The Festival of Fire

"Maibaum" by Kristi Malakoff

Hope you're having a blessed and happy Beltane!

Beltane, also known as May Day, is based on an old Celtic holiday. This celebration was mentioned numerous times in Irish mythology and early Irish literature. Some people see this day as the beginning of summer, others as the height of spring. As late as the 1800s, people in Ireland and Scotland would take their cattle and walk around, or jump over, a bonfire as a way to herald the coming summer on this day. At it's core, Beltane is a day that honors life. This is the time of year in which the earth's energy is at it's most fertile.

In Wicca, Beltane is the time of year in which the Horned God and the Great Goddess have their sacred wedding. And with the wedding comes the wedding night. Therefore, this holiday has a huge emphasis on (hetero)sexuality. It's what makes Beltane so great, but it's also what makes Beltane so potentially alienating. What if you want to celebrate with children? What if you're gay? What if you're not dating? Some people can feel completely left out during this holiday. However, there is actually a whole breadth of fun activities that you can use to celebrate Beltane.

• Like most modern Pagan holidays, Beltane is celebrated with a feast. Traditional foods for Beltane include oatmeal, strawberries, dairy, mushrooms, oysters, honey, red wine, fruit punch, herbal greens, venison, mead, and any food traditionally believed to be an aphrodisiac. Sometimes food and drink are offered to the faeries.
• One very well recognized tradition is the Maypole. The pole has a ring of flowers on the top and colored ribbons streaming down. In the Maypole dance, everyone grabs onto the end of a ribbon and then they dance in a circle, weaving in and out of each other so that the ribbons will braid around the pole. In the modern Pagan world this tradition has sexual symbolism, but you don't have to tell the little kids that.
• Flowers are a big part of Beltane. Making and wearing flower crowns is a fun activity. There is also the tradition of leaving flowers on neighbors doors. The May Bush is an old Irish custom that involves decorating a small tree with flowers and ribbon, which may or may not come from an ancient tree rite. Altar decorations can be simple flower arrangements.
• Beltane means "bright fire," so obviously there has to be a bonfire. The flames, smoke, and ashes of a Beltane bonfire are believed to be especially magical. Modern Pagans still jump over the bonfire as a way to purify themselves and increase fertility (use caution when doing this).
• If you are fortunate enough to attend a Beltane festival you'll see many other activities including morris dancing, sword dancing, music, archery competitions, and hobby-horse riding.
• A large part of this holiday is the Great Rite, or going "A-Maying." The Great Rite is a sacred Pagan ritual in which a man and a woman choose to, or are selected to, perform sex magic in the guise of the Horned God and the Great Goddess. This may or may not be performed outside. This may or may not be performed in front of an audience of other Pagans. They are sometimes referred as the May King and Queen. A-Maying is less formal but basically has the same idea: a couple spends the night in the woods together and comes back home with hawthorn branches (hawthorn is very sacred to this holiday). This day can be seen as a sort of Pagan Valentine's Day that honors romantic love.
• But many Pagans use this day to honor any type of love and any type of passion, not just physical love and passion. They celebrate mother-child and friend relationships and encourage new hobbies and goals.
• There is some debate over whether or not this is an appropriate time to get married. Some modern Pagans say that a wedding during the month of May is inauspicious because only a fool would upstage the God and Goddess. But just take a look through Offbeat Bride and you'll see that Beltane weddings are rather popular.
• I feel like I can't talk about this holiday without mentioning the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Judging from the photographs of the event, it's absolutely stunning. They have also started festivals for Imbolc, Lughnasadh, and Samhain, but their Beltane festival remains the biggest. If you're a Pagan who loves to travel and this isn't on your bucket list, then what are you doing with your life?

Enough talk, onto the names:

Mythical beings associated with the season:

Artemis (Greek)

Diana (Roman)

Bacchus (Greek)

Dionysus (Roman)

Cernunnos (Celtic)

Flora (Roman)

Hera (Greek)

Juno (Roman)

Kokopelli (Hopi)

Pan (Greek)

Priapus (Roman)

Greenman (English folkloric)

Maia (Greek)

Aphrodite (Greek)

Venus (Roman)

Freya (Norse)

Balor (Irish)

Other ideas:

Beltane

May

Primavera ("spring")

Mayday

Ember

Phoenix

Hawthorn

Maythorn

Quickthorn

Whitethorn

Birch

Rowan

Lilac

Walburga

Jack (as in Jack-of-the-Green)

Robin (as in Robin Hood)

