Beltane

[Guest guest]

Also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night, is celebrated around the

beginning of May. Traditionally falling somewhere between April 30th to May 5th.

This is the time of sacred union, both between the Goddess and the God and

between woman and man. Handfastings (Pagan marriages) are traditional at this

time. It is a time of fertility. Celebrations include dancing and circling

around the Maypole for fertility and jumping the Beltane Fire (Elf fire) for

luck. Beltane is one of the Major Sabbats of the Wiccan/Pagan religion. We

celebrate sexuality (something we see as Holy and of course necessary), we

celebrate life and the unity, which fosters it. The myths of Beltane say that

the young God has grown into manhood, and the Goddess accepts Him on as Her

lover. Together, they learn the secrets of the sacred, sexual and sensual, and

through their passionate union, all life begins.

 

Beltane is the season of maturing life and deeper love. This is the time of

vows, handfastings, the meeting of soul mates/twin souls and commitment. The

Lady and Her Lord, having reached maturity, come together in Perfect Love and

Perfect Trust to celebrate the joy of their union. This is a time to celebrate

the coming together of the energies of Goddess and God, feminine and masculine,

Shakti/Shiva. Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred

by the energies taking place in nature, He desires the Goddess and She Him. They

fall in love, lie among the grasses, it blossoms into a deep passionate love and

they unite/reunite as One

Personally, Beltane is the “fullness” of the Mother Goddess. She is ripe with

the promise of the sacred child, bursting with fertility. The cornucopia of the

abundance to come. She offers us the potential for growth and of natures gifts.

Being the last of springs rites, She is wet (form the rains) with anticipation.

The young Lord is filled with the fires of passion and love. Spewing His seed

upon the Earth, our mother. Filling our passions and prompting us to the sacred

union. There union is the height of Beltane celebration.

 

The flowers and greenery often represents the Goddess and the Maypole represents

the God. Beltane marks the return of vitality and passion for the coming season

of summer. Another common focal point is the cauldron, which represents the

Goddess. And the staff or stang, for the God.

 

The Maypole, most often the focal point of the traditional Beltane celebration,

has been a constant throughout Pagan history. The Maypole represents the erect

phallus of the God principle and the flowered wreath represents the Goddess

principle in Divine marriage. The clockwise and counterclockwise dance also

represents the spiral of death and rebirth. Many people at dawn would gather

flowers and green branches, using them to decorate the wreath for the Maypole or

for themselves.

 

This year, I think of the Unity that is needed on our Earth, for Gaia. Let’s

make prayers and light a million candles for peace and unity and positive

growth. For cleaning our earth and promoting the “Earth Day” mentality every

single day. Let’s gather, when we can, as spiritual kin to embrace our love of

peace and unity and each other as family. We are children of the Goddess and

God…blessed. We are the ones to shine as our Blessed Lady and Lord does shine,

to the entire world as an example. Think of this as you celebrate Beltane this

and every year.

 

Have a Very Blessed Beltane,

 

Soma

 

 

 

 

 

Bhakti-Paganism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Gerald Gardner and other founders of British Traditional Wicca borrowed

many ideas from the Celts who inhabited Britain long before the

Anglo-Saxons did. If you'd like an idea of how the Celts actually

celebrated Beltane (as a fire festival, not as a Sabbat), I suggest you

read "The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual," by my partner, Alexei

Kondratiev.

 

The Maypole is purely an English invention, the Celts never used it.

Beltane was celebrated as a time when the Goddess took a new, younger

lover -- the Maponius, or the Green Man. Her abandoned old lover, the

Black God, grew antlers of cuckoldry, and fled to our <samsaric> world of

Form, where as Cernunnos, or the Horned God, he watched over the growth

of new plants and animals.

 

I see the early summer festival of Beltane, not as the expression of

Shakti and Shiva, but as the expression of Radha and Krishna. The Earth,

like Radha, adorns herself in finery (vegetation) to please her lover.

