Category Archives: Holy Days

Reunion 2020 Writings

This is a collection of the writings I did over Reunion for the Gods and spirits..

I wrote two short pieces of mythic fanfic. The first is ‘Bâillon‘, which focuses on the giant Erann and his bonding with the Laetha Ava. Erann also has some prayers/poetry below dedicated to him. The second was ‘3 2 1 2‘, which focuses on a tense moment between the Ophelia and Clarene. I try to post up all my stories on the Four+ Gods and Their spirits on Ao3 under the ‘Otherfaith Religion & Lore‘ tag.

Poetry and Prayer

Laetha and Dierne

1. for the Laetha, to be said after cleansing

My face I have hidden from you,
O Lord.

My heart I have hidden from you,
O Lord.

My will I have hidden from you,
O Lord.

My body I have hidden from you,
O Lord.

These I have hidden
away from your light
but now I give them to you
O Lord.

2. referencing the spirits of the Dierne’s Court

Blessed by Pallis,
Supreme Dierne

no odd unfortunate
effect of inebriation
befalls you.

Only in the morning
craving
meat and cheese
and foods

By afternoon,
ready again

to partake in His
holy communion.

3. from the Dierne’s perspective

“In my heart, I have nothing but resentment that you placed the two of us as opposing stars in the sky; that we touched once and should be content forever after.”

In my ears, only
soft distressing sounds
of your body in the river.
This is what I remember of you:
water, and –

When winter came,
the rivers frozen
and the City at peace
All trace of our rebellion enveloped
in the magic of love.
I was gone for some time
Any changes to the bones of home
washed away in the flood of you
and my memory was aligned with
the truth of things.

The world moves without you,
but I am left here

placed in opposite ends of the sky.

4. from the Laetha’s perspective

Beloved, beloved
endlessly.

What furs do you encompass me?
What fangs envelope me?

Beloved, beloved

I have sung the song of my soul
and still
you are apart from me.

Is this punishment?
Flesh, embodiment,
separation
from your near holy self.

Please

beloved

do not
attain that divine light.
Beloved!
Not – that
absolvence,
best called bleach,

for what it enacts upon your love
our love
our thread
our
my

my –

Beloved –

I will eat the world
in every bite
in every morsel
in every home
in every hearth

if they take you from me.

5. an unfortunate perspective

The cigarettes I’ve burned
the cocktails I’ve consumed
the inebriation, sought after

You abandon me still
“You abandoned me, still”

Stood across the pharmacy
numbers called out
my ears numbed
the television
telling tales of sorrow

death and blood and death and blood and

My soul become an awful
twisted thing

The Gods desired
the Gods wanted
the Gods intended
the Gods,
the only keystone I have to guide my way

My birth aligned with you
but I’ve no scent to track you
I am left alone
with my faulty intuition.

“Please please please”
a thousand times I have prayed
I will pray
I have sought you
until the end of my days

I have torn through the ice
and you have torn through the storm
and still we are separate.

“If the world
or your love
were at stake,”
they ask

and I laugh
as if there is any choice
as if I would put you
after the world.

And you
glorious in your starry spear
lifted above me
me in my
final form, no more penultimance
lay before you

“The world,”
you decree
and I am slain.

Clarene & Ophelia

1. for the Clarene

Light each hearth
in your people’s homes.
let not the flames
of our love fail.

2. to invoke blessings

Heavenly ones,
dwell again
with mortal companions
and counterparts.

Holy ones,
dwell again
among us in this mortal realm.

Cast again
your blessings upon us.

Lead us right
lead us well
lead us always
toward our own becoming.

3. from the Ophelia’s perspective

“How shall I love you,”
she asks
peeling away your stockings
peeling away your shields.

“How shall I love you,”
she asks
stripping you of your dresses
stripping you of your defenses.

“Forever,” you retort
sure she will never commit
Sure as your
smug

unhappy

smile.

“Forever,” she agrees
and lays you bare before her.

Ophelene and Liathane

1. to invoke the Ophelene

Ophelene,
God of Justice
sister of the sea
most honest among the Four
I call for you.

Ophelene,
God of Justice
sibling to doubt
aimed at the starry heavens
I call for you.

At Reunion,
your armor abandoned
your swords sheathed,
you are adorned in
your most benevolent forms.

(“Your most toothless,”
the Liathane complains.)

I call for you
Justice
beatific Justice
chaos-loved Justice.

Please, Ophelene,
be with us in this world.

2. for the Ophelene

Clad in silver,
eschewing gold,
the God of Justice
precedes armageddon.

3. for the Liathane

Chaos in your eternal undulations
white and red ribbons
of poisoned flesh.

What wickedness you bring
what violence
what holy change.

4. to invoke the Liathane

I pray

that I might know you well;

even if my flesh
only meat between your teeth.

that I might comprehend you;

even if my bones
only dust beneath your feet.

Liathane
last
eighth
God of the dark beyond dark,

I pray
that I might hold
in my trembling hands
one ounce of
you.

5. for Justice and Chaos

To the Liathane,
leading up to Reunion.

The body of justice laid upon
whatever nest you have chosen
whatever bed suits you best.

Her skin coated in stars,
purple velvet draped about her,
awaiting the entrance of her beloved.

Chaos, in your serpentine form,
milk white and reflective as the moon
upon the river.

Your scaled form
slithering up every inch
and incline of the Ophelene.

Holly red tongue
and holly red eyes
adoring the face of your lover.

The hands which
in summer heat
grip and restrain

Your body wrapped
in familiar crushing intent
in despair,

In winter the two of you
entwined.

Alynah Blake

1. to invoke The Great Rabbit

Child of Althea Altair,
rejected by Lilibell Vega,
of old flesh and new name
I call to Alynah Blake.

Niece to the Dierne,
grandchild to the Clarene,
boon and bane of the Gods,
I call to Alynah Blake.

Magnificent in all your forms:
horse and horned
rabbit and rathe.
I call to Alynah Blake.

Most powerful of the Giants,
violent and riotous,
most beautiful among the unholy unhoused kin,
I call to Alynah Blake.

Arise, Alynah,
from the swamp of creation.

Your recalcitrant lover awaits
the winter of your return.
His skin remains unpainted
in his devotion to you.

Arise, Alynah,
from the pool which,
eternal,
bubbles hot as flesh
thick as mud
full of the blood
of the Gods,

that you might step fully formed
to embrace your lover again.

2. in praise

I say this of the supreme rabbit
upon the day of her birth:

Alynah Blake,
bane of the Laethas
and bane of orderly existence.

Alynah Blake,
daughter of stars
and daughter of fire.

Alynah Blake,
born a year from conception
and born fully formed.

Alynah Blake,
powerful in her bloodshed
and powerful in her bed.

Alynah Blake,
beloved of the West
and beloved of unloved Abel.

