"You're here no matter what." ~The Universe

We all walk around loving peace and hating war.  We complain about people's aggression towards us and to others.  We complain about nations rising against other nations.  We see people mistreating animals and children, the innocent and it angers us.  Fueling the fire we want to also rise up against these injustices we see day in and day out.  But the fact of the matter is that we all fight every day of our lives, whether in our minds or with the people (places and things) around us.  We strive either to better ourselves and others or just to have it all our way.  We fight constantly with our inner guides, saying no this won't do and no that won't do!   But the universe itself doesn't care about your ego and what our ego likes or doesn't like.  In fact, the universe is built on aggressive energy as well as gentle energies.  The universe wouldn't be a universe without such seeming dissensions as war, abuse, and aggression. 

I believe some people have come into our lives to make war with us.  This takes wisdom to see the good things that have come out of abuse and broken heartedness.  But if we look deeply, we will see that some of our worst enemies really helped us and gave us what we needed to make us grow at the time.  The loud bangs and disruptions of war and aggression have mysterious creative powers of transformation that none of us will admit to really liking.  Nobody likes change, or death, or grief but we can see in hindsight that more often these things brought us where we needed to be at a time in our lives.  This is true in both the microcosm just as it is in the macrocosm.  It often seems the universe doesn't care how these things make us feel and the truth is it doesn't care.  It will do whatever it takes to fulfill its destiny which is life, growth, and death in an endless cycle.  We all have agreed to take this rollercoaster ride and take it we will!  We'll ride this thing called life until we learn to control our own energies and thus the rollercoaster itself.  And the universe doesn't care whether or not you're comfortable.

Of course, the universe would be nothing without love, nurturing, comfort, and acceptance.  Warm summer days at the beach or the mountains to make easier the many aggressions we face in our lives are universal essentials.  Home, family, tradition, a group of good friends, physical comforts or any other things that make us feel accepted, good, and easy in this world.  These things are here to stay.  Again, the universe doesn't care if you like it or not these things are part of what the universe is made of.   

We take the universe and all its wisdom and life itself on its own terms.  Growth should have taught us that we are all mini versions of the universe and often we bring into our lives the very things we abhor by using improper energies.  Like a sailboat, we all need to take the role of captain and adjust our sails often in order to change some of the things we would like to change   If we hadn't been hit by war, aggression, abuse and the like, we never would have known what we are capable of in both a good and a bad sense.   

Bast--the Cat Goddess of Egypt

"Her name was originally B'sst which became Ubaste, then Bast, then Bastet; the meaning of this name is not known or, at least, not universally agreed upon." ~ (Definition of the goddess Bastet or Bast, or B'sst at ancient.eu)

On researching the history of the Egyptian cat goddess, Bast as we all know her, I found some interesting history on her for those of you who aren't familiar.

Her cult was located in an Egyptian city called Bubastis, whose ruins lie one mile north of the modern city of Zagazig. In (c. 2890 - c. 2670 BCE), followers of the cult of Bastet, revered cats and worshiped her in this city.

Bast, as an Egyptian goddess was the protector of women and children, the home, secrets, all things feminine such as perfumes and ointments. She is the daughter of the sun god, Ra and it says she is also associated with the symbolic all-seeing eye of Ra, so popular even in today's pop culture.

She governs over the plant we all know as catnip or catmint. I've enjoyed watching mine grow so large this year and so have my cats. Lovely to watch the bumblebees and butterflies flocking around the tiny purple flowers, pollinating and drinking the nectar of this mysterious plant. Our cats love it.

The ancient Egyptians made this sound pssst or bssst to mention her name. We still use this ancient sound unknowingly when we call our cats or want to get their attention. And they indeed pay attention! As if we're calling on the spirit of this ancient deity they seem to understand genetically and they come running when we go "b'sst, b'sst, b'sst."

The Philosophy Behind the Symbol of the Pentagram

As I was reverently lighting some candles to perform an ancient Norse ritual the other night, I looked down at a Pentagram that I'd recently purchased at a local Beltane Fair.   It was upright.  It looked just like the familiar Leonardo da Vinci sketch of a man in a circle, The Vitruvian Man.

THE VITRUVIAN MAN

The Vitruvian Man was drawn by da Vinci around 1490.  The original drawing currently resides at the Gallerie dell'Accademia, an art museum in Venice, Italy. 

