Before We Run off for the Day…..

(Love this pic! Just never have a chance to use it!)

Ah, that wasn’t so bad, was it? If every day could be so simple. The sun is now coming out. It is great to see it but the weather forecasters say that is not good. Something about the heat building up and with the atmosphere the way it is, we could have some heavy storms. What the heck, I have already been through three tornadoes, one more won’t hurt. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, one more might do me in. I believe out of all my tornado experiences I remember the best is the one in Jackson, Tennessee. I had went down there for the weekend. My luck, I had ate something that busted a crown loose from my tooth. It hurt like heck. We found one of those places that you don’t have to have an appointment, you just walk in. It was a place that pulled teeth, make dentures and so on. So we went in and it seemed we waited forever, my tooth was killing me. While we were sitting in the lobby, we kept noticing the sky outside getting darker and darker. About that time, the door opened and the assistant called my name. I asked her about the weather conditions, why? I don’t know. But anyway, she told me there was nothing to worry about, the building was solid concrete (never heard of such) and it was tornado proof (never heard of that either). Followed her back to the dentist chair, the dentist came in and decide she could put on a temporary crown till I got back to Kentucky. Sounded lovely to me, let’s do it. In the meantime, the air raid sirens go off. It was a tornado, what else? This tornado-proof dentist office was right in the path of the tornado. Come to find out after it was all over, they had gathered up all the people in the lobby and took them to the storm shelter. Well, they sort of forgot about the patients in the back. The doctor came flying back and told me to get out of the chair and on the floor. She yelled, “DO IT!” Ok, I got out of the chair and on the floor. She grabbed a hold of my arms around the metal base of the dentist chair and told me to do the same to her. I did. The next thing I knew the roof was coming off the top of the building. We were both raised up off the ground a bit but I had a very good look at that tornado. I was scared shitless to say the least. It was over in about a minute. We fell back to the floor and I left claw marks in that lady’s arm. She acted like nothing had happened. She told me to get back in the chair and we would get that tooth fixed. Crap hanging everywhere, the place almost destroyed and she wanted to fix my tooth, HA! I found the rest of the people who were with me and we headed back to Kentucky. That is one dentist experience I will never forget. The moral to the story, “always check the weather report before you go to the dentist, lol!” I believe that experience has scarred me for life. Every time they say anything about tornadoes, I think of it.

Now on to a more serious matter at hand, we are still short on meeting our tax property bills. I have to the 16th of this month to pay them or else the property will be auctioned off at the courthouse steps. So I still desperately need your help. If you would like to make a purchase from the store while it is still open, please do so. If you would like to make a donation, it would be greatly appreciated. I hate to keep harping on this matter but there is a deadline on this one and I don’t want to lose the property. And it just hit me, if we lose the office property, we won’t have any place to work, so that will temporarily knock this off the internet. It is a no win situation without you. We need your help, I cannot emphasis that enough. So please either make a purchase if you can or a donation, either one is great appreciated.

Thank you,

Love,

Lady of the Abyss

Store’s addy:

Magickal Necessities

Study of Pagan Gods & Goddesses – Bast

Bast

(Bastet Bast)

Bast (known as “Bastet” in later times to emphasise that the “t” was to be pronounced) was one of the most popular goddesses of ancient Egypt. She is generally thought of as a cat goddess. However, she originally had the head of a lion or a desert sand-cat and it was not until the New Kingdom that she became exclusively associated with the domesticated cat. However, even then she remained true to her origins and retained her war-like aspect. She personified the playfulness, grace, affection, and cunning of a cat as well as the fierce power of a lioness. She was also worshiped all over Lower Egypt, but her cult was centred on her temple at Bubastis in the eighteenth nome of Lower Egypt (which is now in ruins). Bubastis was the capital of ancient Egypt for a time during the Late Period, and a number of pharaohs included the goddess in their throne names.

Her name could be translated as “Devouring Lady”. However, the phonetic elements “bas” are written with an oil jar (the “t” is the feminine ending) which is not used when writing the word “devour”. The oil jar gives an association with perfume which is strengthened by the fact that she was thought to be the mother of Nefertum (who was a god of perfume). Thus her name implies that she is sweet and precious, but that under the surface lay the heart of a predator. Bast was depicted as a cat, or as a woman with the head of a cat, a sand cat or a lion. She is often shown holding the ankh (representing the breath of life) or the papyrus wand (representing Lower Egypt). She occasionally bears a was-scepter (signifying strength) and is often accompanied by a litter of kittens.

Cats were sacred to Bast, and to harm one was considered to be a crime against her and so very unlucky. Her priests kept sacred cats in her temple, which were considered to be incarnations of the goddess. When they died they were mummified and could be presented to the goddess as an offering. The ancient Egyptians placed great value on cats because they protected the crops and slowed the spread of disease by killing vermin. As a result, Bast was seen as a protective goddess. Evidence from tomb paintings suggests that the Egyptians hunted with their cats (who were apparently trained to retrieve prey) and also kept them as loved pets. Thus it is perhaps unsurprising that Bast was so popular. During the Old Kingdom she was considered to be the daughter of Atum in Heliopolis (because of her association with Tefnut), however, she was generally thought to be the daughter of Ra (or later Amun). She (like Sekhmet) was also the wife of Ptah and mother of Nefertum and the lion-god Maahes (Mihos) (who may have been an aspect of Nefertum).

As the daughter of Ra she was one of the goddesses known as the “Eye of Ra”, a fierce protector who almost destroyed mankind but was tricked with blood-coloured beer which put her to sleep and gave her a hangover, stopping the carnage. As a result, she is linked to the other goddesses who were known as the “eye of Ra”, most notably Sekhmet, Hathor, Tefnut, Nut, Wadjet and Mut. Her link with Sekhmet was the closest. Not only did both goddesses take the form of a lioness, they were both considered to be the spouse of Ptah and the mother of Nefertum and during the feast of Hathor (celebrating man’s deliverance from the wrathful “Eye of Ra”) an image of Sekhmet represented Upper Egypt while an image of Bast represented Lower Egypt.

She was very closely linked to Hathor. She was often depicted holding a sistrum (the sacred rattle of Hathor) and Denderah (the home of the cult centre of Hathor in the sixth nome of Upper Egypt) was sometimes known as the “Southern Bubastis”. This association was clearly ancient as the two appear together in the valley temple of Khafre at Giza. Hathor represents Upper Egypt and Bast represents Lower Egypt. One of her epithets was “lady of Asheru”. Asheru was the name of the sacred lake in the temple of Mut at Karnak, and Bast was given the epithet because of her connection with Mut, who occasionally took the form of a cat or a lion. Within Mut’s temple there are a number of depictions of the pharaoh celebrating a ritual race in the company of Bast. In this temple Bast is given the epithet “Sekhet-neter” – the “Divine Field” (Egypt).

She was also associated with the lion-headed goddess Pakhet of Speos Artemidos (cave of Artemis) near Beni Hassan. The cave was given the name because Bast (and her aspect Pakhet) was identified by the Greeks with Artemis, the hunter. However, the two goddesses were not that similar as Artemis was celibate while Bast was associated with fun and sexuality. However, the connection with Tefnut and Bast’s potentially warlike aspect probably contributed to this apparently strange connection. After all, even the smallest house cat is a skilled hunter. The Greeks thought that Bast should have a twin brother, as Artemis had her brother Apollo. They linked Apollo with Heru-sa-Aset (Horus son of Isis), so Bast’s name was tinkered with to mean “soul of Isis” (ba-Aset) changing her into a form of this popular goddess. They also decided that Bast was a moon goddess, although she was originally considered to be the daughter of Ra and the “Eye of Ra”.

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Bast

(Bastet Bast)

Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women’s secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She protected the home from evil spirits and disease, especially diseases associated with women and children. As with many Egyptian deities, she also played a role in the afterlife as a guide and helper to the dead although this was not one of her primary duties. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra and is associated with the concept of the Eye of Ra (the all-seeing eye) and the Distant Goddess (a female deity who leaves Ra and returns to bring transfromation).

MEANING OF BASTET’S NAME

Her name was originally B’sst which became Ubaste, then Bast, then Bastet; the meaning of this name is not known or, at least, not universally agreed upon. Geraldine Pinch claims that “her name probably means She of the Ointment Jar” as she was associated with protection and protective ointments. The Greeks associated her closely with their goddess Artemis and believed that, as Artemis had a twin brother (Apollo) so should Bast. They associated Apollo with Horus, the son of Isis (Heru-sa-Aset) and so called the goddess known as Bast ba’Aset (Soul of Isis) which would be the literal translation of her name with the addition of the second ‘T’ to denote the feminine (Aset being among the Egyptian names for Isis).

