Sabbats and Sabbaths

Listening to the Gabble Ratchets

Posted on October 5, 2018 by David Taliesin

I was out in the yard catching up with my next door neighbor. What we heard next brought our conversation to a screeching, or shall I say honking, halt. It was the sound of a flock of geese flying overhead in a V formation. The volume of their conversation was almost deafening, and the two of us just stood there awed by the sight and sound. A week later, I would learn a term to describe this cacophony of sound…gabble ratchets.

What in the world is a gabble ratchet, you might ask? The phrase sounds a bit ominous but it can also be seen in a positive light. In days of old, gabble ratchets were the spectral hounds who roamed the night sky, searching for the souls of the newly dead. Some also thought that if one heard their bark or whelp, it was an omen of impending death. Gabble ratchets are known by many other names and appear in a number of European folk traditions. The most common alternative names are the Gabriel Hounds, the Hounds of Hell (Welsh) or the Wild Hunt (Germanic).

In our day and age, we know that gabble ratchets are only geese doing what they do this time of year. However, because the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest I would like to think that their other-worldly song is leading all lost souls to the place where they belong. I see it as a sign of blessing and comfort. It’s a reminder that the Divine Presence surrounds us always, even in death, and hold us for all eternity.

Posted in Samhain | Tagged gabble ratchets, Gabriel hounds, Samhain | Leave a comment

Mabon Labrynth

Posted on September 23, 2018 by David Taliesin

mabonlabrynth18

Thank you Mother Grove Goddess Temple in Asheville, NC who constructed a beautiful labyrinth for their Mabon ritual Saturday night. I only had my cell phone camera with me but love this shot! Photo ©2018 by David Taliesin.

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September Full Moon: Raven Moon

Posted on September 20, 2018 by David Taliesin

Wingsdomain Art and Photography, http://www.fineartamerica.com

September’s full moon is this coming Monday, September 24. Native Americans call it the Harvest Moon if it falls nearest to the Fall Equinox, or Full Corn Moon if the Harvest Moon occurs in October. Some tribes also call it the Barley Moon since barley is usually harvested this time of year. Some witches call it the Raven Moon which is the name that resonates most deeply with my soul. Perhaps you can relate!

This time of year, the figure of a Raven sits on my altar. He stays there until sometime in November. According to Medicine Cards by Jami Sams and David Carson, the Raven is the bringer of magic. “Raven magic is a powerful medicine that can give you the courage to enter the darkness of the void, which is the home of all that is not yet in form. The void is called the Great Mystery. Great Mystery existed before all other things came into being. Great Spirit lives inside the void and emerged from the Great Mystery. Raven is the messenger of the void.”

While a lot of the themes of September focus on harvesting, it might also be a good time to focus on “all that is not yet in form” as the days grow darker and darker. For me September and October have always been a powerful time to try and connect with the great Wisdom of the Ancestors and the Divine. As we make our way toward the celebration of Samhain, the Veil grows thinner and communication between our world and the Spirit world is at its strongest. Raven energy helps us to connect more strongly with the Other Side in a way I cannot fully explain. This powerful messenger can be our ally during this time of year.

One way to connect with the Raven this full moon is to place several pictures of ravens on your home altar or buy one of those decorative ones you find at the craft store. Then I suggest you find an mp3 of some Shamanic Drumming. Light some candles and incense. Cast your circle and after you have taken the time to ground yourself and your focus is clear, play one of the starter recordings and focus all your attention on the Raven. As other thoughts occur to you, let them float by without judgment and turn your attention back to the Raven. With this image fixed firmly in your mind you may want to close your eyes, caring the image of the Raven within, and see what message the Raven may have for you. Blessed be!

Posted in Esbats, Magic, Uncategorized | Tagged Full Moon, Raven Moon, September | 1 Comment

Oktoberfest, Rally Day and Mabon

Posted on September 18, 2018 by David Taliesin

Hofbräuhaus Hall Oktoberfest in Munich

Several years ago, while I was on vacation in Munich, I got the opportunity to attend the city’s infamous Oktoberfest. The best way I can describe it is a county fair on steroids! There are amusement rides for the kids, booths selling all kinds of yummy foods and trinkets and, of course, the beer halls. These halls are enormous and can seat thousands of people. I had lunch in the hall sponsored by the Hofbräuhaus which is one of Munich’s oldest breweries. The place was decorated with hops from floor to ceiling. Beer flowed freely, the band played traditional German music, the food was incredible, and there was lots of singing and celebrating. Oktoberfest is a celebration of life in all its exuberance. It’s a time to give thanks and enjoy the company of family and friends. A German friend of mine remarked that Oktoberfest and the Christmas Markets are the two times of the year Germans give themselves permission to set aside the formalities of their culture and really let their hair down. Trust me, they know how to throw a party.

