God be ever in our hearts
Merry meet and merry part
And merry meet again.