GREEN BROTHERHOOD IN THE MOTHER CITY

2010-08-29T01:24:00.001-07:00

"The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.

In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.In ruling, be just.
In business, be competent.
In action, watch the timing."

Questions...

2010-08-29T01:11:00.001-07:00

SO HOW MANY ARE THERE OF YOU?
WHAT TO YOU DO ACTUALLY?

New prospective members always ask the above mentioned questions...

So I thought I might as well put it out there for everyone to read...

WHO WE ARE (so far...)
We are a small group. It is me, my partner (though he is more of an Agnostic Deist), Mark (the philosopher), Gabriel (spiritual teacher) and then we have two or three rotating members.
I have advertised, but the response is minimal... We all have an interest in Paganism and the growth and healing that it can provide.

WHAT DO WE DO?

We meet now at the Hout Bay Buddhist centre that has a huge garden. Usually Sundays at 4PM nearest the relevant Sabbath. Sept 19th or 26th we will meet again for Eostre / Spring equinox...

On the give day we meet, usually catch up whith each other, then start to talk about the themes of the ritual, the changes symbolized in nature, then we have an activity, meditate a bit, before we lay out an altar, and then start a candle magick ritual honoring a god and goddess to invoke those certain strengths in ourselves. We focus on what we want to achieve/ get rid off...

Afterwards we have snacks talk about the ritual, the next phase of the year... and set a date for the next Sabbath meeting..
We are all in our early to late 30's, and open to any sincere spirit to join us and widen our circle...

We are hoping to help others set up a spiritual practice and to develop themselves through this spiritual path...

If you go to our blog, you will find a lot of info
http://gay-pagans-cape-town.blogspot.com/

Blessed Be

Green Phoenix

Eish! It's ESHU!

2010-08-29T01:09:00.000-07:00

GOD OF THE WEEK:

ESHU: Very popular Trickster God. Particularly keen on Opportunity, Communication and Instant Messaging.

ESHU directs traffic along the Road of Life from his abode at the Crossroads of Fortune. If you're faced with an important choice or a powerful opportunity, ESHU can offer advice to help swing things your way.

A super-speedy go-between, he can carry complaints to the Gods, questions to the spirit world, and messages to any living thing.
With his connections, ESHU can be a powerful ally. But he's also a God with a sense of humor and will often throw a spanner in the works to keep life interesting. This could explain why we don't always get what we want.

Be careful — this God of crossroads is also a master of cross-purposes.

SEX KITTEN

2010-08-08T11:37:00.001-07:00

BAST: Daughter of RA, BAST is the cat-headed Goddess of Fertility, Sensuality and Fire Prevention. She also has a flair for avenging wrongs and is feisty enough for the Greeks to have identifed her with ARTEMIS.

Her official headquarters appears to have been at Bubastis on the Nile Delta, where she had an annual festival. A lot of water has flowed down the Nile since then and festivals are few and far between. Why not hold your own cat festival? It may do you and your cats the power of good.

BAST was a very useful Goddess who performed a vital public service. In the event of fire, her cat servants would run into the flames to draw out the power. These were the original fire extinguishers.

Sadly this practise did lead to a few charred cats. However, cats were revered in Egypt and we're sure there was no deliberate cruelty involved. After all, with nine lives, they might come back, albeit slightly singed. The Egyptians must have been very grateful for these fire-fighting services, as dead cats were mummified and sent to join BAST in the spirit world.

There's a tendency nowadays to regard BAST as the Goddess of Sex and Lesbians, but that has more to do with modern sex-kittens. Cats are very sensual animals but you don't want to get scratched.

We feel sure it is due to BAST's powers that we now have smoke alarms and catflaps, so never underestimate the power of the original cat-woman. Be kind to cats. And remember, kind to cats means tough on icky rats.

Blessed Be,

GReen Phoenix.

IMBOLC RITUAL!!!

2010-07-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is our IMBOLC RITUAL...

What will it entail... pretty much gathering round... chatting and then magick time...

PAGAN RITUAL - Druidic - Imbolc/Brigid

(can be easily adapted to group ritual or just a ritual for brigid herself to be used anytime)

Midnight Altar - Incense

Urn of water as a healing well

Quill or artist’s brush to represent poetry or art

Wand or staff (rowan preferred)

3 white candles and 1 red candle

PINK CANDLE

Open ritual in your usual way, then recite the druid’s prayer:
*
All: Grant us Spirit, your protection
and in protection, strength
and in strength, understanding
and in understanding, knowledge
and in knowledge, the knowledge of justice
and in the knowledge of justice, the love of it
and in the love of it, the love of all existences
and in the love of all existences,
the love of Spirit and of all goodness.
*
Light incense and red candle:
*
“I call upon the ancients:
The wise ones now deified, bear me up
The ancestors bearing witness, record
The dragons here gathered, recognize”
*
Invocation of Brigid:
*
Brigid, beloved, hear my prayer
I tend your flame in adoration
O fire of service, flame of peace
*
Brigid, beloved, fire my forge
Fan my flames of creativity
Thru words and art the world may heal
*
Brigid, beloved, inspire me
May your own flame always ignite mine
As I endeavor to serve the world
*
Lift the urn of water:
*
“As winter melts into spring, may the earth bring forth her healing waters.”
*
Dip a finger into the urn and touch it to your forehead:
*
“May this year find me healthier than last.”
*
Return the urn to the altar.
*
SINGING BRIGID HOME
Lift the quill or artists brush and pass it thru the smoke of the incense three times:
*
“Come Brigid, maiden fair,
Lady of glorious flame
Poet and muse
Incite within me
Most passionate art
Bless-ed fire my own
Fevered, my soul expressed (return quill to altar)
*
Pick up the wand or staff, tapping the ground three times:
*
“Come Brigid, maiden fair
Lady of glorious flame
Rowan wand or staff
Tap the earth to warm her
Dark, icy snows melt
Filling healing wells
Our suffering dissipates (return wand or staff to altar)
*
Pick up the red candle and light the three white ones:
*
“Come Brigid, maiden fair
Lady of glorious flame
Purveyor most divine
Fresh inspiration
Throughout all the earth
One flame lights the next
Enrichment sung full flourish (return red candle to altar)
*
LIGHT THE PINK CANDLE:
*
“Come Brigid, maiden fair
Lady of glorious flame
Goddess or Saint
Ancient path or new
Kiss now EROS THE GOD OF LOVE
LET HIM IGNITE OUR PASSIONS
AND SET OUR HEARTS AND BODIES ALIGHT!
*
Face altar:
*
CLOSE QUARTERS!!!
*
Imbolc is a good time for many tasks:
· transplanting indoor plants to larger pots
· cleansing and consecrating ritual tools and garb
· cleansing one’s home or office
Imbolc activities might include making a Brigid doll or likeness; or making a Brigid’s cross:

BLESSED BE

GREEN PHOENIX...

DEITY of the WEEK! - MARS

2010-07-31T13:36:00.001-07:00

MARS!!!

Mars is the Roman god of WAR, but also associated with vegetation, fertility and spring... so quite befitting for the next phase of IMBOLC we will be moving into.

MARS visited farms and battlefields.

HE WAS THE MOST WORSHIPPED ROMAN GOD. More than his Greek counterpart ARES who was just a bloodlusting jock.

Also Mars had two sons REMUS AND ROMULUS... the twins were left to die out in nature due to some twists of fate but a she-wolf nursed them to adulthood. And from their playground ROME arose in all it's mights, hence MARS being venerated with Roman legions conquering all of the old world and the gladiators in the Colosseum.

ROME's symbol till today are two baby boys drinking from a she-wolf. Gross, but true..
.

