Auseklis' Collection of Hedge/Nature/Green Tradition Things

[Auseklis]

Sveiki,

I am starting his thread to post information for Hedge/Nature/Green traditionalists. Particularly those who are not able to live in the middle of a 'preferable' natural situation yet wish to live as close to nature as possible in the city or a small apartment. I used to be an inner city gal and discovered many ways to keep the connection to nature flowing. These days I live in a rain forest and simply stepping outside my cottage puts me in the thick of nature. I still adopt some of my inner city practices whilst living the traditional Hedge/Nature/Green lifestyle.

- - - Updated - - -

There is nothing more luscious than bathing in natural rainwater and connecting to the Goddess with natures flow. This can be achieved even if you live in the middle of a city in an apartment, by purchasing a cheap outdoor camping shower system (on-line such as eBay or local camping store) and collecting rain water using buckets etc. Set the outdoor camping shower up in your regular shower and enjoy a real rain water shower whilst surrounding yourself with some of your favorite herbs, flowers, candles etc. I have no city water where I live so I rely solely on rain water tanks and it is a blessing for my spirit as much as my skin.

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Wish you had your own magical garden to admire but all you see around you is walls and a few window sills? I found a fabulous tutorial on making your own indoor or outdoor mini magical garden. For the herb inclined you can replace decorative plants with your favorite herbs and spices you wish to grow. You can make the design symbolic, decorative, mystical etc. And as the wheel of the year turns you can alter your garden how you see fit to celebrate the special occasions. The possibilities are endless! http://justfolkarts.blogspot.com.au/...en-part-1.html

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

In a few days (Sept 21st - 22nd) will be the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

Growing up in a 'Hedge' Dievturi family, we took this time very seriously as the Apjumibas festival is sacred for the God Jumis (pronounced you-miss) who is an agricultural deity representing fertility and a good harvest. Part of the preparations include cleaning up around the home, repairs to the buildings and gardens/yard. We give special attention to Jumis by searching for his representation via natures unusual displays such as double flowers or twin pine cones on one stem. Our family also enjoyed baking a Jumis bread loaf shared around with much joy, song and dance. I have included a detailed account of the festival from an accurate on-line source:

"Catching Jumis"
At the end of reaping, a "Catching Jumis" ritual occurs in the grain fields which is intended to capture his spirit and his fertility for the fields of a village. A clump of uncut grain, (preferably one with a double ear) is left in the field. It is tied in a bundle and the top is pushed down and weighed down with a stone or soil to press it into the ground. This is thought to direct the fertility of the field back into the soil where it will be available for the grain crop next year.

Later the sheaf is plaited into a wreath or braid and presented to a high status woman in the community who keeps it until spring. In the spring any seeds will be rubbed out and scattered over the field and the entire wreath is planted under a rock in the field.

When the harvest is done, Jumis is celebrated with a community feast which includes a special Jumis loaf, and responsorial singing, dancing and fertility rituals. There are many tautas or sacred songs for Jumis, like this one (No. 50242, given on pages 262-268 of Vol. 9 of the ):

The name Mikeli refers to the archangel Michael, and the feast day of St. Michael also falls at about this time, Sept. 29th according to the Christian church. In Latvian folk belief, St. Michael is the receiver of souls, and it would appear that he has accepted this task from Jumis, simply because his is the next nearest holiday.

I will be celebrating both my traditional Autumn Equinox and the Spring Equinox as I currently live in Australia. Best of both world!
I am interested to hear how other people on this forum will be celebrating this Equinox?

[Jinx]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

In a few days (Sept 21st - 22nd) will be the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

Growing up in a 'Hedge' Dievturi family, we took this time very seriously as the Apjumibas festival is sacred for the God Jumis (pronounced you-miss) who is an agricultural deity representing fertility and a good harvest. Part of the preparations include cleaning up around the home, repairs to the buildings and gardens/yard. We give special attention to Jumis by searching for his representation via natures unusual displays such as double flowers or twin pine cones on one stem. Our family also enjoyed baking a Jumis bread loaf shared around with much joy, song and dance. I have included a detailed account of the festival from an accurate on-line source:



I will be celebrating both my traditional Autumn Equinox and the Spring Equinox as I currently live in Australia. Best of both world!
I am interested to hear how other people on this forum will be celebrating this Equinox?

