Witches and Deer

I found a folktale from New York State about a malevolent witch who could turn into a white deer.  It's very interesting...  

( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

On the Evolution of Magic

I've been reading Magic in the Ancient World  by Fritz Graf.  While I'm not even halfway through, I'm learning a lot about magic in the Mediterranean world.  The concept changed throughout history, but there was always this concept of the "other" - the enemy or the outsiders - practicing malevolent magic.  Unless I am way off base, it seems that beneficial magic (like healing) was hardly considered magic at all because, for some time, magic was considered a practice apart from the official religion - and healing was endorsed (this became complicated when healing magic was differentiated from medical science). People who attempted to control the will of the Gods were argued to be atheists by some because they questioned the power of the Gods.  It's interesting how concepts change throughout time.

I'm not sure what to assume about the Celts in their many tribes.  We know the Druids and the common folk practiced magic of varying degrees, and yet there is still the concept of the horrible witch - the other apart from the Druid.  She (or he, I suppose) practiced wicked spells and was feared (but usually bested in the end).  Was this a carryover from Christian fear, another way to view deities of death and decay, or did the Celts categorize magic as good and bad; endorsed and prohibited?

Some people have this idea that the witch of ancient times was really once a respected wise woman or man.  That is true for some periods, but not all.  And the witches in the stories are not healers - they are quite the opposite!  Many in our communities today would also ostracize and perhaps even persecute someone who practiced magic for immoral reasons such as stealing another's property.  Thankfully, it seems most Pagans do not aim for such roles.  A normal person detests the wicked witches in the lore - lore that may be propaganda against the innocent practitioners of folk magic from an older, once endorsed religion.

When we look back at magic and how it has been perceived through the years, it is complicated and depends on the time and the place.  It also depends on who you talk to.  Magical history is not so cut and dry as some would have us believe.

( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

Rolling in Books

A new book arrived for me in the mail today: Magic in the Ancient World by Fritz Graf.  It's recommended reading for Magic 1 in ADF's Initiate Program.  I've read many titles about the history and folklore of magic in Europe - mostly focusing on the north-eastern parts.  This latest book focuses on the Mediterranean world.  All I know about magic from Greece and Rome is the mythological side - the famous witches like Circe and Medea.  I'm excited to delve into it... as soon as I finish Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales by Rees and Rees towards my Indo-European Mythology class.

I've also been reading from my massive art history book every night.  I finished the chapter on the Egyptians a couple nights ago and am about to explore Aegean art.

Aaaaand while doing all of that, I also picked up The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring finally.  I read and immensely enjoyed The Hobbit when I was in fifth or sixth grade, and I always meant to read the trilogy...  I'm loving it so far!



( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

The Moon in Modern Druidism

It is well known that Wiccans hold special rituals during the full and new moons.  Many Neo-Pagans and traditional witches observe certain lunar practices.  For example, some spells are thought to be more effective when performed on a specific day of the moon's cycle.  What did the ancient Druids do and what can/do modern Druids practice?  The moon, with its dramatic and observable changes, has held spiritual significance to many cultures all over the world, yet it is not something Druids within my own tradition seem to actively explore, at least not publicly.  There are a few documented lunar rituals on the ADF website, and our founder, Isaac Bonewits, noted that some groves celebrate the phases of the moon (ADF Q&A).

I'll begin by looking at the ancient Celts.  As always, it is important to note that we have little information on what the ancient Celts believed due to a limited amount of pre-Christian documentation.  Most of what is known comes from artifacts, the contemporary writing of antagonistic leaders or outsiders, and Christianized Celts.  Details from the last two sources, especially, must be taken with a grain of salt.

Pliny the Elder wrote about the Gaulish Druids.  His work includes the famous piece about Druids harvesting mistletoe on the 6th day of the moon (Ellis, Celts 54).  Jean Markale analyzed the symbolism of the harvest ritual, noting that the sickle used to cut the plant would have been reminiscent of the crescent moon (Markale 131).  Modern Druids from the Henge of Keltria equate this with the first quarter and celebrate the Mistletoe rite on such evenings.  They explain that "mistletoe was known as `all heal,'" and take advantage of such evenings to perform remedial ceremonies.  They have a second lunar ritual, the Vervain Rites.