Bastet, however, was also sometimes linked with the god of perfume and sweet smells, Nefertum, who was thought to be her son and this further links the meaning of her name to the ointment jar. The most obvious understanding would be that, originally, the name meant something like She of the Ointment Jar (Ubaste) and the Greeks changed the meaning to Soul of Isis as they associated her with the most popular goddess in Egypt. Even so, scholars have come to no agreement on the meaning of her name.

Associations

Bastet was extremely popular throughout Egypt with both men and women from the 2nd Dynasty (c. 2890 – c. 2670 BCE) onward with her cult centered at the city of Bubastis from at least the 5th century BCE. She was first represented as a woman with the head of a lioness and closely associated with the goddess Sekhmet but, as that deity’s iconography depicted her as increasingly aggressive, Bastet’s images softened over time to present more of a daily companion and helper than her earlier forms as savage avenger. Scholar Geraldine Pinch writes:

From the Pyramid Texts onward, Bastet has a double aspect of nurturing mother and terrifying avenger. It is the demonic aspect that mainly features in the Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead and in medical spells. The “slaughterers of Bastet” were said to inflict plague and other disasters on humanity. One spell advises pretending to be the ‘son of Bastet’ in order to avoid catching the plague .

Although she was greatly venerated, she was equally feared as two of her titles demonstrate: The Lady of Dread and The Lady of Slaughter. She is associated with both Mau, the divine cat who is an aspect of Ra, and with Mafdet, goddess of justice and the first feline deity in Egyptian history. Both Bastet and Sekhment took their early forms as feline defenders of the innocent, avengers of the wronged, from Mafdet. This association was carried on in depictions of Bastet’s son Maahes, protector of the innocent, who is shown as a lion-headed man carrying a long knife or as a lion.

In Bastet’s association with Mau, she is sometimes seen destroying the enemy of Ra, Apophis, by slicing off his head with a knife in her paw; an image Mau is best known by. In time, as Bastet became more of a familial companion, she lost all trace of her lionine form, and was regularly depicted as a house cat or a woman with the head of a cat often holding a sistrum. She is sometimes rendered in art with a litter of kittens at her feet but her most popular depiction is of a sitting cat gazing ahead.

Role in Religion & Iconography

Bastet appears early in the 3rd millenium BCE in her form as an avenging lioness in Lower Egypt. By the time of the Pyramid Texts (c. 2400-2300 BCE) she was associated with the king of Egypt as his nursemaid in youth and protector as he grew. In the later Coffin Texts (c. 2134-2040 BCE) she retains this role but is also seen as a protector of the dead. The scholar Richard H. Wilkinson comments on this:

In her earliest known form, as depicted on stone vessels of the 2nd dynasty, Bastet was represented as a woman with the maneless head of a lioness. The iconography of the goddess changed, however, perhaps as her nature began to be viewed as milder than that of other lioness deities .

Her cult center at Bubastis in Lower Egypt became one of the richest and most luxuriant cities in Egypt as people from all over the country traveled there to pay their respects to the goddess and have the bodies of their dead cats interred in the city. Her iconography borrowed from the earlier goddess Mafdet and also from Hathor, a goddess associated with Sekhmet who was also closely linked to Bastet. The appearance of the sistrum in Bastet’s hand in some statues is a clear link to Hathor who is traditionally seen carrying the instrument. Hathor is another goddess who underwent a dramatic change from bloodthirsty destroyer to gentle friend of humanity as she was originally the lioness deity Sekhmet whom Ra sent to earth to destroy humans for their sins. In Bastet’s case, although she became more mild, she was no less dangerous to those who broke the law or abused others.

The Tale of Setna & Taboubu

The Tale of Setna and Taboubu (part of the work known as First Setna or Setna I) is the middle section of a work of Egyptian literature composed in the Roman Period of Egypt’s history and currently held by the Cairo Museum in Egypt. The main character of the Setna tales is Prince Setna Khaemwas who is based on the actual prince and High Priest of Ptah Khaemweset (c. 1281 – c.1225 BCE) the son of Ramesses II. Khaemweset, known as the “First Egyptologist”, was famous for his restoration and preservation efforts of ancient Egyptian monuments and, by the time of the Ptolemaic Period, was greatly revered as a sage and magician. Although the story may be interpreted in many different ways, Geraldine Pinch argues that this section of the tale can most clearly be understood as an illustration of how Bastet punishes transgressors.

In this story young Prince Setna steals a book from a tomb, even after the inhabitants of the tomb beg him not to. Shortly afterwards he is in Memphis, near the Temple of Ptah, when he sees a beautiful woman accompanied by her servants and lusts after her. He asks about her and learns her name is Taboubu, daughter of a priest of Bastet. He has never seen any woman more beautiful in his life and sends her a note asking her to come to his bed for ten gold pieces but she returns a counter-offer telling him to meet her at the Temple of Bastet in Saqqara where she lives and he will then have all he desires.

Setna travels to her villa where he is eager to get to the business at hand but Taboubu has some stipulations. First, she tells him, he must sign over all his property and possessions to her. He is so consumed with lust that he agrees to this and moves to embrace her. She holds him off, however, and tells him that his children must be sent for and must also sign the documents agreeing to this so that there will be no problems with the legal transference. Setna agrees to this also and sends for his children. While they are signing the papers Taboubu disappears into another room and returns wearing a linen dress so sheer that he can see “every part of her body through it” and his desire for her grows almost uncontrollable. With the documents signed he again moves toward her but, no, she has a third demand: his children must be killed so that they will not try to renege on the agreement and embroil her in a long, drawn-out court battle. Setna instantly agrees to this; his children are murdered and their bodies thrown into the street. Setna then pulls off his clothes, takes Taboubu, and leads her quickly to the bedroom. As he is embracing her she suddenly screams and vanishes – as does the room and villa around them – and Setna is standing naked in the street with his penis thrust into a clay pot.

The pharaoh comes by at this time and Prince Setna is completely humiliated. Pharaoh informs him that his children still live and that everything he has experienced has been an illusion. Setna then understands he has been punished for his transgression in the tomb and quickly returns the book. He further makes restitution to the inhabitants of the tomb by traveling to another city and retrieving mummies buried there who were part of the tomb inhabitant’s family so they can all be reunited in one place.

Although scholars disagree on who Taboubu represents, her close association with Bastet as the daughter of one of the goddesses’ priests makes this deity a very likely candidate. The predatory nature of Taboubu, once she has Setna where she wants him, is reminiscent of the cat toying with the mouse. Geraldine Pinch concludes that Taboubu is a “manifestation of Bastet herself, playing her traditional role of punisher of humans who have offended the gods”. In this story Bastet takes on the form of a beautiful woman to punish a wrong-doer who had violated a tomb but the story would also have been cautionary to men who viewed women only as sexual objects in that they could never know whether they were actually in the presence of a goddess and what might happen should they offend her.

Worship of Bastet

The goddess was worshipped primarily at Bubastis but held a tutelary position at Saqqara and elsewhere. Wilkinson writes:

The goddess’s popularity grew over time and in the Late Period and Graeco-Roman times she enjoyed great status. The main cult centre of this deity was the city of Bubastis – Tell Basta – in the eastern Delta, and although only the outlines of the temple of Bastet now remain, Herodotus visited the site in the 5th century BC and praised it for its magnificence. The festival of Bastet was also described by Herodotus who claimed it was the most elaborate of all the religious festivals of Egypt with large crowds participating in unrrestrained dancing, drinking, and revelry.

Herodotus is the primary source for information on the cult of Bastet and, unfortunately, does not go into great detail on the particulars of her worship. It seems both men and women served as her clergy and, as with the other Egyptian deities, her temple at Bubastis was the focal point of the city providing services ranging from medical attention to counseling to food distribution. Herodotus describes this temple:

Save for the entrance, it stands on an island; two separate channels approach it from the Nile, and after coming up to the entry of the temple, they run round it on opposite sides; each of them a hundred feet wide, and overshadowed by trees. The temple is in the midst of the city, the whole circuit of which commands a view down into it; for the city’s level has been raised, but that of the temple has been left as it was from the first, so that it can be seen into from without. A stone wall, carven with figures, runs round it; within is a grove of very tall trees growing round a great shrine, wherein is the image of the goddess; the temple is a square, each side measuring a furlong. A road, paved with stone, of about three furlongs’ length leads to the entrance, running eastward through the market place, towards the temple of Hermes; this road is about 400 feet wide, and bordered by trees reaching to heaven. (Histories, II.138).

