#Winter purification ceremony

[attractive-curves3]

寒中禊 - 神田明神, 千代田, 東京 Kanchū Misogi/Winter purification ceremony - Kanda Myōjin Shrine, Chiyoda, Tōkyō

[pmamtraveller]

CULT AND FESTIVALS OF DIONYSUS

Dionysus (Bacchus in Roman mythology) is the Greek god of wine, fertility, festivity, and ecstasy. He is a representation of two opposites, which is: joy and chaos. His cult consisted of ecstatic rituals known for music, dances, and wine consumption, which allowed one to be freed from the burdening societal norms.

1 City Dionysia

The City Dionysia (Great Dionysia) was the most prominent festival, held in Athens, usually during March or April. Celebrating the coming of spring and the grape harvest. It often presented dramatic contests, where tragedies and comedies would be featured, and marked the beginning of classical Greek theatre with works by playwrights Aeschylus and Euripides. The festival was a prestigious competition, usually judged by prominent citizens.

2 Rural Dionysia

The Rural Dionysia was a winter festival, largely observed in December. It was more of a local festival, connecting agricultural communities to the worship of Dionysus. The procession had a decorated phallos carried in it, which centred on fertility rites. Villagers would celebrate with wine and dances, praying to Dionysus for fertility and prosperity, emphasizing on the agricultural origins of the Dionysian cult.

3 Lenaia

The Lenaia was a winter festival in honor of Dionysus, held in January. It was an important festival for theatrical performances and took place within the city of Athens. This festival conducted dramatic contests, but it had greater emphasis on comedies through offering a platform for comic playwrights like Aristophanes showcasing the lighter side of the worship of Dionysus

4 Anthesteria

Anthesteria was a three-day feast (late February). It celebrated the new wine and appealed to the spirits of the dead. A great variety of rituals was performed: from opening casks of new wine to going out in procession to the tombs of the ancestors. On the second day, called Choes, people had drinking competitions, and there was playful revelry. The last day (Chytroi) was dedicated to the offerings and libation to the dead.

5 Thargelia

Thargelia was a May ceremony in honor of Apollo and Dionysus, marking the beginning of the harvest season. It had an element of purification rituals associated with it. The festival included sacrifices, offerings of first fruits, and the "scapegoat" ritual whereby two human figures, known as "pharmakoi," were sacrificed to purify the community.

The festivals of Dionysus, though very ancient, mark the multivalence of Greek religion, society, and culture. They were not simple religious rites but communal gatherings that fostered artistic expression, social cohesion, and an active celebration of life and nature.

[grey-sorcery]

[Title]: The Elements: Water

Related Reading

The Elements: Fire Blood Magic Herbology Correspondences Visualization: Effective Implementation Duality in Witchcraft Researching Witchcraft Spirit Work: First Steps Divination: First Steps

🌊 Introduction 🌊

Water, one of the most versatile and commonplace elements, holds varying degrees of significance across various spiritual, mystical, and esoteric practices. Often associated with purification, reflection, and the subconscious, water's symbolic and practical applications are manifold. By understanding water's multifaceted nature, practitioners can harness its power more effectively, enriching their spiritual and magical practices. Most correspondences in this article are informed by non-colonial practices (Wicca, ‘Ceremonial Magick’, etc.) unless otherwise stated. I may also include some of my personal correspondences.

⛈️ Correspondences ☔️

Direction:

Water is typically associated with the west, symbolizing the end of the day and the sun’s descent. This direction represents introspection, reflection, and the subconscious. The west embodies the emotional and intuitive aspects of life, encouraging deep contemplation and the exploration of inner wisdom. I, personally, associate water with the North. 

Season:

The season linked to water is typically winter or spring. Winter symbolizes a period of rest, reflection, and inner growth. This time encourages stillness and introspection, mirroring the quiet, dormant phase in nature's cycle where life slows down and renews itself. While spring is associated with fertility, renewal, and abundance. This time encourages a desire for new experiences and adventures and feelings of hope and optimism.

Time of day:

The time of day associated with water is twilight, the period between sunset and night. This liminal time embodies mystery and the blending of day and night, mirroring the fluid and transitional nature of water. Twilight invites introspection, relaxation, and the exploration of dreams and intuition.

Astrological sign:

Water corresponds to the astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. These signs are known for their emotional depth, sensitivity, and intuition. Cancer nurtures and protects, Scorpio transforms and heals, and Pisces dreams and connects to the spiritual, all embodying the fluid and adaptive qualities of water.

Planets:

The planets associated with water are the Moon and Neptune. The Moon governs emotions, intuition, and cycles, reflecting water’s nurturing and reflective nature. Neptune symbolizes dreams, illusions, and the subconscious, emphasizing water’s connection to the unseen and the mystical aspects of existence.

Tarot:

In the Tarot, water is linked to the suit of Cups. This suit deals with emotions, relationships, and intuition. Cups cards explore the depth of human feelings, creativity, and the subconscious, resonating with water’s ability to flow, adapt, and reflect the inner world of emotions and dreams. This is based on the Rider Waite style of deck, which stems from colonial practices (Golden Dawn).

Elementals:

The elemental spirits of water are undines, also known as water nymphs or mermaids. These beings are said to inhabit and preside over bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans. Undines represent the fluid, emotional, and transformative nature of water, embodying its nurturing and purifying qualities.

Colors:

The colors associated with water are blue and silver. Blue represents calmness, depth, and tranquility, reflecting water’s soothing and introspective qualities. Silver symbolizes the reflective and mystical aspects of water, akin to the moonlight dancing on the surface of a lake, highlighting water’s connection to the subconscious and intuition.

Crystals:

Crystals linked to water include aquamarine, moonstone, and amethyst. Aquamarine embodies clarity and calming energy, akin to the serene ocean. Moonstone enhances intuition and emotional balance, reflecting the lunar connection. Amethyst promotes spiritual awareness and inner peace, resonating with water’s introspective and purifying nature.

Herbs:

Herbs associated with water include chamomile, aloe vera, and lemon balm. Chamomile soothes and calms, mirroring water’s nurturing aspect. Aloe vera heals and hydrates, reflecting water’s restorative qualities. Lemon balm uplifts and comforts, embodying water’s ability to cleanse and rejuvenate the spirit and emotions. While not necessarily an herb, I often associate water with copal resin, as its smoke is not only cleansing but also transitionary. 

Trees:

Willow, birch, and elder are trees linked to water. The willow, with its affinity for moist environments, symbolizes intuition and emotional resilience. Birch represents renewal and purification, reflecting water’s cleansing nature. Elder is associated with protection and healing, resonating with water’s nurturing and transformative properties.

Animals:

Water-associated animals include crabs, fish, frogs, and swans. Crabs are associated with the moon and tides, symbolizing cycles, protection, and emotions. Fish are directly linked to water and are symbols of fluidity, adaptability, and the flow of emotions. Frogs represent transformation and renewal, akin to water’s purifying qualities. Swans embody grace and beauty, mirroring water’s serene and reflective nature.

Deities:

Deities linked to water include Poseidon, Yemaya, and Tlaloc. Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, embodies the power and depth of the ocean. Yemaya, the Yoruba goddess, represents nurturing and protection. Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god, embodies water’s life-giving and sustaining qualities.

Mythical creatures:

Mythical creatures associated with water include mermaids, kelpies, and nixies. Mermaids embody the mysterious and seductive qualities of water. Kelpies, water spirits from Scottish folklore, symbolize transformation and the untamed nature of water. Nixies, Germanic water sprites, reflect the enchanting and elusive aspects of water.

Metals:

Silver and mercury are metals linked to water. Silver represents the reflective and mystical qualities of water, akin to moonlight on water’s surface. Mercury, with its liquid form, symbolizes adaptability and fluidity, reflecting water’s ability to change states and flow effortlessly through different environments.

Symbols:

Symbols associated with water include the crescent moon, waves, and the chalice. The crescent moon reflects water’s connection to the lunar cycles and emotions. Waves symbolize water’s dynamic and ever-changing nature. The chalice represents the receptive and nurturing qualities of water, embodying emotional and spiritual nourishment.

Body parts:

Body parts linked to water include the kidneys, bladder, and reproductive organs. The kidneys and bladder regulate fluid balance and purification in the body, reflecting water’s cleansing nature. The reproductive organs symbolize creation and nurturing, mirroring water’s life-giving and sustaining properties.

Senses:

The sense associated with water is taste. Taste connects to the element of water through the experience of savoring and appreciating flavors. This sense reflects water’s ability to blend and enhance, bringing out the essence of what it touches, much like the way water interacts with and transforms other elements. This association also stems from the idea of tasting sweet waters (fresh water), or the quenching of thirst.

Emotions:

Emotions linked to water include empathy, intuition, and sorrow. Water’s fluid nature symbolizes the flow and depth of human feelings, encouraging emotional expression and connection. This element fosters understanding and sensitivity, promoting healing and the nurturing of relationships through emotional attunement and care. Water, especially deep bodies like oceans, lakes, and rivers, is frequently associated with deep sorrows.

Personality traits:

Personality traits associated with water include sensitivity, adaptability, and intuition. Individuals influenced by water are often empathetic and attuned to their emotions and the feelings of others. They possess a deep sense of intuition and adaptability, able to navigate life’s changes with grace and emotional intelligence.

Musical notes and instruments:

The musical notes and instruments linked to water include the note D and instruments like the harp, piano, and flute. The note D resonates with water’s calming and soothing qualities. The harp and piano evoke flowing melodies, while the flute’s airy tones reflect water’s fluid and gentle nature. (Based on western scales)

Incense and essential oils:

Incense and essential oils associated with water include sandalwood, jasmine, and eucalyptus. Sandalwood promotes relaxation and grounding, mirroring water’s calming effect. Jasmine enhances intuition and emotional balance, reflecting water’s nurturing qualities. Eucalyptus purifies and refreshes, embodying water’s cleansing and revitalizing nature. Sandalwood: Avoid during pregnancy; may cause skin irritation. Jasmine: Use sparingly during pregnancy; can be a strong allergen. Eucalyptus: Not for children under 10; avoid ingesting; can cause respiratory issues if overused.

Tarot spreads:

The "Celtic Cross" tarot spread is often associated with water due to its comprehensive exploration of emotional and subconscious themes. This spread delves deeply into the querent's current situation, challenges, subconscious influences, and potential outcomes, reflecting the fluid and intuitive nature of water. This is based on the Rider Waite style of deck, which stems from colonial practices (Golden Dawn).