The circle dances of Beltane are akin to the <rasa lila> dances of the

<gopi> cowgirls for Krishna. The flute songs of the God set everyone to

thoughts of love, and a May Queen and May King are chosen to reign like

Radha and Krishna over the cowherders of Vrindavan.

 

It isn't until the winter harvest festival of Samhain (November Eve) that

Nature expresses herself as Shakti and Shiva. The Earth strips off her

vegetative finery to sit <digambara> (skyclad) in meditation like Uma

Devi. This pleases the ascetic Lord Shiva, who begins to court her. The

Horned God of the Celts leads a Wild Hunt of the souls of the dead, and

other spirits -- akin to Hinduism's troops of Ganas who follow Shiva.

Shiva even has a Horned God aspect, as Pashupati, the Lord of Beasts, who

has great, arching water-buffalo horns. As Shiva Bhairava (the Horrible)

wanders with Brahma's fifth head in his hand, so Samhain revelers carry a

Jack-O-Lantern head, carved from a pumpkin (originally, from a turnip --

pumpkins are New World vegetables). The drum and stang of the Horned God

are similar to Lord Shiva's <damaru> and <trishul>.

 

I agree with Soma that this is an excellent time to pray for peace,

unity, and the preservation of the Earth. My Guru, Ammachi of Kerala,

likes to lead her devotees in the following chant:

 

[repeat three times...]

<om lokah samastah sukino bhavantu>

(Om! May all beings in every world be blessed.)

[then say...]

<om shanti shanti shantih>

(Om! Peace, peace, everywhere peace.)

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 21:23:33 -0700 (PDT) Soma <somaphoenixx

writes:

> Also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night, is celebrated

> around the beginning of May. Traditionally falling somewhere between

> April 30th to May 5th. This is the time of sacred union, both

> between the Goddess and the God and between woman and man.

> Handfastings (Pagan marriages) are traditional at this time. It is a

> time of fertility. Celebrations include dancing and circling around

> the Maypole for fertility and jumping the Beltane Fire (Elf fire)

> for luck. Beltane is one of the Major Sabbats of the Wiccan/Pagan

> religion. We celebrate sexuality (something we see as Holy and of

> course necessary), we celebrate life and the unity, which fosters

> it. The myths of Beltane say that the young God has grown into

> manhood, and the Goddess accepts Him on as Her lover. Together, they

> learn the secrets of the sacred, sexual and sensual, and through

> their passionate union, all life begins.

>

> Beltane is the season of maturing life and deeper love. This is the

> time of vows, handfastings, the meeting of soul mates/twin souls and

> commitment. The Lady and Her Lord, having reached maturity, come

> together in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust to celebrate the joy of

> their union. This is a time to celebrate the coming together of the

> energies of Goddess and God, feminine and masculine, Shakti/Shiva.

> Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred

> by the energies taking place in nature, He desires the Goddess and

> She Him. They fall in love, lie among the grasses, it blossoms into

> a deep passionate love and they unite/reunite as One

> Personally, Beltane is the “fullness” of the Mother Goddess. She is

> ripe with the promise of the sacred child, bursting with fertility.

> The cornucopia of the abundance to come. She offers us the potential

> for growth and of natures gifts. Being the last of springs rites,

> She is wet (form the rains) with anticipation. The young Lord is

> filled with the fires of passion and love. Spewing His seed upon the

> Earth, our mother. Filling our passions and prompting us to the

> sacred union. There union is the height of Beltane celebration.

>

> The flowers and greenery often represents the Goddess and the

> Maypole represents the God. Beltane marks the return of vitality and

> passion for the coming season of summer. Another common focal point

> is the cauldron, which represents the Goddess. And the staff or

> stang, for the God.

>

> The Maypole, most often the focal point of the traditional Beltane

> celebration, has been a constant throughout Pagan history. The

> Maypole represents the erect phallus of the God principle and the

> flowered wreath represents the Goddess principle in Divine marriage.

> The clockwise and counterclockwise dance also represents the spiral

> of death and rebirth. Many people at dawn would gather flowers and

> green branches, using them to decorate the wreath for the Maypole or

> for themselves.

