Blessed Solstice

Bowynn Gods: Nareen

Nareen (Nah-rin) Nareen is one of the three Ano Taya goddesses. She is the eldest of the three Ano Taya and the daughter of Bia. As one of the three Ano Taya, Nareen is the goddess of the Future and is the goddess that checks on the woven threads in the Tapestry of Life, that’s Narna (The Present) has woven, tightening them into place. Nareen is the final judge as to the threads of life that are woven into the Tapestry of Life. And only Nareen can alter a threads course. Even Anhur himself must ask Nareen to remove or cut a thread, which is very rare. Nareen is also a goddess of prophecy; people often praying to her to change the course of their lives for the better.

Nareen is the Goddess of The future. She is called "The Bending One because the future is always altered by our choises. Nareen is the Goddess of What Is To Be, The goddess of the elderly, and the goddess of possible destinies. She is also a patroness to oracles and people that divine. Sadly, many people and gods have accused her of being the goddess of a solid set course of events, but Nareen is nothing of the sort. She represents the 'Ever Altering Future." She has nothing to do with how the future plays out. She only guards the events in the Tapestry of Life. Nareen has always warned people and the gods that she does not control nor altar the future. "You do that yourself. I work in thread and wool, not in stone."

     Nareen is a goddess seen as an old wise woman, a grandmother figure.  She is dressed in purples or sometimes black, with a veil on her head topped with a crown of flowers. In her hand is seen a spool of wool and loom cob. As with her sisters, Nareen has no totem animals.

Woven fillet with the Ano Taya and other goddesses

BOWYNN GODS: TENNAR

Tennaer (Ten-Naer) Home of the gods of the sea. This was the home built by Tane for him, his beloved Kauldra and all the sea gods, after growing tired of travelling from Alaway to the sea every day. While no mortal can visit Tennaer, it has been seen by a rare few mortals, such as Allon. It is described as being in the shape of a giant spiral shell, much like and Auger. Inside it is very warm and dry, just as Alaway is. It is described with walls of wood, inlayed with abalone and pearls, depicting sea life and shells on the floor are laid in mosaic fashion. In the central court is a great hearth tended by Sannua Kii, Kii of the seas and oceans. There is said to be a grand stairway that leads up to sleeping quarters.  Despite the sounds of it, Tennar is not a watery domain. it is dry, warm and most comfortable.

Bowynn Gods: Odjett

Odjett  (Ohd-jet)  God of the 4th Gate of Daunnat, of balance and one of the gods of Daunnat. He, like the other Gate guardians of Daunnat, are the children of Chumash and Kalma.

     As with all the gods of Daunnat, Odjett is not an evil god, nor a god of judgment.  His role is that of a guardian of Daunnat. He is the bestower of balance to souls, as no spirit can enter Daunnat without this virtue. However, it is common for the living to call to Odjett who are suffering from the lack of balance in their lives. But sould prayers are more from divinities like Bia and Manaea. This is not to say that Odjett brings ill to souls but to balance out any ill in their lives with goodness and purity. So, if a person was plaque with misfortune in their lives, sickness, bad luck, it is Odjett that balances that out for the soul before reaching the presence of Chumash and Kalma. As god of the Gate of Balance, Odjett is represented as one of the 7 gods of the sacred septagram.

Odjett sustains from visiting Alaway, instead preferring to feast with the souls and other gods in Daunnat.

     Odjett has no known totem animal, instead always staying in his godly form; At times he is seen carrying a septagram tile or a staff, entwined with sage leaves or apple leaves.

     Sacred to Odjett is the Septagram and sage plant. During funeral services, a bowl of milk and sage leaves is left to him, as customary and a statuette of the departed, so the god will recognize the departed’s soul, which is identical to his body.

(Above) The soul of a young man in front of Odjett

BOWYNN GODS: TREYA

Treya  (Trae-ah)  Goddess of sunset and dusk. She is the daughter of Shayla and Saul and sister of Enya. Aside from the goddess of these two periods of time, she is also the goddess if the evening frost. In her roles, she is the messenger of the celestial gods and goddesses; waking them up so they can fulfill their roles and duties. She is the herald of the dusk, painting the skies vibrant colors during these time periods. As a goddess of the evening, she also coats the ground with evening frost, so to lull the earth to sleep for the night.

