PAGAN PRIDE HARVEST CELEBRATION TO OBSERVE AUTUMN
When: Sep. 23rd. 2006
Where: Ft Lauderdale, Florida
Ft Lauderdale Pagan Pride Day 2006
Event Details: The public is invited to the Broward County, Florida, Pagan Pride Day Celebration 2005 Family Picnic/FOOD DRIVE, on September 23, 2006, noon to dark, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ft. Lauderdale, 3970 NW 21st Ave. (between Commercial and Oakland Park) , Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33309, 954-484-6734. The event is open to the public, and the admission is non-perishable food items and clothing, to be donated to the Cooperative Feeding Program of Broward County. There will be Workshops on pagan subjects, vendors, and Drumming. Families are welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring drums and percussion instruments for the drumming circle.
Note: The celebration's primary focus is the 5:30 PM Autumnal (Autumn) Equinox Sun Celebration Circle. Anyone wishing to stay and participate is welcome.
Walking the Labyrinth is an outside activity.
Activities in Air Conditioned Facilities:
Fun and Games for kids of all ages - Face Painting - Story Tellers
Vendors (Ceramics, Drums, Henna Artist, Food, Jewlry, Massage Therapist, Psychic, Reiki Healing, Rune Reading, Sarongs, Soaps, Tarot Reading, T-Shirts, and various merchandise.)
Pagan Education - Networking with other Pagans
Drumming (bring your drums/musical instruments)
Picnic (bring your own food and drinks)
Food Drive (non perishable food/clothing donated to the Cooperative Feeding Program )
This year the Fall Equinox is September 23, 2006, 04:02 AM, when the Sun is directly over the Earth's equator and enters zero degrees Libra.
The full moon in the month of September is called the Harvest Moon, and farmers would harvest their crops by this moonlight as part of the Second Harvest celebration. This year the Harvest Moon is 7:42 PM September 07, 2006.
This is the second of three pagan harvest festivals. The other two being August 1st (MidSummer) and November 1st (MidAutumn) .
The Autumn Equinox is the official first day of Fall and a time of thanksgiving in many Pagan traditions. The autumnal equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator on it's apparent journey southward, and we experience a day and a night that are of equal duration. As day and night are of equal length on the Equinox, it is a time of equilibrium, moving toward the dark half of the year.
The food drive held in conjunction with this festival is a way to give thanks for the abundance of the year, and share that abundance with others. Food and clothing donations for the Cooperative Feeding Program will be taken during the event itself.
The Autumn Equinox Sun Celebration ceremony will be a simple expression of thanks combined with wishes for continued abundance, and blessing the results of the food drive before it is given away.
Modern Paganism, or Neo-Paganism, is a growing religious movement based on combinations of ancient polytheism, modern eco-spirituality, and reverence for the Divine as both masculine and feminine. Some of the more common traditions include Wicca or Neo-Pagan Witchcraft, Heathen, Asatru, Strega, Druidic spiritual paths, Goddess-Worshippers, and other earth-centered religions. Practitioners are found in all walks of life from professionals to homemakers, and simply enjoy celebrating a religion that emphasizes respect for nature, humanity, and oneself.
The International Pagan Pride Project was started in 1998 and is an organization focused on educating the public about Earth-based spiritualities in order to allay misconceptions and promote religious freedom. The Ft Lauderdale celebration started in 1999 and is sponsored by The Moon Path Chapter of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) , and coordinated by Sophia Letourneau, sophialinus@hotmail.com on behalf of all Pagan-pathed individuals in the South Florida area.
Last year, 2005, in its eighth year of operation, the Pagan Pride Project's organized celebrations of Pagan Pride Day set new records for total attendance and charitable collections.
Charities supported included numerous local homeless shelters, women's shelters, interfaith food banks, no-kill animal shelters, the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, AIDS support agencies and shelters, and local blood banks.
For more information about the event or about Pagan religions:
Moon Path Chapter of CUUPS
MoonPathCUUPS.org Questions? Contact spelcastor@aol.com
Ft Lauderdale Pagan Pride Day
www.geocities.com/sophialinus/PaganPrideDay.htmlQuestions? Contact sophialinus@hotmail.com, or 954-984-4183
International Pagan Pride Project
www.paganpride.orgQuestions? Contact dagonet@paganpride.org 317-536-3145
The ancient Egyptians had both a lunar 'spiritual' calendar, and a seasonal 'civil' 365 day calendar, which was divided into three seasons of four months each. Each month consisted of 30 days (3 weeks of 10 days per week) . At the end of the 'civil' year, five additional 'spiritual' days were added to the civil calendar for the birth of the Goddesses/Gods. An extra day would be added as needed.
