Paperback; 192 pages.
To create true harmony, every building and feature on the landscapes, natural and artificial, has to occupy the position appropriate to its direction, performing the appropiate action at the proper time is to be both ceremonially correct and practically efficent. Earth Harmony is no less than harmonisation with the whole universe. This book provides practical assistance for those who wish to practice this craft in the present day.
Raised in an area that his family had lived in for generations, Michael grew up hearing the dialect and old tales of the Thames Valley. Later researches led him to conclude that local place names and dialect words could be traced back to Brythonic Celtic. Examining Welsh, Breton and Cornish vocabularies, he argues the possibility of a fourth dialect of the Brythonic Celtic language.
Lovespoons are frequently associated with Wales but they were much more widespread than people realise. The traditional symbols carved on the spoons had recognised meanings. From the Druids Footprint to a symbol which suggested that the carver was intent on amorous encounters, without wishing marriage, the language of the lovespoons is revealed.
The cog almanack was a permanent calendar, carved in wood and hung on the cottage wall. Michael describes how regular meteor showers, seeming to fall from different constellation could be used to tell the time of the year and specific festival dates, both those of the Christian church and of festivals stretching far back into history.
This noble animal has been food and transport, the innocent participant in Mans wars, at one time his Deity and the honoured companion of his Deities. The symbol of majesty and power. From seed-time to harvest, the horse has been at the forefront of agricultural economy. Even so, Mans faithful servant has known the full extent of cruelty and ingratitude, may the Gods forgive us. The past fifty years have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of the horse on our leisure pursuits and it once more takes its rightful place that of Mans companion.
This book traces this relationship from the earliest times, stressing the religio-magical aspects. The Sacred Horse is rooted deep within our race-memory and is still to be found in our high-tech culture. Topics covered include: The Dawn Horse Horse and Religion Horse Deities, Hill Figures Centaurs and Unicorns Mythical horse based beings The Ass Also a Sacred Animal The Sacrificial Horse The Hobby Horse Ancient Horse Festivals and Celebrations Horses and Kings Phantom Horses Horse Cults Secret Societies, Horse Whispers, Toadmen, the Blacksmith Horse Magic, Superstition and Folklore The Horse All Around Us The Legacy of the Horse.
Dreams: Their place in the growth of beliefs in the Supernatural Limitation of Language * Belief in the Inanimate * Reality of Dreams * Barbaric theory of Disease * Second Self or Soul * Dreams as Omens and Media of communication between Gods and Men.
The use of these ancient wisdoms seems to be the only path we can tread if the earth is to be saved as a living and livable entity.
In contemporary Pagan practice, the traditional year relates spiritual qualities to their corresponding times and each of these times is commemorated by a festival or observance.
Each festivity is ruled over by an appropriate corresponding goddess and/or god.
The rich symbolic system of the Pagan gods has continued in its entirety up to the present day.
In Ancient Egypt the veneration of the cat reached a sophisticated level and the animal became an archetype for instruction and understanding. The linking of the cat to witchcraft, unleashed hundreds of years of cruelty in the name of religion. The cat has seen the best and worst of humanity.
Included in the book are sections on: cats and astrology, the Celtic cat, links between cats and serpents, the relationship between cats, the moon and sun and also cats in fable, folklore and superstition with legends and stories gathered from all over the world.
A wonderful book for cat lovers and those who appreciate the mysterious side of the cat.
We can read about the Dagda, Brigit, Oghma, Gwydion and Lugh, Boudica and the goddess Andraste, Nodens, Jupiter, Mars and Apollo. We learn of Mithras. (Mithraism as a major religion was at one point a major competitor to Christianity.) Worship of such gods as Attis and the goddess Cybele have all left their mark. Odin, Merlin, Hecate and Herne have all influenced our rich Pagan history.
He follows the changing flow of energy up to the present day and asks, where does Paganism lead now?
The Land in this context, is not merely our physical landscape, but also the natural environment and an aspect of consciousness. The folk tales of the world bear within them rich seams of wisdom. The Wildwood King sets out to follow one of these themes, to explore ancient understandings of the relationship between humanity and the Land.
The result is this wonderful book, leading us to discover the elemental power of Ireland. The text is complemented with lyrical poetry from an Irish seer, Gabriel Rosenstock, and exquisite drawings by Cormac Figgis.
The faery faith is real, alive and growing.