Sacred Fire, bright glow of the hearth flame, gateway to the Shining Ones, this is the center of the Cosmos. I kindle the sacred fire with care and comfort. Sacred well, flowing waters of wisdom, gateway to the Ancestors, this is the center of the Cosmos. I stir the sacred well with inspiration and insight. Sacred tree, connecting to both earth and sky, gateway to the Nature spirits, this is the center of the Cosmos. You are the path between all worlds. Fire burns brightly toward the skies, the well flows deeply to the sea, the tree is rooted in the land, and here we stand in the sacred center. --------------------- The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we continue our discussion by talking about (Re)Creating the Cosmos. (Re)Creating the Cosmos is the process that ADF utilizes to create a sacred space, find our center, and raise power for our ritual. So let’s talk about the different pieces that make up this step. First, the Cosmos! The Cosmos are the universe around us. In most Indo-European cultures, the Cosmos were viewed as some form of triad, which varied from place to place. In some cultures, such as Vedic and Celtic, the cosmology this was seen as the three worlds: Land, Sea, and Sky. In other cultures, like Greek, they instead identified three realms: Upper, Middle, and Lower realms. Norse mythology divides the cosmos into 9 realms. The Sacred Center is the mystical space we create within our rituals to connect to each of these separate realms. We connect to the axis mundi, or the place where all the realms meet, and that places us direct in the center of all the cosmos. Within ADF rituals, we connect to this sacred center through gates, or portals, to the other realms. Most often this is represented as the Fire, Well, and Tree, but this may vary based on the culture you are working with. To summarize, we center ourselves in the cosmos and then, by utilizing gates that connect to each realm, we (re)create the cosmos with our rite as the sacred center of the cosmos.
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Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week, we move on to the third letter, Gamma! Description: "Gaia [the Earth] {Gê} will give you the ripe fruit of your labors." Gamma expresses the idea of a successful harvest. Successful harvests require hard work and extensive planning, but if you are willing to put the work into it, you can be prosperous. That is what this omen describes. You’ve done the work, and now you are at a point that you can benefit from your efforts and reap your rewards. Gaia is the earth mother, but she also represents the earth in general. By Gaia allowing you to succeed, the world will see you triumph in your projects. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Gamma could be: Good harvest comes from hard work. There you'll find success. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
Edit 01/27/2021: I discovered this morning that this blog did not post on Monday as I intended. It went to social media, but never posted here. Sorry for the delay! Happy Monday everyone. I hope you have had a lovely Monday. It's been snowing here all day, and everything is covered in fluffy white snow. It makes it hard to get motivated as I'd rather curl up with a book, blanket, and some tea, but I'm committed, so let's do this thing!! It's time once again for our weekly omen. This week's divination comes from runes. Below is our message for this week:
_______________ Wunjo is the symbol of Joy. It speaks of perfection and being content in your experiences. It's a very optimistic omen to receive. Othala is a symbol of home and and ancestors. It's a message of divine inheritance and having a safe, orderly place to be. Inguz represents the seed. It's a message of growth, creation, and evolution. It may speak of solitude in order to have space to grow. To summarize, we've reached a time of joy and contentment. We have a safe place, and our ancestors share their wisdom with us. While we may be physically separated from loved ones and friends, this solitude is an opportunity to grow. Take advantage of that time and space, to find your own happy place. If this message speaks to you, or if you have some other interpretation, I would love to hear from you! I hope you all have a wonderful week. Episode 14 of the Triskele Podcast is now available! In today's episode we discuss Magic! We explain how we define magic, give our opinions on the psychology of magic, give some ideas for crafting good workings. We also explore the relationship between devotional practices and magic, and share some of our own magical practices.