>

> This year, I think of the Unity that is needed on our Earth, for

> Gaia. Let’s make prayers and light a million candles for peace and

> unity and positive growth. For cleaning our earth and promoting the

> “Earth Day” mentality every single day. Let’s gather, when we can,

> as spiritual kin to embrace our love of peace and unity and each

> other as family. We are children of the Goddess and God…blessed. We

> are the ones to shine as our Blessed Lady and Lord does shine, to

> the entire world as an example. Think of this as you celebrate

> Beltane this and every year.

>

> Have a Very Blessed Beltane,

>

> Soma

>

> Bhakti-Paganism

>

 

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[Guest guest]

What a delightful post!

Thank you, Len.

And blessings of the season to you and your partner!

 

, kalipadma@j... wrote:

>

> Gerald Gardner and other founders of British

> Traditional Wicca borrowed

> many ideas from the Celts who inhabited Britain long before the

> Anglo-Saxons did. If you'd like an idea of how the Celts actually

> celebrated Beltane (as a fire festival, not as a Sabbat),

> I suggest you read "The Apple Branch: A Path to

> Celtic Ritual," by my partner, Alexei

> Kondratiev.

>

> The Maypole is purely an English invention, the Celts never used

it.

> Beltane was celebrated as a time when the Goddess took a new,

younger

> lover -- the Maponius, or the Green Man. Her abandoned old lover,

the

> Black God, grew antlers of cuckoldry, and fled to our <samsaric>

world of

> Form, where as Cernunnos, or the Horned God, he watched over the

growth

> of new plants and animals.

>

> I see the early summer festival of Beltane, not as the expression of

> Shakti and Shiva, but as the expression of Radha and Krishna. The

Earth,

> like Radha, adorns herself in finery (vegetation) to please her

lover.

> The circle dances of Beltane are akin to the <rasa lila> dances of

the

> <gopi> cowgirls for Krishna. The flute songs of the God set

everyone to

> thoughts of love, and a May Queen and May King are chosen to reign

like

> Radha and Krishna over the cowherders of Vrindavan.

>

> It isn't until the winter harvest festival of Samhain (November

Eve) that

> Nature expresses herself as Shakti and Shiva. The Earth strips off

her

> vegetative finery to sit <digambara> (skyclad) in meditation like

Uma

> Devi. This pleases the ascetic Lord Shiva, who begins to court

her. The

> Horned God of the Celts leads a Wild Hunt of the souls of the dead,

and

> other spirits -- akin to Hinduism's troops of Ganas who follow

Shiva.

> Shiva even has a Horned God aspect, as Pashupati, the Lord of

Beasts, who

> has great, arching water-buffalo horns. As Shiva Bhairava (the

Horrible)

> wanders with Brahma's fifth head in his hand, so Samhain revelers

carry a

> Jack-O-Lantern head, carved from a pumpkin (originally, from a

turnip --

> pumpkins are New World vegetables). The drum and stang of the

Horned God

> are similar to Lord Shiva's <damaru> and <trishul>.

>

> I agree with Soma that this is an excellent time to pray for peace,

> unity, and the preservation of the Earth.

> My Guru, Ammachi of Kerala,

> likes to lead her devotees in the following chant:

>

> [repeat three times...]

> <om lokah samastah sukino bhavantu>

> (Om! May all beings in every world be blessed.)

> [then say...]

> <om shanti shanti shantih>

> (Om! Peace, peace, everywhere peace.)

>

> -- Len/ Kalipadma

>

[Guest guest]

, kalipadma@j... wrote:

> It isn't until the winter harvest festival of Samhain (November

Eve) that

> Nature expresses herself as Shakti and Shiva. The Earth strips

off her

> vegetative finery to sit <digambara> (skyclad) in meditation like

Uma

> Devi. This pleases the ascetic Lord Shiva, who begins to court

her.

 

 

Is it mentioned anywhere that Uma is skyclad when She meditated on

Shiva?

