Category: Daily Posts
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Hekate or Hecate
From wytchymystique.com
Her Story:
Hecate is one of the triple goddesses, often depicted in art as a single body with three heads. She is the goddess of witchcraft; the moon; the spirit realm; nature and night visions; considered protectress of the Witches. She also protects women in childbirth, is the guardian of the spirit world, and “Queen of the Crossroads”– a place of dark magic, spiritual wisdom, and terrible power.
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The moon’s shadow fell as a pattern on the dirt road beneath the trees. The young woman’s cloak hid her face as she leaned on her knees to dig a small hole, depositing a knotted scarf holding herbs and stones, a tiny carved image, and her menstrual blood. Her lips moved silently as she invoked the presence of Hecate.
As the young woman covered her sacred bundle with earth and rose from her knees, the sound of a hound baying at the moon echoed in the distance. The breeze picked up, moving the tree limbs above, shifting the shadows on the road into eerie patterns. A chill ran up the woman’s spine, and she gathered her cloak more tightly about her shoulders, shivering with the knowledge that the great goddess Hecate was moving through the crossroads.
Embracing the Goddess:
Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. So often women are under the impression that someone else is responsible for their protection, but this isn’t true. We’re responsible for protecting ourselves, and sometimes this can mean making difficult decisions.
Hecate’s correspondences:
Herbs: garlic, lavender, honey
Animal: dog
Color: purple
Planet: Jupiter
Day: Thursday
Element: Earth
Feminine Face: Crone
Symbols: a torch; a dagger; the crossroads;
the moon; the serpent; fire
Goddess Of The Day – ODUDUA
ODUDUA
Kwanza (African-American)
Themes: Kinship; Unity; Devotion; Creativity; Community; Love; Fertility
Symbols: Black Items
About Odudua:
In the beginning, Odudua created the earth and its people. In Yoruban tradition, she presides over all matters of fertility, love, and community. Her sacred color is black.
To Do Today:
This African American festival celebrates family unity and the black culture. It is also a harvest festival whose name means “first fruits.” Every day of the celebration focuses on important themes including Odudua’s harmony, determination, community responsibility, purpose, creativity, and faith.
One lovely tradition easily adapted is that of candle lighting. Each day of the festival, light one red, green, or black candle (the colors of Africa). Name the candle after one of Odudua’s attributes you wish to develop (try to choose the color that most closely corresponds to your goal). Igniting it gives energy and visual manifestation to that principle. Also try to keep one black candle lit ( in a safe container) to honor the goddess’s presence during this time.
To inspire Odudua’s peaceful love in your heart and life today, wear something black. This will absorb the negativity around you and put it to rest.
By Patricia Telesco
Hecate: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, Myth & Offerings
Click here to read more about Hecate from spells8.com
A mysterious Greek deity, Hecate lives in the corners of the Greek mythos. A goddess of crossroads, magic, poison, and the undead, Hecate was also the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria, according to Hesiod.
Hecate’s name (Greek: Hekate, Latin: Hecate) means far-reaching one, and hints at this goddess’s wide influence over a variety of earthly and supernatural affairs. Some scholars suggest that this name ties her closely with the goddess Artemis, and that Hecate might actually be a shadowy aspect of Artemis.
Who is Hecate? …
Working with Hecate …
Myth of Hecate …
Hecate as Goddess of the Underworld …
Greek Goddess of Magic …
Symbols of Hecate …
Epithets and Names of Hecate …
How to Worship Hecate …
Hecate Correspondences …
Hecate Offerings …
Invocations and Prayers
Goddess Hecate Spells …
Hecate Ritual …
A Thought for Today
(Side Note: There are fewer posts today because I was tired yesterday and honestly did not feel like working today. See post about my semi-days off coming up for a more detailed explanation.)
Does this poem describe you? I have to say being born on a Thursday I have for many parts of my life thought I was constantly walking uphill never to reach my goals.
Monday’s Child Poem: Your Child’s Personality by Day of the Week
Will your child be fair, graceful, or woeful? Is your baby a Monday’s child? Tradition holds that you can predict your child’s temperament based on the day of the week they were born. Enter the Monday’s Child Poem.
Fortune telling rhymes based on the weekday of birth originated in England around the 1500s. Many superstitions existed regarding the days of the week. The fortunes, personalities, and temperaments of children were considered regulated by their weekday of birth.
What Day of the Week was your Child Born?
Find your child’s weekday of birth with our handy online calculator.
Monday’s Child Nursery Rhyme
Monday’s child is fair of face
Tuesday’s child is full of grace
Wednesday’s child is full of woe
Thursday’s child has far to go
Friday’s child is loving and giving
Saturday’s child works hard for his living
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
Monday’s Child poem is an old English nursery rhyme poem first recorded in 1838 Traditions of Devonshire. Numerous versions of the poem exist, with both positive and negative connotations associated with each day.
Rather than a literal interpretation, the Monday’s Child poem is best used as a song to help young children learn the days of the week.
Click here to download a pdf printable of The Monday’s Child Nursery Rhyme.
Various Interpretations and Meanings of Monday’s Child
The Woodcutter Family in the 2002 book Enchanted by Alethea Kontis centers around sisters named for each day of the week based on click here to read the rest of this article
Uraeus – Sacred Emblem That Symbolized Sovereignty, Royalty, Deity And Divine Authority In The Land Of Pharaohs
The king wore the Uraeus on a wreath or on his crown during the Middle Kingdom. It symbolized legitimacy to the ruler and was represented by a rearing cobra with an inflated hood.
It is also of great importance to certain symbols how they are placed. Therefore, the vertical positioning and higher elevation of the emblem – in this case, that of Uraeus, means – spiritual superiority.
Generally, the emblem of Uraeus (from the Greek: ‘Ouraios – at its end“), is a stylized, simple form of the Egyptian cobra, symbolizing sovereignty, royalty, deity, and divine authority in Ancient Egypt.
The Pharaohs wore it as a head ornament: either with the body of the goddess Wadjet on top of the head or as a crown encircling the head. It indicated the protection of Wadjet and strengthened the pharaoh’s claim to the country. While placed on the Pharaoh’s head, the Uraeus was part of the ruler’s crown.
The Uraeus of Egyptian rulers, positioned on the forehead, expressed the spiritualization of the inner force, the importance of which is significant in Tantrist Yoga.
As worn on the head, this powerful object dates back to the tradition of the tribes in ancient Libya. Still, in ancient Egypt, the Uraeus’s power focused on the Pharao, giving him protection.
In myths, the snake had many associations with great mythological symbols like the Eye of Ra, the Eye of Horus, and the crown of Lower Egypt. Its importance is associated with the Sun God, Ra, and its omnipotence. The emblem was Ra’s guardian, always ready to spit poison at his enemies.
Uraeus And Close Associations With Goddesses
The Uraeus was also associated with Hathor, Bastet, Sakhmet, Tefnut, and sometimes Nekhbet of Upper Egypt, which we know as the vulture goddess usually depicted as a cobra.
The Uraeus was a hieroglyphic sign for “Goddess,” derived from the Serpent Mother, one of Egypt’s oldest deities, known as Uatchet, Uachit, or Ua Zit. The Greeks recognized her as Buto (‘the Green One‘) due to her connection to the sacred city Per Uto. Uto was the patron goddess of Lower Egypt and the counterpart of the Upper-Egyptian goddess Nekhbet.
And again, Uto and the vulture Goddess Nekhbet represented cycles of birth and death and beginning and ending.
The goddess Wadjet, one of the earliest Egyptian deities who protected Lower Egypt was depicted as a ‘Cobra-Uraeus,’ and also, Isis gained the throne of Egypt for her husband, Osiris with this sacred emblem.
Without any doubt, the Uraeus symbolizes the raised serpent. It’s worth noting that the Kundalini is often depicted as a serpent that is the universal symbol of strength transformed into spirit or an aspect of power.
