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Re: Cernunnos

Herne, God of the Wild Hunt

The Man Behind the Myth:

Although Herne is seen as an aspect of Cernunnos, the Horned God, in the Berkshire region of England there is actually a story behind the legend. According to folklore, Herne was a huntsman employed by King Richard II. In one version of the story, other men became jealous of his status and accused him of poaching on the King's land. Falsely charged with treason, Herne became an outcast among his former friends. Finally, in despair, he hung himself from an oak tree which later became known as Herne's Oak.

In another variation of the legend, Herne was fatally wounded while saving King Richard from a charging stag. He was miraculously cured by a magician who tied the antlers of the dead stag to Herne's head. As payment for bringing him back to life, the magician claimed Herne's skill in forestry. Doomed to live without his beloved hunt, Herne fled to the forest, and hanged himself, again from the oak tree. However, every night he rides once more leading a spectral hunt, chasing the game of Windsor Forest.

Shakespeare Gives a Nod:

In The Merry Wives of Windsor, the Bard himself pays tribute to the ghost of Herne, wandering Windsor Forest:

There is an old tale goes that Herne the Hunter,
Some time a keeper here in Windsor Forest,
Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight,
Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns;
And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle,
And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain
In a most hideous and dreadful manner.
You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know
The superstitious idle-headed eld
Receiv'd, and did deliver to our age,
This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth.

Herne as an Aspect of Cernunnos:

In Margaret Murray's 1931 book, God of the Witches, she posits that Herne is a manifestation of Cernunnos, the Celtic horned god. Because he is found only in Berkshire, and not in the rest of the Windsor Forest area, Herne is considered a "localized" god -- and could indeed be the Berkshire interpretation of Cernunnos.

The Windsor Forest area has a heavy Saxon influence. One of the gods honored by the original settlers of the region was Odin, who also hung at one point from a tree. Odin was also known for riding through the sky on a Wild Hunt of his own.

Lord of the Forest:

Around Berkshire, Herne is depicted wearing the antlers of a great stag. He is the god of the wild hunt, of the game in the forest. Herne's antlers connect him to the deer, which was given a position of great honor -- after all, killing a single stag could mean the difference between survival and starvation, so this was a powerful thing indeed.

Herne was considered a divine hunter, and was seen on his wild hunts carrying a great horn and a wooden bow, riding a mighty black horse and accompanied by a pack of baying hounds. Mortals who get in the way of the Wild Hunt are swept up in it, and often taken away by Herne, destined to ride with him for eternity. He's seen as a harbinger of bad omen, especially to the royal family. According to local legend, Herne only appears in Windsor Forest when needed, such as in times of national crisis.

Post found by Gypsy Genie on

http://witchesofthecraft.com/2015/05/01/deity-of-the-day-for-beltane-is-the-green-man-spirit-of-the-forest/

Re: Cernunnos

Cernunnos - Wild God of the Forest

Cernunnos is a horned god found in Celtic mythology. He is connected with male animals, particularly the stag in rut, and this has led him to be associated with fertility and vegetation. Depictions of Cernunnos are found in many parts of the British Isles and western Europe. He is often portrayed with a beard and wild, shaggy hair -- he is, after all, the lord of the forest.

With his mighty antlers, Cernunnos is a protector of the forest and master of the hunt. He is a god of vegetation and trees in his aspect as the Green Man, and a god of lust and fertility when connected with Pan, the Greek satyr. In some traditions, he is seen as a god of death and dying, and takes time to comfort the dead by singing to them on their way to the spirit world.

In Margaret Murray's 1931 book, God of the Witches, she posits that Herne the Hunter is a manifestation of Cernunnos. Because he is found only in Berkshire, and not in the rest of the Windsor Forest area, Herne is considered a "localized" god -- and could indeed be the Berkshire interpretation of Cernunnos. During the Elizabethan age, Cernunnos appears as Herne in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. He also embodies fealty to the realm, and guardianship of royalty.

