Spell for Today – To Dispel Nightmares

What You WIll Need

  • 1 White scarf
  • 4 cloves
  • pinch of basil
  • pinch of ground sage
  • Soothing essential oil such as lavender or vanilla
  • Quill with black ink
  • white ribbon

Lay the scarf out and olace the spices (ground sage, 4 cloves, basil) into the scarf and add 2 drops of oil. Gather the scarf at the top (like a moneybag) and tie it with the ribbon. On the outside of the scarf draw the nightmare that that follow you.

Place the scarf under your pillow and sleep with it there.

Spell for Today – Clear as a Bell

From freewitchspells.com

This is a clarity spell to get rid of misunderstandings and to help make yourself better understood when dealing with certain people.

  • A silver bell
  • Long yellow ribbon
  • Strip of paper

Write the name of the person you are dealing with on the paper. If it’s not really a certain person, you could write “my family” or “the people at work” to help gain some clarity with a certain group in your life.

Fold the paper in half once, and then in half again. Draw a pentacle on the top of the folded paper.

Wrap the yellow ribbon around the handle of the bell as many times as it will go. Ring the bell over the folded paper 7 times. Wait for a few minutes, then ring it again for another 7. After a few days, the person (or people) in your spell will start to listen to what you have to say.

Spell for Today – Herbal Protection Bath

From freewitchspells.com

This spell is intended to add extra protection to you personally, not your home like the two spells above. The exact amounts of the herbs are up to you.

You need:

  • Rosemary
  • Rue
  • Lavender
  • Basil (fresh if possible)
  • Mint
  • A handful of coarse salt

Run a hot bath, and toss in all your herbs and the salt. Let the bath steep for a few minutes before getting in. Sit and soak for a while, visualizing that your body is picking up protective energy from all the herbs in the water.

When you’re done, save a bit of the water and herbs in a bowl and toss it outside.

(SIDE NOTE: Unless you want to get out of your bath with herbs sticking all over you, put each herb in its own bag or put all of them in one bag. Then swish the bags around in the water for a while before you get in it. This will infuse the water with the herbs,)

Spell for Today – Prayer to the Goddess

Spell for Today – Inspiration

A Spell that Has Inspired Many Others

Try this spell, which has worked to the benefit of many, when you feel lacking in inspiration. It is best done on a Saturday during Aquarius, and never when the moon is waning.

Indigo is the colour that lends itself best to this particular piece of magic.

You will need:

A white altar candle
An indigo altar cloth
A book that you find inspirational – for the altar
Items made of aluminium (if none are available cover something
with aluminium foil) – for the altar
A vase of anemones – for the altar
A sprig of sage – for the altar
A hazel twig – for the altar
An indigo taper candle
An amethyst crystal
Light the white candle and pick up the crystal. Squeeze it tightly and visualize motivation slowly developing inside you and flowing into the crystal. Now light the indigo candle and standing to your full height, with your hands above your head, say aloud:

Inspiration light my life,

Motivate and guide my way.

Powers that guide me,

Hear me pray.

And let it be done, that it harm no one.

Focus on inspiration shining on you until the candles have burned down, when you may perform your closing rituals and leave your sacred space.
Source:
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Spells

Spell for Today – Happiness Bottle Spell

Ingredients:

Glass Vial or Jar (Buy Me!)

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Amethyst Chips

Pink Rose Petals (Buy Me!)

1 Olive Leaf

1 Small Peridot

Rose Oil

Gold Essence (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Tightly pack your glass vial or jar with the ingredients in any order that appeals to you, being sure to charge each ingredient for happiness as you add it to the bottle! How do you charge an item? Simply hold the item in your hands and visualize yourself at your absolute happiest, tell the item that you are charging it for happiness, and imagine it surrounded by pink light!
  2. After you’ve added all of the dry ingredients to the bottle, add a few drops of charged rose oil and a drop of the gold essence, which is an optional energy super charger.
  3. Close your bottle and charge the bottle for happiness! You can set parameters on the bottle by visualizing and saying those parameters aloud. We charged ours for happiness within 7 feet of the bottle, because I keep mine in my purse around my desk at work!
  4. Keep your bottle on you or in the space that could use a little happiness!
  5. Be happy!