Runes:

Runes associated with water include Laguz and Perthro. Laguz represents the flow of water, intuition, and the subconscious, emphasizing fluidity and adaptability. Perthro symbolizes mystery, chance, and hidden knowledge, reflecting water’s connection to the unknown and the depths of the human psyche.

Ceremonies:

Ceremonies linked to water include purification rites, blessing rituals, and emotional healing practices. These ceremonies often involve the use of water to cleanse and renew, symbolizing emotional release and spiritual rebirth. They encourage introspection, forgiveness, and the restoration of emotional balance and harmony. Specifically, full moon ceremonies are most connected with elemental water, though these tend to be ceremonies reserved for women and effeminate practitioners traditionally.

🌦️🌤️☀️

It is crucial to acknowledge that while correspondences for water have been widely explored and established, there exist individual variations in these associations. The significance and personal resonance of specific correspondences may vary from person to person, influenced by cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, and spiritual beliefs. It is essential to embrace and honor these variations, allowing individuals to connect with the correspondences that align most authentically with their own spiritual practices and intentions. It is perfectly acceptable to create your own correspondences. There is no need to rigidly conform to preexisting ones unless working within a specific cultural context.

🫧 Common Practices 🌕

💧 Baptism

History and Background:

Baptism is a sacrament in Christianity, symbolizing purification and initiation into the faith. Its origins can be traced back to Jewish ritual washing and purification practices, such as the mikvah, which involved immersion in water to achieve spiritual cleanliness. John the Baptist, a prominent figure in the New Testament, is credited with popularizing baptism as a means of repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus himself was baptized by John, setting a precedent for his followers.

Practice:

In baptism, water serves as the primary element of purification and transformation. The ritual can be performed in several ways: full immersion, where the person is completely submerged in water; affusion, where water is poured over the head; or aspersion, where water is sprinkled on the individual. The specific method often depends on the denomination and local customs.

During the ceremony, the officiant typically recites a blessing and the Trinitarian formula, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The act of baptism signifies the washing away of sin, spiritual rebirth, and the individual's entry into the Christian community. In many traditions, it is also seen as a covenant with God and a commitment to live according to Christian teachings.

💧 Lustration

History and Background:

Lustration, derived from the Latin word "lustratio," meaning purification, was a significant ritual in ancient Greek and Roman religious practices. It aimed to cleanse individuals, communities, or objects of any impurities, especially before engaging in important religious or civic activities. Lustration ceremonies were often performed before sacrifices, military campaigns, or significant state functions to ensure divine favor and protection.

Practice:

The lustration ritual typically involved washing with water, but could also include the sprinkling of water mixed with other purifying substances such as salt, herbs, or ashes. In some instances, entire communities participated in the ritual, where they were sprinkled with water by priests or religious officials.

Water in lustration symbolizes physical and spiritual cleanliness, renewal, and the removal of any negative influences. The practice underscores the belief in the transformative power of water to sanctify and protect, ensuring that those who underwent lustration were pure and fit to participate in sacred or significant activities.

💧 Ablution

History and Background:

Ablution, from the Latin "ablutio" meaning "a washing away," is a ritual purification found in various religious traditions, with a prominent role in Islam. In Islam, ablution is divided into two types: wudu, a minor purification required before prayers, and ghusl, a major purification for more significant states of impurity.

Practice:

Wudu involves washing the hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms, head, and feet with water in a specific order. It is performed before the five daily prayers to ensure that the worshiper is in a state of physical and spiritual purity. The steps are methodical and include intentions and supplications, emphasizing mindfulness and the sacredness of the act.

Ghusl is a full-body ritual washing required in cases of major impurities, such as after sexual activity, menstruation, or childbirth. It involves washing the entire body thoroughly with water, symbolizing a complete purification and renewal.

In both wudu and ghusl, water is central to the process, representing purification, cleanliness, and the removal of impurities. These practices highlight the importance of water in maintaining spiritual hygiene and readiness for worship.

💧 Yemaya Festival*

History and Background:

The Yemaya Festival is celebrated in various Afro-Caribbean religions, such as Santeria*, Candomblé*, and Yoruba traditional religion*. Yemaya, also known as Yemoja, is the Orisha of the sea, motherhood, and fertility. She is revered as the mother of all Orishas and is often depicted as a nurturing and protective figure, embodying the life-giving and sustaining qualities of water.

Practice:

The Yemaya Festival typically involves ceremonies and rituals performed by the sea or other bodies of water. Devotees offer gifts such as fruits, flowers, jewelry, and food to Yemaya, often placing these offerings in the water as a gesture of respect and gratitude. Rituals may include singing, dancing, drumming, and chanting to honor Yemaya and seek her blessings.

Water is integral to the festival, symbolizing Yemaya's domain and her connection to life, fertility, and protection. Participants often wade into the water to release their offerings and prayers, seeking Yemaya’s guidance, healing, and support. The festival is a communal celebration, emphasizing unity, reverence for nature, and the nurturing aspects of the divine feminine.

💧 Scrying

History and Background:

Scrying is an ancient divination practice that involves gazing into a reflective surface to receive visions or insights. It has been used across various cultures, including Mexica, ancient Egypt, Greece, and among the Celtic Druids. The practice is based on the belief that reflective surfaces can act as portals to the subconscious mind or to spiritual entities, allowing the practitioner to access hidden knowledge or guidance.

Practice:

Water scrying, or hydromancy, involves using a bowl or other container filled with water as the reflective surface. The practitioner often works in a dimly lit or candle-lit environment to enhance the reflective properties of the water. They may also add a few drops of oil or use colored water to aid in the visualization process.

The practitioner focuses on the water’s surface, entering a meditative state to quiet the mind and open themselves to receiving images, symbols, or messages. Water's fluid and reflective nature makes it an ideal medium for scrying, as it can help reveal the flow of subconscious thoughts and emotions, providing clarity and insight into various aspects of life.

💧 Moon Water

History and Background:

Moon water is a concept rooted in various European pagan and witchcraft traditions (Mostly ceremonial magic and folk magic of northwest Europe). It involves collecting and charging water with the energy of the moon, particularly during the full moon when its power is believed to be at its peak. This practice is based on the idea that the moon’s energy can enhance the water’s properties, making it a potent tool for various magical and spiritual purposes.

Practice:

To create moon water, practitioners place a container of water, usually in glass or ceramic, outside or on a windowsill where it can be exposed to moonlight overnight. Some may add crystals, herbs, or salt to the water to amplify its energy. The practitioner often performs a ritual or speaks an intention while setting the water out, aligning their purpose with the moon’s energy.

Once charged, moon water can be used in various ways, such as in cleansing baths, anointing objects, watering plants, or as an ingredient in spells and rituals. The water is believed to carry the moon’s attributes, such as intuition, emotional balance, and feminine energy, making it a versatile and powerful tool for personal and spiritual growth.

🚰 Common Magical Uses 🚿

Most, if not all, of these practices are based on colonial practices such as Christianity, Wicca,  and ‘Ceremonial Magick’. 

💧 Purification and Cleansing

Cleansing Baths:

Water can be infused with herbs, salts, and essential oils to create a cleansing bath. Practitioners immerse themselves in this water to wash away negative energies, stress, and spiritual impurities. The bath can be accompanied by meditation, visualization, and affirmations to enhance the cleansing effect.

Sprinkling and Spraying:

Water can be blessed or charged and then sprinkled or sprayed around a space, object, or person to purify and protect. This method is often used to cleanse ritual tools, altar spaces, or homes.

Washing Rituals:

Water is used to wash hands, feet, or the face in preparation for spell work or rituals. This act signifies the removal of mundane concerns and impurities, creating a state of spiritual readiness.

💧 Charging and Empowering

Moon Water:

Water left out under the light of the full moon absorbs lunar energy and can be used in various spells and rituals. Moon water can be drunk, sprinkled around the home, added to baths, or used to anoint objects to imbue them with the moon's intuitive and emotional balancing properties.

Sun Water:

Similarly, water charged under the sun’s rays is infused with solar energy, representing vitality, strength, and clarity. Sun water can be used to empower spells, enhance personal energy, and promote positivity and confidence.

💧 Healing and Emotional Work

Healing Baths:

Water can be combined with specific herbs and crystals known for their healing properties. Practitioners soak in these baths to promote physical healing, emotional balance, and spiritual rejuvenation. Visualization of healing energy permeating the body and aura is often part of this practice.

Tear Magic:

In some traditions, tears are collected during moments of intense emotion and used in spells to capture and harness the energy of those emotions. Tears can be added to water used in rituals, symbolizing the release and transformation of emotional energy.

💧 Protection and Banishing

Saltwater Protection:

Water mixed with salt (often sea salt) is a common protective and purifying agent. Saltwater can be used to cleanse spaces, create protective barriers, or be sprinkled around the perimeter of a home to ward off negative energies and entities.

Banishing Rituals:

In banishing spells, water is used to symbolically wash away unwanted influences or entities. This can involve pouring water over an object representing the issue or person to be banished or using water to douse symbols or sigils of the unwanted energy.

💧 Connection to Spirits and Deities

Offering Water:

Water is often offered to spirits, ancestors, or deities in rituals and ceremonies. It can be placed on altars in bowls or cups, symbolizing purity and a connection to the divine or .

Ritual Libations:

Pouring water onto the ground as a libation is a way to honor and connect with earth spirits, deities, or ancestors. This practice is found in many cultures and is used to show respect and ask for blessings or assistance.

💧 Elemental Magic

Representing the Element of Water:

In rituals involving the four classical elements (earth, air, fire, water), a bowl of water is often placed on the altar to represent the water element. This helps to balance the energies within the ritual space and invoke the qualities of water, such as intuition, emotion, and healing.

💧 Spell Components and Ingredients

Water-Based Inks and Dyes:

Water can be used to create inks and dyes for writing spells, drawing sigils, or creating magical art. These inks can be infused with herbs, oils, and other ingredients to enhance their magical properties.

Potion Making:

Water serves as the base for many potions in spell work. Herbs, crystals, and other magical ingredients are steeped or brewed in water to create potions for various purposes, such as love, protection, healing, or prosperity.

💧 Weather Magic

Rain Spells:

Water is central to weather magic, particularly spells for invoking rain. Practitioners may use water rituals, dances, or chants to appeal to rain deities or spirits, asking for precipitation to nourish the land and support agricultural efforts.

