Seven things if you go to visit Amazonia.

Seven things you should know if you are going to visit a tribe or town in the beautiful Amazonia.

Greetings to all readers who walk here! I open this post thanking the new subscribers for their confidence, today nobody seems to be interested in reading the mails, but our last mailing list seems to have been very well received. Then I share one more post of this small series that I am doing under the personal goal of "Write a new post every 24 hours", to clear my head of so many ideas I have.

Here I share with you, Seven teachings that every sorcerer needs if he decides to visit the Amazon! As well as the post about herbs, I would have liked to include some photos here, but the truth is that I don't have many because they are mostly family photographs taken with my dad's old camera, and in most of them I am still a baby who You can hardly walk, Blessed Modern times where the phone has a camera and you carry it in your pocket!

Before you start, what you should know about the Shamans.

If you identify yourself as a sorcerer, wizard, sorcerer, shaman, healer, you must keep something very clear, the Amazon is more traditional than many thinks, the roads are long, the forests huge, and people have a simple life, especially the shamans and leaders of each tribe.

The chiefs of each tribe have different names depending on each tribe, just as the Native Americans previously comprised more than 300 families with their own languages ​​and traditions, the Amazon is full of small tribes and tiny towns, the leaders of each tribe are men (in some cases, women) who represent the political power of the tribe and also lead the religion of the tribe.

Although each tribe has its own shaman (Parjataje) their roles are more those of a mediator, doctor and spiritual advisor, the shamans there usually receive training that is overwhelming from an early age, we study herbology, natural sciences, cures, prayers, “ vaisa ”(which is a type of local astronomy that is forbidden to write), the stars and different herbs are studied to cure or get sick.

Although the term adopted "shaman" has an origin in the cold lands above Russia, this is the term that during the last 500 years has been used by anthropologists, reporters, doctors, politicians, and very academic scholars to encompass all those who carry Certain similar practices. The names of each spiritual leader in the Amazon depend on each tribe, and these, not being written to maintain the oral tradition, tend to change constantly, so the spiritual leaders of each tribe (the magician/priest) is usually called shaman and This has no problem, it is a term that they freely use.

The shaman of each tribe exercises various professions, is the attending physician (although only for leaders), teacher, counselor, advisor, spiritual guide, astronomer, sorcerer, healer, and the most important role of all, the Shaman is in charge to keep alive the culture and individuality of each tribe, they are the ones who choose the following shamans and healers, advise the leaders, and teach the stories of each tribe's origin through oral tradition, so their role is more similar that of a minister of culture who is also a spiritual advisor, however, they are the respected sorcerers of each tribe and therefore their opinion (as well as their wishes), are always decisive for each town.

The shaman is a sorcerer and priest, he is a magician and sorcerer, and an herbal doctor, he is a sage of many sciences who has the social responsibility of understanding all forms of magic and sorcery in the Amazon, studying and transmitting folklore, and carry out all kinds of rituals and magical ceremonies.

Contrary to what many anthropologists tell in their books (I suppose that because of a macho and puritanical ideology), in the Amazonia, there are as many male (Yaiwes) as female (Yowesi) shamans and many of them, perhaps most, identify themselves as people of the third sex, although their attire and "paraphernalia" representative of the elements of each tribe, may look quite masculine, many of them are women who share the position with their husbands or with their children and represent these in their days of rest, The idea that most shamans are men is an unreal and unfounded concept.

Personal advice: This may sound unwise, but if you win the trust of the tribe's shaman and get his respect, you have the whole tribe in your pocket.

Tips you will need:

• Do not use titles or long explanations unless someone asks you about it:

While in the virtual world everyone seems to have a huge fondness for having a long list of tags to identify (and express themselves) in front of a virtual world full of strangers, where nobody expects you to tell him if you are a “trans man, neowiccan, sorcerer, male witch, pro or against colonialism, etc, etc, etc, ”.

To abbreviate the above, without encouraging generalization, but in the Amazonia, you will meet extremely wise, humble, capable, and highly effective people with extensive knowledge about herbology and astronomy, children are taught from very young to identify the stars of the Heaven and cure ear infections or help in births. Do not waste your time trying to surprise them with your long list of identification titles, if you do, you risk being like another white man who comes to show off his knowledge bought by an expensive school, and from experience, I tell you, they do not want that, the more humble be and more in silence remain, you will learn more, and pay attention to me, if you go there, you have much to learn.

You can identify yourself as a sorcerer or magician, they understand it as "a sorcerer who comes from abroad", but unless you have learned to heal with herbs as they do, do not even mention that you are a "healer", because they will not waste time testing you.

• Take the time to learn, you have gone to the source.

Traveling to the Amazon is an exploratory journey of reuniting with yourself, each tree by the river, each improvised shower next to the waterfall, each rock on the banks, everything there has a reason to be. The sounds of owls, cougars, jaguars, tapirs, and snakes (Crotalus, Bothrops atrox, Boa constrictor, Eunectes, ) at night that do not let you sleep, the insects singing in the morning, the distant sound of the waterfalls and the river, the night songs, the sound of firewood burning in the Fire, all this is something that you may not be used to, so do yourself a favor, turn off the smartphone, enjoy what you are living, and sit and watch the stars, because that starry sky is not found in any other Place of the world.

• Do not use trees as a bathroom.

Tourists often think that once there, in the most archaic nature, they are free to walk naked everywhere and to use all trees and shrubs as baths, the truth is that it is not so, the natives and the people of the villages They embrace their folklore and traditions a lot, and therefore they have many places around the rivers that are properly identified to take you to the nearest bathroom.

Many places (especially next to the rivers) are used to plant six different types of herbs and poisonous shrubs to prevent the invasion of enemy tribes, if you go into it you will most likely have a very bad experience.

On the other hand, the shamans of the tribes often hide underground precious objects of the tribe, treasures, weapons, symbols, skeletons, bones of old tribal leaders, or even bottles with herbal concoctions and corn liquor, so you must prevent not using a site that is sacred for them, such as the grave where the bones of an "omme" (an enemy white man), the ashes of one of their relatives, or precious treasures of the tribe that remain hidden under land to prevent being stolen by invaders.

• Do not go out to swim at night in any of the rivers.

Unless you are guided by an expert in the area, you should stay away from the rivers at night, most of them are filled with water snakes, eels, pine trees and river spiders at night, other rivers, they are home to crocodiles (specially the Orinoco crocodile) and a variety of reptiles, and many others, are usually a danger at night because small but potent swirls are formed in them that are a danger, especially for children who die constantly drowned thereby because of some tourist eager to "I'm going to swim at night in the river because that will look cool in a selfie."

• Eat what they eat.

Each country has its own customs, and each city has its own manias, and Amazonia is no exception.

Carrying your own food, it is considered disrespectful, they receive many tourists daily and always provide them with the best treatment in the world, they literally put everything in their power to make you feel comfortable, bring your own food is a real Disrespect, and I can assure you that it happens practically every day, and always causes problems, it is like going to dinner at the house of a friend who invites you, your friend assures you that he is going to cook, and you bring your own food? now you understand me.

