Earth Magick 2: Wheel of the Year Dr. Charlotte Pipes
DOWN LOAD FORMAT
$15.00
Wheel of the Year - Earth Magick 2
By Dr. Charlotte Pipes
Copyright by Dr. Charlotte Pipes & PsychicSchoolHouse.com
Description:
A look at the seasonal energies, themes, and observances that occur during the annual cycle of our planet. In the journey to a deeper understanding of earth magick, the student must learn to reconnect to the environment by reading the sky as the early humans did. The student will learn about the Wheel of the Year, a seasonal calendar used by many ancient societies of the world. This course will trace the cycle of the seasons and examine some of the ritual observances created to commemorate and celebrate the ever-changing cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. Along the way, the student will learn simple techniques of traditional earth magick practices that are appropriate to each season.
NOTE: This course is designed to be an INTERACTIVE course. Reference links within the course can be accessed by clicking on the number and outside web site references and referrals are also linked in. To access these web links you will need to read this CD while connected to the Internet or DSL.
Prerequisite:
None. Earth Magick 1 recommended. Earth Magick 1 Passing the examination for Earth Magick 1 and 2 is required for a certificate.
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Index
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Introduction
Ancient symbolism of the wheel
Simple Seasonal Astronomy
Solstices
Equinoxes
Cross-Quarter Holiday
CELEBRATING THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR
November/Halloween
SAMHAIN
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Ideas
Ritual Ideas
December/Winter Solstice
YULE
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Ideas
Ritual Ideas
February/Candlemas
IMBOLC
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Ideas
Ritual Ideas
March/Spring Equinox
OSTARA
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Ideas
Ritual Ideas
May/May Day
BELTANE
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Ideas
Ritual Ideas
June/Summer Solstice
MIDSUMMER
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Ideas
Ritual Ideas
August/Lammas
LUGHNASA
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Ideas
Ritual
September/Fall Equinox
MABON
Seasonal Astronomy
Seasonal Energies and Themes
Home Altar Set-up
Ritual
CONCLUSIONS
GLOSSARY
SOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY
Publications
Internet Sources
Music for Ritual
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Sample Read:
INTRODUCTION
The wheel is an ancient and potent symbol. Early mankind could see this circular shape reflected in the world around him: the sun in the day time sky, the moon at night, the round belly of the pregnant female. The circle became associated with various concepts: wholeness, completion, well-being, movement, eternity, renewal and the cycle of life. Utilizing its ability to depict the cycle of life, ancient man represented the yearly cycle of the seasons as a circle. It was called the Wheel of the Year.
Let’s examine the color picture of the Wheel of the Year featured in this course. Our Wheel highlights various stages of the natural environment as experienced by the northern hemisphere of our planet Earth. If we start with the top of the Wheel, we see the name Yule. This sabbat, or holy day, denotes the longest night of the year, which we call the Winter Solstice. At this time of year, more than half of the 24 hours of a day are given over to darkness. On the very next day after Yule, this situation changes. The amount of time spent in darkness will start to decrease. Over time, the days start getting longer, by a few minutes each day. We are moving to the right on the Wheel.
By the time of Imbolc, the days are appreciably longer and we can notice that the sun is rising earlier in the morning and setting later at night. The earth may still feel locked in the icy grip of winter. But it also seems to be awakening from its long dark sleep.
As we move farther into the year, we reach Ostara, the Spring Equinox. At this time of year, the 24 hours of the day are split equally—12 hours of night and 12 hours of day. We feel the weather growing warmer. In ancient times it was celebrated as a fertility festival. It was the season for planting crops and sheltering the newborn among the animal herds.
Moving to the right again, we come to the celebration of Beltane or May Day. Like Ostara, Beltane was long ago celebrated as a fertility festival and prayers were said for the continued fertility of the animals and crops in the fields.
We arrive now at the bottom of the Wheel, at Midsummer. This holiday celebrated the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Another ancient name for this holiday is Litha. By this time of the year, most of the 24 hours of the day were given over to daylight. It is the exact opposite of Yule. This season represented the maximum energies of growth and abundance, as the fields ripened under the supreme output from the sun.
Moving again around the Wheel, we come to Lughnasa, celebrated long ago as the festival of First Harvest. Farmers and herdsmen alike recognized that the long days of summer were over. The energy of the sun was diminishing and the dormant season was approaching. The nights were growing longer and the days shorter. The people must begin the harvest.
Turning the Wheel once more, we come to the Second Harvest festival, Mabon. This holiday commemorates the Fall Equinox, when the 24 hours of the day are again divided equally into 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. By this point, the harvest occupied every waking moment. Domestic herds would be relocated and readied for winter. Wild herds would migrate south, ahead of the impending harsh weather.
The people now would be engaged in days of continuous labor. The movement of the Wheel would bring them to the next holiday, Samhain. This holiday is familiar to us now as Halloween. To many ancient peoples this was the Third Harvest, the final one. All preparations for the long winter would have been speedily concluded as the energy of the earth became dormant.
