Legends & Lore

Nightmare

New Water

Water is a highly charged substance, being the current that carries life,
but at such an auspicious time as New Year, it becomes even more magically
potent. In Britain and other parts of Europe there was ! a belief in the power of
"new water", the first water of the year to be drawn from the well. As the
clock struck midnight people rushed with their pitchers to be the first to
collect the
"cream of the well" and the good fortune that went with it.

The Yule Log

The burning of the Yule log was an important ritual to ensure good luck in
the coming year. The log itself, as well as the fire, was venerated. The log
symbolizes the vegetation deity the Green Man, its ashes were said to have
magical fertilizing powers. They were scattered on the fields to make the earth
bear fruit the following year.

Under the Kissing Bough

* Whoever stands under the mistletoe may be given as many kisses as wished.

* With each kiss, a boy should pluck one of the berries from the mistletoe;
when all the berries are gone the kissing stops.
!

* If a man-servant refuses to bring ivy to a maid-servant to decorate the
house, the maid has the right to refuse him kisses under the mistletoe.

* The mistletoe should be burned on Twelfth Night or some of the young women
and men who have kissed under it may never marry.

Nightmare

Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America's Halloween
celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the
country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread
carving that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans
really know why or when the jack o'lantern tradition began. Or, for
that matter, whether the pumpkin is a fruit or a vegetable. Read on
to find out!

People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries.
The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man
nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited
the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack
didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn
himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once
the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his
pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from
changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the
Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one
year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The
next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to
pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a
sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not
come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten
more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such
an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack
had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would
not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with
only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a
carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since.
The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the
Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of
Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and
placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack
and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used.
Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition
with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that
pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o'lanterns.

Nightmare

By Harvey Day

Many Christmas customs and beliefs have pagan origins and the 'X' in Xmas is
the Greek for the letters CH in the English language and does not represent
the cross. The ancient Britons followed the Druid faith and among their
customs was that of hanging up the mistletoe which grew on the oak, a tree
regarded with the utmost veneration. A priest wearing white robes cut the
mistletoe with a knife of pure gold, caught the sprigs in the folds of his robe
and distributed them to onlookers. The mistletoe was a symbol of fertility and
kissing under the mistletoe was a symbolic act.

When Pope Gregory sent a mission under Augustine to England at the close
of the 6th century the missionaries found little difference between the rites
of pagan Anglo-Saxons and English Christians. Conversion did not take
place peaceably, however, and it was only after the massacre of English monks
at Bangor that peace was established by the Synod of Whitby in AD 664 and the
English Church accepted Roman usage.

The Roman Saturnalia, named after the tribal god Saturnus, was a festival
which started on December 17th and continued into the New Year. That day known
as Dies So/is Invicti/Vat/The Roman Saturnalia, named after the tribal god
Saturnus, was a festival which started on December 17th and continued into the
New Year. That day known as Dies So/is Invicti/Vat/<WBR>(Day of the birth of
the Unconquered Sun) f

It must not be forgotten that all the Apostles and early disciples were Jews
and as one of the principal Jewish festivals, the Dedication of the Temple,
falls on 25 Kislev (December 20th-21st) the 25th was a convenient day for all.

Most Christmas customs have little connection with Christianity and are the
result of superstition. One belief still prevalent in parts of Ireland is
that Judas Iscariot visits the earth on Christmas Eve and anyone who looks into
a mirror that evening will see either Judas or the Devil behind his
reflection.

The Irish also believe that the Holy Child wanders after dark on Christmas
Eve so candles are lit and placed in windows to guide him.

Another belief which persisted until recently held that those born on
Christmas Day possess abnormal intelligence, the power of healing by the laying-on
of hands, and second sight. It so happens that Samuel (Self-Help) Smiles,
Dorothy Wordsworth and Sir Isaac Newton came into the world on December 25th.

Some Christmas customs are associated with the weather and, according to an
old couplet, a Full Moon is unlucky: 'Light Christmas, light wheatsheaf; Dark
Christmas, heavy wheatsheaf.'

If Christmas is windy and Candlemas calm, the omens for the coming year's
weather are good; but rain during the 12 days after Christmas means a wet year.

It is said that if your fire burns brightly on Christmas Day it is a sure
sign of prosperity; if it refuses to light the householder will suffer setbacks
in the year to come.

'Wear something new for luck and wear no garment with a hole or tear in it,
otherwise you will lose money.' Even today people try to wear new clothes on
Christmas Day. Incidentally, do not burn or destroy a single leaf of holly
before Twelfth Night, otherwise trouble will dog you throughout the year.

In Norse 'Yule' meant feasting and revelry, so the month of December was
called aerre-geola (ere yule). When Roman and Christian customs merged a
cloth was spread on the table, the seats wiped clean with a towel, a jug of ale
was set out, a bath prepared for Christ and his angels, and a fire lit with a
huge log on top.

The Yule log--regarded as a symbol of sunshine and its influence in the
coming year--must be set alight with last year's torch, symbolizing perpetual
fire, though this is not possible in all-gas and all-electric homes. Herrick
wrote: 'With last year's Brand light the new block.'

Now that Christmas is fast approaching and the year has once more come
full circle, most of us will soon be busy adorning the house with brightly
colored decorations, a Christmas tree and all the other paraphernalia that
goes to create a festive atmosphere. Holly and mistletoe will almost certainly
be included in our decorations as evergreens have been used in the winter
festivities from very ancient times and definitely long before Christianity
appeared on the scene. What Christians celebrate as the birthday of Christ is
really something that was superimposed on to a much earlier pagan
festival--that which celebrated the Winter Solstice or the time when the Sun reaches
its lowest point south and is reborn at the beginning of a new cycle of
seasons.

