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samwisethewitch · 4 years

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Add Some Oomph to Your Spells with Magical Timing

Like herbs, oils, and crystals, you don’t need to work with magical timing for your spell to be successful. You can cast a spell at any time, no matter your intention, and get your desired results. However, working with the energy of the sun, moon, and days of the week can add an extra power boost to your magic.

Think of it this way: certain energies are dominant at certain times. Those energies are easier to connect with because they are closer at hand, so to speak, so you can bring them into your life and your spells more easily and in a more powerful way. That doesn’t mean you can’t call on other energies during these times — it just means that you may not connect to them quite so easily.

If you choose to work with magical timing in your spells, there are several yearly, monthly, weekly, and even daily cycles you can align your spells with.

The Cycle of the Sun: Solstices and Equinoxes

These are the turning points that mark the solar year, and are associated with the relationships between day and night, light and dark, summer and winter. Each solstice or equinox marks the end of one season and the beginning for the next. Because they are so rare and so potent, these days are a great time for your “big picture” spells or for spells that need a big power boost.

Winter Solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and falls between December 20 and December 23, depending on the year. In some pagan traditions the winter solstice, or Yule, marks the beginning of the new year — you may choose to set intentions for the coming year on this solstice. After the winter solstice, the nights start getting shorter and the days start getting longer — so spells related to healing and bringing things into the light are especially effective at this time of year. The winter solstice marks the end of the “dark half” of the year and beginning of the “light half” of the year; at this point, our focus turns from inward reflection to outward manifestation. You may choose to think of the time between the winter solstice and spring equinox as a “planning phase,” where you examine yourself and your desires, decide what you want to work on in the next year, and make plans for manifesting what you want.

Spring Equinox. An equinox occurs when the day and the night are exactly the same length, representing a perfect balance between light and dark. The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and occurs between March 19 and March 22. The Christian holiday of Easter and the pagan holiday of Ostara are both related to the energy of this equinox. At this time of year, the natural world is coming back to life as winter begins to fade. Plants are beginning to grow, and baby animals are being born. This is a powerful time of year for fertility magic and any magic related to new beginnings. You may choose to think of the time between the spring equinox and the summer solstice as a “planting phase,” where you “plant the seed” of the things you want to manifest and begin doing the work to make it happen.

Summer Solstice. This solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. It occurs between June 19 and June 23. As I am writing this post, we are coming up on the summer solstice (June 20, 2020). Life, fertility, and growth are at their peak during this time of year, which makes this solstice a perfect time for big manifestation spells. At the same time, this marks the end of the “light half” and beginning of the “dark half” of the year, so after the summer solstice our energy shifts from outward manifestation to inward contemplation. You may choose to think of the time between the summer solstice and fall equinox as the “harvest phase,” where you reap the results of your hard work and manifest your desires in the physical world.

Autumn Equinox. This is the other time of year when the day and night are perfectly balanced. The autumn equinox occurs between September 19 and September 23 and marks the beginning of autumn. This is traditionally the time of year when crops are harvested, and many pagan groups celebrate harvest festivals around this time. Nature is beginning to die or go into hibernation in preparation for the coming winter. This is an especially powerful time of year for shadow work or for magic related to endings and transitions. You may choose to think of the time between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice as the “reflection phase,” when you retreat from the outside world to rest, focus on yourself, and do your inner work and self-healing.

Important Note: This post lists dates for the solstices and equinoxes in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. If you live in the Southern hemisphere, you would observe the winter solstice in June, the spring equinox in September, the summer solstice in December, and the fall equinox in March.

The Cycle of the Moon: Lunar Phases

If you don’t have time to wait for the appropriate solstice or equinox, you can still connect with the cosmos in your magic. One of the biggest pros of the lunar cycle is that it happens roughly every month — so you never have to wait very long for the next full moon. The moon is also associated with magic and spirituality in several traditions, which makes it an especially powerful astral ally for witches.

New Moon. The new moon is when the moon is completely invisible in the night sky, and is the phase opposite the full moon. The new moon is a powerful time for shadow work (because it deals with things that are hidden) and for magic related to new beginnings.

