Magical Symbols and Modern Totems - The Starbucks Siren

Symbols have a way of exerting a mysterious power over the people who use them, even when they have been supposedly removed from their original context. The Starbucks logo, for instance is one manner through which a traditional representation of a mystical being - in this case the Mermaid, or the Siren - has resurfaced in modern society. The mermaid, or siren, is a very powerful heraldic creature and has graced many coat of arms such as the one in Warsaw since the 14th Century. As a heraldic creature, the mermaid or siren evokes the qualities of eloquence, expression, and wealth.

As is the case with any heraldic creature, it is thought that a certain reverence of the mythical being or what it stands for will similarly result in various qualities and gifts being bestowed upon all in its jurisdiction. Though it may seem like a stretch, the accord the Starbucks Siren with the status of a heraldic creature for the company is perhaps not as far fetched as that. The metaphor of "Brand worship" is after all, a concept that is becoming increasingly common-knowledge to members of the populace and it is perhaps not so difficult to see how brands sometimes take on an almost mythical life of their own.

As the heraldic emblem of the Starbucks company, the Starbucks Siren has done just that by pulling in wealth and loyal customers alike with her siren song. For her patrons, the Mermaid also provides in her shrine (Your local Starbucks outlet, lol!) a conducive atmosphere for relaxation or the flow of ideas. As with any mermaid, she probably also has the ability to serve as a muse for creativity, reflection, and expression which may explain why many seem to be drawn to her "grotto" to engage in such exploits.

This is not to say that the Starbucks Mermaid has become a religion or anything of the sort, but rather provides an interesting perspective with which to look at a very familiar and well-loved facet of popular iconography. Perhaps now one might perceive the mermaid differently when taking in their daily cup of coffee.

Working with Goddesses pt. 3 ~ Swanmanes

Light and Love

Many of us have, in one form or another, known of the myth of the beautiful Swan Maidens. The Swan Maidens are a prominent creature in European mythology and may be described as spiritual shape shifters that have the ability to change form from a beautiful woman to that of an animal, often a swan. Some of the more popular contemporary interpretations of the Swan Maiden is the tale of Swan Lake or The Swan Princess but the legends of the Swan Maiden may actually be traced back to a mythological archetype that can be found in the folklore of almost every culture: of mysterious and beautiful women who can take the shape of various animals in order to cross the boundaries between their worlds and our's. In many of these legends, a young man spies the beautiful maiden who is often bathing or frolicking in a river with her sisters and schemes to steal the feather garment which allows her to transform back into a Swan. He eventually does so and thus prevents her from flying back to her realm and she is forced to be his wife. The story varies from this point on with the Swan Maiden staying with the man willingly and of her own accord in some instances, even going on to be the mother of his children, or eventually leaving him when she rediscovers the location of her stolen feather garment. The myth exists in various forms across the planet and are in many ways similar to the Selkies or Mermaids of Irish folklore and the Buffalo women of African folklore but perhaps find the most similarity in the story of celestial maidens a cross of East Asia who are either given the ability to fly between the human world and the celestial one through the use of a feathered garment or, like the European Swan Maiden, uses the garment to transforms into various species of birds. In many of these Eastern cultures, the Swan Maiden may also be considered a Tennin, or celestial being, which possess many similar qualities to Western conceptions of angels or fairies. Because of their association with small bodies of water and the skies, they have also been likened to the Apsaras of Hindu and Buddhist mythologies.

