Samhain - onkraj ove stvarnosti

Dani prolaze i kolo godine se okreće, kao što to i uvijek biva. Tako nam se bliži i Samhain. Možda se i vi, poput mene, pripremate za njega. Neki već prigodno kuhaju, drugi ručno izrađuju ukrase, neki razmišljaju o svojim životima i životima svojih predaka. Ako ste još niste počeli pripremati, ili ako vam treba dodatna inspiracija, možda vam ovaj post pomogne u tome.

Samhain (čita se /sauin/) je jedan od osam paganskih sabata, odnosno godišnjih slavlja, i onaj koji, između ostalog, obilježava početak nove godine za pagane. Ovo je vrijeme tugovanja i slavlja, koliko god to paradoksalno zvučalo. Naime, Samhain za pagane započinje na Samhainsku noć, to jest na večer 31. listopada, a slavlje se nastavlja 1. studenoga. Možda vam je ovaj datum poznatiji kao Dan svih svetih tijekom kojeg je uobičajeno štovati i prisjećati se svojih predaka. Iako je blagdan Svih svetih kršćanski, on dijeli mnoštvo misterija i aspekata s paganskim Samhainom. Oni čak dijele i datum (iako je to variralo kroz povijest). Svakako, Samhain za pagane ima i drugu, ne toliko mračnu stranu koja se fokusira na slavlje Nove godine, na nove početke, ludorije, gozbe i druge oblike zabave. No, priča oko nastanka ovih tradicija seže daleko u povijest.

Većina neopaganskih tradicija priznaje svojevrsni kalendar koji se zove Kolo godine. On predstavlja ciklus rađanja, umiranja i ponovnog rađanja te vječni protok godišnjih doba, aspekata božanstava i obnovu prirode. Smatra se da su od svih drevnih kultura Kelti imali najviše utjecaja na formiranje ovakvog kalendara. Važno je istaknuti da su Kelti dijelili godinu na dva godišnja doba – ljeto i zimu. Za njih je početak ljeta bio Beltane (1. svibnja), a početak zime Samhain (1. studenoga). Njima je, kao i svim drugim kulturama svijeta, bilo jasno da Sunce daje život. Stoga s rastom Sunca, odnosno s produljenjem dana, raste i život. Sunce počinje dobivati na snazi i rasti tijekom zime. Stoga je Samhain uzet za datum „rođenja“ godine od kojeg je ona nastavljala rasti i rasti sve dok ne bi počela pomalo opadati i, figurativno rečeno, umirati od Beltanea nadalje.

Drevni Kelti su također smatrali da svako od ova dva godišnja doba ima 180 dana. Preostalih 5 dana (30. travnja, Beltane, Samhain, 1. studenog i 2. studenog) nisu pripadala ni ovoj ni onoj strani kalendara; oni su bili „negdje između“ dviju stvarnosti (ove vidljive stvarnosti i one druge, nevidljive stvarnosti). Zbog toga se kaže da je „veo između svjetova“ tanak za ova dva sabata. Po ovoj logici, Samhain ne pripada ovom svijetu te se ne mora ravnati po njegovim normama i pravilima. Stoga je ovaj dan postao idealno vrijeme za nestašluk, ludorije i nerede bilo kakve vrste (odatle potječe popularni običaj trick-or-treatinga među djecom; ona idu od kuće do kuće tražeći slatkiše na Noć vještica, ono što je za pagane duhovni praznik Samhaina, a ako im netko odbije dati slatkiše tj. treat, onda oni počnu praviti smicalice). Duhovne, kao i svjetovne barijere su se također razbijale. Stoga pagani vjeruju da ovaj tanki veo omogućuje entitetima iz druge nevidljive stvarnosti (a između ostalog i duhovima) prijelaz u ovu stvarnost. Proricanje, komunikacija s precima i drugim entitetima imaju mnogo više smisla ako se uzme u obzir gotovo nepostojeća granica između svjetova.

Svjesnost o duhovima neminovno podsjeća i na naše pretke. Druga stvarnost, po nekima zagrobni život, također neporecivo podsjeća na ono što nas čeka onkraj života. Dakle, iako Samhain ima svoju veselu stranu, on ima i određenu mističnu, mračniju stranu koju pagani jednako prihvaćaju.

Smrt za pagane nije nužno negativna, iako je za svakoga potresna. Smrt je iz naše perspektive samo jedan korak u ciklusu rađanja, smrti i ponovnog rađanja. To se reflektira i u paganskoj mitologiji. Naime, za Mabon (sabat koji se slavi 22./23. rujna tj. na jesensku ravnodnevnicu), Bog umire, a Božica tuguje za njim u aspektu Starice. Za Samhain, mračnu noć i razdoblje kaosa, Bog prolazi kroz proces regeneracije, a Božica se preobražava u Mračnu Gospu koja utjelovljuje kaos i mračne aspekte ženskoga polariteta. No, ona odmah potom doživljava još jednu metamorfozu u kojoj se ponovno vraća u aspekt Djeve koja rađa Boga za Yule (sabat koji se slavi 21./22./23. prosinca, tj. na zimski suncostaj). Time ciklus obnove biva zaokružen.

Priroda, kao ključni dio paganske duhovnosti, pronalazi svoje mjesto i u fokusu ovog sabata. U njoj također postoji smrt, ali u smrti i novi život. Da pojasnim; Samhain najavljuje nadolazeću zimu za koju su bile potrebne brojne pripreme. Stoku se zaklanjalo u štale, urod se skupljalo i sve se skladištilo. Ljudi su trebali prežirecvjeti okrutnu zimu, a hranjenje velikog broja stoke je bila bespotrebna komplikacija. Stoga je u narodu uobičajeno da se oko Samhaina kolje stoka, najčešće ona najslabija za koju se nije vjerovalo da će moći preživjeti zimu. To je bilo nužno kako bi čovjek imao meso, mast i krzno da mu omogući život. Odnosno, smrt životinja i plodova omogućuje ljudima život. Suvišno je naglasiti da pagani iskazuju zahvalnost za ovo i tijekom svojih rituala. 

Samhain je također poznat kao treća žetva. Prva žetva, Lughnasadh (1. kolovoza) je obilježena skupljanjem žita. Druga žetva, Mabon, je vrijeme skupljanja voća, povrća, bobica i orašastih plodova. Kao treća žetva, Samhain je krajnji rok za skupljanje svih preostalih plodova koje nam je zemlja podarila. Urod je sakupljen, meso i ostala hrana/piće uskladišteno i spremno za korištenje. Ovo vodi samo jednom ishodu – gozbama! Naravno da će ljudi slaviti svoju muku i trud tijekom proteklih mjeseci i dozvoliti sebi predah od rada.

Nadam se da su vam paradoksi života u smrti i istovremenog slavlja i tugovanja nešto jasniji nakon prethodnih objašnjenja. No, potrebno je sažeti osnovne teme blagdana kako bi priča imala glavu i rep. Dakle, na čemu je fokus ovog sabata? Zasigurno na smrti, ali i na skorašnjem ponovnom rađanju, zahvalnosti, darivanju/dijeljenju, pretcima, drugoj stvarnosti, a kroz nju i našoj „sjenci“ (sve ono što čuvamo u dubini naše svijesti, odnosno sve ono čega nismo svjesni, ili čega odbijamo biti svjesni – strahova, želja, čežnji, mana, a ponekad čak i vrlina itd.).

Svaki paganin će slaviti Samhain na drugačiji način i staviti naglasak na neki drugi aspekt. Sve ovisi o tome što je vama potrebno. Ako osjećate da ne trebate istraživati smrt, nesvjesni um, komunicirati s pretcima na ovaj ili onaj način, ili općenito istraživati mračniju stranu ovog sabata, onda se slobodno prepustite gozbama, dijeljenju vaših blagodati s bližnjima i novogodišnjem raspoloženju. Neki pagani pokušavaju oba aspekta ovog blagdana obilježiti i osvijestiti. Možda vam takav pristup bude više odgovarao. Svakako, nađite sistem koji će vama biti smislen, drag, a po mogućnosti i koristan.

