WoodCrafts & Slavic Gods and Art & SharPei Breed Manual

WoodCrafts & Slavic Gods and Art & SharPei Breed Manual
Welcome to my blog! Here you shall find informations about Ancient Gods of Slavs and Slavic heritage . My pendants and tea mugs collection with authentic design . Shar Pei breed info and manual , WoodCraft ideas. patterns and plans . Stay tuned!
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

MAKOS - The Goddess of women,mothers and magic rituals

    Goddess Mokos was worshipped by the Eastern Slavs, but some forms of her name also appear among the Western Slavs (Mukes, Mukus, Mococize). Mokos was the goddess of spinning, but she was also a protector of women, taking care about their health and their children. She helped the women in labour and protected their babies, at the same time helping the women keep a good marriage. Besides spinning, Mokos was connected with other duties reserved for women and with household management, but spinning was the skill that was in close relation with this goddess. There were many customs concerning Mokos as the protector of the spinners.

Slavic women would throw hemp, called "mokrica" (mokar = wet), into the water. The hemp was a sacrifice offered to Mokos. Hemp yarn was not to be left over the night, lest Mokos would spin it. Another of Mokos's roles was to protect the sheep and their fleece; the Slavs made offerings to her for that reason, too. A pair of scissors, basil and a skein of wool used to be put before the feet of Mokos's statue, with the aim of insuring protection for the lambs that hadn't been shorn yet. Even after conversion to Christianity, some beliefs related to Mokos were kept. In northern Russia, there was a belief that during the Lent Mokos went from house to house supervising the spinners. It is thought that Mokos had a role similar to that of the Sudjajas (Sudjaje = the Fates). Since she was connected with spindle and distaff, it is assumed that Mokos's area of influence stretched to the cosmic plain, making her the goddess that controlled human destiny and cut the short thread of human life.


            Another action related to Mokos was casting spells. The women that practiced sorcery in the 16th century Russia were called mokose. Aleksandra Bajic brings Mokosa in connection with Baba-Jaga, a witch from Russian fairy tales that lives in a cottage placed on chicken legs as foundations and helps boys and girls by giving them magic objects. A question arises, however, whether Mokos was originally a witch goddess or she became one after Christianisation.


            Mokos was a goddess of the Kiev pantheon. Her statue was erected by prince Vladimir in 980 AD on a hill above Kiev, but it was pulled down by the same prince eight years later, after he converted to Christianity. How was Mokos represented? In northern Russia she was imagined as a woman having a big head and long arms. Vollmer, the historian, mentions Mokos's statue representing a figure put together from parts of different animals. Owing to that, Mokos was considered to be the goddess of ugliness, pains, troubles and human passion, but this interpretation has no foundation in the traditional ways of representing Mokos.


            What can we learn from etymological analysis of Mokos's name? The name of this goddess is most frequently connected with the word mek (= soft), so she could be related to something that is soft. Since she was the spinners' goddess and the protector of the sheep, it is most probable that the adjective "soft" refers to fleece. Mokos could also be connected with the adjective mokro (= wet), which makes some authors identify her with Majka Vlazna Zemlja. This identification is certainly based on one of Mokos's characteristics – she was also seen as the goddess of fertility. The rain was therefore sometimes referred to as "Mokos’s milk". The term Mokos is also used in Finland, where it can usually be found as a surname. The Finns are thought to have taken this name over from the Slavs, or to be more precise, those whose last name is Mokos are thought to be of Slavic origin.
          

  Mokos is sometimes identified with Vida, Svarog's wife. She was, along with Svarog, the creator of mankind, and was consequently connected with the white bee, Slavic mythical ancestor. The bee is therefore Mokos's holy animal, along with the sheep and the snake. Her plants are lime, flax and "kantarion". Lime is of course related to the first woman made of lime-wood, created by Mokos. According to Cajkanovic, flax is a plant frequently used in casting spells, whereas "kantarion" is used in treating problems connected with female reproductive organs.
            Mokos's characteristics were transferred onto St. Petka. St. Petka is also the protector of women, and it is interesting to know that Vlach women frequently mention this saint while performing magic rituals. Some of them pray to St. Petka to help them perform the ritual, and she even appeared to a man to welcome him into a witch cult. Mokos's holy day is Friday – women must not spin on that day, otherwise Mokos will punish them. The festival dedicated to this goddess was celebrated some time between 25th October and 1st November, depending on which date happened to be Friday. As we know, St Petka's Day is celebrated on 27th October, and that holiday is fixed to that date, although it probably shouldn't be because Friday is dedicated to female deities Freya (Friday) and Venus (venerdì). On Mokos's holiday people would go to a lime-tree wood and make offerings usually consisting of herbs and various vegetables, but there is also a record that they sometimes sacrificed birds to this goddess.

