Like paganism itself, Sex Magick is the target of misinterpretation and controversy; however, it is also the object of fascination and interestis it our satyric nature? When I asked my newsletter readers for coming-of-age memories, the responses I received were a wonderful testament to the mother-daughter bond at menarche. Menstrual Blood Magic - 13 Ways to Use Your Period In Spells A womans ability to bleed without dying was considered a magical power and it was understood that her oracular senses heightened during this dark moon time, when the mystical stem cells encoded with the wisdom of creation had peaked in their fullness and were being shed from her body to be offered back to the Earth for the well being of the entire community. Cranes were the sacred birds of the druids, kept as royal pets, and revered for their mystical characteristics. where you lodge, I will lodge; Menopause is similarly Halloween has become a childrens In the absence of culturally approved vision quests, meaningful coming-of-age ceremonies, or genuine tests of physical and psychological strength, too many young teens fill the void with drugs, alcohol, dangerous relationships, or compulsive consumerism. and your God my God. Receive your FREE 40 page guide filled with ritual, magic, ceremony, and feminine embodiment rituals, as gateways to reclaim the wild red river of your powerful womb, your Whore, and the pure white river of your tender heart, your Virgin, weaving yourself as the wholeness you are. Renew your spiritual life and community worship with these adaptations of ancient Christian practices. These rituals celebrated times when the boundary between this world and The Otherworld was thinnest. Keep writing, hope to see you at red hot and ladylike, casco bay movers.. Dr. Northrup I just completed reading your newest book, The Secret Pleasures of Menopause, while on a two week vacation in Hawaii with my husband celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season, and the beginning of winter. I used moon cups for many years until one day my yoni said no and I have since honored that through free bleeding and menstrual cloths. Sexual Practices of the Druids - Inner Traditions Matthew 2:13. Today, modern womb shamans and tantric practitioners describe accessing altered states of consciousness through love making during times of menstruation, for both the man and the woman. An honor? If on the the other hand you fantasize with your partner about something you both would like to try out or if you are single about someone you feellovetowards, then you will attract loving people into your space. And we will try to imagine what it looks like, TheNOWTeam says: To paint our dreams without it needing to be anything for anyone but us. Always. The Celtic imagination considers sacred places to be thin, or places where the veil between the worlds, meaning heaven and earth, seem especially near to each other. Each morning she gets up at sunrise and runs toward the rising sun. It is a full shedding of the lining that would have created a human being had insemination and implantation occurred at the time of ovulation. Description. ritual Celtic The menstrual blood will activate its powers faster. You can then soak the towel in water the next day to collect your blood and offer it back to the earth or your garden in sacred ceremony. Ruth 1:16, Christ with me, Christ before me Perhaps the most important and healing thing we can do during our moon time is simply that. To sing medicine songs or whatever soothes our hearts. Invoked a prayer to my ancestors for guidance and protection. Celtic Christian spirituality refers to a set of practices and beliefs in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales that developed in the early fifth century during the development of the monastic tradition. However, all provide a clear boundary between childhood and adulthood, and represent the moment when the child assumes his or her responsibilities to the rest of the community. YES YES YES Gregor explains that, A pair of trowsers hung at the foot of the bed had the same effect (4) for some reason. Rituals occur surprisingly often within our everyday lives. Bleeding directly onto the earth, whether through dark clothing or without clothing, can literally bridge the illusion of disconnect between us and her. It could even be one of the suggested texts in this article. NOW If you have a particular deity you call upon, feel free to change names or attributes around where needed. From the red wine sipped from the chalice (the womb) by Jesus and his disciples and in modern times sipped through holy communion, to the red apples that grow on the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, nothing but the blood of Christ can truly wash away and heal our sins. and to walk humbly with your God? The unfolding of the seasons was an overarching template for the Celtic imagination. However, when working with Sexual Magick, there is no fantasizing over outside influences or erotic situations you would like to experience. Having grown up in unique circumstances; learning about ancient teachings, alchemy and shamanic rituals, one would say sex magick was part of my education. This was the perfect union of the masculine with the divine feminine. From this place, my desire is to create a community in Celtic Sisterhood where we can be in ritual and co-create ritual together. The next time you make a sigil