Juan Eduardo Cirlot Laporta, Spanish poet, art critic, and mythologist, wrote that Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961) suggested that the Egyptian Uraeus is the visible expression of the Kundalini on a higher plane.
The Uraeus is the most precious ornament of the royal headdress, and its use as a royal symbol dates back to the most ancient representations of the ruler in ancient Egypt. Although it is not displayed on every image of a pharaoh, especially in Egypt’s early dynasties, it remains omnipresent until Roman times.
The Uraeus’s appearance changed with time. Its markings and design varied considerably during the three thousand years of use in the Land of the Pharaohs.
However, the emblem’s primary form of an erect cobra with an extended hood never changed or was modified.
It was often worn on the foreheads of deities and rulers in the position of the “third eye” of insight, and thus, it stood for royal spirit, healing, and wisdom.
Written by – A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
A Laugh for Today – Funny Headlines
From Reader’s Digest
FUNNY HEADLINE
Headline from the Seattle PostIntelligencer: “Mom Warns Son to ‘Watch Out for Idiots,’ Rear‑Ends His Motorcycle.”
DOLPHIN SPY THRILLERS
A few months ago, Hamas “arrested” a dolphin for being an Israeli spy. Readers of Reason magazine came up with titles for the film this action might inspire: • Orcapussy…
PLOTTING YOUR AFTERLIFE
Spotted in the classifieds: “For sale: cemetery plot, $200, so I don’t have to spend all eternity beside my ex!” Anthony Cialella, New Castle, Pennsylvania
A New Daily Post – God of the Day – Ra
Ra – Sun God
The ancient Egyptians revered Ra as the god who created everything. Also known as the Sun God, Ra was a powerful deity and a central god of the Egyptian pantheon. The ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra more than any other god and pharaohs often connected themselves with Ra in their efforts to be seen as the earthly embodiment of the Sun God.
Who is Ra?
Ra (pronounced ray) represents sunlight, warmth and growth. It was only natural that the ancient Egyptians would believe him to be the creator of the world, as well as part of him being represented in every other god. The ancient Egyptians believed that every god should illustrate some aspect of him, while Ra himself should also represent every god.
Ra’s Appearance
Ra was usually depicted in human form. He had a falcon head which is crowned with a sun disc. This sun disc was encircled by a sacred cobra named Uraeus. Ra has also been depicted as a man with the head of a beetle and also a human man with the head of a ram. The ancients also depicted Ra in full species form such as a serpent, heron, bull, lion, cat, ram, hawk, beetle, phoenix and others. His main symbol, however, is the sun disk.
Ra Mythology
The ancient Egyptians believed that as the sun god, Ra’s role was to sail across the heavens during the day in his boat called the “Barque of Millions of Years.” In the morning when Ra emerged from the east, his boat was named, “Madjet” which meant “becoming strong.” By the end of the day the boat was called, “Semektet” which meant “becoming weak.” At the end of the day, it was believed that Ra died (swallowed by Nut) and sailed on to the underworld, leaving the moon in his place to light up the world. Ra was reborn at dawn the very next day. During his journey across the heavens during the day, he fought with his main enemy, an evil serpent named Apep, or also, The Lord of Chaos. In some stories, Ra, in the form of a cat named Mau, defeats the evil serpent, Apep. This is part of the reason why cats are so highly-revered in Egypt.
Ra created himself from the primordial chaos. He is also known as Re and Atum. His children are Shu, the God of Dry Air and Father of the Sky, and his twin sister Tefnut, the Goddess of Moisture and Wetness. As a lion-headed goddess, Tefnut is responsible for dew and freshness. Humans were created from Ra’s tears.
Although Ra was highly revered and devoutly worshiped by the ancient Egyptians, there is a story to suggest he eventually grew weak. In the Legend of Ra, Isis and the Snake, as Ra grew old, he dribbled saliva. Isis knew that Ra’s power was hidden in his secret name. Isis gathered Ra’s saliva and created a snake out of it. She set the snake in Ra’s path and it bit him. Isis wanted the power Ra had always enjoyed, but she knew she had to get him to tell her his secret name. Eventually, because of the pain he was in, Ra allowed Isis to “search through him” and in so doing, she healed him and Ra’s power was transferred over to her.
The Tree of Life is an important religious symbol to the Egyptians. The Tree of Life was located within Ra’s sun temple in Heliopolis and was considered sacred. The fruit that sprang from this tree was not available to humans, but only in aging-rituals reserved for pharaohs. The Tree of Life is also referred to as the mythical, sacred Ished tree. Eternal life came to those who ate the fruit from the Tree of Life.
Another important ancient Egyptian symbol connected to Ra is the “Bennu”. Bennu is the name of the bird that represented Ra’s soul. This bird is a phoenix and it was seated at the Tree of Life in Ra’s Sun Temple in Heliopolis. Inside the temple, on top of an obelisk, sat the Benben Stone. This pyramid-shaped stone served as a beacon to Bennu and is also an important ancient Egyptian religious symbol.
Worship of the Sun God
Solar temples were built for Ra but did not contain a statue of the god. Instead, they were created to be open to the sunlight that Ra represented. The earliest known temple built in honor of Ra exists in Heliopolis (what is now a Cairo suburb). This solar temple is known as “Benu-Phoenix” and is believed to have been erected in the exact spot where Ra emerged into creation.
Although Ra dates back to the second dynasty, he is not the oldest of the Egyptian gods. It wasn’t until the fifth dynasty that Ra became closely associated with the pharaoh. As the king and leader of Egypt, the pharaoh was seen as the human manifestation of Horus, so the two gods became connected. This new deity fusion was then referred to as “Ra-Horakhty” meaning Ra is Horus of the Horizon. Ra’s relationship with other gods did not stop there. As the powerful creator of mankind and the sun god, he also became associated with Atum to make “Atum-Ra.”
Fifth Dynasty and subsequent pharaohs were all known as “The son of Ra” and Ra became incorporated into every pharaoh’s name from then onward. During the Middle Kingdom, the new deity, Amun-Ra was formed. Amun was one of the gods who formed the Ogdoad (the assembly of eight gods who represented eight elements of creation).
The New Kingdom brought new heights of worship to Ra. Many tombs in the Valley of the Kings portray depictions of Ra and his journey through the underworld. During this time, many solar temples were built.
Eye of Ra
Present in the ancient Egyptian mythology is the Eye of Ra, shown as the sun disk with two ‘uraeus’ cobras coiled around it, next to the white and red crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. Initially associated with Horus (similarly to the wadjet, the Eye of Horus), the Eye of Ra shifted positions in the myths, becoming both an extension of Ra’s power and a separate entity altogether.
Click here to learn more about The Eye of Ra
Ra God Facts
The ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra to such an extent above other gods that some historians have argued that ancient Egyptian religion was indeed a monotheistic one with Ra as the singular god.
Historians believe that the pyramids might represent rays of sunlight, further connecting the pharaohs with Ra, the sun god.
During Ra’s journey through the heavens he was accompanied by several other gods including Thoth, Horus, Hathor, Maat, Abtu, and Anet.
Nut, goddess of the sky and heavens, is sometimes referred to as Ra’s mother, because he emerges from her and is reborn every morning.
The morning manifestation of Ra is known as “Khepri the scarab God.”
The evening manifestation of Ra is known as the ram-headed god, Khnum.
The sacred cobra that encircled Ra’s crown symbolized royalty, sovereignty and divine authority.
The right eye of Ra represented the Sun; while the left eye of Ra represented the moon.
Ra is also closely associated with the Tree of Life myth, the Ben-Ben Stone and the Bennu Bird myths.
Ra’s glory came to an end during the time when the Roman’s conquered Egypt in 30BC.
