Category: Articles

The Current Moon Phase for Dec. 10th is Waning Crescent

December 10
Waning Crescent
Illumination: 1%

The Moon today is in a Waning Crescent phase. In this phase the Moon’s illumination is growing smaller each day until the New Moon. During this phase the Moon is getting closer to the Sun as viewed from Earth and the night side of the Moon is facing the Earth with only a small edge of the Moon being illuminated. This phase is best viewed an hour or 2 before the sunrise and can be quite beautiful if you’re willing to get up early. It can also be a great time to see the features of the Moon’s surface. Along the edge where the illuminated portion meets the dark side, the craters and mountains cast long shadows making them easier to observe with a telescope or binoculars.

Phase Details for – Thursday, December 10, 2015

Phase: Waning Crescent
Illumination: 1%
Moon Age: 28.62 days
Moon Angle: 0.50
Moon Distance: 395,606.76 km
Sun Angle: 0.54
Sun Distance: 147,315,205.18 km

The Witches Magick for Thursday, December 10th – A Little Pick-Me-Up for the End of Your Day, An Energy Elixir

FANTASY

ENERGY ELIXIR

 

If you’re like most people, you hit a slump late in the afternoon. When you need a quick pick-me-up that’s all natural and caffeine and sugar free, drink this magick Energy Elixir to boost your vitality and clear your mind.

 

INGREDIENTS/ TOOLS:

A clear glass jar with a lid

A small piece of rutilated quartz crystal

Spring water

A few drops of essential oil of peppermint or spearmint

A few drops of essential oil of lemon

A few drops of essential oil of sweet orange

The Strength card from a tarot deck

 

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

Any time

Collect the ingredients needed for this spell. Wash the jar and the quartz crystal with mild soap and water, and let them dry. Cast a circle around the area where you will do your spell.

Fill the jar with spring water. Add the essential oils, then the crystal. Cap the jar and shake it three times to charge it.

Lay the Strength card face up on your altar, table, or another surface. Set the jar on the card and leave it for at least ten minutes, so the water can absorb the energy of the image.

Remove the crystal, with your fingers, spoon, or tongs. Open the circle. Sip this supercharged elixir whenever you need an energy boost.

 

 

–Skye Alexander, The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, and Spells

 

Let’s Talk Witch – NEVER

Blue Dragons At The Castle

NEVER

 

One of the best parts of being a Witch is that there are hardly any rules. You gotta love that. Really, we only have one: An it harm none, do as ye will. So pretty much as long as what you do doesn’t hurt anyone (including yourself), it’s cool.

But there are a few things that are considered to be serious no-noes in the witchy world. They may not get you sent to hell (since Witches don’t actually believe in hell, the devil, or, for that matter, sin), but they could get you severely scolded by your witchy friends. (Or, worse yet, get your butt kicked by the karma police.)

So as you make your way through your day, keep in mind that you should NEVER, EVER:

• Cast a spell that will hurt anyone (see Rule #i, above).

• Cast a spell that interferes with another person’s free will (even if you are sure it will help them).

• “Out” someone as a Witch without asking them first-if you don’t know whether or not someone is out of the broom closet, do not mention their witchiness to anyone.

• Tell outsiders what goes on in your group rituals (unless it is okay with all members).

• Break circle during a ritual (this can scatter or burst the gathered energy with unpleasant effects). If it is necessary to leave mid-ritual, you should be “cut” out of circle.

• Pick up someone else’s witchy tools (athame, tarot cards, drums, etc.) without asking first. These tools become attuned to their user’s energy with repeated use, and some Witches don’t like to have their own energy diluted or contaminated by someone else’s.

• Cast a spell to make someone else love you. Not only does this interfere with free will, but it is likely to come back and bite you on the butt eventually. Seriously-I know it can be tempting, but just don’t do it. (You can cast a spell to make yourself open to love instead, which will only affect you, so it is okay.)

• Force someone to take part in a ritual or any other aspect of witchy life if they don’t want to. If your friends, relatives, or co-workers are meant to be Pagans, they’ll come to you when the time is right and they are ready. We want others to respect our spiritual beliefs-that means we have to do the same. (This is especially true for significant others. We all want to share our lives with someone who believes as we do, but sometimes we just have to settle for tolerance instead of agreement.)

