QUESTION & ANSWER: Thanksgiving

Blessed Solstice

Happy Halloween

Aelles Ky'Kora!

Blessings to all on this first of Ky'Kora. Blessings to all. May the abundance, joy and frivolity of this holiday find you and fill you all with happiness and may you find the child within.

Indeed, today is the first day of the Bowynn holiday of Ky'Kora. That is to say Mid-Autumn. So, legends and holy Books say: Hern, our great god journeyed to the great western mountains and spoke to Bia, the great creator, after seeing mankind's neglect of harvesting the gifts the gods gave them. Saddened, Hern realized what he had to do to help man survive. On the eve of Kykora (Samhain), Hern proclaimed one finally great hunt to the mortal hunters. During the hunt, Hern turned himself into a mighty stag and gave himself to humanity so they may survive. This is why we celebrate. We celebrate also this time of year as the second to last harvest; By now 90% of what was planted in spring and late February is gathered.

The first day of Ky'Kora (October 30) is used to clean and cleanse the house, temple, altar, and oneself. It is a mellow day. Soft harvest music is played, soft sad hymns are sung, for we are mourning the loss of Hern. Little food is eaten, in respect for our ancestors, and what is ate this day is bland, abstaining from herbs, spice, salts, sugars and sweets. And no meat is eaten at all this day, not even fish nor poultry. Usually, unsalted soups and slices of bread are the meal of the day.

Homes are purged of all ills and negativity: a procession of candlelight, incense, holy water and sound (drink or chime) is marched along inside the house, room to room banishing all of the ill's that may linger. Then decorations for the holiday are hung and displayed: Garlands, Wreathes, Carved gourds, Draperies of the harvest seasonal colors. On home alters and shrines, an icon of Hern or a deer is placed, in memory of Hern's blessed gift to us.

Some of use will use the day for long walks and self-review as to what we are grateful for, taking in the beauty of what nature looks like right now all around us. absorbing the beauty and color of the day and autumn. And in this time, we also give thanks to the goddess Kora, the goddess of the season and who's name the holiday it is named after, and to her beautiful consort Ryan, the god of the West Wind, who fans the colors of change into the leaves and cools down the earth.

At late night we come together as a family and friends and hold ceremony and private vigils at temple and home altars, often led with an icon of Hern beings carried to the altar. Candles in gourds are lit and the spirits we call Jakk's are invoked to spend the night at home, keeping the home in its family safe. Hymns are hummed and sung to Hern and his beloved Morrighynn this night. For we remember that the goddess of the moon has lost he beautiful and divine husband.

So, as you see, while there may be a few scatterings of similarity to the Wiccan/Keltic Samhain, there is little connection otherwise. It is not a time of honoring our own dead, (we do that another time of the year) it is about the death and the giving of our lord Hern so that humanity survives.

QUESTION & ANSWER: Tarot

QUESTION: Do people use Tarot Cards in the Bowynn Tradition?

ANSWER: While not a traditional divinatory source in the tradition, some people do use Tarot Cards. There has been the creation of a special Tarot Deck created for people of the tradition which incorporates the Bowynn deities.

Bowynn Gods: Drautmer

Drautmer (Drawt-mer)  Drautmer is the god of music and more importantly drumming and the patron of drummers. At first this attribute and patron of drums and drummers may sound insignificant; however, to the Bowynn people, drumming is so much more than just entertainment. Drums are a form of communication and defense. Drautmer’s parents are Anhur and Rhya .

     In the early days of the first tribes, they were scattered about the landscape. It was drumming that was used as a for of communication between tribes, be it to signal if there was a death, enemy approaching, plague or other issues that could affect other neighboring Bowynn tribes. Drautmer was the creator of the first drums. Inspired when the young god, he heard the knocking of a woodpecker against a tree. At first the god talked with the bid by knocking against the tree. But then got the idea of finding a hollow log and a stick. Thus, the god created the first drum. He then later stretched a leather skintight over one end of the log that greatly improved the sounds. Son the god was making great drums for the gods and mortals alike. it was his seven days living among mortals that he taught them the art of drumming. it is at night at Alaway that Drautmer entertains the gods with his music.     

Drautmer is seen often as a young man, for a god, with long honey colored hair, with drum and beater in hand or at his side. Sometimes more than one drum of various sizes. His totem animal is the Woodpecker, which he as well takes the form of when mortals are about. it is said that if one listens to the knocks of a woodpecker, one can decipher a message from the god, much like divination. Sacred gifts to Drautmer or of course drums of all shapes and sized, votive woodpeckers, incense and milk.