From PlentifulEarth.com written by Jennifer “Aurora Moone” McDonald

An Invaluable Herbal Grimoire Reference Guide

By Graphia, The Wordsmith Witch

No matter what your spiritual path looks like, every Witch can benefit from possessing a thorough, comprehensive Herbal Grimoire. Many practitioners include such contents as a guide for the magical correspondences of different herbs, a list of various herbal substitutions for spellcrafting, and last, but not least – a reference section that lists commonly found baneful herbs and their toxicity levels.

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

This herb correspondence chart is the culmination of years of research. We hope this reference guide will help you to understand the magical properties of herbs, roots, flowers, barks and resins. It is our goal to provide others with accurate sources of information to enrich their lives and their Craft. What are some ways you can implement the information in the following guide into your own practice?  Click on the link below to view the chart.

Herbal Grimoire

Spell for Today – Confidence – Printable

IMPORTANT Email Change for Lady Beltane

As I will be able to catch up on and pay off a couple of monthly bills in January 2023 I have decided to do an email address connected directly to WOTC.

Lady Beltane new email address starting TODAY – November 16, 2022, is LADYBELTANE@WITCHESOFTHECRAFT.COM.

Please use this email address for all correspondences including WOTC’s School of Witchcraft and reading inquires. All emails will usually be answered within 72 hours.

Spell for Today – Truth Spell – Printable

Spell for Today – Refresh the Soul Spell and Walk Backwards Return Spell

Wednesday is a good day to focus on getting over any slumps you may have. This day is considered the middle of the work week; and many people find themselves very tired by this point. That is why this day is a great day to do refresh, refrain, return, wake-up, and concentration spells. It is, also, another good day for meditation.

Refresh Spells –Refresh the Soul Spell

Items you will need for this spell:

1 bottle of peppermint oil
1 white candle
1 lighter or match
Dress the candle with the peppermint oil, being careful about contact with the skin. Place the candle on a fire-safe surface and light it. Close your eyes for about a minute and just allow yourself to breathe in the peppermint aroma. Open your eyes and say this chant nine times:

“Breathe in, breathe out.
I’m refreshing.
I’m restoring.
I’m feeling revived.
My energy’s soaring.”

Keep breathing in the aroma and close your eyes again. When you are ready, open your eyes and blow out the candle. This should give you a feeling of being refreshed.

Return Spells – Walk Backwards Return Spell

Things you will need:

1 candle (any color)
1 lighter or match
Your body
Place a candle in front of you on a fire-safe surface. Sit or stand in a comfortable position in front of the candle and close your eyes for about three minutes. During the three minutes, think about what you want returned to you and how the item makes you feel. After the three minutes or so, get up and take twelve steps backwards and say this chant three times:

“Backwards walk.
Missing something yearned.
When I turn around,
It will be returned.”

After doing this, turn around three times, clockwise and stop. Now, go blow out the candle, and your item should be returned to you soon.

 

 

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

 

Spell for Today – Psychic Protection Spell

Psychic Protection Spell

This is an ancient spell for repelling psychic attacks. If you believe you are under psychic attack, you will need to follow the directions of this spell closely and repeating the magical words and continuing to recite them until the attack subsides.
The Spell:

You will need:

The magic words
A place for quiet concentration
Privacy (initially)

If you believe you are under psychic attack, repeat the following words and continue to recite them until the attack subsides.

Repeat as follows:

Keeper of the keys, eternal spirit of the moon, I summon thee by the authority of the spirits of darkness and light. Come now and hold back this force, which threatens. Thrust out your mighty hand that none may pass but those proved friend not foe. Grant passage not to those who would do harm, nor allow they suffer upon my mind their evil wills. Keeper of the keys, eternal spirit of the moon, stand fast.