• Talk to outsiders about a confidence shared with you in circle. We have a saying: “What’s said in circle stays in circle.” (Yeah, I know, those Vegas people stole it from us.) People need to know that if they bare their souls while passing the speaking stick-or at any other point during ritual-that whatever they talk about will stay in the safe space of circle and not show up as gossip in the outside world.

There are probably a few more that I am forgetting, but these are the biggies. Avoid these “nevers” and do harm to none, and you can practice your craft with a clear conscience and a happy heart.

–Deborah Blake, Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Informative Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft

 

Just Because We Are All Witches Here – Recipe for a Hot Toddy(Whether Your Sick or Not!)

Dream of Dragons

Recipe for a Hot Toddy

(Whether Your Sick or Not!)

 

This was my Daddy’s remedy and I wanted to add it. He kept a bottle of this made up and if we got sick we got a dose and had to go to bed.

2 peppermint candies

Half of squeezed lemon

A gulp of Honey

A shot glass of whiskey

He would heat it up and we had to drink it. There was no money to go to the doctor.

 

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

 

Celebrating 365 Days of Legends, Folklore & Spirituality for December 10th – Lux Mundi, Liberty

dragons

December 10th

Lux Mundi, Liberty

 

December 10 was the Roman feast of Lux Mundi, the Light of the World. It was also on this day in 1793 that the French actress Mille Maillard was selected to personify the Goddess of Liberty. She was brought to Notre Dame and seated on the altar, where she was handed a lighted candle to signify liberty and the Light of the World.

According to the Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry (Tusser, 1573), this was the time that proper folk lay in stocks of firewood and made jumble-biscuits.

The 17th-century Fairfax Household Book reveals:

To make the jumble-biscuits, take twelve yolks of eggs and five whites, a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, three-quarters of an ounce of mace finely beaten, a little salt, half an ounce of aniseeds, and half an ounce of caraway seeds. Mix all of this together with as much flour as will work it up into paste, and so mold it into rings or knots. Bake the biscuits until hard and serve forth with spiced wine.

 

Home & Hearth Magick for Thursday, December 10th

My Darkside

Home & Hearth Magick for Thursday, December 10th

 

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

Planetary Influences: Jupiter

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

Color: Green and royal blue

Kitchen Spices: Sage and nutmeg

 

Source:

Cottage Witchery

Natural Magick for Hearth and Home

Author Ellen Dugan

 

The Witches Correspondences for Thursday, December 10th

Game of Life

The Witches Correspondences for Thursday, December 10th

 

Thursday (Thor’s day)

Planet: Jupiter

Colors: Purple, Deep Blue

Crystals: Amethyst, Lepidolite, Sugilite, Tin

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

Herb: Cinquefoil

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

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

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

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

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

 

The Witches Almanac for Thursday, December 10th

fire mountain

The Witches Almanac for Thursday, December 10th

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

Nobel Day

 

Waning Moon

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

Moon phase: Fourth Quarter

Moon Sign: Sagittarius

Sagittarius: Encourages flights of imagination and confidence. This is an adventurous, philosophical, and athletic Moon sign. Favors expansion and growth.

Incense: Myrrh

Color: Purple

 

Thursday’s Witchery

Magic

Thursday’s Witchery

 

Today is the day for prosperity work of all kinds. It can also be used for healing work, whether that is a physical healing of an illness or an emotional healing. Also remember that you have to follow up your healing work and prosperity magick and physical action.

I can’t tell you the number of times I have met new witches who complain to me that their prosperity spell or “I need a better job” spell did not work as they expected. They’ll ramble on and on about how much time and money they spent working their magick….but, alas, they had no glorious manifestion of wealth or fabulous job that suddenly dropped out of the sky and landed in their laps.

Then, when I gently ask them, “Did you enchant your resume or application when you filled it out? Did you do a little confidence-boosting spellwork when you went to apply for the job or went to the interview?” typically they give me a blank, confused stare.

Nine times out of ten, their response is, “You mean I have to go out and actually look for the job too?” Um, yes, my dear, you certainly do. Magick follows the path of least resistance, which means it’s going to manifest along the simplest, quickest route. Get out there and hit the pavement. See what you can find. Times are tough and competition for good jobs is fierce, so you need whatever edge you can get. For folks like us, we’re going to get the edge by using our magick and our spellcraft.

