Summer Solstice 2004 2004 arranged by ---Shining Spider- 2004 The astrology of today: Explanation of Summer Solstice Since the Winter Solstice the Sun has been shedding more and more light into our lives. The pendulum that is the season’s rotation has fully swung in the favor of Day light and all of the things that come with it. Our fields and yards are full of grass, flowers and fruit. In work, play and everything that falls between you may find yourself with more energy, more ideas, and greater stamina. Our bodies need light, and while some of us are more delicate when it comes to sunburns, we should all reflect on bringing the sun and its presence at this time into our lives. Ritual: I. Creating A Sacred Space A. Cleanse space B. Ground and Center C. Call Elements 1. Call each element 2. Once they are called all together chant: We honor the energy of the elements within us. We are earth. We are dark, we are heavy, we are substantial. We are grounded. We are water. We are fluid, we are clear, we are vital. We are renewed. We are fire. We are bright, we are hot, we are intense. We are passionate. We are air. We are light, we are movement, we are open. We are changed. II. Coming Together A. Calling And Honoring the Divine To call the Goddess Asarte/Anath) Under your watchful eye mother we suddenly find our ground fertile and our days long. Praying for the balance of rain and bright sky mother we gather to find our lives fertile and our productive days long. Asarte, Anath just as your story progressed from Maiden to Mother guide us towards monumental change. B. To call the God God (Baal) Father of horn and hoof we watch you grow fat on green grass and clover. We praise your girth and the ground that carries you. Father of sky; thunder and instant storm we watch the skies for you and praise your power, Baal, rider of clouds, almighty, grant us tonight a glimpse of your face and a peak into your lessons. C. Myth Area: Syria-Palestine Peoples: Canaanites Time Period: 1370 B.C.E. ? Sources: The Canaanite mythology and it’s practices and customs would vary depending on region, but the discovery of records in a library in the city of Ugarit in Northwestern Syria in 1928 gives us a detailed view of Canaanite Gods and Goddesses, dating from the author Elimelek around 1370 BC. Kings traditionally ruled as intermediaries of the Gods in maintaining the fertility of the land, this being not an uncommon theory as it was also practiced through much of Europe Deities: Astarte/ Anath Asarte was worshiped in Canaan, as well as by the Hittites in Ugarit. Her Akkadian representation was Ishtar. Her archetype parallels with the Egyptian deities Isis and Hathor as well as the Greco-Roman deities of Aphrodite, Artemis and Juno. Some called her Asherar-yam - our lady of the sea. Depending on location of her worship she was seen as an earth mother, heaven mother, a goddess of love or war, provider of good harvest, and protector of children and home. Statues of shrines were built for this goddess in various locations for votive offerings and sanctuaries. Asarte shared so many qualities with her sister Anath that it is believed that originally they were seen as one deity. Their names together are the basis for the Aramaic goddess Atargatis. Under the name Anath this goddess was considered a beautiful maiden, and one of the better-known Canaanite deities. she was adopted as a special favorite by the Egyptian king Ramses II (reigned 1279-13 BC). Although Anath was often associated with the god Resheph in ritual texts, she was primarily known for her role in the myth of Baal's death and resurrection, in which she mourned and searched for him and finally helped to retrieve him from the netherworld. Hebrew scholars now feel that the goddess Ashtoreth mentioned so often in the Bible is a deliberate compilation of the Greek name Astarte and the Hebrew word boshet, "shame," indicating the Hebrew contempt for her cult. Ashtaroth, the plural form of the goddess's name in Hebrew, became a general term denoting goddesses and paganism. Baal At the time of the Ugrit tablets the deity Baal was viewed as the ruler of the universe while his titles also included 'Rider of the Clouds'; 'Almighty'; and 'Lord of the Earth'. Baal was believed to reside on Mount Zaphron, which is north of Ugrit. Israeli archaeologists excavating at an eighth-century B.C. site in the eastern Sinai desert found several Hebrew inscriptions mentioning Ba'al and El in the form of "Elohim," a name used to refer to God in the Torah. Worshiped in similar fashion as other sky gods, he was the chief deity of the Canaanite pantheon as a source of life and fertility. Among the more interesting practices of his devotees there was holy prostitution and child sacrifice done in his name. It is theorized that the Hebrew Prophets made their disdain of these practices known in their text by turning Baal into a demon known as Baal-zebub, which then Christianity viewed as Satan. As cognates of Baal in other Semitic languages there are Bel (in Babylonian religion) and the last elements in the Tyrian names Jezebel, Hasdrubal, and Hannibal. Baals myth cycle sees him as a bull, and a metaphor for the seasons. He was the god who died and rose again as a seasonal god of vegetation, dying in the Autumn and having his resurrection in the Spring. Henna Red hand patterns ornamenting fertility shrine walls from 7000 B.C.E., at Catal Huyuk, may indicate that henna was used to celebrate women's sexuality and fertility then just as is done now. The deities associated with those red hand patterns were the fertility goddess, the battlefield goddess, and the bull god. That religion was the precursor to the Bronze Age Middle Eastern religions, which included henna as part of their fertility goddess worship. Women's henna traditions, therefore, may have since been continuously practiced for as long as 9000 years. The earliest civilizations with artifacts showing hennaed hands on fertility goddesses are the Ugaritics, Canaanites, Cycladics, Minoans, and Mycenaeans. Ancient Egyptians also used henna, but for purposes other than celebrating women's fertility III. Pathwork Close your eyes. Inhale deeply, smelling the incense and the coolly air conditioned air. Exhale as forcefully as you can, releasing stress and any preconceived notions. Continue breathing in this deep fashion until you feel your mind settle. Open your eyes. Adjust them to the dim light. You are in a cave. What does this cave look like? What do the walls look like? What does the cave smell like? Can you hear water, or fire in this space? To your left is a woman, shrouded in black. Her face is bronze and it has markings of red and black sacred symbols on it. She is grinding something in a large mortar and pestle. She beckons you closer. When you are ready, sit near her. Watch her grind the green leaves until they are dust. Watch her slowly add water, the juice of a lemon and other herbs from pouch. Does she say anything to you at this time? Do you have anything you want to ask her? She motions that she wants to mark you, on your face and hands, how do you respond? After sitting with her, once your exchange is done, she points to her right. You see light streaming in, glinting off of the cave walls. There is the path out. You turn back to her, to say goodbye. Has her dress, her face, or the emotion she projects changed? Thank her for what lesson she gave you, and say your goodbyes. When you are ready, walk the path. Notice the incline, the temperature. How does it smell? As the light gets brighter, how do you feel? Outside of the cave it is noon. The sun is brilliant, the grass is green and in the distance you see animals roaming the grounds. Take in the scene, the energy and the potential. Breathe in deeply. Exhale. Feeling energetic, and warm, and strangely calm, bring yourself back to the room. Let my voice guide you. Feel the air on your arms; hear the gentle sounds of the room. When you are ready open your eyes. IV. Spell-work - A. Raising Energy- Tonight our dance, our sacred spiral, is an effort and expenditure for growth, and for change. We are gathering on this longest night to weave the summer’s energy into all of our actions. We lift our faces to the sun warmed by flame we've just begun. V. Thanking A. Share in snacks and experiences of circle B. Thank the god/dess C. Thank the elements D. Break the space Credits: Elemental Chant by Lee Lanning and Nett Hart God/dess Invoking Poetry by Shining Spider Myth compiled by Shining Spider Meditation by Shining Spider Dancing Chant by Shining Spider Web resources http://www.hennapage.com/henna/encyclopedia/anath/anathwheatmot.html http://www.mehandi.com/history/hennahistory.html |