My mother and I have invite some friends to our home to have a small ritual/celebration. We have always made lists of the things we are thankful for this time of year. The ritual itself is always different but traditionally we have always made a vegetable soup. Everyone joining us brings one or two vegetables and we throw everything in the pot to cook during our ritual. We serve it up in hollowed out pumpkins and a side of bread. It's one of my favorite times of year.

[thalassa]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Normally we would go apple picking and celebrate our own Pomonalia (I think the actual calender date corresponds with Samhain, but it doesn't make sense to celebrate an orchard goddess well after orchard season)...but...we have some other things going on this weekend, so will celebrate without the apple picking.

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Southern Hemisphere full moon names by month:
January: Hay Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Mead Moon
February (mid-summer): Grain Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon, Wyrt Moon, Corn Moon, Dog Moon, Barley Moon
March: Harvest Moon, Corn Moon
April: Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon
May: Hunter’s Moon, Beaver Moon, Frost Moon
June: Oak Moon, Cold Moon, Long Night’s Moon
July: Wolf Moon, Old Moon, Ice Moon
August: Snow Moon, Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Wolf Moon
September: Worm Moon, Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, Sap Moon
October: Egg Moon, Fish Moon, Seed Moon, Pink Moon, Waking Moon
November: Corn Moon, Milk Moon, Flower Moon, Hare Moon
December: Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon, Rose Moon

Thank you to EarthSky.org for this information.

[Gardenia]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

I'm not sure how well it works to just take a few of the common names from the northern hemisphere and flip them around like that... Like, the pink moon is usually said to be named after wild ground phlox, which is native to eastern parts of north America. Or beaver moon - there aren't any beavers native to the southern hemisphere (or, are there?). I don't think all these names work well for all places in the northern hemisphere, either... A lot of the sets of moon names have a lot to do with what was going on locally where they were used. I think it would make more sense for someone to maybe look at their own local cultures, weather patterns, animal and plant cycles, etc. instead of trying to fit something from another area to where they live, which doesn't always work.

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

I saw it on a web site and thought it may be some useful information to some. It isn't something that is part of my pagan culture however it could relate to me on a personal level as my family are from the Europe. It would be very difficult to 'convert' this information to Australian culture as there is so little known about our animals and plants and the Indigenous people. Paganism was never something traditional to Australia but rather the English when they arrived here and settled. So, in that sense the information would be relevant to those of English ancestry.

- - - Updated - - -

My mother and I have invite some friends to our home to have a small ritual/celebration. We have always made lists of the things we are thankful for this time of year. The ritual itself is always different but traditionally we have always made a vegetable soup. Everyone joining us brings one or two vegetables and we throw everything in the pot to cook during our ritual. We serve it up in hollowed out pumpkins and a side of bread. It's one of my favorite times of year.

Jinx that sounds perfect! Vegetable soup is one of my fav dishes and I eat it at least 3 times a week.

- - - Updated - - -

Normally we would go apple picking and celebrate our own Pomonalia (I think the actual calender date corresponds with Samhain, but it doesn't make sense to celebrate an orchard goddess well after orchard season)...but...we have some other things going on this weekend, so will celebrate without the apple picking.

Would you do anything particular with the apples after picking them?

[Jinx]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Jinx that sounds perfect! Vegetable soup is one of my fav dishes and I eat it at least 3 times a week.

It's one of my favorites too! There's something about eating it out of a pumpkin that makes it that much better too.

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

It's one of my favorites too! There's something about eating it out of a pumpkin that makes it that much better too.

Now that would be something new and nice to try... eating it out of a pumpkin *drools*

[thalassa]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Would you do anything particular with the apples after picking them?

Bless them and cook til hair curls, fingers prune, and feet hurt!

