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lunavenefica · 2 years

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⛤SAMHAIN: History and Meaning⛤

Samhain is the holiest and most important Sabbat of the whole wheel of the year; it combines a number of elements: the agricultural crop, the wild crop, the transition of the autumn season into a winter temperature and the commemoration of the day of the dead.

It is the time to remember our ancestors and our loved ones who greeted us, and as a solemn time it should tend towards contemplation of the mystery of life and death as taught by the ancients.

Samhain is a time for introspection, to empty the false of our mind, heart and soul. It is time to heal the source of our deepest wounds and those we have inflicted on others, before time overtakes us. It is the time when we can learn to see clearly.

The true victory of self is in the cauldron. Now we need to look at the nature of our motives and the outcome of our actions.

Samhain is the time to communicate and listen to others, a time of death, of the thought of the ancestors and what we are thanks to them.

The leaves are falling, the apples are ripe, and the ice is on the ground.

There is the scent of Autumn, an indescribable smell of October - pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, dry leaves and beer.

Samhain approaches and the veil between the worlds gets thinner every night.

You can feel it in the air that the Otherworld is approaching and the sunlight turns into sunset light. Our ancestors are celebrated in Samhain, it is the time of the dead and the dying.

The spirits of the departed are closest to our hearts, at this time when even the earth is dying.

A melancholy and introspective mood descends upon us in this dark time of ends and completions; and therefore possible rebirths.

In the growing shadows, darkness and fog prevail while the trees give off their colorful leaves, taking the appearance of skeletons.

This was also the time when cattle were killed for meat to be consumed in the winter months (the symbolic death of the wheat God).

All the cereals still in the fields after Samhain were considered taboo, no one could collect them and became an offering for the spirits of nature.

⛤Samhain is the best known of all Wicca Wheel of the Year celebrations. And there is a reason for all of this. Obviously, first of all it is a festive Sabbat

and above all it is the only Sabbat that people recognize as a pagan festival and they love to celebrate it anyway.

In years past, the Christian Church decided, according to the tradition of the time, that people could hold this festival that they were so attached to, but that it needed a new name. He also decided that instead of being a feast to celebrate all the dead, it was to be transformed into a celebration of the dead saints.

So the party turned into the best known Halloween.

⛤Our ancestors used to protect themselves this night, cutting out faces in vegetables and placing them near the windows.

This gave birth to the so-called Jack o 'Lantern pumpkin.

These carved pumpkin faces were placed next to the windows to keep the spirits of this night away.

Being the veil of the subtle worlds, it was not only the ancestors who returned to earth, but all the people of the Underworld.

⛤Samhain is obviously the end of the "summer" mid-year(The Celts divided the year into two parts, summer and winter).

It is also the last harvest before the snow.

It is the opposite black of Beltane, announces the role of the Dark and celebrates the Crone. It is also considered the first of the witchcraft year.

Since the Celts considered time to be circular rather than linear, the night is both the end and the beginning of the year.

For this reason, Samhain is a feast of divination and a time for the dead.

A night of contradiction where life and death, opposite but parts of the same cycle, were celebrated together.

⛤Sometimes most people think that this holiday is to venerate an evil god by the name of Samhain, but this deity does not exist in any Celtic or European pantheon.

It is a literary creation of the twentieth century, without a foundation of reality.

Fables of Druids who left pumpkins at the doors of families who had provided sacrifices for Samhain (Satan).

This is not TRUE! Samhain today is famous as Halloween, and obviously still has much of the old Celtic tradition, despite the church's attempts to turn it into a day of prayer for the pantheon of saints.

⛤The best known aspect of Samhain is the Festival of the Dead. It is a night to honor ancestors, to celebrate their lives and to respect their memories. It is a time when families get together and listen to stories about the life of their great grandparents and legends about kings and their knights. It was believed that on this night, the dead could return to earth to find the living. It was common practice to prepare the table even for those who have recently died and to leave food for their wandering souls. Lights should have been placed on windows and along streets to guide the spirits of the night.

Witchfully Yours,

⛤Isidora⛤

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walkingwiththegods1 · 3 days

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List of The Weirdest Births in Mythology and Legend

In Mythology and Legend... We have readed and being surprised, by all the stories about The Gods and Goddesses; Monsters, Heroes and Heroines; including their loves, troubles; sufferings, and personal sacrifices. Now, as an homenage to all the lovely Pagan, Wiccan and Witch Mothers; outhere, (And, as an act of devotion to the Gods and Goddesses...); I made this post, which I hope than you like to read it: You will see names and stories than are already known, to all of us; and others, than aren't than known, but are included; because this list, is not as wide as it should be; for The Pagans, Wiccans and/or Witches Mothers, and for all the fans and knowables in Mythology and Legend!

(Note: This list, is incomplete; but, I will expand it regularlly; until is complete, so... You may need to check it once in a while; and... Don't despair: I'm planning to ended it, in a few months; Okay?... Thank you for your understanding!)