The people of Egypt came annually to the great festival of Bastet at Bubastis which was one of the most lavish and popular events of the year. Geraldine Pinch, citing Herodotus, claims, “women were freed from all constraints during the annual festival at Bubastis. They celebrated the festival of the goddess by drinking, dancing, making music, and displaying their genitals”. This “raising of the skirts” by the women, described by Herodotus, had as much to do with freedom from social constraints as it did with the fertility associated with the goddess. As with many of the other festivals throughout Egypt, Bastet’s celebration was a time to cast aside inhibitions much in the way modern revelers do in Europe during Carnivale or in the United States at Mardi Gras. Herodotus presents a vivid picture of the people traveling to Bubastis for the festival:

When the people are on their way to Bubastis, they go by river, a great number in every boat, men and women together. Some of the women make a noise with rattles, others play flutes all the way, while the rest of the women, and the men, sing and clap their hands. As they travel by river to Bubastis, whenever they come near any other town they bring their boat near the bank; then some of the women do as I have said, while some shout mockery of the women of the town; others dance, and others stand up and lift their skirts. They do this whenever they come alongside any riverside town. But when they have reached Bubastis, they make a festival with great sacrifices, and more wine is drunk at this feast than in the whole year besides. It is customary for men and women (but not children) to assemble there to the number of seven hundred thousand, as the people of the place say (Histories, Book II.60).

Although Herodotus claims that this festival outstripped all others in magnificence and excess, in reality there were many festivals celebrating many gods which could claim the same. The popularity of this goddess, however, made her celebration of particular significance. In the passage above, Herodotus makes note of how the women in the boats mocked those on shore and this would have been done to encourage them to leave off their daily tasks and join the celebration of the great goddess. Bastet, in fact, was second only to Isis in popularity and, once she traveled through Greece to Rome, was equally popular among the Romans and the subjects of their later empire.
Bastet’s Enduring Popularity

The popularity of Bastet grew from her role as protector of women and the household. As noted, she was as popular among men as women in that every man had a mother, sister, girlfriend, wife, or daughter who benefited from the care Bastet provided. Further, women in Egypt were held in high regard and had almost equal rights which almost guaranteed a goddess who protected women and presided over women’s secrets an especially high standing. Cats were also greatly prized in Egypt as they kept homes free of vermin (and so controlled diseases), protected the crops from unwanted animals, and provided their owners with fairly maintenance-free company. One of the most important aspects of Bastet’s festival was the delivery of mummified cats to her temple. When the temple was excavated in 1887 and 1889 CE over 300,000 mummified cats were found. Wilkinson, commenting on her universal popularity, writes:

Amulets of cats and litters of kittens were popular New Year gifts, and the name of Bastet was often inscribed on small ceremonial `New Year flasks’, probably to evoke the goddess as a bestower of fertility and because Bastet, like other lioness goddesses, was viewed as a protective deity able to counter the darker forces associated with the `Demon Days’ at the end of the Egyptian year.

Bastet was so popular that, in 525 BCE, when Cambyses II of Persia invaded Egypt, he made use of the goddess to force the Egyptian’s surrender. Knowing of their great love for animals, and cats especially, he had his soldiers paint the image of Bastet on their shields and then arranged all the animals that could be found and drove them before the army toward the pivotal city of Pelusium. The Egyptians refused to fight for fear of harming the animals and offending Bastet and so surrendered. The historian Polyaenus (2nd century CE) writes how, after his victory, Cambyses II hurled cats from a bag into the Egyptian’s faces in scorn that they would surrender their city for animals. The Egyptians were undeterred in their veneration of the cat and their worship of Bastet, however. Her status as one of the most popular and potent deities continued throughout the remainder of Egypt’s history and on into the era of the Roman Empire until, like the other gods, she was eclipsed by the rise of Christianity.

Reference:

Ancient Egypt Online
Joshua J. Mark, Ancient History Encyclopedia

Various Traditions of Witchcraft – Gardnerian Wicca/Witchcraft

Gardnerian Wicca/Witchcraft

Who Was Gerald Gardner?

Gerald Brousseau Gardner (1884–1964) was born in Lancashire, England. As a teen, he moved to Ceylon, and shortly prior to World War I, relocated to Malaya, where he worked as a civil servant. During his travels, he formed an interest in native cultures, and became a bit of an amateur folklorist. In particular, he was interested in indigenous magic and ritual practices.

After several decades abroad, Gardner returned to England in the 1930s, and settled near the New Forest.

It was here that he discovered European occultism and beliefs, and – according to his biography, claimed that he was initiated into the New Forest coven. Gardner believed that the witchcraft being practiced by this group was a holdover from an early, pre-Christian witch cult, much like the ones described in the writings of Margaret Murray.

Gardner took many of the practices and beliefs of the New Forest coven, combined them with ceremonial magic, kabbalah, and the writings of Aleister Crowley, as well as other sources. Together, this package of beliefs and practices became the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca. Gardner initiated a number of high priestesses into his coven, who in turn initiated new members of their own. In this manner, Wicca spread throughout the UK.

In 1964, on his way back from a trip to Lebanon, Gardner suffered a fatal heart attack at breakfast on the ship on which he traveled.

At the next port of call, in Tunisia, his body was removed from the ship and buried. Legend has it that only the ship’s captain was in attendance. In 2007, he was re-interred in a different cemetery, where a plaque on his headstone reads, “Father of Modern Wicca. Beloved of the Great Goddess.”
Origins of the Gardnerian Path

Gerald Gardner launched Wicca shortly after the end of World War II, and went public with his coven following the repeal of England’s Witchcraft Laws in the early 1950s.

There is a good deal of debate within the Wiccan community about whether the Gardnerian path is the only “true” Wiccan tradition, but the point remains that it was certainly the first. Gardnerian covens require initiation, and work on a degree system. Much of their information is initiatory and oathbound, which means it can never be shared with those outside the coven.

The Book of Shadows

The Gardnerian Book of Shadows was created by Gerald Gardner with some assistance and editing from Doreen Valiente, and drew heavily on works by Charles Leland, Aleister Crowley, and SJ MacGregor Mathers. Within a Gardnerian group, each member copies the coven BOS and then adds to it with their own information. Gardnerians self-identify by way of their lineage, which is always traced back to Gardner himself and those he initiated.
Gardner’s Ardanes

In the 1950s, when Gardner was writing what eventually become the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, one of the items he included was a list of guidelines called the Ardanes. The word “ardane” is a variant on “ordain”, or law. Gardner claimed that the Ardanes were ancient knowledge that had been passed down to him by way of the New Forest coven of witches. However, it’s entirely possible that Gardner wrote them himself; there was some disagreement in scholarly circles about the language contained within the Ardanes, in that some of the phrasing was archaic while some was more contemporary.

This led a number of people – including Gardner’s High Priestess, Doreen Valiente – to question the authenticity of the Ardanes. Valiente had suggested a set of rules for the coven, which included restrictions on public interviews and speaking with the press. Gardner introduced these Ardanes – or Old Laws – to his coven, in response to the complaints by Valiente.

One of the largest problems with the Ardanes is that there is no concrete evidence of their existence prior to Gardner’s revealing them in 1957. Valiente, and several other coven members, questioned whether or not he had written them himself – after all, much of what is included in the Ardanes appears in Gardner’s book, Witchcraft Today, as well as some of his other writings. Shelley Rabinovitch, author of The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism, says, “After a coven meeting in late 1953, [Valiente] asked him about the Book of Shadows and some of its text.

He had told the coven that the material was ancient text passed down to him, but Doreen had identified passages that were blatantly copied from the ritual magic of Aleister Crowley.”

One of Valiente’s strongest arguments against the Ardanes – in addition to the fairly sexist language and misogyny – was that these writings never appeared in any previous coven documents. In other words, they appeared when Gardner needed them most, and not before.

Cassie Beyer of Wicca: For the Rest of Us says, “The problem is that no one’s sure if the New Forest Coven even existed or, if it did, how old or organized it was. Even Gardner confessed what they taught was fragmentary… It should also be noted that while the Old Laws speaks only of the punishment of burning for witches, England mostly hanged their witches. Scotland, however, did burn them.”

The dispute over the origins of the Ardanes eventually led Valiente and several other members of the group to part ways with Gardner. The Ardanes remain a part of the standard Gardnerian Book of Shadows. However, they are not followed by every Wiccan group, and are rarely used by non-Wiccan Pagan traditions.