Psychic attacks are normally brief due to their very nature. Only the most powerful of attackers would be able to sustain an enduring attack.

Note: If you find you are under frequent psychic attack, it would behoove you to work several long-lasting protection spells for the warding-off of evil intrusions and for protection of one’s home. The spell for Protection of One’s Mind is an excellent deterrent spell and offers continuous general psychic protection.

Repeating A Spell

REPEATING A SPELL

People often want to cast a spell again to increase the effect. For the most part, spells aren’t cumulative. There’s a danger that in drawing energy toward you as you raise power, you might very well pull the energy you’ve already sent out right back to you.

However, if you plan it ahead of time, you can structure your spell to maintain a sustained flow of energy by spreading it out over a specific number of days.

There are two ways of approaching this. First, you can plan to repeat a spell according to a determined cycle of time such as lunar or solar phase. For example, every third day after the new moon you might do a house cleansing spell, or a spell for inspiration at dawn for nine days, or a spell to increase your courage every Tuesday for a month. Second, you can do a single spell over a series of consecutive days. A spell like this might involve marking seven equal sections on a green candle with your fingernail, then burning one section each night for seven nights, while meditating on improved finances.

The difference between performing spells this way, and just doing it again to increase the effect, is how you think of it. These sequenced spells are deliberately performed one after the other as a unit. The spell is technically not finished until you have performed the specified actions on the last day. In spells such as this, if the sequence is broken, you have to start all over again at the beginning.

Power Spellcraft For Life: The Art Of Crafting And Casting For Positive Change
Ann Murphy-Hiscock

Spells for Today

 

For many, Friday is the last work day of the week. It’s considered the fifth day of the work week and, also, the “cut loose” day. By Friday night, people are out having a party. That makes Friday the perfect day for lust, banish, fast-grant, and find spells. This day is so powerful (energy wise). That’s why whatever you do on this day will, usually, have a strong effect. If you want things out of your life, the darkness and power, associated with this day, bring the energy you need for that. If you need strong, immediate results, this is your day, as well.

Lust Spell – Hair on Stick Lust Spell

Items you will need:

3 strands of hair
1 comb or brush
1 small stick
1 tube of red paint
1 bottle of glue

Spell:

Find a small stick and paint it red. While the paint is drying, comb through your hair and take three strands from your comb or brush. After the paint on the stick is dry, cover the stick in glue. Then, wrap the three strands of hair around the stick and let the glue dry.
Now, say this chant:
“I’ve wrapped up my passion.
I’ve wrapped up my lust.
I’m ready for it to come out.
I’m ready to trust
My desires and my will,
So the Universe can make it real.”
Put the stick under your bed, and your desires should could true.

 

Fast-Grant Spell – Money Grant Quick Spell

Items needed for this spell:

1 quarter
1 sheet of paper
1 pen or pencil

Spell:

Close your eyes and think about how much money you need and how fast you need it. When you are ready, open your eyes. On the left side of the paper, trace around a quarter. Then, trace a quarter on the right side. Draw a line from one quarter to the other.
Say these words:
“Point A,
To point B
Money come fast.
Money come quickly”
Fold up the paper and put it in a coat pocket. Very soon, you should receive some money.

 

 

Find Spells – Help Me Find Spell

Items you will need:

1 small white candle
1 small blue candle
1 lighter or match

Spell:

Set the two candles in front of you, close your eyes and think about what you have lost and how much you want it returned. Light both candles and say this chant three times:
“Blue candle is my love and devotion for ____________.
And how much I need ____________ back,
Safe and sound. _____________ was lost,
But I hope ________________ will be found.
White candle is for _________________’ s safe return,
While heading on my track.”
When you are done, blow out the candles. You may wake-up one morning and be shocked by the return of your lost item.