Abel Blake

in honor of him

Abel Blake,
what becomes of you
in the rains and cold?
Well.
You are at home there
as anywhere
requiring only inebriation
to persist.

The forms claimed as yours:
succubi
alcoholic
obsessive.
Divinely blessed
and rejecting any divine
obligation,
every single emotional
connection.

What I know and love
adore of you
am aware of
taken away in the undertow
of your ‘spiritual
purpose’
the arc ending
in your rejection

abandoning the burden
weight and weft
to my human hands,
burning my flesh with it.

Althea Altair and Lilibell Vega

1. to invoke the twins

The two star-named twins
shepherds of instruction and devotion.

Neither of you visible in daylight
Twilight and night illuminate
your ethereal forms.

Althea Altair, in your
unearthly light,
lead me to the home of your father
the halls of devotion
the rooms of pious sacrifice.

And when my heart is torn,
my chest cut apart,
my mind unmade in the shape
best loved by God

Lilibell Vega, in your
starry veils,
lead me to the forest of your brother,
the trees of silver,
the leaves all reflective mirrors.

2. to request aid from Althea

Althea Altair,
hooded in red
bracketed in gold
stoic child of the Laetha
born without heart
your gaze far-seeing and colorless:

aid me, please.

May I mind my tongue
watch my words
engage honestly
speak truthfully
and honor the Holy Ones in my speech.

Teach me your ways
of piety and devotion.

3. for Lilibell

Lilibell of the sky,
pole star once and again,
bright
and beloved of Altair.

Born as
stars fell past the horizon
unbroken from the sky.

Your aura captured
in that burning moment
between night and day.

Your sister, twin,
spat from ashes and flame
as your soul arced in twilight.

Her name truth but
marred and marked and warped by you,
two existence inflicted upon another.

Who would you be
if you had not been caught
as if in spider’s silk

but that’s no question
worth the dignity of answers.

The thorns of each other
as inseparable as veins,
her heart beating beside your own
until you tore your own wretched muscle out
and let it drown.

4. on her lover

How is she, in the morning –
unpleasant?
hungover? overworked?
aware of you at all?

In the evening,
Vega rises
as clear as your own eyes
refreshed in daylight
refreshed at the sight of you.

Epiphany

1. request for aid

Epiphany,
beloved of the sovereign
beloved of books
beloved of all eternal knowledge,
grant me inspiration.

2. another request

Epiphany, enflame me
as you were enflamed;
Epiphany, reveal to me
the mysteries of your world.

3. a sacrifical request

Shall my skin blister
break away
as yours did,
Epiphany,
under the weight of revelation?

Shall I be struck
illumination like lightning
as you were,
Epiphany,
behold to your Gods
giving up the life you lived?

This an unfortunate
honest request,
ill-made,
that I lay at
your bare feet.

Aster Aira

Some of these were also posted earlier, for Aster’s ‘birthday’ on the Winter Solstice. That post is found here.

1. in praise

Aster of stars,
crowned in flame,
I praise you.

2. upon the date of Aster’s birth

I call to Aster Aira,
son of the Firebird
embodiment of flame,
accursed one.

I call to Aster Aira
upon the day of your birth,
the mournful night
of light’s return.

I call to you:

Misfortune, to be burned away
our misfortunes bled into your blood
burned away within your body.

Consuming all poisons
all despairs
all injuries of man
until the sun is all that remains.

3. the birthplace of the son of fire

The land named for mermaids
nestled to the coast
all trace of sun
no memory of snow,
this is the birthplace of you.

The heart of a fire
enthroned upon forested peaks
of western mountains
sated on a nest of pine,
this is the birthplace of you.

What do you reject
and what do you accept?

He who brought you life
has no need once you’ve
fulfilled or failed
– and he doesn’t care
one or another way –

better to abandon back
empty one duty
refill with whatever
fits worst.

Better to reject all births
all places of home.

Let the waters of death
remake you,
let the god of death
take you.

This is the end
thousands of ways seeking
oblivion
in the arms of your could-be mother.

This is the birthplace of you:

a bed
at the lake house
where the waterfall calls
and your would-be mother
sits beside.

Refilled duty
refilled devotion
What you sought returned
in the cold comfortable gaze
of death.

Neve Winter

The fourth prayer here can also be found on Aster Aira’s birthday post.

1. in praise

Neve of Winter,
crowned in snow,
I praise you.

2. to the daughter of dreams

Neve, this I know well

how easily sibling affection
ran rampant in your brother’s veins
how dreams contorted and confused
protective loving morphed and manipulated.

But in world-spawning dreams,
what afflicted you?

No innate immunity
granted by your mother,
God of Dreams;

better to say you were afflicted
marred by your mother,
God of Death.

3. beloved Neve

The stars of the obscured sky
part the clouds to see you, Neve.

The moon in her wisdom
moves the tides for you, Neve.

The grass reaches green tendrils
toward your footsteps, Neve.

The snow falls upon the worlds
as you command, Neve.

My heart aches
for you still, Neve.

4. to temper Aster, her brother of flame, the unholy one

Neve of the cold and ice,
daughter of Ophelia,
clad in snowfall.

Most remarkable among
the Western’s winter,
born properly a year following
your flaming brother.

Your castles of ice
and illusion
mark the worlds.

Bring blue fingers
to bear upon your brother
guiding him to redemption.

Casimir Casimir

1. in praise

Casimir of Casimir,
crowned in steel, in blood,
I praise you.

2. an unfriendly wintertime

Casimir
of earth mountain and might
in winter leaving your beloved’s side.

How awful to see her
cavorting and adoring
that vile excuse of existence
her brother,
her affection like salt brine
awash on the flesh of you.

A year come
a year gone,
the snow soft and fluffy
fake in demanded delight
a world designed by gods you
still just don’t can’t won’t never trust.

Neve wrapped in dark
in warmth
in luxury
in the weight of you

“Overbearing.”

Walking next to
wondering when you’ll
have to
leave, lest risk
running into that brother of hers
that awful ex lover of yours
maybe you can avoid again
another
every year.

Not this year.

He approaches in the street.

Cobblestone, you note,
better to stare at than

him

and Neve as happy as snow should be
as the spirits at dusk
at dawn
happier than you
ever get to hear.

Buried in your scarf
unwilling,
but when when you gave
everything, everything
every fucking thing
does she still love
the man who stole it all away?

Aster spares one
gold blazing look
at you.

You don’t look again
calling him coward in your mind.

Calling yourself all
the worst names
you can imagine.

Erann the Giant

1. in praise

Of Erann, the Giant,
what can I sing?

Erann the Giant,
Companion to child-like Ava,
tender and watcher of Laethic fires.

Who traveled from unknown unspeakable lands
bearing your known unspeakable names.

Erann of endless expanse,
of such shifting shapes

the Giant with the unhewn face
what features mark yourself,

Erann, you who refuse form,
adopting all aspects of another –

any other but the self,
avoiding eternally
the mirror of your own visage.