There are 161 Ardanes in Gardner’s original work, and that’s a LOT of rules to be followed. Some of the Ardanes read as fragmentary sentences, or as continuations of the line before it. Many of them do not apply in today’s society. For instance, #35 reads, “And if any break these laws, even under torture, the curse of the goddess shall be upon them, so they may never be reborn on earth and may remain where they belong, in the hell of the Christians.” Many Pagans today would argue that it makes no sense at all to use the threat of the Christian hell as punishment for violating a mandate.

However, there are also a number of guidelines that can be helpful and practical advice, such as the suggestion to keep a book of herbal remedies, a recommendation that if there is a dispute within the group it should be fairly evaluated by the High Priestess, and a guideline on keeping one’s Book of Shadows in safe possession at all times.

You can read a complete text of the Ardanes here: Sacred Texts – the Gardnerian Book of Shadows
Gardnerian Wicca in the Public Eye

Gardner was an educated folklorist and occultist, and claimed to have been initiated himself into a coven of New Forest witches by a woman named Dorothy Clutterbuck. When England repealed the last of its witchcraft laws in 1951, Gardner went public with his coven, much to the consternation of many other witches in England. His active courting of publicity led to a rift between him and Valiente, who had been one of his High Priestesses. Gardner formed a series of covens throughout England prior to his death in 1964.

One of Gardner’s best known works, and the one that truly brought modern witchcraft into the public eye was his work Witchcraft Today, originally published in 1954, which has been reprinted several times.

Gardner’s Work Comes to America

In 1963, Gardner initiated Raymond Buckland, who then flew back to his home in the United States and formed the first Gardnerian coven in America. Gardnerian Wiccans in America trace their lineage to Gardner through Buckland.

Because Gardnerian Wicca is a mystery tradition, its members do not generally advertise or actively recruit new members.

In addition, public information about their specific practices and rituals is very difficult to find.

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Gardnerian Wicca/Witchcraft

Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner (1884–1964), a British civil servant and amateur scholar of magic. The term “Gardnerian” was probably coined by the founder of Cochranian Witchcraft, Robert Cochrane in the 1950s or 60s, who himself left that tradition to found his own.

Gardner claimed to have learned the beliefs and practises that would later become known as Gardnerian Wicca from the New Forest coven, who allegedly initiated him into their ranks in 1939. For this reason, Gardnerian Wicca is usually considered to be the earliest created tradition of Wicca, from which most subsequent Wiccan traditions are derived.

From the supposed New Forest coven, Gardner formed his own Bricket Wood coven, and in turn initiated many Witches, including a series of High Priestesses, founding further covens and continuing the initiation of more Wiccans into the tradition. In the UK, Europe and most Commonwealth countries someone self-defined as Wiccan is usually understood to be claiming initiatory descent from Gardner, either through Gardnerian Wicca, or through a derived branch such as Alexandrian Wicca or Algard Wicca. Elsewhere, these original lineaged traditions are termed “British Traditional Wicca”

Beliefs and practices
Covens and initiatory lines

Gardnerian Wiccans organise into covens, that traditionally, though not always, are limited to thirteen members. Covens are led by a High Priestess and the High Priest of her choice, and celebrate both a Goddess and a God.

Gardnerian Wicca and other forms of British Traditional Wicca operate as an initiatory mystery cult; membership is gained only through initiation by a Wiccan High Priestess or High Priest. Any valid line of initiatory descent can be traced all the way back to Gerald Gardner, and through him back to the New Forest coven.

Rituals and coven practices are kept secret from non-initiates, and many Wiccans maintain secrecy regarding their membership in the Religion. Whether any individual Wiccan chooses secrecy or openness often depends on their location, career, and life circumstances. In all cases, Gardnerian Wicca absolutely forbids any member to share the name, personal information, fact of membership, and so on without advanced individual consent of that member for that specific instance of sharing. (In this regard, secrecy is specifically for reasons of safety, in parallel to the LGBT custom of being “in the closet”, the heinousness of the act of “outing” anyone, and the dire possibilities of the consequences to an individual who is “outed”. Wiccans often refer to being in or out of the “broom closet”, to make the exactness of the parallel clear.)

Theology
In Gardnerian Wicca, the two principal deities are the Horned God and the Mother Goddess. Gardnerians use specific names for the God and the Goddess in their rituals. Doreen Valiente, a Gardnerian High Priestess, revealed that there were more than one. She said that Gardner referred to the Goddess as Airdia or Areda, which she believed was derived from Aradia, the deity that Charles Leland claimed was worshipped by Italian witches. She said that the God was called Cernunnos, or Kernunno, which in Celtic meant “The Horned One”. Another name by which Gardnerians called the God was Janicot (pronounced Jan-e-ko), which she believed was Basque in origin.

The Gardnerian tradition teaches a core ethical guideline, often referred to as “The Rede” or “The Wiccan Rede”. In the archaic language often retained in some Gardnerian lore, the Rede states, “An it harm none, do as thou wilt.”

Witches … are inclined to the morality of the legendary Good King Pausol, “Do what you like so long as you harm no one”. But they believe a certain law to be important, “You must not use magic for anything which will cause harm to anyone, and if, to prevent a greater wrong being done, you must discommode someone, you must do it only in a way which will abate the harm.”

Two features stand out about the Rede. The first is that the word rede means “advice” or “counsel”. The Rede is not a commandment but a recommendation, a guideline. The second is that the advice to harm none stands at equal weight with the advice to do as one wills. Thus Gardnerian Wiccan teachings stand firm against coercion and for informed consent; forbid proselytization while requiring anyone seeking to become an initiate of Gardnerian Wicca to ask for teaching, studies, initiation. To expound a little further, the qualifying phrase “an (if) it harm none” includes not only other, but self. Hence, weighing the possible outcomes of an action is a part of the thought given before taking an action; the metaphor of tossing a pebble into a pond and observing the ripples that spread in every direction is sometimes used. The declarative statement “do as thou wilt” expresses a clear statement of what is, philosophically, known as “free will.”

A second ethical guideline is often called the Law of Return, sometimes the Rule of Three, which mirrors the physics concept described in Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: “When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body.”This basic law of physics is more usually today stated thus: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Like the Rede, this guideline teaches Gardnerians that whatever energy or intention one puts out into the world, whether magical or not, some response of equal effect will return. This teaching underlies the importance of doing no harm—for that would give impetus to a negative reaction centered on oneself or one’s group (such as a coven).

In Gardnerian Wicca, these tradition-specific teachings demand thought before action, especially magical action (spell work). An individual or a coven uses these guidelines to consider beforehand what the possible ramifications may be of any working. Given these two ethical core principles, Gardnerian Wicca hold themselves to a high ethical standard. For example, Gardnerian High Priestess Eleanor Bone was not only a respected elder in the tradition, but also a matron of a nursing home. Moreover, the Bricket Wood coven today is well known for its many members from academic or intellectual backgrounds, who contribute to the preservation of Wiccan knowledge. Gerald Gardner himself actively disseminated educational resources on folklore and the occult to the general public through his Museum of Witchcraft on the Isle of Man. Therefore, Gardnerian Wicca can be said to differ from some modern non-coven Craft practices that often concentrate on the solitary practitioner’s spiritual development.

The religion tends to be non-dogmatic, allowing each initiate to find for him/herself what the ritual experience means by using the basic language of the shared ritual tradition, to be discovered through the Mysteries. The tradition is often characterised as an orthopraxy (correct practice) rather than an orthodoxy (correct thinking), with adherents placing greater emphasis on a shared body of practices as opposed to faith

History
Gardner and the New Forest coven
On retirement from the British Colonial Service, Gardner moved to London but then before World War II moved to Highcliffe, east of Bournemouth and near the New Forest on the south coast of England. After attending a performance staged by the Rosicrucian Order Crotona Fellowship, he reports meeting a group of people who had preserved their historic occult practices. They recognised him as being “one of them” and convinced him to be initiated. It was only halfway through the initiation, he says, that it dawned on him what kind of group it was, and that witchcraft was still being practiced in England.

The group into which Gardner was initiated, known as the New Forest coven, was small and utterly secret as the Witchcraft Act of 1735 made it illegal—a crime—to claim to predict the future, conjure spirits, or cast spells; it likewise made an accusation of witchcraft a criminal offense. Gardner’s enthusiasm over the discovery that witchcraft survived in England led him to wish to document it, but both the witchcraft laws and the coven’s secrecy forbade that, despite his excitement. After World War II, Gardner’s High Priestess and coven leader relented sufficiently to allow a fictional treatment that did not expose them to prosecution, “High Magic’s Aid”.

