European household magic (1 Viewer)

[Maryann]

A topic I adore, and not just European but all kinds of folk magic! Found this article today, which is packed full of tidbits easily leading to further study, and a great collection of artwork, too. Interesting to see how many of these traditions are still alive, and how little we may know of the origins of things we take for granted. What I love most is the spark of memory reading about these things and seeing the images can trigger.

http://hubpages.com/education/European-Household-Magic

 

[Linda]

This is an interesting article that does not take long to read.

One thing that jumped up in my head was about "Brownies", which is the label given to younger girls in the Girl Scout organization. The whole idea of brownies is based on little beings who help out around the house in unseen ways. Part of the initiation ceremony for Brownies is reciting a rhyme and jumping over a mirror, which represents a stream of water. I don't think they still do that today, but we did when we were little girls.
Holy moly - I wonder what all that was about?!?

 

[Maryann]

That's an interesting ritual, Linda ... I don't know about specifically jumping over a mirror, but I do know that they can trap a person's spirit. It's customary in some cultures to cover mirrors in a house where someone is dying, so their spirit won't get trapped in it. At some time it was considered unwise to expose babies to mirrors for the same reason. I suppose because it's a type of crystal...? with very special properties. Jumping over water would be to move into a new reality or state of consciousness, so it's apt for initiation.

 

[Ben]

This is an interesting article that does not take long to read.

One thing that jumped up in my head was about "Brownies", which is the label given to younger girls in the Girl Scout organization. The whole idea of brownies is based on little beings who help out around the house in unseen ways. Part of the initiation ceremony for Brownies is reciting a rhyme and jumping over a mirror, which represents a stream of water. I don't think they still do that today, but we did when we were little girls.
Holy moly - I wonder what all that was about?!?

Very interesting article, thank you Maryann ! It amazes me to this day how so much Truth has been hidden in our mythology. This is the very essence of Druidry in that, what is passed on by word of mouth and interwoven into a "myth" can never be eradicated or die. I agree on the initiation Rite that both of you have noted but also I wonder if there is a more archetypal reason and that this was to prepare girls of a certain age for a life of domesticity? Not a view shared in much of the world now (thank goodness, nor by me I might add) which could account for the practice being dropped?

 

[Linda]

I wonder if there is a more archetypal reason and that this was to prepare girls of a certain age for a life of domesticity?

Yikes - the message was about helping others quietly and unseen, and I see your point about domesticity.

However, - no worries here - that part did not "take" with me - lol

 

[Lila]

I find it always fun and informative to consider why one does one's little rituals, or why they may have been part of one's upbringing. Love what this article brings to this, Maryann. Thank you

I also like the link on the same site to Hestia: http://hubpages.com/education/Hestia-Greek-Goddess-of-Meditative-Wisdom, particularly the part which sees her as vital, wisely grounded and meditative, rather than passive, insignificant or to-be-ignored. I love that the Percy Jackson series for kids brought Hestia out of the shadows into the key role of 'The Last Olympian', capable of the grace of letting the hero know he was right on track trusting his instincts, despite the rather overwhelming appearance of things, making things all come right in a way nobody could have expected. I guess her crystal counterpart would be chrysocolla; the gentle groundwork that changes everything if we allow it, via the simple, profound act of changing our perspective.

I see archetypes, too, as saying much about ourselves. Questions about them always seem to bring up the most interesting discussions.

Been wanting to put a hearth in our place, hmmm....

 

[Maryann]

Hestia is so overlooked, yet she is the eldest sister, the one who keeps it all together. I'm sort of sad that there are so many books/movies that I just don't have time to get into, things I thought at least I could get my son into but he's not interested (yet) in Percy Jackson. But he's on the last volume of Lord of the Rings, so I don't complain Just want to experience these reworkings of the old myths vicariously through him. He hates Harry Potter so... I just go with what he's into, and otherwise keep myself going with what I can soak in here and there.

Chrysocolla's an interesting, and very apt, choice of a companion stone for Hestia. It's a higher order of turquoise, which I intuitively feel as blood, especially when set in silver or gold. That aside, chrysocolla holds a lot of mysteries for me yet, but the ones I've encountered so far do really turn into grounding turns of perspective. How good to see those words come together! It puts some part of my experience with that stone in perspective, as it was figurative at a massive turning point in my life. Thank you.