Love from the divine and of it is both a weight you must carry and a shoulder to lean on. It is a box that holds you safe and it is a freedom to be loved. It is a standard you have to live up to and an open heart that takes you as you are. It is a sacrifice made and a privilege of the divine to do so. It is not a pedestal you are frozen upon; it is a support when you are down. It is not an expectation of perfection; it is open eyes that see and accept your flaws. It is your flaws that make you human and equal; we all have our failings. It is not your whole life's purpose; love is what will give your days a new kind of spiritual transcendence.
The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as time passes. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all things in life. All our young lives we search for someone to love. Someone who makes us complete. We choose partners & change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak & hope, all the while wondering if somewhere, somehow, there's someone perfect who might be searching for us. Only true love can keep beauty innocent. When the soul wants, the soul waits---for love and sex and faith. We don't love qualities, we love the person; sometimes by reason of their defects as well as of their qualities. I would have you learn this lesson: you do not marry someone you can live with---you marry the person who you cannot live without.
Do not accept the concept of absolute evil. You will not worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Judaic, Christian, and Islamic traditions. The concept of an ultimate evil force is one known as "Satan" or "the Devil" is a construct of Judaism and has no place here. The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of all things wicked. Do not seek power through the suffering of others. Seek within nature that which contributes to your health and well-being.
The affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it. The truth of love is the truth of the universe: it is the lamp of the soul that reveals the secrets of darkness. Love is the immortal flow of energy that nourishes, extends and preserves. Its eternal goal is life. Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it will not be created for years or even generations. Love does not die easily. It is a living thing. It thrives in the face of all life's hazards, save one---neglect. More than three words mumbled before bedtime, love is action: a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day. They do not love that do not show their love. You can show your love for the divine in your pattern; you can worship as is best for you.
The wheel of the year has eight spokes; there are eight holidays you are recommended to observe to keep yourself in a proper spiritual alignment with the natural rhythm of life forces. The day begins at sundown and lasts until the next sunset. The greatest of these holidays is a celebration of love and it begins at sunset on the last day of April and continues through the first day of May. The Ancient people, from the Priest and Priestess to the farmer and his wife understood the power of love: loving company between two people is an echo of the act that created all things. It is love that is the act of creation. The word Beltane or Bealltainn means Beall’s Fires or shining fire. It is celebrated during the day. This is the time when the Oak King is resurrected. You may burn a fire, wrap ribbons around a maypole, or collect wild water in honor of this holiday. Wild water is from the dew of plants, from natural streams, or from the ocean and may be used in spells, potions, and healing or cleansing rituals.
Summer Solstice, Litha, or Midsummer begins at sunset before the longest day of the year. This is the peak of the power of Light. Like a candle that burns brightest before it dies this is the moment when the Oak King aspect of the Horned God crests and gives way to his other face---the Holly King. The consort of the Goddess and symbol of male energy in the form of the divine, the Horned God reigns. He is the lord of the woodlands, the hunt and animals. He provides for the tribe through the hunt. The Horned God is is the lord of life, death and the underworld. And is the Sun to the Goddess' Moon. He alternates with the Goddess in ruling over the fertility cycle of birth, death and rebirth. He is born at the winter solstice, unites with the Goddess in marriage at Beltane, and dies at the summer solstice to bring fertility to the land as the Sacred King. The Sacred King is the King of the land that looks out upon his people and sees their suffering. He determines that the only way to save them is to sacrifice himself so that the land will become fertile and the people can live.
Lady SpringWolf ©
In the green land of old, the men and women walked the fields in hunger. They would eat of those that walked in fur, fin and feather, and thanked them for their sacrifice. But their gifts were not enough for the people to live. They would eat of the wild fruits of the Earth, but that was not enough. They would forage the wood and eat of the wild berries, mushrooms and gourds, but this was not enough.As they looked for fruits and berries, as they hunted for fur, fin and feather, their homes could not be built. The roofs leaked in rain, the rooms stood cold for lack of fire, the land could not be tilled. For all of these gifts of food must be found, and hunted, and a home cannot be built on it's own.
The Sacred King saw the men and women in their suffering. He watched, waited, and thought upon it for a time, and his face grew grave and sad. He spoke to the Lady, and said, "I must die. The land will be fertile and the earth will bring forth a harvest and the people will live and grow."
The Lady sobbed and fell on her knees. She grieved for Her Lord and watched him leave for the fields beyond. The Lord traveled to the center of the land and he fell upon his sword, and died. The blood of his body flowed through the land and covered it in red. The Great Mother buried the Sacred King in the Earth, returning him to her womb, and mourned his passing from the land of life.
