QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Myst's Tools Of The Trade

Bowynn Gods: Owenn

Owenn  (Oh-when)  Owenn is the Bowynn god of healing, good health, surgery, recovery, medicine and herbalism and all other skills and attributes of mortal health. He is the patron god of Doctors, nurses, surgeons and those of the healing and health care professions. This includes shamans, druids, witch doctors and medicine men.

     Owenn was raised amongst the first tribes in childhood where he learned why people got sick and died. He was not a god but very much mortal. Owenn was one of those of the Great migration. And upon reaching Europe and settling in, he taught the first tribes of people the arts of medicine and healing and was beloved by all for his gifts. Sadly, on his travels, Owenn encountered a great snake, he was bit by the poisonous vermin and it was that which killed him. His body was found and cared for where he had fallen and a shrine was built in his honor. And yet, instead of the custom of cremating the body, the people found they could not carry out the task. Instead, the people wrapped his body in the most glorious of clothes and placed his body in the inner shrine. For 7 long months everyone from every tribe came to mourn Owenn’s tomb. Moved by this, the gods held a special council and answered everyone’s prayers. By Chumash and Kalma, with their grace and blessings, Owenn was resurrected as a god on the 7th day of the seventh month after his fall. He emerged from the shrine as a god and one of the Akua. In this form he has continued to bless mortals with his talents and divine gifts of healings.

Owenn and his 3 daughters of healing and health    

As a god and in time with the Akua, Owenn fell in love with a garden Kii and the couple had wed soon after. From their union, came forth three daughters who together were named "The Sisters." It is they who work with their father, Owenn, in his arts of healing. Not just for humans and the gods as well.

     As a god, Owenn is seen as a fully mature man, a father figure, with long teaming hair and thick beard. His head crowned with a copper circlet in the shape of a snake, symbolizing change from illness to health. Owenn’s demeanor is always gentle, never baring an ill word or hand to neither man nor animal. He is seen wearing a wayfarer’s robe of crimson and robes under that of various greens, representing the herbs he uses. His staff is wrapped with vines of herbs he uses in his healing brews. Often seen in his hand is a wood bowl which he makes medicine. In his totem form Owenn often appears in the form of a snake or frog, which is most sacred to him. Bowynn homes with altars and shrines to Owenn sometimes bare an image of a frog or snake with a coin in the mouth. Coins and herbs are the most divine of offers gifted to Owenn. Bowl bowls of herbs, clean water and incense are also the most common of gifts.

My Prayer to Dhonan, the Lover

O Dhonan, Immortal Guardian of Love, I come before you with a heart full of devotion and yearning, seeking your divine light to illuminate the path of my affection. Born of mortal heart, yet graced with the gift of eternity, you embody the depths of passion and the beauty of true love. I honor your sacred union with Brenda and the legacy of devotion that binds the realms of god and mortal. O Handsome Ranger, blessed with the strength of bow and arrow, guide my heart as it ventures through the labyrinth of love. May the spirits of your own love story inspire and empower me to cherish those I hold dear, nurturing the flame of connection that binds us through trials and triumphs. With each arrow loosed from your bow, let my love be aimed true, striking the core of unwavering devotion. O Divine Dhonan, I present my vows before you, like the sacred wedding fillet that unites lovers' hands in righteous bond. May my words ring with sincerity and my promises echo through the ages, reminding me of the sacredness of love bestowed upon me. As I cherish this bond, I call upon your blessings to strengthen our union and uphold it through the storms of life.

O Dhonan, as you appear with your beloved Brenda, casting blessings upon the couples gathered, may you delight in our shared joy. Bless our unions with laughter, compassion, and understanding, and may each moment together be imbued with the warmth of your divine witness. Let the ivy wreath that adorns your brow serve as a reminder of the eternal and ever-growing nature of love. In your presence, I pledge to honor the love I cultivate, embracing both vulnerability and strength. May my heart resonate with the echoes of your love story, emboldened by your enduring spirit. O Dhonan, as you dwell amidst the celebrations of love, may I always be a beacon of kindness and passion, sharing the gifts of warmth and joy that you so freely bestow. So shall it be, in reverence and adoration for Dhonan, the Blessed God of Love and Passion, forever guiding and nurturing the hearts of those who dare to love truly.

Syember!

Bowynn Gods: Ikarro

Ikarro  (Ih-kar-ro) The Milky Way. The bridge that lead the gods to earth at the beginning of time. The bridge was removed after the creatrix goddess Brea descended to earth and became trapped there. The Ikarro is a divine symbol of where there was chaos and sadness, balance and happiness will come. 

Bowynn Gods: Ohenn

Ohenn with Anhur and 2 of his 12 daughters

Ohenn  (Oh-hen)  Ohenn is the Bowynn God of time and journal keeper of the gods of mortal's deeds. Ohenn is one of the early gods of the earth. As such Ohenn is the creation of Bia.  Ohenn’s name literally means “Time.”