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

Spell for Today – Cinnamon Money Spell – Printable

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Tuesday

From Ancient Pathway

Magickal Intentions:
Courage, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality, Assertiveness
Incense:
Dragon’s Blood
Patchouli
Planet:
Mars
Sign:
Aries
Scorpio
Angel:
Samuel
Colors:
Red
Orange
Herbs/Plants:
Red Rose
Cock’s Comb
Pine
Daisy
Thyme
Pepper
Stones:
Carnelian
Bloodstone
Ruby
Garnet
Pink Tourmaline

Living Life as The Witch – Protective Measures

Protective Measures

Anyone who performs spells, rituals, hexes or curses would be a fool not to go the extra mile to protect themselves against the same. Thus, the following protection ideas are provided for your convenience.

 

Against the Evil Eye:

Hang dill weed over all windows and doorways in the home.

Wear a blue eye bead for constant personal protection. Hang one from the rearview mirror of your car, as well.

Keep a cimaruta (an Italian talisman sporting multiple symbols) on your altar to stave off interference in your magickal work.

 

Against Nightmares:

Keep a silver bell in your bedroom, and ring it to drive off nightmare-causing evil spirits each night before you go to bed.

A small dish of coffee beans kept by the bed staves off nightmares.

Rosemary plants placed near the bed shield against unpleasant dreams.

 

For Safe Automobile Travel:

Keep a whole ash leaf in the glove box for magickal protection.

Keep a tiger’s eye in the vehicle to protect against accidents.

Hang a mojo bag filled with wormwood and plantain from the rearview mirror to prevent negative spirits from taking on the position of co-pilot.

 

Against Malevolence in the Home:

Once a month, use a sprig of rosemary to asperge all thresholds with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of saltpeter to a gallon of water. Pay attention to the front and back doors.

Place aloe vera plants above the doorway to repel malevolent spirits and nasty magick. Use red geraniums outdoors–if your property allows it, plant them to form a boundary–to keep bewitchments at bay.

Place Fu dog statues–the Asian dogs that look as if they’re part lion–on either side of the front door as “security guards.” It’s said that using a matched pair of male and female is most effective. (The male is usually portrayed playing with a ball.) Raise them off the ground as much as possible, so they can get a clear view of anything coming their way.

As Papa Legha holds the keys to the gates between the worlds and decides who enters and who doesn’t, place his statue behind the front door. (A statue of St. Peter may be substituted,  as he was designated by the enslaved as Papa Legba’s Christian counterpart when it was necessary to hide their religious activities.) Offer him rum every Monday–Barbancourt is a good choice if you can find it–and occasionally, supplement with good cigars, cigarettes, and candy.

 

Against Pet Harm:

As pets take the brunt of any malicious activity aimed toward us, it’s important to safeguard them as well. For dogs, a disc depicting Diana and charged with protection works well when added to any collar. For cats, obtain a disc depicting Bast. If neither is available to you, a St. Francis of Assisi medal will work well for either.

Utterly Wicked, Curses, Hexes & Other Unsavory Notions

By Dorothy Morrison

Spell for Monday/Full Moon – Goddess Spell to Strengthen Your Intuition

By: Beth Johnson (Mystic)
Do this spell on a Monday, during a Full Moon. Gather together two Silver Altar Candles, a Gold Offertory/Purpose Candle, and a Dark Green Astral Candle, because the person is a Capricorn. The candles may be of any of these scents, or any
combination of these aromatherapy scents: Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Lotus, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Thyme, Vetiver. Inscribe an Ankh on the Purpose Candle. Dress the candles with any of these oils or any combination of them: Cinnamon Leaf, Clove
Bud, Cedarwood, Camphor, Lemon Grass, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Sweet Orange. After you have inscribed and dressed your candle, roll it in 7 of these herbs: Almond, Apple, Cedar, Cinnamon, Daisy, Marjoram, Mint, Sage, Thyme. Before lighting these candles, put 7 of these crystals in any combinations, around the candles (if you have enough to put 7 of each, that would be good to): Quartz, Beryl, Jet, Obsidian, Hematite, Gold, Silver, Agate, Amethyst, Bloodstone, Copper, Lead, Moonstone, seashells. These are stones that are a combination of the purpose of the spell and the astrological sign stones for Capricorn.Before you light the candles and begin your spell, cast your circle with visualization. Use a gold outer circle and a silver inner circle. Take a moment to get in touch with your Goddess and re-dedicate yourself to the purpose of this spell. Say this chant to the Goddess 7 times:”Goddess, Lady of Love and Light
Let my thoughts be clear and bright;
Bless my heart and soul this night.”