Ako nemate ideja kako obilježiti ovaj sabat van rituala, evo nekoliko ideja. Zasigurno su vam, barem iz američkih filmova, poznati običaji nošenja maski i izrade „Jackovih fenjera“ od bundeva. Oba običaja imaju drevne korijene koje i vi možete pokušati oživjeti na ovaj blagdan. Naime, ljudi su prije nosili maske kojekakvih bića, ali ne da bi prestrašili druge, već da bi se uklopili u svijet duhova. Vjerovali su da na taj način neće biti na meti zlih duhova te da će istovremeno izbjeći susret sa svim onim pokojnicima s kojima nisu razriješili dugove, probleme i druge razmirice. Pošto se Samhain počinje slaviti na Samhainsku noć, rasvjeta je bila nužna. Fenjeri su se radili od prigodnih plodova poput tikvi i bundeva koje se bušilo da propuste svjetlost. Ljudska mašta je napravila sljedeći korak i otvore počela bušiti da nalikuju licima (neki smatraju da su ti fenjeri čak trebali simbolizirati duhove predaka koji nas vode kroz tamu). Pošto je Samhain izvorno bila večer kaosa i nestašluka, uvijek možete sebi priuštiti malo zabave i našaliti se na svoj, ili tuđi račun. Gozbe su svakako dobrodošle, ali ponajviše s ciljem obiteljskog druženja u koje se ovog puta obavezno uključuje i naše pretke. Neki su toliko vodili računa o preminulima da su za njih ostavljali prazno mjesto za stolom tijekom „nijeme večere“ (nazvana tako jer se prije nije smjelo razgovarati tokom njezinog trajanja), servirali im hranu ili stavljali svijeće na vrata/prozore kako bi pokojnici znali doći do svoga doma. Ako ste kreativni, pokušajte sami izraditi svoj fenjer od bundeva ili tikvi (naranče su prikladna zamjena), ili napravite pokoji ukras ili vijenac za svoj dom. Iskoristite svoju maštu te boje i plodove koje vidite oko sebe. Jabuke, orašasti plodovi, bundeve, tikve, šipak… sve možete iskoristiti u estetske i praktične svrhe. Okružite se smeđim, narančastim i crvenim nijansama, a možete se u ovo vrijeme i riješiti predrasuda oko crne boje. Ako želite ugodno spojiti s korisnim, onda pripremite neko prigodno, hranjivo jelo za svoje bližnje. Mnogi pagani proriču na ovaj dan ili pokušavaju stupiti u kontakt s pretcima. Neki dublje prodiru u sebe i kroz introspekciju pokušavaju doznati više o sebi, svojoj prošlosti, svojim potrebama i općenito nastoje sebe bolje upoznati te se suočiti sa svojim strahovima (pogotovo strahom i zabludama o smrti). Proricanje i u tom procesu može znatno poslužiti. 

Naposljetku, Nova godina je simbol novih početaka. Riješite se strahova, predrasuda i kompleksa, bolje upoznajte sebe i svoje bližnje, obnovite odnose sa sobom i drugima, prebrodite stare prepirke i proslavite obilje u svom životu bez obzira u kojem obliku ono postoji. Samo budite svjesni da ono zaista postoji te da nakon smrti dolazi ponovno rađanje i novi život. Iskoristite priliku i pripremite se za njega.

Budite blagoslovljeni i sretan vam Samhain!

Vaša Witch's Cat

Samhain - Beyond This Reality

The days pass by and the Wheel of the Year turns, as it always does. Samhain is just around the corner. Maybe you, as I, have been preparing for it. Some are already making seasonal meals, others have been busy making decorations, while others have been reflecting on their lives and the lives of their ancestors. If you haven't started preparing yet, or if you need some additional inspiration, perhaps this post will be of some help.

Samhain (pronounced /sauin/) is one of the eight Pagan Sabbats, or annual celebrations. It is also the one that, among other things, marks the beginning of the New Year for Pagans. This is a time of grieving and celebration, however paradoxical that may sound. Namely, for Pagans, Samhain begins on Samhain Eve (the night of October 31) and the celebration continues until November 1. You may know this days as All Saints' Day during which it is quite normal to honor and remember our ancestors. Although this holiday is a Christian one, it shares many mysteries and aspects with the Pagan festival of Samhain. They even share a date (although this varied in history). Anyway, Samhain has another, not so dark side for Pagans which is focused on celebrating the New Year, new beginnings, on antics, feasts and other forms of amusement. But the story of how these traditions came to be has its roots in the distant past.

Most Neopagan traditions acknowledge a calendar which is called the Wheel of the Year. This wheel represents the cycle of birth, death and rebirth as well as the eternal interchange of seasons, deity aspects and the regeneration of nature. It is believed that the ancient Celts had the most influence on the formation of this calendar. It is important to not here that the Celts divided the year into two seasons - summer and winter. For them, summer began on Beltane (May 1) and winter began on Samhain (November 1). It was obvious to them, as it was to all cultures at the time, that the Sun gives life. Therefore, as the Sun grows and the days become longer, new life comes to existence. The Sun grows and regains its strength during winter. It is because of this that Samhain is taken as the date for the "birth" of the year. For then one, it would continue to grow, come to its peak at Beltane and then slowly start to decline and, figuratively speaking, die. 

The ancient Celts also believed that each of these two seasons lasted 180 days. The remaining 5 days of the year (April 30, Beltane, Samhain. November 1 and November 2) did not belong to either this or that side of the calendar; they were somewhere "between" the two realities (this visible one that we live in and the other invisible reality). Because of this, we say that the "veil between the worlds" is as thin as it can be on these days, or rather these two Sabbats. According to this, Samhain does not belong to this reality and does not have to conform to its standards and rules. And so this festival came to be the ideal time for antics, mischief and disorder of any kind (this is also where the popular tradition of trick-or-treating comes from; children go from house to house on Halloween and ask for treats; if they don't get them then they perform tricks). Spiritual, as well as mundane barriers were also broken on this day. This is why Pagans believe that the thin veil between worlds enables entities (and also spirits) from the other, invisible reality to pass into this reality. Divination, communication with one's ancestors and other entities make a lot more sense if we take into consideration the almost non-existent border between the two worlds.

Awareness of spirits inevitably reminds us of our ancestors. The other reality, which some refer to as the afterlife, also undeniably brings to mind what awaits us after this life. Therefore, although Samhain has its happy side, it also has a certain mystical, darker side which Pagans equally accept. 

From the Pagan perspective, death isn't necessarily bad, although it is upsetting for everyone. For us, death is just another step in the birth-death-rebirth cycle. This is also reflected in Pagan mythology. Namely, on Mabon (the Sabbat which is celebrated on September 22/23 i.e. the autumn equinox), the God dies and the Goddess grieves for him in her aspect of the Crone. For Samhain, the dark night and time of chaos, the God goes through a process of regeneration and the Goddess takes the form of the Dark Goddess which embodies chaos and the dark aspects of the female polarity. But right after this, she undergoes another metamorphosis in which she again takes the form of the Maiden which gives birth to the God at Yule (the Sabbat which is celebrated on December 21/22/23 i.e. the winter solstice). With this, the cycle of regeneration is complete.

Nature, as a key element of the Pagan faith, finds its place at the center of this Sabbat also. Death also exists in nature, but within it resides new life. Let me elaborate; Samhain announces the oncoming winter for which many preparations used to be needed. Cattle were taken into stables for shelter, the crops were gathered and everything was stored for the cold months ahead. People had to survive the harsh winter and feeding a large number of cattle was an unnecessary complication. This is why it was normal (and still is in some rural areas) to slaughter a certain number of livestock just before Samhain; usually it was the weakest animals that were slaughtered because they would most likely die during the winter anyway. This was necessary in order for people to have meat, fat and fur and, ultimately, survive. It is unnecessary to mention that Pagans show gratitude for this in their rituals.

