Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The name of the Sturgeon moon comes from it being the time of year when Sturgeon were most readily caught in abundance during August’s full moon. Also taking place in August is another tradition believed to be related to fishing, The Burryman. There is much speculation surrounding the origins of the Burryman, with the local folklore being that when the fishing was bad the Burryman was bought out as a scapegoat, where he would take away all the bad luck and evil spirits and as a result ‘would raise the Herring’ and the fish would return and there would be a successful harvest. The same tradition used to take place across other Scottish fishing communities, but have since died out, leaving the one and only Burryman of South Queensferry now in existence!
Oil on canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The first full moon of the summer was once known to the ancients as the full thunder moon due to this time of year being abundant in electrical storms, it was also known as the full buck moon due to the fact that the antlers of male deers are at the height of there growth. This year there was also a rare occurrence where there was a lunar eclipse and a partial blood moon and as a result the moon turned partially red due the earths shadow crossing the moons path.
Oil on canvas - 30cm x 25cm
What was once known to the ancients as the Honey Moon, takes place around the time of the Summer Solstice. The name Is said to be due to it coinciding with the time of year when marriages were most popular, and also due to the custom of giving Mead and honey to newlywed’s during the first moon of their marriage, hence the term ‘honey moon’. Moon phases were also seen as symbols for the phases of Marriage itself, with the wedding being the happiest and fullest part, this was signified by the full moon. At sunrise on Friday morning this week (the 21st) druids, pagans and people from all over the world will gather at the ancient monument of Stonehenge to witness the Sunrise on the day of the Summer Solstice, a day that marks the time of year when daytime is at its longest and night time at its shortest. Stonehenge that is steeped in speculation and mystery has been a site of spiritual significance and congregation for thousands of years.
Oil on canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The name derives from the plentiful sprouting flowers and budding fertility of the land that takes place at this time of year, coinciding with the beginning of summer and the widespread celebrations taking place up and down the country during the merry month of May. Throughout many of these celebrations, flowers are picked and carefully arranged into Garlands, such as during the Castleton Garland day celebrations, where a man on horseback wears a large Garland and marches through the streets followed by his consort, now a woman, but traditionally a man dressed in drag. The use of Garlands are believed by many to hark back to ancient times of nature worship, where fertility rites were performed and sacrifices were made to appease the gods. Tonight is also a rare occurrence as it also a blue moon, although the moon will not actually appear blue, it is instead referencing the fact that it is the fourth full moon of the season, when usually there are only three full moons in a season, the next blue moon won’t appear in our skies until the year 2021, hence the expression ‘Once in a blue moon’.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
Aprils full moon was once known to the ancients as the Pink Moon! The name derives not from the colour of the moon itself but from the pink blossoming land that springs to life at this time of year. Other names given to April’s full moon include new shoots moon, seed moon, budding moon and my favourite from Medieval Britain, Hare Moon. Hares and Easter have a long standing relationship, where in Pagan times Hares were sacrificed to the spring goddess ‘Eostre’ who’s name later evolved into the word ‘Easter’. The Christian replacement for the old Pagan celebration. It was also believed that Hares laid eggs at spring, and before being changed in more recent times, the Easter Bunny was originally a Hare.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
Not only during April, does the landscape come alive, but so does the practice of spring rituals. In the old Lancashire town of Bacup, the Brittania Coconut Dancers perform a spring ritual of Pagan or medieval origin to celebrate the coming of spring, the renewal of vegetation and to move on any lingering evil spirits of winter. The dancers blacken their faces as part of a tradition called ‘guising’ to prevent themselves being recognised by any spirits when they return next year. Meanwhile
In Hallaton in Leicestershire, the tradition of the Hare pie scramble will be taking place a tradition believed to go all the way back to when Hares were still sacrificed to the goddess ‘Eostre’.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm X 25cm
During Spring as the temperature rises and the icy earth begins to thaw, the earth worm again emerges to the surface, causing a frenzy for the birds who appear in great numbers to feed, ancients who observed this phenonimum, aptly christened the full moon that marked this time as 'Full Worm Moon'. In North America, Native tribesman named the March full moon, 'Full Crow Moon' as the sound of 'caws', of the nest building crows, that could be heard in abundance at the time of year, was seen as a symbol of the end of the dark months of winter and the beginning of the cleansing months of Spring, when nature once again comes alive and fertility returns to the land. This year the Worm Moon fell on the same day as the Spring Equinox, the time of year when night and day are of equal length, and the long dark nights of winter have passed and various celebrations take place globally to mark the occasion, most notably by the Druids.