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Greetings from the officers of Sacred Well Congregation! We would like to wish all of you a happy and blessed Beltane, Bealtaine, May Day, or related festival celebrated at this time of year in the northern hemisphere. As the seasons change, nature grows green again and flowers bloom as the sun warms us out of the cold of winter.

In many Pagan traditions, this is a time to celebrate the fertility of the land and all its creatures (including humans). This may involve erecting a May Pole, which is decorated with ribbons as dancers weave around it. It is also a liminal time of year, the balance point of Samhain, and just as potent. It is a good time for cleansing and protection, as well as attending to matters of abundance.

In Irish tradition, Bealtaine marks the beginning of summer and the light half of the year. (It is also the name for the entire month of May in the Irish language.) Washing your face with morning dew on Bealtaine is believed to grant beauty and good fortune for the rest of the year, and gathering yellow flowers will bless your home.

Folklorist Alexander Carmichael collected poems and prayers from Scotland in his collection, Carmina Gadelica, including a poem called “Am Beannachadh Bealltain,” or “The Beltane Blessing.” This poem was originally written in a Christian context, but the version below has been shortened and adapted to be more appropriate for the Wiccan sabbat instead:

“Bless, O threefold true and bountiful,
Myself, my spouse, my children.
Bless everything within my dwelling and in my possession,
Bless the kine and crops, the flocks and corn,
From Samhain Eve to Beltane Eve,
With goodly progress and gentle blessing,
From sea to sea, and every river mouth,
From wave to wave, and base of waterfall.

Be the Maiden, Mother, and Crone,
Taking possession of all to me belonging.
Be the Horned God, the Wild Spirit of the Forest,
Protecting me in truth and honor.
Satisfy my soul and shield my loved ones,
Blessing every thing and every one,
All my land and my surroundings.
Great gods who create and bring life to all, I ask for your blessings on this day of fire.”

There are many ways to celebrate this holiday in your own practice. Below are a few ideas for crafts and recipes you may incorporate into your celebrations.

Make Flower Crowns
Take an afternoon to go out in nature and gather wildflowers. Once gathered, weave them into a flower crown. See this link to guide the crafting of your flower crown: https://www.moodymoons.com/2017/01/23/make-a-winter-hair-wreath/

Make Mini Maypoles
Assemble a mini maypole for use with space restraints and family fun. Gather ribbons of your and your participant’s favorite colors. See this link to guide the crafting of your mini maypole: https://www.moodymoons.com/2019/04/21/beltane-craft-mini-maypoles-in-3-steps/

Sweet Cinnamon Milk
Ingredients:
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 Tbsp sugar or vanilla sugar

Directions:
• Put all ingredients together in a pan and heat to right before boiling. Turn off the heat and let the mix steep for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the caviar and add it back into the milk. Discard the cinnamon sticks and enjoy.

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Sacred Well Congregation1 month ago

Hail and good morning @followers,

This is Rev. Shane Nelson, the Executive Director of Sacred Well Congregation. I am completing my doctoral research and dissertation on Religious Trauma and Spiritual Abuse in the Pagan Community under the supervision of Dr. Munjed Murad (mmurad@unitedseminary.edu). In completing this research, I would appreciate your assistance. Please take a moment as you are willing and able to complete the questionnaire link at the bottom of this email.

This research project will be exploring the pervasiveness and impact of religious trauma and spiritual abuse experienced by members of the Pagan community in the United States. Through the consenting participation of these members of the Pagan community, a trauma informed spiritual care module will be developed and presented as a tool to provide care in an inclusive and validating way for spiritual care providers. Participants will only be expected to participate as long as is required to complete the questionnaire. For those individuals who choose to participate in the interview after the questionnaire, approximately 1 hour of time will be scheduled to participate in the interview process. As is true with any mental health related conversation, the answering of questions about religious trauma and spiritual abuse is very personal. The personal nature of these questions may result in increased feelings of discomfort. For this reason, the interviewee has the right to withdraw from the process, including the interview, at any time.

All information gathered in this study, and any personal information, will be coded to protect the participant and maintain anonymity. No names or other identifying information will be used when discussing or presenting the collected data. All qualitative and quantitative data collected will be aggregated in storage and reporting. The researcher will keep all files and data that are collected in a securely locked location in the researcher’s office. Once the data has been fully analyzed, it will be destroyed which will occur within two years of the individual’s interview date.

