Acbal's Moon

The Rose

2012-02-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

(From "Sticks, Stones, Roots, and Bones" by Stephanie Rose Bird)

No other plant is as intimately linked to love as the rose (Rosa spp.). When working with roses, seek out the old-fashioned scented types, such as those listed below, rather than the more neutral tea roses. Roses are beautiful, and like the lotus, they suggest female genitalia in the height of passion. The blush of the rose is often linked to the blush of a bride or a sexual partner during orgasm. In parts of Africa and the Middle East, holy temples are spiritually cleansed entirely with highly potent Bulgarian rose water. Rose water enhances the sacred environment.

A little-known fact is that roses are a systemic nervine (translation: they calm and soothe your nerves). Only your imagination sets the limits when it comes to using roses in love-drawing potions and tricks.

Old-Fashioned Shrub Roses for the Hoodoo's Garden

1. Apothecary's Rose -- This is a richly fragance, medicinal rose with a spicy scent.

2. Belle de Crecy -- This is considered the purest rose scent.

3. Bulgarian Rose and Damask -- The sweet, fragant roses from which quality rose water and attar of roses is made.

4. Celestial -- Contains the aroma of clean skin.

5. Madam Isaac Pereire, Guinee, and Souvenir de la Malmaison -- These are stunning and fragant.

6. Maiden's Blush -- This is considered to be refined.

The Origins of Brighid

2012-02-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

by Paula Jean West
(Fragg)
CIRCLE Magazine On Line

Brighid, the Goddess to whom I had dedicated myself, is the Celtic Goddess of inspiration, healing, and smithcraft. She is one of the best examples of the survival of a Pagan Goddess into Christian times. She was canonized as St. Brigit by the Roman Catholic Church and various stories are given of Her origins and Her life. She was a Druid's daughter, described in the Carmina Gadelica as the "daughter of Dugall the brown." She is reported to have predicted the coming of Christianity and to have been baptized by St. Patrick. Popular folk tales describe Her as the midwife to the Virgin Mary, and She is thus always called upon by women in labor. The Christian St. Brigit was a nun, and later an Abbess, who founded an Abbey at Kildare in Ireland. She was said to have had the power to appoint the bishops of Her area, an unlikely role for an Abbess, made stranger by Her unusual requirement that these bishops also be practicing goldsmiths.

In ancient times, the Goddess Brighid had a shrine at Kildare, with a perpetual flame tended by nineteen virgin priestesses called Daughters of the Flame. No man was permitted to come near Brighid's shrine and neither did Her priestesses consort with men. Even food and supplies were brought to the priestesses by women from the nearby village. When Catholicism overtook Ireland, Brighid's Fire Temple became a convent and the priestesses became nuns, but the same traditions were upheld and the eternal flame kept burning. Each day a different priestess/nun was in charge of the sacred fire and on the 20th day of each cycle, the fire was miraculously tended by the Goddess/Saint Herself.

For more than a thousand years thereafter, the sacred flame was tended by nuns. In 1220 CE, though, the Bishop became angered by the no-males policy of the Abbey of St. Brigid of Kildare. He insisted that nuns were subordinate to priests and must open their abbey and submit to inspection by a priest. When the Brigidine nuns refused and asked for another Abbess or other female official to perform the inspections, the Bishop was furious. He decreed that the keeping of the eternal flame was a Pagan custom, and ordered the sacred flame to be extinguished. Despite this persecution, St. Brigit remains to this day the most popular saint in Ireland, along with St. Patrick. In the1960s, though, Vatican II declared there was insufficient proof of St. Brigit's sanctity, or even of Her historical existence, and She was decanonized, so that the Roman Church's campaign against Her became successful. Recently, however, despite the initial protests of the Roman Catholic church, two nuns, by the name of Sister Mary and Sister Phil, have reestablished the worship of St. Brigit at Kildare and have relit Her sacred flame, which burns once more. The first modern Candlemas/Imbolc celebration at the ancient site of Brighid's sacred well in 1997 drew hundreds of people and grows every year in popularity. The flame of Brighid's love burns brightly once more.

Blessed Imbolc!

2012-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

Imbolc (Gaelic for "in the belly"), is also known as Candlemas, the Festival of Lights, or the Feast of St. Brigid. At this cross-quarter or midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, we begin to see the first signs of life and the promise of Spring! We celebrate the triple Goddess Brigid (Ireland), also interpreted as Bride (Scotland) and Brigantia (England). She is the ultimate domestic Goddess, keeper of the sacred hearth flame and the patroness of poets, healers, and craft workers. Inspiration is the spark of her passion and we drink at her sacred spring of knowledge!

"May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell.

Bless every fireside, every wall and door.

Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof.

Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy.

Bless every foot that walks its portals through.

May Brigid bless the house that shelters you.”

- Brigid’s Blessing

RITUALS

• Kindle Your Inner Flame: Light a fire in your hearth or make/decorate and bless a special candle for your altar. Take some time to purify your mind, body, and soul. Then invite Brigid to spark your creativity and fan the embers of inspiration! Be sure to rake the ashes in your fireplace smooth before you go to bed so you can see Her footprints in them, in case she passes that way during the night.

• Wear Brigid’s Mantle: Leave a shawl, scarf, handkerchief, scraps of fabric, or string in a tree or bush outside your door on Imbolc Eve. Brigid’s blessing will transform them into “Brat Bhride” (Brigid’s mantle or cloak) for personal protection and health throughout the year.

• Weave Brigid’s Wheel: These charms can be made from rushes, palms, wheat, willow or even colorful pipe cleaners and can be hung above your hearth or door to protect your home throughout the year
• Make Butter: Imbolc is closely associated with mother’s milk (ewe or sheep’s milk in particular), and the act of making butter is nothing short of magical! You could simply beat heavy whipping cream in a mixer until it “breaks,” but nothing compares to hand shaking real butter in a glass jar—it’s much easier and more fun that you might think. Be sure to support your local, organic dairy!

• Visit Sacred Springs: If you are lucky enough to have a natural spring or seasonal stream near your home, now is a great time to consecrate your body and respectfully collect Her sacred waters for magical workings. Be sure to leave an offering in reverent gratitude, such as a colorful ribbon or yarn of natural material tied to a nearby branch.

• Create a Vision Board: Grab a stack of magazines, some poster board, and start placing words and images together into a collage that represents what you’d like to attract and manifest this year. This is a great activity to help kids visualize their intentions and indentify common goals for your family. Put them in a spot where everyone can see and encourage one another!

• Start Your Spring Cleaning: Clean out your hearth, cut through the clutter, and use your besom to clear out any stagnant energy. Smudge each room, your ritual tools/altar, and open the windows to let in some healthy, fresh air!

BRIGID'S FEAST

This is the feast of hearth and home, so it’s a perfect time to conjure a hearty winter stew or comforting cottage pie. To top it off, why not showcase the element of fire with a decadent Crème Brulée or a dramatic flambé such as Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, or Crepes Suzette? As always, fresh and local foods are the best for seasonal feasts. There are many late winter options to choose from, including a variety of root vegetables, but you can also supplement with foods you have canned or frozen throughout the course of the year.

• Vegetables: Onions, leeks, potatoes, carrots, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage

• Grains: Gingerbread, carrot bread/cake, honey cakes, oat cakes, porridge

• Dairy: Milk and cheese (especially Greek Feta and Pecorino Romano), fresh butter

• Fruits: Dried fruits and raisins, pomegranates, oranges/clementines, lemons, pears, cranberries

• Nuts and seeds: Sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds

• Beverages: Mead, blackberry wine, pear cider

FLOWERS & HERBS

There may be snow on the ground in many places, but signs of new life are all around--if you are looking. The first cold-hearty buds and blooms of spring are filled with vibrant color, fragrance, and quickening magic!

• Camelias: Luxury/riches, admiration, memory

• Snowdrops: death/cleansing, passing of sorrow [should not be picked]

• Narcissus (Daffodils, Paperwhite): Respect, harmony, tranquility, fertility, abundance

• Crocus: New love, intuition, vision/divination

• Fruit tree blossoms: Immortality, fertility, friendship, love, luck

• Maple buds: Balance, healing, knowledge/intellect, communication

• Pine Cones: Fertility, hope, longevity, purification, protection

• Frankincense (resin): Calming/focus energy, cleansing/healing, protection

• Myrrh (resin): Spirituality/communion with Goddess, cleansing/healing, protection

FRom
Witches Rising
www.facebook.com/WitchesRising

Demons of Habit: An Approach to Self-Iniciation

2012-01-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

Ray Sherwin

Practitioners of magick, whether or not they admit the activity to themselves, can be roughly divided into two groups - the devotional and the power-seeking - although the boundary between then may not be distinct; indeed both can be seen to fulfil the same need. There is a human drive to validate the existence of the individual and where there is difficulty in fulfilling this need existential neurosis is the result. The devotionalist fills this vacuum in a number of ways - through faith in god or gods, through nature or the past and to this extent he may see himself as a religionist, a scientist, a historian, a pagan, a magician or a combination of these.

The power-seeker, although he may allow for the possibility of a macrocosmic force, seeks to discover and make use of the god-like powers within himself, not usually to acquire mundane riches or power but to satisfy himself that he is more than he appears to be and to improve his condition.

Both groups are aiming to bring their lives into completion, the completeness which confers a tranquillity not possible in the vacuum of mundane self. The High Magician, the ley hunter, the church goer and the naked pagan all seek in different ways to add something to their lives, something which can only be described poetically. The devotionalist (this category includes scientists) does it by considering himself to be part of something greater than himself. The power-seeker does it by attempting to prove to himself that he is more than the shell which other people, and some times he himself, see.

I have no inclination towards the devotional except when the spirit moves me. At times I can, like the poet, admire the sea or the skies and wonder at the oneness of it all. In this mode I am a child who feels this or that for the first time and gasps in astonishment. If I could maintain the sense of wonder no doubt I would be a devotionalist for there is nothing to surpass that sense of awe.

Instead I am a sceptic, a seeker who believes in nothing, preferring to rely on the power of self and on the observations made by self to fill the space which the devotionalist fills with god or some cognate notion.

This course, taken out of proclivity rather than choice, places a great strain on the psyche. During times of stress the devotionalist can turn to something outside of himself which he genuinely believes to be real but the celebrant in the cult of self is unable to do this. He must either turn in or turn off. To turn in he must be strong and, above all, he must love himself, a singularly difficult task in times of stress, yet it is usually stress in some form which urges him along his path. A content individual is a dead individual and change is the nursery of every advance in every field including that of personal evolution. A content individual seeks to change nothing. Realising this the magician intentionally puts himself into stress situations in an effort to find new aspects of himself and solutions to the problems which those newly discovered aspects pose. The discovery and synthesis of these vital signs is the purpose of the system outlined below.

There are no new methods in magick - merely refinements and rearrangements of old ones. The self-integration process of driving out neuroses through meditation and abreaction is the same method in essence as would be used to drive the self on to greater things. The word 'evolution’ has been worked to death in this context but it is as near a word as we can have. Traditional and modern magical methods have failed to initiate it because by and large it is their nature to confuse the mind except for the part which is presumed to be the seat of intention or will. Gnosis is the word that we have given to this technique of confusion and undoubtedly it has its effects but no one yet seems to have tried the way of clarity except in the most desultory fashion.

Man is a lazy creature of habit. Laziness may indeed have been one of the reasons for his evolution so far, encouraging him, as it must have done, to find easier ways to survive than the conditions in which he found himself permitted. Habit, even in complex activities, reduces the amount of concentration required for the execution of a task. The simple expedient of the grasping thumb would have necessitated a great deal of concentration at the time when the faculty began to develop as would the development of three-dimensional vision and the beginnings of coherent thought and language. In ancient times it would have been the individuals capable of using these newly developed faculties who would be looked upon as magicians -the ones who could run quickly, produce tools with greater precision or bring together their observation and skill to produce ideographs - yet they would be quickly emulated by those whose faculties were only slightly less developed. The ones who were not physically or mentally capable did not survive.

On the grand scale activities like grasping with the thumb and seeing three-dimensionally became habitual. We do not need to think about them and in the latter case it is supremely difficult to reverse the process and see everything on a flat plane.

Habit reduces the degree of concentration necessary for the performance of any task and, in so doing, application in other areas and brain, unused because it is no longer called upon for the maintenance of the organisni, which provides a key to a new system of magick. Here we have a large reservoir of potential concentration which is not being used.

Because he is a lazy creature of habit man prefers comfort to adventure and stasis to motion in both the physical and mental sense. Only the greatest minds break out of this stasis to produce something n vital and essential. For the vast majority who can only see their capabilities during rare periods of unusual lucidity life goes on as normal, the supreme being rejected in favour of the habitual/comfortable.

Traditionally the magician forced himself to do those things which his personality decreed would wait until tomorrow. This method failed because it relied on the imposition of new habits, albeit self-imposed rather than arbitrary ones, without stating its aims.

That man is incapable of performing those tasks which at certain times he sees as being essential is bad enough, but that to a large extent he is incapable of thinking the thoughts he knows to be essential is insufferable. Various concentration exercises have been devised and used in the past and of those some have, in part, been successful , but never yet to the extent that a single man has been able to tap his own hidden resources in the fields of E.S.P. or magick. Whenever he has the inclination to do anything new laziness or gross appetite intervene. In the case of thought concentration his body, current problems or more appealing thoughts interfere, tantalising hini away from his purpose.

This is perhaps an over statement for, to be sure, the average man can concentrate sufficiently to solve chess problems or fill in his income tax returns but not enough to move objects by the power of his mind alone or to communicate without the use of speech. Nor can he sustain the control of his mind functions long enough to explore the unmapped territory of his mind, which process is the magician's priority.

It is as though there is a censorship mechanism in the brain or in the mind which prevents us from doing these things and whether it is seen as a function of the Holy Guardian Angel, as a natural and necessary barrier or, as some have seen it, as the work of demons or aliens resident in the mind, it is clearly an objective of the magician to bypass or destroy it. 'Man know thyself' is inadequate instruction. The magician must map his consciousness from within, wearing down the censorship niechanism until it no longer interferes with his overall strategy.

The first tactic to this end is a catalogue of daily activities. There are many reasons why we do things - indeed we sometimes find it amusing to do something for no apparent reason. The magician must analyse every action he makes and satisfactorily explain the reason for each until his mind begins to clear through the increase in 'licit' actions and the dropping out of ‘illicit’ actions. At this point he would be performing willed and necessary actions and not bending to habit or appetite. The possible reasons for the performance (or omission) of any action are manifold.

1.Necessity: health, welfare, income, evolution/development. The last sub-category can be misleading. Activities such as reading or making whatever could be classified under the heading of development. The magician must be ruthless in analysing their function.

2.Habit: smoking is an obvious example. Leaving aside the question of health which does not apply to all habitual actions it is only necessary to identify habitual activities. These might further be subdivided into habits which interfere with Category 1 functions and those which do not. In either case the magician should aim to desist from their performance.

3.Appetite: this includes eating, drinking, sex, drug-abuse and any activity whose only result is to stimulate the organism in some way spurious to the needs of necessity or nature.

4.Fear: that is, fear of the consequences should certain actions not be performed.

5.Laziness: Any of the activities listed above could also belong to this category, even income. The man who uses his mundane work as an excuse not to do those things he really needs to do is a clerk who will never become Einstein.

6.Unselfassuredness: "I will not prepare a meal because I am not a good cook". Forced into the situation any man can become Robinson Crusoe. "I am not a good telepath" is insufficient reason not to try - and perhaps succeed.

7.Time-measuring: activities which serve only to amuse until a time when more important activities can be performed - a walk in the woods or an hour watching the video.

Further reasons might be listed as

a) Bravado

b) pride

c) anxiety to please

d) ambition - usually a conditioned or self-conditioned reflex which serves no other purpose than the fulfilment of b or c.

e) the herd complex - doing as others do

f) stimulus response

The observation and critical analysis of one’s actions is of paramount importance but this cannot be done in a vacuum. To begin with, at least, the process should be performed as part of a routine of supplementary disciplines in order to achieve maximum effect.

The first important question in setting up such a routine is that of time.

Magicians, whatever their aims and methods, have always acknowledged that certain times are better than others for their workings. In traditional magick the correct time for an operation was calculated by painfully complicated and arbitrary methods involving irrational planetary significances. The modern school did not specify particular times as being desirable for its workings but since its method was to confuse ratiocinity in order to liberate the will it was only natural that its works be conducted during the hours of darkness. For works of initiation and other such theatrical occasions this was, and still is, the most sensible approach. This assertion comes not only as a result of the inherent fear of that which cannot be seen or that which lurks in the shadows but also the feeling of solitude experienced during the hours of silence when most people are asleep.

The nightside is the time for inspiration. During the restless period before sleep or between bouts of sleep it seems that there is no limit to one’s capabilities or powers. Belief in the whole gamut of extra-sensorial abilities is at its height at these times but this belief pales with the cold light of dawn when the mentative processes become more lucid. When a person has been awake long after his normal sleep threshold has been passed his clarity of thought must be called into question but convictions of belief, although they originate liminally, must be more fantasy since, in the case of sigils and so on, they have been seen to have an effect on both the waking perspective and the willed organisation of coincidence.

There is no question of duality here. Only of the practicalities of different qualities of thought process. During the hours of daylight the bustle of daily business is the only barrier to lucid thinking. Magick performed on the dayside may not be romantic, dramatic or mysterious but if clarity of thought is the object it is obviously preferable since it is only during periods of clarity that an analysis of one’s actions can be made and appropriate remedial actions be devised.

The magical activities of day and night are not opposites, merely different techniques which may be used to achieve different objectives. It is when the nightside consciousness creeps into the day, when there is an inability to distinguish between the two, that problems arise, the sufferer believing himself capable of anything and yet unable to demonstrate his belief. This disparity between belief and ability ultimately leads to madness. This is why, when the magician finds it necessary to use gnostic, nightside techniques he should make the usual safeguards in addition to emphasizing in his record that he is to perform such a working.

For the magician, skilled as he is in the methods of conjuration and sigilisation, the easiest way to become acquainted with (and to eliminate) the tricks of the mind which prevent him working to capacity is to personify them as demons each with its own name and sigil.

To be charitable to the practitioner of traditional magick it may be that when he invoked Behemoth, demon of the delights of the belly and then banished him he was attempting to understand his own gross appetites and ultimately to rid himself of them. But even if this were the case an operation of such an isolated nature would have had little or no permanent effect on him. Anyway, there is little benefit in identifying with a demon of someone else's creation since the notion exemplified by it will manifest in many different ways for different individuals or in some cases it might not manifest at all.

A number of morning meditations produces a list of categories of action as shown before. Licit activities, those listed under 1. need not be personified but all the others should be named and provided with a sigil or even a portrait. The names and pictographs may be totally arbitrary or could be arrived at through word association or similar methods.

Having identified hts demons the magician must then settle down to observing their action which, in itself, may negate the effects of some of them. In order to destroy the more irrepressible of them, however, he needs adopt a daily regime, a cycle of action which not only aids his analysis of them but also provides supplementary activities to reinforce his original strategy. That strategy should never be far from his mind.

At this stage the benefits of observing one's actions so closely may not be apparent. That doing so will inevitably encourage the magician to do something he has been intending to do for years is merely a by-product except inasmuch as that something may be a category 1. function. That, in theory, observing one's actions and recording them causes the magician to devote a much larger proportion of his time to them is more important. The vital part of the system is that illicit actions be realised for what they are and not be allowed to interfere with category 1: functions present or proposed

A typical category 1. function is eating. if, because I am too lazy to buy food, I die of starvation it is as a result of the intervention of Zalin. In fact my instinct would always prove much stronger than him in such cases because the survival mechanism, an integral category I. function, is such as to be unaffected by demonic onslaughts of this kind. Should I become fat and unhealthy as the result of a combined attack by Zalin and Aheb, however, the case is not so clear. Category 1. functions badly affected can only defend themselves through the observation of potential disaster and the application of will . These are types of problem that everyone occasionally has to deal with but confronted by the problem 'Why can't I perform telekinesis?' another category I. function (leaving aside for the moment the question of concentration) the solution must be one, or a combination of, the following:

a) I do not believe it possible.
b) I have not spent enough time in attempting it.
c) I do not believe it to be necessary.
d) I have better things to do.
e) I don't know where to begin.
f) I don't want to fail so I haven’t attempted it.
g) I know I can do it but I have better things to do.

In the event that I do not believe it possible I succumb to my present level of performance denying myself the option of greater capacity by not recognising that the belief is arbitrary or prejudiced. In all other cases I am being assailed by the demons who are expelled through observation and confrontation. The more victorious I am over them in the mundane areas of category 1 the better I am fitted to repel those of their seductions which deny my magick success.

As a result of his training the magician is superbly capable of disengaging his disbelief; he does this every time he enters his temple and every time he makes an invocation.

The traditional magician used an arbitrary tool - the grimoire of demons. The present proposal is that in observing and identifying his demons the magician writes his own grimoire, a text which explores the every trick of each demon in an effort to thwart it. He can contemplate his actions as much as he likes but he will find it much easier to rid himself of personality accretions of this nature when he has suspended his disbelief sufficiently to see illicit actions as being the machinations of something outside himself with its own will and personality. It is easier by far to destroy a demon than to nullify the effects of a function which the ego is anxious to maintain.

The record is the magician's mirror. In it he sees himself not as others see him but as he is. In it his qualities and faults are exposed and available for scrutiny; in it his successes and his failures are meticulously recorded. It is his glory and his shame but that glory is not in success, that shame not in his failure. The glory is in his works attempted, the shame in th~ unrecorded day. It is a permanent book written carefully and clearly, illustrated where necessary in order that others may learn from his successes and failures.

The basis of the record is the oath which is no more and no less than a statement. It is not a promise to or a pact with any exterior power or energy no matter how real such a force may be to the magician. It is a statement of the magician's needs and motives tempered by the strategy on which he has decided but it is not static and may be changed or amended in accordance with his development. Delineating his position thus clearly is great value when he faces difficulty in deciding a particular course of action even when he decides that the oath itself must be changed. In such event his explanation of the change results in a clear restatement.

This matter is not a task which can be completed quickly. For an oath to be useful it must be uncompromising and encouraging, confining the magician to licit activity in whichever way he has defined it yet permitting the broadening of his self awareness, pointing him constantly in the direction he has chosen.

Having written his oath and meditated upon it to confirm its suitability the magician copies it into his grimoire. He may choose to supplement it with a pantacle, a design which incorporates the function and intention of the oath.

Given that the magician must order his life in terms of income and, to a certain extent, sociability, the inaugural phase of his writing of the grimoire must necessarily be a full magical retirement to ease in the establishment of the new order. The identification of demons and the formulation of the oath are proemial to this so that the magician has a workable basis from within which to begin. The retirement must be of at least twenty-eight days this being the minimum period necessary for the integration of a system within which each of the daily activities has an effect on all other activities. Although the regime should be flexible the retirement should begin with a fixed programme so that not even one day is wasted and so that the magician can begin immediately with the reintegration of himself as exemplified by his oath.

Many blessings to everyone...

2012-01-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

May your heart, mind, and soul be filled with peace and compassion for yourself and others. May your light be illuminated and radiate heavenly lifeforce to everyone with whom you come into contact. May you have the strength to lift yourself above all earthly troubles, and see everything from a perspective of divine timing and divine order. May you have a sense of purpose and the motivation, time, and support to devote to your purpose, passion, and priorities. And so it is!

The Magical use of Voice

2012-01-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

Speech is the main form of communication used in our culture - we are all capable of making a wide range of noises with our mouths, and as the word "en-chant-ment" suggests, the voice has played a powerful role in magick, in all ages and cultures. The aim of this essay is to examine the ways in which the voice can be used in magick, and suggest exercises which will help the reader to develop the range of vocal techniques.

In all cultures, the voice has been an important carrier of power, and most mystery traditions and religions make use of songs, chants, and prose to worship or bring about gnosis. From dramatic choruses to hymn and prayer, from working songs such as sea shanties and battle songs to children's skipping rhymes and folk spells; the power of voice is amazing. Orators, both political and religious, have used the power of their voices to project their charisma and enthuse mass audiences - look at the crowds that Billy Graham attracts for example. The sound of a spoken phrase can go far beyond its meaning to speak directly to the Deep Mind. An extreme example of this is described by Nandor Fodor, a Jewish psychoanalyst who notes the effects of listening to Adolf Hitler's "rabble-rousing" speeches. He had heard these speeches on two occasions on the radio, and recalls that although due to its raucous harshness, Hitler's German was totally incomprehensible to Fodor (who was a native Hungarian),he felt that:

"ever so slowly, my blood began to boil, and I wanted to shout and scream. It was not a rage against him. It was with him, like a flow of lava is with the volcano."

Modern politicians very often resort to a speech pattern known as "pathic", which combines tone and the pacing of words to project an underlying message that no matter what they are talking about, they are "in control", and "everything is fine - don't get alarmed". The waking mind can be easily bypassed, so that meaning is carried directly to the Deep Mind, stirring the appropriate emotions which the speaker wishes to stir.

We can use our voices to convey and project emotional messages very effectively, and tone often betrays our true feelings on a subject, despite what we actually say. Young children are often confused by a verbal threat delivered in a light tone of voice. Therapists and healers can pick up a great deal of information from a client's manner of speaking. The huge differences in accents in a country allows us to identify a persons origin, even though they have been resident in another region for years. Using soothing tones can lull people into relaxive trance states, while shouting and hyperventilating can propel us into excitatory states - as demonstrated by cults such as the Shakers. Elsewhere we find that the voice can be an aid to martial prowess - ranging from war cries and battle songs, to the articulation of short syllables during martial arts duels, which are designed to act as carriers for chin (jin) or to distract an opponent.

Speech also has a cosmological dimension. That, "in the beginning, was the Word" is a concept common to many cultures, as is the idea that the correct pronunciation of certain Divine names will bring about the end of the world. Also, there is the idea of the "Rule of Names", most eloquently expressed in Ursula Le Guin's "Earthsea" stories - that if you know the "True name" of an entity, then you can command it". William Burroughs, in "The Place of Dead Roads", puts it another way:

"As soon as you name something, you remove its power....If you could look Death in the face he would lose his power to kill you. When you ask Death for his credentials, his passport is indefinite".

This principle is well-known to all those who delve into the depths of the psyche - that vague, un-named fears can be "tamed", once they are recognised, and having been named, can be isolated and drained of their power to terrify. I will be looking in some detail at some of the magical vocal techniques based on this principle later.

Primal Poetry

Just for the purposes of discussion, I want to distinguish between 'ordinary' speaking and 'sacred' speech. Sacred speech, in this context, refers to those occasions when we are using speech (probably combined with other modes of display) to bring about a magical change - such as in inducing group trance, communing with spirits, being a horse, raising energy, and so on. At these times, the way in which we deliver speech is different from our usual habits of talking in that there may be an enhanced deliberateness in our enunciation, or greater care taken in projecting the subtle nuances of emotion - awe, ecstasy, gentleness or martial ardour. Whether our words well up, unbidden, from the Deep Mind, or have been carefully linked together in prolonged brainstorming sessions, it is highly likely that we will try and find a certain distinct rhythm around which to frame our words.

The Deep Mind often speaks to us in verse. Cross-cultural studies of the vocal patterns of people in the throes of possession show a striking similarity, that of a rising and falling intonation at the end of each phrase, with each phrase punctuated by a pause or groan. This pattern emerges regardless of native language and cultural background. The English version of this rhythm is known as Iambic Pentameter. You can hear it also in the frenzied oratorical deliveries of evangelical preachers and in the apparently meaningless gush of words and phrases from those who have been seized by the 'Holy Spirit'. It wells forth from the Deep Mind as unconscious or deity-inspired poetry & communications. People who are overshadowed by a deity during ritual often seem to stumble over their words, as though they are trying to fit their words around the rhythms of the trance. I would conjecture that the more complete the spirit-possession, the less laboured the sacred speech, as the persons self-awareness' will be all the more completely submerged by that of the entity.