Samhain is also known as the third harvest. The first harvest, Lughnasadh (August 1) is marked by the gathering of grains. The second harvest, Mabon, is the time for gathering fruit, vegetables, berries and nuts. As the third harvest, Samhain is the deadline for gathering any leftover fruits of the earth. So the crops have been gathered, meat and other food and drink have been stored and are now ready for consumption. This can lead only to one thing - feasts! If is completely logical that people will want to celebrate their effort and labor during the previous months and allow themselves a period of rest.

I hope that the paradox of life and death and the parallel celebration and grieving are somewhat clearer after my explanations. But it is necessary to summarize the focal points of this fest day in order for this whole story to be complete. So, what is the focus of this Sabbat? Surely, on death, but also on the soon-to-come rebirth, gratitude, donation/sharing, ancestors, the other reality and through it on our Shadow (everything that we keep in the deepest parts of our consciousness, or rather all the things which we are not aware of, or that we refuse to be aware of - our fears, wishes, desires, flaws and sometimes even virtues etc.). 

Each Pagan will celebrate Samhain in a different way and put more emphasis on a different aspect. It all depends on what you find necessary at that given time. If you feel that you don't have to look into death, the unconscious mind, communicate with your ancestors in any way or explore the darker side of this Sabbat in general, then feel free to just enjoy the feasts, share what you have with your loved ones and enjoy the New Year's atmosphere. Some Pagans try to be aware of and recognize both aspects of this festival. Perhaps this approach will suit you better. In any case, find a system that makes sense to you, that you like and that is preferably also useful.

If you don't have any ideas on how to honor this Sabbat outside of the ritual circle, here are a few ideas. Surely some of the following traditions are familiar to you, at least from American movies. These include wearing masks and making Jack-o'-lanterns from pumpkins. Both customs have ancient roots which you can try to revive on this day. Namely, people used to wear masks resembling all sorts of beings, but not in order to scare anyone,  but instead to fit into the spirit world. They believed that by doing so, they were less likely to become a victim of a malevolent spirit and also less likely to run into the spirit of a deceased person with which they have unresolved issues, unpaid debts and other disputes. Since the Samhain celebration begins on Samhain night, some sort of lighting is necessary. Lanterns used to be made of seasonal plants such as pumpkins or gourds which were perforated to let the light out. Human imagination went a step further and cut these holes to resemble faces (some believe that these lanterns then began to symbolize the spirits of the deceased which lead us through the night). As Samhain was originally a night of chaos and mischief, you can always allow yourself a bit of fun and joke at the expense of yourself or others. Feasts are always welcome and even more so if they serve the function of getting a family together. In this case, family should also include our ancestors, regardless of when they have left this earth. Some people take their deceased loved ones so much into account that they even leave a spare place for them at the dinner table. This practice is called the Dumb Supper (because speaking used to be forbidden while it lasted). Oftentimes, the deceased were also given a plate and full meals and candles were left on doorsteps/windowsills to show spirits that they are welcome into the home. If you are the creative type, try to make your very own gourd/pumpkin lantern (oranges are a satisfactory substitute), or another type of decoration, such as a garland for your home. Use your imagination and the fruits of the earth you see around you in this time of year. Apples, nuts, gourds, pumpkins, pomegranates...you can use all of these for both aesthetic and practical purposes. Surround yourself with brown, orange and red tones and you can even use this time to rid yourself of any prejudices toward the color black. If you want to combine "business with pleasure", then try fixing up a nice nutritious, seasonal meal for your loved ones. Many Pagans use this day for divination and contacting their ancestors. Some explore themselves in depth and, through introspection, try to get to know themselves, their past and their needs better as well as face their fears (especially fears and misconceptions regarding death). Divination can also be of great assistance in this process.

Ultimately, the New Year is a symbol of new beginnings. Get rid of your fears, prejudices and complexes, get to know yourself and your loved ones better, renew relationships, overcome old arguments and celebrate the abundance in your life no matter what form it may be in. Just be aware that this abundance does exist and that rebirth and new life come after death. Make the most of this opportunity and get ready for it.

Blessed be and a happy Samhain to you all!

Yours,

Witch's Cat

Intro to Neopaganism

This post was originally written as an article for the magazine Puni Mjesec (Full Moon). Although the magazine probably won't be of much use to you since it is in Croatian, I hope this post will! I believe it could be valuable to anyone who just came across the notions of Paganism and Neopaganism. This is why I decided to share the article with you on my blog (as well as translate it).

Spirituality or Religion?

When people first hear about Neopaganism, they often ask themselves where Pagans celebrate their festivals, who leads the rituals, whether or not there are any rules, a certain hierarchy, or sacred texts which define this and so on. It would be very simple to answer all of these questions if Neopaganism were a religion, but it isn't. Many Pagans will say that it is a spiritual path, or perhaps a way of life. In any case, Neopaganism cannot be called a religion because of several reasons.

Namely, organized religions have strictly defined ceremonial rules, specified places of worship, spiritual leaders (and thus a hierarchy) as well as sacred texts. Neopaganism is much more flexible. Individuals and groups can celebrate in both opened and closed spaces and usually don't have a single "right" place where they meet (i.e. a single place of worship). Some basic ceremonial frameworks do exist, but they can be adapted to the needs of each individual/group. Depending on the denomination, Neopagans can choose one, or more people which will lead the rituals. But what usually happens is that different people lead different kinds of rituals. In addition to this, Pagans often write their own rituals and do not have a sole sacred text, or strictly defined sacred texts. There is only one rule that all Neopagans know and respect in one form or another. In its shortest form, it goes like this: "Harm none".

What is Neopaganism Based on?

Essentially, Neopaganism is a spiritual path which puts emphasis on the celebration of nature and fertility. Pagans understand these notions completely, that is to say, they celebrate nature in the full sense of the word (both its "good" and "bad" sides) and also acknowledge all aspects of fertility (the fertility of humans, animals, the earth, the human mind etc.). Fertility and creation, which can be understood as meaning the same thing, are embodied in the central figures of Neopaganism.

The God and the Goddess

These two figures, though one could understand them as archetypes, embody fertility, creation and all aspects of humanity and nature. They are the male and female poles/genders (but not necessarily sexes) which stand at the very core of creation. They have several faces, as does any human being or any force of nature. They were anthropomorphized in order to facilitate communication for people, but they can also be understood as nature itself.

Pagans usually mention two aspects of the God: the Horned God and the Green Man. The Horned God is at his best during the winter months and represents male sexuality, strength, hunting, the wild and animals (which is why he is almost always depicted with antlers). The Green Man is the Horned God's summer counterpart. He is no less manly or strong, but he is slightly more gentle because he represents the beauty of the summer months and all of nature's foliage. These two aspects are also known under two other names: the Holly Kind (an equivalent of the Horned God) and the Oak King (an equivalent of the Green Man). Holly, in this context, symbolizes evergreen trees and the winter months in general, whereas oak symbolizes deciduous trees and, by contrast, all the verdure that predominates during spring and summer. But regardless of his aspect, the God symbolizes the male polarity and the power of the Sun without which life on Earth would not exist.

The horned figure from the Gunderstrup cauldron 

(it is often taken to be a symbol of the Horned God), 

cca. 200BCE-300CE

Emily Balivet - 

The Oak King, 2010.

The Goddess has three visible faces, which is why she is often called the Triple Goddess. Nevertheless, some also acknowledge her hidden face. She is the Maiden, Mother and Crone, in which she symbolizes all of the phases of womanhood, but also has the face of the Dark Goddess. All of the above mentioned aspects correspond to the phases of the Moon (Maiden - waxing moon/first quarter; Mother - full Moon; Crone - waning Moon/the last quarter, the Dark Goddess - new Moon). This is because the Goddess herself symbolizes the female polarity and the Moon which has its own strong effects on mankind.

