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Yule Incense

From "The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews" by Cunningham

Yule Incense

You will need:

2 Parts of Frankincense
2 Parts of Pine needles or resin
1 Part Cedar
1 Part Juniper Berries

Mix and smolder at Wiccan rites on Yule. (or on around December 21st) or during the winter months to clenase the home and to attune with the forces of nature amid the cold days and nights.

WINTER NIGHTS YULE INCENSE

Scents have a way of making time stand still for us sometimes, and the aromas of the winter holidays are no exception. For many people, re-creating the smells and emotions of our childhood, or even of some distant ancestral memory, is part of the magic of the Yule season.

To make your own magical winter night's incense, first determine what form you’d like to make. You can make incense with sticks and in cones, but the easiest kind uses loose ingredients, which are then burned on top of a charcoal disc or tossed into a fire. This recipe is for loose incense, but you can always adapt it for stick or cone recipes.

As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the intent of your work. This particular recipe is one which evokes the spices and magic of a cold December night. Use it during a ritual, if you like, or as a smudging incense to purify a sacred space. You can also toss some into your fire just to make the house smell like winter.

You’ll need:
  • 2 parts Juniper berries
  • 2 parts mugwort
  • 1 part cedar
  • 1 part pine resin
  • 1 part laurel leaves
  • 1 part chopped sweetgrass
  • ½ part rosemary
Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation, such as:

As the sun returns, back to the earth,
we celebrate life and death and rebirth.
Cold winter nights and chilly days,
smoke in the sky, carry ills away.
A time of magic, at the longest night,
for without the dark, there cannot be light.
Herbs of power, blended by me,
As I will, so it shall be.



Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its name and date. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.



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Yule Ritual

SOLITARY YULE RITUAL

Tools needed: A Green Altar Cloth
A Cauldron w/Lid or Cover Plate
Holly Sprig Wreath
Mistletoe Sprig Wreath
12 Low Vibration Stones (flat oval river rock work well)
1 Black Votive Candle
1 Green 12" Taper Candle
1 White 12" Taper Candle
1 Gold (12hr) Pillar Candle
Pine Incense
Bowl of Water w/ Pine Sprig in it
Plate of Sand
Athame
 
You are welcome to add any personal items of your choice

Preparation:
 
This ritual showed be performed right after sunset. About an hour before, sweep area moving in a deosil manner. Yule symbols such as Poinsettias, Pine Cones, and even a decorated Yule Log nearby (if too big for altar) adds to the ambiance.
 
Place the proper candles and symbols at the four cardinal directions. Place the gold God pillar candle at right top of altar. Place the white Goddess taper candle at the top left. Place your Pentacle (or a plate with a Pentagram drawn on it) in the center of the altar. Place your Cauldron to the right of the altar, with the black votive candle, Holly sprig wreath around it , inside. 

Cover cauldron with lid or cover plate. Place the green taper candle and mistletoe wreath where they will be behind you at the beginning of the ritual. Outline your circle perimeter with 11 of the low vibration stones (save 12th to close circle when you enter. Place the rest of your tools and props according to personal preference. 

Take a shower or bath for purity. Sit quietly for a period to ground and center. When ready put on some soothing music associated with the Sabbat and your ritual. Enter the standing stone circle and close with 12th stone. Cast circle by envisioning flames of Yule colors red, green, and gold coming up between the stones. When all become a continuous line, step up to the altar.

BEGIN

"From the darkness is born the light,
From void, fulfillment emergesThe darkest night of the year's at the threshold,Open now the door, and honor the darkness."
Take the lid/plate off the cauldron and light the black votive candle inside. Step back from the cauldron and give silent honor to the Holly King, the ruler of the dark half of the year. Call quarters, start by lighting yellow candle in the East:

" Powers of Air, step forth from the darkness,
Enter my circle , as dark gives 'way to light.
Bring along with you the essence of pine trees,
Remind me of Springtime as I face Solstice Night."
Light the pine incense and place on Pentacle/Center Plate. Light the red candle in the South:

"Powers of Fire, step forth from the darkness,
Enter my circle, as dark gives 'way to light,
Bring along with you the first glint of tomorrow,
Remind me of Summer as I face Solstice Night."
Pick up the Athame and brandish it in the flame of the candle to reflect the light. Place on the Pentacle/Center Plate. Light the blue candle in the West:

"Powers of Water, step forth from the darkness,
Enter my circle, as dark gives 'way to light,
Bring along with you bittersweet memories
Remind me of Autumn as I face Solstice Night."
Pick up the bowl of water, sprinkle water with pine sprig in Pentacle/Center Plate. Light brown candle in the North:

"Powers of Earth, step forth from the darkness,
Enter my circle, as dark gives 'way to light,
Bring along with you the land that now slumbers,
Remind me of Winter and this cold Solstice Night."
Pick up the plate of sand, sprinkle sand in a line around the other symbols. Step back from the alter for a moment and contemplate the seasons of the past year, and how their lessons have brought you to where you are today. When ready, begin again:


"Dark my surroundings, and cold be this night
But Thy labor, Blessed Mother has reborn the Sacred Light
The Child Divine, The most honored Sun. Shall return with the sunrise again, Two will be One."
Remove the Holly wreath from around the black votive candle. With your right hand, present it to the four elements in a deosil manner. Finally, in a clockwise motion, place it behind you, to signify the death, "passing", of the Holly King. 
 
Turn back to the altar. Then with your left hand, reach behind you, and in a clockwise motion bring forward the Mistletoe wreath and the green candle. Present them to the elements, slide the wreath over the green candle and place the candle in its holder in the cauldron. Light the green candle with the black votive candle:

"Hark! Behold the Rebirth of the King of the Woodlands!
Behold the Oak King, strong and vital he rises!"
Snuff the black votive candle and with your right hand, place it behind you in a clockwise motion. Turn back to the cauldron, close your eyes, and silently honor the Oak King.


Begin again:
"Awake now Thy Mother, Thy Lover, Thy Lady -
Awake now Thy Goddess of Life, Death, Rebirth."

Take the green candle out of the cauldron and light the white Goddess candle on the altar. Replace the green candle in the cauldron. Take the white Goddess candle with both hands and hold out at arm's length over the cauldron:

"Awaken, my Lady, look upon Thyne Divine Child,
His rebirth while You slumbered was subtle and silent.
The Stag King, the Green Man, Lord of Fertility,
He awaits thy wakening gentle and benevolent"
Place the white Goddess candle back in its holder at the left top of altar. Step back and assume the Goddess position. 
 
In a bold voice: 

 
"All hail the Oak King, His rebirth; a promise
All hail the Divine Child, Giver of Life
All hail the Blessed Sun, reborn to the Mother
For he retakes His throne at the end of Solstice Night!"
Now is the time for meditation and any spellworkings. Spellworkings associated with Yule include those for peace, harmony, love, and happiness. Next celebrate with the Cakes and Ale (Fruitcake* and Spiced Cider *) ceremony, saving some for the wee Folkes, outside. Thank the Goddess and snuff Her candle. Thank and release the elements:

"Carry sweet tidings, 'round the world and beyond,
I charge thee as messengers Earth, Water, Fire, and Air
Let all rejoice loudly in the Oak King's return
Teach all that you meet, with the glad tidings you bear."
Snuff each Quarter candle in a widdershins manner. Step back and face the cauldron and the green candle still burning bright.


"Before my circle, tonight, I close blessings I ask for this house and my kin tomorrow at daybreak, when I arise
A special flame I will carry, withinAnd a gold candle upon my altar I'll light adding my will to the Sun King's intent
To climb aloft in the vaulted skies and for strength back to me; three times, strength I've sent."

Snuff the green candle. Take the Mistletoe wreath and place it on the other symbols on the Pentacle/Center Plate. Release the circle. Clean up, leaving the gold God pillar candle in center front to light upon rising in the morning. You are done.




 sSOURCE
http://thecronescottage.tripod.com/thecottagedecyule2001/id2.html
SO-
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Spirituality: Awakening to the Divine

Spirituality
Awakening to the Divine
These days people many people seem more concerned with whether they have a snazzy looking car or a closetful of designer clothes or whether they are going to "clinch the deal" than with their relationship with the Divine. Perhaps that is why there are so many people who seem as though they "have it all" but who remain dissatisfied, feeling there is something missing from their lives.

