A Midsummer Dream

"The Quarrel of Titania and Oberon" by Sir Joseph Noel Paton

Blessed Litha, everyone! Although I do prefer the term Midsummer for this holiday, probably because of the Shakespeare play. It's just more poetic.

Litha marks the day of the Summer Solstice. Many cultures in Ancient Europe had a solstice celebration, but they were particularly important in northern countries like Sweden, Norway, and Latvia. It's still celebrated with great enthusiasm in that region (most likely under the name of St. John's Day). Wiccans believe that during this day the Horned God, as represented by the sun, is at the height of his power.

There is no one god or goddess that is especially important on this day. But you might remember the Holly King/Oak King mythology of the Winter Solstice, which says that the old Holly King is slain by the youthful Oak King. Well on the Summer Solstice, the opposite happens. The kings do battle again and this time the Holly King wins. This day is also a good time to honor any kind of sun god, obviously.

In many ways, Midsummer celebrations look quite similar to Beltane. You still make and wear flower crowns, build a bonfire, and dance around a maypole. But there are a few differences:

• A good way to celebrate the power of the sun and take advantage of all the daytime hours is by spending lots of time outside. This holiday coincides with Renaissance Fair season, which is like catnip to Modern Pagans. If you live in an area that has them, try to find some fireflies at night.
• Another way to celebrate the solstice is by inviting friends for an cookout. Common foods for this holiday include watermelon, strawberries, peaches, lemons, oranges, pineapple, broccoli, leafy greens, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, grilled meats, smoked fish, milk, cheese, pastries, and ice cream.
• This holiday is very much associated with faerie folk, probably more than any other Wiccan holiday. It's very common to dress up as a fairy, make fairy houses, and perform rituals based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Sun related crafts are popular this time of year. You could make sun wheels with colored yarn, ribbons, or paper. They're good for decorating an altar.
• In some countries they release floating lanterns on the night of the Summer Solstice. Yes, like the ones from Tangled.
• Midsummer is a good time to make spells relating to fertility, marriage, protection, communication with the faerie realm, and manifesting goals.

Enough talk, onto the names!

Mythical beings associated with the season:

Oak King (Celtic)

Holly King (Celtic)

Greenman (English folkloric)

Juno (Roman)

Lugh (Celtic)

Aphrodite (Greek)

Venus (Roman)

Apollo (Greek/Roman)

Freya (Norse)

Ra (Egyptian)

Bastet/Bast (Egyptian)

Horus (Egyptian)

Sunna/Sol (Norse)

Helios (Greek)

Hyperion (Greek)

Kali (Hindu)

Pele (Hawaiian)

Vesta (Roman)

Amaterasu (Japanese)

Other ideas:

Midsummer

Lithe

Solstice

Soleil

Sunny

Somerled

Sunrise

Sunshine

Sunday

Suvi

Anatole ("sunrise")

Marisol

Ravi

Faye

Mab

Oberon

Titania

Lysander

Lysandra

Demetrius

Hermia

Theseus

Hippolyta

Puck

Robin

Wren

Emerald

Jade

John

Dandelion

Heliodore ("gift of the sun")

Heliodora

Avery

Alfred ("elf council")

Aubrey ("elf ruler")

Auberon

Elvin ("elf friend")

Siofra ("elf, sprite")

Parisa ("fairy")

Momo ("peach")

Thyme

Rose

Gardenia

Draco

Revel

Revelry

Golden

Phoenix

Pazia ("golden")

Eve

Wisteria

Firefly

Dragonfly

Natsumi ("sunny beauty")

Clemency

Fallow

Lux ("light")

Haru ("sun, sunlight")

Samson ("sun")

Super fun combo time:

John Demetrius

Hermia Sunrise

Faye Firefly

Anatole Phoenix

Natsumi Lux

Samson Lysander

Cancer the Compassionate

"Crab Canon" by M.C. Escher

 

"...Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up."

--Pearl S. Buck, novelist and Cancer

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 of Cancer begins. This sign lasts from June 21 to July 22, depending on the year. Cancers have one of the more compassionate and mothering signs in the zodiac, but that doesn't mean that they're are pushovers. Like their symbol, the crab, Cancers have a strong survival instinct and are very protective of themselves and those they love. Cancers like security and alone time. They are private, sensitive people who only open up to trusted friends. They can also be sentimental about objects with a history attached to them. One negative character trait of Cancers is that they don't handle conflict very well. When their feelings are hurt (which will happen often as Cancers are very sensitive) they tend to react by withdrawing. They also have a reputation for being moody. But if you manage to stay on their good sides, Cancers are caring and dependable friends.

Cancer might be the hardest zodiac sign to make a list for because there really aren't any "crab" names in existence. Fortunately, Cancer is ruled by the moon, and there are a lot of "moon" names:

Moon Names:

Luna
Amaluna
Altaluna
Artemis
Diana
Chandra
Selene
Koray
Esmeray
Cresent
Monday
Moonbeam
Moonlight
Moonrise
Moonlily
Moonstone

Water Names:

River
India
Indio
Ocean
Oceanus
Rain
Pearl
Delphine
Delfino
Cascade
Rumi
Otter
Mortimer
Undine
Riverlily
Margaret ("pearl")
Coral
Coraline
Coralie
Tallulah
Lotus
Haven
Havelock
Rosmerta

Time Names:

June
Juno
July
Julius
Jules
Summer
Somerled
Solstice

Yellow, Orange, Purple, and Silver Names:

Xanthe ("blond, yellow")
Xanthus
Saffron
Amber
Electra ("amber")
Orange
Marigold
Lavender
Violet
Viola
Silver
Argent ("silver")
Grey
Grayson
Arianrhod ("silver wheel")

Attribute Names:

Temperance
Clemency
Clement
Prudence
Ophelia ("help")
Edmund ("wealth protection")
Liv ("protection")
Amparo ("protection, shelter")
Faramond ("journey protection")
William ("will protection")
Sigmund ("victory protection")
Rosamund ("horse protection")
Chester ("fortified place")
Alma ("nourishing" or "soul")
Admetus ("untamed")
Frida ("peace")
Remedy
Remedios
Wilder
Wilde

Other ideas:

Opal
Henry
Leveret
Ceres
Ballad
Madrigal
Graham
Esmeralda
Reuben
Cloud
Sylvan
Lorelei
Dove
Notus
Paloma
Anais
Lupine
Genevieve
Magdalene
Franco
Reverie
Billie
Liam
Porter

Name Magpie: One Thing After Another

You might have noticed that this blog has been more quiet than usual. I am working hard at finding a job overseas, and that means lots of paperwork and a lot of research. That has been my priority for the past few months. Where am I going, you ask? You'll see. In the meantime, I am still occasionally poking around the blogosphere for new names.

Most of my discoveries have been from the Dictionary of Medieval Names. It's a relatively new website and I encourage you to look through it. I was surprised to find that Indigo, Bono, and Paxe were used during that time. Some new (for me) monikers that stood out to me are:

Cherubina ("cherub, angel")
Unica ("unique, sole")
Sapience ("wisdom")
Tedesco/Tedesca ("of the people, popular")
Fabrissa ("craftswoman, female artisan")
Consolat ("consoled, comforted")
Solomona (feminine form of Solomon)
Bellavita ("beautiful life")
Transmundus ("on the other side of the world")
Omnebon ("all good" or "every good")
Zoete ("sweet")
Bonamice ("good friend")
Guardia ("guard")
Recuperate
Basile (feminine form of Basil)
Calomaria ("beautiful Mary")
Olivera (feminine form of Oliver)
Savage
Ursilda
Thorkill ("thunder kettle")

Now for some others:

Theory. Found this one when First and Middle Baby Names answered a reader question. The commenter was actually thinking about Thyri, but Theory is an interesting idea too.

Ojas. If you had asked me what language this name comes from I would not have guessed that it was Sanskrit, but there it is. It means either "vigor" or "appearance."

Poema. Spanish for "poem." I might have just made this up, but it's wonderful isn't it?

Kaguya. I recently saw The Tale of Princess Kaguya. I'm working on a post about Studio Ghibli movies, so I'll talk more about it there. But I believe the heroine's name means "bamboo."

Gemini the Twins

 

"Pink Twin, Purple Twin" by Walasse Ting

"I do not know whether we can be saved through the intellect, but I do know that I can be saved by nothing else."

--Dorothy Sayers, writer and Gemini

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 enters Gemini. Gemini lasts through May 21 to June 20 and it's symbol is the heavenly twins Pollux and Castor.  This is fitting because it sometimes seems as if Geminis have two different personalities. They are highly adaptable and can fit themselves into almost any social group or situation. They like to keep busy and are generally pleasant people. Gemini is an air sign, so intellect and communication is important to them. People with this sign are very curious and love to learn, but they're not great at specialized information because of their short attention span. Geminis usually have many friends and social contacts but, at the same time, it can be hard to connect with them on an intimate level. Because they change themselves to fit any situation, it can be difficult to know what a Gemini is really thinking or feeling. They're easily swayed to the opinions of others. They cannot always be trusted to keep secrets or maintain loyalty. Also, people with this sign don't always care about the deeper issues in life, preferring to keep everything light and fluffy. Whether you love them or hate them, Geminis are never boring.

Twin/sibling/friend names:

Pollux
Castor
Thomas
Tavish
Tamsin
Amy
Bellamy
Bonamy
Adelphi
Adelphie
Amity
Beningo
Darwin
Tomoko
Ruth

Air names:

Aria
Anemone
Bird
Birdie
Kestrel
Zephyr
Caraway
Breeze
Sirocco
Paloma
Lark
Vox
Feather
Boreas
Notus
Whisper

Time names:

May
Maya
June
Juno
Spring
Primavera
Summer
Somerled
Suvi
Trinity (It's the third sign)

Orange names:

Orange
Mandarin (a type of orange)
Valencia (see above)
Cam
Saffron
Marigold
Clementine
Sienna
Cinnabar
Ginger
Tigerlily
Amber

Attribute names:

Grace
Charm
Blythe ("cheerful")
Fantin ("charming, seducing")
Mohandas ("charming, enchanting")
Mohan
Sophia ("wise")
Cato ("wise")
Sage
Keen
Revel
Revelry
Lively
Merry
Kavi ("wise man, sage, poet")
Allegra ("happy, cheerful")
Sunny
Erato ("lovely")
Rei ("lovely")
Mercy
Rama ("pleasing")
Gioconda ("pleasant, delightful, happy")
Niomi ("pleasantness")
Pleasance
Cosmo ("order, decency")
Cosima
Cosimo
Cosmina
Isaac ("he laughs")
Wilder
Wilde

Other ideas:

Clover
Griffin
Minerva
Pearl
Nestor
Margaret
Margot
Rhett
Hazel
Conrad
Alfred
Daisy
Lotus
Dexter
Orchid
Jasmine
Eve
Rainer
Myrtle
Linnea
Green
Tallulah
Arcadia
Raphael
Gypsy
Mabon
Romulus
Romilly

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.