     When Anhur won the role as the King of the gods, built Alaway and claimed his throne, he gave great honor to Ohenn as a god of time by making him the great timekeeper of gods and mortals. It was Ohenn that divided the hours of the day equally for his 12 daughters, divided the year into months, days, hours, minutes and seconds. Ohenn discovered that there were 5 days left over after he dived the year into 30 days and 12 months. So, he declared a 13th month that has only 5 days to it. These 5 days he declared most sacred to the 5 gods of creation: Bia, Brea, Phoenix, Sumon and Unther. It is Ohenn that makes sure time flows smoothly and steadily and he records the hours in a great library in Alaway. During his stay with the first tribes, Ohenn taught mortals how time is precious and should not be wasted. Nor should it be taken for granted. And he showed them all how to journal their lives, living a record for others to read and learn from.

     Several sacred stories speak of mortals trying to steal away Ohenn's holy hourglass, which controls all time. Most of the stories say these thefts were tried because the mortal made a serious mistake and wanted to correct it or to save the life of a long one. The god Mano tried to steal Ohenn’s time piece to play a trick on Brand and Kord. But Ohenn sent a crow to steal it back. For his crime Ohenn punished Mano by making him clean up a massive tipped over barrel of sand, one grain at a time. It took mano a full year.

     Ohenn is one of the few gods that has no totem animal associated with him and is also one of the few gods that rarely, if ever, leaves Alaway. He is seen as an older man, much like with white hair, beard and moustache. But he is not ancient looking. He is clad in long robes of green and silver and has in hand a staff or hourglass. This hourglass not only is the controller of all time but is also a way Ohenn sees about the world.

     Sacred to Ohenn is all sorts of time pieces; clocks, watches, hourglasses, sun dials, as well as 4 and 12 spoked wheels. The wheel symbolizes the Bowynn calendar and cycles. The sunflower is a sacred gift as it represents the Bowynn New Year; the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn. The Calendula flower is also sacred to Ohenn, as it is an “all year blooming” flower. These sacred gifts are often gifted to Ohenn in true form or as votive images.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Skyclad

QUESTION: Is Nudity practiced in the Bowynn Tradition?

ANSWER: No. At least not among all of us ritually as a group. While we love and respect the human body, it is impractical for us to practice in the nude, as we hold most rituals in woodland. The amount of insects, blackberries, thorns and other haphazards just make it impossible. And honestly, we see no need to hold any gathering in the buff. HOWEVER, what one does in the privacy in their own home is up to them. We have several females that will fulling sun and moon soak and I personally have a love for skinny dipping when I am alone at the shore and lake.

Blessed Winter Solstice

Q&A: Bowynn Magic

QUESTION: In the Bowynn Tradition, are there any special corrospondences with herbs, plants, flowers and such?

ANSWER: There is a special recognition of certain flora, that is commonly used in magic and incense blends. But they by no way match the lists one will find in a Wiccan book or match those listed by other culture. There are 7 sacred plants that are commonly used and considered the most sacred:

ROSE: Used for all fire magic, Love spells, Friendship, Family, Unity, Bonding, Oaths, Commitment, Beauty

CEDAR: Purification, Purging, Cleansing, Strength, Growth, Learning, Wisdom,

LAVENDAR: Calm, Sleep, Peace, Clear thinking, Clarity,

MINT: Excitement, Energy, Stimulation, Waking, Vitality, Wealth/Abundance,

BAY LAUREL: Magic, Shamanism, Divination, Wishes, Understanding, Divination, Scrying, Spiritualism, Psychism

PINE: Change, Immortality, Endurance, Altering, Taking Control,

APPLE: The most sacred plant. Home, Abundance, Stability, Health, Education, Protection,

The other most sacred of flora and other burnable materials of the earth are the following three:

AMBER: Sun Magic, Ancient Wisdom, Oracles, Warmth, Self, Soul, Intervention,

BLUE BELL: Rain, Water Magic, Springtime, Change, Growth, Renew, Warning, Fertility

DAISY: Moon Magic, Cleansing, Purity, Spirituality, Sleep, Dreams

Amber is listed as 'Flora', as it comes from the sap of ancient trees. These three combined make up the colors of the Bowynn Crest. These ten plants/trees/flowers are what is burned most during religious ceremonies and magical practices.

Bowynn Gods: Myliea

Myliea  (My-Lee-ah)  (Also spelled Myliea, Melia and Melea) is the Bowynn goddess of winter. She is one of the 4 seasons, daughters of Morrighynn and Herne and is the consort of the God of the North Wind, Arn. Her name literally means "Winter."

     Few tales are told of Meliea. She contested with her sisters for which season they would rule over and because Myliea granted conifer and pine trees the gift to survive the winter, she was so given the season of Winter to govern over. Thus, on the first day of winter, Myliea's sister Kora, [Autumn], departs the land, while Myliea appears on Winter's first day on a magnificent white horse, bringing the cold, frost, snow and sleep stage of the year. On the Bowynn holiday known as Kymeliea, (Candlemas and Imbolc for other traditions) it is time to celebrate the sacred and divine wedding of Arn to Myliea. Said to have been staged in a winter wonderland and decorated with all the color and mystical beauty of the season. During the holiday of Tsameliea (Winter Solstice) both god and goddess visits the homes that are decked in winter finery and have a candle lit in the window. If content that the homes is warm, safe, well stocked and filled with cheer, Arn will knock his staff on the doors and shutters, blessing the house while Myliea leaves a small gift at the door, under the door bough or hanging from it. Often these are in the form of bundles of foods; nuts, dried fruit, wine and for kids, candy and sweet cakes is left.

