Beltane Chase Song? Folklorists in the house?

Many of you may be familiar with the "Beltane Chase Song," found in full here: http://www.skepticfiles.org/en003/beltane.htm (I chose this atheist link because it didn't involve purple, sparkly backgrounds.)

Now, I'm seeing this song described here and there as "traditional." Is it? Because it sounds suspiciously to me like somebody sat down and wrote it only a few decades ago. Probably because the series of transformations described closely mirrors those found in the story of Taliesin's birth by Cerridwen, only here, the female is being chased while the male is doing the chasing. The verses also closely mirror Isobel Gowdie's rhyme for turning into a hare. (I'd link, but this is easily googled.) I guess that doesn't mean some Victorian gentleman couldn't have been inspired by the Welsh story and composed this, or that the turns of phrase Gowdie used weren't common in traditional British verse. But I wouldn't know for sure. Does anyone have any thoughts?

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Who Made You?

This question's been rattling around in my head for a week or two. To start out, I was thinking simply about Hermes, and his role in my life, as well as the goddess I've been struggling to find. Then something popped into my head that was incredibly disruptive to my way of thinking:

I don't believe Hermes created me. I don't think Belisama or Hathor did, either. Zeus is a chief god in the Greek pantheon, but I don't think HE created me. If none of these deities did, then WHO created me? Or am I a product of nature? If someone else DID, should I be worshipping them? Or is it perfectly all right just to go on acknowledging the deities that I do, while not knowing/ignoring the one who might should be acknowledged?

Though it's been in my head, it's a question that's a bit like a VERY sore tooth. I know it's there, but I don't want to acknowledge it, partially because I'm afraid of the answer..... but I also keep poking at it.

Thoughts?

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Need Some Tarot Advice

I've started learning to read Tarot cards. I'm not quite good on all the meanings yet, but I'm getting there. I've only done a few simple readings so far, and I find I like the Celtic Cross spread. I use the Gilded Tarot deck.

The thing is, I recently heard a story from a friend about a really good Tarot reader she went to, and it got me motivated to try and learn again.
Now I'm stuck with a deck that I'm getting used to, and not a very good idea of what to do from here. Apart from doing more readings to get used to it, are there any other ways I can improve my Tarot reading skills? Are there any techniques of putting the cards' meanings together that people find particularly useful? And should I try reading for other people, or just keep reading for myself until I get a bit better?

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Obligatory Beltane/Samhain Thread

So... what's everyone doing for the sabbat? I'm especially interested to hear from the southern hemisphere folks who are coming up on Samhain if you're working based on your seasons rather than the strict calendar year.

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Information on Rhiannon?

Every time I hear that Stevie Nicks song on the radio, I feel as though I should be looking into information about Rhiannon. (And I heard it the other night coming home from work.) Does anyone have any reliable sources they can pass along?

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Finding Privacy For Outdoor Rituals

For those of you lucky enough to be able to do rituals outdoors, how on earth do you find the privacy to do it?

I would love to do rituals outdoors. But I live in the suburbs in a rowhouse. I can't even go out and get the mail without having to chat with someone, and the backyard backs on to an alley between us and the street behind us. No privacy there. Local parks close after dark and I wouldn't feel comfortable in an isolated area without my husband with me. We don't have a lot of violence here, but there's been enough incidents over the years that I'd rather not tempt fate.

So... suggestions? Besides moving, that is. That's in our long-term plan but isn't a short-term solution.

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Tarot Card Meanings Different than the Books

I'm trying to learn about Tarot. I want to learn Rider-Waite because they are standard and the symbolism is so widely used in other decks. However, I've noticed that when I pick up a card and try to interpret it, I often come up with meanings which are VERY different than the ones which are listed on websites and in the books. For instance, for the Two of Swords, I perceived "balance, harmony, trust." According to this site, the keywords for the card are "blocked emotions, avoidance, stalemate." What do you do when your gut reaction to a card is so different? Has anyone else had this problem when learning tarot?

