A Pagan witch

A prayer poem in Latin along with its English translation for the Greek goddess Selene and the waning crescent moon:

In Latin:

Selene, dea noctis, inluminatae Lunae domina,

Sub lunae cornicis tui lumine carente,

Oramus te, sub tua clementia,

Da nobis pacem et per vitam duc nos gratia.

Tuam pulchritudinem caelestem, signum in nocte,

Tenebras illustrat, somnia ad lucem deducit.

Sub argentea tua luce, super nos viges,

Dum per mundum erramus, magni et parvi.

In regno tuo tranquillo, ubi stellae caelum ornant,

Praecipio sapientiam, dum dies fluunt.

Duc me per umbras, tua arte miti,

Revela veritates absconditas in corde meo.

O Selene, dea lunae superius,

Animam meam implebis radios tuos, amore.

Cum crescente lumine et stellis fulgentibus,

Sentio praesentiam tuam, quamvis longe.

Benedicte Selene, in tua tranquilla complexione,

Invenio solacium, serenitatem, et gratiam.

Dum ad te aspicio in silentio noctis,

Scio te mecum esse, splendes valde.

In nomine tuo, hoc precem offerimus, vere,

Ad Selene, deam cornicis crescentis coloris tui.

Tua lux ducat me in hoc itinere terrae,

Dum per vitam progredior, te duce.

English Translation:

Selene, goddess of the night,

mistress of the illuminated Moon,

Under the light of your waning crescent,

We pray to you, under your mercy,

Grant us peace and lead us

through life with grace.

Your celestial beauty, a sign in the night,

Illuminates the darkness,

leads dreams to light.

Under your silver light, you watch over us,

As we wander through the world,

both great and small.

In your tranquil realm,

where stars adorn the sky,

I beseech for wisdom as the days flow by.

Guide me through shadows,

with your gentle art,

Reveal hidden truths within my heart.

Oh, Selene, goddess of the moon on high,

Fill my soul with your radiant love, oh nigh.

With the waxing light

and sparkling stars so high,

I sense your presence,

no matter how far you lie.

Blessed Selene, in your tranquil embrace,

I find solace, serenity, and divine grace.

As I gaze up at you in the silence

of the night, I know you're with me,

shining brilliantly, pure and bright.

In your name, we offer this prayer,

so sincere,

To Selene,

goddess of the crescent moon's cheer.

May your light guide me

on this earthly flight,

As I journey through life,

with you as my guiding light.

Here is a list of Latin affirmations with English translations dedicated to the Greek goddess Selene and her gifts from the moon:

Latin: "Lumen lunae in me lucet."

English: "The moon's light shines within me."

Latin: "Tua gratia, Selene, me fovet."

English: "Your grace, Selene, nurtures me."

Latin: "Sub lunae lumine, anima mea floret."

English: "Under the moon's light, my soul flourishes."

Latin: "Tu es speculum lunae, Selene."

English: "You are the mirror of the moon, Selene."

Latin: "Luna tua, dona tua."

English: "Your moon, your gifts."

Latin: "Lunae dona in corde meo refulgent."

English: "The gifts of the moon shine in my heart."

Latin: "Sub Selene custodia, me sentio secure."

English: "Under Selene's protection, I feel secure."

Latin: "Luna tua, via ad sapientiam."

English: "Your moon, the path to wisdom."

Latin: "Per lunae viam, me invenio."

English: "Through the moon's way, I find myself."

Latin: "Selene, lumina meum iter."

English: "Selene, light my path."

Selene's Morning Prayer

In somniis placidis

te venio adorare,

Selene,

Luna fulgida et pulchra,

Diva caeli domina.

Lucis affluxum nobis praesta,

te quaerimus,

Matutina laus tibi,

Deus qui solem superat.

English Translation:

In peaceful dreams,

I come to adore you,

Selene,

Radiant and beautiful moon,

heavenly mistress.

Grant us the influx of light,

we seek you,

Morning praise to you,

Goddess surpassing the sun.

Latin Affirmations to the Greek Goddess Selene:

Ego te veneror, Selene, fulgida dea caeli.

(I worship you, Selene, the radiant goddess of the sky.)

Tua luce exsulto et gratias ago.

(I rejoice in your light and give thanks.)

Crescentem lunam celo et gaudio complector.

(I embrace the waxing moon with joy.)

In somniis tuam potentiam experior.

(I experience your power in dreams.)

Luna plena mihi inspiratio est.

(The full moon is my inspiration.)

Te sequor, Selene, per tenebras et lucem.

(I follow you, Selene, through darkness and light.)

Tu es mater noctis et somniorum.

(You are the mother of the night and dreams.)

Tua vis me invigilat et protegit.

(Your force watches over and protects me.)

Tuum splendorem in corde meo custodio.

(I keep your radiance in my heart.)

In tua praesentia, pacem et serenitatem sentio.

