Awake in Purple Dreams

“People think dreams aren't real just because they aren't made of matter,

of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images,
of memories and puns and lost hopes.”
~ Neil Gaiman

Awake in Purple Dreams by jasmoonbutterfly on Polyvore

Empyrean Heaven

Sacred Soul Forgotten

Storytelling Haiku 

(575)

1. Paradise bounty
her sweet innocence and youth
unaware of fate

2. A purple flower
scents of violets and mead
echo through her soul

3. His mouth an apple
his kiss an ethereal dream
encircled she’s his

4. Eyes appear that see
a crime of forbidden love
rage and fury flames

5. Hearts torn asunder
banishment they both depart
disgraced gates open

6. Under starry sky
the four rivers of her heart
drowns out the sorrow

7. Float on ocean’s waves
her heart now seeks a new home
broken but hope breathes

8. Muted horizon
she finds a land of plenty
but hell becomes home

9. Gazing out to sea
serenading memories
waves against the shore

10. The wings of a bird
soaring high in the heavens
he seeks what she lost

11. Ancient endearment
of the star-crossed love gone by
its light now fading

12. Wildmen in forests
Herne the hunter seeks her
in sacred marriage

13. A new clan inland
the past is fading away
the apple haunts her

14. A woman’s soul crushed
in a land of warring men
fragile yet divine

15. Waterfalls in mist
she falls to her knees and prays
begging for the light

16. Woodwose hunted down
the crown removed from nature
roses overgrown

17. The secret garden
where seeds of truth lies dormant
fenced off from the world

18. Sacred feminine
close your eyes and hear her name
carried on the wind

~  Tracey-anne McCartney

Love and light

Trace

xoxo

The Celtic love triangle and Love rectangles.

The Celtic love triangle is characterized by three main characters. The first is the old man, who usually has a great amount of power.  The second, young, beautiful maiden, is always featured as the individual betrothed to the old man.  The third character is the young man/warrior/male figure, whom the maiden eventually falls in love with or seduces.

A love triangle (also called a romantic love triangle or a romance triangle) is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two. The relationships can be friendships, romantic, or familial.

The love triangle story structure has been around since before early classic writers like William Shakespeare and Alexandre Dumas. Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet featured a love triangle between Juliet, Romeo, and Paris. Although more subtle, Dumas's classics The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers also feature love triangles strong enough to seek revenge and start a war.

A Love rectangle (also quadrangle or quad or "love square") is a somewhat facetious term to describe a romantic relationship that involves four people, analogous to the typically three-sided love triangle. Many people use this term for a romantic relationship between two people that is complicated by the romantic attentions of two other people or one person who is complicated by the romantic attentions of three other people, but it is more frequently reserved for relationships where there are more connections.

Minimally, in a love rectangle, both male characters usually have some current or past association with both female characters. These relationships need not be sexual; they can be friendships or familial relations. Both males and/or both females can also be friends, family members (frequently siblings) or sworn enemies.

Love rectangles tend to be more complicated than love triangles. They may be a spin-off from the main love triangle, where 'as a sub-plot.

An example of a love rectangle in classic literature is in William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, between the characters Lysander, Demetrius, Helena, and Hermia. Demetrius is granted Hermia's hand in marriage by her father, but Hermia loves Lysander, and the two flee, intending to elope. Demetrius pursues the couple, and Helena pursues Demetrius, whom she has always loved. The fairy Puck, in trying to use magic to resolve the situation, temporarily transfers both men's affections to Helena. Further tampering restores Lysander's love for Hermia. Demetrius, now in love with Helena, withdraws his claim on Hermia, and both couples are wed.

For additional terms, the word "love" can be prefixed to other polygons with the appropriate number of vertices, to reflect romantic relationships involving more people, e.g. "love pentagon" or a "love hexagon."

Folklore was turned into a popularized and evolving form of cultural connection to the past. Modern writers expand on the tales bringing them into the present day.

Such as:
Tristan and Iseult is a tale made popular during the 12th century through Anglo-Norman literature, inspired by Celtic legend, particularly the stories of Deirdre and Naoise and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Gráinne. It has become an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan (Tristram) and the Irish princess Iseult (Isolde, Yseult, etc.). The narrative predates and most likely influenced the romance of Lancelot and Guinevere in the Matter of Britain and has had a substantial impact on Western art, the idea of romantic love, and Western literature since it first appeared in the 12th century. While the details of the story differ from one author to another, the overall plot structure remains much the same.