     There are no sacred stories of Treya, as her role is fixed and too important to stray from, for her to be partaking in the deeds and dealings of gods and men.

     Treya is seen as a glorious young woman, often winged and clad in a gown and hladd of hues the colors of a sunset - purples, yellows, red and gold. Her hair is said to be red and long and eyes of a sunset. In hand she is often depicted with a pitcher which her evening frost is stored. Her brow bears a circlet with a gem in it, representing the Evening Star, Venus. Her totem animal is the Firefly or Lightning Bug, which she will at times take the form of. Other times she is said to have a circlet of Fire-Flys about her brow, much like Moryghynn and Mystara. For Treya, there is a special offering prepared with is that of a holy meal “Matenerm.” These are plates of food offered at sunset hours. Other scared gifts to Treya are tea libations, small lanterns, honey, flowers, and votive images of fireflies.

My Personal Prayer to Amaetheon

O mighty Amaetheon, steadfast patron of shepherds and cultivators of the earth, I humbly raise my chalice in reverence before your bounteous spirit. You, who traverse the orchards heavy with fruit and the meadows lush with blossoms, bless us with the fruits of your labors, pouring abundance into our lives like honey from the comb. O Amaetheon, adorned in the colors of harvest, crowned with ivy and the sweet essence of abundance, lend me your ear. In your presence, I bear witness to the wonders of life—the honey's golden glow, the grape's rich sweetness, and the milk's nourishing touch. My heart overflows with gratitude for the gifts you bestow upon us. With hands outstretched, I bring forth offerings from my table—cheese crafted with care, fruits plucked in their prime, and the assured bounty of the land. I place these before your likeness, hoping to see our pantries overflow with your blessings. May your wisdom guide my hands as I toil in the fields and honor the sanctity of your divine gifts.

O benevolent and every giving Amaetheon, guard us against the perils of excess! Let not the wine or ale blur our vision or lead us astray into the thorns of folly. Instead, teach us the art of balance, that we may enjoy your bounty without losing ourselves in debauchery. May your wisdom shine brightly in our hearts as we celebrate, ensuring our revelries are filled with joy, not chaos. In the spirit of harvest, let us gather together in joy and gratitude, sharing the fruits of our labor as a testament to your divine provisions. May our voices rise in songs of praise, echoing through valleys and fields as we honor you. With every shared morsel and clink of tankards, let the spirit of community flourish under your caring gaze. O Amaetheon, as I walk this path of cultivation and care, may your spirit be my guide, ensuring the cycles of life continue with harmony and prosperity. May every venture I undertake be blessed with abundance, and may your presence imbue my hands with the gentle strength of the harvest. So shall it be, under the watchful eye of the god of abundance.

Syember

QUESTION & ANSWER: SAMHAIN

QUESTION: Can you explain more about the Samhain Ceremonies Bowynn celebrate?

ANSWER: Again, we do not celebrate Samhain. Samhain is an Irish Keltic and Wiccan holiday. We celebrated the 3 day holiday of Ky'Kora. And "Yes," I will be describing in parts the celebration of the holiday in a few days. Though there are parts I need to leave out for the purpose of preserving Bowynn traditions and culture

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Holy Book

QUESTION: Is there a type of holy book like a Bible or Koran in the Bowynn tradition?

ANSWER: Up until 2003 there was no such text, though many of us wrote down the information we had experienced and we would share it amongst each other. Eventually its was condenced into one binder that circulated between all of us. At the time we had 22 members strong. In late 2003 The Bowynn "Codex" was formed. It contains information on the gods, as well as all meditations, ceremonies, rituals and rites. The Codex is NOT a Myst's [witch's] book.

