Hecate Incense

3 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Cypress (can be substituted with pine, ground)
1 part Spearmint or Peppermint.
Grind on the new moon.

Hecate Oil

3 drops Myrrh
2 drops Cypress (again can sub. pine oil, not Pine Sol)
1 drop Patchouli
1 dried Mint leaf.
Start on the new moon and finish on the next one.

 

Celebrate the New Moon (Simple New Moon Ritual)

In early societies, the reappearance of the moon was often a cause for celebration — after all, it meant that the dark had passed, and the full moon was on its way back.

The following rite is one which welcomes the moon back at the beginning of her cycle. If you’re raising children in a Pagan or Wiccan tradition, this can be a lot of fun. It’s also a simple ritual that can be performed by a solitary practitioner.

A Simple Ritual

First, if your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so at this time. If you don’t normally cast a circle, take the time to ritually purify the area by smudging or asperging. This will establish the space as sacred.

Perform this ceremony outside if at all possible — it’s the best way to get a good look at the sliver of new moon. You’ll need a moon candle, wrapped in a black cloth, to place on your altar. This is traditionally a white unscented pillar-style candle. You’ll also need a hand-held mirror.

Tie some silver and white ribbons on it if you wish. Finally, have a small bowl of Blessing Oil handy.

Hold this ceremony at sunset if you can. Turn to the west, and watch as the sun goes down (without looking directly at it). Once the sun has dropped below the horizon, you’ll be able to see where the new moon is rising – and the location is going to vary from month to month, depending on the time of year and where you live.

If the sun sets before you began, you’ll need to look a bit higher in the sky, but you should still be able to find it as long as the night is a clear one.

If you’re doing this rite with children, have them each try to be the first one to spot the new moon.
Once you see the moon in the sky, unwrap the candle.

Hold it up high and say:

Welcome back, Moon!
We’re glad to see you again.
Another cycle has passed
another month gone by
and our lives have moved forward.

Place the candle on the altar and light it, still facing the moon. Say:

Today is a new day,
and a new month begins.
As the tides flow, and the moon rises above,
we are thankful that She has returned.
She watches over us, ever constant,
yet always changing,
and we are thankful for her light.

If you have children present, have them wave to the moon and thank her for returning — you’d be amazed how silly and fun this simple task can become!

Next, turn to face east, where the sun will rise in the morning. Pick up the mirror and hold it so you can see the new moon behind you. Say:

Bring us your wisdom, your guidance,
your protection, in the coming month.
You are behind me at every step,
watching and guiding me,
and I am thankful.

Place the mirror back on the altar, beside the moon candle. Take a moment to reflect on your goals. After all, this is a time of new beginnings and a good time for new commitments and vows.

Warm the Blessing Oil over the candle for just a moment, and then anoint each others’ foreheads. As you do so, say:

May the blessings of the moon be with you.

If you are working alone, anoint your own forehead, and grant yourself the blessings of the moon.

When you are ready, close the circle and end the ritual. If you choose, you can move into healing rites or magical workings, or a Cakes & Ale ceremony.

Tips:
⦁ Decorate your altar with silvers and whites to celebrate the return of the moon
⦁ If you’re doing this rite as a family, the eldest female relative present should light the moon candle.
 

Blessing Oil

This oil can be blended together in advance and used for any ritual requiring blessing, anointing or consecration oil. Use this blend of sandalwood, patchouli, and other scents when welcoming guests into a ritual circle, for anointing a new baby, consecrating magical tools, or any number of other magical purposes.

To make Blessing Oil, use 1/8 Cup base oil of your choice. Add the following:
⦁ 5 drops Sandalwood
⦁ 2 drops Camphor
⦁ 1 drop Orange
⦁ 1 drop Patchouli

As you blend the oils, visualize your intent, and take in the aroma. Know that this oil is sacred and magical. Label, date, and store in a cool, dark place.

Author

Patti Wigington
Article published on ThoughtCo

New Moon Rituals

A Portal of Change

Rituals are a way to mark turning points in your life. The symbolic actions you take help to create the right atmosphere.
They can be used to symbolically welcome changes in your life. They can be simple candle rituals or elaborate ones. The most important thing is your full presence in the moment.
Magic is Simply Change
The New Moon is a magical time of beginnings, when you can recharge goals, or set new ones.

Rituals bring meaning to our lives by “charging” an intention with power. We’re always setting intentions, and this is a way to do it in a more conscious way. There is power in coming up with visions for your life, and keeping them in your sights as they come into being.

