Articles Archive

MARCH 08
Bright Blessings!

*This Saturday at Aradia’s Garden….
Open Ritual for a Imbolg! The Labyrinth of Light coven cordially extends an invitation to all to join us in celebrating Brighid!  6:30 Ritual and Feast After. Bring a dish To Share!  Bring a Drum for Drumming as well!
Imbolg pronounced “IM-Bulk” also called “Oimealg” by the Druids is the Festival of (don’t laugh) lactating sheep! Derived from the Gaelic word “oimelc” translating to ewes milk!  Herd animals have either given birth are or swollen and preparing to.  Their udders full of milk. It is a time of blessing the seeds and consecrating agricultural tools.  Imbolg is also the mid point of the dark half of the year.
  The festival of the Maiden and from this day till March 21st is the season in which we prepare for growth. On this day Brighid’s snake emerges from the earth to test the weather.  (Origin of Ground Hog Day)
  The Maiden Goddess is honored on this day as the Bride. She is also the Goddess of Fire, Inspiration, Healing, Craftsmanship, and Mid-wifery.  Straw corn Dollies are made in her honor! A Besom stands by the door to symbolize the sweeping out of the old and welcoming the new.  Offerings of bread and milk are placed outside the door on the eve of Brighid’s Day. Candles are lit and placed in each room to celebrate the return of the sun. 
  Brighid is a Triad Goddess and will guide us through our time of newness.  She is here and a witness to all our dreams, joys, loves and heartbreaks. She blesses us and nurtures us and we bid her welcome!
In Light And Love
Lindora

“She reaches up for a handful of light, touches it to the Earth to warm the night”     Laura Powers

Feb. 08

Bright Blessings!
*This Saturday at Aradia’s Garden….
Open Ritual for a Imbolg! The Labyrinth of Light coven cordially extends an invitation to all to join us in celebrating Brighid!  6:30 Ritual and Feast After. Bring a dish To Share!  Bring a Drum for Drumming as well!

Imbolg pronounced “IM-Bulk” also called “Oimealg” by the Druids is the Festival of (don’t laugh) lactating sheep! Derived from the Gaelic word “oimelc” translating to ewes milk!  Herd animals have either given birth are or swollen and preparing to.  Their udders full of milk. It is a time of blessing the seeds and consecrating agricultural tools.  Imbolg is also the mid point of the dark half of the year.
  The festival of the Maiden and from this day till March 21st is the season in which we prepare for growth. On this day Brighid’s snake emerges from the earth to test the weather.  (Origin of Ground Hog Day)
  The Maiden Goddess is honored on this day as the Bride. She is also the Goddess of Fire, Inspiration, Healing, Craftsmanship, and Mid-wifery.  Straw corn Dollies are made in her honor! A Besom stands by the door to symbolize the sweeping out of the old and welcoming the new.  Offerings of bread and milk are placed outside the door on the eve of Brighid’s Day. Candles are lit and placed in each room to celebrate the return of the sun. 
  Brighid is a Triad Goddess and will guide us through our time of newness.  She is here and a witness to all our dreams, joys, loves and heartbreaks. She blesses us and nurtures us and we bid her welcome!

In Light And Love
Lindora

“She reaches up for a handful of light, touches it to the Earth to warm the night”     Laura Powers

Chance  encounters will bring opportunity your way!