Waxing Moon. The moon is waxing when it appears to be growing in the night sky; this is the phase between the new moon and full moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with drawing something in, building something up, or strengthening something that already exists.

Full Moon. Many witches believe that the full moon is the most powerful time of month for any kind of magic. This is a good time to cast any spell that needs a serious power boost. The full moon is also an especially powerful time to release what no longer serves you or to work healing magic.

Waning Moon. The moon is waning when it appears to be shrinking in the night sky; this is the phase between the full moon and new moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with sending something away, banishing negative energy, or bringing something to an end.

Dark Moon. The dark moon is the three day period immediately before the new moon. In some traditions, it is believed to be bad luck to cast spells during the dark moon. Other traditions hold that the dark moon is the best point in the lunar cycle for destructive magic, such as curses and hexes. Many modern witches don’t recognize the dark moon as a separate moon phase at all. I personally like to use the dark moon as a time for self reflection, and may focus on shadow work during this time.

Magical Correspondences for the Days of the Week

The days of the week also have their own unique magical energies, and each day is linked to a certain planet and to certain deities.

Sunday. Sunday is, of course, connected to the Sun and solar deities. Sunday is the best day of the week for any manifestation magic that needs an extra boost. Its energy is also associated with healing, personal growth, power, and success.

Monday. Monday is associated with the Moon and lunar deities. Monday is a quiet, introspective day, and can feel very ethereal. It’s the best day for magic related to intuition, nurturing, and shadow work.

Tuesday. Tuesday is associated with Mars and with gods and goddesses of war and action. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Tyr/Tiw.) Tuesday is a very “active” day, and is good for magic related to action, activism, victory, or finding courage.

Wednesday. Wednesday is associated with Mercury and with gods and goddesses of wisdom, learning, and communication. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Odin/Wodan.) Wednesday is all about mental activity. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to thought, travel, communication (written, spoken, or digital), and learning/study.

Thursday. Thursday is associated with Jupiter and with gods and goddesses of prosperity, wealth, and protection. (It is named after the Norse/Germanic god Thor.) Thursday, like Jupiter in astrology, is all about outward expansion. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to career, prosperity, and wealth.

Friday. Friday is associated with Venus and with gods and goddesses of love, fertility, and sensuality. (It is named after the Norse goddess Freyja, or perhaps the goddess Frigg.) The energy of Friday is fun, lighthearted, and sexy. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to love, beauty, and sex/sexuality.

Saturday. Saturday is associated with Saturn and with time and wisdom. (The day and the planet are both named after the Roman god Saturn.) Saturday is practical and wise, but it does have a little bit of a dark side. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to banishing and protection.

Magical Times of Day

Okay, so you’d like to start working with magical timing, but what about emergency magic and last-minute spells? What if you don’t have time to wait for the next full moon, or even the next Sunday? You can still align your spell with magical timing! There are several moments of power each day, and each has its own magical associations.

Sunrise. Sunrise is, of course, the birth of the new day. This makes it the perfect time for spells related to new beginnings or expanded possibilities.

Noon. This is the peak or high point of the day. This is a powerful time for healing magic.

Sunset. Sunset is the end of the day, and forms a gateway between light and dark. This is a great time for spells related to accepting endings, releasing that which does not serve, and moving on from the past.

Midnight. If noon is the peak of the day, then midnight is the peak of the night. Midnight has a very ethereal, transformational energy. Like with the full moon, some witches believe that any spell will be more powerful if cast at midnight. This is a powerful time for both banishing and attraction magic.

Resources:

You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin [specifically the chapter on the sabbats]

Qabalah Made Easy by David Wells [Note: Qabalah is based on an appropriation of Jewish mysticism, and I am NOT endorsing its practice. However, much of the magical timing associations used in modern witchcraft is shared with Qabalah and other forms of ceremonial magic, which is why it’s referenced here.]