The heliacal rise of Sirius just before dawn was an extremely important event for the Ancient Egyptians. The first visibility of the star Sirius on the morning sky, called heliacal rising, fell close to the Inundation of the Nile and was the beginning of the Ancient Egyptian seasonal year. The first new moon after the heliacal rising was the begining of the lunar year. 3, 000 years ago the heliacal rising was in early July, currently it is around August 1st. Each lunar month was named after an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, God, or major festival. In a year with 13 new moons, the 13th lunar month was added to the end of the year.
The Ancient Egyptian first lunar month from August 23, 2006 to September 21, 2006 is Tekhy/Djehuty/Thoth (Thuthy) . Sacred to Thoth/Tekhi/Tehuti, the ibis-headed moon God of truth, writing, and figuring things. Day one is the Feast of Thoth, Opet: The marriage of Ammon-Re to his wife Ammonet. The Birth of Aten is day three.
Holy to Sekhmet (The destructive form of Hathor.) The Mysteries of Osiris Festival and the Feast of Lights of Isis are held this month.
There is evidence that indicates that this Festival is the true "Festival of Intoxication." The possible mistaken belief that it honors Thoth not Hathor/Sekhmet stems from the fact that the feast falls in the month of Thoth. Strong evidence points to the myth recounting the destruction of mankind as the basis for this festival. According to this story, in order to end Hathor’s bloody rampage, Re tricked her into drinking beer laced with mandrake and red ocher. He flooded Egypt with this drugged beer. Hathor/Sekhmet, thinking it was blood, consumed so much of it that she became drunk and passed out, and she lost interest in destroying humanity. The yearly Innundation by the Nile, with its rich, red silt, is the earthly re-enactment of this flood of beer. This feast of intoxication is the ancient Egyptian's "October fest."
The Ancient Egyptian second lunar month from September 22, 2006 to October 21, 2006 is Menhet/pA-n-IpAt/Phaophi (Paopy) . Sacred to Ptah/Menkhet, the sun God and universal architect God who commanded all the Gods into existence, patron of masons; consort of Sekhmet and father of Nefertem. Day one is the Holy day of Re. Great feast of all gods and goddesses is on day six. Procession of Bast and the birth of Nut is day ten.
The name of the ancient Egyptian first seasonal month for August 1 to August 30 is Akhet I when there would be Inundation.
The name of the ancient Egyptian second seasonal month for August 30 to September 29 is Akhet II when there would be Inundation.
The ancient Hellenic lunar months would start on the new moon and a new day would start at sunset. The new year would start on the new moon before the Autumn Equinox. Except for Athens which used the new moon following the summer solstice. I use the Autumn Equinox and the lunar month of Boedromion for my calculations for the new year. In a year with 13 new moons, the 13th lunar month was inserted between the 4th (Poseideon) and 5th (Gamelion) lunar months around December/January. A different Goddess/God was honored for the full moon of the month.
The Ancient Hellenic first lunar month, and start of the new year, from August 23, 2006 to September 21, 2006 is Boedromion and the full moon on September 07, 2006 is dedicated to Hestia (Vesta) , the Goddess of the hearth. The Boedromia Festival was held on the 7th in honor of Apollo. Other Festivals were: Day 2 was the Niketeria festival in honor of Nike; Day 4 there was a 'sacrifice by the Attikos deme Erkhia to Basile' in honor of Basile in Erchia. The sacrifice was without wine and may have been connected with the festival of Genesia on day 5 in honor of the dead; Day 6 in honor of the birthday of Artemis Agrotera was the Kharisteria; Demokratia, a festival in honour of democracy, established after the restoration of democracy in Athenai in 403 BCE following the rule of the Thirty Tyrants probably took place on the 12th day; preparatory for the Great Mysteries of Eleusis were the 13th and 14th and the Great Mysteries of Eleusis were from the 15th to the 21st; On the 17th or 18th was the Epidauria, a festival in honour of Asklepios (Asclepius) ; On the 27th day was the 'Sacrifice to Athene at Atic deme of Teithras' and also a 'Sacrifice to the Nymphs, Achelous, Alochus, Hermes & Gaia at Erchia'.
The Ancient Hellenic second lunar month from September 22, 2006 to October 21, 2006 is Pyanepsion and the full moon on September 07, 2006 is dedicated to Aris (Mars) , the God of war and sports.
There were many festivals during the month of Pyanepsion.
The Apatyria is 3 or 4 consecutive days and each Phratria (Clan) determines when its Apatyria ("Feast of the Common Fatherhood") will be held;
Proerosia (things before the time of tillage) on the 5th is a festival for Demeter's blessings in preparation for the ploughing and sowing at the beginning of the agricultural season.
The Pyanepsia (boil beans) is on the 7th held in honor of Pythian Apollo/Phoebos Apollo/Helios (Sun) /Horai (Hours) and is a festival of late autumn fruit gathering that seeks divine blessings for the autumn sowing; Apollo is honored in Delphi in summer.