Also worth noting, Mars's symbol is the male symbol...

Blessed Be,

Green Phoenix...

Hotties!

2010-07-25T12:54:00.001-07:00

REMEMBER IMBOLC

4PM, AUG 1ST - HOUTBAY BUDDHIST CENTRE

(ON CIRCLE ON MAINROAD)

CALL HUGE --> 082 534 8100

WHY GREEN???

2010-07-25T12:48:00.001-07:00

Merry Meet,

For those who read this blog you may wonder why we celebrate the "Green Man" and why we call ourselves "Green Men". The answer is as follows:

- the Green Man symbolizes the power of nature, the wild, untamed energy that we are all tied to as living beings on this earth and a Pagan way of living.

- the Green Man is also a good representation as our members are all male who celebrate their Pagan spirituality and connection with the natural world.

- and he is just plain sexy, wild (also known as the Horned God, he inspired the word 'horny')

So what are the origins of the green man? Where did he come from? What was and is his relevance?

The Great Horned God

He is the consort of the Goddess, a symbol of piercing and strong male energy, The Horned God reigns over all nature and fertility. He is the lord of the woodlands, the hunt and animals. He provides for the tribe through the hunt and is honored or rewarded for his deed by being permitted to copulate with the Goddess through the Great Rite.

Do not be discouraged or feel that the Green Man excludes gay men. Remember he is wild, untamed, Pagan and basically loves sex indiscriminately. Homosexuality is pervasive and well documented in animal and is natural. Christianity labeled it otherwise and created intollerence. The Green Man is a symbol of fertility, nature and all natural urges - so let's just say the Green Man wouldn't mind bringing the Goddess out in you.

The Horned God is is the lord of life, death and the underworld. And is the Sun to the Goddess' Moon. He alternates with the Goddess in ruling over the fertility cycle of birth, death and rebirth. He is born at the winter solstice (Dec 21st - NH), unites with the Goddess in marriage at Bealtaine (May 1st -NH), and dies at the summer solstice (June 21st - NH) to bring fertility to the land as the Sacred King.

He is not just a Celtic representation of the God, nor does he solely belong to Wicca, as he has been associated with many deities throughout the world, e.g.

Cernunnos, The Celtic God of fertility, animals and the underworld.

Herne The Hunter, a specter of Britain.

Pan the Greek god of the woodlands,

Janus the Roman god of good beings.

Tammuz and Damuzi, the son, lover and consorts to Ishtar and Inanna.

Osiris, the Egyptian Lord of the vegetation, the earth and the underworld.

Dionysus, the Greek god of vegetation and vine.

Okuni-nushi, the Japanese god of fertility and the earth.

Unkulunkulu, the Zulu god of creation, the earth and the hunt and finally

The Green Man, the lord of vegetation and the woodlands.

The History Of The Horned One

Paintings discovered in the Caverne des Trois Freres at Ariege, France provides evidence of the first views of the Horned One. Depicted as a stag standing upright on hind legs with the upper body of a man, the figure is celebrating what appears to be a hunt and wooing a woman - or a hot lusty guy. The Green Man relates to us as well as sexuality is fluid and feminine and masculine qualities are not bound to male or female, top or bottom.

From some of the earliest myths come the union between the fertile Goddess and the triumphant phallus hunter, the Horned God. The more successful the tribal hunter in providing for his people, the greater his stature became. The more likely he would be the one chosen to impregnate the "Mother" of the tribe.

During these rituals, the Hunter would appear dressed or cloaked in the skin of his kill with the horns of the stag resting victoriously upon his head. Some legends describe the blood of the beast engulfing both the Horned Hunter and the Goddess, believing the life taken from the animal is transferred to the womb of the fertile Mother, thus providing life.

To the Celts as Cernunnos, the Horned God was more than just a fertile being. He is found throughout the Celtic lands and folklore as the guardian of the portal leading to the Otherworld. The name Cernunnos is known only through damaged carvings found at Notre Dame. In these carvings, a deity with short horns carries the incomplete inscription 'ERNUNNO'. In his earliest of days he was probably the fertility god to the Gauls. But as time progressed and his legends grew, he became associated with wealth and prosperity. He was such an important deity to the pagan Celts, that his image and prowess became a major target for the early Christian church. It is his image that is believed to have been adopted for their mythos of the Devil 'deo falsus' or the false god. His status as the god of Hell would coincide with the view of the pagan Celts as the guardian of the Otherworld.

As Herne the Hunter, the British version of the Horned God; he is seen as the leader of the Wild Hunt. As an antlered giant, he is rumored to still survive and live in the forests of Windsor Great Park. His longevity is owed to the cult of Cernunnos, who have also linked his generosity to provide for the tribe to the legend of Robin Hood. Some suggest that Herne was the father to Robin of Loxley; which is probably more an association since Herne is a much older figure in legend and myth. In this ability to provide for the tribe as the great Hunter of the wood, he is forever linked to the Horned God.

As the Greek deity of pastures, flocks and herds, Pan was half man and half goat. With the legs and horns and beard of a goat. He is the offspring of Hermes, but his mothers lineage is in question. Either he is the result of Hermes and Dryope daughter of King Dropys, who's flocks he tended. Or Hermes and Penelope. His cult is centered around Arcadia where he is reported to haunt the woodlands, hills and mountains. Sleeping at noon and then dancing through the woods as he played the panpipes, which he is credited with inventing. He is the lusty leader of the satyrs (woodland deities), and continually chases the nymphs (the beautiful nature goddesses). During rituals, his essence is invoked to for fertility of the flocks or for an abundant hunt. Associating him with the legends of the Horned God.

As Osiris the Egyptian god of the lower world, he is seen as the judge of the dead. Linking him to the concept of Cernunnos as the guardian of the gate to the Other World. He is the brother of Isis, but he is also her husband. Isis as the goddess of fertility her status as the Mother is propagated by the services provided her by Osiris. Once again linking his image with that of the Horned One.

As the Green Man he is the God of the woodlands and vegetation. He is also known as 'Green Jack", "Jack in the Green" and "Green George". He represents the spirits of the trees, plants and foliage who has many powers over nature that promote growth. He has the power to make it rain and foster the livestock with lush meadows.

As Green George he has been represented as a young man cloaked head to foot in greenery. In early depictions, the green vegetation emphasized his phallic symbol of fertility as he lead processions through tribal lands. As the Green Man he shares his woodland home with the forest fairies often called "Greenies" or "Greencoaties". What today we call Nature Sprites. The Green Man is depicted as a horned man peering out from a mask of foliage, connecting him to the image of Horned God.

Then there is also Robin Hood, Shakespeare's Puck and John Barleycorn that represent him in literature

Hope this makes sense and gets you a clearer image of the Green Man / Horned God.

Blessed Be!

Green Phoenix.

god it is almost IMBOLC!

2010-07-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

So IMBOLC is almost upon us and I thought it would be a good to start thinking about which god’s we’d honor…So that brought me to BRIGID and AONGHUS

BRIGID

IMBOLC is Brigid’s party. We honor her at this times as she is the goddess for healing and fertility. Though a Celtic goddess she was turned into St. Brigit by the Irish Christians. She knew how to work on a budget and make food stretch as she could feed animals without raiding the pantry in the last days of winter.

BRIGID is honored at this when spring around the corner; as ewes came into milk as the mating game heats up in the animal kingdom. She is very much associated with movement towards spring and a renewal of life (i.e. increased horniness… not that we gay boys need any help ; - > )

BRIGID is also known as St. Bride. Many weddings happen at this time in Ireland and the ceremony of preparing the “bride’s bed” is one of the many that symbolizes the preparing for spring and summer with a spate of new babies.