Several processional or Myliea and her 3 sisters

     Myliea is seen as a female figure of motherly-grand-motherly age. A woman refined with red hair laced with white, pulled back. She is clad in blues, silvers and whites. One can assume her hlad is of the same tones but it is not commonly seen because of the blue and white fur robe she wears over it, lined and trimmed in white furs. Sometimes she is said to have a Daddalo or Stola of blue laced with snowflakes over her robe. In her hand is often seen a staff of pine wood, wrapped in garland, ribbons and fillets. Her head is often said to be crowned (but not always) with a wreath of pine, conifer and/or holly. Sometimes she is said to be winged is glorious white feathers. When about mortals Myliea will take the image of a horse or deer, which are her totem animals.

     Sacred gifts to Myliea are Milk, Water, votive images of white horses, chickadees and cardinals. And of course incense.

Blessed Samhain one and all

Due to a very negative incident that happen this past night, I will not be engaging in any information today. Instead I shall leave you with just images. I still wish you all a very blessed and fun-filled holiday. All good. no bad.

Aelles Ky'Tarna

Blessinsgs and Abundance to all on this wonderful Ky'Tarna holiday!

Kytarna (July 31-August 2nd) is the Bowynn version of the Wiccan and Keltic holidays Lammas and Lughnassad. It is the celebration of the middle of the Summer. The name Kytarna means “Mid-Summer”, named after the goddess of the summer Tarna. Besides celebrating the mid-summer mark, the holiday celebrates several other aspects: The first harvest, the grain & corn harvest. Its is also The divine wedding of Tarna to Saphon (South Wind) and revering the goddess Io (Home) and god Hyu (Baking) and the gods Deanna (Harvest) and Amaetheon (Abundance). So there is lots of celebrating to be had for these 3 days. As with all the circular holidays of the year, the first day is devoted to preparing and decorating. The second day devoted to prayers and the divine. The third day is devoted to celebration and revelry.

Lammas is a time to enjoy the last rays of Summer, Take in the golden sunlight, to appreciate the harvest and to be grateful for the abundance we have. Wheat, Grains, Honey and Bread are high symbols of abundance in the Bowynn tradition. It's given as gifts at this time of year along with other baked goods. Garlands and ornaments of grass and husks of foods, adorn homes. And iconic woven images of Tarna and Saphon are carried in procession to the ceremonial altar.

The sacred stories to this holiday start with the first harvest of the Bowynn people in their newfound homeland. After coming to Europe on The Great Migration and settling, the gods Deanna and Amaetheon showed the good people what to forage, plant and harvest. This included honey from bee hives and milk from the wild goats and cattle. At the same time the goddess Io showed them how to build their first hearths and tend to them and Hyu taught them how to bake. So grateful were the first tribes, that they declared this day sacred to the gods. At the same time, it was also the same day when the goddess of Summer, Tarna, wed her beloved god of the south, Saphon. All the people of the first 7 tribes were witnessed to the blessed event.

Traditional Foods for the holiday are Corn, Grains, seeds, wheat, Barley, Breads, Pies, Pasta, Milk, Honey, Butter and Berries.  The most common and well-placed herbs and incenses found at Kytarna celebrations are Cedar, Alder, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, Ginger, Poppies, Cornflowers and Sunflowers. The prominent colors for the holiday are Gold, Yellow and, Copper Orange. Green can also be found here and there but not considered one of the sacred colors of the holiday. Sacred symbols found all about during Kytarna are: Corn Dollies (Representing Tarna and Saphon) Baskets and images of Bees, Hedgehog, Cows and/or Goats. Wicker items of all sorts & other straw-woven items, Wheat bundles, Bread, Cakes, Hearth broom, Corn and Corn stalks. There is also the sacred “Tarna Kaeb,” (Summer Board) which is a sacred and decorated breadboard hung on doors. And there is the ever present “Kytarna Draed” (Mid-Summer Bread) which is a special holy traditional offering and meal. Wheat wreathes, Sunflower garlands and wreaths are the norm for homes and town to be decorated in.

Special Activities during the 3-day holiday include families hanging the Tarna Kaeb on their doors, along with other decorations, Baking and making corn dollies. Commonly there is a lot of making of crafts in the theme of wicker, such as fans, hats, dollies, goats and headdresses. Back in the kitchen this is also a time for making butters of all sorts, creams and cheese. This is a famed time to gather and jar honey.

How ever you celebrate the holiday and what ever you may call it, have a great celebration, and may the gods embrace you and keep you safe and happy.