In Northern Europe and Scandinavia it was noted by the early Christian
scholar, Bede, that the heathens began the year on OUR EVERGREEN December 25th
which they called Mother's Night in honour of the great Earth Mother. Their
celebrations were held in order to ensure fertility and abundance during the
coming year, and these included much feasting, burning of lamps, lighting of
great fires (the Yule fires) and exchanges of gifts.

The Romans, too, held their great celebrations --Saturnalia-The Romans, too,
held their great celebrations --Saturnalia-<WBR>- from December 17th to 25th
a the Uncon-quered Sun. The Saturnalia was characterized by much
merry-making, sometimes going to riotous extremes, with masters and slaves temporarily
exchanging roles. The use of evergreens to decorate the streets and houses was
also very much in evidence at this great winter festival.

That we now celebrate the birth of Christ at the same time is largely due to
the early Church Fathers who found it was much easier to win converts to the
faith by making Christ's birthday coincide with an already long established
pagan festival. In fact, it wasn't until the 4th century that Pope Julius I
finally established the 25th as the official birthday of Christ; earlier
Christians differed widely as to this date-- some choosing September 29th, while
others held that January 6th or March 29th were the correct dates.

As we have seen, the pagan element in Christmas lives on in the festival at
the Winter Solstice. But these elements are also very much alive in our use of
ever-greens as decorations at this time of year.

Like most evergreens, the holly and mistletoe have long been held to
symbolize eternal life, regeneration and rebirth.

Holly, with its bright red berries and dark spiky foliage, has been revered
from ancient times as a symbol of life everlasting. It was associated with
strength and masculinity and was considered useful in the treatment of various
ailments which were seen to lower the vital spirits.

In old England, a decoction of holly leaves was considered a cure for worms;
but most of all this prickly evergreen was looked upon as a luck bringer -
particularly in rural areas where a bunch of holly hung in the cow shed or
stable was thought to favor the animals if placed there on Christmas Eve. Many
people used to take a piece of holly from the church decorations at Christmas
as a charm against bad luck in the coming year. Holly was also considered a
very protective tree which, if planted outside the house, was believed to avert
lightning, fire and the evil spells of witches.

An old holly spell describes how to know one's future spouse. At midnight on
a Friday, nine holly leaves must be plucked and tied with nine knots in a
three- cornered cloth. This is then placed under the Christmas pillow and,
provided silence is observed from the time of plucking until dawn the next day,
your future spouse will come to you in your dreams.

In certain areas of Wales, it was thought extremely unlucky to bring holly
into the house before December 24th and if you did so there would be family
quarrels and domestic upheavals. You would also be inviting disaster if you
burned green holly or squashed the red berries.

Turning now to mistletoe, it seems that this is by far the most mystical of
the plants associated with Christmas and has, from very ancient times, been
treated as magical or sacred. It is often included in modern Christmas
decorations simply for the fun of kissing beneath it and, though this seems to be a
peculiarly English custom, it probably harks back to the mistletoe's
association with fertility.

The real reason why mistletoe is now associated with Christmas is very much
a carry-over from ancient practices, when it was considered as somehow
belonging to the gods. The Roman historian, Pliny, gives an early account of how the
Druids would hold a very solemn ceremony at the Winter Solstice when the
mistletoe had to be gathered, for the Druids looked upon this unusual plant,
which has no roots in the earth, as being of divine origin or produced by
lightning. Mistletoe which grew on the oak was considered especially potent in
magical virtues, for it was the oak that the Druids held as sacred to the
gods.

At the Winter Solstice, the Druids would lead a procession into the forest
and, on finding the sacred plant growing on an oak, the chief priest, dressed
all in white, would climb the tree and cut the mistletoe with a knife or
sickle made of gold. The mistletoe was not allowed to touch the ground and was
therefore caught in a white linen cloth. On securing the sacred mistletoe, the
Druids would then carry it to their temple where it would be laid beneath the
altar stone for three days. Early on the fourth day, which would correspond
to our Christmas Day, it was taken out, chopped into pieces and handed out
among the worshippers. The berries were used by the priests to heal various
diseases.

Mistletoe was considered something of a universal panacea, as can be gleaned
from the ancient Celtic word for it--uile, which literally translated means
'all-healer'M A widespread belief was that mistletoe could cure anything
from headaches to epilepsy; and indeed modern research has shown that the drug
guipsine which is used in the treatment of nervous illnesses and high blood
pressure is contained in mistletoe.

Until quite recently the rural folk of Sweden and Switzerland believed that
the mistletoe could only be picked at certain times and in a special way if
its full potency as healer and protector was to be secured. The Sun must be in
Sagittarius (close to the Winter Solstice) and the Moon must be on the wane
and, following ancient practices, the mistletoe must not be just picked but
shot or knocked down and caught before reaching the ground.

Not only was mistletoe looked upon as a healer of all ills, but if hung
around the house was believed to protect the home against fire and other hazards.
As the mistletoe was supposed to have been produced by lightning, it had the
power to protect the home against thunder bolts by a kind of sympathetic
magic.

Of great importance, however, was the power of mistletoe to protect against
witchcraft and sorcery. This is evident in an old superstition which holds
that a sprig of mistletoe placed beneath the pillow will avert nightmares (once
considered to be the product of evil demons).

In the north of England, it used to be the practice of farmers to give
mistletoe to the first cow that calved after New Year's Day. This was believed to
ensure health to the stock and a good milk yield throughout the year.
Underlying this old belief is the fear of witches or mischievous fairy folk who
could play havoc with dairy produce, so here mistletoe was used as a counter
magic against such evil influences. In Sweden, too, a bunch of this magical plant
hung from the living room ceiling or in the stable or cow-shed was thought
to render trolls powerless to work mischief.

