Vampyres, concl. O of A News
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Crimson
Festival (February 14): This is the night of St. Valentine’s
Day. For the Ordo Stigoi Vii, Imbolc is replaced with the Crimson Festival.
On this day Vampyres celebrate and remember their
deepest passions, romance, and loves past and present. Partnerships and marriages are celebrated
on this day. This is also considered a
day to celebrate the seductive and glamorous aspects of “the Hunt.” Dragon
Festival (April 30): This festival, the Vampyre equivalent of
the Wiccan Beltaine, is celebrated by all Vampyre groups. This evening celebrates the transition from
Nightside to Dayside. It is about
inner-self, responsibilities and life. It is also known as Im Sekhemu:
Vampyres believe that their awareness and power reaches a peak in the
days preceding Im Sekhemu, after which their power wanes until Im Kheperu. Im
Sekhemu focuses more on lust and passion than fertility. The Sekhrian tradition, for example, lifts
a rose above the ritual chamber, lowers the lights, and encourages members to
express themselves through energetic and more physical exchanges to whatever
extent each person is comfortable. Summer
Solstice/Maiiah Festival (June 21): This is the summer solstice. Vampyres gather with their blood relations and dayside
friends, honouring those connections. Some groups use the Summer Solstice to
honour donors as well, because it is through their help that Vampyres can
endure the times when they feel weakened by our natures. The Summer Solstice is a time of reflection concerning the Dayside natures of the Strigoi
Vii. Maiiah is the Strigoi Vii version
of the Hindu concept of Maya (“illusion”), referring to the illusory nature
of the world we perceive. It is a time
to reflect on overcoming weaknesses. Lammas/Bast
Festival (August 1): Michelle Belanger wrote to tell me that “Lammas, standing at the opposite point in the
year from Imbolc, is the last gate of the Lightside of the Year. As Imbolc is one final acknowledgement of
the realm of spirit, this is one final acknowledgement of the realm of flesh.
We Kheprians acknowledge those they knew in this life who have passed on.
Like Imbolc, this is a double-edged ritual -- physical death allows one to
take up a new existence as unburdened spirit, but the particular combination
of spirit and flesh that was the living person we knew will never occur
exactly the same way again. So both of these rites, at least in the Kheprian
system, acknowledge the dance of life and death, body and spirit, and hold
both joyous and mournful sentiments.” The Strigoi Vii
replaced Lammas with the Bast Festival.
Bast was a feline Goddess from Egyptian mythology. This festival celebrates the predatory
aspects of Vampyres, and is considered the twin to the Strigoi Vii’s Crimson
Festival. It is typically celebrated
away from civilization: Deep within a
forest or in a desert area around two bonfires. The celebrants separate themselves into two
groups: One represents predators
(hawks, cats, bears, eagles, lions, etc.) and the other prey (rabbits, birds,
deer) and a simulated hunt is enacted. Two other days are significant to the
Strigoi Vii: Both are birthdays. One is the person’s birthday, called their
Dayside birth. The other is the
anniversary of their re-birth or awakening as Strigoi Vii, called their
Nightside birth. |
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Sigil of
House Maidenfear |
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National Firefighter's Day |
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ASATRU IN PRISON Last issue
I featured an article in Dispatches concerning the rights of a Wiccan
inmate. Readers brought my attention
to an Associated Press article on Asatru in prison. You can check this out at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060723/ap_on_re_us/pagans_in_prison |
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THE PAGAN ACTIVIST This is a
new on line newspaper covering issues of concern to Pagans. You can check it out at:
http://www.thepaganactivist.com/ |