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perfectgirlisgone · 7 years

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Gn1- Big Fat Egyptian-Greek Wedding

Six years had passed since the Fearleading Squad graduated from Monster High. Frankie Stein and Ghoulia Yelps ended up at the same university. They mushed their brains together in their freshmeat year and by sophmoan year they engineered a new form of space travel. They're representing Earth as ambassadors in intergalactic councils. Clawdeen Wolf went to Londoom for school and shared rent with her wonderful big sister. She blew through classes like every night was a full moon and opened a boutique in three years. A larger company copied her ideas, she sued, won the case and has her name-brand in 300 stores around the globe. Lagoona Blue briefly joined a cult that said they'd save the ocean but it involved drowning land-creatures. She would leave the cult and go to Ascarican law school to become an defender of the environment. Also when she got out of the cult she found out Gil carried their son whom she gets to visit every other week at his freshwater-grandparents' house. Abbey thought she'd go back to her village but instead traveled with C.A. Cupid to the Greek Islands. Abbey trained with the Amazons then decided to go into advertisement. Her work was ahead of its time, Abbey was relieved to be recruited by a spy agency, err, she became a florist. Draculaura got in med school but choose to follow her real passion. She got a BA in Creature Writing from the local community college. She recently re-enrolled at Monster High. She's making new friends but stalks the gang on Skullbook.

Cleo DeNile went to Yell University then interned at Ptolemy Towers. She climbed up the pyramid and became Empress of Boo York City; tycoon queen and fashion icon. In celebration of her success, and since she hadn't seen her friends in months, Cleo invited her school chums to her eighty-story-penthouse, everything covered by her generous hand.

"Ghoulia! Getting contacts was the right way to go!" Cleo said as she hugged her beastie.

Ghoulia hugged tighter, "Thank you, Cleo, and thank you again for the donation towards our lighter hover-boards."

The mummy held up her finger, "Don't mention it, I believe in the cause."

"Oh my, Lagoona he's so big!" Frankie said as her sea-friend showed her baby photos on her phone. "And that thing is..."

Frankie motioned to the large fin on his head. Lagoona smiled, "He'll grow into that."

Abbey chewed on shrimp while Jinafire and Clawdeen discussed strategies for bring Jin into the public. Clawd Wolf talked about his residency at BleedingHeart hospital. Venus and Robecca talked about their vitro-fertilization journey and Iris explained how she was naming the new planet. Careers, failures, new couples, a few babies and bad haircuts; adventures were happening for the grads.

Cleo was chatting with Dr. Jane Boolittle as a scaly hand went to her back.

"Great party, Babe, did you see that new head Beatrice grew?" Deuce said, pointing to the monster across the room.

"Jane, the delectable dinner was provided by Deuce's restaurant. He has two Michescream Stars now." The mummy said while she put an arm around his shoulder.

"Cleo." Deuce whined, almost embarrassed at how she told everyone she met.

"Shut it, let me brag." Cleo demanded happily.

"Aww, and you guys are still together? The pets in the vents were right." Jane said.

The mummy didn't know what she meant but grinned, "I know, we're like lightning caught in a bottle. Frankie said that once about a rare good thing."

"I'm not exactly 'caught', Cleo." Deuce said to his long-time ghoulfriends' expanded eyes. "That needs to change."

Everyone turned around to see Gorgon kneel down and take Cleo's hand.

"Cleo DeNile, I-"

"Yes!" Cleo screamed.

Deuce blinked. "Sweet. I had some other stuff to say-"

"Right, go ahead, but yes!" The mummy said, feeling everyone staring at them.

"You know what? Here." Deuce said as he pulled the ring out Cleo snatched it immediately, slid it on her finger then went to her knees to kiss him.

Of course everyone cheered and clapped. The moment filled Cleo's heart to the brim. She had her planning committee/ bridal party in the same room and the love of her eternal-life in her arms. Nothing could spoil things for her now.

In the DeNile mansion Dedyet walked into the lightless throne-room of her husband. She lit a torch and sighed.

"Ramses." She said, bringing the torch to him, "It could be worse."

The former pharaoh grumbled.

"She's in love, it happens." Dedyet suggested to ease her husband's agony.