Anyhow, I soon found myself in the circle and took the usual oaths of secrecy which bound me not to reveal any secrets of the cult. But, as it is a dying cult, I thought it was a pity that all the knowledge should be lost, so in the end I was permitted to write, as fiction, something of what a witch believes in the novel High Magic’s Aid.

After the witchcraft laws were repealed in 1951, and replaced by the Fraudulent Mediums Act, Gerald Gardner went public, publishing his first non-fiction book about Witchcraft, “Witchcraft Today”, in 1954. Gardner continued, as the text often iterates, to respect his oaths and the wishes of his High Priestess in his writing. Fearing, as Gardner stated in the quote above, that witchcraft was literally dying out, he pursued publicity and welcomed new initiates during that last years of his life. Gardner even courted the attentions of the tabloid press, to the consternation of some more conservative members of the tradition. In Gardner’s own words, “Witchcraft doesn’t pay for broken windows!”

Gardner knew many famous occultists. Ross Nichols was a friend and fellow Druid (until 1964 Chairman of the Ancient Order of Druids, when he left to found his own Druidic Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids). Nichols edited Gardner’s “Witchcraft Today” and is mentioned extensively in Gardner’s “The Meaning of Witchcraft”. Near the end of Aleister Crowley’s life, Gardner met with him for the first time on May 1, 1947, and visited him twice more before Crowley’s death that autumn; at some point, Crowley gave Gardner an Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) charter and the 4th OTO degree—the lowest degree authorizing use of the charter.

Doreen Valiente, one of Gardner’s priestesses, identified the woman who initiated Gardner as Dorothy Clutterbuck, referenced in “A Witches’ Bible” by Janet and Stewart Farrar.Valiente’s identification was based on references Gardner made to a woman he called “Old Dorothy” whom Valiente remembered. Biographer Philip Heselton corrects Valiente, clarifying that Clutterbuck (Dorothy St. Quintin-Fordham, née Clutterbuck), a Pagan-minded woman, owned the Mill House, where the New Forest coven performed Gardner’s initiation ritual. Scholar Ronald Hutton argues in his Triumph of the Moon that Gardner’s tradition was largely the inspiration of members of the Rosicrucian Order Crotona Fellowship and especially that of a woman known by the magical name of “Dafo”. Dr. Leo Ruickbie, in his Witchcraft Out of the Shadows, analysed the documented evidence and concluded that Aleister Crowley played a crucial role in inspiring Gardner to establish a new pagan religion. Ruickbie, Hutton, and others further argue that much of what has been published of Gardnerian Wicca, as Gardner’s practice came to be known, was written by Blake, Yeats, Valiente and Crowley and contains borrowings from other identifiable sources.

The witches Gardner was originally introduced to were originally referred to by him as “the Wica” and he would often use the term “Witch Cult” to describe the religion. Other terms used, included “Witchcraft” or “the Old Religion.” Later publications standardised the spelling to “Wicca” and it came to be used as the term for the Craft, rather than its followers. “Gardnerian” was originally a pejorative term used by Gardner’s contemporary Roy Bowers (also known as Robert Cochrane), a British cunning man, who nonetheless was initiated into Gardnerian Wicca a couple of years following Gardner’s death.

Reconstruction of the Wiccan rituals

Gardner stated that the rituals of the existing group were fragmentary at best, and he set about fleshing them out, drawing on his library and knowledge as an occultist and amateur folklorist. Gardner borrowed and wove together appropriate material from other artists and occultists, most notably Charles Godfrey Leland’s Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, the Key of Solomon as published by S.L. MacGregor Mathers, Masonic ritual, Crowley, and Rudyard Kipling. Doreen Valiente wrote much of the best-known poetry, including the much-quoted Charge of the Goddess.

Bricket Wood and the North London coven

In 1948-9 Gardner and Dafo were running a coven separate from the original New Forest coven at a naturist club near Bricket Wood to the north of London. By 1952 Dafo’s health had begun to decline, and she was increasingly wary of Gardner’s publicity-seeking. In 1953 Gardner met Doreen Valiente who was to become his High Priestess in succession to Dafo. The question of publicity led to Doreen and others formulating thirteen proposed ‘Rules for the Craft’, which included restrictions on contact with the press. Gardner responded with the sudden production of the Wiccan Laws which led to some of his members, including Valiente, leaving the coven.

Gardner reported that witches were taught that the power of the human body can be released, for use in a coven’s circle, by various means, and released more easily without clothing. A simple method was dancing round the circle singing or chanting; another method was the traditional “binding and scourging.”[26] In addition to raising power, “binding and scourging” can heighten the initiates’ sensitivity and spiritual experience.

Following the time Gardner spent on the Isle of Man, the coven began to experiment with circle dancing as an alternative. It was also about this time that the lesser 4 of the 8 Sabbats were given greater prominence. Brickett Wood coven members liked the Sabbat celebrations so much, they decided that there was no reason to keep them confined to the closest full moon meeting, and made them festivities in their own right. As Gardner had no objection to this change suggested by the Brickett Wood coven, this collective decision resulted in what is now the standard eight festivities in the Wiccan Wheel of the year.

The split with Valiente led to the Bricket Wood coven being led by Jack Bracelin and a new High Priestess, Dayonis. This was the first of a number of disputes between individuals and groups, but the increased publicity only seems to have allowed Gardnerian Wicca to grow much more rapidly. Certain initiates such as Alex Sanders and Raymond Buckland who brought his take on the Gardnerian tradition to the United States in 1964 started off their own major traditions allowing further expansion.

Reference

Patti Wigington, Published on ThoughtCo
Wikipedia

The Witches Guide to Tuesday, April 3rd

CRAFT MANNERS

Say “Blessed Be” when greeting other Wiccans. (The alternative “Bright Blessings” is sometimes used, as is the written abbreviation “B.B.”).

Greet Pagans of the opposite sex with a kiss on the lips, and those of your own sex with a warm handshake

Never handle the ritual equipment (tools) of another without their permission.

Never give out another Pagan’s name, address, or telephone number; or discuss their beliefs in front of another; without their permission

When answering advertisements that say “write”, don’ t just turn up on the doorstep

Tuesday is dedicated to the power of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, Tulson and Tyr. Tuesday rules controlled power, energy and endurance.

Tuesday’s Spellcrafting

 Strength
 Anger
 Independence
 Motivation
 Conquest
 Action
 Education
 Force
 Handling conflict

Source

A Spell Crafter’s Compendium
Terri Paajanen

Tuesday

Tuesday: Is associated with Mars and the colors of – Red, Pink and Orange

Tuesday is the best time to deal with such matters as: Action, Aggression, Business, Buying and Selling Animals, Combat, Confrontation, Courage, Cutting, Energy, Gardening, Guns, Hunting, Mechanical Things, Metals, Muscular Activity, New Beginnings, Partnerships, Passion, Physical Energy, Police, Repairs, Sex, Soldiers, Sports, Strife, Surgery, Swift Movement, Tools, Woodworking

Source

Practical Magick for the Penny Pinching Witch
Carol Moyer

Magickal Days of the Week – Tuesday

Named for the Norse god Tyr, who was a deity of heroism and combat, Tuesday is a very martial sort of day – color associations include bright red and oranges, as well as warrior-like metals such as iron and steel.

The ancient Romans called this day Martis, after the warrior god Mars – other deities associated with Tuesday include Ares, the Morrighan, and other gods of battle and glory. Red gemstones like rubies and garnets come into play on Tuesdays, as do herbs and plants such as thistles, holly, coneflowers and cacti – you’ll notice these are all sharp, prickly plants!

One of the interesting – and more than a little amusing – aspects of Tuesday magic is that in addition to war and conflict against your enemies, this is a day also associated with marriage. You can also use this day of the week for magical workings connected to protection and initiation. Use Tuesday to assert yourself, make a mark and stake your claims.

Author

Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article published on & owned by ThoughtCo

Tuesday, May 17th

Tuesday is dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, Tuisco, and Tyr. Tuesday rules controlled power, energy and endurance.

Deity: Tiwaz

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Planet: Mars

Tree: Holly

Herb: Plantain

Stone: Opal

Animal: Scorpion

Element: Fire

Color: Red-brown

Number: 2

Rune: Tyr (T)

The Celtic Tree Month of Fearn(Alder)(March 18 – April 14)

Runic Half Month of Ehwaz(horse) (March 30 – April 13)

Goddess of the Month of Columbina (March 20 – April 17)

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

The Goddess Book of Days for April 3

Rome, the day of the Cerealia, seed time, the return of Persephone from the underworld, the blooming of the Earth once more. She is Flora, Kore, Primavera, Proserpina, Mary, Diana, the Maiden, the Daughter returning to her mother Demeter or Ceres. Some sources date the Cerealia at April 12–19.