🩸 Blood pudding (living cattle could be bled through the winter to provide the material as well as collecting blood when the cattle were slaughtered to keep the numbers down for winter)

🫓 Brambrack

🍲 Stew

Lamb

Beef

Wild boar

Domestic pig

Deer

Goose

Mallard

Hare

🐗 Salted wild boar and domestic pig (it is possible that other meats were salted for preservation but given that salt was an expensive commodity and no records indicate other meats we simply do not know. I will note here that we also don't seem to have records of smoked meats for preservation during this time)

🍺 Mead and Barely ale

🥣 Porridge

Oat

Barley

🥛 Dairy (this would likely become more limited as the season progressed, but butter has been found in bogs, presumed to be preserved but potentially given as offerings)

Cow's milk

Butter

Curds

mulchán 'hard cheese' (the exact nature of this cheese is unknown but it was described as being extremely hard and could be stored for long periods of time)

🦪 Sea food

Sloke

Clams

Muscles

Crab

Halibut

Sea Salmon

🌿Native Culinary Plants growing in Ireland at this time of year

Skirret

Apples

Purple sprouting boccoli

Wild cabbage

Blackberry

Raspberry

Rowan berries

Elder berries

Sloes

Rosehip

Acorn

Chestnuts

Hazelnuts

Hen of the woods

Pullball

Fairy Ring Champignon

Chanterelle

Porcini

Black Trumpet

Saffron Milk Caps

Cauliflower Mushroom

Wood Blewit

Penny bun

Spelling and Pronunciation

OI. Lughnasadh (Loo-na-sa), sometimes spelled Lughnasa or Modern Irish Lúnasa. Not to be confused with other harvest festivals like Lammas.

Dates

Most reconstructionists celebrate Lughnasadh on July 31st - August 1st from sundown to sundown by the Gregorian calendar, while others choose to celebrate the transitional period between the months as they would have been by the Julian calendar (about 13 days later by the Julian calendar).

Traditionally this festival likely would have happened as the grains were ready for harvesting or possibly even when the wild bilberries were ripe (as some scholars mention that if the grains were not ripe they would still preform a ritualized ‘first harvesting’ but it is possible this tradition came after the festival was firmly tied to a calendar date.)

Importance in the Mythos

In the mythologies it is well documented that this festival coincides with Lugh’s funeral games in honor of his foster-mother Tailtiu, known as Aonach Tailteann. In the mythologies she is said to have died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agricultural needs. The first documented instance of Lughnasadh in the mythologies was in the Wooing of Emer, Tochmarc Emire, which makes sense given the importance of marriages at this time of the year. It is not known specifically but widely speculated that the curse of the Ulstermen by Macha took places at the horse race for this festival.

In later time periods it is common to see a form of struggle, normally between the ‘protective’ forces and ‘destructive’ forces. The modern equivalent being the struggle between Saint Patrick and Crom Dubh but this is likely a reflection of an early struggle between Lugh and Balor (which I previously mentioned in my info-dump on Bealtaine).

Celebration Traditions

Aonachs, funeral games, have (to the best of our knowledge) been a custom in Ireland since the bronze age and were practiced on and off into the middle ages. They had both personal and community functions and occurred in three stages. Stage one was the funeral proceedings themselves. They would last one to three days, likely depending on the importance of the individual in question. Mourning songs and chants were participated in by both the attendees and the Druids. The second stage was for proclaiming of laws. Aonachs were a time when universal piece between túaths was declared. The third stage was that of Cuiteach Fuait, games that tested mental and physical abilities. These games included the well known horse and chariot races, wrestling games, boxing, high jumps but also competitions in strategy, singing, story telling and between various skilled craftsmen.

It was incredibly common for marriages to be arranged and preformed during this festival. More well known ‘trial marriages’ (lasting a year and a day) were still preformed at this festival up until the 13th century. It is likely that the coupling occurring at this time of year had an effect on the relationship to births seen at Imbolg (which falls 9 months later).

MacNeill, a leading scholarly expert on the festival, notes that a ritualistic bull sacrifice was made at this festival and the bull would then be eaten. I could not find any definitive evidence to support the idea, but I think it was likely that bulls in general would be culled from the herd at this point in the year to supply the feast.

Small acts of devotion.

Go hiking 

Learn self defense

Spend time in the forest

Go barefoot

Carry menstrual products in case someone needs one

Learn archery or how to use throwing knives

Go stargazing

Understand feminism 

Always help an animal in need

Keep an eye on anyone who seems to be uncomfortable with the person they’re with - discreetly offer support if needed

Make fashion choices that make you feel quietly confident

Cook over a campfire - or a wood burning stove

When drinking your morning cup of tea/coffee, step outside and enjoy the fresh air for a few moments

Dance

Wear oils and perfumes that smell of the forest

Be kind to kids - inspire them to follow their passions regardless of gender, ethnicity, etc. 

Learn more about constellations 

Boldly be whoever you are

Give money to any homeless people you pass

Plant native plants near your home

Work with the moon, follow it’s phases (use an app if needed)

Support aro/ace individuals 

Sleep under the stars

Buy more houseplants

Learn about the geography of the moon (Maria, Lunar highlands, etc.)

Watch wildlife/nature documentaries

Wake up at dawn

Go to pride

Learn bird language

Listen to instrumental music that inspires you

Keep basic first aid supplies with you

Donate to charities that help endangered species

Spend time in the mountains

PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF

CÓNOCHT AN EARRAIGH / SPRING EQUINOX

Natural remedies have side effects, too.

They are not less dangerous because they are natural.

You still need to consider dosage.

You still need to consider interactions with medications and other things you're taking.

Some of them will not work for you.

OP had an experience with someone in the local witch community who was taking six cups of 'anti-anxiety tea' per day and gave herself lavender poisoning because she didnt think herbal remedies could harm her.

Lavender is fine to take daily in small doses, but if you start feeling any of these symptoms, even if you dont think lavender is the direct cause of it, please stop for awhile and see how you feel. Consult a doctor if it persists.

And always, ALWAYS, do your research before trying any new herbal remedy. Get your information from a trustworthy source; if someone is selling or sponsored by someone selling the thing that they're saying is safe, then they are not trustworthy. Full stop. No exceptions.