The Witches Magickal Journal for Monday, October 1

The Witches Magickal Journal for Monday, October 1

 

Welcome to October–The Eighth Month

In this, the “eighth” month, was held a great festival at Eleusis, a town twelve miles from Athens, in honour of the Greek goddess Demeter. The Roman name for Demeter was Ceres, and she was worshiped as the Goddess of Agriculture, since the fields and their crops were thought to be under her special care. The Greek name Demeter means “Earth Mother”, and the name Ceres has given us the word “cereals”, a general name for wheat, barley, rye, and oats.

Ceres had a daughter, Persephone, who spent a great part of her time wandering with her companions on the slopes and plains of Sicily. One day, as Persephone and her maidens were plucking flowers and weaving them into garlands, Pluto, the God of the Underworld, rode by in his dark chariot drawn by four black horses. Attracted by Persephone’s beauty, he determined to carry her off and make her his queen.

One story says that he caused a most wonderful flower to spring up, and Persephone, seeing it in the distance and wishing to gather it, was thus separated from her companions. As she stooped to pluck the flower the earth opened, and Pluto in his chariot came up from the Underworld and, seizing Persephone, carried her down to his dark and gloomy home.

Another story says that as soon as he saw Persephone he walked quickly towards her, and before she could guess his intention, caught her up and, carrying her in spite of her struggles to his chariot, drove away at topmost speed. He at length reached a river, whose roaring torrent it was impossible to cross. Afraid to turn back lest he should meet Ceres, he struck the earth such a blow with the two-pronged fork which he always carried as the emblem of his power, that the ground opened beneath him, and thus he was able to reach his dark kingdom of Hades in safety. This Hades, the Underworld to which Pluto had brought Persephone, was the home of the dead, the place to which came the spirits of those who had died, there to receive a fitting reward for their deeds on earth.

From Pluto’s throne flowed five rivers:

1. Styx (the Hateful), a sacred river, and one by which the gods “fear to swear, and not keep their oath”. It was also the river which had to be crossed by the spirits before they could reach the throne. They were ferried across by an old boatman named Charon, who charged them an obol, about ½d. of our money. It was the custom, when a man died, for his relations to put an obol under his tongue, so that he might have no difficulty in crossing the Styx. Those who came without their obol had to wait a hundred years, after which time Charon would take them across free of charge.

2. Acheron (Pain), a dark and very deep river that also had to be crossed by the spirits.

3. Lethe (Forgetfulness), which had the power of making all those who drank of its waters forget the past.

4. Phlegethon (Blazing), a river of fire which surrounded Tartarus, that part of the Underworld to which were sent the spirits of evil-doers, in order that they might suffer punishment for their wicked deeds.

5. Cocytus (Wailing), a river of salt water, the tears of those condemned to the torments of Tartarus.

In a distant part of Hades, far removed from the place of torment, were the Elysian Fields. Here dwelt the great and the good, in perpetual day, and amid the ever-blooming flowers of an eternal spring.

While the frightened Persephone was thus, against her will, made queen of this sunless kingdom of the dead, Ceres, with many tears, was seeking her daughter in the flower-strewn meadows, but all in vain. After many wanderings in Italy, and even in Greece, where she visited the city of Eleusis mentioned above, Ceres at last learnt of Persephone’s fate, but her joy at finding that she was safe was turned to grief by the thought that Pluto would never allow her to come back to the happiness of the sun-lit earth.

Meanwhile the goddess had neglected all her duties; the flowers withered away, the trees shed their leaves, the fruit was fast falling from the branches, and the crops could not ripen. The time of harvest was quickly passing, and the people, threatened with famine, and finding that their prayers to the goddess were unheeded, appealed to Jupiter to save them from starvation and death by allowing Persephone to return to the upper world. Jupiter at last consented, and said that Pluto must give up Persephone, provided that she had not eaten anything since the time when she had been carried off. Unfortunately that very day she had tasted a pomegranate which Pluto had given her, and she was compelled to stay with her husband one month for each of the six seeds she had eaten. So for six months she has to live in the Underworld, and there in the thick gloom, never pierced by a ray of sunshine, she waits for the time when she may return to the sun-kissed hills and plains of her favourite land, where, happy in her mother’s smile, she dances with her companions amid the flowers.

“Persephone to Ceres has returned
From that dark god who stole her for his bride,
And bids the Earth, that for her coming yearned,
Its sombre garb of mourning lay aside.
The sun o’ertops the clouds with wonted speed,
And so to give the goddess honour due,
O’er hill and dale, o’er mountain-side and mead,
Now scatters flowers of many a wondrous hue.
The trees that shed their leaves, each leaf a tear,
Now deck themselves again in bright array,
And Man delights to see the Winter drear
Yield place to Spring, and Night to gladsome Day.”

