The Green Man and the Great Goddess

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A piece of green ribbon (for abundance), a piece of gold ribbon (for prosperity and gathering) or ribbon in Lammas harvest colours would be equally suitable. In some parts of Europe the tradition was to weave the last sheaf into a large Corn Mother with a smaller 'baby' inside it, representing the harvest to come the following year. Once the harvest was completed, safely gathered in, the festivities would begin. Bread was made from the new grain and thanks given to the Sun's life-giving energy reborn as life-giving bread. If you do not have an outside space you can sweep from your front door inwards to either your kitchen or hearth using the same charm. Invitations to the coronation of King Charles III, designed by manuscript illustrator Andrew Jamieson, have provoked much excitement in the media. The debate centres on the Green Man in the centre of the design. Who is the Green Man and what does he represent? I’m so glad you asked. It comes from Lady Raglan’s article The Green Man in Church Architecture in the 1939 edition of “Folklore”, making this timeless figure out of pagan memory exactly eighty years old this year.

Where to do this? You can go to a favourite special place of your choice, a place that holds fond memories of the people you are honouring, or even your own garden - the idea of watching the seeds germinating and growing in honour of people you love is very special. The charm works just as well if you plant the seeds in a small pot. Mint is another of the three most revered herbs of the Druids (vervain being the third, according to Grieve). Its magical properties are both protection and healing, and at this stage in the year, its properties of drawing abundance and prosperity, are most appropriate. The fact that they do not appear until well into the Christian period, however, suggests a different reading. Many are clearly warnings against being led astray by the Devil and of the horrors of hell awaiting sinners. Most churchgoers at this time would have been illiterate and so the church itself, its carvings, paintings and stained glass, served as a sermon in their own right. Lady Raglan is, I think, correct in her assumption that the Green Man would be instantly recognisable, and that his message would be immediately familiar to those who saw it. But that does not mean that he must be a survival of an ancient god. So as the grain harvest is gathered in, there is food to feed the community through the winter and within that harvest is the seed of next year's rebirth, regeneration and harvest. The Grain Mother is ripe and full, heavily pregnant she carries the seed of the new year's Sun God within her. There is tension here. For the Sun God, the God of the Harvest, the Green Man, or John Barleycorn, surrenders his life with the cutting of the corn. The Green Man is no exception. It is almost certain that he has no past as an ancient fertility god — but he has a future as one. The figure of the Green Man has been adopted into modern Pagan thinking as a god who represents the wild, and the vital relationship with nature that we have lost, and that we need to regain to live fully.

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This simple charm is designed to honour the Spirit of those who have passed onto the Summerland. The seeds you scatter will grow in memory, a gift of remembrance to the Earth.

How about the ancient Egyptians, did they too have spring gods or goddesses? They did. Renpet is the ancient Egyptian goddess of new life, Spring, fertility and youth. Interestingly, her name is translated to mean year or time, which makes me think she had more to do with the entire year than just the Spring. According to Ancient Egypt Online, she was worshiped in Crocodilopolis and Memphis and eventually was considered an epithet or aspect of the Great Mother Isis. She’s depicted as wearing a palm shoot on her head, common vegetation on the Nile. 8. Idunn: Norse Goddess of Eternal Life Allow this to continue for as long as it takes to complete the re-membering. You will end with a tray full of radiant candles. When all is complete, give thanks, and allow the candles to burn to completion. Stewart, R. J. The Way of Merlin: The Prophet, the Goddess, and the Land ¬ Techniques of Transformation from the Merlin Tradition. London: The Aquarian Press, 1991. The Maypole is a popular and familiar image of May Day and Beltane. A phallic pole, often made from birch, was inserted into the Earth representing the potency of the God. The ring of flowers at the top of the Maypole represents the fertile Goddess. Its many coloured ribbons and the ensuing weaving dance symbolise the spiral of Life and the union of the Goddess and God, the union between Earth and Sky.

Involve children if you can. Collect and dry them in the sun, ready for next year's planting. Consider giving them as gifts at Samhain or Yule. Seeds are such amazing and mysterious things - each tiny seed contains within it the blueprint for the whole plant it will become. It will mirror its mother plant, the mother that raised the seed and returned it to the earth with the help of the light of the sun. It's a miracle every time. In his Underworld aspect Cernnunos is The Dark Man, the god who dwells in the House Beneath the Hill, the Underworld. He is the one who comforts and sings the souls of the dead to their rest in the Summerlands of the Otherworld. Cernnunos, as Master of the Wild Hunt, who pursues the souls of evil doers, is not associated with a biblical or even modern morality, but with the protection and continuance of the Land and Nature and the spirits that dwell therein.

Corrigan, Ian. The Portal Book: Teachings and Works of Celtic Witchcraft. Cleveland Heights, OH: Chameleon Press, 1996. The besom is used as this time both practically and symbolically. It sweeps away the last of the Autumn leaves, but is also used ritually to sweep out the old, to clean and clear away old energy, creating space for the new. Traditionally besoms are made from birch twigs - the birch is associated with purification and renewal. While the Cailleach rules over the cold, dark half of the year in Celtic Ireland and Scotland, Brigid rules over the light, warm half of the year. Therefore, we’re including her here as one of the Spring goddesses. Truly, Brigid’s time began at Beltane on May 1st and lasted until Samhain when the Crone goddess Cailleach took over. Brigid was and still is a beloved goddess of the fire, smithery, inspiration, poetry and healing. She is frequently depicted as a triple goddess and some believe she is the sister of the Cailleach. Interestingly, Brigid is associated not just with the sacred fire but also with sacred water held within wells. Fire and water being too key elements to the Spring and Summer seasons. 5. Flora: Roman Spring GoddessPlace the flours in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Sieve in the blended salt and soda and pour in the buttermilk. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the dough feels springy. If it feels too sloppy just add a little more flour. Turn it onto a board and cover with a fine dusting of flour. Pat it with your hands until you have a round shape. Take a sharp knife and score lightly into eight sections, one for each festival. Our picture shows the bread scored five times to make a pentacle. Sprouted seeds - these represent regeneration. Can even be bought in the supermarket now. Frequently found in wholefood shops - or sprout your own. Glastonbury, where we are based, is also known as the Sacred Isle of Avalon, or Isle of Apples, and also the Isle of the Dead. In mythology, this is where the entrance to the Underworld is found, ruled by Morgan, Queen of the Dead. American artist Rob Juszak took the theme of the Green Man as Earth's spiritual protector and turned it into a vision of the Green Man cradling the planet; Dorothy Bowen created a kimono silk painting, titled Greenwoman, as an expression of the feminine aspect of the legend. [10]