DANU (DANA) - The Goddess of Rivers, Water, Wells, Magic

Danu (Dana) is a Goddess of Rivers, Water, Wells, Prosperity, Magick, and Wisdom. She is the well known and honored in NorthEast Europe too. She is the equivalent to the Welsh Don, the mother Goddess. She is sometimes both a god and goddess, and thought of as an all-encompassing Divine Source.  She is associated with fertility, abundance, cultivation and the nurturing of the land. 

Goddess Danu is considered the most ancient of all Celtic Deities.  Her name means knowledge, wisdom, teacher, wealth and abundance.  She is also known as Dana and as her Welsh equivalent, Don.

Some references have her as so ancient that she is both goddess and god and refer to Danu as an all-encompassing Divine Source. 

This multi-faceted aspect of the Divine Feminine is experienced as the air we breathe, as the river that nourishes all of life, as the bounty and abundance of earth and as the cosmic energy of universal wisdom.

A Triple Goddess, which means she is able to take the form of the Maiden, the Mother or the Crone, and a Divine Lady who is the essence of the earth, the air and the essence of water, Danu is able to embody the form/energy suited the situation.  Here she brings the power of versatility and teaches us to honor and respect diversity within ourselves and within others and reminds us to honor each stage of our physical life.

Goddess Danu is strongly associated with the Tuatha de Dannan, which means “The Children of Danu.”  The Tuatha de Dannan are believed to have been the wise ones, the alchemists of ancient Ireland.  Some references have them as actual descendants of Danu.  It is believed that when the Gaelics invaded Ireland, the Tuatha de Dannan shape shifted to the Sidhe (shee) who are considered the “farey folk” or the Leprechauns of Ireland.  Danu will act as a Divine Ambassador to the Elemental Kingdoms, providing platforms for positive interactions with the Leprechauns and the Faery Folk.
Some of Danu’s symbols include holy stones, horses – particularly mares, seagulls, fish, amber, gold, royalty/empress, rivers, sea, flowing water, air, wind, earth, moon, keys and crowns.

Danu is commonly considered the first Great Mother of Ireland, Divine Creator aspect of the Goddess who birthed all things into being.  She is an Earth Goddess, associated with fertility, growth, plenty, abundance, agriculture, cultivation and with nurturing of the land.
Rivers, flowing water and the sea are also Danu’s Domain.  Within this water form she wields the magic of Divine Flow.  This River Goddess offers to clear stagnant energy and to remove blockages so that our efforts easily flow into fruition.  As the river eventually flows into the sea, here Danu brings motivation to move within the direction of our dreams.
Danu brings the attributes of inspiration, intellect, change and transcendence within her aspect as a Goddess of Air.  As a Cosmic Goddess, Danu is the essence of Universal Wisdom and Divine Knowledge.  She knows the secrets of Divine Alchemy and Divine Magic and reminds us that through our Oneness to the Divine Source, there really are no “secrets,” we are essentially one with All Encompassing Universal Wisdom.

Within all her forms Danu brings the reminder that the power to create the life that we desire resides within us.  She reminds us that we are innately attuned with the wisdom of our Ascended Self, and through the integrity of our Divine Essential Self our power is always aligned with Purity of Purpose.

As a Sovereign Goddess, she assists us in transcending the illusions of unworthiness, providing the reminder that our essence is an aspect of the Divine Source. Danu reminds us of our Royal Roots, reminding us of our Divine Heritage.  Reminding us that we are Divine and thus so we are aligned with infinite potential and with infinite possibility.

Within this energy, Danu is the Goddess of Dreams Come True. Reminding us that we are absolutely worthy and completely capable of realizing our Greatest Dreams.  Reminding us that we innately know our Highest Truth. Enabling us to transcend lesser goals born of low self worth and goals born of the lower self’s limited vision, empowering us to embrace our Golden Dreams, Dreams worthy of our Divine Consciousness.

Goddess Danu specializes in realigning us with our Divine Truth, our Truth that is abundant, flourishing, fertile, wise and empowered.  Danu brings empowerment with the remembrance that we each are the director of our own destiny and that within us we wield the power to realize our Greatest Dreams Come True.

Danu is an ancient and eternal essence of the Goddess, an affirmation of the enduring energy of the Divine Feminine.  She brings the steadfast love and support of a Mother Goddess and is a wonderful representation of the infinite, all encompassing Divine Universal Source. A powerful guide for those who seek to Remember their Highest Truth, Danu is dedicated to our realizing our greatest dreams, she is motivating, encouraging and always promotes the awareness that the power to achieve anything, resides within us. 


Danu (Da-noo)  is the mother of the Celtic Gods, the goddess of rivers, and her name means knowledge, wisdom, wealth and abundance. She is also known as Dana, Anu or Don and she encompasses both light and dark, meaning she both gives and takes. She is extraordinary and is known as a triple Goddess, meaning that she can take the forms of maiden, mother or crone. She can embody all sorts of energy and forms so she can adapt to the current situation at hand.