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Below is a video of our family tradition of Lieldienas (Spring Equinox), the games we play and rituals that accompany the celebration. It is celebrated from March 21st to around the 23rd in the northern hemisphere and in September in the Southern Hemisphere for us Dievturi down under. It is commonly known as Easter and the first Easter eggs date back to the beginning of the third millennium BC (3000 BC). We make our own Easter eggs by using plants from nature to create the dye patterns on the eggs. You can learn how to do this here: http://www.latvianstuff.com/Lieldienas.html

lieldienu_olas2.jpg

I am very interested to hear and learn about other families Spring Equinox traditions and perhaps share a video or pictures.

- - - Updated - - -

Bless them and cook til hair curls, fingers prune, and feet hurt!

You make stewed apples? Yum!

- - - Updated - - -

Here is a very cute video with the Dievturi children playing traditional Spring Equinox celebrations including home made Easter Egg games, burning of herbs for the goddess Māra, and cooking over traditional fires with home grown herbs and spices. Everything we do on this day such as the creation of the Easter Eggs, singing, dancing, playing on the swing and cooking is all symbolic and honors different deities (we calls them Dievs).

[Jinx]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Now that would be something new and nice to try... eating it out of a pumpkin *drools*

Haha it's fun and adds flavor! I should have gotten pictures to share but I didn't even think since I was so excited to eat it.

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

[Auseklis]

Re: Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions

Amber has been a big part of the Hedge/Nature/Green Traditions for thousands of years. At the bottom of this post there is a list of different Amber mythologies from around the world (please share if you have know of others). Growing up I was told of the healing properties of Amber and the mythological stories of Baltic Amber as it is the national stone of the country my family originates - Latvia.
The below information is taken from Wiki however it pretty much sums up what I was told growing up by my grandmother...

In medieval times, the lynx was said to produce a gem. According to many bestiaries, the lynx would urinate in a hole that it had dug in ground, and then cover it with dirt. After a number of days, the urine would harden into a gem that resembled a carbuncle. It was believed that the Latin name for amber, 'Lyncurium', was derived from this superstition. However, other medieval scholars pointed out that this amber was mined extensively in Lyguria, which may hint at a more plausible etymology

Here is a picture of a recent Amber Tooth purchase which I cannot wait to arrive in my mail box!

Greek Myth of Phaeton

Phaeton, the son of Phoebus Apollo the Sun God asked his father to drive the Sun Chariot pulled by wild horses. For a time his travels went well, then suddenly the horses bolted and the chariot came to close to the Earth, setting it ablaze. This was said to be the origin of volcanoes. The entire Earth was blazing, the forests burned and the land parched. The heat was so great that the peoples of Africa were burned black. The God Zeus, in an gesture to save the earth, struck Phaeton dead with a lightning bolt. Phaeton's body fell into the River Eridanus. The nymphs of the stream pulled his body from the stream and buried him on the river bank.
After a time his three sisters, the Heliades (aka Electrides), came in search of the grave. When they found it, they vowed to stay with their dead brother and wept day and night. Their wasting bodies took root and became covered with the bark of the surrounding trees. Their arms turned to branches and eventually, the three were transformed into trees. Their tears continued to flow, and as they hardened in the sun, turned to amber.
Lithuanian Myth of Lost Love

Perkunas, God of Thunder, was the father God. The fairest goddess was Jurate, a mermaid who lived in an amber palace in the Baltic. Kastytis was a courageous fisherman living along the coast near the mouth of the Sventoji River. Kastytis would cast his nets to catch fish from Jurate's kingdom. The goddess sent her mermaids to warn him to stop fishing in her domain. He did not stop. After the mermaids failed, Jurate went to demand he stop. When she saw how handsome and courageous he was she fell in love with him and brought him to her amber palace.
Perkunas, knowing Jurate was promised to Patrimpas, god of water, was angered to find an immortal in love with a mortal. In anger, Perkunas sent a bolt of lightning to destroy the goddess' palace and kill her mortal lover. Her palace was destroyed and Jurate was chained to the ruins for eternity.
She weeps tears of amber for her lost lover. When the storms stir the sea, fragments of her palace ruins are driven onto the shores of the Baltic. Tear drop shaped pieces are thought to be particular treasures as they are the tears washed from the grieving goddess' eyes. These amber pieces are said to be as clear and true as her tragic love.
Lithuanian Myth of Amberella

