The Green Man: The Magnificent God of the Forest

Of all the many forms in which our Lord God takes, I must say that I love His Green Man aspect the most! He is both lover and consort to our Lady Goddess, the Earth Mother, and our Father always -The Oak King and Holly King respectively.

Historically speaking, the Green Man goes all the way back to pre-Christian Europe, Ireland, Scotland and Russia. He represents our kinship with the trees and the woods and the cycle of renewal and rebirth. He is known by many different names as He is recognized in almost every tradition. For example, he is heavily associated with Cernunnos (Celtic god of the forest), Dionysus (Greek god of Wine) and Bacchus (Roman god of wine), to name a few.

Our former Wiccan group, "Old Path Enlightener’s Circle", used to honor The Green Man or “The Oak King” at our Beltane celebrations. This is the time when our Lord God and Lady Goddess unite in the “sacred rite of holy marriage.” We re-enact this sacred marriage ceremony during the symbolic Great Rite. This is one of the many reasons why I love Beltane so much and why it is amongst my favorite of our Wiccan celebrations. Lady Sabrina Rhiannon’s group, The Coven of the Silver Moon Circle, chooses a May King and Queen during their Beltane ritual. Everyone inside the circle walks in between two balefire cauldrons for a total of 9 times while making one wish each. Typically, the Celtic Fire god Bel or Belinus is honored at this particular sabbat, as the word Beltane literally means, “Bel-Fire,” but we much prefer to honor The Green Man.

Draco & Rhiannon lighting the Spirit candle during the symbolic Great Rite - Beltane 2008.

“I GIVE TO THEE MY GREATEST GIFT,

A LOVE THAT’S PURE AND TRUE

ACCEPT IT WITH OPEN ARMS,

AS I HAVE DONE FOR YOU.”  ~  Sal Ranieri

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The Great Rite: Symbolic vs. Actual

So what is the difference between the "Actual" Great Rite and the "Symbolic" version? Well to start with, the Actual Great Rite is exactly that - the "actual" act of the sacred joining of the Goddess and God through a coven's Wiccan High Priestess and High Priest. This can either be enacted inside the sacred circle in front of the rest of the coven members or it can be performed in a more private setting.

The Symbolic Great Rite holds much the same meaning as the Actual in that it still symbolizes the sacred union of the Goddess and God, but it is done through the use of a consecrated athame (representing the "phallas of the God") and the chalice of wine or juice (which represents the "womb of the Mother").  

As a Solitary practitioner, I naturally incorporate the Symbolic version into my rituals and I much prefer it to the Actual with regards to my Wiccan group as well. Although it usually depends upon an individual's comfortability, I, myself, hesitate to participate in an Actual Great Rite (sacred or otherwise) with anyone other than my spouse and only if he were a member of the Pagan clergy (a High Priest or the like) albeit not in the company of others.

The Great Rite in itself is a very sacred act and I can tell you from my own personal experience that, sometimes even when only performed Symbolically with another individual, the sexual energy raised during this particular act can be quite intense and overwhelming! It is certainly nothing to fool around with and most especially not in the hands of anyone who does not understand its' true purpose in ritual.

Of course, depending upon the persons who are performing the Symbolic Great Rite, the energy may not necessarily be the same every time for everyone. For example, if both individuals happen to be female (or male) and have no natural attraction to the same sex, the experience may not tend to be as intimate as perhaps a male and female bonding in this way.

Personally speaking, I view The Great Rite as a very beautiful, sacred gift from the Goddess and God which should always be respected and thought through thoroughly before using in any ritual ceremony.

(A pic from my hubby and my Legal Handfasting ~ 2001)

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What's in a holiday?: St. Patrick's Day

What does Wicca have to do with St. Patrick's Day? There are some Celtic-Irish Wiccans who may be opposed to St. Patrick's Day as it may be seen by some as a day of celebrating Pagan oppression by the Christian faith. St. Patrick is the man whom many Christians give credit to for converting the ancient Irish Pagans. However, the truth is that converstion of Medieval Pagan populations to Christianity was never a sudden and complete transformation. In most cases, local folks were so deeply connected to their ancestral beliefs and deities that the Christians had to adapt their teachings to better fit Pagan traditions.

In Ireland, Pagans worshipped many different pantheons of Celtic deities - above all, the Devine Triple Goddess representing love, fertility and wisdom (Maiden, Mother & Crone). Although it is said that St. Patrick attempted to convert Pagans by showing the three leaves of the clover to them explaining the Christian Trinity and therefore making it the symbol of Ireland, the clover originally was (and still is) very much an ancient symbol of The Triple Goddess.