Witchcraft Symbols, Terms and Definitions – Ouroboros
From symbolsandmeanings.net
Rich with cultural significance and religious meaning, the ouroboros symbol embodies rebirth, eternity, self-reliance, immortality, and nature’s cyclic character. Commonly known as “the snake eating itself”, the ouroboros is among the most prominent ancient symbols found in the history of different cultures, religions and civilizations.
One surely does wonder how a single symbol managed to endure the test of time and make its mark on so many civilizations and cultural beliefs.
Let us get right into it and have a closer look at its meaning, symbolism, origin and uses throughout history.
Ancient Egyptian Tombs: The First Appearance of The Ouroboros Symbol
The ouroboros first appeared on a golden shrine in King Tut’s (Tutankhamen) tomb in Egypt in the 13th century BC. The tombs featured two ouroboroi engraved on the gilded shrine along with some strange text. These ouroboroi appeared as serpents wrapped around the head and feet of a mummified figure, which is believed to have been King Tut himself, or the sun god Ra, or perhaps an amalgamation of both.
According to expert Egyptologists, the symbol was to “refer to the mystery of cyclical time, which flows back to itself”. Since the ancient Egyptians saw time as repetitive, constantly evolving cycles instead of a linear path, the ouroboros represented the immortality of human beings and its interconnection to nature’s cycles.
Ouroboros Meaning and Symbolism
The ouroboros symbol has appeared on temples, ancient artifacts, tombs, and artwork throughout history. Pronounced as ‘oo.ruh.bo.ruhs’, this symbol represents how everything in this universe is interconnected, going back to nature and becoming one with it once again after death. The unbroken circle of the snake eating itself represents universal unity, rebirth, and renewal through death.
The term ouroboros is derived from two ancient Greek words – ‘oura’ and ‘boros’. ‘Oura’ refers to tail while ‘boros’ means eating. When we combine the two words, it results in the meaning ‘he that eats his own tail’ or even just simply ‘tail eater’.
Believed to be based on serpents shedding their skin to make place for a new one, the ouroboros is an ancient symbol of eternal life and infinite growth. Although historians are unsure of the exact origins of the ouroboros symbol, it is believed to be inspired by snakes, serpents, and lizards that curl up to protect themselves.
With numerous different interpretations, some claim it represents the cycle of life and death, with the universe remaining central to it all. Others believe it represents the recreation of life through death or even the rebirth of the dead to reach an immortal state.
Snake Eating Itself: Association with Ancient Mythology and Civilizations
Being one of the most popular ancient symbols, the ouroboros has appeared throughout history in different ancient civilizations and cultures. Like the ever-rising sun, this symbol is believed to have gone through its own journey from Egypt to the ancient Greek alchemists and eventually making its way to the modern era.
After being featured predominantly in Egyptian civilization, the ouroboros slithered out to ancient Greek mythology through the Phoenician culture, where it received a new representation.
Greek Philosophy
For Plato, the ouroboros represented self-reliance and showed a perfect being that needed nothing but itself. He further believed the symbol showed a dark side with self-destruction and the tendency to devour itself.
Historians also draw a parallel between the ouroboros and the Greek myth about Sisyphus. According to the myth, Zeus punishes Sisyphus by making him roll a boulder up a hill. As soon as he gets to the top, the boulder inevitably falls back down, and he has to roll it up once again.
Ancient Romans
The ouroboros symbolized infinity for the Romans. They also associated the symbol with the god Saturn who controlled the cycles of each year. Roman philosophy states that Saturn connected each year to the next, forming an endless loop that is depicted by the snake eating its own tail.
Norse Mythology: Manuscripts and Jörmungandr
Vikings told stories of a giant serpent called Jörmungandr, who guarded Midgard (their name for Earth). Jörmungandr was one of Loki’s three children and was thrown into the great ocean by Odin.
There, he grew into a size so big that he could eventually encircle the whole world to reach and devour his own tail. It was said that if the World Serpent, or Jörmungandr, released his tail, Ragnarok would begin. The World Serpent was closely associated with the ouroboros symbol.
Ouroboros Symbol in the Modern World: Becoming The Infinity Symbol
In recent times, the ouroboros has undergone significant reinterpretation to become the infinity symbol. This concept was initiated in the 20th century with Mobius strips, the Droste Effect, and numerous paintings depicting the symbol reproducing itself. It is commonly worn as bracelets, rings, and even tattooed on the body to serve as a constant reminder of life’s cyclic journey.
An early 20th-century psychotherapist, Carl Jung, saw the ouroboros as a symbol of the human psyche. Jung had studied the symbol in alchemy and claimed that it represented the human ability to regenerate through self-reflection, just as a serpent sheds off old skin to become anew.
He justified it through a perspective that believed humans can only become whole after integrating our conscious selves with our shadow selves.
Moreover, the ouroboros often appears in the field of cybernetics, the study of feedback loops and circular causality. Cybernetics is based on the theory that inputs create certain outputs, which are then used as inputs for further outcomes – completing the circle.
Mathematicians and philosophers both appreciate the symbol similarly, applying the cybernetics theory to justify concepts in psychology, biology, computer science, and even engineering.
Outside of the research and STEM fields, people use the ouroboros symbol to represent the constant flow of creation, symbol of destruction, and recreation that makes our world come to a full circle. It instills the belief that every part of life is connected, with joy following sorrow and failure, eventually leading to success.
We may be worlds apart from the early Egyptian civilizations and the alchemists that ran experiments in their shabby workshops, but the ouroboros continues to light our paths with wisdom.
The Snake Eating Itself, Ouroboros Tattoo Meaning
Ouroboros tattoo meaning may differ according to the shape and form of the symbol drawn. It is a rebirth symbol, that is why a person who has overcome difficulties and troubles recently might want to have an ouroboros tattoo.
On the other end, it is also the symbol of infinity, so the person carrying an ouroboros tattoo might have had it to represent something that is ‘eternal’ for them.
In that sense, when seen next to a date, an ouroboros tattoo represents the idea that something that happened on that date is eternal, e.g. getting married or meeting someone special.
And if you believe in reincarnation, an ouroboros ink is obviously just the perfect choice for you.
Did you know that this ancient symbol heavily inspired similar artwork that appeared in the immensely popular Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood series with many symbols created by brilliant Japanese artist Hiromu Arakawa?
This wraps up our piece on the ouroboros symbol, the snake eating itself, its origins, symbolism and meanings.
Crystal, Gems, and Stones Meanings and Magickal Usage – Amythest
From galleries.com
The gemstone Amethyst is the Birthstone for February. It is also the Zodiac stone for the constellation of Pisces. Amethyst is associated with spirituality, wisdom, sobriety, and security.
Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral quartz and is a popular gemstone. Although it must always be purple to be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades. Its color is unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would be very expensive.
The name “amethyst” comes from the Greek and means “not drunken.” This was perhaps due to a belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most likely the Greeks were referring to the almost wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered.
Amethyst can occur as long prismatic crystals that have a six sided pyramid at either end or can form as druzes that are crystalline crusts that only show the pointed terminations. As a mineral specimen, amethyst is popular for its color and nice crystal shapes that produce a handsome, purple, sparkling cluster.
However, amethyst is not the same everywhere. Different localities can produce a unique amethyst to that particular region or even to that particular mine. Experts can often identify the source mine that a particular amethyst came from. The key to this is the specimen’s color, shape of crystal, inclusions, associations and character of formation.
The following is a list of many of the more noteworthy localities and some of the attributes that characterize the amethyst found there.
- Vera Cruz, Mexico — very pale, clear, prismatic crystals that are sometimes double terminated and have grown on a light colored host rock. Crystals are typically phantomed, having a clear quartz interior and an amethyst exterior. Some are sceptered and phantomed.