There are two main traditions of the Tristan legend. The early tradition comprised the French romances of two poets from the second half of the twelfth century, Thomas of Britain and Béroul. Later traditions come from the Prose Tristan (c. 1240), which was markedly different from the earlier tales written by Thomas and Béroul. The Prose Tristan became the common medieval tale of Tristan and Iseult that would provide the background for the writings of Sir Thomas Malory, the English author, who wrote Le Morte d'Arthur (c. 1469). Read More HERE

There is also:

The story of Derdriu

Deirdre or Derdriu is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish mythology and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is often called "Deirdre of the Sorrows." Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-known stories of pre-Christian Ireland.

Details of Amoret in the Garden of Adonis (1887) by John Dickson Batten.

Deirdre was the daughter of the royal storyteller Fedlimid mac Daill. Before she was born, Cathbad the chief druid at the court of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, prophesied that Fedlimid's daughter would grow up to be very beautiful, but that kings and lords would go to war over her, much blood would be shed because of her, and Ulster's three greatest warriors would be forced into exile for her sake.

Hearing this, many urged Fedlimid to kill the baby at birth, but Conchobar, aroused by the description of her future beauty, decided to keep the child for himself. He took Deirdre away from her family and had her brought up in seclusion by Leabharcham, a poet, and wise woman, and planned to marry Deirdre when she was old enough. As a young girl, living isolated in the woodlands, Deirdre one snowy day told Leabharcham that she would love a man with the colours she had seen when a raven landed in the snow with its prey: hair the color of the raven, skin as white as snow, and cheeks as red as blood. Leabharcham told her she was describing Naoise, a handsome young warrior, hunter, and singer at Conchobar's court. With the collusion of Leabharcham, Deirdre met Naoise and they fell in love. Accompanied by his brothers Ardan and Ainnle, the three sons of Uisneach and Deirdre fled to Scotland. They lived a happy life there, hunting and fishing and living in beautiful places; one place associated with them is Loch Etive. Some versions of the story mention that Deirdre and Naoise had children, a son Gaiar and a daughter Aebgreine who were fostered by Manannan Mac Lir.

But the furious, humiliated Conchobar tracked them down. He sent Fergus mac Róich to them with an invitation to return and Fergus's own promise of safe conduct home, but on the way back to Emain Macha Conchobar had Fergus waylaid, forced by his personal geis (an obligation) to accept an invitation to a feast.

Fergus sent Deirdre and the sons of Uisnech on to Emain Macha with his son to protect them. When they arrived, Conchobar sent Leabharcham to spy on Deirdre, to see if she had lost her beauty. Leabharcham, to protect Deirdre, told the king that Deirdre was now ugly and aged. Conchobar then sent another spy, Gelbann, who managed to catch a glimpse of Deirdre but was seen by Naoise, who threw a gold chess piece at him and put out his eye.

The spy managed to get back to Conchobar and told him that Deirdre was as beautiful as ever. Conchobar called his warriors to attack the Red Branch house where Deirdre and the sons of Uisnech were lodging. Naoise and his brothers fought valiantly, aided by a few Red Branch warriors before Conchobar evoked their oath of loyalty to him and had Deirdre dragged to his side. At this point, Éogan mac Durthacht threw a spear, killing Naoise, and his brothers were killed shortly after.

Fergus and his men arrived after the battle. Fergus was outraged by this betrayal of his word and went into exile in Connacht. He later fought against Ulster for Ailill and Medb in the war of the Táin Bó Cúailnge (the Cattle Raid of Cooley), the Irish Iliad.

After the death of Naoise, Conchobar took Deirdre as his wife. After a year, angered by Deirdre's continuing coldness toward him, Conchobar asked her whom in the world she hated the most, besides himself. She answered "Éogan mac Durthacht," the man who had murdered Naoise. Conchobar said that he would give her to Éogan. As she was being taken to Éogan, Conchobar taunted her, saying she looked like a ewe between two rams. At this, Deirdre threw herself from the chariot, dashing her head to pieces against a rock.