UPRIGHT PENTAGRAM

"Every man and woman is a star"  ~ Crowley

Here, mankind is standing firmly in the material world, or planet Earth.   His limbs and head turns around the Earth (circle).  This represents the lifetime and knowledge attained on the physical plane. Consider revolving the body of The Vitruvian man like that of the rising and setting of the sun, starting from east and ending in the west, day after day.  In witchcraft traditions, mankind is also turning with the rhythms of the elements spirit, air, earth, fire and water every day.  If you look at the head of da Vinci's work compared to the Pentagram, you will notice where the head should be.  The head of the Pentagram may very well represent the knowledge and wisdom humanity attains in a lifetime on earth.  All experiences including the relationships we have, the situations and the people we meet, our families, our loves and also our enemies.  What have we and can we glean from a lifetime of living ?  What choices are we going to make and what will be  the consequences of the choices we make ?  Mind and matter living simultaneously.


Now, when we flip the Pentagram it becomes what we call The inverted Pentagram.  The Vitruvian Man's head is turned 180 degrees upside down.   Now we get a further symbolism of the Pentagram as a whole.  As many already know, the inverted Pentagram is the symbol of darkness, arcane mysteries, the left hand path, the adversary or the opposite.  We might study more of the symbolism of the Hanged Man in the Tarot deck and see how we can best understand the meaning behind the inverted Pentagram.  I posted a link at the bottom of this article to a very good description of this Tarot card.

UPSIDE DOWN OR INVERTED PENTAGRAM

This symbolism represents our inner darkness, the demons that we carry with us throughout life,  These demons represent the things we do that we keep secret from the majority because they might not understand.  This is the symbol of the rebel, the radical, and the man or woman who lives in-between worlds.   It represents the above that affects the below in Hermetic philosophy.  It also represents hidden knowledge, even forbidden knowledge, and original sin according to the Christian/Judaeo mindset.  Metaphorically speaking, the inverted pentagram also looks like a tree.  This could also represent the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that tempted Eve with the idea of becoming "like the gods."

It is also the opposite compared to the upright Pentagram in that The Vitruvian Man's head falls between the material elements starting at the western setting sun of the earth (night fall/darkness)  (water, fire, air, earth) as a way to gain the power over the elements on a different realm, much as we believe the gods could.  Even in The Fairy Tradition, we who have studied it know that the spirit of the Fae and Elfin, live between the worlds.  This is exactly what the Vitruvian Man's head seems to be on each turn of the astral Earth.   Inverted the Pentagram represents night time and upright, daytime.  A lot of mathematics could be used to describe the symbolism of the Pentagram, but I'll leave that to the mathematically inclined.

Yes, the Pentagram as a whole represents the life of man but also his conscious/unconscious mind, the collective mind, and both physical and arcane knowledge.   The desire to go forth and discover more about the Pentagram as a tool for initiation is left up to each individual.

We might also study the Heathen saga of Odin, hanging upside down from the World Tree in order to obtain the knowledge of the Runes. (my favorite pantheon)   Christ hung upright on the cross (tree), but Odin hung upside down.  Christ's sacrifice represents a good life for mankind while Odin's sacrifice represents obtaining arcane secrets for the sake of mankind.  Both heros ae speared in the side.

Whether upside down or right side up, the symbolism of the Pentagram is crucial to all people on a magical path.

Below is a link to Biddy Tarot, one of Google's top ranking explanation sites.  Her description of the hanged-man is perfect to describe an explanation of the inverted Pentagram.

HANGED MAN TAROT CARD MEANINGS AND DESCRIPTION

"The Hanged Man shows a man suspended, upside-down, from the living World Tree, rooted in the underworld and supporting the heavens. Given the serene expression on his face, it is believed he is hanging on the tree of his own will. His right foot is bound to the tree but his left foot remains free, bent at the knee and tucked in behind his right leg. His arms are bent, with hands held behind his back, forming an inverted triangle. The man is wearing red pants representing human passion and the physical body, a blue coat for knowledge, and yellow shoes representing his high ideals. Around the Hanged Man’s head is a bright yellow halo showing spiritual attainment, with the grey background suggesting invisibility (a good reminder to not flaunt your spirituality). This is the card of ultimate surrender, of being suspended in time and of martyrdom and sacrifice to the greater good. This is the archetype to meditate on to help break old patterns of behavior and bad habits that restrict you.

