Hi All,Well, Mabon is here again it has now been a year since I started this blog! It has went in very quickly, This time last year I had started a college course doing complementary therapies and on Friday (24th) I have my graduation ceremony. My overall grade was a B+ I couldn't believe it!!.
I am always looking for new challenges and I always want to learn new skills, so this mabon I have decided to study the origins of the Tree Ogham (pronounced OH-AM). The Oghams alphabet and system of divination was created around the 6th Century and has been used by many different Celtic cultures. It is named after the Irish-Celtic deity Ogma, a God of learning. The system was used mainly by the Celts and in the beginning the symbols were not seen as an alphabet but as a way of communicating non verbally, usually carved into door posts, trees and stones as a system of letting others know pieces of information and knowledge.
At the peak of their use the symbols were carved into wooden wands called staves and were read up and down, left to right. To be knowledgeable in the language of Oghams was, and still is, to be at one with the language of the trees, and their associations. To help me learn and connect with this ancient language I have been going out on long walks in the woods and trying to learn my trees, Sounds simple?? but there are 100s of different species of trees, being out in the woods gives me a great sense of peace and oneness with nature, I believe the reason for this is that we have entered the interconnecting energy feilds of the trees. Each tree has its own energy and will give you its own insights and healing ability, and let me tell you every tree has it's on unique way to heal. For instance take the birch tree - which also happens to be the first of the trees in the ogham- The birch is the first tree to colonize new ground, dropping its leaves and twigs to enrich the soil for other trees to follow. It is thus a tree of great life-giving properties, vitality and nourishment. The birch always means a new beginning, A new opportunity, a new journey, physical or spiritual. I took a fallen branch of birch home, sanded it down and carved out the ogham symbol relevant to it. That's as far as I have got with my studies I have 24 more trees and symbols to study.
Anyhow back to Mabon (sorry guys I went of on one their) this is when day and night become equal and from now on the nights grow long and the sun loses its power. Mornings are now chilly, the leaves turn golden brown and red and they begin to fall, plants start to die, so we have it the year has started to wind down. This is the time we contemplate the last 6 months, have you achieved all you set out to do? It's time to give thanks for all you have been blessed with, in days gone by it would be time to give thanks for the bounty the earth has given you, and what better way to celebrate than to feast and be merry. So get your friends round for that last BBQ and drink before it's too cold!! At this harvest festival it is time to give to those less privileged, so give to charity or even just help a friend in need.
The fruit of this time of year is the apple and shops are stocked full with this seasons apples. They are anti-viral and will readily keep away colds if you eat them daily, they are helpful at lowering your cholesterol and reducing blood pressure; they have pectin which can bind toxic metals and remove them from your body whilst their tannin acid fights the herpes virus. Not only that, they regulate stomach acidity and help digest fat and protein, and the biggest bonus of all they suppress your appetite which makes them perfect for dieting. Now I know where the old fish-wives tale comes from 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away!'. Also if you cut an apple in half it shows you the 5 pointed star the pentagram, so decorate your altar in autumn leaves and apples!!
Spell for Mabon: As mabon is when night and day are equal, meaning they are balanced I thought a spell to bring back balance into ones life would be perfect, so I have come across this one.
A candle spell to recover optimism after a series of setbacks!
this spell works very well at any time you have lost all hope or are overwhelmed by loss, a run of bad luck or problems such as debt.
You will need:
* A small dark-coloured candle in a holder
* A pure white candle that will burn through the night (When I perfoem spells that ask me to burn the candle until it is finished I place it on a plate and put it in the bath, that way I dont need to worry if it is knocked over)
* Wite taper candle (optional)
TIMING: just before dusk on a satuarday (the day of saturn and limitations).
THE SPELL:
* place the two candles side by side and light the dark coloured one, as you do say "Darkness go, Light grow, Hope increase, Despair/debt/bad luck cease"
*Sit in the candle glow until all the light has gone from the sky and let the darkness and doubts flow from you
* When it is dark use the taper to light the white candle from the dark one, as you do so saying "Light rise to the skies; So darkness dies, farewell bad fortune, farewell sorrow; Life begins on the morrow.
* Blow out the dark candle and wait for it to cool down. Wrap it in a brown paper bag and throw it away before you go to bed
* Gaze into the white candle and recall happy memories, together with plans and pleasures (however small) that are still possible
* If you wish, add the second white candle to increase the positive energies. Leave your candles in a safe place until morning, when they should be burnt through.
Well my friends until Samhain, Toodles xx
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