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Walpurgis Night is one of the most mysterious and controversial holidays of the pre-Christian era. Many associate it with the revelry of witches, sabbaths and dancing around the fire.
history of the holiday
The history of Walpurgis Night goes back to the pagan holiday of spring and fertility and falls on the night from April 30 to May 1. For residents of Central and Northern Europe, the holiday symbolizes a blossoming spring. The Celtic peoples had a similar holiday on May 1 - Beltane - the day of summer and love.
Translated from Finnish, German and French, Walpurgis Night means the night of the witches, the Czechs call the night from April 30 to May 1 the Witch's fire. It is believed that on this night the villagers performed a magical ceremony of exorcising witches. People kindled bonfires on which a straw effigy of a witch was burned, rang church bells and made rounds of dwellings with torches to ward off evil spirits.
It was also believed that the healing herbs collected on this night acquire magical powers. In part, this pagan holiday of spring has something in common with the rites and rituals of other peoples. So, on Ivan Kupala, a folk holiday of the Eastern Slavs, dedicated to the summer solstice and the highest flowering of nature, it was customary to collect plants that, according to beliefs, acquired miraculous powers and served as amulets against evil spirits. The Slavs also believed that on this day all evil spirits come to earth in the form of witches, sorcerers and mermaids, the departed come to life.
The belief about the dancing of evil spirits on Walpurgis Night developed at the end of VIII, approximately at the time when legends about witches and sorceresses appeared. After the adoption of Christianity, not all pagans could and did want to rebuild to new traditions. Of course, everything that was contrary to religion was prohibited. Historians note that old women and all those who could not abandon the traditional pagan rituals on which their ancestors raised them, continued to secretly gather in the desert area and celebrated the coming of May 1, the holiday of spring, on a grand scale. Perhaps it was at that time that pagans, who wanted to scare away the curious, began to compose legends, which grew into stories about witches. One such bonfire gathering was mentioned by John Kohler in 1603.
On Walpurgis Night, feasts were traditionally held with salted salmon as the main dish. The raw fish was covered with salt and buried in the sand on the tide line. They started eating only after all the fires were kindled. It was believed that while the fire was not burning, demons could spoil food.
According to another legend, which is considered to be erroneous, the name "Walpurgis Night" was given to the holiday in honor of Saint Walburga (Walpurgis) of Heidenheim- English Benedictine and abbess of the monastery in Heidenheim. She was canonized on May 1, 778.
Walpurgis Night in Russia and in Russia
Celebration of Walpurgis Night is not so common in Russia. The Russian belief about the flight of witches to the bald mountain is very similar to the German legend, according to which witches, werewolves and the souls of the dead gather around the fire.
Russian collector of folklore Alexander Afanasyev in his works "Poetic views of the Slavs on nature" wrote: "Each witch comes to the festival with her devil lover. The lord of demonic forces himself, Satan, in the form of a goat with a black human face, sits solemnly and solemnly on a high chair or on a large stone table in the middle of the meeting. " After reporting to Satan, a feast begins, accompanied by dancing and loud music. Instead of a bagpipe or violin, the musician plays on a horse's head, and uses a cat's tail as a bow.
In modern Russia, rich in its own traditions and pagan and semi-Christian holidays, Walpurgis Night is not as popular as Ivan Kupala or Halloween.
In Russia, on the night of May 1, it is customary to burn garbage that has accumulated over the winter. However, no one bothers you to turn to the goddess of fertility and ask for a harvest, especially for avid summer residents. The tradition of collecting medicinal herbs has passed from the Middle Ages to our modern world. Herbs can still be used for medicinal purposes and, of course, for divination. From antiquity, the custom has come down to us to make a wish and write it down on a piece of paper or ribbon, which was then used to decorate the May pole. This entire structure was subsequently burned so that the desire flew to the gods. Now, instead of the May pole, the ribbons are simply hung on the tree.
