| The Moon Path Chapter of Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) will Present the Eleventh Annual South Florida Witches Ball and Samhain (SOW-in/Ireland) Sun Celebration Circle, Saturday, 7:30pm, October 31, 2009, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Lauderdale, 3970 North West 21st Avenue (between Commercial and Oakland Park), Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33309. 954-484-6734. Cost of the Witches Ball is $15 at the door. Ritual garb and/or costume is encouraged Bring your favorite beverage and snacks as well as drums for the Samhain Circle Bring non-perishable food/clothing, donated to the Cooperative Feeding Program of Broward County. At The Witches Ball You will be Dancing to Live music performed by the pagan band 'Witch's Mark' and DeeJay music provided by Izrafel that will be raucous and magickal. Taste Of Africa - Moon Path Merchant - Smiling Sun Silver - Sword and Swan - The Cosmic Salamander will be available for your pleasure. Walking the Lighted Labyrinth is an outside activity 10:15 PM The Druids Rite with Ash The Silent 11:15 PM Raffle Drawing 11:30 PM Costume Contest with great prizes Midnight begins The Samhain Ritual Circle with Spelcastor and Drumming Honoring the Dark Goddess Drumming and a Bonfire (outside). Memorial Wreath will be cast into the Sacred Fire. You may also Light Candles for your Departed Loved Ones. Bring your drums/musical instruments for the drum circle. Bring your lawn chairs to sit outside under the stars The public is invited to attend the Witches Ball and Samhain Circle which will conform to, and celebrate, the Ancient Tradition. Coven members, solitaries, the experienced, the seekers, and the curious are all welcome. Perhaps it's time to come out of the broom closet? Visit the CUUPS Moon Path Chapter website for details on pagan activities. http://MoonPathCUUPS.org/ . http://MoonPathCuups.org/wball.htm This year the Cross Quarter is on November 6th when the Sun reaches 15 degrees Scorpio, but it is always celebrated on October 31/November 1. The full moon in October is called the Blood Moon and the full moon in November is called the Mourning Moon. This year the Blood Moon is 20:02 UT October 14, 2008 and the Mourning Moon is 6:17 UT November 13, 2008. The word labyrinth is derived fron the Greek word laburinthos and the Latin word labyrinthus. It symbolizes the path of initiation and enlightenment, and is associated with the journey of the Sun through the seasons. The Labyrinth is also associated with the Great Mother Goddess as a symbol of penetrating the mysteries concealed in her womb. Traditionally, the structure of the labyrinth is presided over by a woman, and a man traverses the pathways. At the center of the labyrinth stands the lord of the labyrinth who is also known as the judge of the dead. Here lie the mysteries of descent into the Underworld, the return of the soul to the Great Goddess, and its rebirth through the womb gate to the world of the Sun. The ancient Egyptians had both a lunar calendar, and a 'solar' 365 day calendar, which was divided into three seasons of four months each. Each month consisted of 30 days (3 weeks of 10 days per week). At the end of the solar year, five additional 'spiritual' days were added to the solar calendar for the birth of the Goddesses/Gods. An extra day would be added as needed. The heliacal rise of Sirius just before dawn was an extremely important event for the Ancient Egyptians. The first visibility of the star Sirius on the morning sky, called heliacal rising, fell close to the Inundation of the Nile and was the beginning of the Ancient Egyptian solar year. The first new moon after the heliacal rising was the begining of the lunar year. 3,000 years ago the heliacal rising was in early July, currently it is around August 1st. Each lunar month was named after an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, God, or major festival. In a year with 13 new moons, the 13th lunar month was added to the end of the year. The Ancient Egyptian second lunar month from September 18, 2009 to October 17, 2009 is Menhet/pA-n-IpAt/Phaophi(Paopy). Sacred to Ptah/Menkhet, the sun God and universal architect God who commanded