“I am the moon that rises from the twilight sea,
I bring men dreams that rule their destiny,
Bring the dream tides to the souls of men,
The tides that ebb and flow and ebb again…

These are the moon tides, these belong to me,
Hera in Heaven, in earth, Persephone,
Levannah of the tides, and Hecate,
Diana of the Moon, Star of the Sea.
These are my secrets, these belong to me…”
Dion Fortune, The Sea Priestess.

February Esbat – The Storm Moon (13/02/06)

The Storm Moon of February (also known as the Snow, Chaste, Quickening or Hunger Moon) is our wake up call. During this time, all in nature is pure and full of potential. The hibernating creatures are beginning to slowly arouse themselves, quickening their heartbeats, and creeping out or their dormant period. Mother Earth is gently awakening full of quiescent possibilities. The Storm Moon uses the same force upon us. There is a gentle pulling upon our consciousness at this time, we become aroused to the latent forces within ourselves – now is the time to turn the mirror in upon ourselves, and see what is reflected. A time to grasp the buds of new paths and ideas, and like nature, be prepared to welcome life anew.

Before we do so however, we must find our balance. Use this Esbat, to find your inner cornerstone – the bedrock upon which you shall build upon your potential. You may not know what lies ahead for you, but to utilise the power of the Storm Moon means you make plans for your future with the blessing of the Goddess.

As we in the Northern Hemisphere well know, this is a tempestuous time of year in terms of the in weather. So too is the relationship between God and Goddess. The God is now Consort to the Goddess whilst the Goddess is changing from Crone to Maiden, and will soon join the God to dance in the spring. As the weather ebbs and flows between frost and thaw, the undercurrent of energy that is the God slowly awakens the reborn Goddess. She is aroused from Her ice-capped slumber and awakens. The Great Wheel has turned, and the time of transformation is here.

A Storm Moon Ritual.

During this Month we also celebrate Imbolc, the halfway point between winter and spring. Imbolc is a fire festival, a celebration of the waxing light. The Goddess most revered at this time is Bridgit, a Celtic goddess of hearth and home, of healing and transformation. It is particularly apt therefore that during the Storm Moon Esbat (but 10 days after Imbolc), we appeal to the Goddess Bridgit to help us in our quest to fulfil our potential. Persephone is also a favoured Goddess at this time.

It can firstly be beneficial to equate ourselves with the moonlight. It is true that many find darkness unsettling and gloomy, but to take the time to be out of doors at night-time in a place that you feel safe (for example your own back garden) can be extremely relaxing. Noise from traffic is much quieter, and neighbours are indoors with their windows shut, especially at this time of the year! Wrap up warm, make yourself a hot drink, and take the time to just sit, and observe the peacefulness – soak it up. When you are comfortable and at peace, take a while to reflect upon who you are, your strengths and how to build upon them. This does not need to be a great long-term plan; it can be something quite simple and basic, which is indeed in keeping with the concept that this is a time for building upon our foundations. Once you have a come upon your desire, take a pure white candle – (in a lantern holder or similar if the night is windy), and whilst you light it, repeat quietly to yourself, what it is you want. Once your candle is burning brightly, and the flame is strong, chant three times:

“As I light the flame of fire,
Goddess Bridgit, this is my desire,
Help me find my truths untold,
Bring the light of inspiration,
To find my strengths, make me bold.”

Now sit quietly and watch the candle flame, and let the light of the Moon fill you up.

Alternatively, if you celebrate your Esbats with your family, you may each light a candle indoors, having taken your candles out into the moonlight earlier to charge them. Write down the chant beforehand for your children, or sit little ones on your lap whilst you chant it for them! Before you light them, each hold your unlit candles, and imagine the power of the Goddess Moon flowing through your body to strengthen it. Having done this, verbalise your desire for strength and enlightenment – you may wish to use this alternate chant:

“Lady Moon make me strong,
That I may grow,
Hear my song.”

Which is much easier for little ones to remember! Light all the candles, and place them upon your alter, fireplace or other appropriately safe place.