or servitor, empower it with menstrual blood. For many years I bled with the full moon through moon bathing, and eventually my cycle changed to bleeding with the new moon as I was guided deeper into the red current and the shadow side of nature. or is it that our subconscious knows there is more to the story? something beautiful and powerful meant to help us transcend when properly used. The hand fasting Therefore, when we have the combination of the energy of a group, the power of the magical ritual will be exponential. One of the best ways to remember your dreams is to place a journal and pen by your bed at night and then ask God for a dream before sleep. and find rest for your souls. Then she underwent an endurance ritual in which she was taken far out to sea and left to make her way home by swimming back to land. Become aware each time you cross a threshold. Travelers especially faced dangers at night from thieves or wild animals with only fire and prayer as protection. He led me through the forest and eventually to a clearing in the land where I saw what resembled the Mound of Hostages, a 5,000 year old Neolithic passage tomb at the Hill of Tara. NOW A dear friend of mine Hannah Dyson of Soul Seed Gathering shared with me once that an indigenous elder of the Kogi tribe of Colombia explained to her how westerners feel ungrounded and uprooted because their placentas were never buried into the earth at the time of their birth. However, many others view handfasting as a ritual of betrothal, part of the Year and a Day custom, so you might see it at either type of ceremony. MATERIALIZE In doing so you are wasting energy and depleting the brain of its natural resources. You can use Communing with the lunar self and the night time self, the dark yin qualities of life, is equally as important as connecting with the sun self and the day time self, the yang qualities of life. Many Irish saints had meaningful dreams as well. From lighting candles to layering colors of sand, there's a wedding ceremony ritual to fit every couple's style. And so, I decided to take it out of my dreamworld and into my awake time, creating a ritual around it. This was a continuation of the older Druidic tradition, which was primarily an oral culture that prized memorization rather than writing. Owen, L. (1998). Genesis 9:1213, Another key practice for the Celtic saints was having a soul friend, inspired by earlier desert traditions. By Kristen J. Sollee. You are probably familiar with the lorica prayer above, attributed to St. Patrick. or to turn back from following you! Corrguinecht translates as crane-killing or heron-killing. If youre new to yoni steaming, this is a self care practice dating back to ancient Egypt. Druids were also called upon to impart justice and to counsel monarchs. Then, from the shadows arose an enormous figure who I instantly recognised as Queen Medb. Genesis 17:12. Your womb is an oracle and while menstruating the crimson tides that govern our emotional and creative selves are at their peak. The sacred Mayan Goddess Ixcacao has long been celebrated for her powers to melt open the heart and reconnect humanity with the sacred dance of life. Menstrual Rites and History - jessicaxolewis.co As I sit here and write, Im amidst creating a ritual handbook for the women who join the Banron Mystery School on the summer solstice. Are you having a laugh? I thought, In my dreamworld I was faced with jurassic creatures and now I have to follow you into an ancient grave?. Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. On the last night, all the people, led by their shaman, stay up all night praying for the girl and her family. Each time I contemplated stepping on to the grass, strange jurassic creatures would run across my path, teeth chomping and snarling. I consider this a mermaid ritual, honoring the emotional self, the watery self, the lunar self. Spend time each morning with these lines, repeating them gently to yourself until you have learned them by heart and then recall them throughout the day. 22 Sacred Rituals for Honoring Your Menstrual Cycle Bring the prayers of your heart and ask God for signs and symbols to guide you on the way. This was a person in whom they could confide all of their inner struggles, someone who would help them find their path and who could midwife them in discernment. Cameron, A. In Genesis the story goes that Eves punishment for eating the apple is to forever suffer through labor pains during childbirth and to bleed every month. Why is the ritual so important? More on her website camillewillemain.com. TM and Copyright @ 20012023 Christiane Northrup, Inc. All rights reserved. I love to make a warm golden milk blend with coconut milk, raw honey, maca powder for balancing hormones, and a big scoop of cacao to drink during bathtime. As our wombs are literally shedding and regenerating, it is an incredible time to consciously shed and release past patterns, cycles, karmic relationships, and lovers who have physically and energetically entered us through the womb. NOVA QUANTUM BEINGS Our own societys rites of passage seem superficial in comparison. Also during this preparation period it is important all participants develop self-knowledge and awareness, so they may take advantage of the power of their sexuality when they need it. How have you been invited to surrender into trust? During the renovations of the house and estate, another passage tomb