The 7 Sacred Offerings

The 7 Sacred Offerings

Within the faith of the Bowynn tradition it is said that the gods ask for only 7 basic types of offering. These seven became the staple of offerings and are called "Tau Numa Abennes", literally The Seven Offerings. The list is as follows

Flowers, Plants, Flora and Foliage. (cut, potted, wreath, garlands)

Uncooked foods. (Fruits, honey, veggies, nuts, grains, herbs,)

Cooked foods. (Meats, cakes,)

The light of a Candle

Incense

Libations of all sorts (Anything liquid from water to brews)

Votive offerings and objects (clay, wax, cloth, wood figures. Objects)

There is technically and 8th form which is personal self, often meaning cuts of hair, nails and drops of blood. These are only used to bless and bind with a sacred religious tool and even then, very minimally. The gods otherwise abhor the sacrifice of life and the disrespect of the body. "Your body be a gift from us immortals, defile it not but instead keep it clean and pure.)

Once a year on New Years {Then Ohenn} a great complete set of all 7 offerings is displayed on Altars and is offered to the gods.

During the Holiday of "Kodex Tor" it is costumery to burn what is called a "Tsa'heka" of incense, which is 'bundle of 100 incense sticks." Sometimes a myst will off a Tsa'heka to the gods when casting a particularly powerful spell that is in dire need.

Unlike Wiccans, the gods of the Bowynn do NOT have any one set of particular offerings they require. That is to say there is no need to attribute only certain scents, colors and food to a particular god or goddess. they will accept any offering if given with all respect and love.

As to why offerings are gifted to the Bowynn gods, it's out of love and respect. For they have given some of the greatest gifts to mankind, its only right to give a gift in return. Brea, the goddess of the earth speaks very clear in this when she replied ...

"For all this that I have given on to you, for the life you live, the air you breath and that land you walk on, the light the lets you see the beauty of the day and the night that lets you sleep, would not you give the same to me? Gift to me a stone, a cutting a grass, a plate of your meal, light, waft of smoke. Kind comes in kind my beloved children and in circle again. Give what you can in love and hurt nothing that I have life to. Give to us, your beloved parents, and in kind we will give to you."

As to the "post offering" or to say what happens after offerings are gifted. the goddess Abbennaea clarifies this in her own words.

"Precious child, fret not because that which you offered is still on the plate. For you see, I take not that which you give to us in the mortal world but instead I take its divine essence, its spirit and love that you have given. And I bring it to those of us who you have offered it to. In turn, we the immortals, turn your gifts into that which is good for all, mortal and immortal alike. Only the scented herbs that you burn for us, we receive directly, as it rises and flies to our presence. Then within the turning of a full day and night, dispose of the mortal husk of your offering into a pit in the earth, into the waves of the sea, the waft of the wind or that is most befitting of such a gracious gift. And take heart knowing your gift has pleased us."

So, in a word, the gods take the divine essence of your gifts to them and after 24 hours you may dispose of the food or plants in a respectable manner, as best one can.

With this, we close with the basic outline of the Bowynn faith. Posts beyond this point will deal with the Holidays that the Bowynn celebrate and the Gods themselves in detail.

Aelles Tau Mystaras

Today I will jump ahead a bit as today is Holy Day. Precisely, today is the holiday called Shae vo Tau Mystaras {Day of The Mysteries} More commonly called Tau Mystaras.

The Mysteries are celebrated on the days of April 15th-17th. While some think the holiday is just celebrated for and by Mysts {witches} the holiday is really devoted to all worshipers. It's a most divine holiday. A time of rest, meditation, cleansing, looking inward and reflecting on one's faith. It is a time when people spend the 3 days at their home altars, shrines and reading their codex. Many like to just use the day and spend it in silence, in vigil, prayer. The days are used to clean one's shrines, altars, religious tools, divination tools. Those that attend groves will find the areas incased with plumes of incense. Bathhouses, saunas and Taranoms {sweathouses} are in wide use when they too are not being cleansed and cleaned.

Religiously, Tau Mystaras is dedicated to the gods Mystara and Ehlrik. Mystara being the goddess of Magic and Ehlrick, the god of shamanism and bards. At least they are the main focus, but all Bowynn gods are deeply respected this holiday. Tsa'heka-non {100-fold} bundles of incense are burned these days as offerings, mass libations of milk, water, juice and wine are gifted, grosses of flowers, plants, garlands and wreathes if bestowed to the gods, whole dinners are cooked for the holy family.