Most of the food is fresh and searched daily, although they have markets in different towns, mostly for tourists who are passing between Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. They make a great effort to get the food, if you are not a fan of eating fish, meat or chicken for any reason, do not reject the food, eat everything else on the plate, and in the end, you say that you are not hungry, they will give you the remains of your food to a child or to the animals of the house, it is not a lie, it is a courtesy, then you can return to your city and continue doing the diet you want and continue rejecting the food, but if you are going to act as An arrogant idiot, better not be when a 60-year-old lady comes to bring you a plate of food with a fish that her son caught with a knife at four in the morning.

• Participate in everything you can and integrate the community.

This is not New Orleans, there is not a carnival or a parade every day, but there are many tribal celebrations and many gatherings, especially during the tourist season. And these events are never “exclusive”, they are made for people like you to continue attending and visiting, so join them, be curious, ask questions, integrate them and be as participatory as you can, they will always pay you with gifts, such as necklaces, hand-woven bags, bracelets or snails.

• Don't underestimate the shamans, no matter how much you think you know.

A common mistake that many make is to read a book about the religious currents of the Amazonia and pretend that they understand them. Studying the book that was written by a French anthropologist or a German sociologist about the shamans and sorcerers of the Amazon is nothing compared to being there and having the opportunity to learn directly from them, so close your mouth and listen to them.

While older teachers are usually more encapsulated in their work, younger shamans, those who are still in training, are more curious, especially with people who come from outside, so be kind to them and they will be willing to teach you absolutely all they can because unlike popular myth, there aren't many secrets in magic.

Who is who? Santa Claus, San Nicolás de Mira, Santa Claus and the Spirit of Christmas.

Santa Claus, San Nicolás de Mira, Santa Claus and the Spirit of Christmas.

To all the readers, welcome back to my virtual portal, I have been busy between books, classes, and workshops, being as a teacher as a student, now I am taking time out of social networks to focus on finishing various projects, and you will only find me around here, and occasionally on Tumblr and Twitter promoting the topics published in this blog.

This day we are going to shed some light on the life of this mythical character with thousands of names that is Saint Nicholas, and his difference with, the Christmas Spirit, of whom I personally am very devout, and to clarify that they are not the same individual.

Beyond the version recreated by Coca Cola, of the robust and bearded man with a cartoon red and white winter suit, we find the essence of two entirely different characters that I would like to summarize below.

Old Wotan and the first ‘Christmas’.

Centuries before Christianization, the Germanic peoples celebrated a feast in the middle of winter called Yule ’, from which essentially all the traditions that would eventually lead to Christmas originate. During these festivities, the god Woden or Wotan (another form of the god Odin) was present with his long white beard, well accompanied by his hunting troops (Wild Hunt) formed mostly by spirits of old horse hunters.

From here the first images of the old ‘Santa Claus’ leave, like a robust old man with blue eyes and long white beard covered with a thick tunic of skin dyed blue, or sometimes purple or green. Being thus represented in a more elegant and less caricatural way, and with a more "Nordic" aspect.

From a horse to the eight reindeer

Wotan was an old god, a warrior, a wizard, and a poet, it was expected that his court was a mystical and unique creature worthy of him, so he rode ‘Sleipnir’ a fierce eight-legged horse. After the Christianization of the Germanic peoples, trying to keep Wotan's story alive among the children, this steed would be turned into a white horse called ‘Amerigo’, and now Wotan would have an assistant and page known as ‘Zwarte Piet’.

Zwarte Piet, better known as “Black Peter” or “Pedro el negro” for Spanish-speaking countries, was a demon with coal instead of skin and fire instead of blood, inhabited the forests of Germany and Belgium, devoured the children and terrorized the people, said demon was defeated in combat by Wotan and turned into his servant, Wotan covered him with human skin and from then on he is represented as a vivacious and smiling character of color.

Subsequently, and inspired by the original concept of the eight-legged horse that leads the god during the winter, and in a Christmas postcard published in 1821 where the character is seen in a carriage that is pulled by a reindeer, the legend transforms and converts to the bearded god in a robust and smiling old man aboard a sleigh that is pulled by eight reindeer, to represent the eight legs of the original steed.

For even more commercial purposes, to the eight reindeers that pull the sleigh of "Santa", they are added a ninth reindeer (Rudolph of the red nose) from the 1823 poem "A Visit From St Nicholas", and his assistant Peter It disappears almost completely, except in certain European countries such as Spain, Holland, Poland, and Germany, where little by little its figure is emerging again.

Saint Nicholas de Bari

With the arrival of Christianity throughout Europe, the figure of Woden tried to prevail, and its cult being so difficult to disappear, the Church decided to synchronize it with the figure of the Christian bishop of Greek origin named Nicholas of Bari, who lived in the fourth century in Anatolia, (current Turkey). Nicholas was one of the most venerated people by Christians of the Middle Ages, largely because of his reputation as a miracle worker as for his eagerness to eradicate pagan cults, his relics are in the Basilica of St. Nicholas of Bari, Italy.

Nicolás de Bari was born between the years 270 and 280 in Myra, a city of the District of Lycia, in present-day Turkey, came from a rich family with shops along the Adriatic Sea, once both parents died due to the plague, Nicolás, moved by the situation, distributed all the assets of his family among the neediest and went to live with his uncle (the bishop of Mira), at age 19 Nicolás is ordained a priest, and when his uncle dies, he Nicolás offers to take office as bishop of Mira.

Special mention has its relationship with the children, whom he treated with great respect and appreciation, on one occasion he managed through prayers, to heal two children who had previously been stabbed by a stranger outside the church, from there Many stories began telling their miracles and goodnesses.

He had a good reputation as a gift delivery man, I keep a small part of the family treasures much of his life, mostly gold coins that he left inside the houses of the poor in which he sneaked into the night.

After his death, he was made Patron Saint of Greece, Turkey, Russia and Lorraine (France). In the East, it is known as San Nicolás de Mira or Myra, but in the West as San Nicolás de Bari.

Father Christmas

This is a character of English origin, and it is a divine personification of Christmas that emerged at the end of the Victorian period.

From the fifteenth century, "Father Christmas" appears as an English legend, but it is not until the mid-seventeenth century (following the English Civil War) that his figure goes from oral folklore to be illustrated and described in various commercial publications.

“The English government controlled by the Puritans had legislated to abolish Christmas, considering it a papist, and had banned their traditional customs. The realistic political pamphlets, which link the old traditions with their cause, adopted the Old Santa Claus as a symbol of "the good old days" of festivities and joy. After the Restoration in 1660, Santa's profile declined. His character was maintained at the end of the 18th century and in the 19th century by Christmas folkloric works.”

Hutton, Ronald (1994). The Rise and Fall of Merry England.

Until Victorian times, Father Christmas was only worried about celebrations and adult parties. He had no particular connection with the children, nor with the delivery of gifts, night visits, socks or fireplaces. As later Victorian Christmas became family festivals focused on children, Father Christmas became a bearer of gifts.

The popular American myth of Santa Claus arrived in England in the 1850s and Father Christmas began to assume the attributes of Santa Claus. In the 1880s, new customs had been established, and the night visitor was sometimes known as Santa Claus and other times as Santa Claus. He was often illustrated with a long red hooded dress adorned with white skins.

