Tag Archive for Autumn Equinox

Alban Elfed Stags and Cernunnos

The Celtic, antlered god Cernunnos is followed for his life-fertility-death cycle. His death is now usually set at Samhain (or Hallowe'en, October 31st) and his rebirth is marked at or around Spring Equinox. The pendant is worn for Renewal and Transformation. The Celtic, antlered god Cernunnos is followed for his life-fertility-death cycle. His death is now usually set at Samhain (or Hallowe'en, October 31st) and his rebirth is marked at or around Spring Equinox. The pendant is worn for Renewal and Transformation.

For the second time in the solar cycle. We stand equally between light and dark time instead of moving from darkness to light. We now move from light to dark and it is the time of the autumn Equinox, celebrated by Druids and Celtic traditions are Alban Elfed, (the light of the water in the Druid tradition). Although most of the celebrations are related to agriculture and harvest and giving thanks to the fields. One of the major symbols depicted in Celtic charms is the stag, which is used to symbolise nature surviving through the hard times of winter. The stag is closely associated to Cernunnos horned God. Also known as the Lord of animals or the laws of wild things. Cernunnos is often seen with horns, cross-legged in shamanic pose with the torc around his neck and in one hand and with a snake in the other. Cernunnos is depicted with seven points on his horns and often in the company of a stag. The stag is the symbol for Cernunnos or Herne, the horned gods; and is also is sometimes associated with the Green Man  and with gods of the Underworld.  Moreover, the Druid’s Horned God of Fertility, Hu Gadarn, was usually portrayed with the head of a stag.  Also, the Man in the Tree, or Derg Corra, is always accompanied by a stag. He is the Celtic guardian of knowledge. The stag and itself symbolology, played a large part in the Celtic belief system. They were considered to be animals of the

What is Wicca?

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Wicca is an earth-based Spiritual path, based on reviving the ancient pagan religions of pre-Christian Europe. Wiccan’s have a strong belief in the forms and forces of nature and that the divine source exists on all planes and is both male and female. Wiccan’s see aspects of life and nature as being sacred. Wiccan’s will attempt to attune themselves to natural rhythms of nature and cycle of life so they can communicate with the divine form. Wiccan’s will use rituals and rites, which are a mix between ancient text and modern ceremonies as well as shamanic practices to achieve this commune with the divine force. For Wiccan’s the divine form / force is divided in to two parts the two parts are considered to be equal and opposite (up-down / left-right / good bad / summer-winter etc.). These two halves created the balance in the universe and manifest as a Goddess(s) and God(s). By manifesting the power in two deities (Goddess and God), the natural balance of opposites, cause and effect are retained, e.g. Summer/winter, light/ dark, life and death etc    Although Wiccan’s may name their deities Wiccan’s believe that all goddess’s are but one goddess and all gods are but one god. The reason a Wiccan will call on a deity by name is to focus the aspect or nature of the persona that that aspect of the divine portrays. Wiccan’s believe that with the will of the divine and through magickal workings such as spells and rituals you can bend the unlimited

Mabon the autumn equinox

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Mabon – the autumn equinox is one of the eight festivals / Sabbats marked on the wheel of the year. The autumn equinox celebrates a time of balance and the harvest the name Mabon was coined by Aidan Kelly around 1970 as a reference to Mabon ap Modron, a character from Welsh mythology. The autumn equinox fall between the 21st – 24th September the day will depend on the position of the sun. At this time of year pagans and neo pagans will either celebrate The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter’s Night, which is the Norse New Year. The basic theme behind the celebration is giving thanks and preparing for winter and understand that the earth is dieing and the fields are becoming barren, Many of the myths around the Equinox are often relating to the dieing or descent in to the underworld by a deity. The Myths of Persephone , Innana and Mabon are some of the major myths related to this festival / Sabbat. Many of the activities that take place at this time of year include wine making, collecting seeds and pods for spring planting, walks in the countryside, decorating relatives graves as well as sharing a meal with friends and family. During Mabon some of the major symbols include wine, gourds, pinecones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines such as ivy, dried