Also on the 7th is the Oskhophoria, a vintage and wine-pressing festival, in thanks to Dionysos; Dionysos is honored in Delphi in winter.
Theseia, the son of Poseidon, is honored on the 8th;
the Stenia on the 9th, is a nocturnal women's festival for Demeter and Persephone in preparation for the Thesmophoria which is from the 11th to the 13th.
The Khalkeia on the 29th honors Athena.
The Roman calendar was originally lunar. The first days was the kalends (from which the modern word calendar is derived) , the first quarter was the nones, and the full moon was the ides. A crown of flowers was hung over the hearth, and sacrifices were made to the Lares, or household gods on the kalends, nones, ides, and all feast days. The waning moon was the unlucky part of the month and had no name. The days were numbered backward from the first of the next month.
The ancient Roman cival calendar consisted of 10 months in a year of 304 days. The Romans seem to have ignored the remaining 61 days, which fell in the middle of winter, the unmarked "Terror Time". The 10 months were named Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December.
September is the seventh month of the ancient Roman cival calendar. The name of the month of September is derived from the Latin word for seven, septem. It was temporarily renamed Germanicus in honor of the Emperor Domitian's victories over marauding German tribes. The original name of September was reinstated after Domitian fell from favor.
Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome circa 700 BC, added the two months Januarius "January" and Februarius "February". This made the Roman year 355 days long. He also moved the beginning of the year from Marius to Januarius.
Autumn (or Autumnal) Equinox observences, fesitvals, and/or celebrations in September are: Mabon, the Fall Equinox, the Second Harvest Festival, Festival of Dionysus, Wine Harvest, Cornucopia, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega) , and Alban Elfed (Caledonii, or Druidic - celebrating the Lord of the Mysteries) . The Teutonic name for this period is Winter Finding, which spans from the Equinox itself until Winter Night, on October 15. Winter Night is the Norse New Year. Ancient Native Americans built stone structures which marked the sun rise/set of the Autumn Equinox.
Goddesses and Gods associated with this Celebration include all Wine Deities - particularly Dionysus and Bacchus, and Aging Deities. Emphasis might also be placed on the Goddess in Her aspect of the Mother (Demeter is a good example) , Persephone (Queen of the Underworld and daughter of Demeter) , and Thor (Lord of Thunder in Norse mythology) . Some other Autumn Equinox Goddesses include Modron, Morgan, Snake Woman, Epona, Pamona, and the Muses. Some other appropriate Gods are Mabon, Thoth, Hermes, and Hotei.
Some traditions of Wicca named this Autum Equinox Sun Celebration for the Welsh God Mabon (MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon or MAH-bawn) , son of Modron (‘Son, son of Mother’) , also known as Maponus in Britain and Gaul. Mabon symbolized the male fertilizing principle in the Welsh myths. Some mythologists equate him as the male counterpart for the Greek Goddess Persephone. The story of his imprisonment and release is told in the tale Kulwch and Olwen (found in The Mabinogion) . With the coming of the Romans, Mabon became associated with Apollo (as Maponus/Apollo) and acquired his attributes of God of the Sun, Music, and Hunting.
At this point in the Wheel of the Year, two appropriate mythological legends are that of Mabon and Modron, and the story of Demeter, Persephone and Hades. According to one Greek myth, Autumn begins when Persephone returns to the Underworld to live with her husband, Hades. Modron, Mabon's mother, is like Demeter, the Great Goddess, Guardian of the Otherworld, Protector, and Healer. She is Earth itself.
The Year is divided into Quarters by the Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and the Fall Equinox. Halfway beteen the Solstice and and Equinox is the Cross Quarter. These Quarters and Cross Quarters are called the Wheel of the Year of the Sun.
The Fall Equinox is one of the 4 Quarter Sun Celebrations in the Wheel of the Year. It is halfway between 2 Cross Quarter Sun Celebrations, August 1st (MidSummer) and November 1st (MidAutumn) . Exactly opposite the Spring Equinox on the wheel of the year.
The eight Sun Celebrations in the Wheel of the Year are:
Wiccan name:
Samhain November 1 (Cross Quarter)
Yule December 20-22 (Winter Solstice)
Imbolc Feburary 2 (Cross Quarter)
Ostara March 20-22 (Spring Equinox)
Beltaine May 2 (Cross Quarter)
Litha June 20-22 (Summer Solstice)
Lammas August 1 (Cross Quarter)
Mabon September 20-22 (Autumn Equinox) Alban Elfed
Event Location: 3970 NW 21st Ave. in Ft Lauderdale
Event TIME Details: noon to dark
Directions: One mile south of NW Commercial Blvd and One mile North of NW Oakland Blve
Phone: (954) 484 6734
Website:
www.geocities.com/sophialinus/Mabon.htmlWebsite II:
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