THE ANCIENT ART OF AUGURY

by

Demelice

The Hare, sacred to the Moon Goddess, symbol of fertility and, therefore, Spring, is born with its eyes open and was thought to serve as did the Moon, as the eye of the night. Pagans of Old believed that to watch the Hare closely was & sure method of discerning the future.

Zoomancy

Divination by observing the behavior of animals.

In other times, when people lived closer to Nature, there were opportunities to observe animals and their behavior. The Hare in particular, because of its close association the Goddess, was a most important creature in augury. It was believed to be Her messenger. Many of the old traditions of devining the future from the movement of the Hare still survive in modern Europe today. If a Hare crosses the path of a traveler, especially if the traveler is a pregnant woman, it is a highly ominous sign. Because of the Hare's associations of fertility, thereby the young, and the Goddess, this was a sure sign that She was telling the pregnant traveler of something wrong with her own child. Usually it was supposed that the problem had to do with a cleft palate or, because of the form of the messenger, a harelip. Likewise, for a bride and groom's path to be crossed by a Hare was an omen that the marriage would be both infertile and unhappy. For a fisherman's path to be crossed by the Hare was an omen to abstain from going out on that day as it would be a fruitless venture and could be dangerous as well. If, however, the Hare did not cross your path but appeared to the left of it and stayed its motion while watching you, it was a good sign, Indeed.

It was thought that if, on the last day of the month, the last thing at night upon retiring, a person said aloud "rabbits" and on awakening said 'Hares', before uttering anything else, they would receive a present soon.

The Hare would, of course, run from disaster. One running down a street or past a house warned of a coming fire. A white rabbit, symbolizing deep melancholy and sadness, was an omen of approaching grief. However, if the. Hare came to you gently and in love it was a sIgn that you would be greatly favored by the Goddess.

he Hare is usually faithful to its chosen partner for life and is therefore symbolic of loyalty as well as fertilIty. A mated pair produces up to.seventy two young a year. The Hare, who can conceive when already pregnant, gives birth to from.four to eIght Jitters of from three to nine offspring a year. Their young are called kittens. They may live to be seven or eight years of age, occasionally even longer.

Because of the Hare's fantastic fertility, the farmers of old, in an attempt to magickally influence their crops, would use nothing but a robbit's foot for hand pollenating.

They are an intelligent, gentle animal that when alarmed warns others of danger by thumping the ground with their hind feet. Sacred to the noon Goddess, one myth tells us that when Pan was born He was wrapped in the skins of the mountain Hare an act certain to insure Pan a proper amount of fertilIty. On some ancient coins the Hare appears as the symbol of Pan. And, although in other times it has been taboo to eat the Sacred Hare or hunt them, In England the hunting of them became an important ritual of each May Eve celebration, as the law against hunting them was lifted at that time only. The maidens of the village would beRin their ritual hunt as the villagers chanted "If all those young men were like Hares on the mountains, then all those pretty maidens would turn hound, go a'hunting." For a maiden to bag a Hare and serve it to her chosen lover on nay Eve insured that theirs would be a fertile and long lasting union and smiled upon by the Lady.

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IRIS (H.O. IRIVACEAE)

SYNOHYMS: Blue Flags, Water Flag, Dragon Flower, Dagger Flower, Myrtle Flower, Segg, Flour de Lys, Pueon Elizabeth Root1 Orris ROOt, the Pomans called the plant CONSECRATRIX because it was used in purifications.

 

DESCRlPTION:

The beautiful flowers of the Iris come in all colors. The leaves resemble a small pointed sword or dagger. The Iris, propagated from its rhizome, or root, blooms from May to July.

HISTORY

This plant, with its many beautiful, soft pastel colors, named after the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris, is known as the Virgin's Flower and it has always stood as a symbol of majestic power. It was dedicated to Juno, the Moon Goddess, and was the origin of the sceptre. The Egyptians frequently decorated their Pharoah's sceptre with this regal flower. And, of course, we are all familiar with the Royal French heraldic emblem, the Fleur de Lys. It was adopted from the Pagans by the Frankish King Clovis early in the sixth century.

The ancient coat of arms of the city of Florence, a white iris on a red background, points to the fact that the finest perfumed powder in tile world is produced in this city. With great ceremony, this root is planted in earth that has been carefully and systematically tended by women who traverse the rows of the plant barefooted. It takes the plant two to three years to reach maturity. In the third year of its growth the plant is almost as tall as the harvesters. The root, known as Orris, is peeled and has, at this time, a very earthy odor. As it dries it begins to develope a very pleasant, violet-like fragrance, reaching its peak only after two years or so of curing. It is then ground into a very fine powder.

It was used primarily as a perf:e in ancient Greece pnd Rome and Macedonia, Elis and Corinth were famous for their Iris ungents. From early on its m&gickal connotations have been Love and Purity because of its connection with the Goddess.