There are many plays based on Deirdre's story, including George William Russell's Deirdre (1902), William Butler Yeats' Deirdre (1907), J. M. Synge's Deirdre of the Sorrows (1910), John Coulter's Deirdre of the Sorrows: An Ancient and Noble Tale Retold by John Coulter for Music by Healey Willian (1944), and Vincent Woods' A Cry from Heaven (2005). There are also three books: Deirdre (1923) by James Stephens, The Celts (1988) by Elona Malterre, and "The Swan Maiden" by Jules Watson.
Source: HERE

Love Triangles ~

Gráinne

Naoise

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

Helen of Troy
Tristan and Iseult
Guinevere
Lancelot
Loowit

 Quote
Warned off a love triangle by one of his prospective partners, Einstein conceded to Mileva Marić that, "You have more respect for the difficulties of triangular geometry than I, old mathematicus, have."
Documentary info HERE

Love and light,

Trace

xoxo

#amediting ~ Awake in Purple Dreams ~ Book Two

Inspiration ~ Digital Collage created using Polyvore

Original Picture Source HERE

A Story of Four Souls and Three Hearts

Love and light,
Trace
xoxo

Spirit Animals

Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul.  

~ Pythagoras

Deer Soul 

~ Art by Helga (A Gift 💜)

I've always been a deep thinker and this stems from my imaginative muse's thirst for knowledge. I question everything. Yes, I'm still 'that person' who continues to ask 'why?'. There's not a day which goes by without me thinking of 'the bigger picture' in some way, whether it's creatively related or on life. One of the areas that regularly interests me is the soul and the energy that connects everything. The more I research, certain elements repeatedly come up and usually connect in some way to something else, which I initially thought, was not related. Actually, this happens a lot, and I play with the idea that there is one source connecting all information. Like a massive, invisible library that we can tap into, to connect the dots, which are not normally within our reach. Much like the internet web, invisible, not able to view its entirety, but accessible through material technology. On the web, we tap into other people'ss feeds/posts, etc, and can interact with others in a way that wouldn't have made sense to anyone years ago. Try it, imagine explaining the internet to someone who has no knowledge of this type of technology. Yes, not unlike your elderly relative. *winks* But I mean no contact at all with computers/phones, etc. It's not so easy, huh? 

This is a similar concept to the Akashic Records in spirituality. A technology not yet understood or experienced by many. 

It's quite difficult to explain, but I get a type of inner knowing, which guides me in research. I see everything in my mind's eye as pictorial, like reading a book full of pictures, story snippets, but to make my search easier, I'm able to reach the index to cross reference - if that makes sense? Now, when I try to explain this procedure verbally, it becomes almost impossible. Why? Well, basically, it's a visual feed, many pages/mental tabs are open and elements of research are taken from pieces everywhere, from different mental books. It's also a 'feel' thing. Have I lost you yet? Lol. 

Usually, I briefly state 'everything plays out as a film'. It's the easiest way to get the mindset across to another, but it goes deeper than that, and, of course, can be confusing when trying to explain further. I'm not meaning to say that I tap into Akashic Records, only that something steers me easily to places while researching to connect the dots between questions. Okay, I'm rambling. Basically, if we can connect in an intangible way, such as the internet or 'cloud' storage, would it not be possible to empower ourselves via connections with animals, or anything else for that matter, via energy/thought? Instead of exterior computing, we use our own computer - our minds. 

There is so much about our DNA, inner workings which we do not understand, that I feel, anything is possible. Doesn't seem too far-fetched when you think about it on a scientific level. Maybe, ancient ancestors understood our inner mechanics better than we do now? It's food for thought. 😉

Note: In theosophy and anthroposophy, the Akashic records are a compendium of all human events, thoughts, words, emotions and intent ever to have occurred, believed by theosophists to be encoded in a non-physical plane of existence known as the etheric plane.

Akasha (ākāśa आकाश) is the Sanskrit word for "aether" or "atmosphere". Also, in Hindi, Akash (आकाश) means "sky" or "heaven".

