Walpurgis night

 With the approach of May there is a celebration across Europe that is often associated with the first day of May, around about then. It's got huge popularity in countries like Germany, where they celebrate this time. It's called Walpurgis Night, named for the festival of Saint Walpurga. This stems from a holy woman from England who was born during the Dark Ages in the year 710, who grew up in the Kingdom of Wessex. Her name varies from Walpurga, Wealdburg, Valborg and Valpurga. A daughter of the famous Richard the Pilgrim, she set out to heal and cure people suffering diseases like whooping cough. She helped to fight against the menace of rabies and other pests, while also travelling to the continent and visited Germany, using her knowledge to protect the villagers against witchcraft. Her reputation grew, and she was loved by many people who continued to remember her after her death. Walpurga was made into a saint and her feast day coincides with the May Day celebrations. 

In many countries peoples celebrate Walpurgis Night, but in Germany especially it's also a time of witch festivals. It's also called "Witches Night" where witches meet up on the mountain and dance to the change of seasons, at Brocken in the Harz Mountains. Many have observed the witches night celebration as being enchanting and a magical yet spooky experience. There's a lot of similarities of Witches Night and with Halloween. Its when the veils are lowered, as the time of Spring/Autumn equinoxes. While the Germans celebrate the coming of May with witches, the idea is pre-Christian Pagan in origin, as this coincides with the time of Beltane. The English celebrate the arrival of May with cowslips, fairies and the May Queen, with fetes and maypole dances. Witches Night in Germany is a very exciting holiday. It even has a Springtime version of "trick or treating" style pranks that includes going out in costumes, setting off fireworks, hanging decorations of plants and fire dancing. So have a wonderful Walpurgis Night!    

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St George's Day

 

While living in the age of technology and space exploration using advanced rockets, we are also still fascinated by the mythical age of legends. Soon it is England's St. George's day and this also happens on the 23rd April, which is to be during a full moon this year. Other significant events on the 23rd April was the construction of the temple of goddess Venus on the Capitoline Hill, the defeat of Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf, the St. George's Night Uprising in Estonia, creation of the Order of the Garter, King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned, and not to mention the anniversary of St George's death, also the deaths of Joan of Arc and playwrite William Shakespeare. The celebration of St. George also occurs in other countries including Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Lebanon, Syria, Romania, Catalonia, Aragon, Rio de Janeiro and Alcoy. 

St. George's Day in Hungary is believed to happen during witch's sabbaths, so terrified people did what they could to protect themselves and their homes from sinister magical forces. This includes burning incense, gathering sticks and twigs from willow trees and birch trees to place around windows. They even protected their stables and livestock this way. In Germany there is the "George's Ride" tradition on 23rd April around churches. In Bavaria and Buttenheim, there's parades of people dressed up on brightly coloured horses and decorated wagons.   

According to spookier themed April 23rd is a time when it's not safe to go out at night on the eve of that St. George's Day. This is because vampires are believed to manifest their powers, and also witches and other supernatural creatures are mostly active. This was found in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" where evil happens on the night. April 23rd also happens to be World Book Day. 

As for St. George himself, he is always imagined as being a knight in shining armour, who people believe might've been English who really killed a fire breathing dragon to rescue a maiden. He was actually a Roman soldier, who was executed for being a Christian and not taking part in Pagan rituals. The man was turned into a martyr and later became canonized to sainthood, while the dragon represents the forces of evil, such as the devil, and/or the might of a pre-Christian pagan Rome. The dragon symbol was used by Roman legions on standards in the first century. Today the image of George and the dragon is also knotted and tied with ancient dragon stories of dragon slayers.

After all this lesson, enjoy the holiday and have fun.   

Storm Valkyrie 💚🐉

The solar eclipse

 

Yesterday was the solar eclipse, as viewed in the northern hemisphere. Today we understand why it happens, but before it was an event that frightened people. In many religions, the solar eclipse was regarded as a bad omen. It was considered to be a horrific time of the sun itself being devoured by wolves and dragons. It made people in ancient times believe the gods were angry with humans and an eclipse of the sun meant darkness and famine. 

Now people regard the solar eclipse with fascination and excitement. A lot of modern Pagans view the solar eclipse as a time of spiritual growth, cleansing, deeper understandings about the astronomical event and it's significance to the Earth, rebirth and communication. When the sun aligns with the moon, it appears as though the sun has turned dark. This remarkable event is both powerful and spiritual. Groups hold sun eclipse celebrations, blots, parties and sacred rites. It's a time when Pagans practice healing and magic. 

Storm Valkyrie 

Daisy, April flower

 

The flower of April is a daisy. These are wild flowers associated with innocence and love. There Latin name is Bellis perennis, which means "pretty" and "everlasting". Daisies belong to the Asteraceae family, previously named the Compositae. Daisy relatives are a variety of plants such as the edible lettuce, sunflowers, dandelions, asters, goldenrod, thistle and chamomile. Even daisy family members are spices including sage, tarragon, artichoke and chicory. Daisies contain a lot of vitamin C.

Daisies are edible and can be eaten both raw, cooked, brewed in tea, in salads, and as a cake decoration. Traditionally daisies are used as a healing herb. It was used to cure bleeding, bronchitis, aches and pains. This flower was added as medicine to cure stiff joints and pain suffered by gardeners, farmers and peasants. Daisies were used to treat wounds and cuts. Extract from daisies are used in medicine therapies for people with cancer. 

The daisy flower is sacred to Freya, the Norse goddess of love and beauty. Used as a fertility symbol, daisies are associated with childbirth, motherhood and Spring. In Greek mythology, daisies grew wherever the goddess Persephone walked. Daisies are also connected to many goddesses including Ostara, Venus and Aphrodite. In Roman mythology, a beautiful nymph named Belides created daisies by first trying to flee the affections of a god, and so she changed herself into a daisy. 

Storm Valkyrie