- Guerrero, Mexico — dark, deep purple, prismatic crystals that radiate outward from a common attachment point. Often the crystals are phantomed opposite of Vera Cruz amethyst having a purple interior with a clear or white quartz exterior. These are some of the most valuable amethysts in the world.
- Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, Bahaia, Brazil — crystals form in druzy crusts that line the inside of sometimes large volcanic rock pockets or “vugs”. Some of the vugs may have formed from trees that were engulfed in a lava (or ash) flow millions of years ago and have since withered away. Other vugs are just gas bubbles in the lava. Some vugs can be quite large. The crystals that form are usually light to medium in color and only colored at the tops of the crystals. Most clusters form with gray, white and blue agate and have a green exterior on the vugs. Calcite sometimes is associated and inclusions of cacoxenite are common. On occasion, even excellent crystals of gypsum have been found nestled inside these amethyst lined vugs.
- Maraba, Brazil — large crystals with unattractive surfaces that are of a pale to medium color and often carved or cut into slices. The large “Maraba points” are nearly always polished to remove the rough and milky surface, revealing the beautiful purple amethyst inside.
- Thunder Bay, Canada — a distinct red hematite inclusion just below the surface of the crystals is unique to this locality. Clusters are druzy crusts that line the fissures formed in ancient metamorphic rocks.
- Uruguay — crystals are dark to medium and form in druzy crusts of small crystals that line the inside of volcanic vugs that have a gray or brown exterior. The crystals are usually colored throughout, unlike the Brazilian crystals, and form with a multicolored agate that often contains reds, yellows and oranges. Often amethyst- coated stalactites and other unusual formations occur inside these vugs. The intense color of these druzy crusts is exceptional.
- Africa — crystals are usually large but not attractive. However, the interior color and clarity are excellent and polished slices and carvings as well as many gemstones are prized and admired.
- Maine, USA — Dark druzy clusters that are not widely distributed today.
- North Carolina, USA — Druzy clusters that have a bluish-violet tint.
- Pennsylvania, USA — druzy clusters that filled fractures in metamorphic rocks. They are generally a brownish purple and patchy in color.
- Colorado, USA — druzy clusters form crusts inside of fissures in sandstone, often on top of a crust of green fluorite. Crystals are dark but rather small.
- Italy — both Vera Cruz like crystals, although not as well defined, and large parallel growth clusters with good evenly distributed color.
- Germany — associated with colorful agates that form a druzy light-colored crust.
- Ural Mountains, Russia — a very clear and dark variety that is cut for fine expensive gemstones, natural uncut clusters are rarely on the market.
Often, cut gems of amethyst are graded using the terms: Siberian, Uruguayan or Bahain to represent high medium and low grade respectively, regardless of the actual source. Because of the patchiness of the color distribution in the crystals, Amethyst is often cut as brilliant round cuts to maximize the color. Other cuts can be used when the color is better distributed.
The color purple is traditionally the color of royalty and amethyst has been used since the dawn of history to adorn the rich and powerful monarchs and rulers. Today, amethyst is a lovely and affordable gemstone that is fortunately available in a wide variety of cut and uncut stones that we can all possess and admire.
Prasiolite is the leek-green variety of quartz, rare in nature but used as a gemstone, sometimes (wrongly) called Green Amethyst.
For natural amethyst specimens, including crystals and large geodes, see our Amethyst specimens pages.
Flower Meaning, Symbolize, and Spiritual Meaning
(Someone asked Lady Abyss about this flower years ago. This was the best information I could find about it.)
All about Abutilon – History, Meaning, Facts, Care & More from littleflowerhut.com.sg
Abutilon belongs to the family Malvaceae, it is a shrub, which is grayish green color and hairy. It has heart-shaped leaves and their length is normally 6.9-11.9cm.
Abutilon is a bell shaped flower and the color of the flower ranges from yellow to pink to orange to deep red. The leaves of this flower are palmate like a maple therefore it is also called flowering maple.
The calyx in the flower has a cup-shaped appearance, greenish in color and it’s about 1.5cm long. Petals of this flower are normally shorter than the calyx and their color is not uniform which means that they are reddish on the lower surface and bright green on the upper surface.
It has leaves like maple trees with colorful flowers and the flowers have resemblance to crepe paper. It is commonly called as flowering maple although it has no relation to maple tree.
Abutilon is grown on annual basis but it is also possible to grow them during winters by maintaining the temperature. It is commonly present in tropical and warm temperate regions where it is grown outside however where the weather is extremely cold it is grown in greenhouses.
Abutilon is normally used as ornamental plant in gardens due to their five-petaled blossoms which are white to dark orange in color.
It has such fascinating and beautiful colors that it attracts birds like hummingbirds and other beneficial insects to your garden that will help your garden to bloom.
History of Abutilon
Abutilon is commonly called as Chinese lantern which is quite misleading because they are not completely Asian in origin. There are almost 200 species of this flower and majority of them are originated from South America.
These flowers were commonly grown in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and also Australia. Other species are also native to Mexico and Southwest America.
The name of this flower Abutilon is derived from Arabic word aubutilon which was given to the flower by a Persian astronomer and physician Avicenna, who is often referred to as the father of the modern medicine.
From some other available text it is said that this flower has Indian origin and it was first reported from India in the year 1826 but the exact history behind this flower is not known.
Characteristics of Abutilon
Abutilon is a genus of Mallow family; it is classified as tender and evergreen which are mostly used as seasonal houseplants in the Midwest. These flowers were very popular during the Victoria era later they lost their importance in the gardening world but then again they came back in gardens in many forms.
In the Malvaceae family, Abutilon is a very large group of flowering plants and it has around 200 species which are present in the tropical and subtropical regions.
The height of these plants ranges from 18 inches to 10 feet and they are shrubs, perennials or small trees. The flowers of Abutilon are oven invisible from the distance because they are hidden inside the leaves but once close you can spot the flowers with beautiful purplish color anther which gives it a fascinating appearance.
Abutilon are generally erect shrubs with arching branches, the branches normally bend downwards due to the weight of the flowers.
Leaves of this flower are normally palmate and they can be heavily lobed and jagged. The flowers are cup-like with a habit of downwards drooping.
Use of Abutilon
Abutilon is a shrub that is most commonly found in Asian countries including India. Apart from being used as ornamental plants in indoor gardens there are some other fabulous uses of this flower.
It has been reported that this flower has some great medicinal uses. Due to the presence of different useful metabolites it can effectively be used as anti-diabetic, blood tonic agent and anti-inflammatory agent. Apart from that, Abutilon is used for the treatment of leprosy, diarrhea, vaginal infections and for ear problems.
In Sidha medicines this plant is very much used for different ailments. Its bark, leaves, stems, flowers as well as seeds are used for medicinal purposes by the Tamils.
The leaves are grinded and the paste is applied to wounds and ulcers.
The flower’s extraction is used for the treatment of flu and cleaning wounds which means that this plant is a multipurpose plant which can be used to treat ailments as well increase the beauty of your garden.
How to Take care of Abutilon
As far as taking care of Abutilon is concerned it falls in two categories
A: when the plant is outdoors i.e. during summers
B: when it is indoors during winters
When Abutilon is outside in summers it should be kept in full or partial sun. When it is grown in northern areas where winters are quite harsh then the best thing is to grow the plants in containers so that it becomes easy to move the plant according to the weather conditions.
The pH of the soil must be neutral but most importantly it has to be well drained. These flowers do too much blooming that is why they need to be feed quite heavily which means that once in a week one must use water soluble fertilizer in order to keep them healthy.
During winters when you grow the plant as an indoor plant, then it will not require a lot of sunlight. Keep the plant in a cool room, don’t water the plant too much during this time instead spray the leaves and flowers once in a while.
If you notice any pest attack then apply Neem oil to cope up with the problem.
