Kwan in Shrine

Items needed: A small table or corner shelf covered with a white cloth; a small white or crystal vase filled with water (to represent Kwan Yin’s dew pot); sea shell; one white flower; a bowl of water; one white flower-shaped floating candle; a picture or statue of Kwan Yin; sandalwood joss sticks and holder.

Place the statue at the back of the shelf or table. Set the vase and the incense holder to the right-front of the statue (or picture). Put the floating candle, flower, and sea shell in the bowl. Set this in front of the statue (or picture). In your own words, ask Kwan Yin to bless you and those you love with good health, good fortune, and compassion. Light the floating candle, and recite her benediction:

Grant me light that I shall know,
The wisdom thou alone can give;
That truth shall guide all that I do,
And virtue bless the way I live.
O grant me light that I shall learn,
How empty is life from thee apart.
But, how sure is joy when I return,
To thee with an open heart.

It is appropriate to allow the candle and incense to burn out. You may repeat Kwan Yin’s simple ceremony whenever you feel the need for her blessings.

 

April 5

Festival of Kwan Yin

In China and Japan thousands of people share a love for this Goddess of compassion, healing, and mercy. To this day, Kwan Yin is still widely worshipped, and, in general, most Eastern households will have at least one shrine dedicated to her. At the temple of Miao Fend Shan, near

Peking, devotees make their annual pilgrimage to her shrine on this day. Many ask for healing and the power to rid them of life’s pains and sorrows. As her compassion is invoked, offerings of incense, violet-colored candles, and petitions written on rice paper are placed at her shrines.

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

Fourth Quarter Moon Spell

This is the Crone’s moon, and at this time your psychic gifts may be at their strongest. As the energy turns to a hushed, waiting mode, it doesn’t mean it’s gone, just that it is extremely focused and internal. So if you aren’t paying attention, you may not pick up on those psychic impressions. If this is a problem for you, ask the wise old Crone for her assistance. As far as magick is concerned, this is the time to deal with those more serious issues. Check out the final line of this spell and adjust as necessary for your purposes; for example, the word “protection” can be easily switched to “banishing.”

The Crone’s moon grows smaller at the passing of each eve.
For this magick to work, in myself I must believe.
Charms performed now require a wisdom most sublime
The protection spell is now cast, sealed up with a rhyme.
 

Source

Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick
Ellen Dugan

Fourth Quarter Moon Phase

(From the waning half moon until the dark of the moon.)

This is the dark time of the moon. You may find that your psychic talents take a little vacation during the dark phases of the moon, or, on the other hand, they may come roaring to life with an all-out bombardment on your senses. Personally, I have found that abilities such as empathy and psychometry are more pronounced at this time. Why, you may wonder? Well, I have found that this type of psychic ability forces you to look within and to be still as the information comes to you— what better time than in the waning moon, when your powers are focused internally? Magickally, now is the occasion to tackle serious issues, such as extreme protection magick, bindings, or banishings, and keeping away criminals, prowlers, or stalkers. Casting your spells in the final days of the moon’s cycle (when the moon is not visible at all) will increase the force behind your banishing and protective magick. This phase of the moon is often linked to the darker aspects of the Goddess, when she is a spiritual warrior; again, Hecate is a good one to work with in this phase, but you can also call on Sekhmet, the Morrigan, or even Kali, if you are really feeling brave.

 

Source

 

Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick

Ellen Dugan

The Witches Almanac for Tuesday, April 5th

Tuesday (Mars): Passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.

Tomb-Sweeping Day (Chinese)

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

Moon phase: Fourth Quarter

Moon Sign: Pisces
Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition, and psychic impressions. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.

Incense: Ylang-ylang

Color: White

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 About.com

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 on Tiw/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

Tuesday, April 5th

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

Deity: Tiwaz

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Planet: Mars

Tree: Holly

Herb: Plantain

Stone: Agate

Animal: Crab

Element: Fire

Color: White

Number: 2

Rune: Tyr (T)

Celtic Tree Month of Fearn (Alder) – March 18 to April 14th. Alder signifies protection in times of conflict, enability in time of change.

Runic Half Month of Ehwaz (horse) – March 30 to April 15th

Goddess of the Month for March 20 to April 17th is Columbina
 

Today Is….

Megalesia/Fortuna/Nones of April
Festival for good luck, celebrating the Goddess Fortuna, the Lady Luck to whom all gamblers pray.
 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

Tuesday’s Conjuring

Tuesday – is associated with Mars

Candle colors – Red or Orange

Conjure for: Taking Action, Crossing, Uncrossing work, Aggression, Cut & Clear work, Law Stay Away, All Battles

—Starr Casas, Old Style Conjure Wisdoms, Workings and Remedies

The Sky This Week: April 5 – 10

Tuesday, April 5
Saturn rises shortly after midnight local daylight time this week and climbs highest in the south just as morning twilight starts to paint the sky. The ringed planet shines at magnitude 0.3 among the much fainter background stars of southern Ophiuchus. A telescope reveals Saturn’s 17″-diameter disk surrounded by a spectacular ring system that spans 40″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight.

Wednesday, April 6
Although Jupiter reached opposition and peak visibility about a month ago (on March 8), it remains a stunning sight from dusk until the start of morning twilight. The giant planet shines at magnitude –2.4 among the background stars of Leo the Lion. Turn a telescope on Jupiter and you will see a 43″-diameter disk with lots of atmospheric detail. The world’s four major moons put on a great show tonight as well. Innermost Io begins to transit Jupiter at 9:52 p.m. EDT, and its shadow follows 40 minutes later. The planet then occults Europa at 10:48 p.m. Next in line is Ganymede, the solar system’s largest moon, which starts to transit the gas giant at 1:01 a.m. At 2:54 a.m., Europa emerges from Jupiter’s shadow about one planet radius east of the limb. The final events occur as Jupiter sinks toward the western horizon. Ganymede’s large shadow first touches the planet’s cloud tops at 3:45 a.m.; then, a half-hour later, the giant moon’s transit ends.

Thursday, April 7
New Moon occurs at 7:24 a.m. EDT. At its New phase, the Moon crosses the sky with the Sun and so remains hidden by our star. Because the Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth, only six hours later (at 1:36 p.m. EDT), residents in coastal areas can expect higher than normal tides for the next few days. At perigee, the center of the Moon lies 221,931 miles (357,163 kilometers) from Earth’s center.

Saturday, April 9
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 even though a crescent Moon also occupies the evening sky. But the Beehive explodes into dozens of stars through binoculars or a small telescope.
Uranus is in conjunction with the Sun at 5 p.m. EDT. From our earthly perspective, this means the distant planet lies behind the Sun and so is out of sight. Uranus will return to view in the morning sky in May.

Sunday, April 10
The waxing crescent Moon appears just above the 1st-magnitude star Aldebaran in this evening’s sky. Binoculars provide the best view of this close conjunction because they also clearly reveal the neighboring Hyades, a V-shaped star cluster that Aldebaran appears to anchor. For residents of the United States, the Moon appears to pass in front of Aldebaran during the afternoon hours, at approximately 6 p.m. EDT (3 p.m. PDT).
 

Source

Astronomy Magazine