Celebrating in Germany
The descendants of the Celts and Germans, on whose lands Walpurgis Night was born, still celebrate the day of spring on a grand scale. From the traditional farewell to winter, the celebration turned into a real Witch's bonfire. On the streets of towns and villages, you can meet dressed up in costumes of witches and other evil spirits. People are having fun, dancing and singing. However, bonfires are still held in high esteem by the people of Germany, because people still believe that fire drives out evil spirits. The capital of Walpurgis Night in Germany is the town of Thale, where the largest fancy-dress festival with a performance is held.
Celebrating in Sweden
In the interpretation of the Swedes, Walpurgis Night is a traditional holiday of spring, and not a rite of scaring away demons and witches. People put on their best outfits and walk, dance and sing all night.
However, the tradition of bonfires has taken root here as well. The bigger the fire, the better. In Sweden, bonfires are believed to protect cities from trouble and disease. In Stockholm, Walpurgis Night is reproduced in the original, with all the traditions and customs, as the pagan ancestors celebrated.
Walpurgis Night and Easter
In Russia this year Walpurgis Night coincides with Easter and May Day.
The last time these dates crossed was in 1921 and, according to historians, that year was a hungry one for Russia.
In general, bonfires, witches and sabbaths should not be emphasized. The holiday should give joy to any person, regardless of what he believes in and what religion he professes. More smiles and fewer negative thoughts in your head, and spring will sparkle around you with new colors.
Congratulations on Walpurgis Night
On Walpurgis Night
Don't mind flying on a broomstick
Any witch. My friend,
Avoid such girlfriends.
The harvest has begun
On this night, you know it
Ask for fertility
And bring gifts to the gods.
Celebrate the holiday cheerfully
Congratulate everyone today
Rejoice in life, and I
Congratulations, friend, you!
The night is not easy today -
Troubles all go away.
After all, today comes
Witches Walpurgis Night.
Full of mysticism and mystery
This holiday is not easy.
Let all the experiences
They will go away by themselves.
May this holiday be unusual
You will be given happiness, peace.
To keep up appearances
A glorious feast must be celebrated.
After all, while there are witches soaring
Cutting through the moonlight
We wish you luck
Happiness, joy, victories.
Witches in the Broken Mountains
They will gather at this hour.
Well, we are with you, friend,
What will we come up with now?
Let me congratulate you
With this witch's night,
I wish not to meet
With pain, grief and longing!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Walpurgis Night | |
|---|---|
| Walpurgis Night on the Holy Mountain in Heidelberg. 2007 year | |
| Type of | Paganism |
| Otherwise | Night of the Witches, Witch's Bonfire |
| Meaning | spring festival, gathering of the souls of the departed |
| It is noted | the peoples of western and central Europe |
| date | night of May 1 |
| Celebration | bonfires |
| Traditions | magical ceremony of exorcism of witches, walking around the house with torches, ringing church bells, sometimes maypoles are being erected |
According to legends, the same gatherings of witches happen on Christmas nights, on the eve of Lent (German. fastnacht ), on Bright week, on spring St. George's day (among the Eastern Slavs), May 1 (among the Germans), and on Midsummer's night.
Images in culture
In literature- "A Dream on Walpurgis Night" in "Faust" by W. Goethe.
- Scenes in the novel "The Master and Margarita" by M. Bulgakov.
- The novel "Walpurgis Night" by Gustav Meyrink.
- The events of HF Lovecraft's story "Dreams in the Witch's House" take place shortly before Walpurgis Night and are directly related to it.
- Attempts to assassinate Merlin, the hero of the Chronicles of Amber (Merlin's Pentateuch), systematically occur before Walpurgis Night.
- In the book "Little Baba Yaga" by the writer Otfried Preusler, Walpurgis Night is mentioned throughout the book. The little witch is not allowed to the Walpurgis Night celebration, as she is not yet mature enough "for dancing"
- Play in five acts "Walpurgis Night, or" Steps of the Commander "" by Venedikt Erofeev.
- Chapter 23 of the Unbreakable Machine Doll manga is called Walpurgis Night.
- Part 5 of the Fantastic Symphony of Hector Berlioz entitled "A Dream on the Night of the Sabbath".
- Ballet "Walpurgis Night" - Charles Gounod in the opera "Faust" created an unusually bright in musical language, colorful choreographic picture "Walpurgis Night", which on many ballet stages of the world gained an independent life as a one-act ballet.