💧 Symbolic Representation

Symbolic Actions:

In spells that require symbolic actions, water can be used to represent emotions, transitions, or transformations. For example, a spell to release emotional pain might involve writing the pain on a piece of paper and dissolving it in water, symbolizing the washing away of the hurt.

🌧️ Common Misconceptions 🌧️

Water, as a fundamental element in witchcraft, carries a wealth of symbolism and practical uses. However, there are several misconceptions surrounding its use in magical practices. Here are some of the most common ones:

⚡️ Misconception 1:

Water Has Uniform Magical Properties

Reality:

Not all water is the same in magical practices. The source and condition of the water can influence its properties and effectiveness in spell work. For example, rainwater, river water, ocean water, and spring water each carry distinct energies and should be chosen according to the specific needs of a spell. Since water is a common solvent, anything put into solution with water will affect the whole’s energetic properties and therefore its most effective applications.

⚡️ Misconception 2:

Water Spells Are Only for Emotional and Intuitive Magic

Reality:

While water is closely associated with emotions and intuition, its magical applications extend beyond these realms. Water can be used for a variety of purposes, including protection, healing, fertility, and abundance. For example, water can be used in protection spells by creating barriers, in healing spells by creating soothing potions or baths, and in fertility rituals by invoking its life-giving properties.

⚡️ Misconception 3:

Moon Water Is a Cure-All

Reality:

Moon water, while powerful, is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The effectiveness of moon water depends on the lunar phase and the practitioner's intention. Full moon water is excellent for general empowerment and completion, while new moon water is better suited for new beginnings and setting intentions. Additionally, specific astrological aspects of the moon can influence the water's properties, such as a moon in Scorpio for transformation or a moon in Pisces for spiritual insight.

⚡️ Misconception 4:

Water Alone Is Enough for Cleansing

Reality:

While water is a powerful cleansing agent, it often works best in conjunction with other elements or tools. Adding salt, herbs, or essential oils can enhance its purifying properties. Combining water with other practices like visualization, chanting, or the use of sacred symbols can amplify the cleansing effect, making the ritual more comprehensive and effective.

🌊 Properties of Water 🌊

To gain a comprehensive understanding of water in the context of witchcraft, it is essential to explore its properties across various categories. These categories include energetic properties, physical properties, philosophical properties, and chemical properties.

✨ Energetic Properties ⛈️

From an energetic standpoint, water has seven inherent properties:

Inductive: Pulls outside energy into itself

Direct Current: Sends a quanta of energy from point to point directly

Holds Charge: Retains some degree of the intact energy it reacts with, without utilizing it all to form energetic compounds

Repulsive: Repels (Dependent) energies within a variable set distance away from itself

Negenthropic: Always returns to its Natural Energetic State without influence

Sinusoidal: Contains and releases natural and consistent energy fluctuations

Refractive: Splits reactionary energies into 2+ quanta of the reactionary energy's subcomponents

From an energetic standpoint, water exhibits seven distinct properties that underscore its unique role in energy work. Firstly, inductive properties enable water to attract and assimilate external energies, making it a conduit for absorbing and integrating ambient influences. As a direct current conductor, water channels energy from one point to another efficiently, facilitating a smooth flow of quanta through its structure. Additionally, water's ability to hold charge means it retains some of the energies it interacts with, preserving them in a partially unaltered form rather than fully converting them into new energetic compounds. Water also demonstrates a repulsive quality, where it can push away or repulse energies that fall outside a variable proximity, thus managing its energetic environment by creating a buffer zone. The negenthropic nature of water ensures it continuously seeks and returns to its inherent natural state, regardless of external influences or disruptions. Its sinusoidal property reflects a rhythm of consistent energy fluctuations, as water naturally oscillates between states of absorption and release, maintaining a dynamic equilibrium. Lastly, water's refractive ability allows it to split and disperse incoming energies into multiple quanta, breaking them down into subcomponents and facilitating a more complex interaction with its surroundings. These properties collectively highlight water's versatile role in energy dynamics, making it a powerful tool in various energetic and spiritual practices.

🧊 Physical Properties

State and Phase Transitions:

States: Water exists in three states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor).

Melting Point: 0°C (32°F) at standard atmospheric pressure.

Boiling Point: 100°C (212°F) at standard atmospheric pressure.

Sublimation Point: Under certain conditions, ice can directly transition to vapor without becoming liquid.

Density:

Liquid Water: Approximately 1 g/cm³ at 4°C, where it is densest.

Ice: Approximately 0.917 g/cm³, less dense than liquid water, causing ice to float.

Water Vapor: Much less dense than liquid water or ice.

Viscosity:

Water has low viscosity, allowing it to flow easily. The viscosity decreases as temperature increases.

Surface Tension:

Water has a high surface tension due to hydrogen bonding, making it cohesive and allowing it to form droplets.

Specific Heat Capacity:

Water has a high specific heat capacity (4.186 J/g°C), meaning it can absorb and store a large amount of heat energy with only a slight increase in temperature. This property helps moderate Earth's climate and maintain stable temperatures in organisms.

Heat of Vaporization:

Water has a high heat of vaporization (40.65 kJ/mol at 100°C), requiring significant energy to convert from liquid to gas, which plays a role in cooling mechanisms like sweating and transpiration in plants.

Thermal Conductivity:

Water has moderate thermal conductivity, enabling efficient heat transfer in biological systems and environments.

Electrical Conductivity:

Pure water has low electrical conductivity, but it increases with the presence of dissolved ions (electrolytes).

🧽 Chemical Properties

Molecular Structure:

Water is a polar molecule with a bent shape, having an angle of approximately 104.5° between the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atom. The oxygen atom has a partial negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms have partial positive charges, leading to hydrogen bonding.

Hydrogen Bonding:

Water molecules form hydrogen bonds with each other, leading to its high cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension. These bonds also contribute to water's high boiling and melting points relative to other small molecules.

Solvent Properties:

Water is often called the "universal solvent" because it can dissolve many substances. Its polarity allows it to interact with and dissolve ionic compounds (salts) and polar molecules (sugars, alcohols).

pH and Ionization:

Pure water has a neutral pH of 7 at 25°C, resulting from the auto-ionization process where water molecules dissociate into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻):

The concentration of H⁺ and OH⁻ ions in pure water is 0.0000001 mol/L each.

Reactivity:

Water participates in various chemical reactions, including hydrolysis, where it breaks down compounds, and hydration, where it adds to substances.

It can act as both an acid and a base (amphoteric), making it versatile in chemical reactions:

Redox Properties:

Water is involved in redox reactions, serving as a medium for electron transfer. In biological systems, water is crucial in processes like photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

❄️ Unique Anomalies

Density Anomaly:

Unlike most substances, water's solid form (ice) is less dense than its liquid form due to the structure of hydrogen bonds, which create a lattice that holds water molecules farther apart in ice than in liquid water.

Maximum Density at 4°C:

Water reaches its maximum density at 4°C, which is critical for aquatic life. This property causes lakes and ponds to stratify, with denser water sinking and less dense water (either warmer or ice) remaining on top, insulating the aquatic life during winter.

High Surface Tension and Capillarity:

Water’s high surface tension allows for capillary action, essential for the movement of water in plants (from roots to leaves) and soil moisture dynamics.

🧿 Metaphysical Properties

Water has long been a symbol of philosophical and metaphysical concepts across various traditions. Its properties and characteristics often embody deeper truths about existence, consciousness, and the natural world. Here are some key philosophical and metaphysical properties of water:

Fluidity and Adaptability

Water’s ability to flow and adapt to any container highlights the concept of fluidity and adaptability. Philosophically, this represents the idea of embracing change and being flexible in the face of life's transformations. Water’s adaptability signifies a deep understanding of the need to be open and responsive to the dynamic nature of existence.

Cyclical Nature

Water follows a natural cycle—evaporation, condensation, precipitation—which symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and existence. This cyclical pattern reflects the interconnectedness of all things and the continuous process of renewal and transformation. Philosophically, it illustrates the concept of eternal return and the perpetuity of life’s rhythms.

Purification and Cleansing

Water is widely regarded as a purifying force. Metaphysically, it represents the cleansing of the self, both physically and spiritually. This property embodies the idea of purification as a necessary process for spiritual growth, personal renewal, and the release of negative or stagnant energies.

Reflective and Intuitive Qualities

The reflective surface of water symbolizes self-reflection and introspection. Philosophically, it represents the ability to see beyond the surface and gain deeper insight into oneself and the nature of reality. Water’s reflective nature also ties into intuition, as it reflects the deeper, often unseen, aspects of consciousness.

Emotional Depth

Water is often associated with the depths of emotion and the subconscious mind. Metaphysically, this association signifies the profound and often hidden layers of human experience. Water’s capacity to hold and move through emotional states underscores the importance of exploring and understanding the depth of one’s feelings.

Connection and Interconnection

Water connects all forms of life, from the smallest microorganisms to the largest ecosystems. This universal connection reflects the interconnectedness of all beings and phenomena. Philosophically, it underscores the concept that all entities are part of a larger whole, sharing a common source and mutual influence.

Transience and Impermanence

Water’s ever-changing state—liquid, solid, and gas—illustrates the principle of impermanence. This property philosophically embodies the idea that all things are in a constant state of flux, and permanence is an illusion. Water’s ability to change forms highlights the transient nature of reality and existence.

Sacredness and Life-Giving Force

In many traditions, water is considered sacred and a vital source of life. This reverence reflects its fundamental role in sustaining life and its symbolic connection to spiritual nourishment and vitality. Philosophically, water’s sacredness represents the divine essence present in the natural world and the importance of honoring and respecting life’s fundamental resources.

Symbol of Unity

Water’s ability to merge seamlessly with other bodies of water represents unity and oneness. Philosophically, this property signifies the dissolution of boundaries and the merging of individual identities into a collective whole. It embodies the concept of unity within diversity and the idea that all things are ultimately interconnected.

Ethereal and Transcendent Qualities

Water’s ability to evaporate and become vapor suggests a transcendent quality, moving beyond the material and physical state. This ethereal aspect symbolizes the potential for spiritual ascension and the movement towards higher states of consciousness. It reflects the idea of transcending physical limitations and reaching a higher, more spiritual plane.

