Rhiannon, a figure in English and Welsh literature and earlier Celtic mythology, as well as the great song by Fleetwood Mac. The song lyrics almost suggest more of a spirit than a person, or at least a free spirit. The song, as well as Stevie Nicks, were featured in a couple of episodes of 'American Horror Story: Coven' in 2014; centering around the character Misty Day who looked a bit like the young Stevie Nicks actually. If you visit this video webpage, it's easy to see that younger horror fans and pagans have discovered the song..... A small fire crackling away on the patio, the night sky above me, cold winter chill to the air, candles softly glowing and a glass of mead in my hand as I listen to this song and twirl and dance, taking in the elements. :) By the Gods and Goddess' I love this song! Now, back to my crazy dancing...(Wonder what my new neighbours will think when they catch me dancing in my garden at 2.30am? lol!) -- VampiressOfShadows Rhiannon.... is often considered to be related to the Gaulish horse goddess Epona. The resemblance is her horse affinity, and her son's, as mare and foal; also a paradoxical way of sitting on her horse in a calm, static way, like a key image of Epona. While this is generally accepted connection among scholars of the Mabinogi and Celtic studies, Ronald Hutton as a general historian, is sceptical.
I'm currently reading the book 'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows: A Complete History' (Ruickbie; 2004), and I keep finding myself wanting to put excerpts here which are very applicable; which I did recently with the Greek legend of Medea. I found another which I can't resist. To start with, after the first chapter regarding the "Old Religion" as it existed prominently in pre-Olympian Greece (and after), chapter two is entitled 'East of Midgard: Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion Amongst the Pagan Tribes of Northern Europe'. He talks about the Germanic and Gaulish tribes, and it's fascinating to ponder the interaction between these two similar cultures. It also shows how the "Old Religion" existed within the ancient Odinic German societies. It's obvious to me the cultural overlap between the magical traditions of the proto-Europeans and the incoming Teutons. For example, the Druidic traditions developed as the two merged together; and the later Germanic invasion in the east reflected the more Teutonic spirituality. In the subsection 'The People of the Oak', based mostly on the works of the Roman historian Tacitus, the Druids are shown to be nothing less than the "doctors, poets, priest and astronomers" of the Gaulish culture. When the Roman Emperor Claudius outlawed "Druidry" in 43 CE, it took about fifteen years to wipe it out by force. Since it was an oral tradition, little is known about it today. A few small reminders exist today, such as the mistletoe during Christmas; although it had an entirely different significance to the Druids. "...the Greek philosopher Dio Chysotomus (c. 40-112 CE) compared them to those other great mystical castes of ancient times, the Persian magi, Egyptian priests and Hindu brahmin." Apparently some Alchemists believe that the Druids were part of some type of "mystery school network" which existed from Greece and Egypt, to Phonecia, to Persia, to India, and even to China. It took years of training to become a Druid or Druidess.
Although so little is known of the Druids, it was beautiful to read about how they held court in special "sacred groves" of oak trees. I imagined groves of grey barked oak trees in Lake County, California where I spent summers when I was a child. It was almost like the oak trees possess a certain nurturing energetic quality. Even today, when I'm in some special remote place--morning, day, late afternoon, twilight, or evening--with nobody around, I find it incredible that nobody is there to enjoy the priceless feeling, sights, mood, and tranquil energy. Perhaps the Druids knew something that we don't know? I wanted to put in one more small but important excerpt that validates something that I've suspected for a good while now: "Julius Caesar had broken their (the Druids) power in Gaul by 58 BCE and in 60 or 61 CE the Roman legions laid wast to their holy sanctuary of Mona (Mon) on the island of what is now called Anglesey (Wales). Tacitus describes how black-robed druidesses urged on the Celtic warriors and cursed their Roman attackers with great shouts and screams. The Romans were terrible in victory and having won the field of battle, destroyed the sacred groves and massacred the druids. As a spiritual and political force they were finished and gradually declined into obscurity." The word Mòn meant "Moon" to the ancient Camunni. In the Camunian dialect, Al Camònega means "Val Camonica," and "mòn" is present in many words in the Lombard language and Camunian sub-dialect of Brescian; likely always having some tie-in to an old phrase with a moon-connection. There is a Camunian village called Monno in Italian, but was actually called "Mòn" in the Lombard language. It literally meant "Moon," and perhaps was the site of some forgotten temple to the moon goddess. Also, as I am somewhat ashamed to admit, the word "Mòna" in Camunian--which was very likely the actual, now forgotten, ancient local name of the moon goddess--is a vulgar and slanderous name for a woman. I have long suspected, based on what little information I have come upon regarding ancient mostly central European languages, that the proto-European word for moon was "mòn." Also, more importantly, the word for the ancient moon goddess was "Mòna." Lombardy was once part of Cisalpine Gaul, and the ancient Camunni were a very ancient proto-European people. The Welsh, like Basques and Camunians, are also a very ancient proto-European people. Wales is where this "holy sanctuary of Mona" was located. It seems to suggest that the words and spiritual concepts of Mòn and Mòna were of pre-Celtic proto-European origin. In other words, the European-wide "Old Religion." Going back to the last glacial movement, where the northern two-thirds of Europe was covered by a mile high sheet of ice, this goddess had a common origin.