 

>The

> Horned God of the Celts leads a Wild Hunt of the souls of the

dead, and

> other spirits -- akin to Hinduism's troops of Ganas who follow

Shiva.

> Shiva even has a Horned God aspect, as Pashupati, the Lord of

Beasts, who

> has great, arching water-buffalo horns.

 

 

When one addresses Shiva as Pashupati, the pashu means Jivas, not

animals. Which dhyana of Shiva shows him as horned?

The dhyana given for Pashupati mantra doesnt describe him as horned

as far I remember.

 

 

> As Shiva Bhairava (the Horrible)

> wanders with Brahma's fifth head in his hand, so Samhain revelers

carry a

> Jack-O-Lantern head, carved from a pumpkin (originally, from a

turnip --

> pumpkins are New World vegetables). The drum and stang of the

Horned God

> are similar to Lord Shiva's <damaru> and <trishul>.

 

 

Looks farfetched. One can imagine anything and connect anything if

one wants to. kapala=carved pumpkin or turnip?

 

Rgds

[Guest guest]

, "Satish Arigela"

<satisharigela> wrote:

> > [Len wrote:] Shiva even has a

> Horned God aspect, as Pashupati, the Lord of

> Beasts, who has great, arching water-buffalo horns.

> [....]

>

> [satish responds:]

> When one addresses Shiva as Pashupati, the pashu means Jivas, not

> animals. Which dhyana of Shiva shows him as horned?

> The dhyana given for Pashupati mantra doesnt

> describe him as horned as far I remember.

 

I believe Len is referring to Indus Valley artifacts depicting a

horned god:

 

http://realmagick.com/articles/93/1493.html

http://www.pantheon.org/areas/gallery/mythology/asia/hindu/pashupati.h

tml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashupati

> > [Len wrote:]

> > As Shiva Bhairava (the Horrible)

> > wanders with Brahma's fifth head in his hand,

> > so Samhain revelers carry a

> > Jack-O-Lantern head, carved from

> > a pumpkin (originally, from a

> > turnip -- pumpkins are New World vegetables).

> > [....]

>

> [satish remarked:]

> Looks farfetched. One can imagine anything and connect anything if

> one wants to. kapala=carved pumpkin or turnip?

 

I've heard the carved-turnip thing too, but can't think of where.

Joseph Campbell, I think.

 

j.

[Guest guest]

Here's a better set of pictures, from St. Xavier Univ.

 

"Seals featuring what appear to be horned, crossed-legged figures

[....] Note the inscriptions above each figure; scholars have yet to

decipher their meaning. [....] Figure 4, a horned, ithyphallic figure

surrounded by animals, is perhaps the single most famous Indus Valley

image, known as the "Pashupati Seal." Speculation abounds, but the

significance or identity of the figures remains elusive."

 

http://www.sxu.edu/~bathgate/gallery/IVC/ivc.html

 

, "msbauju" <msbauju> wrote:

> , "Satish Arigela"

> <satisharigela> wrote:

> > > [Len wrote:] Shiva even has a

> > Horned God aspect, as Pashupati, the Lord of

> > Beasts, who has great, arching water-buffalo horns.

> > [....]

> > [msbauju's comment:]

> > > I believe Len is referring to Indus Valley

> > > artifacts depicting a

> horned god:

>

> http://realmagick.com/articles/93/1493.html

>http://www.pantheon.org/areas/gallery/mythology/asia/hindu/pashupati.

html

>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashupati

[Guest guest]

On Sun, 02 May 2004 20:52:06 -0000 "Satish Arigela"

<satisharigela writes:

>

>

> Is it mentioned anywhere that Uma is skyclad when She meditated on

>

> Shiva?

 

Renunciates are frequently portrayed as either skyclad (sometimes wrapped

in an animal skin or an ocher cloth), or dressed in "suits" of dry bark

and dead leaves. Either portrayal looks "autumnal" to me. Uma's mother

Mena said "Uma" ("Oh, don't!") when her daughter "put off her jewellry

and fine clothes" to worship Lord Shiva.