The Swan Maidens and many of their counterparts are considered to be the personification of grace and beauty and in many cases this is typified by their various animal forms. Their abilities to shape shift also grant them the knowledge and wisdom that comes from both sides of the great divide and they can be approached to act as guides for people who wish to bridge the gap between their conscious-human selves and their primal-animal natures. In doing so, the Swan Maiden and her Sisters are capable of helping one reach a state of enlightenment that can be found by attuning oneself to one's environment and a distancing of the natural self with the constraints of one's human existence. They are also sometimes depicted playing various musical instruments and are believed to be able to inspire musicians, dancers, or those otherwise invested in the arts with their exploits.  The Swan Maiden and her Sisters may be honored in many ways and invited to bless the lives of practitioners who venerate them but because they are not Goddesses into themselves they are often not worshiped as such in their own right. Rather, practitioners who choose to invite the Swan Maiden and her Sisters into their lives may set up small shrines to these spiritual entities around their houses, or decorate particular work spaces associated with art, music, or creation with various Swan Maiden imagery.

Valkyries of Norse Mythology are also sometimes depicted wearing swan skins. In the Völundarkviða, Wayland Smithand his brothers marry valkyries who dress in swan skins. 

A similar tale that can be found in Japan is that of the Crane Wife. In the folktale a man marries a devoted young woman who turns out to be a crane in disguise. To help the impoverished man make enough money to survive the winter, the Crane Wife plucks out of her own feathers to weave beautiful silk brocades which the man is able to sell but she becomes increasingly ill as she does so. When he finds out the true nature of his wife's identity and her illness she leaves as the conditions of her interaction with humans prohibits them from ever learning of her true identity.

Blessed Be
)O(

Working with Goddesses pt. 2 - Chloris and the Coming of Spring

Light and Love.

Flora by Alexander Roslin

Several deities in the Greek pantheon may be associated with plants, vegetation and the renewal of life that is promised by the coming of Spring, but none is perhaps as known to both lay person and Pagan practitioner alike than the Goddess, Chloris. Compared to the other goddesses of vegetation and plants like Gaia, Demeter, or Persephone, Chloris may be considered a minor Goddess by certain standards due to her relatively small role in Grecian religion but her namesake has endured to this day in the term Flora, which is used as a general term to refer to all manner of plant life. According to legend, Chloris had humble beginnings as a nymph that dwelt in the gardens of the Elysian fields. Her beauty was noticed by the wind God, Zephyrus, who kidnapped her and took her as his wife.  She was later elevated to the status of Goddess and worshiped as such under the name of Flora which gave her dominion over flowers of all kinds. She plays a minor role in several Greek mythologies in which she was responsible for transforming the characters Adonis, Attis, Crocus, Hyacinthus, and Narcissus into their floral counterparts. In the olden days, the festival of Chloris/Flora was called the Floralia and consisted of men and women adorning themselves in bright colors and flowers. Household pets and farm animals were similarly bedecked with flowers and would be paraded throughout the festivals to invite Flora to bestow upon them her blessing of fertility. Her worship is sometimes conflated with the worship of Persephone (who is similarly a nymph, elevated to the status of Goddess after being kidnapped by a God and whose dominion is also Spring and the personification of beauty and flowers). The priest (or priestess) of Flora is called the Flamen Floralis. Traditionally celebrations dedicated to Flora or Persephone would last for six days and six nights.

Persephone or Chloris are some of the deities that certain Wiccans or Pagans have incorporated into their celebrations that welcome the return of Spring. Practitioners are typically encouraged to wear colorful clothing and various pieces of flowers or greenery attached to their person. Altars to these Goddesses may be decorated using ribbons of bright colors, but more importantly fresh flowers of various colors and varieties. Flowers associated with fertility, longevity, the sun, and the coming of spring such as Chrysanthemums are often a popular choice. Candles may be lit in the colors of white, pink, or red, and floral essential oils are sometimes used to diffuse the scent of flowers in the practitioner's sacred space. In some modern Pagan traditions, a flower crown or some variation of it is offered to the Goddess by the practitioner and is sometimes worn after invoking the Goddess to symbolize the presence of Persephone or Chloris during the the night. There are typically no formal rituals associated with the honoring of Chloris and Persephone and the coming of Spring and revelers are often encouraged to eat, drink, and be merry, in representing the abundance and color of the season. 

Primavera, or the coming of Spring as depicted by Botticelli. Chloris is depicted being kidnapped by Zephyrus in the far right. 