As the Deep Mind calls to us with a particular rhythm and meter, so do we attempt to call into the depths of our being by rhythmically pulsing our speech. Sound, like light, sets up rhythms in our brains, as experiments with electro-encephalographs (EEGs) have shown. These internal rhythms reflect the sounds which propel us into varying degrees of trance, whether it is the gentle, watery lapping of the Moon or the thundering frenzy of Pan. If we are caught off-guard, and susceptible, their effect can be devastating. J.F. Hurley, in his book, "Sorcery", describes a trance condition known in the Philippines as Lata, which is brought on by a startling sound, after which susceptible people will imitate actions that they see or words that they hear. Philippino head-hunters took advantage of this susceptibility by paralysing their victims by using sharp, piercing cries.

This sort of talent appears in many cultures and settings. Pat Crowther, writing in her book "Lid Off The Cauldron", mentions 'calls' which, when used in open spaces, can draw the unwary to the caller. Forcefully projected, stattaco hissing noises, reinforced by jerking body movements, can also precipitate trance. Peter Redgrove, in his short novel, "The God of Glass", makes use of the syllable SATATATAT, which, when chanted, at the same time as whirling around, produces in its initiates a disassociation, which culminates in a bee-hum - the Om of ultimate being.

From
http://www.philhine.org.uk/writings/rit_voice.html#primal

Princess Nakamaru of Japan

2012-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

3 Kings Day --- A very Mexican Tradition :)

2012-01-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

After New Year's Day, Mexican families still have a very special date to commemorate and enjoy. On January 6, most of the Hispanic world celebrates El Dia De Reyes, the Epiphany, remembering the day when the Three Wise Men following the star to Bethlehem, arrived bearing their treasured gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Baby Jesus.

The Reyes Magos In La Alameda

A couple of days earlier, the children write their letters to the Wise Men, or to their favorite Rey Mago: Melchor, Gaspar, or Baltasar, asking for the presents they would like to receive.

During the evenings before the great celebration on January 6, families go to the Alameda, in Mexico City, a beautiful park that dates back to the Colonial era. There, every year, hundreds of stands are placed with food, toys and best of all, there are sets, where the children can have their picture taken with the Three Kings of the Orient.

Hundreds of multicolored balloons, filled with helium, are sold during the season, so the little ones can attach their letters to them, and have them fly, up to the sky, carrying all their wishes with them.

If they forgot their letters at home, there is no need to worry, there are also salesmen that offer writing paper and envelopes specially designed for the occasion and addressed to the Reyes Magos. This lovely tradition of going to the Alameda park is passed on from one generation to another. I have a picture of my husband, when a small child, with the Reyes Magos, set on a photo-album alongside some photographs of my children with them.

January 6, Dia de Reyes

On the night, of January 5, the figurines of the Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene. Before going to bed the children place their old shoes under their bed or in the living room, where the Wise Men will leave them their presents. Some also place outside the house, some hay and a bucket with water for the animals, and even some cookies and milk for Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar.

You can feel the excitement building up! With twinkling eyes, the children eagerly, and constantly ask what time it is, wishing for time to fly so they could open their presents.

Reluctantly they go off to bed.As soon as they wake up, which is earlier than any other day, they run to see the gifts that the Three Magi left for them. Happiness overflows every Mexican home.

The children spend the day playing and admiring each other’s presents, sharing them with friends, talking about how they were able to hear or see the Reyes Magos when they arrived at their home, how one of them heard the camel’s footsteps, how the other saw a shining crown in the dark night! Meanwhile, adults prepare for the Merienda de Reyes, an early evening dinner that friends and families share to celebrate the Epiphany.

Rosca de Reyes

People go to the markets and stores to get the needed ingredients to prepare the feast. All over the country, in every city and in every little town, bakeries offer the Rosca de Reyes, an oval sweetbread, decorated with candied fruit. There are Roscas of all sizes, very small ones for two or three people and up to the ones that will delight more that twenty people.

The Merienda de Reyes is truly a multicultural event.   The Spaniards brought the tradition of celebrating the Epiphany and sharing the Rosca to the New World. The Rosca is served along with Tamales, made of corn which was the pre-Hispanic food per excel lance, and hot chocolate. Chocolate is also a gift from the native peoples of the New World.

Hidden inside this delicious Rosca, a plastic figurine of the Baby Jesus. The Baby is hidden because it symbolizes the need to find a secure place where Jesus could be born, a place where King Herod would not find Him.

Each person cuts a slice of the Rosca . The knife symbolizes the danger in which the Baby Jesus was in. One by one the guests carefully inspect their slice, hopping they didn't get the figurine. Whoever gets the baby figurine shall be the host, and invite everyone present to a new celebration on February 2, Candelaria or Candle mass day, and he also shall get a new Ropón or dress for the Baby Jesus of the Nativity scene.

The Mexican Christmas season is joyously extended up to February 2 ! - when the nativity scene is put away, and another family dinner of delicious tamales and hot chocolate is served with great love and happiness.

Rosca de Reyes --- Three Kings Bread

Total Time: 2 hr 15 min
Prep 35 min
Inactive 1 hr 0 min
Cook 40 min

Ingredients

1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup dried figs, cut into strips, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup candied orange peel, cut into strips, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup candied lemon peel, cut into strips, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped candied cherries, plus more whole for garnish
2 tablespoons light rum
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, divided
Water

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the yeast and warm water; stir to blend. Let stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Put all of the candied fruit in small bowl and drizzle the rum on top. Let stand for 15 minutes to 1 hour to infuse the flavor.

In a small pot, warm the milk over medium heat. Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, mix 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 eggs, yeast mixture, milk mixture, and the rum soaked candied fruits, mixing very well until the dough gathers into a ball. If the dough is too wet, Add additional flour, a little at a time, if needed to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put the ball of dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface. Using your palms, roll the dough into a long rope. Shape the coil into a ring, sealing the ends together. Insert a little doll or coin into the bread from the bottom, if desired. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully transfer the dough ring to the prepared baking pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash, and brush the top of the bread. Decoratively garnish the top of the bread with more candied fruit and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake is golden.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Cook's Note: Let your guests know there is a little doll or coin inserted inside.

Book of Shadows Pages at DeviantART

2012-01-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

I am here to gossip about these wonderful, lovely pages that artist Brightstone at DeviantART.com has created! Check out these examples... and then click on the link to see her entire set. I promise you won't be sorry! :)

(http://brightstone.deviantart.com/gallery/)

Click on link to see the entire set

Blessed Be. The New Year Notes Kalavan Made my Half-Sleepy Brain take...

2012-01-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

Blessed be, my mother Moon --- Blessed be, my father Sun. May the year that has reached us brings us blessings to rejoice in. May it bring us lessons to lean and reflect upon. May it bring us love and light and that the tears and sorrow serve to teach us to get up, dust it off and keep on following the paths you have set for us.

2012 is a year of evolution. All the revolution and twists that 2011 brought to our lives are to take shape in 2012. A year of revelation -- a year of taking the blind fold from our eyes and face the music. How can we claim to help our world if we cannot see to the mirror and help ourselves become stronger? How can we mend our environment if we cannot nurture ourselves back to the energetic healing we need? Time to fix YOU. Time to heal YOU. Time to end the circles and the vices that are NOT WORKING for YOU.

2012 is not the end of the world, it's the ending of the cycle. Your world ends to begin a newer, more energetic one. Those who are resistant to the changes, those who do not wish to change their ways, those who do not wish to align themselves with the nurturing energy flowing around us are the ones who will find that the end of their world is chaotic and catastrophic. Those who are open to allow their wounds to be healed, those who are open to allow the universe's energy flow through them are those who will be ready for the new order.

Pray. Chant. Meditate. Ask help from the angels and the spirits. Feel your mother's love run through your fingers. Feel your father's protection around you. Do not be afraid. Rejoice. Evolve.

Welcome.

Conjuration of the Good Spirits

2011-12-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

O you glorious and benevolent angels,Urzla, Zlar, Larzod, Arzal, who are the four angels of the East, I invocate you, adjure and call you forth to visible apparition in and through the great prevalent and divine name of the Most Holy God Erzla, and by the ineffable and efficacious virtues and power thereof, whereby you are governed and called forth, it being therefore absolutely necessary, pre-ordained, appointed and decreed.

Now therefore do I most earnestly entreat and powerfully adjure you, O you benign angels Urzla, Zlar, Larzod, Arzal, in this potent name of your God Erzla to move and appear visibly, and show yourself to me in this crystal stone (or mirror) here before me.

And in and through the same, to transmit your ray to my sight and your voice to my ears that I may audibly hear you and plainly see you and include me in your mysteries wherefore I do most earnestly adjure you, O benevolent and amicable angels, Azla, in the most excellent name of your God, Erzla, and I as a servant of the highest do efficaciously invoke you to appear now perfectly visible to me, O you servants of mercy, come and show yourselves firmly unto me and let me partake of the secret wisdom of your creator.

Amen

Herbs of Yule

2011-12-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

Herbs of Yule
Bayberry, blessed thistle, laurel, pine, sage, yellow cedar.

Evergreens

symbolizing: Continuity of Life, Protection, Prosperity
types: Pine, Fir, Cedar, Juniper, other evergreens
forms: boughs, wreaths, garlands, trees
divinities: Green Goddesses & Gods; Hertha; Cybele, Attis, Dionysius (Pine); Woodland Spirits

Holly

symbolizing: Protection; Good Luck
forms: boughs over portals, wreaths
divinities: Holly King; Bacchus; Wood Spirits

Mistletoe

{Birdlime, Golden Bough, Holy Wood} - Viscum Album
Parts Used - Twig & Leaf
Herbal Uses - Infusion, Tea, Tincture
CAUTION - Berries should not be used for internal consumption - Large doses of this herb have been known to induce convulsions in children
Homeopathic Uses - Epileptic aura, petit mal seizures, heart conditions, asthma connected with gout or rheumatism, rheumatic deafness, chorea, metrorrhagia, left-sided ovarian pain, left-side body complaints
Magical Uses - Use to combat despair, herb of protection, child theft by fairies, healing, hunting, conception, to bring beautiful dreams, unlock the secrets of immortality through dreams - used for wands and ritual items or placed around a 'Hand of Glory' to ward off thieves - to protect the bearer from werewolves. {Herb of the Sun & Jupiter}
CAUTION - You should take note that this herb is considered by many in the study of herbs, to be extremely toxic. It should not be used for medical complaint, without full and total knowledge of it's usage and dosages.

Oak

{Duir} - Quercus Spp.
Parts Used - Bark, Leaf, Acorn
Herbal Uses - Infusion, Tea, Salves
Homeopathic Uses - Edema, splenetic dropsy, liver problems, gout, alcoholic cravings
Magical Uses - Abundance, fertility, longevity, protection, spiritual awareness while remaining fully rooted in the earth plane, it's wood is used for staves and wands, use any parts for protective charms which bring healing. Acorns bring fertility and abundance. Plant in the dark of the moon to bring financial prosperity. {Tree of Jupiter}
CAUTION - Parts of this tree contain the compound known as tannic acid. Tannic acid in this form is toxic to humans. Oak bark tea can be bought OTC, if you would prefer. Otherwise, if you intend to use this particular herb, make sure that you do a complete study on how to use it.

Things to Keep in Mind

2011-12-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

Ask for what you need
If you don't need it, don't ask for it. The magical power of a spell is driven by a true need; if you're asking for a second yacht, you probably won't get any results that you would like.

Don't fence yourself in
The most likely reason for a spell to fail is if you're asking for something too specific - you want to give yourself and the universe as much room to maneuver as you can. Don't focus on details, focus on the feeling you want to have when things work out right. Close your eyes and try to find that feeling "out there;" if you find it, either move toward it or reach out and bring it toward you.

Pay attention to the tides
The second most likely reason for a spell to fail is if the time is just wrong. Remember that spells work within the bounds of nature, and sometimes the wind and the tides are working against you. When that happens, the best thing you can do is to put a finger to the wind and figure out where you can go, working with the natural flow of things; or just wait it out until the tides shift in your direction.

Give something back
If you're asking for something, it's a good idea to offer something in return, at least as a token gesture - a flower, or a bit of food, or a coin, for instance (no live animals, please).

Remember other people are using magic too, whether they know it or not:
Most people have some natural magical ability, whether they know it or not, and an instinct for taking care of themselves. If you try to cast a spell that is inherently detrimental to another person, you will meet resistance from that person's magical energy. The magical universe is a crowded place, and things will work out best for you if you manage to navigate a path that avoids direct conflict with your fellow beings.

Follow up with mundane action
Another important point about spells is that it's very important to follow up with mundane action. If you cast a spell for money, don't expect a check to just show up in your mailbox the next day; get out and look for a job, or at least buy a lottery ticket (magic doesn't work terribly well with those, by the way, because everybody who buys a lottery ticket throws a bit of magic into it, whether they know what they're doing or not). The idea is to make a point of putting yourself into situations where the magic has a chance of working.

SOURCE
http://gypsymagicspells.blogspot.com/2008/05/things-to-keep-in-mind.html

True Magic

2011-12-23T13:39:00.001-08:00

When people think of the word magic, the average person probably thinks of Samantha in "Bewitched" twitching her nose to turn a cat into a horse, or of Macbeth's three witches standing around the cauldron while chanting, "Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog..." But magic has nothing to do with the supernatural. True magic comes from within ourselves.

It can only work within the boundaries of natural law, but it can seem to happen miraculously, simply because most people don't understand the extent of the natural laws that we are dealing with. The fundamental idea behind this is that the thoughts you put out into the cosmos are a form of energy, and this attracts other energy in many forms. Your brain is like a radio beacon that is constantly sending out messages...and the universe (or the gods) receive those messages and transmit a reply back to us in one form or another.

Thoughts are energy, and words are powerful. These are two truths that are the basis of spell work. There is a natural law that states that on a metaphysical level, like attracts like. By visualising an object and affirming to yourself that you want this item to manifest in your life, you are sending a clear message to the universe and to your subconscious as to what you want...and the cosmos will listen...and a corresponding image to the one you sent out will soon find its way to you. What we send out in thoughts and words, we attract to ourselves. What you think and what you say has more power than you can imagine. This is a type of magic in itself.

We use this type of "spell" all the time, mostly without realising it. How often do you say to yourself or others, "I'm always broke, there's just never enough money to go around!" And what's the result? That's a form of magic that you are working against yourself every day. Some other examples that I hear people say are: "As soon as I stop dieting, I put weight back on," and "My car is always breaking down." In this article, we will be looking at using this same principle, but we will turn it around so that this form of magic works for us to enhance our lives.

Magic is a natural process that can be easily accomplished. It is a wonderful demonstration of the power that we each have to bring about change in our lives, and in our world around us. The life energy within us, and the universal forces that surround us, are energies of specific vibrations. In order to create magic, we simply need to attune with the vibrations of what we desire, and we need to know how to send the message of our needs to our subconscious and the universe.

Spells are practical tools that help us to attune with our desires, and then, in conjunction with our will, we direct this power inwards and outwards to ensure manifestation. As Aleister Crowley said... "Magic is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." The subconscious mind is the source of the personal power used in magic. And spells are an effective way to convey messages to the subconscious because spells incorporate symbols - and symbolism is the language of the subconscious. Know that words have power. And when words are used in conjunction with symbols, then the results are magical!

In the book "Myth, Religion, and Mother Right", the author J.J. Bachofen eloquently describes the power of symbolism: "Human language is too feeble to convey all the thoughts aroused by the alternation of life and death and the sublime hopes of the initiate. Only the symbol awakens intimations; speech can only explain. The symbol plucks all the strings of the human spirit at once; speech is compelled to take up a single thought at a time. The symbol strikes its roots in the most secret depths of the soul; language skims over the surface of the understanding like a soft breeze. The symbol aims inward; language outward. Only the symbol can combine the most disparate elements into a unitary impression. Language deals in successive particulars; it expresses bit by bit what must be brought home to the soul at a single glance if it is to affect us profoundly. Words make the infinite finite, symbols carry the spirit beyond the finite world of becoming into the realm of infinite being."

From what we have described so far, I'm hoping that you now realise that magic comes from within. And the more energy that you put into creating a spell, the better the result will be. For a spell to be effective, you cannot simply say words from a spell book and hope for the best, you have to know how to put power into the spell.

The spell is not the magic, it is only by putting power into a spell that you create the magic.

Author: Don McLeod
FROM
http://gypsymagicspells.blogspot.com/2010/08/true-magic.html

Magick and The Creative Process

2011-12-23T13:38:00.001-08:00

Each of us creates every moment of his or her entire life by sending out thoughts, feelings, emotions, prayers or declarations into the Matrix, being the energy weavings of the universe. We can send out new thougths that might change the energy patterns, or repeat old thoughts that will (re)create more of the old energy forms, or we may be influenced by the ideas and emotions of others and help so reinforce their energy patterns.

We are not only sending energy, at the same time we are receiving the energy of the thoughts and feelings of others. If their thoughts and feelings contain truth for us, we might incorporate that energy as 'our own', what means that your thoughts don't necessarily have to be your own thoughts!

To understand the creative process we need to understand the basics of it:

The power of belief.
The more you believe that what you think and feel is true, the more certainty you add to the energy you send out, and the bigger the change that it will take form in the physical world. Also the more you think the universe will grant it you, the greater the certainty that you will receive it. Be thankful beforehand, knowing that it is already existing and will appear in the physical world.

The power of united souls.
The more persons think, feel or pray the same thing, the larger the amount of a certain energy capable of causing changes.

The power of repetition.
The more often you think or feel the same thing, the more belief and certainty about it you raise in your mind, so the more powerful your sent out energy becomes. Choose the same thing over and over again.

The power of clarity of mind.
Make sure that you know what to choose; that way you send out equal messages to the universe.

The power of similarity.
Like attracts like! You will attract that what you send out, so if your thoughts contain a lot of fear of disease for instance, you will attract disease as a magnet. If you send out thoughts of love and kindness, you will suddenly notice that unknown people smile at you and greet you.

The power of the basic emotions love and fear.
At the base of every thought or emotion (or behind the conscious thought/emotion) lies one of these two emotions. If the basis is love, you will have ideas like: there is enough for everyone, I am good enough to ask this, the Universe will grant it me, I am thankful for life and its treasures... You will feel self-trust, self-love and self-confidence, inner peace and union with the All. A basic thought of love will add enormous power to your creative force.

If the basis is fear, you will think things like: there is never enough, I won't get it, I don't deserve it, I am not good enough, I have not done enough, I will lose it again, what if it does not work. You will experience fears and worries, doubts and insecurities, and you regard yourself as separate from the infinite Source. A basic thought of fear will severely diminish your power to create.

The power of taking responsibility.
If you take responsibility for your life than you can find the strength to make conscious changes in it. If everybody around you has done it, or fate, and you consider yourself a helpless victim, then how could you even believe that you could influence your own life in a positive way?

Of course you are not personally responsible for big events like wars, earthquakes or tornadoes; these occurrences are often called upon by our group-consciousness. Also many personal issues are often created by more persons than just you. But you surely are responsible for your reactions on and decisions towards all events. Do you try to find a positive solution or do you sit down effortless in self-pity? (Discouragement creates the same thing over and over).

The power of attention.
What you give attention to will be realized. This means that the love you feel for the things you like to realize will attract them to you. This also implies that suppression of 'bad' or 'ugly' parts of our personality only contributes to their existence. After all you have to put quite some energy in the denial of these characteristics by trying to think them away. It is much more beneficial to accept that we all have our 'good' and 'bad' qualities, and that we choose whether we want to live as a sinner or a saint.

Observe 'the horrible you' without judging it, decide what kind of person you want to be, and begin to think and act in a new way. Mind torturers like fears, worries, anger and grief can disappear if you simply let them be, accept them without putting energy in it. The feelings you dare to confront without holding on can pass through you like clouds.

The power of thought control.
If you notice yourself thinking something that you don't wish to think, simply consider how you want to think over that subject or person and. Send out the new thought. It is like copying out a page on a computer!

The power of not accepting no.
Declare your truth completely, friendly, but determinedly. If people argue about it simply agree that you can understand their point of view, but... repeat your truth in a firm friendly way... until you get what you want. This is the famous technique of assertiveness trainings known as the 'broken gramophone record'. In fact the creative process is a big personally adapted mind-control program. Better to control your own mind then having it done by others!

There are three levels in creating:

Think about what you want.
Speak it out or write it down (not necessarily in the company of others, since they might diminish the belief in yourself by questioning your mental sanity) act as if it is already existing, smell it, taste it,
Visualize it.
On the more levels you are creating, the greater the materializing force you set into motion. Usually we start the creating process at step 1, but it can also start at step 2 (remember the occasions where you heard yourself say something and realized later how much truth you spoke?) and the quickest way is to start at step 3: act in a new way and afterwards
Think about it.What you think of, you create. And what you create you experience, and your experience is the basis for what you will think of next. Enjoy creating simply for the joy of creating and remain free from expectations. How others react on your creations is their responsibility, not yours. But if you try to create for the highest good of all, you can hardly go wrong. Dare to change your mind if necessary. Don't ask for guarantees.

If life is created over and over again, changing from minute to minute, how can we guarantee anything except that life will be life? If you don't like a certain outcome, know that you are a magician and change it!

Author: Anja Heij
FROM
http://gypsymagicspells.blogspot.com/2010/08/magick-and-creative-process.html

The Art of Casting Spells

2011-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

"A spell is a symbolic act
done in an altered state of consciousness
in order to cause a desired change."

To cast a spell is to project energy through a symbol. It is important to note that the energy is what is key, not the symbol; too often, the symbols are mistaken for the agent that casts the spell. While props are useful at times, it is the mind that works the magic. Correspondences between colors, planets, metals, numbers, plants and minerals, and musical notes make up a great deal of magical lore, and particular objects, shapes, colors, scents, and images do work better than others to embody certain ideas. The most powerful spells are often improvised from materials that feel right or that simply happen to come to hand, however.

Theory of Spellcasting

Spells are an important aspect of magical training. They require the use of the combined faculties of relaxation, visualization, concentration and projection. The casting of spells provides practice in coordinating these skills and developing them further. Spells are extremely sophisticated psychological tools that have subtle, but important, effects on a person's inner growth. Spells may highlight otherwise hidden complexes of the person casting the spell.

A person who has conflicts about success will find great difficulty in concentrating on a money spell, for example. Many times the practical results of a spell are far less important than the psychological insights that arise during the magical work, for discovering our inner blocks and fears is the first step in overcoming them. Spells also go one step further than most forms of psychotherapy, in that they allow us not only to listen to and interpret the unconscious, but also to speak to it in the language it understands.

Symbols, images, and objects used in spells communicate directly with Younger Self, who is the guardian of our emotions and who is barely affected by the intellect. We often understand our feelings and behavior but find ourselves unable to change them, but through spells, we can attain the most important power - the power to change our lives.

Spellcasting also forces us to come to terms with the material world. Many people attracted to the spiritual path of the Craft find themselves uneasy with using magic for practical or material goals. Somehow it seems wrong to work magic for oneself, to want things and to get things. This is an attitude which is a holdover of the Judeo-Christian world view that sees spirit and matter as separate and that identifies matter with evil and corruption.

In the Craft, flesh, the material world, none of what is commonly thought of as matter is separate from spirit. The universe is made up of the Goddess who is manifest in all things. Union with the Goddess comes through embracing the material world and all the gifts that She has placed in it for us. Our major task on this plane of existence is to become masters of this realm of manifestation. We do not fight self-interest; we follow it, but with an awareness that transmutes it into something sacred.

Mechanics of Spellcasting

Spellcasting is the lesser, not the greater magic; but the greater magic builds on the lesser. The paradox is that in spellcasting we may start out working with the personal self, but in order to work the magic we are forced to expand and recognize the Self that moves through all beings.

Magic involves the deliberate self-identification with other objects and people. For example, to do a healing, we must become the healer, the one who is healed, and the energy that is to do the healing. To attract love, we must be able to love ourselves and to become love its self.

Spells work in two basic ways. The first is through suggestion; symbols and images implant certain ideas in Younger Self, or the subconscious mind, and we are then influenced to actualize those ideas. Spells can also influence the external world.

The theoretical model that witches use to explain the workings of magic is a clear one and coincides in many ways with the "new" physics. It is simply an elaborate but extremely useful metaphor. The metaphor is based on a world view that sees things not as fixed objects, but as vortexes of energy. The physical world is formed by the vortexes of energy, and if we cause a change in the energy patterns they, in turn, cause a change in the physical world. When our own energy is concentrated and channeled, it can move the broader energy currents. The images and objects used in spells are the channels. They are the vessels through which our power is poured, and by which it is shaped.

As energy is directed into the images we visualize, it gradually manifests physical form and takes shape in the material world. Directing energy is not a matter of simply emoting. Emotion can be likened to a strobe light which provides a very inconstant light, while directed energy is more like a laser beam. Even concentrated power is a small stream compared with the vast surges of energy that surround us. The most adept witch cannot be successful in all her spells, for the opposing currents are often too strong.

The craft teaches to first identify the flow of energy and then to decide whether or not it is going where we want it to go. If it is not, then we can try to deflect it, or we may have to change our own course. Sensing the energy climate is a matter of intuition and experience. Some witches make a study of Astrology in an effort to plan their magical workings at the optimal times, while others prefer to work when they feel the time is right.

Of all the planets, the Moon's influence on subtle energies is the strongest. Subtle power increases as the Moon waxes, so the time of the waxing Moon is best for spells involving growth or increase, such as money spells. The power peaks when the Moon is full and that is the best time for workings of culmination and love. During the waning Moon, power subsides and turns inward. The waning Moon's period is used for banishings, bindings, and discovering hidden secrets. The practical witch soon learns to adjust her spells to fit the time of the Moon. If, for example, she needs to do a money spell during the waning Moon, she would put a little 'English' on it and make it a poverty banishing spell.

Energy pursues the path of least resistance. Material results are more easily achieved on this plane of existence through physical actions than through magical workings. For example, it is simpler to lock your door than suffer the constant drain from maintaining psychic seals on your doors and windows while you are away from home. Of course, once you have locked your door, you might feel more reassured by placing seals on it.

No magic spell is going to bring results unless channels are opened into the material world. For example, a job spell is useless if you are not willing to go out and interview for jobs or at least let potential employers know that you are in the market for one. In the same vein, a healing spell is no substitute for medical care.

Most medicine today can be broken down into two broad categories, emergency medicine and that which is not needed for immediate life-threatening situations. Emergency medicine has excelled at stabilizing the body's condition so that it can repair itself at its own pace. Most other forms of medicine consist of treatment through surgery or chemotherapy or a combination of both. The procedures noted above work on the physical body and do not take the other levels into consideration. Psychic healing works at healing the higher levels of the person so that the physical heals itself or allows the person to let go of their physical body if it cannot be repaired. In either case, the choice rests with the person who is being healed and not the healer.

Visualization used in creating a spell should focus on the desired result, not the individual steps leading up to the result. We give the spell free rein in how it goes about achieving the results with the understanding that it is not to bring harm to anyone or any being. For this reason, spells have a habit of working in very unexpected ways.

To assure that the power we have unleashed does not inadvertently cause harm, we bind the spell. This serves to 'set' the form we have created so that the energy becomes fixed in the pattern we desire. The energy we project to others affects us even more strongly than the other person. This is because we have generated the energy, and thus we have become the object at which the energy is directed. If healing energy is sent out, then the health of the person casting the spell is enhanced. By the same token, any hex or curse that is sent out ALWAYS affects the person who sends it no matter whether it affected the person it was sent at or not.

