Secrets of Summer

Everyone knows that Summer brings pleasure and fun activities into our lives. Summer reminds most of us of long periods of sunshine, longer daylight hours, warmth, sunburn, holidays, beaches, soft fruit cocktail drinks, ice cream, lollies, funfairs, bees, butterflies, parasites, pests, dust, hay fever, pollen, headaches, BBQ's, semi-nudity outdoors and these mass gatherings. Some people don't like summer because it's too hot and noisy. This is how people generally feel about summer, whether they like it or not.

There are a few interesting things I've personally noticed about summer.

It sounds different compared to other seasons. During the other seasons, its as though I'm indoors when I'm outside because it's contained. Yet the summer atmosphere appears wide and open, so that I can hear almost everything  even if it's so far away.

Then there is the sensation of the summer having an effect on the human body. I don't just mean getting a tan here. I'm talking really of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. What would they be?

Hear - The summer has a certain sound. Apart from the summer wildlife, the birds, insects, sea and boats even ect, there is a regular hum everywhere. Beyond the daily noise, there is a vibration that I can only hear in the summer. It gets louder at night when things quieten down so the summer noise is easily heard. It sounds like a perpetual humming that puts a warm pressure to my ears. I don't sense this with other seasons, only during Summer.

Sights - The sun is bright, (never look at it btw), and apart from that, apart from all the trees and flowers in full colourful bloom, the Summer has a look about it. Imagine the SAME landscape or image during each season, unchanged, for instance a cliff or a building. The light gives this scene a certain orangy gold hue, that is unique to summer. Summer light seems golden and everything, even night, feels golden.

Touch - Apart ffom heat, the summer also has a sensation of being felt too. The summer touches the skin a certain way even if it's cloudy and cooler. The summer is like prickly silk touching the skin. Disregard the heat for a moment and concentrate on the texture of the summer. This isn't about sunburn as it can be felt inside and at night. It's not really itchiness but a pleasant summer kiss.


Taste - The summer has a taste to it on my mouth. It's like a dry taste and almost quite bittery as lemon. I get the urge to keep drinking water. This constant sensation of tasting the dryness of summer has an effect on the human appetite because it makes us change our diet. Maybe not for all but definately for some. People go for salads and ice cream and chilled things in summer because they have the same urge. Now I don't really eat fruit but in summer, I need it the most.
   
Smell - The summer has got it's own scent. It is difficult to distinguish what it is exactly because of all the influencing smells coming from all around us. There is a continual smell that isn't so much a perfume or stink but a condition of summer. There is a pressure and humidity on the nose. It drops in other seasons, when it's not noticeable.

Apart from the usual events in summer, there is always going to be one. The biggest, and most ancient celebration in summer is the Summer Solstice. It is a solstice of summer in the Northern hemisphere, but the opposite in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa. The summer soltsice comes on the 21st June.On that day, the sun will be the furthest north in the sky above, and will remain above the most northern points. Northern regions such as the north pole, will experience a midnight sun. Then the sun will slide south on an arc shape.

Now during the summer solstice, the moon is called the Honey Moon. It's considered a magical event. Since ancient times, people celebrated the Summer solstice and they understood the sun's motion. Bonfires were lit, and people used to jump over the flames as it signified fertility for land, better harvest and more children. Fires were lit for many reasons, depending on the place and era but it was mainly about the traditions of fertility. It was thought that bonfires kept away nasty entities. Fires were also meant to look like examples of mini suns.

Other popular names for the Summer solstice are Midsummer and Litha. The Summer solstice is a time when fairies become more influential and stronger felt.In the Shakespearian drama "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that tells a story filled with fairies and magic. Fairy magic is often used.

Now the popularity of fairy tales is an appealing disguise for natural wisdom, folklore, herbalism, magic, and other spiritual vibes resonating with the solar system. The fairies or fae, are a twinkling glimpse of ancient esoteric knowledge. These elemental beings are part of life. Everything is alive. The trees for example are all living an dbreathing. Without them we wouldn't exist. Each tree contains the following:

• History
• The time
• Epochs
• Stars
• Everything
• Medicine
• Contamination
• Beings
• Scripts and oracles
• Data
• Maps

Past, present and future.

