The Elements / Tau Retammas

Bowynn Gods: Abbennaea

Abbennaea  (Ab-bhen-nay-ah)  Goddess of all sorts of offerings and libation. She is the daughter of Phaenixx and Sumon. Abbennaea is a rather young goddess, mother-like in appearance, said to be graced with deep red hair. She is the goddess that receives the spiritual essence of the offerings sent to the gods by mortal men and in turn, turns them into “that which is good for all beings.” After the “Great Migration” of mankind, Abbennaea was said to have spent her “7 sacred nights” among the first tribes and taught them the arts of making incense and what offerings were allowed to be offered to the Akua. After the god Mano tricked mankind to sacrifice blood to the gods, it was Abbennaea that had to come back to mortal man, cleanse their altars and re-teach them all that what was acceptable.

    In Alaway, Abbennaea is not only a messenger of the gods but has the duty to purge and cleanse the halls with incense daily; burning Tsa'hekas of incense to dispense the energies from the night before. It was Abbennaea that cleansed the great hall after the battle between Mano and his cousins after one fight took place in the halls of Alaway.

    Abbennaea is said to be of a most loving face and of natural beauty, her garments often of reds and she is depicted always with either a single stick of incense in one hand (or a bundle of sticks). And in the other hand, a libation pitcher. She is often said to take the form of a bird or butterfly if she does mingle among men. The butterfly being her totem

Autumn Blessings

Happiest of Holidays to you

QUESTION & ANSWERS: Goddess Worship

QUESTION: In your Bowynn belief system, is the worship of goddesses more prevalent?

ANSWER: No. All the gods, male and female are worshipped and honored equally. This topic takes us back to the Great Creator, Bia. Who is neither and both male and female. Bia is balance and dictates balance. And we, as Bowynn, are keen on maintaining balance. To honor only the female divinities makes one miss out on so many grand and beautiful attributes that male gods have to offer. And vice versa.

The 7 Great Life Rituals

In the Bowynn tradition, there are 7 Great Rites.

The Rite of Birth: This is normally held 7 days after birth. Blessing the newborn, welcoming him/her into the world and on this rite, he/she is given his/her name officially.

The Rite Childhood: This rite is held at the age of 5, when the baby steps into the age of Childhood.

The Rite of Coming Forth: The is the great rite when one officially allows themselves to come to the circle on their own accord and pledging themselves a believer of the Bowynn Faith. This is not based on Age. Anyone at any point can "Come Forth". Normally if it's a child, tradition says the right should not take place till the child is 10 years old.

The Rite of Adulthood: Held at the age of 20. He/she steps out of the role of Child into the role of adulthood. Their days of recklessness are behind, and the rolls of responsibility are at hand.

The Rite of Marriage: This is, as it says, the 2-day ritual of Marriage.

The Rite of Death: This is the ritual of those that depart this world and leave onto Daunnat. It's a 7-day ritual.

The Rite of Resurrection: This ritual is held 14 days after the departed has left. It's a time of remembrance. A memorial.

Under these rituals are many more including Rite from becoming a Myst, ritual for blessing a new home and/or garden, Ritual of Knighthood, and so forth.

Being these rituals are considered personal; I cannot share much detail of the rites themselves with those outside the faith. What I can say is that these are rituals that do not take precedence in the eyes of one's state, providence nor nation. These are rituals that are held between those involved and the presence of the gods almighty.

Bowynn Gods: Gorto

Gorto  (Gor-toe)  The Gorto are Kii of forges and kilns. The Gorto are the helpful spirits of potters and blacksmiths. These Kii are said to be some of the small servants to brothers Kalen, Gondor and their wives. The Gorto try to assure that pottery will not shatter while baking and metal wares will not overheat or bend wrong while being forged. The Gorto will take residence most of the time in blacksmith's and potter's shops, close to the forges and ovens. Gorto often work hand in hand with The Abbonna.

Smithies, will have images of Gorto carved in their anvils and hammers, and Potters with have their images on the sides of their kilns. Potters and Blacksmiths will make the first object they create devoted to the Gorto or in the shape of a Gorto, this is a way of asking the Gorto to bless the crafter in all they make there-after.

The Gorto (left and right in the 2nd row) working hard in the home of Gondor

Bowynn Gods: The Abonna

Abonna  (Ah-bhon-nah)  The Abonna at a multitude of gods and goddesses of music, dance and all of the fine arts. In some cases, the Abonna are considered a division of the Kii. {Fairy/Spirits/Nymphs} In other cases they are considered gods themselves, though there are no individual known names for each of the Abonna. And their number seems endless. Among their many attributes, the Abonna are the patrons of dancers and musicians, crafters of all sorts and fine arts.