Religious Trauma & Spiritual Abuse Questionnaire

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

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Sacred Well Congregation2 months ago

Ostara blessings to all from the Board of Deacons of Sacred Well Congregation! We offer the blessings of this season to each of you, your families, and your local communities as you participate in your personal and community celebrations of Ostara, Elban Eiler, Spring Equinox, or any of the many other nature-centered celebrations practiced during this time of year.

Ostara, or the Spring Equinox, lands on March 20th this year, in the Northern Hemisphere and the week of September 23rd in the Southern Hemisphere.

In many Pagan traditions, this is a time of balance when day and night are equal. A time when many parts of the world are reawakening from the long sleep of the last year—from winter to spring. In this changing of the wheel of the year, we witness the warmth and renewal of life throughout nature. For many of us, this reawakening may require effort and feel uncomfortable as we move into the new season.

This is also a time where we honor the goddess Eostre, goddess of the dawn, celebrating the Earth’s revival from winter. Ostara is the time of birth and fertility, represented by the Goddess Eostre, symbolized by rabbits and eggs. These are decorated and colored to gift or trade. Christians incorporated the resurrection of Christ into the Sabbat and named the holiday Easter, celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon after the Spring Equinox (Ostara).

This is the time when we plant the seeds of the things we wish to come to us—internally and externally. In many places, March is when we have the last times of frost; it is our time to plant seeds in the garden, if you’re lucky enough to have the space. Or if you’re limited in space, take the time to plant flowerpots in a sunny window or even brighten up a cubicle. It’s time to clean, both literally and figuratively. Sweep away old patterns, things that no longer serve you, and bring in renewal.

In the spirit of renewal, we offer this blessing—Tuatha by Bella Dionne:

“Shimmering light
By day or night
The fae now dance and sing
In their glade
so secret laid
around a toadstool ring

Mortals sleep
Yet when they creep
the faeries come to play
to steal their things
within their ring
and whisk them all away!

Bluebells crest
as your head rests
And songbirds fill your ear
with Elfin hands
that fill your land
and Tuatha commandeer!

So, gather 'round
and hear the sounds
of laughter, glee, and cheer
But tarry not
or you'll be caught
As Spring draws ever near.”

Planting an Herb Garden
This time of year also marks the beginning of the growing seasons for many, which makes this a perfect time to plant your herb garden. This is something that can be done as part of your personal celebration of Ostara, or as a family/community celebration.

Painting and hanging/hiding of Eggs
For many, this time of year is marked by the painting and hanging of brightly colored eggshells (or plastic eggs). If the eggs are real, they can be hardboiled and painted with various colors of dye. If they are plastic, a hole can be punched in the top so that a string loop can be fed through the hole for hanging and these eggs can be painted with acrylic paint. The plastic eggs can also be filled with candy or trinkets. In either presentation, these eggs can be hidden and searched for as part of the Ostara celebration.

Trimming trees/Collecting your Beltane Log
As this is the time of year where we see an explosion of new life and growth, this is also the time of year when we begin trimming trees. As we trim our trees, we can begin collecting and assembling our Beltane Log. This log is traditionally comprised of 9 different woods (birch, oak, rowan, willow, hawthorn, hazel, apple, grapevine, and fir) with a bundle of 3 pieces from each type of wood. Once each bundle is collected, tie it with a string and once all 9 wood bundles are prepared tie them as one larger bundle with a string.

Lavender and Honey Bread
Ingredients:
• 10 oz whole meal flour
• 9 oz strong white flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon dried lavender
• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 oz honey
• 12 oz water

Directions:
• Combine the flours and lavender in a large bowl.
• With your fingers, rub in the yeast on one side of the bowl and salt on the opposite side.
• Add honey and water, stirring with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
• Cover with a tea towel and let the mix rest for 30 minutes to rise.
• After 30 minutes, begin kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
• Cover with a tea towel and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Remember to remove the dough for about 2 hours before continuing with the recipe so that the dough can return to room temperature.
• After the mix has doubled in size, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and form it into the shape of a ball.
• Cover the dough ball with a tea towel and let it rest for 1 hour (or until it doubles in size).
• Place a cast iron pot into your oven and preheat to 450 F.
• Once preheated, turn the oven down to 400 F.
• Score the top of the bread with a knife and place it gently into the preheated cast iron pot.
• Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on the cast iron pot and another 10-15 minutes (or until golden) without the lid.
• Cool the bread on a baking rack.

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Sacred Well Congregation2 months ago

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