There is even rumour angels flew her to Jerusalem to breastfeed baby Jesus...

AONGHUS

AONGHUS who is the god of love, since IMBOLC has to do with coupling and weddings. He was exceptionally handsome and four birds always hovered above his head (how romantic – but where did those birds poo?)

AONGHUS fell in love with CAER, but her dad didn’t want them to marry. So he said if AONGHUS could identify her and she would consent, they could go to the chapel. Her dad tricked AONGHUS and turned CAER into a swan and put her on a lake with a thousand other swans.

AONGHUS’s love was true and he instantly recognized her, turned into a swan himself and together they flew across the land singing beautiful songs that would lull standersby to sleep… (awhhhh!)

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! ANy other ideas for IMBOLC deities?

Hope to see you at the Bhuddist Centre in Hout Bay on AUG 1ST @ 4PM.

Call Huge – 082 534 8100

Last of the SEVEN

2010-07-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

These are the last two of the SEVEN JAPANESE GODS OF FORTUNE.And this time it is all about the green stuff… not grass… money…

#6 FUKUROKUJU (no that name is not a swearword.)
He is the god of wealth, happiness, and longevity. He is also starry eyed as he is the living personification of the southern polar star.

The bearded Fukurokuju has an unusually elongated forehead (big enough for advertising space). He is typically shown in the customary garments of a Chinese scholar and holding a cane with a scroll attached to it. He may also have a tortoise or crane near him (both creatures are icons of longevity in China and Japan).

FUKUROKUJU was a late comer to THE LUCKY 7 not included in the earliest representations of the seven in Japan.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST….THE SCARY ONE!!!

BISHAMONTEN: The god of war and warriors, and a dispenser of wealth and good fortune.

Bishamonten 毘沙門 is also considered a god of healing, with the power to save emperors from life-threatening illness and to expel the demons of plague.

He is the enforcer! He hears everything; bestows treasure and wealth to the worthy; heals illness; expels demons and evil; also known as the Great Black Warrior.

BISHAMONTEN is always ready for a fight, usually clad in armor, with a spear (trident) or sword in one hand and a pagoda (stupa) in the other.

He is the scourge of evil doers. He is both a protector of and dispenser of its bounty -- he shares the pagoda’s vast treasures with only "the worthy."

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT THE COMPLETE SEVEN LUCKY GODS OF FORTUNE!

Which is you favourite?

Blessed Be,

Green Phoenix

TO MELT THE ICEY COLD!

2010-07-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

HEY GREEN BRO'S SOME HUNKS TO WARM UP YOUR WINTER!

disclaimer... this is just some fun. The focus of the group is sincere spiritual growth in a happy, snappy, gay environment... so no groping or forced naked initiation... ; ->
UNLESS YOUR DROP DEAD GORGEOUS... then you only have yourself to blame...

IMBOLC IN HOUT BAY!

2010-07-11T01:08:00.001-07:00

HEY GREEN BRO's!!!

A quick reminder for our IMBOLC ritual and to share great news!!!

We now have a new venue at the HOUT BAY BUDDHIST CENTRE! It has a large and secure garden with an elevation, and a large hall for our ceremonies. So come rain or come shine we will have a good venue!

Here are the details!

SPRING FESTIVAL - IMBOLC
Date: Sunday, August 1, 2010
Time: 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: GARDEN OF HOUT BAY BUDDHIST CENTRE
(at the traffic circle on Main Road coming / going to Constantia, opposite the entrance to township police and community centre)

SPRING FESTIVAL!

CAN YOU FEEL IT? SPRING IS COMING! Join the green brothers on to celebrate the coming of strengthening of the sun! Things are heating up and so are we!

WHERE?:
Contact Green Phoenix @ 082 534 8100

or go to our facebook page --> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=280695583653

Put on your pink and white outfit and join us for an enlightening late afternoon, enjoying the stronger sun, we will be jumping over flames, rekindling passions, carving our own candles and doing all sorts of magick!

WHAT TO BRING:

- a donation to running costs to the Buddhist Centre.
- wear white/ pink
- snacks (cheese, seeds, seeded breads, dried fruit, vegetables and meats.

SO COME START YOUR SPRING CLEANING WITH US!

#FIVE out of Seven

2010-07-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

SEVEN LUCKY GODS OF JAPAN

FOR ALL THE CHUBBY CHASERS!
NUMBER 7 - HOTEI 布袋. He is one of those who seem not to have a care in the world. He is the god of contentment and happiness, he loves and gaurds kids and... is the patron of bartenders? (That Beefcakes hotty is covered then!)

HOTEI 布袋 has a cheerful face and a big belly. You will recognize him as the Fat, Laughing Buddha whose tummy everyone always wants to rub.

If you are hungry and down on your luck he is the god to call on. He carries a large cloth bag over his back that never empties, and he uses it to feed the poor and needy. The bag includes an inexhaustible supply of treasures, including food and drink.

Hotei is most likely based on the itinerant 10th-century Chinese Buddhist monk and hermit Budaishi (d. 917), who is said to be an incarnation of Miroku Bodhisattva (Maitreya in Sanskrit).

Hotei is sometimes shown surrounded by a group of small children, romping and squealing in delight around the chubby deity.

Recently, Hotei is also referred to as the patron saint of restaurateurs and bartenders. When one over eats and over drinks, one may sometimes jokingly attribute it to Hotei’s influence. (His powers are strongest on weekends).

SEVEN LUCKY GODS NO 2, 3 & 4

2010-07-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

DEITY OF THE WEEK

JUROJIN: This feller is someone to talk to when you need some insight. He is the The god of wisdom, Jurōjin 寿老人. He is pinched by the Japanese from is China’s Taoist pantheon.

Jurōjin theme song is "FOREVER YOUNG" as he is immortal.

He is described in legends as a great lover of wine and UNFORTUNATELY fond of female company. (HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE IS MISSING!)

Often depicted as an old man with a long white beard carrying a knobbly staff with a scroll tied to it, on which is written the life span of all living things or, in other accounts, a record of all the good and bad deeds committed by all beings (SANTA???), or the book of knowledge .

The deer, a symbol of longevity, commonly accompanies him as a messenger, as do other long-lived animals such as the stag, crane, or tortoise.

* Daikokuten: He is "the salt of the earth" type God, revered by farmers. He reigns over agriculture but also wealth and prosperity and... flood control? He represents FORTUNE, so if you like money or would like that Merc he is the one to pray to

&

* Benzaiten: This beauty is one classy lady as she is the token Goddess of Music & Fine Arts. She is the only female amongst the 7 Gods of Fortune which might explain why she is also known for Eloquence and Literature, probably leaving us with those Japanese sayings that sound so serene and leave us Westerners feeling so inadequate. She also represents amiability as a virtue. Artist and musicians love her... PS. She has a large gay following.

Stay tuned for more next week!

Some hotties outdoors!

2010-06-17T12:29:00.001-07:00

YULE CELEBRATION!

2010-05-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

HEYA Green Bro's!

BRRR! It's cold and we like it that way!

Come freeze your tits off and have a blast of a time at our Yule celebration! Yule (also known as WINTER SOLSTICE) is a time we renew and rebirth our bodies and spirit selves.

WHEN? --> SUN 20th June @ 7PM
WHERE? -> Parking next to Dolphin Beach Hotel, Blouberg Beach (alternative venue nearby in case of rain)
WHO? --> Contact Huge at 082 534 8100 to confirm.