Jan. 08
Bright Blessings!
  The excitement of Yule and the New Year’s coming has hopefully left a lingering glow .  The 2008 year is a leap year!
Leap Year! Yes girls you can ask that man to marry you on February 29th-with my blessing! The significance of Leap Year actually has a scientific reason. The Gregorian calendar currently in use worldwide (except perhaps the Russian and Iranian  calendars), there is a leap year every year divisible by four except for  years which are both divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400. Therefore, the year 2000 was a leap year, but the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. The complete list of leap years in the first half of the 21st century is therefore 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040, 2044, and 2048. A leap year is a year in which an extra day is added to the calendar  in order to synchronize it with the seasons. The Earth’s trip around the sun is 365.242190 days long, a leap year must be added roughly once every four years (four times the fractional day gives  ). In a leap year, the extra day (known as a leap day) is added at the end of February, giving it 29 instead of the usual 28th.The original Roman Calendar had an extra 22 day month every few years in attempt to keep the seasons aligned. Caesar however added a few days to each month and then added an extra month which he named for himself “JULY”  this did not solve the calendar issues though and not until 1582 A.D. Pope Gregory XIII perfected  the system after some complicated logic that Christmas and Easter  would fall on top of each other without his divine intervention. Thus today our year is 365.2425 days, off from the solar year by .00031, or one days error over 4000 years. Not too shabby!  After all without this extra day who knows what chaos might have ensued!
In Love And Light
Lady Lindora
"Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one
Excepting February alone:

Dec. 07

Bright Blessings!
  Yule is upon us! Did you know that Yule comes from the Scandinavian word Jul  meaning wheel?  Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice so the festival dates  vary from year to year. This years Solstice falls on the Dec 22nd-the exact day the sun enters Capricorn.  This is also as the first day of winter!   Even though the traditions of Yule resemble the Christian Holiday, the origins are much more ancient. Actually the Egyptians started this festival over 4000 years ago with a 12 day party to celebrate the birth of Horus-the son of Isis and Osiris-whose earthly guise took the form of the Sun!  They saw greenery as a magical growth tool-desiring the Sun to grow and stay in the  sky longer.  Decorations consisted of greenery everywhere and as the Egyptians prospered this news of their festival spread through Mesopotamia like wild fire.  Soon other civilizations followed this idea and the Babylonians began to worship the newborn sun with a celebration called  Zagmuk.  After all everyone wanted to prosper! The Persians and Greeks followed with Sacaea.  Then the Romans hopped on the bandwagon and not to be outdone things really started to happen! They named their festival Saturnalia, and included singing, candles, feasting, and lavish gift giving.
This rapidly growing  trend of Solstice celebrations spread throughout Europe and the Yule Festival  as we know it today was created!
  Though there are many themes associated with this festival-the most common is the battle between the aging Holly King, representing the darkness of the old year , and the young Oak King, symbolizing the light of the new year.  The old king is symbolically slain and the Oak King takes his place on the throne. We light the Yule Log and tell the tale and encourage the Sun’s easy birth, welcoming it back to the Earth.
(info for this article from” The Craft” Dorothy Morrison)
In Love and Light
Lindora
 
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.  Love is the law. Love under will”  Aleister Crowley 1875-1947

Nov. 07
Bright Blessings To All!
Happy Samhain! 
  Starting the year with a clean slate may have been a little more difficult for some then others.  Settling of arguments, debts and putting to rest..not only those who have passed this year but grudges and resentments as well.  So knowing what we know…knowing what Karma is..why do we still show the propensities to feel ill towards our fellow human beings! Why do we bury ourselves so deep in our own insecurities  that upon recognizing things in other people that identify strongly within ourselves-we slam the door??? Do you think it is possible that we could learn from one another??? Hmmmmm. Now that is definitely something  to ponder. With the veil between the worlds at it thinnest many of you may have noticed an increase in psychic awareness and messages from spirit.  Have you chose to listen??? Have you acted as your ancestors would have you.  Our first instinct is to retreat when we are asked to move outside of our comfort zones.  Perhaps follow the Goddess as she leads you into the  Dark Mysteries.  Learn from what she has to offer from the darkness within our very beings!
Blessed Be
Lady Lindora
Bright Blessings To All!