At length comes the time when once more Persephone must return to her desolate home, and with heavy heart she leaves the sorrowing Ceres.

“Persephone is called away,
And Ceres weeps
That she must go; while o’er the Earth
Now slowly creeps
The gloom of death; fled is that smile
Of love that made
All Nature waken into life,
And all things fade.”

The Old-English name for October was “Winterfylleth”, that is, “winter full moon”, because winter was supposed to begin at the October full moon.

 

Today Is Monday, October 1st

Monday is the sacred day of the moon, personified as the goddesses Selene, Luna, and Mani. The moon is ruler of flow, affecting the changeable and impressionable aspects of people. If a full moon falls on a Monday, then the powers of the moon are at their most potent.

Deity: Mani

 

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

 

Planet: Moon

 

Tree: Willow

 

Herb: Chickweed

 

Stone: Agate

 

Animal: Crab

 

Element: Water

 

Color: Green

 

Rune: Lagu (L)

 

The Celtic Tree Month of Gort (Ivy) (September 30 – October 27)

 

The Runic Half Month Gyfu (September 28 – October 12)

 

Goddess of the Month of Mala (September 6 – October 2)

 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

 

About the Celtic Tree Month of Gort (Ivy)

The Bramble – Celtic Moon month 30th September to 27th October

Latin name – Hedera Helix

Ogham ~ The Bramble – Muin – September

The Ivy is a woody stemmed vine which is evergreen. It grows spirally upwards and can grow to 30 meters or more depending on its support tree. The roots of the Ivy come out from the stems and anchor themselves as they grow. The leaves are waxy in appearance and can turn purplish in winter. Ivy can also come in variegated leaf forms.

The Ivy flowers late around September to October and wasps are often the insects pollinating the multi globular flower heads. The fruits are black and rounded similar to berries. Ivy is widely cultivated in North America, it s a member of the ginseng family (Araliaceae).

The Ivy is associated with the Goddess and rebirth many feel this is due to the way it grows spirally upwards. The tree/vine of rebirth, joy, love, eternal life, reincarnation and exhilaration, all things connected with the Mother Goddess in her many forms around the world. The Ivy is also seen as a plant of the Otherworlds and communicating with them.

Ivy made into a alcoholic drink in ancient times was seen as a way to induce visions as it was often mixed with hallucinogenic mushrooms or other herbs, this gave rise to the sign of the Ivy for taverns and alehouses. Ivy has a poisonous substance called Hederin.

One of Ivy’s associations is with the Greek God of wine and fertility Dionysus, as he is covered in ivy and also grape vines.

The roots of the Ivy are very tough and have had many uses in the past. The vines have been used to tie things together in gardens and given a bit of soil will quickly re grow binding fences ect as it grows.

Most cultures associate Ivy with fertility and this is seen as due to its late flowering and fruiting and its rapid growth.

Resource

SpiritDancer, Author
Published on the website, Mystic Familiar

 

The Wicca Book of Days for Monday, October 1

Honor and Fidelity

October 1 was sacred to Fides, the goddess of good faith, in Ancient Rome, Fides, who was believed to preside over the swearing of private and public verbal contracts, we typically depicted wearing a white veil and with her right hand out-stretched. When the flamines(Latin for “priests”) of Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus proceeded to the temple of Fides Publica (Honor of the People), on the Capitoline Hill, on this day, they traveled in a covered chariot and made offerings to the goddess with their right hands wrapped in white bandages, denoting unsullied honor and trustworthiness.

Faithful Friends

One of the meanings of the Latin word fides is “loyalty” a quality that dogs both demonstrate and symbolize. Pay tribute to Fides, and also give a canine companion a treat, by taking a dog for a long walk today, be it your own or one that you have borrowed.

—The Wicca Book of Days
Selena Eilidh Ash

The Goddess Book of Days for October 1

Day of St. Theresa who is Oya in the Santeria/Yoruba pantheon of Mexico, Cuba and South America. She is the Maiden Goddess of Change and the Under- world. Also Feast of Mary in the Byzantine Church calendar (Isis, Kwan Yin, Yemaya, Mari, Mariamne, Coatlique, Tara, Chalchiuhtlique, Hera, Mawu, and Sarasvati).

 

Goddesses Associated with Monday, the Day of the Moon

Luna, Selene, Diana, Re, Gealach, Ida, Artemis, the Witches, Yemaya, Erzulie

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

 

On Monday, October 1st, We Celebrate….

Reunion with the Goddess (Southeastern United States)
CHEROKEE FIRST WOMAN

Themes: Spirituality; Universal Truth; Unity; Cleansing; Abundance

Symbols: All Animals and Plants

About Cherokee First Woman: This goddess appears in Cherokee myths as an ancestress to the tribe and creatrix of all animals and plants. After the world was first inhabited, Cherokee First Woman continued to give birth to one child a year (this child may have symbolized the new year). Additionally, she motivates the earth’s bounty and generates abundance to sustain us through the months ahead.

