Legends & Lore

Rhiannon

Never knew all of that about Rhiannon--gave me goose bumps as I have always been so strongly drawn to this name. Great thread!! Thanks Nightmare.

Nightmare

(Uriel) is most well known for his role as Regent of the Sun in the book of Revelation where he calls forth the birds of the air to feast upon the fallen. As one of the most faithful and dedicated members of the host, Uriel was also placed in charge of Tartarus (another name for Hades), warned Noah of the impending flood (although Raphael is credited with teaching the building of the ark), and attacked Moses for failing to circumcise his son. Accepted as an archangel by the christian church for many centuries, he was finally removed from the records in 745 CE as the church became increasingly concerned with the prominence the public was placing upon angels. His position was taken by Anael (The Glory of God). He is still honored, however, in some wiccan traditions. (Auriel)

Nightmare

Perhaps one of the most complex and contradictory Goddesses of the
Celtic
pantheon, Brigid can be seen as the most powerful religious figure
in all of
Irish history. Many layers of separate traditions have intertwined,
making
Her story and impact complicated but allowing Her to move so
effortlessly
down through the centuries. She has succeeded in travelling intact
through
generations, fulfilling different roles in divergent times.

She was, and continues to be, known by many names. Referred to as
Bride,
Bridey, Brighid, Brigit, Briggidda, Brigantia, I am using Her name,
Brigid,
here. There are also many variations on pronunciation, all of them
correct,
but, in my own mind, I use the pronunciation, Breet.

Brigid is the traditional patroness of healing, poetry and
smithcraft, which
are all practical and inspired wisdom. As a solar deity Her
attributes are
light, inspiration and all skills associated with fire. Although She
might
not be identified with the physical Sun, She is certainly the
benefactress
of inner healing and vital energy.

Also long known as The Mistress of the Mantle, She represents the
sister or
virgin aspect of the Great Goddess. The deities of the Celtic
pantheon have
never been abstraction or fictions but remain inseparable from daily
life.
The fires of inspiration, as demonstrated in poetry, and the fires
of the
home and the forge are seen as identical. There is no separation
between the
inner and the outer worlds. The tenacity with which the traditions
surrounding Brigid have survived, even the saint as the thinly-
disguised
Goddess, clearly indicates Her importance.

As the patroness of poetry, filidhecht, the equivalent of bardic
lore, are
the primal retainers of culture and learning. The bansidhe and the
filidh -
Woman of the Fairy Hills and the class of Seer-poets, respectively,
preserve
the poetic function of Brigid by keeping the oral tradition alive.
It is
widely believed that those poets who have gone before inhabit the
realms
between the worlds, overlapping into ours so that the old songs and
stories
will be heard and repeated. Thus does Brigid fulfill the function of
providing a continuity by inspiring and encouraging us.

The role of the smith in any tribe was seen as a sacred trust and was
associated with magickal powers since it involved mastering the
primal
element of Fire, moulding the metal (from Earth) through skill,
knowledge
and strength. Concepts of smithcraft are connected to stories
concerning the
creation of the world, utilizing all of the Elements to create and
fuse a
new shape.

Brigid is also the Goddess of physicians and healing, divination and
prophecy. One of Her most ancient names is Breo-saighead meaning
fiery arrow
and within that name is the attribute of punishment and divine
justice.

Three rivers are named for Her - Brigit, Braint and Brent in
Ireland, Wales
and England, respectively. In modern Britain today She is shown as
the
warrior-maiden, Brigantia, and venerated not only as justice and
authority
in that country, but also as the personification of Britain as is
seen on
the coin of the realm. There is a story, coming from the 12th
century, in
which Merlin is inspired by a feminine figure who represents the
sovereignty
of the Land of Britain. She causes his visions to reach through
British
history, on, so it is said, to the end of the solar system. Taliesin
also
describes a traditional cosmology, inspired by Brigantia. She is
central to
many heroic myths, especially those concerned with underworld quests
and
sacred kingship. This seems to relate to Her concern for the
development of
human potential.

Her important association with the cow, coupled with its critical
necessity
in Celtic culture and history, relates to the festival of Imbolc.
This
celebration, which is so completely Hers, involves itself with the
lighting
of fires, purification with well water and the ushering in of the
new year
(Spring) by a maiden known as the Queen of the Heavens. The
significance of
Imbolc is so deep that it deserves an entire section within any work
relating to Brigid.