Happy Witchy Wednesday WOTC Family and Friends – Charge of the Goddess – Part 2
(I am trying something new today to see if you like it or not. Instead of a short thing for “A Thought for Today” I decided to bring you something with a little more background on a piece of poetry and how it came about. Let me know in the comments if you like to see more of this type of post please. Thank you for your help!)
The Sources of the Charge of the Goddess
(Warning this a very informative but long article. You will find a link at the bottom of this post to read the entire thing if you wish to)
The Charge of the Goddess is the closest thing to scripture that Wicca possesses. Like scripture, it is used in rituals and to support beliefs. And like scripture, its origins are obscure.
The Charge itself claims to be the words of the Goddess, beginning “Listen to the words of the Great Mother.” When Gerald Gardner first published an excerpt from it in Witchcraft Today (1954, p. 42), he claimed it came from the Roman era . He also speculated that “a similar charge was a feature of the ancient mysteries.”
Fairly early, however, the age and origin of the Charge was questioned. Stewart Farrar, in 1971 (p. 34), pointed out that a large part of it was quoted from Charles Godfrey Leland’s Aradia. Since then more work has been done in ferreting out the Charge’s sources, especially in Farrar and Farrar (1981, p. 42) and Kelly (1991, pp. 52 – 4, 114 – 5). The purpose of this essay will be to gather this work together, add more sources to it, and then analyze the relative contributions of the authors of the Charge.
The earliest form of the Charge (given by Kelly, 1991, p. 53), was a prose version put together by Gerald Gardner, called “Leviter Veslis” (“The Lifting of the Veil”). It consists mainly of the Leland material with large quotations from Aleister Crowley added, along with very small amount of original material. Kelly dates this version to before 1948. According to Doreen Valiente’s own account (1989, 60 – 62), some time after her initiation in 1953 she wrote first a rhyming version, and then the prose version used by most Wiccans. The first prose and the rhyming versions may be found in Kelly (p. 53) and Valiente (pp. 61-2), respectively. The first prose version reads:
Listen to the words of the Great mother, who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, and by many other names.
“At mine Altars the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.
[Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then ye shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who am Queen of all Witcheries.]
[“There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets. To these will I teach things that are yet unknown.]
[“And ye shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both men and women, and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music, and love, all in my praise.]
For ecstasy is mine, and joy on earth. For ‘love is my law.’ Keep pure your highest ideal: strive ever toward it. Let naught stop you or turn you aside.
{There is a Secret Door that I have made to establish the way} to taste even on earth the elixir of immortality.}
Say {‘let ecstasy be mine, and joy on earth even to me, To Me} For I am a gracious Goddess. {I give unimaginable joys on earth, certainty, not faith, while in life! And upon death, peace unutterable, rest, and ecstacy, nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.”}
Hear ye the words of the {Star Goddesss}.
{“I love you: I yearn for you: pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous.}
{“I who am all pleasure, and purple and drunkenness of the innermost senses, desire you, put on the wings, arouse the coiled splendor within you, ‘Come unto me.’}
{“For I am the flame that burns in the heart of every man, and the core of every Star.}
“Let it be your inmost divine self who art lost in the constant rapture of infinite joy.
{“Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty.} Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. So let there be {beauty and strength, leaping laughter, force and fire} within you.
(“And if thou sayest, I have journeyed unto thee, and it availed me not, Rather shalt thou say, ‘I called upon thee, and I waited patiently, and Lo, Thou wast with me from the beginning,’
For they that ever desired me, shall ever attain me, even to the end of desire.)
(The text is as published in Kelly, with corrections from Kelly, unpublished manuscript.)
The words within square brackets ([ ]) are from Leland, those within brackets ({ }) are from Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law, and those within parentheses (( )) are from Crowley’s Liber LXV,. The passages in italics are found in Crowley’s essay “The Law of Liberty.”
The line “Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess” is not exactly the same as the line from The Law of Liberty, which reads “We have heard the voice of the Star Goddess.” However, the line in The Law of Liberty is followed by the same material as is found here, so we can be confident that that is its source. The first thing that should be noticed is how little of this version cannot be traced to published sources. Except for the introduction, this version is essentially quotations linked with a small number of connecting phrases.
The large number of quotations from “The Law of Liberty” illustrates Gardner’s method of composition especially well. He must have had that essay in front of him as he wrote, since his quotations from it are in the same order as they appear in the essay. This is especially striking in the case of the sections of the Charge wherein quotations from the essay are followed by excerpts from The Book of the Law. In all cases, these quotations are also found together in the essay.
Further, all but one of the quotations from The Book of the Law are also found in “The Law of Liberty.” In fact, except for that one phrase, all of this prose version of the Charge (except for the introduction and the short connectors) can be traced to three sources: Leland, “The Law of Liberty,” and Liber LXV. The significance of these Crowley sources will be discussed later.
In my earlier version of this article (Serith, 1996), I suggested that the only line from The Book of the Law which is found in the Charge but is not in “The Law of Liberty” (“There is a Secret Door that I have made to establish the way) would be found quoted in another of Crowley’s works. I have indeed found that work, Khabs Am Pekht. At the time that Gardner was composing the first prose version, it was to be found in The Equinox Vol. III:1, commonly called The Blue Equinox because of the color of its binding. Also published in The Blue Equinox were “The Law of Liberty” and Liber LXV.
There has been a fair amount of speculation on the connection between Crowley and Gardner. Some have gone so far as to suggest that Crowley wrote the Gardnerian rituals (Adler, 1979, 1986, p. 64, gives some examples).
Those wishing to see a strong Crowley influence have often pointed to the Charge. As I have shown, there is at this early point a fair amount of Crowley in it. Words from Crowley’s works are also found in the Great Rite and the Drawing Down the Moon rituals, as published by Stewart Farrar (1971, pp. 93-94 and 68 respectively). These are taken from the Gnostic Mass. It should come as no suprise at this point that the Gnostic Mass was published by Crowley in The Blue Equinox.
All of this material comes from the first, the earliest, layer of the Book of Shadows (Kelly’s 1949 version, and Farrar and Farrar’s (1984) Text A). There is one other identifiable quotation from Crowley in this layer, taken from “Two Fragments of Ritual” (Equinox I:10, Kelly, p. 56). The next layer (Kelly’s 1953 and Farrar and Farrar Text B) is that used by Gardner at the time of Valiente’s initiation. It contains one more piece by Crowley, the Amalthean Horn prayer (given in Kelly, p. 81, and Farrar and Farrar, 1981, p. 41), which is a slightly altered version of the poem “La Fortune,” from his Collected Works, Vol. III (p. 120). More Crowley was to enter later, under the editing of Valiente, as will be seen later. To be blunt: with one exception, all of the material taken from Crowley that has been attributed in print to the Book of Shadows in the phase during which Gardnerian Wicca was first taking shape (the 1949/Text A version) comes from one book – The Blue Equinox. Rather than there having been a strong connection between the Gardner and Crowley, then, their contact is likely to have been extremely limited.
The first entry into print of the Charge was an excerpt published In Witchcraft Today (p. 42), which reads:
Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite and many other names. At mine altars the youth Lacedaemon made due sacrifice. Once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, meet in some secret place and adore me, who am queen of all the magics….For I am a gracious goddess, I give joy on earth, certainty, not faith, while in life; and upon death, peace unutterable, rest and the ecstasy of the goddess. Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice…. (The ellipses are in the original.)
This is the version that Gardner says he thinks “came from the time when Romans or sirangers came in.” It should be noted that since it was published in 1954 it dates from after Valiente’s inititiation in 1953. In light of that it seems a bit odd that, as seen below in the textual comparison, it deviates quite significantly from the first prose version, and that the second prose version follows the first prose rather than the published excerpt. It is likely from this that Gardner did not consider this published version authoritative, and may have been working from memory, resulting in the differences.
