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Showing posts from April, 2012

Beltane Lore, Legend and Celebrations

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  Beltane, also spelled Beltaine, is the Gaelic name for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May. It is the third of the three spring fertility festivals on the Wiccan Wheel of the Year.  The other two spring fertility festivals being Imbolog and Ostara respectively. Beltane is a cross-quarter, on the Wheel of the Year,  marking the midpoint in the Sun's progress between the vernal equinox  (Ostara) and summer solstice (Litha).  Beltane stands opposite Samhain on the wheel, as two very important celebrations. Beltane, also known as May Day,  which is derived from the Irish Gaelic 'Bealtaine' or the Scottish Gaelic 'Bealtuinn', meaning 'Bel-fire', the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus). He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god Baal. May Day , of course resides in the month of May which is named of the goddess Maia, a Greek mountain nymph.  Maia is identified as the most beautif

Circle of the Dragon's Crystal Unfolding

 (Happily our tradition information was posted on Witchvox in March!  I am sharing the article, which can also be found on Witchvox at http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usfl&c=trads&id=14913) We strike a spark, Against the dark, Tween the shadows and the stars, That we may see the way. ~Opening of the Unfolding Circle Casting Founded in 2001, The Circle of the Dragon's Crystal-Unfolding (more commonly called just "the Unfolding Path") is based on the Draconian Path of Wicca/Wysardn. The Draconian Path is itself an amalgam of Welsh Celtic, Celtic Traditional Wicca and Wysardn Colleges, founded in 1986 by progenitor Lord Ash who brought Wysardn teachings from Europe and melded it with the workings of his Floridian coven. Wysardry is a survival of the druids of Britain who fled the Isle of Mona and spread throughout Europe during the three Burning Times. Incidentally, there are more than a few groups who also use the name Draconian. The one