What right can any mortal claim
to lift the elaborate masks
adorning you?

(Yet still I
feel, remember the heft
of that mask in my hand
the sound of my sigh
once you were revealed
unwillingly
to me.)

(“Can’t leave well enough alone,

can you?”)

Best described in relation
to another:

Companion, protector,
leash and muzzle,
friend to all,
beloved of one.

You are the
unflinching grin,
an ever-present positivity,
a lie entirely.

How can I
sing your songs?
When left with you
I am best the unseeing one
but strife always
until your hands fall from my eyes and I
am beholden
to the kaleidoscope color of you.

Longing for God,
and touching upon you
the winged messenger.

2. desirous for him

Erann the Giant,
what I know of you
is –

There is a green heart
at the center of the world
and should I approach it once
twice, ten thousand times,
you shall cover my eyes
and in your deep tones tell

“Look not upon”
the eldritch unending knowledge
of this world.

There are dark alley streets
in every city melded here
and should I be lost again
a thousand times
you shall cover my mouth
and in your voice tell

“Do not say”
a single word
let no knowledge depart

What I know of you, useless
worthless to any except
myself, branded

weeping

wanting

you.

3. chaste, however

In your hands
all bones are breakable

In your hands
all hearts are shattered

In your hands
all bodies are frangible

Touch, touch,
every inch of me I beg you to touch,
Erann, holy one

What care have I
in lust and longing
for any
‘messenger of God’?

Call yourself a thousand
thousand names
a thousand words

beloved, please
upon my delicate flesh
rend every inch

of your desire.

4. completely chaste

Oh you who
has but half your wings
cast like stained glass as they are
my heart longs for you.

You who never lacks
for humor and grin
expression keen and treacherous
I long for you.

Oh my liar
my wicked beloved,

my chest cannot contain
all the torment I crave from you.
My body, even trained,
broken in and adapted,
may stretch and snap

and still I pray to hold you.

J H L

1. the burial mound

No matter what happened,
happens,

each betrayal unique in taste,
each jealous desire bitter,

my love remains.

Unsure, unsteady,
I –

“do you love me?”

Do you love me still
when I’ve abandoned you,
left behind
the bonds we made?
were made with,
whole cloth divided only
at the end.

Awaiting you,
awaiting me,
at the forest of gods’ eternity.

2. the bedroom

“I love you.”

my bone?
my muscle?
my fat?
my flesh?
my –

“freckled,” you say,
your tongue dragging
along each one.

heart
heart
heartbeat
my heart b –

your lips on mine
ambrosia
the scent you claimed

you wretched
you beloved
you

“Please,” I
beg.

3. the apartment

Heavenly, your aura
but to hell I must go
‘Hell’ – separation from God
separation from you –

When did I lose the thread of you?
the moment of love
the moment of sin

or centuries before,
sin without you,
I would indulge again
to see betrayal painted
like melted ice across your face.

Do you know what I suffered
waiting for you to wake up to me?

What did you suffer –
what are you suffering?

Desire is a dog’s mouth
teeth poised
and I’m just waiting for you to bite down.

4. Reunion’s end

The ways I have loved you
must be enough
to last another year.

Devotion to Abel Blake

written in 2020, revised slightly for 2021

O spirit of Western Fairy,
Abel Blake
I speak of you.

May my words be heard
as I praise you,
capturing ineffectually
the entirety of you.

Accept this
fulfillment of my agreement with you

(and do not abandon
nor tear yourself away from my side).

Beloved among the best,
you reject all who would own you
and make suitors bend to your whim.
Your body as welcoming as a fire
filling a home in winter.
Your tongue as cruel
as the cold outside.

You spread your arms wide
and accept all
if provided proper coin.
You paint your feelings
upon your painted faces
a thousand hundred times
and none of us have seen enough.
Beneath the perfected smiles and sighs,
you remain

as angry as ever
as loathing
Hatred and regret clogging your throat
leaking out onto anyone your cloying heart
actually beats for.

Adored one,
beloved of Alynah Blake,
beloved of the best of the Blakes,
she who is strongest and swiftest
most powerful,
but before you she is powerless.
Your gold-yellow eyes and heavy words
She
the only suitor to unmask you
the only lover to hold you
as your thorny self.

Still,
you remain

as angry as ever
as loathing
Hatred and regret clogging your throat
leaking out onto anyone your cloying heart
actually beats for.

The regret you hold
like a muzzle between your teeth
cannot be swayed by sexual talent
your many forms and faces.
The despair wafts around you
as strong as alcohol scenting your skin.

You,
favored one,
favored by the Gods even as
They punish you one by one.
Piety and prayer scalding
burning your tongue
burning down your gut.

Unfavored favored one,
rumor-laden,
a bird in an ivory tower cage,
bars so strong not even
The King of Rabbits
The Dethrone of Men
The Bane of God
can break them.

When the storm arrives
when the steel knocks down your door

You remain

as angry as ever
as loathing
Hatred and regret clogging your throat
leaking out onto anyone
your cloying heart beats for.

Justice pulls apart the cage
and with eager arms
reaches for your soul kept even further in.
All your feelings
painted over a thousand hundred times
can hide nothing from Her.
She reaches
and She waits.

A hand held out
without deceit or deals
In a thousand years
in an eternity

She remains

as patient
as loving
Hatred and regret flowing out of you
leaking onto Her

(like acid
leaking out onto everyone
you have ever loved)

She holds you unflinchingly
until the worst of you has gone
with the tide
out from the shore.

You remain.

[All information above is in-process, as the Otherfaith is always under development. It should not be taken as solid canon or ‘law’. Please use the information to explore and experiment as feels appropriate.]

Prayers for Aster Aira, upon the Winter Solstice

I invoke first:
Ophelia, God of Rivers and Waters and Time.

I invoke second:
Abel Blake.
Temper your ancestral father’s flame.

I invoke again:
Ophelia,
God of Waters
of Duty
of, in darkest night, forgiveness.

I invoke now

Aster Aira
flame of flames
fire of fires

unholy child of Laethic conflagration.

Upon this, the night of your birth,
I honor you appropriately
in word and no more.

Eternal the incandescence of your body.
Endless the exclamation of your soul.

I honor this,
you,
your sacrifice.

Aster Aira is one of the children of the Laethic Firebird – the actual giant bird of flame that may be understood as the ‘purest’ (and also most foreign/alien/fairy) form of the Laetha. Althea Altair is one of the other children of the Laethic Firebird, but she has more positive aspects than Aster. Though they are both born from the same ‘father’ they are not, and do not consider themselves, siblings.

He may be called simply ‘Aster’; as with many Laethic spirits, he has a secondary name that clarifies him in prayer but may not be necessary during spiritual journeys.