- Peter Eben "Walpurgis Night" from the Faust organ cycle.
- The song of the group "Running Wild" - "Walpurgis Night" from the mini-album "Walpurgis Night" (1984).
- The song of the "Sector Gaza" group - "Walpurgis Night" from the magnetic album "Plows Woogie" (1989) and the album "NUM" (1997).
- The song "Die Walpurgisnacht" by Schandmaul from the album Narrenkönig (2002).
- The song "Dancing on Walpurgis Night" from the album "Devil's Mill" by the Russian rock band "Full Moon" (2005).
- Album "Walpurgisnacht" by the American metallic hardcore group Integrity.
- The song "Walpurgisnacht" by Faun from the album Luna (2015).
- 3 part of A. Dvořák's suite "From Šumava" op.68
- In the anime Bible Black, the main events are related to the sacrifice on Walpurgis Night.
- In the anime "Girl-magician Madoka Magika" the final events are connected with the murder of the most powerful witch on Walpurgis Night.
see also
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Notes (edit)
Literature
- Afanasyev A.N.... - M .: Indrik, 1994 .-- T. 3. - 840 p. - ISBN 5-85759-013-2.
Links
- (English)
- (Spanish)
- (Swede.)
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
Excerpt from Walpurgis Night
She timidly, imploringly looked at her brother.- If only it would cost me a lot of work ... - Prince Andrey answered, as if guessing what was the matter.
- You, what you want, think! I know you are the same as mon pere. Think what you want, but do it for me. Do it please! It was also my father's father, our grandfather, who wore it in all wars ... - She still did not get what she was holding from her reticule. - So you promise me?
- Of course, what's the matter?
- Andre, I will bless you with the image, and you promise me that you will never take it off. Do you promise?
“If he doesn’t pull back two pounds and his neck… To please you…” said Prince Andrey, but at that very second, noticing the distressed expression that took on his sister’s face at this joke, he repented. "I am very glad, really very glad, my friend," he added.
`` Against your will, He will save and have mercy on you and turn you to Himself, because in Him alone is truth and tranquility, '' she said in a voice trembling with emotion, holding in both hands in front of her brother an oval ancient icon of the Savior with a black face in silver riza on a silver chain of fine work.
She crossed herself, kissed the icon and gave it to Andrey.
- Please, Andre, for me ...
Beams of kind and timid light shone from her large eyes. These eyes illuminated the whole sickly, thin face and made him beautiful. My brother wanted to take the little icon, but she stopped him. Andrei understood, crossed himself and kissed the little icon. His face at the same time was tender (he was touched) and mocking.
- Merci, mon ami. [Thank you my friend.]
She kissed his forehead and sat down on the sofa again. They were silent.
- So I told you, Andre, be kind and generous as you have always been. Don't judge Lise harshly, ”she began. - She is so sweet, so kind, and her position is very difficult now.
- It seems that I didn’t tell you anything, Masha, so that I reproached my wife for anything or was dissatisfied with her. Why are you telling me all this?
Princess Marya blushed with spots and fell silent, as if she felt guilty.
“I didn’t say anything to you, but they did tell you. And it makes me sad.
Red spots appeared even more strongly on Princess Mary's forehead, neck and cheeks. She wanted to say something and could not pronounce it. The brother guessed right: the little princess cried after dinner, said that she had a premonition of unhappy childbirth, was afraid of them, and complained about her fate, her father-in-law and her husband. After crying, she fell asleep. Prince Andrew felt sorry for his sister.
- Know one thing, Masha, I cannot reproach anything, I have not reproached and will never reproach my wife, and I myself cannot reproach myself for anything in relation to her; and it will always be so, whatever the circumstances. But if you want to know the truth ... you want to know if I am happy? No. Is she happy? No. Why is this? Do not know…
As he spoke, he got up, walked over to his sister and, bending over, kissed her on the forehead. His beautiful eyes shone with an intelligent and kind, unusual brilliance, but he was looking not at his sister, but into the darkness of the open door, over her head.
- Let's go to her, we must say goodbye. Or go alone, wake her up, and I'll be right there. Parsley! - he shouted to the valet, - come here, clean up. It's in the seat, it's on the right side.