Primrose

Primeveire ("primrose")

Morris

Vivian ("alive")

Vivienne

Rose

Fiammetta ("little fire")

Spark

Hazel

Bright

Finn ("white")

Galatea ("milky white")

Myrtle

Aiden ("fire")

Cinder

Garland

Roux ("red")

Silver

Crimson

Queen

Regina ("queen")

Reign

Basil ("king")

Rex ("king")

Faye

Parisa ("like a fairy")

Siofra ("elf, sprite")

Alfred ("elf counsel")

Orchid

Euphoria

Joy

Soleil

Sol

Nymphia

Nymphadora

Wilder

Wilde

Fun combo-time:

Jack Maythorn

Rex Wilder

Faye Primavera

Hazel Reign

Artemis Wilde

Finn Silver

Juno Vivienne

Taurus the Steady

 

"Taurus" by Remedios Varo

"A minute's success pays the failure of years."

--Robert Browning, poet, playwright, and Taurus

Many modern Pagans prefer to pick names based on astrological signs. Yes, I know I just finished doing a series of posts very similar to this on the old blog, but this time I'm not limiting myself to thirteen names. Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names by K. M. Sheard is an excellent resource for finding names to go with specific astrological signs, so if you want even more options than the ones I list here go find that book.

Today the sun enters Taurus. This zodiac sign lasts roughly from April 20 to May 20. Like their symbol, the bull, Taurus people are always solid and rooted. They are dependable, steady, and industrious. But they also know how to relax. Taurus people delight in simple sensual pleasures like great food, colorful art, and warm beds. Security and stability is very important to Taurus, and they tend to be very traditional. However, like the bull, they can also have a nasty temper when provoked. In terms of intellect, they can be a little slow (not necessarily stupid, they're just slow thinkers), and very fixed in their opinions. Their desire for security can translate into being possessive, of people as well as things. But if you're willing to look past all that you will have a loyal friend in a Taurus.

Bull names:

Fintan ("white bull")
Byron ("place of cow sheds")
Eniko ("cow" or "deer")
Gopal ("cow protector")
Krishna
Taurina
Volos
Springer ("a cow close to birthing")
Luke
Damaris ("calf, heifer, girl")
Bison

Earth names:

Gaia
Sita
Mythily
Demeter
Octavian
Octavia
Octave
Gardner
Serpentine
George
Georgia
Farmer
Holon
Terra

Blue names:

Blue
Sapphire
Sappho
Azure
Royal
Sunil
Nila
Indigo
Sky
Ocean
Azzurra
Aoi

Time names:

Spring
Primavera
April
Avril
Averil
May
Maya

Attribute names:

Paz
Pax
Peace
Erato ("lovely")
Amanda ("lovable")
Valentine ("strong, vigorous, healthy")
Valentino
Valentina
Comfort
Adagio ("at ease")
Bellamy ("beautiful friend")
Bonamy ("good friend")
Amy ("friend")
Mungo ("gentle, kind")
Carys ("love")
Concordia ("harmony")
Concord
Solomon ("peace")
Salem
Placid
Placida
Placido
Zosimus ("likely to survive")
Zosime
Ruth ("friend")
Fidel ("loyal")
Zeal

Other ideas:

Ursa
Ursula
Florence
Hawthorne
Geoffrey
Amadeus
Baldwin
Emerald
Orchid
Philip
Hazel
Peridot
Quentin
Freya
Swan
Olive
Huxley
Paloma
Lavender
Tallulah
Mary
Atlas
Jasmine
Shiloh
Langston
Briar
Orlando
Albion
Leopold
Susan
Oberon
Juniper

Name Magpie: Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm thirty years old. I don't know how that happened. I must have left my time turner at my parents house. It's okay, my birthday trip to Harry Potter land in Orlando is helping to sooth the pain. In the meantime, here's some new name gifts that the world has given me:

Nightsky.  Names 4 Real is a great resource on interesting middle names. She found a boy named Nicholas Nightsky, and I am into it.

Huguette. There is a biography out called Empty Mansions: the Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune. Apparently she was a wealthy heiress and philanthropist who lived to be 104. Interesting name except...how is it pronounced exactly? Huge-et? Nope, it's closer to Hugh-ette. Still, it might be a stinker of a name to try to bring back.

Rabbie. A variant of Robert that caught my eye when everyone was posting Irish names during Saint Patrick's Day. Behind the Name says that it's Scottish, but perhaps it's widely used in Ireland?

