New book! The Sword of Danu

I am the worst blogger, I know.  I think I've missed my day for the last two months. Honestly, I was living in Research Project Proposal Hell, and my brain was just bogged down with APA format and hunting down every. last. editing. mistake. My professor is worse than any copyeditor I've ever worked with, lemme tell ya.

But, now that's over. And I have a new book coming out! I am pretty excited about this book for several reasons. First, it's really fun, and some of my best work, I think. Second, it's Celtic mythology. No, actual Celtic mythology, not made-up fantasy elves and fairies. There's magic and artifacts, Tuath de Danaan, a dragon, and a smith god who looks a lot like John Barrowman.

Third, I am launching (if all goes to plan) the book at Balticon. My friend Danielle and I are doing a co-launch party, since her book is also Celtic mythology based. If you are coming to the con, please find me. I will also be reading from the book at the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading. Where I will also get to hang out with BTV girl Jean Marie Ward and all kinds of other people I haven't seen in far too long.

I will be posting teasers and stuff on my own blog the closer we get to launch, but today you get the cover!

It is probably my favorite cover of mine so far. I mean, I love the Crown of Zeus cover and all the others, but this one is, as a friend said, kick-ass. And it reflects the book. The graphic artist does tattoos by day, and I think those people are so very talented. Oh, okay, I'll give you the cover copy too:

Megan has embraced her role as the Librarian, protector of the Library of Athena. She’s spent her entire summer teaching herself magic (although it doesn’t always work out the way she wants) and studying the Library’s secrets. The Order of Ares, an organization bent on stealing all of the Library’s artifacts, are always at the back of her mind, though they’ve been quiet for awhile.
 
Then she is forced into yet another enchanted story. Or rather, the story comes to her, somehow ripped from the pages of the book and brought to life. She and her friends must fight their way through an imaginary Ireland, where danger lies around every turn, and find the mythical Sword of Danu.


It’s a race against time—because the magic is spreading. The manor is being overrun, and Megan, Rachel, Claire and Harriet must fight through what was supposed to be an imaginary world to find the sword and return things to normal.


Have a great week!

Celtic Ogham Divination: Ioho (Yew)

Name:Ioho, pronounced ee-yoh or ee-woh (some sources say Idad, pronounced ee-duh, which means "mastery")
Tree: Yew
Letter: I, J or Y
Color: Dark green, some sources say bright white
Element: Water
Bird/Animal: Eagle or spider
Deities: Caílte and Oisín (poet/warriors, lone survivors of the Fianna), Tuan mac Cairill (reclusive guardian of Ireland who reincarnated as different animals over 2000-plus years to witness repeated invasions of Ireland); Hecate (crone aspect of the triple goddess)
Month: None
Planet: Saturn or Pluto

Yew is the last of the "traditional" ogham symbols, so it is sometimes called the "oldest letter" or "older than letters." Ideas associated with yew are transformation, rebirth, immortality, transference, passage, illusion, and transition.

As most, if not all, parts of the tree are toxic, it is known as the death tree. It's wood is extremely strong and springy, so it was often used to make longbows, and extract from the berries used to poison the tips of arrows and swords. Because it grows slowly, it is too easily overharvested, so it is not as abundant as it once was; those trees that are left tend to have crooked, twisted trunks and branches.

Its aspect is feminine; in recent years taxol, a substance derived from the bark, has shown promise in fighting breast cancer.

Another interesting fact about yew is that as the tree ages, the outer wood dies, rots and falls away and a new tree grows from within.

"Yew is the link to spiritual guidance through your ancestors, guides and guardians in the Otherworld. The Yew is here to remind us that there are other levels of existence beyond this material plane. By understanding the illusionary nature of the life we have created for ourselves, we can live our lives more consciously. Often death is fraught with a sense of loss, but the Yew can teach us to see death as a form of transformation and that it is never final." (Source, The White Dragon, 1997 article)

Long ago, clan leaders were buried beneath yew trees, and clan members conducted rituals at the tree to connect with those departed leaders to ask for guidance. Therefore the tree symbolizes connection to the ancestors through old stories, lore and tradition.