To fully grasp the significance of Imbolc it is necessary to
understand the
life-and-death struggle represented by Winter in any agrarian
society. In a
world lit only by fire the snow, cold and ice of this season
literally holds
you in its grip, only relaxed with the arrival of Spring. Although
the
Equinox does not arrive until later and Spring is celebrated with
Ostara and
Beltane, Imbolc is the harbinger and the indication that better
times are
coming.

During the cold months, certain issues become pressing. Is there
enough food
for both humans and animals? Will illness decimate the tribe,
especially in
the case of the young, the old and nursing mothers? And what of the
animals
whose lives are so crucial to our own? One of the most burning
questions
would be with the pregnant cows and ewes since their milk is used
for drink,
for cheese and curds which might mean the difference between life
and death.

By Imbolc these animals will have birthed their young and their milk
would
be flowing. Milk, to the Celts, was sacred food, equivalent to the
Christian
communion. It was an ideal form of food due to its purity and
nourishment.
Mother,s milk was especially valuable, having curative powers. The
cow was
symbolic of the sacredness of motherhood, the life-force sustained
and
nourished. This was not a passive cow giving milk but an active
mother
fighting for the well-being of her children.

Imbolc divides Winter in half; the Crone months of Winter are
departing and
the promise of the Spring Maiden is around the corner. This holiday
eventually became modern day Candlemas with Saint Brigid,s Day and
the Feast
of the Purification of Mary being celebrated during this period of
time.
This celebration was definitely a feminine festival. Women would
gather to
welcome the maiden aspect of the Goddess as embodied by Brigid. Corn
cakes
made from the first and last of the harvest were made and
distributed and
this practice remains a part of Her celebration. During these
festivities,
She was commonly represented by a doll, dressed in white, with a
crystal
upon Her chest.

This doll, usually a Corn Dolly, was carried in procession by
maidens also
dressed in white. Gifts of food were presented to the Goddess with a
special
feast given by and for the maidens. Young men were invited to this
feast for
the purpose of ritual mating to insure that new souls would be
brought in to
replace those lost during the cold times.

The holiday has pastoral connections due to the association of the
coming
into milk of the ewes. Although Brigid is designated as an all-
encompassing
deity during Imbolc She is honored in Her capacity as the Great
Mother.

She possesses an unusual status as a Sun Goddess Who hangs Her Cloak
upon
the rays of the Sun and Whose dwelling-place radiates light as if on
fire.
Brigid took over the Cult of the Ewes formerly held by the Goddess
Lassar
Who also is a Sun Goddess and Who made the transition, in the Isles,
from
Goddess to saint. In this way Brigid,s connection to Imbolc is
completed, as
the worship of Lassar diminished, only to be revived later in
Christian
sainthood.

Brigid long transcended territorial considerations, providing some
unity
between the warring tribes in Western Europe and the Isles. Her
three sons
gave their names to the soldiers of Gaul. The cult of Brigid exists
not only
in Ireland but throughout Europe as well; She has an ancient and
international ancestry, Her name meaning, high or exalted. As Mother
Goddess
Brigid united the Celts who were spread throughout this area. She
was the
one feature upon which they all agreed, no matter how disparate they
were in
location or traditions.

In addition to Her totemic animals of the cow and the ewe, She is
also
associated with the cockerel, the herald of the new day and the
snake,
symbol of regeneration. In this way She is related to fertility
Goddesses,
many of Whom were also shown holding snakes and shares with Minerva
the
shield, spear and crown of serpents. Serpents are also a common
theme in
Celtic jewelry (another product of smithing) with many torcs
displaying this
sinuous symbol of power and divinity.
Her stories retain remnants of other Goddesses from the ancient
worlds and
the worship at Her later convent at Kildare was said to resemble
that of
Minerva. Some of Her symbols are identical to the Egyptian Goddess,
Isis.
Her embroidery tools, which are also Minerva‚s symbols, were
preserved at
the chapel at Glastonbury, along with Her bag and Her bell, symbolic
of
healing. Her colors - white, black and red - are those of Kali and
show an
ancient connection there.