MAGIC IS NOT TO BE USED TO GAIN POWER OVER OTHERS. Magic is a technique used in developing your own 'power from within.' Spells that are directed at gaining power over others weaken the 'power from within.' Aside from the damage done to oneself, it is important for another reason. Many people who do not understand the laws of magic are afraid of being attacked magically and are given to paranoia. The witch's main stock-in-trade used to be removing a competitor's hexes and preparing charms to protect their clients. While true psychic attacks are EXTREMELY RARE, a person's guilt makes up for any lack, and after using 'forbidden' help, their paranoia leads them to seek protection from the same person they just turned to in desperation. Do yourself a favor, and resist the temptation to 'help' these types. Most magical formularies consist of formulae gathered and tested by witches as well as many charms to protect the common man from those same witches who sold them their charms.

Times and Correspondences

I mentioned earlier that timing and the right props are considered important in spellcasting. Over the years, systems of Correspondences were developed which assigned certain attributes and aspects to the seven ancient planets of Astrology. Each planet was assigned a God or Goddess, who embodies the attributes the ancients wished to invoke. Each of the Gods and Goddesses were assigned an hour of the day, color, incense, metal, number, signature, plant, mineral, musical note, and animal or bird.

General Guidelines for Casting Spells

Set aside a room for your magical work. Decorate it with things that put you in a magical mood. Remember to use things that stimulate all five of your physical senses. Some obvious things would be the use of appropriate colors for sight, incense for scent, music for hearing, wines for taste, and textures for feel.

If you do not have a room you can set aside exclusively for your magical work, then choose a room that can be locked while you do your work. This will allow you to work undisturbed. In any case, you should clean your work area periodically with a purifying powder/floorwash to keep away negative vibrations.

Set up an altar to be used as your worktable. It's size and shape should be those that appeal to you. Placing candles and other items that assist you to concentrate on the work at hand is a good practice. Some people like to cover their altar with a white cloth and place fresh cut flowers on it every day.

Always use the best candles, oils, and incenses that you can afford, or make your own, for scrimping on materials has a negative effect on the subconscious. Don't forget that the subconscious is very good at making do with raw materials that it can shape to its own use.

Never cast a spell until you have a clear and concise picture of what it is you wish to accomplish. This ties in with the saying "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."

Always ground out any extra energy you raise for the spell, and bind the spell so that it expires within the pre-determined amount of time. Once you have cast the spell, do not discuss it with any one until after it has worked. Most spells peter out because the person who cast it boasts about it to so many people, that the spell is robbed of power before it has a chance to work. The ancient bond placed on the magician was to dare, to know and to keep silent.

Above all, at all times, remember the Rede: "An ye harm none, do what you will." You do not know all the effects of your spell, therefore, use magick sparingly, if at all.

Authors Details: Unknown
FROM
http://gypsymagicspells.blogspot.com/2010/08/art-of-casting-spells.html

St Sylvester's Day Lore

2011-12-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

St. Sylvester's Day Lore

December 31st is St. Sylvester's Day. Here is some associated folklore:

To be born on Sylvester's day gives a love of change that is carried too far.
It is a bad day for reconciling enemies.
December thirty-first, when Judas hanged himself, is considered by many a very unlucky day.
On Sylvester night all water is turned into wine, but only between 12 and 1 o'clock.
In Ireland on the last day of the year a cake is thrown at the door by the head of the house to prevent hunger from entering during the coming year.
Whoever sees his or her shadow on St. Sylvester's night, without any head to the shadow will die within a year.
On the last day of the old year rats are going about everywhere in the house, and if they hear nothing said about them, they will never go there again; but if the word rat is mentioned in their hearing, they will take it as an invitation and will return in great numbers.

It used to be a custom not long since for the inhabitants of St. Pierre on the island of Guernsey to turn out in a body on the 31st of December to bury an effigy representing the old year in the sand of Vazon Bay. This was called burying the "End of the Year." This custom is now extinct, and popular corruption has mixed it up with the burning of Guy Fawke's effigy on the 5th of November, so much so that the figure of Guy is now called "The end of the year" without any reason whatever.

In Germany New Year's eve is called Sylvester's Eve and it is considered ill luck to go to bed before the new year has begun. There is a widespread superstition that if you keep awake on that night and hear a chorus of voices singing hymns, you will have good luck all the year. In many families the children recite verses (New-Year wishes) for their parents, ask their forgiveness for wrong-doings during the past year and promising good behavior for the new year. Great revelries are held on that night in almost every country and many superstitious rites are observed.

In Scotland the last day of the year is considered propitious for almost any undertaking, especially marriage.

Found in:
Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World

SOURCE
GYPSY MAGIC

Yule Meaning

2011-12-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

Yule is a time of the greatest darkness and is the shortest day of the year. Earlier people noticed such phenomena and supplicated the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights. Wiccans sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the Sun rise as a fitting finale to their efforts.

After the Norse brought Yule into prominence it nearly replaced Samhain as the date of the New year, and many modern Celtic covens still honor Yule this way. The Nordic-influenced Celts celerbated Yule with many of the trappings we associate with modern Christians observances: decorated evergreen trees, wreaths, holly, mistleteoe, feasting, and dancing.

They also believed that on this night the Holly King, as the God of the waning year, would battle the Oak King, the God of the waxing year, and lose. Often Yule coven rituals have members reenact this fight.

This is the time of death and rebirth of the Sun God. The days are shortest, the Sun is at its lowest point. The full moon after Yule is considered to be the most powerful moon of the whole year. This ritual is a light festival, with as many candles as possible on or near the altar in welcome of the Sun child.

Thus passes away from thee,

away from thee and thing

the spirit of the last cycle's learning,

Free to move forward into the turning

of this year's cycle of learning

We rejoice

The time of repose has come

let us remember the lessons each has learned,

commit the lesson to heart,

preparing to move beyond.

Queen of the moon, Queen of the sun,

Queen of the heavens, Queen of the stars,

Queen of the waters, Queen of the Earth,

Bring us the Child of Promise!

It is the Great Mother who giveth birth to him,

It is the Lord of Life who is born agai,

Darkness and tears are set aside

when the sun shall come up early!

Yule is almost here!!

2011-11-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

It's beggining to look a lot like.... Oak Moon

2011-11-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

November is know as the Oak Moon. As the year turns darker, the nights grow longer, the moon is brighter. A time of reflection upon oneself, inner-searching, meditation. Transform yourself by learning what are your truths and lies. Perform insight spells.

Other names: Beaver Moon, Dark Moon, Fog Moon, Frosty Moon, Moon Before Yule, Owl Moon, Snow Moon, Storm Moon

Herbs: Sage and Chervil

Astrology: Sagittarius

The Oak Moon Esbat

The significance of each of the Esbats draws its influence from the changes in the earth around us. At this point in the wheel of the year, we have seen and accepted the demise in nature. We are taught as we look around the barren and frozen earth, that nothing dies that is not then reborn. We know implicitly that lying just beneath the surface, life waits to spring up around us anew. However, before this can happen the earth must rejuvenate to resurface refreshed and renewed with new purpose and energy. The Mood Goddess at this time is heavy with child – the Sun God, who shall be born at Yule. But before we celebrate the beginning of the return of the light at Yule, or the Winter Solstice (21st December), we celebrate the Oak Moon Esbat (15th December). It is now that we must take our lessons from the earth, accepting we all must rest before a new cycle begins, preparing to grow anew ourselves.

During the Oak Moon, a transition occurs, we move in this moon from death to birth, life renewed at the time of the Winter Solstice. With this in mind, it is a lovely idea to keep a candle burning from the Esbat to the Solstice, acknowledging the return of the light ahead, as the days begin once again to become longer. It is best, if you decide to keep a candle burning, to use a contained candle such as a votive, which is designed for extended (and safe) burn times, always observing safety, which is especially important if you have small children or pets. As you light the first candle, recite something akin to:

“Fire of the Sun, illuminate the Earth
Bring back life with your rebirth
We await your coming, until your rise
To re-awake the Earth and nourish our lives”

The candle is then extinguished at the Winter Solstice, when the light returns.

At the Esbat of the Oak Moon, there are many relevant rituals. To give candles as gifts at this time of year is a wonderful thing to do – symbolising our individual flames re-igniting at this powerful time of year.

SOURCE
http://brighterblessings.co.uk/articles/esbats.htm

We all Come from the Goddess

2011-11-20T15:55:00.001-08:00

To Mikuni... with love...

2011-11-16T23:02:00.000-08:00

The temperatures are slowly dropping around here. The first sign that the winter is coming abroad is letting itself show as Mikuni, my dear companion, has decided NOT to go out as often as she likes to and rather curl up in bed, the sofa or - as it has been recently stated - next to the heater.

This morning she gave me the scare of my life when she got out to see me good-bye and off to work and decided to walk with me to the corner, only to cross the street without looking and ALMOST being hit/squashed by a car. I screamed. She stood still and the car flew on top of her. I was crying when she got up and ran towards me. She meowed "It's okay... see? I'm okay!" but still that did not stopped me from taking her in my arms and walking back home to get her inside. When I got home after work, she was waiting for me on the roof and ran to meet me, as she always does.

It has now become so hard to imagine my life without her. Just a couple of years ago, I couldn't see myself sharing my life with a cat, now I cannot see myself not having a cat around -- THIS cat, the one who wakes me up at five in the morning for breakfast, the one who curls-up in my stomach when she's cold at night, the one who sleeps in my shoes, the one who walks me outside and sends me on my way to work, the one who welcomes me back and then goes "now feed me!"...

I am grateful, that our paths have crossed. Thanks to her, I am finding myself less lonely.... and more understanding of the human heart.

Blessed be, the rambling of a witch

2011-10-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

Samhain. The veil opens to reveal what is on the other side. The Goddess descends to the Summerlands. The witche's New Year. the peak of our magical power. The time when we ask our totem creatures what is expected of us during the next cycle. The time when our skin peals off to reveal just much we have matured, grown... Blessed be, Samhain.

It's always nice to welcome those who have parted onto the Summerlands. But it is also important to remember that, while they are THERE, we are HERE. Let you not forget that while Samhain is a festival of the dead, it is the living that carry on this tradition. We have to rejoice and dance around the bonfire to release our energy in order for the veil to open. We need to laugh and remember our departed ones with joy and glee as they will find the path to us easier this way. True, sometimes we do miss them and wish they are still here with us, but aren't they? They are always with you, if you live.

Live and rejoice. That is my lesson this year. A lot of bad things happen around you, but you don't have to crawl-up into your shell to protect you from them. Make each day count, believe in who you are and allow the magic of this universe to flow with you, within you.

Blessed be, everyone. Have a great Samhain.

Samhain Kitchen Recipes 2011

2011-10-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Boxty
Boxty, a traditional Irish dish, that when eaten on the night of Samhain has a wedding ring placed into the potatoes just before serving them. Whoever gets the ring will have their destiny decided for them, meaning marriage was not far away. Make sure everyone knows that there is a charm in this dish.

Ingredients

* 1 cup of mashed potatoes
* 1 cup of grated raw potatoes
* 2 cups of self-rising flour
* 1 to 1 ½ cups of milk or buttermilk
* ¼ teaspoon of salt
* ¼ to ½ cup of butter
* Sour cream, optional

Directions

Mix the mashed potatoes with the grated raw potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients and 1 cup of liquid. As the batter is mixed, add small amounts of additional milk or buttermilk until the batter is loose enough to work with. Melt two tablespoons of butter over gentle heat. When the butter is melted and the pan heated, ladle small pancakes into the pan. Brown on both sides and serve hot with more butter or sour cream.

Brittany Funeral Fish Soup

A region of North Western France, Brittany is known for its simple, but wholesome foods. Easy to make this soup was served out to the guests as a meal of grounding for the living. Some would place a small amount out into a serving dish for the dead.

1 kg white fish, boned and cleaned.
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Water to cover

Cut fish into bite sized pieces. Melt the butter and fry the onions and garlic until soft. Place all ingredients into a large stockpot, add water to cover and simmer, covered with a lid for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve with crusty, French bread.

19 th Century Colcannon

For the Ancient Celts, Samhain was held for seven days each Autumn to remember the death of the Sun God and to prepare for his travel into the Otherworld. In Celtic homes, the funeral was designed after some of these Samhain rites. A wake would be held in the deceased´s home for seven days and nights. The body would be washed, wrapped in a special cloth or death shirt and set in the casket or on a platform in the center of the house. Villagers would come by and offer along with their chants, wails and prayers, offerings of food and drink. After about three days of this, the family and mourners, if all satisfied as to how everything went, moved onto the festive stage of party, feasting, games and much merriment. Gold, coins, bowls of food and glasses of ale would be placed alongside the casket and on the chest of the deceased. This usually lasted four days, then the deceased would be taken for burial. One of the dishes prepared and certainly one of my favourites is Colcannon, great for the deceased and the living! This is a simple version whereas Charms can be added , a thimble for spinsterhood, a ring for marriage, a button for bachelorhood and a coin for wealth. Make sure your guests know there are charms in the Colcannon.

½ c butter
1 large onion or leek peeled and finely chopped
2 c cooked and mashed potatoes
2 c chopped and cooked cabbage
½ c cream or milk

On a large griddle, fry the onion or leek in some of the butter. When cooked, add the potatoes, cabbage, milk, remaining butter and seasonings that have been mixed together in a large bowl. Stir well and when the mix begins to go green, turn out onto a dish. Serve hot with butter and plenty of black pepper.

Pansperima

Pansperima is a traditional Greek dish that consists of boiled wheat. This dish dates back to ancient Pagan times and is symbolically connected with death. Kolyva is an improved version of Pansperima and is eaten on some Saturdays throughout the year to give honour and remembrance to the dead. These days are known as " Soul Sabbaths." Kolyva consists of two pounds of wheat boiled with a good handful of dried fruit and garnished with the seeds from the pomegranate. The wheat represents everlasting life, the fruit is for joy and happiness and the pomegranate seeds are a symbol of plenty, fertility and life.

Blood & Bone Cookies
The cranberries represent the blood and the white chocolate bones. Ideal treats for the Witchlings of Halloween.

125g butter
1/2 c sugar
1 c flour
1/2 c cornflour
1/4 c chopped white chocolate
1/4 c dried cranberries

Cream butter, sugar and syrup until fluffy. Sift in flours, mix together. Stir in chocolate & cranberries. Gently knead together then place in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Take out of fridge and knead together, don't worry if it is crumbly, it will come together. Roll dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut into shapes such as moons, bats, witches hats,tombstones, cats and so on. Place on baking tray and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
Bake cookies at 180C for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden, depending on cookie size. Leave to cool, these cookies can also be iced if you choose.

Samhain Cider
Double, double, toil and trouble,
Cauldron boil and cauldron bubble...

1 litre apple and orange juice
1 clove studded orange
1 clove studded apple or pear
1 inch cinnamon stick, broken
3 allspice berries
3 juniper berries
3 black peppercorns
1 litre lemonade or soda water
750 ml apple cider

Gently heat the first seven ingredients together for 13 minutes. Pour into a punch bowl, add lemonade and cider, stir in gently. Serve warm or cold.

Lollipop Ghosts
Simple to make and great treats to throw into the kids lunch boxes.
Chuppa chup lollipops
White serviettes
Cotton
Marker pen

Place a serviette over a lollipop and secure around the neck with cotton to resemble a ghost. Draw on two black eyes with the marker pen. These make great Halloween treats for all ages.

Quiche of Pumpkin
This is a good stand-by quiche that can be served hot or cold.

Pastry
1 ½ c wholemeal or Spelt flour, (fertility)
100g butter, (spirituality)
Salt, (protection)
¼ tsp paprika, (warmth)
Iced water, (cleansing)

Rub butter into flour, salt and paprika. Add water to make a stiff dough, knead lightly then chill for 30 minutes. Roll out to fit a 10" flan dish, pour in filling and bake at 180°C for approx 45 minutes or until filling has set.

Filling
1 Tbsp olive oil, (peace)
5 rashers bacon, finely chopped, (ancestral energies)
1 onion, finely chopped, (protection)
1 large cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin, (abundance)
1 c grated tasty cheese, (visualization)
4 eggs, beaten, (fertility)
½ c sour cream, (love)
¼ tsp nutmeg, (visions)
¼ tsp allspice, healing
pinch chilli powder, (protection)
extra grated cheeses, (visualization)

Cook bacon and onion in oil until soft. Place all ingredients into a large bowl including bacon and onion, season and mix well. Top with extra grated cheese.

The Halloween Tree
Easy treats for young and old.
Black and orange gumdrops or soft jubes
Toothpicks
1 orange, cut in half

Place orange flat side down onto a serving dish. Skewer the lollies onto toothpicks on one end, stick the other end securely into the orange. Repeat with remaining lollies until the orange is full of "trees."

Halloween Crowdie
A large bowl of whipped cream sweetened with spiced apples and sugar has 3 charms placed into it. A coin, ring and a marble. Feasters dip their spoons into the dish and find a charm if they are lucky enough. The coin for wealth, ring for marriage and a marble for a single life. Spooning up nothing means a life path uncertain. (Make sure your guests know there are charms in the Crowdie if you are going to make it for them!)

Source
http://www.wycksted.co.nz/

Samhain

2011-10-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, for the Celts divided the year into two seasons: the light and the dark, at Beltane on May 1st and Samhain on November 1st. Some believe that Samhain was the more important festival, marking the beginning of a whole new cycle, just as the Celtic day began at night. For it was understood that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seed below the ground. Whereas Beltane welcomes in the summer with joyous celebrations at dawn, the most magically potent time of this festival is November Eve, the night of October 31st, known today of course, as Halloween.

Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn) literally means “summer's end.” In Scotland and Ireland, Halloween is known as Oï¿½che Shamhna, while in Wales it is Nos Calan Gaeaf, the eve of the winter's calend, or first. With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints' Day, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became popularly known as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all who the departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in a gallimaufry of celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5th, all of which appear both to challenge the ascendancy of the dark and to revel in its mystery.

In the country year, Samhain marked the first day of winter, when the herders led the cattle and sheep down from their summer hillside pastures to the shelter of stable and byre. The hay that would feed them during the winter must be stored in sturdy thatched ricks, tied down securely against storms. Those destined for the table were slaughtered, after being ritually devoted to the gods in pagan times. All the harvest must be gathered in -- barley, oats, wheat, turnips, and apples -- for come November, the faeries would blast every growing plant with their breath, blighting any nuts and berries remaining on the hedgerows. Peat and wood for winter fires were stacked high by the hearth. It was a joyous time of family reunion, when all members of the household worked together baking, salting meat, and making preserves for the winter feasts to come. The endless horizons of summer gave way to a warm, dim and often smoky room; the symphony of summer sounds was replaced by a counterpoint of voices, young and old, human and animal.

In early Ireland, people gathered at the ritual centers of the tribes, for Samhain was the principal calendar feast of the year. The greatest assembly was the 'Feast of Tara,' focusing on the royal seat of the High King as the heart of the sacred land, the point of conception for the new year. In every household throughout the country, hearth-fires were extinguished. All waited for the Druids to light the new fire of the year -- not at Tara, but at Tlachtga, a hill twelve miles to the north-west. It marked the burial-place of Tlachtga, daughter of the great druid Mogh Ruith, who may once have been a goddess in her own right in a former age.

At at all the turning points of the Celtic year, the gods drew near to Earth at Samhain, so many sacrifices and gifts were offered up in thanksgiving for the harvest. Personal prayers in the form of objects symbolizing the wishes of supplicants or ailments to be healed were cast into the fire, and at the end of the ceremonies, brands were lit from the great fire of Tara to re-kindle all the home fires of the tribe, as at Beltane. As they received the flame that marked this time of beginnings, people surely felt a sense of the kindling of new dreams, projects and hopes for the year to come.

The Samhain fires continued to blaze down the centuries. In the 1860s the Halloween bonfires were still so popular in Scotland that one traveler reported seeing thirty fires lighting up the hillsides all on one night, each surrounded by rings of dancing figures, a practice which continued up to the first World War. Young people and servants lit brands from the fire and ran around the fields and hedges of house and farm, while community leaders surrounded parish boundaries with a magic circle of light. Afterwards, ashes from the fires were sprinkled over the fields to protect them during the winter months -- and of course, they also improved the soil. The bonfire provided an island of light within the oncoming tide of winter darkness, keeping away cold, discomfort, and evil spirits long before electricity illumined our nights. When the last flame sank down, it was time to run as fast as you could for home, raising the cry, “The black sow without a tail take the hindmost!”

Even today, bonfires light up the skies in many parts of the British Isles and Ireland at this season, although in many areas of Britain their significance has been co-opted by Guy Fawkes Day, which falls on November 5th, and commemorates an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the English Houses of Parliament in the 17th century. In one Devonshire village, the extraordinary sight of both men and women running through the streets with blazing tar barrels on their backs can still be seen! Whatever the reason, there will probably always be a human need to make fires against the winter’s dark.

Source
http://www.chalicecentre.net/samhain.htm

'Twas the Night Before Samhain

2011-10-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Twas the evening of Samhain,
and all through the place
Were Pagans preparing the ritual space.
The candles were set in the corners with care,
In hopes that the Watchtowers soon would be there.
We all had our robes on,
as is habitual and had just settled down
and were starting our ritual.
When out on the porch there arose such a chorus,
that we went to the door,
and waiting there for us were children in costumes of various kinds,
with visions of chocolate bright in their minds.
In all of our workings,
we'd almost forgot,
but we had purchased candy,
we'd purchased a LOT!
And so, as they flocked from all over the street,
they all got some chocolate or something else sweet.
We didn't think twice of delaying our rite,
kids just don't have this much fun every night.
For hours they came,
with the time-honored schtick,
of giving a choice: a treat or a trick.
As is proper, the parents were there for the games,
watching the children and calling their names.
"On Vader, On Lia
On Dexter, On DeeDee
On Xena, On Buffy
On Casper, On Tweety!
To the block of apartments on the neighboring road,
You'll get so much candy,
you'll have to be towed!
The volume of children eventually dropped,
and as it grew darker, it finally stopped.
But as we prepared to return to our rite,
One child more stepped out of the night.
She couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen.
Her hair was deep red,
and her robe, forest green,
with a simple gold cord tying off at the waist.
No make-up, nor mask, or accompanying kitsch,
so we asked who she was; she replied, "A Witch!"
And no, I don't fly through the sky on my broom,
I only use that thing for cleaning my room.
My magical owers aren't really that neat,
and I won't threaten tricks;
just I'll just ask for a treat."
We found it refreshing, so we gave incense cones,
a candle, a crystal, a few other stones,
and the rest of the candy which might fill a van.
She turned to her father, a man dressed as Pan and laughed,
"Yes, I know, Dad, it's past time for bed,"
and started to leave,
but she first turned and said,
"I'm sorry for further delaying your rite,
Blessed Samhain to all,
and a Magical Night"

Kitchen Witch: Mabon Recipes

2011-09-25T20:03:00.001-07:00

This is a post I did back in 2010. They say to Recycle.. so.. Here it is!

FOR MORE RECIPES FOR MABON, CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING RECIPE'S TITLE. :D

All Things Harvested Pot Roast

4-5lb pot roast
1 stick butter
1 large onion sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. dried parsley
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
2-10oz cans French onion soup
4 large potatoes, quartered
1-8oz package raw baby carrots
1-16oz pkg. frozen broccoli/cauliflower mix

In dutch oven or oven safe pot w/lid brown both side of the roast, using half the butter. Set the roast aside. With remaining butter, saute' the onion, garlic, and celery until onions are tender and beginning to brown. Add the the thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and pepper. Mix well and then return the pot roast to the pan. Sprinkle salt over the roast and add the french onion soup. Cook at 325 degrees for 4 hours. Baste meat as needed. Add potatoes and carrots and salt to taste. Cook for another 45 minutes. Add broccoli/cauliflower mix and cook for 20 more minutes. Serve with hot bread.

Makes 8 servings

Mabon Activities and Correspondences

2011-09-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

SOURCE

http://cronescottage2002.tripod.com/thecottageaugustmabon2002/id1.html

Symbolism of Mabon: The completion of the Harvest begun. Day and night are equal and the God prepares to leave His physical body and begin the great adventure into the unseen.

Symbols of Mabon: all harvest symbols, corn, autumn flowers, red poppies,nuts, grains, leaves, acorns, pine and cypress cones, oak sprigs, wreaths, vine, grapes, cornucopia, horns of plenty, burial cairns, apples, marigolds, harvested crops. wine, gourds

Colors : Orange, Dark Red, Yellow, Indigo, Maroon and Brown.

Goddesses: Modron(Welsh), Bona Dea, Harvest Dieties, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres, Morgan(Welsh- Cornish), Snake Woman(Aboriginal), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish), Pamona(Roman), the Muses(Greek).

Gods: Mabon, Modron(Welsh), Sky Father, John Barleycorn , the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth(Egyptian), Hermes, Hotei(Japanese), Thor, Dionysus(Roman), Bacchus(Greek) and all wine Deities.

Tarot Cards: Judgment and The World

Altar Decorations: acorns, pinecones, autumn leaves, pomegranate, statue of the Triple Goddess in her Mother phase.

Mabon Herbs: Rue, yarrow, rosemary, marigold, sage, walnut leaves and husks, mistletoe, saffron, chamomile, almond leaves, passionflower, frankincense, rose hips, bittersweet, sunflower, wheat, oak leaves, dried apple or apple seeds.

Foods of Mabon: cornbread, wheat products, bread, grains, berries, nuts, grapes, acorns, seeds, dried fruits, corn, beans, squash, roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc), hops, apples, pomegranates, carrots, onions, potatoes, roast goose or mutton, wine, ale and ciders, breads, apples, pomegranates

Animals: dogs, wolves, stag, blackbird, owl, eagle, birds of prey, salmon & goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans and Gulons.

Element: water.

Incense : pine, sweetgrass, apple blossom, benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine, sage wood aloes, black pepper, patchouly, cinnamon, clove, oak moss

Mabon Stones : During Mabon, stones ruled by the Sun will help bring the Sun's energy to you.clear quartz, amber, peridot, diamond, gold, citrine, yellow topaz, cat's-eye, adventurine.

Customs: offerings to land, preparing for cold weather by bringing in harvest, cutting willow wands( Druidic), leaving apples upon burial cairns & graves as a token of honor, walks in forests, gather seed pods & dried plants, fermenting grapes to make wine,picking ripe produce, stalk bundling

Spellworkings of Mabon: Protection, prosperity, security, and self- confidence. Also those of harmony and balance. Taboos:It was considered unlucky to cut down the very last of the Harvest, and so was also left to stand in the field by some traditions.

Activities of Mabon:

1. Select the best of each vegetable, herb, fruit, nut, and other food you have harvested or purchased and give it back to Mother Earth with prayers of thanksgiving.

2. Hang dried ears of corn around your home in appreciation of the harvest season.

3. Do meditations and chanting as you store away food for the Winter.

4. Do a thanksgiving circle, offering thanks as you face each direction - - for home, finances, and physical health (North); for gifts of knowledge (East); for accomplishments in career and hobbies (South); for relationships (West); and for spiritual insights and messages (Center).

5. Decorate the table with colorful autumn leaves in a basket.

6. Display the fruits of the harvest - corn, gourds, nuts, grapes, apples - preferably in a cornucopia. Or decorate with wildflowers, acorns, nuts, berries, cocoons, anything that represents the harvest to you.

7. Like its sister equinox, halfway across the Wheel of the Year, the Autumn Equinox is a good occasion for a ritual feast.

8. Plan a meal that uses seasonal and symbolic fruits and vegetables. You can serve bread, squash, corn, apples, cider and wine.

9. Make some homemade wine or cordial gather and dry herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods. Make grapevine wreaths using dried bitter-sweet herb for protection. Use ribbons of gold and yellow to bring in the energy of the Sun, and decorate with sprigs of dried yarrowor cinnamon sticks.

10. Make a protection charm of hazelnuts (filberts) strung on red thread. Make a witch's broom.

11. Tie dried corn husks or herbs (broom, cedar, fennel, lavender, peppermint, rosemary) around a strong, relatively straight branch of your choice.

