Ostara: Time to Hatch Out

OMNE VIVUM EX OVO
All life springs forth from the egg.

The origin of the cosmos has been symbolized by the egg among many cultures - like the Orphic Egg of ancient Greek mysteries (shown here) and the Akasha of Hinduism.

To be a witch is to bend and to shape. Hence the nature religion Wicca, like the processes of nature herself, is all about change. [1]

The first half of the Sabbat wheel have passed. In Samhain, Yule, and Imbolc we have learned about death, birth and purification which are all in fact different modes of transformation.

The season of Ostara is a time for awakening. The name Ostara itself refers to the breaking of the dawn in the east. It is aptly celebrated in the time of Spring Equinox or, in astrological terms, when the sun enters the zodiac sign of Aries - the sign of action. The change that Ostara brings is radical and forceful change; such as to the point of breaking one's own limits. No other symbol represents this idea as perfectly as the ancient emblem of life itself - the egg.

To us it is a soft and fragile thing, but for the delicate chick inside it its shell is a sturdy barrier that stands between life and death. It must have been a huge challenge for the weak and blind creature to break free from its prison with such a tiny beak. It is worthy to observe that the mother hen offers no aid to her offspring; the chick has to break the shell all by himself.

I find it fascinating that such a short and simple drama in nature offers so many useful life lessons:

• Real change happens when we break free from our comfort zone.
• Our limitations are based on our belief in our own abilities.
• Enlightenment begins when we become aware that we are in the dark.
• A strong will can break a strong wall.
• If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself.
• Evolution is essential to survive.
• Think outside the box. A huge world is out there.

Raising the cone of power - the Philippine Wiccan Society held an Ostara ritual during the wee hours of the morning to meet the rising sun, symbolic of freshness and renewal.

Eggs were painted in honor of the gods who have died and resurrected, namely Dionysus, Jesus, Osiris, Shango, Adonis, Mithras, et al.

Basbasan Nawa!



[1] The word Wicca comes from the Old English root wic, meaning "to bend" or "to shape".

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Bathala's Pentacle

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names."

Aleister Crowley was notorious for "bastardizing" words of magic and names of gods: from ABRACADABRA to ABRAHADABRA, from AUM to the awkward-looking AUMGN, from the Egyptian god Heru-Behdety to the Thelemic god Hadit. All of these name-changing were not done on a whim though; the new spellings were conscientiously formulated in order to give the words more meaning and power.

It's important to remember that the names of the gods are not their actual names, but titles given to them with respect to the archetypal forces they represent.

Sa Ngalan ni Bathala (In Bathala's Name)

The name of the supreme god of the ancient Tagalog people, Bathala, is traditionally spelled with three baybayin characters: B H L. Bathala's name, spelled thus, is in and of itself a symbol embodying a classical, naturalistic philosophy:

The bosom-shaped Ba stands for babae (the feminine/passive principle), while the phallic- or lightning-shaped La stands for lalake (the male/active principle). Together they are joined by the syllable Ha, an S-shaped glyph, similar to that which conjoins the Yin and Yang in the Taijitsu symbol. I would like to think that this Ha stands for hangin - the air that we breathe - which is also the essence of life. Hangin in this sense is similar to that concept of the universal, life-giving energy known in various philosophies as prana, ch'i, ashé, mana, élan vital, et cetera [1]. For this reason I personally associate the baybayin Ha with Halmista, the god of  magic of our ancestors.

In many mystical traditions, each character that comprises the name of god is associated to one of a set of universal concepts, so that the name of god taken as a whole signifies the unifying and all-encompassing principle. Examples of these are the Kabbalistic YHVH, the Gnostic IAO, and the Pythagoreans' YGEIA [2].