In some traditions of Wicca, the cycle of seasons follows the relationship between the Horned God -- Cernunnos -- and the Goddess. During the fall, the Horned God dies, as the vegetation and land goes dormant, and in the spring, at Imbolc, he is resurrected to impregnate the fertile goddess of the land. However, this relationship is a relatively new Neopagan concept, and there is no scholarly evidence to indicate that ancient peoples might have celebrated this "marriage" of the Horned God and a mother goddess.

Because of his horns (and the occasional depiction of a large, erect phallus) Cernunnos has often been misinterpreted by fundamentalists as a symbol of Satan. Certainly, at times, the Christian church has pointed to the Pagan following of Cernunnos as "devil worship." This is in part due to nineteenth century paintings of Satan which included large, ram-like horns much like those of Cernunnos.

Today, many Pagan and Wiccan traditions honor Cernunnos as an aspect of the God, the embodiment of masculine energy and fertility and power.

Cernunnos

God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.

You are the man in the trees,
the green man of the woods,
who brings life to the dawning spring.
You are the deer in rut,
mighty Horned One,
who roams the autumn woods,
the hunter circling round the oak,
the antlers of the wild stag,
and the lifeblood that spills upon
the ground each season.

God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.

Bran the Blessed

BRAN THE BLESSED (Welsh, Pan-Celtic)Also Bran MacFebal. His name means 'crow', or 'Raven'. The brother of the mighty Manawydan ap Llyr (Ireland, Mannanan mac Lir) and Branwen; son of Llyr, and in Welsh sagas he is also the son of the Goddess Iweridd. Associated with ravens, he is the God of prophecy, the arts, leader, war, the Sun, music, writing. A master of the Isle of Britain, he is a cauldron-God, associated with a cauldron of regeneration which would revive the slain while leaving them voiceless.

The giant of a man set out with an army to avenge the ill-treatment of his sister Branwen by her husband, King Matholwch of Ireland who blamed her for an insult they endured at their wedding. Nothing would stop his army's progress, and he once laid down across the Shannon river so his forces could use him as a bridge to walk across.

In the Battle of the Trees, he could not be defeated unless someone could guess his name (a common mythological ploy in western Europe) and Gwyddion was able to do this. His forces won the battle, but he was fatally wounded by taking a poisoned arrow in the foot.

His cauldron destroyed, and he mortally wounded in a war to rescue his sister Branwen, he instructed his adherents to decapitate him and, after many travels, bear the head to London and bury it, where it would become a defense and a protection to the whole Isle.

His grieving troops took his head to their stronghold at Harlech for a period of seven years where it talked and offered warnings and divinations. It then sat eighty-seven years at Gwales (a place unknown today), then it was taken to London where it was set facing France so that is could warn of invasion.

Also: Benedigeidfran; Brennus (Gallic)

http://www.wiccantogether.com/group/amurderofcrows/forum/topics/corvidea-gods-and-goddesses

A beautiful page to visit full of wonderful information.

Your Celtic Astrology Sign

Attract the luck of the ancient Irish with your Celtic Astrology

Celtic Astrology is NOT just about a particular Irish holiday ... it's a year-round influence! So what's your Celtic tree sign? What about your Celtic color, animal ... gemstone? Learn all about your Celtic Astrology now!

For a detailed explanation of your complete Celtic Astrology, plus the meanings behind it all, get a personalized Celtic Astrology Report today.

While Western Astrology centers around the planet Earth, the 13 signs of Celtic Astrology are based on the cycle of the Moon. Long ago, the Celts imagined the universe as a tree with deep roots and neverending branches. Around 1000 B.C. people began to designate a tree for each Moon phase in the lunar calendar.

Each Celtic tree sign has different powers and meanings, along with corresponding spirit animals, a color, gemstone, and a Celtic "ogham" -- a symbolic letter of the Celtic alphabet meant to attract luck, protect from harm, and heighten each tree sign's unique powers.