12. Make magic Apple Dolls Gifts of the Harvest can be used to make tools and emblems that will remind us of their bounty all year round.

13. Look for colored leaves. Collect fallen leaves and make a centerpiece or bouquet for your home. Save the leaves to burn in your Yule fire. Vist an apple orchard and, if possible, pick your own apples.

14. Hang apples on a tree near your home. Watch the birds and other small animals who will enjoy your gift. This is also the time for replacing your old broom with a new one. As the broom corn is ripe now, besom making is traditional and magickal this time of year.

15. Begin the festival with a vineyard or orchard harvest. You might check the farm lands in your area to see if there's an orchard or pumpkin patch that allows customers to harvest produce for themselves.

16. Traditionally Sabbat festivals begin at sun set on the eve of the Holiday. You can use the daytime hours of this holiday eve to prepare baskets for harvesting the next day. Baking a pumpkin pie (from scratch if possible) is a wonderful way to bring in the fragrance of the holiday season.

Mabon..Balance and Reflection

2011-09-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Author: Morbek
Posted: September 26th. 2010

Close your eyes and picture this: You are sitting outside on a late summer evening. The very warm air is suddenly heavy with humidity and it’s not moving at all. The leaves on the trees don’t move, not a blade of grass stirs and there is no break in the quiet of the evening. The birds are still, the crickets and frogs suddenly have become quiet and you realize the thick, impenetrable lack of sound. Looking to the sky, you see that the sun has just set but it is still daylight enough to read by. This is twilight, the balance between day and night. It is the world in a perfect, relaxed state of being. And so it is with Mabon.

Mabon is the balance between summer and winter. The harsh heat of the latest season is gone and the bitter cold of winter hasn’t arrived. The earth is stopping her hectic cycles to take a deep breath and relax. Our ancestors celebrated this Sabbat as the second harvest. It was a time of apples, grapes, grain, wine and merriment. The God is preparing to die and the Goddess is moving from mother to crone…more on that later as it plays significantly in our perception of this Sabbat. Mabon is the autumnal equinox when day and night are equal spans of time. We tend to notice it more acutely than we do the vernal equinox because light and warmth are going away, not moving toward us.

So, what does yet another harvest festival have to do with our daily lives in the twenty first century? LOTS! Mabon is also known as harvest home and is celebrated in an “all out” fashion. The largest feasts, the most wine and beer, the best clothes on our backs and the best entertainment available are all facets of this holiday. Does that sound familiar? It does if you are at all familiar with October-fest in any of its incarnations. Once again, remnants of the old religions have survived into modern times and, I believe, that is wonderful.

The stags of the forests are bearing their crowns of antlers telling us that, with dignity, there will be another generation of wild animals willing to help us survive. If you look at a majestic stag, you can see the balance of male and female symbols as, more often than not, his antlers form a crescent moon shape. Although, it is only in the rutting season that this is obvious. You have the juxtaposition of the virile male who is ready to mate with anything against the sweet softness of the moon that shines forth her beauty freely. These symbols are in balance and that is one of the major themes of Mabon.

Balance is so important because the earth is about to make an abrupt change in the seasons. Just as summer can arrive quickly (though we appreciate that change) , it seems winter arrives with a sudden crash. Our lives change in response to the waning days, children return to school, which gives us a whole new schedule, the times we leave for work may change because of weather conditions and even our wardrobe changes in response to the lessening light. Mabon is a moment in which we can allow ourselves to become ready for the changes by becoming spiritually balanced. Just as the leaves on the trees change from green to reds and gold, our day-to-day lives will drastically change. If we achieve balance before the changes then we will allow them to flow around us with ease.

Just as the darkness begins to overtake the light, the goddess moves to the final stage of her life, that of the Crone. She is no longer responsible for her offspring and is achieving a momentary freedom from that responsibility. This freedom only lasts a moment, however, because she realizes that she is now among ‘the wise women” and her responsibility is to the community as a whole. She is also entering into the final days of her life. Just as the light is leaving, so is she.

Mabon is a time of mysteries. The Goddess has stopped her fertility cycle. Look at the fact that, to the ancients, this whole thing was very confusing in most cultures. How can women appear to bleed that often and not die? How does she bring forth life? Why does she stop bearing children when sexual activity doesn’t stop? I do not assume that pre-agrarian cultures were not intelligent enough to recognize these cycles as normal but imagine contemplating these mysteries without our benefit of extensive knowledge of biology! It must have blown minds. The mystery aspects of Mabon are ancient and probably have been passed down from peoples that weren’t even breeding animals yet so they were dealing with a zero knowledge base! No wonder that the first deities were Goddesses!

The earth moves from very fertile to totally barren…so does the Goddess. We can be thankful though, that she is the loving Crone that watches over her children and grandchildren with tenderness and patience as she waits to become fertile once again so she can bear fruit. We must realize that there are times in our lives that are barren and learn from her to be patient, kind, understanding and loving while we wait for fruitfulness to arrive again so that we can go forth and be the agents of change instead of letting those changes just happen to us! There are many times in our lives that we must wait. The time of Mabon is a point at which we can meditate on the mysteries of life and come to understand ourselves so when it is time for us to wait, we understand it as normal and natural.

At this balance point in the year, one of the mysteries we can focus on is the equilibrium and the pause it can give us. We have much left to harvest in our lives. There is still a lot of work to be done. We are granted a time in the year to celebrate our hard work and what it has given us as well as to recognize that we need to stop and get ready for the coming changes…after life without change is, well, boring!

SOURCE
http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=ustx&c=holidays&id=14176

Autumn: The Croning Time

2011-09-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Author: Lady Abigail
Posted: October 12th. 2008

Spirited away, my energy gently glides above the treetops like a down feather blown within the circling wind. Below, I see the quilted workings of Mother Earth in the patches of green grass, freshly plowed ground and fields of grain ready now for the harvest. The air is sweet and cool as it moves round my body and delights me like loving whispers of voices unknown. Faeries dance on wing; their joyous laughter calling my spirit ever on. Reaching down, I try to grasp a bright purple leaf from atop the sugar maple. As my energy moves within the magickal moment, I feel the sun warming me as it moves through the essences of my being, giving glimmers of what possibilities lie just beyond. . .

And then, in a sound, a spark of light, the cracking of a twig, I find myself laying atop the freshly cut hay ready for baling. Yet looking down I find within my hand the big and beautiful purple leaf from the top of the old sugar maple. Did I pick it up in my dreams or from under the tree? In my heart I shall always believe it came within that veil of magick just between dreams and what others call reality.

I always looked forward to sharing my adventures with my Great Grandmother. She, in her wisdom, would listen to each of my quests with attentive wonder and delight. It didn’t matter if they were ones of my chasing a frog down the creek bank for a few short and muddy hours, or those that carried me above the tree tops and into the veils of magick and possibility. She was there for me, smiling and teaching; teaching me many lessons I still remember even today.

Now that Autumn is here and Samhain is quickly approaching, I cannot help but remember the magick I felt and still feel today in this time of changing. The energy seems to rise within my spirit, as it sparks and dances across the essence of my soul. It touches me in memories and stories shared as my Great Grandmother would teach the old ways and the understanding of the Seasons of Life. In this, I again feel I can soar above the treetops in the arms of Autumn.

Fall is more than a season or that time of transition from summer to winter. Fall is what my Great Grandmother called the “Croning Time;” that time where the giving of life moves to the teaching of life within wisdom, no longer giving birth to new life, but nurturing all that is life and all that life brings.

Autumn is the “Spirit Goddess of the Changing.” She is guardian of the Croning Time.” Autumn in Her feminine form, is welcoming us unto Her as She, in wisdom, changes to the Crone. Autumn is a Grandmother Goddess and a keeper of the Cauldron of Life. She is wise with great knowledge and the understanding, which has grown within and of her experiences. Proud and strong, She dresses in the glorious colors of all that She is and shall be again.

As the Great Crone, Autumn, welcomes us with understanding of our own personal changes within the seasons that are life. She teaches us that Fall, as the Croning Time, is a time of celebration and joy. As we celebrate the seasons and ourselves, we find the wisdom within to see the beauty held in all the colors that make life the magick that it truly is.

Today in the eternal goal of everlasting youth, we find disgrace in and hide the changes of our personal seasons of life. Wrinkles are no longer seen as the lines of knowledge and understanding from the roads in life we have traveled and conquered. Now they are marks of shame for what nature brings us. We fight and pull and dug until sometimes, we cannot even recognize the reflection looking back at us in the mirror.

Graying hair is no longer a crown of wisdom, but a symbol of old age to be hidden. Age is no longer held as a destination of honor but is approached with the fear that we will be cast away, unimportant and forgotten. For our society finds it easer to lock away the wisdom of the aged behind closed doors than to seek the secrets held within. Perhaps age causes us dread because it uncovers within what our emotions fear. For when we are faced with those aged by life it reminds us each of the approach of inevitable death. Death no longer being a new beginning but the end of what was.

Autumn, as the Great Crone reminds us, that time life and death are but a thought, a moment flashing past eternity. Not to be feared but each to be relished and enjoyed. For as with the seasons, each holds it on gifts. Spring, Her excitement of the possibilities of the magick life holds anew. Summer, Her knowledge growing as She gives birth to new beginnings and eternal hope. Autumn, in Her wisdom and beauty reminds us of all that we have and all we have to give. Winter, wraps us in Her soft blanket of white that we might rest within the arms of Mother Earth to be reborn again in Spring. For this time shall come again as time circles forward in the Great Wheel of Life.

For thousands of years, women of wisdom and age were honored, valued and revered as the Elder Women. Autumn, as the Spirit Goddess of the Changing, is also the guardian of the Croning Time. Dressed in Her radiant colors, She reminds us of the respect held by those who are entering The Croning Time. Autumn allows us to reclaim our identity and status of the ancients, as Crones and Elders. We are coming of age, accessing our wisdom and acting upon it. Croning is the process of becoming active wise women.

Croning can begin at any age and is particularly relevant for women 45 and older. Yet, even men can become Crones within their on understandings of this passage. Personal experiences of aging provide the understanding of your path within this Time of Changing. It is up to us to decide how the circumstances of life transform us and move us forward.

We can no more hold back time and aging than we can stop the Great Wheel as it moves forward in its seasons. Perhaps the reason we all find such a joyous renewal in the energy of fall is the power that Autumn gives us over the fear of change, in both life and death. Change should not be feared but celebrated, for life has given us another year of wonder, magick and beauty.

My Great Grandmother opened my eyes to the magick of the seasons. She walked with me as I found the Goddess all around me, dressed in Her bright and fiery colors of reds, oranges, purples, and gold’s. When I became tired, she encouraged me to walk forward on the hillsides and watch the morning rise as the glistening dew gave a kaleidoscope of color on the leaves. When I became weak, she would carry me until I could once more hear the sweet mystical voice flowing in the breeze that would renew my spirit.

Autumn is the Croning Time, a time of magick, a time for renewal of spirit. As you experience the mysterious energy of this mystical season, allow the child within you to replenish your soul . . . and again look to the treetops in their beauty and touch the veils beyond.

Now I am the Crone, proud to teach those within my life in honor to my Great Grandmother. Let the magick of the Season truly touch your spirit as you walk forward in the colors of life.

By; Lady Abigail
High Priestess Ravensgrove Coven
Greenfield, IN area
Copyright © 01102009
SOURCE
http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usin&c=holidays&id=12888

Modron - Mabon: The Autumal Equinox

2011-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

A time of renewal. Modron is the harvest of fruits of the Earth Mother, who in her aspect of eternal Goddess enters the 3rd trimester of her pregnancy. This is the time when the dying Sun God begins his journey across the western ocean to sojourn with the eldest aspect of the Goddess, in the land of the dead at Samhain.

We slice apples to reveal the mystery within our rituals -- the mystery, a five pointed str symbolizing all elements of life. We eat them to remind us that, as witches, we walk between the worlds; that of consensual reality and that of the magical Otherworld. At this festival we stand between the pillars of ligt and darkness, ready to descend, with all those goddesses whose myths are associated with the Underworld, into the long night of the year. Modron is the year's sunset and in this dusk we carry what we can of the Sun's noonday strength at Litha with us into the dark. After Modron we continue toward Samhain, and having travelled the sacred wheel of the year, continue the cycle around.

To understand sacrifice better, let’s look at the dance the Wiccan God and Goddess perform throughout the Wheel of the Year and see where They are at Mabon. The God is represented as the life of the Sun. At Yule, when the Sun’s strength begins to wax, the Goddess gives birth to the God. By Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, He is at His peak. By Lughnasadh he wanes. Since by Samhain He is journeying to the land of the dead, with the Autumnal Equinox, when day and light are equal and night begins to wax, it makes sense that Mabon would be the day of His death. His sacrificing Himself so that the land can rest and be reborn anew in Spring, for the good of the Earth and His people, is like the king in Snorri’s saga.

This story teaches us that sacrifices on Mabon are not just for personal gain, but also to help the world be a better place. What can we sacrifice from our lives to make the Earth a better place? We can give time by recycling items instead of throwing things away. We can sacrifice the aesthetics of our lawns by using a mulcher on lawnmowers rather than bagging and throwing away the clippings. We can give up a little comfort by setting the heat and cool of our homes to more moderate temperatures. We can offer up eating meat as often as we do because of the harm the meat industry does to the environment.

Josie

SOURCES
http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usla&c=holidays&id=13515
THE WICCA BIBLE by Ann-Marie Gallagher

The Definition of Love By Ryan O'Connell

2011-09-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

You can stop taking quizzes in Cosmo. Here’s what love really is.

Love is still wanting to hold someone after you climax. After the initial euphoria from the orgasm wears off, you’re replaced with a sense of calm rather than a panic. You don’t want to search for your clothes, scramble to find your keys and figure out the best way to tell them, “See ya later forever!” You’re fine with chilling out in bed with the person and maybe ordering pad thai later.

Love is unattractive. It can expose our worst traits: Jealousy, irrational fears, heated anger; the gang’s all here! While it can bring out compassion and tenderness, it can also make you behave like the ugliest version of yourself. That can be okay for a little while, but love with real longevity should be like a xanax rather than an adderall.

Love is not afraid to be schmaltzy. There’s a reason why the most popular love songs are so lyrically simple. You can drown it in metaphors all you want but love usually boils down to, “You make me so happy. I want to hold your hand. I just want u 2 be mine 4ever!” You can be a 50-year-old linguistics professor at Columbia University and still find something to relate to in a Mariah Carey ballad if you’re in love because the feelings are so universal. It’s humbling, isn’t it? No matter who you are or what your background is, love can reduce you to Mariah Carey mush.

Love is an all-consuming drug. It gives us these natural highs we’ve only read about in books or heard in songs. It’s addictive. It’s what keeps us going to bars, drinking glasses of wine, going to that stupid house party in Bushwick; it’s all for the possibility of finding love. In the wrong hands, love can be dangerous and scary. If someone lacks a healthy foundation, love can kill. All of these crimes you read about in the newspapers are usually linked to passionate love. “I did it because I loved them just…too much.”

Love is not what our parents had. In high school, you never wanted to think about your mother and father having once slept with people in the backseat of cars and feeling warm and happy. That would make it feel less special and young. It would make love have less to do with you when, EXCUSE ME, it has EVERYTHING to do with you.

Love is getting drunk with your significant other at a party and taking a cab home with your bodies intertwined. You feel safest in these moments, the most secure. Entering a social gathering with someone who loves you is the biggest security blanket. People leave the party as a parade of droopy expressions and sad cocktail dresses. But not you. “Sorry guys, I’m in love! I’m taking a car!”

Love is fucking stupid. Love is fucking smart. Love is about betraying yourself, of compromising your ideals for someone else’s approval. That’s actually the bad kind of love, but I guess it all blurs together when you’re young or when you’re old or when you don’t love yourself.

Love is your significant other telling you about their favorite album and then making a point to fall in love with it on your own. Love is wondering why your better half loves certain things. You think you can find remnants of them in their favorite films, books and songs, but you usually can’t.

Love is finding yourself feeling protective over someone else’s well-being Love is being incensed with rage when someone or something has done your lover wrong.

Love is wanting your partner to cum. And if they can’t, just say, “That’s okay. I’m enjoying this.” It might be bullshit, but they’ll be orgasming in the next five minutes. Trust me.

Love isn’t always marriage. Marriage is spending $60,000 so everyone can know that someone loves you. You know what’s certainly not love? Debt. In some cases, love can be divorce.

Love is a back massage, a mindfuck, a hard cock, a pair of perfect breasts, of feeling unashamed about the cellulite on your body. Love is someone giving a shit about you enough to argue. Love is not passive. Love is “Don’t fucking touch me right now.” Love is “Who the FUCK were you talking to?” Love is sometimes hating yourself for a second. Love is hate. Period. Indifference is the real killer of love and the true antithesis.

When love leaves you, you should be lying on your bathroom floor with no resolve. You’re smoking cigarettes in the bathtub and crying about everything bad that’s ever happened.

Love is someone seeing the beauty in you and wanting to bask in it every day all day. Love is not guaranteed. We are not owed love. That’s why when we get it, we know how lucky we are and hold on to it for dear life.

So, yeah. That’s what love is. Anyone know where to get some?

Moon Angel -- Gabriel

2011-08-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

The angel of the moon is Gabriel, whose name means "Strenght of God". She is one of the 4 archangels named in Hebrew tradition, one of the two highest-ranking angels in Judeo-Christian and Islamic religious lore. Apart from Michael, she is the only angel mentioned by name in the Old Testament!

Gabriel is described as possessing 140 pairs of wings; she is the governor of Eden and ruler of the cherubim. She is also considered the angel of Annunciation and the Resurrection, as well as an angel of mercy, vengeance, death, and revelation.

This archangel is a messenger, awakening us to cosmic truth, and appears many times in the Bible as a harbinger of creative change. Gabriel also parted the waters of the Red Sea so that the Hebrews could exape from Egypt, suggesting a connection with the tides and with passage. Islamic tradition states that Gabriel, being the Angel of Truth, revealed the Koran to Mohammed. According to the testimony of Joan of Arc, Gabriel inspired her to go to the succor of the king of France and also persuaded her to help the Dauphin.

Considered to be the chief embassador of God to humanity, Gabriel is often depicted holding a lily -- which is ruled by the Moon -- or a scepter, this angel is considered by many to be female. She brings the gifts of psychism, seeing, hearing, fertility, and balance. Gabriel comes to us in dreams, whispering those special things we need to know.

Invoke Gabriel with incense or oils of jasmine, and/or mimosa, and by wearing a fire opal.

Gabriel's Correspondences

Name of Planet under rulership:	Moon.
Planet Name in Hebrew	LBNH.
Hebrew Meaning:	(fem) meaning white.
Teaching Angel:	Gabriel.
Also Known As:	Abruel, Gabrielus (Latin), Gavri'el ( Hebrew), Jibril or Jibrail ( Arabic) and Serafili.
Correct Pronunciation:	gay- BREE-EL.
Celestial Title:	Power of God.
Tradition - Angel identified in:	Jewish, Christian and Islamic Traditions
Hebrew Name:	Levannah.
Hebrew Letter:	Gimel.
Egyptian Name:	Hathor.
Station:	Archangel and Teaching Angel.
Ruler of:	The First Heaven - Shamayim.
Guardian Angel:	Ishim.
Greek/Roman God:	Selene, Diana.
Metal:	Silver.
Day:	Monday (Moon Day).
Hours of Day (Monday ) Ruled:	1st and 8th hours of the day. 3rd and 10th hours of the night.
Month Ruled:	January.
Cycle of Results:	28 Days.
Compass Direction Ruled:	West
Fixed Stars (Cancer):	Sirius, Castor and Pollux and Procyon.
Moons Phase Waxing:	Positive
Moons Phase Waning:	Negative
Days to Avoid working with Archangel Gabriel:	Saturday and Tuesday.
Gems:	Aquamarine, Clear Quartz, Crystal, Fluorite, Geodes, Moonstone or Pearls.
Ritual Candle Colour:	White or Silver
Colour:	Silver, White (Yellow).
Harran / Hermetics Colour	Silver.
Complimentary Colour:	Black, Blue.
Colour of Pentacles of the Moon:	White, Silver.
Astral Colour's - Cancer:	Green and Brown.
Symbol:	Nine Pointed Star.
Tarot Card:	The High Priestess (II).
Planetary Numbers:	2, 7.
Talisman Size/Sides:	3, 9.
Numbers of the Moon:	3, 9, 81, 369, 3321
Musical Note:	F.
Biblical River Ruled:	South.
Degree:	Not identified.
Angelic Thoughtform:	Pear.
Fruit:	Lichee, Melon or Pear.
Tree:	Almond, Bay, Coconut Palm, Hazel, Papaya and Weeping Willow.
Flowers/Herbs:	All White Flowers, Adder's Tongue, Agave, Alum Root, Hazel, Chickweed, Iris, Morning Glory, Mushroom, Passionflower, Peonies, Poppy, Purslane, White Rose, Watercress and Wallflower.
Insect:	Spiders and Moths.
Animals:	Crabs, Shellfish, Dog, Seagull, Owl and White Peacock.
Anatomy Governed:	Chest for Men and Breast for Women. Lymphatic System.
River Ruled:	Southern River.
Letter Composition - Cancer:	White Paper, Blue Ink.
Magical Script:	Theban.
Planetary Spirit (Demon):	Hasmodai.
Spirit of Spirits:	Shad Barschemoth Ha-Schartathan.
Intelligence:	Malka Betarshisim.
Intelligence of the Intelligences:	Ve-ad Ruachoth Ha- Schekalim .
Planetary Intelligence:	Malkah he Tarshisim ve-ad Ruachoth Schechalim.
Demon of the Day:	Lucifer.
Olympic Spirit:	Phul.

Related Deities: Anu, Artemis, Cerridwen, Diana, Hathor, Hekate,
Isis, Juno, Luna, Selene.

*General Incense:*
Incense 1:	Frankincense, Wormwood, White Sandalwood, Mandrake (female), Lignum Aloe, Ginseng, Camphor, Cucumber Seeds, Buttercup, Jasmine.
Incense 2:	Camphor, Jasmine, Frankincense, White Sandalwood.
Incense 3:	Myrtle, Camphor, Aloes, Jasmine, African Violet, Honeysuckle, Myrtle, Willow, Wormwood.

*Talismanic Incense:*	Aloes, Cucumber Seeds, Camphor, White Sandalwood, Wormwood, Buttercup, Selenotrope.

*Magical Oils:*
Anointing Oil:	Base Oil: Almond or Olive Oil - Jasmine, Lemon, Sandalwood.
Essential Oil	Anise, Calamus.

*Perfume:*
Ingredients:	Anise Seed, Banana, Frankincense, Camphor, Chamomile, White Poppy, White Rose, Orris, Wallflower, Almond, Storax, Sweet Virginal Odors, Wintergreen

*Magical Ink:*	Lampblack (soot), Waters (Spring), Camphor, and Gum Arabic.

Sources
Lewis & Oliver's Angelz A to Z
Teresa Moorey's The Little Book of Moon Magic
http://www.archangels-and-angels.com/aa_pages/correspondences/angel_planet/archangel_gabriel.html

Deities Of The Moon

2011-08-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Arianrhod
Arianrhod is a Welsh goddess of the full moon and also of time, karma and destiny. She ruled over the realm of the Celtic Otherworld, called Caer Feddwidd, the Fort of Carousa. Here a mystical fountain of wine offered eternal health and youth for those who chose to spend their immortality in the Otherworld. She brings inspiration, renewal, health and rejuvenation, and is a focus for all magick, as she is a witch goddess.

Diana
Diana is the Roman counterpart of Artemis, and because of her strong association with the Moon in all its phases, is a goddess of fertility as well as love. Like Artemis, she is goddess of the hunt and a virgin goddess, but can be invoked in her role as an Earth goddess and as protector of women in childbirth. Her beauty and hunting skills make her a perfect focus for the pursuit of love, especially from afar.

Myesyats
Like the lunar goddesses, Myesyats, the Slavic Moon God, represented the three stages of the life cycle. He was first worshipped as a young man until he reached maturity at the full moon. With the waning phase, Myesyats passed through old age and died with the old moon, being reborn three days later. As he was the restorer of life and health, parents would pray to him to take away their children's illnesses and family sorrows. Other sources have a female version, Myesytsa, a lovely Moon maiden who was the consort of Dazhbog the Sun God, and became mother of the stars.
Myesyats brings healing and family harmony.

Selene
Selene is the Greek goddess specially associated with the full moon, sometimes forming a triplicity with Diana and Hecate, the twin sister of Helios the Sun God. Selene rises from the sea in her chariot drawn by white horses at night and rides high in the sky in her full moon.At the time of the full moon, she is invoked by women for fertility and by all who seek the power of intuition and inspiration.

Mother Goddesses
Mother Goddesses are for fertility, abundance of all kinds, female power and all rituals for women.

Astarte
Astarte is the supreme female divinity of the Phoenicians, goddess of love and fertility, associated with the Moon and all nature.Invoke her for power and wisdom, seduction and passion as well as fertility.

Cerridwen
Cerridwen is the Welsh Mother Goddess, the keeper of the cauldron and goddess of inspiration, knowledge and wisdom. She is a natural focus for rituals involving all creative ventures and for increased spiritual and psychic awareness. Invoke her for divination and especially scrying and for all rituals of increase.

Ceres
Ceres is the Roman goddess of the grain and all food plants. Her daughter Proserpina was taken into the Underworld for three months of the year by Pluto, causing Ceres to mourn and the crops to die. This was the origin of winter. Through this, she is seen as goddess of fertility and abundance, as well as a deity of the natural cycles of the year. She represents loss and is a focus for rites concerning grief and mourning, with the hope of new joy ahead for women and especially for mothers. Her Greek counterpart is Demeter.

Demeter
Demeter, the Greek Corn Goddess or Barley Mother, was the archetypal symbol of the fertility of the land. Demeter is often pictured as rosy-cheeked, carrying a hoe or sickle and surrounded by baskets of apples, sheaves of corn, garlands of flowers and grapes.Like Ceres, she mourns for her lost daughter Persephone for three months of the year and so is another icon for those who are feeling sorrow or loss and for maternal sacrifice. But she can be invoked for all matters of abundance, for reaping the benefits of earlier work or effort, for all mothering rituals and as a protectress of animals.

Innana
Innana was a Sumerian goddess, known as the Queen of Heaven, who evolved into the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Innana was goddess of beauty, abundance, fertility and passion, famed for her loveliness and her lapis lazuli necklaces. She was the first goddess of the morning and evening stars, a legacy that has passed to Aphrodite and Venus.Like many of the Mother Goddess icons, she descended into the Underworld annually to face and overcome many trials, to bring back to life her shepherd god consort Dumuzi.

Ishtar
Ishtar, the Babylonian version of Innana, also descended into the Underworld each year to restore herconsort Tammuz to life. She was a fierce goddess of weapons and war. In Ancient Babylon, a sacred marriage took place each year between Tammuz and Ishtar. This was celebrated at the festival of Akitu, or Zag-Mug, which marked the rising of the waters of the Tigris and the Euphrates and the coming of the spring rains, to bring fertility, at the spring equinox.Like Innana, she is a goddess of fertility, restoration, renewal, birth and the life cycles; she also represents power with responsibility and necessary sacrifice for future gain, but above all transformation.

Isis
The Egyptian goddess Isis is the most powerful and frequently invoked goddess in formal magick.
She is mother, healer and the faithful wife who annually restored her consort Osiris to life, thus magically causing the Nile to flood and fertility to return to the land. She is the patroness of magick and spell-casting, having tricked Ra the Sun God into giving her his secrets. Some accounts say she was taught by Thoth, god of wisdom and learning.Her cult spread throughout the Roman Empire and she remained in Mediterranean lands in her guise as the Black Madonna, holding her infant son Horus, until the Middle Ages. She is sometimesrepresented as a vulture, in which form she appears on amulets (protective charms) with an ankh, the symbol for life, engraved on each talon. Isis demonstrated the power of maternal protection when she hid Horus in the marshes from his evil uncle who would have destroyed him.