Fortunately babayin, like Hebrew letters, due to its apparent lack of vowel characters, are very capable of mystical wordplay [3]. As a supplement to B H L which symbolizes the heavenly forces, I formulated the spelling B' A T H L to illustrate the earthly forces (the realm of the elements). Each of the baybayin character stands for one of the classical elements of Western Esotericism or the Hindu Tattwas. Note that the order of the elements, fire-water-air-earth, corresponds to the four worlds of the Kabbalah:

B - binhi - akasha or the cosmic egg, the quintessence

A - apoy - fire, tejas

T - tubig - water, apas

H - hangin - air, vaju

L - lupa - earth, prithivi

Tala ni Bathala (The Star of Bathala)

The five-pointed star, a timeless symbol of cosmic order, and the pentacle, a tool used by Western esoteric traditions to represent the material plane, is an apt symbol for Bathala as lord of the earth. On the pentacle, the five characters of the name B A T H L is assigned to each of the five points of the star in a clockwise manner. The pentagram is surrounded by hangin (the baybayin Ha) depicted as flowering vines, to symbolize its life-giving essence and all-permeating quality.

Bathala, the god who is neither male nor female, is the laws and forces of nature themselves. To submit oneself to Bathala is to let the natural course of things unfold. In our modern culture, we are taught to become tough and to persevere and are often advised against yielding and letting go. But I am Pagan. I have my faith in nature. As we Filipinos say: "Bahala Na."

Or in the older tongue...

Bathala Nawa!

[1] In the Hebrew language, air, breath and spirit uses the same word: ruach

[2] YHVH and YGEIA, are associated with the four classical elements earth, air, fire and water, with idea being the fifth element in YGEIA. IAO comprises of the first, last, and middle vowels of the Greek alphabet.

[3] The literal Kabbalah is a practice wherein Hebrew letters are manipulated to find or develop new meanings from an existing word.

More Reading:

[1] The Bathala Code:
http://www.pilipino-express.com/history-a-culture/in-other-words/460-the-bathala-code-part-1.html
[2] Bathala spirituality:  http://www.babaylan.com/

[3] Reviving Baybayin:  http://baybayinalive.blogspot.com/

[4] Modern baybayin fonts:  http://nordenx.blogspot.com/

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El Mio Altar de Orishas

Yemaya / Our Lady of Justice. Mother of the orishas. Ruler of the moon and the seas. At her feet is a dried sea poison which is her favored offering. Elegua / Santo Nino de Atocha can be seen in the background.

Oshun / Nuestra Senora de la Caridad del Cobre. Orisha of love, beauty, prosperity and mirth. Her image sits on top of a squash, which is sacred to her. On the foreground is Our Lady of Loreto, representing a camino (aspect) of Oshun: Oshu Ololodi, the wife of Orunmila. My opa iku (death staff) is painted green, in honor of my principal ori, Ogun.

Shango / San Miguel. The orisha of thunder and fire. A bundle of six (drying) okras is offered to him.

Oya / Santa Teresa. The skull represents iku (death); the graveyard is Oya's domain. Oya is distantly related to St. Briget of Ireland through her syncretism with Our Lady of Candelaria, hence the Briget's cross.

Obatala / Mary Mediatrix of all Graces. Obata, creator of man, is presented as both male and female, signifying transcendence from duality.

Babalu-Aye / San Roque. Orisha of healing. It is said that Babalu Aye both causes and cures disease.

Ogun / San Pedro. Orisha of war, iron, and technology. Beside him is his sopera, painted in his color: green. By his feet is the caldero de oggun, containing miniature weapons, as well as some ashes from the ile ocha.

Orunmila / San Francisco de Assissi. The lord of divination, the seer of the orishas. The obsidian crystal ball is part of orunmila's herramientos (tools).

Maferefun Orisha!

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Las Siete Potencias: Birth, Death, and Rebirth

The male orishas of the seven African powers: as a Pagan and a mystic, their qualities and parables hold a deeper meaning for me.

We embark on our journey in life at the crossroads as ELEGGUA, the child, foolish and carefree.

As we face adversities in our chosen paths we are hardened and become the warrior that is OGUN, lord of iron.

We learn that there are forces that are beyond our control, and as we become wiser we understand the value of yielding. The warrior becomes the king, SHANGO, who in defeat hanged himself on the tree of Ayan.

And through this act of self-sacrifice, we are born anew, resurrected as OBATALA, king of kings, radiant in white cloth, whose wisdom shines upon all.

As child, warrior, king, and wise man, their stories represent the stages of man's journey towards enlightenment and the mysteries of birth, death, and resurrection - mirrored in the narrative of the Horned God of Wicca, the myths of the solar gods, and the life of Jesus Christ.

Maferefun ELEGUA.