All that is needed to worship the God and Goddess are a mind, heart and soul that are ready to receive them. For anyone who doubts that there is a Divine Force that is present on Earth, I suggest you take a look around you. The first glimmer of dawn in the morning, as it must have been at the dawn of Creation, the warmth of the sun, the blue sky, the swirling clouds that you can dream into shapes, the sunset, breathtakingly beautiful, each one different from the next, as though some divine painter is testing his palate. The stars, the moon, the things that grow from the earth, the creatures who inhabit her. The spark of Divinity is here, in the world and in each of us. And when you realize it, it changes your whole life.


Although the God and Goddess are always present, it is generally considered that the God is associated with the Sun and therefore rules the daylight hours. The rosy fingers of dawn ar the symbol of His awakening. The Goddess is primarily associated with the Moon and Her essence becomes symbolically manifest at the setting of the Moon.

These days, especially in the city, so few people take the time to look at the sky. When you awake in the morning, if the weather is fine, go outside or if it's too cold for that, open a window and look to the sky and as your body awakens, awake your spirit as well to the presence of the Divine. Weather permitting, feel the Sun's rays on your skin, feel it's powerful energy filling your being. Raise your hands to the sun, fingers outstretched and feel the Sun's raw energy and power flowing through your fingertips into the whole of your being. This is a technique known as "The Salute to the Sun" and it has been practiced by diverse cultures for millenia.

At nighttime, take a little time to look up at the sky, gaze at the moon, feeling the light of the Goddess changing you, feel your body and soul absorbing Her luminous magic. You can also raise your hands to the Moon and visualize absorbing energy and wisdom through your fingertips. Being alive is, I think, like being a winner in a big cosmic lottery. Each day, count your blessings. Maybe you could even write them down. There are times when we all feel great sadness and frustration and forget the good things in our lives. It is important to remember them, to strive to be truly present each and every moment because life, despite the bad things that can happen, is a gift to be savoured and appreciated. 

Source
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Hello. My name is Yuvia and I am a witch.



It took me a long time to come to this realization. I went through several stages, from denial to shame. I even tried to change my beliefs to please others – mainly friends and family, who told me time and time again that I was wrong and that the voices I heard in my heart were wrong. It took me a long time to recognize myself within this universe and now I am at peace, knowing that my path is the right path – one filled with light, hope, joy, and most of all, wisdom.

I learned that you have to accept youself before you can accept others. That you do not hold all the answers – not even the Goddess has all the answers. I learned that you are constantly learning, and that the moment you stop learning is the moment you die. That good and evil are within all of us – that neither of us hold within absolute good nor absolute evil. That kidness and loyalty is  a two-way street, and that everything you do in this world comes back to you, three times fold.

Once I learned to accept myself, I was no longer afraid. If friends walked away it was because they couldn’t accept me as I am and I should respect their decision. If family turned their back on me, they would come around because there is love. And all those things I was afraid of was just fear of what I could find in me. I’ve never been happier with who I am and whatI can do. And that joy has returned three times fold.

I am a Witch. Witchcraft is a form of life – a way of being one with the Gods in the best way you can be. I am an Eclectic Witch – Solitary, Hereditary, Eclectic. I have a guardian angel whose job is to keep me safe and a Grand Master – an archangel whose name is Raziel. A familiar Goddess who likes to go out at night to talk to the moon, and a familiar-Goddess-in-training who still needs some guidance not to pee inside the room. My mother is happy that I have embraced  my tradition (there is one in every generation) and my father has come to respect my points of view (o though sometimes he does get a little feaked-out but, it's all good). I am a Witch and I use my powers for good… 90% of the time (I cannot be good all the time).

I am in constat change. This page is live example.
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Love Spells

The Following Spells have been tested and proven to work if released correctly. The source of the spells is the Ultimate Encyclopedia of Spells by Michael Johnstone. Regularly, the best times to cast a love spell is under Friday, during the last full moon of the month.

A Spell that has Worked for Many

This is one of many spells that have been developed over the centuries by young women eager for love. It has worked for many of them. There is no reason why it shouldn’t work for you.