This week’s omen comes from the Runes:
We hope you enjoyed this week's episode. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Today we meet between the earth and sky, to honor the Kindreds We celebrate the turning of the wheel, the changing of the seasons, and the forward motion of time. May our work bless all who attend, in person, in heart, and in spirit. --------------------- The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we continue our discussion by talking about the Statement of Purpose. The Statement of Purpose is where we explain WHY we are performing a ritual. It gives everyone involved, both physically and spiritually, a clear understanding of the intent behind the ritual. In this section, you may give a brief description of what type of ritual you’re performing (for example, high day, unity rite, devotional ritual, etc.) and any historic context you want to include. You may also share who the beings of occasion will be for the ritual. If you have questions about this step, or any of the other parts of this series, please don't hesitate to ask. Have a wonderful weekend! Welcome to week two in the Learning the GAC series. This week, we move on to the second letter, Beta! Description: “With the help of Tychê [Fortune], you will have an assistant {Boêthos}, the Pythian [Apollo].” Beta tells us “With the help of Tyche, you will have an assistant, the Pythian.” Without context as to who Tyche and Pythian are this sentence is may be difficult to interpret. Tyche is the goddess fortune and prosperity. Her name in this omen shows that luck is on your side in your endeavors. Pythian is the title of the priestess of Apollo at Delphi. People would travel great lengths in order to get an omen from Pythia, so to know that her foresight is also willing to assist you is a positive omen. Beta is a symbol that reminds that sometimes we need help to be successful. It’s a message that reminds us to be willing to ask for help when we need it. It also indicates that you have both luck and foresight in your work. However, while the potential for assistance is present in your work, you may need to ask for that help in order for it to be received. For me, it often represents vulnerability because many people are afraid or ashamed to ask when they need some assistance, but it is that asking that is vital to the success of certain tasks. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Beta could be: Beyond luck Pythia speaks Of help and foresight. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
Happy Monday everyone. Today is a day that I have spent feeling like I'm running behind...so we're getting here super late, but we're here. I hope you had a productive start to your week. It's time once again for our weekly omen. This week's divination comes from the Legendary Ladies Oracle Deck by Ann Shen. Below is our message for this week:
Freya is a Norse goddess of love and fertility, as well as war and magic. This card encourages you to be bold in your actions as you move forward. Take action, embrace your goals, and be brave! Ran is the Norse personification of the sea who uses her net to capture people and drag them into the water. This card tells you that you can easily achieve your desires, so plan carefully. Sekhmet is the Egyptian goddess of destruction and healing. In this card, we see that good things can grow from past hurt. Take the time to rebuild and heal. You have the power to transform yourself. To summarize, we need to be bold in our actions and move forward. Plan carefully to achieve our goals, but we can be successful, both in rebuilding and healing ourselves. If this message speaks to you, or if you have some other interpretation, I would love to hear from you! I hope you all have a wonderful week. Earth Mother, you grant us nourishment and stability. In your presence we flourish and grow. Mother of All, bountiful and filled with joy and prosperity, You are the source of continual creation, From who all life flows. Gracious goddess, We call to you and ask that you uphold this rite as we honor you. ------------- The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we continue our discussion by talking about Honoring the Earth Mother
The first being that the Core Order of Ritual requires to be called to is the Earth Mother. As Calling to Inspiration is an optional step in the COoR, the Earth Mother is often the very first being called to our rite, and is also the last being that we thank as we end the ritual. This placement is intentional as it is intended to emphasize the importance of nature and our connection to the world around us. For some people, the Earth Mother may represent the physical plant, while others may call upon Earth Mother deities from ancient myths, such as Gaia (Greek), Hannahannah (Hittite), Terra Mater (Roman), or Matushka Zyemlyah (Slavic). Some people also honor the Sky Father in this step of the COoR, and if that works for their practice I'm ok with that. However, I have never been comfortable with the binary imagery that it invokes so I personally do not do so. Additionally, my understanding of Honoring the Earth Mother is that we honor her as she is our home, the place that all life comes from and the place we will return when we die. I do not have that same connection to the sky and this is 100% just my opinion of course. Your practice may vary, and that's perfectly valid. If you have questions about this step, or any of the other parts of this series, please don't hesitate to ask. Have a wonderful weekend! Welcome my very first week in the Learning the GAC series. I loved walking through the Ogham as a system that I wasn't familiar with, but this time we're diving into the Greek Alphabet Oracle, or the Olympian Oracle which is one of my very favorite methods of divination. Before I discuss our first symbol, I want to give a little bit of context to different pieces you'll see below and explain what they mean!
Alright, with that information in mind, let's jump right into our first symbol: Alpha! Description: “The God [Apollo] says you will do everything {Hapanta} successfully.” Alpha is a symbol of positivity and accomplishment. it says that success in everything has been foreseen by the god Apollo. Apollo was one of the Olympian deities. He was the god responsible for music, poetry, and divination. Because of his gift of foresight, Apollo indicating that something will be successful feels like a prophetic gift. In my own workings, Alpha represents the idea that current goals or projects will be prosperous if you continue moving forward. It’s also a message that you are on the right path and should trust your instincts. Alpha may also signify the end of a struggle, where things can come out in a positive way despite doubts or heartache. Essentially, it says that things will turn out well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will turn out the way you think they would. Ultimately, it is a message of success and that alone can be a very positive message in readings. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
Happy Monday everyone. I hope you had an opportunity to relax and decompress a bit this weekend. The start of the week came much too quickly, but I'm trying to roll with it and be productive! Let's start things off with our weekly divination. This week's omen comes from the Runes. Below is our message for this week:
Kenaz is the torch. It is the spark of inspiration and the wisdom that burns deep inside. It is the illumination that comes when searching for answers. The torch is able to shine light into the darkness and bring with it new understanding. Pertho is the unknown. It is tied to fate and probability. The unknown is both scary and filled with potential. It also speaks of luck and the creation of positive outcomes. Fehu is cattle. Cattle were a sign of wealth in ancient times, so their presence here indicates prosperity and sustenance. Fehu is also thought to be mobile wealth, so the idea of passing wealth from one person to another. To summarize, we have wisdom and the spark of inspiration. By following the light of the torch, perhaps we can find some wisdom in the hidden unknown and a positive outcome. There is wealth in the wisdom hidden in the unknown, and if we find it we can share it with others. If this message speaks to you, or if you have some other interpretation, I would love to hear from you! I hope you all have a wonderful week. |
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