With such a tremendous array of myth, magic and folklore associated with it,
reaching far back into the pagan past, it is understandable that even today
this favorite Christmas plant is forbidden in many churches. Yet even the
holly and the ivy, much celebrated in a popular carol of that title, were once
revered as sacred and magical by our pre-Christian ancestors.

In view of what has been said, one could speculate that even if Christianity
had never emerged it is more than likely that we would still be getting
ready for the late-December festivities, putting up decorations, including holly
and mistletoe, in order to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun, the great giver
and sustainer of all earthly life

Nightmare

by Tane Jackson


Christmas has two distinct themes running through it, as study of any
collection of Christmas cards shows. One is the religious aspect, involving Wise
Men, angels, the Star and shepherds, and refers to the Gospel story of the birth
of Christ. The other theme seems totally unrelated and depicts reindeer,
stockings, a sleigh and, of course, Santa Claus.

The two main Christmas person-amities are Jesus and Santa, as most people
will agree. Everyone brought up in a Christian country knows the significance of
Jesus at this time but just who is Father Christmas and why should he become
part of a religious festival?

We must first look back at history and see why December became such an
important month in the religious calendar in the first place. The reason is, of
course, the Winter Solstice, December 21st, when the Sun appears to stop in the
sky prior to beginning its journey back across the heavens.

After the Solstice the days gradually get longer and the peoples of old
considered this to be almost the birthday of the Sun. The peoples of the northern
hemisphere were fond of having a festival in mid-winter, perhaps because
they needed something to take their minds off the long, cold, dark days. In
ancient Rome the feast of Saturnalia was held between December 17th and 23rd and
gifts were exchanged. The Romans also held the feast of Brumalia on the
Solstice day itself and considered this to be the birthday of Mithra the
unconquered Sun god. The Norsemen celebrated Yule at this time, to herald the return
of the Sun. It is interesting to note that Christ is often known as the Light
of the World, a title that continues this theme of darkness in retreat in the
face of good.

The Solstice has long been associated with the idea of people giving each
other presents. Apart from giving gifts at Saturnalia the Romans also exchanged
presents on the feast of the Kalends, which we call New Year's Day. These
customs prevailed all over the Roman Empire when Christianity was still a new
religion.

When Christianity spread to the northern lands they found the Norsemen
worshipping Odin-- who rode his chariot through the night sky at the time of
theWinter Solstice, handing out gifts.

Because the exchange of gifts was so linked in the pagan mind with these old
festivals devout Christians were not supposed to exchange gifts at this
time. However, gift-exchange never died out on the European scene and finally the
Church fathers had to do something about it. They did not want to let people
keep on believing that Odin or any other pagan deity had anything to do with
gift-bringing so they looked around for an acceptable Christian figure to
bring them instead. The person they chose was St. Nicholas, the former Bishop of
Myra in the 4th century AD.

Not much is actually known about St. Nicholas, though many legends grew up
around his kindly figure. One thing that qualified him for the role of
gift-bringer was his feast day being December 6th, a date sufficiently close to the
Solstice for the two to be connected in the mass mind.

St. Nicholas was a useful saint and could even be described as all-purpose.
His responsibilities included the welfare of pawnbrokers, boatmen, parish
clerks, dockers and barrel-makers among others. He was the patron saint of both
Russia and Aberdeen. The best-known story about him tells of his leaving
three bags of gold on a poor man's windowsill as dowries for his three
daughters. One version of this tale states that the gold was thrown through the window
and landed in a stocking that had been hung up to dry, which perhaps
explains our custom of the Christmas stocking.

Nightmare

by Eric Maple


Every December 25th the normally phlegmatic British let down their hair and
plunge into an orgy of fun which one would normally associate with the people
of more exuberant nations.

Complete strangers wish one another a Happy Christmas as a parting greeting
and the public houses are filled with revelers strenuously keeping up the
spirit of the season of goodwill.

Few of these light-hearted souls will be aware that the celebration of
Christmas had its origins in the pagan worship of the Sun or, for that matter,
that the funny hats, the evergreens and the festive board have nothing
whatsoever to do with Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, but rather with the older
gods worshipped by our ancestors in the twilight world of pre-Christmas Europe.

It is strange to consider that the presence of pork on the Christmas table
and the custom of carrying in the boar's head was once associated with the
sacrifice of a sacred Boar to the Sun god. At the festival of Frey, the
dispenser of rain and sunshine in the mythology of Northern Europe, a boar was a good
luck offering for the New Year and its head, with an apple in its mouth, was
borne into the banqueting-hall amid singing and the sound of welcoming
trumpets. Later in history, the boar's head gave way to the goose and the turkey.
But where this custom survives, it should be seen as one of the many curious
ghosts of Christmas past.

Evergreens and mistletoe Consider the evergreens and their modern
counterparts: the paper-chains which festoon the house at Christmastide. The evergreen
was once the symbol of immortality, declared sacred to the Teutonic nations,
and given pride of place in celebrations associated with the Winter Solstice
from which our modern Christmas is descended.

As a symbol, the evergreen means constancy and eternity, and even in the
Orient we find that it expresses a similar idea, for the Japanese believe the
ever-green needle brings longevity and prosperity. The holly, especially, brings
happiness and friendship, but if kept in the house after New Year's Day
misfortune is ordained. Generally speaking, however, all evergreens must be
taken down by Twelfth Night-- then all will be well.

When we look around the room that has been decked with the regalia of the
Christ-mas party our eyes inevitably settle on one of the focal points, the
mistletoe. In pagan times, it was customary to celebrate the death of the old
year and the birth of the new by kissing under the mistletoe's berries. Old
enemies were then expected to forget their quarrels and take a ceremonial kiss,
promising to live in amity from that time forth.