The Goddess Chloris, depicted with her husband Zephyrus heralding Aphrodite's arrival in The Birth of Venus. The Goddes on the right is Pomona, another minor deity associated with Fruits and also the coming of Spring.

The romancing of the Goddess, Chloris by the Wind God, Zephyrus, by William-Adophe Bougeureau. 

Who are some of the Goddesses and Gods that you like to invoke for your Imbolc or Spring celebrations? As always, I love to hear from you.

Blessed be.
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Tools of the Craft pt. 1 : The Magic Wand

Light and Love

Many of my friends, particularly the uninitiated have expressed some curiosity in the tools witches use in their rituals and spell work. Although the tools of the Craft may vary greatly between Wicca, and some of the other Pagan faiths and Magical traditions, there are some objects which I believe to be quite universal in that they are often utilized in one way or another by members of the faith. The object that i will be looking at today is an age old tool in Wicca and many other Pagan and Magical traditions: the wand. The magic wand, or in some cases, sacred staff, is perhaps most known to the uninitiated for its association with characters such as fairy godmothers (as depicted in Walt Disney's Cinderella and sleeping Beauty) or with wizards and witches such as from the Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter franchise.

Glinda the good witch, from the (1938) film the wizard of Oz is often pictured in most depictions as possessing a magic wand.

And while the general concept of the magic wand is not at all too different from what we see in the movies, the magic wand enjoys a long and colorful history in the magic arts and is present in various mythical figures such as the Greek God Hermes, whose iconic serpent entwined wand had the power to induce a magical sleep, or the wand of Circe - believed by many to be the earliest magical wand in Western literary canon - which was used (in some variants of the legend) to transform men into the beasts that they truly were inside.  Wands have also had a place in many of the world's ancient civilizations. Magic wands consecrated to Isis or some of the other Egyption gods have been found in Pyramids and it is believed that they allow the soul of the Pharoahs to use the various objects and artefacts that were buried with him in the afterlife. Shamanic wands, or drumsticks can be found in the spiritual practices of many indigenous cultures and the völva is a Norse term that literally translates as "carrier of the magic wand" referring to witches, both male and female, who had the power of foresight. March 2014, it was reported that a ritual wand etched with human faces was discovered at an archeological dig site in Syria is believed to date back at leat 9000 years.

An Egyptian wand (1938 - 1759 BCE) that was carved from a hippopotamus tusk is believed to have been buried with the Pharaoh as a magical tool that would enable him to use all of his worldly possessions in the afterlife. 

Another Egyptian wand, this one consecrated to the Goddess Hathor that is estimated to have been crafted somewhere between 1300 and 1200 BC

An 82 cm magic wand, and other objects believed to be tools of the craft, found in an archaeological dig site  believed to be the grave of a völva (Norse witch). It is believed that she received an honorable Ship Burial and was offered both human and animal sacrifices upon her death. 

For the modern-day Witch, magic wands are often used to channel energies for various rituals and spells, but also to invoke various kinds of spirits (particularly elementals) who are generally more sympathetic to the gentle and nurturing energies that are evoked by the wand, as opposed to the more commanding forces that are generated by the ritual dagger, or athame. Wands are usually made by the witch or practitioner herself but many modern-day witches may also buy wands that they feel particularly connected with. Traditionally the wand is made from a length of wood and may or may not be adorned with symbols carved into its hilt, or crystals, feathers, and other objects that the practitioner believes may enhance the particular energies that are summoned by that wand. A witch who makes her/his own magic wand often conducts a ritual usually before the embellishment of the wand that consecrates it to their deities and the various forces that they are working with so as to invite these deities and forces to be a part of the wand-creation process, thus fostering a stronger and more intimate bond between practitioner, divine, and object of the craft. Wand consecration rituals typically vary from witch-to-witch and coven to coven.

Store bought wands (left) come in a variety of amazing designs while home made wands (right) tend to be simpler based on the tools the practitioner has on hand.