We will be feasting with hot toddies, cider, Fruit, Pork, Turkey, Nuts, Eggnog, Teas, Cookies. The focus will be to set goals for the new year, pray for the return of spring, a yule log, story telling & a secret Santa porn DVD exchange!

SO WHAT TO BRING?

Warm clothes, blankets, torches, candles in lamp cover, cookies, hot drinks, pork/ turkey snacks, working PORN DVD to exchange!
WEAR RED, GREEN, or WHITE!We are in the new pagan wheel of the year and Yule the first sabbath is around the corner!! It is celebrated on or about the 21st-22nd June (down South).

BACKGROUND ON YULE!

Yule is otherwise known as the Winter Solstice, having shortest day/longest night of the year, and even though we yet to have our coldest months of July and August, the Sun steadily grows stronger with each passing day. Life is once again stirring in the ground, and we look forward to the day when the frosts are gone - though in weird and wonderful Cape Town this is a time or rain and flowering?

This is the time that the Goddess becomes mother again as she gives birth to her Beltane Baby, thus associated as a fertility ritual with the continuation of life. The night belongs to the Goddess, and is a night of waiting, through Her pregnancy, for the Child of Promise.

SO WHAT IS YULE ABOUT? It is a time to let go of all fears, all doubts, all outworn ideas, all projects finished, anything in our lives that holds us away from the new beginnings that will lead to new growth. It is a time to let go of the past and walk toward the light.
On this the longest night, we renew and rebirth our bodies and spirit self.
From the Darknes comes Light.

Colours : Red Green White and especially Silver and Gold
Herbes: Cinnamon, Cloves, Juniper, Frankincense, Cedar, Pine, Mistletoe.
Foods : Cider, Fruit, Pork, Turkey, Nuts, Eggnog, Teas, Cookies
Deities: Frey, Woden, Herne, Oak King, Holly King, Sul, Isis, Osiris,
Symbols: Evergreens, Mistletoe, Ivy, Yule Log, Gifts, Bells, Candles.

Blessed Be,

Green Phoenix

ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!

2010-05-20T04:07:00.000-07:00

Deity of the week! - SEVEN GODS OF FORTUNE (Japan) - Shichi Fukujin

Hey Green Bro's!

It seems our honouring of AMATERASU last week brought on the sunshine! Yeyh! So why not focus on some other Japanese Gods to bring us luck and fortune?

Forget the HOLY TRINITY! Double your chances with the SEVEN GODS OF FORTUNE! Though they are a Japanese institution, only one is originally from Japanese Shinto, the rest incorporate the Indian Hindu and Chinese Taoist pantheons. These seven deities will encompass seven virtues that bring luck and fortune. SO BAFANA BAFANA PAY ATTENTION! ;->

Let’s focus on them one by one, starting with EBISU! The god of Good Fortnune, Commerce, Honest Labour (yes it means hard work), Candor & Fair dealing.

Who does he favour? Sailors (mhhh…), firshermen & people in the food industry (Well, maybe not Gordon Ramsey!) He has a posh train station named after him in central Tokyo. He can be seen always with a fishing rod, a fish in the other and a wide grin.

Stay tuned next week for the next deity in the seven series of lucky gods!

Blessed Be,

Green Phoenix

Guys in nature!

2010-05-14T01:13:00.001-07:00

Hey Green Bro's!

Here are some hot men communing with nature! Enjoy!!!

AIN'T NO SUNSHINE WHEN SHE'S GONE!!!

2010-05-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

DEITY OF THE WEEK! - AMERATASU

Hey Green Bro's,

WHERE DID THE SUNSHINE GO? Are you missing those sunny days yet? Maybe we should call on AMERATASU!

This beauty didn't only "Walk on Sunshine" , she was sunshine and embodied the sun. When winter came AMERATASU, the sun goddess, slept in a cold, remote cave. Around Spring when the the other gods had enough of the cold, they woke her with a loud celebration. All the partying however was a plot to trick AMERATSU to look out of the cave and see an image of herself in a mirror. After they did this the other gods convince her to emerge from her seclusion and return sunlight to the universe.

However, I wonder why she falls for the same old ploy each year. MAYBE SHE ISN'T TOO BRIGHT!!! hahahahaha (GET IT? - never mind...)

Blessed Be,

Green Phoenix

Samhain

2010-05-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Green Bro's!

Happy new year! A new wheel has started and we're heading right into winter!

Mark, Henry and I had a killer Samhain... rich hot chocolate, pumpkin fritters, pumpkin dip (goup actually I couldn't get the consistency right), pork sausages, mushrooms and a cheese platter.

Then we started with the Jack o' lantern that came out brilliantly!

Doesn't he look so mean!

Then a killer ceremony outside! The moon rose just as we lit the candle in Hades's honour! It was our best one yet we all agreed.

We then made witches bottles as protection charms, which was basically peeing in glass bottles with rusted nails and salt, before sealing it with red ribbons and black candle wax.

Before ending the we set out a plate for the dead to feast on and left it behind so the spirits walking the earth that night could be honoured.

See you guys at Yule!

Cheers,

Green Phoenix

Samhain Ritual...

2010-04-28T23:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Green Bro's

So you want to celebrate Samhain, but how? Here is a full ritual that you can use thanks to http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/samhainrit.htm

SAMHAIN RITUAL
Ancestor Night, Celtic New Year, May 1st (SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE)

Tools:
In addition to your magickal tools, you will need:

An Orange and a black Alter Cloth (crepe paper will do)
Cauldron
1 BLACK Taper Goddess Candle
1 BLACK Taper God Candle
2 Candle Holders
1 cauldron / pot/ bowl
1 RED Votive Candle
1 WHITE Pillar Candle
1 Apple
A knife
A Plate of Fruit
Vegetables and Breads
Pictures or Mementos of Departed Loved Ones
Samhain Incense (Mint, Nutmeg, Apple)

Preparation:
Sweep area, moving in a deosil manner. Outline your circle with salt to consecrate and clear energies. Lay out your black and orange altar cloth. Place the black taper Goddess Candle to the top left on altar. Place the black taper God candle to the top right on altar. Place the RED votive candle in the cauldron/ bowl positioned on floor in front of the altar.

Plate of Fruit, Vegetables, and Breads should be put in-between Goddess and God candles at top center of altar. Apple and knife should be placed in center of altar, on a Pentacle if possible. Arrange the rest of your tools and props according to personal preference.

Bathe or shower for purification. If you have magickal jewelry or jewelry passed on to you by departed loved ones, this is the ritual to wear it all.

Sit and meditate to ground and center. When ready to begin, play some appropriate soothing music for ambiance.

Cast the circle and call Quarters...... invoke the Crone aspect of the Goddess by lighting the black taper Goddess candle and saying:

"Dark Mother, ruler of the night, Goddess of death and rebirth, Hear and behold Your child this night as I honor Thee and Thy realm. I stand humbly before Thee, asking for Thy blessing and favor. Lift, now, the Veil between the worlds, as this time-out-of-time begins, That I may commune with my ancestors as they journey to the Summerlands." You can use Persephone here.

Step back from the altar and concentrate on the Goddess candle's flame. Should it rise and flicker, proceed. If not, silently project your wish to commune with your loved ones that have passed on. When you feel that your wish has been acknowledged, invoke the God by lighting the black taper God candle and saying:

"Dark Father, aged Consort of the Crone, Lord of the Underworld, Hear and behold Your child this night as I honor Thee and Thy realm. I stand between Thee and Thy Lady, asking for blessing and favor. As this time-out-of-time approaches, stand ever guard as the Veil lifts, Keep safe my ancestors, and all of my loved ones As they journey to the Summerlands" You can use Hades here.