"How could she do this to me?" Ramses asked miserably.

"Oh, my shining sun, she's a rebel. All we can do now is love her despite disagreeing." Dedyet said while holding her husband's hand.

Cleo welcomed the million kisses from Medusa's snakes.

Deuce was being kiss-swarmed by his Aunt Euryale who had shaved her head but kissed with her own lips. The engaged couple were on Petros Island with the Gorgon sisters.

"We thought they day would never come!" Euryale said hugging her nephew.

"I always knew." Medusa said, hugging her future daughter-in-law.

"No you didn't." Euryale playfully stated.

"A mother knows, and honestly I would've adopted this one if Deuce hadn't let the lead out."

Medusa said. "Oh Maddy." Cleo said with a laugh.

"Let's talk about reserving Aphrodite's temple, we can't fit the whole family so I'm thinking big screens on the mountain."

Stheno the eldest said. "I'm thinking peonys!"

Euryale gasped, "And tarantula-brown dresses!"

"Aunt E, I don't think we-" Cleo interrupted, "I love tarantulas, Auntie. You have wonderful taste."

"Good girl." Euryale said, pinching Cleo's chin. The male gorgon pulled his fiance to the side.

"Why are you lying?"

"I'm pleasing the family." Cleo whispered, "Even if I have to wear taffeta."

Deuce took Cleo's hand, "Babe, I appreciate that but it's our day, I'm choosing the menu and you are planning everything else like you really want to."

The mummy squeezed his hand, "What I really want is our family, friends and loyal subj- fans to be there for us. And see us be perfect."

"Lovebugs, we're carving you a new table for the wedding." Stheno said with an axe in hand.

Not like I have connections to dealers from my time, Cleo thought, "I would like that very much, Auntie."

In the Lovecraft Asylum the eldest DeNile daughter sat in the garden and soaked up the sun. One of the butterfly nurses brought Nefera her meds. Nefera kicked the meds out of the cup.

"Tell the monsterazzi they can eat me." Nefera said. "Fetch me a chai-tea."

"Well done, my daughter." Ramses said as he and his wife approached their first born.

"Darling, if we put your meds in something pretty would you take them?" Dedyet asked.

"Does 'pretty' mean diamonds and rubies at a spa?" Nefera asked.

"Yes." Ramses said the exact time Dedyet said, "Maybe."

Nefera grumbled then asked, "It's not a holiday. Why are you two here?"

Ramses sighed deeply, "Tragedy has struck again."

"Ramses," Dedyet warned, "Your sister is engaged. To the boy."

Nefera sneered, "And you put me in the asylum."

"Nefera, if we can convince Cleo to let you come to the wedding then maybe even you could stay out of Lovecraft for a while." Dedyet said.

"Hard pass." Nefera said, crossing her arms.

Nefera's father nodded, "I wish I could say the sam-"

Nefera's mother shot him a look and he cleared his throat. "Very well, my child, but please summon us if you change your mind."

"I'm not the one who needs to change!" Nefera yelled then rolled onto her shoulder to face away from her parents.

The mummy man wanted to give his daughter a million pyramids to see her well. His wise wife said he could not so Ramses and she wished her a fine rest of day.

In Cleo's perosnal work-suite in the DeNile Tower Clawdeen was fitting her long-time friends' bridesmaid dresses. They were not tarantula-brown taffeta.

"She threw Deuce's aunt's baby-making quilt in a whirlpool and took the planning crown back." Lagoona said while helping Clawdeen place lace roses on Abbey's dress.

"There's our ghoul." Clawdeen said, "Hey Jin."

Jinafire walked into the room with a large red egg in a carrier across her chest. "I got the Pan's choir to come to the wedding. Praise is welcomed."

"I thought we were going to call Operetta for the reception." Frankie said while her helping cyber-net-hands sealed envelopes.

"Cleo would like the choir while she walks down the aisle and around the table. Operetta is for the after party." Ghoulia said nibbling on the potential butterscream wedding cake.

Lagoona smiled. "A soundtrack to unlife, Cleo's a deadset."