Most interesting is the phase with which Gardner introduces this fragment: “Before an initiation a charge is read beginning:”That he mentions this document specifically in the context of an initiation ritual is clear evidence that the idea of a “charge” and, of course, the term itself, originated in Gardner’s Masonic roots, where such charges are part of inititiation rituals.
The sources of the final version of the Charge, as edited by Valiente, are more complex. In the following analysis, I give the exact quotations from her sources, along with the Charge itself, so that Valiente’s editing may be seen more clearly. I have included as well those sections of Gardner’s Charge (both the first prose and the Witchcraft Today versions) which survived into the final form.
I have used these abbreviations for the sources:
AL: The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis).
AP: Alipilli
AR: Aradia: Gospel of the Witches.
GD: The Golden Dawn (ed. Israel Regardie, III, p. 245). (The second half of this passage, “From me … return,” is also found in Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” Book V, but since the first part is not, it is unlikely that Valiente took it from Milton.)
KJV: King James Version of the Bible KP: “Khabs Am Pekht.”
LL: “The Law of Liberty” (including quotations ultimately from The Book of the Law.)
P1: Gardner’s prose version.
P2: Valiente’s prose version
65: Liber LXV II: 59-60 (Crowley).
V: This is material that could have been drawn from any number of sources. VV: The Vision and the Voice, chapters 19 and 5 (Crowley).
WT: The Witchcraft Today version.
Full bibliographical information will be found at the end of this article.
For the text itself I have relied on Kelly,1991, pp. 114-5 (correcting what appears to be an error by changing “ideals” to “ideal”). The few differences between this and other published versions do not affect my results in any substantial manner. (Other versions may be found in Farrar, 1971, pp. 197-198; Lady Sheba, 1971, pp. 65-67; and Leek, 1971, pp. 189-191. Excerpts from it are found in Holzer, 1971, pp. 16-17; Huson, 1970, p. 221; and Johns, 1969, p. 143. Starhawk, 1979, pp. 76-77, gives an awkardly edited version in which she has removed every phrase that has the word “man” in it.) I have used the abbreviation “P2” for this version.
P2: Listen to the words of the Great mother,
P1: Listen to the words of the Great mother,
WT: Listen to the words of the Great Mother,
P2: who was of old also called among men,
P1: who … of old was also called among men
WT: who … of old was also called among men
P2: Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine,
P1: Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine,
LL: Melusine
WT: Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine,
P2: Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Bride,
P1: Aphrodite,
WT: Aphrodite
P2: and by many other names. “At mine Altars the youth
P1: and by many other names. “At mine Altars the youth
WT: and many other names. At mine altars the youth
P2: of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.
P1: of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.
WT: of Lacedaemon made due sacrifice.
P2: “Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and
P1: Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and
WT: Once in the month, and
AR: Whenever ye have need of anything, Once in the month, and
P2: better it be when the moon is full. Then ye shall assemble
P1: better it be when the moon is full, ye shall assemble
WT: better it be when the moon is full, meet
AR: when the moon is full, Ye shall assemble
P2: in some secret place
P1: in some secret place
WT: in some secret place
AR: in some desert place, Or in a forest all together join,
P2: and adore the spirit of Me
P1: and adore the spirit of Me
WT: and adore me,
AR: To adore the potent spirit of your
P2: who am Queen of all Witcheries.
P1: who am Queen of all Witcheries.
WT: who am queen of all the magics
AR: queen, My mother, great Diana.
P2: “There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all
P1: There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all
AR: ye shall assemble She who fain would learn all
P2: sorcery, yet who have not won its deepest secrets. To
P1: sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets. To
AR: sorcery yet has not won Its deepest secrets,
P2: these will I teach things
P1: these will I teach things
AR: them my mother will teach all things
P2: that are yet unknown.
P1: that are yet unknown.
AR: as yet unknown.
P2: “And ye shall be free from slavery,
P1: “And ye shall be free from slavery,
AR: And ye shall all be freed from slavery, And so ye
P2: and as a sign that ye
P1: and as a sign that ye
AR: be free in everything; And as a sign that ye
P2: be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites,
P1: be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both
AR: are truly free, Ye shall be naked in your rites, both
P2: and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
P1: men and women, and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
AR: men And women also they shall dance, sing
P2: make music, and love, all in my praise.
P1: make music, and love, all in my praise.
AR: make music and then love in her praise
P2: “For mine is the ecstasy of the Spirit, and mine is also joy
P1: Let ecstasy be mine, and joy
LL: But ecstasy be thine and joy
AL: ecstasy be thine and joy
P2: on earth. For my Law is Love unto all beings.
P1: on earth. For “love is my law.”
LL: of earth Love is the Law
AL: of earth Love is the Law
P2: “Keep pure your highest ideal. Strive ever towards it.
LL: Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it
P2: Let naught stop you or turn you aside.
LL: without allowing aught to stop you or turn you aside,
P2: “For mine is the secret which opens upon the door of
P1: There is a Secret Door which I have made…
KP: There is a Secret door that I shall make
AL: There is a Secret door that I shall make
P2: youth and mine is the cup of the Wine of Life:
P2: and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
P2: which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.
P1: to establish the way to taste even on earth the elixir of immortality.
P1: Say, “Let ecstacy be mine, and joy on earth even to me, To Me.
P2: “I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of Joy
P1: For I am a gracious Goddess. I give unimaginable joys,
WT: For I am a gracious Goddess, I give joy
LL: Gracious Goddess I give unimaginable joys
AL: I give unimaginable joys
P2: unto the heart of Man.
P2: “Upon Earth I give the knowledge of the Spirit Eternal,
P1: on earth, certainty
WT: on earth
LL: on earth:
AL: on earth:
P2: and beyond death I give peace and freedom, and reunion
P1: And upon death, peace unutterable, rest and ecstacy,
WT: and upon death, peace
LL: upon death; peace
AL: upon death; peace
P2: with those who have gone before.
P2: Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of
P1: nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.”
WT: nor do I demand aught in sacrifice
LL: Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.
AL: nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.
P2: all things, and my love is poured out upon earth.”
P2: Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess,
P1: Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess.
LL: We have heard the voice of the Star Goddess
P2: She in the dust of whose feet are
KJV: dust of feet
P2: the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircleth the universe.
KJV: host of heaven
P2: “I who am
P2: the beauty of the green earth; and the White Moon
V: the beauty of the green earth P2: amongst the Stars; and the mystery of the Waters;
P2: and the desire of the heart of man. I call unto thy soul:
VV: the blind ache within the heart of man
LL: the heart of every man
AL: the heart of every man
P2: arise and come unto me.
P1: arouse … “come unto me.”
LL: arouse … come unto me!
AL: arouse … come unto me!
P2: “For I am the Soul of nature who giveth life to the
P1: ‘For I am the
GD: O Soul of Nature giving life and energy to the
P2: Universe; 詮rom me all things proceed; and unto me, all
GD: Universe. From thee all things do proceed. Unto Thee all
P2: things must return.’
GD: must return.
P2: Beloved of the Gods and men
P2: thine inmost divine self shall
P1: Let it be your inmost divine self…
LL: He is then your inmost divine self…
P2: be enfolded in the raptures of the infinite
P1: in the constant rapture of the infinite
LL: in the constant rapture of the embraces of Infinite Beauty
P2: “Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth, for
VV: the heart that rejoiceth,
P2: behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals;
P1: Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
LL: Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are rituals,
P2: and therefore let there be Beauty and Strength, Power
P1: So let there be beauty and strength,…
AL: beauty and strength
P2: and Compassion, Honour and Humility, Mirth and reverence within you.
P2: “And thou who thinkest to seek me, know that thy seeking and yearning
P1: “And if thou sayest, I have journeyed unto thee,
65: I have journeyed unto Thee,
P2: shall avail thee not
P1: and it availed me not…
65: and it availed me not.