Princess Marya got up and went to the door. She stopped.
- Andre, si vous avez. la foi, vous vous seriez adresse a Dieu, pour qu "il vous donne l" amour, que vous ne sentez pas et votre priere aurait ete exaucee. [If you had faith, you would turn to God with a prayer that He would give you love that you do not feel, and your prayer would be heard.]
- Yes, really! - said Prince Andrew. - Go, Masha, I'll be right there.
On the way to his sister's room, in the gallery that connected one house to another, Prince Andrew met a sweetly smiling m lle Bourienne, for the third time that day with an enthusiastic and naive smile he came across in secluded passages.
- Ah! je vous croyais chez vous, [Ah, I thought you were at home,] - she said, for some reason blushing and lowering her eyes.
Prince Andrew looked at her sternly. The face of Prince Andrey suddenly expressed anger. He said nothing to her, but looked at her forehead and hair without looking into her eyes, so contemptuously that the Frenchwoman blushed and left without saying anything.
When he approached his sister's room, the princess was already awake, and her cheerful voice, hurrying one word after another, was heard from the open door. She spoke as if, after a long period of abstinence, she wanted to reward the lost time.
- Non, mais figurez vous, la vieille comtesse Zouboff avec de fausses boucles et la bouche pleine de fausses dents, comme si elle voulait defier les annees ... [No, imagine, old Countess Zubova, with false curls, with false teeth, like as if mocking the years ...] Xa, xa, xa, Marieie!
Saint Walpurgis. Source: Public Domain
On the night of April 30 to May 1, Walpurgis Night is celebrated in many countries of Western Europe. In today's understanding, this is the holiday of the final arrival of spring.
Why is Walpurgis Night called that?
The tradition of celebrating the final arrival of spring dates back to pagan times. It was believed that on the night of May 1, all the souls of the dead go out to people, and the witches sit on brooms and flock to the Sabbath to spend time dancing and having fun. In many villages on this day, a ceremony was held to expel the evil spirits of winter and their minions: bonfires were kindled, on which stuffed animals of all evil spirits were burned.
Coven. Walpurgis Night. Source: Public Domain
This holiday remained with the advent of Christianity, however, it received a new name and content. In 748, came from England to the territory of modern Germany Christian nun Walpurgia, who soon gained fame as a healer. 100 years after her death, during the restoration of the monastery she founded, the workers desecrated the grave of the nun. According to legend, at night her formidable shadow appeared to the bishop. After that, it was decided to transport the remains of the nun.
The relics were placed in a gap in one of the rocks, from which healing oil soon began to flow, which helped against many diseases. After that, the Catholic Church decided to canonize Walpurgia and canonize it as a saint. The remains of the nun were transported to different cities in Germany, and the day of the saint's commemoration began to be celebrated on May 1.
Over time, the Germans and other residents of Western Europe experienced a kind of mixing of the two holidays, on the same day they began to celebrate the final arrival of spring and commemorate St. Walpurgia.
How is Walpurgis Night celebrated?
Following ancient traditions, people make huge fires to cleanse themselves with the power of fire from the evil spirits of winter. Concerts, round dances and games are held on city squares all day. Walpurgis Night is accompanied by explosions of firecrackers and fireworks.
Bonfire on Walpurgis Night.
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In the calendar of dates that are of particular importance, especially for those who do not neglect the knowledge of the occult, Walpurgis Night stands apart. Probably, not a single night of the year, except perhaps on the eve of All Saints' Day (otherwise, Halloween), attracts so much attention and does not become the object of so many conjectures, surrounding her with legends and mysterious rituals. Let's take a closer look at the origins of Walpurgis Night, its traditions and halo, and what this magical date can bring to those who are not afraid to look beyond ...
So Walpurgis Night - what is it? Like the overwhelming majority of holidays with pagan roots, the mystical background of this night is based on the Solstice, the Wheel of the Year, in other words, on the mystery of the cyclical change of seasons, the “death” of nature in spring and its rebirth in the springtime. The immediate forerunner to Walpurgis Night was Beltine, a Celtic festival that welcomes the start of the summer season.