Step back from the altar and concentrate on the God candle's flame. If it rises and flickers, proceed. If not, silently project your wishes that your loved ones be kept safe on their journey. When you feel that your request has been acknowledged, step back up to the alter and pick up the apple, saying:

"Tonight as the barrier between the two realms grows thin,
Spirits walk amongst us, once again.
They be family, friends and foes,
Pets and wildlife, fishes and crows.
But be we still mindful of the Wee Folke at play,
Elves, fey, brownies, and sidhe."

Cut the apple crosswise with the Bolline to reveal the symbolic pentagram at the core. Take a bite of one half of the apple and set it back on the Pentacle. (This apple and others will be buried outside later, after the ritual is done) Continue:

"Some to trick, some to treat,
Some to purposely misguide our feet.
Stay we on the paths we know
As planting sacred apples we go."

Now take your wand in your projective hand to bless the "Feast of the Dead". Wave it over the plate of fruits, vegetables, and breads, saying:

"This Feast I shall leave on my doorstep all night.
In my window one candle shall burn bright,
To help my loved ones find their way
As they travel this eve, and this night, until day.
Bless my offering, both Lady and Lord
Of breads and fruits, greens and gourd."

Replace the wand on the altar, step back and bow your head. Stay silent for a minute or two as the blessing is given. Proceed by lighting the black votive candle in the cauldron and saying:

"Dark Mother Your cauldron is a well of death and rebirth,
Dark Father Your sword both protects and annihilates.
Hear me now as the past year slowly dies, only to be reborn again.
Today, the last of the Harvests is complete.
This symbolic harvest is of my thought-seeds,
Planted and nurtured throughout this past year.
May the good come to pass and the bad be cast aside.
With Your divine guidance and protection,
I step into the New Year,
May I have good health, prosperity, and happiness."

With the flame of the black votive candle light the white pillar candle, saying:

"As the New Year is born, we are all reborn
With new hopes and dreams.
Guide me in the future as in the past.
Give me strength and courage,
Knowledge and fulfillment,
Assist me as I attempt to achieve my goals."

Snuff the black votive candle and replace it. Remove the white pillar candle from the cauldron and place it in the center of your altar. Stare in to the flame and think about the goals that you are setting for the upcoming year. When done, say:

"Every beginning has an ending,
And every ending is a new beginning.
In Life is Death, and in Death is Life.
Watch over me, my loved ones, and all of my
Brothers and Sisters, here and departed,
Who, tonight are joined together again for
Fellowship and celebration.
Bless us all as we light our bonfires, our hearth fires,
And the eternal fires in our hearts.
Guide us and protect us,
Tonight and throughout the coming year.
Blessed Be! Blessed Be!"

As you say "Blessed Be!" stretch out your arms over your alter as if to embrace all of your ancestors, your departed loved ones, and everyone on Earth. As you say "Blessed Be" again, embrace yourself with a reborn love and pride.

It is now time for meditation and spellworking. Associated spellworkings would include those for protection, self-confidence, and dissuading harm. If there is no spellworking, celebrate with Cakes and Ale, then release the Circle. Clean up. You are done. Leave the white pillar candle burning somewhere it won't be disturbed. Some use it as the single candle in their window, but I leave it on my altar and use an electric candle in the window to dissuade a fire!

Hope this helps. We will be doing a protection charm this Samhain Saturday!

See you guys there!

Huge Green Phoenix

Brave Enough - Samhain!

2010-04-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

DEADLY PICNIC!
ARE YOU BRAVE ENOUGH?

THIS SATURDAY MAY 1ST!
5:30 PM < 9PM-ish @ Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens!

Come for a night on the dark side. Tarot, magick, jack o' lanterns, respect the departed, hot wine, snacks and lots of laughs.

BRING --> blankets, sleeping bags, snacks (pumpkin, oreo's etc.), hot drinks (mulled wine, coffee, hot choco), warm clothes and an open mind!

Call Huge at 082 534 8100 to confirm

The big guy in the sky

2010-04-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Mono-, Heno-, Dei-, Poly-, Pan-, Panen- or Agnostic Theism.

So you believe in god, but which kind? How many? How big is he? Does he listen to you? The answers are as varied as there are ideas. Here is a breakdown for you of the major schools of thought on the big guy/s:

Monotheism: Mono (one) + theos (god) = one god. These are the guys who believes in one god and one god only, Christianity, Islam etc.

Henotheism: Henos (one) + theos (god) = one god. A case of my god is better than yours. Maybe Christians, Muslims or others who accepts that there are other gods, but only their god deserves worship.

Deism: A.K.A. The Watchmaker God. This is a god from this universe, a personable god who created us and all that is around us, but then cut the cord and now only observes and contemplates. So according to this we are specs of dust in a mad scientist’s cosmic petri dish.

Polytheism: Poly (many) + theos (god) = many gods. This is where wicca and Neo-paganism resides. This is a belief in multiple gods, where one god would be a part of a pantheon of gods representing a culture. So the Greeks had multiple gods, each representing a facet of their culture or a value or an aspect of humanity. Prayer and worship would according to purpose, if Greeks wanted wisdom they’d pray to Athena, strength Zeus, healing, Apollo etc.

Pantheism: Pan (all/everything) + theos (god) = god in everything. Omnipotence is the word. Two views; that the universe is god and should be worshipped as a whole or that everything around us is a manifestation of god and that if we add up everything in the universe the total would be equal to god.

Panentheism: Similar to Pantheism, but Panentheism states that though god is penetrates everything in nature and the universe, he is still an independent identity and is larger than the sum total of our universe. So he is bigger and more independent than the Pantheistic god.

Agnostic Theism: These are borderline atheists who want to play it safe. “Gnosis” means knowledge and agnostic is to be without knowledge. Two types here. One Agnostic says “I can’t know for sure if there is a god.” ; the other Agnostic says “One can never know for sure if there is a god.”

Hope it helps, though you might have more questions than answers at this point.

Blessed Be,

Huge

We are all green!

2010-04-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Green Bro's.

With the racial tensions in SA reaching a peak in the last couple of weeks it is reassuring to see that South Africans are taking action to show that most of us believe in this democracy and that we have love & respect for all South Africans.

So support THE GREEN SKIN INITIATIVE!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Green-Skin-Initiative/116023658414082?ref=ts

Blessed Be,

Huge

TRICK OR TREAT!

2010-04-12T00:50:00.000-07:00

Hey Green Bro's,

We will hold our DEADLY PICNIC! We are moving into winter, with death and decay all around in nature we will soon and we are celebrating that fact with Samhain. In America and Europe it is known as Halloween or All Saints, in Mexico the Day of the Skulls and Obon in Japan. More on that at these links:

http://www.members.tripod.com/~TaraMiller/halloween.html
http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/samhainlore.htm
http://www.pagan-heart.co.uk/articles/samhainhistory/samhainhistory.html

Join us for a winter eve picnic in Kirstenbosch Gardens. We will be drinking malted wine, eating snacks, reading small eulogies to departed loved ones, make short life/bucket lists, painting faces (think THE CROW), tarot, communicate with the other side and do some magick.

DATE: May 1st
TIME: 5:30PM <
PLACE: Meet at parking of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

What to bring:
- Blanket or sleeping bag,
- Warm clothes, gloves, hats,
- Snacks - pumpkin is the word - pumpkin fritters, pumpkin cake, etc.
- Drinks - flasks of tea, gluwein etc.
- Pictures and a short paragraph on lost loved ones...

Blessed Be!!

Belated Mabon!

2010-04-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

Merry Meet Green Brothers!

This is my belated Mabon posting. We had a great time. Our attendees were now up to 4 members! Thanks Pierre for joining.