"Where is she? I'm happy to work for a bride but this is familiar to when she'd leave us to do all the little stuff." Frankie said.

Cleo was finishing a board meeting, launching healthier products in the Ptolemy-DeNile scale-care lines."

...incomplete

#monster high #cleuce #generation 1 #I like more

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tipsycad147 · 5 years

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AUTUMN EQUINOX

by Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

BY: ELLEN DUGAN

The beginning of the autumn season officially commences in September with the Autumn Equinox. As the sun enters the astrological sign of Libra, the hours of day and darkness are equal to one another, just like the balanced scales of Libra itself. From this point of the year, with each passing day, the daylight hours become noticeably shorter and the weather starts to cool. Autumn is a season of shadows and a time of wan light, but it is also a season of abundance, thanksgiving, and harvest.

Ancient people realised the importance of the sun to life on earth. In the time after the equinox, the sun appears to be growing weaker, losing its battle against the darkness. To help the sun regain its former strength, people held harvest festivals of light featuring torches and bonfires as an act of sympathetic magick to encourage the sun to return.

Autumn has always been our colourful season of reward. As the sun began to decline and its yearly job was finished, the people gratefully gathered in the field crops. The grains from the fields, the fruit from the orchards, and the vegetables from the garden were harvested to be safely stored away for winter. Everyone in the community was involved in the harvest, as folks needed to make sure they could gather in their crops before they spoiled or were ruined by inclement weather.

At the end of the harvesting, the people were worn-out but happy and looked forward to a celebration. No matter where on earth the harvest is celebrated, from mid-August throughout the month of September, there is a basic and profound magick in the hearts of all people as they gather around with friends and family to feast and to celebrate the abundance of the earth.

Autumn Equinox or Mabon?

A Harvest Festival No Matter How You Look At It

The word equinox actually comes from the Latin word aequinoctium, which means “equal night.” September, the seventh month of the Roman calendar, is taken from the Latin word “seven,” Septem. In Gaelic, the month is identified as An Sultuine, the month of plenty. In Welsh, it’s called Medi, the month of reaping. The Anglo-Saxons called this month Gerst moanth, the barley month. Barley was thought to be the first grain grown in Britain.

One of the modern names for this autumn sabbat was taken from the Welsh god Mabon. The story of Mabon and his mother, Modron, is as follows: Mabon was taken from his mother as she slept when he was only three nights old. Modron’s cries of anguish were so great that a search or quest commenced finding the missing child. At this point, the story ties into the Arthurian legends as some of King Arthur’s knights, or the king himself, take up the quest to find Modron’s son. They eventually rely on the wisdom of the five wisest animals to help them: the blackbird, the stag, the owl, the eagle, and the salmon.

Eventually, the child was discovered to be quite safe. He had been sleeping in his mother’s womb or, depending on the version of the story, resting in the Underworld. In a plant analogy, the child was resting just as a seed must rest beneath the earth before it can face the sunlight and brave the challenges of sprouting, growing, and flourishing. Now that Mabon’s time had come, he was ready to face the world as God of Light and to be reborn as his mother’s champion.

This mythology eventually became wrapped up and associated with the celebration of the Autumn Equinox. For many Wiccans and Pagans, this is a bit of a puzzle. How did this sabbat end up with this name, anyway? I never really did come to a conclusive answer. But it sure does make me wonder . . . maybe that’s why there are so many different titles and names for this particular sabbat today. However, no matter what name you call this sabbat, the Autumn Equinox is a magickal time of balance and plenty.

The majority of magickal traditions do celebrate this second harvest festival of the year as one of the fruits and the late grains. All around us signs are everywhere in nature, a hint of the shortening days and cooler nights to come. The leaves are beginning to turn and the birds are beginning to migrate south. Apples and many varieties of squash are ripe and ready to be harvested, and the grapes that were harvested just a few weeks before, in late August-early September, begin to be processed into wine.