When yew appears in your reading, it is telling you you've been holding on to something for too long and it's time to either let it go or pass it on. It's a reminder to take comfort in the fact that nothing lasts forever. Spiritually, it is not unlike the Tarot's Death card, signalling that change is afoot and you need to let it happen. Change is your friend, not your enemy. Without change, we don't grow.

Stay tuned for another in this series next time!
Carolan
www.carolanivey.com

Divination: Celtic Ogham - Fearn

Tree: Alder
Letter: F and V
Color: Crimson
Element: Water
Bird: Raven (some sources say Gull)
Deities: Lugh, Bran,
Month: March/April (some sources say January)
Planet: Mars
Crystal: Amethyst
Chakras: Sacral, base and solar plexus

Alder is about balance, compassion and self-preservation. Its root systems are said to return poor soils to healthy pH levels. The Druids regarded Fearn as indicating balance between the male/female energies within the individual.

Associated with death and resurrections, Alder sticks were once used to measure graves. When cut cleanly, a branch first 'bleeds' white, then turns red. In addition, it regenerates itself by sprouting from remaining stumps.

Alder grows in wet places near rivers, streams and in swamps. Its wood, resistant to rot, was used for things that needed to last, like building foundation pilings, milk buckets, bridges and boats. In fact, the wetter it gets, the stronger it gets - let it dry out, and it'll get brittle and break. It was also used to make magical whistles, a figurative bridge between earth and heaven.

It was once said that if you cut one down, its angry spirit might burn your house. Which makes sense, because its charcoal was an excellent ingredient for gunpowder.

When Fearn appears in a reading, it is reminding you to keep a lid on your temper. Keep your eyes open for the unique qualities alive in others. Be a bridge of mediation in a dispute. Look for the unusual or what's "off" or out of place/balance. Stop talking and start listening...then be the voice of reason. Let your intuition be your guide. Fearn is a symbol of the evolving spirit.

The ancient Celts used Alder to make their shields, and used their instincts to know when to attack, when to shield, and when to use their strength to promote peace among warring peoples.

Embracing My Inner Crone

Tomorrow I turn 50. And you know, the more I think about it, the wider the silly smile on my face gets.

Tomorrow I will be eligible to join the Red Hat Society.

Tomorrow I will be allowed to sit at the virtual "adults table" with my friends at O.B.O.D.

Tomorrow I can begin calling myself a crone.

Far from a wizened, terrifying hag depicted in stories designed to keep little children shivering under the covers at night, the crone of the ancient Celts is Annis, the keeper of wisdom and the old ways.

She is Badb, an Irish shapeshifting warrior goddess, guide through the cycles of birth and death, of inspiration.

She is Ceridwen, keeper of the cauldron.

She is the Cailleach, the Scottish goddess of seasonal rites and weather magic.

She is Macha, the Irish wild woman who battles against injustice to children and women.

She is Nicneven, goddess of Winter.

And she is the fearsome Morrigan, the Celtic crow goddess who understands the nature of Death.

This has been a year filled with transitions. A daughter who returned home to temporarily roost until she attains the degree that will help her fly the nest. A son preparing to leave high school and navigating the stormy waters of first love. A new mother-in-law to take part in our family traditions and introduce us to a few of her own. And a father who passed from this life to the next.

Turning 50...just another transition. A good one. I figure every birthday that arrives and I'm still breathing is a good birthday! Since I was 5 and diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, every birthday where I'm still on my own two feet and able to flip the proverbial bird at this disease is a victory. :) Even if it does take a small medical army, a cocktail of modern medical pharmaceuticals, and a few spare parts to keep this body moving, I'm grateful.

I think that's the big thing. To arrive at this age grateful, unbowed, unashamed to show my grey hairs, laugh lines, and most of all, the scars life's battles leave behind.

This is a great age to be. In my 40s, the need to care about what others think of me began to drop away. In my 50s, I expect I'll lose it altogether. Hee! This is going to be fun! I know I'm supposed to be older, wiser, more mature...but in a way I'm returning to the freedom of the very young. Shedding the trappings - and traps - society has placed me in as a woman.