Making a Wand

2011-08-18T01:16:00.000-07:00

First, you should acquire the proper wood. Any wood is satisfactory,
but here below is a list of the most common choices and their attributes. All below info belongs to the Bardwood Wandery, and the Bardic Institute.

Woods of Elemental Earth

Rowan (Luis)
Also called the Mountain Ash, and Quickbeam for its powers of bestowing and enhancing life, Rowan is sacred to Capricorn. It especially bears the power of the Dark Goddess, the Crone aspect of Mother Earth, and through her the power of fiery Abban, Vulcan, Lord of craft, mountain, and metalwork. Rowan flowers and bright orange berries are marked by the pentagram, symbol of the five Elements; the berries, often retained through Winter, symbolize the endurance of Life through the dark of the year. Also called Witchen or Witchbane Rowan has been considered the enemy of all evil witchery, and protects against one being carried off to Faerie against one's will. A tree of astral vision and protection, particularly good for warding off evil spirits, Rowan traditionally is said to avert storms and lightning, and bring peace. The fondness of songbirds for Rowan berries, gives the tree a link to the bards, and the Goddess Brigid in her role as Muse of poets. It is a tree associated with serpents and dragons and sacred places, the leylines or dragon-lines of Earth energy. The dragon embodies primal energy, a strong force of creativity and natural flow, which cannot be "slain" or "tamed". Indeed "slaying the dragon" in Christian legend is sometimes confused with modern technology's notions of dominion over Nature. Dragon energy is drawn into harmony when we enter into partnership with it through the erection of standing stones at intersections of the dragon lines, or by directing it in a Rowan wand. Rowan's power is doubled by the inclusion of a dragon-scale core when it is fashioned as a wand. Its Elvish name, Luis, comes from the root lu "time" also found in luras "to judge." Elves frequently hold their judicial assemblies under old Rowans. Especially suited for magick giving form and order, ritual, growth, fertility, protection, women's autonomy, poetry, weaving and spinning, and geomancy or work with ley lines.
See Also: Rowan Tree: Pyrus aucuparia

Ash (Nuin)
Sacred to Virgo and its ruler Mercury, planet of intellect and reason, Ash is a wood associated with many divinities. The number of its house is nine (thrice three). The Ash appears in Norse myth as Yggdrasil, the World-Ash or Tree of Life from which all the worlds spring. In this respect it is the pathway or bridge by means of which the wizard may travel among the worlds. Mystically, Ash signifies the Astral dimension and its myriad doorways. Beneath the World-Tree, Yggdrasil, the three Norns or Fates dispense judgment over gods and men. A dragon lives in the roots of the World Ash and an eagle in its branches; the goat of Odin feeds upon the leaves and turns that food into Ambrosia, the drink of the gods that provides immortality. Hanging upsidedown on the Ash tree, Odin drank of the spring of destiny at its roots and the runes were revealed to him. Tradition holds the Ash also to be sacred to Llyr and the Greek Poseidon, Lord of Sea, horses, and metamorphosis. Like the Sea-Goat Capricornus, Ash unites Earth and Water in the primordial energy in which all potential lies. Poseidon, Odin, and Thor each wielded a spear of Ash, symbolic of an irresistible magical Will and invincible protection. The Greek goddess Nemesis carried an ash wand as symbol of divine justice. With it, she ensures that fortune (good or ill) is shared among all people and not only by the few. Nemesis is also called "Nemesis of the rainmaking ash" identified as Andrasteia, daughter of the sea-god Oceanus.

One of the few surviving Druid wands of old, found in an archeological dig, was made of Ash with a sunwise spiral design, symbolizing Ash's links to the Sun. So generally magical is the Ash that it is the wood used for Yule logs and Maypoles, and in some traditions the brooms of witches. In the Alferic pantheon Olobaal, the Sea Mother, whose body moves with the moon is a feminine figure. She is the devouring Mother who consumes, swallows, and gives birth to all life. She is goddess of water, sea, and ocean, twin sister of Vashaan, the Wind Lord, as Poseidon is brother of Zeus. She is great and terrible when incited to Tempest by her brother; calm and beautiful when she is embraced by the Sun Obraash; fecund when touched by the Moon. She can take any form and is also a goddess of war. In Alferic tradition it is out of ash-wood that Olobaal fashioned her scepter and the haft of her magical harpoon. Thus, it may be seen that Ash is as much attuned to Elemental Water as Earth, and so is the consummate wood of growth and fecundity, mothers and daughters, and female sovereignty. It is a wood of balance and the marriage of opposites. Well-suited for shamanic magick, protection, and to enhance one's skills at any art or craft, magick of wells and caves, Earth as the vessel of water, finding roots or working with plant roots, magick of horses, oceans, conquest, justice, and weatherworking.
See Also: Ash Tree: Fraxinus excelsior

Maple (Shorin)
Sacred to Alban Elved (the Autumnal Equinox) because of its fiery red and orange colors as its leaves turn -- a bold celebration of the season and the cycle of death and rebirth. Poised on the equinox, it is linked to both Libra and Virgo, Hazel and Ash. Maple's sacred bird is the Great Horned Owl who is herald of the coming Feast of Samhuinn with its magick and mystery. The owl is a bird associated with wizards and wisdom, and the bearing of messages in the night. In North America, especially in its northern parts, the Maple is a dominant tree with many varieties, including the sugar maple from which maple syrup was made by the Native Americans. As such it is associated with the life-giving sap of the trees, providing food and sweetness for those who treat it with respect and care. Alban Elved is also known as the Feast of Mabon, dedicated to the reborn son-consort of the Great Mother. The Dying God is also the Giant Ymir of Norse myth, from whose body the world was made. Maple is a strongly masculine wood, somewhat rebellious and tough, but with a beautiful smooth grain; hard, yet excellent for carving. Well-suited to spells of sending and communication, binding, transmutations, creation, revolution, rebirth, healing, beauty, art, and abundance.
See Also: Maple Tree: Acer campestre

Elm (Elma)
One of the tallest ancient forest trees, graceful in its chalice shape, Elm is sacred to the Great Goddess in her form as Wise Grandmother. She is the Qabbalist's Briah, manifest in the planet Saturn. Elm is also called "Elven" for its connection to the Elves and Faerie mounds, and so to burial mounds, and to death as the doorway eternal life. In recent times, as many ancient Elms have been killed off by Dutch Elm disease, the tree has come to symbolize and embody the struggle of Nature against humanity's destruction of the old forests through short-sightedness or the transportation of diseases from other parts of the world. Elm's spirit is majestic and expansive, rooted and wise. Well-suited to magick of Earth and invocation of the Goddess, healing, fertility, gardening, rebirth, destiny, wisdom., passage from one life (or phase of life) to another, metamorphosis, endurance.
See Also: Elm: Ulmus campestris.

Plum (Emrys)
Plum wood is not a wood expressly included in the sacred tree lists of the Elves or the Celts; however, it is closely related to its sister, the Blackthorn, which is known as a Faerie tree of dark omen, strong in protective magic. Sacred to Abban, God of Craft and Mountains, Plum is a fruit wood, and so bears powers of fertility but its thorns evoke powers of great reserve and protection, the setting of boundaries, and the ability to dissolve them. Abban, like the Greek Hephaestos, is a jealous spirit of creative fire, whose devotion to art transcends all other concerns. The wood itself is harder than Apple but has a similar creamy color, and the branches are tough, knotty, and thorny. Thus Plum is a consummate wand wood for the creative artist or anyone desiring to focus on magic that will enhance skill, overcome barriers, keep people or disturbance at bay, evoke toughness and persistence, patience, protection, and healing, especially of the blood. It is also well-suited for the divining of precious metals or minerals
See Also: Plum Tree: Prunus domestica
Woods of Elemental Air

Hawthorn (Huathe)
Hawthorn or Whitethorn is sacred to Aquarius and Vashaan, the Windlord, the Thunderer, whom the Elves call Valma. He is the Norse Thor and the Greek Zeus, god of Sky and storm. It is a tree of defense with its twisted branches and sharp thorns, and it holds the power of lightning. Some loremasters say it can detect the presence of magick because it is a tree in which magical powers enter the manifest world from beyond. Its sacred color is violet and it is especially attuned to this band of the magical spectrum with its focus on powers over other kinds of magick. Well-suited for all protective magick and all magick aimed at strengthening one's magical powers, spells of control, or warding, sending, detection, concealment, weatherworking. and protection against lightning and evil spirits.
See Also: Hawthorn: Crataegus oxyacantha

Lilac (Galad)
Sacred to Gemini, the Twins, lilac brings the root energy of expansion and growth, that underlies intellectual and spiritual prosperity. Such energy is the burgeoning of Spring flowers, sacred to the androgynous and quicksilver Mercury, whose domain is writing, speech, song, reason, and travel by sea, air, and star. Lilac is sacred to bards and its intoxicating fragrance bespeaks erotic and creative power. Galad comes from the root gal, meaning "gift" from which other words derive: galian "hospitality," agalla "sexual pleasure," gaelli? "delight," melengal "mystic union." All of which suggests the mysteries of gifts and giftedness, talent, and the communication of love through delight. Lilac wood is close-grained, creamy, and smooth, excellent for carving intricate interlace patterns. Well-suited to magick of union, attraction, enhancement of sexual pleasure, intellectual pursuits, imagination, information, mental concentration, travel, illusion, detection, divination.

Hazel (Koll)
Sacred to Libra and the Celtic goddess Arianrhod, called Shava and Ardiana by the Elves - the White Goddess of Stars and the Queen of Heaven. In Roman and Greek myth she is Venus and Aphrodite, goddess of love, but for the Elves she is the goddess not so much of carnal love itself, but of the enchanting power of beauty.. She is named Danu by the Celts, the grandmother, and is called Spider Grandmother because she created the starry net of the night sky. Her web is manifested in the twining limbs of the forest trees as they reach upwards in worship of her. Hazelnuts feed the Salmon of Wisdom in its deep pool. Its color is midnight blue, its stone lapis lazuli or blue sapphire. Its bird is the crane. Shava is considered the teacher of enchanters and all worthy wizards and bards are summoned to her table. Sacred to Shava, Hazel wood is imbued with magical power. Its nuts feed the Salmon of Wisdom in its deep pool. The hazelnut is also connected magically to the heart chakra. Well-suited to magick of wisdom, beauty, charm, love, stars, navigation, and creativity.
See Also: Hazel Tree: Corylus avellana

Cedar (Chakris)
Sacred to the cross-quarter feast of Imbolc, which in the Elvish tradition, is the Feast of Shava, Queen of Stars. Yet it Cedar is also associated with the goddess Sezh or Persephone in her Underworld time, withdrawn from the mundane surface of existence during the season of snows. Evergreen Cedar is sacred, like Juniper, for the promise of eternal life. Its number is thirty, its color pale yellow, and its bird the goldfinch. Chakris recalls the Cedars of Lebanon, the wood from which the great Jewish Temple of Solomon was built. Associations with Solomon are, of course, always magical, that great king being legendary for his powers of magick and ability to bind spirits to his service. Cedar is a wood of protection and preservation. Imbolc or Oimelc is also, traditionally, the time of the lambing when the milk of the ewes comes, thus the linkage of the festival to milk, as well as to light. Chakris symbolizes and embodies the light in the darkness, and the brilliance of the Star Goddess in the inky blackness of the interstellar void. Cedar is especially powerful for clearing negativity from an area prior to magical work. The tree is also called Arbor Vitae, Tree of Life. Especially suited to preservation of sacred places, forests, and groves, dedication of sacred space for worship and magick, bringing of light out of darkness, star magick of all kinds, and summoning of helpful spirits.

Apple (Queris)
Sacred to the Feast of Lughnasa and the Celtic Goddess Rhiannon, who is also one of Shava's masks, as Goddess of Stars and also of horses. Apple harvest comes on and after the feast of Lughnasa (August 1st) and marks one of the major foods of the Elves, often associated with the Faerie realms and the Isle of Avalon. Thus the wood has the power of Avalon and the immortality of the Faerie realms. The Q-rune is also called Quenda, in Elvish Eranor, which is the Rose bush whose bright colors evoke the spirit of light and love in the season of Lugh, or Obraash, Mellar of the Sun. Its sacred number is seventy; its sacred bird the rose-breasted grosbeak. Shamans and ancient poets are often described carrying apple branches as symbols of their office and the famous Silver Bough of Apple provided entry to Faerie. Especially suited to opening the doorways into Faerie, spells to do with horses or travel, illumination, enhancing any skill, love, harmony, and beauty, harvest, and magick of divine, shamanic madness or visionary experience.
See also: Apple Tree: Pyrus malus

Linden (Ohm)
The Linden, also called Basswood and Lime-tree, is the tree most sacred to the goddess Shava, who may be found in Celtic Arianrhod, and Greek Aphrodite: Queen of Stars and Love. Her nature is as much fiery as airy being the spirit of Divine Light. Linden wood is laden with the power of attraction that underlies not only love, infatuation, and harmony, but also the very fabric of the material cosmos in such forces as magnetism, adhesion, and gravity. It is a wood of truly cosmic power on every dimension and sphere of the Tree of Life. Linden is a very light, airy, and smooth wood, excellent for carving and capable of supporting fine details. Specially suited to star magick, spells of creation and transmutation, illumination, love, attraction, healing, enhancement of beauty and peace, and acts of enchantment.
See Also: Linden Tree: Tilia europea

Yew (Ioho)
Sacred to Mercury, spirit of intellect, thought, and communication and master of magick, incantations, and runes. He is also the psychopomp, guide of souls from one world to the next. As such, the evergreen Yew bears powers over travel between the worlds. In the Elvish pantheon, Mercury is Islaar, a shape-shifting, androgyne who is both the great Teacher and the mischievous Trickster. Patron of thieves as well as Poets and Seers, Islaar is a mystic power as well as the divine spirit of thought. As Trickster he is the inspirer of wit and eloquence. The Yew is the tree of the Ovate, the seer and healer in Druid tradition. As such it bridges the worlds and opens doorways into the Otherworld. Yew is especially suited to spells of transformation and transfiguration, illusion, astral travel, mediumism, necromancy, conjuration of helpful spirits, guides and ancestors, and also spells to bestow knowledge, eloquence, or persuasion.
See Also: Yew Tree: Taxus baccata

Woods of Elemental Fire

Oak (Duir, Dwyr)
The most powerful and sacred of Druid woods, Oak is magically linked to the constellation Leo. It holds power to draw lightning or the bolt of inspiration. The Sun, which rules Leo, is the source of life and light. Psychologically it is the center of the Self. Oak symbolizes all solar heroes, those who venture out from their homelands to achieve great deeds and bring home wondrous treasures. Oak traditionally provided not only one of the most durable woods for construction and fuel, but also the acorn from which the early tribes fed their pigs throughout the winter. Oak is one of the longest lived trees, thus embodying great wisdom as well as strength. The name Duir is related to dwyn, "door," or "portal," the great door of a manor dwelling. It is also, of course, often linked to drwyd, "druid" or "wizard." As the wizardwood, there is no more magical wood for wandmaking and it is especially noted for enhancing the endurance of spells against time and counterspell. The acorn is associated magically with a helmeted head and so to the crown chakra. Natural branches of Oak are often twisted and gnarly and have a coarse, dark grain. It is a hard and heavy wood. Especially suited to magick of kingship and wise rule, personal sovereignty, authority, power, protection, sealing or opening doors, endurance, and invocation of wisdom, fertility, and abundance.
See Also: Oak Tree: Quercus robur (The English Oak)

Holly (Tinne)
Associated with the Holly King who defeats the Oak King at Midsummer each year and reigns until the Winter Solstice, Holly is one of the most fiery of woods and second only to Oak for its sacred regard by the Druids. The Gaelic "tinne" is thought to mean "fire." It's rune in the Alferic Ogham is the same as the Futhark rune Tyr, and like that rune is associated with the Spear, one of the magical weapons of the Tuatha de Danann, and also of Odin. The spear is one of the prototypes of the magical wand, a phallic , yang instrument for projecting will and inseminating matter with life and creative seed-forces. Mars, or in Elvish the god Ambash, rules Holly. Ambash is also associated with the Wildman of the Forest, the untamable power of the forest depths and its procreative essence. It is associated with Midwinter, but actually reigns over the "dark half" of the year when the solar tide is waning, from Midsummer to Midwinter. Oak rules the waxing tide of the sun. It is calendrically associated with Capricorn as the Constellation presiding at the Winter Solstice; however, the Alferic tradition also associates it with Aries, a constellation ruled traditionally by Mars. Holly has been regarded as a powerful protective wood, good against evil spirits, poisons, angry elementals, and lightning. It is also associated with dream magick and fertility, and is well-suited for any magick dealing with the overthrow of old authorities, success in business or endeavor, or spells seeking progress to a new stage of development. Holly wood is very fine-grained, hard, and smooth, and almost ivory in color if it is not stained. It is a truly exquisite wood for wands.
See Also: Holly Tree: Ilex aquifolium

Redwood/Sequoia (Thor)
The giant redwood is the most magnificent of all conifers and its Elvish name, Thor, draws an association with the Norse god of that name, spirit of thunder, storm, and lightning. As an evergreen, Redwood is the embodiment of life and the assertive phallic striving upward to the sky. Its rune in the Alferic Ogham looks like a doubling of Tinne (see Holly above), a twin spearhead, barbed perhaps, and also resembling the stately conifer form itself. It is associated with the constellation Sagittarius, the Archer, and the Centaurs. It is also associated with the Stag-god Orion, who in Greek tradition is the archetypal Hunter. Ambash, the God of Beasts is the Hunter in the Alferic tradition, but his counterpart, from whom he is inseparable, is Orion, the hunted Stag of Summer. The Stag or White hart is the magical animal of the deep forest whose appearance invariably leads the heroic hunter into some adventure in the Otherworld. Orion is in fact regarded as a spirit most closely linked to the planet Uranus and the Greek Titan Prometheus, bringer of fire and teacher of all arts to humankind, a spirit, as the poet Shelley argued, of rebellion and revolution. In Celtic tradition, the redwood itself does not appear, but Pine does and is attributed to Dionysus, another iteration of the Wildman. Magically, Redwood is excellent for drawing down power from Heaven to Earth, spells of religious seeking and discipline, spells of mystical union with nature and wild animals, hunting magick, the martial arts as spiritual discipline, and spells for innovation and sudden revelation. We usually use milled redwood for wands, which has a very broad and beautiful grain, is quite lightweight and soft, and which has a dark red color without the need of any stain. The wood tears easily as so is not well-suited to detailed carving.

Hickory (Axara)
Hickory is sacred to Obraash, God of the Sun, who is also Lugh and Apollo. His color is golden yellow, his stones citrine and yellow topaz. His sacred birds are the Phoenix and the peacock. Obraash is one of the principal fire spirits whose domain is kingship, the wise use of power, unification of peoples, and wholeness, both of the individual personality and of a society. Hickory is a hard and close-grained wood, with solar energies similar to Oak. Because of its durability, it is traditionally used for making bats, sticks, and clubs -- the primitive prototypes of the magick wand or royal scepter, signifying power to command and direct action. The Eranor word axara shares a root with axalla "majesty" and lex "crown." The hickory nut is linked to the solar plexus chakra. It is especially suited to magick of abundance, wholeness, power, presence, command, discipline, acquisition, giving of gifts, and the finding of direction.

Cherry (Oadha)
Cherrywood is sacred to Ambash, God of the Hunt, of Beasts, and of War. He is also Ares, Mars, Herne, Teutates, Tyr. Cherry is sacred likewise to female deities of hunt and battle: Artemis, Morrigan. Cherrywood is red in color and darkens with age and exposure to the sun. Its companion stones are obsidian and sard. Its sacred bird is the Red-tailed hawk. The sound of the rune Oadha carries with it the aspiration of Thor (Redwood) and the vibratory qualities of Duir (Oak). Cherrywood carries the energy of the magical Will through which magical intentions are directed into the outer world of manifestation. Cherrywood is imbued with the power of making and doing, achievement, and self-assertion over obstacles and critics. It is the pure energy of Will and desire. The cherry fruit is magically linked to the root chakra and so to sex and birth: the life force of attraction and renewal. Its sweet-scented flowers evoke eroticism and the power of love in its more subtle forms as well as the essence of springtime with its powers of renewal. Especially suited to invocations and blessings of sacred fires, spells of finding, hunting, conflict, war, competition, sex, passion, communion with animals, unification of groups or tribes, and the amplification of magical will.
See Also: Cherry Tree: Prunus avium

Walnut (Yuin)
Sacred to Vashaan the Lord of Winds and Lightning, Walnut partakes of Elemental Air and Fire. It is perhaps the consummate wood for weather magick. The shape of the walnut nut connects it magically to the head, and so to the crown chakra. Its color is turquoise blue, its stones turquoise, blue topaz, and sardonyx. Vashaan's sacred bird is the Eagle, particularly the Bald Eagle. The rune Yuin depicts the "First Swirlings" of the universe. It is the centripetal force of outward movement or expansion that complements Shava's powers of attraction. Thus Yuin has power over all magical acts of expansion: expansion of wealth, horizons, the mind, the feelings. Its scope is limitless and its age unfathomable. The nut of the walnut tree is linked to the Windlord's creation myth, in which his tempests shake the walnut tree so that the nuts fall to earth and are buried by the squirrels. From these nuts spring forth the race of Elves. So the war-helms of the ancient Sarith knights, the Shazarin, are shaped like half of a walnut shell. Vashaan is called by the Elves Valma, and is associated with the gods Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, and Vishnu. Walnut wood ranges from light to very dark and is well-suited to wand carving. It is especially suited for wind and weather magick, spells of expansion, vortices, enhancement of the powers of breath, spells to cast or avert lightning, teleportation and astral travel, and inspiration.
See Also: Walnut Tree: Juglans regia

Beech (Sultan)
Sacred to Obraash the Sun lord, whom the Elves call Alba, Beechwood is closely related to Oak. The Beech tree is a large and spreading tree that bears edible nuts. It was particularly valued by the ancient Celts -- and the Elves -- as a nut used to fodder animals, especially the sacred swine. Beech is the family of trees to which Oak belongs, thus is Beech sometimes called Atarya Dwyrion, "Grandfather of Oaks." The name Beech relates to the Germanic word for Book and tradition tells that beech wood was used to make the first writing tablets for the runes. Hence, Beech is deeply associated with learning and lore, and with the divinatory power of the runes. Like Greek Apollo, the Elvish Alba drives his sun-ship across the sky each day and passes to every world of manifestation, sources of light, beauty, and life. Apollo is also considered to be a spirit of youth, archery, and prophecy, the latter because of his conquest of the Pythian serpent at Delphi and subsequent assumption of the powers of the Delphic oracle. In Celtic tradition many gods are associated with the sun's light, among them Ogma Sunface, god of eloquence who created the ogham letters, and Oenghus mac Og, god of love and youth. The wood of the Beech has a superb grain that finishes most beautifully. The Elvish rune Sultan is the same as the Norse rune Sol, the solar rune which has also been interpreted to mean "victory." Magical operations especially applicable to Beech include: spells of information, especially seeking old wisdom; invocation of ancient guardians or Ancestors; research into old writings and the runes; magick of the Summer Solstice, culmination of desires; magick of victory.
See also: Beech Tree: Fagus sylvatica

Osier or Dogwood (Zallis)
Osier is a tree most sacred to Agni, the primordial Fire. Zallis is held, by the Elves, to be sacred to the spring fire festival of Beltane (or Agnianna as they also name it). Agni, who is not numbered among the twelve Mellarin, may be equated to the Celtic god Belinos (for whom Beltane is named). He is called Atarya Tulkazo, "Grandfather of Tulkas," who is the fire of passion, desire, and will. Agni is often considered to be a mask of Olan, the Great Spirit who goes before all and encompasses all. The Elves sing that Agni is the father of Shava, Star Queen, and also of Abban, the great subterranean Father of volcanic fire and the forge. The red-barked Osier is associated with fertility and sexual attraction. For Agni is not only the sacrificial fire, but also the fire of loins and procreation, the energy of bud and flower. The rune Zallis, shaped like an X, is considered one of the most powerful runes for magick invoking the protective and creative power of fire, and is often used alone as a sign for banishing disruptive forces and deception. By association with the Futhark rune Gifu, it also bears a sense of happiness and warmth, or comfort. The wood's name "dogwood" also carries associations with the Irish hero Cuchullain, whose name meant "the dog of Chullain" refering to his loyalty. This gives the wood magical links to the warrior heroism and superhuman physical prowess of the hero, and links to domesticated dogs, their healing and protection and their loyalty and affection too. Magical operations especially applicable to Osier include: magick of flowering; evocation of one's Ancestors; renewal of cycles of fertility; consecration of ritual or hearth fires; giving of comfort or healing, and spells of banishment and protection.

Woods of Elemental Water

Alder (Fearn)
Alder is sacred to the constellation Pisces, the Fishes. It is a wood which lasts a long time submerged in water and is often found on river and lake banks. When first cut its wood appears red like blood and so was traditionally viewed as ill-omened but this is an oversimplification. Its bloody appearance may have influenced Alder's popularity as a wood for warrior's shields in Celtic tradition. In Elvish Eranor Fearn comes from the root fe?, meaning "fey" or Faerie magic. This rune invokes astral protection as well as physical and can open the mind to the deep wisdom of the watery element in the form of dreams. It can protect one from the emotions of others, especially warlike anger or bloodlust. It is particularly potent for protection against drowning or disaster by storm or flood. Its use in bridges, half submerged, symbolizes not only its power as a bridge between worlds, but its mentality, amphibiously aware of the conscious and unconscious worlds, the above and below, the overt and the hidden. Fearn's ruling Mellar is Ulmaren, the Water Mother. Magical operations most applicable to Alder include: protection against drowning and death; death curses and shielding against them; shielding against all ill-omens and destructive emotions; cultivation of the vision of inner and outer worlds; bridging of the above and below; preparation for conflict; shielding against unwanted intrusions from beyond.
See also: Alder Tree: Aldus glutinosa

Birch (Beith)
Sacred to the festival of Alban Eiler (Vernal Equinox). Its number is forty and its bird the white egret. In the Celtic Ogham Beith is accorded prestige as the first tree, one of the trees that emerges first to establish a new forest, a harbinger of youth and springtime. It is often associated with the beginning of the year, and in the Alferic tradition is linked to the beginning of the cycle of growth and renewal in Spring. It is a tree of beginnings in general and of the Bards, as the first grade of the Druid order. The Bards are according first honor as the singers of the Creation epics, those who sang the worlds into existence. Birch is also a wood with great powers to purify and discipline, to create the new forest in service to the great trees that will come after, such as the oak and ash and maple. Birch forest is young and so birch is linked to youth and all things new. It is especially suited to magick of new beginnings, spells of youth and fresh starts, bardic enchantment, creativity, procreation, renewal and rebirth, purification, and spells for discipline and service.
See also: Birch Tree: Betula alba

Willow (Awn)
Sacred to the Moon, Omulan or Diana, Willow is a wood of the Water Element. Willow is a tree of emotion, love, intuition, and poetic inspiration. Awn is pronounced ahh-oon and is related to as the Druid term awen, the sacred word of inspiration. It is linguistically rooted to Eranor aw?, "inspiration" and hwenw?, "breath." Omulan is the White Goddess, who has affinities with both the Celtic goddesses Rhiannon and Arianrhod. She is the daughter of Shava and Vashaan, and sister to Islaar, god of magick and thought. As the Moon she rules the cycles of female life and becoming: menstruation, birth, and menopause. By extension she is mistress of hearth and home and all whatever is considered the traditional sphere of motherhood. As the great luminary of the night she also is Astarte, goddess of witchcraft and moon magick, which is to say magick that aims at transformation and natural harmony. Willow is especially suited to works of the New Moon, magick related to cycles of fertility or creativity, spells of glamour and bewitchment, change, relationship and female rites of passage. The Dark Moon, as it is called, is the time best suited for spells of dissolving and banishment, the time to get rid of old habits that no longer serve a good purpose in your life. Traditionally associated with witches, willow is the perfect wand wood for the ritual of "Drawing Down the Moon." As the source of salicylic acid, the main ingredient in aspirin, willow is also a wood appropriate for spells intended to remove pain and give comfort.
See also: Willow Tree: Salix alba.