See the Goddess touching your Third Eye and opening
it. Feel your spirit guides and ancestors around
you, wishing you well, willing to teach you.
Dedicate yourself to using your new insights to
help yourself and others. Know that these psychic
abilities and insights will stay with you and
enrich your life. When the candles burn down,
thank the Goddess, your guides and ancestors, and
tell them goodnight.

About The Author: Beth Johnson, (Mystic) is a student of Sisters In Freya’s Moon, born August 10, 1944, Mystic is the oldest of four children. Her father was a minister (from a long line of Methodist ministers) and her mother taught piano and French. Mystic was born while her father was a chaplain in the Navy, serving on a ship with General MacArthur in the Philippines. His father had been a chaplain in the Army in WWI. Mystic was married for 25 years to a marine and has two children, Kristin and Erik, both married but no grandchildren yet. She is divorced and lives in Saltillo, Mississippi. She is a folk artist and sometimes teach that and fabric painting with dyes. She also teaches Reiki and sometimes basic Tarot. She loves to read, dance barefooted, write poems and spells, do candle magick, make candles, and date her boyfriend Frank.

A Spell for Today – Love Apple Cocktail

 

Love Apple Cocktail

This cocktail is meant to arouse desire. Stir together in a saucepan 2 cups of tomato juice, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of basil, and a dash each of dill and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the mixture for three minutes, then chill it in the refrigerator. Strain the beverage before serving. Dill is powerful enough to bring on proposals of marriage, so if you’re not interested in marriage, you substitute with celery salt!

 

Love Drink

3 cl (~ 0.34 fl oz) of liquor*
The thin peel an juice from 1⁄2 lemon
1 dl (~ 3.4 fl oz) of liquid honey
1 dl (~ 3.4 fl oz) of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
5 tbsp of coriander
5 fennel seeds
a pinch of dried sage
A pinch of dried rosemary
A larger pinch of dried basil
A couple of chopped almonds
A few lavender flowers
A bit of saffron for love and color

Let it soak for at least 1 month, taste, strain and let it rest for 6 months. Bring it up on a cold night an pour it carefully into the glass, so that none of the sediment gets in. Offer your partener a glass and enjoy the effect!!

Source

How To Make Potions & Spells That Really Work: The Beginners Guide To Real Witchcraft
Crafty Witch

 

*Liquor is optional

CIRCLE MAKING THROUGH THE SEASONS

CIRCLE MAKING THROUGH THE SEASONS
By Selena Fox – Copyright 1985
Reprinted with the expressed written permission of Selena Fox/Circle
Sanctuary

Whether you celebrate the Pagan seasonal holidays indoors or outside, alone or
with others, you can enhance the beauty and effectiveness of you Sabbat
ceremonies by decorating your circle with gifts of Nature appropriate to the
season.

Marking the circle space and the four directions on the ground or floor aids in
visualizing the circle of energy that forms in a place during a ritual. Doing
this is very helpful for beginners in ritual, for new groups, and for ecumenical
workings which include people of many paths. Using seasonal decorations to mark
the circle and quarters strengthens the connection of the participants and the
ceremony with Nature and the particular energy of a holiday. For the same
reason, it also is good to have some seasonal decorations on the altar, whether
it is positioned centrally as we do or at some other place in the circle.