The attributes of the "witch night" also migrated from the Celtic source - the kindling of fires, the Maypole (or the Maypole), numerous rituals and sacrifices. By the way, similar holidays existed in almost every culture of the Earth, where importance was attached to the cyclical nature of nature. And everywhere it was believed that today the barrier between our world and the world of spirits is becoming thinner and spirits - both friendly and not loyal to mortals - roam the earth.
However, such a "otherworldly" and clearly menacing flavor, this celebration received it in Europe, in particular - on the lands of the Germanic peoples. The Germans were already wary of Walpurgis Night, and the Christian clergy, with their characteristic categoricalness, identified most of the pagan holidays in satanic rituals. The night from April 30 to May 1 did not escape its fate. The fact that the famous in an unkind sense Bald Mountain is geographically located in Germany and has the name Brocken added fuel to the fire. So the history of the origin of such a holiday as Walpurgis Night is rooted in distant pre-Christian times.
Name
Like many old traditions, Walpurgis Night is a mixture of a number of different customs. However, the very name of the holiday is fraught with a fair amount of irony, because Walburga is a very revered holy ascetic in Europe. The legend about her tells that Walburga was a righteous woman, rewarded by the Lord with the gift of healing. In 748 A.D. she found herself in what is now Germany and quickly became one of the most revered healers. Since she was a nun, she was buried on the territory of the monastery, but after some time her grave, unfortunately, was disturbed. The indignant and angry ghost of the healer did not hesitate to appear before the bishop.
It is not known how the nun, albeit a ghost, caught up with such fear on the bishop, but after her visit, the remains of Walburga were removed from the burial place and transferred to a new place. Walburga found her last rest in a cleft in the rock, which very soon began to ooze oil with healing properties. The news of the wonderful rock spread with lightning speed, the suffering, pilgrims and admirers were drawn to the burial place. The Catholic Church reacted quickly - the nun-healer was canonized, the remains in the form of relics were taken to dozens of churches, and the celebration of the memory of the nun was scheduled for May 1. And so it happened that Walpurgis Night, when witches, warlocks and other satanic public feel most at ease, bears the name of one of the most ardent companions of the Holy Church, although it would be more correct to call this night the eve of St. Walburgi. So this pagan action takes place at the same time every year, on the night of April 30 to May 1.
Dances on Bald Mountain
So - what, in the opinion of the Inquisition and the parishioners, was happening on that very bald mountain on Walpurgis Night? In one word, the most natural sabbath. And not simple, but led by the Prince of Darkness himself, who took the form of a monstrous goat. The musical accompaniment was appropriate for the audience - the instruments were made from the skulls and tails of cats. The guests' meal was also expected in a peculiar way - horse meat was served on the table, and neither salt nor bread was supposed to be (echo of beliefs about the sanctity of bread and about the hostility of all kinds of evil spirits of salt). The serving was also "in style" - horse skulls and goblets made of hooves.
The celebration began with the invited witches showing respect to the host of the celebration, Satan, by kissing him in an obscene manner. After that, the servants of the Unclean One were strictly accountable for the work done during the year on the perpetration of various intrigues to people and the spread of evil in the world. The punishment for insufficient efforts was blows with a whip from the Prince of Hell himself. After reporting, they started planning - they thought over how they would do evil and obstacles to good Christians. It all ended, of course, with an orgy with the participation of devils - lovers of flocked witches. Of course, such an unbridled picture is the fruit of the "propaganda" work of the Catholic Church, which thus dared the parishioners from pagan rituals.
Love and witches
Of course, like any mystical date, Walpurgis Night attracts primarily those who seek love. Every ritual, according to legend, has a special power on this date, so that countless various sacraments that should help in finding or retaining a loved one were performed that night. So, Walpurgis Night: rituals for love.
- To return the departed chosen one or find new happiness, you will need: a glass of spring water, salt and a photo of your beloved. The photograph is placed in water, the salt is previously scattered on the lips in the image, the glass is placed under the bed until morning. You need to repeat the ritual for several nights in a row.
- To break up the misunderstanding and the resulting coldness in the relationship, you will need a cube of pure ice and a small saucer. You need to carefully, without taking your eyes off, watch how the ice turns into water and vividly imagine that the barriers between you are also melting.
