Happy New Year! Take out, then take in:Bad luck will begin.Take in, then take out:Good luck comes about. Everything you do on this day has magical implications for the coming year. So don’t throw anything out (even the trash), or lend money or pay bills. If you must carry something out, be sure to bring … Read more
The ground of the soul is dark.— Meister Eckhart In this dark time of the year, we are considering what is sacred about the dark, especially the dark aspect of the Feminine Divine. In particular, I have been discussing the Black Madonna. Why is there so much recent interest in Her? Why does it matter? … Read more
Mighty, majestic, and radiant,You shine brilliantly in the evening,You brighten the day at dawn,You stand in the heavens like the sun and the moon,Your wonders are known both above and below,To the greatness of the Holy Priestess of Heaven,To you, Inanna, I sing!— Sumerian hymn from “Inanna Queen of Heaven” translated by Wolkstein and Kramer. … Read more
My Mother is black, loveliest of all;Yes, she is as pure as the new made morn;Her song of glee is a clear rhythmic callTo these arms of love to which I was born. — Marcus Garvey In the world’s Creation tales, from science stories to the most ancient oral traditions, the darkness always comes before … Read more
Darkness precedes light and she is mother.— inscription on the altar of the cathedral of Salerno, Italy Black Madonnas are found all over Europe, with the majority found in France, the most famous being at Chartres. She is the Queen of Heaven at some of the most holy shrines in Europe, including the famed Black … Read more
Why should a Madonna be white not black;why framed in a cage of beliefs that are set – solid as stone?No. There is nothing but the celebration of her darknessand the gentle hardness of that face, even I can touch.— Jenny Hamlett The most sacred icons of the Catholic Church are the Black Madonna and … Read more
We welcome Winter, season of the Guardian of the North. Now we honor the Element of Earth, the physical world, our bodies, our homes. It is the realm of practical matters, work, and abundance. This is the energy of the dark, fertile womb of the Mother, the realm of plants, animals and the Wild. It … Read more
Joy to the worldThe Light is bornPeace on Earth, Good will to all May our hearts be merry and brightBlessings of the Season,Love all ways,— Beth
The holly and the ivyNow both are full well grown,Of all the trees that are in the wood,The holly bears the crown.O the rising of the sunAnd the running of the deerThe shining of the winter starsAs the longer days draw near. — Hilda Marshall’s Pagan adaptation of the traditional carol. One of the ancient … Read more
Join together beneath the mistletoe.By the holy oak whereon it grows.Seven Druids dance in seven time.Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming.Ring out these bells.Ring out, ring Solstice bells.Ring Solstice bells. — Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull ©1977 Mistletoe is probably the most magical of the plants associated with Yuletide and has, from very ancient … Read more