When possible, those taking part in a Sabbat ceremony should ritually collect
decorations for the circle from Nature themselves. When collecting plant parts,
be they dried or fresh, from gardens, parks, or the wilds, before you begin, be
sure to honor the Spirits of the Plants and the Spirit of the Place you are
visiting. Pause a few moments, commune with them through silent meditation,
state your need for circle decorations, and ask for their help. Then, let them
intuitively guide you during the gathering process. When you are done, give
thanks for the gifts you have received. Remember that the decorations you gather
are parts of other life-forms here on Planet Earth, rather than non-sentient
things for you to manipulate for your own purposes. Respect Nature Spirits and
they will become you friends and bring special blessings to your seasonal
celebrations.

Spending time in natural settings to collect decorations before a rite can
greatly help you spiritually align yourself to the season. This is especially
important for you to do if you spend a lot of your waking life inside buildings
and traveling around in heavily urbanized areas. However, if circumstances are
such that you cannot gather decorations from Nature for a holiday, you can still
ask Plant Spirits for guidance in your selection process when you shop in the
marketplace.

Once you have obtained the decorations, as you place them in and around your
circle focus on honoring the space, the plants, the season, and the ritual about
to happen. This can be done silently as a meditation or by jubilantly singing
and moving to a seasonal song. For group rituals, outlining the circle is a
wonderful way to get all participants, including children, involved in preparing
for the ritual. The shared experience of creating the space aids in attunement
and in developing a strong group spirit necessary for effective ceremonies. When
everyone is responsible for bringing a particular kind of decoration to outline
a circle, such as pine boughs for Yule, not only does the circle take form with
greater ease, but more importantly, marking out the circle with everyone’s
contributions symbolizes the blending together of the individual energies of
participants into a harmonious whole.

After a seasonal ritual is over, remove decorations from the circle with the
spirit of thanksgiving. These decorations not only embody the energy of the
Nature Spirits worked with during their gathering, but also contain the energy
of the ritual. They have served as ceremonial tools and should be taken away
with respect, not hurriedly swept up and thrown into a trash can. Often, we
return the natural decorations we have used to Mother Earth, letting wildlife
feed on fruits and grains, and mulching the plants in our gardens with flowers
and greens. Decorations also can be placed on personal altars after the ceremony
as reminders of the season or given as healing gifts to friends who were not
able to be present at the ceremony. If they have been energized for a particular
purpose during a ceremony, decorations can also serve as charms.

The suggestions I present here for each holiday are drawn primarily from my own
experiences doing Sabbats with groups of people in these Northlands, and should
be adapted to suit your own circumstances, such as local climate and vegetation
cycles, ceremonial place, number of ritual participants, and type of spiritual
path. I’ve included ideas for outlining the circle space itself, marking the
quarters and decorating a central altar.

SAMHAIN / HALLOWEEN

Outline the circle with dry colored leaves and perhaps some nuts and sprigs of
dried herbs such as curled dock flowers. At each of the four quarters, stand a
shock of dried corn stalks with a lighted carved pumpkin or jack-o-lantern at
the base. On the altar in the center, place a large jack-o-lantern to symbolize
the Spirit of the holiday and the Otherworld, and surround it with acorns,
symbols of rebirth, and with photographs and other mementos of dead friends,
relatives, and ancestors you would like to honor. You might also place a lit
votive candle by mementos of each loved one to represent their Spirit which
lives on.

YULE / WINTER SOLSTICE

Outline the circle with pine cones and freshly cut pine boughs. Set tall red
candles at the four quarters with holly at their bases. In the center, lay a
Yule wreath of evergreens, preferably one you have fashioned yourself. In the
center of the wreath, place a large red candle to represent the reborn Sun.
Place it in a small cauldron, if you have one, to symbolize the Goddess of
Rebirth. Around the outside of the wreath make another circle with sprigs of
mistletoe which can be energized during the rite and later given to participants
and friends to bring blessings to their homes in the New Solar Year. Our
community Yule altar also contains eight red ribbons representing the Wheel of
the Year, eight plates for Sabbat cakes, and personal blessing candles brought
by participants.