P2:unless thou know the mystery,
P2: ‘That if that which thou seekest
AP: If that which thous seekest
P2: thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee,
AP: thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee,
P2: for behold; I have been with thee from the beginning,
P1: Thou wast with me from the beginning,’…
65: and Thou wast with me from the beginning.
P2: and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.”
P1: shall ever attain me the end of desire.”
The line attributed here to Alipilli, “That if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee thou wilt never find it without thee” most likely was taken from L. A. Cahagnet’s Magnetic Magic, where it appears on the title page. It is found in other sources, such as Madame Blavatsky’s , vol. II, p. 617, where she credits it to “Abipili.” (It is more correctly Ali Puli.) However, it is Cahagnet which is found in Gardner’s library, and is therefore almost certainly Gardner’s source.
The material attributed to “Various sources” is that which is found in a number of works with which Gardner and/or Valiente could have been familiar with, and could therefore be thought of as “being in the air.” “The beauty of the green earth” is itself found in various sources. d’Este and Rankine (2008, 155) give two late 19th century examples. It is interesting that in both of their examples the phrase is used to complement “starry heavens,” and here it complements “White Moon amongst the Stars.” The opposition of earth and heaven is an obvious one, but the fact that in both cases the opposition mentions the stars makes me wonder.
“Dust of whose feet” is probably based on the King James Version of the Bible, where variations on it are found certainly four times: “dust of thy feet” (Isaiah 49:23), “dust of his feet” (Nahum 1:3), “dust of your feet” (Matthew 10:14) and “dust of their feet” (Acts 13:51). “Hosts of heaven” is easily formed from “host of heaven,” which is found 19 times in the KJV (Deut 4:19, 17:3; 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Kings 17:16, 21:3, 21:5, 23:4, 23:5; 2 Chron 18:18, 33:3, 3:5; Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 34:4; Jeremiah 8:2, 19:13, 33:22; Daniel 8:10; Zephaniah 1:5; Acts 7:42). “Whose body encircleth the universe” is a description of the Egyptian star/night sky goddess Nut, who, as Nuit, formed an important part of Crowley’s system, whose nature is described and name used in “The Law of Liberty.” She is depicted in the “Stele of Revealing,” upon which Crowley based his “Book of the Law.” A depiction of the stele may be found here. There are a total of 498 words in the version given by Kelly. The following table shows how many came from each source:
Valiente: 168 – (33.7%)
Leland: 93 – (18.7%)
Crowley: 83 – (16.7%)
Gardner: 66 – (13.3%)
Crowley
(edited by either Gardner or Valiente): 40 – (8.0%)
Alipilli: 18 – (3.6%)
Gardner (edited by Valiente): 12 – (2.4%)
Golden Dawn: 12 – (2.4%)
King James Version: 6 – (1.2%)
Before going on to discuss the sources further, there is a non-source that I need to address, Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. In this Roman novel the main character is turned into an ass as a punishment for spying on Click here to read the rest of this article from ceisiwrserith.com
A Thought for Today – The Goddess Hecate or Hekate
” THEOGONY . “
Now Phoibe sought the love-delighting couch
Of Kaios and embracing with a god
Conceived the goddess and to her is born
Latona, robed with azure, ever mild,
To mortals placid and immortal gods;
Mild from her birth and gladsome o’er the rest
In Heaven.
Anon she famed Asteria bore
Whom Perses, to his ample palace erst
Leading, proclaimed his bride. She fruitful teemed
With Hecate, whom the Saturnian king
O’er all hath honoured and with glorious gifts
Endowed: allotting her divided sway
O’er earth and o’er the main untillable.
Nor less her honour in the starry skies
Chief reverenced by immortals and who’er
Of earth-born men with customed sacrifice
Propitiates Heaven, he then the name invokes
Of Hecate; abundant honour straight
Shall follow on his path, if to that prayer
Gracious the goddess leans and opulence
Attends his footsteps; for the power is hers.
O’er all the gods who born from earth and heaven
Received their share of glory, she supreme
Allotted empire holds: nor aught from her
Of all those honours midst the elder gods
Titanic held, hath Zeus in violence
Revoked or snatcht away; but as it stood:
In the beginning, so her portioned power
Endures. She sole-begotten, higher meed
Of glory hath obtained, far ampler sway
O’er Heaven and earth and main: for her doth Zeus
Delight to honour.
Lo! to whom she wills
Her presence is vouchsafed and instant aid
Magnific; whom she views with gracious eyes
He mid the forum o’er the people shines
Conspicuous. When the mailed men arise
To deadly battle, comes the goddess prompt
To whom she wills; bids rapid victory
Await them and extends the wreath of fame.
She sits upon the sacred judgment seat
Of venerable monarchs. She is found
Propitious, when in solemn games the youth
Contending strive; there is the goddess nigh
With succour; he whose hardiment and strength
Victorious prove with ease the graceful palm
Achieving, joyous o’er his parents’ age
Sheds a bright gleam of glory. She is known
To them propitious, who the fiery steed
Rein in the course; and them who labouring cleave
Thro the blue watery vast the untractable way.
They call upon the name of Hecate
With vows; and his, loud-sounding god of waves,
Earth-shaking Poseidon; easily at will
The glorious goddess yields the woodland prey
Abundant; easily, while scarce they start
On the mockt vision, snatches them in flight.
She too with Hermes is propitious found
To herd and fold and bids increase the droves
Innumerable of goats and fleecy flocks,
And swells their numbers or their numbers thins.
The sole-begotten of her mother’s love
She thus is honoured with all goodly gifts
Among immortals. Her did Zeus appoint
The nursing mother bland of infant youth;
Of all who thenceforth to the morn’s broad light
Should raise the tender lid — this from the first
Her soothing office and her honours these.
A Laugh for Today – Computer Jokes
From Reader’s Digest
HELL VS. HE’LL
Autocorrect can go straight to he’ll. —Constance Normandeau
TURN IT OFF AND ON AGAIN
Whoever said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results has obviously never had to reboot a computer.
—William Petersen
MONKEYING AROUND
Did you hear about the monkeys who shared an Amazon account? They were Prime mates.
Happy Witchy Wednesday WOTC Family and Friends – Charge of the Goddess – Part 1
(I am trying something new today to see if you like it or not. Instead of a short thing for “A Thought for Today” I decided to bring you something with a little more background on a piece of poetry and how it came about. Let me know in the comments if you like to see more of this type of post please. Thank you for your help!)
Charge of the Goddess History and Variations
From learnreligions.com
Charge of the Goddess is perhaps one of the best-known pieces of ritual poetry in today’s magical community, and is often credited to author and priestess Doreen Valiente. The charge itself is a promise, made by the Goddess to her followers, that she will guide them, teach them, and lead them when they need her the most.
However, before Valiente, there were earlier variants, dating back at least as far as Charles Leland’s Aradia: Gospel of the Witches. Because, like so many other writings in today’s Pagan world, Charge of the Goddess has evolved over time, it’s almost impossible to attribute it to one single author. Instead, what we have is a constantly changing and fluid piece of ritual poetry, that each contributor has changed, modified, and rearranged to suit their own tradition.
Did You Know?
The Charge of the Goddess first appeared in an early form during the late nineteenth century.
Doreen Valiente’s version, released in the late 1950s, is the most commonly referenced variation today.
Today, several traditions use unique versions that pay tribute to their own deities of a number of different pantheons.
Leland’s Aradia
Charles Godfrey Leland was a folklorist who roamed about the Italian countryside collecting legends during the final decade of the nineteenth century. According to Leland, he met a young Italian woman called Maddalena, who provided him with a manuscript about ancient Italian witchcraft and then promptly vanished, never to be heard from again. This, obviously, led some scholars to question the existence of Maddalena, but regardless, Leland took the information he claimed to have obtained from her and published it as Aradia: Gospel of the Witches in 1899.