To Do Today: Around this time of year, Cherokee tribes often hold a festival of offerings meant to celebrate their unity with the Sacred Parent and reunite them with this power. One custom easy to follow is that of exchanging clothes with a loved one; this symbolizes oneness among humans, the gods, and each other.

Washing in running water today (shower or tap)will cleanse away any barrier that stands between you and the goddess. If you hold a formal ritual today, place a bowl of water near the circle where each participant can rinse their hands to invoke Cherokee First Woman’s blessing and purification.

Finally, drink a tall glass of springwater today to release this goddess’s spiritual nature, rejuvenation, and abundance into every cell.

Source

365 Goddess: A Daily Guide To the Magic and Inspiration of the goddess
Patricia Telesco

 

Monday: Keep the moon safe from the wolf

Easy to remember – Monday is the Moon Day. The word moon is associated with the Norse god Mona (Máni). He was pulling the moon accross the sky, trying to escape and save it from a mythological wolf. At the end of the world, the wolf will catch them and tear the moon into pieces. This apocalyptic period of the world is called Ragnarok in Norse mythology.

In Romance languages, Monday is also the Moon Day (lunes in Spanish, lundi in French, lunedi in Italian: coming from Latin Dies Lunae).

 

Monday’s Magick

Monday – Is associated with the Moon

Colours – White, Silver, Grey and Pearl.

Monday is the best time to deal with such matters as: Psychic Pursuits, Psychology, Dreams, Astral Travel, Imagination, Women’s Mysteries, Reincarnation, Short Trips, Women, Children, Public, Domestic Concerns, Emotions, Fluids, Magick, Spirituality, Nursing, Full moon magic, Purity, Protection, Truth, Meditation, Peace, Sincerity, Justice, Warding off Doubts and Fears, Anything to do with Water and Bodies of Water, Antiques, Trip Planning, Household Activities, Initiation, Astrology, New-Age Pursuits, Archetypes, Totem Animals, Shape-shifting and Religious Experiences.

 

Ritual Work Associated with Monday The Day of the Moon

Perfume: White Poppy, White Rose, Wallflower

Incense: Myrtle

Wood: Willow

Color: Silver, Grey-white

Influences: Agriculture, Domestic, Longlife, Medicine, Travels, Visions, Theft (new moon)

 

Reference:

A Book of Pagan Rituals
Herman Slater

Monday

Monday is named after the moon. The Latin term for Monday is Dies Lunae (“moon’s day”); in the Old English language, this day was Monandaeg; in Greek, it was Hermera Selenes. All of these different names and languages translate to the same thing: the “day of the moon.”

Working with the different phases of the moon is an important skill that takes a bit of time for Witches to learn. So why not cut to the chase and experiment with the day of the week that is dedicated to the moon in all of its magickal energies and aspects?

Magickally, Monday encourages the lunar energies of inspiration, illusion, prophetic phetic dreams, emotions, psychic abilities, travel, women’s mysteries, and fertility.

Source

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

 

Monday’s Witchery

Think for a moment on all of the witchery, magick and enchantments that you have discovered. Don’t be afraid to adjust spells to suit your own specific needs. Any gentle, illusory, and dreamy charms and spells can be enhanced when you work on the day of the week that is dedicated to the moon. Mondays are a fantastic day to boost your psychic abilities and to tune in to your intuition and empathy. It also gives you the opportunity to work with a different lunar phase each and every Monday, which means in one month you could work four different types of moon magicks on Mondays. How’s that for adding to your repertoire? You are going to have mad skills in no time at all.

So light up those lunar scented candles and add a little mystique to your outfit by wearing an enchanting lunar color. Wear your sparkling silver jewelry and maybe add a pair of dangling silver earrings or a pendant shaped like a crescent moon. Create lunar potions and philters; make a dream catcher and give it as a gift to someone you love. Burn some sandalwood or jasmine-scented incense today to inspire the glamour and magick of the moon. Slice up a favorite variety of fruit that is in season for a snack or share it with your love and enjoy his or her lunar and romantic qualities. Brew up a cup of chamomile tea, enchant it with a little moon magick, and relax and get a good night’s sleep.

Most importantly, get outside tonight and watch the moon for a while. What phase is she in? What color was the moon as she rose? Why not start a journal and write down at what location the moon rises and sets for a few seasons? This is a great way to teach you to tune in and to become more aware of the moon and the influence that she pulls into our lives. Try calling on Selene for her magickal assistance, and call Thoth for wisdom and strength. Get to know the Norse Mani and the Latvian Meness. These gods of the moon have plenty to teach, and if you allow their influence to cycle through your life, you’ll receive many blessings. Be imaginative, and create your own personal lunar magick and witchery. Go on….the moonlight becomes you

Source

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

The Witches Almanac for Monday, October 1

Armed Forces Day (South Korean)

Waning Moon

Moon phase: Third Quarter

Moon Sign: Gemini

Moon enters Cancer 2: 00 pm

Incense: Rosemary

Color: White

Moon in Gemini

The Moon is traveling through witty Gemini today. Call, text, send email, write letters. Visit someone you’ve missed. Watch a movie and talk about it at a coffee shop. Get out and about. Don’t sleep in.