Thursdays have such a rich source of magick for us to draw upon that, honestly, the sky is the limit. This is the day associated with the gods of the sky and heavens, after all. Get to know these deities and add their wisdom and magick into your days

 

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

Ellen Dugan

 

Thursday

to infinity and beyond:queen of dragons

Thursday

Jupiter’s (Thor’s) day

 

The name is derived from Old English and Middle English Thuresday (with loss of -n-, first in northern dialects, from influence of Old Norse Þorsdagr) meaning “Thor’s Day”. Thunor, Donar (German, Donnerstag) and Thor are derived from the name of the Germanic god of thunder, Thunraz, equivalent to Jupiter in the interpretatio romana.

In most Romance languages, the day is named after the Roman god Jupiter, who was the god of sky and thunder. In Latin, the day was known as Iovis Dies, “Jupiter’s Day”. In Latin, the genitive or possessive case of Jupiter was Iovis/Jovis and thus in most Romance languages it became the word for Thursday: Italian giovedì, Spanish jueves, French jeudi, Sardinian jòvia, Catalan dijous, and Romanian joi. This is also reflected in the p-Celtic Welsh dydd Iau.

The astrological and astronomical sign of the planet Jupiter is sometimes used to represent Thursday.

Since the Roman god Jupiter was identified with Thunor (Norse Thor in northern Europe), most Germanic languages name the day after this god: Torsdag in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, Hósdagur/Tórsdagur in Faroese, Donnerstag in German or Donderdag in Dutch. Finnish and Northern Sami, both non-Germanic (Uralic) languages, uses the borrowing “Torstai” and “Duorastat”. In the extinct Polabian Slavic language, it was perundan, Perun being the Slavic equivalent of Thor.

There are a number of modern names imitating the naming of Thursday after an equivalent of “Jupiter” in local tradition. In most of the languages of India, the word for Thursday is Guruvar- var meaning day and guru being the style for Bṛhaspati, guru to the gods and regent of the planet Jupiter. In Thai, the word is Wan Pharuehatsabodi—referring to the Hindu deity Bṛhaspati, also associated with Jupiter. En was an old Illyrian deity and in his honor in the Albanian language Thursday is called “Enjte”. In the Nahuatl language, Thursday is Tezcatlipotōnal meaning “day of Tezcatlipoca”.

 

Merry Meet & A Very Blessed Thursday Morning To All Our Dear Brothers & Sisters of the Craft!

Dragons:magic forest

An it Harm None

 

This world would be a better place,

If everyone believed,

The pagan rule of bring no harm,

To those who live and breath,

But that’s an idealogoly,

That can never be fulfilled,

For religions all around the world,

Bear other faiths I’ll will.

 

 

They all say they are peaceful,

They say their God is right,

They say that if you don’t believe,

You should forfeit your life,

Just look back at history,

And even here today,

Religion is not peaceful,

No matter to whom you pray.

 

 

A world without religion?

That’s never going to be,

For faiths will fight to put their God,

On the pinnacle of the tree,

And if there’s no religion,

What then will man fight for?

For man must fight for something,

He must always be at war.

 

 

You know my friends, it seems to me,

That whatever you believe,

We only want to live in peace,

But that will never be,

For God will be on both sides,

Fighting against himself,

And we are mere pawns in His game,

His game of cat and mouse.

 

 

But we could thwart His little game,

If we only had the will,

To turn our back on evil things,

And bear no one I’ll will,

Following the pagan way,

With nature we’d be one,

And we would praise the morning dew,

And the setting of the sun.

 

–Alan Faraway, Pagan Ways

 

Want More Information on Becoming a Witch?

If you are interested in doing lessons on the basics of Witchcraft go to WOTC sister site http://covenlife.co/ . I mentor people who want more information on how to become a witch for both sites. I am always happy to try to answer questions about The Craft in general also. If you want to email me questions please send them to ladybeltane@aol.com. You can read my bio on there and decide if I might be able to help you in any way. There is no cost for the lessons but it would be nice if you could donate a little something to Witches of The Craft to help us keep both sites going.

I will also try to answer questions for those doing papers on Witchcraft for a regular school assignment.