Now excuse me while the Morrigan and I go lift a few pints. We have a glorious battle to plan. :)

The Crone Years
by Judith TreeCrone

Contrary to the sanctions of a culture
that worships and glorifies youth
The crone years are not simply
the interlude between life and death
Oh no!
These are her omnipotent years
These autumnal years
when her womb is fallow
but she continues to give birth
from her fruitful creative self
Her nurturing spirit comes not from hormones
but from her wisdom of choosing to live fully
Both her inner and outer vision see new possibilities
Her awareness of her connectedness
to all of creation
is enhanced
She cherishes the poignancy of the sunrise
on the horizon of each new day
She embraces the quiet of the darkness time
when she shares her harvest of life stories
This is the legacy she bequeaths
Be who you are
Trust who you are today

Spring is in the air!

Today is the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, so it’s time to celebrate spring in mythology.

Let’s start with the Classical mythology of Greece and Rome. Okay, who remembers the word “chthonic”? It’s a Greek word that means “of the earth.” As in, the actual soil and interior of the earth. Many deities associated with spring and growth are chthonic, as they were worshipped in relation to agriculture, i.e. digging around in the dirt.

Gaia, for in stance, was a primal goddess in Greek mythology. She is the mother who bore the Sky and the Sea and all the Titans. She came before them all and was the embodiment of the Earth.

Cybele is also a Greek mother goddess, but her origins are slightly different. She springs from Phrygia, which is now part of Turkey. Another goddess, Rhea, fulfills a similar position, but she is Minoan.

One of Gaia’s offspring is Demeter, the Greek goddess of growing things, grain and fertility. Her Romance equivalent is Ceres. Demeter is a more Olympian goddess, though. While she is concerned with the bounty of the earth, she is also subject to the arrogance and thoughtlessness that characterized Olympian deities.

Demeter’s daughter Persephone, however, is more earth-based than Olympian. The myth of her abduction by Hades is something called an “origin story” or a story devised to explain earthly mysteries, such as the seasons. She spends six months of the year above ground with her mother, Demeter, helping things grow, then she returns to the Underworld for six months as the earth lies fallow.

Flora is a minor Roman goddess, one of many associated with fertility, but she has the distinction of a festival in her honor. Floralia was held at the conjunction of April and May and was celebrated with offerings of milk and honey. It was also a celebration that Rome’s prostitutes claimed as their own, so Floralia got pretty bawdy!

Moving on from the Classical world, the Germanic goddess Ostara or Eostre is in many ways the basis of our current Easter celebration. She is the goddess of dawn light and was celebrated with many items associated with fertility and fresh growth, such as hares and eggs.

Freya, the Norse goddess of fertility has associations with spring, but she’s more about the sensual than the agricultural.

Brigid is a Celtic goddess and her dealings with spring are specific to her role as a bringer of light because she rules over sacred flames. At the festival of Imbolc, traditionally celebrated on Feb 2 (Groundhog Day), she is said to bring the first light to the turning of the year.

Whichever mythology you prefer, though, there is a unique way to celebrate the warming of the earth and the fresh, renewing spirit of spring!

Another Fine Myth I've Gotten Myself Into

And fine it is indeed.

Hello, my name is Jean Marie Ward, and I'm another author from the Fantasy & Enchantment blog. It was a great place to write my piece, but there are so many wonderful writers here--including my former F&E colleagues--I know this will be even better.

So far, nobody's asked me to help pick out the drapes or new furniture. They're a little scared. In some ways I'm kind of out there. It's not so much that my writing's more fantasy with romantic elements than fantasy romance. These days those sub-genres are a lot closer than ever before. It's not even that, for the novel I'm working on now, I've traded my high fantasy hat for Chick Myth. Christine Norris has already given BtV readers the class in Greek Gods 101. (Go Christine!)

It's that nobody's quite sure what I'll type next. It might be a good writerly subject, like how to secure guest status at conventions or how to deal when real life gets in the way of writing life. But it could just as easily be about wanting to run away and become a paleontologist, or how Sinbad really was Chinese. Sort of. Well, he worked for the Ming Dynasty, anyway.