Birch (Dec. 24 - Jan. 20)

You are renowned for having a fresh and unusual outlook on life. Your ogham is Beithe, which symbolizes beginnings, change, and fresh opportunities, and is therefore quite useful in times of transition. The animals associated with the Birch tree are the golden eagle and the white stag. Your color is white, and your gemstone is rock crystal (clear quartz).
Rowan (Jan. 21 - Feb. 17)

With the Rowan tree comes excellent taste. Your ogham is Luis, which represents strength in the areas of insight and discernment. The Celts linked the crane and the green dragon to the energy of the Rowan tree. Your color is gray and your gemstone is peridot.
Ash (Feb. 18 - March 17)

The Ash tree represents escape and peaceful solitude in Celtic Astrology. Your ogham is Nuin, which symbolizes peace and tranquility. The animals associated with the Ash tree are the seal, the seahorse, and the seagull. Your color is green and your gemstone is coral.
Alder (March 18 - April 14)

Under the sign of the Alder tree, you are famous for your bravado. The Alder tree's ogham is Fearn, which represents moral and physical courage, and should be invoked when you need to make a bold move in life. The bear, the fox, and the hawk are the animals the Celts associated with the Alder tree. Your color is red and your gemstone is the ruby.
Willow (April 15 - May 12)

Represented by the Willow tree, you are known for your vivid imagination. Your Celtic ogham is Saille, which embodies the principles of intuition, creativity and artistry to support that imagination. The animals associated with the Willow sign are the adder, the hare and the sea serpent. Your color is yellow and your gemstone is moonstone.
Hawthorn (May 13 - June 9)

People born under the sign of the Hawthorn tree are patient, thoughtful and hopeful. Your ogham is Huathe, which embodies the principle of restraint, providing you with optimism and keeping you from jumping the gun. The animals associated with the Hawthorn tree are the bee and the owl. Your color is purple and gemstone is topaz.
Oak (June 10 - July 7)

Represented by the Oak tree, you stand out for your reliability, diligence and emotional strength. Your ogham is Duir, which holds the powers of protection, ideal when you're about to undertake a difficult project. The wren, the otter, and the white horse are the animals the Celts associated with the Oak tree sign. Your color is black and your gemstone is the diamond.
Holly (July 8 - Aug. 4)

Under the Holly tree sign, you are celebrated for your physical strength and star power. Your ogham is Tinne, which represents additional strength and brilliance. The Celts associated the cat and the unicorn with the Holly tree. Your color is silver and your gemstone is carnelian.
Hazel (Aug. 5 - Sept. 1)

As a Hazel tree sign, you are prized for your intellect, maturity and perspective. Your ogham is Coll, which represents wisdom, and is therefore strongest when you are feeling tested or when you must put faith in your head over your heart. The crane and the salmon are the animals associated with the Hazel tree sign. Your color is brown and your gemstone is the amethyst.
Vine (Sept. 2 - Sept. 29)

The sign of the Vine carries an uninhibited nature and the strength of foresight. Your ogham is Muin, which symbolizes the power of prophecy and faraway thinking. The Celts linked the lizard, the hound and the white swan to the energy of the Vine. Your colors are pastels and your gemstone is the emerald.
Ivy (Sept. 30 - Oct. 27)

Represented by the Celtic tree sign Ivy, you are famous for your sheer determination and willpower. Your ogham is Gort, which symbolizes progress and aids in overcoming obstacles that stand in your path. The boar, the butterfly and the goose are the animals associated with the Ivy sign. Your color is blue and your gemstone is opal.
Reed (Oct. 28 - Nov. 24)

Under the sign of the Reed you are celebrated for your open-minded attitude and worldly sophistication. Your ogham is Ngetal, which symbolizes unity and is especially beneficial when you venture out of your comfort zone. The animals associated with the Reed sign are the hound and the owl. Your color is orange and your gemstone is jasper.
Elder (Nov. 25 - Dec. 23)

The energy of the Elder sign is wise beyond its years. Your ogham is Ruis, which represents maturity, and is beneficial when you must come to terms with a difficult situation or heal from heavy emotional pain. The Celts linked the badger, the black horse and the raven to the energy of the Elder tree. Your color is gold and your gemstone is jet.

http://www.tarot.com/astrology/celtic-signs

Look up your birth date on the infographic below to learn about your Celtic sign, and the lucky talismans that come with it. Click the image to view it full size, and don't forget to share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest!