all the Gods into existence, patron of masons; consort of Sekhmet and father of Nefertem. Day one is the Holy day of Re. Great feast of all gods and goddesses is on day six. Procession of Bast and the birth of Nut is day ten. The Ancient Egyptian third lunar month from October 18, 2009 to November 15, 2009 is Hwt-Hrw/Hwt-Hrw/Athyr(Hathys) and is sacred to Hathor, the cow Goddess of joy, motherhood, love, and the Eye of Ra. Day one are the Feasts of Hathor and Re. Feast of the gods of the black mud of Egypt (Kemet) is day six. Day 7 is the monthly feast of Re. On day twelve: Osiris goes out of Abydos; Purification of the Gods' and Goddesses' hearts; Feast of Hapy, (Hapy is the Nile during inundation.) Offerings are given to the Nile on this day. In the creation myth called the Memphite Theology the Goddess Sekhmet creates all other Goddesses and Gods and everthing that the God Ptah thinks or says. The Mysteries of Isis and Osiris were also celebrated through a series of elaborate rituals. In these the Lamenting of Isis over the death of Osiris, the resurrection of Osiris through the power of Isis, and the impregnation of Isis are all reinacted in symbolic terms. The Ancient Egyptian third solar month from September 30 to October 29 is Akhet III when there would be Inundation. The Ancient Egyptian fourth solar month from October 30 to November 28 is Akhet IV when there would be Inundation. The ancient Hellenic lunar months would start on the new moon and a new day would start at sunset. The new year would start on the new moon before the Autumn Equinox. Except for Athens which used the new moon following the Summer Solstice. I use the Autumn Equinox and the lunar month of Boedromion for my calculations for the new year. In a year with 13 new moons, the 13th lunar month was inserted between the 4th (Poseideon) and 5th (Gamelion) lunar months around December/January. A different Goddess/God was honored for the full moon of the month. The Ancient Hellenic first lunar month, and start of the new year,from September 18, 2009 to October 17, 2009 is Boedromion and the full moon is dedicated to Hestia (Vesta), the Goddess of the hearth. On the 2nd day was the Niketeria festival in honor of Nike. There was a 'sacrifice by the Attikos deme Erkhia to Basile' in honor of Basile in Erchia on the 4th day. The sacrifice was without wine and may have been connected with the festival of Genesia. A public festival for and in honor of the dead was Genesia on the 5th day. In honor of the birthday of Artemis Agrotera the Kharisteria was held on the 6th day. The Boedromia Festival was held on the 7th day in honor of Apollo. Demokratia, a festival in honour of democracy, established after the restoration of democracy in Athenai in 403 BCE following the rule of the Thirty Tyrants probably took place on the 12th day of this month. On the 17th or 18th was the Epidauria, a festival in honour of Asklepios(Asclepius). On the 13th and 14th days were the Preparatory Eleusinian Greater Mysteries (in honor of Demeter). The Ancient Hellenic second lunar month from October 18, 2009 to November 15, 2009 is Pyanepsion and the full moon is dedicated to Aris (Mars), the God of war and sports. There were many festivals during the month of Pyanepsion. The Apatyria is 3 or 4 consecutive days and each Phratria (Clan) determines when its Apatyria ("Feast of the Common Fatherhood") will be held; Proerosia(things before the time of tillage) on the 5th is a festival for Demeter's blessings in preparation for the ploughing and sowing at the beginning of the agricultural season. The Pyanepsia(boil beans) is on the 7th held in honor of Pythian Apollo/Phoebos Apollo/Helios(Sun)/Horai(Hours) and is a festival of late autumn fruit gathering that seeks divine blessings for the autumn sowing; Apollo is honored in Delphi in summer. Also on the 7th is the Oskhophoria, a vintage and wine-pressing festival, in thanks to Dionysos; Dionysos is honored in Delphi in winter. Theseia, the son of Poseidon, is honored on the 8th; the Stenia on the 9th, is a nocturnal women's festival for Demeter and Persephone in preparation for the Thesmophoria which is from the 11th to the 13th. The Khalkeia on the 29th honors Athena. The