You will need:
A very fragrant, fresh red rose
Two red candles


Before you consecrate the rose and the candles find out what time the sun will rise on the following morning. Put the rose and the candles on the altar, one candle on either side of the flower. If you wish to leave a suitable crystal or talisman alongside the candles, so much the better. Next morning at sunrise take the rose outside, breathe in its sweet perfume and then hold it in front of you. Focus on it for a moment or two, then say:

Flower of love, please let it be,
That true love is coming to me.
And let it be done, that it harm no one.

Go indoors and lay the rose between the candles and light them. Focus on the flame and see true love burning in the heart of the one you want to attract. Or, if you have no one special in mind, bring to mind someone with features and a nature you find attractive. Keep the candles burning until the rose loses its bloom, then extinguish them, before burying the rose in the garden. If you do not have access to a garden you could press the rose between the pages of a favourite book of poems.




A Spell with No One Particular in Mind

This spell is cast by those looking for true love, but who have no particular person in mind. It should be cast out of doors beside a stream or river.

You will need:
Rose petals from a living, wild rose

Wiccans will approach the rose with reverence and ask its permission before removing the petals. Then they will thank it for its generosity. As you are plucking the petals, visualize someone who has all the qualities you think are necessary in the ideal partner – humour, generosity, compassion, whatever. Take the petals to a stream or river, hold them in cupped hands and, again visualizing the qualities you are looking for, let them drop into the flowing water, saying:

As this bloom is taken downstream
May I find the love of which I dream.
And let it be done, that it harm no one.

The spell is cast.


A Spell For New Love

Use the power of the new moon to cast this spell to add spice to your life by bringing a new love into it.

You will need:
A salt shaker
A pepper shaker
Three feet of pink ribbon

As you consecrate the ingredients, think of one of the spices as masculine and the other as feminine. Then tie the female object to one end of the ribbon and the male one to the other end. As you are doing this say:

Ribbon of love, as I bind thee,
Please let true love find me.
And let it be done, that it harm no one.

Next morning, untie the two shakers, then retie them a little closer to each other, repeating the incantation. Do this each day for a week, timing it so that by the seventh day the two are touching. Now bind them together, repeating the incantation and leave them until the night of the full moon by which time either someone should have entered your life, or someone you already know will have you in their thoughts. They may not declare themselves right away, but they will eventually.


A Spell for Love Within the Month

This spell is most potent if cast when the moon is new. And as the object of the spell weaving is to bring new love into your life, if you use nothing but previously unused materials the spell will be all the more effective and should bring a new love before the lunar month has passed.

You will need:
A heart-shaped rose petal (if this is not
available, cut a heart shape out of a piece
of red paper)
A clean sheet of white paper
A new pen
A pink candle
A new envelope

On the day when a new moon is due to appear in the sky, write the following on a fresh sheet of  paper with the new pen:

As this heart glows in candlelight
I draw my love to me tonight.
And let it be done, that it harm no one.

When night falls and the moon has risen, bathe and get ready for bed. Wearing freshly laundered (or new) nightclothes, light the candle and read the spell aloud.

Now hold the rose petal or heart-shaped piece of paper in front of the candle and see the flame shine through it. Place the heart and written spell in the envelope and seal it with wax from the candle. Put the envelope in a safe place and don’t give into the temptation to touch it for 28 days, by which time new love should have come to you (even if you do not recognize it at the time).




A Simple Spell

Many people who have cast this little spell have said that, despite its simplicity, it has a high success rate in having the unspoken love you feel for someone acknowledged. It can also be cast with no one particular in mind.

You will need:
Two leaves that can be drawn on
Green thread
A needle
Seven pennies

Draw a picture of yourself on one of the leaves and a picture of the person you want to return your love on the other. If you have no one special in mind and are casting this spell simply to bring love into your life, as well as an image of how you would like your lover to look, you could also add a list of the characteristics he or she should have. Sew the two leaves together with the green thread and knot it tightly.

Take the leaves to a tree that you are fond of, one with a natural crevice within which you can hide them. Making sure that they will not blow away, gently push the leaves into the crevice, saying as you do so:

Earth,Water, Air and Fire,
Bring me *****’s true love as I desire.
And let it be done, that it harm no one.

Now bury the coins around the base of the tree and trust to the elements to make your magic work.
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