She began as a triplicity of sisters, not unusual to Celtic lore.
She is the
Daughter of Dagda and the Morrighan and sister to Ogma, a Sun God
and the
Creator of the Ogham. With Bres of the Fomorians, She had three
sons - Brian
(Ruadan), Iuchar and Uar - and Brian's actions in The Battle of
Moytura
figure largely in Her evolution to a Goddess of Peace and Unity.

To understand the significance of this battle it is necessary to
know a
little bit about Celtic tradition concerning family. Matrilineal,
meaning
ancestry was traced through the mother's line rather than the
father's, the
most important male in your life would be the oldest male kin to
your mother
often an uncle and not necessarily a grandfather since his lineage
to her
may not exist. All blood relationships of any importance came
through your
mother‚s line. This tie was so tight that children of sisters were
considered to be siblings rather than cousins.

Motherhood demanded the utmost reverence. Rape was a crime of highest
severity, subject to the greatest punishments and not pardonable or
subject
to leniency. [Later, in Her evolved role as the Lawgiver, Brigid
would make
certain that women‚s rights were retained in some form within the new
religion.]

The marriage of Brigid to Bres was essentially an alliance to bring
peace
between two warring factions. She was of the Danu and he of the
Fomorians.
With the intermarriage, war was hopefully averted. Ruadan, Brigid‚s
eldest
son, used the knowledge of smithing given to him by his maternal
kin, the
Danu, against them by killing their smith, a sacred position within
the
tribe. This smith killed Ruadan before dying himself. Brigid‚s grief
and
lamentations were said to be the first heard in Ireland and were not
only an
expression of mourning for the loss of Her son but also for the
enmity
between maternal and paternal factions of family.

This was seen as the beginning of the end for the Old Ways. And so,
the
Irish story of Original Sin‚ was the act against maternal kinship
rather
than that of sexuality since sexuality, which brings the sacred
position of
motherhood, was seen as positive by the Celts.

Her evolution from Goddess to saint linked Pagan Celtic and Christian
traditions much the same way the Cauldron of Cerridwen and the Holy
Grail
were combined in Arthurian legend. She acts as a bridge between the
two
worlds and successfully made the transition back to Goddess again
with most
of Her traditions retained. The worship of Saint Brigid has
persisted up
until the early 20th century with Her Irish cult nearly supplanting
that of
Mary. She is commemorated in both Ireland and the highlands and
islands of
Scotland.

In order to incorporate Brigid into Christian worship, and thus
insure Her
survival, Her involvement in the life of Jesus became the stuff of
legend.
According to the stories in The Lives of the Saints, Brigid was the
midwife
present at the birth, placing three drops of water on His forehead.
This
seems to be a Christianized version of an ancient Celtic myth
concerning the
Sun of Light upon Whose head three drops of water were placed in
order to
confer wisdom.

Further, as a Christianized saint, Brigid was said to be the foster-
mother
of Jesus, fostering being a common practice among the Celts. She
took the
Child to save Him from the slaughter of male infants supposedly
instigated
by Herod. She wore a headdress of candles to light Their way to
safety.

There exists an apocryphal gospel of Thomas that was excluded from
the Bible
in which he claims a web was woven to protect the infant Jesus from
harm.
This is in keeping with Her status as the patron of domestic arts,
weaving
wool from Her ewes, increasing the connections as a pastoral
Goddess.

Due to the original differences between the Roman church and that
which was
once an extremely divergent type of Christianity practiced in the
Western
Isles, particularly Ireland, many of the older deities made the
transition
from Gods and Goddesses to saints, some experiencing Church-
inflicted gender
changes on the way.

Often thinly-disguised pagan worship was continued in monasteries and
convents which were built on or near the sites sacred to the Celtic
pantheon
Many of the great monasteries - Clonmacnoise, Durrow and Brigid's own
Kildare - were great centers of learning and culture, with
information
disseminated from these sites to Western Europe. (This is much the
same as
the great Druidic colleges and it is not surprising to find that
places
sacred to the new religion were built upon the foundations of the
old.)

These cloisters are thought to have kept alive and preserved much of
classic
culture in Europe throughout the Dark Ages. During this period of
time, wars
were decimating the population. Mary, as the Mother in this new
religion,
was embraced by women who felt a similar experience of sacrificing
their
sons to a political and religious machine.