The Hanged Man’s number is 12 – a higher octave of the number 3, representing careful planning and orderly growth leading to spiritual development. 1 (beginning) + 2 (the reasoning force) = 3 (the product of rebirth). The ruling planet is Neptune, the planet of self-sacrifice and idealism.

Note: The Tarot card meaning description is based on the Rider Waite cards."

all credit for the above Tarot description is here at Biddy Tarot:  Biddy Tarot ~ The Hanged Man

Maags

Tiwaz ~ Triumph of Tyr

Tiwaz or Tyr is the rune of self-sacrifice and triumph over adversity.   Tyr is the Norse god of law and justice.   This is a rune to sing when looking for a good outcome in court, getting something you deserve, or a rune to sing to bring courage, spiritual strength, self-sacrifice but not martyrdom.

As is the theme of this blog to find Anglo-Saxon (English) words that begin with the sound of the rune, let's look at some words that begin with the T sound and find the runic energy of Tiwaz in each.

Trying, triumph, tears, tame, total, target, together, tip, truck, tiger, taunt, tally, tank, today, tax, topic, trick, type, trigger, tree, tune, tab, take, tribe, tryst, tail, talisman, tape, tea, termites, top, triple, time.

The reason I am writing on the phonics of the Elder Futhark Fehu through Othala/Dagaz is to try and find hidden meanings within the English language that correlate with the energy of the Runes themselves.  The English language has ancient Germanic roots

Sowilo ~ Satisfaction of the Sun

Sowilo is the last rune of the second aett of the Elder Futhark.  This is the rune of the light and glory of the sun.  Interpretations claim that Sowilo is the rune that illuminates what is needed, within, and without.  I find this energy to be a perfect Rune for success in life's endeavors, for making what is possible, possible.  For lighting the way, for uncovering hidden darkness in our lives.  I galdr this for people when they're feeling a lack of self-confidence and it always produces a good outcome.  What are your possibilities?  Sowilo might just help you find that out.

Here are some English nouns and other words that have the S sound in Sowilo:

success, son, sun, sacred, simple, sales, salary, salt, satisfaction, save, savings, safe, safety, sorrow, sinister, sick, sanity, struck, song, salvation, sing, salutation.

Winter Solstice Ritual ~ Bless the Woodland Creatures

Solstice is a time of giving.  What better way to thank Mother Nature for her bounty this year than to feed winter birds, deer, raccoons, squirrels, and all of mother nature's other children who are cold and whose food source is scarce.

Some suggestions of foods that the woodland creatures would like are: corn on the cob, nuts, celery stuffed with peanut butter, apples, seeds, peanuts without the salt, pine cones dipped in peanut butter and then dipped in birdseed, carrots, cheese, bread, and birdseed are some that come to mind.  Add a big bowl of water (hopefully hot water that will temper in the cold weather).

On December 21st write a Yule blessing/greeting poem and gather your goodies.  Pick a good place in your yard or local woods to lay down your gifts.  Some can be hung from tree branches.   You can create a circle, call in the quarters, and then read your poem or simplify the ritual weather permitting.  The poem doesn't have to be elaborate, just make it a nice Yule blessing/greeting.  Go your way and the animals will come when you're gone and enjoy the food.

To those of you who think, leave the wildlife alone!  Remember, you are the wildlife, one of Earth's many beings.

This is a very spiritual exercise and ritual in keeping with the season.  May you all have a blessed and peaceful Yuletide full of joy.

Algiz - Armor of the Aesir

Algiz, the Rune of protection.  All kinds of protection.  This is a Rune you want to galdr over a child before they run out to play.  We all want and need protection in life.  We may want to galdr this Rune for financial reasons to make sure we always have a home to live in and food on the table.

This is said to be the Z Rune.  For whatever reason, consensus in modern Runic lore says that this Rune makes the Z sound.

Let's look at some modern English words that begin with the Z Rune:

zeel, zoom, zonk, zany, zipper, zest, zinc, zoo, zebra, zealot ..... I'm not getting too much of a feeling of protection in these words.  What do you think ?

Maybe this Rune doesn't have the Z sound.  More study on this Rune will be required.  Possibly a thesaurus would help and I am going to look now.

Back.

If this rune has the 'A' sound, I'm finding words under "Protection":  armor, ammunition, aegis (which means a breast plate), attack, offence, apron, affront, air. (google more of these A Rune words to find the energy of Algiz.