As Neopaganism doesn't prescribe exact rules when it comes to worship, or even understanding deities, some people understand the God and Goddess as two figures, as described in the previous paragraphs, but a large number of Pagans perceive them differently. Some Pagans will believe that the God and Goddess represent two separate poles of nature, some will see them as two sides of the same coin (i.e. nature/creation). Some will adopt the polytheistic system of belief and acknowledge several gods/goddesses (sometimes even from different pantheons) as the faces of the God/Goddess, or perhaps as completely separate aspects of nature. All in all, the divine power is seen by practically all Pagans as the embodiment of nature and the act of creation.

The Wheel of the Year

Pagans perceive the year as a wheel that is constantly turning; it therefore represents rebirth and eternal cycles. This wheel has eight spokes which represent the eight Pagans festivals, that is Sabbats which can be divided into solar and fire/land festivals. The two solstices and two equinoxes fall under the category of solar festivals (Yule, Ostara, Litha and Mabon), and the fire/land festivals (can be found about midway between each of the solar festivals. They generally celebrate some agrarian aspect (such as sowing or reaping), which is how they got their name. Pagans have special names for each of these celebrations, as well as a determined and widely-accepted date:

SABBAT	PRONUNCIATION	DATE
Yule	/jul/	21/22.12.
Imbolc	/imbolk/	2.2.
Ostara	/ostara/	20.3.
Beltane	/beltein/	1.5.
Litha	/liθa/	20./21.6.
Lughnasadh/Lammas	/lunasa/, /lamas/	31.7./1.8.
Mabon	/meibon/	22./23.9.
Samhain	/sowen/	31.10.

Yule (a.k.a. the winter solstice) represents the beginning of the Pagan year and also the beginning of winter when the Sun starts regaining its strength and days slowly begin to get longer (this is why Pagans celebrate the rebirth of the Sun on this day). Imbolc is the first fire festival of the year and marks the midway point between winter and spring, which is why Pagans celebrate fire on this day (and through it the strength of the Sun) which brings warmth and melts snow. Ostara (a.k.a. the spring equinox) marks the first day of spring and the return of fertility. Beltane is a fire festival that marks the peak of spring as well as fertility. Litha, the summer solstice, marks the beginning of summer, symbolizes the full strength of the Sun but also the oncoming slow decline of the Sun's strength. Lughnasadh is the first of three harvest festivals to come; it marks the first harvest during which we celebrate the earth's abundance and gifts. It therefore falls under the category of fire/land Sabbats. Mabon (a.k.a. the autumn equinox) is the second of the three harvest festivals. It is the time of the second harvest which is also the time of the slow decline of the Sun's power, the nearing of the end of the year and, with it, a time of rest with all the fruits of one's labor. Samhain is the final Sabbat int he Pagan Wheel of the Year, which is why it symbolizes the end of the year, the symbolic death and soon-to-come rebirth and ending of one cycle (which is why many Pagans celebrate their New Year on this day).

The Sabbats essentially represent natural cycles and activities and the general state of nature (that of humans, animals and plants i.e. the land). This is why they perfectly fit into the Pagan worldview which places nature and fertility in the foreground.

The Wheel of the Year with pictorial and textual descriptions and associations
Symbols: flame=fire/land festivals; wheat=harvest festival; moon symbols=the appropriate
aspect of the Goddess which is celebrated at this time
Notes: the name of each Sabbat is colored in a corresponding color, the wheel is divided
into four parts (the four seasons), the red and green semicircles signify the
old Pagans divison of the year (the green semicircle=summer months/summer; the green
semicircle=winter months/winter), the dashed line marks another old Pagan division of
the year in which Samhain marked the beginning of winter, and Beltane the
beginning of summer.

And those are the basics of Paganism! :) I hope that they proved useful to you. Don't hesitate to look around on my blog because you will come across posts that cover each of these topics separately. For example, in the "Sabbats" section of the blog, you can read about each of the Sabbats in detail. In the Witch's Glossary, you can find many terms from this post as well as many more that you may come across in this context. What's best is that they are all explained in one short paragraph (each). Feel free to explore my other posts if this topic interests you. Happy reading!

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat

Uvod u neopaganizam

Ovaj članak sam izvorno napisala za drugi broj časopisa Puni Mjesec, ali sam ga htjela i ovdje podijeliti s vama jer mislim da može koristiti onima koji se po prvi put susreću s pojmom neopaganizma, ali i paganizma uopće.

Duhovnost ili religija?

Kada ljudi po prvi put čuju za neopaganizam, često se upitaju gdje pagani slave svoje svetkovine, tko vodi ta slavlja, postoje li pravila, hijerarhije ili sveti spisi koji to određuju i tako dalje. Bilo bi iznimno jednostavno odgovoriti na ovakva pitanja kada bi neopaganizam bio religija, no on to nije. Mnogi pagani će reći da je to duhovnost, pa čak i način života. Svakako, neopaganizam se ne može nazvati religijom iz više razloga.

Naime, organizirane religije imaju strogo definirane obredne zakone, fiksne bogomolje, duhovne vođe (a time i hijerarhije) te svete spise. Neopaganizam je mnogo fleksibilniji. Pojedinci i grupe mogu slaviti u zatvorenim ili otvorenim prostorima i najčešće nemaju fiksno mjesto tj. utemeljenu bogomolju. Osnovni obredni okviri postoje, ali se mogu prilagođavati potrebama pojedinca/grupe. Ovisno o denominaciji, neopagani mogu odabrati jednu osobu/više ljudi koji će stalno voditi obrede, ali se često događa da različiti ljudi vode drugačije vrste obreda. Uz ovo, pagani često pišu vlastite obrede i ne poznaju svete spise, već samo jedno osnovno pravilo koje u svojoj najkraćoj verziji glasi „Ne naudi nikome“.

Na čemu se temelji neopaganizam?

Neopaganizam je u osnovi duhovni put koji naglašava slavljenje prirode i plodnosti. Pagani ove pojmove shvaćaju cjelovito; oni slave prirodu u njezinoj cijelosti (odnosno njezine „dobre“ i „loše“ strane) i sve aspekte plodnosti (plodnost ljudi, tla, životinja, uma itd.). Plodnost i kreacija, koje se može shvatiti gotovo sinonimno, su utjelovljeni u središnjim figurama neopaganizma.

Bog i Božica

Ove dvije figure, a moglo bi se reći i arhetipi, utjelovljuju plodnost, stvaranje te sve aspekte ljudskosti i prirode. One su muški i ženski polovi (ali ne nužno i spolovi) koji stoje u središtu kreacije. One imaju više lica kao što ima i svaki čovjek ili bilo koja prirodna sila. One su antropomorfizirane kako bi se ljudima olakšala komunikacija, ali mogu biti shvaćene i kao sama priroda.

Pagani najčešće spominju dva aspekta Boga: Rogatog Boga i Zelenog Čovjeka. Rogati je na vrhuncu svoje snage za zimskih mjeseci i predstavlja mušku seksualnost, snagu, lov, divljinu i životinje (zbog čega ga se najčešće prikazuje s jelenjim rogovima). Zeleni Čovjek je ljetni pandan Rogatog. On nije nimalo manje muževan ili snažan, ali jest blaži jer predstavlja ljepotu ljetnih mjeseci i sve zelenilo prirode. Ova dva aspekta su također poznata pod drugim dvama imenima: Kralj Božikovine (ekvivalent Rogatog Boga) i Kralj Hrasta (ekvivalent Zelenog Čovjeka). Božikovina u ovom kontekstu simbolizira zimzeleno bilje i zimske mjesece općenito, a hrast simbolizira bjelogorično drveće, a kontrastno tome i zelenilo koje prevladava u vrijeme proljeća i ljeta. No neovisno o aspektu, Bog predstavlja muški pol i moć Sunca bez kojeg ne bi bilo života na Zemlji.

Rogata figura s kotla Gundestrup 

(često uzimana kao simbol 

Rogatog Boga), 

cca. 200.g.pr.n.e.-300.g.p.n.e.

Emily Balivet - 

The Oak King (Kralj Hrasta), 

2010.