⚗️ Classical Alchemical Properties

In Classical Alchemy, water is viewed not just as a physical substance but as a key element with profound symbolic and practical significance. Alchemical traditions, which combine elements of philosophy, spirituality, and early natural science, attribute various properties to water based on its role in the processes of transformation and purification. Here are some of the classical alchemical properties of water:

Solvent and Dissolver

Water is often referred to as the "universal solvent" in alchemy. This property highlights water's ability to dissolve and break down other substances, making it essential for the extraction and purification of ingredients. In alchemical practices, water's solvent nature is crucial for processes such as dissolution, which is a key step in the preparation of alchemical mixtures and the extraction of essences from minerals and plants.

Purification and Cleansing

Water is symbolic of purification in alchemical traditions. It is used to cleanse both physical materials and the alchemist's own mind and spirit. In alchemical operations, water is employed to wash away impurities and prepare substances for further transformation. This aligns with the broader metaphysical view of water as a purifying force, essential for achieving purity and perfection in the alchemical work.

Cooling and Condensing

In alchemical processes, water is associated with cooling and condensing. It is used to regulate temperature and facilitate the condensation of vapors into liquid form. This property is integral to processes such as distillation and the condensation of alchemical substances, where maintaining the right temperature is crucial for the successful transformation of materials.

Fluidity and Movement

Water’s inherent fluidity and capacity to flow represent the principle of movement and change in alchemy. This property reflects the dynamic nature of transformation, where water is seen as a medium through which substances move and change states. The fluidity of water symbolizes the constant flux and adaptability required in the alchemical work.

Binding and Combining

Water’s ability to bind and combine different substances is another important alchemical property. It is used to mix and integrate various elements, facilitating their combination into new compounds. This property underscores water's role in creating harmonious mixtures and achieving synthesis in alchemical processes.

Cyclic and Recursive Nature

Water’s natural cycle—evaporation, condensation, precipitation—mirrors the cyclical nature of alchemical transformations. This property represents the recurring cycles of dissolution and reconstitution that are central to the alchemical work. The cyclical nature of water highlights the repetitive process of refining and perfecting substances through successive stages.

Catalytic Role

Water acts as a catalyst in many alchemical reactions. It can facilitate chemical changes and enhance the effects of other substances, making it a crucial component in achieving desired transformations. The catalytic role of water underscores its importance in accelerating and directing alchemical processes.

Temperature Regulation

In alchemy, water is used to regulate temperature during various operations. It helps maintain the appropriate conditions for reactions, such as cooling heated substances or moderating the temperature of distillations. This property is vital for controlling the environment in which alchemical processes occur.

Embodying the Principle of Mercurial Fluidity

Water represents the mercurial (or quicksilver) aspect of alchemy, embodying the principle of fluidity and the ability to change form. This property aligns with the concept of mercury as a fluid, transformative substance in alchemical traditions, reflecting the dynamic and mutable nature of water in both physical and symbolic contexts.

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[lunar-bat]

Witchcraft 101: Wicca & The Wheel of The Year

Paganism - An umbrella term for many nature-based and polytheistic spiritual traditions. Note that not all pagans practice witchcraft. Wicca - A pagan, nature-based religious movement. Wicca blends aspects of witchcraft, nature veneration, and ceremonial magic. It places a strong emphasis on honoring nature and follows a duotheistic belief system often known as the Triple Goddess and Horned God. Wheel of The Year The wheel reflects the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth in the natural world and is central to the rituals, spells, and celebrations of many pagan and witchcraft traditions. The Wheel of the Year is divided into eight significant points, which correspond to the Sabbats or festivals:

Samhain (October 31st): Also known as All Hollow's Eve, marks the beginning of the Wheel of the Year and is associated with the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter. Samhain is a time for honoring ancestors, reflecting on mortality, and recognizing the thinning of the veil between the physical and spirit worlds. Samhain is a time to acknowledge the cyclical nature of life and death and to connect with the spiritual realm. Yule (Winter Solstice, typically around December 21st): Marks the rebirth of the sun, with a focus on light, hope, and renewal during the darkest time of the year. Yule customs include lighting candles or a Yule log, feasting, gift-giving, and spending time with loved ones. It's a significant part of the Wheel of the Year, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and the changing seasons. Imbolc (February 1st): Marks the early signs of spring and the gradual return of light and warmth. Imbolc is associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid and is a time for purification, cleaning, and preparing for the coming season's growth. It's often celebrated with rituals, candle lighting, and dedication to Brigid. Imbolc highlights the theme of renewal and the awakening of life after the winter months. Ostara (Spring Equinox, typically around March 21st): Marks the arrival of spring, where day and night are in balance. Ostara is a time for celebrating fertility, new beginnings, and the growth of life. It is often associated with themes of rebirth, renewal, and the awakening of nature. Common customs include egg decorating, planting seeds, and celebrating the return of warmth and longer days. Beltane (May 1st): Celebration of fertility, love, and the union of the goddess and god. Beltane is often observed with rituals, bonfires, Maypole dancing, and other festivities that emphasize the vitality and growth of life in the natural world. Midsummer (Summer Solstice, typically around June 21st): Also known as Litha, marks the longest day of the year when the sun is at its peak. Midsummer is a time for harnessing the sun's energy, celebrating the abundance of nature, and enjoying outdoor festivities. Common customs include lighting bonfires, dancing, and gathering herbs and flowers for magical and medicinal purposes. Lughnasadh (August 1st): Also known as Lammas, marks the first harvest of the year and is associated with the Celtic god Lugh. Lughnasadh is a festival dedicated to expressing gratitude for the Earth's bountiful harvest and agricultural abundance. Traditional practices during this time involve crafting corn dollies, enjoying meals made from freshly harvested crops, and engaging in various games and competitions. Mabon (Autumn Equinox, typically around September 21st): Marks the second harvest and a time of balance when day and night are equal. Mabon is a festival for reflecting on gratitude, giving thanks for the fruits of the Earth, and preparing for the darker months ahead. Common customs include feasting on seasonal foods, making offerings to the land, and creating altars with symbols of the season.

[enchantedwitchling]

Embracing the First Signs of Spring: A Witch's Guide to Imbolc.

🌸🔥🕯️

As the chill of winter begins to recede and the first signs of spring emerge, we celebrate Imbolc, also known as Brigid’s Day. This sacred festival marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, symbolizing hope, renewal, and the stirring of new life. Let’s explore the essence of Imbolc, how witches honor this festival, and discover rituals, spells, and traditions to celebrate the awakening of the Earth.

What is Imbolc?

Imbolc, celebrated on February 1st or 2nd, is a time of purification, light, and rebirth. It honors the goddess Brigid, who is associated with fire, healing, poetry, and fertility. Imbolc signifies the first stirrings of spring, as the Earth begins to awaken from its winter slumber.

How Do Witches Celebrate Imbolc?

Witches celebrate Imbolc by lighting candles, performing purification rituals, and welcoming the returning light. It’s a time to set intentions, cleanse the home, and prepare for the new growth of spring.

Rituals and Spells for Imbolc:

🕯️ Candle Lighting Ceremony: Light candles throughout your home to honour the returning light. As you light each candle, set intentions for the coming months.

🌿 Brigid’s Cross: Craft a Brigid’s Cross from reeds, wheat, or straw. Hang it in your home for protection and blessings throughout the year.

🔥 Fire Rituals: Perform fire rituals to invoke the energy of Brigid. Safely light a fire in your hearth or a fireproof bowl, focusing on purification and renewal.

💧 Cleansing Bath: Take a ritual bath with herbs like rosemary, lavender, and thyme to cleanse your body and spirit. Visualize releasing old energies and welcoming new beginnings.

🌱 Planting Seeds: Plant seeds indoors to symbolize new growth. As you plant, focus on the intentions you wish to cultivate in the coming months.

Imbolc and Sacred Symbols

🔥 Fire and Light: Central symbols of Imbolc, representing purification, inspiration, and the returning light. Incorporate candles, lanterns, and fires into your celebrations.

🌸 Snowdrops and Early Blooms: Symbolizing hope and the first signs of spring. Use these flowers to decorate your altar or home.

🕯️ Brigid’s Cross: A powerful symbol of protection and blessings. Craft one to honor the goddess and invite her blessings into your home.

🌿 Milk and Dairy: Traditionally associated with Imbolc, representing nourishment and fertility. Include dairy products in your Imbolc feast or offerings.

Other Imbolc Traditions

🧹 Spring Cleaning: Cleanse your home of stagnant winter energy. Open windows, sweep out old dust, and cleanse your space with smoke or essential oils.

🎨 Creative Expression: Honor Brigid, the goddess of creativity, by engaging in artistic activities like writing, painting, or crafting.

🥣 Feasting: Share a meal with loved ones, featuring dairy products, seeds, and early spring greens. Celebrate the abundance and nourishment of the Earth.

Imbolc is a time to honor the stirring of life within the Earth and within ourselves. It’s a celebration of light, hope, and new beginnings. Whether through rituals, spells, or simply appreciating the subtle signs of spring, Imbolc offers a moment to connect deeply with the cycles of nature and the promise of renewal. As we celebrate Imbolc, may the light of Brigid guide you, may your intentions flourish, and may the awakening Earth inspire your spirit.

🌸🔥🕯️

[thewitcheslibrary]

Elements of energy work

Earth-

It signifies stability, material items, and finances, and it regulates tangible objects such as our bodies, homes, cars, personal belongings, and sense of touch.

Earth traits include groundedness, manifestation, resourcefulness, safety, growth and growing things, health, financial issues, solidity, and a connection to nature and the world around us.

Altar tools to represent-

herbs

ceramics

pentacle

Tarot representation-

pentacles

Time-

midnight

winter

Plants and herbs-

Dark dry woody roots,

ground veg,

grains

Crystals-

Hematite

smokey quartz

jasper

black tourmaline

Tigers eye

petrified wood

Agate

jet

Planets and zodiacs associated with-

Saturn

venus

Taurus

capricorn

virgo

Magick uses-

Prosperity

manifesting

grounding

abundance

health

Protection

herbalism

elementals/fae (not recommended to work with unless you know what you're doing)

Kitchen magick

Geomancy

runes

Bone divination

Air-

Air signifies communication, intellect, and everything related to the mind, including imagination, thoughts, memories, and knowledge. Air regulates gaseous stuff, including the atmosphere, winds, weather, and the sense of smell.

Air attributes include our inner dialect of thoughts, the interchange of ideas in interpersonal communication, and the clarity with which we communicate.