Oct. 07
  The wheel of the year has turned full circle for Aradia’s Garden and myself!   In reflection of the last year the Goddess has walked the path with me and brought me to new levels of understanding and enlightenment!
  With reflection being the theme this month as we prepare for Samhain, look back on your year  and what do you see?  Did the lessons of the Goddess brighten your path?  The past year as we have walked the path with the Goddess, we have discovered ourselves, each other, become aware of our environment and the reverence it deserves, our ancestors and being thankful for them.  We have said good bye to excess baggage and welcomed new baggage!  Perhaps people dropped out of your life that you never dreamed would and brand new ones came in to replace them!  What is still a constant in your life from last October to this one??? 
  As we look eagerly forward to Samhain, we can embrace starting the year anew.  As a new journey begins, where will we go?  New spiritual insights?  New friends? Or just walking the same path but in New Light!  Moving on?
  Where ever your path leads, be reassured that it is pretty much exactly where you are supposed to be. Even with all the side trips!  Perhaps with questions?
  The Goddess is going to sleep, as she brings balance to the year.  Samhain will be the perfect opportunity to honor what has come to pass in this year and then let it go with your blessing.
   The dark nights that follow, the Crone Goddess teaches you  “ Life is to be lived”.  Get to know the Inner Landscape within you.  This will be another step of moving on.  Allow the Crone Goddess to lead you to that new consciousness! 
Peace
Lindora


”It’s got to ask uss a question, my precious, yes, yess, yess.  Jusst one more question to guess, yes yess.”
          The Gollum-The Hobbitt/J.R.R. Tolkein

Sept. 07
Bright Blessings to All!
School has now started and even though our temps are in the 90’s lately, the mornings are cool telling of Fall around the corner.  Mabon is almost upon us. Mabon pronounced “MAY-bawn” is the Autumn Equinox and is the 2nd harvest.  It is one of the 4 sacred seasonal changes. The day and night will be divided equally and we pause with reflection on the dark that is coming, and give thanks and praise to the waning sunlight. The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time.
  The Wiccans celebrate the aging goddess as she enters the 3rd stage of her life the Crone, and her consort the God as prepares for Death and Rebirth.
  At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.
  The symbolism of Mabon is the Second Harvest, and Equality and Balance.   Decorating graves with pine cones and acorns to honor them is appropriate. Giving Libations to trees, and scattering offerings in fields while walking are great activities for the Mabon Fest . Finishing old business, even if it is cleaning the garage is a great way
to prepare for the holiday!  Be sure to meditate and reflect as you go about your tasks! The wheel continues to turn…..

What goes up, must come down, Spinnin’ wheel, got ta go round
Talking bout your troubles it’s a crying sin
Ride a painted pony let the spinnnin’ wheel spin….  
Clayton-Thomas

Aug. 07

Bright Blessings To All!
  Aug 1st is Lughnasadh and the word itself translates  and means “ the funeral games of Lugh” (pronounced “Loo’ .)
Lugh is the Irish Sun God.  The funeral games are not his own though.They are in honor of his foster-mother Tailte.
This is the reason the traditional Tailtean Craft Faires and Tailtean Marriages (That last for a year and a day) are celebrated at this time.
  This day originally coincided with the first reapings of the harvest.  It was known as the time when the plants of spring drop their seed for our use as well to insure future harvest.
  As Autumn begins, the sun god is not yet dead, but has entered his old age. As the sun rises further in the south each day he loses his strength, and the nights grow longer.
  The Christian religion adopted this theme and called it “Lammas” meaning “ loaf mass” and they placed newly baked loaves of bread on their altars.  An old date or alternative for Lammas is around August 5th when the sun reaches 15 degrees Leo. Some covens employ this date.
  As the Summer passes away-celebrate this time with Family, Friends, and Coven Members!  This is a time of bounty, a gift from the God and Goddess!  Take the time to walk along the river or a lake.  Enjoy the “Nature” that we have been entrusted to care for. When you look across the lake and see the sky, and sun reflected in it-It brings a new meaning to the saying “As Above-So Below”

Blessed Be
Lindy

“Have you seen the White Rabbit?”
“No” said the Chesire Cat. “But if I were looking for him, I’d ask the Mad Hatter.” 
  “I’m, not sure I want to visit a mad person” said Alice.
“You can’t avoid it, “ said the cat. “Most everyone here is mad.” And with that, the cat began to disappear.