As you can see, nothing complicated. Of course, these are not such effective rituals that I do personally, but they are "free".
Money - rituals and ceremonies
It is quite expected that the second most popular rituals on Walpurgis Night of Wealth - what else besides love is needed for a calm and happy life?
You will need candles - one gold, six green, nine white. In addition, you need pine salt and oil. All candles are smeared with oil, after which they are arranged according to the scheme - in the center is gold, then it is surrounded by green, the outer circle is white.
The ritual is performed in the first minute after midnight - salt is scattered around the outer ring of candles, candles are lit from the inside - gold, green (clockwise), white (also salting). The table is bypassed three times (also clockwise), after which the conspiracy is pronounced:
"Jupiter will walk around the sun three times, bring me money."
After that, you need to calmly sit down and imagine yourself rich, visually imagine money in your wallet and pocket.
Of course, such a mystical night could not do without a variety of fortune-telling. On Walpurgis night, fortune-telling is a ritual very close to the original Russian Christmas fortune-telling, and the methods for this can be used the same (). In the end, it is not the form of the ritual that is important here, but the strength that it acquires on the night of April 30 to May 1.
Signs
Over the centuries, the tradition of celebrating the "witch's night" has been enriched with numerous signs associated with this date. We list just a few of them:
- Dew at the dawn of Walpurgis Night can preserve beauty for a long time. She needs to wash up, and the attraction will not leave you all next year.
- For fertility and good health, it is recommended to drink well water at dawn.
- An irresistible beauty in the eyes of men will be presented to the girl by a wreath woven of ivy on the "night of witches".
- It is considered a bad omen to bring branches of blooming lilacs to a house where there is an unhealthy person. There is a belief that the heavy, intoxicating smell of lilacs can carry the patient to the next world.
How in Russia
As already mentioned, analogs of Walpurgis Night were found almost everywhere where the cycle of nature was revered. Pre-Christian Russia was no exception. On this night, our ancestors also divined, burned fires, and performed various rituals. Herbalists and sorcerers attached particular importance to the night from April 30 to May 1, because herbs, as they believed, were gaining special strength at this time, much greater than those collected at ordinary times.
Men today were especially careful and even avoided, it happened, any communication with the fairer sex. It was believed that in the guise of a thoroughly familiar, say, a neighbor, a witch could be hiding, cherishing by no means good intentions. The Russians on this day tried not to use foul language and especially not to remember evil spirits, fearing in this way to attract evil creatures. The bathhouse was heated to wash off any possible filth, and in every possible way they avoided the black color, traditionally dedicated to Morana, the goddess of death and winter. As you can see, Walpurgis Night in Russia was not too different from its European counterpart.
Born on the night of the witches
Naturally, children born on such an unusual and mystical day attracted special attention to themselves, because it was from them, as people believed then, that sorcerers and witches grew up! However, this might not have happened, since not all "Walpurgis" children clearly showed their abilities or received the proper skills. Nevertheless, according to the observations of ancestors, children born on this day almost always had an unusual character - they were drawn to wild animals and nature, had a very sharp and observant mind, were often quick-tempered and quarrelsome, did not get along well with people. Many who were born on Walpurgis night later actually became healers, hermits, and sorcerers.
Like all ancient rituals, Walpurgis Night has now almost lost its meaning, however, in many European countries to this day, paying tribute to their ancestors, they stage reconstructions on this night, costumed performances and in other ways remember this bright and mystical tradition. Such celebrations are especially honored in Germany, in the homeland of the mysterious "witch night".
Do you still have questions about the rituals, ceremonies and omens for Walpurgis night, or have other questions? Ask them in the comments and I will definitely answer you.
Let your life be filled with only pleasant moments.
Hello dear readers!
What images come into your mind when you hear Walpurgis Night? Anything in the spirit of Bulgakov or Goethe? Or? True, very interesting. So I automatically remember the Sector's song, it is, of course, so-so, and the truth about this holiday is not a dime, but alas and oh, the association is a matter that is not always subject to us.
