Bealtaine 2007

Merry Meet Temple Newsletter

Vol. 1 No. 4

High Priestess's Corner

Going's On

Rituals & Gatherings

Curriculum Update

Love & Healing Light Requests

Outside News

Book Review

Lessons

Rune - Fehu
Tarot

Recipes

Bealtaine Oil

Dandelion Salad

May Day Hearth Bread

Merry Meet Temple Home

High Priestess's Corner

Allergies are not nice. Sometimes they are ironic and cruel. I love bonfires, fire bowls, fire pits, and fires in general. I love to start the fires for our rituals. I'm good at starting fires in difficult situations, such as rain, snow, or wet wood. Now for the ironic part, I'm allergic to smoke. The results of exposure is bronchitis, occasionally accompanied by pneumonia and pleurisy. Fun, hunh?

Like many people, I ignore my allergy every once in a while. I do, after all, love my bonfires. Allergies are warnings given by the body to keep people from doing things that can be potentially deadly. It's deadly not just from exposure, but because of the body's allergic reaction. For those who cannot help but be exposed to the allergen, it can be a vicious catch-22, for example, people who are allergic to pollen or dust. When I build a fire, I know I'm choosing to expose myself to smoke, which causes my reaction.

You might be asking what do allergies have to do with spirituality or religion. Many things in life are like allergies. Exposure to these things brings short-lived moments of pleasure followed by a negative reaction of the body and mind. Addicts know about this reaction as well. Granted allergies and addiction are two totally different things. For those with allergies like mine, they do have similarities in that the momentary gratification is followed by negative reactions. Addiction can be to drugs, foods, sports, adrenalin, and for some, religion. Addiction to religion means that religion brings temporary joy followed by a negative reaction. The joy may come from seeing friends and family, fulfilling a moral obligation, or spiritual connectedness. So, why the negative response afterward?

There are many possible reasons. The person may see personal shortcomings as being immoral so perfection can only be attained while in church or ritual. Another alternative reason for discomfort could be the perception of living a lie. Some people choose to follow the popular religion to avoid confrontation or to look normal or moral. These people are living a lie, rather than being true to themselves. For others, there may be no clear reason for the discomfort, just as there may not be a clear reason for the addiction. After all, is the temporary gratification really worth the consequences of the discomfort? To the addict, it is well worth it in the moment that the addiction is being fulfilled. Just as building and enjoying a fire is worth the consequences for me.

Brightest of Blessings,

Lady Damorea

Going's On

Rituals & Gatherings

Merry Meet Temple's Midsummer Ritual will be held on Saturday, June 16, 2007 at 3 pm. Please bring a potluck dish, drinks, or a dessert to share. If you want more information or directions, please contact Events@merrymeettemple.org.

Merry Meet Temple's Lughnasadh Ritual will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 3 pm. Please bring a potluck dish to share. If you want more information or directions, please contact Events@merrymeettemple.org.

Curriculum Update

Course descriptions are complete. I am currently putting them into the curriculum database on my computer. I will be posting the curriculums online in the coming months. We will also begin offering seminar weekends. For more information, contact Events@merrymeettemple.org.

Love & Healing Light Requests

Please keep the victims, families, friends, students, faculty and staff of Virginia Tech in your hearts and minds. Continue to send them love and healing light.

Outside News

Mum goes to No 10 with Paganism plea

By Daniel Cochlin, The Journal

A mother is campaigning to have Paganism included on the curriculum in the UK's schools.

Part-time student Fiona Edden, who has raised her three children as Pagans, has submitted an online petition on the Downing Street website which last night had been signed by 79 people.

Paganism - a recognised religion - is followed by about 40,000 people in the UK, yet is not studied at schools where the six major religions are on the curriculum, as well as humanism.

Pagan groups last night backed the bid, saying there was unfounded "fear and ignorance" about the religion and the nation's children should be informed.

But education bosses said there were no plans to introduce the religion into schools, although guidelines have recently been drawn up to look into the teaching of minor faiths.

The petition started after Ms Edden's eldest child Abbey, 14, raised the issue of Paganism with her teachers, but was told there were no plans to include it.

As a co-ordinator of the Durham Pagans, Ms Edden, who has two other children, Dane, 12, and Regan, six, submitted the e-petition as she wants their faith to be part of their schooling.

Ms Edden, of Kirkstone Place, Newton Aycliffe, said: "I feel it is abhorrent that they can't discuss their beliefs openly and I know many Pagan parents feel the same." She went on to say that her children's schools have a duty to acknowledge their beliefs and religious festivals, as with other groups. Her opinions were backed by Morgan Rhys Adams, of the Pagan Federation, a group which embraces a range of nature- worshipping faiths.

She said the inclusion of Paganism was "long overdue", adding: "This is a multicultural society and it's unfair to ignore one significant group of people.

"The stereotype is wrong. These days you get Pagans in all walks of life, from barristers to doctors and even teachers."

Schools are required to focus their religious education on Christianity. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is responsible for drawing up the syllabus.