Macha Irish war Goddess

Macha is an Irish war Goddess, strongly linked to the land. Several Goddesses or heroines bear Her name, but She is generally thought of as one aspect of the triple death Goddess the Mórrígan ("Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen"), consisting of Macha "Raven," Badb "Scald Crow" or "Boiling," and Nemain "Battle Fury." Macha is associated with both horses and crows.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/476677941784632452/

Re: Goddess Brigid

You can call on Brigit for almost anything you like. Call on her for crafting, fire magick, fertility magick, inspiration, childbirth, animal magick and healing. Her tarot card is the Empress. Her other symbols are the heart (an ancient symbol of feminine power), fire, blackberries, wells, shields, milk, lamb, and of course the white cow.

Other pronunciations for Brigit is Brid (Breed), Bridget, Bride and Brighid, meaning "brigh", which means "power".

Also by the way She is also known as a slayer of serpents if a person didn't know that.

From the book "Celtic, Myth and Magic" by Edain McCoy.

Re: Goddess Brigid

Symbols
The Serpent
One of her symbols is a white snake that spirals upon a wand. 'La Bride breith an earaich, thig an dearrais as an tom.' (The Day of Bride, the Birthday of Spring, the Serpent emerges from the knoll.
Moch maduinn Bhride, Thig an nimhir as an toll; Cha bhoin mise ris an nimhir, Cha bhoin an nimhir rium.
Early on Bride's morn, the serpent will come from the hollow. I will not molest the serpent, nor will the serpent molest me. (The Greek Caduceus also has a snake motif for a healing symbol.)

19 is her sacred number. There were nineteen virgins who kept her perpetual flame in the monastery at Kildare. Prayer beads are made from 19 milk-white stones dedicated to the saint. (I have a necklace of 19 white quartz beads, with a Brigit's cross attached.) Spells invoking Brigit take 19 days. For instance, lighting a special candle dedicated to her for 19 days along with prayers of supplication. 3 is also a sacred number, as Brighid is a 'Triple Goddess'.

Colours
White (geal) is her colour, and symbolizes purity. It is also the colour of her sacred food – milk and milk products. White also brings to mind the pristine snowy landscape during her festival in early February.
Red (ruadh) is also her colour, the colour of the hearth fire.
Blue (gorm). In Christian tradition, her mantle is blue, which is also associated with the Virgin Mary.
Green (glas). Her mantle is also said to be green, a colour associating her with faeries. Ireland is sometimes described as her green mantle.

The Swan
According to Robert Graves, one of her symbols was the White Swan.
Black the town yonder,
Black those that are in it,
I am the White Swan,
Queen of them all.

Cloak or Mantle
Brigit wore a healing cloak that she once hung on a beam of sunlight. Perhaps that is the inspiration for the traditional blue cloaks nurse's once wore.

White Candle
Brigit's feast day is also called Feill-Brìde, Candlemas, a time when candles are blessed by the Saint. A white candle should be dedicated specifically to the Saint and kept on her altar. Better still, a white candle with three wicks.

Anvil
As patroness of Blacksmiths, the anvil, or any blacksmith's tool, is an appropriate symbol of the Goddess and Saint.

The Raven
Raven is associated with Imbolc, the Feast of Saint Brigit, because it is the first bird to nest in the Highlands, around the beginning of February. 'Cuirear fitheach chon na nide', (The raven goes to prepare his nest).

Sacred Woods
Both the Goddess and the Saint are reputed to own a white wand, made of birch or willow.
According to her prayer card, in Catholic tradition, her sacred wood is vine. She is also associated with oak, as her church at Kildare was built in a nemeton, a traditional Druids' oak grove.