Walpurgis Night is probably the most mystical time of the year, and of course, many myths have gathered around it. And some of them do have a foundation. In this article, I want to separate the wheat from the chaff, and clarify the beliefs about this May night.
We will consider the facts, find out the date of the celebration, the main rituals, and, of course, remember the legends. In short, let's go!
Walpurgis Night: What Is It?
As I mentioned above, Walpurgis Night is a holiday, a pagan feast of fertility, and one of the largest. And also, concurrently, the main coven of witches. Let's see how it happened that the main celebration of the Celts turned into a night of rampant evil spirits.
Walpurgisnacht: Walpurgisnacht (German), Vappu (Finnish), Nuit des Sorcières (French, translated as “Night of the Witches”), Pálení čarodějnic (Czech, translated as “Witch's Bonfire”).
First of all, it is worth noting that, in fact, Walpurgis Night is nothing more than the oldest pagan holiday of the beginning of summer - Beltane (there is an article about it on the site, quite voluminous and I will not repeat myself). It was from there that all the main characteristics came:
night festivities;
lighting bonfires on a hill;
sacrifices;
construction of the May pole;
fortune-telling and various rituals.
Since Walpurgis Night is a time of rampant evil spirits, we must be able to stand up for ourselves, our ancestors believed in this. Therefore, amulets-talismans were very desirable to have at hand. Even the color of the clothes mattered. For example, shades of red, orange and blue were considered good colors for this time.
It is necessary to burn fire, at least a candle - this protects from evil spirits.
Our ancestors, and those who adhere to ancient traditions to this day, are very careful in their words on Walpurgis Night: they do not remember evil spirits, otherwise they will appear. They also do not scold, do not swear and do not behave aggressively.
This night is a great time for fortune telling! The spirits are nearby, they can provide answers to all questions. Even dreams can be prophetic.
On holidays (April 30 and May 1), it is better not to bring lilacs into the house. There is an opinion that its aroma is intoxicating, causing the desire to leave for another world. This is especially dangerous for sick people.
Magic rituals
Usually I don't write about magic rituals, but still, May night, how can I resist. As already mentioned, Walpurgis Night is a mystical time, both magical and scary at the same time. Of course, there are many rituals for it, I will tell you about three:
attracting wealth;
and happiness.
Wealth
To attract wealth into life, you need to grease 1 golden candle, 6 green and 9 white candles with pine oil at night (from April 30 to May 1), then set it all in the center of the table.
We put a golden candle in the very center, then green ones in a circle, and then we enclose all this in a circle of white candles. It turns out two circles of white and green candles, and in the very center there is a gold one.
In the first minute after midnight, a circle of salt is made around the candles and the first, golden, candle is lit. And then, clockwise, first green and then white. Then you need to go around the table three times, while humming:
"Jupiter will walk around the sun three times, bring me money"
Just remember to imagine exactly how much money you need to be completely happy.
the beauty
To become even more beautiful and more self-confident, you should wash yourself with dew at dawn. This is a very, very ancient tradition, even the ancient Celtic girls did this to become more beautiful. Only in modern ritual, one must also say the cherished words:
“Blessed dew, help my face not to grow old, wash away the wrinkles from my forehead, smooth my skin, erase the wrinkles from my eyes, give me beauty and purity. Hear my words, grant my wish, from Beltan to Beltan prolong my spell "
Happiness
To attract happiness and good luck, as well as get rid of various negativity, you need to light a candle, then take a piece of paper and write on it everything that you don't like, such a list of troubles.
After that, you need to burn this leaf over the flame of a candle, while saying:
"Burn it all with a blue flame!"
The candle must be left alone, it must burn out by itself and to the end.
That's basically it. And, before saying goodbye, let me remind you that in our time Walpurgis Night is carnivally entertaining, however, esotericists and all who believe in higher powers recommend that you treat this time with caution and respect, nevertheless, no matter how, it is A night of power.
And even if you are not going to carry out any rituals and do not believe in it, all the same, light a fire in the house. It doesn't matter if it will be a campfire in the yard, a fireplace or a candle. You will see how your mood improves, and your thoughts line up in a positive line. This is the pacifying "magic" of fire =)
That's all. Good luck friends!