A spokesman said there were no plans to incorporate Paganism into the national framework.

To send comments or letters to the editor please e-mail: editor@merrymeettemple.org.

Book Review

Autumn Equinox

by Ellen Dugan

ISBN 0-7387-0624-8
208 pages Paperback $14.95 (U.S.) $19.95 (Canada)

I hadn't planned to get this book for review. In fact, I had reviewed a similar book several years ago (Mabon, reviewed in 2003). I made the mistake of loaning that book out, however, and it never came back, so I decided to replace it.
That book was out of print, so I decided to get this one to replace it. Then, it only seemed fair to review the replacement book.

This wonderful book is easy to read and appreciate. Ms. Dugan has arranged things in an easy to use format and has included spells, charms, and rituals throughout. Most importantly, to my way of thinking, a large amount of this book is not Pagan-specific. It is family-friendly, so it is applicable whether used for your coven-mates or your more conventionally oriented "mundane" family members.

She gives ideas for decorations (many of them easy enough to make that children can help), as well as the background on the deities associated with the season. She gives suggestions for gardening, as well as uses for fruits and grains in the celebrations.

She includes almost twenty pages of delicious recipes that will have family and guests enjoying your meals and talking about them long after the table is cleared.

She ends the book with lists (and details) of deities, stones, and plants associated with the season.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and it will definitely be well-used over the years. There are other books out there with a lot of the same data, but this one was real pleasure to read. It may not be the best book on the topic, but it
definitely in the top five or six.

Lessons

Runes

Fehu, Feoh, Fee - The traditional meaning of Fehu is domesticated cattle, which signified wealth. The more cattle that a chieftain owned the more wealthy that chieftain was considered. Cattle is a moveable wealth that could be easily liquefied. Cattle could be traded for other items or other livestock. The qualities of Fehu are that of a beast of burden and by association the qualities of domesticated cattle. Cattle are mild, domestic, broken spirit, slavish, "stupid" and slow, although there are some farmers who would disagree with this. Cattle are owned by free men, and they are kept in pastures behind fences. Cattle, however, do require tending. They have to be milked, moved from the summer pasture to the winter pasture, protected from predators, and more. Therefore, Fehu represents earned wealth.

In divination, Fehu is representative of earned fulfillment. Be sure to consider the surrounding runes when deciding the true meaning of Fehu in any reading. If paired with love runes, then the gain or loss is romantic. The rune may also indicate career opportunities if near other career related runes. Fehu can be concerned with many things. Always consider Fehu as it interacts with surrounding runes.

When reversed, Fehu indicates loss or disappointment. If the reversed Fehu is surrounded by positive runes, then the reverse Fehu means a delay not a loss. Once again, consider the surrounding runes when deciding what the reversed Fehu means.

The rune Uruz will be covered in the next newsletter.

Tarot

The Major Arcana, which means "greater secrets", consists of 21 cards without suits, plus a 22nd card, The Fool, which is often given the value of zero: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess. The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgment, and The World.

The Minor Arcana, which means "lesser secrets", consists of 56 cards (sometimes referred to as pips), divided into four suits of 14 cards each: ten numbered cards and four court cards. The court cards are the page, knight, queen and king in each of the four tarot suits. The traditional Italian tarot suits are swords, batons, coins and cups; in modern tarot decks, however, the batons suit is often called wands, rods or staves, while the coins suit is often called pentacles or disks.

There are many different decks, with the Rider-Waite deck being one of the most well-known and used decks. On each card, there is a background, a foreground, and various shadows. Each item in the background and foreground hold different meanings. For example, in one reading the color red might keep jumping out at the reader, whereas in a different reading the color red is barely noticed. This is one reason that readings are specific to the person requesting the reading and to the situation in question.

In the next newsletter, we will consider the card "The Fool" from the Rider-Waite deck.

Recipes

Bealtaine Oil

1/2 dram Sage Oil

1/2 dram Pennyroyal Oil

Mix well & bottle

Dandelion Salad

1/2 lb. torn dandelion greens

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

salt & pepper to taste

Toss ingredients together and enjoy.

May Day Maple Hearth Bread

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/3 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup warm water (105ºF-115ºF)
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening

Instructions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening. Add the syrup to the yeast mix and let the syrup dissolve too. Now add yeast mix to the flour mix; stir. Add flour until dough is easy to handle. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes. Form into round, place on cookie sheet. Let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice pleasing image into bread top. Bake for 30 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Loaf can be brushed with syrup or butter during last 5 minutes of baking.

Note: This bread is quite dry without something to moisten it, so definitely serve it with butter. Also, your bread will have trouble rising if the syrup is too cold! Warm up the syrup if it has been in the refrigerator, it should be room temperature or warmer.

Yield: 1 loaf
Source: Telesco, A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook

Dugan includes "almost twenty pages of delicious recipes that will have family and guests enjoying your meals and talking about them long after the table is cleared."

Fehu means earned wealth or income.

Major Arcana means "greater secrets. Minor Arcana means "lesser secrets".

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