But even as you fully commit to those visions, stay flexible, since new doors may open that you didn’t expect. At the New Moon, goals and wishes take root, as you reach out for spiritual wisdom, draw on unseen allies and open the door to magical change.

You might get what you ask for, or something even better that you can’t imagine yet.

It’s important to come up with a ritual that has meaning for you, instead of trying to follow any set guidelines (unless you’re part of an established ritual group).

You’re the one that knows your personal story best, and what to lift out of that narrative, what will infuse your ritual with power.
Here are some general guidelines to shape your rituals using the unique symbols and totems from your life.
Gathering your Sacred Supplies
Your altar is where you collect your sacred objects — pictures, found objects and the like. Using herbs with healing or symbolic properties adds to your ritual.

Stones and crystals are another powerful ally.

Candles are magical, and in its form contains all four of the elements. A small journal on hand allows you to keep a record of your intentions.

 

Preparing for the Ritual
This is the most important part of ritual, since your commitment is the key. Take a ritual bath with sea salt to clear your field of any negative energies.

Sage is an herb used by the Native Americans to clear a space, and make it sacred for ritual. It’s available in most health food stores these days, and easiest to use in its wand form. Light the end and blow on it until there is a smoldering glow.

Use it around your own body, and in the space of your ritual. Clear your mind with meditation, using music or just quieting down in your cleared, sacred area.

 

Grounding
This is something that’s important anytime, for staying connected to earth energy. Signs that you’re not grounded are mania, nervousness, racing thoughts and the like. Too often we forget to feel the earth under our feet.

A straightforward grounding exercise is to visualize your roots going down into the Earth, through the layers, into the core, and then drawing that energy back up through your feet again.

It moves through each chakra, coming out the top and down around you.

Try this or another variation of grounding before you set New Moon intentions.

Your New Moon Wishes
After you’ve cleared a sacred space and settled your energy, you’re ready to set your intentions. Make a list of what you’d like to draw into your life, and Dream Big!

The New Moon is a moment to conjure what seems out of reach, and creating the vision is the first step to making it a reality. But these are not just words on paper.

As you write them down as intentions, you are committing to doing your part to make them real. Some call it co-creating, since you’re opening to universal energies to set dreams in motion.

Dreams of the Soul
Your intentions come from the longings that keep coming up. In the days leading up to the new Moon, give some thought to those longings, and see what images, dreams and streams of thought come up.

Use symbolic associations to go along with your intentions. Weave in the element for the New Moon, and think about the astrological Houses and planets that are affected by it.

For an earth element new Moon, for example, you might plant seeds that represent your intention. Rituals are a way to work with universal energies, and draw attention to the particular life lessons, or arena (house, planet, etc) that it illuminates for you.
Symbolic Acts
Here’s where you get to be creative. If your intentions are to write a book, or broadcast your ideas out to the world, tie them to a helium balloon and send them off.

Write them on a stick and offer it to the fire. To open to love, put lavender and a rose quartz in a small pouch, along with the qualities you’re seeking. If you’re inspired, add a symbolic act to your intention-setting ritual.
Keep them Alive
A big part of success with new Moon intentions is what comes after. Find ways to keep them in the front of your awareness. Put them in a visible spot, or keep them in your wallet.

Make notes in your journal about your progress. At the Full Moon , find ways to take action on those intentions, and celebrate any signs of change.

Author

Molly Hall

Article originally published on ThoughtCo

Home & Hearth Magick for Thursday, May 25

 

Thursday increase prosperity on this day, work toward expansion and moving up in the world.

Planetary Influences: Jupiter

Household Symbols: A dollar bill, coins, a paycheck stub, a picture of your home.

Color: Green and royal blue

Kitchen Spices: Sage and nutmeg

 

 

Source:

Cottage Witchery
Natural Magick for Hearth and Home
Author Ellen Dugan

 

Aspects of Jupiter

 

Notes: Perform on a Thursday and/or during the waxing moon, with the Full moon being strongest. A purple or blue candle.

Color: Thursday

Color: Blue, purple

Metal: Tin

Stones: Lapis lazuli, amethyst, turquoise, sapphire.

Plants: Anise, betony, cinquefoil, jasmine, lavender, oak sage, yerba santa.

Rules: Sagittarius, Pisces

Oils: Anise, beramot, cedar, fir honeysuckle, jasmine, laveder, ntmet, orris, strawberry.

Rules Involving: honor, riches, health, friendships, the heart’s desires, luck, accomplishment, religion, trade and employment, treasure, legal matters.