Maferefun OGUN.

Maferefun SHANGO.

Maferefun OBATALA.

Maferefun OLOFIN.

IGNE NATVRA RENOVATVR INTEGRA.

LVX+.

Basbasan Nawa!

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Las Siete Potencias: The Triple Goddess

The women of the seven African powers: YEMAYA, nurturing mother, ruler of the deep waters of the sea, the womb of the earth; OSHUN, fragile and youthful beauty, she who dances in the flowing river of life; and fearsome OYA, who holds the destructive powers of storm and wind. They are the spark of birth, the fullness of life, and transformative death. Maferefun Maiden, Mother and Crone!

Basbasan Nawa!

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The Dance of Oya

The Dance of Oya

Acrylic on Canvas Board

11" x 17"

Beautiful, fearsome Oya.
She stands between light and darkness.
Her skin is the color of the blackest night.
She raises her arms heavenward,
Stirring up the winds and summoning forth the storm,
Her face blank and emotionless,
her mouth wide open, uttering a silent cry,
her legs are twisted as if in ecstasy.
Death lays upon where she walks.

Moddu pue Oya. Hekua hey Yansa!

Basbasan Nawa!

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Morning Offering

This morning I invited my landlady's house-cleaner in for some coffee. But after taking a glance around my apartment she politely declined and smiling shyly, took nervous steps backwards away from the door.

I wonder why. The flowers are so pretty.

Basbasan Nawa!

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Crystal Workshop with the Crystal Goddess

I must admit that I'm not really into crystals; but still I consider myself very lucky to have attended this private workshop conducted by the crystal queen herself, Riza Regis. Her books are actually among the first literatures that I read on the subject of magic, along with Tony Perez's, who incidentally came along with us to participate in the workshop as well.

The activities were not only fun to do but will also prove very handy. My favorite must be the one where we express different aspects of ourselves through dancing. I was a bit shy at first but after a while I just let it all go and went with the flow. The skrying and channelling sessions were interesting too, and in fact I came up with a very curious-looking artifact after tapping into the ether with the freebie crystal pyramid.

Advanced Crystal Workshop and Power Movement class

Riza Regis and Tony Perez

Isis Altar, in Riza's crystal room

A beautiful triple goddess altar chest

We were given a set of gemstones and a crystal pyramid (seen

here sitting atop my Bathala pentacle)

An autographed book from the author

Maferefun Orunmila!

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A Hex on You!

The tiger has come, and I shall face the ferocity of the tiger's year with the strength and boldness of the eagle.

A goat like me is basically tiger-food, so the Chinese horoscopes say that the first few months will be tough. The recommended feng shui was too darn expensive however, so I had to resort to some good ol' American magic from the other side of the world and counter the hex with a hex.

Hex signs are not only magical but they also add color to a place, which my drab, ancient-looking, dust-bunny laden room sorely needs right now. Hexcraft is associated with the Pow-Wow or Hexerei tradition of magic of the Northeastern United States. This oral tradition was limited to a small, isolated community called the Pennsylvania Dutch people [1], but it was popularized fairly recently around the world by famed Neo-Pagan author, Jenine Trayer, also known as Silver Ravenwolf [2]. Pow-Wow is similar to the Afro-American magical tradition of Hoodoo, which is more popular in the Southeastern U.S., in that it uses elements from the Bible and the 6th and 7th Books of Moses. But while the magic of Hoodoo focuses on the Psalms and veneration of Catholic saints, the key elements of Pow-Wow magic comes from yet another book: "Pow-Wow, or the Long Lost Friend" by John George Hoffman.

Rummaging through the internet I found a fairly easy-to-copy design of the traditional double-eagle hex sign. According to my source, the two eagles stand for strength and courage, the heart for love, and the three tulips for faith, hope and charity. Just what I need for the coming year.

This wooden disk was painted with a thin layer of 
white acrylic paint for drawing and using a compass, 
the center of the circle can then be easily marked. 
I drew a grid so that both sides would be 
geometrically proportional to each other.

Due to the simplicity of the designs, the "flat" painting style and 
the minimal palette of colors, anyone with an ounce of painting skill 
can make a basic hex sign.

Bathala Nawa!
恭喜發財!