Have fun in reading this list, and... Be prepaper: I classified this stories, from the least to the most weird story of all, according to my own perception! (...You may be in, for one; or more surprises!)

Apollo and Artemis: Artemis (immediately, after been borned), helped to her mother; Leto, to birthed to her twin brother; Apollo, who was borned... Nine days, after her!

Heracles and Iphicles: Hercules, was supposes to born first; but Hera... (or, her daughter; Eileithyia, The Goddess of Childbirth) went to the house of Alcmene, sitted with crossed legs and with ropes over her dress; to avoid the birth... For seven days, Alcmene was struggling in pain, and close to death!Galantis, than was one of Alcmene's servants; tricked to Hera (or, to Eileithyia), to made her believe than the birth already occurred, which stop her to continue to crosses her legs; by the immpression. Heracles and Ificles, could finally born; but... Zeus promised to Hera, than the child of the House of Perseus than will born that day; will be king, and Hera; made than Hercules's Cousin, Euristeus; borne before than Hercacles, so that was why... Heracles, never was a king!

Athena: Was borne from Zeus's forefront, after her father swallowed to his wife; Metis (turned into a fly); to avoid the profecy than she will birth a son, than could dethroned him... Unknowning than Metis, was already pregnant!

Hephaistus: Hera, (jealous to see than Zeus birthed a child, on his own...) focus in do the same procedure; and gave birth to Hephaistus, who... Was borned limp, with an humpback and unactrative; which causes than his mother trowed him of Mount Olimpus, for having an ''Imperfect Child''. (For the ones, than doesn't know: He eventually backed to Mount Olimpus, as a grown man; get his revenge of his mother, and... Gained his place, between The Gods!)

Erichthonius: Hephaistus, made undesire advances to Athena; (when she went to his workshop for weapons) and, in the struggle; Hephaistus's seed, fell over Athena's thighs: She wiped out her thigh, with a piece of wool; trowed it to the earth all disgusted, and; where the stained piece of wool, fell... Erichthonius, was borned. (Gaia, gaved the baby to Athena; telling than she didn't want to raised him, so... Athena raised him, as her adoptive and only son!)

Kartikeya: Parvati, couldn't stand the weight of the baby, so... She transfered him from her body, so he could be birthed, by... Ganga! (The Goddess of The River Ganges: The most sacred of the rivers of India)

Huitzilopochtli: Coatlicue ended pregnant, when she grabbed feathers than felt from the sky; put them in her bosom, (some legends said than was in her waistband) and... PUM!... Pregnant! Her 400 sons, and her daughter; Coyolxauhqui (believing than the child to borne, was product of a relation with a stranger...) they decided to kill her, but in the moment they arrived... Huitzilopochtli, was birthed by Coatlicue; fully grown and armed, to defend to his mother. The rest of the story, well... Is too bloody and violent, to be wrote here!

Perseus: Perseus's Mother, after been bathed in a rain of gold; (Courtesy of Zeus) gave him birth in the tower, where her father put her... Without nobody's assistance, during the childbirth!

Asclepius: Coronis, beloved by Apollo; concieved to Asclepius... But cheated to Apollo with a mortal, while pregnant; and she was killed by Apollo (some versions, says than was Artemis), and Apollo; made the first C-Section in history on Coronis's dead body, to saves to his unborn child, before the fire will consummed her body!

Dionysus: His mother, died when she saw to her lover; Zeus, in his real form (after Hera tricked her in telling to Zeus to show his real self, as a probe of love to her; and to get rid easily of her rival); and Zeus had to rescue the baby from the body of his mother, and put it inside of his thigh: When the pregnancy was complete... Dionysus, was born, AGAIN! (...That gaves to ''Trauma by birth '', a whole new level!)

Garuda: He was born... Out from an egg?!

Phanes: According to the Orphic Mythology... He was the first Deity, created by Chronus (The Time); and he emerged with helmet, with broad and golden wings; from... An cosmic silver egg, entwined by a serpent?

Helen of Troy and her Siblings: She and her siblings, were birthed by her mother; Leda... Of one of the two eggs than she laid, after her encounter with Zeus!

Arcas: His mother, was Callisto; and he was borned, after his mother was turned into a bear. ( A bear... Giving birth... To a baby!)

Adonis: His mother, gave birth to him after she was turned; into... A tree?!

The Kauravas, and their sister; Duhsala: The mother, was pregnant for two years; and when she finally gave birth... It was a very big piece of lifeless meat. That piece of meat, was cut by a sage; into 101 pieces. The pieces, were kept in jars of oil for two years; and each piece... Grew into a child: The Kauravas, and their only sister!

Brahma: From the navel of Vishnu, emerged a Lotus Flower. And, when that same flower opened... Was Brahma, sitted on it! (...Strange, but... A very lovely myth!)