Pasco. I'm not sure how I never heard of this, and I have Waltzing More Than Matilda to thank for bringing it to my attention. It's a variant of Pascal, which means "relating to Easter."

Thais. Well, I'm not sure how I missed this one either. Thais is a Greek name that possibly means "bandage." It was the name of a famous courtesan during the time of Alexander the Great. It's currently a top 100 favorite in France.

Akoya. This one stuck out to me when I made the Claire Pettibone round-up. It may or may not be Japanese for "seawater," but it is definitely the name of a type of pearl/oyster.

6 Naming Rules that Make Me Go "Huh?"

Fellow name enthusiasts, I like you guys. You enable my obsession, after all. But sometimes the things you say make it seem that you...how do I put this delicately...have a tendency to overthink things. Take, for instance, "how to name your baby" posts that I see time and time again. They're designed to be "helpful," I suppose, but they're more of a window into the values of the people who wrote them if you ask me. In the interest of providing a variety of opinions, here are some common naming "rules" that I have very different feelings about:

1. "A name is off limits once a celebrity uses it for their baby."

Um, why? Do you live in Hollywood? Do you know this famous family personally? No? Then this should not be a concern at all.

Part of the reason this "rule" exists is because people are worried that a name will shoot up the popularity charts once a famous person uses it. In some cases this is true, but it's not like Shiloh immediately became the new Sophia after Angelina Jolie gave it to her daughter. Becoming a top 100 name is a process that takes years if not decades. Another thing I hear a lot is the worry that all of their friends will believe that the namer is copying the celebrity. If that happens, just explain that that's not the case. If they still don't get it, then you need better friends.

If you love the names North, Shiloh, Valor, or Esmeralda, use them. Don't worry so much about the little people in the TV.

2. "The last letter of the first name should not be the same as the first letter of the middle/last name, otherwise it will be too difficult to pronounce."

Say this name aloud: Christopher Robin. Did you have trouble with that?

Don't get me wrong, sometimes the same sounds together can be a problem. But this "rule" is not ironclad. It's more of a case-by-case guideline. So don't just assume. Say the name aloud a few times.

3. "Children should be given names that will help them succeed in the corporate world."

Okay, great! Here's my suggestions: Li, Hiroshi, Mohammed, and Arjun. ...What? That wasn't what you had in mind? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that they had time machines in the 1950s.

4. "Rule out names with bad childhood associations because you'll never get over them."

Again, not necessarily true in all cases. I always roll my eyes when people say that a name is bad because it was given to a Disney villain (Ursula comes to mind). I love the name Marceline even though I vaguely remember that a girl named Marcy bullied me in second grade. Perhaps this depends on how good your memory is. But if that kid that barfed on you when you were seven is enough to keep you from a name you love then you have a problem with grudges.

5. "Make sure that a traditional/formal name is on the birth certificate as an 'insurance policy.' You can always call them whatever other name you want."

With all due respect to other name bloggers and those who have done this with their own kids' names (I know this is a fairly common thing to do), but I believe this advice is misleading and unrealistic. I also thinks that this "rule" comes from the fear that a unique name is going to hold them back in some way which, as we see time and time again, isn't always a concern based in reality.

Here's why this tactic almost never works: parents don't get to pick the nicknames. That's up to the child and his peer group. Therefore, the only guarantee that a child will be called something is to make it his real name.

If you just love formal names with a myriad of unusual nickname options that's a different, and completely valid, thing. If you just like traditional names with a history, that's also valid. But the push for "serious" legal names is counter-productive when you really just want to use the unique name.

6. "Family honor names should automatically trump all other names."

No, that is definitely not true for everyone. And depending on the family, this could lead to more drama and regret than it's worth. I don't even believe in fulfilling the obligation with a middle name if that's outside of the parent's comfort zone. Or, let's just call a spade a spade, if it's outside the mother's comfort zone. More often than not, it is the father and the father's family that is invested in the honor names. Not everyone values tradition, and that should be given equal respect.

Aries the Warrior

"Ram's Head, White Hollyhock and Little Hills" by Georgia O'Keefe

"Hope, like faith, is nothing if it is not courageous; it is nothing if it is not ridiculous."

--Thornton Wilder, playwright, novelist, and Aries

Many modern Pagans prefer to pick names based on astrological signs. Yes, I know I just finished doing a series of posts very similar to this on the old blog, but this time I'm not limiting myself to thirteen names. Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names by K. M. Sheard is an excellent resource for finding names to go with specific astrological signs, so if you want even more options than the ones I list here go find that book.