The colours that represent her are green, silver, blue and black. Danu has the extraordinary capability to connect to more than one element, but she is mainly linked to water and air. Because of this, many animals are linked to her – including the snake, fish, mare, and seagull. Some other symbolism includes holy stones, amber and of course, flowing water. She is highly associated with fertility, growth, cultivation, and abundance, mainly since she nourishes the earth.

With her being considered the most ancient of the Celtic Deities it’s remarkable as to how few stories there are about her. They are hard to come across, even though the Danube river and a mountain on the face of Venus are named after her. However, it appears the most popular tale is in regards to the ‘Children of Danu’, her followers. It is believed that when Ireland was invaded, the children panicked and were able to shape-shift. Choosing to shift into Fae and Leprechauns. Some versions say that her followers were actually born from her, but that is up for debate. Because of her help with the children, she became known to provide positive interactions with the leprechauns and fae.

Danu has the amazing ability to provide one with luck and good wishes. She brings power and teaches us to respect one another and ourselves. Just as the mighty, powerful river flows into the vast, open sea, Danu brings us to our dreams. She helps us reach them and pushes us to motivation- showing us what we are capable of.  If you are feeling down, lacklustre, uninspired, and just not having any luck, Danu is the one to go to.

Danu (Da-noo)  is the mother of the Celtic Gods, the goddess of rivers, and her name means knowledge, wisdom, wealth and abundance. She is also known as Dana, Anu or Don and she encompasses both light and dark, meaning she both gives and takes. She is extraordinary and is known as a triple Goddess, meaning that she can take the forms of maiden, mother or crone. She can embody all sorts of energy and forms so she can adapt to the current situation at hand.
The colours that represent her are green, silver, blue and black. Danu has the extraordinary capability to connect to more than one element, but she is mainly linked to water and air. Because of this, many animals are linked to her – including the snake, fish, mare, and seagull. Some other symbolism includes holy stones, amber and of course, flowing water. She is highly associated with fertility, growth, cultivation, and abundance, mainly since she nourishes the earth.
With her being considered the most ancient of the Celtic Deities it’s remarkable as to how few stories there are about her. They are hard to come across, even though the Danube river and a mountain on the face of Venus are named after her. However, it appears the most popular tale is in regards to the ‘Children of Danu’, her followers. It is believed that when Ireland was invaded, the children panicked and were able to shape-shift. Choosing to shift into Fae and Leprechauns. Some versions say that her followers were actually born from her, but that is up for debate. Because of her help with the children, she became known to provide positive interactions with the leprechauns and fae.
Danu has the amazing ability to provide one with luck and good wishes. She brings power and teaches us to respect one another and ourselves. Just as the mighty, powerful river flows into the vast, open sea, Danu brings us to our dreams. She helps us reach them and pushes us to motivation- showing us what we are capable of.  If you are feeling down, lacklustre, uninspired, and just not having any luck, Danu is the one to go to.
- See more at: http://paganpages.org/content/tag/danu/#sthash.GOtjUqTL.dpuf

VELES - The God of Shepherds, Magic and Wild Animals

Veles was worshipped in two aspects. As Veles he is god of death and the underworld, god of music, and a sorcerer. As Volos he is god of cattle wealth and commerce. The worship of Veles vanished with the coming of Christianity, but the worship of Volos survived as late as the eighteenth century. The God, Volos, was replaced with St. Blasius, patron saint of domesticated animals. While its original roots are in the Roman Isis Feast, most people in the West , know the feast of Shrovetide as Mardi Gras. Veles's feast day is February 12th.

The Slavic Horned lord, ruled horned animals, earth, waters and Underworld, associated with dragons, cattle, magic, musicians, wealth and trickery. He was imagined to be (at least partially) serpentine, with horns (of bull, ram or some other domesticated herbivore), and a long beard. He has many associations with wealth and the magical forces of the spirit world. The character of Veles is very complex, and is likened to that of Cernunnos.

Along with a so many cultures ancient Slavs viewed their world as a huge tree, with the treetop and branches representing the heavenly abode of gods and the world of mortals, whilst the roots represented the underworld. Veles was seen as a huge serpent coiling around the roots, was ruling the world of dead.

The underworld was supposedly a lovely place, described in folk tales as a green and wet world of grassy plains and eternal spring, where various fantastic creatures dwell and the spirits of deceased watch over Veles' herds of cattle.

In more geographical terms, the world of Veles was located, the Slavs believed, "across the sea", and it was there the migrating birds would fly to every winter. In folk tales this land is called Virey or Iriy. Each year, the god of fertility and vegetation, Jarilo, who also dwelt there during winter, would return from across the sea and bring spring into the world of the living.

Veles also regularly sent spirits of the dead into the living world as his heralds. Festivals in honour of him were held near the end of the year, in winter, when time was coming to the very end of world order, chaos was growing stronger, the borders between worlds of living and dead were fading, and ancestral spirits would return amongst the living. This was the ancient pagan celebration of Velja noc (Great Night), the relic of which still persists amongst many Slavic countries in folk customs of Koleda, a kind of combination of carnival and Halloween, which can happen anywhere from Christmas up to end of February.