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

Goddesses Associated with Tuesday

Erzulie Tuesday Soorejnaree, Pinga1la, Anna, Aine, Danu, Yngona, Bellona, Aida Wedo, Sun Woman

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

Tuesday

A god, goddess, or planet governs each day of the week. It is usually easy to spot the ruler of the day by its name. The word Tuesday, however, is not so easy, but if we look at the word in Spanish, Martes, we clearly see its connections to Mars.

Because Tuesday revolves around the energy of Mars, Tuesdays are good for business, mechanical things, buying and selling animals, hunting, beginning studies, gardening, sexual activities, and confrontation. This is a day for sex magick, energy, stamina, and health. As in the old saying, Tuesdays child is full of grace, is also good for success magick and defense against enemies.

Angels of Tuesday are Camael, Samael, Satael, Amabiel, Friagne, and Hyniel. When invoked, Camael takes the form of a leopard. In Druid mythology he is a god of war, which is why we see him associated with Mars. Camael is said to be a member of the “Magnificent Seven” in some circles. Camael is another “terminator” angel.

Samael walks both worlds as a magician and sorcerer. some see him as the angel of death, others as “the bright and poisonous one.” Many consider him more of a demon, and accuse him of being Satan. However, there is reference to the satans (plural) as enforcers of the law, a sort of angelic police, if you will. Supposedly, when Samael is around, dogs howl in the night. On one hand, he is the ruler of the fifth heaven and in charge of two million angels; on the other, he is the one who changed into a serpent and convinced Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit of knowledge.

Satael is an angel of air invoked in magic rites and is the presiding spirit of the planet Mars. Amabiel is another spirit of the planet Mars; however he spends his energy on issues of human sexuality. Friagne, also an angel of this day, is invoked from the east. He is a member of the fifth heaven. Hyniel also belongs to this day and is subject to the east wind.

On Tuesdays the hour of sunrise and every eight hours after that are also ruled by Mars, and that makes these times of the day doubly blessed. These four hours are the strongest ones to do ritual in. Check your local newspaper, astrological calendar, or almanac to determine your local sunrise.

Source

Gypsy Magic

Tuesday’s Witchery

Tuesday is the day to work any magick that falls in the category of increasing strength, courage, bravery, and passion. All of these intense emotions are linked to this day’s energies, and spells designed around these themes will have extra punch when performed on this magickal day.

So, let’s add a little passion and conviction into your life! Break out the daring red pieces of your wardrobe, and put a little pizzazz into your day. Work with Lilith, and see what she has to teach you about personal power and sexuality. Meditate onTiw/Tyr and Mars, and see what those ancient warrior gods will show you about new tactics, strategies, and claiming personal victories in your life. Practice conjuring up that astral weapon from the meditation and use it wisely for protection and for courage.

Create a philter for courage and protection or handcraft your own Witch’s jar to remove negativity from your home. See what other Witch crafts you can conjure up with Tuesday’s magick. Create some kitchen magick on this Tuesday by whipping up a spicy stew-add in a few Mars-associated ingredients such as carrots, peppers, and garlic. Empower the stew for success, and then treat yourself and your family to a good, hearty meal. Try working with a little aromatherapy and burn some spicy or coffee-scented candles to increase your energy level.

Check the sky at night, and see if you can find the reddish planet Mars up in the heavens. Not sure where to look? Check an astronomy magazine or search the Web for more information. Become a magickal warrior and move forward in your life with strength, courage, and compassion. Embrace the side of yourself that loves a good challenge and that is passionate and daring! Banish fear, and face your future with strength and conviction. Believe in yourself and in your dreams, work hard, and you will win every time.

Source

Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

The Witches Almanac for Tuesday, April 3

Feast of St. Mary of Egypt

Waning Moon

Moon phase: Third Quarter

Moon Sign: Scorpio

Incense: Ylang-ylang

Color: White

Correspondences for Tuesday, April 3

Tuesday (Tiw’s-day)

Planet: Mars

Colors: Red and Autumn Shades

Crystals: Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet, Flint, Rhodonite, Iron and Steel

Aroma: Basil, Ginger, Black Pepper, Mars Oil, Dragon’s blood and patchouli

Herb: Basil

The day of Mars. This day could only ever symbolize the sheer power of the god of war! The ideal spells to be cast on this day are that of force, power war and protection.

Dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, and Tyr.

Magical aspects: controlled power, energy, and endurance, passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.

This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving courage, physical strength, revenge, military honors, surgery, the breaking of negative spells, dynamic energy, matrimony, war, enemies, prison, hunting, politics, contests, protection, victory, and athletic

Tuesday Is Ruled By Mars

Tuesday is a Mars day, and just like the god of war, this is the time to tap into magicks to call for strength and courage. This day of the week is for rebels and warriors. If you are facing a challenge of any kind, need a boost to your courage, or want to enhance your passions, Tuesday is the day of the week for you. Some suggestions for Tuesday enchantments would include:

*Wearing the fiery colors associated with this day: scarlet, red, black, and orange. Don some of the more daring and bewitching colors of your wardrobe on Tuesdays and turn a few heads

*Carrying a bloodstone in your pocket or wearing garnet-studded jewelry to reinforce your convictions

*Working with protective and fire-associated plants such as the snapdragon, thistle, and holly to boost your shields and bravery

*Burning spicy-scented energy-enhancing candles to add a little magical aromatherapy to your home

*Cooking up a hearty meal featuring carrots, peppers, and garlic (all Mars foods and spices) to empower yourself for victory and success

Waning Moon

The Moon is in its WANING Phase as it transitions from Full Moon back to New Moon – hence the illuminated portion is gradually decreasing in size.

During the Waning phase (Gibbous, Last Quarter, Crescent) the energy is slowing moving inward, a time for inner-reflection, review and contemplation.. During this phase, from a place of non-judgement and being the ‘observer’ reflect on every aspect of your life – relationships, work, creativity, abundance, health, well-being etc.. Discern which areas of your life are in harmonic balance and flowand which areas feel stifled, strained or in a state of struggle & dis-ease.

Honour your strengths, your acomplishments, your realisations, your personal growth & expansion during this cycle. Recognise within yourself how your personal evolutions contributes in service to something greater than you… ‘see’ how your personal ripples of love weave magic in the lives of others.

In addition, as the moon is transits through its last crescent in the days leading up the New Moon, recognise within yourself any thoughts, behaviours, negative thinking, bad habits or anxiety/stresses that have come to your attention this cycle. LOVE your shadow with wholeheart and CHOOSE to not let these ‘stories’ inhibit you from radiantly shining your light. And remember to REST & nurture YOU ahead of the next New Moon Cycle.

Step out of the Waning Moon and into the next New Moon Cycle with a fresh & awakened vision for yourself. ‘See’ a greater potential of your Soul and have the courage to follow your Heartfelt desires.

Source

Archive for Energy of the Moon

Mars Stuff!

Tarot Card: The Tower

Chakra: Root

Element Fire

Plants/Trees: Pine, Tobacco, Cypress, Aloe

Metal; Iron Colour: Red

Getting Acquainted with Herbs Where to Start

We all have to start somewhere, so if you know nothing, or very little about herbs, then you have come to the right place. This section is going to have the basics that you need to know about the main herbs that are used in Wiccan traditions. You will learn what they do and how to use them.

Before we begin, you have to find out where you are going to get your herbs. Is there a herb store near you that sells strange herbs that you can use in your spells? Do you have to order them online? Are you going to grow them yourself? All of these questions must be answered so that you can figure out the best option for you. For now, you might want to stick with buying the herbs at a store or online, unless you are experienced in gardening, and experienced with growing exotic herbs. Some herbs are hardier than others, but some are very delicate, and if not grown right, they will not succeed in your spells.

Also, you must have a place to store your herbs. This could be a dark cabinet or a dresser. They just have to have a cool, dark place to be stored so that they do not get damp and moldy, and do not dry out too much. Dried is good, dry rot is not.

Find some information online about taking care of your herbs so that they will last you a long time, and you are not constantly having to buy new ones, and wasting money and herbs. You should also learn about how to properly crush leaves with a mortar and pestle.

Another thing that you should learn is how to make a smudge stick. I will put basic instruction here, but you can find more information online about how to make them.

Choose the herbs for the smudging that you need to do. Pick some that are roughly the same length, and lay them all out in a bundle. Get some natural twine or natural cotton (so that there are no harmful fumes when burned) and bind the smudge stick starting at the bottom and working your way up. If you can get away with only using three bindings, that is your best bet, because it exposes the most herbs while still being held well.

