Ipy

Mother goddess. Egyptian. In the Pyramid Texts Ipy appears occasionally as a benevolent guardian and wet nurse to the king. She is also perceived to exert a benign influence on amulets. Depicted as a hippopotamus or anthropomorphically with a hippo’s head. Also Ipet

Hung Sheng (holy one)

Guardian god. Chinese. A deity who protects fishing boats and their crews against danger at sea in the Southern Ocean. His role is similar to that of the goddess KUAN YIN. Little is known of the origin of Hung Sheng, but he was allegedly a mortal who died on the thirteenth day of the second moon, which falls two days before the spring equinox when the sea dragon king, Lung Wang, is believed to leave the ocean and ascend into the heavens. The god is propitiated with cakes made from the first grain of the year, on the fifth day of the fifth month and in some traditions he is seen as an aspect of the sea dragon king.

Ba-Pef

Chthonic underworld god. Egyptian. An obscure malevolent deity known from the Old Kingdom (circa 2700 BC) in which he may have enjoyed a priesthood. According to limited references among the Pyramid Texts, he had a cult following and was associated in some way with pain or spiritual anguish affecting the king.

Balarama (strength of Rama)

Incarnation of the god VISˇNU. Hindu (Epic and Puranic). May have originated in Vedic times as an agricultural fertility deity. He is the son of VASUDEVA and DEVAKI, though born from the womb of ROHINI. Jointly with KRSNA (his brother), he is identified as the eighth avatara (incarnation) of Visˇnu, or, with RAMA, as the seventh. Legend describes how Visˇnu impregnated the belly of the goddess Devaki with two hairs, one black, one white. To ensure their safety against a demon king, they were transferred before birth to Rohini. Krsna grew to be dark-skinned, and Balarama light. The latter enjoys similar characteristics to Krsna but fails to attract the same popularity. He is usually depicted on the right side of Krsna, rarely standing alone. The consort of Balarama is REVATI and his sons are Nisatha and Ulmuka. Epithets included Ananda (joy). In Jainism he is known as Baladeva.

Eriu

Fertility goddess. Celtic (Irish). An aspect of the MORRIGAN. One of the deities who were known as the “Sovereignty of Ireland” and wedded symbolically to a mortal king. Also a warrior goddess, capable of changing shape from girl to hag, and into birds and animals. She is patroness of the royal seat of Uisnech in County Meath. Eire and Erin are corruptions of her name.

The Fool by Charly

Coming to Birth thru the material
Born to the planet thru meat
Open wide gates of the female
I am born cosmic joker.
Pan-God of the universe supreme
Promise of invention reassured
As I, Sun, of the newborn
Come alive from the dark.
King of the unseen, I declare,
Conquerer of the unknown, I do say,
Traveller of the cosmic voyage
I come to be born anew.
I, at the beginning of the journey,
Come full force like a spring
Metal needle standing up
Like a prick of steel
Male protrusion from the universe
Womb of all existence
I come forth, declaring
I AM
Seal of eternity on my lips
I give forth all
Inside to the outside
Macro to the micro
Seal of power
Washed upon the shores
Cosmic universe
Lapping at my feet
Article by Charly

Lammas, August 2

Lammas: Lughnassadh (pronounced Loo-NAHS-ah) (Celtic), Cornucopia (Strega), Thingtide (Teutonic)
August 2 (Lughnassadh, the Celtic festival in honor of the Sun God, is held on the 7th)
This is the celebration of the first fruits of the harvest. The Sun King, now Dark Lord, gives his energy to the crops to ensure life while the Mother prepares to give way to her aspect as the Crone.

Fisher King

by Brian Edward Rise

 
A title of the Grail Keeper. It occurs without explanation in Chretien de Troyes but Robert de Boron has the title originate with Bron, brother-in-law of Joseph of Arimathea. Bron catches and places a symbolic fish upon the Grail table and becomes known as the Rich Fisher. Bron is made Fisher King when he assumes lordship over the Grail Castle in Britain. His son Alain is also called a Fisher King as is Pelles in another version.

Geoffrey of Monmouth

by Brian Edward Rise

 
Writer and author who created the main framework of Arthurian legend and the figure of Arthur as a semihistorical British king. Geoffrey was born at Monmouth in Southeastern Wales and was of Welsh or Breton descent. He taught at Oxford between the years 1129 and 1151. All three of his surviving works are written in Latin. Prophetiae Merlini (“Prophecies of Merlin”) is the first. Modifying the name of the northern bard Myrddin, Geoffrey uses Welsh predictions of a Celtic revival and many of his own probable invention and ascribes them to the prophet. This work was followed toward 1136-1138 by the Historia Regum Britanniae that incorporated the prophecies in it. Near the end of 1150 he composed a long narrative poem expanding on Welsh traditions about the prophet entitled, Vita Merlini (“Life of Merlin”).

Ban, King

by Brian Edward Rise

 
Father of Lancelot. First named in the Vulgate Lancelot. He is the sage king of Benoic in western France. Ban is defeated by his foe, Claudas of Berry, dying while Lancelot is but an infant. For this reason Lancelot is taken to be raised by the Lady of the Lake.