The tiamat is a very large female dragon (seamonster, snake, or something of the like) which is the goddess of the sea in the Babylonian myths. It can't possibly be mistaken for the Baphomet.

What?! You couldn't tell by the name or by looking at my profile? Geeze!

I liked that movie too.

Exploring the Gods & Goddesses
by Catherine Harris

Exploring the world of the gods and goddesses is an exciting and interesting journey. Throughout the months, I’ve gained a greater knowledge of the wonders of humanity and the intricate way we bring aspects of the past into our lives. For someone just starting their journey of discovery learning more about the gods and goddesses of ancient and present times can be a daunting task. I’ve received several e-mails with questions such as, “Where do I start?” and “I am a very dedicated Christian, do you think it would be offensive to God if I study this subject.” While I can’t answer for your religious convictions or tell you which path to choose, I can give you some tips on study.

It’s important to know how much time and energy you want to dedicate to this subject. If you are a student wanting to learn more for a report, you will want to spend less time than someone who is on a journey of self-discovery. Make a commitment to yourself, and put that commitment in writing.
The next step includes finding a way to compile notes for the knowledge you are about to acquire. You may choose to buy a large 3-ring binder and use dividers for each culture. You may want to use a separate notebook for each culture. Some people enjoy keeping their information on computer disks. If you choose to use your computer to keep information, make sure you back up that information periodically.

Find a notebook, journal, or other blank book that just begs for you to write down the facts you find. You may want to decorate the front yourself, or you can buy one that is decorated in a way that fits your area of interests. Book stores have a wonderful selection of blank journals for just this purpose.

Set aside the time to start your search for knowledge on the gods and goddesses and stick to that appointed time. We will say that you have Tuesday nights free. Make an appointment with yourself to grab that notebook and a pen on Tuesday nights. You’ll begin to look forward to the time you dedicate to learning.

You have the materials needed to take notes, and you’ve set the time. Now, what? The Internet has made information about so many topics available with just the touch of a button. You can go to any search engine, type in the name of a god or goddess, and you will get thousands of links to check out. This is a wonderful means of research, but be cautious. Just because someone wrote it on a web page doesn’t make it fact. Check and recheck to make sure what you are reading is the general consensus on the people writing on that god or goddess.

Don’t forget that the library is a valuable place. In this electronic age people sometimes forget the importance and unique experience of sitting down to a table in the library with books spread around you. It’s quiet, there are no distractions, there are books for miles, and you’ll be more inclined to find hard facts and more in depth information.

If you are drawn to the Celtic lore and legends, turn your attention to their pantheon. If you are more interested in Egypt, turn your attention to learning about the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. Don’t forget to include various modern religions in your search for knowledge

.The most important thing to remember is to have fun while you learn. If you make it a chore, you will soon drop off the journey. If possible, study with a friend. I’ve had some wonderful discussions with my friends who are interested in this subject.

Baphomet
by Doreen Valiente

This name was given to the statue of a mysterious deity alleged to be worshipped by the Knights Templar. The latter, although a powerful and wealthy order of chivalry, came to be distrusted by Church and State at the beginning of the fourteenth century, and were disbanded. They were accused of heresy, of worshipping the Devil in the guise of Baphomet, and of practicing homosexuality. The order was put down with the utmost severity, and its Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, burned at the stake.

It has been suggested that the word Baphomet was really a version of 'Mahomet', and that the Templars, from their connections with the East, had secretly become Mohammedans. This widely-accepted explanation is, however, absurd. Nothing could be more repugnant, nor more strictly forbidden, to anyone who had really embraced Islam, than to make a graven image of either Allah or the Prophet Mohammed.

The accounts given of the mysterious statue by the accused Templars when they were brought to trial, are confused. Some of their evidence was extracted under torture, by people who were determined to get evidence that the Templars were secret devil-worshippers. Sometimes the image was said to be simply a head but of terrifying aspect, and sometimes merely a bare skull; but another account told of the figure being worshipped by kissing its feet. Sometimes it is described as bearded, and "like a demon"; but it is also described as being like a woman. It was generally agreed, however, that the image, or why it represented, was worshipped, and that it was regarded as the giver of abundance and fertility.

In 1816 a distinguished antiquarian, Baron Joseph Von Hammer-Purgstall, published a book entitled Mysterium Baphometi Revelatum, in which he gave his opinion that the Knights Templars really were secret heretics, or "Gnostics" as he called them. He based this opinion upon certain very curious relics of thirteenth-century art, consisting chiefly of statuettes, coffers and cups or goblets. These contained mysterious figures, which are evidently pagan, and correspond to the description of 'Baphomet' secretly worshipped by the Templars. That is, the figures are androgynous, bearded but with female breasts, or otherwise showing the characteristics of both sexes, and often with a skull at the feet, and displaying the magical sigil of the pentagram. Sometimes inscriptions in Arabic accompany the figures; but their sense is deliberately obscure.