See. Scary, isn't it? And that's not even counting the real life ghost stories. For some reason, people tend to freak when I introduce them to the ghost cat who shares the house with my husband, my corporeal cat and me.

But admit it, doesn't a touch of fear--the merest hint of danger--add a little spice to the proceedings? Isn't it why you decided to venture Beyond the Veil in the first place? How can any of us be certain what faces us as we step into the mists?

The Selkie Legend

My latest release, HEART OF THE SEA, is based on an old myth about shape-shifting seals. The Orkney Isles in particular, lay claim to these stories. The word “seal” in the Orkney dialect is “selkie.”

The theme of the LOVE & LORE anthology is Celtic mythology, and there are Irish roots to my story, but the Heart of the Sea itself, the magical amulet on which the story hinges, goes all the way back to the ancient gods of the Northland.

It’s believed that the stories of the seal-people came from a source further north. In the north of Scandinavia, live a people called the Saami. They practiced the Old Norse ways longer than any of their Norwegian neighbors. The Orkney Isles were on a path the Saami used for trade and settlement and it was a legitimate part of Norway in the 13th century. Place names and dialect put Orkney closer to its Norse roots than its Scottish ones. Gray seals in the east Atlantic travel the same paths now, from the UK and Ireland up around the Orkney Islands, Iceland, Norway, and further.

Selkies are creatures of pure magic and the magic lies in their skin. They’re able to cast off their wondrous pelts and take form as humans. But if the skin is lost or stolen, then they’re stuck in human bodies until the skin is recovered. As soon as they find it again, they snatch up their fur covering and rush back to the sea.

Both selkie men and women are extremely attractive to humans. A common theme is when a human man sneaks off with a selkie woman’s sealskin. She’s trapped on land and has no choice but to marry the man who holds her pelt.

It often ends sadly, though. Many years pass and though she seems happy enough, she still longs for her watery home. It’s frequently her children who, by trying to cheer her up, tell her where the skin is hidden. She takes it back, bids farewell to her children, and returns to the sea, never to be seen again.

Happily, Heart of the Sea both begins and ends with the myth a bit backward. It’s the story of a human woman who turns into a selkie through a family curse and while she’s trapped in the body of a seal, longs for her home on dry land.

There are many retellings of this myth. I recommend Orkneyjar.com’s interesting pages about the heritage of the islands and the Selkie Folk. They have several different stories about Selkies. Another website is A Home for Selkies. They have quite a few poems and songs linked on their site. In addition, The Seal Prince, a children’s book by Sheila MacGill-Callahan is beautifully told and illustrated.

I also highly recommend the film, “The Secret of Roan Inish.” It’s a beautiful story within a story – framed by the Selkie myth.

Breton Mythology

At the very northwestern tip of France lies a region called Brittany, or Bretagne. Directly north of it, across the English Channel, is Cornwall. And a very long time ago, they weren’t so different from each other.

When the Romans came to Gaul, they called the area “Armorica.” Trade between Armorica and Britain had been long established and Brittany had far more in common with Cornwall than with its Frankish neighbors to the south. They even shared a language across the strip of sea.

So it’s no surprise that they also shared a mythology. It’s difficult, however, to find much information about it. The French are a trifle tetchy about their Barbarian roots, so there hasn’t been much research forthcoming from them. What survives are the folktales of the area and a strong link to the Arthurian cycles that come from Cornwall, Devon and Wales.

I’m not going to go into the Arthurian legends in this article, but talk about some of their folklore instead. First, we’ll start with the Grim Reaper himself – Ankou. That’s a picture of the jolly guy himself. Charming.

But the mythology indicates that we base our modern image of the Reaper on Ankou. Tall, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a long coat. He doesn’t carry a scythe, but rattles along on a rickety wooden cart, into which his skeletal helpers toss the bodies of the dead. If you ever hear the rattle of his cart on a misty Breton moor, you’d better run before you end up as cargo!