A wand is often an intimate tool and many witches tend to own more than one, each may be used for a different purpose or to invoke a different kind of elemental or spirit.  

Working with Goddesses pt. 1. - Suvannamaccha

Suvannamaccha สุพรรณมัจฉา or Golden Fish, was a mermaid that was featured prominently in Thai culture and other Southeast Asian versions of the Ramayana. She was not a divine entity, but the daughter of Ravana, a rakshasa (or demon) who ruled over the Island of Sri Lanka many years ago. When the god Hanuman was charged with rescuing the princess Sita from Ravana, Suvannamaccha and her mermaid brothers and sisters were charged with the task of hampering Hanuman's attempts of building a bridge from India to Sri Lanka by removing the rocks that Hanuman and his followers have tossed into the sea to serve as foundations for his bridge. Hanuman tries to attack Suvannamaccha but eventually starts to fall in love with her. The two eventually become lovers and Suvannamaccha aids Hanuman in his quest to defeat her father once she learns of her father's evil deeds. Though the two part ways at the conclusion of the Ramayana tale, she would later bear Hanuman a son named Mudchanu. Although Suvannamaccha's role as a mythical figure is relatively small, her imagery is quite popular and is often used as a good luck charm in shops and houses across Thailand. In Cambodia, she is also a principal character in dances and dramas depicting the epic of Ramayana. 

Suvannamaccha can be approached with by constructing a small shrine in her honor that is constructed by a water feature such as a small fountain or scrying basin. Her principal color is gold, red, and green. You can call upon her for aid in transitional matters and to clear road blocks in your path. 

A Goddess on Earth

The practice of the Living Goddess, or Kumari Devi, is one which represents the dispersion of Divine Consciousness over all of Creation. Because the world, and every one of its aspects, are believed to have sprung from the womb of Durga (the Supreme/Mother Goddess and the most powerful deity in Hindu theology and cosmology), she is said to exist equally in all parts of the Universe, both animate and inanimate. Therefore, while the worshiping of the Goddess through idols represents her followers' recognition of her Divinity via the inanimate, the worshiping of her through a human vessel represents the recognition and reverence of the presence of Divinity in all conscious beings. Although Durga is said to be manifest as Shakti (meaning sacred force or empowerment) in the bodies of all female living beings in the universe, the purity and chastity of a female child is believed to provide the perfect vessel for the Goddess' manifestation as the innocence of the child is said to be representative of the state of Universal consciousness.

According to legend, the practice began fairly recently in the 12th Century CEin Nepal. King Trailokya Malla sought the patronage of the Goddess Durga who appeared to him every night in human form. There they would discuss matters of welfare of the country while playing the tripasa. One night, the king, in a moment of rashness, made a sexual advance upon the Goddess which greatly angered her. The Goddess left the Kingdom and decreed that the King would never see her again and that she would stop protecting his country. The king in his regret worshiped and pleaded for the Goddess to return. Eventually Durga relented and decreed that She would manifest in the body of a pure female child and continue to offer her blessings if the King and his people continued to respect and revere that purity.

Consequently the practice of Kumari Devi may be understood as the worshiping of young prepubescent girls as vessels for the manifestation of female divinity. The term Kumari Devi is a derivative of two Sanskrit terms: Kaumarya meaning "virgin", and Devi which refers to Divine female energy. The child who is selected to function as a vessel for this energy is known as the Kumari, or Living Goddess. In many parts of India, the Kumari will only be chosen for a day, during certain festivals and rituals, but in certain Northern States as well as Nepal, the Kumari mau function as the vessel of Durga for extended periods of time.