These images have certain things in common with the deities of the witches. They are the source of life and fertility, and they are associated with the symbols of the skull and the five-pointed star. Their sexual characteristics are emphasized, as were those of Pan and the goddesses of Nature. Their generally pagan appearance would certainly have caused the medieval Church to regard them as devils.

Thomas Wright, in his Essays on the Worship of the Generative Powers during the Middle Ages of Western Europe (in Payne Knight's Discourse on the Worship of Priapus, privately printed, London, 1865) gives his opinion here:

the comparison of facts stated in the confessions of many of the Templars as preserved in the official reports, with the images and sculptured cups and coffers given by Von Hammer-Purgstall, leads to the conclusion that there is truth in the explanation he gives of the latter, and that the Templars, or at least some of them, had secretly adopted a form of the rites of Gnosticism, which was itself founded upon the phallic worship of the ancients. An English Templar, Stephen de Staplebridge, acknowledged that 'there were two professions in the order of the Temple, the first lawful and good, and the second contrary to the faith'. He had been admitted to the first of these when he entered the order, eleven years before the time of his examination, but he was only initiated into the second or inner mysteries about a year afterwards.

The existence of an inner circle within an order or society of some kind, is a frequent means of occult organization. Many such 'orders within orders' exist in the present day.

In medieval times, the Devil was often regarded as being androgynous. The card called 'the Devil' in the old pack of the Tarot de Marseilles represents him thus; and the Old English word 'scrat' meant both a devil and hermaphrodite. 'The Old Scrat' is still a dialect term for the Devil.

The distinguished nineteenth-century French occultist, Eliphas Levi, declared Baphomet of the Templars to be identical with the god of the witches' Sabbat; it was not the figure of a devil, however, but of the god Pan, or rather a pantheistic symbol of the whole of Nature.

The word Baphomet, when written backwards "Kabbalistically", reveals three abbreviations: TEM, OHP, AB, which stand for Templi omnium homimum pacis abbas, "the father of the temple of universal peace among men." This explanation may sound somewhat far-fetched; but Eliphas Levi was in touch with secret occult fraternities which preserved traditional knowledge, though he often wrote in an obscure and devious style, being anxious not to give too much offence to the Catholic Church.

There is a vary curious and interesting carving in the church of Saint-Merri in France, which is traditionally said to be a representation of Baphomet. It is a horned and winged figure, bearded but having female breasts; and its sits cross-legged, rather like the old Gaulish figures of the Celtic Horned God, Cernnunos.

The idea that God, containing all things, was therefore androgynous, is a very ancient and widespread one. It occurs in the collection of magical legends of the witches of Italy, which Charles Godfrey Leland published as Aradia: the Gospel of the Witches. In this, the legend of Diana states: "Diana was the first created before all creation; in her were all things; out of herself, the first darkness, she divided herself; into darkness and light she was divided. Lucifer, her brother and son, herself and her other half, was the light."

The same idea occurs in the mystical symbolism of the Qabalah. The Sephiroth, or Divine Emanations from the Unmanifest, which are arranged as the Qabalistic Tree of Life, represent the attributes of God; and of these some are male and some female. S.L. MacGregor Mathers, in The Kabbalah Unveiled (Routledge & Kegam Paul, London 1957), has pointed out how the translators of the Bible have "smothered up" and glossed over every reference to the fact that God is both masculine and feminine. This was, of course, done to establish the patriarchal conception of God the Father, with femininity regarded, after the Pauline fashion, as something inferior if not actually evil.

However, in the Ancient East the highest deities were sometimes represented in androgynous form. Such figures were called Brahma Ardhanarisa, or Shiva Ardhanarisa. The Syrian god Baal was sometimes represented as double-sexed; and old accounts tell us that his worshippers called upon him thus: "Hear us, Baal! Whether thou be god or goddess!" Mithras was sometimes referred to as androgynous; and the Greek Dionysus even more frequently so. One of his titles was Diphues, meaning 'double-sexed'. The Orphic Hymns sing of Zeus, the supreme god of nature, in the same way; as man and as virgin eternal.

Goddesses, too, were sometimes regarded in the ancient world as double-sexed; in particular, the most supposedly feminine of them all, Venus or Aphrodite. In Cypress, a strange image of Venus was worshipped, bearded and masculine, but dresses in female attire. At the festivals of this worship, transvestism was practiced, women wearing men's clothes and men dressing as women. Similar festivals honored the goddess Astarte; and it is interesting to note that transvestism was condemned by the Christian Church, which associated it with witchcraft.

There seems no particular reason why transvestism should be regarded as wicked, when one comes to think of it. It is probable that the real cause of the Christian and Old Testament denunciations of the practice, lies in the fact that it was a custom carried out in honor of pagan deities.

