Wednesday 28 December 2011

12 Days of Mithra-mas: Day 4

Four collie Birds
Three French Hens
Two turtledoves and a
partrdige in a pear tree----
18 Century Carol

This song being in French originally then Old English the words have been of course mangled. According to researchers the word as some Americans sing it "calling" actually is 'collie'. The word 'collie' actually refers to 'coal' or 'Blackbirds'.  

During the Middle Ages, Blackbirds, if you were wondering why someone would give their love, was a valuable meat.  as in the child's nursing rhyme: 
' sing a song of sixpence, ....
four and twenty blackbirds 
baked in a pie"
Now as a Celtic pagan followers I love the thought of Blackbirds, especially as a follower of Morrigan.  We know the blackbirds associated with Morrigan are Ravens or Crows, not exactly birds we would want to eat, 

For those with the totem can find this information worth reading. Raven which are part of the blackbird family are particularly associated with magic, they can be found in the Norse, Celtic, Greek even the Egyptian myths and pantheons.

Seeing the Ravens is to know that the Gods are close, they are messengers to the Spirit World and guides that make it easier for you to find your way there.  In Norse mythology they are Odin's Birds "Thought" & "Memory".

I see Ravens and crows often in my daily journey especially in my walks throughout the new town, they remind me of the ever presence of the Goddess, they also remind me that death is always with us (since New Haven is considered one of the deadliest towns in the North East), which makes me wonder, did the birds bring more death or did the birds show up because of the death?
The Raven reminds us to learn from the past and to not let it hold us back, i also heed the Raven or blackbirds as a warning of things to come.

You can try to find some blackbird feathers in the wild, if you do, wear gloves until you clean them, wash it well with some warm water and soap. I also cut a tiny slit in the end of the tail(the piece that would connect to the bird's body) and soak it in some bleach for a few days.  Once it is clean, place it on your altar and thank the Gods for this Air representative, bless it and use it whenever you need to send your wishes to the Gods, or during ceremonial magic.

Invite the playful spirit of the blackbird especially from the nursery rythme into your life and renact with children or even for yourself as simple or elaborate a play as you can. i notice children seem to love having their noses plucked off, my goddaughter falls over laughing all the time.

If you see the blackbirds before the New Year, use that as a prompt to reflect over the past 12 months and decide what to keep and what to let go into the past. 

Be Blessed and Happy Fourth Day

2 comments:

  1. Crows and the MorRhiogan are two of my favorite subjects :) Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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