was unearthed. In August my youngest went off to college, making me an official empty-nester. The preparation indicates several activities, for example it is the period in which the objective is clarified and the enchantment is formulated; the construction in word of the intention you want to achieve through the magick ritual. This was a spell or curse intended to harm, practiced by the druids. I find that the enjoyment of my menstrual cycle largely depends on the preparations that precede it. Many of these practices have roots in desert spirituality; Celtic monks considered the teachings of the desert mothers and fathers essential wisdom. When you fantasize you attract, which means if you fantasize over empty animalistic things or people, you will not attract those specific people, instead you will attract worst; people with horrible energy who will come into your space and who will most likely just use and discard of you. This is the Irish word for desert and refers to a place of solitude and silence, a retreat for those who long for a more intimate encounter with God and where attention can be cultivated with few distractions. Bonfire Sacrifice Ritual and Costumes Why Your Psoas Muscle Is The Most Vital Muscle in Your Body. Both serious practitioners and characters in witchy lore are known for their abilities to unleash primal desires. We can begin to see the everyday things of our lives as openings into the depths of the world. Each tribe would have its own royal site where the inauguration would happen. Make time for contemplative walks outside in your neighborhood. In the month after a girl gets her first period, her entire extended family gathers together for a ceremony that takes place over four days. Most of the time such power is lost and rather than being incorporated and used for our own health or to achieve a purpose, we simply expulse it without gathering its many benefits. Celtic pre-Christian culture, dating back to 500 B.C.E., permeated the land, and these beliefs also strongly influenced Celtic spiritual practices. I lay down on the cold ground and she on top of me like a thin, translucent veil. Your email address will not be published. The Secret Sex Lives Of Witches - BUST Matter is infused with the divine presence and offers glimpses of the world behind the surface of things. Beltane WebThe essential ritual in Celtic Weddings is the handfasting ceremony The handfasting ceremony involves 13 ribbons, each with their own symbolic meaning. AND PLEASE NOTICE Otherwise, as I mentioned above you can soak your cloths in a jar of water and then offer your blood this way. In a collective culture where many of us have been discouraged and silenced in our deepest emotional states, its no wonder these feelings can bubble up and full on erupt at the surface during our moon time. This Celtic tradition is still observed by some minorities today. The biblical inspiration may come from Ephesians 6:14, which refers to putting on the breastplate of righteousness. Consider writing a blessing of gratitude for each of the ordinary things that sustain you during the day. According to menstrual researcher Lara Owen, this is considered to be the most important of all their rituals because it brings new life to the tribe. When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am. Then he said, Come no closer! HERE WE GO These words resonated with me deeply, and I often feel when I am bleeding onto the earth that I am planting my own roots deeper down into the ground, reaffirming my right to be a daughter of nature. Samhain - Traditions, Halloween, Wicca - HISTORY The number of rounds varies but is often three to reflect the sacredness of that number in the Celtic imagination. They likely would have memorized all 150 psalms, as their days were intertwined with their imagery. QUANTUM KEY Before she committed to this ceremony, the sovereignty goddess often appeared in different forms using her shapeshifting powers to test the worthiness of a prospective king. The magical rituals of pagan traditions are surrounded by mystery and some are considered by religion as harmful, for they take away the power of the church and put it back on the hands of each person; hence respecting free will. As a result, much of Celtic Christianity can be characterized by a strongly incarnational theology: The natural world, in particular, reveals the sacramentality of all creation. Chris ,read your new book in less then an hour loved it and laughed out loud many many times you are a true inspiration as well as a charactor must be the mainer that comes out in you! In fact, it is not only possible, but the right of every woman to experience menstruation as ecstatic, blissful, profound, deeply healing, and even orgasmic. WebAs far as is known, the Celts had no temples before the Gallo-Roman period; their ceremonies took place in forest sanctuaries. In short, she is preparing to become a more independent member of her family and society. A marriage between the king who represented people and culture, and the sovereignty goddess who represented nature and the land. The menstrual period is no sin; it is, in fact, a purely natural process. When offering your blood back to the earth you may wish to also offer anything you are ready to release. But the fact that nature is thus disturbed, that it appears stained even against human will this is the result of a sinSo if a pious woman reflects upon these