Roman calendar was originally lunar. The first days was the kalends (from which the modern word calendar is derived), the first quarter was the nones, and the full moon was the ides. A crown of flowers was hung over the hearth, and sacrifices were made to the Lares, or household gods on the kalends, nones, ides, and all feast days. The waning moon was the unlucky part of the month and had no name. The days were numbered backward from the first of the next month. The ancient Roman solar calendar consisted of 10 months in a year of 304 days. The Romans seem to have ignored the remaining 61 days, which fell in the middle of winter, the unmarked "Terror Time". The 10 months were named Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December. October was originally the eighth month of the Roman solar year and the name is derived from the Latin word for eight, octo. The month was temporarily renamed Domitianus in honor of the Emperor Domitian, but the name was changed back to October after Domitian fell from favor. November was originally the ninth month of the Roman solar year and the name is derived from the Latin word for nine, novem. Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome circa 700 BC, added the two months Januarius "January" and Februarius "February". This made the Roman year 365 days long. He also moved the beginning of the year from Marius to Januarius. The old Celts named this Sun Celebration Samhain (SOW-een/Wales, SAV-en/Scotland, SAM-haine/non Gaelic speaking countries), which means 'summer's end', according to their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran from May 1st (Beltane) to November 1st (Samhain) and winter ran from Samhain to Beltane. Samhain is the most important Sun Celebration of the year, and is sometimes called 'THE Great Sabbat.' This is the Night when the veils between the worlds of humans and spirits is considered to be at its thinnest. Traditional lore speaks of the dead returning to visit their kin and the doors to the Lands of the Sidhe (shee) or Faery Realm being opened. This is the time of reflection, the time to honor the Ancients who have gone on before us and the time of "seeing divination". It is also the third of three harvest festivals. The other two being Lammas (Aug 1) and Mabon (Fall Equinox). It is also considered by some to be the start of the new Pagan Wheel of the Year. Also known as: Halloween; ShadowFest (Strega); All Hallows Eve ("hallow" means "sanctify"); Hallowtide; Hallowmass; Hallows; Brigid's Day (period of little sun); (Last Harvest); (Summer's End); The Day of the Dead; All Soul's Night; All Saints' Day (both on November 1st). Ancient and unconnected cultures (the Egyptians and pre-Spanish Mexicans, for example) celebrated this Sun Celebration as a festival of the dead. The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British, and Arawn for the Welsh. Other Goddesses and Gods of Death and Resurrection: Sekhmet, Egypt; Tammuz, Sumerian; Demeter, Greek; Persephone, Greek; Freyja, Norse; Bride, Celtic; Dis, Strega; Ceres, Roman; Adonis, Assyrian/Babylonian. The Year is divided into Quarters by the Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and the Fall Equinox. Halfway beteen the Solstice and and Equinox is the Cross Quarter. These Quarters and Cross Quarters are called the Wheel of the Year of the Sun. Samhain is one of the 4 Cross Quarter Sun Celebrations in the Wheel of the Year. It is halfway between 2 Quarter Sun Celebrations, Autumn Equinox and Winter Soltice. Exactly opposite May 1st (MayDay) on the wheel of the year. In the highlands of Scotland and England all the Cross Quarter Sun Celebrations are considered times of being able to cross over to the "other world". The eight Pagan Sun Celebrations in the Wheel of the Year are: Wiccan name: Drid Name Samhain November 1 (Cross Quarter) Yule December 20-22 (Winter Solstice) Alban Arthan Imbolc Feburary 2 (Cross Quarter) Ostara March 20-22 (Spring Equinox) Alban Eiler Beltaine May 2 (Cross Quarter) Litha June 20-22 (Summer Solstice) Alban Hefin Lammas August 1 (Cross Quarter) Mabon September 20-22 (Autumn Equinox) Alban Elfed |
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| Last updated 10/31/08 |