Source
Brigther Blessings.com

Herb of the Month

Frankincense

(from Book of Shadows: Journey of a Solitary Witch Blog )

This is an aromatic resin from any of the four main species of deciduous trees in the Boswellia genus. They come in the form of small bushes and trees of moderate size with compound leaves and grow in a wide variety of environments, though the most aromatic varieties come from more arid regions. The flowers are yellowish-white with five petals. The resin comes from cuts in the tree which allow the sap to bubble out and harden . This is done when they are about 8 to 10 years of age. It has been a valuable trade item for thousands of years and used in rituals for just as long.

Latin Name:
Boswellia Carterii

Folk Names: Olibanum, Olibanus, Olibans

Element: Fire

Gender: Masculine

Planet: The Sun

Deities: Ra, Baal

Magical Uses:

Frankincense is often added to other magical mixtures in order to increase their potency due to the powerful vibrations of energy that are released from it when it is burned. These intense energies drive away negative energies and evil so it has been used throughout the ages for purification and exorcism. With this in mind we can see that it also an excellent choice for preventative measures such as that of protection. The strong vibrations produced by frankincense make it an excellent choice in meditation incenses and also in mixtures used to promote spiritual growth as well as to induce visions.

Medicinal Uses:

The resin has long been used in the Ayurvedic medicine of India and the bark has been used in Africa to treat fever, gastrointestinal distress and rheumatism. Studies are currently under way to test the resin, and its chemical derivatives, for treating chronic inflammatory diseases and one study claims the incense may work similarly to a psychoactive drug to reduce depression and anxiety, a correlation to its magical uses that cannot be easily ignored.

Folklore:

The resin was once burned as an offering to the sun god Ra in ancient Egypt on a daily basis at sunrise. As many people know, this was one of two magical resins presented to Jesus in the story of his birth by the Magi or “wise men”, who were traditionally wizards from the east. It has also been in use by the Catholic church as an incense, probably for this reason. It is also used in the Jewish tradition. Its appearance in these stories, and its current use by the church, is obviously influenced by its extensive use for thousands of years before they were written.

Spell - A - Week

Blowing Darts

(from Gypsy Magic Blog)

This is a spell to break and remove all the bad energy, negativity, bad luck, hexes, and etc. that others have put on you, or that you have inadvertently collected or allowed.

You will need:

1 white candle
1 smudge stick OR 1 generous handful of dried sage leaves (not the powder)
1 lemon (lemon essential oil - or pure lemon juice will also work)
1 paper plate
black marker or pen
13 straight pins
1 black cloth - the size of a large handkerchief
1 egg
1 potato

Making the spell:

Gather your supplies
Get centered
Draw an "eye of protection" on the paper plate with the black marker or pen.
Cut the lemon in half and rub it briskly over the candle until the candle is coated with the juice, wipe your hands on the black cloth.
Now, light the candle.
Next light the smudge stick, OR if you are using dried sage, place the leaves into a fireproof container and light them so that they begin to smolder and smoke.

Once you have some good smoke, take the potato and submerge it in the smoke using a circular, counterclockwise motion.
When the potato seems well fumigated, set it down on the paper plate and cover it with the black cloth.
Insert the 13 stick pins through the cloth into the potato.
Crack the egg over the cloth covered pinned potato and let the egg slide off of it and onto the plate.
Blow on each stick pin and into the potato. As you do this, recite the incantation, saying it louder each time, until you feel the negative energy has left you and transferred into the potato.

The Incantation:

Thirteen pins in the poppet,
Hex be broken. Now I stop it.
Curse be over. Curse be done.
I succeed. I have won.
Bad luck stays within the black.
I am not under attack.
Curse be buried and destroyed.
My life it is now filled with joy!

Dispersing the bad energy:

Unwrap the cloth, being careful to keep the pins intact. If a pin does not come out with the cloth, but stays embedded in the potato, you'll have to re-do the spell.

This is important. The potato and the black cloth with the pins in it must be disposed of separately, far from your home. The paper plate should be burned, along with whatever remains of the sage. It's also important to dispose of the lemon (if you used one) and the shell from the egg.

Ideally, the black cloth with the pins will be dropped at a crossroads NOT near your home; the paper plate and the sage burned - their ashes scattered to the four winds; and the potato tossed into a river or sent out with the tide.

Alternatively, the items could be buried near a crossroads (just be sure that the potato and the black cloth are buried separately and at a good distance from one another). Do not bury any of the items in your own back yard!

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Esbats: Storm Moon

February Esbat – The Storm Moon (13/02/06)

A Storm Moon Ritual.

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