Aster is the older brother to the snow spirit Neve Winter (a child of the Ophelia). Both he and Neve share their birth on the Winter Solstice, though they are said to be separated ‘by a year’ according to the Western fairy spirits. Neve may also be invoked or summoned or worked with in relation to Aster. Invoked together they can balance out each other’s intense energies (fire and ice, for Aster and Neve respectively). These siblings encompass every spectrum of sibling relations, from extreme dysfunction to peaceful relation. The Winter Solstice is a good point to work with their more beneficent (to humans) aspects.

(I tend to focus more upon Aster, as I am closer to him in energy and as I am an older sibling.)

Fire has a variety of meanings and interpretations among the spirits of the Other People. Aster tends to embody and represent the more negative and overwhelming aspects. He is effective at burning away and destroying. For this reason, he is best invoked with aids or ‘leashes’ to rein in him. He can, if left unchecked, become malevolent. I would not say he is inherently malevolent, nor does he seek to harm human practitioners, but he is very much a trickster. He will force practitioners and devotees to encounter their own shadows and faults, often in abrupt fashion. He has no tolerance for self-deception.

He can be incredibly useful for burning away lies and deception of all kinds. Any prayer, magic, or ritual requiring less-than-positive fire spirits can call upon him.

Though he is, technically, the ancestor to some of the Otherfaith spirits (Abel Blake, the Repudiated Blake, some Witch and sun spirits), he is not very effective when summoned as an ancestral or paternal spirit. Using his paternal bonds can help in calling him forth, but his rejections of familial bonds means he will not aid well in resolving family issues. Practitioners may find utility in his relation with his own parents – he is ultimately rejected by the Laetha (his birth parent) and adopted by the Ophelia.

Aster Aira, Neve Winter, and Casimir make up the ‘Verszou Triad’ (such as I call them), but Casimir is not best called upon during the Winter Solstice or month of December generally.

In my own personal practice, Aster has been with me for over a decade. He is one of my oldest spirit ‘friends’, along with Neve and Casimir. One would think that as I grew older and advanced in not only my (polytheist) devotional and magical practice that I would move on from them, but…I have not.

My recommendations above come from working with Aster for so long. But that does not mean that other practitioners should hold them as gospel. As I try to note at the end of every post here, you should adjust and tinker and alter the content I post to suit your own practice and experience. The spirits will be interacting with you, after all, and in posting these thoughts I simply hope to illuminate my own pitfalls and encounters.

Aster has, consistently, been an overwhelming entity in my life. Even at his most positive – and for a ‘destructive’ fire spirit, he can certainly be beneficial! – he is A Lot to deal with. In one of my most recent journeys that he helped chaperone I ended up with a dagger in my gut and emotions spewing out of me like vomit.

As best I can describe, the energetic feeling of him is like a warm mist around the shoulders. He hangs just behind your back; not threatening or scary, but there always, like a little whispering, niggling voice that bounces between being overly critical and tossing out horrendously ill-conceived ideas.

This overbearing aspect of him is why I suggest tempering him with the Ophelia, or Abel Blake (who, in the stories I have seen between them, is a very effective collar to Aster’s less-great impulses), or Neve. I would advise more toward the first two. Neve can be just as destructive and wily, just in a ‘cold’ form. When Aster and Neve get going together it can be absolute havoc.

Casimir, a spirit I associate with earth, mountains, and the stability of humanity (in a broad sense – think beyond generations and on a larger ‘human species’ level), can also be invoked to neutralize Aster’s energies. Aster will tend to become scarce for a while after invoking Casimir, though, so doing so should be a last resort if one desires to work with Aster.

the Ophelia, the Otherfaith God of Rivers and Time, is likely the best bet to temper Aster’s fire. She is his adoptive parent, both gentle yet firm with him, and Her watery aspects balance out his flame. That said, the Ophelia also has little tolerance for self-deception, hypocrisy, and lies; if you are working through such things with Aster I suspect She will be of little help.

Below are some other prayers for Aster Aira that I have written this year. Please use them, and the one above, as you see fit.

To Aster Aira, upon the date of his birth:

I call to Aster Aira,
son of the Firebird
embodiment of flame,
accursed one.

I call to Aster Aira
upon the day of your birth,
the mournful night
of light’s return.

I call to you:

Misfortune, to be burned away
our misfortunes bled into your blood
burned away within your body.

Consuming all poisons
all despairs
all injuries of man
until the sun is all that remains.

To Neve, to temper Aster, her brother of flame, unholy one:

Neve of the cold and ice,
daughter of Ophelia,
clad in snowfall.

Most remarkable among
the Western’s winter,
born properly a year following
your flaming brother.

Your castles of ice
and illusion
mark the worlds.

Bring blue fingers
to bear upon your brother
guiding him to redemption.

Solitary Autumn Equinox Rite

An Otherfaith ritual in celebration of the Autumn Equinox.

You can download a PDF version of this rite here. Please edit and adjust this ritual as you desire; it is intended merely as a starting point.

Timing

At or around the Autumn Equinox. This ritual can be performed any time after the Autumn Equinox until Halloween as well, with small adjustments made to the wording to reference the season rather than specifically the Equinox.

Tools:

Cleansing herbs/incense (if needed)
Main altar candle
Clarene candle
Incense, for all the Gods
Incense, for the Clarene
Censer
Liquid for libations (cider, beer, wine, juice, alcohol, and/or water)
Offering bowl (if performed indoors)
Bell
Anointing oil/water
Altar
Altar decorations, if desired
Prayer beads, if desired

Notes

This ritual is based on the ‘Mabon Solitary Ritual’ found in Mabon: Rituals, Recipes and Lore for the Autumn Equinox by Diana Rajchel. As she describes it, “[it] is one of simple gratitude and propitiation. In this ritual, you give offerings in the form of liquid, or libations, and by doing so you encourage a further relationship with deity and nature.” (Rajchel 159) Some of the prayers used in this ritual are directly from Rajchel’s ritual, but most are of my own original drafting.

This ritual can be performed indoors or outdoors. If done outdoors you can simply pour out your offering onto the ground. If performed indoors, pour the liquid into an offering bowl. After the ritual is completed you should pour out the libations somewhere outside.

The ideal directions to set up the altar and/or pour libations are North or West, as this ritual is focused on the Clarene. The ideal drink for the libations to the Clarene would be beer, cider, wine, or brandy. Other drinks can be chosen for the specific Gods and spirits you wish to praise. You may either pour out the entire bottle/drink at the end of the rite, keep it to offer in other rituals, or drink it yourself as desired. Different liquids may be offered if you so desire, but using one type of offering is fine. Water is perfectly acceptable as an offering liquid.

Ritual

Make sure you are clean (having showered or bathed in the past day) and are wearing clean clothing. A ritual cleansing shower or bath may be taken beforehand if desired.