For Mysts and those that practice the arts of magic and shamanism; the holiday is especially celebrated as a great time of cleanings and is the date new initiates are blessed and welcomes into groves and temples. It is also the most sacred day to consult priests and priestesses for wisdom and consult oracles. Many will spend the days is deep though over tools of divination. And spells are cast endlessly on these 3 days. Nights of great divination practices, spell casting and a day for new practitioners to start.

Traditionally 7 candles are burned during these 3 days in reverence for the gods. And the colors of Black, Purple, White and Gold are displayed. Wreathes and garlands are hung up on and around doors in homes and temples. Soft religious music is played. Fasting is common but not culturally nor religiously demanded. But the abstinence of a frivolous foods of some sort is common: Coffee, Sugar, Alcohol, Candy, Pastry. It is up to the person.

Personally, I like to just use the day in prayers and to read my codex. I may do a divination reading. I spend the first day, cleansing my home, altar and take a LONG soak in the tub. I spend the second day in deep reverence and vigil and depending on the weather, I may take a long walk. Day 3 I like to do some spell casting and take a second soaking. Sometimes I will make special herbal cookies are a lemon cake. And I do make an offerings of the 7 Sacred Offerings (Meat, Vegetation, Incense, Herbs, Fire, Libation and Votives). If I am up for it, I will even spend time crafting and drawing something divine or magically in nature. And incense is always burning. And I normally will fast the first two days and day three I FEAST! LOL.

Aelles Tau Mystaras {Happy Holiday}

The Vlenndra

The Vlenndra Devotional is a special act of praise that is done at the start of any religious act.  It is much like a Christian will draw a cross with their finger across their body as they chant "To the father...". The Vlenndra Devotional is a form of attunement with the spiritual. There is no true English word nor term for "Vlenndra." Though some have interrupt it to "devotional" but it is really so much more beyond that.

Before the start of any prayers, rite or magic spell, be it alone or with one's clan, the Vlenndra Devotional is performed. It is an opening to your prayers, a way of preparing oneself, a separation from what you were doing in your mundane time and your spiritual life. The Vlenndra act is sort of a key to unlocking a door to the divine world and a reminder of that which is holy. Many use the Vlenndra devotional by itself as a morning affirmation. The Vlenndra devotional need not be done at one's altar but anywhere: Facing the morning or setting sun, at the rise of the moon, over a meal, at a moment when things go wrong.

The Vlenndra devotional is simple in itself and yet within its simplicity, atones one with our faith. It is started by taking up a simple incense stick of any scent. When the tip glows, blow out the flame and let it smoke. Then in the air draw a septagram with the tip. As you do this, speak the following:

“By Earth, By Air,

By Fire, By Water,

By Soul, By Spirit,

By Bia.”

Finish each septagram off by encircling it. Done as a daily practice, this is repeated 3 times in total. However in some remote cases one may wish to do this as much as 7 and 9 times. A Myst {witch] will use the common 7 times before casting a spell, during a holiday or during a vigil, 9 times is the norm. After which the incense stick is placed in its holder. The Vlenndra Devotional is done. One should never rush through the Vlenndra. You should think about your actions, its words, what each of these elements mean to you, absorbing each element as you speak the Vlenndra and how you plan to incorporate them throughout your day.  At the same time, the devotional need not be done too slow either. The main thing is that when done, with the devotional you should feel spiritually attuned for moment.

The Elements / Tau Retammas

Balance / Bia

The final and uppermost point on the Numatam is Bia {Balance}. Blanace is the inter-connectivity of all things to each other and how they balance each other out. Without Balance, chaos would take over. Like-wise, withing Chaos, Order would become overwhelming bring no excitement. Bia was and is the great creator, Unification, Endings and beginnings, Duality, Action and Reaction, Force, Power, the force of life and the divine creator of karmic law and balance Bia itself. It's from Bia all things came to be - Gods and mortality alike. So, it is from the element of Balance that we learn balance itself. That we cannot have one without the other. We learn of Yin & Yang, Polarity and Duality. We learn that we sometimes need the help of an opposite. Without the villain, we cannot have the Hero. Without a beginning cannot enjoy the ending accomplishment. Bia is the blank canvas and the completed picture. The front cover of a book to its back cover. Bia is the collective of ingredients and the completed meal. We create, learn and nurture from Bia. And we learn that everything in the world and the universe is ruled by the balance of Bia's law. Being that Bia ‘was’ before everything else, Bia is the great unseen and therefore the path to balance is a path of mysterious black. Bia {Balance} has no fixed "Station" as it's something that IS all around and all encompassing. Its rules all the other elemental stations: The growth and decay of the forest, the head of the river and its dwindled creeks, The burning flame and its soot. The gale of a wind down to its breeze, the day and the night. Bia teaches us NOTHING is forever and there is balance in all things, even if we do not also see it. The path of Bia is black, wrapped in shadow and mystery but it is never a path to be feared. It’s the path of creation and change.