Carye Van Der Pol Mahoney -
Energy, Fertility, Wisom
(Energija, Plodnost, Mudrost)

Božica ima tri vidljiva lica, zbog čega ju se često naziva Trostrukom Božicom, ali neki također priznaju i jedno skriveno lice. Ona je Djeva, Majka i Starica, čime predstavlja sve faze evolucije žena, no ujedno ima i lice Mračne Božice. Sve navedene faze odgovaraju Mjesečevim mijenama (Djeva – rastući Mjesec/prva četvrt; Majka – uštap; Starica – padajući Mjesec/zadnja četvrt; Mračna Božica – mlađak) jer Božica sama po sebi predstavlja ženski pol i Mjesec koji znatno utječe na živote ljudi.

Pošto neopaganizam ne propisuje točna pravila za štovanje, pa čak ni shvaćanje božanstava, neki pagani shvaćaju Boga i Božicu kao dvije figure, kao što je opisano u prethodnim paragrafima, no velik broj pagana ih percipira drukčije. Neki pagani će smatrati da Bog i Božica predstavljaju dva odvojena pola prirode, drugi će ih vidjeti kao dva lica istog novčića (tj. prirode/stvaranja), a neki će prisvojiti politeistički sistem vjerovanja i priznati više bogova/božica (iz različitih panteona) kao lice Boga/Božice, ili pak kao u potpunosti zasebne aspekte prirode. Svakako, božanske sile su u umu gotovo svih pagana utjelovljenja prirode i čina stvaranja.

Kolo godine

Pagani percipiraju godinu kao kolo koje se neprestano okreće; ono stoga predstavlja preporađanje i vječne cikluse. Ovo kolo ima osam žbica koje predstavljaju osam paganskih svetkovina, odnosno sabata koji se dijele na solarne i vatrene/agrarne. U solarne blagdane spadaju dva suncostaja i dvije ravnodnevnice (Yule, Ostara, Litha i Mabon), a vatreni/agrarni blagdani se nalazi otprilike na pola puta između svakog od solarnih sabata i pretežito slave određene agrarne aspekte (sjetvu, žetvu itd.). Pagani imaju posebne nazive i relativno ustaljene datume za sve sabate:

SABAT	IZGOVOR	DATUM
Yule	/jul/	21/22.12.
Imbolc	/imbolk/	2.2.
Ostara	/ostara/	20.3.
Beltane	/beltejn/	1.5.
Litha	/lita/	20./21.6.
Lughnasadh/Lammas	/lunasa/, /lamas/	31.7./1.8.
Mabon	/mejbon/	22./23.9.
Samhain	/sowen/	31.10.

Yule, odnosno zimski suncostaj, predstavlja početak paganske godine, a ujedno i početak zime kada Sunce ponovno jača i dan pomalo postaje dulji (zbog čega pagani slave ponovno rođenje Sunca). Imbolc je prvi vatreni blagdan koji označava središnju točku zime, zbog čega pagani slave vatru (a kroz nju i snagu Sunca) koja donosi toplinu i otapa snijeg. Ostara ili proljetni ekvinocij slavi početak proljeća i ponovni povratak plodnosti. Beltane je vatreni blagdan koji označava vrhunac proljeća i plodnosti. Ljetni suncostaj, odnosno Litha, označava početak ljeta, punu snagu Sunca, ali ujedno i opadanje snage Sunca u narednim mjesecima. Lughnasadh je prvi od triju žetvenih blagdana u nizu; on obilježava prvu žetvu tijekom koje se slavi zemljin urod i stoga spada u agrarne/vatrene blagdane. Mabon tj. jesenska ravnodnevnica je drugi od triju žetvenih blagdana i vrijeme druge žetve, koji slavi polagano opadanje snage Sunca, nadolazak kraja godine i razdoblje odmora uz sav skupljeni urod. Samhain je posljednji blagdan u paganskom kolu godine, zbog čega predstavlja kraj godine, simboličnu smrt i skorašnje ponovno rođenje te kraj jednog ciklusa (zbog čega mnogi pagani upravo na ovaj dan slave Novu godinu).

Sabati i njihova slavlja u suštini predstavljaju prirodne cikluse te aktivnost i stanje cjelokupne prirode (ljudi, životinja i biljaka odnosno zemlje). Time se u potpunosti uklapaju u paganski svjetonazor koji stavlja prirodu i plodnost u prednji plan.

Kolo godine sa slikovnim i tekstualnim opisima te asocijacijama
Kazalo simbola: plamen=vatreni/agrarni sabati; pšenica=žetveni sabati;
simboli Mjeseca=odgovarajući aspekti Božice koji se slave tijekom godine
Napomene: ime svakog sabata je obojano u prikladnu boju za to razdoblje,
kotač je podijeljen na četiri dijela (četiri godišnja doba), crveni i zeleni
polukrugovi označavaju stari paganski sistem podjele godine
(zeleni polukrug=ljetni mjeseci tj. ljeto; crveni polukrug=zimski mjeseci tj. zima),
isprekidana crta označava drugu drevnu pagansku podjelu godine
u kojoj je Samhain označavao početak zime, a Beltane početak ljeta.

I to su osnove neopaganizma. :) Nadam se da su vam bile od koristi. Nemojte se ustručavati dalje gledati po blogu jer ćete naići postove koji zasebno obrađuju svaku od ovih tema. Primjerice, u sekciji "Sabati" se detaljno govori o svakom sabatu, a u pojmovniku možete naći mnoštvo pojmova na koje ste naišli u ovom postu, ali i na koje ćete inače nailaziti unutar ovog konteksta i svi su pojašnjeni u jednom kratkom paragrafu. Slobodno istražite ostale postove ako vas ova tematika zanima i uživajte u čitanju!

Do sljedećeg puta,
vaša Witch's Cat

Kako izraditi hvatač snova (dreamcatcher)

Hvatači snova (eng. dreamcatchers) su dio umjetničke prakse i kulture domorodačkih Amerikanaca, odnosno Indijanaca. Oni za njih imaju duhovno, ali i praktično značenje i zbog toga se smatraju vrijednim amajlijama. Mene su indijanska kultura i šamanizam nedavno očarali pa su me usput zainteresirali i hvatači snova. Htjela bih podijeliti s vama ono što sam naučila i kroz to vam približiti ljepotu indijanske kulture.

Mit o nastanku hvatača snova

Od svih indijanskih naroda, hvatači snova su se najbolje asimilirali u narodima Lakote i Ojibwe. To prvenstveno ima veze s mitologijom ovih naroda u kojima se ističe uloga hvatača snova. Poznati mit o nastanku ovog duhovnog predmeta ide ovako:

Još davno, na početku vremena, vođa iz plemena Lakote se popeo na vrh planine i sa sobom ponio obruč o vrbinih grana kojeg je sam ukrasio njemu značajnim predmetima - konjskom dlakom, perlama, perjem i drugim malenim darovima. Na toj planini je primio viziju. U njoj mu se ukazao Iktomi, Bog-varalica koji je ujedno i stvoritelj svijeta; onaj koji plete mrežu života jer ima formu pauka. Ovo paukoliko božanstvo se obratilo vođi na svetom jeziku i, dok mu je govorilo, uzelo njegov obruč od vrbinih grana i počelo plesti mrežu unutar njega. Dok je Iktomi pleo, pričao je o životnom ciklusu koji je ciklus u punom smislu riječi; čovjek se rodi, iz bebe naraste u dijete, iz djeteta u odraslu osoba te potom u starca za kojeg se njegovi bližnji brinu kao da je novorođenče. Time se ciklus nastavlja. No, Iktomi je upozorio mudroga vođu da, bez obzira na životnu dob, na čovjeka utječu dobre i loše sile. Dobre sile vode u dobrom smjeru, a loše u lošem. Obje vrste sila mogu promijeniti prirodni tijek okolnosti. Iktomi je tada završio plesti svoju mrežu i vratio obruč vođi uz ove riječi: "Ova mreža je savršeni krug s rupom u sredini. Upotrijebi je kako bi pomogao svojim ljudima da pravilno iskoriste svoje ideje, snove i vizije i time ostvare svoje ciljeve. Ako vjeruješ u Moćnog duha, mreža će filtrirati dobre ideje, a loše će ostati zarobljene u njoj i neće moći dalje proći". Vođa je ovu viziju i mudre riječi u njoj prenio svom narodu. Od tada hvatač snova štiti svaki krevet i um svakog čovjeka kako bi samo dobre ideje, vizije i snovi mogli doprijeti do njega. 