If the space has not previously been purified, burn cleansing herbs or incense. Sweep the room clockwise three times

Four and Four Gods,
bless this room
that it might be fit for your rites and rituals.
Spirits of house and home,
bless this room
that it might be fit for your rites and rituals.
Spirits of place and presence,
bless this room
that it might be fit for your rites and rituals.
Gods and spirits, holy and unholy,
bless this space.

Sit before the altar and light the main candle. Mark forehead (and upper chest, if desired) with oil or water.

I am consecrated in the name of the Four Gods.

Ground and center.

Four and Four Gods,
above and below,
be with me tonight and give witness to my rite.

Ring bell thrice.

I pray tonight to the Four Gods and their many spirits.
I give libation to Them.
May They join me in this rite
and accept my offerings on this autumn equinox.

Invoke the Four+ Gods. You may use prayer beads or hold up your arms, bent at the elbows with palms upward, as you pray.

Holy Clarene, god of hearth and home, I call to you.
Holy Ophelia, god of waters and weeping, I call to you.
Holy Laetha, god of cinders and song, I call to you.
Holy Dierne, god of love and longing, I call to you.
Holy Laethelia, god of joy and jubilance, I call to you.
Holy Ophelene, god of wisdom and work, I call to you.
Holy Darren, god of decision and doubt, I call to you.
Holy Liathane, god of chaos and calamity, I call to you.

Take a sip from the drink container then hold it aloft for a moment before setting it back upon the altar.

This libation I consume,
sharing with the Gods and spirits
in the energy of the season.

Once the Gods have been invoked, light a candle and incense specifically for the Clarene. Pour a small libation into the bowl.

Holy Clarene,
Great God of the harvest,
God of slaughter,
God of farms and orchards and food –
you are stunning in your beauty,
overwhelming in your power.
The time of the harvest is your time.
We kill that we might eat.
We eat that we might live.
You are the cycle.
You are the scythe.
I behold your eternal glory.

Pour another small libation.

In gratitude, in love, I give thanks to you.[i]

Pour another small libation.

In grief, in sorrow, I give thanks to you.[ii]

Now you might give prayers to specific Gods, spirits, or people who have helped them in their lives. Pour a small libation out after each prayer.

Visualization

Close your eyes and sit comfortably. See a glowing portal between yourself and the altar. On the other side lay the Westernlands, the world of Western Fairy that the Clarene rules over. Imagine stepping through the portal. You step into a grassy clearing. Trees bedecked in orange and yellow leaves stand behind you, encircling the clearing; ahead of you stands one of the Clarene’s homes, a wooden cabin with smoke drifting from the chimney.

In the clearing stands the Clarene. A table laden with the gifts of the harvest – fruits, gourds, vegetables, meats, and more food than you can name – sits between you and the God.

Approach the table. You may either ask the Clarene to give you a gift from the table, of Her choosing, or you may choose a piece of food yourself. In either case, take the food you are offered. Remember what it looks like, if you can identify it, how to smells and feels. Keep it close to your chest.

Thank the Clarene, and make your way back through the portal to this world.

Remember to write down what food you received, as well as any meaning you might glean from it. What you were gifted represents the gift of the season specific in your life, what you can expect going forward. Write down any other details from the visualization as well: if there were any spirits with the Clarene, how She appeared to you, anything notable about the clearing or forest or house, what foods were on the table, etc. Note, as well, your emotional state and feelings during the meditation.

Give one last libation to the Clarene.

King of the Gods,
you who are the order and proper turn of the world,
I give thanks to you this harvest season.
Sustain me in the months ahead.
Bless me as the days darken.
Receive these offerings in the spirit they are given,
and remain, always, alongside me.
This I pray.

Bid farewell to the Four+ Gods. Clasp your hands together or use prayer beads while praying.

Holy Clarene, god of hearth and home, I thank you.
Holy Ophelia, god of waters and weeping, I thank you.
Holy Laetha, god of cinders and song, I thank you.
Holy Dierne, god of love and longing, I thank you.
Holy Laethelia, god of joy and jubilance, I thank you.
Holy Ophelene, god of wisdom and work, I thank you.
Holy Darren, god of decision and doubt, I thank you.
Holy Liathane, god of chaos and calamity, I thank you.

Extinguish the Clarene’s candle.

With love, I depart from you, Holy Ones.
I carry with me gratitude for the life on earth you have given.[iii]

Ring the bell thrice.

This rite is complete.

[i] “Mabon Solitary Ritual.” Mabon – Rituals, Recipes and Lore for the Autumn Equinox, by Diana Rajchel, Llewellyn Publications,U.s., 2015, pp. 158–167.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ibid.

Prayers for the Apotheosis of the Dierne

Known more specifically as the Apotheosis of the Dierne Pallis

Otherfaith practitioners might use these prayers in ritual and devotion to honor the Apotheosis of the Dierne. The Apotheosis occurs on July 31, ending Hell Month and moving our energies away from the more morose and traumatic focus it is associated with. These prayers may be said in front of an altar or while going about one’s daily life.

Only the last two prayers (‘O beloved among men…’ and ‘This day…’) use language that ties them specifically to the apotheosis. The other prayers could be used whenever a devotee desired.

The 50 Adorations listed first could similarly be used anytime, ideally when one wanted to really focus upon the Dierne and bring Him into their life. They are meant to inspire His presence and give form to Him within our minds so that He can more easily connect with us. One could make a longer ritual out of the adorations by offering loose incense after each adoration; such a ritual would be quite long indeed consider you would not want to extinguish the charcoal with the incense nor smoke out the room! I have chosen to use 50 adorations as it is nicely half of 100. the Dierne’s ‘sacred’ numbers are four (as He is the Fourth God) and seven (lucky), so a devotee might choose to do adorations based on those numbers (or any multiple of them) instead.

Some of the prayers here have been adapted from the much older (and somewhat outdated) Patheos Pagan post ‘Apotheosis [Prayer]‘.

50 Adorations of the Dierne

I adore you, Pallis
I adore you, Boy Before Stars
I adore you, Child of the Moon
I adore you, Son of the River
I adore you, Most Beautiful of the Heavens
I adore you, Fallen One
I adore you, Shadow Boy
I adore you, You of the Black Heart
I adore you, You Who Rides the Thunder
I adore you, Wicked Wind
I adore you, Boy-King
I adore you, Ambrosia-Scented One
I adore you, Rose-Wearer
I adore you, You Who Drowns
I adore you, You of Murky Waters
I adore you, You of the Dark Soul
I adore you, Heart-Maker
I adore you, You Who Gives Lightning
I adore you, Enthraller
I adore you, Kiss’s Inventor
I adore you, Temptress
I adore you, Orgasm-Maker
I adore you, Silvered One
I adore you, Fierce Breeze
I adore you, You Who Brings Excitement
I adore you, Enrapturer
I adore you, Seducer Supreme
I adore you, Nightly One
I adore you, Violent Storm
I adore you, Dark Sun
I adore you, Black Swan
I adore you, You of Crafty Hands
I adore you, Shapeshifter
I adore you, Beauty Among Beauties
I adore you, Heart-Bearer
I adore you, Spear-Wielder
I adore you, Star Feller
I adore you, Compassionate Killer
I adore you, Breathtaking One
I adore you, You Who Splits Wounds
I adore you, Swordless One
I adore you, You Who Cries Jewels
I adore you, Vodka-stained
I adore you, Bloodied Hands
I adore you, Star Slayer
I adore you, Singer of Sorrow
I adore you, Savior
I adore you, Redeemer
I adore you, Highest Among the Gods
I adore you, Dierne

Three Praises for the Dierne

Boy from the stars,
You who in eternal youth wandered the worlds,
traveling with Sorrow,

O Pallis,
O Star,
we praise you.