Any residual distinction between Father Christmas and Father Christmas faded greatly in the early years of the twentieth century, and modern dictionaries consider the terms Father Christmas and Father Christmas to be synonyms.

Santa Claus or Santa Claus.

Around the year 1624, when Dutch immigrants founded the city of New Amsterdam (now New York) they carried with them their customs and myths, including that of Sinterklaas, a character inspired by the figures of St. Nicholas of Bari and Father Christmas, and in addition to this a patron saint (whose holiday is celebrated in Holland between December 5 and 6).

In 1809, the writer Washington Irving made public the satire, "History of New York," in which he deformed the Dutch saint, Sinterklaas, in the crude English-speaking pronunciation of Santa Claus.

In 1823 the poet Clement Clarke Moore published a poem that gave rise to the current myth of Santa Claus, based on the previous character of Irving Washington, in that poem mention is made of a version of Santa Claus, although fat, agile as an elf; who gives toys to children on Christmas Eve and is transported in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer (Rudolph -Rodolfo- not yet included).

In 1863, the German cartoonist Thomas Nast developed a series of Christmas strips at Harper's Weekly, where he granted St. Nicholas the figure of a fat, bearded and cheerful man with a peculiar dress inspired by the bishops of the middle ages.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the American Santa Claus arrived in England and from there to France, where he merged with Bonhomme Noël, another very similar character who used to wear white and gold.

At the end of the 19th century, the American brand “Lomen Company” creates the legend that San Nicolás lives in the North Pole, thus justifying the existence of the eight flying reindeer and the winter attire.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1902, in the children's book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, by L. Frank Baum, the story of how Claus earned immortality, as well as his title of saint, originates.

In the twentieth century, the painter Habdon Sundblom certainly remodeled the figure of Santa Claus/Santa Claus for the Coca-Cola company, making a version of it more human, more smiling and more credible commissioned to reshape the figure of Santa Claus / Santa Claus to make it more human and credible, keeping the already popular red and white colors, and the magical sleigh with nine reindeer.

Finally, the myths and legends of the pagan god Woden (being replaced by the Christian Saint Nicholas of Bari) and Father Christmas (Father Christmas) eventually mixed as one, his image became a symbol of the season, and mass advertising around he converted him, from a powerful god of winter and war on a fierce steed, a catholic saint who works miracles, and a nocturnal and festive spirit, into a sweet, robust and bearded old man, dressed in red that distributes gifts throughout the world in one night aboard a sleigh with nine magical reindeer.

Elhoim Leafar

You can read too:

• YULETIDE & CHRISTMAS 2019
• THE HOLIDAY TREE, MAGIC, SORCERY & TRADITION
• FIVE ESSENTIAL & MAGICKAL ELEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS
• PLANTS AND FLORAL ESSENCES FOR THIS SEASON
• PROSPERITY, JOY & PEACE

with love & blessings to all

by Elhoim Leafar

Some Magickal Stuff you will LoVe!
(my favorite list of items for this Season)

To complement any ritual that you want to perform around your Christmas/Holiday Tree, I recommend a couple of products from my personal selection that you will surely LOVE as much as I do, these products are mostly handmade, created and consecrated by true magicians expert in creating different items and with exclusive distribution through their stores.

If you wish to purchase any of these products that I advise you to get, click on the name of the product to be automatically redirected to the page.

• The Signature Scent Candle (Sol & Luna Fragances). Made with 100% Organic Coconut wax and essential oils, is a caravan of aroma, Earthy, Woodsy, Spicy, and Romantic, the full aromatherapy experience for your own home, office, Sacred Space or Travel. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• The Frankincense &Myrrh Liquid Smudge A Sacred & Meditative combination of Frankincense and Myrrh, with Rosewater base and 100% natural Handmade. Perfect to Space clearing, Creating Sacred Space, and Meditation. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• A Fantastic Sabbat Fire Bundle (Herbs from a Witch's Garden), is a beautiful and aromatic lovingly crafted smudge made with herbs grown with a true will, 9th Ward soil, and Mississippi River water in a real New Orleans Witch's garden. They were harvested in the correct moon phases and astrological aspects and blessed with the proper intent. (exclusively available in HexWitch.com online and physical Store).

• The Beautiful Candles from Mithras Candle (100% Beeswax) This variety of candles have good taste and quality, you can use these for almost any spell, they are as beautiful as they are powerful, they are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, also, collaborate with artists supporting local beekeepers and their hives. (exclusively available in CatlandBooks.com online and physical Store).

Prosperity, Joy & Peace.

Prosperity, Joy & Peace.

How to call them from your Holidays Eve dinner

Those magical elements you need if you want to organize a Christmas/Holidays dinner to attract prosperity, joy, and health in the next cycle.

Although Christmas Eve or Christmas Eve, it is a Catholic holiday with certain pagan origins that seek to celebrate the nativity of the son of the god of the Jews, today Christmas dinner is rather an excuse that many take advantage of to reunite with family and friends, work colleagues and loved ones, when it comes to Christmas Eve, everyone is welcome.

Then I will share with you a brief list of elements that in my belief and experience it is important to keep with you at the table, especially on these festive dates to attract the best energy, and more importantly, to grant the desire to repeat this special occasion annually attracting more abundance in each cycle.

Candles

They provide the best lighting and an atmosphere full of romance, dim light, and blessings, are a source of vital energy for any environment and light the way for our loved ones.

Light the candles using preferably wooden matches and do not blow them out, although the most suitable color for the occasion series white, green or red, remember that you can also use blue, gold, violet or silver.

Choose the color according to your wishes (red for love, green for money, white for peace) and always recite a small personal mantra before lighting the wick of each candle.

Apples

They are essential on these festive dates, red apples on the table indicate prosperity, good health, protection, and harmony.

Place a red apple for each guest in a wooden or glass bowl, or on a single-colored plate, you can cheat on it and place caramel apples that will also serve as dessert.

Mistletoe

This plant is a powerful symbol of good luck and perseverance, by joining them with apples they attract health, love, and prosperity, and the candles are responsible for boosting their energy.

Some branches of bite around the table or in the center of it along with the apples and candles will give very good energy to all who are present.

Holly

It symbolizes good fortune, especially in the field of love, it was widely used in the time of the Celts, for them it was a custom to decorate the houses with holly garlands to protect their inhabitants and avoid unwanted visits throughout the year.

Cinnamon

Its extremely sweet and slightly spicy aroma has always been linked to the love, money, and protection of our material goods (home, car, commercial premises, office, etc, ...). In my books, I usually advise that you make a blend with cinnamon and apple essential oil, which you can anoint on any object, amulet or garment to make it a powerful protection talisman, and it is a quite functional mixture so do not doubt its powers.

Your smile

That is the most important talisman that should not be missing at the table, leave worries aside for a moment, let go of that feeling of wanting to change what is not in your hands, stop focusing on what you cannot control, and focus your energy on positive thoughts to give all your guests an atmosphere of protection and joy that can be repeated every year.

