To
celebrate Beltane this year, two of my favorite tunes. The first is
“Walpurgisnacht” by Faun. Lyrics in German and English below.
Lyrics
to Walpurgisnacht
In
den Abendhimmel steigen heute Nacht die Zauberweisen, wildes
Volk und Liliths Art,
lauernd
Winde heimlich fahrt.
Lasst uns zu den Feuern
streifen, raunend nach den Sternen greifen, gutes und auch
böses Wort tragen wir heut fort und fort.
Refrain: In
den Weiden werden unsere Träume klingen und die Winde werden
unsre Lieder singen. Lasst uns mit den Funken übers Feuer
springen, in der Walpurgisnacht!
Hört
die Geigen, hört die Geigen,
die Feuer sind entfacht!
Folgt
dem Reigen, folgt dem Reigen
in der Walpurgisnacht.
Ungestüm
im Spiel der Geigen
dreht sich unser nächtlich' Reigen
und
wir treten wild und frei
diesem alten Zauber bei.
Einmal
nur im großen Kreise
tanzen wir auf jene Weise,
bis das
erste Morgenlicht
unser Traumgewebe bricht.
Refrain: In den
Weiden werden unsere Träume klingen
nd die Winde werden unsre
Lieder singen.
Lasst uns mit den Funken übers Feuer
springen,
in der Walpurgisnacht!
Hört die Geigen, hört
die Geigen,
die Feuer sind entfacht!
Folgt dem Reigen, folgt
dem Reigen
in der Walpurgisnacht.
ENGLISH...
In
the night sky tonight
the
witches rise Wild
folk and Lilth's kin Lurking,
secretly ride the winds.
Let
us wander to the fires
Whispering,
reach for the stars Both
the good and the bad word Take
us (further) on and on tonight
In
the meadows our dreams will ring
And
the winds will sing our songs Let
us leap over the fires with the sparks On
Walpurgis Night!
Hear
the fiddles, hear the fiddles,
The
fires are kindled! Follow
the round dance, follow the round dance On
Walpurgis Night.
Unruly
in the fiddles' play
Our
nightly round dance spins And
we join wild and free This
old magic.
Only
once in great circles
We
dance in this way Until
the first light of mornng Breaks
our dream-web
In
the meadows our dreams will ring
And
the winds will sing our songs Let
us leap over the fires with sparks On
Wapurgis Night!
Hear
the fiddles, hear the fiddles
The
fires are kindled! Follow
the round dance, follow the round dance On
Walpurgis Night!
Finally, my forever Beltane favorite, "Cup of Wonder" by Jethro Tull. Enjoy, and Blessed Beltane!
We can't all be Irish
(more's the pity). Those of us who are generally cherish our culture
and history. This year is especially important: the 100th
anniversary of the 1916 Rising. Although not successful at the time,
the actions of the 2000 members of the Irish Citizens' Army, The
Irish Volunteers, The Irish Republican Brotherhood, Cumann Na mBan,
and other supporters (especially in America) led the way to the
Republic of today.
There are still questions
being asked about the Rising. For those of us with relations in the
North, we must wonder if there would have been the death and turmoil
of “the troubles” without the Rising. (The events after 1916 led
to the partitioning off of the 6 counties of Northern Ireland.) On
the other hand, would any Irishman or Irishwoman be
free without the Rebellion?
I don't have the answers,
but I honor those who gave their all for Erin and the ideals of
Freedom. Here are 2 easy shorts that explain Ireland from Home Rule
to 1916, and then one that tells the tale of the Rising with
Legos! Take
a look:
The
wording of the Proclamation:
Poblacht
Na h-Eireann The Provisional Government of the Irish
Republic To the People of Ireland
IRISHMEN
AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from
which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through
us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom.
Having
organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary
organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open
military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen
Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely
waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that
moment, and supported by her exiled children in America and by
gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own
strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory.
We
declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of
Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be
sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a
foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can
it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish
people. In every generation the Irish people have asserted their
right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past
three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that
fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the
world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign
Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our
comrades in arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of
its exaltation among the nations.
The
Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of
every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and
civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its
citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and
prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all
of the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the
differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have
divided a minority from the majority in the past.
Until
our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a
permanent National Government, representative of the whole people of
Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the
Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil
and military affairs of the Republic in trust for the people.
We
place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the
Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray
that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice,
inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by
its valour and discipline, and by the readiness of its children to
sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the
august destiny to which it is called.
Signed
on behalf of the Provisional Government:
THOMAS
J. CLARKE
SEAN Mac
DIARMADA P. H. PEARSE JAMES CONNOLLY
THOMAS
MacDONAGH EAMONN CEANNT JOSEPH PLUNKETT
The
call for membership to the Cumann na mBan (Council of Women), and it's logo:
Here
are a few pictures to help you realize the impact of those 6 days of
fighting. In some you will notice a tall pillar topped with a statue
of Nelson. This was blown up in 1966 by Irish Republicans. The
Dublin Spire now stands in its former spot. Not only was damage done by bullets and bomb, but the British ship Helga sailed up the Liffey and basically destroyed Dublin!