You who has known the streets of man and fey
You who in exile turned ever toward your home,
who is Beloved of the Land Itself,

O Pallis,
O Queen of Heaven,
we praise you.

You who will always strive for us
You who will not forsake us
who returns our love endlessly,

O Pallis
O Beloved,
we praise you.

Lend Me…

Lend me your hope,
lend me your love,
lend me your strength that when I falter
I can rise again.
Dierne, lend me your grace.

O beloved among men…

O beloved among men
and most beloved of the Gods:
Pallis,
the Fallen Star
Lover of the Laetha
Most beautiful in the West,
Today is crowned a God Himself.
You who give pleasure, love, and hope –
This day is dedicated to You.

This Day…

Beloved Star, who is Pallis,
the sweetest of eternal flames:
This day you return to us
This day you are a God
This day you wear the crown of stars
and our hearts sing for you.
Beloved, now God – the Dierne.

Patheos Post: Hell Month in 2020

Hell Month is supposed to be about being able to acknowledge the awful parts of our lives, our existence, our society, but it was always capped off by an inspirational, aspirational emotion. The Gods win over evil (whatever that is). The injustices of the world are righted. We aspire and achieve hope. You make it through hell.
You make the world better.
Hell Month in 2020 on Patheos Pagan

January 15: Birth of Centry Rio

A hill is dotted in dark trees, the ground covered in snow. The sunset at the horizon burns orange in the clouds. — Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

Background Information

Centries are centaur spirits in the Otherfaith stories. Unlike other centaurs throughout folklore, Centries are not associated with revelry or wildness. In the Otherfaith, centaur spirits are tied most closely to the Clarene (God of Sovereignty) and Ophelene (God of Justice). The first centaur is created by the Clarene; She buries a horse’s heart in Her Orchard in the hopes it will sprout, only for gunpowder and blood to fall upon the field. From the soil is born Dallas, the leader of the Centries.

As more centaurs are born Dallas is tasked by the Clarene with protecting the Westernlands and hunting down evildoers. The creation of the Centries as a specific group of spirits is currently marked on July 15. They may appear with lion-halves, instead of equine forms, hinting at their ties to the Clarene.

Though they may serve as spirits of justice, Centries are primarily concerned with lawfulness and order. They are good to call on in cases when the law is already ‘one one’s side’. They may act as forces of retribution but more often carry out punishment as the law of the land requires.

In Otherfaith canon, all Centries are named after cities.

Spirit Information

Rio is associated primarily with fire. His equine form is often a palomino or sorrel. He appears wielding a bow and arrow or spear, both weapons tipped in gold. Like many fire spirits he has red hair. Rio is specifically tied to punishing perpetrators of sexual assault and abuse.

He frequently appears beside Dallas. He may be the second-in-command of the Centries, or they may have some other relation that ties them together. Rio is one of the less mature Centries and acts more brashly than his kin.

Unfortunately, even though this is his birth date on our calendar, we do not have an origin story for Rio. How he came to be in the West and to serve in the Centries is a story that remains to be told.

Otherfaith practitioners could dedicated bows and arrows to Rio, along with charms shaped like bows and spears. Horse charms or symbols are another good option to dedicate or give to Rio. Standard offerings of bread, water, and incense would work well for the spirit. Milk and honey may be too ‘rich’ for Centry spirits. Offerings of carrots, apples, or other ‘horse food’ should likely be avoided to prevent offense.

The best time to give offerings to Rio would likely be during daylight hours.

Prayer

Rio of the Centries,
Short of stature
Fiery in temperament
I praise you.

Rio of the Centries,
Enflamed in righteousness
Vicious in destruction
I praise you.

Rio of the Centries,
Stable of hand
And stable of eye
I praise you.

February Holy Days

There haven’t been any further addition to the holy days for our calendar. Considering this is one of our busier months in the Otherfaith I wasn’t surprised. Because of this I will simply be re-posting the information found on our static February Holy Days page. At the end of this post will be the ‘program’ for February as well as the updated yearly calendar; I have added in new holidays throughout the year. These can also be found on our Calendar page.

February Holy Days:

February 1: Imbolc (Broader Paganism)
February 2: Spring Cleaning
February 7: Birth of Claudia the Witch
February 8: Birth of Cordelia the Witch
February 13: Birth of Cecilia the Witch
February 13, Friday the 13: Birth of Thirteen
February 14: Valentine’s Day
February 15: Dahlia’s Day
February 19: Birth of Mallory, Right Hand to the Ophelia
February 23: Birth of Malaise the Witch
February 24: Birth of Malice the Witch
February 27: Birth of Mary the Witch
February 28: Ride of the Six Sisters
February 29: Liathianic Holiday

February 1 – Imbolc (Cultural)

A cultural (general Pagan) holiday rather than a specific Otherfaith one, Imbolc represents the start of the end of winter. Wintry flowers begin blooming and the days begin to brighten. Imbolc is one of the four cross quarter Sabbats in the modern Pagan Wheel of the Year.

February 2 – Spring Cleaning

On February 2 we acknowledge the quickening of spring and deep clean our physical spaces. Our homes can build up with grime and stuffy energy over the winter, when those in colder climates tend to stay indoors. Energetic cleansing should be performed along with physical cleaning. (February 2 is also observed as Imbolc by some.)

February 7 – Birth of Claudia the Witch

The majority of Witch spirits in the Otherfaith are born in February, and the first Witch to be born is Claudia. Part of the Six Sisters, she is the eldest. She is closest to Cordelia, the two tending to appear with each other atop brooms. Witch spirits are associated with youth, largely ill-gotten youth. They are teachers and compassionate spirits, watching over younger Witch spirits and young witches here on earth.

In February, Witches taken on more malevolent forms. The Six Sisters specifically spread disease and malice during February.

February 8 – Birth of Cordelia the Witch

Claudia’s closest sister, Cordelia is the younger and cheerier of the two even in bleak February. She gladly takes in apprentice witches and teaches the basics of spellcraft. Her magic is most closely related to Hollywood-style magic a la ‘The Craft’ and ‘Practical Magic’.