Altar tools for air-

Athame

smoke

bells

feathers

tarot for air-

swords

Crystals to represent air-

Clear quartz

labradorite

flourite

calcite

selenite

kyanite

Iolite

apophyllite

Time associated with air-

Spring time

dawn

Plants and herbs-

anything warm and moist

anything with aerials

Planets and Zodiac signs-

Mercury

Uranus

Gemini

Libra

Aquarius

Magick uses-

Astrology

divination

Astral travel

communication

purification

focus

travel

visualisation

channeling

breathwork

smoking (smoke cleansing)

Fire-

Fire symbolises activity, creativity, passion, and vigour. It oversees physical energy and everything associated to it, including heat, light, electricity, motion, sight, and energetic impulses.

Leadership, personal power, will, adventure, inspiration, and the ability to complete tasks are all examples of fire attributes. The element of fire promotes ambition and brilliance.

Altar tools-

dagger/athame

candles

tarot associations-

wands

crystal associations-

Lava rock

citrine

bloodstone

fire opal

ruby

fire agate

carnelian

sunstone

obsidian

garnet

time-

midday

summer

Plants and herbs-

anything hot

thorny

stingy

stimulating

Planets and zodiacs-

mars

sun

jupiter

Aries

leo

Sagittarius

Magick uses-

transformation

will

power/force

masculinity

energy building

evocation

protection

strength

creativity

sex magick

water-

Water symbolises our emotional nature, intuition, fertility, and sense of taste. It is also tied to our relationships and interactions with others. Water regulates all liquid stuff and everything connected to bodies of water.

Water attributes include emotional equilibrium, empathy, gut instincts, and psychic skills.

Altar tools-

shells

chalice

mirrors

tarot-

cups

time-

dusk

autumn

Plants and herbs-

anything cooling

anything moist

any plants you find growing near water

Crystals-

moonstone

turquoise

rose quartz

chalcedony

amazonite

aquamarine

lapis lazuli

kunzite

Planets and zodiac-

moon

neptune

pluto

cancer

Scorpio

Pisces

Magick uses:

mediumship

hydromancy

water scrying

relationships

femininity

healing

lunar magic

dream work

subconscious

tea ceremonies

love

alchemy

Spirit-

Because spirit is not tangible, its correspondences differ from those of the physical components. Planets, tools, and other objects may be associated with it by various systems, although these associations are significantly less standardised than those of the other four elements. The element of spirit has various names. The most popular are spirit, ether or aether, and quintessence, which is Latin for "fifth element."

There is no universal symbol for spirit, however circles are prevalent. Eight-spoked wheels and spirals are also used to symbolise spirit. Spirit connects the physical and spiritual realms. In cosmological conceptions, the spirit is the intermediary substance between the physical and heavenly realms. Within the microcosm, the spirit serves as the link between the body and the soul.

Invoke your god or goddess. This can be accomplished by looking into their correspondences and making sacrifices or burning suitable incense, for example. If you discover a chant you enjoy, you may utilise it as well, or focus on this god, welcoming the message they wish to convey to you.

Practice divination! This is one of the most effective techniques to connect with the spiritual dimension. It allows you to bypass your conscious mind, which sometimes prevents us from receiving subconscious instructions. Whether you use tarot, a pendulum, or runes, calling on spirit or a specific god can help you connect with this element while performing divination.

Keep a dream notebook. We frequently receive messages in our sleep that we quickly forget unless we write them down. When we sleep, our conscious mind is not functioning, leaving us more receptive to receiving messages from Spirit. To interpret the dreams, become familiar with common symbolism and interpret them instinctively.

Draw, paint, or colour a mandala. This is a style of meditation derived from the Buddhist and Hindu practices of Tantra. Mandalas became popular in the New Age movement after Carl Jung presented them as a tool to examine the subconscious, and they can now be found almost anywhere, including adult colouring books.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Hyakíntha Ritual: The Pénthos

1. Ceremonial Garments

As we mourn the passing of our patron's consort, Prince Hyacinthus, we adorn ourselves in simple clothes of dark colors. We wear no jewelry, we partake in no adornments, we allow our grief to permeate the air. He who was all beauty, all light, and all focus of Our Lord Apollo's affections. He was all good, all kindness, all love. We bind our hair and don our veils as we proceed to Temple.

2. Khernips & Purification

We reach the steps and ramps of The Temple's entrance, it's wide white doors opened wide for our precession.

The entrance chamber holds a bowl of water where flaming leaves of bay and laurel have been extinguished. The water is cool as we wash our hands in the lustral water, cleansing ourselves before we enter The Temple's center.

3. Gathering at the Altar

We proceed into The Temple's center; there is music playing softly as we enter. The altar is positioned in the center of the room, behind which stands the Steward - dressed in black. Chairs and pillows for seating are arranged in a semi-circle in front of the altar, upon each is a hyacinth flower in full bloom.

We take our seats

4. Opening Prayer & Deity Invocation

As we settle into our chosen seats, the music fades away. The Steward stands behind the altar and lights the center candle, and speaks:

Hestia, great goddess of the ancients - Daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea - She who is honored before all others. O great goddess, we ask that you accept this flame as an offering to you. Hestia, goddess of hearth and home Lead our way, and light our path.

The Steward then moves to light the second candle, as well as the ceremonial incense. The wick ignites and sweetly scented smoke begins to fill the room. They raise their arms to the heavens, and speak:

Lord Apollo, wonderous god of music and poetry Son of Lord Zeus and Lady Lêta Lover of Hyacinthus, for whom we mourn O bright and shining Lord, we ask that you accept these offerings - flame and incense. We pray that they will ease your heart. We call upon you today, great god of prophecy and healing, to bare witness to our ritual - as we honor your fallen love. The great Prince Hyacinthus of Sparta, for whom these flowers honor. May Hermes carry these words from our lips, to your ears, on mighty Mount Olympus. Du et des, we give so you may give.

5. Hymns & Music

As the Steward concludes their prayer, they open a book sat behind the altar - Metamorphese by Ovid. The pages turn as the Steward opens to Book 10 - and begins to read:

You also, Hyacinthus, would have been set in the sky! if Phoebus had been given time which the cruel fates denied for you. But in a way you are immortal too. Though you have died. Always when warm spring drives winter out, and Aries (the Ram) succeeds to Pisces (watery Fish), you rise

and blossom on the green turf. And the love my father had for you was deeper than he felt for others. Delphi center of the world, had no presiding guardian, while the God frequented the Eurotas and the land of Sparta, never fortified with walls. His zither and his bow no longer fill

his eager mind and now without a thought of dignity, he carried nets and held the dogs in leash, and did not hesitate to go with Hyacinthus on the rough, steep mountain ridges; and by all of such associations, his love was increased. Now Titan was about midway, betwixt

the coming and the banished night, and stood at equal distance from those two extremes. Then, when the youth and Phoebus were well stripped, and gleaming with rich olive oil, they tried a friendly contest with the discus. First Phoebus, well-poised, sent it awhirl through air, and cleft the clouds beyond with its broad weight;

from which at length it fell down to the earth, a certain evidence of strength and skill. Heedless of danger Hyacinthus rushed for eager glory of the game, resolved to get the discus. But it bounded back from off the hard earth, and struck full against your face, O Hyacinthus! Deadly pale

the God's face went — as pallid as the boy's. With care he lifted the sad huddled form. The kind god tries to warm you back to life, and next endeavors to attend your wound, and stay your parting soul with healing herbs. His skill is no advantage, for the wound is past all art of cure. As if someone,

when in a garden, breaks off violets, poppies, or lilies hung from golden stems, then drooping they must hang their withered heads, and gaze down towards the earth beneath them; so, the dying boy's face droops, and his bent neck, a burden to itself, falls back upon his shoulder: “You are fallen in your prime

defrauded of your youth, O Hyacinthus!” Moaned Apollo. “I can see in your sad wound my own guilt, and you are my cause of grief and self-reproach. My own hand gave you death unmerited — I only can be charged with your destruction.—What have I done wrong? Can it be called a fault to play with you?

Should loving you be called a fault? And oh, that I might now give up my life for you! Or die with you! But since our destinies prevent us you shall always be with me, and you shall dwell upon my care-filled lips. The lyre struck by my hand, and my true songs will always celebrate you. A new flower

you shall arise, with markings on your petals, close imitation of my constant moans: and there shall come another to be linked with this new flower, a valiant hero shall be known by the same marks upon its petals.” And while Phoebus, Apollo, sang these words with his truth-telling lips, behold the blood

of Hyacinthus, which had poured out on the ground beside him and there stained the grass, was changed from blood; and in its place a flower, more beautiful than Tyrian dye, sprang up. It almost seemed a lily, were it not that one was purple and the other white. But Phoebus was not satisfied with this.

For it was he who worked the miracle of his sad words inscribed on flower leaves. These letters AI, AI, are inscribed on them. And Sparta certainly is proud to honor Hyacinthus as her son; and his loved fame endures; and every year they celebrate his solemn festival.

The Steward finishes his reading, placing the book back from whence it came, and arranges for the music to begin. Before starting the music, the Steward speaks:

I invite you all to listen to this music, and think of Prince Hyacinthus. Think of all the queer lovers who were taken from this world too soon. Think of all the queer lovers who cannot speak their truth aloud. Think of all the queer lovers, through which we can see Apollo and Hyacinthus. The Gods are with us, they are within us, if only we are to search for them. We are not separate from divinity, for we are all made from divinity.

Music begins to play, and the Steward beats his chest to rhythm of the song.

6. Libations

As the music concludes, the Steward places a large ceremonial bowl in the center of the participants. The Steward then returns with glasses filled with liquid, giving one to each of those in attendance. The Steward stands in front of the altar and speaks:

In honor and reverence of the ancient ways, we hold before us a libation of honey, water, and wine. As we pour these libations, we offer them to Prince Hyacinthus. He who was the lover of our Lord, he whose beauty was unrivaled, he who was taken far too soon.

We all pour our libations into the center bowl, the liquids flow together - some splashing onto the floor and our feet - and another song begins.

7. Divination

[Ritual attendees/participants are encouraged to engage in their own personal divination with Lord Apollo at this time.]

8. Closing Prayers

As the song finishes, the Steward returns to be behind the altar. They take a moment to pause, before speaking:

Hermes Psychopomp, guide of lost souls, we call to thee Guide the soul of Hyacinthus to the realms of Hades, where Queen Persephone reigns. Mighty Pluto, King of the Underworld, we call to thee Receive this soul with kindness and grant him peace in your domain. May his journey to the underworld be swift and gentle. Just Rhadamanthys, Fair Minos, and Honorable Aiakos - judges of the departed souls, we call to thee May Hyacinthus find rest in the Elysian Fields, may he know peace in the land of the dead, may he suffer no longer. O great gods of the underworld, we ask that you accept Hyacinthus, and that he may they find eternal rest and honor within your kingdom.

