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Officers
of Avalon |
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e-mail: webmaster@officersofavalon.com |
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Volume 1 No. 2 Beltaine/May Day/Galan
Mai/Cetshamain/Rudemas/ Walpurgisnacht 2007
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Be
glorious! Editor: Kerr Cuhulain |
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Beltaine, also known as Beltane, Galan Mai, Cetshamhain, Rudemas or
May Eve, is a Greater Sabbat of the Wiccan calendar, celebrated April
30. Beltaine (literally “fires of
Bel”) was the beginning of the summer season for the Celtic peoples, named
for the solar deity known in various parts of the Celtic world as Beli, Bile,
Belenos, Bel and Belenus. It is known
in Wales as Galan Mai. In more recent
times the Christian Church incorporated this into their calendar as the feast
of St John the Baptist. Another
Christian name for Beltaine is Roodmas, Rudemas or Rood Day, which has been
moved to May 3. Rudemas is a Grand
Festival of Brujeria, also known as the Vigil and Feast of San Jose el
Obrero. Beltaine is the one of the great Celtic fire festivals, the other
being Samhain. Unlike Samhain, when
the fires are lit at dusk, the Beltaine fires are lit at dawn. Horns were often sounded during the
lighting of the fires. It was
customary in some places to keep up the horn blowing for hours. Eggs and cakes, such as Scottish bannocks,
would be cooked in the fires. Beltaine was when the Celts drove their cattle to summer pasture. It marks the setting of the constellation
of the Pleiades, an event which in some parts of the world signals the start
of the fishing season. Beltaine is an ancient celebration of fertility and
life. The crowning of a young girl as
“May Queen”, representing the Maiden Goddess, is still practiced throughout
Great Britain. Originally a "May
King" representing the Young God, Robin, or Jack-in-the-Green, was
crowned too. |
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Dispatches: Official
Newsletter of Officers of Avalon |
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PAGAN ALLIANCE OF NURSES SCHOLARSHIP DRIVE Officers
of Avalon supports the Pagan Alliance of Nurses, an organization whose main
focus has been to provide support to Pagan medical professionals and
students. Last year PAN awarded two scholarships for medical students
that were PAN members. At this time
PAN is in the process of choosing scholarship recipients for this year.
So far PAN has funded this from dues and donations, however, they know that
to continue to provide a perpetual Pagan Scholarship will require a fund that
renews itself. Therefore PAN is
reaching out to request donations from organizations and individuals in the
Pagan community. E-Witch is going to host the auction for PAN free of charge. Pagans are donating services such as tarot
readings, several authors donated signed books, and organizations have
donated funds and such things as T-shirts signed by guest speakers, and free
admission to Pagan festivals. Anne Marie Augustino of PAN is asking our
members to donate to the scholarship fund. You link to the Pagan
Alliance of Nurses web page by clicking on the PAN logo above. Let’s help PAN achieve this worthy
goal. |
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Pagan
Alliance of Nurses Mission Statement: The
Pagan Alliance of Nurses (PAN) strives to unite Pagan nurses for the purposes
of education, support, exchange of information, political action and healing.
We seek these things for the overall benefit of ourselves, our religion,
families, friends, communities and the world. As members of a nature-centered
religion we realize that all life is interconnected and that our actions as
individuals and as a group can have a profound effect of the whole. By coming
together as a coordinated force using our knowledge, skills and talents we
enhance our effectiveness to facilitate and promote our goals. |