Our other lunar rite is the Vervain Rite. The time of this rite was also chosen from classical descriptions of ancient Druidic practices. It was written that vervain was gathered when neither sun nor moon were in the sky. This occurs sometime during each night, except when the moon is full. We generally celebrate this around the 3rd quarter. This gives ample time for the rite during the evening hours. It also places this rite opposite the Mistletoe Rite in the lunar cycle. Vervain is said to be of aid in working magic. Thus, the Vervain Rite is our time for working magic. The purpose of magic in a Druidic sense is more like prayer. We work magic to help effect change in our lives. Druidic magic may involve contemplation, meditation, ritual or ecstatic dance (The Henge of Keltria FAQ).  

Pliny's writing aside, there is more evidence that the moon was important to the ancient Celts.  The Welsh Goddess Arianrhod may have been a lunar deity.  Some look to Proto-Celtic linguistics and argue that her name means silver wheel - an obvious reference to the moon (Wikipedia).  Others are less convinced due to the variability of her name (Mary Jones).

Cerridwen is another possible Welsh deity with lunar associations.  Etymologically speaking, her name may mean "bent white one" (Mary Jones), a possible reference to the crescent moon.  When considering the symbolism of her transformations, a lunar link could be possible.

The Coligny Calendar may be the most concrete example we have of lunar observation among the ancient Celtic tribes.

Produced before the Roman conquest of Gaul, this calendar is far more elaborate than the rudimentary Julian calendar and has a highly sophisticated five-year synchronisation of lunation with the solar year (Ellis, Druids 230).

Peter Berresford Ellis also notes that Caesar and Pliny the Elder both commented on how the Gauls measured time according to nights and the moon.

Thus we have strong evidence for the moon as a time piece, but  less on other ritual or magical significance.   I am assuming that Carmina Gadelica  will have more moon lore, albeit Christianized.  The moon continued to play an important role in surviving folk magic which has inspired a plethora of modern magical traditions.  The moon seems central to magical thought and I am hopeful to learn more.

Works Cited

Aranrhod ferch Don.  2009.  Mary Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia.  10 Aug. 2010

        <http://www.maryjones.us/jce/cerridwen.html>.


Arianrhod.  13 April 2010.  Wikipedia.  10 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianrhod>

Berresford, Ellis.  The Celts A History.  New York: Carroll and Graf, 2004.

---.  A Brief History of the Druids.  New York: Carroll and Graf, 2002.

Bonewits, Isaac. "Questions and Answers about ADF."  Ár nDraíocht Féin.  10 Aug. 2010

      <http://www.adf.org/about/basics/qa.html>.

Cerridwen.  2004.  Mary Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia.  10 Aug. 2010

         <http://www.maryjones.us/jce/cerridwen.html>.

Frequently Asked Questions.  The Henge of Keltria.  10 Aug. 2010   

      <http://www.keltria.org/FAQs.html>.

Markale, Jean.  The Druids Celtic Priests of Nature.  Rochester: Inner Traditions Int., 1999.

( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

Looking for a good book for your Pagan child?

I came across a childrens' book today and, after flipping through it, I couldn't pass it up for my growing collection of young Pagan literature.  Any parents/educators should be familiar with the hugely successful "Magic Tree House" books.  I see second and third graders reading them all the time.  This book, entitled Leprechauns and Irish Folklore, by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce, is "a nonfiction companion to" a fictional book they wrote called Leprechaun in Late Winter.  I read all 109 pages of the companion in an hour or so.

What's so impressive about this book is how open-minded and scholarly it is.  While the authors don't discuss the evolution of Lugh to leprechaun, they do briefly discuss the Tuatha De Danann.  There's a whole chapter devoted to the modern history of Irish folklore.  It features sections about Douglas Hyde and Lady Gregory, for example, and even introduces the subject of British occupation.

Different spirits are discussed, such as the trooping fairies, pookas, and clurichauns.  The authors give examples of how people have/can befriend the good folk, as well as how to defend against them.  All the examples are consistent with the lore and folklore studies I've been reading.  The selkies have a section too but are called merrows (or múir ógh for sea maiden).  Speaking of Gaelic, the Irish is pretty accurate as far as I can tell with my novice understanding.  Children reading will learn about the filí and raths for instance.  I love that the authors used actual Irish!

My only real complaint is that the Druids are presented only as "wise men" (73) rather than men and women.  The book sometimes relies too heavily on the more modern idea of diminutive winged fairies but makes up for it by explaining that they can appear however they want.  Otherwise I highly recommend it for Pagan parents, especially those with Irish hearth cultures.    It's very well written, contains beautiful illustrations and photographs, and even includes a section with further reading and research tips for youngsters to follow!  Rather than calling a belief in fairies nonsensical, the book leaves it up to the reader to decide for him or herself what to believe.  I really appreciated that bit of spiritual tolerance / allowance for magic.