Animal Guides ~

Deer

The meanings associated with the deer combine both soft, gentle qualities with strength and determination. The stag is the king of the forest, the protector to all other creatures. For the native tribes of North America, the deer was a messenger, an animal of power, and a totem representing sensitivity, intuition, and gentleness. In Buddhism, the deer symbolizes harmony, happiness, peace and longevity. Symbolism for Book Two - Awake in Purple Dreams. HERE

Butterfly

Butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life. Many cultures associate the butterfly with our souls. The Christian religion sees the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection. Around the world, people view the butterfly as representing endurance, change, hope, and life. I used this symbolism for 'The Butterfly Bridge' - Prequel in the series - More HERE

The Deer and the Butterfly seem to attach themselves to my psyche. I guess that's why they found their way into the books. For one of the character's, I choose the crow as a spirit guide. I'll admit, the crow un-nerves me a little as it has extremely deep meaning, but every guide plays a part of the cycle of life. 

The crow is a spirit animal associated with life mysteries and magic.  The power of this bird as totem and spirit guide is to provide insight and means of supporting intentions. A sign of luck, it is also associated with the archetype of the trickster; be aware of deceiving appearances. If the crow has chosen you as your spirit or totem animal, it supports you in developing the power of sight, transformation, and connection with life’s magic. More HERE

Swan

Dunstable Swan Jewel

Swan symbolizes grace and beauty on many levels. It is associated with love, music, and poetry. In Roman mythology, Swan was sacred to Venus, the goddess of love. In Greek tradition, this bird was often pictured singing to a lyre.

I use the swan in 'The Purple Book of Menteith' Book Three (Past) - Book One, and Book Two. 

The elements that draw me in are old images of the swan with a crown around its neck or in chains. 

Horse

White Horse by Delshad Barzanji

The horse spirit animal symbolizes personal drive, passion, and appetite for freedom. Among all the spirit animals, it is one that shows a strong motivation that carries one through life. The meaning of the horse varies depending on whether this animal spirit guide is represented as wild, tamed, moving freely or constrained.

In some cultures, white horses stand for the balance of wisdom and power. In others, like Christianity, the white horse is a symbol of death. The horse is a universal symbol of freedom without restraint because riding a horse made people feel they could free themselves from their own bindings.

I use the horse symbolism in 'The Butterfly Bridge'.

Wolf

Wolf is a symbol of guardianship, ritual, loyalty, and spirit. Wolf has the ability to make quick and firm emotional attachments, and often need to trust their own instincts. Thus they teach us to do the same, to trust our hearts and minds, and have control over our own lives.
The wolf offers some of the most striking animal meanings in the realm of spirit animals. The power of the wolf brings forth instinct, intelligence, the appetite for freedom, and awareness of the importance of social connections. This animal can also symbolize fear of being threatened and lack of trust. When the wolf shows up in your life, pay attention to what your intuition is telling you.
I use the wolf symbolism in Book Three (future) ~ Claíomh Solais (Shining Sword)

Unicorn 

Since antiquity, unicorns have symbolized purity, magic, and healing and were revered among Babylonians, Persians, classical Greeks, Romans and early Jewish scholars. The Celts of ancient Britain also associated these mythological animals with life, joy and masculine potency.

This is a tough one because I love the symbolism associated with this mythical beauty but hadn't really connected on a personal level, perhaps due to the over-pretty girly images and the stigma attached of childish fancy, much the same as with the fae. Not that there's anything wrong with those pictures, though I prefer a more natural rawness without overly beautifying. A stripping down to the core being of folklore. So, come on, who doesn't love 'The Last Unicorn' novel or the movie 'Legend'?  💗 Fairy Tales 😊

I use the Unicorn symbolism in 'The Paper Unicorn' and 'Amour Désir (Love Longed For)' - neither are a part of ACoPF series. 

Other animal symbolism that interests me on an ancient level are:

Bull ~ Snake ~ Eagle ~ Lion

THE ORIGINS OF THE SPIRIT ANIMAL, TOTEM AND POWER ANIMAL ~

It is said that we, as human beings, possess at least one Spirit Animal, or totem, in our lifetimes that serve as our personal protectors, guides, helpers, and companions. But usually, it is common for us to have many Spirit Animal helpers throughout different periods of our lives.

The concept of ‘Spirit Animals’ draws its origins from ancient Animistic and Totemistic beliefs about the world and our connection to it.