The Triple Goddesses were replaced by a Trinity, but the Old Ways
lingered
in worship. Brigid‚s role as Mother Goddess was never completely
eradicated
and reappears throughout Her entire career as a Catholic saint. As
Saint
Brigid, there are rays of sunlight coming from Her head, as
portrayed as a
Goddess. Themes of milk, fire, Sun and serpents followed Her on this
path,
adding to Her ever-growing popularity. Compassion, generosity,
hospitality,
spinning and weaving, smithwork, healing and agriculture ran
throughout Her
various lives and evolution.

Her symbolism as a Sun Goddess remains, also, in the form of Brigid's
crosses, a widdershins or counterclockwise, swastika, found world-
wide as a
profound symbol, reaching Ireland by the second century, B. C. E.,
and is
still used there today to protect the harvest and farm animals.

One of the stories of Her life as a saint supports Her original
attribute as
a solar deity. During Her infancy the neighbors ran to Her house,
thinking
it was afire. This radiance came from the infant saint, a
demonstration of
Her grace bestowed as by the holy Spirit. A prayer to Saint Brigid
requests,

Brigit, ever excellent woman,
golden sparkling flame,
lead us to the eternal Kingdom,
the dazzling resplendent sun.

Even in Her new incarnation as a Catholic saint Her previous
existence is
affirmed. The eternal flame at Her convent at Kildare suggests its
existence
as having been pagan and/or Druidic. The shrine at Kildare is
assumed to be
a Christian survival of an ancient college of vestal priestesses who
were
trained and then scattered throughout the land to tend sacred wells,
groves,
caves and hills. These priestesses were originally committed to
thirty years
in service but, after this period, were free to marry and leave. The
first
ten years were spent in training, ten in the practice of their
duties and
the final ten in teaching others, similar to the three degrees of
initiation
found in most traditions.

These women preserved old traditions, studied sciences and healing
remedies
and, perhaps, even the laws of state. At Kildare their duties must
have
involved more than merely tending the fire. This perpetual fire at
the
monastic city was tended by nineteen nuns over a period of nineteen
days. On
the twentieth day, Brigid Herself is said to keep the fire burning.

The site for the monastery at Kildare was chosen for its elevation
and also
for the ancient Oak found there, considered so sacred that no weapon
was
permitted to be placed near it, with fines collected for the
gathering of
deadfalls within its area. The word, Kildare, comes from "Cill
Dara," the
Church of the Oak. The entire area was known as Civitas
Brigitae, 'The City
of Brigid'.

The preservation of the sacred fire became the focus of this
convent. The
abbess was considered to be the reincarnation of the saint and each
abbess
automatically took the name, Brigid, upon investiture. The convent
was
occupied continuously until 1132 C. E., with each abbess having a
mystical
connection to the saint and retaining Her name. At this point, Dermot
MacMurrough wished to have a relative of his invested as the abbess.
Although popular opinion was against him, his troops overran the
convent and
raped the reigning abbess in order to discredit her.

After this, Kildare lost much of its power and the fires were
finally put
out by King Henry VIII during the Reformation. During the time the
convent
was occupied by the saint Herself, She went from the position of
Mother
Goddess to that of Lawgiver, paralleling Minerva, once again. Her
ability to
move between categories is the secret of Her continuing success.
When the
laws were written down and codified by Christianity, Brigid figured
largely
to insure that the rights of women were remembered. These laws had
been
committed to memory by the brehons as a part of the extensive oral
tradition

The Old Ways were still practiced, although not often openly and, in
order
to make certain that people would not stray from the new religion,
many
aspects of the old were incorporated into the new. In keeping with
the Old
Ways, men were not permitted to impregnate women against their will,
against
medical advice or the restrictions of her tribe. A man was not
permitted to
neglect the sexual needs of his wife. Irish law also provided
extensively
for the rights of women in marriage, for pregnancy out of wedlock‚
and for
divorce.

In one incident, clearly defining the position of women in this new
warrior
class, a woman petitioned Brigid for justice. Her lands and holdings
were
about to be taken from her after the death of her parents. Brigid,
however,
ruled that it was the woman‚s decision to either take the land as a
warrior,
being prepared to use arms to protect her holdings and her people.
If she
decided not to take on this privilege‚ half her land should go to
her tribe.
But, if she chose to hold the land and support it militarily, she was
permitted to hold the land in its entirety.