No matter what culture we are a part of, there is something about this time of year that calls us to come together as a tribe and give thanks. Perhaps, it’s because in older times the harvest was mostly completed and the hard work of farming was coming to an end. It was a time to preserve and store food for the hard winter months ahead as well as give thanks to the Divine for the bounty of the land.

Both Christians and Pagans have their own forms of this ritual observance. Many Southern Churches where I live celebrate something called Rally Day. It’s usually held the first or second weekend after Labor Day and is a time when most churches kick their activities into full gear. Sunday School resumes after a summer break and attendance goes up in worship because vacation time is over. Many churches have a Pot Luck lunch on Rally Day or a special time for celebrating and catching up with friends. It’s the antiseptic version of Oktoberfest that has been filtered through our American Puritan heritage. It also has its roots in our Pagan past as is reflected in a familiar hymn of the season:

Come ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home:
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied:
Come, to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

Harvest Home, which is also called the Ingathering, is a traditional English harvest festival that has been celebrated for thousands of years. Like Oktoberfest, it’s a time of singing, dancing and decorating the town with symbols of the harvest. My Wiccan friends call this festival Mabon which is named after the Welsh God, Mabon, the son of Earth Mother goddess Modron. They mark the holiday with feasting and enjoying seasonal foods like apples, pomegranates and root vegetables. From a spiritual perspective, Mabon is a time to reflect on the previous year, giving thanks for our successes (i.e. the things we have harvested) and assess which crops, projects, or dreams didn’t come to fruition. It’s a time to let go of that which no longer serves a useful purpose in our lives, so that we create space for something new to grow.

There is tons of information available on the origins and celebration of Mabon, so I won’t repeat it here. What interests me the most is how the Fall Equinox calls us all to give thanks and celebrate, no matter what our culture or spiritual path. It’s one of the times of the year when nature’s message to us appears to be heard and received by all.

Posted in Mabon, Wheel of the Year | Tagged Ingathering, Mabon, Oktoberfest | Leave a comment

A Ritual For Mabon/Fall Equinox

Posted on September 9, 2018 by David Taliesin

Mabon-e1443006384668 Here is tonight’s ritual from The Welcoming Circle:

REAPING AN ABUNDANT SPIRITUAL HARVEST

MABON INCENSE—Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials: Mabon

Pinch dried marigold/calendula
Pinch dried spearmint
Pinch dried sage
2 to 3 cloves or a small pinch of ground clove

Mix together and store in a jar in a cool, dry place. Use a pinch of it on a charcoal briquet as we journey toward Mabon.

CASTING THE CIRCLE
Incense all four directions with the following chant. Use a feather or feather wand to waft the smoke in each direction.

May the harvest be plentiful in our lives
So that we may be agents of change and transformation
In our community and in our nation.

CALLING THE QUARTERS—David Taliesin

Guardians and Ancestors of the East, Spirits of Air, keepers of wisdom and mystery, whisper into our ears all that we need to know. May the cool fall breezes that rustle the leaves beneath our feet point us in the direction we need to go. Hail and welcome!

Guardians and Ancestors of the South, Spirits of Fire, purifiers of heart and mind, burn away the clutter and confusion from our lives so that we may have absolute clarity regarding your will for our lives. May the bonfires of fall that give us light and warmth, bring comfort to our weary souls tonight. Hail and welcome!

Guardians and Ancestors of the West, Spirits of Water, vessels of peace and compassion, may our thirst for justice and equality be quenched. May the fall rains which nourish the roots of the trees, give strength to the dreams you have planted in us. Hail and welcome!

Guardians and Ancestors of the North, Spirits of Earth, stewards of hearth and home, gather around us the community we need to make us feel safe and loved. As the fall harvest continues, we ask you to bring about a harvest of good things into our lives, Hail and welcome!

As we draw closer to Mabon, the Fall Equinox, things come into balance, day and night, light and dark, God and Goddess. As we journey into the dark time of the year, May the Divine bring balance into our lives and into this Circle. We are honored by your presence and draw strength from you. Hail and Welcome!

The Circle is cast. We are in protected space.
May we use this time to gather what we need
For the journeys which lie ahead. Blessed be!