It is not generally known that the mistletoe became a powerful life symbol
because it grew berries in winter when other plant life seemed dead. Once known
as All Heal, it was employed as an ingredient in many folk medicines. It was
the golden bough of the ancient Druids and, because of its association
with sacrificial ceremonies, was outlawed by the Church as an emblem of
paganism.

Oddly enough, the sole exception was York Minster where a sprig of mistletoe
was placed on the altar each Christmas. A general pardon for crimes remained
in force throughout that city for as long as it remained there.

The central symbol of the Christmas scene, the evergreen Christmas tree, had
its origins in Germany where St. Boniface cut down a sacred oak which was
worshipped by the pagans and, to placate them, offered a fir tree in its place.
However, later research indicates that traces of a similar custom existed in
other lands, notably Greece and Rome, where trees were decorated at the time
of year later dedicated to Christmas. There is also reason for believing that
the same or a similar custom was known in ancient Egypt.

The mystical heritage of Christmas is very strongly represented in one of
the principal characters in the celebrations, Santa Claus, the embodiment of the
spirit of goodwill. The name Santa Claus is in fact a corruption of the
fifth-century St. Nicholas, the Bishop of My~a, who was honored with special
ceremonies by the Greeks and Romans on December 6th, later changed to December
25th.

This distinctly un-ghostlike genus of happiness was a 'reincarnation' of
Odin, God of the Scandinavians who, on the conversion of Northern Europe to
Christianity, was transformed first into St. Nicholas and later into the modern
Father Christmas.

Important religious feast:

Christmas has no equal as a religious feast; it is the most important as
well as the most enjoyable festival of the entire year. Yet even the good things
spread out on the table have their religious aspects, particularly the
mince-pies which were originally fashioned in the shape of small cribs in honour
of the Christ Child.

Among the superstitions associated with mince-pies is one which demands that
the Christmas reveler makes a pilgrimage among his neighbors and friends
demanding the gift of a mince-pie wherever he calls. For each one eaten, so goes
the tradition, the visitor may expect a month's good health for the ensuing
year. Originally, mince-pies contained a far more potent filling than mere
mincemeat. They were stuffed with flesh of game hashed together with pickled
mushrooms.

One should always make a wish when taking the first bite of the first
mince-pie of the season.

The Christmas pudding qualifies as a magical ritual in its own right, for it
is surrounded by the most curious ceremonies. Prior to the 18th century the
pudding was known as Plum Porridge and was a concoction of plums, spices,
wines, meat broth and breadcrumbs. It was eaten in a semi-liquid state and only
later in its history were the plums replaced by raisins. To preserve good
luck, the pudding should be stirred deosil or clockwise: a ceremony known to most
psychic cooks. Lucky charms and silver coins have to be incorporated in the
mix to bring good fortune to the eater usually a silver coin, a silver
thimble and a ring, with the following meanings: the silver coin brings good luck;
the ring promises a happy marriage to the girl who finds it; while the
thimble hints that she is
likely to remain a spinster.

The most interesting feature of Christmas pudding lore is the custom of
setting fire to the brandy, so that the pudding can be brought to the table all
aflame. This is a curious reminder that in ancient times special fires were lit
at the midwinter feast to honour the Sun god. One ghost which has been
finally exorcised from the Christmas scene is the Dumb Cake which in times past
was prepared by single girls for con-sumption on Christmas Eve. Its ingredients
were salt, wheatmeal and barley, and it had to be baked in complete silence.
It was carefully placed in the oven and the front door opened precisely at
midnight. The specter of the girl's future husband was expected to enter the
house at that time and march into the kitchen to turn the cake. In some areas
the cook would prick her initials on the cake and in due course her future
husband would materialize to add his initials to hers. Alas, this custom seems
to have vanished for ever.

The modern Christmas cake is still with us. It is supposed to have
originated with a cake presented by the people of ancient Rome to their senators. A
custom among Scots demanded that the cook should rise in the early hours of
Christmas Day and bake sowen (oatmeal) cakes. These were distributed to the
family at Hogmanay. If a cake happened to break, bad luck followed, but if it
remained unbroken the eater could look forward to a Happy New Year.

Although there is no clear-cut tradition that Christmas Day was ever
associated with the giving of presents prior to modern times, it is known that a
similar custom was observed by the Romans on New Year's Day. The Roman gift
would have been a goodwill symbol only, consisting of branches of evergreen, but
in time the presents became more lavish.

Many of the enjoyable rituals which involve our lives at Christmas time are
but the shadow survivals or 'ghosts' of very ancient customs performed around
the close of the old year and the birth of the new, and the feast of fire
celebrated at the time of the Winter Solstice to honour the Sun god.

Season of fire and light:

But the season of fire and light, as it is sometimes called, would be
nothing without the Yule-log, for Christmas is also known as Yule, which was the
Scandinavian feast of the Winter Solstice.

In the days of old, an oak log was cut down on Yule Eve, and borne with much
ceremony into the house and rolled onto the huge fire that was to burn
during the days of the Nativity, especially Christmas Day. Little did the pious
Christians of the medieval world realize that originally it had been burned in
honour of the god Thor and represented the sacred element: fire.

No doubt it was due to this association with the old gods that the hearth
fire at Christmas assumed the important role which it retained until the advent
of artificial forms of heating. The hearth was the center for the telling of
Christmas ghost stories and for those curious superstitions relating to the
mysteries of fire.

