The Chinese
The Chinese dragons are perhaps the most well known next to the Celtic (occidental) dragons. The original stories surrounding the dragon are believed to be based on the real life Chinese alligators. According to ancient texts, the dragon was a supernatural creature that could take on many different forms (shapeshift).
Solar deity. Hittite and Hurrian. May have taken androgynous form, but also identified as the consort of the weather god TESˇUB. Probably the head of the Hittite state pantheon. There is little detail because the religious center of Arinna is known only from texts. The sun goddess was also perceived to be a paramount chthonic or earth goddess.
ORIGIN Buddhist [India]. The second dhyanibuddha or meditation buddha.
KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 500 BC to present.
SYNONYMS Vajrasana; Vajraheruka.
CENTER(S) OF CULT pan-Asiatic.
ART REFERENCES metal and stone sculptures, paintings.
LITERARY SOURCES Sadhanamala and Tantric ritual texts.
Please exercise caution around most of these herbs!! Some of them are considered to be POISONS! The effects of some of the others are very powerful in areas of “mind alteration”. The author of one of the texts, used as a reference, presents his suggested methods for how the Druids used these herbs (they are ONLY used in a greatly dilluted state!). Once again I urge caution and good judgement before proceeding. All in all, the Workshop participants evidenced a very thorough respect and understanding of the use and effects of these herbs.
Continue reading ““Celtic Workshop #9 – The use of Herbs and Potions””
by Brian Edward Rise
Named Alain le Gros. A son of Bron, he becomes the second Grail-keeper. He is one of the group that bear the Grail to its final resting place in the remote western Vales of Avaron or Avalon, identified with the later site of Glastonbury Abbey in central Somerset. Like Bron, he is a “Fisher-King” and builder of Corbenic castle. While early texts claim him a celibate, he is later, in Perlesvaus and other texts, made the father of Perceval. This contradicts the chronology, however, unlikely placing Arthur’s reign just a short two generations after the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea.
by Aldis Putelis
The Moon. In a number of texts – protector of travelers and soldiers, probably as the source of light at night.
In Latvian tradition – masculine, opposed to many other Indo-European mythologies, although there are linguistic data (G. F. Stender. Neue vollstaendige Lettische Grammatik. – Braunschweig 1761; J. Lange. Vollstaendiger lettisch-deutsches Lexicon. – 1773.) supposedly proving the feminine aspect of Meness.
by Aldis Putelis
The goddess of fields and fertility to whom farmers sacrificed to secure an abundant harvest. One of ‘the mothers’, may be compared to dievini – the minor gods, who still are the immediate rulers of human life. One of the few “mothers” listed in Paul Einhorn’s texts in the first half of the 17th century.
by Aldis Putelis
There is no mythological system in the Latvian tradition resembling that of Greeks or Romans. All the bulk of facts entitled this way is just a derivation from the Latvian folklore material, and mostly – song texts. This makes all the study on it just speculation. Not much clarity is added by the written documents of the ancient days. All of these accounts are analyzed in the book Letto-Preussische Goeterlehre by the outstanding mythologist Wilhelm Mannhardt (prepared 1870, published in Riga, 1936).
by Aldis Putelis
Juras mate (“sea mother”) is the goddess of the sea. She is one of the numerous mothers (see: Mates). She is said to be worshipped by fishermen and sailors, plays an important role in healing by magic, especially to stop bleeding. She is an obscure goddess and rarely mentioned in song texts. Still she is among the Mothers mentioned in 17th century texts.Whether the ritual demand of keeping the details in secret has led to these details being gradually lost along with the rituals of worship is just a speculation, but might be a reasonable one. One well known among the Livs (a Finnish people living in the coastal areas). Sometimes a view is expressed that “the mothers” are more characteristic for this people than Latvians, so it could be a borrowing as such.
by Aldis Putelis
A recent Latvian religious system belonging to the group of the so-called “new religions” and neo-paganism.
Established in 1925 by a group of artists and men of letters. The system is based on Latvian folklore, mainly folksong texts, using also the data of other genres and much comparative material. It is claimed that this is the actual ancient religion of Latvians, having preserved much of the original Indo-European ritual and mythology, as well as culture and worldview. It is admitted that it is re-organized for more convenience in
modern situation.
Witch's Well 