The figure of Baphomet, therefore, is connected with worship of great antiquity, the depth and widespread nature of which have been little realized, on account of the veil which has been drawn over these matters. Only in the present day has this veil of pudeur begun to be lifted, when people have come to realize that the 'obscenity' of the old Nature worship was mostly in the eye of the beholder.

The information provided above is taken from: "An ABC Of Witchcraft" by Doreen Valiente, pages 51-54

The Great Pan
by Scott Paul


...That dismal cry rose slowly
And sank slowly through the air.
Full of spirits melancholy
And eternity's despair;
And they heard the words it said -
Pan is dead - Great Pan is dead,
Pan, Pan is dead.
"A Musical Instrument," 1859

It has been almost 150 years since poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that Great Pan is dead. Pan has long been a symbol of the wild-at-heart and the carefree. But just who is Pan, where did he come from, and why does he evoke such thoughts?

Among the most recognized of all the Greek gods, Pan is described as a satyr. Dion Fortune called Pan the "Goat Foot God." He has the body of a man, and the hindquarters of a goat. Pan was an Arcadian god of the shepherds. With the arrival of the Olympian gods, new myths were told to explain his presence. Pan's relationship to the gods is varied. One myth tells that Pan is a son of Kronos and foster brother of Zeus. In another story, he is the son of Hermes and the nymph Dryope. Some have said that his mother was Queen Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, and that his father was all of her suitors. Whatever Pan's origins, he is associated with bee-keeping, music, fertility, and dance. He is also god of prophecy. He is best known, however, for his sexual escapades.

The nymph Syrinx escaped his passion for her by having herself turned into a clump of reeds by the gods. Pan plucked a handful of the reed and created his panpipes. He remembers her with his music. Pan seduced the nymph Pitys away from Boreas, the north wind. The goddess Gaia changed Pitys into a pine tree to save her from Boreas' wrath. Pan seduced the goddess Selene when he changed into a white ram and lured her into the forest.

The worship of Pan centered on the region of Arcadia until the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. Greece was being invaded by the Persians, and Athens sent a runner to Sparta for help. On his return trip. the runner Pheidippides encountered Pan in Arcadia. Making his presence known, Pan told Pheidippides that if the Arcadians would worship him he would aid them in battle. It is said that Pan's cry caused a panic amongst the Persian army. In Athens a shrine to Pan was built in the wild places below the acropolis.

Pan is unique among the other Greek gods in that he is the only one with a story of his death. Plutarch wrote of a merchant ship that was plying its trade amongst the Greek isles. When the ship neared the isle of Paxi, a great voice called, asking the captain to tell a neighboring island that "Great Pan is Dead." The death of Pan seemed to signal the death of all of the gods. In Greek, Pan literally means "all."

But Pan is not dead. Authors have immortalized him up to present day. He even was a cartoon sidekick to Hercules in a popular Walt Disney Movie. Pan has become the embodiment of all things wild and carefree. He is now a cultural icon in the modern age. In short, Pan lives.

~from Llewellyn's Magical Almanac

I hadn't really thought about the anima or the animus when I read it or as I was posting it. I'm going through some very difficult things in my life right now and that particular Goddess Companion entry spoke to my heart on a very deep level. In retrospect I guess it does have an anima/animus feel to it. Thanks for pointing that out!

Ravensong, do with what I've posted as you will for I didn't write it. It was passed down to me years ago by a fellow Pagan via email. I have a copy of it in my own BOS as well as a copy of it on my hard drive.


As for the cleansing...

I do have my own Witch's Rosary that are made of crystals, semiprecious gemstones, and silver. I also make my own everyday beaded jewelry from crystal, semiprecious gemstone beads, and silver findings. I collect crystals and gemstones in gemeral. Sometimes walking into my home reminds one of walking into the Tuscon, Arizona Crystal & Gemstone Show. lol So I cleanse all my crystals and gemstones in my home on a regular basis, which includes the necklaces I've made and my prayer beads. After all they are made of crystals and gemstones which naturally absorb negative energies and need to be cleansed and recharged every once in a while. My cleansing method of choice is smudging using sage, cedar, & lavender.

The Pennsylvania Dutch, more correctly Pennsylvania German, are a people of various religious affiliations, living mostly in eastern Pennsylvania, with cultural traditions dating back to the German immigrations to America in the 17th and 18th centuries.

A couple of misconceptions about the Pennsylvania Dutch should be mentioned. The use of the term "Dutch", which leads people to believe that the people are from Holland. In reality, the term came from the word "Deutsch", which is the German word for "German". Most think that the Pennsylvania Dutchmen are Amish. However, the Amish community represents only a small portion of the people who settled in eastern Pennsylvania. The majority of the Pennsylvania Dutch are not Amish.