Children who are recognized as suitable vessels for Durga are put through a series of tests in order to discern if they possess various qualities thought to be representative of the Goddess. Physically the child must be in excellent health. She must never had shed any blood (that of herself and of other living beings) nor must she have been afflicted by any diseases. In addition to these physical traits, the Kumari must possess the qualities of fearlessness and serenity. Once the vessel has been chosen, the Kumari undergoes sacred Tantric rituals within a temple consecrated to Durga to cleanse her body and spirit of her past experiences. When the rituals are complete, she opens herself up to the visitation of Devi, of Female Divinity. From there on out, the child will be known as Kumari and will be revered and respected as if she were a Goddess on earth.

In Nepal the Kumari will live out the reign of her Divinity (which will last only until she has menstruated) in various palaces dedicated to the Goddess on earth the most famous of which is the Kumari Ghar, an impressive structure located in the center of the city of Kathmandu that will be her home for the entire duration of her Divinity. Once thus installed into her seat of power, the Kumari will only leave her palace on formal occasions and interact with the public only in a formal capacity. Some Kumari are permitted to attend public school and interact with other children her age but most are educated by private tutors and will find her circle of friends in the children of her respective caretakers, the Kumarini. The Kumarini are not permitted to give the Kumari orders or force her to do anything she refuses but must instead find a balanced way of addressing the Kumari's every need, desires, while giving her formal instructions in her ceremonial duties and generally offer her a guiding hand through life. The selection of specific qualities in potential vessels is thought to avoid the incident of a bad-tempered, rude, or petulant Kumari (which will result in bad fortune during her reign).

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additional note: The Kumari is the vessel for the Goddess Durga who is sometimes known as Mariamman (Goddess Amman) and also known as Navadurga, literally meaning "Nine Goddess Durga" which is a reference to her 9 facets. The 9 facets of Durga offer different levels of significance in Hindu worship and are:

1. Shailaputri: a derivative of the words putri, meaning daughter, and shaila, meaning the mountains. In this form she is said to be the Princess of the Himalayas. Her significance in this form is that she is the embodiment of the powers of the other principal Hindu deities namely Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, who are said would be rendered powerless in her absence.

2. Bharmacharini: in this form, the goddess is said to represent the qualities of knowledge and wisdom. Bharmacharini is used to describe a moderation in devotion and is a representation of the Goddess' teachings. Those who find the balance between both are said to have found the gateway to emancipation.

3. Chandraghanta: As chandraghanta the Goddess represents the aspects of bravery, strength, and fearlessness. She is appealed in this form to offer one the ability to battle demons and negative influences.

4. Kushmanda: Kushmanda is said to be the form in which the Goddess gave birth to the world. She is referenced here as the creator of the Universe and represents the knowledge of cosmic intricacies that are present in all aspects of life and of the human race.

5. Skanda Mata: Skanda Mata, literally meaning Mother of Skanda is a reference to her being the mother of Kartikeya, who was chosen by gods as the commander in chief in the war against evil.

6. Katyakani: Katyakani is an avatar of Durga that was born to the sage Kata. After undergoing long periods of austerity and penance in order to receive the grace of Durga, Kata petitioned the Supreme Goddess for a daughter in the form of a goddess. The wish was granted and Kata's daughter was born as an avatar of the Goddess Durga.

7. Kaal Ratri: Kaal Ratri represents the fierce aspect of the Goddess Durga. Her name is derivative of Kālarātri which means "black night" and Kālikā which is a reference to time thus signifying the darkness that existed before the creation of light itself. In this form Kaal Ratri is associated as an entity beyond time and thus represents the aspect of Death which is thought of as the only true state of humanity which is able to transcend the test of time. Kaal Ratri is synonymous with Kāli or Mahākālī. Kali is a powerful figure in Hindu mythology unto herself not only because she is the embodiment of death, but because it is said that each one of her implements represents the power of a principal Hindu God. Kaal Ratri therefore subsumes and is responsible for the powers of the other deities.