Totemism, a system of belief practised by the Native American Indian people, and the Australian Aboriginal people, for example, incorporates the notion that each human being has a spiritual connection to another physical being (e.g. a plant or animal).

Animism, on the other hand, is more of a world view held by many Buddhist, Shinto, Pagan and Neopagan groups of people, that all plants, animals and objects have spirits.

When we look at Animistic belief, we see that it treats all humans, animals, and plants as being equal and interdependent of each other.  In other words: to the Animist it is morally imperative to treat all forms of life with respect.  Not only that, but to the Animist we are part of nature, rather than being superior to nature, or separate from nature.

This belief is on the opposite end of the spectrum of the modern day “refined” and “cognitively developed” man who believes that he is the master of the world, and everything is subject to his rule.  No wonder the earth’s forests, streams, oceans, parklands, and wildlife are polluted, pillaged and dying every day.  “Mature” developed man has such a sickly and unintelligent mindset towards nature that he creates nothing but destruction and death wherever he treads.

Those who believe in the presence of Spirit Animals not only respect the flora and fauna of the earth as equals, but they often perceive the world around them as consisting of one and the same universal energy.  This is similar to pantheistic thought which believes that man, nature, and animal kind are all the manifestations of God.

Albert Einstein was considered to be a pantheist after writing one letter to a friend in 1954:

We followers of Spinoza see our God in the wonderful order and lawfulness of all that exists in its soul as it reveals itself in man and animal.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether Spirit Animals are merely primitive social constructs, or whether their long history throughout many peoples and cultures points to a higher, deeper truth.

Note: The phrase “Power Animal” refers to the shamanic idea that certain animals (or tutelary spirits) can physically and psychologically empower us.  The Power Animal, just like the Spirit Animal, is thought to lend its wisdom, attributes, and instincts to us in times of need. (Source).

HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL ~ HERE

Love and light,

Trace

xoxo

Beltane Blessings )O( ~ May Day

Beltane honours life and represents the peak of Spring and the beginning of Summer.

Beltane is a Fire Festival. The word 'Beltane' originates from the Celtic God 'Bel', meaning 'the bright one' and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire. Together they make 'Bright Fire', or 'Goodly Fire' and traditionally bonfires were lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun's light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community.

Beltane Fire Dance by Loreena McKennitt

Traditionally all fires in the community were put out and a special fire was kindled for Beltane. "This was the Tein-eigen, the need fire. People jumped the fire to purify, cleanse and to bring fertility. Couples jumped the fire together to pledge themselves to each other. Cattle and other animals were driven through the smoke as a protection from disease and to bring fertility. At the end of the evening, the villagers would take some of the Teineigen to start their fires anew."
~ (From Sacred Celebrations by Glennie Kindred)

Beltane is the anglicised name for the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 1 May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. May Day is a public holiday and is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival. In many cultures, dances, singing, and cakes are usually part of the celebrations.
The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the Floralia, festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, held on April 27 during the Roman Republic era, and with the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane, most commonly held on April 30.
Flora's altar at Rome was said to have been established by the Sabine king Titus Tatius during the semi-legendary Regal period. Flusalis (linguistically equivalent to Floralia) was a month on the Sabine calendar, and Varro counted Flora among the Sabine deities.

May Day (or the day after Walpurgis Night).

Walpurgis Night is the English translation of Walpurgisnacht, one of the Dutch and German names for the night of 30 April. In Germanic folklore, Walpurgisnacht, also called Hexennacht (Dutch: heksennacht), literally "Witches' Night", is believed to be the night of a witches' meeting on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of wooded hills in central Germany between the rivers Weser and Elbe.

On May Eve there is abundant fertility, on all levels, and is the central theme. The Maiden goddess has reached her fullness. She is the manifestation of growth and renewal, Flora, the Goddess of Spring, the May Queen, the May Bride.

Stonemaiden Art - Etsy

In the Arthurian legends, the Flower Bride is Guinevere, though she is usually abducted on May 1 and must be rescued. However, in Celtic lore, there are many ladies or goddesses, such as Creiddyled and Bloudewedd, who fit this role.

http://jodeee.deviantart.com/art/Cernunnos-563034529

The Young Oak King, as Jack-In-The-Green, as the Green Man, falls in love with her and wins her hand.