The Gaulish Mòna, the Greek Hecate, the Roman Diana, the Venus of Willendorf, etc., were all of a common origin if you go back far enough. People just can't wrap their minds around the fact that the true-Mediterraneans and original Teutons arrived later. Before there were Greeks, Germans, English, etc., there was this type of "European native" and their spiritual tradition. The origin of the "Old Religion." Of course, even before Christianity, it was being merged, marginalized, and sometimes altered. For example, there was likely Alchemical influence during the Middle Ages. The word "mòn" became "moon," and the Roman-Latin "Luna" and "Lunar" replaced it in scientific and spiritual reference. Also, the "horned god" was the "father god" of the Old Religion all over Europe from Cyprus to Scotland. Cernunnos and Mona were later local manifestations of this "god and goddess" in Gaul. Much earlier manifestations of this same "god and goddess" were "The Sorcerer" and the "Venus of Willendorf." When we go back the far in time, we must suspend our idea of geography somewhat in order to comprehend that time period. So have we finally solved the problem of finding an ancient "European name" for the Almother? Regional names, such as Hecate, only seem to confuse the issue. As for the Alfather of the Old Religion, the late Stewart Farrar used the name "Karnayna," although I don't know at this time if this was based on any ancient word or concept. I had discussed in that earlier article the problem with adopting names from local traditions, since people often just can't separate that particular locale with the larger concept.
"Heathen" is a good working example of the "reappropriation" of a word to fit a larger concept; while the word "Asatru" has run into problems, as people can't seem to forget it's regional Icelandic roots. It then becomes "an Icelandic religion" in some people's minds. The name "Mona" would be a good candidate for reappropriation, since it is generally just a given name and a word present in non-Indo-European languages due to it's simple pronunciation (likely to develop in various languages). "Máni" was a Norse, and probably Saxon, "moon goddess." Máni means "moon" in old Norse and Icelandic. In this somewhat parallel northern tradition, there was a "sun god and moon goddess" called "Máni and Sól." This seems to clearly show the proto-European tie-in within Norse paganism.
This tie-in is not Odinic, but a regional Norse connection to the Old Religion, which I have long suspected. I could not be certain, since "Norse witchcraft" could have developed on it's own. It is much more likely an older holdover, with Odinic influence. The author of 'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows' is Leo Ruickbie from the UK. .
The word "Dümènica" means "Sunday" in the Camunian dialect. I just wanted to put some various miscellaneous items together here under two postings. They won't follow any consistent pattern. The following news item I found so bizarre: 'Prehistoric forest arises in Cardigan Bay after storms strip away sand'. The "Borth forest," a forest of legend, was unearthed by a big storm off the coast of Wales recently. More eery images of the forest, last alive 4,500 years ago, can be found on a Google search for "Borth forest." That is such a long time, and in just one day or so... there it is! Just as the word "Israel" is an old reference to the Egyptian goddess Isis, the Egyptian god Ra, and the Phoenician god El ("Isis-Ra-El"); the Christian term "Amen" actually means "Amon-Ra," or "so be it Ra." A huge pentacle upon the ground in Kazakhstan, and only visible from the air, is explained in the following article: 'Mysterious Pentagram on Google Maps Explained.' It's so curious that this relic from the Soviet era was fashioned after the pentacle, rather than a Soviet star. After all, five-pointed stars have many meanings, and a pentacle is a distinct one. Have a look at it in any case, on the article link. The country music star Bobby Bare composed a song entitled 'Marie Laveau', from his 1973 record 'Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies', about the "Voodoo Queen" of New Orleans. It was a song done in sort've a silly, not-serious, story-telling style; but I like things like that.. legends and folklore. Marie Laveau was a native believer.