Throughout Northern Europe there were traditions that the family ghosts
returned at Christmas time to share the festival with their living relatives. In
Brittany there was the custom of leaving food for the ghosts while the family
attended church. In Scandinavia, stories were told of trolls (who were ogres
not ghosts) returning at this season to rattle the window-panes. In the
British Isles there were contradictory beliefs, some people thought, erroneously,
that no ghost had power to haunt during the Christmas season.

It is when the light is extinguished save for the glowing embers that the
ghost-story teller comes into his own and, surrounded by the family, describes
some ancient haunting which is calculated to chill the blood of his listeners.
Traditional hauntings include the posthumous adventures of Anne Boleyn who
haunts her old homes during the Christmas season. Her ghost has been reported
at Rochford Hall in Essex and Hever Castle in Kent, wandering headless during
the 12 days of the festival.

There are a number of cheerless proverbs which surface at the season of
goodwill, as when someone observes, A green Christmas brings a full churchyard,
possibly to counteract any excessive exuberance among the party.

However, the children turn to less ghostly rituals, including divination to
discover the future. Each of them cuts an apple and counts the pips. The one
whose apple has the most pips can look forward to the most happiness in the 12
months ahead.

Lost origins:

And so young and old join in quiet communion with Christmases past, present
and future, united in quaint ceremonies whose origins are lost in history - a
celebration presided over by ancestral spirits who have been lured into the
home from outer darkness by the glow of the pagan fire.

Nightmare

Earth Medicine is a system of astrology or personality profiling
which is
Based on Native American beliefs about the cosmos and the principles
Embodied in sacred Medicine Wheels.
Native Americans have always believed that everything in nature is
sacred,
And that although the spirit is invisible to the eye, it is
pervasive in
Nature. The animal species of the natural world are messengers of
spirit
Who inform our daily lives and appear in our dreams, imparting
knowledge and
Powers which are known as "medicine". Those to whom animals appear
in
Their dreams pay tribute to the animals by carving their images on
Ceremonial and decorative objects and painting the images on items
used
Every day.
Native American Shamans realized that there is profound relationship
between
The natural forces which predominate during the seasons and the
Personalities of those born at certain times of the year. They were
also
Aware that one's personality is also affected by the phases of the
moon at
The time of one's birth and all through one's life. There is a
continual
Oscillation or ebb and flow of energy between the active and the
passive all
Through life. These beliefs are embodied in Earth Medicine which
guides
One in learning to understand how Nature affects him or her, what
strengths
And weaknesses one is born with, and how to develop one's strengths
and
Evolve in harmony with the greater whole.

Medicine Wheels
The Native American world is full of sacred circles called Medicine
Wheels.
Each Medicine Wheel describes the relationship between objects and
qualities
Within the greater whole. The system of Earth Medicine is based upon
the
Master Medicine Wheel which describes the balance or harmony which
is
Inherent in nature and the cycle of the seasons.
At the hub of the Medicine Wheel lies the Wakan-Tanka, the symbol of
I! Nvisible spirit coming into physical being or taking form. The
Wakan-Tanka
Is surrounded by representations of the four cardinal elements, the
four
Directions and symbols representing the ebb and flow of energy. The
Medicine Wheel is further subdivided into four seasons, each having
three
Birth times or totems, twelve in all.
Each birth totem is influenced by an element and a direction; it
also has an
Affinity with a particular stone, tree, and colour. A totem typifies
the
Central qualities or characteristics of a personality. It describes
one's
Nature and is the golden key to unlocking the intuitive knowledge
which lies
Within one but is beyond the grasp of the intellect. The totem is a
direct
Link with the energies which it typifies and is therefore an
invaluable
Tool for understanding the intangible aspects and formative
influences at
Work in our lives.
Each individual has three totems, a birth totem, a directional totem
and an
Elemental totem. The birth totem embodies the innate characteristics
of the
Dominant forces operating in nature at the time of one's birth. The
Directional totem aligns or brings one into harmony with his or her
inner
Senses. The elemental totems describe instinctive behaviours, those
Behaviours which are natural as opposed to learned or enforced. The
tree,
Stone and colour associated with each totem have the power to convey
Strength during times of challenge, stress or testing.
The Medicine Wheel classifies human nature into twelve types or
birth totems
Each birth totem relates to the characteristics of Nature at a
particular
Time of the year and provides a map which will assist an individual
in
Discovering their strengths, weaknesses and their inner drives and
Understanding their instinctive behaviours and their real potential.

The Seasons
The four seasons lie close to the centre of the Medicine Wheel and
the four
Equinoxes mark the passing of the seasons. Each season represents a
stage
Of huma! N growth and development. Spring is the time of childhood
and
growth
Summer is the time of youth and puberty. Autumn represents the
fulfillment
Of maturity. Winter symbolizes the accumulated wisdom of later life.
Each
Season is further divided into three birth times or totems. The time
of one
S birth determines the direction from which one will perceive and
understand
Life, and the characteristics of Nature at the time of one's birth
are
Reflected in one's character.

Directions
The four directions are the caretakers of the universe and are often
Referred to as the four Winds because the directional influences are
sensed
Or felt but are unseen. Each direction is associated with a season
and a
Time of day. East is associated with illumination and with morning.
Its
Directional totem is the Eagle, a bird which soars to great heights
and can
See clearly from those heights. South is the direction of Summer and
the
Afternoon, signifying growth, fruition, fluidity and emotions.
South's
Totem, the mouse symbolizes productivity, feelings and the talent to
Comprehend detail. West is the direction of Autumn and the evening,
Signifying the transition from day to night, from Summer to Winter
and the
Qualities of introspection and conservation. It's totem is the
Grizzly Bear
Who represents strength from deep within. North is the direction of
Winter
and night, the mind and knowledge. Its totem is the Buffalo.