The shift from Mother Goddess to Virgin Mother to Virgin Saint
presented
difficulty. Even though it insured Her survival and the emergence of
Her
power in Neo-Paganism, the emphasis on virginity stemmed completely
from the
Christian patriarchy. She derived power at the expense of other
women,
removing motherhood from its revered position in Celtic society.

As the Mother, Brigid keeps the traditions alive and whole, offering
a means
of guidance that sustains through any circumstances. In Her capacity
as the
Lawgiver Her attempts to carry the Old Ways through the storm to the
present
day, much as Merlin's work would extend to the limits of the solar
system,
have been successful. Paganism still exists and in a form that may
well
weather the storms present at this moment.

However, seeing Brigid as the unbroken vessel, Her virginity being
wholly
symbolic, Her loyalty is not compromised by allegiance to one lover
or
husband. Beyond the grip of any one tribe or nation, She can mediate
to
ensure unity for the good of all. She protects us as we walk through
the
labyrinth but also makes us face the reality of ourselves. Her Fire
is the
spark alive in every one of us.

ByWinter Cymres, 1995, illu

Nightmare

As an estimated one billion cards* are exchanged this St Valentine's
Day spare a thought for the ancient Pagan custom, for St Valentine's
Day is the Eve of Lupercalia, the Pagan Roman festival of fertility.

Love is a Lottery
In fact, the 14th of February was the day specially set aside for love
lotteries in Pagan Rome. A holiday devoted to Juno, Queen of the Gods,
and patroness of marriage, the 14th was also the day on which young
girls' names were written on slips of paper and thrown into jars to be
picked out by the boys. Chooser and chosen would then be partnered for
the duration of the Lupercalia festival. Such arbitrary pairings often
resulted in lasting relationships. The Catholic Church later
substituted the names of dead saints in place of those of
flesh-and-blood girls to subvert the lusty Pagan practice.

The Lupercalia proper began on the 15th of February with animal
sacrifice and ritual flagellation. After slaughtering a goat and dog
in the sacred grotto of the she-wolf who suckled the legendary
founders of Rome, the young men would run through the streets whipping
women and crops with the flayed hide of the goat to promote fertility.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the Lupercalia, far from being
restricted to Rome, was practised in other cities in Italy and Gaul.

Dating from remotest antiquity, the Lupercalia was celebrated until as
late as the reign of Anastasius I in 491-518 CE. It was towards the
end of the 5th century in 498 CE that Pope Galesius decided to
dedicate the Eve of Lupercalia to the long-dead priest. The lottery
system was banned as being un-Christian and the Pope did his best to
make people forget about other un-Christian ideas such as fertility.

Mating Season
However, the Pagan principles of the people proved irrepressible.
Memories of the Roman Lupercalia combined with folklore beliefs in
Britain and France that the 14th of February marked the beginning of
the mating season amongst birds to ensure that this day would persist
in the popular imagination as a day of love.

The oldest extant Valentine message is a poem written by Charles, Duke
of Orleans, in 1415 to his wife. He had good reason to write: he was
imprisoned in the Tower of London after being captured at the Battle
of Agincourt. It proved a popular idea and some years later it is
believed that Henry V hired John Lydgate to compose a Valentine
missive to Catherine of Valois.

Despite such early precedents, St Valentine's Day did not become a
widely celebrated event in Britain until the 17th century. Printed
cards did not appear until the late 18th century, but it was not until
the 1840's that Esther A. Howland entered the history books as the
first person to sell the first mass-produced Valentine cards in the
United States.

The Magic of Love or Love Magic?
But why send a card and why make it anonymous? Either we believe one
of the Christian legends and accept that we all celebrate the giving
of a love token of 3rd century priest by sending a replica, or look
deeper into the significances of giving and anonymity. The act of
giving, stripped of any moral sentiment, is usually one of status
modification, for example, how many times do you hear people boasting
of how they give to charity? However, in this instance the giver's
identity is carefully concealed. The card itself acts simply as the
vehicle of the giver's desire. The message that accompanies such cards
is most often in the imperative, Be My Valentine, Be My Love, and so
on. The structure of this exchange is remarkably similar to many
magical formulae.