Virabhadra: Was born from Shiva's hair. (If you have seems Shiva's Images... I could believe that could have happen: He has a very abundant, and beautiful hair!)

Ganesh: Parvati, modeling a child from turmeric paste; and... She gave him life!

Sambha: Krishna's son, gave birth to an iron's mace, by the curse of a sage. (...Is one of the few stories than I put here, than makes 100% total senses...)

Jarasandha: Erhm... I only can say, than this story involve two queens eating the halve of a divine mango; and... It gets weirder and a bit disturbing, after that!

Tityos: Elara, was Tityos's mother; and she was hid by Zeus under the earth, to avoided her being the victim of Hera's wrath: The kid growed so big inside of her, than her womb split in two; killing her, and after nine months... He sprungs from the earth. (...Poor Elara!)

Pegasus and Chrysaor: Pegasus and Chrysaor: The Winged-Horse and his brother, couldn't born, because his mother; Medusa, was cursed to never be able to gave birth to her sons; and they finally came into existence, when Perseus killed to Medusa: There is not need, to put the graphic story, here! (...Poor Medusa!)

The Giants: They were borned after Uranus's Blood, fell on Gaia; (The Earth) causing than these very tall beings... Came into existence!

Aphrodite: She was created product of the foam of the sea, caused when Cronus castrated to his father; Uranus, and trowed his parts into the sea.

Heimdall: He was birthed, no from one mother; no... He was birthed, by nine Jotun sisters; which conceived him, with Odin!

Loki: The story about Loki's Birth, says that Farbauti (Loki's Father); hitted to his wife, Laufey (Loki's Mother); with a lightning bolt, and; a time later... She gave birth, to Loki!

Teshub, Tigris and Tasmisu: They were birthed by a male god, after he fighted against another male deity; and... He ended pregnant in a very inusual, and bloody way! (If you want to search that story... Go to the Hittite Mythology, search the names in this paragraph; and readed during daylight, many hours before to going to sleep; 'cause is a very disturbing story: You can thank me later, than I don't describe it; here!)

Fenrir, Jorgmugand and Hel: An story says, than Loki gave birth to these children (I refuse, to call them monsters: Thank you, very much); after he devoured Angrboda's Heart, when she was burned while she was already pregnant, so... That was why they were born! In other stories, they were birthed by Angrboda herself, but in almost all the stories; they were borne in the form known to all of us: Fenrir, as a wolf; Jorgmugand, as a serpent; and Hel, as an half alive-half dead baby girl!

Quetzalcoatl: Three myths, points than he was birthed by a virgin princess: In one myth, after his mother had a dream with the Supreme Deity; Ometeotl, in other myth; his mother ended pregnant, after she swallowed a jade stone, and... In another myth, the same princess gave birth to Quetzalcoatl; after she had her belly pierced ... With an arrow! (AND... There is a myth, where he was miraculous conceived by Coatlicue; after a ball of feathears, fell over her!)

Gaia: She was birthed (presumably, and now; totally accepted), by Chaos: A great formless and empty abyss, made of infinite space!

Uranus, Pontus and The Ourea: Were birthed by Gaia, which conceived them... Without a father: This unusual birth, is call Parthenogenesis (a pregnancy and birth than ocurrs, without intimacy: A virginal birth, than is a very uncommon way to have descendents!)

Atabey: According to Taino Myth, Atabey; who is the Primordial Goddess of Fertility, and The First Being to came into existence; she birthed to... Well... To herself!

And, (For ending this list...) Guabancex and her Siblings: Atabey, one day in the middle of the emptiness and totally alone; she fell deeply asleep (after an uncountable amount of time), and a time later; she waked up, to found out, than... She was PREGNANT! And... She gave birth to six twin babies, without a father, and of diferent sex: Boinayel (God of the Rainy Weather), Marohu (God of the Dry Weather); Itiba Cahibaba (Goddess of Childbirth), Hurakan (God of The Destructive Winds and Enemy of Yocahu), Yocahu (God of Vegetation and of the Cassava's Bread) and... Guabancex (His sister, Goddess of the Wind; of The Rain, of The Breeze and The Hurricane). A virginal birth... Of multiple babies, of different sexes; and twins! (...This myth, gives to the phrase ''Being extremelly fertile''; to AN ENTIRE WHOLE NEW LEVEL!)

This is all, in this list; and... Congrats to all the Mothers of the Pagan, Wiccan and Witch Communities! (AND... Of course: To all the Mother Goddesses around The World, specially to Ma'at, Athena; Aphrodite, Atabey, Guabancex, and... To Gaia!)

Blessed be all of you, always!... So Be It!

#paganism #pagan writings #pagan writer #happy mothers month to all the pagan wiccan and witches moms #pagan goddesses #pagan gods #pagans #pagan #eclectic pagan #ecletic pagan #hellenic pagan #lokean #pagan from the caribbean #than all the pagan wiccan and witches moms have the protection and strenght from the deities always #so be it

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