Alice In Wonderland

June 07
Bright Blessings To All!
  The word “Solstice” means Standing-still-sun.  June 21st is pretty important in relationship with our Earth as it marks the first day of the Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Winter in the Southern!.  On June 21st there are 24 hrs of daylight North of the Arctic Circle  and 24 hrs of darkness South of the Antarctic Circle!   The Sun’s rays are directly overhead on the Tropic of Cancer( the latitude line at 23.5° north, passing through Mexico, Sahara, Africa, and India) on June 21. The tilt of the Earth is responsible for our seasons ! Without the tilt of the earth's axis, we would have no seasons. The sun's rays would be directly overhead of the equator all year long. Only a slight change would occur as the earth makes its slightly elliptical orbit around the sun. The earth is furthest from the sun about July 3; this point is known as the aphelion and the earth is 94,555,000 miles away from the sun. The perihelion takes place about January 4 when the earth is a mere 91,445,000 miles from the sun! About 3 million miles difference!
  Okay so much for the science! Celebrate Solstice(-Midsummer’s Day ) time with other Pagans -- take part in a Pagan festival happening during June. Keep a Sacred Fire burning throughout the gathering. Stay up all night on Solstice Eve and welcome the rising Sun at dawn. Make a pledge to Mother Earth of something that you will do to improve the environment and then begin carrying it out. Have a magical gift exchange with friends. Burn your Yule wreath in a Summer Solstice bonfire. Exchange songs, chants, and stories with others in person or through the mail. Do ecstatic dancing to drums around a blazing bonfire.   Hug the trees in your yard! Give offerings to them of ribbons and decorations! Sprinkle bird seed around them! 
  Midsummer’s Day has been and in many places still is celebrated much as it has been since before recorded history. The Sun is at its peak of fullest power. It is a time to celebrate power, strength and abundance. Yet even as we crown the Oak King with the fullness of the year, we begin to think about the waning of the year, days growing shorter. And so, the  wheel turns!
Blessed Be
Lindy
“On the road of life-it seems that even with all the side trips-we still seem to end up right where we are supposed to be!”

May 07
Bright Blessings To All!
Happy Beltane!
  May is one of the happiest times of the year! The flowers are blooming and the Earth is green again.  As the Earth rejuvenates Her magick begins to work on us all!
  Beltane is a fire and fertility festival which we eagerly welcome summer and coax it to join us.  The celebration actually begins at sundown April 30th and continues through sunset May 1st.  Beltane comes from the Welsh words tan (meaning  fire) and Bel (the name of the Welsh Sky God).  When combined they mean “Fire in the Sky”. Absolutely appropriate for the call of the summer spirit!
  Traditionally , two babies were selected at their birth-one of each sex-to be trained for the roles of the Stag Lord and the May Queen. At age 14, the boy in his role of Stag Lord, ran with the deer.  The dominant buck or Great Stag, of the herd would sense the intruder and it was up to the Stag Lord to overcome him. Returning victorious and undamaged the Stag Lord then mated with the May Queen in symbolic consummation of the marriage between the God and Goddess, bringing fertility to all the lands around them.
   Although an ancient festival, Beltane is still celebrated today the world over, by Pagans and Christians alike. The Dance of The Maypole is still a common practice as the spirit of summer is conjured in, and the people adorn themselves with flowers and bright colors.
  The participants of the Maypole dance weave in and out in a clockwise motion-the direction of the Sun’s journey across the Earth. The Beltane Fires burn throughout the entire celebration as a tribute to the sun’s lengthening reign in the sky.
  Couples jump over the bonfire for fertility and good luck!  Children run and play games-as the flames from the bonfires reflect in their eyes.  Gardens are blessed.  May baskets are delivered to the elderly  with cheer and good tidings.   A day of frivolity, sensuality, and delight-but it is also a good day to reflect upon our ancestors and give thanks to the Lord and Lady for our good fortune!
Blessed Be
Lindy

“with truth comes light-with light your  path is revealed…..”