The Breton Korrigan is, in some tellings, very similar to the Cornish pixie. Troublesome, but not usually malicious, depending on the tale. If these female sprites steal a mortal baby, they raise it as their own. They’re also associated with water and in these instances are beautiful creatures with long flowing hair – but their sexuality is dangerous. If a mortal man falls in love with a korrigan, he is usually doomed to die.

Other tales of the Korrigan can be found at Celtic Twilight

Morgens are also water sprites (Brittany is a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water – no wonder there are so many water sprites in their mythology). Again, like the Korrigan, her beauty is dangerous. She lures men to their deaths by showing them glimpses of undersea treasures. But her power isn’t always deadly. The Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legend, is named Morgen. And the story of Morgan Le Fay, Arthur’s half-sister, may have risen from Breton tales.

The last water-spirit of Brittany is the cannard noz. She’s the Washer Woman common in almost all Celtic mythology. In Breton, her name means “night duck” because she has webbed feet. In Ireland, she’s the Bean Nighe. She washes the grave clothes of the dead and is a portent of death. You don’t want to catch a glimpse of her at work.

Finally, we come to the legend of Ys. Ys is the Celtic version of Sodom and Gomorrah. There was a good and faithful king named Gradlon, who ruled wisely and well, but his daughter, Dahut, was a wicked young woman who reveled in sin. The city of Ys was built below sea level and protected by a dike. The king kept the key to the dike on a chain around his neck.

Dahut stole the key to let her lover – supposedly the Devil himself – into the city and retribution arrived. The entire city was swallowed up and only King Gradlon was saved. He went on to found the city of Quimper and when he died, a statue was erected of him on horseback, pointing back to Ys.

Dahut became a mermaid who haunts the waters in the Bay of Douarnenez and in stormy weather, the bells of Ys still toll to warn seafarers from the shore.

Here’s the thing. There’s a good deal of evidence pointing to the fact that Ys was apparently real. There are Roman roads that lead to it, Gradlon is pointing to it, and several of the locations mentioned in the legend are real. In addition, there’s a 5th century account of a Breton city being swallowed by a deluge.

You can find more information about Ys at The Legend of the City of Ys and Brittany’s Legends.

So there you have it. The folklore of the Breton. It’s easy to see the links to other Celtic and Welsh myths and the history that binds the cultures together.

For more information on Breton mythology, see Legends and Romance of Brittany by Lewis Spence, compiled in 1917.

Irish Mythology

I actually started out this article as one on Celtic mythology. Umm, no. The concept of the Celt is too big for just one article. There are the Irish, the Scots, the Welsh and the Britons. Then there’s the whole historical influence of the Gauls and Romans. So today’s article is just about Irish mythology.

And I say mythology because I can’t really talk about a pantheon, per se -- a system of god-worship. Irish mythology focuses on the Tuatha Dé Danann, or “the people of the goddess Danu.” There, I’ve just contradicted myself. However, little is known about Danu as an individual. She’s “the mother,” but there doesn’t seem to be much focused worship of her as a mother goddess the way, say, Venus or Cybele were revered in classical mythology.

The Dagda was a powerful god figure, and several of the Tuatha had specific focii – the Morrigan was a goddess of war, Aengus was a god of love, and Manannán was the lawgiver and the keeper of the doorway to the Otherworld. Yet these characters are often portrayed as magical beings, immortals, and legendary characters, rather than gods to worship.

The stories of the Tuatha Dé Danann are recorded in the Mythological Cycle of the Lebor na hUidre, a manuscript that can be dated from the 11th century, along with the Book of Leinster (c. 1160), and the Lebor Gabála Érenn (the Book of Invasions) from the late 11th century.