They are primarily farmers and their foods reflect both their German heritage and the hearty foods associated with the physical work involved in farming. Women spent a lot of time preparing 3 hearty meals a day. Preserving, like canning and drying, were necessary to help get through the winter months, and many recipes using preserved foods are still used today.

The foods are very similar to Amish cooking, probably due to their German heritage, and based on the influences of the regions in which they settled.




Chow Chow (Pennsylvania Dutch)
Category: Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1/4 pound green beans, broken into pieces
1 large cauliflower, broken into flowerets
3 cups lima beans
3 cups corn
1 quart onions, chopped
5 green bell peppers, chopped
1/4 pound tomatoes, chopped
3 quarts cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons celery seed
1/2 pound dry mustard
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 tablespoon tumeric

Directions
Cut the green beans in pieces; break the cauliflower into flowerets; add the lima beans and corn and cook all 4 ingredients about 25 minutes. Drain.

Chop the onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Heat the vinegar in a large pot and when hot, add the sugar, salt and spices which have been mixed together.

Drain the water from the cooked vegetables and add to the hot vinegar. Then add the chopped vegetables and cook about 25 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.




Old-Fashioned String Beans and Bacon
Category: Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 can string beans, with liquid
1/4 pound bacon, diced, browned, and crumbled
1 small onion, finely diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

Directions
Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch dice. Brown the bacon and combine with the other ingredients and cook for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, but not mushy.

NOTE - You can use fresh string beans, substituting equal amount for the canned.




Shoo Fly Pie - Berks County - Dry Filling
Category: Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Filling
Indredients
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup molasses
2/3 following crumb mixture

Directions
Dissolve soda in molasses; stir til foams. Add hot water. Mix dry ingredients.

Crumbs
Ingredients
3 cup flour +1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

Directions
Add 2/3 crumb mixture to wet filling. Spread about1/3 of crumb mixture on bottom of pie shells; pour in filling. Scatter remaining crumbs on top. Bake@375 - 30 min Makes 2 8" pies




Shoo Fly Pie - Lancaster County - Wet Filling
Category: Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Filling
Ingredients
1-1/2 cup boiling water
1 Tsp baking soda
1 cup molasses

Directions
Dissolve soda in molasses; Stir til foams. Add hot water. Divide filling in two crusts.

Mix dry ingredients for crumbs;

Crumbs
Incredients
4 cup flour +1/4 tsp salt
2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter or solid shortening

Directions
Sprinkle thickly on top filling. Bake@350 - 30-40 min. Makes 2 8" pies




Pennsylvania Dutch Amish Dessert
Category: Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond flavoring

TOPPING
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Cream together first 4 ingredients. Pour into greased 9-inch glass pie pan. Bake at 340 degrees for 35 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes.

Mix together topping ingredients and put on top of mixture. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. May be served with strawberries or raspberries.





Pennsylvania Scrapple

Any number of displaced Pennsylvania people will tell you that the only thing wrong with Scrapple is that you can't buy it anywhere very far from its origin. Even in Pennsylvania where it originated and was known as "Ponhaws", it is getting scarce.

The trouble is economics. Scrapple was a way of using odd bits and pieces of meat, combined with meal and spices, and it was, thus a product of farm kitchens and small meat packers. For several years, one of the big meat packers in the Middle West sold scrapple in cans, but there's not much left of Scrapple selling today. The market is to small, and the product costs too much, for scrapple to get to much attention.

But for those of us who love it I think that there is nothing as satisfying, especially as a breakfast meat. Properly made and cooked, it has the flavor of a good pork sausage combined with the crispness of bacon.

There are a number of Scrapple recipes, however, this is an old family one that has proven itself for years. One of its strong points is that it cooks well; and perhaps even more important, it survives freezing without damage.




Scrapple
Ingredients
2 pounds ground lean pork
1 lb beef liver
1 cup buckwheat flour
3 cups yellow corn meal
4 tablespoons salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sage
2 teaspoons ground mace
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons whole sweet marjoram
3 quarts of water

Directions
In a large pot, add the water and bring to a boil. Add the liver and boil 10 minutes. Remove the liver and either run through a chopper or grab a knife and cut it in as small pieces as you can. Return to pot. Add the ground pork, a little at a time, and stir. If you add the pork all at once, you will end up with a big "clump". Boil at about a simmer for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl mix the buckwheat flour, corn meal, salt, and spices; add to meat and broth slowly, constanstanly stirring. Simmer gently for one hour, stirring very frequently. Use lowest possible heat, as mixture scorches easily.

Pour into greased loaf pans, (you will need two - this receipt will make two four pound pans for a total of eight pounds) bounce the pans a couple of times so that the Scrapple settles, and let cool. At this point it is best to let the let the Scrapple set in the refigerator overnight.

Now, as you arise in the morning, remove the scrapple from the refrigerator and cut into to 3/8 inch slices. To freeze, lay a sheet of waxed paper between slices and then put in ziplock bags and into the freezer.