Today the sun sign shifts into Aries and it will last from approximately March 20 to April 19. My zodiac is filled with almost all Aries and Scorpio, so this is a very special sign for me. Aries is considered to be the "first" sign, which is a hint to their personality traits. Aries are direct people who value innovation and being the first to accomplish a task. They always need to be doing something. They like quick action, planning isn't really their forte. They tend to live in the moment. Aries are also known for their courage and independence. Like the ram, Aries like to face their problems head on. Aries is considered to be the "youngest" sign (although technically Aries is "born" first, I never understood how that worked), therefore they always maintains a certain youthfulness throughout their lives. Sometimes to the point of immaturity. The bad side to an Aries' childlike qualities is that they could be narcissistic, self involved, and naïve. However, when they're in balance their inner warrior will allow them to accomplish anything.

Ram names:

Jubilee ("ram's horn")
Ovid
Amun
Ishtar
Thor
Faun
Agnes ("lamb")

Warrior names:

Hero
Paladin
Athena
Minerva
Earl
Bellatrix
Charles
Oya
Morrigan
Bast
Duncan
Perseus
Krishna
Nike
Indra
Achilles
Beowulf
Gonzalo
Hera
Clovis
Ajax
Theseus
Gunnar
Viggo
Koa

Fire names:

Phoenix
Seraphina
Seraphim
Vesta
Blaze
Smoky
Ember
Draco
Drake
Sirius

Time names:

March
Mars
Marceline
April
Avril
Averil
Spring
Primavera
Equinox
Ostara
Eostre
Easter
Una

Red, white, and black names:

Roux
Flannery
Garnet
Ruby
Rohit
Russell
Fox
Rhydian
Gwen
Albion
Galatea
Blanche
Haku
Finn
Sable
Raven
Nox
Shadow
Jet
Onyx

Attribute names:

Brave
Bravery
Wilder
Wilde
Valor
Verity ("truth")
True
Junius ("youth")
Neo
Nova
Novella
Fergus ("man of vigor")
Mohan ("bewitching")
Mohandas
Regulus ("little king")
Ferelith ("true ruler")
Rex
Fabrice ("craftsman")
Resolute
Courage
Leopold ("bold people")
Admetus ("untamed")
Melchior ("king city")
Lorcan ("little fierce one")
Noble
Adelaide ("noble kind")

Other ideas:

Genevieve
Aslan
Hawthorn
Eagle
Tigerlily
Nephele
Opal
Richard
Pendragon
Clove
Betony
Thorne
Sabin
Sabine
Dominique
Domino
Fern
Sappho
Alice
Godric
Conor
Fifer
Lilac
Zephyr
Leveret
Theodore
Theodora
Firebrace
Rue
Tempest

The Beginning of Spring

"Feeding the Rabbits" by Frederick Morgan

Blessed Ostara, or Eostre if you prefer!

Ostara is a holiday based on ancient Germanic traditions and takes place on the Vernal Equinox. This time of year is synonymous with rebirth and rejuvenation in many spiritual traditions. Night and day are balanced, and the Earth is starting to awake from her winter slumber. In Wicca, the Horned God and Great Goddess are a young couple, and this is the time in which the next years Horned God is conceived.

The patron deity for this holiday is obviously Ostara/Eostre. Eostre was the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn who frequently took the form of a white hare (see the connection?). Her name is where the words "east" and "Easter" come from. Unfortunately, we don't know a lot about her in terms of how she was honored in ancient times. She is a "lost" deity, we know she existed but we don't know her mythology. All of the stories about her were made recently.

This time of year is a bit of a soft spot for me. I was born on Easter Sunday so a lot of my birthday parties growing up were Easter themed. I just loved the symbolism of the rabbits and the colorful eggs, and it's lucky that that's carried on into my adopted religion. It's cute to be born on a holiday as a child. As I've grown older I've come to like it less and less (you can't exactly do much on your birthday if all your friends are with their families and everything is closed).