In modern times, when few of us are so intimately linked to the land, the enchanting autumn festival of harvest can be a time to reap what good deeds you’ve sown. And, no matter where you live, you can still feel that connection to the seasons as they change. On this day of the autumnal equinox, the sun will rise at true east and then it will set straight at true west. So if you ever wondered where the cardinal points were exactly, here’s your big chance.

This is the perfect occasion to consider balance and harmony and how these forces are at work within your life. On this day, whether you call it the autumnal equinox or the sabbat of Mabon, this is your opportunity to celebrate the earth’s bounty and gather in the fruits of your labours. This holiday is the Witch’s Thanksgiving. So let’s be thankful for all the blessings that we have.

Here are a few of the many mythologies, harvest festivals, and harvest customs from around the world. Take a look at these and notice how the common theme of the great Earth Mother is tied throughout them all.

Various Harvest Goddess Mythologies

Throughout the world, in many mythologies, a goddess of the grain, the harvest, and the good earth were venerated at the Autumn Equinox. This is not surprising, as the Earth itself is seen as a fertile mother or Gaia. From this matriarch, all life was born. She is a great mother goddess who was known by many names throughout time and in numerous cultures. Some of these names include Astarte and Ishtar (to the Sumerians), Isis in Egypt, Demeter in Greece, and Ceres in Rome. To the indigenous people of the Americas, she was known as Old Woman Who Never Dies and the Mother of Maize.

The harvest mother, Demeter, was a Greek goddess of grain and the fertile earth. Her characteristic of being the “spirit of the grain” is well-known in many cultures as Mother Earth’s child. This child was represented by the seeds that fell from the mother plant, which would then be planted for the following year. Demeter would be visualised as the ripe crop of this year while her daughter, Persephone, would be the seed taken from it to be sown the following spring.

The spirit of these future crops could be seen as a daughter, a maiden (such as Perseor as a divine child. In Russia, the child was simply called the Corn Baby. In Egypt, the spirit of the grain was the goddess’s son, Horus. The Aztecs called the harvest goddess Chicomecoatl, while a goddess named Xilonen was Goddess of the New Corn. Her son was symbolised by the seeds and called the Spirit of the Corn. The Cherokees called the harvest child the Green Corn Girl.

In other parts of the world such as southern India, there is a harvest festival called PonThis is a rice festival that lasts for three days. On the first day, folks thank the gods for the rain that blessed the earth and that granted them a successful harvest. The second day is spent honouring the warmth and light of the sun that helped the plants grow tall. The third day of the festival honours the cattle who have helped to plough the fields and to bring in the harvest. It is traditional to decorate the horns of the cattle with paint, ribbons, fruit, and flowers. The child who came from this harvest mother was called the Rice Baby.

Harvest festivals are as plentiful as the crops produced in the counties in which they are grown. There are harvest festivals for corn, onions, pumpkins, apples, yams, grapes, hops, rice, barley, wheat, and sugar cane. In all parts of the world, communities gather together to feast, to sing, and to dance as they celebrate the successful end of the growing season.

Looking on the happy Autumn fields, And thinking of the days that are no more. Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Romancing the Harvest

Without a doubt, the most frustrating aspect of researching this historical section was the general lack of information about Autumn Equinox customs. Some reference books claimed that in medieval Europe folks worshipped Demeter as a Corn Mother. Hold on a second . . . corn (or maize) is a native American plant, as in indigenous to the Americas. Did they even have corn in the Middle Ages in Europe? There was such a mishmash of information and customs tying into both the other harvest festivals of Lughnasadh (or Lammas) and Samhain that I began to wonder what in the world to do. I spent weeks trying to track down legitimate harvest custom information.

Many of the folk customs that modern magickal people insist are from the “ancient” celebration of the autumnal equinox, or what modern Witches call Mabon, were actually tied into the first major grain harvest of the region. At my best estimate that would have probably occurred in the month of August. Bummer . . . I needed something for mid- to late September, around equinox time.

Still, there was some information linking Autumn Equinox customs back to Harvest Home celebrations and, of course, to the Celtic festival of Samhain. There was a tempting thought-I could always take a look at the festivals when the first crops were brought in, at Lughnasadh, and the celebration of the third harvest, where everything was stored away in preparation for winter, at Samhain.