The Steward raises his arms to the heavens, and once again speaks:

Apollo Aegletus Shining Lord We Feel You In The Rising Sun Apollo Proupsius Foreseeing Lord We Trust Our Future Within Your Hands Apollo Musagetes Lord Of The Muses We Hear Your Voice In Song And Hymn Apollo Acesius Lord Of Healing We Trust In You To See Tomorrow Golden God We Sing Your Praise We Honor You And Speak Your Name Golden God We Beg Your Ear Be With Us And Keep Us Near Du Et Des

The Steward lowers his arms and extinguishes the second candle, before speaking for a final time:

Hestia, first -

They blow out the center candle.

- and last

And with that, the ritual is concluded.

[voraciouskingdom]

As the world emerges from the chill of winter, the pagan calendar turns its wheel towards Beltane, the ancient Celtic festival of fertility and fire. Falling approximately halfway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, Beltane marks the peak of spring's vibrant renewal.

With its name derived from the Celtic word "Bel-tene" meaning "bright fire," Beltane has been celebrated for millennia as a time to honor the life-giving forces of nature. In the old Celtic lands, this was the season when cattle were driven out to pasture, and rituals were performed to bless and protect the herds.

At the heart of Beltane lie the sacred fires, beacons that would burn brightly through the night. These bonfires, kindled from the nine sacred woods, were potent symbols of purification and abundant fertility. Revelers would ritually pass through the smoke, celebrating the regenerative powers of the flames.

Fertility rites were key observances, led by the May Queen and her masculine counterpart. Couples would traditionally join in the ancient rites of hand-fasting, temporarily binding themselves to one another. The potent symbols of the May Pole and ceremonial dances reaffirmed the sacred union of the Goddess and God.

As an agrarian festival, Beltane marked a pivotal point for planting and crop fertility. Seeds were ritually blessed and sown, while prayers and offerings were made to ensure a bountiful harvest. The first fruits of spring were gathered and enjoyed in joyous feasting.

Flowers of bright colors and sweet scents were woven into garlands and crowns. The magical trees of hawthorn, rowan and oak were decorated to honor the returning abundance. These emblems of Beltane captured nature's luxuriant blossoming.

In our modern era, the traditions of Beltane endure as a celebration of passion, vitality, and nature's lush fecundity. Bonfires are still lit, Maypoles erected, and flower garlands woven. Within this joyous occasion beats the eternal rhythm of the earth's renewal each spring.

Beltane reminds us to revel in nature's sensual awakening. It is a time to kindle our own creative spark, to embrace the fertile forces within, and let our spirit burn as brightly as the sacred fires. Let the flames dance as we rejoice in the verdant splendor of spring.

🔥❤️‍🔥🔥

[attractive-curves3]

大寒禊行 - 玉前神社, 一宮, 長生, 千葉 Winter purification ceremony - Tamasaki Shrine, Ichinomiya, Chōsei, Chiba

[conjuremanj]

Pinecones In Hoodoo + A Pinecone Fertility Charm.

This is a Original piece of digital art by me. A statue of a woman holding a pinecone charm.

First I just wanted to give a little history of pinecones.

Pinecone In History. In Mexico there is a god called “Chicomecoatl” sometimes depicted with an offering of pine cones in one hand, and an evergreen tree in the other. In Hindu their are deities that are often depicted holding a pine cone. The Egyptian Staff of Osiris from (1224 BC) depicts two spiraling snakes rising up to meet at a pine cone. In Ancient Assyrian there is a carvings from (713-716 BC) depicting winged people holding pine cones.

Celts, used pine cones for fertility charm. . Romans used them for the goddess of love Venus. But there are to many others to add to this post.😁

In Rome, the pope wears a pine cone carved into the holy staff that's used in religious ceremonies. There's a huge gargantuan bronze pine cone statue at the Vatican in Rome. 👇

All of these depictions of pine cone are symbols of spiritualty; and let's not forget durning the Winter Solstice (Christmas) people have pinecones on their altars.

Pinecone Purification,Cleansing & Banishing: Burning the tree's pine needles or using pine oil can the strong fresh scent. in the south it's been used to increase your energy when you're feeling stuck in life, it purify the spirit & clear the mine & heal the body.

The energy of Pine smoke can also be used rituals or ceremonies to help release negative energy.

Making Pinecone Incense Sticks: You can easily make your own pine incense stick by tie pine needles. BUT LET the sticks dry for about two weeks before use. (If you can't find pine cones or needles you can buy the Incense or the Pine Oil)

Left Male & Right Female

Now that you have a little idea on pine cones in hoodoo it's one of the most effective charms to used if you are trying to conceive.

How To Tell Which Is Which? To start pinecones comes in male and female. The Male pine cones do not make the hard-shell it is soft and spongy and it's shell closer together. The Female pine cones is the had shell and it's shell is further apart.

Hoodoo Fertility Charm: Get yourself a female pinecone. Drizzle the cone with some Honey.

Next add some hair from the head of the (female) and the (male's) head of the couple who is trying to conceive. Now place the hair in the honey on the pinecone.

Last get a small white plate and a make X in salt from one end to the plate to the other, place the cone in the middle of the plate.

READ PRAYER. Lord, I'm asking you for a child. Your word says you will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4), and this is my greatest desire. I want to be a parent. I want to raise a child to love and serve you all of his/her life.

Place the plate under your bed and have sex, more the once if you want.🥰 ❤️ afterwards take that pinecone and bury it in your yard.

[heavensentofficial]

Hello Lettie,

I've seen you a couple of times at the Hospital. I have heard that you have taken on the role as Temple Leader in Jordan's absence. I hope you aren't overworking yourself on your duties. If you ever feel unwell, please feel free to stop by the Hospital.

On a slightly less professional note, I have visited the Temple Gardens and they are quite lovely. I wonder if I can try to grow some of the plants from there, and if you have any tips on how to take care of them.

Sincerely, @hanshospitality

Hans, right? Hello! c:

Yes, I am quite a frequent patient of Doctor Harper's... We still haven't gotten to the bottom of what is actually wrong with me, but I'm there enough for your name to ring a bell! Um... If I'm to be completely honest, I have been overwhelmed, even with the efforts to limit physical exertion. Jordan's duties paired with my own is quite a lot. However, I generally already know how to deal with my flareups I think and I keep medical supplies in my room - so unless something is severe or out of the ordinary, I probably won't need to burden the good doctor. I hear you are quite understaffed there, after all...

Although I can't help but wonder... Is this you asking, or did he request you do so? ... I suppose it doesn't matter! In any case, I'm thankful for the concern. I'll try to be sure I take care of myself. It would be problematic if I got especially ill at the same time as Jordan, after all.

As for the gardens, hearing you say that made me smile c: I haven't been able to be as hands on as I'd like with the efforts to get them in order (Though I rarely am, really.) I've been trying a combination of rewarding people for helping and telling them about the plants, their symbolism in scripture and what we use them for, in an effort to get everyone to feel more, ah... Attached to the garden I guess? If they better understand the work and care more about it, maybe they'll be more inclined to uh... Do it! I sure hope so. I'd be happy to talk more about some of the plants we have here under the cut! We did have to order these online, though. I don't think most of them are available here very easily. I'll throw in some extra information about how I use them too, just for fun. Even if you happen know a lot of it, maybe other people will find it helpful or entertaining?

Firstly, Lavender ^^

Our main concern currently has been trying to get the lavender we already have under control - it gets so wild and woody when it's left to its own devices, but it's really best to trim lavender in late summer. We just uprooted some of the problematic ones (I could probably give you some to propagate if you would like?) and made sure to cover it in a protective fleece from the frost. I think they sell plastic ones? But I can make fleece winter-covers easily.

Lavender really likes sunny spots and fast draining spoil. When you first plant it, it'll be thirsty and want to be watered plenty - but once it's established you really don't want to unless it's been drought-y (Unless it's in a container I suppose?)

They make a great companion for cabbages and tomatoes. They like similar conditions and repel bugs that would want to eat your food without anything having to be harmed c: At the same time, bees and butterflies love it! You can even put the seeds into a bird feeder. ^^

Oftentimes, we use lavender in purification and healing ceremonies. (It's useful enough to keep on my person most of the time when I'm working! Sprigs of it, lavender-oil, anything really.)

Also it's delicious in tea and soothing for your muscles when you put it in a bath - and inhaling the resulting steam often alleviates my headaches. Applying lavender oil or salve to bandages helps wounds close faster, too! ^^ Accidents happen ahaha...

Uhh... Then there's roses, we have quite a few of those. When I first saw mentions of someone called Briar, I must admit, I thought Jordan was upset about tearing their robes on all the briar bushes. They were so wild before...

This time of year is a fantastic time to plant bare-root roses! As for roses you already have though, they'll be just starting to come out of dormancy right around now, so it's a good time to prune them, so they're nice and prepared for the coming year ^^ When you cut roses, try to make sure you're cutting just a little above a bud at an angle, to encourage new growth.

Roses like similar spots to lavender, but they'll want to be watered more often. Moist, but not wet. Try not to water the leaves, naturally... Roses will also appreciate being fertilised regularly.

Roses don't like much competition and it's important to make sure they have plenty of space to get some air, but with that in mind, alliums, geraniums and marigolds will protect your roses from pests. At the temple, we've been using garlic and onions. (Any opportunity to grow more of our own food is welcome. Some level of self sufficiency is sort of part of the whole... Monastic Lifestyle thing...)