Uloga hvatača snova 

Po poviše navedenom mitu je jasno da hvatač snova radi upravo ono na što njegovo ime ukazuje. Obješen iznad kreveta, on propušta dobre snove, ideje i vizije, a hvata one loše koje bivaju spaljene s dolaskom prvih jutarnjih zraka svjetlosti. Vjeruje se da dobri snovi prođu kroz rupu u središtu mreže i skliznu niz perja (koja obično krase donji dio hvatača snova) sve do sanjara. Perle koje se mogu uplesti u mrežu simboliziraju paukove. Neki hvatači snova su također ukrašeni nekim poludragim kamenom, ili mineralom koji simbolizira Moćnog duha, odnosno Stvoritelja u kojeg vjeruju Indijanci. Pošto po njihovom vjerovanju postoji samo jedna stvaralačka sila, samo se jedan takav kamen može uplesti u dreamcatcher.

Neka sjevernoamerička Indijanska plemena su zauzela drukčiji stav i smatraju da rupa u središtu hvatača snova služi kako bi omogućila izlaz lošim snovima, dok mreža hvata dobre snove koja se kroz nju i dalje kroz pera "ulijevaju" u sanjara.

Kako god bilo, ova vjerovanja se temelje na uvjerenju da dobri i loši snovi lete kroz noć tražeći sanjara kojega će posjetiti.

Materijali, oblici i boje

Tradicionalni materijali za izradu obruča dreamcatchera su vrbino granje (najčešće od crvene vrbe), ili namočena vinova loza (mora bit namočena kako bi bila savitljiva!). Odabir upravo ovog drveća je uvjetovan njihovom savitljivošću jer, kada se izrađuje obruč, materijal mora biti dovoljno fleksibilan da ne pukne.

Izrađeni obruč je ponekad omata uštavljenom kožom dok se sama mreža plete od životinjske tetive (eng. sinew), ili konjske/jelenje dlake. No, ove posljednje materijale je danas malo teže nabaviti pa se često uzima konac, vuna, ili njima sličan materijal za izradu mreže.

Perle koje krase mrežu su najčešće drvene, ili staklene, no tradicija nalaže da one perle koje ukrašavaju sami obruč (ako ih uopće ima) budu plave boje.

Također, neki hvatači snova nemaju rupu u sredini. Ovo je najviše uvjetovano vjerovanjem plemena koji izrađuje takvu vrstu dreamcatchera. Vidjeli ste da su mišljenja po pitanju svrhe ove rupe podijeljena, no neka plemena vjeruju da rupa uopće ne treba postojati jer dobri snovi mogu svakako naći put do sanjara, dok će loši snovi svakako biti uhvaćeni u mreži, a nedostatak rupe znači da neće moći pobjeći. 

Broj pera je obično sedam iako se s vremenom ovaj detalj zagubio. U slučaju da je hvatač snova bio obješen iznad djetetova kreveta, ili kolijevke, često bi imao i pero u središtu kruga kao simbol elementa zraka i njegove važnosti za ljude. Za djevojčice bi se stavljalo sovino pero (simbol mudrosti), dok se za dječake koristilo orlovo pero (simbol hrabrosti). 

Veličina hvatača snova ovisi od pojedincu jer, po predaju, obruč ne bi trebao biti veći od dlana odrasle osobe. No, i ovo se "pravilo" izgubilo s vremenom pa se hvatači snova rade u raznim veličinama i oblicima.

Najčešći vez za mrežu hvatača snova

Danas se ovi čarobni predmeti rade od raznoraznih materijala. Obruč se radi od gotovo bilo kojeg drva, ili metala (neki kupuju i gotove metalne obruče). Neki odluče ne omotavati obruč kožom, već vunom, ili nekim drugim materijalom, dok ga neki uopće ne omataju. Životinjska dlaka, ili tetiva više nije obavezan materijal za izradu mreže. Kao što sam istaknula, prikladne zamjene za to su vuna, ili konac bilo kakve boje, iako možete biti kreativni pa smisliti još neku alternativu. Broj pera također nije fiksan, kao što nije ni broj perli/dragocjenog kamenja koji krase mrežu. Materijali i boje ovih perli danas variraju, a broj ovisi o ukusu pojedinca. Stoga se nemojte ustručavati raditi u skladu s vašim kreativnim nagonima. Većina pravila se davno zagubila. No, možete iz poštivanja prema tradiciji odlučiti ukomponirati što više tradicionalnih elemenata u svoj dreamcatcher. 

U osnovi ne postoji dobar, ili loš hvatač snova. Njihovi oblici, veličine, boje i vrsta veza variraju od plemena do plemena, ali i od pojedinca do pojedinca. Neka plemena rade isključno kružne obruče, dok druga rade hvatače snova u obliku suze. Neki će ostaviti rupu, dok će drugi isplesti mrežu u potpunosti. Neka plemena rade vez kojeg ću demonstrirati u ovome postu, dok drugi nastoje više imitirati oblik paukove mreže. 

Pustite mašti na volju! :)

Izrada hvatača snova

Za izradu vašeg dreamcatchera će vam trebati sljedeći materijali:

• materijal za obruč (vrbino granje/grane vinove loze/bilo kakav drveni ili metalni obruč)
• materijal za omatanje obruča (uštavljena koža/vuna/konac)
• materijal za mrežu (životinjska dlaka/tetiva/konac/vuna)
• ukrasi (perje, perle, kristali...)
• škare
• igla

Svoj sam hvatač snova izradila od vrbinog granja, smeđe kožne vrpce, bijelog konca, drvenih perli i perja fazana. Stoga ću u uputama govoriti "vrba" kada je u pitanju obruč, "konac" kada pričam o mreži itd. Ali nemojte dozvoliti da vas to zbuni! Slobodno radite od materijala po vašem odabiru i jednostavno pratite upute prilagođavajući ih materijalima koje imate.

Ja sam izradila četiri hvatača snova - jedan veliki u promjeru 15cm i tri manja u promjeru cca. 8cm. Kožna traka koju sam koristila je bila debljine 2mm. Za potpuno omatanje velikog obruča mi je trebalo 2.8m takve trake, a za obruč od 8cm mi je trebalo 1.4m kože. Ako koristite konac, ili vunu neke manje debljine, naravno da će vam trebali više materijala. Stoga preporučam da imate i viška materijala sa strane za svaki slučaj. :)

1. Izradite obruč

(preskočite ovaj korak ako koristite gotovi obruč od drva/metala)

Slika 1: veliki obruč od vrbinog granja

Slika 2

Uzmite vrbinu granu i savijte ju u kolut željenog promjera. Kako bi zadržala ovu formu, možete zmijoliko omotati jedan kraj oko drugog nekoliko puta. Ja sam odlučila zavezati ova dva kraja koristeći jednu tanju vrbinu granu od koje sam napravila dva čvora na mjestu gdje se preklapaju krajevi. Slobodno nađite sistem koji vama odgovara. Glavno je da krajevi ostanu spojeni tj. da se kolut ne odmota.  ovaj način možete napraviti koliko god želite obruča i spojiti ih sve u jedan veliki hvatač snova, kao što sam i ja napravila na kraju.

2. Omotajte obruč

Zavežite čvor od kožne vrpce na mjesto gdje se krajevi obruča preklapaju (kao na slici 3).

Omotajte cijeli obruč kožom pazeći da ne bude praznina (slika 4).

Slika 3: čvor na mjestu preklapanja krajeva
obruča

Slika 4: omotani obruč

Slika 5: čvor na vrhu obruča

Kada ste omotali cijeli obruč i vratili se do prije napravljenog čvora, napravite petlju koja će vam kasnije služiti da objesite svoj hvatač snova (slika 5). Odrežite ikoji višak kože da vam ne smeta pri izradi mreže. Možete petlju napraviti kako želite. Ako nemate ideja, predlažem ovaj čvor jer je relativno jednostavan i čvrst.