Brigit's Cross
While tending a dying Chieftain, the Saint prayed and wove an equal arm cross from the rushes on the floor. When the dying man asked her about it, she told him about the salvation of Jesus Christ, and he agreed to be baptized before he died. In more ancient times, this was her symbol as a solar deity. Brigit's crosses can be made with either three or four legs.

The cross is usually hung above the front door of the home to protect it. Children's crosses are hung above their beds. Crosses were hung in the barn over the byre. The old cross is burned in the hearth fire on Saint Brigit's eve, while the new one is made for the saint to bless for the new year.

http://www.druidry.org/library/gods-goddesses/brigit

Re: Goddess Brigid

St. Bride's Day, Scotland
In the Scottish version, the Cailleach, the old Goddess of Winter, transforms herself into Bride on this day by drinking from the Tobar Og (Well of Youth). With her white wand, she touches the ground and the flowers of spring emerge. In her aspect as Cailleach at the onset of winter, her blackthorn staff shrivels the growth into barren winter.
'Bride with her white wand is said to breathe life into the mouth of the dead winter and bring him to open his eyes to the tears, and the smiles, the sighs and the laughter of Spring. The venom of the cold is said to tremble for its safety on Bride's Day, and to flee for its life on Saint Patrick's Day , 'Chuir Bride miar 's an abhuinn la na Feill Bride' (Bride put her finger in the river on the Feast Day of Bride ).

In another legend, the Cailleach Bheur (the old woman of winter the highlands of Scotland) ended summer with her blackthorn staff, banging it on the ground three times to signal the beginning of winter. With her severe presence came the winter gales and icy storms. The snow was her white mantle. Angus Og, the Celtic God of Love, was the handsome son of the Cailleach.
The Cailleach kept the Maiden of Spring, the Goddess Brighid prisoner, as her slave, making her life wretched with the hard work. Angus, who lived in the land of Everlasting Youth, saw Brighid one day in a vision, fell instantly in love, and was determined to marry her. But the Cailleach, his mother, knew that if he married Brighid, who in reality was the Sovereignty of the Land, Angus would become king, and would no longer be ruled by his mother, who would be deposed.

It was still winter, and travel was impossible. Yet Angus was determined. He borrowed three days from the summer months and the sun appeared and melted the snow, and he travelled to the Grampian Mountains, his mother's abode. He searched and searched, but could not find his maiden, until he heard her sad voice singing in the forest near his mother's castle as she gathered wood. When he found her, she looked up at him and she, too, was smitten with love. The day he found her was February 1st, and was known as Bride's Day from that day forth, the beginning of Spring. In her footsteps the early spring flowers, snow drops, emerged from beneath the snow.

His furious mother had her vengeance on the couple. She mounted the forces of winter against them, borrowing days from the harsh mid-winter, causing devastation to the newly emerged flowers and young animals. But her power was waning and the love between Angus and his Bride were too strong for her. The Cailleach withdrew from the landscape, and turned to into a large grey stone, biding her time until the other side of the year when the Queen of Winter would reign again.

On the night of Imbolc Eve, the women of the household make a brìdeag, or dealbh Bride, a corn dolly of wheat, rushes, or grain from the last of the harvest. She is decorated with shells, stones, ribbons and early spring flowers, such as snow drops and primrose. A crystal is sometimes put over the heart to represent the 'Guiding Star of Bride'. The doll is placed in a 'Bride's bed' of woven wheat, a basket, or a cradle, which was placed near the front door of the cottage with a white candle burning nearby all night. In some traditions, the bed is put near the hearth. A white wand (birch, willow) is sometimes placed with the dolly to represent the wand of Brigit in legend. The woman of the house goes outside and cries out, 'Brigit, Brigit, come in. Thy bed is ready.' three times. In other traditions, she exclaims 'Brigit is come! Brigit is welcome!' Candles are often left out overnight for the Saint to bless. Also strips of cloth, representing the cloak of Brighid, which are used for healing throughout the year. An offering of a bonnach Bride (bannack) was left for the saint.