Broccoli Salad
Category: Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 bunch of fresh broccoli
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled

Directions
Mix well and set aside.

Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions
Beat well and pour over broccoli mixture. Tastes best if it can sit in the refrigerator overnight.




Dandelion with Bacon Dressing
Category: Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 bunch of young dandelion greens, washed
2 Tbsp bacon fat
1/4 cup vinegar
2 eggs
4 slices of bacon
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 c water

Directions
Fry bacon, crumble and put pieces over top of the dandelion greens. Use flour and bacon drippings; mix to a paste with a little of the water. Add to the beaten eggs, water and vinegar. Mix well and heat in a pan (or microwave) until thick, stirring every once and awhile to prevent lumps. When thick, pour over dandelion and serve. Ingredients vary according to the bunch of dandelions you want to make. Best when dressing is served warm. This dressing can also be used over endive, garden lettuce or even potato salad.




Karrups Pie Mit Schnapps (Whisky Pumpkin Pie)
Category: Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Pastry for a large, deep pie
2 c. cooked pumpkin
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, seperated
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. cream
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. whisky
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Directions
To the pumpkin add the sugar, egg yolks and cinnamon and beat for several minutes. Quickly add the cream, butter and whisky, mix well. sprinkly the cornstarch over the stiffly beaten egg whites and fold into the first mixture. Pour into a pastry lined pan about 2 1/2 inches deep and bake for 1 hour in a 375 degree oven. Let it cool.

The Goddess Companion

The Assyrian came down from the northern mountains.
He arrived with his vast army.
He bragged that he would burn my land and kill my men.
He bragged that he would kill my infants.
He said he would take my children hostage.
He said that he would rape my women.
But he has been defeated and will do none of that.
He has been defeated by me, a woman.
Not by a man, not by an army, not by a giant, but by me, Judith, daughter of Merari.
~Judith 16:4-11

The great figure of the warrior woman appears in almost every culture. Among the Hebrews, she was Judith, a young widow who lured the violent general Holofernes to his death. Seduced by Judith's charms, he invited her to his tent. And there, she cut his throat, freeing her people from his oppression.

Liberating ourselves from negative habits, whether they be actions or thoughts, takes a steely resolve and sharp action. We can be warrior women, without ever lifting a weapon, by being ruthlessly honest with ourselves, by cutting out what keeps us from living our best lives, by freeing our energies from the aspects of ourselves that hold us back.

We can also emulate heroines like Judith in our outer life by fighting against anything that oppresses us or others, against injustice and poverty and violence. The energy of the warrior woman is available to all of us, whether male or female, for use in our inner and outer struggles.

From "The Goddess Companion" by Patricia Monaghan

Today's Goddess: Tenga
Equal Opportunity Day (US)

Themes: Balance, Justice, Morality, Freedom
Symbol: Soil

About Tenga: Among the Mossi of Senegal, Tenga is a potent earth Goddess who presides over all matters of justice and morality. Today she joins our celebration by offering to right wrongs and restore the balance in any area of our life that's gotten out of kilter.

To Do Today: One way of doing this is through visualization. Hold a handful of soil as you mentally review the last week of your life and the way you handled certain individuals or circumstances.

Consider: Did you go into a meeting with negativity, anticipating the worst? Did you overlook an opportunity, or close the door on a relationship because of a bad experience in the past? These are the negative patterns that Tenga helps us to attack and transform with honest candidness (including being honest with yourself about shortcomings). You may not like what she shows you, but the results will be worth it. Tenga improves your awareness of the Goddess in all things and all people.

Today's Goddess: Phra Naret
Loy Krathog (Thailand)

Themes: Water, Wishes, Abundance, Wealth, Prosperity, Beauty, Luck
Symbols: Candles, Boats,Water

About Phra Naret: In Thailand (formerly Siam), Phra Naret is the Goddess of Good Fortune, prosperity and beauty. Having
been born of water, she flows into today's festivities with fertility and wealth.

To Do Today: This harming festival includes the launching of small boats filled with candles, incense, coins and gardenias on a nearby river. According to tradition should the candle stay lit until it stays out of site, the launcher's wish will come true. You can recreate this by using a stream of hose water, a raft of popsicle sticks or plywood and whatever tokens you want to give to Phra Naret to generate her luck in manifesting your wish. Just make sure you choose biodegradable items, since you need to let the raft flow out of your site so the magic can release itself. Anyone finding the wish boat will also be blessed with a wish and a little of Phra Naret's prosperity.

Drink plenty of fresh water to internalize Phra Naret's positive attributes today and wash your floors with plain water so that her abundance and fertility will be absorbed into every part of your home. If you have plants, remember to give them a little water today too, so they can grow with this Goddess's profusion.