The Abonna are both male and female and both sexes are depicted as patrons of the arts. As Kii (if so that they are Kii) they are the taller type and bare no wings as their diminutive cousins. Unlike the Kii, the Abonna did spend the “Seven Sacred Days” with mortals after the Great Migration. During this time each Abonna taught mankind the arts of dance, song, music, the arts of drawing and painting, carving and so many other arts and crafts. In Alaway, the Abonna are often scene decorating the many halls and during the nightly feasts, the Abonna will be seen dancing and playing for the other gods joyously as they meal together. Some are seen accompaning the god Drautmer as he played his drum of the assembly of the Nykua. Others will accompany the God Kane in his workshop. While they are divinities of the arts, they are not bestowers of the arts but instead merely the inspiration behind them. Being Kii, the Abonna are guardians of all the great and wonderful things in the world. And if indeed they are Kii, then they too were created by the gods Brand and Kord to ward off the malicious spirits known as Tii. No other parentage has been spoken of.

      Sacred symbols and objects to the Abonna are the tools of the trades, such as musical instruments, paint and brush, carving knives, sewing kits and so on. Also sacred to the Kii is the Lark bird

      The Abonna are depicted most of the time as young spirits in look. However there are older and elderly Abonna as well. Often the Abonna will appear in the guise of birds and when among mortals.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Ethic and moral punishments

QUESTION: Do Bowynns believe in Kharma or the 3-fold law?

ANSWER: No. Not in the way these are commonly believed. Kharma and the 3-fold law come from other cultures and practices. These idealisms and beliefs are not part of our faith. We adhere to the belief of Bia (balance) and that if what you do and say in life is just, true, moral and virtuous, then you are in good standings. If it is not, then the gods and those around you will call you out and tend to you justly. And the more wrong one does, the worse it is going to be. Like a rubberband: the more you pull on it, the worse it is going to hurt when it snaps back. And assuredly, it will snap back.

Happy Halloween

My Prayer to Daekk, Lord of Fortune

O Daekk, Glorious Child of Wealth and Fortune, I stand before you, seeking the embrace of your bountiful gifts. You, who dwell in the splendid chambers of Alaway, amidst treasures adorned with lapis and gold, I beckon your innocent spirit to grace my path. With your golden locks and amber eyes, you embody joy and prosperity, guiding us through the currents of abundance. O Divine Infant, transformed by the wisdom of Anhur, grant me the clarity to see beyond mere appearances and superficial riches. Let your laughter ring out amidst the clinking coins and flowing grains as you dispense blessings to all, untainted by bias or pride. May the warmth of your spirit fill the hearts of those in need, that they may also know the sweet taste of fortune's favor.

In humble reverence, I lay before you offerings of coins, fragrant incense, and the sweet milk of the sacred herd. As the mice serve as symbols of fortune, I send forth votive gifts in their likeness, invoking your protection over my endeavors. With these offerings, I present play money inscribed with my deepest prayers, to be buried within the earth alongside a seed, so that as the plant sprouts, so too may my fortunes flourish. O Daekk, from your heavenly cradle, nurture my ambitions and aspirations like the rich soil of Alaway that bears fruit in due season. May I not only seek abundance for myself but take inspiration from your benevolence to share with others in need. Let my hands be open to receive and my heart expansive enough to give freely. As I summon your playful spirit, I pledge to judge not by wealth nor appearance but to celebrate the diverse paths of prosperity in my life. O Daekk, Eternal Child of Alaway, may your blessings flow unceasingly into my heart, guiding my actions and illuminating the lives of those around me. So shall it be, in reverence and love for Daekk, the generous spirit of wealth and sustenance, forever illuminating our lives with abundance.

Syember!

The Elements / Tau Retammas

Soul / Paut - The Sun / Tau Saun

The fifth point of the Numatam {Septagram} is the point that represents all the aspects of the element that is the Soul. (Individuality, Day, Light, Warmth, Rejuvenation, Resurrection, Responsibility, Cycles, Masculinity, Work and Labor). The Soul is the inner you, the part that causes you to think and speak your own mind. It is what makes you unique, even though it is a duplicate of your body. It is the house that protects your spirit. It is your Ghost. And your soul glows bright yellow as bright as the sun, thus encompassing the powers of the sun. The soul is what is awakened first at the start of the day and from its light we get to see what is all around. It warms our body from the chills of the night and rejuvenates us from our sleepiness. Fully awakened the sun and our soul sets us on our daily goals, our work and chores, giving us responsibility. The sun has always warmed our planet and the surrounding planets which rotate around it, century after century – dancing on their life path effortlessly while the sun beams its radiance upon them and us. The power of the sun is a Masculine energy and so from it we all find masculinity in ourselves. The sun is also a primal force for our planet and its people. Without its warmth, as mentioned before, the planet and its inhabitants would not have the means to sustain themselves. The eternal dance between Earth and Sun is very important and recognized by many as a necessity for life to endure and exist. The sun is also associated with the Male or God aspect, linking the harvest with the sun as well. Sun warms crops as they grow and works with the earth to bare fruits and grains for our needs. The virtue of kindness is associated with the Soul, as you walk the earth, the soul calls out to be nice to all of those you meet along the way. With Paut, we awaken and start to explore. The path of the soul is a bright, illuminated one of yellow