Blessings to all.
by Elhoim Leafar


You can read too:

• YULETIDE & CHRISTMAS 2019
• THE HOLIDAY TREE, MAGIC, SORCERY & TRADITION
• FIVE ESSENTIAL & MAGICKAL ELEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS

Amazing Magickal Items you will LoVe!

To complement any ritual that you want to perform around your Christmas/Holiday Tree, I recommend a couple of products from my personal selection that you will surely LOVE as much as I do, these products are mostly handmade, created and consecrated by true magicians expert in creating different items and with exclusive distribution through their stores.

If you wish to purchase any of these products that I advise you to get, click on the name of the product to be automatically redirected to the page.

• The Signature Scent Candle (Sol & Luna Fragances). Made with 100% Organic Coconut wax and essential oils, is a caravan of aroma, Earthy, Woodsy, Spicy, and Romantic, the full aromatherapy experience for your own home, office, Sacred Space or Travel. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• The Frankincense &Myrrh Liquid Smudge A Sacred & Meditative combination of Frankincense and Myrrh, with Rosewater base and 100% natural Handmade. Perfect to Space clearing, Creating Sacred Space, and Meditation. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• A Fantastic Sabbat Fire Bundle (Herbs from a Witch's Garden), is a beautiful and aromatic lovingly crafted smudge made with herbs grown with a true will, 9th Ward soil, and Mississippi River water in a real New Orleans Witch's garden. They were harvested in the correct moon phases and astrological aspects and blessed with the proper intent. (exclusively available in HexWitch.com online and physical Store).

• The Beautiful Candles from Mithras Candle (100% Beeswax) This variety of candles have good taste and quality, you can use these for almost any spell, they are as beautiful as they are powerful, they are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, also, collaborate with artists supporting local beekeepers and their hives. (exclusively available in CatlandBooks.com online and physical Store).

Elhoim Leafar

Five Essential & Magickal elements that can not be missing at home this Christmas season.

Five essential elements

you can't miss at home this Christmas season.

This year 2019 I have become more intimate with this blog when it comes to sharing, previously it was much more general, but in this tiny virtual space, I have begun to feel increasingly safe and confident to share those small dailies and seasonal rituals that I usually perform.

Every Christmas season I dedicate myself to share a couple of posts about it, but this year I have made the decision to write about all those topics that have consulted me about it annually, and so I clarify the doubts of many.

Here below I am going to leave you a simple list with five essential elements that should not be missing in your home this December 2019.

• Apples, for health and abundance.

Apples are essential symbols of winter, essentially because of their strong decorative red color, they symbolize abundance, protection, and wisdom, they are a good source of vitamin C and other nutrients, and it is common to find decorative ceramic apples to place as a centerpiece.

I invite you to break briefly with that aesthetic and get some real apples, place a bowl, preferably glass on the dining room table or in the kitchen, and keep it filled with apples of various sizes and colors throughout the season, keep them fresh and invite your visitors to eat them, at the end of the season you can take the remaining apples to make juice or jam.

• Candles, for clarity and light at all times.

They symbolize the light that separates darkness and human ingenuity (when created), they are an essential element of the season due to their association with the pagan rites that began these celebrations more than two millennia ago.

Acquire candles of different sizes and shapes in colors red (to activate energy), white (to purify and protect) and gold (channeler of good fortune), place these candles in different key points of the home, next to the entrance door , near the windows, in the dining room or in the study, and light one every day during the night to light the way for your loved ones who come to visit from the beyond, to give you company and see that everything is fine.

(Keep candles away from curtains, tablecloths, pets, and children).

• White quartz, for protection and healing.

Quartz is a good source of energy and is available in the greatest possible diversity of sizes and presentations. They protect and provide a space for healing and calm, they transmute energy slowly and steadily, and they are quite colorful.

Each Christmas season I personally place various quartz in the corners of the home, first performed a brief ritual of placing them in clean water with a few drops of myrrh or verbena essential oil in a cup overnight, the next day I clean them with a dry cloth and placed them in their respective places.

If you wish, you can fill a small wooden or glass bowl with several pieces of quartz and place it as a “decoration” in a corner of the home, or hang them from the tree.

• Flowers, to connect with nature and honor her motherhood.

The flowers symbolize the growing spirit of nature, the motherhood of the earth and divine fertility, they are mostly associated with the feminine energy of the human being.

A bunch of red or white flowers at home will be a magical element to welcome the well-intentioned spirits to our home, a bunch of flowers tells the spirits "here you are welcome, to stay and take care of us." Red flowers activate the energy of prosperity while white flowers provide protection and serenity.

• Christmas nutcracker, for protection and charisma.

Nutcrackers are as traditional as they are modern, thanks to the famous winter ballet they have become Christmas decorative elements around the world, the nutcrackers or “toy soldiers” come from German folklore that considered them guardians of the home.

In old Germany the figure of these guardians with huge mouths were carved in wood and metal, and they were kept close to the doors to “bite” the intruder spirits, from the emergence of the most charismatic figure of the red and white nutcracker with Soldier suit and huge Russian hat, these went from being figures of conventional folklore to being figures associated with Christmas.

An old trick we do at home to burn sage and rosemary near the nutcracker to keep them awake and free from evil spirits, inviting guardian spirits to inhabit them during the season.

Amazing Magickal Items you will LoVe!

To complement any ritual that you want to perform around your Christmas/Holiday Tree, I recommend a couple of products from my personal selection that you will surely LOVE as much as I do, these products are mostly handmade, created and consecrated by true magicians expert in creating different items and with exclusive distribution through their stores.

If you wish to purchase any of these products that I advise you to get, click on the name of the product to be automatically redirected to the page.

• The Signature Scent Candle (Sol & Luna Fragances). Made with 100% Organic Coconut wax and essential oils, is a caravan of aroma, Earthy, Woodsy, Spicy, and Romantic, the full aromatherapy experience for your own home, office, Sacred Space or Travel. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• The Frankincense &Myrrh Liquid Smudge A Sacred & Meditative combination of Frankincense and Myrrh, with Rosewater base and 100% natural Handmade. Perfect to Space clearing, Creating Sacred Space, and Meditation. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• A Fantastic Sabbat Fire Bundle (Herbs from a Witch's Garden), is a beautiful and aromatic lovingly crafted smudge made with herbs grown with a true will, 9th Ward soil, and Mississippi River water in a real New Orleans Witch's garden. They were harvested in the correct moon phases and astrological aspects and blessed with the proper intent. (exclusively available in HexWitch.com online and physical Store).

• The Beautiful Candles from Mithras Candle (100% Beeswax) This variety of candles have good taste and quality, you can use these for almost any spell, they are as beautiful as they are powerful, they are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, also, collaborate with artists supporting local beekeepers and their hives. (exclusively available in CatlandBooks.com online and physical Store).

Elhoim Leafar

You can read too:

• YULETIDE & CHRISTMAS 2019
• THE HOLIDAY TREE, MAGIC, SORCERY & TRADITION.

Your Holiday Tree, Magic Sorcery & Tradition.

Your Christmas Tree
That festive spirit in your home.