8. Maha Ghauri: Maha Ghauri, meaning extremely white represents intelligence, peace, compassion and tranquility. She is often petitioned to allay the fears of her supplicants and represents a power that is unfailing, fruitful and forgiving. Maha Ghauri is said to wash away the sins of the past, present, and future, and is therefore able to offer purification of karmic cycles in all aspects of life. In this form she is also popularly known as Pārvatī. Maha Ghauri is sometimes seen as synonymous to bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara which embodies the qualities of compassion and mercy.

9. Siddhidarti: The final form of Navadurga is Siddhidarti which is the embodiment of the power of healing. She represents the eight Siddhis (supernatural powers) that were acquired by Lord Shiva through his veneration of her as the Mother Goddess. The eight Siddhis in the body of Lord Shiva represent the balance of all forms of power and thus half of his body was subsequently transformed into female resulting in the birth of Shiva's feminine avatar: Ardhnarishvara

When you Wish Upon a Butterfly

For centuries there have been no other insect to make its mark upon the various cultures of the world as much as the butterfly. Perhaps, if nothing else, because of their beauty and flight, butterflies have often been connected to the Other, or Spiritual realm. In Native American spirituality, butterflies were created as a gift for the children of the world. The story goes, that once upon a time,

The Creator of our world was resting, sitting, watching some children at play in a village. The children laughed and sang, yet as She watched them, the Creator's heart was sad. She thought to herself, that these children will someday grow old. Their skin will become wrinkled, their hair will turn gray. Their teeth will fall out and the young hunter's arm will fail. Young girls will grow ugly and dry, playful puppies will become blind, mangy dogs. And all those flowers, those wonderful flowers - yellow, and blue, red and purple... they too shall fade. Even teh leaves from trees shall eventually dry up and fall, for such is the way of things, that nothing is ever eternal. She could see already they were turning yellow, and so She began to grow sadder and sadder. It was in the fall and the thought of the coming winter with its cold and lack of life made Her heart heavy.

Yet it was still warm, and the Sun still shone. She watched the play of sunlight and shadow on the ground, the yellow leaves being carried here and there by the wind. She saw the blueness of the sky, the whiteness of the cornmeal ground by the women, and suddenly She smiled and She said that all these colours, all the colours of the world should forever be preserved and so She would make something beautiful to gladden Her heart, something for all the children of the world to look at and enjoy, and so the Creator took out Her bag and started gathering things.

A spot of sunlight

A handful of blue from the sky

The whiteness of cornmeal

the shadow of playing children

the blackness of a young girl's hair

the yellow of falling leaves

the green of pine needles

the red, purple and orange of the flowers around Her

and, as an afterthought, the songs of the birds as well.

All this She put into her bag. Then She walked over to the grassy spot where all the children of the world were playing and She said, "Children, little children. This is for you," and as She gave them Her bag she said, "Open it; there's something nice inside." The children crowded around the Creator for they were curious, and as they opened the bag, at once hundreds and hundreds of coloured butterflies flew out, dancing around the children's heads, settling on their hair, fluttering up again to sip the nectar from this or that flower and the children, enchanted, said that they had never see anything so beautiful, and the Creator made it so that the butterflies would flutter to every corner of the Earth, that the world will forever know the meaning of beauty and wonder.

But then the butterflies began to sing, for the Creator had given them the song of birds, and a songbird who was flying by overheard this and came to settle on the Creator's shoulder. It said "Great Mother, it is not right to give our songs to these new pretty things. You told us when you made us that every bird would have his own song and now, you've simply passed them all around. Isn't it enough that you gave your new playthings the colours of the rainbow?" And the Creator saw her mistake for she immediately said "You're right. I made one song for each bird, and I shouldn't have taken what belonged to you," and so the Creator tooked the songs away from teh butterflies, leaving them silent. But though they had their voices stolen from them, they still managed to bring much joy to the world, and so it is said that they will always have a special place in the Creator's heart, for She hears all, and She loves all. And it is also said that if you were to catch a butterfly and whisper your heart's desires to it, only to release it, the Creator, grateful that you had released one of Her favourite playthings shall take into consideration your own wish into Her heart as well.

Blessed be
)O(