The union is consummated and the May Queen becomes pregnant. 

Together the May Queen and the May King are symbols of the Sacred Marriage (or Heiros Gamos), the union of Earth and Sky, and this union has merrily been re-enacted by humans throughout the centuries. For this is the night of the Greenwood Marriage.

Sacred Union

"Sacred Marriage" between Dumuzi and Inanna on a bed. Old Babylonian Period.

Great Goddess - Queen of Heaven. Inanna

I sleep so sound all night, mother, that I shall never wake,

If you do not call me loud when the day begins to break:

But I must gather knots of flower, and buds and garlands gay,

For I’m to be the Queen o’ the May, mother, I’m to be the Queen o’ the May.

– From “The May Queen” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

The May Queen or Queen of May is a personification of the May Day holiday, and of Springtime and also Summer.Today the May Queen is a girl who must ride or walk at the front of a parade for May Day celebrations. She wears a white gown to symbolise purity and usually a tiara or crown. Her duty is to begin the May Day celebrations. She is generally crowned by flowers and makes a speech before the dancing begins. Certain age-groups dance round a Maypole celebrating youth and the spring time.

Sir James George Frazer found in the figure of the May Queen a relic of tree worship:
According to folklore, the tradition once had a sinister twist, in that the May Queen was put to death once the festivities were over. The veracity of this belief is difficult to establish; it may just be a folk memory of ancient pagan customs. Still, frequent associations between May Day rituals.

In the High Middle Ages in England, the May Queen was also known as the "Summer Queen". George C. Homans points out: "The time from Hocktide, after Easter Week, to Lammas (August 1) was summer (estas)." - On the 30th day of May was a jolly May-game in Fenchurch Street (London) with drums and guns and pikes, The Nine Worthies did ride; and they all had speeches, and the morris dance and sultan and an elephant with a castle and the sultan and young moors with shields and arrows, and the lord and lady of the May".

 A May Day festival is held on the village green at Aldborough, North Yorkshire on a site that dates back to Roman times and the settlement of Isurium Brigantum. A May queen is selected from a group of 13 upward girls by the young dancers. She returns the next year to crown the new May Queen and stays in the procession. The largest event in this tradition in modern Britain is the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Michael A. Michail - Flora.

The Faery Queen also represents the May Queen, although in practice the honour is usually carried out by young women who are soon to be married.

Mists of Avalon

Morgan le Fay is a powerful enchantress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or sorceress. She became both more prominent and morally ambivalent in later texts.

A "May Crowning" is a traditional Roman Catholic ritual that occurs in the month of May, honoring the Virgin Mary as "the Queen of May". 

Our Lady of the Sea, Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland ~ The May Crown

The feminine connection in many forms ~
Queen of Heaven is a title given to the Virgin Mary by Christians mainly of the Roman Catholic Church, and also, to some extent, in Eastern Orthodoxy and Anglicanism. The title is a consequence of the First Council of Ephesus in the fifth century, in which the Virgin Mary was proclaimed "theotokos", a title rendered in Latin as Mater Dei, in English "Mother of God". The Eastern Orthodox Churches do not share the Catholic dogma, but themselves have a rich liturgical history in honor of Mary. In the Hebrew Bible, under some Davidic kings, the gebirah, the "Great Lady", usually the Mother of the King, held great power as advocate with the king.In the fourth century St. Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. A text probably coming from Origen (died c. 254) gives her the title domina, the feminine form of Latin dominus, Lord. That same title also appears in many other early writers, e.g., Jerome, and Peter Chrysologus. The first Mariological definition and basis for the title of Mary Queen of Heaven developed at the Council of Ephesus, where Mary was defined to be the Mother of God.

Our Lady, star of the Sea statue, overlooking Castlebay, Isle of Barra. - Karen Matheson.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea is an ancient title for the Virgin Mary. The words Star of the Sea are a translation of the Latin title Stella Maris.The title has been in use since the at least the early medieval period. Originally arising from a scribal error in a supposed etymology of the name Mary, it came to be seen as allegorical of Mary's role as "guiding star",  as a guide and protector of seafarers, in particular, the Apostleship of the Sea, and many coastal churches are named Stella Maris or Star of the Sea.