MEDITATION ON BALANCE [Mabon Activity Sheet]

CLOSING THE CIRCLE—David Taliesin

We ask the Divine Presence, who is known to us by many names, to help us find balance in our lives May the Fall Equinox inspire to to take the steps necessary to accomplish this task. We also thank the God and Goddess for the wisdom and insight we have received tonight. We thank them for this Circle, and for those who made the choice to join us and create space for holy conversation.
Blessed be!

We turn to the North and give thanks for the Guardians and Ancestors who dwell there. May the Spirits of Earth keep us grounded in the days ahead and surround us with people who make us feel safe and loved. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you farewell!

We turn to the West and give thanks for the Guardians and Ancestors who dwell there. May the Spirits of Water calm our fears, and increase our ability to be compassionate to the struggles of others. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you farewell!

We turn to the South and give thanks for the Guardians and Ancestors who dwell there. May the Spirits of Fire give us the energy and motivation we need to accomplish the goals we have set tonight. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you farewell!

We turn to the East and give thanks for the Guardians and Ancestors who dwell there. May the Spirits of Air blow through our lives, filling them with magic and mystery. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you farewell!

Our Circle is now open but never unbroken
Because it is a circle woven in love.
Whatever energy is left in this space
We return to the earth with a spirit of gratitude.
Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again.

Posted in Mabon, Meditation, Spirituality | Tagged Mabon, Pagan, ritual | 2 Comments

August Full Moon: Sturgeon Moon

Posted on August 24, 2018 by David Taliesin

supermoon-sturgeon

According to the Farmer’s Almanac “Some Native American tribes called the August Moon the Sturgeon Moon because they knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this Full Moon.”

Since the habitat of sturgeon is water, perhaps we can use this full moon (August 26) to reflect on our emotional life which is commonly associated with the element of water. Even though Lughnasadh has come and gone, the harvest continues. In fact, we have two more harvest festivals to go! With this in mind, what “emotional harvest” do we want to reap in our lives at this moment? Is fear preventing us from pursuing our dreams? Is anger alienating us from others? OR do we want to cultivate more peace in our lives? Do we have the courage to feel love again? I think you get the point.

If this sounds like a worthwhile activity to you, my suggestion is to go outside Saturday or Sunday evening and find a place where you will not be disturbed. Soak in the energy of the full moon and let Divine, in its feminine form, whisper to you the truth about your emotional state at this point in your life. What needs to be cultivated? What needs to be uprooted?

As a side note, several species of sturgeon are harvested for their roe which is processed into caviar. This is a rare and expensive gift that symbolizes the rare and expensive gifts each of us possess, some of which are emotional. What gifts do you want to reveal this full moon? Claim your power and let your light shine!

Posted in Esbats | Tagged August, Full Moon, sturgeon moon | 2 Comments

Lavender: The Great Nard Controversy

Posted on August 6, 2018 by David Taliesin

It is common knowledge that lavender is an herb which promotes relaxation, emotional balance and serenity. But things start to get heated when the question is asked as to whether lavender is the same thing as “spikenard” or “nard” that is found in the Bible. I believe they are two different herbs. Here’s why:

Lavender (genus Lavandula) is named from the Latin “lavare,” which means “to wash.” Ancient Romans used lavender in their famous baths as a perfume. People knew you were clean because you smelled of it afterward! The confusion begins to arise because the Greeks called lavender “nardus,” referring to the city Naarda, where lavender was often sold. Many simply called the plant “nard.” However, the Romans called lavender “asarum,” because they believed the poisonous asp viper lived among lavender bushes.

Spikenard (nardostachys jatamansi) is a flowering plant of the Valerian family that grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China and India. It is the more valuable of the two because lavender (lavandula stoechas which we now call French or Spanish lavender) was grown locally as well as regionally. Spikenard had to be imported from a great distance, hence its value. All of the scientific and biological resources I checked all agree these are two different herbs. The confusion probably comes from the Greek’s calling lavender “nardus.”

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s all inhale a little lavender oil and relax! This noble herb has been used for over 2,500 years, starting with the ancient Egyptians who used it as a part of the mummification process and also as a perfume. It’s use was also widespread among the Arabs, Romans and Greeks. Modern Wiccans believe its magical properties include sleep, long life, peace, wishes, protection, love, purification, visions and clarity of thought. Christians of earlier times regarded lavender as a safeguard against evil, and hung a cross of lavender over their door for protection.

The most beautiful and holy use of lavender I’ve encountered is at one of our local hospice centers who bathes its dying patients with lavender-scented water. It relaxes the patient as well as their family! What a lovely gift to both!

Posted in Creation Spirituality, Herbology | Tagged Pagan, Spirituality, Wicca | Leave a comment