If you want roses that will attract pollinators, go for a single or semi-double bloom so that bees can have easy access. This year, we planted Lady of the Lake roses, which are a pale pink/off white sort of colour with a citrusy scent to them (I'm excited to try eating them ^^) Maybe if we grow enough of these, the lady I sometimes see at the lake will give me a sword? (Kidding~)

In scripture, red roses are symbolic of blood and sacrifice and white of purity. (I'm curious about those two-tone red and white roses... I always have liked them a lot. Maybe I can try growing them, one day, even if only in a pot in my room...) Roses in general also have connotations with the afterlife. I also know Jordan has a rose-based concoction they sometimes use for purification ^^

As for myself, I sometimes use rose water for my skin - and similar to lavender, to make wounds heal faster - and also as a wound wash. (Very helpful to have on hand, especially if an initiate gets hurt while doing their duties! Never good.) I also try to stay stocked up on rosehips. The tea's useful to have while recovering from illnesses and for certain kinds of pain. c:

I think Cyclamen are a pretty common sight in churchyards, but I think that's for good reason

For starters, it's always nice to have flowers that are actually in bloom in the winter! I think these might be the main one you've seen as of late, aside from the rosehips? I also planted some around the general area of the cemetery recently, though that was before I was left in charge. I can't say for sure how much the dead care about having flowers near their bodies, but I don't know that they don't... Maybe I could plant some near the lake, too... Around this time of year, when they're in full bloom, watering them correctly is important, since the roots are so susceptible to rot. You sort of want to wait until the leaves look like they're beginning to droop and the earth feels dry. If it's very rainy, I like to give them some shelter.

Cyclamen like partial shade. We have them mostly near the outskirts of the garden, where the canopy from the forest will sort of protect them from the elements. They're happiest in well-draining, rich, acidic soil, so giving the soil a little snack is sure to be appreciated. c:

They pair well with most woodland plants, really! Snowdrops, primroses and ferns come to mind. Ours are hanging out with primroses. (Lonely plants are kind of sad...)

Like I mentioned with the cemetery thing, cyclamen are super commonly used as memorial flowers! We use them a lot as altar decorations for funerals and certain holy days. They're also used in certain types of incense! (Not all of it. Just some!) They look like they have little bowing heads, so I think they bring kind of a sense of piety to mind for some people? I think they are adorable.

I think there's a way to prepare them that helps with sinus issues, but I don't really bother to. In the past, people ate them to ease menstrual pains and some other stuff, but even if they work, they do also cause a spot of convulsing, vomiting and dying, so... Whether it's worth it, you be the judge! You're the medical practitioner. I just like reading and experimenting. ^^;

It was roughly around this point when I remembered that I'm meant to be responding to somebody's message (and that most of this was completely unasked for ahaha... Oh well...) I think I got a little overexcited at the chance to talk about a thing I'm interested in, my apologies.

Thank you again for reaching out to me ^^ Even if I don't feel great for a bit, I'm likely to be fine ultimately.

[pagan-stitches]

Our grandmother, 1917 

Bearers of folklore: One more hour on Hromnice (Candlemas)

 “I remember the beginning of the seventies of the last century, when I was still a little boy, how my then more than 60-year-old grandmother lit a tall candle called a hromnikka, which she placed on a kosten - a chest with costumes, in front of the thunder and lightning accompanying a violent summer storm – next to the cross with the rosary.”

“At the same time, she prayed at an open window and believed (along with most of her peers) in accordance with ancient folk tradition that the light and living fire of a holy candle would protect the house , its inhabitants, the outbuildings and the crops in the field from hail and all threats of a storm.”

“. . . the traditions and ceremonies associated with Hromnice follow the older ancient symbolism of light and its celebrations, which were dominated by processions with torches and other lights for reasons of magical purification. Even in the first centuries AD, the Romans considered the entire month of February to be a time of repentance and purification. In modified forms, these symbols were also used on our territory by the Celts, Germans and Slavs.”  

“In our country, the oldest references to the consecration of candles on Hromnice date from the mid-14th century and are in the texts of Tomáš ze Štítný, who states that it is an ancient and generally recognized and preserved tradition.” 

“The candle was not only used during the already mentioned storms, but also played an important role when a priest visited a sick person or a coffin with a deceased person. It was widely believed to ward off evil powers. The burning threshing floor was used for magical actions connected with securing the harvest. Farmers would put a burning candle in a heap of grain and pray for a bountiful harvest, elsewhere with a burning candle the farmer would go around the beehives three times to ensure an abundance of honey and to protect the hives from thieves and fire. Also, the wax from the candlesticks had magical power and it was possible to cast spells with its help. Embedded in millstones, he was able to influence the quantity and quality of flour. When it was glued to the shooting target, the opponent was sure not to hit. However, it was necessary to peel it off before its own wound, because it affected all shooters without distinction. Finally, the wax and the burning candles of the hromnička were also used in various ways in folk medicine.”

“Old folk religious traditions maintained not so long ago in Slovakia and in other areas by our ancestors forbade women from any kind of work on this day. Above all, spinning or sewing was prohibited, and it was believed that lightning would strike a house where the order was not obeyed. It was on Hromnice according to the old folk calendar that not only did the Christmas holidays end with the cleaning of nativity scenes and Christmas decorations, but unofficially winter ended and spring began.”

Excerpted (and run through google translate) from this Czech article: https://hodoninsky.denik.cz/serialy/nositele-folkloru-na-hromnice-o-hodinu-vice.html  

[steliosagapitos]

          Blessed Bealtaine/Beltane To All )O( 

         ~ “Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival that marks the beginning of summer.  It is one of the major festivals in the wheel of the year and is a sacred day and night of union between the Goddess and the God. Beltane in English, Bealtaine in Irish, Calan Mai or Calan Haf in Welsh, Bealltainn in Scottish Gaelic, and in Manx Gaelic Boaltinn or Boaldyn. It is one of the four seasonal festivals; along with Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh. This is a time of year when the veil between the worlds are thin and people would light bonfires on May Eve/Walpurgus nacht (April 30th) to ward of mischievous spirits, and to represent purification, tending the fire until dawn breaks. Historically in rural communities, cattle were driven between two bonfires to protect them from disease and evil spirits. It was also considered to be lucky to leap over the bonfire. The Maypole is a tradition that still exists today where people will dance around the maypole weaving ribbons (and magic) while they go. In Edinburgh, Calton Hill, there is a Beltane Fire Festival on May Eve every year with music, dance, fireplay, drumming, and immersive theatre that heralds the Goddess and God and the start of summer. It is a visually spectacular event that attracts thousands of visitors and is not to be missed. There are celebrations throughout England; Thornborough Henge, near Ripon in North Yorkshire hosts a weekend festival of camping, stalls, a Beltane fire, with the main Beltane Ceremony observed on the closest Sunday to May 1st. Drummers, dancers and a mummer’s play are part of the festivities, with Handfastings performed by the local Druid by appointment in advance. Family friendly, pet friendly this is a celebration for all. Hastings, Sussex, celebrate the Jack in the Green festival over the May day bank holiday weekend which hosts live bands, dancing, social events and family fun. The main event is a procession through the streets of old Hastings town on Bank Holiday Monday. The procession is filled with unique characters such as drummers, mummers, Morris dancers, giants and the beloved Green Man. Glastonbury, Somerset, also hosts a variety of celebrations. There is a gathering to witness the Sunrise at Glastonbury Tor, followed by a procession in the town of Green Men, Morris dancers, Druids, Witches, and other Pagans, Dragons, and Maypoles. There are a number of artisan shops on the high street that sell Pagan wares, not forgetting the fantastic Artist Linda Ravenscroft who has a gallery and studio at the Market Place. Throughout Wales, there are parades, fetes, Morris dancing, music and singing of Carolau Mai, or May carols, the crowning of the May Queen and May King, and dancing round the Maypole which is  very much an essential part of Welsh culture. It would be fashioned out of birch wood and painted bright colours, adorned with ribbons and hoisted into the air and dancing would commence.The drinking of beers and elderberry and rhubarb wines were supplemented by metheglin, a variant of mead laced with spices. The drink had its origin in folk medicines, and traces its etymology through a combining of the Welsh words meddyg (meaning healing or medicine) and llyn (liquor). ‘May Day’ in Wales was also associated with festivities on the village green, or – to be more Welsh about it – the ‘twmpath chwarae’. Literally the ‘tump for playing’ was a place where people could gather in the evenings, long before television, for dancing or for sports. On Calan Mai, musicians would play while traditional dances were performed. One popular theatrical entertainment was the traditional ‘mock battle’ between two men dressed to represent Summer and Winter. ‘Winter’ would arrive carrying a stick of blackthorn decorated with pieces of wool to represent snow. He would inevitably be defeated by his garlanded opponent, willow wand tied with ribbons.  At the end of the fight, a May King and Queen were crowned and the serious business of eating, drinking and cavorting would continue long into the evening.In Ireland, Bealtaine is celebrated at the Hill of Uisneach. The Bealtaine Festival was revived on the Hill of Uisneach in 2009 and today’s' festival remains much as it was in ancient times, a chance to meet old friends and make new ones. A family-friendly event that welcomes all the different tribes to celebrate the beginning of summer at the sacred centre of Ireland. In 2017, the ceremonial fire was lit by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins; making him the first Irish Head of State to do so since the last High King, nearly a thousand years ago. It is  gathering where heritage, art, culture, music, fire-dancing, talks, workshops, wellbeing, yoga, story-telling, children's fun and food is enjoyed and celebrated before the great Bealtaine Fire is lit at sundown. Mayday celebrations vary from town to town, region to region but all have the same theme – the celebration of the start of Summer.  With the arrival of the annual of the April Lyrids meteor shower (April 16th – 25th) and the first Swallows and Bats sighted here on the Ards Peninsula this week – Summer is here ! What are the Bealtaine/Beltane/Mayday celebrations happening near you ? Get in touch as we would love to find out. However you choose to celebrate, have a magical weekend.  Love and bright blessings to all.” ~

[zerogate]

You may recall that my initial training in Shingon meditation occurred during one hundred days of continuous practice in isolation, in the dead of winter, and in total silence. I went in one person—a scattered, wimpy, would-be scholar—and came out quite a different person. Not enlightened, but incomparably more focused and courageous. As far as I’m aware, I was the first Westerner to ever complete the Shingon basic training. By the end of that, I thought I was pretty hot stuff. My best friend at the time was a monk of the Tendai school who had studied on Mount Hiei, near Kyoto, the old capital of Japan. When I completed my one-hundred-day training, he suggested that I go meet his teacher on Mount Hiei. It turned out that his teacher was one of a small group of extraordinary ascetics sometimes referred to as the “marathon monks” of Mount Hiei.

Recall that I thought I was pretty tough because I had done one hundred days in isolation. By way of contrast, marathon monks commit to twelve years in isolation! During those twelve years, they must undertake several seemingly impossible ordeals. For example, they have to walk down the mountain, go into the city of Kyoto, visit every major shrine and temple in the city, chant the appropriate mantra in front of it, and then climb back up the mountain. This cycle takes over twenty hours, and they must do it for one hundred days in succession, once each year for twelve years. That leaves a few hours to sleep, and the rest of the time, they are hiking and chanting mantras for over three months.