IMBOLC / CANDLEMAS

Outline the circle with white votive candles, symbolizing the purification
aspect of this holiday. Place large white candles at each of the quarters and at
the center. Surround the central candle with any early greens and buds that have
appeared in your area, and with sunflower seeds to represent the promise of
renewed life in coming Spring. The seeds can be later set out for wild birds.
White candles also can be set in the center by participants to symbolize self-
purification and spiritual awakening.

OSTARA / SPRING EQUINOX

Outline the circle with any greenery that has appeared already in the Spring,
such as budding willow branches, ground ivy and other herbs. If Winter snows
still abound, which often is the case here in Wisconsin, use a green cord or
green ribbons to form the circle and represent the greening of Spring. You could
also outline the circle with packets of seeds which will later be planted in
gardens. At each of the four quarters, place a green candle. In the center of
the circle, place a basket with brightly colored hard-boiled eggs in it,
representing the Spring Goddess and the resurrection of life. These eggs can be
eaten as part of the rite or later buried in gardens as fertility charms.

BELTANE / MAY DAY

Outline the circle with a variety of flowers and tree blossoms, symbolizing the
blossoming of life. For group ceremonies, have everyone exchange some of the
flowers they bring with other participants before the outlining of the circle
begins. This ancient gesture of friendship aids in group attunement, generates a
festive mood, and strengthens connection with the love energy of the holiday. At
each of the four quarters, place a basket or vase of flowers. In the center, set
a Maypole decorated with brightly colored ribbons to represent the activating
principle of Nature. The ribbons should be an even number of streamers if the
traditional Maypole dance will be done. Otherwise, each participant should tie a
bit of ribbon around the pole to symbolize wishes for personal growth in the
coming Summer. Free-form ecstatic dancing can then be done around the pole to
energize the wishes. After the rite, take flowers to gardens to bless them and
promote fertility.

LITHA / SUMMER SOLSTICE

Outline the circle with candle lanterns or candles set in earth in wide-mouthed
jars. A beautiful and powerful way to create the circle space with these lights
is to have participants carry the candles in a ritual procession at dusk to the
ceremonial spot, circle it several times clockwise, come to a standstill once a
comfortable sized circle is made, and then set them down behind them. This works
very well especially with large groups and it is a part of each year’s opening
ritual at the International Pagan Spirit Gathering we sponsor at Solstice time.
Luminarias, which are candles set in sand in small paper bags, are another
stunning way to create a ring of light for an evening Solstice ceremony.
However, the ring of light is made, torches or large candles work well in the
four quarters. In the center of the circle, kindle a large bonfire of sacred
woods and herbs, if your location permits. You might want to feed the fire as it
rises with the dried wreath from Yule as we do each year to symbolize the peak
of the Solar Year. Otherwise, set a large red candle in the center, and surround
it with oak boughs, yarrow flowers, and other sacred plants of the season
growing in the area.

LUGHNASSAD / LAMMAS

Outline the circle with stalks of wheat or other grains, if available. Or, if
you prefer, make the circle with sprigs of sweet smelling herbs such as mint and
basil, and with wildflowers such as Queen Anne’s Lace and red clover blossoms.
Set baskets of herbs and Summer flowers at the four quarters and in the center,
representing the productiveness of Nature. Also on the central altar, place a
freshly-bakes loaf of bread to symbolize the Spirit of the holiday. The bread
can be shared among participants and with the Earth as a form of communion.

MABON / FALL EQUINOX

Outline the circle with gourds, apples, nuts, and other foods of the season.
Preferably, these are ones grown in your own gardens or in fields in the local
areas. Set a large gourd or pile of fruits and vegetables at each of the
quarters to represent harvest abundance. In the center, place a thanksgiving
cornucopia or cauldron filled to overflowing with offerings of harvest produce
and herbs. Ears of multi-colored Indian corn also are an excellent seasonal
altar decoration. The foods that ring the circle can later be eaten in a Harvest
feast. The central offerings should be returned to the Earth in thanksgiving.

With my thanks to Lady Abyss for this great information first posted this in January 2011