The
executed leaders of th Rising:
The
flag of the Irish Republic, flying over the GPO during the Rising.
The
same flag captured by the British Army (and show upside down)
The
flag was return to Ireland in the 1960's and is now displayed, with
honors, in Dublin.
Pearse Surrendering. Next to him is Elizabeth O'Farrell. You can only see her feet and, later, she was completely air-brushed out! Someone painted the scene from the opposite direction:
Women played a vital role, acting as messengers, nurses, and fighters!
The
Prison yard at Kilmainham Gaol, where the executions took place:
The
place of burial at Arbour Hill Cemetery, with it's memorial wall:
The
children of Lir statue in the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin,
representing renewal and rebirth (also, the rose garden):
The
actual anniversary of the Rising is April 24th.
On that day, I will be wearing the symbol of the Rebellion...the
Easter Lily....In honor of the volunteers, and in honor of all who fought
for Ireland. As the song says:
Slavery fled, oh
glorious dead, when you fell in the foggy dew.
The Vernal Equinox has
come and gone, and Easter is almost over. This is usually the time I
write about the Pagan roots of the Resurrection, or about chicks and
bunnies, but not this year. Ostara (Vernal Equinox) is the last
holiday in the Season of the God. Next up: the glorious Beltain (or
Beltane) and the start of the Earth's fecundity. But it's not just
about physical fertility – oh, no. It is the celebration of
intellectual and spirituality creativity as well. With that in
mind...and knowing a lot of creative Jersey Girls... I'd like to
celebrate the Goddess by celebrating my friends – and then some!
A painting I had done of Pauline, after her passing.
First up: Pauline
Campanelli. Pauline left us in November of 2001 due to complications
from polio. I was honored to officiate at her funeral, both as a
close friend and fellow Wiccan High Priestess. I miss her greatly,
but her work continues on! A good number of her prints are still
available at New York Graphic Society, as well as other poster and
art stores. Most of her books are still in print. My former hubby
Gary Niall and I were proud to be part of “Circles, Groves, and
Sanctuaries”.
Tea & Oranges
Wild Roseberries
Apple Trencher
An original : Candy Corn
Next in line is Paula
Grimaldi-Reardon, otherwise known as “Pulsating Paula”. She's an
old school chum of mine from High School days, has amazing tattoos,
and is an exceptional photographer. She has done everything from
bikers, to babies, to photo restorations.
Paula was born in Jersey City in 1954. Since the
1980’s she’s been photographing bikers, tattoo artists and
general mayhem around the US, with thousands of her shots gracing the
pages of magazines like “Biker Lifestyle” and “Tattoo”.
She's had thousands of photos published, some even being used in
recent, televised documentaries.
Yet that's not where Paula's talents and skills end.
See the following selection of work (including things she's done for
me). If you'd like to see more, check out her Facebook page:
Photography by Pulsating Paula. To check out the full range of her
work, go to her web site at: www.spacedoutphoto.com.
Natalie Zaman and I have known each other for a long,
long time. Together, we created the Graven Images Oracle deck, and
ran Broomstix – an e-zine for pagan kids. Natalie still maintains
this as a blog. Alone, and with other collaborators, she's gone on
to do a myriad of things. Most recently, she's done the text for this
totem adult coloring book:
And her own forthcoming book on her magical journeys:
I believe it is due out in September. The best way
to keep track of Nat and her mystical doings (workshops, signings,
etc.) is to check out her blog at: www.nataliezaman.blogspot.com.
Speaking of collaborations..Natalie and I conspired
on a manuscript called, “Evergreen”. The focus is using your
Yule tree all year long in magical (and green!) crafts and rituals.
You can read this book, for free, throughout the year. It is posted
in seasonal installments. Just go to:
http://witchesandpagans.com/pagan-culture-blogs/broomstix.html
I should mention that Natalie's daughter, Mari Zaman,
is the photographer for this project.
Karen E. Timper is one of the leaders of our local
New Jersey Ghost Organization. She and her dad have been doing this
for a while, and even have a few publications under their belts.
Her next big adventure will be this summer, when I go
with the team to White Hill Manson, right here in NJ. I'm hoping to
do an article on the hunt for Fate Magazine.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Talon Lady
herself, Lauren Curtis. Lauren has an impressive set of nails. How
does she function in a day-to-day world? She just does! Beyond her
fame (“Ripley's Believe It Or Not”, as well as an appearance on
the show “Oddities” - selling the shop an antique prostate
warmer...er...yeah...). Lauren is a noted artist and photographer.
Here she is with Rufus, before his passing last year:
Here are some samples of her varied styles, as well
as sites where her stuff can be viewed/ purchased/ explored.
Well, that's it, my pretties! Get out there and draw,
paint, write, dance...whatever floats your boat. Summer is a comin'
in, so make art while the sun shines!