Ebony
Ebony is an exotic hardwood that comes from various sub-tropical climes. It is a wood that is used extensively for carving in Bali and in Africa because of its density and hardness. It is extremely difficult to carve, but the end result is a superb black wood (sometimes with lighter grain) that is very heavy and magnetically powerful. Ebony is not one of the sacred woods of the Celts, nor is it included in the version of the Elvish Ogham known to me. However, from working with this wood I have come to see it as a wand perfect for Dark Moon magic, those operations that seek to banish, dissolve, disapparate or cast off evil or outworn influences. The Elves tell me that it is a tree strongly attuned to Nienna, goddess of Memory and Forgetting, Joy and Sorrow. Ebony is quite a popular wood for wands, and is unquestionably very handsome. It's presence and energy is very strong, and so it is not a wood for the faint of heart.

Purpleheart
Purpleheart is another exotic tropical hardwood that is readily available in milled stock. It is a wood with very long coarse fibers and so difficult to carve without splitting. This bespeaks the wood's sensitivity and flexibility. It is of a medium density and heaviness and can be finished to a lustrous smoothness which captures its remarkable purplish-red color. Like Ebony, Purpleheart is not a wood that has attached to it any Celtic lore, or Elvish lore that I am aware of. However, from my own work with this wood I have come to the conclusion that it is very well-suited for work with the heart chakra. This means that it is good for emotional as well as physical healing, for opening up the seat of compassion and generosity, and for any work involving the blood. Its color gives it attunement to the violet and ultraviolet frequencies of magick, which are those centered on control, especially over other magick.

Next, a crystal should be chosen. here below is a list of the common choices.

Agate
A type of quartz known as chalcedony with banded patterns of color. Almost any color can be found but often a dark brown with white or reddish bands is found. There are many varieties (see following). To agate has been attributed powers of protection, victory, attracting love, promoting fertility in crops, turning away lightning or evil spirits, finding buried treasure, curing insomnia, and giving pleasant dreams. Agate is said to reverse the energy flow of any chakra, thus removing blockages and illness. It gives strength to mind and body, increases balance and is useful when sudden bursts of energy are needed. It has been said to be useful in promoting marital fidelity and also in strengthening sight, analytical abilities, and perception.

Moss Agate
Dark green in color. The Greek Orpheus said that to wear moss agate was to receive divine favor. To it is attributed powers of eloquence and persuasion, fertility, eternal life. It is associated with Taurus and Venus, and also Gemini. Moss agate is one of the most powerful healing stones. It protects and enhances the aura and aids in opening the "third eye." Useful for meditation, scrying, astral travel, and speaking with spirit guides. Well-suited for spells of wealth, happiness, long life, and to find friends.

Tree Agate
This variety of agate is usually white with black, brown, red or green branchlike inclusions. It is a particularly Druidic variety of agate because of its association with trees. An idea reservoir stone for a wand intended for use in green magic related to agriculture, horticulture, arboriculture, or the preservation of the natural world. Forest magic and enchantments associated with the wilderness and its qualities with find a powerful aid in tree agate.

Amber
Not a mineral, but fossilized tree sap, Amber is not readily employed in our wands because it is hard to find in round shapes and is very fragile. A good substitute, from the standpoint of appearance is Honey Calcite (see Calcite below). Amber is, however, widely used in jewelry and highly prized for its connection to the ancient primeval forests. Famously, insects from the Jurrasic and earlier ages have been preserved in amber from the trees of that far gone epoch.

Amethyst
Purple or lilac in color and translucent, amethyst is traditionally given the power to avert intoxication. It is said to protect against evil sorcery and bring success and good luck. A powerful healing crystal, it calms mental disorders, purifies the blood, and balances all chakras. It is associated with the third eye, clairvoyance, prescience, and the ability to cut through illusions. Amethyst is especially suited to wandwork focused on spells of transmutation and transformation.

Aventurine
A dark Green type of quartz, sometimes called Indian Jade, it is a fortuitous stone used to release anxieties and inspire positive attitudes, good health, and independence. Linked strongly to Elemental Earth, it gives balance and calm. It is protective and can bring good luck in gambling, enhances creative visualization, writing, art, and music. Attracts prosperity and love, and unexpected adventures or incidents.

Bloodstone
Green stone with red flecks like blood, this is another form of chalcedony, an opaque green jasper. Its old name was Heliotrope, signifying the turning of the sun. It is said to link the root and heart chakras, stimulating kundalini. It guards one against deceptions and preserves health. It creates prosperity and abundance, and strengthens self-confidence. Also can lengthen life, give fame, and invisibility, remove obstacles, control spirits, cause storms, and help in court cases. In healing it can purify the blood, remove toxins, renew friendships or love.

Calcite
A soft stone, easily scratched, but lustrous in green, pink, blue, and many other colors, including the beautiful amber "Honey" calcite. The famous Carara marble of Italy is composed of calcite. It helps clear negative energies from the environment and the body, intensifies clarity, attracts love. Calcite helps sooth and calm the nerves, permitting one to focus one's attention more clearly. This makes it a particularly desireable stone for use in wand reservoirs.

Carnelian
An orange or reddish form of chalcedony, related to sard, bloodstone, and moss agate. Traditionally used to protect against the "evil eye," carnelian is said to fulfil all desires. It speeds all manifestations, revitalizes and aligns the physical and spiritual bodies, strengthens concentration, increases the sense of self-worth, brings career success, and balances creative and organizational abilities.

Citrine Points
Clear, pale yellow variety of quartz which can be used in rounded forms for reservoir stones and in crystal form as wand points. The points, as shown at left, are usually white and golden yellow.. A highly solar stone, ruled by the constellation Scorpio, it is used as a talisman against intoxication, evil thoughts, overindulgence, snakes, plagues, and epidemics. It is useful for aligning one's ego with one's Higher Self, and for giving clarity of thought. Citrine has the power to strengthen one's ability to deal with difficult karma and opens channels of intuition. It may increase one's motivation, and creative energy. Finally, it is a good stone for spells of prosperity. Usually citrine points are in the natural state and irregular in shape. Occasionally, I can find one that has been cut and polished.

Clear Citrine
At left is clear natural citrine which I use from time to time in the reservoirs of wands. It is more transparent than quartz crystal and more brilliant. When subjected to heat, citrine turns more golden in color, but he natural, untreated stone is clear. Natural citrine points can also be found. It is said to transmute all negative energies rather than absorbing them.

Flourite
More soft and breakable than quartz, translucent with brownish, golden, green, purple, or bluish stripes, flourite is connected to Pisces and Capricorn, and grounds excessive energy, mental, emotional, or nervous. A powerful healing stone for all chakras, good for cleansing the aura, flourite also aids communication with fairies and nature spirits. It enhances the understanding of abstract concepts, meditation, and study in general. It is an all-purpose amplifier of etheric energies.

Hematite
A dark iron-gray stone with a metallic luster, which exhibits a blood-red color when powdered. Sacred to Mars, hematite has been worn to gain favorable hearings or judgments, to win petitions before those in authority, and to protect warriors. Associated with Aries and Aquarius, it energizes the etheric body and gives optimism, will, and courage. It repels negativity and gives strength to the physical and astral bodies.

Jade
Best known as apple green, Jade can also be white, pink, yellow, black, gray, or brown. There are actually two different kinds of stone called jade: jadeite and nephrite. Associated with Aries, Gemini, and Libra, jade strengthens the heart, kidneys, and immune system. It increases fertility, balances the emotions, dispels negativity, and gives courage and wisdom. Green jade is famous for producing vivid and accurate dreams.

Jasper
A variety of chalcedony that is massive and fine-grained, it may take many colors, but is often red. When combined with hematite, it is called jaspillite. Bloodstone is a variety of jasper. Good for weatherworking, especially bringing rain, and for curing snakebite. Healing for stomach ailments, jasper balances all chakras, stabilizes energy, and protects from negativity, drives away evil spirits, hallucinations, and nightmares, and is generally a grounding stone. It builds up steady energy for long periods of time.

Lapis Lazuli
Not a single mineral but a magical combination of dark blue lazurite, hauynite, sodalite, diopside, white streaks of calcite, and specks of gold pyrite. Sacred to the Egyptian goddess Isis and associated with the throat chakra, it is useful for removing painful memories from the astral body or aura. Lapis lazuli is ruled by the planet Jupiter and is a stone of good fortune. It helps release tension and anxiety, increases mental clarity, creativity, and clairvoyance, helps overcome depression and aids communication with spirit guides.

Malachite
Relatively soft, dark green stone with swirls and stripes of lighter green, malachite's color comes from copper. Reputed to confer the ability to understand animal languages, it is also valued as a protective stone, revitalizing to the body and mind. It repels evil spirits, inspires tolerance and flexibility, opens communication, and stabilizes energy. It is an excellent stone for creating through magical manifestation, strengthening the intuition and the power of transformation. Malachite acts as a psychic mirror, amplifying the energy one projects into it and drawing one into other worlds in meditation.

Moonstone
Known for its luminescent sheen, moonstones are used in jewelry and range in color quite a bit. They can be milky white or pale pinkish in color. Aside from obvious associatons with the Moon and the many deities which have been the personification of Earth's moon, it is particularly associated with the goddess Omulan or Rhianna, in the Elvish pantheon. According to the wise ones at Crystalshop.com in Australia, moonstone is "balancing, introspective, reflective and lunar. The energy relates to 'new beginnings'. A stone of hoping and wishing that allows one to absorb that which is needed from the universe. A stone of feeling, emotion. Travel protection."

Onyx
A type of chalcedony similar to agate, except that it has straight rather than curved bands of color. Sacred to Saturn and Earth, onyx balances male and female polarities, gives spiritual inspiration, helps face past life problems and transformational challenges. It protects against black magic, evil spirits, and aids communication with spirits.

Black or White Onyx
When most people think of onyx, they think of the pure black variety often seen in jewelry. Black (pictured here) deflects negative energy. White onyx expands the imagination. According to the folks at Crystalshop.com, black onyx "can be used to banish grief, to enhance self-control, to stimulate the power of wise decision-making, and to encourage happiness and good fortune. It helps one to absorb, from the universe, those energies which are needed." Black onyx looks very similar to jet and to obsidian.

Quartz Crystal
Perhaps the most generally powerful magical amplifier, quartz crystals are the most common stones for wand points. When rounded, however, they also make excellent reservoir stones. In fact amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, and aventurine all belong to the quartz family, but so-called Rock Crystal is colorless and transparent. It generates an electric charge when heated or placed under strain. Crystal balls are, of course, used for scrying, and ceremonial magicians have long used quartz points on their wands as magical amplifiers and aids to concentration. Ruled by the Moon, quartz crystal is excellent for meditation and communication with spirit guides, telepathy, clairvoyance, and visualization. For more on Quartz crystal in all its varieties see the Jewelry Art website.

Rose Quartz
Pink quartz is called the "love stone" and aids in healing the emotions. It aids in the development of compassion and love and reduces stress and anxiety. Enhances creativity and self-confidence through connection to the True Self. Connected specifically to the heart chakra, though by some linked also to the crown chakra and the pure celestial love accessible there. Excellent for healing emotional wounds. An ideal reservoir stone for a wand that will primarily be used for love spells and healing.

Smoky Quartz
Grayish brown quartz which aids in discrimination, aids meditation by grounding and centering. It breaks up blocks and negativity, strengthens dream awareness, and aids contact with nature spirits. Very dark smoky quartz, called morion or cairngorm, is connected to the root chakra and helps transform dreams into reality. It is often a much more powerful magical stone than clear quartz.

Rutilated Quartz
Clear quartz containing thin threads of gold or titanium or asbestos, sometimes called "Venus hair" or "Thetis hair" stones. The rutiles are said to augment the transmission power and energy of the quartz. Associated with Gemini and Taurus, it enhances life energy, increases clairvoyance, transmutes negative energy, aids in communication with one's Higher Self, and increases the efficacy of magick. It is especially enchanting when light falls through the rutile needles in the stone.

Tourmalinated Quartz
Clear quartz with inclusions of black tourmaline, it is considered to have double the power of clear crystal. Sometimes associated with Libra, it balances all extremes and is a powerful grounding and protective stone. Tourmaline is a stone considered to be an aid to seership among shamans. It attracts inspiration and diminishes fear.

Rhodonite
A pink or rose stone with thin veins or patches of gray or black, it is a good stress-reducer, calming the mind, and enhancing energy levels of both body and mind. It has the property of deterring unwanted interruptions on the physical or astral planes. Aids in keeping one's temper and reaching one's maximum potential. Quoting the dear wise folks at Crystalshop.com again, rhodonite "activates and energises the heart chakra and conveys the resonance of unconditional love to the physical plane. Displels anxiety and promotes coherence, observational abilities and attention to detail."

Serpentine
Striking green stone with light and dark hues and white or black speckles, relatively soft, associated with Scorpio, serpentine increases wisdom and self-restraint. It is said to protect against venom and has many of the same properties as green jade (see above). It is used to clear the channel of kundalini in the chakras in the Hindu tantric mysticism. I've recently discovered a striped type of serpentine from China. Very lovely and evocative of the layers of reality expressed in the chakras.

Tiger's-Eye
A variety of chalcedony or quartz with silky chatoyancy, yellow and golden brown stripes. Associates with Capricorn and Leo, tiger's-eye is a powerful protective stone, balancing emotions, and giving clear insight. It grounds and centers the user and strengthens the magical will. It also brings good luck and aids in seeing the truth. Especially good for protection against the Dark Arts.

Turquoise
A massive stone, not a crystal, turquoise varies in color. Sky blue, or greenish-blue and sacred to the Egyptian goddess Hathor, it is a powerful stone for weatherworking, protection, and prosperity. It has the power to build bridges between worlds, and is a stone of knowledge and seeking, highly prized among the Navaho of the American southwest. It is sacred also to the Elvish androgyne god Lir and so powerful for protection in astral travel and in communication, particularly articulation and expression of emotions, creativity, and intuition.The crystal should be set in the pommel of the wand.

ALL THE WHILE THAT YOU MAKE YOUR WAND, YOU MUST POUR YOUR ENERGY INTO THE WAND.

http://www.spellsofmagic.com/

Huellas en la Bajamar (Footprints by the Seashore)

2011-08-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

I left my home --- the desertic landscape that is Juarez to seek peace and relaxation in the seashore of Puerto Vallarta. A lot of you take this image and think that I took the vacation, partied all night, visited the hot spots... and ten years ago you would be correct. But it was more than that. I needed to seek my spirit, cleanse it, and release all that extra weight that I have been carrying around for years.

I reached the beach at sunset, the warm watery waves crashing against my feet. As I sat down and allowed the sea to come at its own pace, I looked up at the sky, feeling the last beaming sunrays as they let way to the night. I had in my hand two stones. At first I didn't know why I was compelled to take the two stones with me... but I was certain that my Desert Father wanted me to do so, and who was I to complain?

I sat there, alone, in silence, feeling the sea, the sand, the noise the waves make when they crash against the break, the air... Then, I felt it, a voice inside that asked why was I there, what was the problem. Was I happy? Why was I sad? What was so wrong in my life that made me feel so angry, so frustrated against everything and everybody... I took in a deep breath and started talking. I talked about everything that I felt was wrong with me, with the way things were taking shape in my life, of how I felt so frustrated that I wanted to change but couldn't seem to manage it, of how I wanted to vanish from thie world and just forget about everything. I talked about my heart, my soul, my deep thoughts and inner feelings. I asked for advice, wisdom and strength to balance all my life's mirrors. I wanted to know what were the things I was doing wrong and how could I change them. I wanted to know what were the things I was doing right and how could I keep it up... and most of all, I wanted to know how to return to me --- how to block bad people from my life, how to attrack that positive energy again. I wanted to wash all the negativity and allow the good things in... I wanted a new perspective, a new soul. I was tired of feeling tired, of feeling the way I felt.

Take a stone, charge it with all that bad energy, the sea said in its language. Take all the pain, all the anger, all the frustration, everything and place it inside the stone. If it breaks, it means it was too little of a stone for all that anger. Take a bigger one and try again. Pour everything in to it --- everything. Do not leave anything behind, even if it's small and stupid, even if it seems like it's not worth while. Everything that bothers you, everything that you are carrying around. All of it... then, give it to me. I shall destroy it deep within the water. I shall create a storm and release it into the universe to it will turn into good. Release it as I will release it, with force, with no mercy --and then take the second stone and fill it with your hopes and dreams, with your wishes and your expectations. Fill it. The stone will not break for we usually carry more anger than we do hope. Do it. Release it into the waters and after all the pain is gone, I will shine this stone under the moonlight for those wishes and hopes and aspirations to grow... grow and form clouds that will feed the mountains, the desert plains, and the rivers. It will return to you... wash your energy in my water. Feel yourself be born again.

As I did this and walked into the sea to be washed in the salty waters, I felt all that energy just melt away. I felt like the loving embrace of an understanding father and a nurturing mother all around. I chanted the rest of the way out, danced in the seashore, laughed and rolled around. I had found my cure.

Feel my energy, little ones. I will shower you with my rainbow for I took your baggage and tossed into the ocean too.

Moon and Sea

2011-07-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

After a long time of absence, I am here... and I ask for your forgiveness, Gods and Goddesses, angels and demons, because I have left this blog so unattended for so long.

Life has been somewhat slow... and maybe the reasons I have not focused my energies on this blog were that I wanted to do some self-inspection and see what the heck was going on inside my soul that seemed to have me in a very sad, very depressed mood. It eventually has started to get clear... and I think that my next road trip will finally put an end to a circle of vices that I want to get rid of. Past lovers, past energies, bad auto-mojo, and clean my aura. I think I've been carrying baggage that does not belong to me for far too long. I want to leave it behind, maybe the Lord of the Sea can help me dispose of it.

Why do we do this? We cling on to things for so long that it comes a time when we can no longer carry them around... and even when we are well aware of it, we still do it. As if it was a curse, or something we are meant to do. This is one of the reasons -- I think -- that we cannot move on and be happy. Small resentments become big stone crosses, heartbreaks become bitter acid that eats away parts of our souls... True, it is not easy to forget about them and move on... but if we could only apply a small part of that effort (the effort we make to carry around all the bad energy, all the bad memories, the bad spirits) on to healing our souls, hearts and energies... a brighter world would be upon us. So I shall go to the sea, and leave my baggage behind... those who want me to do the same for them, I know you'll know how to find me.

I am thankfull for thy followers to this blog. I will try not to let it alone for so long anymore.

Many Blessings!

Magical Ideas for Lughnasadh

2011-07-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Bake Bread or pretzels; have an outdoor picnic.
Bless marriages, babies, and homes.
Go camping and perform your ritual outdoors!
String Indian corn on black thread for a necklace

Create and bury a witch's bottle. This is a glass jar with sharp pointy things inside to keep away harm.You can use needles, pins, thorns, thistles, nails, and bits of broken glass. Bury it near the entry to the house.

Make a corn dolly to save for the next Imbolic. Double over a bundle of wheat and tie it near the top to form a head. Take a bit of the iber from either side of the main portion and twist into arms that you tie together in front of the dolly. Add a small bouquet of flowers to the hands and then you can decorate the dolly with a dress and bonnet.

Lughnasadh

2011-07-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

Also called Lughnasadh, Lunasdal, August Eve, The Festival of Bread, Elembiuos, Lunasa, Cornucopia, and/or Thingtide.

Celebrated on August 1st, it means "To give in Marriage to Lugh". It is the time of the first harvest, when the plants of Spring wither and drop their seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops. The God looses his strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer. The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as she realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives on inside her --- as her child.

Lughnasadh Ritual

Place upon the altar sheaves of wheat, barley, or oats, fruits and breads, perhaps a loaf fashioned in the figure of the sun or a Man to represent the God. Corn dollies, symbolic of the Goddess can be present there as well. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle. Recite a blessing chant.Invoke the Goddess and God.

Stand before the altar, holding aloft the shaves of grain, saying these (or similar) words:

Now is the time of the First Harvest
When the bounties of nature give of themselves so that we may survive
O God of the ripening fields
Lord of the Grain
Grant me the understanding of sacrifice as you prepare to deliver yourself
under the sickle of the Goddess
and journey to the lands of eternal summer.
O Goddess of the Dark Moon
teach me the secrets of rebirth as the Sun loses its strength and the nights grow cold

Rub the heads of the wheat with your fingers so that the grains fall onto the altar. Lift a piece of fruit and bite it, savoring its flavor and say:

I partake of the first harvest
mixing its energies with mine
so that I may continue my quest for the starry wisdom of perfection
Oh Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun,
gracious ones before Whom the stars half their courses
I offer my thanks for the continuing fertility of the Earth
May the nodding grain loose its seed to be buried in the Mother's breat
ensuring rebirth in the warmth of the coming Spring.

It is appropiate to plant the seeds from the fruit consumed in ritual. If they sprout, grow the plan with love and as a symbol to your connection to the Goddess and God.

--- NOTE: I have a hard time finding wheat... so what I do is that I obtain the grains from the nature botanical store. I also find it useful to use albacar to cleanse the altar before starting.

The Witch's Path (Highlights)

2011-06-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

Our path is not an easy one to take. It is filled with many obstacles, some within ourselves, others from the intolerance from people around us. However, it is how we handle these stones that makes us wiser as we grown within our path as we are individuals who seek knowledge, balance, and peace. In our never-ending task of self-discovery, our life becomes one filled with wonder, joy, passion, and fire to live our lives as witches that we are.

Being aware of our feelings is the essential key to master our soul and thus reach the point of self-loving we need in order to counsil others on this path. Remember that witchcraft rituals are ruled by the principle of "in perfect love", which means that if you cannot love yourself you'll never generate a feeling of perfect love for a ritual; and just as they say that if you cannot love yourself how do you expect others to love you, it is also true that if you cannot love thyself you cannot expect to feel the love back from the God and Goddess around you. Love yourself in order to love others; respect yourself in order to respect others and their views. Take responsability for your words, thoughts and actions for they are powerful tools that can either create or destroy the energy of those around you. Self-awareness stimulates a desire for respect and self-esteem.

Have love for life. Laugh. Have a good sense of humor. The world is a place of wonder and magic.

Source:
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft
by Christopher Penczak

The Rose

2011-06-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

From: Sticks and Stones, Roots and Bones

by: Stephanie Rose Bird

No other plant is as intimately linked to love as the rose (Rosa spp). When working with roses, seek out the old-fashioned scented types, such as those listed below, rather than the more neutral tea roses. Roses are beautiful, and like the lotus, they suggest female genitalia en the hight of passion. The blush of the rosa is often linked to the blush of a bride or a sexual partner during orgasm. In parts of Africa and the Middle East, holy temples are spiritually cleansed entirely with highly potent Bulgarian Rose water. Rose water enhances the sacred environment.

A little-known fact is that roses are a systemic nervine (tranlsation: they calm and soothe your nerves). Only your imagination sets the limits when it comes to using roses in love-drawing potions and tricks.

Old Fashioned Shrub Roses for the Hoodoo's Garden

Apothecary's Rose -- This is a richly fragant, medicinal rose with a spicy scent. It has been used since medieval times to treat a variety of health disorders. Rose water can be creqted from this species , although Bulgarian and Damask roses are used most.

Belle de Crecy --This is considered the purest rose scent.

Bulgarian Rose and Damask -- The sweet, fragant roses from which quility rose water and attar is made.

Celestial -- This contains the aroma of clean skin.

Kazanlik -- In Bulgaria, rose oil (attar of roses) ismade from this rose.

Madame Isaac Pereire, Guinee, and Souvenir de la Malmaison -- These are stunning and fragant.

Maiden's Blush -- This is considered to be refined.

Romantic Rose Projects

1. Buy fragant red or pink roses. Peel the petals away from the core and stem. Float them in a bath for two. Light vanilla-scented candles for a pleasant accent.

2. Sprinkle rose petals on your mattress, under your bed, on your bed, in your closets, in your purse, or any place else where the compassionate spirit of the rose is desired.

3. Add 1/4 cup of rose water to 1 cup of milk. Stir in 1 teaspoon of rose hip oil. Add this blend to your bathwater for a soothing, romantic bath.

4. Put a fragant rose in your hair before going out to a party or on a date.

5. Spritz your wet body after a bath or shower with fragant rose water.

6. Spritz your face and hair with rose water before leaving home, especially if inhibitiions and tension are coming between you and finding love.

7. Before company arrives, set out 7 to 9 lit scented with a relaxing essential oil such as neroli, sandalwood, chamomile, or lavender in the room where you will be entertaining. Spread rose petals aroound the base of the candleholders.

Your Magical Name

2011-06-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

June Esbat: The Lover's Moon

2011-05-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Also known as the Strawberry or Rose Moon, the Lover’s Moon brings with it energy for love, marriage, and success. Is it any wonder that in some traditions this Moon is called the Honey Moon? This is a time to nurture your garden and marvel at its beauty and abundance. If you have taken that new job, now is the time to make sure you have everything running smoothly. And you might want to keep your eyes open to see how you can move into a more desirable position.

The appearance of the full, round Mead Moon heralds the end of fertility and the beginning of life anew. Hives fill with honey. Animals give birth and baby birds hatch. Butterflies and cicadas burst forth, too, their shell-like cocoons only a reminder of what they were before. All of Nature is busy now. It's a time of care, nurturement, and transformation.

The Mead Moon brings a time of metamorphosis for us, too. A time to reinvent our lives, change our personal realities, and become what we were meant to be. But before we can do that, we must often change our perceptions of life and see it with a fresh eye. Fortunately, this isn't as difficult as it seems. With the whole world in a state of transformation, it's easy for us to follow suit.

Mead (Honey) Moon Ideas:

Dress in shades of yellow and amber to commemorate the honey harvest.

Use yellow and orange candles and burn Full Moon incense. Alternately, burn a mixture of frankincense, myrrh and rose for incense.

Decorate the altar with flowers, dandelions, and the transformative gifts of nature. Cicada shells, butterfly cocoons, hatched bird eggs, and shed feathers are all great ideas.

Serve lemon cookies and honey-sweetened tea for libation.

Make a Witches' ladder from shed bird feathers to bring personal good fortune for the next 12 months. Just braid together one yard each of red, white, and black ribbon, then attach nine different colored bird feathers by knotting them at equal intervals in the braid. Enchant each feather with a quality as you knot it. Continue knotting feathers and enchanting them until all are in place. Then tie the braid ends together in a bow and place the ladder between the altar candles, saying: "Ring of feathers, braid of three; Bring good fortune unto me."

Leave the ladder on the altar until the candles burn completely down, then hang it in an inconspicuous place in your home. bulletIf you're wondering what to do with your life, set aside some time for mediation. Before beginning, ask for Divine Inspiration by saying: "Lady of the Moon, so bright, Look down on me and cast some light. On the path I should follow and what I should be, On the turns I should take to make myself free. Of the life I have now, to gain the life that should be. Mother, I ask you: please help me to see." Make a personal transformation charm using some of the altar decorations. Just fill a small cloth bag with egg shell, feathers, cocoons, and so on, along with a strand of your hair. Place the bag in front of the altar candles and say: "Metamorphical Gifts of Nature, so rare. Quicken my Spirit - lend the courage to dare. To reinvent life into what it should be - to transform my personal reality - To refresh my perception and inspire me anew. Do now, O Gifts, what I ask of You."