things and wishes not to approach communion, she is to be praised. The outpouring of loving, gentle, wise advice was immensely touching. Do not press me to leave you Christ behind me, Christ in me Just as God can speak through the words of the scriptures, so can we hear the voice of the divine in the elements and in creatures. Ask to be guided, to enter into the deeper realms of your womb, and then simply trust and allow what you see. This time the creatures were nowhere to be seen, and so I followed the hare. So, with much hesitancy, we did. Ones purpose is to achieve something greater, the other is meant to destroy self. Let your daughters mood and personality determine what is best. Im so full of gr agus buochas, love and gratitude, to Bran, to Medb, and to my intuitive-self for following. Especially if you have children or live with a partner or roommates, its important to create a sacred private space only for you. The distorted perception that a woman is unclean during her menstrual cycle and thus is banished from temples, ceremonies, and the community at large, traces back to the true sacred ritual of a woman retreating during her moon time not because she was unclean but because she was so tapped into otherworldly dimensions and so connected to her deep power that she needed time and space to integrate her visions, emotions, and downloads. In the tradition of the original Celtic festival, Wiccan groups that worship Brigid might include fire rituals on Imbolc. And then I will hold you tight and hold you long and together we will stare into silence. The first fundamental principlerefers to the fact there is a collective cosmic energy which forms and makes possible everything that surrounds us, everything that exists; both physical beings and non-physical realities, both living and inanimate beings, everything is formed, penetrated, meshed and possible thanks to this collective cosmic energy; as such it is then obvious we are formed by this energy. 1 Kings 19:1112. When she arrived onshore, she was greeted by her entire village. Today we focus on the Celts, ancient peoples who lived in Europe more than 2000 years ago. (Again, this was a luxury, as we werent the type of family to buy everything we wanted.) http://www.kayajewellery.co.uk/mother-daughter-jewellery/mother-and-daughter-necklaces-silver/. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. WebMenstrual blood is perfect for charging sigils and servitors in Chaos Magick. All Rights Reserved |, Embrace the theology we learn from family stories, Younger Catholics are seeking new models of sainthood, Pray with the four elements to connect to God and the Earth. Now. WebCeltic Wicca is a modern form of Wicca that incorporates some elements of Celtic mythology. Despite what many of us have personally experienced and been conditioned to believe, our moon time is not a punishment for our original sin, a curse we inherited by product of being a woman, nor designed to be painful and insufferable. Blood mysteries have been hidden into the very fabric of all of our creation stories, of our westernized religions, and into the fairytales that whisper to us the mysteries of the long forgotten, shamed, and demonized red river of consciousness. Sex is the X factor in witchcraft. According to menstrual researcher Lara Owen, this is considered to be the most important of all their rituals because it brings new life to the tribe. Indulging in cacao during your moon time can help you invoke the spirit of Ixcacao as well as nourish your body with magnesium and antioxidants that pure raw cacao is rich in. Micah 6:8. Much like offering your blood to the earth, you can also offer your blood back to the great feminine womb of the waters, especially the ocean if you happen to be near one. but to do justice, and to love kindness, It has been my personal experience that the physical pain, emotional turbulence, and challenges many women face during their moon time is the womb communicating through her the ancestral pain we have collected in a world that has forgotten our true nature. Nowadays, modern Celtic groups are putting into practice their ancient traditions, in particular the Druids of the Welsh tradition, who have revitalized Celtic Magick rituals based on the reconstruction and the incorporation of new elements and knowledge, which allows them to adapt their rituals to current times they have managed to implement magical rituals that harness the power of sexuality. It's believed that we form rituals based on our values. It amazes me to find two completelydifferentcultures, share something so powerful in common. You may wish to create a ritual for this, along with giving your blood to the earth, journaling intentions, or anything else that connects you to your feminine nature, and either collect some of your blood in a moon cup or receive it directly from your yoni. Our agitation, anger, and emotional eruptions that can accompany our moon time can likely be attributed to our heightened sensitivity and need for more rest, alone time, and self care. The comments in your blog about shame and loss really rang true for me. To just be. Please use your own discernment when reading the content shared on this website. Consider making a pilgrimage to a landscape that feels especially sacred to you, whether desert, mountain, sea, river, or plains. Womb meditations are also potent during this time, and you may find it very powerful