February 13 – Birth of Cecilia the Witch

With her name meaning ‘blind’, Cecilia the Witch has ties to blindness and sight both. She possesses magical sight despite her blindness, an ability that allows her to see to the truth of matters. She can also curse others with blindness. She takes on a fair amount of apprentices but keeps only a small few to train up to full-blown Witches.

February, Friday the 13 – Birth of Thirteen

Technically observed only on Friday the 13th of February, being one of the yearly ‘Friday the 13th’ celebrations in the Otherfaith.

Thirteen is another Witch spirit. Associated entirely with stealing youth, she keeps herself eternally ‘thirteen’ by yanking the youth and innocence out of other spirits as they lay on the cusp of adolescence or adulthood. In some stories she is the cause of the Laethas Ava and Alma dividing themselves and creating their elder forms, the Laethas Arrise and Azure respectively. Thirteen represents the aging process and difficulties in growing up.

February 14 – Valentines’ Day

Added to the calendar originally because of its cultural significance, Valentine’s Day can also herald the return of the Dierne Pallis. The Other People may take this time to acknowledge spirits of love (the Laethas Arabella and Asier and Dierne Pallis) or their own spirit partners, along with any physical partners they have.

February 15 – Dahlia’s Day

Previously called ‘Chocolate Day’, post-Valentine’s sees a bulk of chocolate and sweets go on sale. Dahlia is associate with joy and excess, as well as trade because of her seafaring ties, so chocolate is a good offering. Chocolates and sweets could also be offered to her lovers, furthering the connection to romance.

February 19 – Birth of Mallory, Right Hand of the Ophelia

Mallory is the daughter of Lyra, the huntress lover of the River Ophelia. She is rejected by her mother and accepted by the Ophelia, eventually becoming the god’s Right Hand. Right Hands are the direct aids to the deities, and they fill the role of the god should the god be incapacitated or absent. Mallory is mute and communicates through sign language, as well as very stern looks when something meets her disapproval. She is one of three Calamities the West experiences, the first two being the Firebird and Althea Altair. She controls rot and decay and can spread it through her touch.

February 23 – Birth of Malaise the Witch

Malaise brings about her namesake: sickness and disease. Malaise and Malice are both the most outwardly malevolent of the Six Sisters. Malaise appears as a witch from the swamp, wearing a ragged cloak and hair dripping with foul smelling water. She is tied strongly to the Ophelia, and her skin often has a blue-green tone and is slimy to the touch. She teaches the other witches how to wrangle and control disease and inflicts it on her enemies.

February 24 – Birth of Malice the Witch

Malice is the sister to Malaise and, similarly, brings about her namesake: hatred and spite. She is cheerier in appearance than her sister, tending to prefer bright colors. She views her magic of spreading fighting and ill will as a joyous act, and she loves seeing people bicker about any subject. She has especially sharp fingers that prod at people’s soft spots. Malice is associated with the Laetha and often wears the god’s colors of white, red, and gold.

February 27 – Birth of Mary the Witch

The most dangerous of the Six Sisters, Mary oversees all witchcraft focusing on murder and murderous revenge. She knows the most malevolent of all magic and lacks any hesitation toward using her arts. She is connected most strongly to the god of outsiders, the Liathane. Though she represents the most dangerous and feared witchcraft, she can also teach us some of the strongest protection magic. Her more amicable forms appear around Halloween, where she plays with her arts for the entertainment of those around her, especially children.

February 28 – Ride of the Six Sisters

At the end of February we bid goodbye to the Witches that have been with us throughout fall and winter. Spring calls in other riotous spirits, and we want to see out our playful and unpredictable guests. We send the Sisters out eastward to spread their knowledge. This holiday is also meant to help us move past the cold winter into the brighter springtime, shifting our own religious practice and magical arts into a different gear.

February 29 – Liathianic Holiday

Occurring only on Leap Years, February 29 is a holiday for Liathanic spirits and energies. The god and his entourage take on more playful forms, making this a day for mischievous pranks and fun parties.

February 2019 Program Download

Otherfaith 2019 Calendar Download

January Holy Days

January Holy Days:

January 1: New Year’s Day
January 1: Birth of Dawn
January 2: Birth of Abel Blake
January 5: Birth of Aeron Blake
January 7: Birth of Aithne Blake
January 13: Com. of Comity: Dawn & Dusk
January 15: Birth of Centry Rio
January 24: Selection of Aletheia
January 31: Birth of Dusk

January 1 – New Year’s Day
The transition to the new year has been part of the Other People’s holy calendar for quite a while, almost since its inception. New Year’s Day is both a cultural observance and a religious one. Spiritually, the Laetha and Dierne’s spirits are separated during this time, for anywhere from a week to a month, as they undertake their own duties and trials. It is also a time when initiates with those gods begin their training.

January 1 – Birth of Dawn
The sister spirits of twilight, Dawn and Dusk, are both born in January. Dawn enters at the start of the month. Dawn is a Greater Spirit that heralds the sun, sometimes pulling the light with her reins to throw off the darkness. She is associated with hope, fun, and pleasure, the latter association she shares with Dusk. She has a retinue of mist and water spirits that accompany her.

January 2 – Birth of Abel Blake
One of the Five Feathers (Aithne, Abel, Alynah, Eloise and Eloi), Abel Blake is a spirit of addiction, drunks, and life crises. Alynah Blake is his Companion, with Alynah evening out Abel’s otherwise self-destructive tendencies. He also takes on the form of Aletheia 059 (A. 059), allowing him to manipulate and create illusions. He is not a spirit that is called on to aid in recovery from addiction as much as he is a spirit of addiction and dysfunction.

January 5 – Birth of Aeron Blake
Another one of the Blakes (like Aithne, Abel, and the Greater Spirit Alynah) but not part of the Five Feathers, Aeron is a spirit of any and all ‘black sheep’. He falls outside the usual behavior, looks, and career of the rest of his family, and he can be petitioned for aid when handling similar family conflicts. He is also a giant and has ties to physical fitness, making him an excellent spirit to call upon for such matters. He has a preference for hockey.

January 7 – Birth of Aithne Blake
The first of the Five Feathers, Aithne is a spirit of sexuality and business acumen. She can be petitioned for both matters. She is the oldest and most well-adjusted of all the Blakes, making her an excellent addition when working with any of the others in that line. She is especially tied to business as it relates to modeling. She can also be considered when working on self-love, though her connections are secondary to her sex and business associations. She should not be called upon at the same time as Althea Altair and Lilibell Vega.