My Review of "The Rites of Brigid Goddess and Saint"

            I recently purchased and read The Rites of Brigid Goddess and Saint by Seán Ó Duinn.  I wanted to better understand the Goddess and, though I have read such works as “The First Battle of Moytura” and “The Second Battle of Moytura,” as well as several scholarly works which studied the overall Celtic/Druidic religious perspective (that we can tell), I have read very little that is specifically about Brighid.  What drew me to this work, besides the positive review by the much-respected Erynn Rowan Laurie, was that it was written by a Christian monk who was not only accepting and even respectful of the Saint’s pre-Christian origins, but also extremely well-studied in regards to the folk practices surrounding her.  That is what I wanted a better understanding of for they give hints at what once was – things that may not have been explicitly stated in the surviving manuscripts from Ireland and other Celtic nations.

            Ó Duinn covers different categories of practice and belief in each chapter.  Some topics discussed include Brighid’s yearly return from the Otherworld and what customs surrounded that; flame keeping; holy wells; and the crafts and costumes associated with her.  Although many people know of the existence of such practices, it was fascinating to see a closer examination of them and the differences and/or similarities between various Irish counties. 

            I was both intrigued and encouraged to read about Brighid’s darker side.  So many modern Pagan books focus on her midwifery and healing, as well as her creative powers.  They forget that there is a darker side to such things – creativity requires the transformation and destruction of something else.  A healer must eventually decide when someone is beyond healing.  Women can die in childbirth.  Blacksmithing is extremely dangerous.  The fire that warms the home can just as easily destroy it.  It could be argued that some of these “darker” sides were embraced by The Morrigan or even the Cailleach (hag), but there is a lot of cultural evidence to show that people were aware of Brighid’s jealous side.  There was a belief that Brighid could ignore you on Imbolc, which was seen as a very bad sign for the family and the harvest.  (Brighid has some very strong connections to fertility.)  There was a lot of animal sacrifice in her honor, even in modern Christian times.  Much of it involved chickens.  There were also a lot of vegetable sacrifices made in her honor.  There was even a belief that Brighid had/could set peoples’ homes on fire.  This backs up some UPG experienced by a grove member whose friend said Brighid was weak compared to the Morrigan.  He returned to his home to find it ablaze!  I myself have experienced Brighid’s jealousy, though not in a violent way.  For a Wiccan Drawing-Down ceremony I attended, it was decided that the group would call to Freyja.  During meditation, Brighid appeared to me, felt as if she was holding me, and I heard her voice say “mine.”  Obviously I was not meant to be Freyja’s vessel! 

            Do I think Brighid is quite as vengeful these days?  While the person whose house burned down will probably never take Brighid lightly again, I get the impression, through my studies and personal experiences, that most Gods are not as fierce as they used to be.  This has nothing to do with an inability to be hostile as I firmly believe they are more powerful than us and could do quite a bit of damage if they wanted.  But I believe that the Gods have evolved socially, like us.  I also think they realize that burning everyone’s house down is not a good way to keep up good relations.  That said, I also think it’s possible for a God to have a moment of passion or extreme anger.  It can happen to people, and the Gods are known for being hot headed! 

            Returning to the book, Ó Duinn also discusses the crafts associated with Brighid.  I was very interested in this because 1) I’m an artsy person and 2) I got the book as a source for my Artisan study program’s muse essay.  The Romans, as many of us know, equated Brighid with Minerva, citing her as the patron of art.  I was always gladdened yet mystified by this association.  Minerva is known for weaving while Brighid is associated with black smithing. Ó Duinn explains that there are some folk beliefs about Brighid and fiber arts.  Many say she invented them and taught women how to turn wool into clothing.  This is wonderful news for someone like me who sews and has always felt Brighid’s presence strongly during my work.  It’s a UPG verified by folk belief.  There is also a link between Brighid and the spinning wheel, including a taboo that people are not supposed to do any such work involving wheels on Imbolc.  Needless to say, I have a lot of good information to help me begin working on my muse essay. 

            I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Celtic culture and/or Brighid as a Goddess or a saint.  Some may find it a bit dry, but my passion for the Goddess made every new bit of information worth the read.