From "365 Goddess" By Patricia Telesco

Athena, maiden Goddess, put on
a disguise; a gray wig, a stick to lean on,
so she looked many times her age.
She addressed Arachne, thoughtless weaver:
"Girl, take heed of what your elders say.
It takes years to earn wisdom. Listen now:
people say you're good with wool.
Accept their praise for industry and art,
but remember to thank the Goddess
for your gifts, remember to make offerings
to Athena, do not forget to say your prayers."
~Ovid, Metamorphoses

On the dark of the moon in this month, the ancient Greeks celebrated the festival called the Chalkeia. It was a feast dedicated to the great Goddess Athena, who descended from the protective snake mother of Crete to become the city Goddess of Athens. Her shrine still stands on the hill called the Acropolis, looking down on the busy city as it has for almost three millennia.

Each year in midsummer, Athena's birthday was celebrated. Her statue was decked with newly woven robes, signifying new energy, new fortunes, new power. On this night, the warp was set upon the looms for the next year's robes. All year, the women of Athens wove the splendid garments for the Goddess's birthday. Thus this was a festival for crafters and artesian, especially weavers, who celebrated their skill and beauty they created. Today we are less aware of the power of the artisan, but we still could not live comfortably without the cloth and glass and other products they create. Taking one day to be aware of how much we consume, and how much it costs in human labor to produce it, can be enlightening.

From "The Goddess Companion" by Patricia Monaghan

Frankly I don't believe that all of mankind came from one single man (Adam) and one single woman (Eve). I believe that God created many different men and women. Howver, the Old Testament just focuses on just one of those couples. I can't reconcile in my own mind that a loving and all powerful God would say it was ok to have incestuous sex just to populate the Earth, when he had the power to create many men and women. Especially when later in the Holy Bible it condemns such incestuous sexual relationships. But then again I believe the Holy Bible is a spiritual book with spiritual lessons and not neccessarily a historical book. So Cain & Able can have incestuous sex with their sisters, cousins, and neices all they want... I know in my heart such things are evil and wrong!

Redykeulous, I can only speak for myself and not anyone else who may consider themselves a Christopagan, Christian Witch, or Christian Wiccan. Personally I read and study texts such as the Holy Bible, The Lost Books of the Bible, The Pistis Sophia, and The Nag Hammadi Library. I see these texts as spiritual books that teach spiritual lessons and are not to be thought of as historical texts. I take from such texts what feel is good for me in my spiritual journey and I leave what I feel is not good for me. Of course I'm ridiculed by many Christians because of this. They feel the Holy Bible is the very word of God and that it has to be taken in it's entirity not just bits and peices. I say to them, walk your spiritual journey your way and I'll walk mine my way.

There is no sense in "debating" (arguing) with fanatical fundamentalist Christians (fundies as we Pagans call them) because they are not open to learning about other's spiritual/religious beliefs. They already have their minds made up that all religions except for their own "brand" of Christianity comes from Satan himself. Sometimes Christians even "debate" (argue) amongst themselves because they can't seem to agree on the differing doctrines and theologies within different denominations within Christianity. So what makes us Pagans think they'll (fanatical Christians) will ever be open minded enough to just sit down and learn about other's spiritual beliefs without prosyltizing? I do want to point out that not all Christians are like this, though. They are very few and far between, but I have met a few who are reasonable and are willing to learn about other's religious/spiritual beliefs without prosyltizing. Even those will be silently praying for our poor lost souls that are damned for "hell."

In the shadows,
in the dark forest,
something follows you -
death follows you,
tearing the leaves,
ripping the calabash.
But Oya protects you.
She rips death's body.
Great Oya! Yes!
~African Chant

The role of the Goddess as our protector is emphasized in many myths, songs, and chants. Yet it could be said that the goddess helps those who help themselves. Or that our inner Goddess must be invoked for protection, so that we act in accordance with what is in our best interest.

Yet another way to describe the Goddess' protective agency is to realize that we receive substantial information through our senses, and we can live more safely and happily if we listen to that information. If we feel uneasy in a certain situation, there may be reason to feel so. If we feel in danger, we should act upon that feeling, rather than talking ourselves out of following our instincts. One of the Goddess' gifts to us is our body, with its rich repertoire of instinct and perception. Paying attention to those instincts, those perceptions, is one way of honoring her.

From "The Goddess Companion" by Patricia Monaghan

Goddess of the Day: AHNT KAI
Sadie Hawkins Day (US)

Themes: Balance, Femininity, Freedom, Protection, Fertility, Overcoming
Symbols: Fish, Sacred Music and Dancing

About Ahnt Kai: In Mexico this Goddess of women and children taught them how to freely dance and sing, expressing the beauty within and liberating them from societal constraints. In myths of the Seris, Ahnt Kai specifically teaches the fish dance, alluding to fertility.

