If you want to perceive
And understand objectively,
Just don’t allow yourself
To be confused by people.
Detach from whatever you
Find inside or outside yourself.
Detach from religion,
Tradition, and society,
And only then will you
Attain liberation.
When you are not
Entangled in things,
You pass through
Freely to autonomy.
– Linji (d. 867)
The birth flowers for February are pretty violets and showy irises, as well as dainty primroses. These all start to flower in early spring in the northern hemisphere.
The primary February birthday flower is the Violet, also known as a pansy. The violet group of flowers has up to 600 types that are found mainly in the temperate Northern Hemisphere.
Violets start flowering in spring and can last throughout the summer. Colors include violet as well as shades of blue, yellow, white and cream.
The blue violet is the state flower of Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Illinois, and New Jersey, USA.
The language of flowers introduced in Victorian times associates violets with faithfulness, humility and chastity.
The second February flower is the Iris, a group of up to 300 types named after the Greek word for a rainbow, which also aptly describes the wide variety of colors.
Irises grow naturally in the drier and colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere but are also widely cultivated due to their large, showy flowers.
Iris is the national flower of Croatia and is one of the state flowers of Tennessee, USA.
Another birth flower for February is the Primrose which flowers in early spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and indeed its name means ‘first’ or ‘early’.
The flowers of most primrose types are yellow but there are also white, red, pink and purple varieties.
April 19 is traditionally Primrose Day in the UK, commemorating the death of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.
It depends on your Tradition which day you celebrate Imbolc. We celebrated it yesterday and I know some of you might celebrate it today. We generally celebrate our Sabbats the day before for a reason. For instance, we celebrate Imbolc last night. We did our rituals, lit our fires, run out the old stale Winter air and the season, hopefully. We did some cleansing and we have a lot more to do today. We had a good feast and in spite of being so sleepy, we managed to stay up to greet the morning’s first light. The joy of celebrating the night before, it just unbelievable. You get to stay up and greet the new born Sun on one of the most glorious mornings of all, Imbolc. You can feel the freshness as the new born Sun comes over the horizon. As He rises His head and proclaims victory and Spring will return to us shortly. The magick courses through your veins and it seems you are recharged and ready to take on anything that comes your way. As the warmth of the Sun courses through your veins, you feel your magick grow and grow, till you feel like you are the most powerful witch on the face of Mother Earth.
We have made celebrating the Sabbats the night before a habit. If you have never done it, you need to try it. Just go outside and wait for the Sun to come up. You can feel the magick in the air as you welcome Him back. It is so magickal that you can actually hear the Sun talk back to you with His warm rays of light shining down upon you. I cannot explain it fully. It is something you have to experience for yourself. It re-generates your spirit and your soul. You feel the darkest of the Winter months fall off of you. You know when you see the Sun on this special day, it is a fresh start, a new season, a season of rebirth. It is truly a season for us to celebrate, the Sun has returned to us and with this we are promised the season of renewal and birth. Mother Earth is going to come back to life. The birds will sing, the grass will turn green, the flowers will bloom once again, life has come out of hibernation, it is awakening. Awakening to a new start, a new season, what a beautiful time of year this is. I can imagine you have figured out by now Imbolc is one of my favorite Sabbats.
Imbolc is a time for truly rejoicing. Go outside today and let the warmth of the Sun renew your spirit and fill your soul with the hope and joy the new season ahead holds for us.
Wishing You & Yours A Very Joyous & Beautiful Imbolc,
Lady of the Abyss
If any part of your invocation of the South Quarter includes any lines from any song by Lynard Skynard….
If chewing tobacco is considered a sacred herb…..
If part of your rite includes throwing shotgun shells on the fire….
If the bell on your alter was ever worn by an animal in a pasture….
If the cakes and wine are done with a bowie-knife, a can of Foster’s, and a Little Debbie…..
If they chose their High Priestess at a wet t-shirt contest….
If when your priestess says “Blessed Be” in circle, you respond with “YEEE-HAW!”…
If you believe a pentagram is a Western Union message to 5 people….
If you bought your chalice at the Piggly Wiggly…..
If you buy your incense and candles at Wal-Mart….
If you call the God and Goddess by hollerin’ “Hey, y’all! Watch me!”….
If you call the North Quarter, but what you call it is an inner court secret…..
If you can play the “Burning Times” on the banjo….
If you carry your ritual sword in your pickup’s gun rack…..
If you found out your familiar is an oppossum — and still ate it……..