It is almost an inconceivable ordeal, but I’ve seen it done with a smile on the face. Why? Because in each moment, they are tangibly aware that this austerity is doing something for them; they can actually feel the purification happening despite the intensity. Eventually, this taste of purification gets so strong and delicious that it eclipses the pain.

Twice during this twelve-year period, they have to do a special ceremony in which they essentially sit for nine days without eating, sleeping, or taking liquids! You might think this is a legend, or perhaps even a pious fraud, but it is a public event. In fact, it is sometimes televised live on Japanese network TV. The master I talked to said that the first two days of the nine-day sit were pretty rough, but after that, it wasn’t so bad. The momentum of impermanence and purification just took over, and the time went fairly quickly. He told me, however, that afterward it took him a full month to recover his normal sleeping cycle.

-- Shinzen Young, The Science of Enlightenment

[butch-springsteen]

It's nearly the Ides of March so here's a (very abridged) history of the Julian calendar.

Originally, the Roman's used a lunar calendar that started at the spring equinox in March called the calendar of Romulus and was just 10 months long (winter was considered to only have 1 full moon, so therefore only one month.) This calendar dates back to around 750 BCE and the legendary King Romulus was supposedly responsible for naming the months.

He named then:

Martius, named after Mars the god of war

Aprilis, possibly related to the time to raise dogs, but no one really knows

Maius, who was a local Italian goddess of springtime and growth

Junius, from Juno, the queen of the Roman gods

The next months are boring and named after numbers- Quintilus,Sextilis, Septem, Octo, Novem and Decem.

To sync their calender with the lunar calender, Januarius (after Janus, the god of beginnings) and Februarius (from Februa, a Roman ritual of purification) were added.

The priests messed with the calendar whenever they liked- it controlled when ceremonies could occur and when certain behaviours were allowed. It also controlled the taxes, so if the priests needed more money, an extra month would just be added in. This was utter chaos and never agreed with the solar year.

Julius Caesar didnt like this, so he created the Julian calendar. He made it so months alternated between 30 and 31 days. However that meant they ended up with 366 days in a year which sucks. So he got rid of a day in February and gave it back every 4 years so they stayed in line with the Solar calendar. Having the calender named after him wasnt enough, Julius then renamed Quintillus, his birth month, after himself (July)

Then the priests messed up, again. They stayed counting leap hears every three years before Emperor Augustus realised and by 8 CE, everything was resolved and Sextilis was renamed named Augustus.

Uh oh! Julius has 31 days while Augustus only has 30! So they took yet another day from February, leaving it with only 28.

So that's how we ended up with our calender! Thanks for reading, hope you found it interesting.

[concupiscience]

There are many later stories of the origins of the Delphic Oracle. One late explanation, which is first related by the 1st century BC writer Diodorus Siculus, tells of a goat herder named Coretas, who noticed one day that one of his goats, who fell into a crack in the earth, was behaving strangely. On entering the chasm, he found himself filled with a divine presence and the ability to see outside of the present, into the past and the future. Excited by his discovery, he shared it with nearby villagers. Many started visiting the site to experience the convulsions and inspirational trances, though some were said to disappear into the cleft due to their frenzied state. A shrine was erected at the site, where people began worshipping in the late Bronze Age, by 1600 BC. After the deaths of a number of men, the villagers chose a single young woman as the liaison for the divine inspirations. Eventually, she came to speak on behalf of the gods.

Diodorus explained how, initially, the Pythia was an appropriately clad young virgin, for great emphasis was placed on the Oracle's chastity and purity to be reserved for union with the god Apollo. But he reports one story as follows:

Echecrates the Thessalian, having arrived at the shrine and beheld the virgin who uttered the oracle, became enamoured of her because of her beauty, carried her away and violated her; and that the Delphians because of this deplorable occurrence passed a law that in the future a virgin should no longer prophesy but that an elderly woman of fifty would declare the Oracles and that she would be dressed in the costume of a virgin, as a sort of reminder of the prophetess of olden times.

Since the first operation of the oracle of the Temple of Delphi, it was believed that the god lived within a laurel (his holy plant) and gave oracles for the future with the rustling of the leaves. It was also said that the art of divination had been taught to the god by the three winged sisters of Parnassus, the Thriae, at the time when Apollo was grazing his cattle there. The Thriae used to have a Kliromanteion (oracle by lot) in that area in the past and it is possible that such was the first oracle of Delphi, i.e. using the lot (throwing lots in a container and pulling a lot, the color and shape of which were of particular importance).

During the main period of the oracle's popularity, as many as three women served as Pythia, another vestige of the triad, with two taking turns in giving prophecy and another kept in reserve. Only one day of the month could the priestess be consulted.

Plutarch said that the Pythia's life was shortened through the service of Apollo. The sessions were said to be exhausting. At the end of each period the Pythia would be like a runner after a race or a dancer after an ecstatic dance, which may have had a physical effect on the health of the Pythia.

In the traditions associated with Apollo, the oracle gave prophecies during the nine warmest months of each year. During winter months, Apollo was said to have deserted his temple, his place being taken by his divine half-brother Dionysus, whose tomb was also within the temple. It is not known whether the Oracle participated with the Dionysian rites of the Maenads or Thyades in the Korykion cave on Mount Parnassos, although Plutarch informs us that his friend Clea was both a Priestess to Apollo and to the secret rites of Dionysus. The male priests seem to have had their own ceremonies to the dying and resurrecting god. Apollo was said to return at the beginning of spring, on the seventh day of the month of Bysios, his birthday. This would reiterate the absences of the great goddess Demeter in winter also, which would have been a part of the earliest traditions.

Once a month, thereafter, the oracle would undergo purification rites, including fasting, to ceremonially prepare the Pythia for communications with the divine. On the seventh day of each month, she would be led by two attended oracular priests, with her face veiled in purple. A priest would then declaim:

Servant of the Delphian Apollo Go to the Castallian Spring Wash in its silvery eddies, And return cleansed to the temple. Guard your lips from offence To those who ask for oracles. Let the God's answer come Pure from all private fault.

The Pythia would then bathe naked in the Castalian Spring, then drink the holier waters of the Cassotis, which flowed closer to the temple, where a naiad possessing magical powers was said to live. Euripides described this ritual purification ceremony, starting first with the priest Ion dancing on the highest point of Mount Parnassus, going about his duties within the temple, and sprinkling the temple floor with holy water. The purification ceremonies always were performed on the seventh day of the month, which was sacred to and associated with the god Apollo. Then, escorted by the hosioi, an aristocratic council of five, with a crowd of oracular servants, they would arrive at the temple. Consultants, carrying laurel branches sacred to Apollo, approached the temple along the winding upward course of the Sacred Way, bringing a young goat kid for sacrifice in the forecourt of the temple, and a monetary fee.

Inscribed on a column in the pronaos (forecourt) of the temple were an enigmatic "E" and three maxims:

Know thyself

Nothing to excess

Surety brings ruin, or "make a pledge and mischief is nigh" (ἐγγύα πάρα δ'ἄτα)

These seem to have played an important part in the temple ritual. According to Plutarch's essay on the meaning of the "E at Delphi" (the only literary source for the E inscription), there have been various interpretations of this letter. In ancient times, the origin of these phrases was attributed to one or more of the Seven Sages of Greece.

Pythia would then remove her purple veil. She would wear a short plain white dress. At the temple fire to Hestia, a live goat kid would be set in front of the altar and sprinkled with water. If the kid trembled from the hooves upward it was considered a good omen for the oracle, but if it did not, the enquirer was considered to have been rejected by the god and the consultation was terminated. If it were a good omen, however, the goat would subsequently be sacrificed to Apollo. In turn, the animal's organs, particularly its liver, were examined to ensure the signs were favorable, and then burned outside on the altar of Chios. The rising smoke was a signal that the oracle was open. The Oracle then descended into the adyton (Greek for 'inaccessible') and mounted her tripod seat, holding laurel leaves and a dish of Kassotis spring water into which she gazed. Nearby was the omphalos (Greek for 'navel'), which was flanked by two solid gold eagles representing the authority of Zeus, and the cleft from which emerged the sacred pneuma.

Petitioners drew lots to determine the order of admission, but representatives of a city-state or those who brought larger donations to Apollo were secured a higher place in line. Each person approaching the oracle was accompanied with a proxenos specific to the state of the petitioner, whose job was to identify the citizen of their polis. This service, too, was paid for.[citation needed]

Plutarch describes the events of one session in which the omens were ill-favored, but the Oracle was consulted nonetheless. The priests proceeded to receive the prophecy, but the result was a hysterical uncontrollable reaction from the priestess that resulted in her death a few days later.

At times when the Pythia was not available, consultants could obtain guidance by asking simple yes-or-no questions to the priests. A response was returned through the tossing of colored beans, one color designating "yes", another "no". Little else is known of this practice.

Between 535 and 615 of the Oracles (statements) of Delphi are known to have survived since classical times, of which over half are said to be accurate historically (see List of oracular statements from Delphi for examples).

Cicero noted no expedition was undertaken, no colony sent out, and no affair of any distinguished individuals went on without the sanction of the oracle.

Oleander, in contemporary toxicological literature, has also been considered responsible for contributing symptoms similar to those of the Pythia. The Pythia used oleander as a complement during the oracular procedure, chewing its leaves and inhaling their smoke. The toxic substances of oleander results in symptoms similar to those of epilepsy, the "sacred disease", which could have amounted to the possession of the Pythia by the spirit of Apollo, rendering Pythia his spokesperson and prophetess. The oleander fumes (the "spirit of Apollo") could have originated in a brazier located in an underground chamber (the antron) and have escaped through an opening (the "chasm") in the temple's floor. This hypothesis fits the findings of the archaeological excavations that revealed an underground space under the temple. 

It has been disputed as to how the adyton was organized, but it appears clear that this temple was unlike any other in ancient Greece. The small chamber was located below the main floor of the temple and offset to one side, perhaps constructed specifically over the crossing faults. The intimate chamber allowed the escaping vapors to be contained in quarters close enough to provoke intoxicating effects. Plutarch reports that the temple was filled with a sweet smell when the "deity" was present:

Not often nor regularly, but occasionally and fortuitously, the room in which they seat the god's consultants is filled with a fragrance and breeze, as if the adyton were sending forth the essences of the sweetest and most expensive perfumes from a spring.