I don't like to go off topic much, but for me this is a crazy time warp thing. It never ceases to amaze me the types of things you can find on YouTube. I was a fan of hard rock/heavy metal music. Not a huge fan, but a fan of the culture of it as much as anything. Here is the entire concert footage of Van Halen in Sao Paulo, Brazil on January 21, 1983. I can remember in Junior High School and High School of them being usually at the Oakland Coliseum... probably on this very same tour. It was like a really big deal then. There are so many long videos now, you can just skip down to the end. Sao Paulo is at the south end of Brazil, and about five million Italians live in that province if you can believe that. The most prosperous part of that country. I remember attending a David Lee Roth solo concert in what was not much more than a garage in San Francisco in the 90s with two or three hundred people. Then when the band reconnected, they could pull a huge crowd again. While I'm on the subject, I ran into a music video ('Buttercup' by Sinboy) that reminded me of when we used to go down around the LA metal/rock scene during weekends in the 90s, which was basically after this music genre was being fazed out by the big record companies. I remember two all-female bands in particular, Sinboy and Phantom Blue. A lot of times they would bounce around band to band because those gals didn't always get along and there wasn't the fame and big money to keep them together. I remember the late bassist Rana Ross, she was really good. Nice gal too. Another singer who could have, and really should have made it big, was Gigi Hangach. Sometimes they would talk to you, other times they would just sorta laugh at you.. but it was a fun time. One thing I remember that you never say to any member of any local scene band is to imply that "they're popular locally" or even "local legends." As far as they and their hard core fans are concerned, they're the best in the world! I like the cable channel Investigation Discovery, and one program is about missing people--I think the name is 'Disappeared'--where it had one docudrama about the account of a woman named Tanya Rider. She went off the highway and crashed, and survived I think it was eight days severely injured without food or water. I thought one of her quotes was important: "No matter what life gives you, you have to embrace it and move forward." It's very true, although it's much easier said than done. I think one add-on to it is to, for-the-most-part, try to forget bad experiences of the past that just drag you down. Again, easier said than done! The head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Jim Harbaugh, lives by something called "the Harbaugh rule." This "rule" is that no matter what happens, good or bad, forty-eight hours later you're onto the next thing. What's done is done. If you can learn from mistakes, fine, but "highs and lows" aren't helpful after forty-eight hours. It's true.. and pragmatic.
I have thought about devoting a post to bumble bees, probably mainly because I can remember as a young child playing in our backyard with trucks and things. There were several large bushes with lots of flowers, and I can remember playing on warm days with large bumble bees all around me. We paid no attention to each other. They were so big, and in hindsight I now perceive them as equally gentle. Actually, they were just doing their job collecting pollen. Just a couple of days ago I caught one who accidently entered the garage here. I caught him in a glass container and walked him outside. I stared at him for a moment, and then lifted the top, and off he went. A few times I have found a bee who was weak and vulnerable, probably due to dehydration. I put a little water, and sometimes sugar, down for them to ingest.. and they eventually gathered themselves to moved on. There are quite a number of fairly well known people who loosely fit into the category of "truthseeking." Whether referred to as researchers, activists, authors, academics, spiritual gurus, Christians, or those unlocking negative aspects of the occult at the highest levels, etc., they all loosely fit into this same category... and they rarely fit into the "right-left paradigm" which is always good and allows for honest interaction and open-minded study. Michael Tsarion and Mark Passio are two good examples in the latter category... which overlaps a little into the pagan arena that we cover here, but I could list one hundred off hand in a short time. Many over time have passed on, such as Ted Gunderson and Michael Ruppert.
One women within this truthseeking milieu is Nancy Red Star, who is more in the "spiritual guru" category, but also a native pagan, author, researcher, and activist. She stands out in some ways, to me, because she represents Amerindian pagan culture and occultism of the positive aspect of the word. Her work on native "star ancestors" is not totally unlike evidence of certain strange rock drawings in the Val Camonica, which we can cover at another time. It should be pointed out that a "native believer" is any person who believes in their own ancestral-spirituality, but I've sort've mixed the two definitions here a bit. I thought her name was worth mentioning because she is well known (she has been an expert on the tv program 'Ancient Aliens') and is a type of pagan leader of a sort for her culture. A lot of her lectures and interviews are on YouTube. What is really disturbing to me is how Nancy Red Star, or Steve McNallen, are frequently attacked online... usually by anonymous sources. Yeah, Steve McNallen and Nancy Red Star are "the problem" with the world... right!
I left the following comment on the Asatru Update blog a few weeks ago, and I wanted to place it here because I think it captured a certain idea well. The following comment was from an entry from Steve McNallen entitled 'The Gods and Goddesses Are Not Online' (3-26-14): "I am a non-Asatru folkish pagan. Yesterday evening, we took a time out
from our busy lives for an unofficial "roundtable" with our fold up
chairs on a trail at the base of the northern Santa Cruz Mountain chain.
There, among the soft sound of crickets and an occasional hoot of an
owl... only a few lights from the nearby business park and an occasional
truck rambling by reminded us of the nearby urban sprawl. The darkness
of the mountain even provided a window to view some of the stars.
Through the break in the trees we could see the black mountain peak
standing majestically amid the navy blue sky. A small caravan of racoons
moved by at one point. Pagans and Heathens need to force themselves to
get away, even if it's just a short distance. That was the best Sunday
evening that I have had in awhile." I should point out again that I am not an Odinist/Asutrar. .