To Do Today: Sometime around the 1930s a comic strip artist captured the image of Sadie Hawkins optimistically stepping outside the usual boundaries of "womanhood" to ask a man for a date. The custom continued through special dances for many decades, as people reveled in Ahnt Kai's liberating atmosphere. Thus, for both women and men, today is a time to free yourself from any restricting, stereotypical, negative or outmoded images that originate with your yourself, others, the media or the public. Ahnt Kai's counsel today is to remember that true comeliness, true beauty, is not measured by externals ~ it begins within as we reunite ourselves with the Goddess and learn to love ourselves just as we are.

Add fish to your diet today (maybe a tuna sandwich) to internalize self-love and begin the process of personal liberation. Name the meal after an attribute needed to overcome your constraints. Ask the Goddess to bless your food, then eat with anticipation and self-confidence!

From "365 Goddess" By Patricia Telesco

Introduction:
If these beads sound familiar, it is because they have been borrowed from the Christian Rosary. And why not? Christians have always borrowed from Pagans when it comes to spirituality, so why not borrow back? Remember, all the Gods are One God.

The Rosary was invented in the Middle Ages as a devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Although the Church is quick to define Mary as simply "first among the saints," it is clear the common people from the first century CE onwards saw Mary as the continuation of the Queen of Heaven: Astarte in Palestine, or Isis in Egypt. It is fitting, then, to adapt a Marian devotion for honor to the Goddess, the Queen of Heaven. These beads honor the Goddess in her three-fold, or triple, nature as Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

Things You Will Need:
13 white 8mm beads for the Maiden
13 red 8mm beads for the Mother
13 black mm beads for the Crone
1 silver 10mm bead representing the Full Moon
52 silver spacer beads
(class "E" 6/0) representing the Moonlight.
Nylon thread: white or ecru, or color of choice

Directions:
You may begin and end stringing anywhere in the loop, but the tie-off is less visible in the midst of the black beads.
The silver Moon bead is separated from the White Maiden beads by four (4) silver spacer beads. Each white Maiden bead is followed by one silver spacer bead, but the thirteenth bead is followed by four (4) spacer beads. Then come the red Mother beads, each followed by one silver spacer, but the 13th bead is followed by four (4) spacers. Then come the black Crone beads, each followed by one silver bead, but the 13th is followed by four (4) spacers. And so we are back at the silver Moon bead. In other words, beads of the same color are separated by one spacer. The three sets of beads and the larger Moon bead are separated by four spacers. Thirteen (13) beads are used in each set to signify the thirteen months of the lunar year. The silver spacers represent moonlight issuing from the Full Moon bead throughout the life cycle of Maiden, Mother, Crone. Prayers are said on each bead, while meditating on the mysteries of the Triple Goddess, and the experience of the human life cycle. Men may wish to make a devotion to the Horned God, and honor the life cycle of Youth, Father, and Sage.


Prayers For Your Witch's Rosary:

On the silver Moon Bead say:
Blessed Mother, come to me,
and cast your lovely, silver light.
Uncloud your face that I may see
unveiled, its shining in the night.
Triple Goddess, Blessed Be,
and Merry Meet, my soul's delight!
On the space say:
I bind unto my self today the
Fertility of the Maiden.

Meditate of the Presence of the Maiden On each Maiden Bead say:
Maiden daughter, sister, lover,
White-light, Night-light, love's embrace;
Seeking love, we find each other
By the radiance of your face.

On the space say:
I bind unto myself today the
Power of the Mother.

Meditate on the Presence of the Mother On each Mother Bead say:
Mother of all, radiant, beaming,
Full and heavy womb with expectation bright;
Be present here, full moonlight gleaming,
And bless your child with truth and light.

On the space say:
I bind unto myself today the
Wisdom of the Crone.

Meditate on the Presence of the Crone
On each Crone Bead say:
Crone now stands in moonlight gleaming,
Starlit night and silver hair;
Peace and wisdom from you streaming,
Goddess, keeper of our care.
On the space say:

I bind unto myself today the
Fertility, Power, and Wisdom of the Goddess.

On the silver Moon Bead conclude:
Blessed Mother, stay by me,
and cast your lovely, silver light.
Uncloud your face that I may see
unveiled, its shining in the night.
Triple Goddess, Blessed Be,
and Merry Meet, my soul's delight!
So Mote it be!



Another Version:


The Witch Rosary

Made in the form of a necklace or belt, the Witch Rosary is a consecrated Amulet that serves a triple function.

It gives Amuletic power to the wearer.

It serves as a 'reminder' in the performance of certain Spells, in the same manner as Arabic or Christian rosaries.

It contains Stones that can be removed and used singly in magic operations.

The Witch Rosary may be made in two forms:

1) As a string of beads, each of which is a Stone with certain magical properties, and which may be removed from their settings at will (this type is rather expensive).