The beautiful maiden Amberella lived on the shores of the sea with her fisherman father and his wife. While swimming, Amberella is drawn into a whirlpool and pulled into the depths of the sea. Amberella finds that she has been captured by the Prince of the Seas to serve as his princess. He keeps her as his wife in a fabulous undersea palace of amber. When Amberella begs to be returned to her parents, the prince is enraged. He mounts white foaming horses, grasps his princess in his arms, and rises to the surface in a furious storm.
As the Prince of the Seas and Amberella rise from the water, her parents see her in his grasp. She is adorned with an amber crown and amber necklace. In her hands she holds lumps of amber which she tosses to her grieving parents. As the prince and Amberella sink back into the sea, they realize their daughter is lost forever.
Now, when the Prince of Seas becomes angry, the seas begins to churn and storms rage. From her prison-palace below, Amberella tosses pieces of amber onto the shores to show her parents how much she misses and loves them.
Norse Myth of the Divine Origin of Amber

Freya, beautiful, blue-eyed, blond goddess of love, beauty, and fertility had a weakness for beautiful jewels. She was wed to handsome Odur, the sunshine, and bore him two lovely daughters. They lived in her palace, Folkvanger, in the land of Asgard. One day Freya was out for a walk along the border of her kingdom. This was the boundary of the kingdom of the Black Dwarfs. As she walked she noticed some of the dwarfs making a beautiful necklace. It glistened as golden as the bright sun and caused Freya to stop to admire it. Freya was told this treasure was the Brisingamen, or the Brising necklace and of great value to the dwarfs.
"Oh, you must sell me the necklace. I will give a treasure of silver for I cannot live without it. I have never seen one as beautiful."
The dwarfs told her that all the silver in the world could not purchase the Brisingamen. Believing she could not endure without owning the necklace, she asked:
"Is there any treasure in the world for which you would sell me the necklace?"
"Yes, you must buy it from each of us." answered the dwarfs, "for it is the treasure of your love. If you are wed to each of us for a day and a night, Brisingamen shall be yours."
Bewitched by the sparkle of the beautiful necklace, Freya was over come with madness. She forgot Odur, she forgot her two lovely daughters, she even forgot she was the Queen of the Aesir. In her madness, she agreed to the pact. No one in Aesir knew about the weddings of barter except the mischief-maker Loki, who seemed to always be around when evil was brewing.
After four days and nights of these unholy unions, Freya returned to her palace to live in shame. She hid the necklace she had given her honor for. But Loki came to Odur in inform him of what had taken place in the land of the dwarfs. Odur demanded proof of these scandalous tales. To provide evidence, Loki set out to steal the necklace. Turning himself into a flea, he flew into Freya's chambers and bit her on the cheek while she slept. The bite caused Freya to turn so he was able to remove the necklace.
Loki went to Odur and showed him the evidence of her infidelity. Odur tossed the necklace aside, left the kingdom of Asgard, a traveled to far distant lands. Freya woke the next morning to find both her necklace and husband gone.
Weeping, she went to Valhalla to confess to the father god Odin whose palace was near the amber valley of Glaesisvellir. At the entrance to Valhalla was an amber grove called Glaeser, with trees that dripped beads of amber. The kindly Odin forgave Freya for her evil, but demanded a penance. Taking the Brisingamen from Loki, he commanded Freya to wear the necklace for eternity and wander the world in search of her lost love, Odur.
As she wanders the world she continues weeping. The teardrops which land on soil turn to gold in the rocks, those which fall in the sea are turned to amber.
(The word glaeser is derived from the German word gles of glaes which latter was the derivation of the word glass, when the substance was introduced into Northern Europe.)

Taken from - http://amberlady.com/stories.htm

For more information about the healing properties of Amber please see: http://www.amberartisans.com/baamalme.html