The Elements / Tau Retammas

Fire {Phoenix} - The Hearth {Tau Io}

The first point of the Numatam represents all the aspects of the element of Fire (Creation, Passion, Love, Warding, Transformation, Energy, Enthusiasm, Courage, Determination, and Boldness). There are two types of fire in the world: Wild and Domesticated. The wildfire is the fires that created all - molten earth solidified and thus created ground. But wildfire also destroys as well. Wildfire burns the forest down, so a new forest can take its place as the ash feeds the earth. It burns as it changes all it touches, and in the moment of that change comes new growth. Domesticated fire gives us life by its warmth and light. This is the fire we as mankind have tamed and mastered (even though we will never really be able to master any element). We build our hearth fire, thus bringing us closer as a community or family. With hearth fire we light lamps and candles to light our homes and our way. As fire burns so do our hearts with deep love and heart felt emotions. From gazing into the fire, we watch the flames dance and spark, giving our body’s energy and enthusiasm. We challenge fire at times, holding our hands over the heat burning ourselves, thus giving us courage to take on dares and obstacles. And with fire in either form we use it to ward away that which we do not want to harm us. We cook with it daily, even enjoy the darkness by it. Even in its modern form, electricity, we gain all these same lessons. We ask it to bring energy to our spells, and we light our incense with it. The sun is one of the heavenly bodies which burns and warms our bodies with its radiant heat. At night the hearth flame does the same. The virtue associated with this element is Courage. When passion fuels our desire to make changes in our world, or when we choose not to settle for anything less, we summon our courage to deal with unpleasantries or things we need to face in our lives. We find our own strength with courage, which when faced with problems seemingly overwhelming to do something about them. Fire is primal and sensual. Fire burns within us all and each of us can summon this energy to do what must be done. Courage should be instilled within our souls to help us grow and face our fears and help gently push our limitations. The path of fire is a dangerous one emblazoned in the hue of red.

The Bowynn Gods: Bia

(This listing starts with the 7 great divinities of Creation. The Creatrix that was at the beginning. After the 7, all other gods will be listed in alphabetical order.)

"Creation / Hand of Bia" - created by D. Kzmarinski 1984 - 26"x34"

Bia  (By-ah)  - In the great Bowynn tale of Creation, Bia emerged from the reign of nothingness. Bia was not so much a deity as much as being a personification of creation. Bia represents creation, the force and balance of all things. Without Bia there is only chaos. It was the emergence of Bia that put an end to emptiness, the chaos and vanquished the never ending “Mist”. From Bia was born the first gods. Bia is the very element of 'Balance.'

     From Bia the first gods of creation were born: Paut, Tya, Ohenn, Brea, Unthar, Sumon, Phoenix, , and musch leter Daeth and Tora, Saul and Shayla, Maeanna and the three sisters, the Ano Taya.

     Bia is the most sacred of all of the divine in the Bowynn tradition. Even the gods themselves including Anhur, bow down and give honor to Bia. In the Bowynn tradition, Bia can take the shape and/or voice of anything it please, thereby Bia was able to set down laws and judgments, and still does. There are some who solely devoted to Bia and Bia’s powers. They spend their lives in constant pursuit of attaining the goals that Bia set. Others just give Bia the most respect and live their lives in balance.

    Bia has no true form as the other immortals. Bia takes the form of all and none. Therefore, Bia takes no one side. Bia is neither male nor female, mostly depicted just as a hand, as it places the stars and plants in the universal space. Bia is the perfect balance. Being that Bia is everything and is all about, all things are sacred to Bia. So many different types of offerings are sent but the most popular is simply incense or lit candle.

      (Equivalent would be Khaos, Ptah, the Abrahamic "God" and other divine beings of creation.)

Symbolic motif of the Great Creatix with a symbol of Bia in the very center. Embroidery detail on a Hladd. created by Lorra Konrad 1991