It has been used not only as a perfume but also in Love baths, as an aphrodisiac, as an incense in Love spells, as a facial and body powder, 15 baby tee thing rings (whole), to flavor a Russian drink made of honey and ginger, as a snuff and to scent linens. In fact, during Queen Elizabeth's reign, when bathing was not in vogue, it was the custom for cloth workers to trim their cloth with Orris to make them sweet and pleasant. This "swete clothe" was so favored by Queen Elizabeth that it became a court fashion and the root became known as Queen Elizabeth Root.

A VERY OLDE RECIPE FOR A SWEETE BAGG

"Take 1/2 lb. Cypress Roots, a lb. of Orris, 3/4 lb. of Cala"'us, 3 orange stick with cloves, 3 oz. Benjamin, 3/4 lb. Rhodium, l lb. Coriander seed, l oz. of Storax and 4 pod of Damask Rose leaves, a peck of dryed sweet Marjerum, a pretty stick 'of Juniper shaved very thin, some lemon pele dryed and a stick of Bra sill : let all these be powdered very grosely for ye first par and immediately put in your baggs. The next year pound and work it and it will be very good again."

A DELICATE WASHING BALL

Take three ounces of orace, halfe an ounce of Cypres, two ounces of Galamus Aromaticus, one ounce of Rose leaves, two ounces of lavender flowers: beat all these together in a mortar, searcing them thorow a fine searce, then scrape some Castill sope, and dissolve it with some Rose-water, then inorporate all your powders there-with, by labouring of them well in a mortar.

Powdered Orris Root sprinkled in the final rinse water will impart a refreshing and fragrant scent to your clothes.

EASTER - PAGAN RITES OF SPRING

Springtime! Fertility! Abundance! New life of ter the long, barren Winter! This was a time so important to the very Old Pagans that many of their rituals and customs have survived even till today. Many times people do not realize that these Springtime fertility rituals are Pagan to their very roots.

PAGAN RITE PERVERTED TO

Pagan Springtime Fertility EASTER Festivals symbolizing and celebrating renewal

The Sacred Hare --                                   Easter Bunny

Eggs, the ancient, eternal --                      Easter Eggs

symbol of fertility and regeneration

Circular Wreaths of special --                    Easter Bonnet

flowers and leaves

 

Wearing all new clothing --                        New Easter Outfit

to symbolize new beginnings

Boun Bread, eaten at ancient --                 Hot Cross Buns Saxon

Spring Festival dedicated to Eostre (Oestare, Oestre, etc.)

The Goddess of Light, stamped with a  symbol of Ox horns on it.

Even the method of determining Easter Day is Pagan. The exact date is determined by the Full Moon which, of course, symbolizes the Goddess. Easter is always the first Sunday after the Full Moon following the Spring Equinox.

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PENELOPE

CASTLE KEEP

The Pagan Sabbat that marks the beginning of Spring. On the day of the Vernal, or Spring, Equinox the nighttime and day-time hours are equal. This is the Sabbat that marks the return of the Goddess, from Her resting period, in the aspect of the Maiden.

The major Sabbat of this season, May 1st, is dedicated to the joyous and jubilant celebration of the Goddess and the fertility which regenerates the Earth. The Goddess, in Her Maiden phase, and the Greqt Horned God, in His second (or Mature), phase, reunite and the energy of their mating washes over the Earth and all its inhabitants, reawakening and revitalizing all of life. The celebrations at this time of the year are exhilarating, lusty and robust, with the emphasis definately on fertility.

CELEBRATIONS

The Pagan celebrations for Springtime are greatly varied. They have included such well known, and still In use, customs as Maypoles, Friendship Wreaths and Garlands, Hobby Horses, the Morris Dances, Feasting, ritual collection of sacred woods and, of course, the very old custom concerning the Various Sacred Fires.

The traditions and religious connotations involved in the making of a Need Fire were most magickal and thought to be necessary to the prosperity of the home.

In honor of the changing of the seasons Sacred bonfires were lit. it was custom to light a new fire by friction. It was essential that at the time of lighting the Need Fire all other household fires be extinguished.

Otherwise, it was thought, the special spark would not come.

The lighting of the fire, by rubbing two pieces of wood, together, symbolized sexual union and the release of the fire which was possessed naturally by the piece representing the female, as it was thought by rntriarchal societies that females did, indeed, possess this magickal fire within their wombs.

After the Need Fire was lit and all the appropriate seasonal rituals and celebrations had come to an end, rich household took a flaming brand home in order to rekindle their hearth fire. It was essential for the individual Need Fires to be carefully tended and not allowed to go out until the next seasonal kindling of the Need Bonfire. If the individual Need Fire did happen to go out it could be rekindled only from another hearth which was still burning continuously from the original.