As in many other mythos, numerology plays an important role. There are four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann:
The Dagda’s Cauldron: A large cooking pot that never emptied and none left hungry.
The Spear of Lugh: A spear that lived. So bloodthirsty that it could only be controlled by keeping its head steeped in a vat of opium. When it was awake, it roared and struggled against its holder, eager for the slaughter.
The Stone of Fal: The Lia Fáil, also, the Stone of Destiny. When the rightful King of Ireland places his feet upon the stone, it roared in joy. Cúchulainn split the stone in half when it did not acknowledge his heir. After that, it roared only under the feet of Conn of the Hundred Battles and Brian Boru.
The Sword of Light of Nuada: Nuada Airgetlám was the first king of the Tuatha. He lost his arm in battle, and had it replaced by one of silver. The Sword glowed with a silver light and was irresistible in battle.

Four treasures, four elements, four suits in the Tarot. Balance is important in this mythology, as in most.

For the most part, Irish mythology is a tradition of heroic tales, of kings and courts, politics and war. By the Middle Ages, the Tuatha themselves were less magical and godlike than legendary figures of history.

Magic, however, still thrives on the Green Isle. A lack of gods does not preclude an active folklore filled with pixies, brownies and leprechauns, as well as other magical peoples connected to the land and nature.

There is always more to learn about this complex culture, so I encourage you to read through the following list to discover more.

Sources:
Irish mythology at Wikipedia
Irish folklore
Library Ireland
The Tuatha at Encyclopedia Mythica
Timeless Myths

Love & Lore now available for pre-order!

Love & Lore is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com! Order early and get the sale price. :)

Blurb:

Journey to the heart of Celtic myth and legend...

Samhain is pleased to celebrate its second anniversary with three novellas that will lure you into the labyrinth of Celtic myth and legend.

In WILDISH THINGS, Carolan Ivey brings together an artist who is wounded in both body and spirit, and a sexy Irish bad boy on a Harley. Their whirlwind fling across Ireland takes a dangerous turn when their sexual chemistry awakens the deadly lust of an ancient goddess.

Gia Dawn's offering of A FAIRY SPECIAL GIFT has it all: A woman who can see fairies and wishes she couldn't, and a man who promises to help her with her "problem"—for the price of a kiss. Stir in the Celtic god Lugh who wants the woman for himself, rowdy flock of untamed pixies, and a pining Banshee in need of a makeover, and let's just say there aren't enough fairy traps in the world to control the chaos.

THE HEART OF THE SEA beckons in Sela Carsen's take on the Selchie legend. When a woman accidentally falls into the sea and turns into a seal, her lover believes her drowned. Seven years later, she rescues him from a shipwreck and for one blissful night, she returns to her human form. But only for a night. Can true love overcome the Selchie curse?

Warning: This book contains, graphic language, explicit sex, mild bondage, wildly unpredictable gods and goddesses, unruly fairies, wet Selchies, and loads of fun.

Divination: Celtic Ogham - Huathe

Huathe - Hawthorn
(Crataegus sp.)
Letter: H
Energy: Masculine
Color: Dark blue or purple
Celtic Calendar: May 13 - Jun 9
Planet: Venus
Celtic Deity: Olwen and Blodeuwedd
Crystal: Lapis lazuli or sodalite
Chakras: Third eye and throat
Bird: Crow
Animals: Dragon, dragonfly

Hawthorn (pronounced HOO-ah), also called whitethorn, is a tree of enchantment, under the protection of the Faery kingdom. The tree is often found near springs and wells, with prayer rags tied to its branches and offerings set beneath it. It is the sixth letter of the Ogham tree alphabet.

The ancient Glastonbury Thorn is a hawthorn, said to be a symbol of protection. It is said to be very bad luck to cut one down - just ask John Delorean, who hacked one down in order to make way for his car-building factory. Uh huh - the Delorean was one of the most famous failures in history.

Positive aspect: Very gentle and calming; the greening of spring; protection; clearing of negative energies, thoughts/attitudes; learning through adversity; this is a time to be patient and grow inwardly.

Negative aspect: Misfortune arising from careless past behavior; rushing ahead, not spending enough time with loved ones; obsession over any one thing causing distress; enforced inactivity leading to new opportunities; be wary of sabotaging your own efforts due to lack of self-wortth.

In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion.