Our instincts are to communicate, think, and learn under the influence of Moon in Gemini. We are motivated by a desire for variety and by an instinctive curiosity. The Moon in Gemini is light-hearted, breezy, and curious, but it can also be restless and fickle.

The Moon in Gemini generally favors the following activities: Mental and communicative actions, and more than one activity at once. Reading, learning, letters and emails, errands, writing, teaching, making connections, short trips.

 

Correspondences for Monday, October 1

Day: Monday ( Moon-day)

Planet: Moon

Colors: Silver and White and Grey

Crystals: Moonstone, Pearl, Aquamarine, Silver, Selenite

Aroma: Jasmine, Lemon, Sandalwood, Moon Oil, African violet, Honeysuckle, Myrtle, Willow, and Wormwood

Herb: Moonwart

The sacred day of the Moon, personified by such goddesses as Selene, Luna, Diana, and Artemis. The Moon is ruler of flow affecting the changeable aspects of people. If a full moon falls on a Monday, its powers are at theirmmost potent. Magical aspects: peace, sleep, healing, compassion, friendships, psychic awareness, purification, and fertility

Monday is ruled by the moon – an ancient symbol of mystery and peace. Monday is a special day for mothers as the cycle of the moon has long been associated with the female menstrual cycle. Those wishing to conceive a baby would be wise to try on a Monday as the magic of motherhood is strong and pregnancy is in the air.

This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving agriculture, animals, female fertility, messages, reconciliation’s, theft, voyages, dreams, emotions, clairvoyance, home, family, medicine, cooking, personality, merchandising, psychic work, Faerie magic, and Goddess rituals.

 

Monday and the Perfect Corresponding Spell

When dealing with a weekly spell guide, Mondays are thought to be the logical day for money, love, time and meditation spells. Since Mondays are thought to be the start of the work week, it gives plenty of time for a Monday spell to gain strength throughout the rest of the week

– Green Apple Money Spell-

Items you will need are:
1 green apple
1 knife
1 toothpick
1 bag

Place a green apple in front of you on a table and recite this chant:

“I present this apple.
I carve my will.
I ask for money.
All my hands can feel.
Please, bring me money.
Deed, be done,
In love and trust.
Eat well
And harm none.”

After saying this three times, carve the word, “money” in the side of the apple and, immediately, put the apple in a bag and throw it away in the garbage, or outside in the woods. The goal is to not see the apple after the spell. The apple serves as an offering to the universe for granting the spell.

Source

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

 

Let’s Talk Witch – Divination Methods

Communication between worlds is at its best on Samhain, so any divination you perform on this night is likely to offer up a strong result. And any questions you have are more likely to be answered as well. Divination can take some practice, practice, however, and you may have to try several methods to get answers to your questions or to look into what the future may hold for you. There are plenty of methods to choose from:

Scrying. Looking into water, a crystal ball, a mirror, or flames to see and interpret shapes and signs.

Dowsing. Using sticks, rods, or a pendulum to find answers to yes-or-no questions.

Tea leaves. A traditional way of seeing the future by interpreting the leftover tea leaves in a cup.

Tarot. Reading the pattern of the cards and the symbols to discern past, present, and future. There are many forms of tarot cards available.

Reading palms. Following the lines on the hand to foretell life events.

Runes. Interpreting symbols painted or engraved on sets of stones or wood.

Automatic writing. Writing without thinking, usually done in a meditative state.

These are just a few divination methods you can try; this is by no means an exhaustive list. One technique may suit you better than the others. This is definitely the right time of year to have a go and pick up a new skill.

Source

Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year
Mandy Mitchell

 

Celebrating Legends, Folklore & Other Spirituality for 365 Days A Year

We do not free ourselves from something by avoiding it, but only by living through it. -Cesare Pavase

The mind is always prone to believe what it wishes to be trite. -Heliodorus

In ancient Rome October 1 celebrated the festival of Fides, the Goddess who was the personification of good faith. She was the patron of verbal contracts and was portrayed as an old woman with white hair. Her cult was thought to be very ancient, dating to the time of King Numa, and her temple was the Capitoline Hill, where a sacrifice as made to her on this day.

 

Witch Tip #101 for Monday, October 1

Make sacred or holy water out of fresh snow that has fallen during the full moon

Source

Witch Tips : The Essential Guide to Contemporary Witchcraft
A. Rayne

 

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