2) Or in the form of a belt or necklace with leather pouches, each of which contains one of the Stones. The Witch Rosary ends in an Ankh, worn as a pendant if it is a necklace or worn as a buckle if it is a belt.


The components of a Witch Rosary are:

1) Moonstone (The Moon)
2) Hematite (Fire)
3) Crystal Quartz (Air)
4) Earth Stone (Earth)
5) Lapis Lazuli (Water)
6) Amber (Sun)
7) Birthstone (Stars)
8) Ankh, as pendant or buckle


Substitutions may be made as follows:

1) Opal, Mother of Pearl
2) Flame Agate
3) Crystal
4) Emerald
5) Blue Amethyst
6) Chrysolite
7) Gem with a Natural Star
8) No substitute for the Ankh


If worn as a necklace, the stones may be separated by knots in the cord, or there may be three silver beads between each stone.

If it is worn as a belt, there may be three wooden beads between each of the leather pouches that holds a stone;
these wooden beads may in turn be separated by knots in the leather cord (usually), if a cord is used.

Hair Conditioner

Conditioning your hair on a regular basis is essential for keeping it strong and healthy. A deep treatment coats each hair strand, minimizing friction so that combing and styling wet hair doesn't stretch, fray and damage it. Also, regular conditioning protects your hair from the corrosive effects of sunlight, chlorinated water, hair dryers, color treatments, and permanents. When you massage hair conditioner onto your scalp, it stimulates blood flow to the hairs' roots, which supports growth and regulates oil production. Conditioners contain three basic ingredients: emollients, which soften and smooth your hair; moisturizers to increase the water content of your hair; and proteins that strengthen each hair shaft. In addition, essential oils help to customize conditioners for a range of hair types and needs.

Protein Repairs Hair Damage
Egg yolks and other forms of protein, such as supplemental protein powders derived from eggs, whey, milk, soy or rice, can help repair hair damage. Protein-based conditioners smooth and bond the scales of the cuticle to the hair shaft. This produces resilient, shiny hair that's able to resist tangles.

Hair Conditioner
Application: For deep hair conditioning, apply conditioner to wet, washed hair. Cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap. Wrap your head in a towel, preferably one that has been warmed in a dryer. Leave on for one or two hours, and then rinse. Repeat once or twice a week, using a fresh batch of conditioner each time.

*Essential Oils for your hair type
Adding essential oils to conditioners can help address your particular hair-care needs. For example, myrrh and geranium oils can help repair dry, damaged hair, while clary-sage oil can give hair a delicate sheen. Dandruff may benefit from cypress oil, which gently cleanses the scalp without drying it out, and from tea-tree oil, which helps fight bacterial infections that can occur with cases of severe dandruff. Invigorating rosemary oil stimulates circulation and promotes vigorous hair growth, which can counteract hair loss and dandruff.

*Scalp Massages
Daily scalp massages enhance the effects of deep conditioning. Grasp the scalp underneath your hair, using the pads of your fingers, and gently move it back and forth. You can also massage your scalp with a special brush, using light pressure and circular motions. Massaging your scalp should be done for few minutes every day before you wash or style your hair.

Take Care!
Ultraviolet rays from the sun can dry and damage your hair. A head covering, such as a hat or scarf, is recommended for periods of prolonged sun exposure.

Ingredients:

Deep Conditioners

For normal hair:
2-3 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. protein powder
1 tbsp. jojoba oil
1 egg yolk
5 drops clary-sage essential oil
5 drops spearmint essential oil

For dry hair:
2-3 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. protein powder
1 tbsp. jojoba oil
1 egg yolk
7 drops myrrh essential oil
3 drops geranium essential oil

For oily hair
2-3 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. protein powder
1 tbsp. alo-vera gel
1 egg yolk
7 drops cedarwood essential oil
3 drops tea-tree essential oil

For dandruff
2-3 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. protein powder
1 tbsp. aloe-vera gel
1 egg yolk
5 drops tea-tree essential oil
3 drops cypress essential oil
2 drops rosemary essential oil

For chemically treated hair
2-3 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. protein powder
1 tbsp. jojoba oil
1 egg yolk
3 drops rose-otto essential oil
1 drop patchoili essential oil

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the appropriate conditioner until an easily spreadable paste forms.
2. Wash your hair. Apply conditioner to the ends of your hair with your fingers.
3. Massage the conditioner into the rest of your hair and your scalp.
4. Cover your hair with a shower cap and a preheated towel. Leave on 1-2hr.
5. Rinse and style as usual.
from "The Complete Guide to Natural Healing collection", Group 7 Card 43



Conditioner

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil, use 2 Tbsp. for normal hair

Mix honey and olive oil. Work a small amount at a time through hair until coated. Cover hair with shower cap; leave on 30 minutes. remove shower cap; shampoo well and rinse. Dry as normal.

Honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Honey is a safe and wholesome food for children and adults.