In a more public ceremony, the village girls, all dressed in white, carried the brìdeag in a procession throughout the town. The townspeople were required to give the group a gift of flowers, food (Bannocks, butter, cheese), in gratitude to the Saint for the year's bounty. They finally gathered at the end of the day in a particular home, to put the Bride to bed and prepare for the feast the next day. Young men would come to pay their respects to the Bride, and there would be a ceilidh, with dancing and singing. At dawn, the group would sing a hymn to Brighid, and distribute the food to the poor.
In Barra, Scotland, fisherman cast lots for fishing banks after church services on Bride's Day. The priest 'recited the virtues and blessings of Bride, and the examples to be drawn from her life.'

In the Outer Hebrides, women meet to make an image of the Maiden aspect of the Goddess, or Brighid. The doll is dressed in white, and a crystal is placed over its heart. She is placed in a cradle. Brighid is invited into the house by the female head of the household, and sacred songs and chants are sung in Her honour.
Alexander Carmichael states that,

Dedications to Bride are common throughout Great Britain and Ireland. From these traditional observations, it will be seen that Bride and her services are near to the hearts and lives of the people. In some phases of her character, she is much more to them than Mary is.

Re: Goddess Brigid

Wales
In Wales, Saint Brigit is called Saint Ffraid. There are many churches called Llansantffraid which were dedicated to her. A Medieval Welsh traveling prayer, 'Saint Ffraid, bless us on our journey.'

Brenin, the Welsh word for King, means consort of Brigantia.

Picts
Each Pictish king was given a Bruide name (a throne name), in his manifestation as the consort of Brigantia. The Picts are thought to be an early Brythonic tribe of Celts who settled in Scotland.

Isle of Man
In Manx legend, Saint Brigid came to the Isle of Man to receive the veil from Saint Maughold. Her feast day is known as Laa'l Breeshey in the Manx language, (which is similar to Irish and Scots Gaelic.) The lady of the house placed rushes by the hearth for a bed for the saint, then called out, 'Brede, Brede, tar gys my thie tar dyn thie ayms noght Foshil jee yn dorrys da Brede, as ihig da Brede e heet staigh' Translation: 'Brigid, Brigid, come to my house, come to my house tonight. Open the door for Brigid and let Brigid come in.'

Cornwall
In St. Ives, Cornwall, Saint Ea day is celebrated around the first of February with music and guising. Saint Ea was said to have floated to Cornwall from Ireland on an ivy leaf. They dress the Saint's well, which is famous for curing diseases, especially of the eyes. Heated pennies are thrown to children from the balcony of the town hall. A silver ball is passed around until noon, and whoever has it when the bell strikes, is rewarded. The pennies and the ball are solar symbols. Thus, the themes of fire and water are acknowledged in the ceremony.

Ireland
Oíche Fhéile Bríde, the eve of the Feast of Bride in Ireland was celebrated by bands of children carrying a Bride doll from home to home. Women brought out cake and ale and invited neighbours in for a ceilí, to welcome Brigit. Milk products – butter, cheese and milk, were always served. The Saint herself was said to be abroad that night with her sacred white cow, blessing farmsteads and homes. People left out a piece of cloth, representing the brat Bríde, a piece of her sacred mantle, for the saint to bless as she passed by, which would be used to heal people and animals, especially in giving birth, the coming year. An offering of food for the saint and her cow was left in exchange.

In the Leitram – Donegal area of Ireland, families gather on St. Brigid's Eve. Rushes would have been gathered and left at the door until the ceremony began, at midnight. At the appointed time, a designated person covers her or his head and knocks at the door. The Bean an Tighe (woman of the house) welcomes Brigid, saying 'Fáilte leat a Bhríd' (Welcome Brigid), to which the newcomer replies, 'Beannacht Dé ar daoine an tighe seo.' (God bless the people of this house.) Holy water is sprinkled on the rushes, which are then brought into the house. All participate in making new Brigid's crosses or Celtic crosses for the year, and burning the ones from the previous year.