Her father is fated to die if she ever marries, so when Culhwch comes to court her, he is given a series of immensely difficult tasks he must complete before he can win her hand. With the help of his cousin King Arthur, Culhwch succeeds and the giant dies, allowing Olwen to marry her love. -- Wikipedia

Blodeuwedd or Blodeuedd, (Middle Welsh composite name from blodeu 'flowers, blossoms' + gwedd 'face, aspect, appearance': "flower face"), is a woman made from the flowers of broom, meadowsweet and the oak by Math fab Mathonwy and Gwydion to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Her story is part of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Math son of Mathonwy. -- Wikipedia

Sources:
Wikipedia
Sacred Texts
Joelle's Sacred Grove
Celtic Tree Mysteries by Stephen Blamires
Celtic Tree Oracle by Colin Murray

Click on the "ogham" tag below this post to see the rest of this series!

Divination: The Celtic Ogham - Luis

Welcome back to my continuing series about Celtic Ogham divination! Yeah, I know I was supposed to post this last Sunday, but I was ensnared by the last Harry Potter book and was on internet/media blackout all weekend. :)

Today's letter is Luis which stands for the Rowan tree. It's pronounced, depending on what source you're reading, "loosh" or "lweesh".

Rowan, sometimes called Mountain Ash, is a member of the rose family and thrives in poor soils and disturbed areas. It is often found around ancient sites such as stone circles and castle ruins. The red berries, sometimes called serviceberries, were historically used to lure birds into traps; birds are also responsible for dispersing the seeds.

The rowan tree was important to the Druids. Before going into battle, they would say incantations over fires made from rowan wood, so it's not surprising that Luis represents protection and the ability to distinguish good from bad.

Color: Red and or green
Planet: Sun (some sources say Mars)
Element: Fire
Month: December
Bird: Duck
Crystal: tourmaline
Deities: Lugh, Dagda, Brighid, Rhiannon
Meanings: Yang (male) energy, psychic protection, courage in time of strife, empowerment, trusting your instincts.

To see more in this series, click the "celtic divination" tag in the footer of this post.

Slan,
Carolan
Visit my blog!
In The Gloaming: Abhainn's Kiss available now for pre-order from Amazon.com.

Mystical Places: Giant's Causeway

Yet another mysterious, magical, mystical place in the U.K. - the amazing volcanic rock formation known as the Giant's Causeway. How cool is this place?

Wikipedia offers the following:

"The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns resulting from a volcanic eruption. It is located on the North East coast about 3 kilometres (2 miles) north of the town of Bushmills in County Antrim, Northern Ireland."

"Legend has it that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. One version of the legend tells that Finn McCool fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Fionn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over Fionn and pretended he was actually Fionn's baby son (in a variation, Fionn fled after seeing Benandonner's great bulk, and asked his wife to disguise him as the baby.) In both versions, when Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the alleged father, Fionn, must be gigantic indeed. Therefore, Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by Fionn.

Another variation is that Oonagh painted a rock shaped like a steak and gave it to Benandonner, whilst giving the baby (Fionn) a normal steak. When Benandonner saw that the baby was able to eat it so easily, he ran away, tearing up the causeway.

The "causeway" legend corresponds with geological history in as much as there are similar basalt formations (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at the site of Fingal's Cave on the isle of Staffa in Scotland."

Looking at these weird rock formations, it's easy to believe some strange and magical being had to have a hand in creating them. Yet, we know today, they are instead, the magic of nature.

Until our next adventure,
Bianca D'Arc
Come over to the D'Arc side... http://www.biancadarc.com/

Mystical Places: Standing Stones

Standing stones are one of the great mysteries of the stone age. Wikipedia boils it down to this:

"Standing stones, orthostats, liths or more commonly, megaliths because of their large and cumbersome size, are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties. Where they appear in groups together, often in a circular formation, they are sometimes called megalithic monuments. Standing stones are found throughout the world with no known or documented history."

I'm very interested in these structures because standing stones feature prominently in my book, Lords of the Were, and in subsequent stories I'm writing in that same setting. You might also notice the best known of these monuments - Stonehenge - is the current banner for this blog.

There's something mysterious and awe inspiring about these stone rings, and puzzling as well. Why are they there? What was their purpose? Are they really as magical as they seem?