When I shall have departed from this world,
Whenever ye have need of anything,
Once in the month, and when the moon is full,
Ye shall assemble in some desert place,
Or in a forest all together join
To adore the potent spirit of your queen,
My mother, great Diana.She who fain
Would learn all sorcery yet has not won
Its deepest secrets, them my mother will
Teach her, in truth all things as yet unknown.
And ye shall all be freed from slavery,
And so ye shall be free in everything;
And as the sign that ye are truly free,
Ye shall be naked in your rites, both men
And women also: this shall last until
The last of your oppressors shall be dead;
And ye shall make the game of Benevento,
Extinguishing the lights, and after that
Shall hold your supper thus…
Gardner’s Book of Shadows and the Valiente Version
Doreen Valiente played an instrumental part in twentieth-century Pagan practice, and her deeply evocative version of Charge of the Goddess may be the best known. In 1953, Valiente was initiated into Gerald Gardner’s New Forest coven of witches. Over the next several years, they worked together in expanding and developing Gardner’s Book of Shadows, which he claimed was based on ancient documents passed down through the ages.
Unfortunately, much of what Gardner had at the time was fragmented and disorganized. Valiente took on the task of re-organizing Gardner’s work, and more importantly, putting into a practical and usable form. In addition to finishing things up, she added her poetic gifts to the process, and the end result was a collection of rituals and ceremonies that are both beautiful and workable – and the foundation for much of modern Wicca, some sixty years later.
Although Valiente’s version, released in the late 1950s, is the most commonly referenced version today, there was an incarnation that appeared a decade or so earlier in Gardner’s original Book of Shadows. This variant, from around 1949, is a blend of Leland’s earlier work and a portion of Aleister Crowley’s Gnostic Mass. Jason Mankey at Patheos says,
“This version of the Charge was originally known as Lift Up the Veil, though I’ve heard it referred to as “Gardner’s Charge” on a number of occasions… Doreen Valiente’s version of The Charge of the Goddess dates back to sometime around 1957 and was inspired by Valiente’s desire for a less Crowley influenced charge.”
Some time after writing the Charge poem that has become well known to today’s Pagans, Valiente also crafted a prose variant, at the request of some members of her coven. This prose version has also become immensely popular, and you can read it over at the official Doreen Valiente website.
Newer Adaptations
As the Pagan community grows and evolves, so do the various forms of ritual texts. A number of contemporary authors have created their own versions of the Charge that reflect their own magical beliefs and traditions.
Starhawk included her own form of the work in The Spiral Dance, first published in 1979, which reads in part:
Listen to the words of the Great Mother,
Who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better it be when the moon is full,
you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me Who is Queen of all the Wise.
You shall be free from slavery,
and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My Presence,
for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.
The Starhawk version, which forms one of the cornerstones of her Reclaiming tradition, may be the one that newer Pagans are the most familiar with, but – as with any other piece of poetry or ritual – it is one that many have continuously adapted to suit their own needs. Today, several traditions use unique versions that pay tribute to their own deities of a number of different pantheons.
For a complete and in-depth breakdown of the various influences upon the different versions of the Charge, author Ceisiwr Serith has a great piece on his website*, comparing Aradia, Valiente’s work, and the Crowleyan variants.
(*Appears in a post for northern hemisphere’s Wednesday morning.)
Life in The Craft Magazine Update
I am trying to figure out how to make a contact list for all of the current subscribers but not having much luck figuring out WordPress email features. I will get the March issues out as soon as I can figure out how to make the email list for everyone otherwise, I have to send the magazine out to one person at a time. As I have been at my desk for 6 hours already today, I will make another stab at getting it out to you all tomorrow.
If anyone else would like to receive a free issue of Life in The Craft magazine, please send an email to ladybeltane@witchesofthecraft.com and I will add you to my emailing list whenever I figure out how to make one.
Life in The Craft magazine is 8 issues per year covering all the northern and southern hemisphere’s Sabbats plus other topics. Cost after the first two free issues is $3.00 USD per issue per month or $21.00 USD per year.
Apprentices enrolled in a course in WOTC’s School of Witchcraft receive a full year of the magazine for free as long as you are an active apprentice/student.
A Laugh for Today
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for the March Full Moon
From theastartehome.wordpress.com
Signifier for Life
Names:
- Chaste Moon
- Crow Moon
- Crust Moon
- Hrethkmonath (Hertha’s Month)
- Lenting Moon
- Lentzinmanoth (Renewal Month)
- Moon of the Snowblind
- Moon of Winds
- Plow Moon
- Raven Moon
- Sap Moon
- Seed Moon
- Storm Moon
- Sugar Moon
- Windy Moon
- Worm Moon
Angels: Choose an angel that matches your intention
Animals: Worm
Chakras: Root
Colors:
- Green
- Yellow
- Light Purple
Crystals/Metals:
- Amethyst
- Aquamarine
- Aventurine
- Bloodstone
- Jasper
- Moonstone
- Obsidian
- Opal
- Rose Quartz
- Tiger’s Eye
- Topaz (blue)
Direction: West
Element: Water
Goddesses and Gods:
- Artemis
- Cybele
- Isis
- The Morrighan
Herbs/Oils:
- Apple Blossom
- High John
- Pennyroyal
- Wood Betony
Intentions/Powers/Spell Uses:
- Breaking illusions
- Career Reinvention
- Cleaning
- Exploring
- Fertility
- Flow breaks into the open
- Growth
- Innocence
- Lean living
- Magikal tool cleansing
- New beginnings
- Prosperity
- Purity
- Rebirth
- Seeing life truth even though it may be painful
- Spirituality
- Success
Reiki Symbol: Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
Tarot:
- The Moon
- The Sun
Time of Day: Midnight
Trees/Plants:
- Cherry
- Dogwood
- Honeysuckle
- Lilacs
- Lotus
Virtues:
- balance
- justice
- harmony
Zodiac: dependent on the sign in which the full moon takes place
Goddess of the Day – Isis
Isis
(Auset)
Perhaps the most important goddess of all Egyptian mythology, Isis assumed,
during the course of Egyptian history, the attributes and functions of virtually
every other important goddess in the land. Her most important functions,
however, were those of motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick, and the
working of magical spells and charms. She was believed to be the most powerful
magician in the universe, owing to the fact that she had learned the Secret Name
of Ra from the god himself. She was the sister and wife of Osiris, sister of
Set, and twin sister of Nephthys. She was the mother of Horus the Child
(Harpocrates), and was the protective goddess of Horus’s son Amset, protector of
the liver of the deceased.
Isis was responsible for protecting Horus from Set during his infancy; for
helping Osiris to return to life; and for assisting her husband to rule in the
land of the Dead.
Her cult seems to have originally centered, like her husband’s, at Abydos near
the Delta in the North (Lower Egypt); she was adopted into the family of Ra
early in Egyptian history by the priests of Heliopolis, but from the New Kingdom
onwards (c. 1500 BC) her worship no longer had any particular identifiable
center, and she became more or less universally worshiped, as her husband was.
Full Moon Symbolism and Meaning
Full Moon Symbolism & Meaning
Exploring the Full Moon’s symbolic meaning is a journey full of intrigue, mystery, and wonder. Cultural views play a significant role in shaping the Full Moon’s symbolism. The meaning of the Moon has become richer over time. There’s great irony in the fact that the Moon reflects sunlight; so too, the Moon’s symbols are reflective of societal beliefs, traditions, and people’s observations of the lunar body’s transit in the nighttime sky throughout history.
Full Moon’s Symbolism, Meaning, & Correspondences Table of Contents
The Full Moon & The Medicine Wheel
Cultural & Religious Full Moon Symbolism
Western Astrology & The Full Moon
Witches Of The Craft® 
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