We had a short meditation after which we set up the altar in black and harvest colours to represent Demeter and Persephone. During the ritual we had pomegranate juice (Persephone's fave!) and wheat cookies, but also drew 4 slips of paper with "phrase of power" that would be our challenge in the next month before Samhain. Mine was "embrace your sexuality", "care for your body", "make music" and "accept touch"

Our deities were:

Female - DEMETER and her naughty daugter PERSEPHONE (if only she didn't eat those pomegranate seeds, we'd have perpetual summer!) We used tarot cards to represent them - the EMPRESS for DEMETER and the HIGH PRIESTESS for PERSEPHONE

Male - PAN represented by the GREEN MAN / THE DEVIL

Afterwards Mark read our Astrological charts and told us all about ourselves. We also made plans for a great DEADLY PICNIC for SAMHAIN so watch this space!

Blessed Be!

GREEN PHOENIX

OUR LAMMAS!

2010-02-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

So, it is the 2nd of Feb! It also coincides with the day FW announced the unbanning of the ANC, PAC and SACP and took those first momentous steps to ending apartheid! WHAT A COINCIDENCE! ; ->

OUR GROUP IS GATHERING FOR THE FIRST RITUAL! YEAH!

FEB 7th! 1 PM! So excited guys! Looking forward to having everyone together!

Will post all the details later for those not attending.

Blessings!

LAMMAS? WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT???

2010-01-24T23:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Meet Brothers,

Although in the heat of a Cape Town's summer is in full swing, the festival of Lammas (FEB 2nd) marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

It is a cross-quarter day, one of the four High Holidays or Greater Sabbats of Witchcraft, occurring one quarter of a year after Beltane.

Its true astrological point is fifteen degrees Leo, but tradition has set Feb 2nd as the day Lammas is typically celebrated. This date has long been considered a “power point” of the zodiac, and is symbolized by the Lion, one of the tetramorph figures found on the tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune (the other three figures being the Bull, the Eagle, and the Spirit).

“Lammas” was the medieval Christian name for the holiday, and it means “loaf-mass”, for this was the day on which loaves of bread were baked from the first grain harvest and laid on the church altars as offerings. It was a day representative of “first fruits” and early harvest.

Lammas, is also sometimes called Lughnasadh. It celebrates the god Lugh it's time to begin reaping what we have sown throughout the past few months, and recognize that the bright summer days will soon come to an end. So in many regards, it is a wake or mourning for the weakening Sun God Lugh of the Celts.

Many people burn a straw effigy. As Green Men MTF proposes making a straw poppet of yourself, meditating with it in your hands and streaming all the unwanted energies fear, anxiety, anger and characteristics you are not fond of into the poppet and then setting it on fire. This aims to help you overcome your obstacles to achieve the goals you set for yourself at summer solstice.

Blessed Be,

Green Phoenix.

CALLING ALL GREEN BROTHERS!

2010-01-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

We are gathering SUNDAY, the 24th January at FIESTA CAFE in De Waterkant at 1PM . Kindly let me know if it would suit you? Bring a friend if you know they would be interested. At max, two hours to meet, get to know each other, discuss spiritual paths and needs and set guidelines and agree on aims for the group.

Call Huge @ 082 534 8100 to confirm.

Blessed Be

P.S. HERE ARE SOME NATURE SHOTS TO KEEP YOU BUSY UNTILL THEN ; - >

MY LITHA CEREMONY

2010-01-07T03:04:00.000-08:00

BLESSED BE BROTHERS!

HERE IS A BELATED POSTING ON the Litha/Summer Solstice ritual I did on December 21st. It was a special evening!

I have to quote my source

"Litha Ritual
of The Summer Solstice
Copyright © 2002 by Moonsongstress" which pointed me in the right direction.

Here is the ritual step by step.

STEP 1 - CHOOSE YOUR DEITIES!

I chose Apollo since summer solstice has everything to do with the cycle of the sun being at it's zenith!
I also chose Hestia , goddess of the hearth and home as she has a lot to do with the element of fire, and Apollo had a crush on her too! ; - >

Minor Deities I chose the Fairy Kind and Queen, Oberon and Titania featured in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights' Dream.

STEP 2 - SHOPPING!

Tools for the Ritual:

Soft yellow and orange altar cloths (you can use crepe paper)
Litha incense - a warm, sun-filled scent such as lavender (Apollo loves it) and Acacia Honey.
Golden God candle - (substituted to yellow for Apollo's sunshine - engraved Apollo's name on it in Greek)
Silver Goddess candle - (substituted to red for Hestia's homefires - engraved Hestia's name on it in Greek)

White altar candle

Quarter candles and corresponding stones ( I did not have corresponding stones but did as follows North (Earth) rose quartz and ivory, East (Air) a knife/sword and inscence, South (Fire) a branch of a tree representing wands and WEST (WATER) a goblet/glass of water.

Matches
Vase of summer flowers and flowering herbs (Had yellow hollyhocks)
Simple feast - biscuits and berries
A piece of newly completed creative work (my writing saved on a memory stick)
Fruit for the gods (apple for Hestia, plums for Apollo - two, one for each of his gay lovers ; ->)
Printed out pictures of each of the dieties (keep them a similar size not to evoke envy)
A yellow candle with a candleholder, a length of rope and bergamot essential oil for the sun spell.
A ramekin of salt to cast a pure circle.

STEP 3: PREPERATION i.e. WORK

- Cleanse and sweep the area and table/ altar.
- Lay out cloths.
-Figure out where is NORTH and set up quarter candles and stones symbolising the elements of the quarters.
- Engrave and place the god candle to the right back of the altar and the goddess candle to the left back. The vase of flowering herbs and summer flowers, the god's picture, and fruit add is placed around the God candle; the essential oils, goddess fruit and goddess pictures around the goddess candles.
- The white spririt and altar candle goes in between the god and goddess candle.
- The yellow candle, holder and bergamot oil are placed to the center at the bottom.
- The creative work is placed at the front of the altar.
- Place the salt items for the simple feast to one side.
- Take a shower or splash your face with water for purification.

STEP 4: THE RITUAL

-Sit quietly and meditate for a while, then ground and centre. I imagine shoot and roots connecting me to the Earth (like in the Avatar!)

-Wait, feel the Sun's kiss on your skin. After about 20 mins to an hour when you are calm you can begin the ritual.

-Circle the altar and cast a circle of purity with the salt. This will protect the altar, your ritual and only allow in good energy and gods you call upon.

-Start by lighting the quarter candles.

Start with North working clockwise.

The gods of the North, gods of Earth, we call on thee
join this ritual, lend us your support, bless these bodies present,
let us lay our foundations in your bounty,
Merry Meet

The gods of the East, gods of Air, we call on thee
join this ritual, lend us your wisdom, bless these minds present,
tell us the forward, let our words and thought be clear
Merry Meet

The gods of the South, gods of Fire, we call on thee
join this ritual, lend us your passion, burn us with your energy,
make us bold and brave to follow our intuition
Merry Meet

"The gods of the West, gods of Water, we call on thee
join this ritual, lend us your love, bless these hearts present,
bind us brothers together with strong imagination
Merry Meet"

- "The circle is cast. Let it be pure and serve us well!

- Light the goddess candle

"Gentle Hestia, we call on thee.
Goddess of the hearth and home, modesty and calm
let your fire burn, and spread into our hearts,
bless us this ritual, we welcome you here."

" We also welcome Titania, Fairy Queen, may you reign tonight and bless the earth"

-Light the god candle

"Dear Apollo, we call on thee.
God of light, your powers are at its peak,
come and find us, let your beauty enrich us.
protect this ritual, we praise you here."