The History of Wicca

Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the world today!  Comprising over half of it’s newest followers are young adults and teens! That is a pretty staggering thought,
Hence the need for proper education.
  So let’s start at the beginning, as it being the best place to start..
  So let’s assume you have gone through the exploratory stage or the interest phase of this topic.  Perhaps you have even asked questions here and there and read a book or two.  The questions you have may be “What should I believe?” or “Is this stuff real?”  The first question-only you can answer but the second one….. “YES” it is very real.  Let’s start shall we?

  Paganism has been discovered as far back as 800 B.C. This is what has been documented but I’ll just bet it goes even further! The ancient people were  dependant on the Earth and Nature for their very existence. They were very reverent to the season changes, the world around them, and the cycle of life.  The Sun, the Moon, and Food were primary considerations!  Not necessarily in that order!  The Sun provided warmth and light and awe inspiring it certainly is to this day still! The Moon that lit the night with an air of mystery became a cycle of time.  Since the beginning of time, man became more sophisticated and evolved and soon recognized a Divine Power. Man studied this power and sought ways to use it. By learning these cycles prediction of when to plant, when to harvest, when the weather would be bad, when to hunt and all sorts of information that was essential to survival.  Being in tune with Nature was a must!
  The early peoples had no realization of the connection of sex and reproduction and the early Creator Goddesses were shown as being voluptuously enhanced with full round bellies and large breasts that spoke of the fertility. This Goddess also represented the women as they were the workers of the tribes.  They were the food gatherer’s, the cooks, and the babysitters. This left the men free to hunt and protect the group from other invading tribes or animals.
  Elk, deer, cattle, goats, and even sheep all were a main source of food! They all had horns too!  You bet that these people worshipped these food sources and even attributed them to God like entities.  All the early Deities were symbolic of an important part of life.  In some tribes-women hunted so there was a Huntress, and in the Farming communities arose the Green Man.  All of these Gods and Goddesses interacted with humans and were nature orientated.
  Then Christianity developed!  The Roman Empire helped this along and so Christianity basically centered around the civilizations that were controlled by the Romans.  As Christianity spread it met with down right resistance among the Pagans or Heathens. Oh and yeah-about that-Pagan meaning a person who worked the Earth and Heathen meaning a person who lives on the heath.  These words were given a negative connotation.  Then to add insult to injury the Christians tried to incorporate our deities as “Saints” .  This didn’t work-Hello!!! 
  When no amount of persuading or re-writing of history worked to convert those Pagans and Heathens Pope Gregory The Great ordered all places of Pagan Worship be destroyed.  To further this campaign, the Gods of the Pagans were demonized.  Remember all those food sources that had horns that were made into God like entities!  Yup you guessed where this is going!  The Pagan Gods became the Christian Devil used to scare people and naughty children into submission!
  The fifteenth century rolled around and guess what? Those Pagans were still around and in 1484 the Roman Catholic church began  “The Inquisition” to hunt down and destroy pagans and traditions.  A book called The Malleus Maleficarum, (The Witches Hammer) written by Dominicans Kramer and Sprenger in 1486 as the guide to identify and prosecute any one suspected of being a Witch. This was a license for the Church to persecute anyone who did not follow their path and there were many incidents of Non-Witches hung, tortured and property seized.  The followers of the Old Religion had much to fear and it soon became a secret religion.  Sadly enough anyone who was considered a healer, mid-wife or herbalist were soon punished.  Having a mole or other prominent birthmark could sentence you to Death!
  The Pagan Religion went underground.  Ceremonies were no longer conducted out  doors in commune with nature.   Writings were destroyed so as not to be incriminating evidence.  Traditions were passed down through families by word of mouth for centuries.
  Some traditions were to strong to be broken and were forced to be adopted by the Church. Decorating of the tree at Yul and burning of Yul logs: Mayday and the Dance of the Maypole(Beltane) and the use of decorated eggs as a symbol of fertility at Easter-Ostara.  These are just a few!
  In the middle of the 1900’s the Pagan Religion came out of the broom closet.  All over the UK and Great Britain the Old Religion started to flourish again and soon would spread across the ocean to America.