Leave the charm bag on the altar until the candles burn completely down, then carry it with you.

Mead (Honey) Moon Correspondences:

Other Names: Lover's Moon, Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon and the Strong Sun Moon

Nature Spirits: Sylphs and Zephyrs

Herbs: Skullcap, meadowsweet, vervain, tansy, dog grass, parsley, and mosses

Colors: Orange, and Golden-green

Flowers: Lavender, Orchid and Yarrow

Scents: Lily of the Valley, Lavender

Stones: Topaz, agate, alexandrite, fluorite

Trees: Oak

Animals: Monkey, Butterfly, Frog, Toad, Wren and Peacock

Magick: Protection, Strengthening, Decision-making, and Personal Balance

Ritual Food and Drink: Lemon Cookies, Honey cakes, Mead, and Lemonade

Deities: Aine of Knockaine, Isis, Neith, Green Man, Cerridwen, Bendis and Ishtar

http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/june_esbats.htm

In June we enjoy the longest days of the year, especially before the Summer Solstice. Even though the sun begins to withdraw after the Solstice, the shortening of days is imperceptible and we enjoy long hours of light. This is a time to be active, to feel sensuous and to be aware of our bodies and the life-force energy that flows through us.

Moon of Life

Before the heat of high summer arrives, there is a brief period of time to enjoy the softness of this season. Tune into the rhythms of the natural world and take pleasure in your connection with it. Go outside and let the energy of the moonlight help you feel fully alive and aware. Enjoy the magic of gentle moonlight on soft summer nights.

Other names for this moon: Mead Moon, Dyad Moon, Honey Moon, Strawberry Moon.

In the Celtic Tree Calendar
June 1 – 9: Hawthorn
Associated with balancing energy; it is a symbol of the coming summer, and of hope and pleasure.

June 10 -30: Oak
Associated with cleansing, strength, self-confidence and optimism.

Other Information

Herbs: Skullcap, Catmint, Meadowsweet, Vervain, Tansy, Ladies Mantle & Witch Grass.
Colours: Orange & Golden-Green.
Flowers: Lavender & Yarrow.
Perfumes: Lily Of The Valley & Lavender.
Crystals: Topaz, Agate & Fluorite.
Tree: Oak.
Animal: Butterfly.
Bird: Peacock.
Deities: Isis, Neith, Green Man, Cerridwen & Ishtar.
http://witchery.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/june-esbat-information/

The Side Effect of Positive Thinking

2011-05-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have a class every Saturday morning. Today, in it, we started discussing about what is a positive attitude and why shoud we have this in our every day lives. One of my classmates said that the situation today was enough to be a negative force -- how was it that we could have a positive attitude in such a negative world.

It is true. Sometimes we feel as if the universe is against us; as if the Powers that Be are plotting around their cauldron, stirring it and laughing at the plans that get ruined, the lovers we don't get, the raises we don't obtain, the cars we drive, the life we're supposed to live. But it's also true that in every waking moment, the miracle of life is within us, and as such, the love of the Goddess and the Virtue of the God is also within.

My aunt Nina used to tell me a story. She said that when she was a little girl, her ink bottle spilled all over her school work and that she was so upset about it she started to cry. My grandmother then looked at her and insted of conforting her she said, "Do you think that tears are going to clean everything up? Okay - cry then". My aunt was so angry that she stopped crying. My grandmother then pulled on her ears to make her cry, "Cry! Cry harder! All the problems in the world will be solved with you crying!" After this, my grandmother looked at the mess and told her, "So you see? Your tears did nothing to clean the mess, did nothing to return the ink in the bottle, and did nothing to make your homework again. So you have two choices: keep crying over nothing or actually DO something about it."

True fact, I told my classmate, that we live in a non-optimistic day an age. But crying and complaning about it will do little close to nothing to make things better. A positive attitude CAN go a long way. It doesn't mean that you have to go all smiles, all the time. It will, however, give you a broader perspective of what to expect from life. The secret of life, I said, is to keep in mind that happiness is not a THING, a ONE THING: it's a series of events, of little moments in your life, that shine through and remind you of how good it is to feel alive. If all you do is play the victim, complain, see things for how dark they are, or how bad they are, or how terrible they look, then you will probably not going to realize the moments you were happy.

Not everyone achieves this. And it's not an easy thing to achieve. You can say that it's easy for me to say --- but it wasn't easy to get to this point in my life. I had to go through a lot of personal change for me to finally realize this. And once I realized it, came the other factor: the will to accept the fact that I was wrong in many things and that other people were right. This is probably the hardest thing to do.

So... start your path today. It's never too late to realize you too have the right to be happy. That no matter what, you always have the second shot at life. A positive attitude brings back a lot of life's gifts and joys.

Upon a Fire

2011-05-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

The night between April and May. Special moon that rises over the sky, even if our mortal eyes cannot see her face, we can still sense her presence. And upon a fire this year, I took a moment to meditate upon what Beltane means.

Beltane... the celebration of life in all its forms, shapes and sizes. The rejoycing for the Goddess and the God have found eachother in love and are now walking the lands by the hand. Spring and Summer are upon us --- the season in which life begins and settles.

In a place surrounded by death it is hard to celebrate life. Yet I found myself dancing around the fire, chanting and joyful that the goddess had granted my plants their rebirth for one more year after that frosty cold. I asked for guidance during the year and I renewed my vows to follow in her path.

I will accept all positive energy and reject the negative one; I will send healing energy and do my best to take care of my world. I will take joy in the laughter of my nieces and nephew and be patient when they are feeling moody. I will bring no harm for I am not a judge nor jury --- I will allow karma to take care of itself. I will welcome love into my life, even when I am afraid to welcome it. I will accept the fact that no one is perfect, but then again, neither am I. I am at peace with myself and so I shall try to bring peace to others. I will receive the lessons that life has to give me with patience, for I know that I am still learning as I walk along this path. I will welcome those who wish to walk along with me, and say good bye with glee when they decide to go their separate ways. I will not cry for departure, for I will once again see those beloved people again yet I will not accept those who try to bring me harm. I will accept people for who they are and I will accept the fact that many of them will not accept me --- I will try and be patient with those people. I will try to be tolerant of those who are not tolerant and I will not forgive those who bring misery, hurt, pain, or horror to my home or to my loved ones. I will try to forgive when forgiveness is ased, I will try to forgive when forgiveness is not asked... but I will not forgive those who bring tears for no other reason but to be cruel. I will not forgive cruelty to animals, plants or any other living creature in this planet.

I will allow the love of my Great Mother to embrace me and the fire of my Beloved Father to protect me.

Beltane -- Holiday Details and History

2011-05-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

From Witchvox.com
Author: Christina Aubin
Posted: April 30th. 2000
Times Viewed: 173,747

Beltane is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, the others being Imbolc and Ostara. Beltane is the second principal Celtic festival (the other being Samhain). Celebrated approximately halfway between Vernal (spring) equinox and the midsummer (Summer Solstice). Beltane traditionally marked the arrival if summer in ancient times.

At Beltane the Pleiades star cluster rises just before sunrise on the morning horizon, whereas winter (Samhain) begins when the Pleiades rises at sunset. The Pleiades is a cluster of seven closely placed stars, the seven sisters, in the constellation of Taurus, near his shoulder. When looking for the Pleiades with the naked eye, remember it looks like a tiny dipper-shaped pattern of six moderately bright stars (the seventh can be seen on very dark nights) in the constellation of Taurus. It stands very low in the east-northeast sky for just a few minutes before sunrise.

Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, winter (Dark Part) and summer (Light Part). As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counter part, is about honoring Life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from his bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again.

Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of "no time" when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. No time is when the two worlds intermingle and unite and the magic abounds! It is the time when the Faeries return from their winter respite, carefree and full of faery mischief and faery delight. On the night before Beltane, in times past, folks would place rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection, many otherworldly occurrences could transpire during this time of "no time". Traditionally on the Isle of Man, the youngest member of the family gathers primroses on the eve before Beltane and throws the flowers at the door of the home for protection. In Ireland it is believed that food left over from May Eve must not be eaten, but rather buried or left as an offering to the faery instead. Much like the tradition of leaving of whatever is not harvested from the fields on Samhain, food on the time of no time is treated with great care.

When the veils are so thin it is an extremely magical time, it is said that the Queen of the Faeries rides out on her white horse. Roving about on Beltane eve She will try to entice people away to the Faeryland. Legend has it that if you sit beneath a tree on Beltane night, you may see the Faery Queen or hear the sound of Her horse's bells as She rides through the night. Legend says if you hide your face, She will pass you by but if you look at Her, She may choose you. There is a Scottish ballad of this called Thomas the Rhymer, in which Thomas chooses to go the Faeryland with the Queen and has not been seen since.

Beltane has been an auspicious time throughout Celtic lore, it is said that the Tuatha de Danaan landed in north-west Connacht on Beltane. The Tuatha de Danaan, it is said, came from the North through the air in a mist to Ireland. After the invasion by the Milesians, the Tuatha faded into the Otherworld, the Sidhe, Tir na nOg.

The beginning of summer heralds an important time, for the winter is a difficult journey and weariness and disheartenment set in, personally one is tired down to the soul. In times past the food stocks were low; variety was a distant memory. The drab non-color of winter's end perfectly represents the dullness and fatigue that permeates on so many levels to this day. We need Beltane, as the earth needs the sun, for our very Spirit cries out for the renewal of summer jubilation.

Beltane marks that the winter's journey has passed and summer has begun, it is a festival of rapturous gaiety as it joyfully heralds the arrival of summer in her full garb. Beltane, however, is still a precarious time, the crops are still very young and tender, susceptible to frost and blight. As was the way of ancient thought, the Wheel would not turn without human intervention. People did everything in their power to encourage the growth of the Sun and His light, for the Earth will not produce without the warm love of the strong Sun. Fires, celebration and rituals were an important part of the Beltane festivities, as to insure that the warmth of the Sun's light would promote the fecundity of the earth.

Beltane marks the passage into the growing season, the immediate rousing of the earth from her gently awakening slumber, a time when the pleasures of the earth and self are fully awakened. It signals a time when the bounty of the earth will once again be had. May is a time when flowers bloom, trees are green and life has again returned from the barren landscape of winter, to the hope of bountiful harvests, not too far away, and the lighthearted bliss that only summer can bring.

Beltane translated means "fire of Bel" or "bright fire" - the "bale-fire". (English - bale; Anglo-Saxon bael; Lithuanian baltas (white)) Bel (Bel, Bile, Beli, Belinus, Belenos) is the known as the bright and shinning one, a Celtic Sun God. Beli is the father, protector, and the husband of the Mother Goddess.

Beltane is the time of the yearly battle between Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythur ap Greidawl for Creudylad in Welsh mythology. Gwyn ap Nudd the Wild Huntsman of Wales, he is a God of death and the Annwn. Creudylad is the daughter of Lludd (Nudd) of the Silver Hand (son of Beli). She is the most beautiful maiden of the Island of Mighty. A myth of the battle of winter and summer for the magnificent blossoming earth.

In the myth of Rhiannion and Pwyll, it is the evening of Beltane, that Rhiannon gives birth to their son. The midwives all fell asleep at the same time, as they were watching over Rhiannon and her new baby, during which he was taken. In order to protect themselves, they smeared blood (from a pup) all over Rhiannon, to which they claim she had eaten her son. The midwives were believed, and Rhiannon was forced to pay penance for seven years. She had to carrying people on her back from the outside of the gate to the palace, although rarely would any allow her to do so. The baby's whereabouts were a mystery. Oddly, every Beltane night, one of Pwyll's vassals, Teirnyon Twryv Vliant, had a mare that gave birth but the colt disappeared. One Beltane night Teirnyon Twryv Vliant awaited in the barn for the mare to foaled, when she did, he heard a tremendous noise and a clawed arm came through the window and grabbed the colt. Teirnyon cut off the arm with his sword, and then heard a wailing. He opened the door and found a baby, he brought it to his wife and they adopted Gwri Wallt Euryn (Gwri of the Golden Hair). As he grew he looked like Pwyll and they remembered they found him on the night Rhiannon's baby became lost. Teirnyon brought Gwri of the Golden Hair to the castle, told the story, and he was adopted back to his parents, Rhiannon and Pwyll, and and named by the head druid, Pryderi (trouble) from the first word his mother had said when he was restored to her. "Trouble is, indeed, at an end for me, if this be true".

This myth illustrates the precariousness of the Beltane season, at the threshold of Summer, the earth awakening, winter can still reach its long arm in and snatch the Sun away (Gwri of the Golden hair). "Ne'er cast a clout 'til May be out" (clout: Old English for cloth/clothing). If indeed the return of summer is true than the trouble (winter) is certainly over, however one must be vigilant.

On Beltane eve the Celts would build two large fires, Bel Fires, lit from the nine sacred woods. The Bel Fire is an invocation to Bel (Sun God) to bring His blessings and protection to the tribe. The herds were ritually driven between two needfires (fein cigin), built on a knoll. The herds were driven through to purify, bring luck and protect them as well as to insure their fertility before they were taken to summer grazing lands. An old Gaelic adage: "Eadar da theine Bhealltuinn" - "Between two Beltane fires".

The Bel fire is a sacred fire with healing and purifying powers. The fires further celebrate the return of life, fruitfulness to the earth and the burning away of winter. The ashes of the Beltane fires were smudged on faces and scattered in the fields. Household fires would be extinguished and re-lit with fresh fire from the Bel Fires.

Celebration includes frolicking throughout the countryside, maypole dancing, leaping over fires to ensure fertility, circling the fire three times (sun-wise) for good luck in the coming year, athletic tournaments feasting, music, drinking, children collecting the May: gathering flowers. children gathering flowers, hobby horses, May birching and folks go a maying". Flowers, flower wreaths and garlands are typical decorations for this holiday, as well as ribbons and streamers. Flowers are a crucial symbol of Beltane, they signal the victory of Summer over Winter and the blossoming of sensuality in all of nature and the bounty it will bring.

May birching or May boughing, began on Beltane Eve, it is said that young men fastened garland and boughs on the windows and doors of the young maidens upon which their sweet interest laid. Mountain ash leaves and Hawthorne branches meant indicated love whereas thorn meant disdain. This perhaps, is the forerunner of old May Day custom of hanging bouquets hooked on one's doorknob?

Young men and women wandered into the woods before daybreak of May Day morning with garlands of flowers and/or branches of trees. They would arrive; most rumpled from joyous encounters, in many areas with the maypole for the Beltane celebrations. Pre-Christian society's thoughts on human sexuality and fertility were not bound up in guilt and sin, but rather joyous in the less restraint expression of human passions. Life was not an exercise but rather a joyful dance, rich in all beauty it can afford.

In ancient Ireland there was a Sacred Tree named Bile, which was the center of the clan, or Tuatha. As the Irish Tree of Life, the Bile Pole, represents the connection between the people and the three worlds of Bith: The Skyworld (heavens), The Middleworld (our world), and The Otherworld. Although no longer the center life, the Bile pole has survived as the Beltane Maypole.

The Maypole is an important element to Beltane festivities, it is a tall pole decorated with long brightly colored ribbons, leaves, flowers and wreaths. Young maidens and lads each hold the end of a ribbon, and dance revolving around the base of the pole, interweaving the ribbons. The circle of dancers should begin, as far out from the pole as the length of ribbon allows, so the ribbons are taut. There should be an even number of boys & girls. Boys should be facing clockwise and girls counterclockwise. They each move in the direction that they are facing, weaving with the next, around to braid the ribbons over-and-under around the pole. Those passing on the inside will have to duck, those passing on the outside raise their ribbons to slide over. As the dances revolve around the pole the ribbons will weave creating a pattern, it is said that the pattern will indicate the abundance of harvest year.

In some areas there are permanent Maypoles, perhaps a recollection of ancient clan Bile Pole memory. In other areas a new Maypole is brought down on Beltane Eve out from the wood. Even the classical wood can vary according to the area tradition is pulled from, most frequently it seems to be birch as "the wood", but others are mentioned in various historical documents.

Today in some towns and villages a mummer called Jack in the Green (drawing from the Green man), wears a costume made of green leaves as he dances around the May pole. Mumming is a dramatic performance of exaggerated characters and at Beltane the characters include Jack in the Green and the Fool. The Fool, and the Fool's journey, symbolism can be understood in relation to Beltane as it is the beginning of beginnings, the emergence from the void of nothingness (winter), as one can also see the role of the green man as the re-greening of the world.

Traditionally in many areas Morris dancers can be found dancing around the Maypole. Morris dancing can be found in church records in Thame England going back to 1555. Morris dancing is thought to have originated many centuries ago as part of ancient religious ceremonies, however it seems that Morris dancing became associated with Mayday during the Tudor times, and its originating history is not all that easily traced, as is the way with many traditions.

The Maypole dance as an important aspect of encouraging the return of fertility to the earth. The pole itself is not only phallic in symbolism but also is the connector of the three worlds. Dancing the Maypole during Beltane is magical experience as it is a conduit of energy, connecting all three worlds at a time when these gateways are more easily penetrable. As people gaily dance around and around the pole holding the brightly colored ribbons, the energy it raises is sent down into the earth's womb, bringing about Her full awakening and fruitfulness.

In Padstow, Cornwall, Beltane morning a procession is led by the "obby oss" a costumed horse figure, in a large circular banded frock and mask. The procession is full of song, drums and accordions. Professor Ronald Hutton of Bristol University points out that the first account of the Padstow May Day 'Obby 'Oss revelries was written in 1803. He offers evidence however that, like English Morris Dancing, its origins lie in English medieval times. This does not discount the possibility that its roots lay in the foundation of the fertility rites of Beltane, a more politically correct transmutation of fertility acts.

There is also a Queen of May. She is said in many areas to have worn a gold crown with a single, gold leaf at its front, in other areas her crown was made of fresh flowers. She was typically chosen at the start of the Beltane festival, which in time past was after sundown on the eve before Beltane day. Many accounts mention both a May Queen and King being chosen, whom would reign from sundown the eve before the Beltane day to sunset on Beltane. Among their duties would be to announce the Beltane games and award the prizes to the victors. The rudimentary base of this practice can be drawn back to the roots of Beltane festivities, the union of the Goddess and Her Consort, the joining of earth and sun, the endowment of summer. The Goddess has many guises: Danu - The Great Mother, Blodeuwedd (the Flower Bride), Isolt (Iseult, Isolde) and many, many others. The consort can also take many forms including the Green Man, Cernunnos or Tristan.

As Beltane marks this handfasting (wedding) of the Goddess and God, it too marks the reawakening of the earth's fertility in its fullest. This is the union between the Great Mother and her Young Consort, this coupling brings new life on earth. It is on a Spiritual level, the unifying of the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine to bring forth the third, consciousness. On the physical, it is the union of the Earth and Sun to bring about the fruitfulness of the growing season.

It is customary that trial unions, for a year and a day, occur at this time. More or less these were statements of intent between couples, which were not legally binding. The trial marriages (engagements) typically occurred between a couple before deciding to take a further step into a legally binding union. It seems ancient wisdom understood that one does not really know another until they have lived with them, and when you live together things change and we change, as well. With this understanding unions were entered upon, first as a test period, and then if desired, a further commitment could be taken. It through always knowing that it is only through the choice of both to remain, that the relationship exists favorably.

May, however, according to old folklore is not a favorable time for marriages in the legal and permanent sense. There is reference after reference in the old books of this belief, and according to my Irish grandmother, May is not the month to marry, woe is to had by those who do. I can understand the premise of this folklore, May is the Goddess and God's handfasting month, all honor would be Hers and His.

Water is another important association of Beltane, water is refreshing and rejuvenating, it is also imperative to life. It is said that if you bathe in the dew gathered before dawn on Beltane morn, your beauty will flourish throughout the year. Those who are sprinkled with May dew are insured of health and happiness. There are other folk customs such as drinking from the well before sunrise on Beltane Morn to insure good health and fortune.

The central color of Beltane is green. Green is the color of growth, abundance, plentiful harvest, abundant crops, fertility, and luck. White is another color that is customary, white brings the energies of cleansing, peace, spirituality, and the power to dispel negativity. Another color is red who brings along the qualities of energy, strength, sex, vibrancy, quickening, health, consummation and retention. Sun energy, life force and happiness are brought to Beltane by the color yellow. Blues and purples (Sagittarius energies: expansion, Good Fortune, magic, spiritual power, Success), and pinks (Venus energies). Beltane is rich in vibrant color, lighting the eyes and cheering the Spirit as we leave the dreariness of winter behind.

It is customary to bake a colorful fruit and spiced filled bread for festivals in the Celtic lands, traditionally this festival bread is sweet dough made with sweetmeat and spices. In Scotland they are the bannock - Bonnach Bealtain - for Beltane, in Wales - Bara Brith, Ireland it is Barm Brack and in Brittany Morlaix Brioche. For Beltane this bread was made the eve before Beltane day, is it said that the bread should not allow it to come into contact with steel during preparation (steel is harmful, deadly to the faery folk).

Bannocks are actually uncut scones originally cooked on a griddle. Wheat does not grow well in the Highlands, originally bannocks were made with oat or barley flour made into dough with little water and no leavening. Traditionally, a portion of the cake was burned or marked with ashes. The recipient of the burnt cake jumped over a small fire three times to purify and cleanse him or herself of any ill fortune. Offerings of bannocks and drink are traditionally left on doorsteps and roadways for the Faeries as an offering, in hope of faery blessings.

May is the month of sensuality and sexuality revitalized, the reawakening of the earth and Her Children. It is the time when we reawaken to the vivid colors, vibrant scents, tingling summer breezes, and the rapture of summer after a long dormant winter. It is a time of extraordinary expression of earth, animal, and person a time of great enchantment and celebration.

The excitement and beauty of Beltane can not be better expressed than through the gaiety and joy of our children. There is not doubt "spring fever" hits at Beltane, and hits hard. Children are full of unbridled energy charged up and ready to go! Children always amplify the seasonal energies and the thrill of their change, they bring richness and merriment wherever they go.

It is the child's unrestrained expression of bliss and delight that is what Beltane is all about. It is the sheer joy of running through fields, picking flowers, rapturing in the sunlight, delighting in the fragrance of spring, dancing in the fresh dew covered grass. Our children guide us through the natural abandonment of our adult sensibilities and show us how to take grand pleasure, warmth and bliss from the gift of Beltane.

Blessed Beltane to you and yours!

Christina Aubin
Beltaine 2000

Beltane... May Day

2011-05-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Source
http://www.new-age.co.uk/celtic-festivals-beltane.htm

Beltane was an important festival in the Celtic calendar. The name originates from the Celtic god, Bel - the 'bright one', and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire, giving the name 'bealttainn', meaning 'bright fire'.

This is the beginning of the 'lighted half' of the year when the Sun begins to set later in the evening and the hawthorn blossoms. To our ancestors Beltane was the coming of summer and fertility. Nature is in bloom and the earth is full of fecundity and life.

The Maiden

TheTriple Goddess - worshipped by the Ancient Britons - at Beltane is now in her aspect of the Maiden : The May Queen, May Bride, Goddess of Spring, Flower Bride, Queen of the Fairies - a symbol of purity, growth and renewal.The Crone turns to stone on Beltane Eve.

May blossom symbolises female fertility, with its creamy/ white, fragrant flowers. Hawthorn blossom was worn during Beltane celebrations, especially by the May Queen.
It is believed to be a potent magical plant and it is considered unlucky to bring the blossom inside the house, apart from on May eve.

Flower Language

Fire festivals

Beltane is one of the four Celtic fire festivals marking the quarter points in the year - feasts were held and bonfires were lit throughout the countryside. Fire was believed to have purifying qualities - it cleansed and rejuvenated both the land and the people.

The ritual welcoming of the sun and the lighting of the fires was also believed to ensure fertility of the land and the people. Animals were transfered from winter pens to summer pastures, and were driven between the Beltane fires to cleanse them of evil spirits and to bring fertility and a good milk yield. The Celts leapt over Beltane fires - for fertility and purification.

Young men would circle the Beltaine fires holding Rowan branches to bring protection against evil - its bright berries suggested fire - malign powers were considered particularly active at the year's turning-point.

It was considered unlucky to allow anyone to take fire from one's house on May Eve or May Day, as they would gain power over the inhabitants.

A Beltane fire festival is held annually in Edinburgh, at Calton Hill on 30th April - a May Queen and Green Man, representing Beltane fertility and renewal lead the celebrations on the hillside.

May Day - Beltane Traditions

Beltane is a time of partnerships and fertility. New couples proclaim their love for each other on this day. It is also the perfect time to begin new projects.

The maypole - a phallic pole planted deep in the earth representing the potency and fecundity of the God, its unwinding ribbons symbolized the unwinding of the spiral of life and the union of male and female - the Goddess and God. It is usually topped by a ring of flowers to represent the fertile Goddess.

Paganhill, near Shroud has one of the tallest maypoles. The Puritans banned maypoles during the 17th Century. It was a Celtic tradition to fell a birch tree on May day and to bring it into the community. Crosses of birch and rowan twigs were hung over doors on the

May morning, and left until next May day.

Beltane cakes or bannocks - oatcakes coated with a baked on custard made of cream, eggs and butter - were cooked over open fires and anyone who chose a misshapen piece or a piece with a black spot was likely to suffer bad luck in the coming months. They were also offered to the spirits who protect the livestock, by facing the Beltane fire and casting them over their shoulders.

Beltane Celebrations and Rituals

At Sheen do Boaldyne, in the Isle of Man, twigs of Rowan are hung above doorways as protection - the opening of Summer was regarded as a time when fairies and spirits were especially active, as at Samhain and the opening of Winter.

The 'Obby 'Oss, at Padstow, Cornwall - wearing of animal skins was believed to be a relic of a Pagan sacred marriage between earth and sky, and the dance enacts the fertility god sacrificed for the good of his people.

The May Queen - Maid Marion/the Maiden consorts with Robin/ the Green Man in Celtic celebrations of May day.

Going 'A-Maying' meant staying out all night to gather flowering hawthorn, watching the sunrise and making love in the woods
- a 'greenwood marriage'.

The dew on the May day morning is believed to have a magical potency - wash your face and body in it and remain fair all year, and guarantee your youth and beauty continues - men who wash their hands in it will be good at tying knots and nets - useful if you're a fisherman!

History of Ostara

2011-03-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Many Holidays, Many Names:

The word Ostara is just one of the names applied to the celebration of the spring equinox on March 21. The Venerable Bede said the origin of the word is actually from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring. Of course, it's also the same time as the Christian Easter celebration, and in the Jewish faith, Passover takes place as well. For early Pagans in the Germanic countries, this was a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season. Typically, the Celtic peoples did not celebrate Ostara as a holiday, although they were in tune with the changing of the seasons.

A New Day Begins:

A dynasty of Persian kings known as the Achaemenians celebrated the spring equinox with the festival of No Ruz -- which means "new day." It is a celebration of hope and renewal still observed today in many Persian countries, and has its roots in Zoroastrianism. In Iran, a festival called Chahar-Shanbeh Suri takes place right before No Ruz begins, and people purify their homes and leap over fires to welcome the 13-day celebration of No Ruz.

Mad as a March Hare:

Spring equinox is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and so nature's fertility goes a little crazy. In medieval societies in Europe, the March hare was viewed as a major fertility symbol -- this is a species of rabbit that is nocturnal most of the year, but in March when mating season begins, there are bunnies everywhere all day long. The female of the species is superfecund and can conceive a second litter while still pregnant with a first. As if that wasn't enough, the males tend to get frustrated when rebuffed by their mates, and bounce around erratically when discouraged.

The Legends of Mithras:

The story of the Roman god, Mithras, is similar to the tale of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Born at the winter solstice and resurrected in the spring, Mithras helped his followers ascend to the realm of light after death. In one legend, Mithras, who was popular amongst members of the Roman military, was ordered by the Sun to sacrifice a white bull. He reluctantly obeyed, but at the moment when his knife entered the creature's body, a miracle took place. The bull turned into the moon, and Mithras' cloak became the night sky. Where the bull's blood fell flowers grew, and stalks of grain sprouted from its tail.