In any case, many Ostara traditions are going to look familiar to outsiders:

• Traditional foods for an Ostara feast are eggs, ham, asparagus, leafy green vegetables, honey, mead, candy, dairy, hare/rabbit, chocolate, and breads. However, a lot of modern Pagans prefer to fast on this day instead, as a way to clear out toxins that were stored in the body during winter.
• Painting and searching for colored eggs is a beloved tradition. The practice of dying eggs reaches back to the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks. In Europe, eggs were often used in folk magic made to bless women with children, since eggs are such an obvious symbol of fertility. Many modern Pagans try to make their own dye from natural materials. While some believe that the tradition of the Easter Egg hunt might have roots in some nasty history (in particular the trading of money for the eggs), we tend to let it slide.
• A slight variation to the above tradition is hollowing the eggs out to insert a fortune or confetti (or both!) inside of it. The downside of this is that the lovely painted eggs will have to be broken in order to read the fortunes.
• Eggs can be used for a whole assortment of crafts. There's eggshell candles, eggshell garden cups, egg wreaths, and egg hats.
• Since springtime has officially begun, this is a good time to plant seeds or start a magical garden. It's also a nice time to fill your home with baskets of local flowers.
• I think most children would rebel if there weren't any chocolate bunnies. Why not try making your own? Modern Pagans must remember to leave one on the alter for the Goddess.

Enough of that, on with the names:

Mythical beings associated with the season:

Ostara (Germanic)

Eostre (Teutonic)

Eos (Greek)

Freya (Norse)

Osiris (Egyptian)

Artemis (Greek)

Diana (Roman)

Cybele (Anatolian/Roman)

Aurora (Roman)

Mithras (Zoroastrian)

Coyote (Native American)

Raven (Native American)

Ishtar (Babylonian)

Venus (Roman)

Aphrodite (Greek)

Faunus (Roman)

Pan (Greek)

Kore (Greek)

Isis (Egyptian)

Astarte (Mesopotamian)

Other associations:

Spring

Primavera

March

Jonquil

Xanthe ("yellow")

Xanthus

Coral

Coraline

Coralie

Violet

Iris

Hyacinth

Flavia ("yellow, golden")

Flavian

Ochre

Lourdes ("pale yellow")

Lemon

Crocus

Rabbit

Ester

Harlan ("hare land")

Leveret ("young hare")

Bunny

Catkin

Taliesin

Easton

Dawn

Primrose

Donna ("lady")

Matrona ("lady")

Junius ("youth")

Mabyn ("youth")

Ash

Birch

Shashi ("having a hare")

Sahar ("dawn")

Zora ("dawn")

Alder

Flora

Anemone

Lily

Robin

Narcissus

Narcissa

Forsythia

Pascal

Lark

Serpentine

Bluebell

Woodruff

Olive

Peony

Chloe ("green shoot")

Haru ("spring")

Midori ("green")

Fawn

Undine

Jasper

Moonstone

Fun combo time:

Jasper Harlan

Zora Lark

Pascal Woodruff

Artemis March

Junius Leveret

Midori Fawn

Flora Lourdes

"So much universe, and so little time."

Two days ago Sir Terry Pratchett died, and there has been an outpouring of love and grief from both nerds and Pagans. For those who aren't familiar with his work, Terry Pratchett was a fantasy author best known for his Discworld novels. His work was heavily inspired by mythology and magic and his fans feel in love with his hilarious wit and great insight. Pratchett himself was an Atheist, so it's a little ironic that so many Pagans point to his work as an major influence in their spirituality. Pratchett had been suffering from Alzheimer's for some time now, so this was expected. But it's still sad.

I'm going to be honest. The only Terry Pratchett book I've read is The Hogfather, which is amazing. I am told that The Wyrd Sisters is required reading for all Pagans, so I'll be sure to get to that. But for now, I've collected some of the names of the characters that sprang from his marvelous imagination:

Rufus
 
Sybil
 
Havelock
 
Gaspode
 
Ponder
 
Agnes

Esmeralda
 
Tomjon
 
Eskarina
 
Lily
 
Verence
 
Io

Mort
 
Ysabell
 
Lucy
 
Tiffany
 
Roland
 
Letice
 
Otto

Adora
 
Bluejohn
 
Rosemary
 
Errol
 
Setha
 
Inigo
 
Verity
 
Roberta

Gunder
 
Findthee
 
Mica
 
Reynold
 
Lupine
 
Stoker
 
Drum
 
Cohen
 
Bethan
 
Juliet
 
Glenda
 
Marmaric
 
Desiderata
 
Olwyn
 
Lias
 
Myria
 
Tolliver
 
Gladys
 
Xeno
 
Sally
 
Igor
 
Rhys
 
Wolfgang
 
Serafine
 
Achmed
 
Lorenzo
 
Carelinus
 
Quimby
 
Methodia
 
Silver
 
Leiv
 
Nisodemus
 
Crowley
 
Sacco
 
Milo
 
Solomon