“When the first Christians arrived in northern Europe, they discovered that their inhabitants celebrated the birth of Frey, the god of the Sun and fertility, adorning a perennial tree, on the date close to Christian Christmas. This tree symbolized the tree of the Universe, called Yggdrasil, in whose crown was Asgard (the abode of the gods) and Valhalla (Odin's palace); and in the deepest roots was Helheim (the kingdom of the dead). Later with the evangelization of these peoples, the converts took the idea of ​​the tree, to celebrate the birth of Christ.

It is said that St. Boniface (680-754), evangelize of Germany, took an ax and cut a tree that represented the Yggdrasil (although it could also be a tree consecrated to Thor), and instead planted a pine, which for being perennial, symbolized the love of God, adorning it with apples and candles. Apples symbolized original sin and temptations, while candles represented the light of Jesus Christ as the light of the world. As time went by, apples and candles became spheres, lights, and other ornaments.

Then the tradition of putting gifts for children under the tree, sent by Saint Nicholas or also known as Santa Claus (and Santa Claus) or the Magi, was added, depending on the customs of the area where you are. ”

The true origin of Christmas

by David C. Pack

The American Encyclopedia, 1956 edition, adds: “Christmas… was not observed in the first centuries of the Christian church, since the general way was to celebrate the deaths of notable people, instead of their birth… a party was established in memory of this event [the birth of Christ] in the fourth century. In the fifth century, the western church ordered that the feast be celebrated on the day of the rites of the birth of the sun, and at the close of Saturnalia, since there was no accurate knowledge of the day of the birth of Christ.”

The real Post starts here.

Having already omitted all previous controversy to avoid the typical "Christians should not celebrate it because it is of pagan origin" or "pagans should not celebrate that so as not to confuse with Christians", we can now focus on the theme of this Post.

The symbology and magic linked to the Christmas Tree is a topic of debate every season before winter on the Internet, I usually share some short post about it on my social networks, but here you can develop the idea better and with greater clarity.

The Christmas Tree is a tradition of pagan origin, to be more specific, the winter tree is celebrating more than 2750 years, is clearly much older than Christianity, the pagans used it as a sacred symbol of communion with the gods before the When winter came, there is evidence that both Celtic and Viking peoples had similar celebrations around evergreen trees, and it would be the Druids and other pagan priests and magicians who organized this celebration annually.

Unlike the old pagan towns that lived in full contact with nature (bless them), we live in cities, surrounded by technology and with smartphones, so clearly the symbolism has changed and has changed a lot.

For many of us the placement of the Christmas Tree represents something very different from the death of the God of light, or the Universe its worlds, for many it is a sacred symbol of family tradition that they try to maintain, even within the pagan currents to honor to their loved ones, rather a social custom-like decorating for 'All hallows eve' (Halloween), for others it represents a seasonal decoration loaded with ethnic elements typical of the customs of each country, while for many like me, it is a way of venerating nature in a certain way within the home, a traditional symbol that honors our ancestors from other parts of the world, a connection with the past, as a magical portal that during winter connects us with our loved ones of the past and the future, and according to my parents, an emblem of the prosperity of the home.

Once you decide to place the Christmas tree, a range of options arises, what is the most illuminated, wide and visible place in the house to place it ?, When to place it and when to remove it ?, How to decorate it and with whom? and many more.

The essential thing is to understand the power you put into it once you realize it, the power of two or more people placing and decorating the Christmas tree is a symbol of enormous power and teamwork, now, a Christmas tree at home gives welcome to the spirits of nature of all kinds and of all races.

At home we usually have a very strong saying for us, once you remove the holiday tree, you should start preparing to have a much more beautiful and abundant one the following year, and that is repeated every year.

The festive tree or Christmas tree, is a symbol for many of family tradition and prosperity, symbolizes abundance, and as long as you have it, the spirit that inhabits you will remain with you until the following year to place another new one, which will be the home of this spirit, and for that, he must give you support and prosperity throughout the year.

At home we celebrate by placing the festive tree from the first week of November, and we take care of choosing the decorative elements that are consistent with our wishes for the following year, because the tree is like a Christmas letter where you write your wishes, use ornaments and red ties if you want to attract love and passion for the coming year, blue if you want to raise your work position and gain recognition, golden to attract good fortune and material wealth, green to attract money and abundance, white if you want to heal personal relationships and strengthen the bond familiar, purple if you feel in a complicated situation and want to transmute this positive situation for the following year, coffee if you want stability or want to move from where you are, orange to raise the joy at home and fight against depression, pink to honor the spirit from home, or yellow for joy, love, and money.

In addition to the colors, the realization of thematic trees is very fashionable today, a tree decorated with toys will attract prosperity and happiness to the children in the house, while a tree decorated entirely with ties will bring family union, a tree decorated with spheres and bright apples attract abundance and avoid scarcity, while a tree decorated with hearts will attract love.

In addition to all of the above, there are other characteristic elements that you can use for these colors.

• The ties represent prosperous cycles and family union.
• The spheres and garlands on the tree represent gifts from the gods of heaven, gifts, and treasures.
• The stars represent good wishes that will be fulfilled the following year.
• The lights, which you can get in different colors, symbolize the light that accompanies us at all times.

Magic in your Tree

The holiday tree works as a powerful temporary altar for good wishes, which is why we use it during these dates to strengthen the fulfillment of our good wishes.

At home we tie cloth bands of different colors to make wishes in honor of our loved ones, this consists of taking a cloth tape, visualizing the person for whom we made the wish, asking aloud in the form of a mantra what you want for this person, and make a knot with this ribbon on a tree branch.

A piece of pyrite hanging from the Christmas tree will bring protection to the home and your loved ones, hanging white quartz from the branches will provide protection and an extra dose of energy to the spirit of the tree to grant the wishes that are being requested.

Charm bags / Mojo bags for the Christmas Tree.

Something I do every year, no matter what country or city I am in, is making some bags of amulets with a combination of herbs and crystals for prosperity, joy, protection and good luck. Then I dedicate myself to hide them very carefully in different corners of the tree and among its branches so that my friends come for them and collect them personally.

I have performed this ritual for several years and it is very beautiful as people feel a certain obligation to visit me to find their bags of amulets, it has already become a tradition.

You can make a combination of herbs and dried aromatic flowers with different colored quartz to attract different energies, perfume the bag with a few drops of ylang-ylang oil, cedar and cinnamon, pass it through the smoke of an incense stick and place it completely sealed in the tree.

The bags of amulets are made of different colored fabric to sponsor different desires, people come home and take them randomly from the tree, not more than one per person, and the bag they get represents the desire that will gain more strength the year coming, red for those who will be lucky in love, green means luck in money, blue is luck in personal projects, white represents a year of spiritual growth, etc.

Amazing Magickal Items you will LoVe!

To complement any ritual that you want to perform around your Christmas/Holiday Tree, I recommend a couple of products from my personal selection that you will surely LOVE as much as I do, these products are mostly handmade, created and consecrated by true magicians expert in creating different items and with exclusive distribution through their stores.

If you wish to purchase any of these products that I advise you to get, click on the name of the product to be automatically redirected to the page.