After you bind up the smudge stick, you have to dry it if the herbs are not already dry. To dry it, wrap it in paper, and change the paper every day for ten days. In ten days’ time, you will have a dry smudge stick.

Source

Wicca Herbal Magic: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Wiccan Herbal Magic with Herb Spells (Herbal Magic, Candle Magic, Book of Shadows, Wicca for Beginners, Book 3) .
Valerie W. Holt

The Witches Magick for Tuesday, April 2nd – Hand of Time Spell

Items you will need:
Both hands
6 fingers

Hold both of your hands in front of you. Stare at your hands, noticing your palms and fingers, for about thirty seconds. Then, say this chant one time:

“Palms sweaty,
From watching clocks.
No more.
One finger,
For every ten docked.
Seconds in a minute
1440 in a day.
Stop a few,
For singing birds
And trees that sway.”

This should feel like time has slowed-down and allowed you to appreciate life more.

Source

A Witch’s Week of Spells and Activities
Helga C. Loueen

Celebrating Legends, Folklore & Spirituality 365 Days a Year

April 3rd

Rejoicing Day

In Germay, this is a time of rejoicing with the return of warm weather. In some regions, the old custom of “carrying death away” is still practiced. Straw effigies are carried through the streets and placed on a central bonfire. As the last of effigies is consumed, Winter succumbs to Spring.

Ten Things You May or May Not Know About Tuesdays

1. The day of the week Tuesday is named after Tiw, the Norse god of single combat, victory and glory.

2. Tiw is associated with Mars, the Roman god of war, which is why the day is Mardi in French, Martes in Spanish and Martedi in Italian.

3. Tuesday Weld was born Susan Ker Weld. She was called “Tu-Tu” by a young cousin who could not say “Susan”. She legally changed her name to “Tuesday” in 1959 as an expanded for of Tu-Tu.

4. Californians have barbecues less often on Tuesday than any other day of the week.

5. Under the rules of the Gregorian calendar, Christmas Eve falls less often on a Tuesday than any other day of the week…

6. …but Christmas Day is more often on a Tuesday than any other day except Thursday.

7. Research has shown that in Somerset between 1640 and 1659, fewer seductions took place on a Tuesday than any other day of the week.

8. Tuesday Weld was born on a Friday.

9. “He respects Owl, because you can’t help respecting anybody who can spell Tuesday even if he doesn’t spell it right” (AA Milne).

10. According to a survey in 2002, Tuesday is the most productive day of the week in the workplace.

Source:

Express, Home of the Daily and Sunday Express

One remarkable fact stands out in the history of witchcraft; and that is, its victims were chiefly women. Scarce one wizard to a hundred witches was ever burned or tortured.

—Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Impress Yourself

Sorry about that…….

Our power was knocked out by a falling tree branch. We are sitting in the path of a line of storms that are suppose to hit this afternoon. But we are suppose to have high winds all day and we did. A branch fell and took out the entire area and our power is now back on. We aren’t going to do the horoscopes but I am hoping we have the rest of our info saved. It happened so quick, we hadn’t even had our first cup of coffee this morning. The ladies had been doing their research on Pagan Gods and Goddesses and other various Paths of The Craft. So if we still have that we are going to put that on. If not, I guess we will twiddle our fingers.

Anyway, keep your fingers crossed, it is only suppose to get worse as the day goes on. Now let’s see what we have left.

Lady A

Welcome to the Witches Astronomy Guide for Tuesday, April 3rd

A Call To Lord And Lady

She lives and breathes upon the Earth
Her wheel spins round the hub of June
She is the web of life and birth
Her smile floats softly with the moon

Heart of life, and caring mother
Loving sister, noble princess
Firebird spirit, restless lover
Shadowy hidden sorceress

His strength is there in mountains high
His lightning flies from air and cloud
His horn heralds the wild hunt’s ride
He quickens forest, roaring proud

Children’s friend, protecting father
Watchful brother, noble fighter
Laughing wise one, dark magister
Player of pipes, thoughtful shepherd

Their faces many, countless names
Pan, Diana, Zeus, Astarte
Teachers from dreams, oracle’s flames
Speak, and guide us within our hearts

—–J.A.B., Author
Originally published On Pagan Library

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Tuesday April 3

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 76.04° ENE
Sun Altitude: -9.18°
Sun Distance: 92.939 million mi
Next Solstice: Jun 21, 2018 5:07 am (Summer)
Sunrise Today: 6:37 am↑ 83° East
Sunset Today: 7:18 pm↑ 278° West
Length of Daylight:12 hours, 41 minutes

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 224.34° SW
Moon Altitude: 27.20°
Moon Distance: 243238 mi
Next New Moon: Apr 15, 20188:57 pm
Next Full Moon: Apr 29, 20187:58 pm
Next Moonset: Today8:45 am
Current Moon Phase: Wanig Gibbous
Illumination: 90.4%

Source

timeanddate.com

Astrology of the Day – April 3

Summary:

Mars-Uranus early today is progressive. A Last Quarter Moon occurs shortly before midday, and asks us to consider our spiritual needs.

The Moon is in Pisces all day (until Wednesday, June 10th, at 7:13 AM).
The Moon is void from 2:08 PM forward (until tomorrow at 7:13 AM).
The Moon is waning and in its Waning Gibbous phase until 11:41 AM/ Third Quarter phase from 11:41 AM forward.
The Third Quarter Moon occurs at 11:41 AM in Pisces.
Mercury is retrograde. (Mercury is retrograde from May 18 to June 11 in the sign of Gemini).

Mercury Retrograde

In Earth’s sky, the Sun, Moon, and stars appear to move from east to west because of the rotation of Earth (so-called diurnal motion). However, orbiters such as the Space Shuttle and many artificial satellites appear to move from west to east. These are direct satellites (they actually orbit Earth in the same direction as the Moon), but they orbit Earth faster than Earth itself rotates, and so appear to move in the opposite direction of the Moon. Mars has a natural satellite Phobos, with a similar orbit. From the surface of Mars it appears to move in the opposite direction because its orbital period is less than a Martian day. There are also smaller numbers of truly retrograde artificial satellites orbiting Earth which counter-intuitively appear to move westward, in the same direction as the Moon.

As seen from Earth, all the other objects in the Solar System appear to periodically switch direction as they cross the sky. Though all stars and planets appear to move from west to east on a nightly basis in response to the rotation of Earth, the outer planets generally drift slowly eastward relative to the stars. Asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects (including Pluto) exhibit apparent retrogradation. This motion is normal for the planets, and so is considered direct motion. However, since Earth completes its orbit in a shorter period of time than the planets outside its orbit, it periodically overtakes them, like a faster car on a multi-lane highway. When this occurs, the planet being passed will first appear to stop its eastward drift, and then drift back toward the west. Then, as Earth swings past the planet in its orbit, it appears to resume its normal motion west to east. The planets Venus and Mercury appear to move in retrograde in a similar mechanism, but as they can never be in opposition to the Sun as seen from Earth, their retrograde cycles are tied to their inferior conjunctions with the Sun. They are unobservable in the Sun’s glare and in their “new” phase, with mostly their dark sides toward Earth; they occur in the transition from morning star to evening star.

The more distant planets retrograde more frequently, as they do not move as much in their orbits while Earth completes an orbit itself. The center of the retrograde motion occurs when the body is exactly opposite the sun, and therefore high in the ecliptic at local midnight. The retrogradation of a hypothetical extremely distant (and nearly non-moving) planet would take place during a half-year, with the planet’s apparent yearly motion being reduced to a parallax ellipse.

The period between the center of such retrogradations is the synodic period of the planet.This apparent retrogradation puzzled ancient astronomers, and was one reason they named these bodies ‘planets’ in the first place: ‘Planet’ comes from the Greek word for ‘wanderer’. In the geocentric model of the Solar System proposed by Apollonius in the third century BCE, retrograde motion was explained by having the planets travel in deferents and epicycle. It was not understood to be an illusion until the time of Copernicus, although the Greek astronomer Aristarchus in 240 BCE proposed a heliocentric model for the Solar System.

Interestingly, Galileo’s drawings show that he first observed Neptune on December 28, 1612, and again on January 27, 1613. On both occasions, Galileo mistook Neptune for a fixed star when it appeared very close—in conjunction—to Jupiter in the night sky, hence, he is not credited with Neptune’s discovery. During the period of his first observation in December 1612, Neptune was stationary in the sky because it had just turned retrograde that very day. Since Neptune was only beginning its yearly retrograde cycle, the motion of the planet was far too slight to be detected with Galileo’s small telescope.