The Elements
The cardinal elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water are all around us.
They
pervade everything and they describe the essential character of
everything
in this world. One principal Element is associated with each of the
four
directions as well as four basic modes of activity and is associated
with
different aspects of the self. Earth represents the West and
stability and
is related to the body and physical sensations. Air represents the
North
and free movement in every direction and is related to the mind and
to
thought.! Fire re presents the East and expansive motion and is
linked with
the spirit and intuition. Water represents the South and fluidity
and is
associated with the soul and emotions..
Each birth totem is also individually associated with an element and
this is
known as the Elemental Aspect of the birth totem. Those three birth
totems
which share an Elemental Aspect are known as a clan, and each clan
has a
totem which describes the most important characteristics of the
clan's
members. The Elemental Aspect tends to play a more dominant role in
an
individual's life than the Principal Element.

The Influence of the Sun and Moon
Native American cultures believed that the Sun and the Moon
indicated active
and receptive energies which existed in Nature as well as time. The
influence of the Sun was associated with conscious activity, reason
and will
The influence of the Moon was associated with subconscious activity,
the
emotional and intuitive aspect of human nature.
The twenty-nine day lunar cycle is divided into four phases and each
is
indicative of a specific mode of activity. The Waxing Moon
represents birth
and childhood; the Full Moon represents youth and the journey toward
maturity; the Waning Moon symbolizes full maturity and the passing
of youth;
the New Moon represents reproduction or fruition. Each phase of the
Moon
influences both one's personality and daily life. One who is born at
the
Waxing Moon is inclined to be extroverted; someone born at the Full
Moon is
expressive; someone born at the Waning Moon is probably reserved,
and anyone
born at the New Moon tends to be introverted or inward looking.
The influences of the Moon on daily life are significant. The Waxing
Moon
is a time for growth, for developing new ideas and initiating new
projects.
The Full Moon is a good time for completing projects or tasks
initiated
during the previous period. The Waning Moon is a good time to
improve and
modify projects and tasks, to cull an! d remove that which is no
longer
required. The New Moon is a time for contemplation of one's
achievements
and preparation for that which is to come.

Energy
Think of the flow of energy as "yin and yang". Energy flows in two
directions which compliment each other, active and receptive, male,
and
female. The active flow of energy is related to the elements of Fire
and
Air, and the receptive principle is linked to Water and Earth. Since
Active
and Receptive alternate on the Medicine Wheel, all is balanced or in
harmony

Nightmare

Halloween is celebrated annually. But just how and when did this
peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon
worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan
Ritual?

The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the
Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All
Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is
a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th
century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October
31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.

One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all
those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in
search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was
believed to be their only hope for the afterlife, (Panati). The
Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this
time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living,
(Gahagan).

Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the
night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their
homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up
in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the
neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten
away spirits looking for bodies to possess, (Panati).

Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their
fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the
Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the
Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at
Usinach, (Gahagan).

Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake
who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson
to the spirits, (Panati). Other accounts of Celtic history debunk
these stories as myth, (Gahagan).

The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the
first century AD, they abandoned any practice of sacrificing of
humans in favor of burning effigies.

The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more
ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of
dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more
ceremonial role.

The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by
Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that
time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over
outhouses and unhinging fence gates, (Panati).

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not
with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom
called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would
walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of
square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the
beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on
behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was
believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and
that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to
heaven.

The Jack-o-lantern custom probably comes from Irish folklore. As
the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a drunkard
and trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved
an image of a cross in the tree's trunk, trapping the devil up the
tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that, if he would never tempt
him again, he would promise to let him down the tree.

According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance
to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to
Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a
single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember
was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer.

The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns" originally. But
when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were
far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America
was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember.

So, although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their
favorite "holiday," the day itself did not grow out of evil
practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new
year, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, it
is only as evil as one cares to make it.

© 1995-2002 by Jerry Wilson


*From The History Channel Online*

Ancient Origins, Modern Interpretations, & Evolution of Halloween

*Ancient Origins*
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of
Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now
Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their
new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the
harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year
that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on
the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of
the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31,
they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the
dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging
crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits
made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make
predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the
volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of
comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where
the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the
Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically
consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each
other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their
hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from
the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory.
In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic
lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the
traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans
traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a
day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The
symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this
celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition
of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic
lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November
1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely
believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic
festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday.
The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from
Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night
before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve
and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church
would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It
was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and
dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the
three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All
Souls', were called Hallowmas.

*Modern Traditions*
The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to
the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities,
poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them
pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for
the family's dead relatives.

The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way
to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming
spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling"
was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in
their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European
and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and
frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many
people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of
constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came
back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter
ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these
ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after
dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On
Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place
bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent
them from attempting to enter.

*Evolution Of A Holiday*
As European immigrants came to America, they brought their varied
Halloween customs with them. Because of the rigid Protestant belief
systems that characterized early New England, celebration of
Halloween in colonial times was extremely limited there.

It was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As
the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups, as well
as the American Indians, meshed, a distinctly American version of
Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included "play
parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where
neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other's
fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also
featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all
kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn
festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated
everywhere in the country.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded
with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions
of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped to
popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from
Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in
costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice
that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young
women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or
appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple
parings, or mirrors.

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween
into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers,
than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft.

At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and
adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties
focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents
were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take
anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations.
Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious
and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but
community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as
the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools
and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in
many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had
successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a
holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of
young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town
civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more
easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old
practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating
was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share
the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent
tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children
with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has
continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion
annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest
commercial holiday.