But what about what we know today as the Wiccan holiday that falls on the Autumn Equinox? The title “Mabon” is, quite honestly, a fairly new name for this harvest festival. So I searched a little harder but kept coming up with more conflicting information. I could literally feel the grey hairs popping right out of my head. And just to keep me on my toes, the harvest festival dates would vary widely, depending on the region of the world these festivals were celebrated in.

No wonder people think of this holiday as a forgotten sabbat! What about the grape or apple harvest, and what’s up with all these references to Demeter as an ancient European corn goddess? There are even passages in the Golden Bough describing Demeter as holding “stalks of corn” and “ears of corn.”Am I the only one who noticed that mistake?

You Call It Corn, We Call It Maize . . .

Demeter is safely known as a goddess of agriculture. But there are references to both Demeter and Ceres, her Roman counterpart, as corn mothers in the Greco-Roman period. Again, did the ancient Greeks and Romans grow corn as we know it today? Or was the whole thing a mistake caused by the Victorian time period, when folklore was considered fashionable and romantic? Or should I figure that it was a mistake caused by some well-meaning but overly idealistic writers from the 1970s and that people kept running with the idea as holy writ? You know, the whole Oh, we’ve been celebrating this Pagan harvest festival of Mabon for hundreds of years type of thing.

While that’s a lovely thought, it really doesn’t have any historical proof to back it up. Then, when I found references to Isis as a corn mother, I knew I was in big trouble. Okay, no way did the ancient Egyptians grow corn. I could maybe imagine how the maize plant, what modern Americans call corn, might have had seeds shipped over to Europe in the 1700s or 1800s-that’s not too much of a stretch. But corn grown in ancient Egypt? That I just couldn’t buy. I knew I was missing something-something important. I found a clue as I looked through a book on medieval gardens and what was commonly planted in them. There was a heading under “corn.” When I looked it up, it said: “see wheat.”

Excitedly, I flipped back to the “W” section and looked at the entry for wheat. There I read that wheat was called “corn.” Good grief. I slapped the book closed in frustration and tossed up my hands and . . . missed the forest for the trees. That afternoon, when my husband walked in the door, he made the huge mistake of asking how the research was coming. I gave him an earful. (No, that was not another corn reference, Goddess forbid.)

He listened to me rant and then suggested looking at the agricultural history of Britain-maybe corn was being sowed in the late 1700s, he speculated. He ought to know, he comes from a long line of farmers. We could both visualise that seeds might have been exchanged. If there were crops of American corn, or maize, being grown in Europe during the 1800s, that would go along with my Victorian romance of the harvest theory. All those references to cornhusk dollies and corn mothers were really driving me up the wall. So I searched the Internet and hit pay dirt.

The word corn once meant “a little particle of something such as a seed or a grain of wheat.” Then I stumbled across the fact that in botany, the name corn is given to the read cereal crop of any major region. In England, corn meant “wheat”; in Scotland and Ireland, corn was “oats.” The grain called corn in the U.S. is properly or historically referred to as Indian corn or maize.

No wonder all those books kept referring to Demeter and Ceres as the goddess of corn, for she was. Demeter was the goddess of whatever the main crop of the region has to be. That made Isis and Ishtar goddesses of corn, too. The word corn was being used as a term, not as the name of the plant. Eureka!

Corn and grain, corn and grain, All that falls shall rise again . .. Wiccan harvest chant

John Barleycorn and the Lord of the Harvest

Now that I solved that problem, I figured I could take a fresh look at the harvest and the information that I could actually find. Since all of my information linked back into the two other harvest-theme sabbats, why not take another look at those? There are three harvest festivals in the Wiccan calendar and they are all connected. Well, we do love our trinities: three spring festivals, three harvest festivals, three faces of the goddess (Maiden, Mother, and Crone), and three aspects of the god (youth, a man in his prime, and the sage).