Even though today some Wiccans oppose St. Patrick's Day, there are still others who actually enjoy the celebration because they know of its' "hidden" meaning and perhaps may smile at the thought of devout Christians wearing a symbol of the Goddess. (I am one of them!)

It is important for us, as Wiccans, to remember that a majority of the contemporary holidays which we as Amercians celebrate today, including St. Valentine's Day which began as the Roman Pagan festival of Lupercalia, have their roots set in Paganism.

Science, Colors & Emotions

A few years ago, I had written a post entitled, "The Color of Moods" in which I talked about a seminar I attended that was facilitated by a registered nurse on how colors affect our emotions. This post is intended to serve as a more scientific view on the subject. 

Have you ever noticed that certain colors tend to induce or bring about specific emotions when looking at them? For example, does the color light blue make you feel calm or peaceful? Does the color red make you feel passionate - or perhaps even a little more aggressive? Have you ever noticed that mental hospitals tend to use the color yellow on their walls?

While doing some further research on the subject, I learned a few very interesting things. For one, not only do certain colors evoke specific emotional responses regarding our brain patterns, but scientific studies have found that there are three ways in which colors effect us: 

1) Psychologically: This effect is based on our personal experiences.
2) Symbolically: Such colors can be associated with a specific object. For example, the color "sky-blue," "sea-green," "candy-apple red," and so on.
3) Culturally: The color white, for example, is usually associated with pureness and innocence in western society, but in eastern culture it is the color for death and sadness.

How exactly can colors manipulate our feelings and emotions? Well, according to a study by Wellesley College researchers Stoughton and Bevil Conway, it is possible that our brains are hard-wired to like or dislike certain colors and it all relates to emotional responses when we see color. Advertisers are well aware of this fact and use this information to their advantage when promoting and selling their products. As stated by Conway, the research study has significant implications for the creative community "to the extent that anyone would find it informative to know how the nervous system works, and through that would gain an appreciation for these phenomena, I would think artists and designers could benefit."

(For more information on colors, please click on the links at the bottom)

While the science behind our emotional connections to color is a complicated one, it is becoming more clear through anecdotal knowledge and scientific experimentation. 
Science Behind Color and Emotion

(References: "Science Behind Color and Emotion" and "How Colors Manipulate Your Emotions")

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Speaking of colors, I have always been fascinated by "eyes" ever since I was a child. I used to (and still do) love to draw, most especially, eyes. As an adult, I love to use color mascara when playing/experimenting with make-up. 

(M.C. Escher, study for Eye, pencil on paper, September 1946.)

I recently found this beautiful, vibrant "Teayason Mascara" set on line. Love the cat design, too! This set was only $22.23!

Blue ...

Purple ...

Pink ...

White ...

Brown ...

One of my fav's are the Colour Pop line of mascara's ...

"Blue Ya' Mind"

"Purple Prouse"

"Kiss n' Teal"

"Pink Inc.

"Plumb and Go"

"Right on Red"

And, a bit more expensive brands are also available such as Urban Decay's "Double Team" line of mascara ...

So much fun!!

What's Up

What a last two weeks this has been! Although I am still applying for another job, in the meantime, I was pushed, more accurately forced, into being trained and signed-off on another job duty which much like most of the other jobs in my department is frustratingly difficult for me because of my amblyopia (aka "lazy eye"). To start with, working with microscopes is horrible because my eyes do not work together.

I had no choice but to agree to trying so for the last two weeks, I had been trained on what is called, "Probe Needle Holders." This job is not only extremely involved, but the paperwork and mandatory documentation are insane!

I had no real expectations what-so-ever of succeeding, but gave it my best shot at any rate. My assigned trainer, Deb, surprised me greatly because she was the only one in a room of about four other trainers who thought outside the box. In other words, her thought process was 'if we can't change your eyesight, we can change/accommodate the way in which you work'. She came up with idea, after idea as to how she could make things easier by working around my disability. Normally, trainers are made to sign-off their trainees after only three days! I was actually given 9, "thanks" to Deb who will be my personal trainer from now on.

My personal trainer, Deb.

I may still be held back to a degree as far as speed is concerned, but because I had such as wonderful, patient trainer, I at least have a much better chance now to succeed with that particular job duty. And, the credit goes to Deb who has been a huge factor in that regard. 