Nightmare

Rhiannon (Great Queen) was the lunar Welsh Goddess of fertility and rebirth,
transformation, wisdom, and magic. Goddess of ethereal beauty, she was born
with the first moonrise, Muse of poets, source of artistic inspiration, she
was worshipped outside amidst the trees at woodland alters and underneath the
Moonlight.

As goddess of fertility, Rhiannon gave birth to a son, Pryderi, at Yule -
the winter solstice being a significant reminder that the ultimate product of
death is rebirth. (Centuries later, in 273 C.E.
(Common Era), Christians adopted this time of Yule as Jesus' birth).

Her son was abducted one night while she slept, and as punishment she was
tied to the town gates and forced to bear visitors on her back as though she
were a horse. Her dignified strength and perseverance during this time serve to
remind us what all women are, and will continue to be.

In her death goddess aspect, she is symbolised by an unearthly white mare
and three birds that sang so sweetly they could raise the dead.
According to bardic folklore, she later become Vivien, the Lady of the Lake
in Arthurian myth, honoured for granting the wishes of those who could ask
for what they wanted, and scorning those who could not, or would not, ask for
what they wanted. This aspect is also a possible source for the Grail Question
of Arthurian legend.

Rhiannon carried the souls of the once-living on her white mare to the
Underworld, which, according to Celtic legend, is where the soul exists in a
similar way to that in our world. They did not see a difference between the
spiritual world and the material world, the natural or the super-natural. After a
"life cycle" in the Underworld, the souls die and are reborn into this world
again, perpetuating the cycle of birth and death, renewal and destruction.

Nightmare

By Edain McCoy

"Spirits of the corners,
Winds of the quarters,
You who stand watching,
And you who hear my voice,
Guard well my home tonight."

Dwelling places have always been seen as possessing magical
potential.
To enter a home, one must first pass over the threshold, considered
a
sacred place in many cultures. Doors archetypically represent the
portal
between worlds. To stand between them automatically puts you in the
magical space known as the place "in between." To the ancient Celts,
any
place that was not clearly in one world or another possessed
inherent
magical power. In your doorway you are neither in nor out--you are
in
between--making your threshold an ideal place to chant blessings or
cast
magical spells for the protection of your home.

Many Witches like to place magical objects that offer their homes
protection on or near their doors. Small, decorative brooms are
often
used for this purpose. The broom, called a besom in the Craft, is
usually shown with its bristles up to symbolize the unity of the
divine
and the blessing of the gods upon the dwelling. The handle
represents
the phallus of the God, and the bristles are reminiscent of the
mound of
Venus on the female body, the entrance to the womb of the Goddess.

Many common threshold decorations, like door harps or wind chimes,
were
originally devices of magical home protection. In both cases the
intent
is to use musical sounds to scare away negativity or evil spirits.


Another magical opening to the house is the chimney. The word hearth
contains the word heart, underscoring its place as the center of the
home. Many Pagans keep their ancestor shrines near the hearth. They
may
also leave food and drink for household faeries near it, or decorate
it
with protective symbols.

The modern hearth is the kitchen, and in China there still exists an
annual festival to honor their most personal deity, the Kitchen God
of
the household. Exactly one week prior to the start of the Chinese
New
Year, families remove the picture of him that hangs over the stove
and
burn it over a sweet-smelling incense, amidst offerings of candy and
cakes. The Kitchen God flies on the incense up to his celestial home
to
report to the other deities about the behavior of the family during
the
year, especially how they treated one another. After this family
ritual
is complete, a new picture of the Kitchen God is put over the stove.

In many Pagan cultures it was believed that homes possessed guardian
spirits. The most well-known of these are the Lares and the Penates
of
ancient Rome, who were celebrated in a special festival that took
place
each January 8. The Lares lived in subterranean sanctuaries
underneath
the homes they chose to look after. They slept by day, and at night
came
out to care for the exterior of the home. The Penates lived above
the
house, usually in "attics" or in the trees that shaded the dwelling.
They awoke with the sunrise, and spent their days taking care of the
household tasks and looking after the welfare of the home's
inhabitants.
On festival day, every member of the household would gather around
the
home altar to make an offering of thanks, usually in the form of
food,
wine and fresh straw for bedding.

Lisey

Very cool...never knew what Yule was anyway.

Nightmare

Kindly old Grandmother, The Crone, a woman of wisdom, Our Dark Mother, she
of many names and guises. Goddess of the Crossroads, Queen of the Witches, the
Dark Goddess, The TripleGoddess. The protectress of the flocks and the
sailors, she is invoked as the bestower of wealth and favor. These are but a few
of the names by which she is known. She has been with us from the beginning.

Hecate is the oldest Greek tri-form Goddess. She is at the same time the
three-phased Moon, and, in particular, it’s dark phase. She is the Dark Mother,
or Crone aspect and a major deity of the Dianic tradition. In the Greek
pantheon, Hecate Tri-form is known as Artemis, Persephone and Hecate. Hecate is
sometimes seen as the third aspect of the Trinity Persephone/Demeter/ Hecate
for it is Hecate who leads Demeter to her daughter. She is a "dark" Goddess,
associated with magic and the night. She is often portrayed with 3 heads or
with a 3 headed dog. She was worshipped mostly at crossroads where offerings
were left for her – these offerings were known sometimes as "Hecate's Suppers" –
and were left there late at night on the eve of the Full Moon. The person
leaving the food walked away without looking back, for fear of confronting the
Goddess face to face. This was a way of honoring the threefold Goddess where
one could look three ways at once. Other offerings included honey, dogs,
black ewes and sometimes even humans. Some say she is not originally Greek, she
has been classified as Thracian or as a Titan. She may also be linked to the
Egyptian Goddess Heket.