January 13 – Communique of Comity: Dawn & Dusk
In the Otherfaith, Comity is a type of relationship between spirits: a non-sexual semi-romantic relationship similar to life partners. Comity is a beneficial relationship that helps the spirits combine their energies toward positive ends, often strengthening connections between similar spirits. ‘Communique’ means ‘formal announcement’, and the term is used repeatedly in the Otherfaith calendar to refer to notable relationships, conflicts, or events. It is usually shorted to ‘Com’. The Comity of Dawn and Dusk is part of the ‘Friday the 13th’ celebrations but is observed regardless of what day of the week the date falls.

January 15 – Birth of Centry Rio
Centries are a group of spirits, created by the Clarene, to oversee and enforce the order of the West. They present as centaurs, though they are sometimes seen with lion halves instead of equine. Rio is assistant and second-in-command to Dallas. More fiery than Dallas, Rio enforces his will with explosive passion, chasing down criminals with grim determination.

January 24 – Selection of Aletheia
Each year a Laethic spirit is chosen to become one of the Aletheia Androids. This can either be a cause of great celebration or mourning, depending on the specific spirit chosen. Some spirits transform entirely, abandoning their past identities and selves. Others, such as Abel and Aeron Blake, retain their sense of selfhood outside of their android forms. Aletheia androids serve the Laethas, primarily the Laetha Ava.

January 31 – Birth of Dusk
Bookending with Dawn’s birth, Dusk is born at the end of January. A Greater Spirit like her elder sibling, Dusk is tied to secrecy, solitude, and pleasure. An entourage of starry spirits accompanies her as she drags the curtain of night to end the day. Dusk is quieter than her sister but can create more potent magic. She seduces the daylight to fade away, her sister’s reins replaced instead with gentle caresses.

For a complete list of all current Otherfaith holy days, you can download the Otherfaith 2019 calendar below. A ‘program’ of January’s holy days is also available for download.

Otherfaith Calendar 2019 Download

Program for January 2019 Download

Halloween in the Otherfaith

What is Halloween (in the Otherfaith)?

Halloween is a joyful celebration for the Other People, a fall festival full of fun, candy, and pranks. The secular associations of the holiday are clear in the Otherfaith observance of the day.

Halloween is the last hurrah for the flower and fauna spirits that we welcomed in spring, specifically the Flower Maidens and Rabbit Troupe. Mirroring the Awakening of Flowers and Rabbits at the end of March, Halloween ends with a violent riot from the spirits of fertility and blooms. They streak through the City streets in the Westernlands, tearing apart and slaughtering any they come across. The next morning every victim is reborn exactly as they were before the bloodbath. The riots of the Flowers and Rabbits becomes euphoric and ecstatic rather than terrifying, leading to high participation among the spirits.

Halloween is a time of fun horrors and creepy experiences that we regale in the dark around campfires to see who scares easiest. It is foremost about the joy that can be found in the dark. Other People can spend the night engaging in traditional trick-or-treating, marathoning horror movies, or visiting haunted houses in their area. They might also use the night to reflect on the fear we find in the dark and attempt to embrace it.

Intersecting Holy Days

Date	Event	Information
October 13	Friday the 13th (when applicable)	The Other People observe every Friday the 13th and associate it with a specific spirit. October's Friday the 13th does not currently have a spirit tied to it.
October 31	Samhain	A Pagan festival, typically honoring the dead and ancestors. Part of the 'Wheel of the Year' in Pagan practice.

Gods Honored

The main god associated with Halloween is the Liathane, the god of chaos and horror. Being a god of terror and all creepy unpleasant feelings, the Liathane is a perfect fit for the night. The god abandons his more malevolent aspects to take on the mantle of tricks and pranks. He creeps up on us and shrieks, his face a terrifying visage, before wiping it away and laughing. His humorous horror is not for every soul, but he attempts to get us to enjoy the spirit of the day.

As mentioned above, the Flower Maidens and Rabbit Troupe are important to the holiday as well. Each of these groups is tied to fertility and greenery, specifically blooms, and their Final Riot also symbolizes the shift into fall that occurs in the northern hemisphere. Their energies retreat into the background of our lives until springtime strikes again.

Main Story of Holiday

Having spent all year helping the plants bloom and reproduce, the Flower Maidens began to wane and fade. Similarly, the Rabbit Troupe has become to grow tired from their constant revelries.
Knowing they will not be able to keep up their duties throughout the winter, Alynah Blake and the leaders of the Flower Maidens decide to throw one last bloody celebration.
The fall is a popular time for other festivities, however, and the Clarene is hesitant to approve of such a widespread slaughter when many of her people will be in the streets. She decides to cast a blessing on the night that everyone who perishes on Halloween might be reborn the next morning as they were before.
the Dierne knows many of their spirits enjoy partying on the night as well though,and he wishes to avoid any unnecessary suffering. He blesses all caught up in the slaughter to feel pleasure rather than pain.
The Fower Maiden and Rabbits grumble at this development. Their hedonistic orgies of blood and gore have been tamed, declawed so effectively as to be pointless.
the Liathane intercedes. He decrees that as much pleasure the Dierne brings, fear will thread through the hearts of all present. He will touch their prey with his own brand and let the Flowers and Rabbits eat on that instead.
But, he warns the troupes, if they try to feast on someone without his brand, the Liathane will come down and feast on the Flower and Rabbits instead.

Activities for Holiday

Prayer

We currently do not have prayers for Halloween.

Writing

Other People may choose to write various mythic fanfic during this time. Stories written for Halloween don’t have to focus on the themes of the day, but it is a good time to get into a spooky mood.

Some prompts for this time are:

The Flower Maidens and Rabbit Troupe lead their Final Riot on Halloween. What leads them to lead riots and bloodbaths through the West’s City?
What other festivities occur during this time? (Either for Otherfaith spirits or in other religious traditions.) How do they connect or differ from the Other People’s interpretation of Halloween?
the Liathane regularly shapeshifts into frightening creatures to scare the spirits in the West. What would he shapeshift into to give the other gods a fright?

Contemplative

Any topics related to fear, horror, adrenaline, and fun are good contemplation focuses for this holiday. An Other Person might also choose to focus on more somber topics or contemplate their own fears and anxieties.

As aids to contemplation, prompts are listed below.

What kind of fear do you find enjoyable? What kind of scares do you not enjoy? What differentiates them?
What sort of violence is accepted in the Other People’s Western Fairyland?
Why do we find ‘fear’ fun? Would the Four+ Gods, outside of the Liathane, find it fun as well?
In the Halloween myth, everyone who falls victim to the Flowers and Rabbits is reborn perfectly the next morning. Are there times in life where we get times to indulge without consequence, or do we never get a perfectly new morning like in the story?

Miscellaneous

Other People may decide to go trick-or-treating and dress up in costumes, as is common in the United States. Those wanting to do something for the wider community could help run a haunted house, collect food all October and donate it to a food bank or specific family at the end of October, or host trick-or-treating events for children in their local area.

You can always find this information on its permanent page here.