These sabbats are the eight holidays of the ancients. They are not holidays are we create them now. Most modern holidays commemorate an important event in the history of mankind. This emphasis on mankind is a feature of humanism, a system of thought that is based on the interests and ideals of mankind. Ancient societies did not consider mankind as being separate from nature. For them, humans were but one of the many animals living on this planet. We were all a part of one huge environment—nature. These eight sabbats of the Wheel were created to commemorate important events occurring in nature, not in mankind.
Now, think about these eight days as they relate to your local environment. Go around the Wheel of your year. What is happening in the natural environment of your town at the times of the old sabbats? Relate these ancient holidays to your local weather conditions, your local foliage and animal life. Write down what images come to mind as you picture your street or your neighborhood on each of the eight sabbats. As you go through the coming year, be mindful of the environmental changes occurring around you. Write down the changes you see. Next year, you can anticipate them and look for the signs of the Wheel turning, just as the ancients did.
Who were the original human inhabitants of your area? What vegetation or animals would have been native in your locale? How might the vegetation have been utilized by the original animals and people who lived there? Were there herds that seasonally migrated through your area? Do you live near a path for migratory birds?
All of this information would have been known to your ancestors. Indeed, such knowledge would have meant life and death to them. In this course, we will examine the various seasonal observances of earlier civilizations. Always try to relate this knowledge to your local area. Compare the seasonal beliefs we discuss to the seasonal changes in your immediate environment. By doing so, you will gain a deeper understanding of the course material and a better sense of the changing energies in the natural world around you.
SIMPLE SEASONAL ASTRONOMY
What, exactly, causes the changing seasons on our planet? One thing—the tilt of our planet on its axis. Yes, it is that simple. If we weren’t tilted, we wouldn’t have seasons. Our weather would remain stationary, stable, and monotonous all year long.
Think of that for a moment. The climate in the different latitudes of the earth would remain the same, month after month, day after day. No changing temperatures, no changing vegetation. In order to experience a change of climate you would have to physically move on our globe to a different latitude. There would be no progression of seasons, no physical manifestation of the year passing.
Kind of makes you glad we tilt, doesn’t it?
Because our species evolved on this tilted planet, we are comfortable with seasonal changes. And where these changes are too physically extreme, we have evolved technology to stabilize our indoor environment. We have also engineered plants to provide us with nourishment all year long. Yes, it is all convenient. But we have lost our connection to the seasons, lost our grounding in our tilted planet.
Our ancestors did not have the luxury of air conditioners, gas heaters, and fresh fruit out of season. Consequently, they were more aware of the changing seasonal energies than we are today. They had to plan ahead for both abundance and scarcity. Whether they were following herds or managing crops, it was vitally important to them to know exactly where they were in the year. No matter how the temperature felt, they needed to know exactly how much longer the planting or harvesting season would last. The survival of the tribe or village depended on it.
In order to keep track of the changing seasons, our ancestors learned to read patterns in the sky. No matter what the outdoor temperatures might indicate, the sky could be relied upon to accurately determine the time of year. The knowledge of reading the skies was entrusted to a chosen few. These few were most often the spiritual advisors of the group, the priests and priestesses who prayed to the gods on behalf of the entire group. They were responsible for maintaining an open and balanced relationship with the deities worshipped by the community. They were sometimes called shamans. These shamans would offer daily prayers to the deities. At specific times of the year, they would stage outdoor ceremonies for the entire community. These ceremonies would consist of prayer, chanting, music, pantomimes and earth magick. The season would be commemorated and the deities would be petitioned by the shaman, on behalf of the entire community.
Many of these ancient ritual sites still survive in Europe today. There are thousands of stone circles and hill monuments open to the public, where one can walk in the path of the ancestors. Modern researchers have studied the alignments of these ancient structures. We know that certain stones are carefully placed to herald the sunrise or sunset on specific sabbats in the year. The shamans would anticipate these days as they marked the progression of the successive sunrises and sunsets on the distant horizon. In this way, they could advise the community on the appropriate time for managing herds, migrating to hunting grounds, planting seeds, or harvesting crops.
In our modern age of technology, we have lost our connection to the seasons of the earth. We may feel separated from nature, not a part of it. Many people come to the study of ancient belief systems in the hope of regaining a fundamental sense of belonging to the earth, of feeling a connection to the earth energies. One way to reconnect to the earth is to observe the movement of the sun on the horizon as the Wheel of the Year rotates us all around.
Just as your ancestors did, you can start observing this seasonal progression of the sun in your own locale. Find a spot on your porch, balcony, roof, or yard where you can stand and watch the sunset or sunrise. You don’t need to have an unobstructed view of the horizon. Perhaps you live in an apartment building and can only glimpse the sun through a window. Or perhaps you can only see where the sun’s rays strike a nearby building. That’s fine. The important part is to mark a precise location and stand in exactly the same spot, at the same time, every time you observe.
I use my front porch. I can’t view the horizon unobstructed, but I can see the rising sun ascend through the branches of the old oak trees that line my street. When I go out in the morning, I often pause for a moment and take note of where the sun appears in relation to the oak trees. Over the years, I have identified certain of the trees as indicators of certain days on the Wheel of the Year.
To start, you may wish to observe the sunrise or sunset on, or near, the two solstices or two equinoxes...
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Copyright by Dr. Charlotte Pipes & PsychicSchoolHouse.com all applicable laws apply. S
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