My Personal Prayer to Adarro

O Adarro, Spirit of the White Dolphin, I raise my voice in reverence to you, joyous god of the waves and protector of all who dwell by the shores. With hands uplifted, I seek your blessing, for you are the Master of Abundance, the one who dances amongst the tides and whispers to the souls of the sea. Come forth, O Adarro, son of Sumon and Phoenix, twin brother of Madarro, hear me, your humble devotee. In the shimmering light of dawn, as the sun kisses the waters, I call upon your radiant spirit to guide my heart and my hands. I present before you meals of fish and offerings of star-fish, sweet water lilies, and fragrant seaweed, wafting incense toward the heavens. May these gifts reach your ears and fill your heart with joy, as you have filled my life with bounty and abundance from the depths of the sea.

Grant me, Adarro, the wisdom to weave my nets with skill and the strength to cast them upon gentle waters. Teach me the ways to honor the rhythm of the tides and to recognize the moments of peril, that I may navigate the currents with grace. Protect those I hold dear as you safeguard the fishermen of old and bring forth the harvest of the sea in merry abundance. I rejoice in your spirit, O joyful god, as you dance along the sandy shore, celebrating with mortals as you guide their lives with laughter and light. Let my heart mirror your joyful essence, so that I may also bring cheer to those around me, with hands that create and feet that follow your dance. In your presence, I find solace, Adarro, and in your wisdom, I seek understanding. May I honor you as the tides honor the moon, in perpetual rhythm and reverence, for you are the lifeblood of the sea and the joy of the shore. Let my voice carry your name, and my heart forever treasure the blessings you bestow. So shall it be, in the realm of the waters and the sands, marked by your joy.

Syember!

Aelles Then Ohenn

Happy New Year everyone!!! And may your autumn be joyous!

BOWYNN GODS: VELLA

Vella (Vel-Lha)  Goddess of Jewelry, Gold and Silver Smithing. She is the daughter of Brea and Unthar and the sister of Panu. She is also the patroness of jewelers, jewel-smiths.

     No know sacred stories of Vella exist. All that is spoke of her is that she wed the God Gondor and lives with him, Kalen and Panu in a grand yet simple smithy deep in the sacred forests of Alaway, where she crafts gifts for mortals and immortals alike. For mortals, these gifts will appear as a strange find in some manner or another.

     Vella appears as young woman with black hair and light eyes. She wears simple clothes, as with those she resides with. His simple woven dress is said to be of an orange or rust color with yellow accents. In her hand she is said to hold pinchers or tongs. Sacred to Vella are all the tools a jeweler would use as well as gem stones, time pieces and or course incense.   

The Elements / Tau Retammas

Soul / Paut - The Sun / Tau Saun

The fifth point of the Numatam {Septagram} is the point that represents all the aspects of the element that is the Soul. (Individuality, Day, Light, Warmth, Rejuvenation, Resurrection, Responsibility, Cycles, Masculinity, Work and Labor). The Soul is the inner you, the part that causes you to think and speak your own mind. It is what makes you unique, even though it is a duplicate of your body. It is the house that protects your spirit. It is your Ghost. And your soul glows bright yellow as bright as the sun, thus encompassing the powers of the sun. The soul is what is awakened first at the start of the day and from its light we get to see what is all around. It warms our body from the chills of the night and rejuvenates us from our sleepiness. Fully awakened the sun and our soul sets us on our daily goals, our work and chores, giving us responsibility. The sun has always warmed our planet and the surrounding planets which rotate around it, century after century – dancing on their life path effortlessly while the sun beams its radiance upon them and us. The power of the sun is a Masculine energy and so from it we all find masculinity in ourselves. The sun is also a primal force for our planet and its people. Without its warmth, as mentioned before, the planet and its inhabitants would not have the means to sustain themselves. The eternal dance between Earth and Sun is very important and recognized by many as a necessity for life to endure and exist. The sun is also associated with the Male or God aspect, linking the harvest with the sun as well. Sun warms crops as they grow and works with the earth to bare fruits and grains for our needs. The virtue of kindness is associated with the Soul, as you walk the earth, the soul calls out to be nice to all of those you meet along the way. With Paut, we awaken and start to explore. The path of the soul is a bright, illuminated one of yellow

QUESTION & ANSWER: Samhain/Halloween

QUESTION: Do Bowynn Celebrate Halloween and Samhain?

ANSWER: No, we do not celebrate the Keltic/Wiccan Samhain. We do celebrate Ky'Kora, which is a rather loose equivalent to Samahain. A three-day holiday from October 30 to November 1st. But that is about all Ky'Kora has in common with Samhain.

We do celebrate Halloween as a total separate holiday. But we celebrate it on November 1st, as the 31st is a most divine and holy day, set aside for spiritual worship.