The fairies are also part of the bracket of elves, pixies, goblins, gnomes, dwarves, imps, angels, wights, and all kinds of spirits that appear to live in things. Yet humans also live in things to. So do animals.

The summer is a season of the Solar Queen and Sun Goddess.  SHE has many different names and SHE's manifested to people throughout time. SHE has many different names.

To the people of the North, HER name is Sunna.  This version of the goddess Sunna is mentioned time to time in the Eddas. SHE is the sister of the moon. The other peoples of the north worshipped the Goddesses of the sun, such as Celtic solar goddess celebrated in midsummer, called Aine.  In Lapland there is Beiwe, a solar goddess celebrated in midsummer. Solntse and Saule are two Slavic sun goddesses. To the Greeks and Romans, were the shining solar goddesses Dawn and Aurora. This major sun goddess was highly worshipped and revered. SHE's found across the spectrum. In ancient Egypt the sun goddess was Hathor, a goddess who wore with a sun disk above her head. Now in Japanese myth, the sun goddess Amaterasu is the sister of the moon. There are many lesser solar goddesses and daughters of the Sun Mother.

The power of the sun goddess is recognised by poets and artists throughout the ages. Instinctively people yearn for sunlight, warmth and beauty of Summer, which is an instinct to be closer to the Sun Goddess. This powerful lady of the sky was understood very well in past civilisations but her worship was prehistoric, and beautifully right and basic.

It's well known that ancient peoples worshipped the sun. Once you understand HER, you will recognise wisdom.SHE is symbolised as a sun disk. This is a very ancient symbol.The sun goddess is being celebrated during the midsummer festivals. SHE is also honoured and celebrated at the Winter solstice. This particular solstice represents her energy and fertility. This is about HER as a Mother. There are many stone circles built in order to engage with HER astronomically. SHE is the mother of the solar system, and all the planets and moons. 

Rituals (parties) mostly celebrated in summer are weddings, major sporting events, marathons, coronations and anything else that uses fireworks and fiery coloured displays.

Check out the other posts in my "secrets seasons":
Secrets of Spring
Secrets of Winter

Fun Stuff - My fairy name is:

Ember Goblinfrost
She brings riches and wealth.
She lives where fireflies mate and breed.
She is only seen durng the first snow of winter.
She wears dresses that glow with fiery colours and has gentle green wings like a butterfly.      

Check out what your fairy name is here!!!

Links and sources:

Sun goddesses 
Folklore of Shakespear
Fairy Spells

Books:
"The Sun Goddess: Myth Legend and History" by Sheena McGrath
"O Mother Sun! A New View of the Cosmic Feminine" by Patricia Monaghan

Picture at top of the page is "Summer" from Alena Lazareva. Visit the artist here.

Hidden Lore of Magic - Fairies

There are countless books on fairies. This isn't a description of fairies, or an essay as such. This is about magic with the fairies.

My mother once said: "If you stop beliving in fairies, they'll disappear". People who stop believing in fairies, or anything they used to believe in, change cnsiderably when they stop believing anymore.


Many children have witnessed unusual visitors in their bedrooms. Some like to put it down to imagination or dreams. Others have no proof. It is just the memory of the child or the person's childhood.

There is many types of fairy magic. You might've come across references to it, such as Fairy spells, The Tooth Fairy, Fairy Rings, Fairy on top of the tree, fairytales, Tinkerbell even, ect. There is also fairylore and occult fairy practices, like the fairy oracle cards and fairy tarot decks that can be purchased from most bookshops and online stores.      

Fairies are elemental beings, miniature forces of nature. They are said to dwell in forests, and they can effect the pattern of the soil, the flowers and the dew. Frosts and dew drops are laid down by the fairy folk, acording to mythology.

