what does this mean?

vonnyob

when misfortune is enow, wear the bluestar on thy brow?

please can someone help me?

Nevyn

Where did you hear/get it from ?

It could have do with the Blue Star Tradiation of wicca.
Here is the witchvox article on it.

Talliesin

It's from Lady Gwynne Thompson's "Long version" of the Wiccan Rede, first published in Green Egg magazine on the Spring Equinox 1975 edition.

While all but one couplet goes beyond what is commonly referred to as the "Wiccan Rede", it is strictly speaking a Wiccan Rede indeed, which is to say advice for witches.

I have to say I've never been entirely sure what that line quoted refers to, though Bluestar is another name for Blue Morning Glory, a poisonous plant that is said to have been used by the ancient Druids in various rites (one can make an LSD-like susbstance from this plant, so we're likely talking about the ritual use of psychotropic plants). Hence it would seem the line suggests either that one engage in such a rite to sort matters out, or that the plant is being used more symbolicly than that (just because a plant is psychotropic, doesn't mean that actually ingesting it and experiencing those psychotropic effects is the only way to make use of it ritually).

I could be completely wrong in this mind, it's not something I've come across or dealt with other than in reading.

In any case, it should go without saying, but Blue Mountain Glory is not something to muck about with. Unless you've got a very good idea what you are doing (i.e. go and get a degree in pharmacology first) you'd probably just kill yourself.

scorplett

Lady Gwynne Thompsons "Rede of the Wiccae" is the only place that you will find original referance to the 'blue star on thy brow' phrases. This 'rede' was published after Valiente's quatrained couplets, and has much controversy as to its authenticity as Thompsons version is one of the cornerstones of her claims to a hereditary line passed to her by, you guessed it, her grandmother...

Consider that untill relitavley recently many wiccans believed themselves to be following the 'old religion' it was seen as no coincidance that the two women on opposate sides of the atlantic could have been part of two different traditions originating from two different grandmothers. It is now widley understood that many such claims are bovine fertilizers as the format of those traditions rely too heavily on borrowed formats from sources such as crowley, rosicurians, masons etc etc (that is not to say that those grandmothers that everyone had did not have any sort of familial tradition but it certainly was not what we have been calling witchcraft for the last half dozen decades)...

It would now be point to say that unless you seek to follow Thompsons tradition you do not need to understand evrery meaning within that peice of prose, likewise if you wish to follow an Alexandrian or Gardinarian tradition or a trad that claims its origins in those then Valiente's couplets are for you... This is particuluarly point in case in an Irish context because while Thompsons rede says "Elder is the Lady's Tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be", in Irish mythological texts it would seem that on occasion its required to use elder as well as other woods upon the ritual fire. Within many ethnic folklores this tree is prominent and all in differing ways. The Low Saxon roots of the word for Elder; Æld, meant 'fire. Traditions of the romanie folk forbid them to burn even the slightest twig. It is in norse traditions that its name as the mother or lady's tree comes from, Nordic peoples such as in Denmark it is noted as the dryad HyldeMoer or Elder tree mother, also within the norse folk tradition the inside pith is made into a round flat wick, dipped in oil and burned; the light from this will show you who of your neighbours are evildoers. So you can see how things change based on your traditional background.

All versions are at the end of the day poetry and not any sort of law. Religious law comes from deity and no other place and as Im Always harping on, relationship to deity is personal and no Priestess, authour or authority can tell you what morality your gods keep you bound to.

(short reply to your question is you would have to ask an elder of Thompsons tradition. Anyone else is just guessing)

Asiaprod

Talliesin wrote:

I have to say I've never been entirely sure what that line quoted refers to,

I am no expert, but I have come across it a few times, always translated as "If in trouble, visualize a blue pentagram on your forehead, which will protect you from harm." I remember it because I just happen to grow Morning Glory in my garden, the blue one is my favourite, and I have to warn my daughter not to be playing with the flowers.