From Mercury
From any point on the daytime surface of Mercury when the planet is near perihelion (closest approach to the Sun), the Sun undergoes apparent retrograde motion. This occurs because, from approximately four Earth days before perihelion until approximately four Earth days after it, Mercury’s angular orbital speed exceeds its angular rotational velocity. Mercury’s elliptical orbit is farther from circular than that of any other planet in the Solar System, resulting in a substantially higher orbital speed near perihelion. As a result, at specific points on Mercury’s surface an observer would be able to see the Sun rise part way, then reverse and set before rising again, all within the same Mercurian day.

Moon in Scorpio

Intensity is what the Moon in Scorpio is all about. Whether it’s passion, elation, sorrow, or desire, emotions are felt on a deeply personal level. We are motivated by the desire to get to the bottom of things, and we instinctively read between the lines. Superficiality won’t work for us now. The Moon in Scorpio urges us to uncover our own power, and it’s an excellent time to rid ourselves of old fears and limiting habits. It can be an intimate and passionate time. Avoid manipulative tactics, brooding, and suspicion.

The Moon in Scorpio generally favors the following activities: Taxes, accounting, intimacy issues, psychological examinations, research, self-examination, getting rid of old things.

Daily Overview Of The Stars & Skies for Tuesday, April 3

The Moon is in Scorpio all day. After aligning with Jupiter midday, the Moon is void until early tomorrow, suggesting that it’s better to hold off on brand new beginnings since the going may be tough until the Moon enters Sagittarius early tomorrow. Emotions are felt intensely, and intensity is relished now. It’s a great time of the lunar month to do research, investigate, and probe. Learning what makes people tick can be exciting now.

As the day advances, we head towards a square between Mars and retrograde Mercury, however, and we could too easily find ourselves in disagreement with others, most likely because we’re communicating ineffectively or impatiently. We may be competing for the floor when it comes to expressing our ideas, thoughts, and opinions, making it difficult to engage in healthy dialogue. Mental agitation could dominate. We may stir up controversy with what we say (quite possibly by bringing up a controversial issue from the past), or how we say it. Ideally, we’re moved to resolve problems now, but it’s best not to jump to conclusions or decisions now.

The Moon is void from 12:07 PM EDT, with the Moon’s last aspect before changing signs (a conjunction to Jupiter), until the Moon enters Sagittarius the next day, Wednesday, April 4th, at 2:56 AM EDT.

The sky this week for April 3 to April 8

The Full Moon returns, Mercury reaches inferior conjunction, and Mars and Saturn rise together, all in the sky this week.
By Richard Talcott

Tuesday, April 3

The waning gibbous Moon points the way to Jupiter this morning. They actually rose before 11 p.m. yesterday evening, but they appear more prominent as they climb higher and edge closer after midnight. By the start of morning twilight, less than 5° separate the two. Of course, Jupiter is easy to find all week because it shines so brightly, at magnitude –2.4, against the faint backdrop of Libra. A telescope reveals the planet’s 43″-diameter disk and four bright moons.

Wednesday, April 4

Although the calendar may say it is spring, the so-called Winter Hexagon remains prominent on April evenings. One of the sky’s largest asterisms — a recognizable pattern of stars separate from a constellation’s form — the hexagon stands out in the western sky after darkness falls. To trace the asterism, start with southern Orion’s luminary, Rigel. From there, the hexagon makes a clockwise loop. The second stop is brilliant Sirius in Canis Major. Next, pick up Procyon in the faint constellation Canis Minor, then the twins Castor and Pollux in Gemini, followed by Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, and finally back to Rigel.

Thursday, April 5

Brilliant Venus appears low in evening twilight all week. Look for the blazing point of light about 10° above the western horizon 45 minutes after sunset. The planet shines at magnitude –3.9 and is by far the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. A look at Venus through a telescope shows an almost fully illuminated disk that spans 11″.

Friday, April 6

One of the spring sky’s finest deep-sky objects, the Beehive star cluster (M44) in the constellation Cancer the Crab, lies high in the south after darkness falls. With naked eyes under a dark sky, you should be able to spot this star group as a faint cloud. But the Beehive explodes into dozens of stars through binoculars or a small telescope.

Saturday, April 7

The waning gibbous Moon joins forces with Mars and Saturn this morning. From mid-northern latitudes, the Moon rises first, at around 1:40 a.m. local daylight time. Saturn follows about 15 minutes behind Luna and Mars 15 minutes after the ringed planet. All three lie against the backdrop of northern Sagittarius, though the Moon’s bright light drowns out most of the constellation’s deep-sky wonders. Notice how the gap between the two planets has grown in the five days since their conjunction. This morning, Mars lies 3° east of Saturn.

Sunday, April 8

Last Quarter Moon occurs at 3:18 a.m. EDT. You can find the half-lit orb rising in the east with the background stars of northeastern Sagittarius around 2:30 a.m. local daylight time; it hangs relatively low in the southeast as twilight begins. The Moon also reaches apogee today, at 1:31 a.m. EDT, when its orbit carries it farthest from Earth for the month. It then lies 251,123 miles (404,144 kilometers) from us.

Source

The Astronomy Magazine

In the Sky This Month

April 3: Streamers
Under an especially dark night sky, away from city lights, you might see a few thousand stars. All of them belong to our home galaxy, the Milky Way. It’s likely that some of them were born elsewhere, but the Milky Way swallowed their home galaxies.

April 4: The Hyades
The V-shaped face of the bull stands about a third of the way up the western sky at nightfall. Bright Aldebaran marks the bull’s eye. But the rest of the face is outlined by the Hyades, which is closer than any other star cluster, at about 150 light-years.

April 5: Evening Milky Way
The subtle band of the Milky Way arcs low across the west this evening. It sweeps from Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, in the southwest, through Orion, and over to W-shaped Cassiopeia low in the northwest.

April 6: Moon and Planets
The night will get brighter after about 2 or 3 a.m. tomorrow, as the gibbous Moon climbs into view. Saturn, the second-largest planet in the solar system, stands just below the Moon as they rise, with slightly brighter Mars farther along the same line.

April 7: Moon and Mars
The planet Mars is easy to find early tomorrow. It stands to the right of the Moon at first light, and looks like a bright orange star. The planet Saturn is close to the upper right of Mars, completing a beautiful display in the dawn sky.

April 8: Camelopardalis
Camelopardalis, which represents a camel with the spots of a leopard, stands above W-shaped Cassiopeia in the northern sky at nightfall. You need skies that are dark enough to see the Milky Way to pick out the stick figure outlined by the camel’s stars.

Source

StarDate

Your Daily Cosmic Calendar for Tuesday

It is always wise to take advantage of a lull in the usually over-the-top bombardment of humanity with cosmically-triggered challenging aspects.

With yesterday’s Mars-Saturn rendezvous now in the rear-view mirror, lighten your load regarding daily work and responsibilities.

Utilize the monthly conjunction of the moon with Jupiter in Scorpio (9:07am) to lift your spirits and enjoy favorite hobbies. Healing interests gain strength around the time that the moon trines deja-vu generator Chiron (10:31pm).

Finish old business with a flourish — courtesy of a 14 hour void lunar twilight zone that starts during the union of the moon with Jupiter and concludes when upbeat Sagittarius moon enters the scene (11:56pm).

Stop worrying about things you cannot control.

[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

Source

Astrology.com

The Witches Current Moon Phase for Tuesday, April 3

Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 95%

TODAY – MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018
The Moon today is in a Waning Gibbous Phase. This is the first phase after the Full Moon occurs. It lasts roughly 7 days with the Moon’s illumination growing smaller each day until the Moon becomes a Last Quarter Moon with a illumination of 50%. The average Moon rise for this phase is between 9am and Midnight depending on the age of the phase. The moon rises later and later each night setting after sunrise in the morning. During this phase the Moon can also be seen in the early morning daylight hours on the western horizon.

PHASE DETAILS FOR – MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018
Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 95%
Moon Age: 16.78 days
Moon Angle: 0.51
Moon Distance: 390,776.26 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 149,561,496.70 km

Source
MoonGiant.com

On every full moon, rituals … take place on hilltops, beaches, in open fields and in ordinary houses. Writers, teachers, nurses, computer programmers, artists, lawyers, poets, plumbers, and auto mechanics — women and men from many backgrounds come together to celebrate the mysteries of the Triple Goddess of the Dance of Life. The religion they practice is called Witchcraft.

—Starhawk

It is Tuesday, April 3rd, Good Morning To All Our Dear Family & Friends! May the Goddess Bless You & Yours Today & Always!

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