If this is the case then fairies live in the atmosphere and may also be part of the weather system. Fairies might be part of the wind, and rain (?) They're definately known to be living in roots, tree hollows, fields, flowers, hedges, behind stones, near lakes and rivers, and anywhere. This is probably what the ancestors tried to say by acknowledging the nature. The seasons altered the landscape so how would people without scientific understanding view it? Did they put imaginary humanlike things around the place? Fairies have been blamed for damaging crops and causing other natural catastrophes. There was a medieval paranoia about all the things they couldn't understand.

Who were the real fairies? My guess is based on reading materials, fairies are either elementals or people that were glorified once and then miniaturised later. Go back in time and fairies appeared a little bit sinister, perhaps connected to trolls and ogres. They were blamed for things going wrong. Further back in time one finds that fairies have much in common with the elves, dryads and other strange people. They were not considered tiny then but as immortal people. Some believe that fairies are actually echoes of ancient gods and goddesses. The original fairies were large in stature, who were all powerful and beautiful, ruling over peasants and kings. Changed religions changed the gods and myths so...

There is a scientific answer for fairies but take into acount also esoteric science, that goes byond the physical. Sorry this was supposed to be about magic.A lot of it is personal information and fairies subject is huge. Check out Fairy Lore.

A fairy spell for those who want to wish for nice things:

Stars, starlight, moonlight, water, mirrors, scents, incense, flowers, soil, cooked stew, boiled water, dried grass, shells or pebble stones, bark of a tree, twigs, a wooden bowl, a garland of flowers (handmade). Gather these and make an alter. Often during a cloudless night, use a bowl of water or a mirror to reflect the stars and moon. urn some incense. Preferably flower scents of a woodland, and not spices or fruit. Place the dried grass, shells and pebbles on a table, and wear the garland. The boiled water goes in the wooden bowl. Then add the dried grass. Let it cool. Now let the night fall into these things, and think of lovely thoughts, happiest memories, loves, laughter and even good deeds. This alter is the closest you'll then feel to a fairy glen.   

Books:

"Fairies: Real Encounters with Little People" by Janet Bord.
"The Fairy Bible" by Teresa Moorey.
"Fairy Spells" by Claire Nahmad.
"Heaven's Unearthed in Nursery Rhymes and Fairytales" by Matt Kane.
"UFO's, Time Slips, Other Realms and the Science of Fairies" by Edwin Sidney Hartland.

Websites:

Fae Magazine
Fairy Source
Whispering Worlds
Uncanny UK
All About Fairies
Mythical Creatures Guide

Golden Girl Project: Cleopatra

Golden Girl Project: Cleopatra

This is a new research study I'm going to do for my blog. It's called the Golden Girls Project, a study of the reality, myth and spiritual meanings of famous historical beauties. These Golden Girls capture the imagination. They've inspired people for decades, centuries and millenia. They are figures of love, fantasy, romance, myth and legend. These Golden Girls are daughters of love and light, daughters of the sun, earth and moon.

The first of the Golden Girls Project is about Queen Cleopatra.

First of all I was introduced to Queen Cleopatra in a magazine. I was only a kid. There was a drawing of a lady with brown ringlets, wearing a coronet, dressed in a blue Grecian gown, and sat among white pillars. This was the first image I'd seen of Cleopatra. There was a description of her, from saying she was the queen of Egypt, who bathed in milk, loved Julius Ceaser and Mark Anthony, and died from snake venom. It was very simple and fresh.

After this, on TV was a game show featuring actors dressed up as fallen figures of history. Among them was Cleopatra, who was dressed in a gold headdress and whose lips were painted gold. I became fascinated by Cleopatra then. I saw her as a possible role model, after Madonna! Then I watched her appear in "Carry on Cleo," a 60's comedy satire. Amanda Barrie portrayed Cleopatra as girlish and funny. Then I saw a very serious take on the Egyptian queen in the popular film "Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor. So from then on I realised Cleopatra had to look Egyptian instead of ancient Greek as the girls mag drew her. I was just a kid and learning a lot. When I was 15 years old, I bought a book on Cleopatra, with illustrations and details of he life. It was very academic. I haven't taken an interest in Shakespear so I've never studied Cleopatra in theatre.