So, the next time you ask someone to be your Valentine, try not to
forget that you are engaging in a millenia old fertility rite and,
what is more, dabbling in a little magic to boot.

Nightmare

Earth (The Maternal Divinity)
by Stephanie Pflumm ©Copyright 2008

In our earliest beginnings, before men wrote testaments, gospels, bibles or
korans we sought out the Divine. In a child like effort to understand where
life came from, how to survive it and why it could end so cruelly many of us
sought comfort and knowledge from a maternal divine source.

Perhaps we defined our Mother God first because when we looked around, it was
the female that produced life. Not just amongst ourselves, but in every animal
and plant it was from the feminine that life sprouted. Even masculine
monotheistic traditions recognized and honored some aspect of divine
femininity.

The names of these Earth Mothers/Goddesses are plentiful. Some almost
universal and their presence still touches us today in the names of places,
rivers, lakes and mountains. Others were only known to their particular
children and remain as a simple mention in listings of forgotten things. More
are probably lost to us all together.

Despite the many names given Her, who She is seems to remain constant
throughout the Earth Goddess mythologies. She is All that is Life. The bright
sun light and the mysterious dark night, birth and death, the flowing River,
the ravenous predator, virgin, mother and grandmother. Her cooking pot and
collecting basket are never empty. Her presence is in the rainbow's many
colors, the heart of each living creature, the scent of all flowers, the taste
of all fruits and in every breath you take.

Danu appears to be one of the more (possibly the most) widely used names of
the original Earth Goddesses. From the mythical Celtic Tuatha De' Danann
(Tribes of Danu) to the Hindu's in India, Danu has left Her divine mark on an
expansive list of cultures. Europe's greatest river, the Danube is named for
Her.

In Celtic myths the Tribes of Danu would battle the Tribes of Domnu when they
first arrived in ancient Ireland. In these myths Danu's children represent all
that is good in humans and Domnu's children represent all that is harmful. In
the end, there are no true victors and both aspects of humanity survive to
this day.

The Churning of the Ocean is a Vedic creation myth. Danu is the essence of
Life within the Primordial Waters. The Earth rose up from within and now rests
on top of this Water. Danu or Life is awakened when these waters are agitated
and the full potency of Her life-giving essence is released. Through chaos,
order is formed.

Dana is an early Greek Mother Goddess, whose name in Sanskrit is Danu. Dana
would ascend the throne of Egypt as King Danaus. As a male king, this Mother
Goddess did not fare well, being driven from one throne (Egypt) to another
(Argos), then finally into exile by the king of Phoenicia (who was also
his/Her father).

Some scholars have concluded that Nanna (a Danish Earth Goddess, mother/wife
to Baldur), Anatha (Syrian), Anat (Canaan), Inanna (Sumerian) and other
derivatives of Anne, Ana or Anna were originally taken from Danu. Even Dinah
from the Syriac Old Testament (di sometimes means divinity or godhead) or
Di-Ana from Semitic may be just more variations on the same root name.

Hathor is Egypt's Mother creator. Visualized as the Great Celestial Cow
Goddess She created this world and all that exists upon it. Her milk gives
nourishment to the living and She greets the dead as they journey to the next
life. As with many of the early Earth Mother gods, Her celebrations consisted
of much music, merriment, dance and intoxicating liquids made from Her
bounty.

Europa was also a cow goddess, giving birth to Europe. She was honored and
celebrated in Crete and Mycenae.

Celebrations to honor Tara, a savior Mother Goddess were held in Ireland,
Athens, India and Tibet. There was a grove in Ireland that was a sacred shrine
to her genitals. In Athens the ancient celebrations of Her fertile blessings
were dubbed the rioting because of the wild behavior that resulted. According
to Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Tara is the Great Mother, a Boddhisattva. The
enlightened One who has vowed to incarnate repeatedly until all have achieved
enlightenment. And always to return as a woman.

Gaea is the Greek Earth Mother. Mother of all the gods, oldest of all the
divine. Chomo-Lung-Ma was the original name of Mount Everest. She is a primal
goddess, one of the oldest of India's deities.

Themis is the pre Hellenic creatress. She gave birth to Themistes and Oracles.
It was Themis that founded the oracle of Delphi which Apollo would later take
over. In Egypt She was known as Temu, the spirit that ruled the fertile Abyss
which gave birth to all life.