Napomena: neki vežu petlju još prije nego naprave prvi čvor na obruču. Možete i ovo napraviti, ako vam je lakše. U potpunosti je na vama.

3. Izradite mrežu

Prvo provucite konac kroz iglu (slika 6).

Napomena: nemojte provući konac kao da šivate (tako da je konac provučete i krajeve vežete skupa). Samo dvaput vežite obični čvor kraj očice igle i pustite da ostatak konca slobodno visi dolje. Pokušajte ne imati previše konca jer će to samo otežati izradu mreže.

Zavežite dupli čvor kraj petlje koju ste napravili na vrhu vašeg hvatača snova (slika 7).

Slika 6: provučeni konac kroz iglu

Slika 7: Čvor zavezan pokraj petlje

Vez koji se koristi pri izradi dreamcatchera je uvijek isti, tako da kada ga jednom shvatite, sve će ići vrlo lako.

Izrada prvog kruga mreže:

Napomena: upute navode samo kako izraditi mrežu bez ukrasa. Za upute vezane uz dodavanje ukrasa (perja i perli), pogledajte savjete na dnu posta.

1. Konac provucite iza i preko obruča (slike 8 i 9). Time ste zapravo napravili "rupu".
2. Iglu provucite kroz "rupu" koju ste napravili (slike 10 i 11). 
3. Zategnite konac tako da bude ravan. No, pripazite da se pri zatezanju obruč ne krene kriviti. Sada ste dobili jedan "šav".
4. Nastavite ponavljati korake 1-3, ostavljajući uvijek isti razmak među čvorovima (razmak ovisi o vašem ukusu). Uzmite u obzir da će vam biti lakše plesti mrežu što ostavite veći razmak (slika 12).
5. Kada dođete blizu prvoga čvora (koji je bio zavezan kraj petlje), ostavite barem duplo manji razmak između njega i posljednjeg čvora (slike 13 i 14).

Slika 8: konac prebačen iza i preko obruča

Slika 9

Slika 10: igla provučena kroz "rupu" koju ste napravili

Slika 11

Slika 13: gotov "prvi krug" mreže (uočite maleni razmak
između prvog i zadnjeg čvora)

Slika 12

Slika 14

Izrada svih drugih krugova mreže:

Kako biste napravili vez za drugi krug i sve ostale krugove mreže, slijedite ove upute:

6. Ponovite korake 1-3, samo nemojte provući iglu iza obruča, već kroz prvi "šav" iz prvoga kruga (slike 14 i 15). Pripazite da čvor kojeg napravite bude na sredini šava i da novi šav bude zategnut. 

Napomena: kako budete radili nove šavove tj. zatezali nove čvorove, uočit ćete da će se šav na kojeg ste zavezali čvor pomalo iskriviti prema središtu kruga i poprimiti oblik romba.

7. Ponavljajte korak 6 dok ne dođete do središta krug gdje ćete ostaviti rupu. Na posljednjem šavu (koji će biti s donje strane hvatača snova) samo zavežite dupli čvor kako biste učvrstili konstrukciju.

Slika 15: provlačenje igre kroz prvi "šav" iz prvoga kruga

I vaš hvatač snova je time gotov!!!

Savjeti:

Slika 16

Ako (odnosno kada) vam nestane konca, zavežite dupli čvor gdje ste stali. Ponovno provucite konac kroz iglu kako je istaknuto u ovim uputama. Zavežite dupli čvor s novim koncem točno iza (odnosno do) posljednjeg čvora kojeg ste napravili i nastavite po uputama.

Kako biste dodali perlu na neki čvor, samo provucite iglu i konac kroz nju i nastavite normalno raditi vez kao što je objašnjeno u koracima 1-3.

Ako želite zavezati pero negdje, možete provući iglu i konac kroz samo pero odnosno kroz šuplji dio pera poznat kao calamus (slika 16) i vezati obični dupli čvor kao što ste i do sada radili da učvrstite sve. U krajnjem slučaju možete čvor vezati oko pera, no prije navedena metoda je, po mom mišljenju, efikasnija i ugodnija oku.


U slučaju da vam moje upute nisu bile dovoljno jasne, možete pogledati i ovu web stranicu gdje su dijagrami jako lijepi i gdje je sve objašnjeno korak po korak (iako su upute pri kraju nešto drukčije od mojih).

Ugodni snovi! :D

How To Make a Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatchers are part of the art practices and culture of Native Americans, who are also known as Indians. For them, dreamcatchers have both a spiritual and practical meaning and are therefore regarded as a powerful amulet. I was recently captivated by Shamanism and Native American culture and, in the process, I also became interested in dreamcatchers. I would like to share my knowledge on this subject with you and through it bring the beauty of Native American culture a bit closer to you.

Dreamcatcher Creation Myth

Of all the Native American tribes, the dreamcatcher has best assimilated itself among the Lakota and Ojibwe peoples. This primarily has to do with the mythology of these tribes in which the role of the dreamcatcher is emphasized. A well-known myth regarding the creation of this spiritual item goes like this: 

A long, long time ago, at the beginning of time, a Lakota tribe leader climbed to the top of a mountain and brought with him a hoop made of willow branches which he had carefully adorned with objects which were meaningful to him - horse hair, beads, feathers and other small offerings. On this mountain, he had a vision. In it appeared the god Iktomi, a trickster-god who is also the creator of the world; he who weaves the web of life as he has the shape of a spider. This spider-like deity addressed the leader in a sacred language and, as he spoke, took his willow hoop and started weaving his web inside it. While Iktomi worked, he spoke of the cycle of life which is a cycle in the real sense of the word; man is born, grows from a baby to a child, from a child to an adult and then grows into old age during which his loved ones take care of him as if he were a newborn again. Thus the cycle of life continues. But, Iktomi warned the wise leader that, regardless of a person's age, both good and bad forces can influence him. Good forces lead to good things, whereas bad forces lead to bad things. Both types of forces can change the natural course of events. Iktomi then finished weaving his web and gave the willow hoop back to the Lakota leader with the following words: "This web is a perfect circle with a hole in the center. Use it to help your people to properly use their ideas, dreams and visions and thus achieve their goals. If you believe in the Great Spirit, this web will filter good ideas, while the bad ones will remain trapped inside it and will not be able to pass through". The leader conveyed this vision and the wise words that were held within it to his people. Since then, the dreamcatcher protects the bed and mind of every person so that only good ideas, good visions and good dreams may reach him. 

The Role of the Dreamcatcher 

It is obvious from the above mentioned story that the dreamcatcher does exactly what its name implies. When hung above a bed, it filters good dreams, ideas and visions and traps the bad ones which are burnt by the first rays of the morning Sun. It is believed that good dreams pass through the hole in the center of the web and then slide down the feathers (which usually adorn the bottom of the dreamcatcher) all the way to the dreamer. The beads that are sometimes woven into the web symbolize spiders. Some dreamcatchers are also decorated by some sort of crystal, or mineral which symbolizes the Great Spirit, or rather the Creator in which Native Americans believe. This is because there is only one creative force according to the worldview of these peoples. This is why only one such crystal can be added to a dreamcatcher.

Some North American Indian tribes have taken a different stance on this subject and believe that the hole in the middle of the dreamcatcher is there to allow bad dreams to get out, while the web catches good dreams which then pass through it, down the feathers and into the dreamer.

In any case, both belief systems are based on the conviction that the night air is filled with good and bad dreams which fly around in search of dreamers they can visit.

Materials, Shapes and Colors

The traditional materials used for making the hoop of the dreamcatcher are willow branches (usually those of a red willow) or soaked grapevine (it has to be soaked to be flexible!). This is conditioned by the flexibility of these materials because the material has to be flexible enough so it doesn't break during the making of the hoop. 