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The Super Snow Moon, was the largest of this years Super Moons. Named by the ancients as ‘Snow Moon’ both in Europe and by Native American tribes for February traditionally being the time of year when snowfall was at is heaviest. In this painting I have also depicted the incredible February snow related Devon folk legend of the ‘Devils Footprints’ where in February 1855, after a bout of heavy snowfall, locals of the the Exe Estuary in East and South Devon and the surrounding areas, awoke to trails of cloven hood tracks that covered a distance of 40 to 100 miles, that defied scientific logic, for the strange meandering, single file patterns that were left in the snow. What also baffled locals was that whatever unidentifiable creature they were made by had a supernatural gift, that enabled it to walk straight over rivers, haystacks, snow covered roofs and a wide array of obstacles that would have stopped any known native living animal in its tracks. Due to the unexplainable nature of the hoof marks, Locals feared the worst and soon declared the tracks to be the marks of the ‘Cloven Hooves of Satan himself’ and for some time after this strange occurrence, avoided venturing from their homes past midnight, the story was picked up by the press and became a nationwide phenonimum
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
In ancient times, the January full moon, that is also a super moon, was known as the Wolf moon, due to the howling cries of hungry packs of wolves that could be heard in abundance at night throughout the tough months of mid winter, when prey was at its most scarce. The last wolf in Britain was said to have been killed in Scotland by Sir Ewan Cameron in 1680, however there were tales of wolf sightings right up until 1888. Also at this time of year and still to this day, particularly in cider drinking regions, the ancient tradition of Wassailing (also once known as ‘Howling’) takes place. Where people gather and perform rituals, where cider is poured on to the roots of apple trees, slices of toast are tied to branches to attract robins, the guardian spirits of trees and songs are sang and loud noises are made, where guns are fired over the tops of the trees, to scare away any lingering evil spirits, that could interfere with the blessing of the orchard, that’s function is to ensure a bountiful apple cider harvest for the coming year.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The first Full moon after the Winter Solstice and the last full moon of the year was once known to ancients as the 'Oak Moon'. A time in which Celtic, Druid priests honoured the sacred Oak tree, for its endurance and noble presence and as a symbol of strength and eternity and made ritual sacrifices to the gods, to ask for the great strength of the Oak, to ensure survival and to ease the burden of living through the harsh months of winter. Also at this time of year during the mid winter celebrations, the Mari Lwyd appears in the towns and villages of the Welsh valleys. A tradition that involves a horses skull, mounted on a poll carried by a man hidden beneath a draped cloth. In Celtic Britain the horse was seen as a symbol of power, strength and fertility and the use of animal skulls in ritual practices represented the annual miracle of death, rebirth and the power of nature.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm X 25cm
The Mourners Moon is the first full moon after the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, that marked the end of the Harvest and natures decent into the dark months of winter. During this transitional period of Autumn, whilst preparing for Yule, and the beginning of the new year, people mourned their loved ones, seeds that never came into fruition and all the past failures and disappointments that had taken place during the year, but most importantly through the act of mourning, people cleansed themselves of any attachments that they were carrying to negativity and grief. Every year in the town of Ottery St Mary on November the 5th, the Flaming Tar Barrels ritual takes place, that according to ancient myth and legend, was a ritual once practiced widely across Britain at the time of Samhain, where spirits of the dead returned to the mortal world and bonfires were lit, and flaming tar barrels were carried through the streets to chase away any evil spirits, and to spare the people of their negative forces.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The Hunters Moon was named by ancient tribal people, that took advantage of this extra bright full moon, that allowed them to hunt at night and to gather the extra meat provisions needed to get through the tough months of winter. As you can see I have included the Abbots Bromley horn dancers in the painting, as one of the speculative theories on the mystery of the origins of he Horn dancers, was that the Horns themselves, were once used in the Needwood forest as part of a hunting ritual, where hunters mimicked the movements of deer to confuse them and to ensure a successful hunt.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The Harvest moon is the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox, where the tilt of the earth creates a reflection in the atmosphere, creating a large bright colourful moon that illuminates the sky. This was embraced by farmers in ancient times, before the invention of electricity, that christened it the 'Harvest Moon', as it provided additional light during the harvesting of the last of the summer crops.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm x 25cm
The first historical records of the original, ancient Druids go right back to the 3rd Century BC, and were most famously documented in the writings of the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, that described them as highly respected members of the Celtic tribal society and as being in charge of all religious matters. It was also written by Caesar that in extreme cases such as in time of war, Human sacrifices were carried out by the Druid priests, as it was believed that animal sacrifice would not be enough to appease the gods.