The harvest celebrations all embrace the idea of sacrifice; however, it is a symbolic sac only. The sacrifice is the one made by the spirit of the grain, sometimes known as John Barleycorn. There is a very popular old ballad for John Barleycorn. It’s been remixed into songs and you may find many versions of this poem all over the Internet. It is often listed as “author unknown.” However, it was actually written by Robert Burns and published in 1782. Now you’ll notice some variation on the spelling; if the words throw you, just say the word out loud and you’ll figure it out.

It’s sort of a gruesome ballad, but remember that what it is actually describing is the life span of the barley crops. We start with spring planting and then the summer growing season. Then it rolls into the hot days of late summer as the grain turns brown. Next comes the harvesting and then the process of threshing and grinding the grain. It does end with a twist, as the barley ends up becoming beer and the ballad has a toast to Scotall in one poem.

John Barleycorn There was three kings into the east, Three kings both great and high, And they hae sworn a solemn oath John Barleycorn should die.

They took a plough and plough’d him down, 9 Put clods upon his head, And they hae sworn a solemn oath John Barleycorn was dead.

But the cheerful Spring came kindly on, And show’rs began to fall; John Barleycorn got up again, And sore surpris’d them all.

The sultry suns of Summer came, And he grew thick and strong; His head weel arm’d wi’ pointed spears, That no one should him wrong.

The sober Autumn enter’d mild, When he grew wan and pale; His bending joints and drooping head Show’d he began to fail.

His colour sicken’d more and more, He faded into age; And then his enemies began To show their deadly rage.

They’ve taen a weapon, long and sharp, And cut him by the knee; Then tied him fast upon a cart, Like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back, And cudgell’d him full sore; They hung him up before the storm, And turned him o’er and o’er.

They filled up a darksome pit With water to the brim; They heaved in John Barleycorn, There let him sink or swim.

They laid him out upon the f loor, To work him farther woe; And still, as signs of life appear’d, They toss’d him to and fro.

They wasted, o’er a scorching f lame, The marrow of his bones; But a miller us’d him worst of all, For he crush’d him between two stones.

And they hae taen his very heart’s blood, And drank it round and round; And still the more and more they drank, Their joy did more abound.

John Barleycorn was a hero bold, Of noble enterprise; For if you do but taste his blood, ‘Twill make your courage rise. ‘Twill make a man forget his woe; ‘Twill heighten all his joy; ‘Twill make the widow’s heart to sing, Tho’ the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn, Each man a glass in hand; And may his great posterity Ne’er fail in old Scotland!

The Sacrificial God

During the time of the harvest comes the realisation that the summer, the season of the sun and full moon, is coming to an end. Autumn is taking over, and it’s the season of the waning moon and the gathering darkness. All life, both plant and animal, is slowly drifting toward the dark and barren time of the winter, which begins at Samhain. Just as the sun is overshadowed by the darkness, signified by the shortening days, the autumnal equinox falls on the day of balance, when light and dark hours are equal. Autumn Equinox the god goes to the Underworld as the corn king and Lord of the Harvest. He has been cut down and the grain absorbed back into the womb of the earth.

The symbolic sacrifice of the god at the sabbat of Autumn Equinox, or Mabon, is part of the fertilisation process for the future spring planting season. For us today this is a time of cutting away what we no longer need or have moved beyond. There are a few variation harvest customs from around the world that call the last sheaf standing in the fields the “old man.” I wonder if this is a link to the sacrificial harvest king? Overall, the “old man” was treated much less gently than the corn mother or corn child, for here, in the spirit of the harvest, the god gives up his life at the harvest to feed his people.

As the final crops and fruits are collected, the god, represented by the weakening sun, returns to the earth to rest with the goddess until it is time for him to be reborn again. Sometimes this is referred to as the sun god going into the seed or being held within the grain. At harvest-tide, a time of incredible bounty spreads out across the land. The grains were full of the life and energy of the god, the earth mother rewarded us with her bounty, and finally, the crops were all harvested. The fruits of the fields were gathered and then safely stored away.

https://goodwitcheshomestead.com/2019/09/22/autumn-equinox-2/

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