If you have combined Maypole Dancing/ Tractor Pull/ Turkey Shoot for Beltane….
If you have cast a love spell on livestock….
If you have ever called the National Enquirer because you raised a potato that resembled the Willendorf Goddess….
If you’ve ever cancelled a coven meeting to watch Pay-Per-View wrestling on TV….
If you’ve ever written a spell on the back of a Denny’s menu…..
If you have ever refilled your chalice from a keg…..
If you invoke the spirits so that your beer lasts longer…..
If you pray nightly to the god of big tires…..
If you sacrifice BBQ and pork rinds on an alter made of old car hoods….
If you shoot guns into the air when the priestess says, “the circle is open but never unbroken”…
If you smoke Salem cigarettes for the historical significance….
If you think a “family tradition” is a dating club….
If you think the Wiccan Rede is good for making twig furniture….
If you worship the gods of cheap beer and Nascar….
If you’ve ever done a candle spell for your local high-school football team….
If you’ve ever harvested ritual herbs with a weed whacker…..
If you’ve ever meditated to “Dueling Banjos”…..
If you’ve reached the 3rd Degree but not the third grade……
If your God statue looks a little too much like Elvis Presley…..
If your Goddess picture says “Miss September” at the bottom……
If your Wand of Power is a cattle prod…..
If your altar cloth is a Confederate flag…..
If your altar cloth is vinyl……
If your altar cloth says “Holiday Inn” or “Howard Johnson’s”….
If your altar has a spit cup…..
If your altar pentacle is a photo of John Wayne’s star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame”…..
If your annointing oil smells like Old Spice…..
If your athame is by Bowie…..
If your broom has 4 wheel drive and SC plates…..
If your ceremonial chalice says “Budweiser” on it….
If your ceremonial garb consists of cut-offs and a tube-top…..
If your circle dance contains the words “dosey-do”……
If your circle dance is a two-step….
If your coven chose its High Priest at a belching contest….
If your coven’s secret names for the God and Goddess are “Cooter” and “Sweet Cheeks”….
If your coven-stead is propped up on cinder blocks…..
If your craft name starts with “Bubba”……
If your familiar can point quail….
If your familiar keeps mice out of the granary…..
If your favorite Great Rite partner is your first, second, and third cousin….
If your backyard ritual libation is brewed in an illegal backyard still……
If your favorite painting of the Goddess does her hair like Rheba McEntire….
If your maiden sweeps the circle with a weed whacker….
If your most sacred altar items include a hubcap, a velvet painting, and a half-empty can of chaw…..
If your outdoor circle has defunct washing machines for quarter altars….
If your pantheon includes Yukon Jack, Jim Beam and the St. Pauli Girl…
If your ritual music has ever included Johnny Cash singing “Ring of Fire”….
If your robes are made out of denim with Harley Davidson patches…..
Well, you might just be a redneck pagan!!
Website: Pagan Library
(Side Note From Lady Beltane – I believe it is important to honor the men and women whose sweat, bad backs, ectara who helped build the USA into the country it is today. Most if not all of the “Founding Fathers” owned slaves. Many of them fathered children with the women and it was usually not by the woman’s choice that she had to lay with her owner. When you think about it is it fair for any person anywhere in the world today to be owned by another person?)
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
WATCH: Black History Documentaries on HISTORY Vault
The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.