 

The Witches Correspondences for Thursday, May 25

 

Thursday (Thor’s day)

Planet: Jupiter

Colors: Purple, Deep Blue

Crystals: Amethyst, Lepidolite, Sugilite, Tin

Aroma: Melissa, Clove, Oakmoss, Jupiter Oil, Cinnamon, Musk, Nutmeg, and Sage

Herb: Cinquefoil

Ruled by the planet Jupiter and dedicated to Thor, god of thunder and agricultural work. His parallels in various European Traditions include Zeus, Taranis, Perun, and Perkunas.

Magical aspects: controlled optimism, energetic growth, physical well-being, material success, expansion, money/wealth, prosperity, leadership, and generosity.

Thursday is the day of Jupiter, the largest of the planets and said to be the most powerful. Spellcasters would be wise to use this day for attempting wealth, success and prosperity spells.

Thursday is also associated (in Greek mythology) to Thor – Thor’s day – and some even say that Jupiter and Thor are one in the same. Both are strong and powerful, yet wise and just. Try a small prayer to Jupiter before commencing any ritual on Thursday as a sign of respect.

This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving luck, happiness, health, legal matters, male fertility, treasure, wealth, honour, riches, clothing, money, desires, business, group pursuits, joy, laughter, and expansion

Aspects of the Moon in Gemini

 

Gemini is a mutable sign that is a speedy and bright messenger. And your Moon sign (and House position) shows your deepest needs, the recipe for feeling “at home.”

So picture Gemini Moon at home when their curiosity is piqued, and they’re tracking that novel idea. It may be a flash moment, and it’s on to the next thing. You could call them capricious and superficially engaged, but you’ll never call them boring!

That changeable nature is at the heart of who they are. And it’s why Gemini Moons have an easy way with people of all stripes.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a soulful side, or they’re always light. Gemini is a sign of both light and dark, and everything in between.

It takes time to see all the dimensions, since Gemini Moon leads with the thinking mind, even when talking about feelings.

They drive themselves crazy thinking too much, and this can lead to spiky emotional states.

When Gemini Moons are overwrought, they show different faces, which can take even those close to them by surprise. Gemini’s dark side comes out in cynical humor and sometimes playing the conniving trickster.

“You’d have to spend a lot of time with me, before I’d be comfortable enough to show my dark side.” Julianne Moore (Sun Sagittarius with Moon in Gemini).
Social Butterfly

The Moon in Gemini person has a light touch socially, and has an instinct for putting others at ease. Air sign Moons have a way of relating that’s spacious, with lots of room for fresh ideas.

Those with the Moon in Gemini have brightly lit up minds in which the wheels are always turning.

For them the world is full of interesting topics to learn and think about, and of course, chat about with others. They’re lively conversationalists, and usually able to find the hilarity in any situation.

They take in everything that people share, and can become notorious gossips if they pass it on. It’s usually not out of malice, but out of a genuine fascination with the spectacle of life and people.
Whirled View

The Gemini Moon can find it hard to relax, and even when winding down in the evening may have several conduits of information on at once, such as the TV and radio, all the while surfing the Net. Today’s technology is tailor-made for them, with its short, snippet-style and quick turnaround.

The Moon in Gemini mind needs constant stimulation, and this is how it finds emotional comfort. Mercury rules the Moon here, so messages of comfort and inspiration are nourishing.

Ideally, all this information is filtered through, and then redistributed out to the world through their unique gifts. Many are fine writers, artists and comedians, since they’re so tuned in to the peculiarities of their social surroundings.

In romance, the Gemini Moon is an enchanting mate that is also like a fun, child-like friend. Their ideal mate is someone with an adaptable outlook who helps sooth their nervous temperament. In return they offer a relationship that is fresh and always evolving because of their endless search for variety.

Keywords:

witty, social, flexible, curious, interesting, light-hearted

The Shadow Side:

nervous, distracted, fickle, superficial, manipulative

Mutable and Air

Reference

Molly Hall, Astrology Expert
Article originally published on & owned by Aboutcom

 

The Witches Almanac for Thursday, May 25th

Thursday (Jupiter): Expansion, money, prosperity and generosity.

Missing Children’s Day

Waning Moon
The Waning Moon (from the Full Moon to the New) is a time for study, meditation, and little magical work (except magic designed to banish harmful energies).

New Moon 3: 44 pm

Moon Sign: Taurus
Taurus: Things begun now last the longest, tend to increase in value, and become hard to alter. Brings out appreciation for beauty and sensory experience.

Moon enters Gemini 8: 15 am
Gemini: Things begun now are easily changed by outside influence. Time for shortcuts, communication, games, and fun.

Incense: Myrrh

Color: Green