Winter wrapped the world in ice and snow. Covering the land with a gentile white blanket that hid the sleeping life beneath it's frozen splendor.
The Great Mother covered the face of the sky with dark clouds, and her tears of rain poured from there in cascades and torrents. The Tears of the Mother melted the snow and ice, and covered the ground in wetness.
Time passed and the Sun warmed the ground, and a green shoot appeared, poking its head out from the womb of the Mother. The green shoot grew as the days grew, longer and taller, until the golden hair of the Sacred King once more waved proudly in the wind; until the Grain of the Fields stood, row upon row, as far as the eye could see; until the Bounty of the Mother, the Sacred King Himself, stood upon the world, ready to be harvested.
The great Mother looked out upon the green fields, and saw the wind caressing the face of the Sacred King. "That was well done," she whispered upon the wind, "But it pains me to see you die once again."
"It is as it must be," He said, "And does it not show them that Death is an illusion. It is just another change in a multiverse of change?" he added. "And through their harvest, they strive and survive. They eat and grow. Their houses are built, their fires burn and their bread bakes for the harvest. And all this is a good thing."
"You are right," She sighed with sadness, "But I just wish it could have been done in a kinder way. The Lady still mourns your sacrifice and each year it will be so. Her tears will fall and her heart will ache, for her love has left her side."
"Change is never easy, Great Mother." He spoke, lowly, "But it is as it is, nonetheless.The fields are green, and the harvest is plentiful. The people are well and the land will grow again."
Thus it was, and so it is, and ever more shall be so!
A very common custom during this time is the hand-fasting that lasts a year and a day. Couples use this time to decide if they can live together for life or to part ways. If they decided to hand-fast for life, they would hold a ceremony making that official. A hand-fasting of either type can occur during any time of year, though during this time is a well known practice. You may bake bread and eat it as a part of your holiday dinner or you may bake bread and bring in food from the garden to distribute among the poor and senior citizens of your local community or used food to raise funds for charity. Recognize that the food is a sacrifice made for you to live. In this way the Horned God is another dual aspect, he is both a giver life and a bringer of death.
The Autumnal Equinox, also called the Harvest Home, is a time to give thanks for the fruits of the earth and recognize the need to share them. Each of us has an individual spirit that comes from and is a part of the deity; by respecting and honoring others you are respecting and honoring the spirit within you and within others that comes from and goes back to the spirit of the universe. In this way you secure the blessings of the Goddess and the God.
The Deity
He is the Lord of the woods, God of the hunt, and of animals. He provides for the tribe as the Hunter and is honored or rewarded for his deeds by being permitted to join with the Goddess through the Great Rite and give himself life again through his son. He is also the Stag God. The Stag stands for solitary nobility, honour and a strong commitment to the protection of the herd. As a God of fertility and wild animals, the Stag is a symbol of protection and sexuality. He is extremely devoted to the care and creation of children. The Stag focuses on the balance of law and is rigid in his thinking on the issues of justice.
The Horned God is the Lord of Life because by providing food for his family he gives them life. He is the God of Death and the Underworld because he is also the Stag that must die in order for this sustenance to be provided to them. He is the Sun to the Goddess Moon. He reigns with the Goddess in ruling over the fertility cycle of birth, death and rebirth. He is born at the winter solstice, unites with the Goddess at Beltane, and dies at the summer solstice to bring fertility to the land.
Those people who channel the God in the day to day have a sacred privilege. The God in your household, whether that is a woman, a man, or a hermaphrodite, has the privilege of acting out the role of God. Some people strongly channel the God in a literal sense. They hunt, bring home deer, clean it, cook it, and put it on the table. Whether literal or metaphorical the living aspect of God in your home is a sacred duty and one commits to such a life out of love. Respect and honor that commitment, that love, and you are respecting and honoring the Horned God.
The Goddess is just as multi-faceted as the God. She provides life through the womb and care through empathy but she is also the Crone, a Goddess of Death and a dark mother. She represents our destruction, death, and decay. She forces us to realize that death is a part of the cycle we must all go through. Here, as in nature, the death of Winter is followed by the promise of rebirth in the Spring. She is often depicted as a Grandmother, a wise woman, or a midwife. Her own child rearing days are past; she is the wisdom keeper, seer and healer, whose knowledge is sought out to guide others during life's hardships and transitions. Invoke the Goddess in her dark aspect to help you face your deepest fears as despite her often fierce ways and appearance she offers great wisdom to those prepared to look upon her face.