Moving on, we had our portion of the March snow today. They predicted 4-6 inches, which some parts of Berks County got hit with, but in my area we got about only two and very windy. But, then the temps luckily went up some and it quickly turned to slush ...

Showing off my new cat unicorn head phones that light up ... lol! Have a great evening everyone!

Motto, anyone?

I thought that this was pretty cool! Enjoy!!

Aries Motto

"When you know yourself, you're empowered. When you accept yourself, you're invincible." 

A for assertive
R for refreshing
I for independent
E for energetic
S for sexy

Taurus' Motto

"Nothing worth having comes easy."

T for trailblazing
A for ambitious
U for unwavering
R for reliable
U for understanding
S for stable

Gemini's Motto

"I manifest my reality."

G for generous
E for emotionally in tune
M for motivated
I for imaginative
N for nice
I for intelligent

Cancer's Motto

"I feel, therefore I am."

C for caring
A for ambitious
N for nourishing
C for creative
E for emotionally intelligent
R for resilient

Leo's Motto

"If you know the way, go the way and show the way—you're a leader."

L for leaders
E for energetic
O for optimistic

Virgo Motto

"My best can always be better."

V for virtuous
I for intelligent
R for responsible
G for generous
O for optimistic

Libra's Motto

"No person is an island."

L for loyal
I for inquisitive
B for balanced
R for responsible
A for altruistic

Scorpio's Motto

"You never know what you are capable of until you try."

S for seductive
C for cerebral
O for original
R for reactive
P for passionate
I for intuitive
O for outstanding

Sagittarius' Motto

"Towering genius disdains a beaten path."

S for seductive
A for adventurous
G for grateful
I for intelligent
T for trailblazing
T for tenacious adept
A for adept
R for responsible
I for idealistic
U for unparalled
S for sophisticated

Capricorn's Motto

"I can succeed at anything I put my mind to."

C for confident
A for analytical
P for practical
R for responsible
I for intelligent
C for caring
O for organized
R for realistic
N for neat

Aquarius' Motto

"There is no me, there is only we."

A for analytical
Q for quirky
U for uncompromising
A for action-focused
R for respectful
I for intelligent
U for unique
S for sincere

Pisces motto

"Where's reality?"

P for psychic

I for intelligent

S for surprising

C for creative

E for emotionally-driven

S for sensitive

The sweet and the sour

 

Last December, my employer decided to raise the starting minimum wage in order to be 'more competitive' and furthermore, give all of us an incentive to stay in that horrible environment. While everyone else was elated by the news, I had my trepidations. Why? Because, folks, I have definitely 'been around the block a few times' as the saying goes and I knew that we employees ("associates" as they refer to all of us) were going to pay the piper for it. Not only have we been pushed to work 10 hours a week overtime for a year now, but now we were informed that we are going to be forced to work mandatory Saturday's until the end of the year! The only time we can be 'excused' from it is if we work three Saturday's to get one off, OR we waste two PTO (paid time off)  days - Friday and Monday. My response to this BS is they can KEEP their pay raise - I want my life back. Period.

I have to be honest, this job has been THE WORST thing for my heath both medically and mentally. The initial reason I made an appointment with my new physician, Dr. Guiles, was because of the fact that my blood pressure was so high. Why do I blame my job for this? Well, besides the terrible stress of working there, my body has gotten so screwed up working second shift hours that I actually gained 50 (Yes, I said 50!) pounds in the two and a half years I have been employed there. 

As per my doctor's instructions, I have been keeping track of my blood pressure on a daily basis. It is still very high - 177 over 107. However, I have been taking the Collagen with Peptides for a week now (one scoop in my juice or tea twice a day) and it is too soon to really notice much of a difference (the Peptides are suppose to help bring my levels down). But, because Collagen is good for arthritic joints, I am beginning to feel a lot less pain in my bad knee. Happy about that. 😀

For example, money can not buy friendship. My case in point, the day after my birthday, my co-worker and friend, "Sweet Rosa" as I have nick-named her, surprised me at work with this beautiful and very thoughtful gift ... A Tree of Life gemstone necklace with rose gold.

 

I must add that the ONLY good thing that had come from working at this godforsaken job are the few good folks I have met! And I do not regret that.

Well, I didn't expect this!

Today, I received a package with my husband's name on it, so I did not open it. Lo and behold, it was a late arriving birthday addition ...

A couple of handmade shea butter soaps!