• The Signature Scent Candle (Sol & Luna Fragances). Made with 100% Organic Coconut wax and essential oils, is a caravan of aroma, Earthy, Woodsy, Spicy, and Romantic, the full aromatherapy experience for your own home, office, Sacred Space or Travel. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• The Frankincense &Myrrh Liquid Smudge A Sacred & Meditative combination of Frankincense and Myrrh, with Rose water base and 100% natural Handmade. Perfect to Space clearing, Creating Sacred Space, and Meditation. (exclusively available in AusetGypsy.com online and physical Store).

• A Fantastic Sabbat Fire Bundle (Herbs from a Witch's Garden), is a beautiful and aromatic lovingly crafted smudge made with herbs grown with a true will, 9th Ward soil, and Mississippi River water in a real New Orleans Witch's garden. They were harvested in the correct moon phases and astrological aspects and blessed with the proper intent. (exclusively available in HexWitch.com online and physical Store).

Elhoim Leafar.

The Three Wise Men/ Three Wise Kings of East, Part I

The Three Wise Men or The Three Kings of East.

I Part

The sacred tradition of the three wise men of the East and their rich cultural symbolism.

Greetings and hugs to all those who walk around here a few minutes to read what I write, this post is the first of the two parts in which I will divide this theme about “The Magi from the East”, well known in the Christian tradition, who adopt the term "Magi" a title received by those learned priests from the Old East, these famous Three Wise Men came from the East to pay tribute and deliver gifts of great symbolic wealth: gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn Jesus of Nazareth in a manger

The ritual symbolism of this event has been highly debated from the most diverse points of view, but because none of us (and obviously included me) was present at that event, no matter how clear our opinions may be, these will continue to be simple theories that we carry out from the perspective and academic analysis of each individual.

In the canonical gospels, only the Gospel of Matthew actually mentions such "magicians", without giving precise information about their official names or titles, but it was from the interpretations after the third century AD. C. that these characters went from being wandering magicians to be considered kings, not only because of folklore and the growing oral tradition around their cult but also because of the symbolism linked to their iconography and because of the nice gifts they gave to the “son of the God of the Jewish peoples”.

The Syrian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church claimed that there were twelve, such as the apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel, but finally their number was reduced to only three magicians, a magician to represent the delivery of each of the three gifts that they crossed the desert to be delivered, and also to symbolize the three descendant families of Noah.

It is from the well-known mosaic of San Apollinaire Nuovo (Ravenna) dating from the sixth century AD. C., Where you can read the names that tradition gave to these magicians, being then Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar, being also represented in a Persian dress and representing different ages, symbolism similar to the lunar goddesses of recent paganism that are represented with three different ages, which can also be associated with the representation of the divine Catholic trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). To also represent the rich cultural diversity of the kings of that time, King Baltasar began to have a black complexion, and in general the three kings, in addition to representing the ages, represent the three races of the Middle Ages.

Melchor represents the Europeans

Gaspar represents Asians

Baltasar represents Africans.

The Magi have their origin in the stories linked to the birth of Jesus "the prophet", these stories from canonical gospels are now part of the New Testament of the Bible. The Gospel of Matthew (the only one that mentions them) tells that these magicians, clearly great connoisseurs of heaven and its stars, observe in these an omen, this omen announces the birth of a prophet of "the coming times", and following these stars they get to Bethlehem, where the "king of the Jews is born", and to pay their respects to him, they bring opulent offerings of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Yes, for many it can be highly contradictory that “some magicians”, as well as any practitioner of the esoteric arts were admitted as worshipers of Jesus, but from here we can understand two entirely different reasons for doing so.

First, the magicians (as priests of the time) recognized the existence of many gods, and it would not be unusual for them to go to honor what it would be from their point of view (and according to the time) to meet the newcomer in peace. born son of the God of the Jews, because by the time, he would be like the prophet who is the son of a local god, in this case, he was the son of the god of a more modern people and little known as the Jews of the epoch. Especially considering that the Babylonian pantheon encompassed the names of more than 2,000 different gods.

The second reason, the oral tradition around the Magi from the East, is much broader than the writings on them in the biblical sense, but in most of their versions (if not all) such characters would be serious magicians and astrologers, one of them (Melchor) is often considered an alchemist, and for them the omen in the stars was as important at that time as a weather forecast in our current times, for them it was vitally necessary to seek compliance with the prophecy and show the world that their omens were correct. Clearly the latter from my perspective as an amateur astrologer.

Although some current interpreters try to give a much more "raw" and less symbolic view of that story, stating that the Greeks used the term "magicians" to also refer to the wise men, doctors, and scientists of the time, this is an argument quite debatable, if not incorrect, because Greek society as the great civilization that was at that time, knew entirely the difference between a Magician and a man of science, since doctors and alchemists of Ancient Greece were not considered magicians, but as men of science, while magicians were ex officio priests, promoters of the worship of the gods and astrologers.

“The kings of Tarsis and the islands will offer presents; the kings of Arabia and Saba will bring their gifts: and all the kings of the earth will worship him ”

Psalm 71, 10.

The author and specialist in the subject Walter Drum, assures based on unbiblical evidence, that being the 'Wizards of the East' we would be talking about members of the sacred caste of the "Medes", who following the strict orders of 'Rab -Mag '(the Chief Magician) came to witness this birth. The ‘Medes’ was once a powerful caste of highly educated magicians and astrologers who were trained to serve kings as diviners and advisers and were sent from their ‘academy’ to various cities in Assyria and Babylon.

In fact, the 'Medes' as counselors were trained in Babylon to know and combat witchcraft, spells and all kinds of poisonings, being their specialty the reading of the stars, the mastery of languages ​​and the interpretation of dreams, serving more like oracles than magicians.

Another option to this is that the magicians would-be followers of Zoroaster and Ahura Mazda (the uncreated creator God), who were then popularly known as the magicians of Persia (now Iran), although their religion forbids sorcery, these were connoisseurs of stellar movements and constellations, the interpretation of dreams and omens.

Matthew does not explain that they are astrologers who knew precisely the movement of a star (2: 7) despite this being a general belief. Although well-intentioned, his visit is a cause of general embarrassment and arouses Herod's distrust (2: 3), as he saw the new Messiah as a rival. Despite being old and having reigned for more than thirty years, Herod begs them to find out the precise site of the birth of the Messiah (2: 8) in order to be able to end their potential competitor. The wise, who do not suspect that, find the Child, worship him and give away gold, frankincense, and myrrh (2:11). An angel prevents wizards from the intentions Herod kept (2:12), so they don't return to him. Wrathful, the king sends to kill all children under two years. By then, Joseph has been warned in dreams (2:13) that he must flee to Egypt with his own.

"Born, then, Jesus in Bethlehem of Judah in the days of King Herod, magicians arrived from the East to Jerusalem saying," Where is the king of the Jews who have just been born? "

Gospel of Matthew (2, 1-2)

Where exactly did the Magi from the East come from?

While all the mentions of these mysterious characters only specify that they came from the East, no author is given the task of specifying from which region it comes exactly.