Spring Celebrations Around the World:

In ancient Rome, the followers of Cybele believed that their goddess had a consort who was born via a virgin birth. His name was Attis, and he died and was resurrected each year during the time of the vernal equinox on the Julian Calendar (between March 22 and March 25). Around the same time, the Germanic tribes honored a lunar goddess known as Ostara, who mated with a fertility god around this time of year, and then gave birth nine months later – at Yule.

The indigenous Mayan people in Central American have celebrated a spring equinox festival for ten centuries. As the sun sets on the day of the equinox on the great ceremonial pyramid, El Castillo, Mexico, its "western face...is bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. The lengthening shadows appear to run from the top of the pyramid's northern staircase to the bottom, giving the illusion of a diamond-backed snake in descent." This has been called "The Return of the Sun Serpent" since ancient times.

According to the Venerable Bede, Eostre was the Saxon version of the Germanic goddess Ostara. Her feast day was held on the full moon following the vernal equinox -- almost the identical calculation as for the Christian Easter in the west. There is very little documented evidence to prove this, but one popular legend is that Eostre found a bird, wounded, on the ground late in winter. To save its life, she transformed it into a hare. But "the transformation was not a complete one. The bird took the appearance of a hare but retained the ability to lay eggs...the hare would decorate these eggs and leave them as gifts to Eostre."

Modern Celebrations

This is a good time of year to start your seedlings. If you grow an herb garden, start getting the soil ready for late spring plantings. Celebrate the balance of light and dark as the sun begins to tip the scales, and the return of new growth is near.

Many modern Wiccans and Pagans celebrate Ostara as a time of renewal and rebirth. Take some time to celebrate the new life that surrounds you in nature -- walk in park, lay in the grass, hike through a forest. As you do so, observe all the new things beginning around you -- plants, flowers, insects, birds. Meditate upon the ever-moving Wheel of the Year, and celebrate the change of seasons.

SOURCE
about.com

Sabbaths: Ostara

2011-03-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

OSTARA (pronounced O-STAR-ah) is one of the Lesser Sabbats, and is usually celebrated on the Vernal or Spring Equinox right around March 20/21 (although because of its origins, may instead be celebrated on the fixed date of March 25). Other names by which this Sabbat may be known are Oestara, Eostre’s Day, Rite of Eostre, Alban Eilir, Festival of the Trees, and Lady Day. The Christian holiday of Easter is very near this same time, and is determined as the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.

Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring, the renewal and rebirth of Nature herself, and the coming lushness of Summer. It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance, yet the light is growing stronger by the day. The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time.

How did we Celebrate??

ImageFor early Pagans in the Germanic countries, this was a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season. Typically, the Celtic peoples did not celebrate Ostara as a holiday, although they were in tune with the changing of the seasons.

Persian kings known as the Achaemenians celebrated the spring equinox with the festival of No Ruz — which means “new day.” It is a celebration of hope and renewal still observed today in many Persian countries.

Mayan people in Central American have celebrated a spring equinox festival for ten centuries. As the sun sets on the day of the equinox on the great ceremonial pyramid, El Castillo, Mexico, its “western face…is bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. The lengthening shadows appear to run from the top of the pyramid’s northern staircase to the bottom, giving the illusion of a diamond-backed snake in descent.” This has been called “The Return of the Sun Serpent” since ancient times.

The custom of giving eggs on Ostara was known to the early Egyptians, Persians,Greeks Romans and Gauls. The Practice of coloring these eggs also date back to ancient civilization.

In Asia and India, the practice of hunting hidden eggs in spring was symbolic of the belief that we are fully responsible for our actions and reactions, and that we must each find our own way to life renewed. Because this incorporated reincarnation themes, the egg hunt was a time to reflect on the balance of rights and wrongs and how to improve one’s position in the next life.

SOURCE
http://ravenhawksmagickalmysticalplaces.com/journal/?p=3

Ostara Recipes

2011-03-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Source
http://www.moonsweb.com/ostararecipes.shtml

Ostara Recipes

Violet Salad

1Tbsp raspberry vinegar
1Tbsp minced Shallot
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp chicken stock, vegetable for vegetarians
1 1/2 tsp virgin olive oil
1/2 lb mixed greens washed
1/4 cup violet blossoms
1/4 cup wild strawberries (optional)

Combine vinegar, shallot, mustard and some pepper in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes
Whisk in stock then oil. Toss greens with dressings, top with violets and strawberries and serve immediately.

Green Man Salad and Green Dressing

Zucchini
Greens
Cucumbers
Watercress

Toss all ingredients in a salad bowl. Dress with lemon and honey or Green Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise, 1\4 cup pesto, a pinch of watercress, poppy seeds, and a dash of vinegar.

Dandelion Honey

1 Liter dandelion petals
1 Liter water
3 slices lemon - 1-2 cm thick
1/4 vanilla bean, cut in half
1 kg sugar

Pick the dandelions in full sunshine. Pull off all the dandelion petals and put them in a pot with the water, lemon slices and vanilla bean. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Let the mixture sit by the side of the stove for 5 to 6 hours.

Strain to separate the petals from the juice. Return the juice to the pot and bring to a simmer. Slowly add the sugar and simmer until desired thickness (takes about 4 hours).

Serve on toast, muffins or danish Yield: about 1 liter

Apache Acorn Soup

3 lb Stew beef
2 qt Water
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Ground acorn meal
Cover beef with water and bring to boil in a heavy pot. Simmer until done; add salt and pepper as meat cooks tender. Remove beef and chop on a flat stone until split in shreds. The meat broth continues to cook vigorously while meat and acorn meal are mixed together.
Meat and meal simmer together until the broth bubbles creamy white with yellow flecks, pleasantly acorn scented and flavored.

Calendula Butter

8 Tbsps (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup calendula petals
Blend together in a small bowl. Use right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Spinach (or Broccoli) Quiche

1 9-in pie crust, unbaked
3 eggs, beaten
8 oz pkg of Swiss cheese slices
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp flour
dash pepper
1 cup milk
dash nutmeg
1 small onion, sliced and lightly sauted
10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach or broccoli, cooked and drained

Cut cheese into strips and toss with flour. In your pie crust, alternate layers of onion, spinach or broccoli and cheese, ending a layer of cheese layer. Mix the milk, eggs, and spices. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Easy Broccoli Quiche

2 Tbsps butter
1 onion, minced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss and cheddar cheese
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into crust and sprinkle with cheese.
Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

Ostara Quiche

1 unbaked pie crust
4 eggs
1 cup milk
10 asparagus spears, in two inch pieces
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 oz shredded cheese

Layer all ingredients except the milk and eggs in your pie crust, starting with about 2/3 of the cheese, then the vegetables, then the rest of the cheese. Whip milk with the eggs until well blended, season to taste and pour into crust. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot or cold.

Bewitching Eggs
1 dozen hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half.
3 tsp. sour cream
1/4 onion, minced
1 tsp. brown mustard parsley, for garnish
1 tsp. salt Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp. white pepper
l/2 tsp. sweet basil
1/4 cup juice from a jar of sweet pickles.

Divide yolks and whites, place the yolks in a bowl and whites on a serving tray. Mash the yolks with a fork then mix everything except parsley and paprika in well. Fill each white section with a heaping tsp of yolk mixture. Sprinkle lightly with paprika and garnish with parsley.

Rabbit Curry

1 Stick butter or Margarine, melted
1 Onion, chopped
1 cup Chicken broth
1 Tbsp Curry powder
1 Young rabbit, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Flour
1 Tart apple, chopped
2 cup Sour cream
2 tsp Orange peel, grated

Brush the rabbit pieces with melted butter. Dredge in flour. Salt and pepper pieces. Bake on rack, turning at least one, until rabbit is tender. Cool and then debone the rabbit.

Saute onion and apple in remaining butter or margarine. Add 1/4 cup of flour. Stirring until lumps are gone. Add chicken broth and sour cream slowly, stirring constantly. Simmer over heat until blended. Add lemon peel, curry powder, rabbit meat and heat thoroughly. Serve over rice.

Honegar
6 Cups raw honey
6 Cups apple cider Vinegar

Heat equal parts (no more than 2 cups of each at a time) of the honey and vinegar in a large glass (non-metal) saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. The honey will melt into the vinegar making the mixture easier to stir. Keep stirring about 15 minutes until you no longer feel any heaviness or see any areas of thickness on the spoon. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Pour into canning jars and cap tightly. Store in the refrigerator.
(Serves two people, 30-day supply)

Honey Cake Yields: 2 loaves

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsps vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup honey
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9" x 5" loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the almonds and beat until well blended. Pour the batter, dividing equally into the loaf pans Bake for about 20 minutes then sprinkle each with the almonds. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes more (total of 45-55 minutes)or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Bird's Nests

chow mein noodles
chocolate chips or brick chocolate
jelly beans
candy coated chocolate eggs
marshmallow chicks
peanut butter
wax paper cut into squares
paper plates (colored plates optional)

Put chow mein noodles in a large bowl. If using brick chocolate, break into pieces or shave. Melt chocolate in the microwave, or over low heat on stove or a double boiler, just until melted. Pour melted chocolate over chow mein noodles, mix together to coat. Place mounds of chocolate/chow mein mixture onto several waxed paper squares. Place on plates and let the children form the mixtures into nests. Be sure the chocolate has cooled, but don't wait too long or it will harden!

Use peanut butter to "glue" down the jelly beans and candy coated chocolate eggs inside the nest cavity. "Glue" marshmallow chick on the edge of or inside of the nest.

Bird Nest Cupcakes

cake mix or scratch cake
white frosting
grated coconut
green food coloring
Marshmallow chicks (yellow, pink, white, blue or lavender)
jelly beans

Bake cupcakes according to directions. Allow to cool completely. Frost with icing tinted green with the food coloring.

Place the desired amount of coconut a plastic bag, add a small dab of green food color. Close the bag and mix and shake until color is evenly distributed. If you use liquid coloring spread the coconut out on a paper towel so it dries a bit.

Sprinkle colored coconut on top of frosted cupcakes and place a chick in the center. Add a few jelly beans around the chick, so they look like eggs.

Chocolate Easter Eggs

Cream filled eggs just like the store bought ones.

    * 1 cup soft butter
    * 2 tsp salt
    * 4 tsp vanilla
    * 1 can condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
    * 10 cups icing sugar
    * 1 tsp. yellow food coloring
    * 1 lb. semi-sweet chocolate
    * 1/4 of a block of canning wax (it comes in 4 blocks to a 1 pound package)

Beat the butter, salt and vanilla until fluffy. Add milk, beat in sugar. Blend until stiff. Dust with brown sugar. Knead til smooth.

Set aside a little more then 2/3 of the mixture. To the remaining mixture add yellow food coloring and blend well. Divide yellow and white into 16 or 24 pieces. Shape yellow into balls and mould white around yellow to form an egg shape. Dry at room temperature on paper towels for 24 hours.

Melt the chocolate and wax in double boiler or in microwave until smooth. Dip eggs in chocolate, let cool then dip the other end or put a toothpick in them deep enough to be secure and dip to the top of the toothpick, fill in the toothpick hole with a dab of chocolate. Once dipped cool at room temperature. Refrigerate after cooling.

When sliced these eggs will have a white cream filling with a yellow filling that appears to be the yolk. They look nice sitting in an Easter basket!!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, sliced
1/4 cup flour
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Gently add strawberries and rhubarb. Place the mixture in pie shell. Stir together the remaining 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over top of the pie. Cover the edges of pie with foil.5. Bake at 400 degrees F. on the center oven rack for 30 minutes.6. Remove foil. Bake for 25 minutes.

Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting
3 cups grated carrots
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Frosting:
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans/walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine grated carrots, flour, white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in eggs, oil, 1 1/4 tsp vanilla, pineapple and 3/4 cup nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool.

Frosting
In a medium bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, Neufchatel cheese, 1/2 cup butter or margarine and 1 1/4 tsps vanilla. Beat until smooth, then stir in 1 cup chopped nuts. Spread on cooled cake.

Pashka

2 1/2 Lbs. Small Curd Cottage Cheese
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Chopped Almonds or Pecans
3/4 Cup Chopped Peaches
1/2 Cup Maraschino Cherries or Dried Cherries
1 1/4 tsp. Vanilla
2 Sticks Butter, Melted
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Cups Evaporated Milk or Cream
2 Eggs

Mix all ingredients except the cottage cheese in a large pan over low heat until it thickens to the consistency of pudding. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Mix in the cottage cheese and beat well for about 3 minutes. Place in a cake pan and chill over night. Decorate the cake with candied eggs, flowers, chocolates, or other spring delicacies. Keep refrigerated.

Candied Flower Blossoms

Good candidates for candying are apple or plum blossoms, borage flowers, lilac florets, rose petals, scented geraniums, violas, violets, Johnny-jump-ups, and pansy petals.

Rinse and dried flower blossoms, separated from the stem
1 extra-large egg white, at room temperature
Few drops of water
About 1 cup superfine sugar
A small paint brush
A baking rack covered with waxed paper

In a small bowl, combine the egg white with the water and beat lightly with a fork or small whisk until the white just shows a few bubbles. Place the sugar in a shallow dish.

Holding a flower or petal in one hand, dip a paint brush into the egg white with the other and gently paint the flower. Cover the flower or petal completely but not excessively. Holding the flower or petal over the sugar dish, gently sprinkle sugar evenly all over on both sides. Place the flower or petal on the waxed paper to dry. Continue with the rest of the flowers.

Let the flowers dry completely 12 to 36 hours or until free of moisture. Time depends on the humidity. To hasten drying, you may place the candied flowers in an oven with a pilot light overnight, or in an oven set at 150° to 200° F with the door ajar for a few hours.

Store the dried, candied flowers in airtight containers until ready to use. They will keep for as long as a year.

Poppy Seed Cheese Bread

1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup biscuit mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Combine
1/2 cheese and the biscut mix in a bowl
Add milk and stir until moistened, pat dough
Combine remaining cheese, egg and onion and spread over biscuit dough
Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are traditionally served on Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) and during the Lenten season, but they are good anytime. This recipe will make 2 1/2 dozen buns.

2 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup dried currents
1/2 cup raisins

2 Tbsps water
1 egg yolk

Icing (below)

Heat the water and milk at 110-115 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl; dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well after each addition. Stir in the dried fruit and enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn over to grease the top. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Punch the dough down and shape into 30 balls. Place on greased baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross (or X) on the top of each roll. Cover again and let rise until doubled (about 30 minutes). Beat the water and egg yolk together and brush over the rolls. Bake at 375-degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Drizzle icing over the top of each roll following the lines of the cut cross.

ICING: Combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 4 tsps milk or cream, a dash of salt, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Depending on humidity, adjust sugar and milk to make a mixture, which flows easily.

Easter Crown Bread

3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided use)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup warm milk
2 Tbsps softened butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped mixed candied fruit
1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
1/2 tsp aniseed

5 raw eggs
food coloring for the eggs
Vegetable oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the milk and butter and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes at medium. Add the eggs and 1/2-cup flour and beat on high for 2 minutes. Stir in the fruit, nuts and aniseed, mixing well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (around 6 to 8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turn once to grease the top. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour in a warm place until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, color 5 eggs (raw) with non-toxic dyes. When dry; lightly rub them with vegetable oil.

Punch down the risen dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 24-inch rope. On a greased baking sheet, loosely twist the two ropes together. Form into a ring and pinch the ends together. Gently split the ropes and tuck the 5 raw colored eggs into the openings. Cover and let rise again about 30 minutes until doubled. Bake at 350-degree F for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Pink Dandelion Wine

2 quarts fresh dandelions blossoms
2 quarts water
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 lemon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4-5 cups sugar
1/3 cake active yeast

Remove the stem and leaves from the blossoms, and boil in water.
Remove from heat and let stand overnight, then strain.
Add lemon, raspberries, cinnamon and sugar (should be overly sweet to the taste).
Warm mixture over low flame until the sugar is dissolved (honey many be substituted in equal proportions).
When the mixture is lukewarm, add the active yeast which has been suspended in warm water.
Cover the pan with a towel and let it set for three days undisturbed.
Each time you check it, visualize the energy in your wine increasing even as the bubbles are forming ( the sign that fermentation has started).
Strain the mixture again and bottle in loosely corked bottles.
Once the corks no longer pop out, taste to see if the wine needs additional sugar.
If so, return it to the stove and sweeten to taste, but bring it to a boil so it kills the yeast. Cork tightly and let age for one year in a cool, dark area for best results.

Dandelion Wine

1 gallon of fresh picked dandelion flowers
3-4 lbs sugar
1 lemon
rind of 1 lemon
1 orange
rind of 1 orange
1 Tbsp brewers yeast
1/4 ounce of compressed yeast

Place fresh picked dandelion flowers them in a large tub, pour 1 gallon of boiling water over them and let it steep for about 10 or so days stirring now and then. Strain the liquid and add 3 or 4 pounds sugar to taste. Then add lemon and orange rind then the rest of the lemon and orange to the liquid. Bring to a boil and boil gently for about 20 minutes or so. Remove from heat. Cool, add brewer's yeast and compressed yeast spread on a piece of toast.(yes, toast)....Cover and leave for a few days. Then put it in a cask and bottle it for 2 months or more.

Welcome, Oh Great Quetzaltcoatl

2011-03-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

From the heavens you descend. Welcome, oh great one! Let your energy fill us, purify us and reconnect us with the spirit of our Mother. Winter has been cold and harsh, but your energy will fill us for another season; your light will vanquish the darkness and your power will protect us from all that is evil.

Touch our mother's womb, and bring forth the abundance from which she nourishes us, and feeds us, and protects us. Release us from the negative energies that we have carried and bring us hope for a better tomorrow.

Enlighten us. Fill us with your wisdom. Fill us with your love and protection. Our father, our lord. Feathered snake that descends from the heavens and carries with him the part of our soul that is reborn each cycle. Mighty warrior who protects his children who were made from the same sacred corn as he long ago by the four winds -- listen... listen to the sound of the caracol, rising sounds through the winds.

A new cycle has begun. The Feathered Snake has returned home.

March Esbat -- Chaste Moon

2011-03-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

From "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft"

Also known as the Seed or Worm Moon, the Chaste Moon is a time to plant mental seeds—thoughts of success and hope. This is also a time of purity and newness. It’s the time to bless the magickal herbs and plants in your garden and to start preparing the soil for the seeds that you will plant. It’s also the time to mentally prepare yourself for new experiences, a new job, pregnancy, taking a trip, or bringing a new animal into your home.

March is the time for new beginnings, breaking illusions, and seeing the truth in your life however much it may hurt. The energy flow breaks into the open, a good time for growing, prospering, and exploring. Light and Dark are in balance now.

From Brighter Blessings.com

The Chaste Moon of March (also known as the Lenten, Seed, Sap, Worm and Hare Moon) truly marks the celebration of Spring. It is the observance of the return of the Goddess in all her Maiden glory. At this time of the year we prepare for planting the fields and gardens, blessing the seeds for the crops in the hope that the year’s harvest will be plentiful.

Like the Goddess of the Moon Diana, nature is poised - potential about to burst into life all around us. Just as the Goddess has many faces and forms, so can we. The circle dance never ends, only revolves again and again. Thus as the Goddess ever renews her aspect, so can Her children.

This new journey began with the Storm Moon in February by firming our foundations to prepare for change, and now is the time to discover our potential. On the Esbat of the Chaste Moon, we look deep within ourselves to strengthen our foundations ready to plant the seeds of our new lives, and discover what lies there waiting, like the Maiden, to be fulfilled.

In just a week, the Sabbat of Ostara will be celebrated. The stirrings of Mother Earth are now apparent, with the first spring flowers began to emerge from the earth, the woodlands begin to bristle and rustle with new life and the birds begin to return and serenade us once again – the song of the Robin is now not the only song to be heard. Her Consort now seeks out the Maiden Goddess, and their liaison grows in power and intensity. As this bond develops, so too can we develop and cultivate new strengths to reach our own dizzy heights.

A Chaste Moon Ritual

On the night of the full Chaste Moon, select the symbolic seeds for your personal spiritual growth that you would like to sow. They could be seeds of understanding, seeds of courage, or seeds of tolerance for example.

You can plant these seeds simply with your will, by meditation or, for a family ritual, you could choose to plant some spring bulbs, or seeds to produce the seedlings for your vegetable garden, for example. Give each child a pot and soil, and a handful of bulbs or seeds. Allocate to each of these bulbs or seeds (as many as you need for each person) the quality you wish to nurture. For each bulb or seed that is sown, repeat (if you so wish) the following incantation:

“Plant, sow, energize, and grow,
This is my wish (insert wish)
Goddess Moon make it so.”

Thus in the months ahead you can nurture your seedlings which is a fabulous learning exercise for young children, to watch first-hand the power of nature. This is also beneficial for older children, as by planting their wishes they are personally responsible for their seedlings.

Whichever method you choose therefore, you make a firm commitment that your seedlings will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lay ahead, so that they will grow, flower and bear fruit.

(To be used as a side column – or not at all as you prefer!)

After performing an Esbat ritual, it is a lovely idea to share a meal with those involved. A great way of doing this, (that is also fun beforehand for the children, and can be part of the day’s preparation), is to bake Moon Biscuits.

To do so you will need:

Moon Biscuits

295 grams flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
120 grams butter
230 grams sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1-teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk or cream

Using organic ingredients where possible, firstly sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it has paled in colour. Add the egg, the vanilla and the milk a little at a time and blend until the mixture is smooth. Now add the dry ingredients a little at a time. Put into the refrigerator and chill the mixture for at least 1 hour. Next, roll out the dough to approximately 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut it into circles with a round biscuit cutter, or a floured glass/mug. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 375 f, 190 c or gas mark 5 for 8-10 minutes. For an extra special treat, melt a bar of dark organic chocolate by the Bain-Marie method, or in the microwave (carefully!) and once the cookies are cooked and cooled, dip half of the biscuit into the melted chocolate to create half-moon cookies. Now, eat and enjoy!

The Angel and the Witch

2011-02-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

Who said that witches can't have angels? Back in the dark ages, the devil was more involved in everything witchcraft and demons were called "the witche's lovers". But a long time has passed and a lot has happened in the last thousand years or so.

Angels are spirits that can aid a witch in casting his/her spells. Since witches walk between the worlds, they make allies in the different realms. Angels are viewed as safe and comortable for fearful spirits. Some wicca traditions work closely with archangels and other shy away from them, feeling that they hark from Christian beliefs. The roots from angels come from Egypt, Sumer, and Tibet.

Spirit guides - angels, animal spirits, etc - aid us by offering advice, knowledge and magical bridges in which both (witch and guide) can obtain a blessing. It is my belief that angels also need our aid - that they too are in a learning process and thus need our spirit to grow. Sometimes, you have more than one spirit guide around you. In my case, both angels Kalavan and Raziel are around me at all times and are learning from the angel-human experience.

Deities of the Spring Equinox

2011-02-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

by Patti Wigington
About.com

Spring is a time of great celebration in many cultures. It's the time of year when the planting begins, people begin to once more enjoy the fresh air, and we can reconnect with the earth again after the long, cold winter. A number of different gods and goddesses from different pantheons are connected with the themes of Spring and Ostara.

Asasa Ya (Ashanti)

This earth mother goddess prepares to bring forth new life in the spring, and the Ashanti people honor her at the festival of Durbar, alongside Nyame, the sky god who brings rain to the fields.

Cybele (Roman)

This mother goddess of Rome was at the center of a rather bloody Phrygian cult, in which eunuch priests performed mysterious rites in her honor. Her lover was Attis (he was also her grandson, but that's another story), and her jealousy caused him to castrate and kill himself. His blood was the source of the first violets, and divine intervention allowed Attis to be resurrected by Cybele, with some help from Zeus. In some areas, there is still an annual three-day celebration of Attis' rebirth and Cybele's power.

Eostre (western Germanic):

Little is known about the worship of this Teutonic spring goddess, but she is mentioned by the Venerable Bede, who said that Eostre's following had died out by the time he compiled his writings in the eighth century. Jacob Grimm referred to her by the High German equivalent, Ostara, in his 1835 manuscript, Deutsche Mythologie. Eostre's name is the root of our present day spring celebration of Ostara.

Flora (Roman)

This goddess of spring and flowers had her own festival, Floralia, which was celebrated every year between April 28 to May 3. Romans dressed in bright robes and floral wreaths, and attended theater performances and outdoor shows. Offerings of milk and honey were made to the goddess.

Freya (Norse)

This fertility goddess abandons the earth during the cold months, but returns in the spring to restore nature's beauty. She wears a magnificent necklace called Brisingamen, which represents the fire of the sun.

Osiris (Egyptian)

This lover of Isis dies and is reborn in a resurrection story. The resurrection theme is popular among spring deities, and is also found in the stories of Adonis, Mithras and Attis as well.

Saraswati (Hindu)

This Hindu goddess of the arts, wisdom and learning has her own festival each spring in India, called Saraswati Puja. She is honored with prayers and music, and is usually depicted holding lotus blossoms and the sacred Vedas.

Fire of Justice Spell

2011-02-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

Spell for bringing justice to those who do you harm. Careful! Remember that what goes around comes around.

What you need:

1 red candle

Set the candle on a table and light it. Focus on the person's wrong doing and how the universe might bring justice. Try not to mix emotions because this will make it a revenge spell and set off a lot of wicked mojo.

Looking at the candle's light, conjure:

Fires of justice

I call to thee

Let ______ know

What she/he did to me

Fires of justice

I do request

Just and fair dealings

At your behest

Fires of justice

By the laws of return

Rule in this case

Make ____ learn

By the power of three

So mote it be

Let the candle burn for a few minutes before blowing out. Repeat for three days with candle. When done, biry remqins in open field and forget about it.

Acbal's Moon

The Rose

The Origins of Brighid

Blessed Imbolc!

Demons of Habit: An Approach to Self-Iniciation

Many blessings to everyone...

The Magical use of Voice

Princess Nakamaru of Japan

3 Kings Day --- A very Mexican Tradition :)

Ingredients

Directions

Book of Shadows Pages at DeviantART

Blessed Be. The New Year Notes Kalavan Made my Half-Sleepy Brain take...

Conjuration of the Good Spirits

Herbs of Yule

Things to Keep in Mind

True Magic

Magick and The Creative Process

The Art of Casting Spells

St Sylvester's Day Lore

St. Sylvester's Day Lore

Yule Meaning

Yule is *almost* here!!

It's beggining to look a lot like.... Oak Moon

We all Come from the Goddess

To Mikuni... with love...

Blessed be, the rambling of a witch

Samhain Kitchen Recipes 2011

Samhain

'Twas the Night Before Samhain

Kitchen Witch: Mabon Recipes

Mabon Activities and Correspondences

Mabon..Balance and Reflection

Autumn: The Croning Time

Modron - Mabon: The Autumal Equinox

The Definition of Love By Ryan O'Connell

Moon Angel -- Gabriel

General Incense:

Magical Oils:

Deities Of The Moon

Making a Wand

Huellas en la Bajamar (Footprints by the Seashore)

Moon and Sea

Magical Ideas for Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh

The Witch's Path (Highlights)

The Rose

Your Magical Name

June Esbat: The Lover's Moon

The Side Effect of Positive Thinking

Upon a Fire

Beltane -- Holiday Details and History

Beltane... May Day

The Maiden

Fire festivals

May Day - Beltane Traditions

Beltane Celebrations and Rituals

History of Ostara

Modern Celebrations

Sabbaths: Ostara

Ostara Recipes

Welcome, Oh Great Quetzaltcoatl

March Esbat -- Chaste Moon

The Angel and the Witch

Deities of the Spring Equinox

Fire of Justice Spell

Yule is almost here!!