 

>

> When one addresses Shiva as Pashupati, the pashu means Jivas, not

> animals. Which dhyana of Shiva shows him as horned?

> The dhyana given for Pashupati mantra doesnt describe him as horned

>

> as far I remember.

 

I believe <jiva> means "living thing." <Pashu> is derived from <pasha>

or "noose, tether." The implication is that a "pashu" is a creature that

can be tethered, i.e., a domesticated animal. Both <jiva> and <pashu>

can be used to indicate "a human" -- and "pashu" in Kaula tradition

indicates the lowest, least evolved sort of Kali worshipper -- but these

are metaphorical allusions and not primary definitions.

 

The seal from ancient Mohenjo-daro showing a seated male figure in a

yogic posture, with buffalo horns on his head, surrounded by several

types of animals, has always been described to me as an early portrayal

of Lord Shiva as Mahayogi and Pashupati. Have I been misinformed?

 

Could you please forward a transliterated (and perhaps translated)

version of the Pashupati Dhyanam and Mantra to this poor, ignorant

Westerner? Were these attributed to Shankaracharya?

 

<prapadye sharanam>,

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

, kalipadma@j... wrote:

> Renunciates are frequently portrayed as either skyclad (sometimes

wrapped

> in an animal skin or an ocher cloth), or dressed in "suits" of dry

bark

> and dead leaves. Either portrayal looks "autumnal" to me. Uma's

mother

> Mena said "Uma" ("Oh, don't!") when her daughter "put off her

jewellry

> and fine clothes" to worship Lord Shiva.

 

Putting off fine clothes: Putting off fine clothes like silk,

pithambaras etc and donning ochre robes(or those simple clothes used

by ascetics). She was a princess till then, and now She is an

ascetic. Hence putting off jewellry and rich and expensive clothes.

 

I dont think there was ever a description of Uma meditating on

Shiva, skyclad.

 

> I believe <jiva> means "living thing." <Pashu> is derived from

<pasha>

> or "noose, tether." The implication is that a "pashu" is a

creature that

> can be tethered, i.e., a domesticated animal. Both <jiva> and

<pashu>

> can be used to indicate "a human" -- and "pashu" in Kaula tradition

> indicates the lowest, least evolved sort of Kali worshipper -- but

these

> are metaphorical allusions and not primary definitions.

 

 

True. In general, when a scripture uses the word Pashupati, it is

meant to be understood as Lord of Jivas. In usage, jiva usually

means humans, because animals neither pray to god, nor try to get

moksha.

 

>

> The seal from ancient Mohenjo-daro showing a seated male figure in

a

> yogic posture, with buffalo horns on his head, surrounded by

several

> types of animals, has always been described to me as an early

portrayal

> of Lord Shiva as Mahayogi and Pashupati. Have I been misinformed?

 

 

I have my own doubts reagarding this equation. Indiancivilization

list will be a best place to discuss this topic.

You may want to note that none of the dhyanas(atleast the few I am

aware of), or any temple sculpture of Shiva, show him with horns.

 

>

> Could you please forward a transliterated (and perhaps translated)

> version of the Pashupati Dhyanam and Mantra...

>..? Were these attributed to Shankaracharya?

 

 

Pashupati Dhyana:

He is described as, radiating with the light of a mid-day sun

(madhyAhnArka-samaprabhaM), decked with the crescent moon, with

terrible laughter, three eyed, adorned with snakes and peacock

feather(on his crest), with moustache, and holding the trident,

mudgara(a weapon), sword, and shakti(also a weapon). He has four

heads with terrible fangs(daMShTrAbhIla caturmukhaM). This

Pashupati, who is of the form of a great weapon(divyAstra), Vibhu

(Lord), praise be to Him.

 

Mantra can be found in any book. It is published in many books.

 

These are not attributed to Shankaracharya. Shankaracharya did not

invent/discover any mantras. Like every other mantra, this mantra

has its origins in one of the faces of Shiva. This mantra originated

from that face of Shiva which is named, Vamadeva.

Regards