to simply sit with your womb, offer loving presence, and ask for anything that she may be holding to be seen by you. BE FREE LOVE PLAY You may wish to go around in circle and share from the heart while practicing compassionate listening without feedback, to draw oracle cards, to massage one another, to drink cacao, to gently and sensually dance, or simply to rest in a cuddle puddle and receive the physical coherence of community. Imbolc Christ on my right, Christ on my left To offer your blood back to the earth, go somewhere that feels sacred and intentional to you. There is an ancient Hopi prophecy that goes,"When the women give their blood back to the earth, men will come home from war and earth shall find peace. Many women today are reclaiming the sacredness of their blood and choosing to rewrite the narrative that this time weve been told is a curse is in fact the greatest blessing we can offer our world. Thank You. They were immersed in this poetry and ancient call to see God active in the whole world. None of the monks say the same three things, which open us up to the possibility that what is essential to one person will be different to another. This is a potent time to journal the visions, images, and messages that come to you, especially in your dreams. Ritual is an integral part of the Celtic School of Embodiment because when performed as a self-honouring practice, it can bring us home to our bodies, to the essence of who we are. WebDepending on the tradition, ritual tools may be gifted at first menses, such as chalices and cauldrons, which represent the woman's genitals and womb. Yes! The ancient ways of the red tent are reviving themselves once again, as women are coming together in sacred circle to hold, support, and honor one another during bleeding time. In what ways did you resist or ignore the holy impulses? I placed an oracle card with a hare on my altar. How many times have you wasted your energy fantasizing about a damaging image or scene on TV/Computer? There are pattern days associated with different holy places and a set number of rounds to walk in specific places along with certain prayers. I wrote to my circle of female friends and family, asking them each to help me celebrate Molly from afar by sending a card, note, or reading that they would want to share with her whenever the day came. Your email address will not be published. When raising energy with a partner, what does the couple want to achieve; a deeper connection, success, power, fertility? If you appreciate what we do, please support us. Enter your email to receive notifications of new posts. This goddess ritual honors the feminine, while also celebrating our female ancestors. This is because the explosive energies of individuation that are released at puberty require some kind of container in which they can be channeled constructively. To free yourself from worrying about bleeding on your sheets and bedding, get yourself a set of dark red sheets to use specifically during your menstrual cycle and lay down a big thick red towel or blanket to lay on as you bleed through the night. St. Ita of Killeedy focused on faith, simplicity, and generosity. This is a neo-pagan and pan-Indianist movement in the Americas. Celtic Wiccan Wedding Rituals: Handfasting: For many Wiccans, handfasting is an essential part of the marriage rite. your people shall be my people, A curse? In addition, the ritual provides stimulus for the emotions, because the mind understands rituals and parables, their emotions feel more concrete and elevated; adding more energy which makes the spirit feel good and stimulates the imagination helping picture in detail the goal at hand as if it was a real thingall this works as a great bridge of additional energy which adds power to the ritual and therefore to the goal at hand. Isnt it interesting that the liquid once considered the nectar of immortality and the blood of Christ now makes many of us squeamish? Celebrating a Girls First Period | Christiane Northrup, M.D. I could not cross the threshold. To cook ourselves nourishing foods as an act of self love and self care. The steam rising from my coffee, the bird singing from a tree branch outside my window, the doorbell announcing a friends arrival, the meal that nourishes my body for service all bring me closer to Gods grace. Three is a sacred number in the Celtic tradition, and often the saints expressed their own desires or commitments in terms of the number three. I felt safe to do so because of the ritual I had created. LOVE MASTERY They surrendered themselves completely to the wind and ocean and let themselves be carried to what they called the place of their resurrection, the place where they would live and work, die and be buried, and where their remains would await their resurrection on the Last Day. Celtic religion - Beliefs, practices, and institutions | Britannica Do you see it as sacred? T he association of menstruation with sacredness is reinforced in Tantric practices such as Yoni Puja (worship of the female Yoni), wherein a ritual worship is carried out not only of a woman, but also of her Yoni or Vagina, which is perceived to be a symbol of the Cosmic Yoni from which the entire universe has emerged. Wicca terms and definitions Like the druids, cranes are secretive birds but use their bodies through performance and dance to establish social relationships, make territorial claims and educate their young.