What we know today for sure is that at the time of the birth of Christ, to the East of Bethlehem (now Palestine), only the priesthood of the magicians was carried out in the ancient Middle, Persia, Assyria, and Babylon. So, if our magicians came from the East and on their way to the "new prophet" they came to visit King 'Herod the Great' in Jerusalem, yes, our Wizards came from somewhere in the 'Birth Empire', if this was correct , they had crossed the desert of Syria (between the Euphrates and Syria), arriving at Haleb (Aleppo) or Tudmor (Palmyra), passing through the deep lands of Damascus and continuing south (Darb Elhaj), traveling that path that is Today known as "the pilgrims' road", they continued along the Sea of ​​Galilee and the Jordan on the west until they crossed the ford near Jericho.

• Now, different authors from different eras place the origin of the wise men in different regions, since it is only clear that they came from the East of Bethlehem.
• According to Saint Maximus and Theodotus of Ancyra, the magicians came from Babylon (Iraq).
• According to Saint Clement of Alexandria and Saint Cyril of Alexandria, the magicians came from Persia (Iran).
• While San Justin and San Epifanio, they affirm that the magicians will come from Arabia.

"And when they entered the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and prostrating themselves, they worshiped him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, incense, and myrrh.

Gospel of Matthew (2, 11).

Second Part Soon...

November, Full Moon in Taurus 🌕 ♉️

NOVEMBER FULL MOON

Mourning Moon & Beaver Moon

The full moon of November is the penultimate moon of the year, the months of greater magical power have passed by and now we prepare to face the coldest months of the year. November is named from the Latin word "novem" which means nine because before the Gregorian calendar this was the ninth month of the year. It is the month in which little goats were sacrificed in the name of the Goddess Isis to insure crops and good fortune in the coming days. 

Traditionally the yellow topaz and citrine are considered as November gems, the flower of this month is the chrysanthemum, the colors associated with this month are pink, gray and teal. The animal totem guardian of this month it is the beaver, the scorpion, the hare and the antelope. The gems that you can bless this month are jade, coral, topaz, citrine and pink quartz The flowers and herbs with the most magical power this month are usually roses, peppermint, jasmine, carnations and lilies.

November full moon has powers to prevent evil and diseases, magic related to hunting animals and and magic to protect forests. This is also the month for invocations and deals with all kinds of spirits that remain grounded since Halloween, it is the month during which shamans and spiritism become more powerful than witches.

November full moon is called in different countries and cultures as the mourning moon, beaver moon, dark moon, the icy moon, the frost moon and the snow moon.

Full Moon in Taurus ♉️

Magic during Full Moon. That Lunar phase of great power, when the Moon is facing the Earth completely showing her lit face and illuminates the trails and fields with her divine blessing, is the time to perform physical, mental or spiritual maturity related rituals. This phase corresponds to the Mother Goddess, she blesses us with her power and promises of a new life, we perform all kinds of rituals in our group to strengthen our own magic or mental capacities.

That night we can perform invocation rites with an eye to summon Gods and Spirits, invoke the Moon Goddess and perform spells and manufacture talismans of great power, open portals to other worlds and produce all kinds of transformations in our life.

This Moon symbolizes the power at its peak, maturity and knowledge. It is the time to bless magic items and prepare concoctions that strengthen our powers, potions, love potions and visualizations. We must also take this Omens filled moon to perform divination rituals and study the stars.

The moon is so powerful that she has the power of transmutation, can transform a creature into another and change the shape of a witch in any animal, she can transmigrate the human soul to another state and even strengthen the oldest spells.

When the Moon is in earth signs like Taurus, Virgo & Capricorn, it is the ideal moment for magic that involves the element Earth, nature and plants,  the earth signs give us the power to cast spells that promote will and sympathy.

On the Moon of Earth we conjure gnomes and elves, those tiny but wise spirits of the forest and gardens. Coffee or green are the colors for candles that we use in the ritual space during this day, and it is preferable that this magic altars face North if possible.

Moon in Taurus, is best suited to perform magic that is related to self-control and will, spells that involve making decisions, changes, competitive spirit and those rituals to balance the personality,  free time, healings and physical and mental cures are issues to be addressed during the Moon in Taurus and also the development of ideas and projects.

During this Moon can perform trade-related magic, selling real estate, home protection, love and beauty, self-acceptance and prudence, we also perform in this Moon the proper rituals to combat materialistic greed, possessiveness, obstinacy and stubbornness, manufacture talismans channeling the power of the Earth and renewing energy.

Beaver Moon Healing Spell

At night of November full moon we will perform this simple healing ritual with powers of Mother Earth to heal our body's aches and pains. We will anoint a dark glass bottle (with lid) with natural oils of cinnamon, fill it with soil from seven different sites, a handful of peppermint, five small quartz crystals and a few drops of essential oil of myrrh or myrrh perfume, seal it tight and tie around a red string where we will tie seven knots, light a red candle with our name on it and pour candle wax on the bottle cap to completely seal it. Whenever you perceive any discomfort or pain light a red or green candle next to bottle to reactivate its healing qualities and keep it in a cool, safe place.

November little rite for Health & Love

It is time to renew the energies that we have exhausted during the year as well as health and feelings, for this ritual draw the corresponding magic circle, this time you can circle with a mixture of sea salt and rosemary. Burn a stick of lavender incense and an orange or dark green candle.

Place in a small cauldron or bowl a mixture with dried roots of Florence, lily, verbena and ginger, a few drops of essential oil of peppermint or lavender and, while reciting, proceed to light seven (7) white candles to symbolize the seven points energy connecting the astral body and the physical one. After reciting the incantation, burn the herb mixture like  incense.

“Out of my life and my surroundings everything that wounds me and hurts me, welcome be to my life everything that renews and strengthens me before all chaos.”

Elhoim Leafar

Material from the books:

"Wicca! Love & Soul" and "Rites of Happiness"

Author: Elhoim Leafar © Copyright

Available in:

CreateSpace Amazon Barnes&Noble

The Many Meanings of the Rio 2016 Olympic Flame

The Many Meanings of the Rio 2016 Olympic Flame

Yesterday August 5, we witnessed an amazing Opening Ceremony of the Olympics and, as usual, the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron was the highlight of the evening, but there is more to it than just a nice torch with a wind-powered sculpture. This post will explain the multiple meanings the Olympic Cauldron and Flame have acquired through the years until Rio 2016. We will start with the traditional symbols of modern day Olympic flame and then we will jump to the new ones adopted by Rio 2016.

Side view of the 2016 Olympic Cauldron. Getty Images

An Allegory to the Origin of Civilization

The Olympic Cauldron is one of the core symbols of the Modern Olympic Games, along with the Olympic Flag, the Olympic Rings and the Olympic Anthem, but it certainly is the only one of these that actually has something to do with the Ancient Olympic Games in Old Greece.

As many know, the Olympic Cauldron holds the Olympic Flame, a fire that every four years travels the world from ancient Olympia to the Olympic stadium in the host city, but why do we go into all that trouble? It all has to do with the Greek Mythology. The Olympic Flame was originally lit in the arena, together with the Temple of Zeus and the Temple of Hera in Olympia. All of these lightnings were made by Virgin Priestesses using the fire from the everlasting flame in the Temple of Hestia. Hestia was the Goddess Protector of family, architecture, homey warmth and the cooking. After the sacred fire was handled to humans by Prometheus, the flame had to be kept. For this work the Virgin Priestesses of Hestia were raised from early childhood and were considered ones of the most important priestesses in all of Greece. 

