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Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 11, 2014 at 5:02pm

May
~ Hare Moon ~

Also called: Merry or Dryad Moon, Bright Moon, Flower Moon, Frogs Return Moon, Thrimilcmonath (Thrice-Milk Month), Sproutkale, winnemanothe (Joy Month), Planting Moon, Moon When the Ponies Shed.

The Greek goddess Maia, the most important of the Seven Sisters (the Pleiades) and said to be the mother of Hermes, gave the name to this month. some for of this goddess's name was known t people from Ireland to as far away as India. The Romans called her Maius, goddess of Summer and honored her at the Ambarvalia, a family festival for purification and protection of farm land.

In the Celtic cultures, May was called Mai or Maj, a month of sexual freedom. Green was worn during this month to honor the Earth Mother. May 1 was the Celtic festival of Beltane, a festival ceebrating fertility of all thngs. Cattle were driven through the Beltane bonfires for purification and fertility. In Wales, Creiddylad was connected with this festival and often called the May Queen. They maypole and its dance is a remnant of these old festivities.

The Shiela Na Gig is still seen carved in the decorations of many Irish churches. This goddess figure is a grotesque, often emanciated woman shown squatting and holding wide her private parts. Many Irish still know her as the protector of the poor and hang old clothes on hawthorn bushes on May 4; this is believe to avert poverty. It is possible tha the Australian term "Shiela," used as a name for any woman, refers to this ancient diety and her carvings.

Bona Dea, the Roman Good Goddess, had her festival on the night between May 2 and 3. No men were allowed to attend.

The Roman Festival of Lemuria was to placate and remember the Lemures, or the wandering spirits of the dead.Each family performed its own private ceremonies, which ended with taking gifts to the graves. For those who had died and had no graves, the head of the household walked barefoot through the houe, casing nine black beans behind him.

The Greeks had a special festival for the god Pan during May. Pan was a wild looking deity, half man, half goat. As a token of his frequent sexual adventures, he was shown with an erect penis. Pan invented the syrinx, or pan-pipes, made out of reeds. Orignally, he was not an oppressor of women but their loving companion.

May 19-28 was the solemn Greek festival called Kallynataria and Plynteria. This was devoted to the cleaning and feshening of sacred statues and temples. The statues small enough to be moved, were taken to a nearby river or lake and washed until clean. This was serious business with no singing or merry-making.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 11, 2014 at 5:02pm

At the end of the month wa a Roman celebratin honoring the Underworld Quen Prosperina and her consort Pluto. Proserpina ruled over the resting place of the shades (souls), but her kingdom was connected with more than death. Pluto was also known as the diety of hidden wealth.

In Finland, May 1 was celebrated as Rowan Witch Day, a time of honoring the goddess Rauni, who was associated with the mountain ash or rowan. Twigs and branches of the rowan were, and still are, used as protection against evil in this parot othe world. Some sources list Rauni as a god.

The Slavonic-Russian cultures had similar, but longer, festival celebrating merriment, rivers and well-being. This occurred between May 25 and June 25. Originally, it honored the goddess Lada, who later was changed to the god Lado.

Mugwort was a sacred herb in China and Europe. As part of the celebration on May 5, the Chinese made dolls out of the leaves. They hung these dolls above the gates and door to repel negative influences and entities.

In Tibet, an old Naute festival fo the beginning of Summer and the rain deities became a celebration of Buddha's death and his attainment of Buddha-hood. The attainment festival occurered on May 8, while celebration of Buddha's death was on May 15. Deceased realitives were prayed for at this time.

The Incas held Aymoray Quilla or Hatun Cuzqui, which was the Great Cultivation.

Correspondences:

Nature Spirits: faeries, elves
Herbs: dittany of Crete, elder, mint, rose, mugwort, thyme, yarrow
Colors: green, brown, pink
Flowers: lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom
Scents: rose, sandalwood
Stones: emerald, malachite, amber, carnelian
Trees: hawthorn
Animals: cats, lynx, leopard
Birds: swallow, dove, swan
Deities: Bast, Venus, Aphrodite, Maia, Diana, Artemis, Pan, Horned God
Power Flow: full creating energy; propagation. Intuition, contact with faeries and other supernatural beings. Strengthen connection with supernatural protectors and being around you. Power flowing from the Greenwood Gods and trees.

DJ Conway ~ Moon Magic ~ May