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.
www.facebook.com/WiccanArt

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.