So who was she really? Did she look like the Cleopatra queens from all the films? Why is she popular? What does it all mean when people in this day and age still obsess over a woman from centuries passed.

The Real Cleopatra

There's a lot of misunderstandings about Cleopatra. First of all, she wasn't actually an Egyptian. She was the queen of Egypt who ruled over Egyptians, following the rituals of the Egyptian pharaohs. Cleopatra was a Greek from Macedonia. Macedonia was once part of the Roman Empire, and sat in a region which is now near northern modern Greece, Albania and Bulgaria.

What did she look like? Many people assume she must've looked Egyptian and had dark eyes with bob cut hair and bangs. Looking at the earliest images of her, from the statues, ancient coins and wall art, she appears to resemble a Greek or Roman.  Some of the coins deliberately show her as an unflattering woman. Did she look like that? It might've been a stab at her by the Romans who disapproved of her.Who is to say she wasn't beautiful?

Did she bathe in milk? This is probably not true. The Romans made this up and they know that bathing in milk is quite foul because milk goes off quickly. It smells bad when it's off. Adding a little milk to soap substances and oils could've been likely as some women from Rome did this. Cleopatra would've preferred clean scented water, not smelly asses milk. Don't believe these Roman propaganda lies! I also doubt she was as unattractive as the Romans made out. The Romans themselves were full of gossip and bitching. They hated Cleopatra and demonised her a bit to the point of making her out to be so bloody awful.


Cleopatra in Films

From the beginning of cinema, Cleopatra was a favourite subject. Theda Bara played Cleopatra and portrayed her as being very ornumented, heavily adorned in jewels and trinkets, looking like a belly dancer. The make-up of the time gave her this spooky almost gothic Cleopatra. Claudet Colbert was a modern 30's Cleopatra in long sleek gowns and simple jewellery. Vivien Leigh made Cleopatra seem like abarbarian queen with the Germanic style clothes. Now Elizabeth Taylor was very ancient Egyptian in style as Cleopatra, with a touch of 60's glamour. There hasn't been anything quite like that last film about Cleopatra. No other Cleopatra has outdone Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra. In the future there will have to be more Cleopatra films and other Cleopatras played by different actresses. There is a plan for a new Cleopatra film that will star Angelina Jolie but how will she portray Cleopatra?

There is outcry at the moment about this. People don't want another Cleopatra with fair skin and pale blue eyes. They think Cleopatra was black. Cleopatra wasn't black, she was of Indo-European descent. She's always been a part of Western culture and art for more than two thousand years.
            
Who was Cleopatra? She was the grand daughter of Alexander the Great's general Ptolemy. The romance about Cleopatra might've been fictional. Mark Anthony had a fling with Cleopatra, then he murdered her sister, before returning to Rome to be with his wife! He remarried to a different woman. Then he returned to Egypt and gave Cleopatra children. Cleopatra married her brother.  

Did Cleopatra die from a snake bite on her breast? Cleopatra didn't die from grief that Mark Anthony was dead. She was afraid of being humiliated further by the Romans and decided to end her life. It seems there was a lot of many complications to her life. Plutarch made this assumption that an asp bit her breast and we don't know if there was any truth to it. However, there was a snake bite found on her arm.

She was Cleopatra VII of Egypt. Born in 69BC, Cleopatra had brothers and sisters. When she became a queen at age 17, her siblings plotted to kill her. From this time on Cleopatra's life has been involved with Julius Ceaser and Mark Anthony, who ath fathered her children.

There is a lot of myth surrounding Cleopatra. She seems to be one of those figures that is timeless. She is someone who people want her to be. They would like her to look a certain way, be a certain way and adhere to the beautiful legend from ancient  Egypt. The only thing is she isn't really from Egypt's most ancient past but the latter stage of Egypt's power. She was the last queen of Egypt. 

Cleopatra's suicide - Discovery news
Cleopatra

Image at the top is "Cleopatra" by J. E. Bowser. Visit the artists site.