Ala is the Mother Goddess of the Ibo tribe from Nigeria. The creator of life
and ruler of the dead, She also sets the laws that provide for the survival of
the community and society.

Mawa of the Dahomey tribe in Africa created humanity from clay and water. The
Turks honor Aka as their Mother Goddess and the Great Mesopotamian Goddess
Anatu ruled both Earth and Sky.

In Iran's ancient mythologies Aramaiti is the Earth Goddess, mother of the
people made from clay. The language of the original gospels (Aramaic) is named
for Her.

Tlalteutli is the Aztec's Mother of creation. In the very beginning of Time,
Her body was the Universe. In Mexican mythology, Chicomecoatl is the Mother of
all people, She is the Earth's beating heart. Seven sacred serpents were her
messengers.

Long before the Celts arrived, when Ireland first emerged from out of the
Underworld, Cessair ruled the primal lands. This Goddess/Chieftain brought
with Her 50 women and three men to populate the virgin country.

The list of names given to Mother is long and the stories woven to explain our
birth are a joy to learn. I wish I had time to explore and share every one of
them here. More importantly than learning a list of old names and memorizing
stories is recognizing and accepting the complexity of the Divine's identify.

Throughout my research one theme appeared to run constant through the majority
of mythologies, that the Divine is in all things. You, your children, the
trees in your yard, the aggravating neighbor or co-worker, the mis-placed
wildlife in the new housing development are all manifestations of and
residences for the Divine.

Regardless of how you choose to recognize Divinity, masculine, feminine, both
or neither remember to also recognize the Divine within yourself. Whatever
force first breathed life into this planet exists within you. Honor, cherish
and use your Divine Source to be a true co-creator in your own Life Story.

Nightmare

The Chinese New Year is called Yuan Tan by the Chinese. Yuan Tan is celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Even before Yuan Tan the house is full of excitement. Every nook and corner must be cleaned out.
A week before, the kitchen god, which watches the family, is offered sweets so that when he is burned and brought to heaven to report he will only say sweet things. Sometimes honey is also given to make sure he cannot open his mouth!
Sometimes a paper chariot is also made and burnt with the god. For seven days the god's shelf stays empty, and then the head of the family, ususally the father, produces a new god made from rice paper and painted with bright colours.
The day before Yuan Tan is spent cooking for the feast. No sharp instruments can be used on Yuan Tan or, the Chinese believe, you might cut out the good luck.
On the night before Yuan Tan the children wait for New Year. After midnight on Yuan Tan the family greets each other, generally saying "Kung-shi" which means "I humbly wish you joy." Then they all go to sleep.
The next day everybody gets up early. The children open the red packets filled with money. There is a custom that anyone who is not married can ring at people's doors and get the red packets.
The New Year is also a time to settle debts. A long time ago creditors were allowed to pursue debtors. If by Yuan Tan a debtor has not paid, he will be shamed as well as his family.
People are especially nice on New Year's Day for good luck. If flowers open on that day it is also a symbol of good luck. For fifteen days there are parades and celebrations including the lion dance. It ends with the festival of lights, a festival of lanterns.
The seventh day of the Chinese New Year is called Yan Yat, "Everybody's Birthday."

Long ago, in Han times, there was a monster whose name was "Nian". This monster came once each year to a little village and scared everyone! One day, just by luck, the villagers discovered that "Nian" had a couple fears of his own. He was afraid of the color red and even more afraid of scary loud noises!
The villagers prepared. When "Nian" appeared, everyone in the village ran for the red banners and noise makers they had made. They waved their banners and rattled their noise makers. This scared "Nian" so much that "Nian" ran away and was never heard from again!

Which explains why people in China believe the color red signifies joy and luck, and why noise makers are rattled on Chinese New Year. At midnight, firecrackers, paper dragons, noise makers, the waving of red ribbons and banners all help to drive away any lingering evil spirits from the old year. (In case "Nian" is still lurking about somewhere!)



On Chinese New Year Eve, parents encourage children to stay awake as long as possible, because legend says that the longer children stay awake the longer their parents will live.
Sweeping during Chinese New Year is very unlucky as you might sweep the new year luck out of your house!