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Two Questions re: Tutelary and/or Obscure Deities

Here's how I stand. I have a fixed male deity that has been my patron for close to fifteen years now, give or take a few. I am happy with Hermes, adore him, love the relationship I have with him, and am grateful for his presence. However, recently I've wanted to have a more female side to things too (though to be fair, Hermes does encompass the balance of male and female in his being), so I have been searching for a goddess to also devote myself to. I tried Hathor for quite some time, but as of late, she and I have parted ways amicably due to many reasons I acknowledge, and reasons I'm not sure of at this time. We are just not compatible, though I still love all she stands for and what she can give.

I have been poking around names of deities in the Roman/Britain/Gallic areas, and have settled (for now, at any rate) on Belisama (also known as Belisma). The problem is, there is very, very little information about her. My friend Kim, a follower of Epona, says that with a lot of Gallic deities, you have to go to the source; ie: reading articles from the area, which in Belisama's case could definitely mean the Liverpool area of England, though she was known all over Gaul. I don't know how to properly go about searching for truly academic things like my friend does. I don't know that I have the mental stamina to do so, or the resources. All I know is that she seems to be calling me to her... or perhaps to her to guide me toward another goddess.

Question Cluster 1 is:
How does one really know an obscure deity who has the most basic of things known about her? For example, she's known to be a goddess of light, fire, crafts, the forge, etc. Kim tells me to meditate and listen to see if Belisama speaks to me, but will that really be enough? How do I know it's her talking to me, and not someone else? How do I know that it's not me just making junk up about her? Hermes is easy-- there's a lot of information and hymns out there about him, from Ovid to basic myths. He's got a very prominent personality. He's -there- for me, in my head, in my heart. He's not obscure. So. What do I do?

Question 2 is:

There's another goddess that I was interested in a while back and still am. Her name is Sequana, and she's a tutelary goddess... of the river Seine. I'm in North Carolina, in the States. Would devoting oneself to a goddess that is a goddess of one specific area, of one specific body of water, be a good idea? Would she be a relevant goddess? I believe that if a goddess or god of one country or another calls to you, even if you're not of that country, you should go for them. I'm not Greek, but Hermes works for me. But a deity that holds sway over one river, or one mountain, or one desert... It seems too specific to me, like I am barking up the wrong tree.

Thoughts on that?

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Reclaiming/Feri/Third Road?

I'm following up on suggestions from other posters who noticed that I commented on enjoying the styles both of Starhawk and of Francesca DeGrandis and recommended that I further explore Feri. I'm also looking more at Reclaiming.

I was wondering--what other posters here follow any of these three traditions? How did you study? What resources did you draw upon? Are you solitary, or do you have a group to work with? I notice that all three groups seem to be concentrated in California, and I'm in NYC ... Plus, it seems to me that--at least with Feri--a lot of teachers charge rather a lot to train students. That is without a doubt out of my budget, plus, it gives me an uncomfortable feeling.

At this point, I'm trying hard not to spend any money, so I'm working with what I can get out of libraries and what I already own. That means I have De Grandis' two Third Road workbooks and Starhawk's The Spiral Dance. I was able to obtain a library copy of the Twelve Wild Swans, which is gorgeous and thorough. I think I might actually make an exception and buy it. In terms of Feri, I only have what I can get online for free: The Dustbunnies Book, which I've begun to skim, and The White Wand. Do you have other recommendations for inexpensive references?

If you work alone, how do you adjust the Reclaiming materials?

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Sad News: Elspeth Passed On This Morning (19 April 2010)

Elspeth's husband called me to say that Elspeth passed over this morning at home and in her sleep. No funeral arrangements have been made yet, but I will pass on the info when I get it.

As Elspeth has been very ill and has not been on the board much these past few years (and maybe only once in the past year or so), many new members do not know her. Long time members will remember her, as she is very hard to forget. Not to mention the fact that this board exists because of her. When we set it up on Delphi, it cost money to have your own forum on the service. I started it as a Yule present for her. She was very active on TC in the early days -- before her various illnesses caught up with her -- and was one of the people most responsible for getting this board going and giving it the direction it has had all these years.

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