[1] They're actually Germans, or "Deutsch" in the vernacular..
[2] Of course there are other authors who have written about Pow-Wow magic, like Scott Cunningham, but I have to admit, "Mama Silver" is the most famous of the bunch.


More Reading:
[1] Pow-Wow, or the Long Lost Friend http://www.sacred-texts.com/ame/pow/index.htm
[2] Hex Signs: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~aferm/pennsylvania/hex.htm

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Milk, Candle, Cross and Cradle

Little Ms. Biddy and her wand in bed,

and a cross to keep us safe from harm.

Some bread and milk to keep her fed,

and smoke and flame to keep her warm.

Paving the Way for Ms. Bridget

Today is Imbolc and the star of the season is Brighid: thrice-blessed goddess of the Sun and keeper of the sacred flames. In countless years she has reached cultures far and wide, taking many forms and known by many names: from the quaint island of Eire to the great empire of Rome, to the perilous New World and to our beloved home. She is mother of high wisdom, and watcher of home and bed, admired as Christian saint and feared as queen of the dead.

This Sabbat I revere Brighid, the Celtic triple-goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft.

It may seem inapt for a goddess of healing to be at the same time linked with the art of smithing, a masculine profession usually associated with brawny gods as the Roman Vulcan, the Norse Weland or the Yoruban Ogoun. But then a coarse iron ore only becomes a beautiful shining sword when subjected under the forceful strike of the hammer and the blazing fire of the forge - in the same manner that our spirits become healed and our wisdom sharper after going through repeated trials of fire.

The Cross of St. Brigid

As simple as it may be, the Brigid’s cross is an artifact rich in story and meaning, and an example of an intermarriage of Pagan and Christian symbolism - just like the feast of Imbolc/Candlemas itself. The cross is most popularly attributed to St. Brigid of Kildare, an Irish Catholic nun who, as legends tell, gathered some rushes and made a cross out of them to tell the story of Jesus’ death to a dying man. St. Brigid’s biography is quite unclear as of to date, and her persona has now become almost inseparable from the Celtic goddess Brighid. As a symbol of the solar goddess, the equal arms of the cross correspond to the solstices and equinoxes of the Wheel of the Year.

Due to lack of time, for my Brighid's cross I just used paper twine, which is readily available in the gift wrapping section of department stores. I used the traditional seven strands for each of the four arms, which would equal to 28, the number of days in February, Brighid’s month. Brighid drops by for a visit on this day, so I also made her a place to stay. Screwpine (Pandan) is not only a great material for the doll and the bed, but also leaves a fragrant smell in the room as well.

Our Lady of Loreto (Oshun Ololodi), an image of the Virgin carrying the child Jesus, to represent the mystery of the presentation of Jesus at the temple. In the background is the veve (symbol) of Maman Brigitte, and a putat laut: this poisonous fruit is also called the "Heart of the Ocean" and is sacred to Yemaya, goddess of the seas and mother of Oya.

Je vous salue, Maman Brigitte. Maferefun Oya

In honor of the departed souls of Haiti, I also pray to her dark sisters in the West. It is said that Brighid reached the Caribbean islands by way of slaves and prisoners evicted from the British Isles. There she became a loa, a deity of the Vodou religion, and has been called Maman Brigitte. She eventually became far too different from her Irish lineage however: Maman Brigitte is described as an obscene, tough-talking woman who loves pepper-laced rum, a silent judge of the underworld as well as mother of the ancestral dead. Whereas the symbol of Brigid of Ireland is a cross made of grass, Maman Brigitte’s symbol is the cross of the grave, also representing the crossroads between the worlds of life and death.

Worshipped in Cuba and its neighboring countries is the orisha Oya, who is also guardian of the graves. Early African slaves were wise to hide their worship of the native deities behind the images of Catholic saints to protect their religion from Christian conquerors. The Yoruban goddess Oya, who is also lady of storms, is syncretized with the Christian figure of Our Lady of Candelaria, both of whom share their feast day with Brighid, and all of them representing fire.

Basbasan Nawa!

More Readings:
http://www.applewarrior.com/celticwell/ejournal/imbolc/brighid.htm
http://www.brighid.org.uk/goddess.html
http://mysite.verizon.net/cbladey/brigid/thesaint.html

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