The hoop is sometimes wrapped in suede leather whereas the web is woven out of sinew or horse/stag hair. The latter materials are slightly harder to come across nowadays so adequate substitutes are used for making the web such as thread, string, wool and similar materials.

The beads that adorn the web are usually made of wood or glass. Tradition insists that the pearls that decorate the actual hoop (if there are any at all) be blue.

Also, some dreamcatchers don't have a hole in the middle. This is usually conditioned by the beliefs of the tribe in which the dreamcatcher is made. You have seen that the beliefs regarding the role of this hole are divided. Now, some tribes believe that such a hole doesn't even have to exist because good dreams will find their way to the dreamer no matter what, while bad dreams will always be caught in the web. The absence of a hole only means that it won't be possible for them to escape once captured.

The number of feathers used is traditionally seven, but this detail has somehow been forgotten with time. If the dreamcatcher was hung above a child's bed or crib, it would often have a feather in the middle of the circle as a symbol of the element of air and its importance for human beings. An owl feather was used for girls (as a symbol of wisdom), while an eagle feather was used for boys (as a symbol of courage).

The size of the dreamcatcher depends on the individual because, according to tradition, the hoop shouldn't be bigger than an adult's palm. But this "rule" has also been lost in time so dreamcatchers are made in all shapes and sizes nowadays.

The most common dreamcatcher
weaving pattern/stitch

Today, they are also made of all sorts of materials. The hoop can be made of almost any type of wood, or metal (some even by pre-made metal hoops). Some decide not to wrap leather around the hoop, bur use wool, or some other material instead, while some choose not to cover the hoop altogether. Animal hair or sinew are no longer needed to make the web. As I have mentioned, string or wool of any color are good substitutes. But you can be creative and think of even more alternatives. The number of feathers used is also not strictly specified, as is the case with beads and crystals that adorn the web. The materials and colors of the beads also vary and their number depends on the individual's taste. So don't be afraid to work according to your creative instincts. Most rules have long been forgotten. But, you can decide to incorporate as many traditional elements are you can into your dreamcatcher simply out of respect for tradition. 

Essentially, there is no such thing as a good or bad dreamcatcher. Their shapes, sizes, colors and stitching vary from tribe to tribe and even from person to person. Some tribes make only circular hoops, while some make tear-shaped dreamcatchers. Some will leave a hole, while others will weave the web fully. Some tribes use the stitching that I will demonstrate in this post, while others try to imitate a spider web more veraciously.

Let your imagination flow freely! :)

How To Make a Dreamcatcher

To make your own dreamcatcher, you will need the following materials:

• materials for the hoop (willow branches/grapevine/and wooden or metal hoop)
• materials for wrapping the hoop (suede leather/wool/thread)
• materials for the web (animal hair/sinew/thread/wool)
• decorations (feathers, beads, crystals...)
• scissors
• a needle

I made my dreamcatcher out of willow branches, brown suede leather cords, white thread, wooden beads and pheasant feathers. This is why I will say "willow" for the hoop, "thread" for the web and so on in the following instructions. But don't let that confuse you! Feel free to work with the materials of your choosing and simply follow the instructions modifying them to the materials that you have.

I made four dreamcatchers - a large one which is 15cm in diameter and three small ones each about 8cm in diameter. The leather cords I used were 2mm wide. I used 2.8m of this cord to completely wrap the large hoop and 1.4m to wrap each small hoop. If you are using thread or wool that is somewhat thinner than this 2mm wide cord, of course you will need more of it. So I recommend you have a surplus of materials at hand just in case. :)

1. Make the Hoop

(skip this step if you are using a readymade wooden/metal hoop)

Picture 1: the large willow hoop

Picture 2

Take one willow branch and bend it to form a circle of your desired diameter. In order for the branch to keep this circular form, you can spirally wrap one end around the other a few times. I decided to tie these two ends using a thinner willow branch with which I tied two knots where the ends overlap. Feel free to use any system that works for you. The main thing is that the ends remain connected and that the hoop doesn't unwind. 

2. Wrap the Hoop

Using your leather cord, tie a knot where the two hoop ends overlap (as in picture 3).

Continue wrapping the cord around the whole hoop taking care not to leave any gaps (picture 4).

Picture 3: a knot tied where the hoop ends
overlap

Picture 4: a fully-wrapped hoop

Picture 5: the loop at the top of the hoop

When you have finished wrapping the hoop and have returned to the initial knot, make a loop which you will later use to hand your dreamcatcher by (picture 5). Cut off any excess cord so it doesn't get in the way while you're weaving the web. You can make the hoop any way you like. If you don't have any ideas, I recommend this knot because it is fairly easy and tight.

Note: some prefer to make the loop even before tying the first knot on the hoop. You can do this if you find it easier. It's completely up to you.

3. Make the Web

First thread your needle (picture 6).

Note: don't thread the needle as if you were about to start sewing (that is by leaving two ends of the thread hanging and tying them together at the bottom). Instead, just tie a double knot at the eye of the needle and let the largest part of the thread just hang. Try not to have too much thread because this will just make it harder for you to weave the web.

Tie a double knot next to the loop which you made at the top of your dreamcatcher (picture 7).

Picture 6: how to thread the needle

Picture 7: a knot tied next to the loop

The stitching used to weave the web of your dreamcatcher is always the same, so once you get it, everything will go smoothly.

Stitch the first circle of the web

Note: the following instructions only explain how to make the actual web without and decorations. For instructions on how to add decorations (beads and feathers), have a look at the advice at the end of this post. 

1. Pull the thread behind and over the hoop (pictures 8 and 9). You have just created a "hole".
2. Pull the needle through the "hole" you just made (pictures 10 and 11).
3. Pull the thread until it's straight. Just take care not to pull it too tight so the hoop bends. You want the hoop to keep its shape. You have now made your first "stitch".
4. Continue repeating steps 1-3 always leaving the same space between knots (the distance depends on your preferences). Keep in mind that it will be easier for you to weave the web if you leave more space between knots (picture 12).
5. When you come close to your first knot (which was tied next to the loop) and start tying your last knot, leave at most half the space you did between the previous knots (pictures 13 and 14). For example, if the typical distance between knots was 4cm, then do not leave more than 2cm between your first and last knot.

Picture 9

Picture 8: thread pulled behind and over the hoop

Picture 10: the needle pulled through the "hole" you made

Picture 11

Picture 12

Picture 13: the finished "first circle" of the web
(notice the small distance between the first and last knot)

Picture 14

Stitch the other circles of the web

In order for you to make the second and all subsequent circles of the web, follow these instructions:

6. Repeat steps 1-3, but instead of pulling the needle behind the hoop, pull it through the first "stitch" of your first circle (pictures 14 and 15). Take care to place your knots in the middle of each stitch and that the new stitch is nice and tight.

Note: as you start making new stitches i.e. tightening new knots, you will notice that the stitches on which you tie your new knots will start to bend slightly towards the center of the hoop and will form a slightly rhomboid shape.

7. Repeat step 6 until you get to the middle of the hoop where you will leave a hole. When you come to your last stitch (which will be at the bottom part of your dreamcatcher), just tie a double knot to secure the construction.

Picture 15: pulling the needle through the first "stitch" of the first circle

And with this, your dreamcatcher is finished!

Advice:

Picture 16

If (or rather when) you run out of thread, tie a double knot where you stopped. Rethread your needle according to these instructions. Then tie a double knot with this new thread right behind (or rather next to) the last knot you made and simply continue following the instructions.

In order to add a bead to a knot, simply pull your thread through the bead and continue normally with the stitch as described in steps 1-3.

If you want to add a feather somewhere, you can pull the thread and needle through the feather itself, or rather through the hollow part of the feather also knows as the calamus, or quill (picture 16). Then tie a double knot just to secure it. If all else fails, you can always just tie one or two normal knots around the feather(s). But, the aforementioned method is much better in my opinion because it is more effective and also aesthetically more pleasing.

In case my instructions weren't clear enough, you can have a look at this web site where the diagrams are really wonderful and everything is described step by step (although the instructions at the end are slightly different than mine).

Sweet dreams! :D