In my books, stone circles are the sites of ancient rites and seats of power for those working on the side of light. You might notice the stones in the distance on my cover for Lords of the Were. The artist, Anne Caine did a wonderful job incorporating all the images I wanted on the cover of this novel. Kudos to her! In this book, the circle of stones is used as a ritual place where the werecreatures gather to celebrate the sabbat of Samhain at the beginning of the story, and later, to work powerful magic against those who would do evil.

A great deal of mysticism and myth has built up around megaliths over the centuries. In fact, many gather at Stonehenge and other sites like it on various pagan holidays to celebrate. One clarification - henges are considered to be slightly different. Again, Wikipedia gives us the definition:

"A henge is a prehistoric architectural structure and is nearly circular or oval-shaped flat area over 20 metres (65 feet) in diameter that is enclosed and delimited by a boundary earthwork that usually comprises a ditch with an external bank. The earthwork permits access to the interior by one, two, or four entrances. Internal components may include portal settings, timber circles, post rings, stone circles, four-stone settings, monoliths, standing posts, pits, coves, post alignments, stone alignments, burials, central mounds, and stakeholes (English Heritage definition).

Because of the defensive impracticalities of an enclosure with an external bank and an internal ditch (rather than vice versa), henges are considered to have served a ritual, rather than a defensive, purpose.

[...]

The word henge is a backformation from Stonehenge, the famous monument in Wiltshire. Stonehenge is not a true henge at all as its ditch runs outside its bank, although there is a small extant external bank as well. This is a modern distinction however, we do not know if ditch placement would have been a significant feature or not to the people who built the monuments."

So the "henge" formation indicates a ritual purpose to scholars who are trying to reverse engineer the function of these amazing structures in the modern world. Regardless of what they are, they seem magical to us today. The idea that Stone Age people could not only create such intricate places, but that they would last so many thousands of years is mind boggling. Yes, I believe, there simply must be some kind of magic involved. Don't you? ;-)

Bianca
http://www.biancadarc.com/

Divination Sunday - The Celtic Ogham

Welcome back to the Hogwart's School Annex!

Today we start a series on divination with the Celtic Ogham, also known as the Tree Alphabet. The Ogham is sometimes confused with Runes, but these are two distinct sets of symbols with differing origins. What they have in common is that both are real alphabets that were used for writing in the ancient languages - in Ogham's case, old Irish and Pictish - and both are now used primarily as divination symbols.

Each letter of the Ogham represents a sacred Druidic tree or plant; the Druids themselves were said to secretly communicate with each other with Ogham hand signs. Divinatory meanings for each symbol are credited to Robert Graves and his book The White Goddess.

So, that's a brief history crammed into a very small nutshell! Before I lose your attention, let's get right into the symbols.

I choose to start with the symbol of "Beith", A) because it's considered the first letter of the Ogham, and B) the heroine in my upcoming novella "Wildish Things" is named Beith. :) Being American, Beith herself pronounces her name "beth", but in Irish it shoulds more like "bayh" or "beh-yeh." This is how the hero, Kellan, pronounces it in the throes of passion.

Ahem.

BEITH

Tree: Silver Birch (betula pendula), the most common birch tree in Europe. One of the first trees to populate a clear-cut area, hence it's association with new beginnings. (Could be any kind of native birch, really.)
Color: White
Planet: Venus
Crystal: White or clear quartz
Bird: Pheasant
Deities: Ogma, the creator of the Ogham. Arianrhod and other forms of the White Goddess.
Meanings: New beginnings, origins, purification, spiritual protection, sources, precedence, warning, writing, eloquence, creativity.

Next time we'll move on to the next letter in the Ogham, "Luis" or rowan. Hopefully SJ will be well enough to rejoin us in a couple weeks!

Leave a comment and I'll hold a drawing for a free three-Ogham reading.

Slan,
Carolan

Abhainn's Kiss, available now from SamhainPublishing.com
Wildish Things, coming Nov. 1 from SamhainPublishing.com
Coming soon: Beaudry's Ghost
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