As mentioned above, the “Sacred Flame” has an important mythological meaning. In Greek Mythology, the fire was given to men by the Titan Prometheus. He had stone a flame from Zeus himself on Mount Olympus. When humankind got the fire, the first civilization could flourish, hence the fire represents the beginning of Greek civilization and hence, for them, all civilizations. That is why an everlasting flame was kept on the temple of the Goddess Hestia. It was said that that flame was lit from that original fire brought by the titan Prometheus himself, who stole it from Zeus, the king of the Gods and gave it to men. According to the myth, the fire was what fueled the growth of civilization, progress, arts and technology. Even in modern cities like New York, Prometheus' fire is represented as the fuel for progress.

Golden Statue of Prometheus in New York.

The Olympic Games themselves were a fuel of development, art and culture. They were held in honor of the God Zeus and were the most important religious ritual of Ancient Greece and a heavily cultural festival. The Temple of Zeus in Olympia was crowned with the majestic Statue of Zeus, one of the 7 Wonders of the World. The games also attracted poets, sculptors, painters and architects, making it also one of the most powerful cultural engines of ancient Greece. Recall the statue of the Olympic discus thrower, for example.

Discobolus in National Roman Museum Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. Roman copy of a greek sculpture made at the Olympic Games. Photo from Wikipedia (Livioandronico2013)

A Symbol of Peace

Ever from the beginning, the Ancient Olympic Games symbolized a truce in ancient Greece. All the wars, riots and even crimes were held on pause for the duration of the Games, so the Greeks started relating the burning of the Olympic Flame with peaceful times. Everyone in Greece knew they could roam free the country and be safe as long as the Olympic Flame were burning on Olympia.

When the Modern Olympics were reinvented by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1894, his dream was always to associate the games with peace and the hope for a better future. It was not until 1928, on the Amsterdam Olympics, that the perfect symbol for that message was found. These marked the first games to reinvent the Olympic Flame.

A symbol of Human Endeavor

The Olympic flame burning in Athens at 1928 was lit by an electric company employee, not very ceremonial. History had to wait to one of its darkest times for the flame to take another meaning. I am referring to Nazi Germany. 

The games of Berlin in 1936 were held by a Nazi Germany in a failed attempt to prove to the World the “superiority" of Germany. Hitler himself preceded the games and he ordered to not held back on spectacle. These were the first games to be televised and broadcasted worldwide. The travel of the torch from ancient Greece to modern day Germany was included to “signify” their link to the Greek culture. This message never came across and was quickly debunked. The Olympics were then cancelled twice due to World Wars I and II until London 1948. This time around the Torch was also lit in Olympia and traveled to London, but now the relay of the torch was received with joy and was given the meaning of how Humanity can accomplish great things when working together instead of fighting each other, a message that fit like a glove to an Europe vastly destroyed by war. Ever since, the “passing of the torch” from one athlete to the next and the different ways the torch has traveled through the years has become a celebration of how humanity has come together and is capable of achieving greatness and travelling distances. The olympic games have from then on succeeded in moving he torch each time on larger distances and through more innovative ways to transport. the have included: On foot, on horse ride, on cars, ships, traditional canoes, airplanes, underwater, in a flaming arrow, through radio waves and lasers across the ocean. These accomplishments of carrying the flame has been highly televised and celebrated by all mankind on the months leading to the Olympics.

Travel of the Olympic Flame to the Sidney 2000 Olympics underwater. Getty Images

These are the traditional symbolisms of the Olympic Torch, now going back to the new symbolisms being adopted by the Olympic Flame from Rio 2016 and why it is one of the most important ones.

A Symbol of Love and Tolerance

Rio 2016 marks the first year that one of the many "Passing the Torch" moments has been marked by a same-sex kiss between two men, symbolizing tolerance, respect and love. Even in past games, the passing of the torch has always been a symbol of friendship between different races and different types of people but this is the first time the LGBT community is being represented right in the front page, specially in an industry recognized as highly homophobic, as it is the sports industry, and essentially after the Sochi Olympics were famous for being "homophobic Games" due to the fact that even showing a rainbow flag guaranteed a straight-to-prison card to athletes and spectators alike. This act of passing the torch through a gay kiss is the Olympic Games telling us "We are not Sochi, we celebate love".

A same-sex kiss between two men marks the passing of the torch on its way to the Rio 2016 Olympics. Photo by Pedro Veríssimo.

A symbol of the Sun

All those trouble that has been taken to move the torch from Greece to the Olympic Stadium has a very important reason. As was explained above, the original flame came from the “Sacred Fire” but with the decay of Greek Civilization, that original flame is long extinct. The new games keep the spirit of that tradition with a twist. Every Olympic year, 12 new “Virgins of Hestia” reunite in the ruins of the Temple of Hestia in Olympia and light the first Olympic Flame of the games by concentrating sun rays in a mirror. Hence, the Olympic Torch comes not from a lighter or a spark, but by the Rays of The Sun, as a gift from Apollo himself. The ceremony is obviously less flamboyant than the Opening Ceremony, but it is rich in mythology. The Sun is the fuel that allows life on Earth and without it nothing could survive. The Solar Deities have been always important in human history, not only in Greece. (Remember Ra in Ancient Egypt or the Horned Sun God in modern Wicca.) The use of the Sun to light the Olympic Flame and the posterior travel of it is a metaphor of how we can use the natural resources and transform them into something much better but only if we work together. The organizers of Rio 2016 made the message even more important by shaping the Olympic Cauldron into a magnificent sculpture representing the Sun, a message that is more evident when you see the location of the torch in the Stadium is right above the model of the city that has been used throughout the whole ceremony, as telling you it is the Sun above Rio.

Virgins of Hestia Lighting the Olympic Flame from rays of the Sun in the Temple of Hestia. Euronews.

A Symbol of Sustainable Power Source

Rio 2016 is strong in its environmentalist message, but the Olympic Cauldron is even stronger on it. As the years go by, the Olympic Torch has become significantly larger and the flame has become also larger with every game. If not, try to remember the ridiculously tall cauldrons of Athens 2004 and Sochi 2012 games. London’s cauldron was composed of 204 different moving “petals” each one with its own connection to a natural gas source. Then Rio came and proposed what appears to be the smallest cauldron in the history of modern Olympic Games. On first glance when watching the ceremony, people started to get angry or disappointed until it was raised to its final position at the center of a Kinetic Structure that, s was said above, signifies the Sun.

The genius of this design is that by being the smallest Olympic Cauldron, it is also the greenest one, it uses the least amount of natural gas in modern history. You don’t need a big massive torch to give an amazing spectacle, and the mirrors in the rays of the kinetic sculpture even turned the Olympic Flame into a light spectacle that flooded the whole stadium like no other Olympic Flame has ever done. This movement of the sculpture is also green as it uses Wind Energy, not electricity. This cauldron proves that we can reduce the use of fossil fuels, we can use Wind and Solar energy and still have the most amazing olympic cauldron of all time, and that is also a Symbol of Hope for the future of Humanity.

Rio 2016 official facebook page.