READ MORE: The Man Behind Black History Month
Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and …
1. Ask them if they are Satan worshipers.
2. Be considerate, rearrange their altar so it will look neat.
3. Blow out their altar candle if it is still daylight. (No need to waste a good candle!)
4. Pick up their gems for a closer look.
5. Sharpen their dull, black-handled knife.
6. Witness to them about the ‘One True Religion’.
7. Untie the knots in their cord.
8. Take hold of their jewelry for a closer look.
9. Play card games with their Tarot deck.
10. Ask them if they are Satan worshipers.
Mercury/Neptune/Air/North/West/Southwest/Female/Male/Gemini/Virgo
Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear, Loss, Travel, Money Matters
Color: black, light blue, brown, gray, green, magenta, orange, peach, purple, red, silver, turquoise, violet, white, yellow; orange is the primary color
Number: 3, 5
Metal: mercury
Charm: distaff, rod, runes, staff, iridescent garments
Stone: moss agate, amethyst, bloodstone, emerald, hematite, lapis lazuli, lodestone, pearl, ruby, sapphire, sodalite, all blue stones
Animal: bear, dog, fox, magpie, swan, weasel
Plant: almond, bayberry, chamomile, cherry, cinnamon, cinquefoil, clove, coltsfoot, ginger, hazel, hazelnut, jasmine, lavender, millet, oak, peppermint, periwinkle, rosemary, sage, St. John’s wort, sweet pea, tamarind, lemon verbena, violet
Incense: cassia, cedar, cinnamon, clove, frankincense, jasmine, lavender, mastic, mint, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, storax, dried and powdered citrus peel, and all incense made from aromatic bark, wood, and seeds
Goddess: Carmenta, Hecate (Queen of Crossroads), Hel, Ishtar, Ma’at, the Morrigan, Nike
God: Anubis, Bragi, Elath-Iahu. Enki, Garuda, Hermes, Maximon (Black Magician), Mercury, Nebo (Wise God of Wednesday), Odin, Shango, Ullr, Vishnu, Wayland, Woden
Evocation: Agrat Bat Mahalat, Michael, Miel, Raphael, Seraphiel, Tiriel
Courtesy of Moonlight Musings
To the Romans, this day was called Dies Mercurii, or “Mercury’s day” Mercury was a popular character in the Roman pantheon. A messenger of the gods, he presided over commerce, trade, and anything that required skill or dexterity. The Celts also worshiped Mercury and eventually equated him with the Norse god Odin (some spelling variations on this name include Wotan, Wodin, and Wodan). In Norse mythologies, Odin, like Mercury, is associated with poetry and music. Interestingly enough, both Odin and Mercury were regarded as psychopomps, or the leaders of souls, in their individual mythologies.
Odin, one of the main gods in Norse mythology, was constantly seeking wisdom. He traveled the world in disguise as a one-eyed man with a long gray beard, wearing an old, beat-up hat and carrying a staff or a spear (which brings to my mind images of Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings). In the Old English language, this day of Mercury evolved into Wodnes daeg, “Woden’s day,” or Wednesday.
Wednesday carries all of the planetary and magickal energies and associations of the witty and nimble god Mercury himself. Some of these mercurial traits included good communication skills, cleverness, intelligence, creativity, business sense, writing, artistic talent, trickiness, and thievery. And don’t forget all of those wise and enigmatic qualities associated with the Norse god Odin/Wodin, not to mention the goddess Athena’s contributions of music, the arts, handmade crafts, and writing. Wednesdays afford excellent opportunities for seeking wisdom, changing your circumstances, and improving your skills, be they in trade and commerce, music and art, or in communication and writing.
–Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan
There will be no Imbolc/Lammas issue of Life in The Craft magazine this turning of the Wheel of the Year as it would contain my chaotic energy. Plus, I just have not felt up to being able to even edit last year’s issue to send out.
You may have missed the posts explaining what has been going on in my life since January 1, 2023 so let me give you the highlights.
January 3rd, my third oldest grandson left for active duty in the USA Army. His first two weeks in Basic Combat Training were really rough and I was helping my daughter, his mom adjust to her younger son being unreachable most of the time besides me trying to get use to it. I am happy to say that as of the end of last week he, my daughter, and myself have almost adjusted to a new normal.
January 7th, we welcomed my 10th grandchild into the family. An hour after his birth he had to be put on oxygen and have a feeding tube inserted. Here I was helping my middle son and his wife cope with having a baby in the NICU. I was very worried for my grandson as well. I am happy to say he came home to meet his big brother on January 13, 2023.
January 13rd My daughter whose son just enter the Army earlier in the month had one of her and her fiancée cats get sick overnight. The vet ran tests and found he had a lymph node type cancer. He came home from the animal hospital only to enter eternal sleep on January 23rd.
January 18th The latest thing to upset the family was my youngest son’s constant canine companion of 11 years hurt his leg get up from under the kitchen table. The leg appeared only to be sprained so he was treating him for this at home. By January 27 his leg was swollen with sores on it. Into the vet we go to find out Kage had a very sever break in his femur to the point even if he had taken him to the vet the day it happened it would have cost thousands of dollars to try to have it fixed. Kage had devolved an septic infection, an infect that is in the bloodstream. My son made the hardest decision of his life to have his beloved companion put into eternal rest. I was very close to Kage also and had known him just as long as my son had. I also would dog sit if my son went away for a couple of days. This death was so totally unexpected that I am still having a hard time dealing with my feelings over it. Like crying as I type this.