" We also welcome Oberon, Fairy King, may you reign tonight and bless the earth"

- Light the spirit candle.

- Wait, feel the Sun's kiss on your skin. Say:

"Light, oh golden light
I feel your coming and know your going.
The time of your great shining is here
And in the fire of my spirit I nurture your flame.
I lie long and rest under the kisses of your rays
And know the fulfilment of
Fertility brought to fruition.
With the Earth I recline in joyful bounty and rejoice
To feel your light on my skin as she does.
Now to the life of all I offer all the life I have,
One to the other given and received
In a constant cycle of the wheel
Whose turning never ceases."

Wait, feel the Sun's kiss on your skin. Say:

"I come before you now in this time of your great fertility and bring my newly completed work as a symbol of my own. This work of my hand and mind is created in love and joy as your creatures are by you. I offer its beauty and completeness to you as a gift of life to life. May my fertile creativity be as constant as your own."

Wait, feel the Sun's kiss on your skin.

Sun Spell:

Taking the yellow candle, fix it into its holder and place them both before you on the altar.
Taking the bergamot oil, pour a little onto the tip of the middle finger of your projective hand.
With the oil, anoint the candle from the top to the middle and from the bottom to the middle. The whole of the candle should be anointed with no areas being missed or done twice.
Excess oil may be used to anoint your breastbone with a symbol that has meaning to you.

- Bless and charge the candle with golden sun energy. This may be done by first holding your hands above it and visualising a shining sphere of white light passing into it to drive out any negativity. When all the negativity is gone visualise a shining sphere of yellow sunlight streaming into the candle bringing with it the life-giving rays of sun energy. Fill the candle to the brim with the light of the sun. Say: Behold, I bless and purify this candle, charging it to be an agent of the light that lights life.

- Lift the candle high into the air and then replace it on the altar. Say:

"I fill this place with the life-giving rays of the Sun. As this candle burns all darkness of spirit is banished The cleansing heat of the sun chases it out and away."

- Light the candle.
- Visualise the cleansing heat of yellow sunlight filling the whole of your space.
Warmth and creativity are filling the air and the scent of summer flowers wafts through bringing life and the spacious of peace in its wake.
Explore the feelings this evokes in you.

Tie a knot around the candle to bind the spell. Say:

"I bind this spell by power of the three, May it harm none and bring good to me."

After the ritual is ended the lit candle should be placed in a central part of your home and allowed to burn down without being extinguished.

Proceed with the simple feast to ground yourself.

The End of the Ritual:

Address the Hestia with thanks, love and dedication. Say:

"May I listen for and hear you,
May I look for and see you,
May I reach for and touch you,
May I wait for and find you.
Blessed Be"

- Blow out Hestia's candle.

- Repeat the same for Apollo.

- Thank the spirits and blow out the white center candle.
- Then bid farewell to the quarters
"Gods of the North, Gods of Earth,
we thank the for thee presence
and send thee on they way.
Blessed Be" etc.

Open the circle. The circle is open but never broken.

The ritual is ended.

BLESSED BE!

What is Litha?

2009-12-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Meet Brothers,

Litha (MidSummer/ Summer Solstice) is coming up on Dec 21st for the Southern Hemisphere and I thought I'd post an introduction on Litha. I got this write up from http://twopagans.com/holiday/Litha.html, I will put in my own bits & pieces in between. I hope you enjoy, especially the beautiful narration of the love Apollo had for Hyacinth, his boy lover.

History of Litha (MidSummer)

Also known as Summer Solstice, Litha, Alban Hefin, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, Vestalia, Thing-tide, St. John's Day

In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them.

Litha is usually celebrated on June 21st (Northern Hemisphere) or December 21st (in the South for us Cape Townians). According to the old folklore calendar, Summer begins on Beltane (October 31st) and ends on Lughnassadh (February 2nd), with the Summer Solstice midway between the two, marking MID-Summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that Summer begins on the day when the Sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter. The most common other names for this holiday are the Summer Solstice or Midsummer, and it celebrates the arrival of Summer, when the hours of daylight are longest. The Sun is now at the highest point before beginning its slide into darkness.

Humanity has been celebrating Litha and the triumph of light since ancient times. On the Wheel of the Year Litha lies directly across from Yule, the shortest day of the calendar year, that cold and dark winter turning when days begin to lengthen and humanity looks wistfully toward warmth, sunlight and growing things. Although Litha and Yule are low holidays or lesser sabats in the ancient parlance, they are celebrated with more revel and merriment than any other day on the wheel except perhaps Samhain (my own favourite). The joyous rituals of Litha celebrate the verdant Earth in high summer, abundance, fertility, and all the riches of Nature in full bloom. This is a madcap time of strong magic and empowerment, traditionally the time for handfasting or weddings and for communication with the spirits of Nature. At Litha, the veils between the worlds are thin; the portals between "the fields we know" and the worlds beyond stand open. This is an excellent time for rites of divination. So bring out the tarot cards, read those tea leaves and show me your palms!

In literature Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to mind. It is a time when Fairies come out and may be seen at midnight in the forests and in fields, spreading magic and delight! But us human fairies do that the whole year long! ; - >

Those who celebrated Litha did so wearing garlands or crowns of flowers, and of course, their millinery always included the yellow blossoms of St. John's Wort. The Litha rites of the ancients were boisterous communal festivities with morris dancing, singing, storytelling, pageantry and feasting taking place by the village bonfire and torch lit processions through the villages after dark. People believed that the Litha fires possessed great power, and that prosperity and protection for oneself and one's clan could be earned merely by jumping over the Litha bonfire. It was also common for courting couples joined hands and jump over the embers of the Litha fire three times to ensure a long and happy marriage, financial prosperity and many children. Even the charred embers from the Litha bonfire possessed protective powers - they were charms against injury and bad weather in harvest time, and embers were commonly placed around fields of grain and orchards to protect the crops and ensure an abundant reaping. Other Litha customs included carrying an ember of the Litha fire home and placing it on one's hearth and decking one's home with birch, fennel, St. John's Wort, orpin, and white lilies for blessing and protection.

The Litha Sabbat is a time to celebrate both work and leisure & childlike play. It is a time to celebrate the ending of the waxing year and the beginning of the waning year, in preparation for the harvest to come. Midsummer is a time to absorb the Sun's warming rays and it is another fertility Sabbat, not only for humans, but also for crops and animals. Wiccans consider the Goddess to be heavy with pregnancy from the mating at Beltane - honor is given to Her.
The Sun God Apollo is celebrated as the Sun is at its peak in the sky and we celebrate His approaching fatherhood - honor is also given to Him. The faeries abound at this time and it is customary to leave offerings - such as food or herbs - for them in the evening.

Although Litha may seem at first glance to be a masculine observance and one which focuses on Lugh, the day is also dedicated to the Goddess, and Her flowers are the white blossoms of the elder.

Blessed Be

Huge Green Phoenix

Poseidon in Cape Town!

2009-12-05T23:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Meet Brothers,

This morning the sight of dolphins greeted me when I opened the curtains (pic on the left). Aren't they beautiful?

Since Poseidon is associated with dolphins; I thought it befitting to honor and research this god a bit and share it with the brotherhood.

Wikipedia has the following to say

In Greek mythology, Poseidon (Greek: Ποσειδῶν; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the sea and, as "Earth-Shaker," of earthquakes. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune inRoman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon. Linear B tablets show that Poseidon was venerated at Pylos and Thebes in pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, but he was integrated into the Olympian gods as the brother of Zeus and Hades. Poseidon has many children. There is a Homeric hymn to Poseidon, who was the protector of many Hellenic cities, although he lost the contest for Athens to Athena.