I do not to spells for individuals, so please do not ask me to, but I will teach you the basics of The Craft so you know how to properly do them yourself.

To Make A Charm for Control

A Charm for Protection and Control

Special Tools:
• One red candle, One white candle, A small piece of white paper, Protection oil (pre-made or homemade), Ink pen, Red ribbon
Cast the circle. Set a white candle alight on the left to represent the Goddess and a red candle alight on the right to represent the God. Place materials for the charm between the candles. Using the protection oil, with the index finger of the right hand, draw a pentagram in the middle of the paper while saying:

“With the seal of this pentagram I request this charm be used for protection and authority over those I am with today.”

Using a pen, in the center of the oil-drawn pentagram, draw the rune Algiz, (the rune of protection). Say:

“With this rune, Algiz, I request this charm be used for protection and control over all I do”.

Now seal it but If you’re doing the ritual for someone else, hand him/her the piece of paper and tell him/her to concentrate on the rune and what it means and ask aloud for what you want. Then to seal those energies into the charm, tell him or her:

“When you are ready, roll the paper up tightly, lengthwise and give it back to me.”

When the charm is handed back it is wrapped three times with a red ribbon sealed with wax dripped onto it (use a ring or seal if you have one or draw a symbol like the 3 pointed star in the hot wax pool to seal and then tie the ribbon into a bow. Consecrate the charm with an element of the God, fire, and an element of the Goddess, air (the smoke from the candles). Hold the charm over the red candle of the God and say, “I consecrate you in fire for (name) so that he/she can defend and protect him/herself/ myself with the powers he/she/ I has (have). Hold the charm in the smoke of the white candle of the Goddess and say:

“I consecrate you in air for (name) so that he/she I can defend and protect him/herself or self with the powers he/she (I) has (have).”

Tightly clasp the charm in both hands, the right hand around the charm and the left over your right. Concentrate on the charms task. Seal the left end of the charm with white wax and right end with red wax. The charm is complete and given to the intended person or kept by you if you make it for yourself. Close the circle.

Turquoise Protection Amulet

TURQUOISE PROTECTION AMULET

The ancients regarded turquoise as a powerful magical aid to ward off misfortune, illness, and the evil eye. You can use turquoise to make your own amulet for protection.

To begin, during the waxing Moon take a piece of blue turquoise or an item of blue turquoise jewelry and hold it in your hand for a moment. In your mind’s eye, picture a blue light surrounding you. Hold the stone to your heart, and breathe on it to charge it with your power, saying:

“Stone of blue, surround me with protective energy.

I am protected by your soothing blue light.”

Carry your turquoise with you or wear it as often as you can. Handle it frequently to keep the spell active.

The Cauldron and the Knife Spell

THE CAULDRON AND THE KNIFE

Just before going to bed, fill a cauldron (or iron bucket, bowl or pot) with water and place it inside your house near the front door. Take a very sharp knife or Athame and place it point-down into the water, saying:

“Into the water I place this blade,

To guard against the thief and shade.

May no flesh nor astral shell

Enter this place wherein I dwell”

This is a good protection spell, and can be performed every evening. In the morning, remove and dry the knife, and place it somewhere safe. Then, without touching it, pour the water outside, (or down the drain if necessary) and put the cauldron away. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to do this spell if you’re expecting company, as it could be dangerous (and wet). You can do this at each door if desired, and protects against more than corporeal forms.

Protection from Harm Ointment

PROTECTION FROM HARM OINTMENT

You will need:

• 2 parts Mallow (not Marshmallow Root)

• 2 parts Rosemary

• 1 part Vervain
For the base of ointment with shortening, follow these directions:

Melt 4 parts shortening over low heat until liquefied.

Watch that it doesn’t burn. Add one part dried herbal mixture (which would be all of the herbs listed above). Blend with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.

Continue heating until the shortening has extracted the scent.

You should be able to smell it in the air.

Strain through a cheesecloth into a heat-proof jar, a canning jar would be perfect for this. Add 1/2 tsp. tincture of benzoin (can be found at an herb store or drug store) to each pint of ointment as a natural preservative. Store in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator.

Ointments will last for weeks or months. Discard any that turn moldy, and make a fresh batch. Rub onto the body and to drive out negative influences and to keep them far from you.