Mists of Avalon

Faery Tree

Source

 Hawthorn tree is the true symbol of Beltane, the original May tree, and the tree of the fairy folk. Also known as the May-tree, due to its flowering period, it is the only British plant named after the month in which it blooms.

In Britain, it was believed that bringing hawthorn blossom into the house would be followed by illness and death, and in Medieval times it was said that hawthorn blossom smelled like the Great Plague. Botanists later learned that the chemical trimethylamine in hawthorn blossom is also one of the first chemicals formed in decaying animal tissue, so it is not surprising that hawthorn flowers are associated with death. 

Lore:

A hundred years I slept beneath a thorn

Until the tree was root and branches of my thought,

Until white petals blossomed in my crown.

~ From The Traveller by Kathleen Raine

When we read of medieval knights and ladies riding out ‘a-maying’ on the first morning of May, this refers to the flowering hawthorn boughs they gathered to decorate the halls rather than the month itself. For on this day, according to the Old Style calendar that was in use until the 18th century, the woods and hedges were alight with its glistening white blossoms.

In some villages, mayers would leave a hawthorn branch at every house, singing traditional songs as they went. 

The young girls rose at dawn to bathe in dew gathered from hawthorn flowers to ensure their beauty in the coming year. For May was the month of courtship and love-making after the winter's cold; and so the hawthorn is often found linked with love-making. In ancient Greece, the wood was used for the marriage torch, and girls wore hawthorn crowns at weddings. 

But while hawthorn was a propitious tree at Maytime, in other circumstances it was considered unlucky. Witches were supposed to make their brooms from it, and in some parts, it was equated with the abhorred elder, as in the rhyme:

Hawthorn bloom and elder-flowers

Will fill a house with evil powers.

Even today many people will not allow the branches inside the house, for, as one might expect from its association with Beltane, a time when the two worlds meet, it is considered a tree sacred to the faeries, and thus to be regarded with fear at the least, respect at most. As such, it often stands at the threshold of the Otherworld.
In the ballad of Thomas the Rhymer, the Scots poet is taken away by the Queen of Elfland as he sits beneath an ancient thorn known as the Eildon tree. In another old rhyme, the Ballad of Sir Cawline, a lady dares the hero to go to Eldridge Hill where a hawthorn grows, to await there the faery king.
There are noteworthy parallels between this tale and the romance, The History of Sir Eger, Sir Graham, and Sir Gray-steel.

The Flower Moon of May 2017

The full moon of May, also known as the Flower Moon, Milk Moon, or Hare Moon, will occur  Wednesday (May 10) at 5:42 p.m. EDT (2142 GMT). It will appear full to the casual observer for about a day before and after. 

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the Native American name for the May full moon was the Full Flower Moon, though some Algonquin-speaking nations named it the Corn Planting Moon or Milk Moon (milk, referring to nurture - milkweed or cows, though not native to the Americas).

More HERE

Flower Moon ~ May ~ by Ithilyen on Deviantart

Haiku ~ Flower Moon

light of the moon

moves west, flowers' shadows

creep eastward

- Yosa Buson

Just a thought:

Perhaps, keeping in mind the feminine moon cycle (and matrilineal aspects), Beltane would be best celebrated by the moon cycle and not the modern dating of the Gregorian calender. 

Did you know:

1. The original Roman calendar is believed to have been an observational lunar calendar whose months began from the first signs of a new crescent moon. Because a lunar cycle is about 29½ days long, such months would have varied between 29 and 30 days.

2. A lunar calendar is a calendar based upon cycles of the Moon's phases (synodic months), in contrast to solar calendars based solely upon the solar year. The details of when months begin varies from calendar to calendar, with some using new, full, or crescent moons and others employing detailed calculations. Traditional lunar and lunisolar calendars continue to be used throughout the Old World to determine religious festivals and national holidays. Such holidays include Ramadan (Islamic calendar); the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian New Year (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian calendars); the Nepali New Year (Nepali calendar); the Mid-Autumn Festival and Chuseok (Chinese and Korean calendars); Loi Krathong (Thai calendar); and Diwali (Hindu calendars).

Maypole History HERE

My apologies, for the rather long post. I get excited about this theme in folklore. 😉

Love and light,

Trace

xoxo