Worship of Poseidon

Poseidon was a major civic god of several cities: in Athens, he was second only to Athena in importance, while in Corinth and many cities of Magna Graecia he was the chief god of the polis. In his benign aspect, Poseidon was seen as creating new islands and offering calm seas. When offended or ignored, he supposedly struck the ground with his trident and caused chaotic springs, earthquakes, drownings and shipwrecks. Sailors prayed to Poseidon for a safe voyage, sometimes drowning horses as a sacrifice.

According to Pausanias, Poseidon was one of the caretakers of the oracle at Delphi before Olympian Apollo took it over. Apollo and Poseidon worked closely in many realms: in colonization, for example, Delphic Apollo provided the authorization to go out and settle, while Poseidon watched over the colonists on their way, and provided the lustral water for the foundation-sacrifice. Xenophon's Anabasis describes a group of Spartan soldiers in 400–399 BCE singing to Poseidon a paean— a kind of hymn normally sung for Apollo.

Like Dionysus, who inflamed the maenads, Poseidon also caused certain forms of mental disturbance. A Hippocratic text of ca 400 BCE, On the Sacred Disease^[1]says that he was blamed for certain types of epilepsy.

Poseidon in myth

Birth and triumph over Cronus

Poseidon was a son of Cronus and Rhea. In most accounts he is swallowed by Cronus at birth but later saved, with his other brothers and sisters, by Zeus. However in some versions of the story, he, like his brother Zeus, did not share the fate of his other brother and sisters who were eaten by Cronus. He was saved by his mother Rhea, who concealed him among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which she gave to Cronus to devour.^[5] According to John Tzetzes^[6] the kourotrophos, or nurse of Poseidon was Arne, who denied knowing where he was, when Cronus came searching; according to Diodorus Siculus^[7] Poseidon was raised by the Telchines on Rhodes, just as Zeus was raised by the Korybantes on Crete.

According to a single reference in the Iliad, when the world was divided by lot in three, Zeus received the sky, Hades the underworldand Poseidon the sea. In the Odyssey (v.398), Poseidon has a home in Aegae.

Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, ca 440 BCE

The foundation of Athens

Athena became the patron goddess of the city of Athens after a competition with Poseidon. Yet Poseidon remained a numinous presence on the Acropolis in the form of his surrogate, Erechtheus. At the dissolution festival at the end of the year in the Athenian calendar, the Skira, the priests of Athena and the priest of Poseidon would process under canopies to Eleusis.^[8] They agreed that each would give the Athenians one gift and the Athenians would choose whichever gift they preferred. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a spring sprang up; the water was salty and not very useful,^[9] whereas Athena offered them an olive tree. The Athenians (or their king, Cecrops) accepted the olive tree and along with it Athena as their patron, for the olive tree brought wood, oil and food. After the fight, infuriated at his loss, Poseidon sent a monstrous flood to the Attic Plain, to punish the Athenians for not choosing him. The depression made by Poseidon's trident and filled with salt water was surrounded by the northern hall of the Erechtheum, remaining open to the air. "In cult, Poseidon was identified with Erechtheus," Walter Burkert noted.^[10] "the myth turns this into a temporal-causal sequence: in his anger at losing, Poseidon led his son Eumolpus against Athens and killed Erectheus."

The contest of Athena and Poseidon was the subject of the reliefs on the western pediment of the Parthenon, the first sight that greeted the arriving visitor.

This myth is construed by Robert Graves and others as reflecting a clash between the inhabitants during Mycenaean times and newer immigrants. It is interesting to note that Athens at its height was a significant sea power, at one point defeating the Persian fleet at Salamis Island in a sea battle.

Blessed Be,

Huge Green Phoenix

SEEKING GREEN BROTHERS IN CAPE TOWN

2009-12-03T02:41:00.000-08:00

Merry Meet

This is a new group and the site's purpose is to gather and bring those Cape Town-based men who like men with sincere interest in Wicca / Neo-Paganism together.

We are hoping to create a group of friends to mutually deepen our spirituality and to practice "the craft".

As an easy guide, I suggest we use the compiled notes "The Path of The Green Man" by Michael Thomas Ford as a starting point. The following statement of purpose is threefold and ought to be a good directive for the group (we can of course change it to our consensus):

- ONE: to form a loving community of Pagan men who like men that sustains its members and provides a safe forum for creating lasting, positive friendships.

- TWO: to explore our own lives and our own spiritual journeys in concrete ways through questioning and learning, ritual and magic, art and sharing, with the goal of expanding awareness and consciousness and becoming more centered people.

- THREE: to integrate our spirituality into our everyday lives in a way that reflects our belief that we are all a part of a larger interconnected web and are able to effect positive change in the world in which we live.

We will endeavour to Fullfill the abobe-mentioned According to THE PRINCIPLES OF UNITY (p.49 - Path of the Green Man - M.T. Ford) individually and collectively:

1. Gathered as a group we believe the truth of Rede: "An it harm none, Do as you will." and will apply it in our interactions.

2. We believe in the guiding power of the Goddess and the God, who work in harmony. We acknowledge the Goddess as the bestower of life and the God as the manifestation of the magic and life force of the natural world. We recognize that both appear in many different forms and names and see the value and validity of celebrating deity in all its forms.

3. We acknowledge the sacredness of the Earth as the living body of the Goddess and the home of the God, and dedicate ourselves to protecting the land, air and water from harm caused by other and by our own actions. We acknowledge the 4 elements as our guides.

4. We acknowledge all women and mend as children of the God and Goddess, and dedicate ourselves to speaking out against injustice, bigotry and hatred against any people, knowing they are a part of ourselves.

5. We acknowledge the sacred gift of our sexuality, and accept our queerness as a special manifestation of the loving nature of the God, vowing to only use our sexual gifts to the benefit of ourselves and others.

6. We believe in making our daily lives outward manifestations of our spiritual journeys, and endeavor to create lives that celebrate the gifts of the Goddess and the God and that return to our communities , and to the larger world some of what we have been given.

7. We believe in the existence of magick and the power of ritual, and dedicate ourselves to learning their mysteries as they apply to our lives.

8. We believe in the beauty and power of intentional community, and strive to create a loving extended community, based in friendship, of men who like men.

9. We believe that each man has a life story to tell and that sharing these stories makes us stronger and brings joy to the God and Goddess. We vow to keep the confidences of our members during meetings and to keep things said during circles and meetings in the group.

10. We recognize the beauty and power of song, story, poetry, and art that celebrates the Goddess and God and that reflects both our own stories and those of others, and we dedicate ourselves to the creation of art in all its forms.

11. We recognize the wisdom and power of elder men and celebrate the gifts they have to bestow on us.

12. We believe in the effectiveness of community cooparation and will strive for equal participation by all interested members in decision making and the creation of rituals and circles.

13. We recognize the importance of place and home and dedicate ourselves to working toward the creation of physical sanctuaries and homes for men who love men interested in working with the green man tradition.

ALL OF THE ABOVE IS OPEN FOR DEBATE AND DISCUSSION ONCE WE HOLD OUR FIRST GATHERING.

So come and join us for an alternative more inclusive view on spirituality. Shake up the old and try the new. See a new perspective on some of the old myths from Adam onwards...

We would also like to support any cause to protect our Mother Earth and the diversity which make up the animal & floral kingdom. GreenPeace, , WWF all are supported.

Send e-mail to hugegreenphoenix@gmail.com to find more on our group.

Blessed Be

GREEN PHOENIX

GO GREEN!

2009-12-03T02:40:00.001-08:00