She is a Goddess of the Moon, of the Underworld, and of Magick. She is also
considered the protectress of flocks, sailors and of course, witches. Hecate
is the protectress of far-away places, roads, and byways. She is considered
the Goddess of The Crossroads. Statues of her stood at crossroads where
travelers were faced with three choices. In latter-day paganism, Hecterions (a form
of pillar) depict the Goddess with six arms, three torches and three sacred
symbols: A Key, A Rope and A Dagger. With the Key to the underworld, Hecate
unlocks the secrets of the occult mysteries and knowledge of afterlife. The
Rope symbolizes the umbilical cord of rebirth and renewal and the Dagger or
Athame is a symbol of ritual power.

Hecate belongs to the class of torch bearing deities, and carries a burning
torch in accordance with the belief that she is the nocturnal Goddess of The
Moon. A huntress, she knows her way into the realm of spirits. She is
depicted wearing a gleaming headdress of stars. All the secret powers of nature are
at her command. She has control over birth, life, and death. Her work
includes the world of the dead (just a resting place of the dead), of the night and
of the darkness. She is the Mistress of all the Witchcraft and Black Arts.

On her walks at night, Hecate has many accomplices. Her two black, ghostly
dogs who have been sacrificed to her, (her priestesses Circe and Medea) are
sometimes referred to as being her daughters. At night during the Dark Moon,
the Goddess can be seen walking the roads of Greece with her howling dogs and
torches. The black howling dogs at night mean that Hecate is approaching. She
and her dogs journey over the graves of the dead to search for souls of the
departed and then carry them to refuge in the Underworld. She also haunts
scenes of crimes as a Goddess of Expiation and Purification. She can be called on
during the Dark of the Moon to banish or render justice.

The women who worshipped her often stained their palms and soles of their
feet with henna. An adaptation of this ritual is held on Halloween or Hallowmas
held on October 31, to honor Hecate at a time when the veil between the
Worlds is the thinnest. In private worship her followers prepare and partake of
Hecate’s suppers and the leftovers are to be placed outdoors as offerings to
her and her hounds.

Nightmare

(HEE-ruh; Roman name Juno) was the goddess of marriage. Hera was the wife of Zeus and Queen of the Olympians.
Hera hated the great hero Heracles since he was the son of her husband Zeus and a mortal woman. When he was still an infant, she sent snakes to attack him in his crib. Later she stirred up the Amazons against him when he was on one of his quests.
On the other hand, Hera aided the hero Jason, who would never have retrieved the Golden Fleece without her sponsorship.
In Greek mythology, Hera was the reigning female goddess of Olympus because she was Zeus's wife. But her worship is actually far older than that of her husband. It goes back to a time when the creative force we call "God" was conceived of as a woman. The Goddess took many forms, among them that of a bird.
Hera was worshipped throughout Greece, and the oldest and most important temples were consecrated to her. Her subjugation to Zeus and depiction as a jealous shrew are mythological reflections of one of the most profound changes ever in human spirituality.
Tens of thousands of years ago, as the evidence of cave art and artifacts makes clear, humanity was focused on the female body, either pregnant or fit to bear children. Childbirth was the closest humans came to the great power that caused the earth to bring forth new life in the spring. To the extent that these distant ancestors of ours were evolved enough to think of worshipping this power, we may safely conclude that they thought of it as female.
Thousands of years later (and some five to nine thousand years before our own time), the European descendants of these people lived in large villages, with specialized crafts and religious institutions. It is clear from the artifacts they left behind that they worshipped a power (or a group of powers) that came in many forms--a bird, a snake, perhaps the earth itself. And this great power was female. For the human female has the ability to procreate--to bring forth new life.
It is said that it was only when humanity discovered man's role in procreation that male gods began to be worshipped. There is no reason to doubt, though, that male gods were worshipped before the mystery of birth was fully known. In all probability the greatest powers were thought of as female but there were male deities as well. And it is clear that even after procreation was properly understood, the more peaceful Europeans--perhaps down to the "Minoans" of Crete--continued to worship the Great Mother.
And there were many peaceful Europeans. Many of the largest villages of that distant era were unfortified. The culture known as "Old European" did not fear aggression from its neighbors. But then things changed and a great period of violence began. Invaders swept into Europe from the vast central plains of Asia. They brought the Indo-European language family that today includes French, Italian, Spanish and English. They also brought a sky god, the supreme male deity that in Greek mythology became known as Zeus.
Little is known of these early Indo-Europeans, but the peaceful settlements of Old Europe were no match for them. In some places their new culture became supreme, in others there was merger. Hardier mountain folk resisted, though many were displaced from their strongholds, moved on and displaced others in a domino effect. The Dorian invasion of Mycenaean Greece can be seen as a result of this chain reaction.
The old order seems to have held out longest on Crete where, protected by the Aegean Sea from invasion by land, the high Minoan civilization survived until almost three thousand years ago. Abruptly, then, from the perspective of human existence, the gender of the greatest power changed from female to male. And many of the stories that form the basis of Greek mythology were first told in their present form not long after the shift.
Zeus's many adulterous affairs may derive from ceremonies in which the new sky god "married" various local embodiments of the Great Goddess. That there was some insecurity on the part of the supplanter god and his worshippers is seen in the mythological birth of Athena from Zeus's head--as if to say that the sky god could do anything any Great Goddess could do. This Goddess continued to be worshipped in some form down into historical times. Her worship is sometimes dismissed as a "fertility cult", largely because religious practices degenerated under new influences. But we may look for traces in the myths of the old order, in which Athena, whose name is pre-Greek, was the Goddess herself. Under the influence of the Indo-Europeans, this bird goddess became the chief deity of war. Her earlier guise may be glimpsed in Athena's symbol, the owl, which derives from the preceding thousands of years of sacred bird imagery.