Feisty Japanese Candles

A few days ago my wonderful friend Naomi gave me two red traditional Japanese candles. But she promptly warned me to be careful, because they burn much more strongly than western candles. I decided to use one to represent the element of fire in my May Eve/Beltane ritual.  Before the ritual I took some pictures of the alter and you can see how tall the flame of the Japanese candle is compared to my usual candles. What you cannot see is how the strength of the flame is constantly changing. 

But what it did during the ritual itself was amazing. Firstly it calmed down, it was still burning more strongly with a longer flame than the other two candles on the altar, but not to such a large degree. Towards the end of the ritual I spontaneously decided to meditate on the candle. Immediately the flame became strong again and then split into two flames, one on each side of it's thick wick.  The two flames started to dance with each other and looked to my eyes like a man and woman dancing together.  For me as a Wiccan this was the Goddess and God represented in fire. It was stunningly beautiful and I am very grateful for such a wonderful spiritual experience.

Obviously these feisty little candles are going to have a permanent spot on my Wiccan altar.

Bright Blessings

 

Yellow Beltane Flowers and Jack in the Green

 

Jack in the Green

by

Ian Anderson

 

Have you seen Jack in the Green

With his long tail hanging down

He sits quietly under every tree

In the folds of his velvet gown

He drinks from the empty acorn cup

The dew that dawn sweetly bestows

And taps his cane upon the ground

Signals the snowdrops it is time to grow

 

 

It is no fun being Jack in the Green

No place to dance no time for song

He wears the colours of the summer soldier

Carries the green flag all winter long

 

 

Jack do you never sleep

Does the green still run deep in your heart?

Or will these changing times

Motorways, powerlines

Keep us apart?

Well, I don't think so

I saw some grass growing through the pavement today

 

 

The rowan, the oak and the holly tree

Are the charges left for you to groom

Each blade of grass whispers Jack in the Green

Oh Jack, please help me through my winters night

And we are the berries on the holly tree

Oh, the mistlethrush is coming

Jack, put out the light

 

 

Jethro Tull "Jack in the Green"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbjcOP1E19A

 

The song "Jack in the green " is from the classic and highly pagan Jethro Tull album "Songs from the Wood".  All the photographs are of 菜の花 nanohana, Japanese rapeseed and were taken from the forcourt of Kameoka Railway Station Japan.

 



 



鯉幟: Carp shaped flags from Japan

魔法： Chocolate magick

Japanese Spring Goddess Rafu-Sen

Spring Flowers  -  The Goddess's Kimono - Elegant isn't it

The plum blossom has come and gone for this year in Kyoto and the cherry blossom is quickly turning into a memory. But just before the flowering fruit trees turn green, I want to write about the Shinto Goddess Rafu-Sen. To be truly honest I do not know a lot about her, she is a bit of a mystery. She is a virgin goddess of the spring. She is the spirit of the plum blossom, so if you have experienced the beautiful, exquisite and sweet scent of plum blossom you have met her. She is said to walk through the plum trees at night by the light of the moon.  For her I have written a Japanese Haiku.

 

Haru no hana

Megami no Kimono

Yuubin ya ne

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Wiccan poem inspired by a view of Lake Biwa

The secret world of Geiko and Maiko (Geisha)

At the time of writing this I am about a week shy of living in Japan for 15 years. For most of that time I have lived and worked in the beautiful and historical city of Kyoto. I have been lucky enough to see Geiko (Geisha) and Maiko (apprentice Geisha) many times. I do not understand their world well, it is a secret world, so I will not write a lot about them. But they are fascinating and mysterious, so many people do make stories about them. There have been novels written and spectacular movies made about them. But I believe those books and films are misinformed and make money from lies. From what I have seen of Geiko and Maiko, they seem to live colourful and musical lives.  I will probably never set foot into their world, but I empathise with them, as Wiccans we live our lives brightly and musically, but are often misunderstood by others.

 

 

 

桜: Cherry Blossom

桜 Sakura, cherry blossom and 武士道 Bushido, the way 

of the Samurai are intertwined in their meanings. 

They are both about living life to the full, but also 

not fearing death. For 49 weeks a year the cherry tree 

is a relatively plain tree, but for three weeks it becomes 

spectacular, covered in thousands of beautiful flowers.

For Japanese people the 49 weeks represent the 

tree growing it’s roots strongly into the ground. 

Symbolizing integrity and strength.  The short 

flowering season shows the beauty, vitality and 

shortness of life. This little tree is all about strength, 

honour, beauty and bravery. Important traits for 

Samurai, I think also important for Wiccans too. 

Traditionally in Northern Europe, runes were 

made from the wood of flowering trees. I have a 

hope one day, if a Sakura tree donates me a branch, 

to make a set of runes from cherry wood. 

When I do I will show them here.

 

Blessed be