Bowynn Gods: Naea

Naea  (Nay-ah)  Naea is the Bowynn goddess of springs, wells, lakes, rivers, streams and other small fresh bodies of water. She is the daughter of Tane and Kauldra and is one of the very few multi arm gods. As such she is a spider goddess. Her multi limbs represent the many rivers of the world.      Naea is a free spirited goddess, spending much of her time wandering the sides of wells and ponds and weaving away in her godly or animal form on the side of streams and rivers. Her prime domain is to make sure such bodies of water are protected from pollutants and destruction as much as possible. As such, Naea is one of the very few gods of the Bowynn pantheon to seek revenge on mortals that destroy her realm. One sacred story speaks of the fisherman that was so filled with joy when he caught a fish as soon as his hook hit the water. He became so happy that he kept fishing till the lake was depleted of fish. Naea found out about this and that night as he and his family gorged out on the fish the man caught, there was a knock on the door of a beggar woman. She asked for a fish to get her by. The man and woman gave her the smallest fish in the batch, so small it would not fill a cat. The old woman ended up being Naea and for the couple's lack of moderation and charity, Naea made all the other food in the house disappear till all that was left saw the fish. The couple quickly became sick of eating fish all the time and thus learned their lesson. There are many legends of mortals abusing wells and springs then suffering Naea’s wrath but never death.      Despite this and other such sacred tales Naea is not a vicious goddess. Infact she is a most gentle goddess. She only seeks out those that have done wrong with her gifts. So she should not be feared. Other times she is most giving, as the sacred stories of her creating a well for a family that had nothing to drink for days. Because of her watery realm, Naea's temples are often nothing more than a well surrounded by a gazebo.      Naea is depicted in her godly immortal form as a delightful young woman with short hair and 4 - 6 arms. Her garments are of blues, purples and greens and silver or glass baubles as jewelry. Sometimes she is seen with a pitcher of fresh water and other times with a loom. In her totem form Naea is seen as an elegant spider. Sacred gifts to Naea come in the form of glass pieces, fresh water, river and lake plants and flowers, spoons of white and blue yarn and votive images of a spider.

Bowynn Gods: Naraea

Naerea   (Nay-ree-ah)  Goddess of sleep, dreams and prophetic dreams. She is the daughter of Tora and Daeth and is one of the very few gods of the Akua who have multi arms. She is a spider goddess and spends most of the time spends her days and nights in the great night sky weaving the great sky web in the heavens. It is then web she weaves that filters out bad dreams from coming to earth and plaguing people's minds as they sleep.

On the web Naerea allows moisture to collect, washing away any nightmares that may collect or turning them to good dreams. This moisture falls like droplets to earth, gracing people with sleep and good dreams. Remnants of this can be found as morning dew. Sadly, sometimes a bad dream will get past the web and still bring nightmares.

     Despite her sometimes spider appearance, Naraea is not a foreboding looking goddess. Nor is she a goddess of anything dark nor malicious. Her gifts of good dreams and sleep should be seen as blessings; Graced on mortals after a hard day's work. Naraea is not a goddess to be feared but respected.  Being an endless working divinity, she never took a consort, seeing her work more important. As a weaver, Naraea is sometimes looked at as a goddess of weaving, working alongside of Briathenaea. But primarily she is a nighttime goddess.

     Naraea is a goddess, seen as a motherly figure in here godly form, with long silver hair. Her arms are busy working in the night sky above with shuttles and combs in hand. In her totem form, she appears as either a great crystalline spider in the heavens or as a small spider like what we see on earth. Whatever the form, it is a form of beauty. In godly form, she is seen wearing a white or black dress that sparkles like the stars. Sacred items and gifts of Naraea are dream catchers, dream pots, shuttles, balls of yarn, morning dew and votive images of spiders.

Bowynn Shrines {Tymons}

In the Bowynn tradition, shrines {Tymons} are often abundant throughout the home. they are mini altars where small tributes and offerings are left, and prayers can be spoken at. Having at least one shrine is common, often to the house patron deity. But having several shrines is the norm: One in the foyer or entry way, one in the kitchen to the hearth gods, one in the bathroom for cleansing and healing and one in the bedroom. Having one outside the house is common and one in the garden. The shrine design is that like a house with for sides. This represents Alaway, the hall of the family of gods. Inside rests the statue icon of a deity. The shrine will usually set in a nook in a wall but if there is no such space in possible, a small shelf is used. And here there is placed a single candle that is lit when praying and a small incense burner. Normally there is space left over to place a flowers, a small offering and/or of a small vessel for libations.

During holidays all these shrines are decorated with garlands or a wreath over them.