All of this extra stress and silly weather put into the worse fibromyalgia I have ever experienced and am still trying to get it to calm down. It also, brought me nightmares, lower immunity leading to a cold I am trying to get rid of. I have had super highs, my grandson coming home very healthy, to deep lows, Kage’s death and every emotion in between. This is why I took days off here and there through January from all things connected to WoTC. I literally forced myself to start working again this last Sunday. I also contribute my wanting to honor Lady Abyss’ memory by reposting some of her things this week as a way to live up to me telling her I would carry on the Goddess’ work on this website when I took over in May of 2019. I will do what I can daily or let you know why I am not posting on any given day.
Thank you all for your support, understanding, beautiful words in comment and emails.
Be bold and daring today! Expand your knowledge of the Craft by working with the planetary energies of Mercury on this multifaceted day of the week. Consider the Greco-Roman gods Mercury and Hermes and all of the many lessons they have for you. Embrace change and movement, and work on your communication techniques. Conjure up a little good luck for yourself with that Mercury dime spell. Call on Athena to inspire you to try magickal arts and crafts and to be more creative in your own spellwork and witchery.
Meditate on Odin and see what you can discover about him. I wonder what sort of fabulous and fascinating magickal wisdom you will uncover? Odin is a shaman, after all; he may appear in many guises and faces. I guarantee that he will make you laugh at yourself before he is through with you, but you will learn. It’s up to you what you do with that knowledge. Will you let it shapeshift into wisdom?
Wednesday is the wild and wily day of the week, so try to go with the flow; don’t fight the quirky energies of the day. Most importantly, follow your heart, and always keep a good sense of humor, because of Wednesdays you will really need it.
Source
Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan
What a beautiful Tuesday! I hope you are having a magickal one, dear friend. It is great to be alive. It is wonderful to have all the Goddess’s lovely creatures and other wonders surround us. Thank Great Lady for all your blessings you have given us.
Tuesday
Magickal Intentions: Courage, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality and Assertiveness
Incense: Dragon’s Blood, Patchouli
Planet: Mars
Sign: Aries and Scorpio
Angel: Samuel
Colors: Red and Orange
Herbs/Plants:Red Rose, Cock’s Comb, Pine, Daisy, Thyme and Pepper
Stones: Carnelian, Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet and Pink Tourmaline
Oil: (Mars) Basil, Coriander, Ginger
Mars rules Tuesday. The energies of this day best harmonize with efforts of masculine vibration, such as conflict, physical endurance and strength, lust, hunting, sports, and all types of competition. Use them, too, for rituals involving surgical procedures or political ventures.
This is a fairly simple spell, and of course you should change it according to your tastes.
This comes to us thanks to Lady of the Abyss. Originally posted on WOTC on June 10, 2018.
Dear sisters, brothers, and honored guests may the Great Mother and Great Father, Lord and Lady, bless you and your family with all things positive!
Dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, and Tyr.
Element : Water
Planet : Mars
Zodiac Sign : Aries / Scorpio
Angel : Samuel
Metal : Iron, Steel
Incense / Perfumes : Dragon’s Blood, Patchouli
Oil : Basil, Coriander, Ginger
Color : Red, Orange
Stones : Bloodstone, Garnet, Carnelian,
Plants/Herbs : Allspice, Blessed Thistle, Cayenne, Daisy, Garlic, Ginger, Pepper, Pine, Red Rose, Thyme, Tobacco, Wormwood
Magick to work: self-assertion, energy, and courage, victory, endurance, passion, masculine goals in general, sex, aggression, protection, controlled power, ambition, arguments, competition, conflict, destruction, lust, male sexuality, sports, strife, struggle, surgery, medical issues, upheaval, war
Dear sisters, brothers, and honored guests may the Great Mother and Great Father, Lord and Lady, bless you and your family with all things positive!
Monday is named after the moon. The Latin term for Monday is Dies Lunae (“moon’s day”); in the Old English language, this day was Monandaeg; in Greek, it was Hermera Selenes. All of these different names and languages translate to the same thing: the “day of the moon.”
Working with the different phases of the moon is an important skill that takes a bit of time for Witches to learn. So why not cut to the chase and experiment with the day of the week that is dedicated to the moon in all of its magickal energies and aspects?
Magickally, Monday encourages the lunar energies of inspiration, illusion, prophetic dreams, emotions, psychic abilities, travel, women’s mysteries, and fertility.
—Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan
Witches Of The Craft® 
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